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IO THE PRESBYTERIA
When Europe had long been enshrouded in the "dark
ages," Martin Luther seized the trumpet of the Saxon
tongue, and blew a blast that rang from Rome to the
Orkneys.
I could recall incidents in my own experience that
illustrate how, after dark days of discouragement, at
evening nine it was light. In my first pastoral charge
of a small church, the discouragements were so great
that I was under a strong temptation to abandon the
difficult field of labor entirely. Suddenly there came the
most remarkable outpouring of the Holy Spirit that I
have witnessed during my whole ministry! That revival
was worth more to me than any year in the
theological seminary.
This beautiful passage of the bright eventide is finely
descriptive of a Christian old age. Some people have a
pitiful dread of growing old, and count it a disgrace.
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that records the day of their birth were subjected to the
fashionable process of the "higher criticism," it might
. prove to be erroneous! But if life is spent in God's
service its later years may be well described in the
quaint Scotch version of the ninety-second Psalm :
"And in old age when others fade,
They fruit still forth shall bring;
They shall be fat, and full of sap,
And aye be flourishing."
The October of life frequently yields its richest and
rinpsl frnit'i'ifo T*1 ^ "
..K.tagi. me i\.ev. ur. Kichard S. Storrs delivered
his most magnificent sermons and addresses after
he had passed threescore. The most majestic and thrilling
burst of eloquence that ever flowed from Gladstone's
lips was that appeal for bleeding Armenia, when
his life clock had already struck eighty-six! Why
should not the Indian summers of a well-spent life
show every leaf on the tree blazing with ruddy gold?
The noble old Christian philanthropist, William Wilberforce,
who had suffered severe pecuniary losses,
wrote in his diary: "I sometimes understand why my
lioe VVOA.- ~ ? 1 *
...^ ..ao utcu spared so long. It is to prove that my
life can be just as happy without my fortune as when
I possessed it. Sailors, it is said, when on a voyage
at sea, drink to 'friends astern' until they get half-way
across, and then to 'friends ahead' for the rest of the
voyage. With me it has been friends ahead for many
a year." Wilberforce was not the only veteran Christian
who got glimpses of the friends ahead in the
bright afterglow of life.
If it is true that the old age of a faithful follower of
Christ exhibits the light at eventide, still more impressively
does this often apply to his or her dying bed.
Dllt-inor r-n,' o /? 4-?? ? *- * - T
b ...j ptisioraie i sometimes got better
sermons from my people than I ever gave to them. I
recall now a most touching and sublime scene that I
once witnessed in the death chamber of a noble woman,
who had suffered for many months from an excruciating
malady. The end was drawing near. She
seemed to catch a foregleam of the glory that awaited
her. With tremulous voice she began to repeat
Henry Lyte's matchless hymn, "Abide with me, fast
falls the eventide." One line after another was feebly
N OF THE SOUTH. March 10, 1909.
repeated until, with a rapturous sweetness, she exclaimed
:
"Hold Thou Thy Cross before my closing eyes,
Shine thru the gloom, and point me to the skies;
Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows
flee,
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me."
As I came away from that room, which had been as
the vestibule rvf t '
i.vavcn, x understood the "light at
eventime" could be only a flashing forth of the overwhelming
glory that plays forever around the throne
of God!
Brooklyn, N. Y.
OUR MISSIONARIES IN FAR EAST.
By Rev. H. F. Williams, Editor Missionary.
A few days were very profitably spent in Japan, as
we passed through en route to Korea. Rev. R. E. McAlpine
made the considerable trip to Yokohama to ex
tend greeting when we arrived, and gave a good beginning
to our journeyings in the Far East. After a day
in Yokphama and Tokio, during the visit of our war
.vessels, we went to Nagoya to spend Sunday. The railway
trip was most interesting, the traveler having Mr.
McAlpine for a companion is most fortunate. He
proved himself an encyclopedia of information on missionary
work and knowledge of points of special interest.
The farms and towns, the mountains and valleys,
and, most of all, the people engage the constant attention
of an observant traveler. The scenery included a
fine view of the sacred mountains of Japan, Fujiyama,
in its combined beauty of symmetry and grandeur of
snow^rrowned summits. The Sunday in Nagoya was
delightfully spent in the home of Mr. and Mrs Mr A i_
pine. It was a privilege to preach at the English service
in the afternoon, and at the evening service of the
Japanese First Presbyterian church. There was time
for only a brief visit with Miss Houston and Miss Evans,
at our Nagoya Girls' School, but it was long
enough to learn much of what has been accomplished
and the possibilities of this school for Japanese girls.
A half day's journey brought us to Kobe. The two
days waiting for the steamer to Korea were used in
seeing something of our work in this city. At another
time there will be a fuller account of the Theological
School conducted by Mr. Myers and Mr. Buchanan.
A class of seventeen Japanese young men is taking a
course of study that, when completed, will give our
Japan mission a valuable addition to our preaching
force. The progress already made is ample justification
for the establishment of the school. The movement
merits the prayerful interest and financial support of the
Home Church.
The voyage from Kobe to Mokpo was made on a
small Japanese vessel, taking us through the Inland sea
to Shimonoseki, across* the strait to Fusan (Korea)
and around the southern end of the peninsula to Mokpo,
the first of our stations to be visited. The passage
through the Korean archipelago was surprisingly beautiful.
The islands seemingly numberless and, rising