/ 5^3 s FOREIGN CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY SOCIETY SERIES. No. XXVI. TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF THE Foreign Christian ]VIissionary Society. An Historical Address, read before the Kansas City Convention, October 17, 1900, By McBEAN. Twenty-five years ago the Foreign Mission¬ ary Society was organized. At that time we did not have in the wide field destitute of the gospel a single herald of the cross. Now we are at work on four continents and in eleven different countries. We are represented on all the continents save one. We have ex¬ panded until we have become a world-power. The growth of the Society has far exceeded all that its founders dared to ask or think. Men and women of ability and culture and consecration have been raised up for the ser¬ vice ; the funds necessary for their support have been received; homes, chapels, schools, liospitals, dispensaries, orphanages and asy¬ lums have been built; the gospel has been preached far and near. At the same time every other missionary enterprise among us has been marvelously prospered. The Lord has dealt l)ountifully with us, and we bless and praise His name. The origin of the Foreign Society was in this way: At the Cincinnati Convention in 1874 several meetings were held in the inter¬ est of world-wide missions. Owing to the lack of time no satisfactory conclusions were reached. A committee was appointed to take the subject under advisement for a year. At the next convention the friends of this cause met in the basement of the First Christian Church in Louisville, Ky., to hear the com¬ mittee’s report. It was an impressive meet¬ ing. There was a sense of the Divine Pres¬ ence, a conviction that what was being done was in harmony with the purpose of God in the ages. It Avas unanimously decided to form a society to preach the gospel in foreign lands. A constitution was adopted and offi¬ cers elected. Isaac Errett was chosen Pres- ♦ ident; W. T. Moore, Jacob Burnet and J. >S. Lamar, Vice-Presidents; Robert Moffett, Corresponding Secretary; B. B. Tyler, Re¬ cording Secretary; and W. S. Dickinson, Treasurer. The men who were held responsi¬ ble for the management and maintenance of the new Society were determined to use all their time and energy in prosecuting the work, and none at all in controversy about plans. They were not wedded to any special plan, nor were they disposed to interfere with those who preferred to work in some other way. If better plans were proposed tlipy were ready to adopt them promptly and grate¬ fully; but they were weary of vain jangling about plans while nothing was being done, and while no l)etter plans were even sug¬ gested. To all objections the Society has pointed to the workers on the fields, to the churches gathered, to tlie children rescued and taught, to the sick that have l^een healed, and then without a single word of arguinent has sought to do the next thing. Tlie Society began work on a modest scale. It did not expect to enlist a large constituency I or to secure much money. Ten years ela])sed ])efore it had a secretary giving his whole time to its interests. While minister of the Central Christian Church, W. T. Moore served the Society for two years ; he received no pay I for his services. His successor had other l3us- j iness and other sources of income, and was paid only for the portion of time he gave to the Society. On his removal to the West the I Committee decided to pay his successor only li five hundred dollars. For ten years the Exec- [( utive Comniittee held its meetings in one of |i the store-rooms of the Standard Publishing ’ Company. No rent was paid. WindoAvs and ))oxes served as chairs. The clerk used his knee as a desk. All work Avas done at home. Circulars Avere printed l^y hand. The policy Avas extremely conservatiA^e. Tliough the Foreign Society AA^as organized to preach Christ Avhere He had not been, named, for seven years all its A\u)rk aa^is done among ])eoples that are nominally Christian. That Avas OAAung mainly to the fact that there Avere no men ready for service in the regions ))eyond. Tlie night the Society Avas organ¬ ized Henry S. Earl signified his purpose to labor in Ifurope. The President took him I aside and begged him to AU)lunteer for some one of