Newspaper Page Text
VOL. LXXXVU. VI?, RIC1
Mission Wo
The tourist who belongs to a party is not always
master of his own time and movements.
The result is that he cannot see a great many
tilings he would like to see. With his itinerary
made out 'before-hand and connection with boats
to he mnde tliat mn nnli. .it r.i?
... . ...? ? ?u iulci vaia, nie opportunity
for independent movement is very slight.
If one would investigate mission work in the
East he must make this his end and take his own
time.
Fortunately Sunday conies now and then, and
one has a chance for a gLance at what is being
done. One Sunday morning while in Cairo,
Egypt, I attended services in the fine mission the
United Presbyterian Church is carrying on in
that land. The venerable Dr. Watson preached.
The sermon was in Arabic, so I got none of it but
all was worship. I could not pronounce the
words, hut I recognized the tunes that were
sang and the familiar tunes were a sweet reminder
of Christianity in a city where 400
mosques proclaim their devotion to Islam. Today
influences are at work upon the Moslem
heart and mind that promise groat things for the
future. That morning I entered the room in
which services were being held for the Moslems.
The services were being conducted by a converted
Mohammedan, a man of ability from
the great University in Oairo. This man, by
reason of his ability, has been able to attract
students from this University and the room was
tilled. There were several hundred present.
Strange to say one of the hymns sung by that
Moslem congregation was a hymn composed by
a converted North American Indian
"Awaked by Sinai's awful sound,
My soul in bonds of guilt I found,
And knew not where to go."
Think of such a thing happening and such
things brought together. Wherever we went we
found interest by Moslems in Christianity. In
Baalbek we went into the British Syrian Mission
School for Girls. There we found that girls
from Moslem homes were in the majority.
We were told by a missionarv the "Rev Mw
Forder, whose life lias been given to work among
these people that profound movements are going
on among them. At the time of the surrender of
Adrianople the Bulgarian troops entered the city
and found the population starving. They at
once turned over their food supplies to the starving
people and said their own men could wait.
The news of this act, instead of a massacre, went
throughout the Mohammedan world; in lone
eify of 15,000 people 11,000 said they wanted to
he Olhristinno mule u?-i - ?x1 ? *
i mo ui uiiii iciu'iieu me Huxnorities
at Constantinople and a delegation was sent
to investigate it. * They concluded that the people
had been coerced into this step, but they replied
that not a word had been said to them
about their religion, but that a religion that
conld do what the Bulgarians did was better
I
4MOND, NEW ORLEANS, ATLANTA,
rar.v
)rk in the Eas\
than theirs. The results of two wars had had
the effect of opening the eyes of the people, and
profound changes are taking place in their
minds.
In Damascus we attended worshin at the Trish
Presbyterian Mission in that city, and heard the
Rev. Mr. McFarland preach. There are but few
English speaking foreigners in that city. The
result was only a small attendance. The church
was filled with natives at the native service. 1
saw more devotion in this city on the part of
Mohammedans than at any place I have been.
We happened to be in the great mosque of Omeidah
at the hour of prayer and a good many
were present at their devotions. In one part of
the building some one was preaching to a congregation
of men and in another place under
The Star in The East
Kiyoslii Sato of the new Japan,
A little one of the unending host
Who jierish in the armies of the lost
Ever and ever since the world began;
Was saved from out the seething of this sea,
From out the surging of the countless throng,
Bg the far loan of love of one autumn
- * / - C7
The liegemen of the Man of Qaiilee.
Exulting now beneath a brighter sky,
In the u isc lifting of his life above
The sorroiv of the myriads who prove
The harsh old ivorld which only passes by.
Across the ocean, as the silvery spray
His message runs, to prove a grateful heart;
And if a deeper love he might impart,
He said, "I'm praying for you every day."
So half around the world's tremendous girth,
And through the mist of intervening seas,
The daily message comes, and may it please
Who scorn perhaps the things of little worth;
For lo! his day is my recurring night,
And so his prayer is watching o'er my sleep;
Or else his starlit hours haste to keep
That loving vigil in the morning light.
Savannah. Va. Benjamin C. Moomaw.
the leadership of some one, others were praying.
The two institutions which today are mast profoundly
impressing the Moslem world and the
peoples who affect it, stood on the shores of the
Mediterranean at Beirut and Constantinople.
If the United States and other countries would
take the twelve or fifteen millions of dollars
spent in the building of one battleship and plant
ten institutions like the Syrian Protestant College
at Beirut and Robert College at Constantinople
they would accomphish more than all the
battleships will ever do.
*. .
MAM
'ESTERNP&ESB YTEP/Aflh
L RRESBYTER/AN
iERN PRESBYTERJAR
JULY 23. 1913. NO. 29-30
BY
f REV. W. C. CAMPBELL, D. D.
We visited the two schools at Beirut. There
1 met the venerable Dr. Samuel Bliss, the founder
of the College. He was walking near some
new buildings they are now erecting. lie told
me that he had gone to Beirut in 1855 and that
there was nothing on the spot where we were
then standing but jackals and hyenas. Today
the college owns 4f> acres of ground in one of
the most conspicuous and attractive sites on the
Beirut Bay. On this spot stood the buildings. At
this time 94G ycling men study within these
buildings. Seventy-live professors aud teachers
are at work To-rl<i" ? non j~- *
i,';uu grauuflies 01 tins
college occupy positions of commanding influence
throughout the Turkish Empire as civil
and military physicians and pharmacists physicians
of military and general hospitals, judges,
teachers, preachers, educators, authors and merchants.
A dozen different activities are represented.
Among them are Egyptians, Syrians,
Armenians, Tartars, Persians, and Arabs, and
Jews. One hundred and forty of the students ?
are from Mohammedan homes. The religious
features of the institution are kept prominently
in the front. Prayers are held in the morning
and afternoon. Every student must attend a
xi -
pun ui uiese service-.? at least. Besides this there
are voluntary meeting's for prayers, Bible study
and Y. M. C. A. work.
At this time the college is erecting some very
handsome buildings through the munificence ot'
Mrs. Sage and Mr. Dodge, of New York. If
Mrs. Sage and Mr. Dodge could see what they
are doing, I feel sure they would he gratified at
the noble work they are helping others to do.
AVe visited the Syrian Mission School and
were very delightfully entertained by Mrs. Has
1 1 -1 T? T-v
nnuac uubuouu, nev. rrr. iiaskins, attends
to the literary work of the Mission. More than
1,450.000 volumes of the Scriptures in Arabic
have been prepared since its foundation. It was
interesting to stand in the room when Dr. Eli
Smith and Dr. Vandyck translated the Bible
into Arabic, and to be where Rev. Dr. Thompson,
author of the "Land and Book" had lived In
the Theological Department 10 young men are
strut vinrr Tlinnlnn" 10K "
v 5? .urn j,.jo gins are m tne
sehool; of these. 16 are Moslems.
AS HAPPY AS A CHILD.
A dear old nurse who had beeome deaf and
uearlv blind said to one who pitied her. You
are mourning for me, my dear, and there's no
need; I am as happy as a child. I sometimes
think I am a child whom the Lord is hush-a
bving to my long sleep. For when I was a
nurse girl, my missus always told me to speak
very 90ft and low, to darken the room, that, her
little one might go to sleep; and now nil noises
are hushed and still to me and the bonny earth
seems dim and dark, and 1 know it's ray Father
lulling me a "way to my long sleep. T am very
well content, and you mustn't fret for me.'f?
The. Watchman.
I /