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February 24, 1909. THE PRESBYTERI
These represent the men who have pone unarmed before
the ships and caravans of trade to every part of the earth
blazing the way for commerce, removing the obstacles
to civilization and, too often, opening the way for invading
armies of conquest. Yet these men have gone
out sustained by the offerings and prayers of the poor
with scarcely a passport from the "powers that be,"
resisted and defamed by their countrymen of the baser
^uri in iorcign ports; but with love in their hearts and
the Bible in their hands they have scattered the seeds
> of truth from whose springing the harvest of peace
and brotherhood, of righteousness and life arc being
reaped.. The missionaries are the pioneers of advancing
civilization as they are the prophets of a world-wide redemption.
NOTES IN PASSING.
By Bert.
"In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream
by night : and God said, 'Ask what I shall give thee'."
It was no audible voice Solomon heard; it was* no
visible manifestation Solomon saw. It was in a dream.
Yet" it woe nc m 11 r?V? 'o ? 1
.. .nuvu muu 3 vunc ouiunion nearci as it
was God's voice Moses heard at the bush, or that Abraham
heard on the mount. God speaks to men now as
much as he ever did. If you are really seeking his guidance
with intent to glorify him, if you are seeking his
direction that you may exert a saving influence, he
speaks in the still small voice of strong impression on
the mind, a powerful conviction of duty, an irresistible
drawing to a given place and at a given time. Immediate
yielding to these impressions increases the sensitiveness
of the soul to the voice of God and insures
the growing consciousness of a God-directed life.
It was at night God appeared to Solomon. Some of
the richest revelations of his grace have come to us in
the night of darkness and loneliness, when npitlipr cinrti*
?, -
nor hearing nor the sympathy of friends can avail. It
was in such an hour that Abraham found him, and Gideon,
and Daniel. The light of his countenance shines
with wonderful radiance in the world's hour of darkness.
It takes these times of sore need to make plain
to us how sweet his consolations are, how mighty his
arm, and how unceasing his loving watchfulness over
his own. . . In
the night and in the dream he said to Solomon,
"Ask what I shall give thee." It was Solomon's time
of choice. Such a time comes to all somewhere in life.
We must choose whether there is anything we want
from God or nothing-. Shall we take our lives intr? r?ur
own keeping or give them over to his? Shall we seek
for worldly gains or heavenly? Shall we serve God or
mammon? There is always the choice between good
and evil. But in addition to this there is the further
choice between good and best. And here many lives
t forfeit power. Many are satisfied with little who might
just as well have the most. There arc many good men
in the world who might have been much better men
had they not been so easily pleased. There is no reason
why men should be simply good when all the resources
of heaven are at their hand to lift them upon
the highest point of the highest plain.
AN OF THE SOUTH. 5
A little light goes a long way in the darkness. A
word may save a soul from despair.
The value of a contented spirit depends upon the
existence of some other qualities. It is not well to he
contented when only half of the journey has been
passed. But when you have reached the end of the
climb and can go no farther, then if things are not
what you expected, but since you have done your best,
to be able to act as though you had just what you desired
is a great gain. Contentment of mi yd must rest
upon a true ambition, or it is worthless.
DISTRIBUTION OF WORKERS.
The last issue of The Home Mission Herald gives
a most interesting list of the home missionaries who
are supportd altogether or in part, or for a part of their
timp Ux, tU- m, U i 'n.-- ...
-, v.iuii^u in iciij^c. i iic usi aoes not include
those* who are provided for by the Local Home Mission
Committees of various Synods and Presbyteries. The
list is a variable one, the. secretary tells us, owing to
the fact that many spend but a short time in the work,
and that changes are very frequent.
There are, all told, 165 workers on the list, of whom
four are women, engaged in teaching in the mission
schools among the Indians. These 165 are classified
thus: In mountain missions, 9; evangelists, 18; on the
sustentation list, 113; in Indian missions, as evangelists,
mission teachers and Indian preachers, 14; among
foreigners, 11.
Of this little army of workers in the field, helped by
the Church at large, the distribution by Synods is as
follows: Georgia, 1; Kentucky, 2; Tennessee, 2: North
Carolina, 3; Louisiana, 3; Virginia, 4; Florida, 14; Ar- .
kansas, 19; Oklahoma, 36: Texas, 81. The Kentucky
names are of workers in the mountain field, and the
same is true of those connected with the North Carolina
and Virginia Synods. The large number in Oklahoma
Synod is due in part to the special Indian missions and
schools. Of the workers among foreigners, eleven
evangelists, nine are among the Mexicans in Texas,
the other two being the evangelists to the French and
Italians in Louisiana, for whom the Home Mission
Committee has just now, for the first time, made a
small appropriation.
Not one of all these workers should be withdrawn
from the needy home mission field, but the number in
some of the Synods ought to be greatly enlarged. Louisiana
should be assiduously cultivated. The committee
stands ready to devote large attention to this field.
if the Church will place in its hands the material with
which to support it.
The time limit on effort to be like Christ surely
cannot be pleasing to him. To enter into obligation to
try to be like him for two weeks is about the same as
for a child to engage to be loving and obedient to its parents
for fourteen days, or for a citizen to covenant that
he will be honest and law-abiding for the same length
of time. The time limit is essentially wrong. Christ
wishes no temporary likeness to himself. The principle
which will make us like him will wish to be at work all
the time, and will not be content with bounding it.