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THE CHRISTIAN INDEX.
ESTABLISHED 1821.
The Christian Index.
1 üblisbid Every Thursday at 16 East Mitchell
Street, Atlanta. Ga.
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Organ of the Baptist Denomination in
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There are few gentlemen of ripe age
except those w ho began to bo gentlemen
before they ceased being boys. Ungentle
manly boys, for the most part, mature
into men still more ungentlemanly.
Pessimism is the logical conclusion,
if your premisses include only a universe
with no God in it and over it. But if
you put into your premisses a God in
and over the universe, then the logical
conclusion is optimism.
Our Saviour said: “Ye have the poor
always with you.” Are these words to
be construed with such vigor as to ex
clude the hope expressed in the “Clinu
tauquan” by President John 11. Findley,
of Knox College, that “some day the
pauper poor may not be with us?”
■What strange books come to a man in
a place like mine,” said a pawnbroker:
“books with such droll names! Here,
for instance, is one called •the Pilgrim's
Progress;' did you ever?’’ And ho
laughed. The auditor has had several
hearty laughs since. Will the reader
join in one now ?
Morley Roberts, an English author,
pronounces society in our county
“worse perhaps th in in his own, more
diseased, more under the heel of the
money fiend, more recklessly and brutal
ly acquisitive." It is our office as Chris
tians to save America from this “covet
ousness which is idolatry.”
Let no young writer despise pains
taking in composition. Besant, the nov
elist, writes everything three times over,
and Ibsen, the dramatist, writes a play
out so frequently that often when it is
finished not aline of the original remain.
For many, and as a general rule, only to
re-write is to write—in the sense of
writing one’s best.
The Jews were “willing to rejoice"—
“did will to be glad”—“in the light’’ of
John the Baptist; language expressive
of decided choice and strong, high feel
ing. But alas it was “for a season” —
“for an hour” (a short season) only: a fact
showing that even feeling high and
strong and (choice the most decided is
no certain safeguard against religious in
stability. Rejoicing in John did not
keep the Jews from rejecting John.
It is the contention of Pearson, in his
“National Life anil Character," that “the
armaments and commerce and forces of
China and India may yet dominate the
world. " Whether this shall prove to be
the ease or not, who shall say? But, at
any rate, it lies within the range of pos
sibility. And the thought invests our
mission work in Eastern Asia with a nov
el and weighty though subordinate in
terest. In helping to bring China under
the influence of the gospel, we may be
contributing to the loftiest and most
benign element in the future secular
history of earth’s foremost nations in
her brightest era. And would not this
requite us for all our efforts and all our
sacrifices?
It is a hopeful sign as to the efficiency
of Baptist principles among European
nationalities, that in the State ot Wis
consin. within a decade, the foreign
speaking churches of our faith have
more than doubled in number. Souls
that would never have heard of us in
their native laud are borne on the tide
of immigration to our home spheres of
labor for Christ; and that labor proves
mighty through God for their salvation.
Are we of the South faithful in the im
provement of this privilege and oppor
tunity to rescue those who would have
perished had they never come where our
voices could reach them ? What testi
mony is borne by our contributions to
the fund of the Southern Baptist Conven
tion for this work ?
Dr. Robert Brown translates 2 Pet.
1:15, —“1 will be diligent that also at
every time ye have, after my out-going,
power to make to yourselves the remem
brance of these things.” Mark: it is not
the “remembrance” which he aims to
supply to his brethren after his decease
—his “exodus;" it is the “power to
make” that remembrance to themselves.
It is not an involuntary and unavoidable
remembrance: as is a remembrance born
of desire and reading and attention and
belief. And thussnggest- a trait belong
ing to all means of grace. They are not
made means of grace to u» whether we
will or will not, without any receptive
and responsive agency of ours. In a
sense we "make" them so: this is the
••power" given to us throAgh (or rather
in) their use. < >h, let us adk. day by day.
what we are making to uSsolves out of
all the means of grace showered on us—
for they are to us what we make them.