tlie great heathen fields. For reasons — 4 — that seemed sufficient to liimself he declined to do so. The Committee looked out men of good report, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and besought them to devote their lives to foreign missionary work. Several signified their willingness, but when the time for their departure drew near they were confronted witli obstacles that appeared insurmountal^le. Early in the history of the Society, Timothy Coop began to attend the conventions. He offered to give $5,000 if three men were sent to preach to his countrymen. He wais told that it was no part of the plan of the Society to do missionary work in England or to ex¬ tend its forces in that country. Neverthe¬ less, on account of his importunate appeals and his handsome contributions, three men were sent. Later on other men followed. It was felt that the churches planted would l)e self-sustaining in from one to four years, and that then the Society would be free to more promptly and extensively devote its means, according to the original purpose, to the needy fields of Asia and Africa. At the present time the gospel is preached l)y our representatives at fifteen ])oints in En- gdand. Thus, W. Durban preaches at Horn¬ sey, E. M. Todd at the West London Taber¬ nacle, Leslie W. Morgan at Southampton, Eli Brearley at Birkenhead, J. H. Bicknell at Ihverpool, Alfred Johnson at Southport, T. H. Bates at Cheltenham, E. H. Spring at Gloucester, J . H. Versey at Lancaster, George Raj)kin at Margate, Richard Dobson at Salt- ney. The present membership is 2,800 ; the pupils in the Sunday-schools number 2,482. — 5 — Tli(‘ socioty owns ])r()porty wortli $88,000. Th(' Cliristian Coinnioiiwoalth is one of tlie fruits of tliat mission. Tliat ])a|)er is ably edited and widely read. J. and F. Coop are a tower of strength to the work eyerywliere. Eight missionaries haye gone out from tliat country to India and China, and as many more to the West Indies. A number of strong men haye come to lalior in the United States. Soon after the organization of the Society, Dr. A. Hoick was asked to return to Denmark to o])en a mission in Copenhagen. The next year, Jules and iVnnie De Laiinay were sent to Paris. In the year 1879, G. N. Sliishma- nian and wife were sent to Constantino])le to preach to the Armenians. The Society has two churches in Co])enhagen ; R. P. Anderson lias charge of one, and 0. C. Mikkelsen of the other. The First Church has a building worth $25,000. There are two churches in Sweden; one in Malmo, and tlie other in Ramloso. I. P. Lillienstein preaches for both. There are twenty churclies in Norway. Ten of these own tlieir own buildings. These are neither spacious nor siilendid, but they are comfortable and conyenient. Julius Cramer preaclies in Frederickshald. Tlie great need of these churches is that of well- equi})ped men to seiwe as ministers. Dr. Hoick is in delicate health, and cannot do what he once did. For ten years he has re- ceiyed no salary. Not only so, but he giyes munificently each year to help churches that are weak and to ])lant new ones in destitute places. E. W. Pease has recently gone to Norway to assist in the \vork. The three ])riiicipal points at which we are doing work in Turkey are Constantinople, Smyrna and Tocat. Constantinople is a city of a million people. There G. N. Shishma- nian and A. L. Chapman, and their families, live and labor. The gospel is preached in that city and in the country adjacent, and schools are taught. Mr. Shishmanian has evangelized in most parts of the empire. He has gone as far south as Syria, and as far east as the Lake of Van. His writings have been widely read by Armenians. John Johnson and family live in Smyrna. The Isaac Er- rett Memorial Chapel was built in that city. Dr. Garabed Kevorkian has his home in To¬ cat. Several churches look to him for coun¬ sel and aid. There are in all fourteen out- stations where the gospel is preached regu¬ larly and the ordinances observed. About one thousand have l)een baptized. The mem¬ bership at present numbers 529; the children in the Sunday-schools, 585; in the day schools, 855. If it were not for the hostility of the government, Turkey would be one of the most fruitful mission fields on the globe. The Paris Mission was discontinued