The Commission, April 1850

VOLUME 2, NUMBER 4. •V ■ Т1 • the gospel to every creature.'’ RICHMOND, APRIL 15, 1850. Southern 33aptiot (Joiwcntion. Correspondence of the Foreign Board. Communications relating to the general busi¬ ness of the Foieign Mission Board, may be ad¬ dressed, post paid, to Jam и B. Taylor, Gir. See. Ihchnond, Va. Communications enclosing donations, or relat¬ ing to tho financial department, may bo address¬ ed to Archibald Thomas, Treat. ■ Richmond, Va, Wo Aro Stewards. A little heathen child was inquired of by her teacher, if there was anything which she could call her own. She hesitated a moment, and looking up, vciy humbly replied, “ I think there is.” “What is it!” asked the teacher. “ I think,” said she, “ that my sins ate my own." Yes, wo may claim our sins— they aro our own; but everything else belongs to God. We aro stewards: and a steward is оно who is employed to manago tho concerns of another— ids household, money or estate. Wo are God’s stewards. God has intrusted to each. one of us a charge of greater nr less importance. To some ho has intrusted five talents, to others two and to otlicrs ono. Tho talents arc physical stiength, property, intellect, learning, influence, —all the means in our possession for doing good and glorifying God. Wo can lay claim to nothing as strictly our own. Even the angel Gabriel cannot claim the smallest patticlo of dust ns strictly his own. The rightful owner of all things, great and small, is God. у i . Spirit of Missions, Aro the heathen guilty — covered with blood and black with crimo! Do they exhibit many traits that are repulsive and horrid ! Would our visit in them fill them with rage and bitterness, and tempt them to crucify us! What then! arc wo to relax oui efforts for them, because they are ungodly ! So did not Jesus Christ. Let ns learn from his example, and imbiho his spirit. That man, who may be called a missionary, and yet is capablo of being alienated in his feelings by ill-treatment, contempt, abuso and rage from tho heathen, is not worthy of the name. Then is nothing pccu liar in the spirit of mis sions, except what peculiarity thcio may bo in tho spirit of Christ— that it is what all must pos scss to bo disciples, and without which no one can enter heaven. It is a spirit hnmblo yet ele¬ vating, sclf-sactificing yet joyful, intensely for vent yet reasonable, meek and yet lesolutc. It is all this indeed, but yet ncthing more than what is required of every Christian ; and therefore no excuse ran bo того absurd and contradictory in terms, than that sometimes mado, " It is not my duty to go to the heathen, for l never had a mis¬ sionary spirit;” for ono professes to bo a Christ¬ ian, and yet excuses himself, on the ground of not having a missionary spitit, or in other words, of not being a Christian— of not being in possess¬ ion of a fair titlo to heaven. 0, remember, can bo used to lead souls to the Lamb of God — the door.of heaven — the heavenly way— the anti- mission man is opposed. What is'there in mis¬ sions that should oxcito opposition! -Their ob¬ ject! Their work? Tlieit spirit! What they have done! The tourso pursued by theii advo¬ cates! What can it be! I can see but one thing which can greatly trouble tho. anti-mission man. Missions cost money. Yes, missions cost money; and tho time is coming when the ex¬ pense of missions will bo so great, and the wil¬ lingness of tho peopio of God to givd money,'' will bo such, as would greatly astonish the people of the present day, if they could know the amount. The fact that any man would ' present as an objection to missions that they cost money, shows where that man’s heart is. In that man’s catechism tho answer to the question, What is the chief end of man! is — “to get money and enjoy it.” Do you object to your institutions of learning, that they cost money! But I forget. Tho opposers of missions aro also opposed to institutions of learning. " They want none of your Greek and Latin learning, but the good old English' that the apostle Paul spoke." Do you object to supporting your pastor, because in order to do it you must give him money ? Alas ! I am in the wtong again. The opposer of missions docs not liko to hear a paid preacher. lie thanks God for a free gospel. “ Ho has been a professor thirty years, and it has never cost him a cent.” Do you object to giving to the poor because it costs money ! But perhaps the op- poser of mission» is one of those who never give to the poor. He believes that if a man wants' to eat, let him work. Do yon neglect to find your¬ self because provisions cost money! Ate you unclothed because articles, of dress cannot, be purchased without money! Whose money are you spending when you are buying clothes and food ! Whoso money is that you are laying up, to lie scattered after your death you know not how! “It is mine,” say you, “honestly and laboriously obtained; every cent of it fairly earned." And what aro you! A condemned wretch— a violator of God’s laws— a criminal only reprieved at a most cosily expense. You aro a slave, purchased from one master by an¬ other master. In a speech mado by a missiona¬ ry at one time, ho called Christians “ Christ’s negro properly.” If you aro a Christian, you ato not your own ; you