Early in this century live percentage of
gain on the part of Baptists in the .State
of New York was larger than that of any
other denomination; but statistics pre
sents! by Dr. WnHe it their rec< nt Min-
IsteriConference show that for several
yearsXast tins percentage lias been the
very least of all. There is space for
searchlhg enquiry here. Is there not
danger lest, in conforming to the spirit
of the times, we may now and then un
warily give up soinctliing that pertains
to the life and the power of our people
—something of the divine deposit of
truth entrusted to our keeping and our
witnessing? We should feel that we
need a very clear and imperative warrant
for this matter of giving up the tilings
transmitted to us by our fathers with the
impress of their faith and halo of their
piety. Os course, they were not infalli
ble, and sometimes manifested it in
holding on to things which they should
have given up; but then, we are no more
infallible than they, and we may mani
fest this at times in giving up things to
which we should hold on.
BEV. R. T. BRYAN, SHANGHAI
CHINA.
BY WM B. M’GARITY.
No missionary laboring with the For
eign Mission Board enjoys greater sym
pathy and confidence than brother R. T.
i Bryan. In pievious papers we have
I spoken of how Dr. Yates labored with
Southern Baptists for over thirty years
to reinforce his field. In 1882 brother
W. S. Walker joined him, but was com
pelled by ill health to return home be
fore he could do much. It will be re
membered that brother Walker was pas
tor of the Second Baptist church at
Rome, Georgia, and his wife traveling
secretary of the Woman’s Missionary
Union in Georgia for several years.
Their noble work will not be soon for
gotten,
Brother Walker was compelled to re
turn home, but two of our best men
were ready to take up his work, breth
ren I). W. Herring and R. T. Bryan. It
will be noticed that both are from North
Carolina, and may safely bo called chil
dren of Dr. Yates, so far as first interest
in missionary work is concerned. North
Carolina has furnished so many mis
sionaries to Central China; and Dr.
Yates is responsible for it in large part.
Often the best way to work for your own
State and people is to leave them
Brother Bryan’s early life was spent
on a farm, working in the summer and
attending a country school in the winter.
He was born in 1855, and consequently
reared in stirring days. He entered
the University when twenty-three years
old, and graduated five years later with
the degree of A. B. Previous to enter
ing the University he had decided to
preach. He began preaching when
twenty-five years old to country
churches in North Carolina, but gave
them up two years later to attend the
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
He graduated from thisthree years later,
but in the mean time had decided to
become a missionary.
Brother Bryan must be a man of great
will power, as lie gives the date of his
positive decision to go to a foreign field,
October 14, 1883. This decision abode
with him till he sailed two years later.
Many people ask what are the qualifi
cations of a good missionary. Many im
agine that if the; possessed the proper
qualifications they would gladly enter
the work. Is it not true that mission
work is the same the world over? The
one indispensable qualification for a
foreign missionary, is that lie has pre
viously been a home missionary. The ,
person who does nothing at home will
hardly do otherwise away from home.
Brother Bryan stood the test. During
his college course he was preaching to
country churches. When he came to
the great city of Louisville with its
thousands who never attended church
he proceeded to organize amission.
Dr. Yates greatly rejoiced when Brian
and Herring landed at Shanghai; and
day by day had greater cause to rejoice
over them. He knew the time had nearly
come for him to give the work, so dear
to his heart into other hands. Thank
God he lived long enough to see that
the Lord had raised up young men of
consecration and ability to take his
place.
Brother Bryan was first appointed to
Shanghai: but at his own request was
transferred to ( henkiang, leaving the
work at Shanghai to brother Herring.