in 1887, because no suital)le man could be found to lead in it. We entered India in 1882. The first grou]) of missionaries consisted of G. L. Wharton and Albert Norton, and their familieSj and four young ladies from the Woman’s Board. After examining the held, they settled in the Central Provinces. The agents of the Societv are doing work at four stations and at several out-stations. The stations are: Hurda, a i town 417 miles east from Bombay; Bilaspiir, a town 508 miles west from Calcutta; Mun- geli, a town 81 miles distant from Bilaspur: and Damoh, a town 6(3 miles from Jubbalpur. The work has five branches; the evangelis¬ tic, the medical, the educational, the literary, and the benevolent. At Hurda the Society owns three homes, two schools, a chapel, a hospital, a dispensary, and a le})er asylum. For seventeen years G. L. AFharton had charge of the evangelistic department. He jireached and trained a class of preachers. Dr. C. C. Drummond has charge of the med¬ ical work. G. W. Coffman superintends the education of the boys; Miss Mildred Frank¬ lin that of the girls. Miss Mary Thompson works among the women of Hurda and the country round about. Dr. John Panna has the oversight of the work in Charwa and Timarni. He preaches the gospel and heals the sick and teaches the young. In Septem- lier, G. AV. Brown and family sailed for In¬ dia. For a time he will make Hurda his home. It is expected that he will superin¬ tend the educational work in India. Very recently, G. L. Wharton resigned, owing to the failure of Mrs. Wharton’s health. M. D. Adams has charge of the work at Bilaspur. He teaches and preaches. Ernest W. Gordon teaches in the boys’ school. Mrs. Adams has charge of the book-store, and teaches the boys to sing, and visits the women in their homes as she is able. The Society owns a home and a school-chapel in Bilaspur. E. M. and Dr. Anna M. D. Gordon are at Mungeli. The Society owns a home, a school, 8 — a cliapel, a liospital, a dispensary, and a lej^er asylum in ^[ungeli. Dr. Gordon has estaldished two dispensaries ten and twelve miles away. Sunday-schools have been or¬ ganized in several villages. In Damoh the Society has two homes, an or})hanage, a workshop and a school. John G. McGavran gives his time to the evan¬ gelistic work. A consideral)le part of every year is spent in touring. He hopes within a year to o])en twenty or more primary schools in the villages. W. E. Rambo and David Riocli give attention to the boys in the or- ])hanage. These boys number 165. Those that are old enough are being taught trades. Some are learning to be car])enters, some to be blacksmiths, some to be tailors, others to be farmers and gardeners. They are being taught the use of American tools and im- ])roved methods of agriculture. Miss Jose])ha Franklin teaches them in the day school. They are taught the common branches and the Scriptures. These boys are taught or¬ der, industry, cleanliness, honesty, sobriety, purity, economy and improvement in worldly circumstances. Mrs. Rambo looks after their clothing. Dr. Mary T. McGavran cares for their health. In addition, she has a daily clinic for the sick in that region. Miss Stella Franklin presses the claims of the gospel home to the hearts aiid consciences of all with whom she has to do. F. E. Stubbin oversees the erection of new buildings and the repairs on old ones. Miss M. L. Clark has gone out from England to assist in the .orphanage. The wives of the missionaries — D build up Christian homes, one of the most effective of all evangelistic agencies. They visit in the zenanas and do what they can to lead the women to Christ and to teach the children all that ]')ertains to life and godli¬ ness. During the famine thousand of meals were given out. Grain was sold for food and for seed at reasonal:)le prices and given away freely to those unable to buy. So were bread, bamboos, leather, wood, clothing and other necessaries of life. In India, the converts number 828; the children in the Sunday- schools, 1,881 ; the children in the day scdiools, 515: the people treated in the hos¬ pitals and dispensaries, 88,4()(3. Mm began work iii Japan in 1888. In Sep¬ tember of that year, George T. Smith and C. E. Garst, and their families, sailed from San Francisco for Yokohama. They left the