12 THE CHURCH OFFICERS’ GAZETTE
Pioneer Missionaries — The Judsons
(Program for Week Ending February I)
BY GWYNNE DALRYMPLE
Song Service. (Nos. 538, 3056, 561, in “ Christ in Song.”)
Bible Doctrine Key Text Driil. (See p. 11.)
Silent Prayer, Closed With the Lord’s Prayer in Coneert.
Special Musical Selection.
Announcements, Reports, and Offering.
Tatk: * Burma in the Days of the Judsons.”
Talk: * Enlisting for Life.” (This should inelude the story of how
Nancy Hasseltine and Adoniram Judson met, how they hecame
convinced that God would have them join their lives in consecrated
gervice for Him, and on to the time of their landing in India.
See Note to Leaders for suggestions regarding material.)
Stortes From the Judsons’ Missionary Service: * Terrors of Prison Life
for Mr. Judson and ¢ The Burmese New Testament Piliow.”
(There may he others of the many interesting stories connected
with the work of the Judsons that you will want to segregate and
have told separately.)
Biography Sketch: * Pioneer Missionaries.” (A brief outline is given
here mostly of Mr. Judson. This should be supplemented by ac
cegsible material on both Mr, and Mzxs, Judson’s life and work.)
“ My Highest Ambition.” (See p. 9.)
“ The Son of God Geez Forth to War” (No, 693 in
If your Missionary Volunteers do not know
It is one of the grandest of missionary hymns.)
Note to Leaders
Your program today will have fulfilled its purpose only if it
inspires within the heart of some youth an unguenchable desire
to give his life in service in mission lands. Let the consecra-
tion of the Judsons tell its own story throughout the program.
Your public library will afford biographical and mission helps
on the life and work of the Judsons, Your own society library
should contain the former Reading Course bock, *“ Ann of Ava.”
Though this deals primarily with Mrs. Judson, it does not stint
the service and sufferings of Mr. Judson as he led out in
pioneer missionary work for God. See also the suggestions
for the Junior program, p. &. :
Talk: “ Burma in the Days of the Judsons”
LUXURIANT with tropical vegetation and the heavy growth
of jungles, the land of Burma lay between India, Siam, and
China. Great rivers, as the Salwin and the Irrawaddy, from
thsir unknewn seurces in the lofty mountains of the nerth,
pouted threugh the highlands down into the Bay:of Bengal.
Oh the many ranges ef hills grew giant teak trees, and un-
numbered kinds of timber and herbs. The natives, with little
or ne cultivation, raised mangees, oranges, citrens, tea, and
all manner ef produce peculiar to a warm ‘climate. The land
was rich in minerals; but, except fer a little gold gathered
from the sands of .the rivers and seme silver dug from the
hills near the Chinese frontiers, the natives found extensive
mining teo arduous. Jado and precious stenes were sought for.
Over the whole ef this territery ruled the Burmese king.
His authority was supreme over every subject in his dominiens,
According as he felt dispossd, he might degrade or exalt, tor-
ture or deliver, kill er save. Since there wag ne hereditary no-
bility, persons of the vilest rank were eften raised to be the
agents of the menarch; and since, when se exalted, they were
altogether dependent upon his will for their positions, the high-
est officials of the kingdom might be tortured for an hour er
two on the public highway by the royal executioner, and the
next day, perhaps, restored by the royal caprice, might again
occupy their high respensibilities in the administration of the
realm, If this was the situation of prime ministers and treas-
urers, that of laborers and serfs may be mere easily imagined
than described. Legally, they were considered the slaves of
the king. Practically, they belonged, as far as purposes ef
taxation were cencerned, to whatever favorite the king had
chanced to assign them. The taxgatherers contrived te enrich
themselves and their lords by impositions on fruit trees, en
sugar palms, on tobacce lands, on teak ferests, on mines, en
fisheries, on salt, on turtles’ eggs and swallows’ nests. If these
sources of revenue were net sufficient, they practiced such gen.
eral means of oppression and extortidn as they could cot
veniently exercise.
In religion, the people of Burma were Buddhists. (See
talk, “The Priests of the Yellew Rebe,” in Junier program,
p. 9.) They hated the white devils. They hated the for-
eigners who wished to teach them of a foveign God. They
hated the French, who had sent warships te help the rebellious
Peguans, And they hated the English, who by way of Bengal
and Assam were drawing nearer and nearer te the land of
Burma. Thsy hated the white fercigners because they were
different; because they wershiped, not Buddha, but a strange
Jesus; and they hated them so much that they never wanted a
white man or a white man’s Ged in Burma, G. D.
