Putnam County herald. (Cookeville, Tenn.) 1903-1922, 1914-01-29
Three Reasons for missionary Activity


Us to go into all the world, and he
commands us to preach the gospel to
all men. He spoke as one having au-
thority He set us an example in his
own ministry. 1t is our duty to obey
his mmand, even though we do not
conceive it privilege. We are not
true follower sof Christ unless we obey
his word. We arc not good Christians.
therefore, if we are not vitally inter-
ested in missions. We obey the call
Of = country. and we are ready to
/ give our lives in battle when the COM
mansing general orders a hopeless
charge; and het many eo-called very
good Christians pay absolutely no at
tention to the command of the great
est Commander the world has ever
known or will ever be privileged to fol-
low. Some of us are willing in self
ish fashion to promote missionary ac-
tivity a. home, but for some passing
strange and illogical reason we line
ourselves up IN unlovely attitude
against missionary activity across the
water. 1t is great pity that any dis
tinction was ever made between home
and foreign missions. But here is
something for the nonrbelieyer in for
! eign missions to ruminate over. No
Church member is real, true, four
square, live Christian who does not be-
lieve in all missionary work which is
done in Christ's name.
2. The Need.-The greatest need of
men is the need of the soul The high
est service we can render another is to
lead him to the great altar stairs
which slope through darkness up to
God. The loudest cry the world has
ever heard was the inaudible cry of
the man Of Macedonia, saying, Come
over and help us" The cry still
comes to us from over the hills and
away, from the solitudes of
desert places and from the heart Of
great cities, from the isles Of the sea
and from the darkest of continents.
Men are calling as they have never
called before, because we have flashed
into their lives just enough light to
make them dread the darkness and
the thick night We are tantalizers
more light until the
If we do not follow the light we have
night is gone. We have reused the
sleeping world with the high theme Of
the gospel upon our lips. Shall we
let the siren voices of the nihgt lull to
sleep the children Of tie light? Out
of the night the voices OF men re call
ing for the Light Of the World. We
have the Light. Shall we answer the
call? ITO him that hath shall be Civ
en-, but from him that hath not shall |
be- taken that which he hath" From
whom much is given much is expected.
II we fail to use what has been divine
ly vouchsafed to us, 1t will be taken
away and given to them who can and
will use 1t. God has given to us the
gospel. He has given us his Son. We
live in his light and enjoy his life. But
Christ gives himself continually, only
on condition that we give him to 9th
ers. The need is obvious. We can
meet the need. What shall we do
about it?
8. The Reflex influence and Effect.
The law Of compensation is as en-
couraging to c doer Of good as the law
Of retribut'on is discouraging to doer
Of evil God has so fixed it that no
high dream is ever lost, no beautiful h
ideal is ever without some reward, no
splendid act of service ever comes Il
back to us flotsam and jetsam Our
very dreams of good find their place
ii the economy of God, and our divine !,
" inspired altruism returns to us
charged with the presence OF the liv- I
ing God and rich in eternal values for
he enrichment of our souls and the
of the borders thereof. Il
rhis is abnndantly true in our mis- ion-
Try activity. Nothing SO broadens Il
Ind enriches and develops an individ-
ial Christian or a Church as unselfish Il
Ind Jealous work for missions. The Is
i've Church is always Church which
~ !. Nfx,l 4d .x.lE. Il !.