have Christ's mark upon you. All that you have is his. Your body is Christ's; your soul is Christ’s; your talents are Christ's; your land is his; your houses, your farms, your children, all belong to him. And which of these things dare you appropriate to yourself? Dare you say of the money in your possession, “It is mine, I will use it as I please!" Date you refuse to give Christ's monoy to advance Christ’s causo? Can a really converted man oppose missions! I do not see how ho can. As spiritual Christianity advances, the cause of missions advances. As long as the early churches were mission churches, they pros¬ pered. God blessed them. When the worldly spirit enroted the church, tiro cause of missions was retarded. God's cutso rested upon the church. Tho apostles were missionaries. The tlie day, of pentecost. What a precious revival .tliat was! What a noble band of missionaries were assembled rhere! How greatly and glo¬ riously was their work prospered ! No long and laborious process of study was needed in order to- acquire the language of those whoso souls they wished to benefit. No, they spake with tofigues as the Spirit gave, them utterance. 'When shall we see such a day! We surely shajl not so long as opposers of missions are as numerous as at present. Let, tlio whole church of; God prostrate itself in the dust— let there ho a prayer meeting like that at Jerusalem, where all, were united and all were earnestly seeking for, tho blessing — let tiro redeemed of Christ feel that there is work for them to do— let the soldier ofiCbrist gird on his armor— let из supplicate blessings from on high— let us endeavor toreal- izOj the value of the soul — let us unitedly, ear¬ nestly and constantly labor for the advancement Life is short. Soon, will the of, Christ’s cause. 0Г. night come when our work on earth must cease. Tor the CommtMlon. “Mother!” iValking one day through Greenwood Ceme¬ tery,* gazing at the magnificent monuments that о met my eyes, and occasionally read- every wb ing'j the fulsome eulogies of those who lay be¬ neath, I strayed to a letired part of the grounds, .where I came upon a plain, white marble block, with only one word to tell whom it commemora¬ ted; but that word was mother. Significant word! It spoke volumes. The tears involunta- lilytrusbed to my eyes as I was carried back to ,! boyhood days and tiro scenes of my early Christ. Christian reader, that the least desire to be ex¬ cused shows a deplorable lack of tho spirit of cburcbca planted by them were mission churches. For tho Commission. Tho Anti‘Mission Christian, No. 2. I wonder if such a one ever uses the Lord's prayer. If so, when he comes to tho clause, “Thy kingdom come,” he must omit it. For the anti-mission man does not wish Christ's kingdom to come. When others aro rejoicing over the conversion of souls, the anti-mission man is dejected. Ho is opposed to those things, and therefore is down east, Tho anti-mission man feara that heaven may be crowded. lie hopes himself to be there, but as fot others they must do the best they can. To all means which The apostles actually took money for missionary purposes. The apostlo Paul, in 2d Cor. xi : 8, speaks of taking from other churches, and in the !)th verse, of receiving supplies from the breth¬ ren in Macedonia, to aid in advancing the cause. The brother who follows tho example of the apostlo Paul, need not fear. He will not be greatly in the wrong. My brethren, who love tho mission cause what shall we do to these opponents ! Let us pray for them. Let us pray that God would convert them. Let ns pray that we all may pos¬ sess more of the revival spirit. This is the spi tit of missions. The earliest extensive mission ary operations originated in the great tevival on ^otijtipwben . I knew a motherlejoycand ,.cxpe: rienced a mother's tender care. I realized again the scenes of that day — that fatal day — when the angel of death visited our happy home, and we followed our mother to the tomb with that desolation of heart which is alone known to the orphan. At the base of the monument sat a small urn in which lay some beautiful flowers just wither¬ ing under the rays of the meridian sun. “Such," thought I, “is life. Here lies a tender mother, who, but a short time since, was diffus¬ ing joy and happiness through her domestic cir¬ cle— an affectionato daughter now bathes her grave with hot tears, and leaves these beautiful emblems cf purity and love to shed their fra- gtance over this sacred spot. But alas! before she shall return again, their beauty will have faded, and their withered petals have been scat¬ tered to the winds. In their sad fate, she will read the doom of all that is beautiful and fair on earth.” Oh ! 'tis sad, ’tis sad to think, that heie we form the most endearing attachments, but to feel tho pangs of separation. Our neatest friends and dearest relatives aro taken away at a mo¬ ment's warning— our gaiety and joy are turned into sadness and mourning— sorrow and disap¬ pointments await us on every hand. Amid these sad mutations of time, how teady should we be to forsake all fur Christ's sake, and go out even to distant lands that the heathen may learn the way of life! Tho relations of earth must soon bo dissolved, how willing should we be, that our Redeemer may be honored, to part with all! And how blessed is that hope which withdraws the veil of the futuro and discloses to out vision the realities of a fairer and a better world, where tho sigh of affliclion is hushed and the parting tear is no more shed ! A. If any reader of the Commission .is conscious of a neglect of the concert or of any missionary society in his or her churfh, we earnestly beg such to give the few thoughts to be submitted, a careful consideration. 