This compelled him to learn the Manda
rin dialect. The Mandarin is spoken
and written by about half the people of
the empire, and therefore ot greater
value than any other spoken language
in China. Chenklang is a hundred and
fifty miles interior anil surrounded by a
country quite different from Shanghai, j
The people have not come in contact ;
with the foreigners and are more preju- |
diced. Six years residence there won i
for brother Bryan the confidence and
sympathy of a large number. For the i
past lew years riots have prevailed in
( hina. Chenkiang was the scene of om
of these in 1889, and out property there i
was destroyed, the missionaries fleeing j
to Shanghai. The property was restored ;
by the Chinese government and our mis- I
stonarii s returned to their field. These
riots ate often caused by imprudence on
the part of the missionary. If he shows
any tendency to run or yield otherwise
the Chinese are very bold and will take
advantages of him, but if he shows them
he is a real man and not afraid of them,
he will generally escape. Those who
are killed are generally new recruits
who cannot speak the language and
do not understand Chinese customs.
One day brother Bryan was selling
tracts in Shanghai, and a great crowd
collected. He was standing next a wall
and could not escape from the people
except through the crowd. Some one on
the out side suggested that they push
him against the w all and thy proceeded
to do so. He remonstrated with them,
preached a little and sold some tracts,
but presently another push would come
from the ever increasing crowd. He
knew his life was in danger if he showed
any fear, and so asked those near him it
they wanted to kill him, and if so to
come on and do it at once; he did not
want to be killed by piecemeals. This
pushing continued for two hours, when
he saw away of escape and made it
good.
One day as ho worked his way through
a crowd, the natives began to plague
him in every way possible. One amused
himself by pulling Ids false cue and
then running away. Brother Bryant
stood it as long as he could, so as his
tormentor ran away after pulling his
cue, brother Bryan managed to get. hold
of the Chinaman’s cue. His grip was
firin, the cue was long. The Chinaman
felt Hat of his back with a tremendous
yell. The natives gathered around
brother Bryan in wonder and astonish
ment, and called him a mighty man of
strength. lie told them that he was an
embassador of the King of Kings and
Lord of Lords, and should not be thus
treated. This won for him the respect
of the entire crowd and gave him an op
portunity of preaching for a half hour
or so.
The mission at Chenklang was opened
in 1883 by brother W. J. Hunnex and
has been worked by him, brother Bryan
and brother L. N. Chappel. The mis
sion at Yangchow, where brother L. W.
Pierce is located, grew out of the Chenk
iang mission. At Chenklang we find
now one main station where six services
per week arc held, a nourishing Sunday
school with an average attendance of
forty, a day school with an average at
tendance of ten, several native workers
who take part iu the preaching services.
The mission sold last year four thousand
portions of the Bible, several hundred
Gospels and small books, besides thou
.,andsot They conduct services
ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 30. 1893.
I three times per week in a street chapel,
and look after ten stations outside of
i Chenkiang, Brother Bryan had a hand
I in all this work, and loved this field, but
at the earnest request of the Board,
consented to give it up last year and
take charge of the work at Shanghai.
This necessitated learning another dia
lect, but one quite similar to the Man
darin. To brother Bryan’s surprise he
found that the Mandarin was of as much
benefit to him as his new dialect. Now I
he can reach all the people in the great j
city. Often he preaches in the Shang- j
hai dialect to one part of his congrega
tion, and then repeats the same thing in
the Mandarin. Chinamen come to
Shanghai from a distance and hear about
the Gospel and want to know about, it. !
They hear that brother Bryan can speak
the Mandarin, and look him up. You
can readily see what power this gives
him with all classes.
Brother Bryan has been honored with
an appointment on the revision com
mittee of the Bible in the Mandarin.
Thus we see that the mantel of our be
loved Yates has fallen on worthy shoul
ders.
Continued ill health compelled brother
Bryan to return home for a rest last
spring. He is at present visiting the
associations and conventions in the
South. No pastor could invest mission !
money better than to get him to visit his |
church and give an account of his great i
work.
THE THEOLOGY OF MOSES.
BY REV. 8. G. 1111.1.YER.
The word “ theology,” mean ß
simply what we know about God.