Reeitation:
Closing Song:
“ Christ in Song.”
this hymn, learn it,
Talk: “ Pioneer Missionaries ”
ADONIRAM JUDRON was born in Malden, Mass, in 1788. The
gon of a minister, he was not in the least religious, but scarcely
believed in God at all
Suddenly, through the Spirit of God working upon his heart
and perhaps through experiences which brought him to his
senses, he began to fsel his need of God. Changed in heart,
he began to realize how little he knew about spiritual things,
and how little he understood the Scriptures. He went fo a
theological seminary, not so much to train himself for the
ministry as to learn more about God, ‘While there, he became
zsalous to go as a missionary to the great field of India. Soon
after, with his bride, he set sail for this distant land; and on
June 18, 1812, the young couple reached Caleutta.
But the English people who ruled there were not in the least
interested in missions, They were so bitterly opposed to the
idea of Christianizing the natives, that they practically forced
the Judsons to leave India. But in all this there was the hand
of God.
Where should they go? They thought of the kingdom of
Burma. No ambassadors of the Lord had ever yet gone there,
and this land was not under British eoutrol, Who knew but
that God might be leading them to its millions of people?
The Judsons went to.Burma. Mr, Judson became perfectly
proficient in the Burmese tongue; he spoke in it, he thought
in it, and. later composed Burmese grammars and dictionaries.
Always his object was to win souls to Christ. Nevertheless,
a year went hy and no Buddhisis had become Christians, Two
years — three years— four years —not a very encouraging out-
look! . A fifth year came and slowly wore away — still no con-
verts, A sixth year-— and the first soul was won for Christ
in Burma!
While Mr, Tudson was preaching | in Ava in 1824, there broke
out the terrible British-Burmese War, At once the missicnary
was threwn inte a Burmese jail, and there treated with every
brutality. It was net uncommen for native jailers te torture
their priseners, and it was held ne calamity if the victims lost
their lives before the terminatien of their imprisonment, Faith-
fully Mrs. Judsen came te cheer and encourage her distressed
husband ; she brought him food; she negotiated for his release.
At last, through the intervention of Sir Archibald Campbell,
Judson was let free from the terrible confinement.
And new the attitude ef the Burmese people began te change.
The natives came to ask for traets whieh Judsen had written
in their own language. The frowng of the scolding, intelerant
king, the leers of the worthless courtiers, could net keep them
away. Indeed, at the very time when the natives thronged te
attend the great festivals of Buddha, they would come te the
missionary to receive papers containing the bread of life. Frem
all parts of Burma, frem the mountaincus borders ef China,
and from the monarchy of Siam, they came te learn of Ged.
When Mr, Judson, in 1845, returned to Ameriea, he had so
thereughly identified himself with the language and mind of
the Burmese peeple that he could scarcely cenverse in English,
But his strength had been undermined by the pernicious cli
mate, by the eruclty of his native capters, and by the hardships
of extrems. exertion under health-destroying conditions. He re-
turned to Burma, but he was net able to remain there long.
Tn 1850 he determined to seek a ehange ef surrcundings. But
when he was three days’ sail from Burma, his life gave out,
and he was buried at sea, having given thirty-seven years of
hig life to the evangelization of Burma and to the glory of Ged.
G. D.
a
The Great Advent Awakening
(Program for Week Ending February 8)
Music for Today. (Ask each Missionary Volunteer to come prepared to
name his favorite song that speaks of Jesus’ soon return, and sing
these throughout the service today.)
Bibls Doctrine Key Text Drifi. (See p. 11.)
Silant Prayer. (No. 1986 in * Christ in Song ” played softly.)
Announcements, Reports, and the Offering.
Repeat in Concert the Three Angels’ Messages: Rev. 14: 6-12, (For
comment in connection with this, especially if you have younger
members in your society, see ‘ Pioneer Btories,” pp. 45-50.)
Taik: ‘The First Angei’s Message.” (Base this talk on “Barly
Writings,” pp. 282-237; also, see “ Pioneer Stories,” pp. 64.72.)
Tatk: * The Advent Movement in America.” Glean material from
“ Origin and Progress of Seventh-day Adventists,” by M. HE, Olsen,
pp. 107-119; or from * Story of the Advent Message,” by Mrs.
E. BE. Andross, pp. 19-27.)
* Misgionary Volunteers and Their Work; * price, $1.