1. It must bo acknowledged that Christians aro bound to pray foe missions.. Christ com-, mamlsit. “ Pray ye," says tho great Head. of the. church, “ Pray , yc, therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that he will send out more laborers' into the harvest:” And why, we beg to know, Christian reader, is this precept less binding than that enjoining baptism, or brotherly love, or any other duty! It proceeds from the same source, and is as directly 'authoritative. Considered only so far as the heathen are con¬ cerned, prayer and corresponding effort are in the highest degree obligatory. But we are allowed to pray for Christ. This is duty, this is privilege. He prays for us. And may wo by our feeble petitions accelerate his triumph! Thank God we may. “ Prayer is the .nervp, that moves the muscles of Omnipotence'." Ohi then let us ever use this instrumentality in fur¬ thering the cause of our risen Lord. 2, If it is the duty of Christians to pray for Christ and his cause at all, they are especially bound to meet together, for there is m special promise to united prayer. ( If the conversion of the world is desirable, if it Is promised in answer to yraycr, if there is a special and extraordinary promise to united prayer, we ask, shall not Christians “agree” to pray for it, and “ to¬ gether" with strong faith in the promises of the Bible, claim the fulfilment of a covenant-keeping God! But if the truth were told, professed Christians who never go to the concert, or to a missionary meeting, do not pray for Christ at home. Reader we appeal to you. We ask you to pray at home, for Christ and a dying world, and we know that no trivial excuse will keep you away, when the concert of prayer or a mis¬ sionary meeting is to be held with your church. Try it ! try it ! Finally, Christian readet, remember that God will try with impartial judgment, year excuses for ja'iling.ia.meet. and. pray, tat Jhe advancement of his kingdom in tho world. Мзко no excuse, which he would refuse. Let not, by Christ’s suffering for you, by the reward which awaits you if faithful, by rhe crowds in the world rush¬ ing to hell, let not indolence, or a desiie to hear some strange preacher at another place, or a dis¬ position to gratify any selfish feeling, let nothing keep you from the missionary prayer meeting. N. Y. Z. Guilt of Neglecting the Heathen. in > К iu New York city. For the СотшЫоп. The Concert of Prayer. The meeting together for prayer for the spread of the gospel, is at once a high privilege, and an imperativo duty— ono sadly neglected by many professed Christians of the present day. - ■ ' \he heathen world, as a mass, has been left to perish. And by whom? Not by the Father 4 4 During all the years that I have been allowed to labor for the heathen, my mind has been led to contemplate, constantly and intensely, the ob¬ ligation of Christian nations towards those who sit in darkness; obligations arising from the command of Christ, and the principles of the gospel. And I shall, therefore, ill this chapter, freely, fully, and solemnly express the senti¬ ments which have been maturing in my mind, on rhe great guilt which Christians incur in neglect- the heathen. of mercies ; he gave his Son to redeem it : not by the Saviom of sinners ; look at Calvary : not by the Holy Spirit; his influences have been ever ready : not by angels ; their wings Ьато never tired when sent on errands of mercy. All that heaven could do has been done, consistently with the all-wise arrangement of committing an important agency to the church. The church has.been slothful and negligent. Each genera¬ tion of Christian» has in turn received the vast responsibility, neglected it in a great measure, and transmitted it to the next. The guilt of this neglect who can estimate! That Ouch neglect is highly criminal, the Bible everywhere testifies. It says, “ If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that arc ready to be slain ; if thou sayest, Behold, wo knew it not; doth nut ho that pon- dereth the heart consider it? and he that keep- eth thy soul, doth not ho know it? ” And shall not he “ render to every man according to Lis works?” This solemn interrogation needs to comment. Tho obvious import is, Jf our fellow- men are perishing, and me neglect to do what we am to save them, we are guilty of their blood. But this testimony does not stand alone. What docs God say to the prophet, who should see tho peril of the wicked, and neglect to save him by giving him warning ! " His blood will I requite at thy hand.” What does God say "of tho watchman of a city who should, see tire sword come, and blow not tho trumpet? “If the sword come and take any person from among them, his blood will I'require at tho watchman's hand.”— Rev. S. Dibble. ■ --