Hence what any man thinks or
teaches about God, may be correct
ly called that man’s theology. Ac
cordingly, what Moses believed
and taught about God, is the theol
ogy of Moses.
Some have charged that the the
ology of Moses was very meagre.
A recent writer, in the New York
Examiner, insists upon this view.
The writer holds a high position,
and is a man of grea t learning; and
the article alluded to, is a magnifi
cent one, well calculated to render
great service to Biblical students,
not only in the seminary, but in the
pulpit as well. With this sincere
commendation of that essay taken
as a whole, I must be allowed to
think that he has not done justice
to Moses, lie seeks to find Moses’
theology in the song with which
he celebrated the escape of Israel
from the Red Sea, and from the
power of the Egyptians. Surely
this is not fair. That song was
suggested by the occasion—the
stupendous events which had just
occurred. Os course, whatever
elements of theology may be em
bodied in the song, we might, be
fore hand, expect them to be such
elements, for the most part, as
would be suggested by those events ;
and this is just what happened.
Hence to make that song the sole
exponent of Moses’ theology is un
just. I think ■we shall find that
Moses knew a great deal more
about God than is told us in that
song.
Now, while we are trying to
find out how much Moses knew I
about God. we must keep steadily |
in view the distinction bet wen |
pure theology ‘and mixed, or ap
plied, or, if you please,* practical
theology. In this distinction there
is a beautiful analogy between the
science of God and the science of
mathematics. In both there are
certain elements, or principles, or
truths, (for each of these terms are
sometimes applied to them,) which
are immutable and eternal. But
there is one difference between i
them. The principles of true
mathematics have been discovered
by human intelligence and research,
but no man “by searching can find
out God.” Therefore the princi
ples of pure theology, if known at
all, must be communicated to us by
a divine revelation. Again, the
two systems are alike in this : In
mathematics the elementry princi
ples are not numerous, but they are
applied throughout the material
universe. So in theology, its ele
mentary truths are few, yet they
are illustrated in all the activities
of the Divine Being over the
realms of both matter and spirit.
Let us now return to the ques
tion, How much of this pure the
ology was known to Moses?
His writings and nothing else |
but. his writings can answer this
question. And mark : they answer
it, whether the stories which they
contain be true or false. We are
not now discussing the truth of
the facts. Even if the Pentateuch
were a mere fiction, it would still
reflect the writer’s own conception
of God, whom he has made his I
hero. But, while this is not the
place to vindicate the Huth of the
narativc, yet we assume it to be 1
true : and if true, then the ideal I
which it gives us of God, was not '
the invention of the writer, but the
legitimate and logical nut-come of I
the facts recorded. That ideal,
when fairlv analyzed, will be found
to include the elements of a pure
theology.
The elements of a pure theology j
are generally admitted to include i
the following particulars: The ex- I
istence of God, His eternity of
being, His unity, His spirituality
His omniscience, His omnipotence.
His omnipresence and His will- j
power. These attributes of God |
do not. in and of themselve, pos- i
sess any moral quality. For this .
reason they have sometimes been '
I called God’s natural attributes, to .
distinguish them from others, which
are called His moral attributes.
The distinction, though not accu
rate, is nevertheless convenient, and
may be used without envolving any
hurtful error. The moral attributes
referred to are holiness, including
I truthfulness, justice and righteous-
I ness ; and goodness, including love,
' mercy and benevolence. These i
j moral attributes, with those before I
mentioned, are the elements of ;
pure theology.
That Moses’ conception of God
I did include the above elements of
his nature and character, Ido not
think can be successfully denied. !
The evidence of this will appear :
in the discussion of the next topic. |
Having set forth the elements of I
a pure theology, let us notice now |
the illustrations of them as given | i
in the writings of Moses. First in j <
importance, as well as in the order i i
of time, stands the great work of . i
creation. If God had so pleased, i
He might, for aught we know, have 1
cont inued forever the only Being in I
existence. Had He done so. the 1 I
elements of His nature would have I i
been just what they are now ; but | i
there would have been none besides I
Himself to know them. But we |
know that this was net His will. I
We are conscious of our own exist- 1
ence and of the universe around us. i
Whence came this universe? Shut t
the Bible, and the question remains <
unanswered forever. Open the t
Bible and we find the very first c
pen-stroke of the writer answers 1
this question, in terms which have ( 1
become, not only an article of re- j f
ligious faith, but the basis of all
rational philosophy. Mark the
significance of the words :
“In the beginning God created
the heavens and the earth.”
This short sentence answers the
question, Whence came the uni-j s
terse? But it does more, it gives us | (.
the existence of God. antedating | t
the dawn of creation, and thus , ]
suggesting the eternity d’ His \
being. But omitting details, this j
sentence, with what follows to the (
end of the chapter, illustrates what j
are called the natural attributes of p
the Supreme Being. These ele- I s
ments of a pure theology, Moses s
certainly recognized in his concep- q
tion of God. t
What follows the account of the q
creation through all the books of
the Pentateuch is . but the history s
of God in His providential and t
moral government over men and j
nations, from the garden of Eden j.
down to the death of Moses. In c
that history we see illustrated the ,
moral attributes of Go '. We find t.
Moses constantly alluding to them f
either in explicit terms, or by clear |
and logical implication. Hence he ]
must, have included these moral at
tributes also in his conception of j
the Supreme Being. This theology, q
therefore, was not meagre, as some ]
have said ; it was replete with ail ; a
the elements of a pure theology. I (
What advantage, then, had I t
I Javid and the prophets over Moses? v
Only this : They bad a wider range I
and a more extended period of his- | r
lory in which they could see the ! j
Almighty applying, or exercising
the perfections of His nature in 1 t
the administration of His providen- s
tial and moral government over j c .
men and nations. They had all the j j
ancient facts recorded by Moses, ; n
and in addition, all that were re- jl
corded by subsequent writers down (
to their own times. This was in- p
deed a great advantage to them, — c
not for the reason, that it enables ],
them to knqw more of the nature (
and character of God than Moses j,
had taught them, —but simply be- |
cause it enabled them more clearly ~
to apprehend his teachings. In the c
hist orical books which followed the n
Pentateuch, God continues to stand q
forth as the central figure. He is 8
never out of sight. His absolute p
supremacy is continuously ad- a
mitted. All important events are e
referred to His providential con- j,
trol, illustrating sometimes, Ilis p
justice, by righteous judgments s
upon the wicked ; anil sometimes v
His Goodness by “keeping mercy a
for thousands, —forgiving iniquity s
transgression and sin.” Ex. 34 : n
David and the prophets were able s
to see, in all this wonderful history, p
continued illustrations of the p
nature and character of God as ex- e
hibited in the administration of His p
moral and providential govern- p
ment. But it does not appear that v
they were able to find, in all those I e
illustrations, one single element of . s
the divine character which Moses a
hail not found. | ( |
73 Wheat St., Atlanta. |,
(To be continued.) j
AN AWI'UL FREEDOM.
BY C. 11. WITIIEHHB.
i I:
Little do many realize that in ,
some respects the freedom of hu-]
man will is an awful freedom. I’hc |
freedom to reject the offers of sal- , I
vution is allied to consequences of | '
the gravest possible character. It ”
should make a soul tremble as he 1
thinks of the tremendous fact that, 1
in the exercise of his freedom to
say that he will not accept Christ, ‘
■ he practically wills that the whole
of his endless future shall be one
of darkness, dissatisfaction, moral >
and spiritual disease, and unreliev
ed suffering. He uses his freedom
fearfully and fatally against him
self. For it is absolutely true that
he who wills to reject salvation,
actually wills away his own best,
highest good. lie hurts himself
immensely more than he hurts any
one else. And Christ always want-
I ed the sinner to see that, in reject-
I ing him, he did so at the expense
lof his greatest well-being. On the
I other hand, he wants the sinner to
realize most profoundly that, in ac
cepting him, he helps himself as he
I could not possibly in any other
i way.
Christ kept saying to men, “I
| will, but ye will not.” Christ
I knowing the awful aspect of the
I freedom of man’s will, was all the
! more anxious to persuade men, by
j every means in his power, to avoid
| making a bad use of their will, to
refrain from using it against them
selves, to shun the abuse of it. If
men were without this freedom, if
their wills were mere instruments
; to be used by God as one uses a
I mechanical contrivance of his own
invention, then Christ would not
have so exerted all his powers of
persuasion to induce them to let
him bring them into his kingdom.
Nothing made Christ so unutter
ably solemn as to see sinners use
their freedom in daring to refuse
eternal life. To him there was a
tremendous awfulness in the free
dom exercised by those who would
not allow themselves to be won to
his heart. No wonder that his
great soul wept over sinners,
QUENCHING THE SPIRIT.
BY DR. E. M. ELI.IS.
This is one of the commonest
sins of our time. It is a sin, too of
Christians. However the gift of
the Holy Spirit may come to us,
however we may receive it, or
whatever His influence may be, it
is plainly the privilege of every j
Christian to have and use this gift.
Indeed the present dispensation of
grace, is peculiarly the dispensa- |
sion of the Holy Spirit. The
Spirit may be resisted, blasphemed.
These are the sins of the impeni
tent. The Spirit may be grieved,
quenched. These are the sins of
Christians. Os the latter of these
sins of God’s people I have a word
to say. Disobeying the conscious
influence of the Spirit, stifling the
Spirits warnings, persisting in
courses of feeling and conduct re
proved by the repeated appeals of
the Spirit, being wilful in courting
temptations condemned by the
Holy Spirit and cultivating a
pride of heart that hardens it
against the admonitions of the
Holy Spirit is to quench His pres
ence and to banish Him from our
life. All this may begin without
any such intention, and may be
unconsciously indulged in until the
evil becomes a calamity, and then,
when once aroused to the evil done
one’s self, the desire to correct it
may have become enfeebled into
inaction.
Nothing is more sensitive than
this life begotten in us by the Holy
Spirit. It is affected by the slight
est of influences. A man in the
fullest anil most robust health may
not be conscious of the malaria
that comes from a swamp near by,
there may be. nothing to indicate
its presence or mark its fatal influ
ence and yet, borne on the “view
less air,” it enters the home, finds
the man, poisons his blood, smites
his strength, destroys his health.
How, he may not be able to ex
plain, when the mischief began he
connot tell you. But that he is
marked for the tomb is evident.
There is about the Christian as
subtle a moral malaria. The world
breeds it as the swamps does fever
and disease. This moral malady
enervates and weakens the Spirit’s
influence just as surely. This in
fluence is too subtle for your analy
sis, you cant beat it back as you
would a foe, or an odious sin. This
atmosphere of worldliness breeds
spiritual deterioration. Need we
mention the influence of known
sins, of neglected duties, of im
proper indulgences, in quenching
the Spirit in the life? That the in
evitable result of such things is to
benumb the sensibility of spiritual
perceptions and experiences goes
without saying. Water no more ;
effectively extinguishes fire than j
such acts quench the Spirit. Many [
a Christian who still possesses a j
measure of the Spirits light, has 1
lost the heat and glow of the Spir- 1
its presence. Fire may be extin
guished by dirt as effectively as
by water, so may the Spirit be ■
quenched by worklliness as well as
by grosser sins. Wealth has
quenched the Spirit in many u life.
So has the desire for social posi
tion, the ambition for honors and
place has wasted away the vitality
of a Spiritual life as fever has
sapped the strength of a strong
constitution. All wilfulness must ;
die where the Holy Spirit dwells j
Fear has often been the means of '
quenching the Spirit in lives that !
would have withstood arguments [
and persecutions. The sneer, the
gibe has quenched the Spirit when j
I the rack or stake would have failed.
At this point lies the peril to many
a young Christian.
Perhaps neglect is more fre
quently the means of quenching
the Spirit than other things are.
Let the fire alone, put no fuel on,
give the flame nothing to live on
and it goes out. Keep a\ ay from
the house of God, the place of
prayer and praise, let the family
alter fall into ruins, neglect the
closet, keep an unread Bible, and
the fire of the Spirit will perish for
want of that on which it is sus
tained.
Shut off the draft from the fire
and it goes out. The Spiritual
oxygen upon which the Spirit’s
presence is sustained is prayer.
That with-held let no one be sur
prised if their Spiritual life smoul
ders and dies. Jude’s direction is,
“praying in the Holy Ghost, keep
yourselves in the love of God.”
The converse is equally true.
The presence of the Holy Spirit
in ourselves enables us to sustain
to this life full of temptations, trials
and evils,the same relation that the
lamp in the miner’s hat enables
him to sustain to the side-paths,
pits, and dangers of a mine. While
that lamp burns he treads his
path out of the darkness into the
outside sunlight. While the Chris
tian keeps with him the conscious
presence of the Holy Spirit he can
tread his path out of the world’s
night into the heaven’s day. But
what of the miners fate jf the lamp
goes out? What of that Chris
tians end in whose life the Spirit
has been quenched? “Quench not
the Spirit.” But “Stir up the gift
that is in thee,” give it air, and
that upon which its presence is
sustained.
FROM FLORIDA.
BY BEV. C. V. WAUGH.
Our State College opened with a
very large attendance, the largest
in its history. Students are here
from every section of the State,
and still they come. I find my
work delightful, as it is of the kind
that 1 especially like, and for which
if I have any fitness it is in that
direction.
Lake City is a|delightful place in
which to reside, the climate being
delightful, and place particularly
healthful.
The cause of the Lord has many
tried, and true servants here. They
rally to its support as vigorously as
they can. The saints have had'
many things to occur, that have ■
had a depressing effect on their
souls, but they are full of courage,
and believe that the glory of the
Lord will come of it ultimately.
For the past two weeks your Dr.
Lane has been here preaching the
word of the Lord in his character
istic and forcible way. While the
present apparent results are not
what was desired, still we feel that
he has done a work, the results of
which will be apparent in the fu
ture. One much desired effect has
been to arouse the members of the
church of Christ to a keener sense
of their terrible responsibility to
their God, and to their fellows. It
is much to be regreted that the
church has no pastor to labor con
jointly with the brother. Possibly
the results might be different under
such circumstances. This is the
way we have of looking upon the
matter. We feel that the brother
was directed to come here for some
especial purpose. So far only four
have identified themselves with the
church. But we feel sure that
there are others that will come.
For that we hope and pray. As
we have sat and listened to his
strong appeals to saints and sinners
the question would arise, “How
can they refuse to hear?” To a
stranger in the community it seems
that the church is considerably
aroused.
The Baptists have not yet got
into their new house, but they in
dulge a hope that they may be able
to get into it before a very great
while. The home is ready for the
floor, and finishing up. But the
funds are exhausted, and so a
breathing spell must be had. The
windows, and the flooring, and the
seats arc all here ready to be put
in.
The church is praying and wait
ing for a man of God’s own send
ing to lead them, and to feed them.
Since their hist pastor, brother J.
T. Lightfoot left, the writer has
been temporarily tilling the pulpit.
From doing more than that his
other duties have prevented. It
was our pleasure to hear brother
Lane several times, and he struck
us as a fine thinker, having strong
convictions, and the hardihood to
stand up for them.
The time for our Convention is
rapidly drawing on, and the breth
ren are already getting ready to
have a delightful time of it. The
next meeting will be away down
south, at Plant City, brother
Drew’s field. We are hoping to
have some of our Georgia brethren
down to see us. Can’t you come,
j with your kind words and smiles?
| We trust our dear Dr. Tichenor
1 may be fully recovered by that
VOL. 70-NO. 47
time, so that he may be with us.
It would hardly seem like a Con
vention without him. We all love
him down here, and esteem him as
ours. We hear good words now
and then from our next door neigh
bor, Strickland. He is doing a
good work in his field. We desire
some more like him, to fill our va
cant places, of which we have
several. But enough for this time.
Lake City.
OVER FORTY YEARS IN CHINA.
NUMBER 3-
BY MRS. M. F. CRAWFORD.
BEGINNING WORK.
As the bracing days of autumn
came on, and our knowledge of the
language increased, we desired to
be doing something for the salva
tion of the people around us. Hav
ing read more or less of missionary
literature before leaving America,
and having constantly heard
methods of work discussed since
reaching the field, we now began
to form some definite ideas as to
our course. From the first we adopt
ed direct evangelization as our
main line of labor, and with undi
vided minds prepared ourselves for
it. But barely out of girlhood my
self, and not feeling sufficient con
fidence in my aggressive ability, I
wished for a school near at hand—
neither of us then realized the
effect it would have upon the work
of building up vigorous, self sus
taining churches. A native, we
thought, could teach the books,
while I would tell the children
about Jesus, and, by winning their
love, I might gain access to their
mothers. Not then seeing how I
could go directly to the women of
the city with the message of salva
tion, I proposed to use this round
about method of reaching them.
The degradation of woman was to
us one of the most distressing fea
tures of heathenism, and we long
ed to bring her under the elevating
power of the gospel. How to ac
complish this was a difficult ques
tion. \\ e had planned to go hand
in hand in our labors, and believed
the sexes must advance, in Chris
tianity, together.
As soon as Mr. C. should be able
to preach in the chapel I wouid go
with him, and by my presence in
duce the women to attend, would
form their acquaintance, and pri
vately tell them of a Saviour, but
in the meantime I would open up
a school.
There were already two day
schools for Loys and one boarding
school for girls, superintended by
the ladies of our rpission. We did
not desire the former, because the
Chinese are accustomed to educate
their sons, nor the latter because it
involved too much expenditure of
time and money. Besides, in mis
sion boarding schools the girls had
to lie furnished with food, clothing
and much else to induce the poor
people to send their daughters.
\\ itiiout such inducements it had
not been possible to secure them.
We heard, however, of one lady
who had succeeded by giving each
girl ten cents cash, or § of a cent
per day, ostensibly to buy a lunch.
This bribery ( we did not calll it by
that name then, but it certainly
was such, and nothing could induce
us to repeat it) seemed less objec
tionable than giving a support. We
could impart religious instruction
daily and still have most of our
time for gospel work among the
people, all the care of the children
resting where it should, upon the
parents.
As we proposed to bear the ex
pense of the experiment from our
private funds, some of our mission
ary friends, whom we consulted,
heartily approved, and none dis
couraged. So we fitted up one of
the lower rooms of our house and
engaged a teacher, Mrs. Yates
kindly accompanied me on visits
among the neighbors, told them of
our intention and solicited pupils.
In due time the school was opened
with about a dozen girls. A part
of each afternoon was devoted to
hearing the teacher instruct them
in a manuscript catechism, and in
talking to them as well as I could
about the true God and the Savior
of the world. They were lovely
children and we became attached
to some of them.
One morning the teacher came
up stairs in great distress saying :
“Only two or three girls are here.
The parents of the rest are alarmed
by a rumor that you intend to take
their daughters to the ‘outside coun
try.’ ”
After comprehending the situa
tion. I asked :
“What can be done?” He re
plied :
“Go down and, tell those now
here that you have no such inten
tion.”
Again I asked : “Will my bare
word satisfy them, since they sup
pose me capable of such wicked
ness?”
He said he thought it would. So
I went down with him to the
school room and told them, in my
broken speech, that we had no idea
of taking them anywhere—that we
wished to teach them to read good