crowded Foreign Concessions for the interior. Their exam])le did much to facilitate the wider dispersion of the missionaries that s])eedily followed. Our missionaries live now in Tokio, Osaka, Sendai and Akita. In addi¬ tion to these four main stations, work is car¬ ried on at Fukushima, Innai, Arakawa, Shizuoka, Hon jo, Akozu and Shonai. H. H. Guy, F*. E. Hagin and C. S. tVeaver, and their families, P. A. Davev, Miss Johnson, M iss Oldham, Miss Rioch and Miss tVirick are stationed in Tokio; E. S. Stevens and Dr, Nina A. Stevens, in Akita; M. B. Mad¬ den and family and Miss Carme Hostetter, in Sendai; and R. L. Pruett and family and Miss Bertha Clawson, in Osaka. The gospel is i)reach9d regularly at forty-one places, and 10 — at a greater number irregularly. In the thirteen organized churches, there are 784 members; in the twelve Sunday-schools, there are 788 pupils; and in the day schools, 150. The Society owns eight chapels, eight homes and two school buildings in the Sun¬ rise Kingdom. China was entered three years after Japan. Dr. W. E. Macklin was the founder of that mission. As soon as he was able to make his wants known in Chinese, he established himself in Nankin and called for reinforce¬ ments. He was soon joined by two young men from London and by E. T. Williams and F. E. Meigs and their wives and chil¬ dren. The principal places in China in which the Society is at work are Nankin, Shanghai, Chu Cheo, Wuhu and Lu Cheo Fu. The out-stations are as follows : Tsungming, Tung Chow, Luhoh, Pukeo, Yo Ho Tsz, Tseu Saw, Yang Shing Saw and Yang King. Dr. W. E. Macklin, F. E. Meigs and Frank Garrett and their families, Mrs. Ella C. F. Saw, Miss Emma Lyon, Dr. Daisy Macklin and Miss Mary Kelly live in Nankin. The gospel is preached in the chapels and dispensaries, in tea-houses, in temples, on the streets. Each year 20,000 patients are treated. Men and women suffering from blindness, cholera, consum]ffion, syphilis, rheumatism and other serious diseases throng the physicians seek¬ ing health. In the college, fifty boys are being prepared for lives of usefulness and noI)leness. A scliool has been opened for girls. James Ware and W. P. Bentley and their families have their homes in Shanghai. —11 — t They preach in season and out of season; > they teach; they disseminate Christian litera¬ ture. The Christian Institute is a hive of busy workers. In it children are being I taught, evangelists and teachers and colpor- ! teurs and Bible-wonien are trained for ser- i vice. W. R. Hunt and Dr. E. I. Osgood and j their families are in Chu Cheo. In that dis- ' trict there are five million souls. Since the beginning of the year, the church has had a revival. Eighty-five souls have been added to the saved. Wuhu is an important city fifty miles up the river from Nankin. There C. E. Holland and family and Miss Effie D. Kellar are at work. Lu Cheo Fu is 150 miles west from Wuhu. There T. J. Arnold and C. B. Titus and their families and Dr. James Butchart are stationed. The believers con¬ nected with our mission in China number 565; the children in the day schools, 224; the children in the Sundav-schools, 284. The Society has bought or built eight homes, five chapels and four schools. Three years ago last March two men sailed out of Boston for the Congo country. After much wandering they found a suitable place for a mission. The station they occupied is named Bolengi. It is seven hundred miles from the mouth of the river and is exactly on the Equator. The Baptists agreed to va¬ cate that part of the continent and kindly I sold us their buildings for less than half they cost. E. E. Faris and Dr. Royal J. Dye and family are now living there. Frank T. Lea and wife, now in Portuguese territory, expect I to join them soon. Already they have i 12 gathered a school of 182 pupils. There is a daily clinic and large nunibers are being treated. Regular services are held at the station, and the Gospel is preached along the rivers. The people are simple, untutored savages. They have no written grammar. They have no words for believe, or repent, or confess. To express Christian thoughts new words must be formed or old ones be cleansed and filled with new meaning. Immediately after the last convention, L. C. McPherson and Melvin Menges and their families sailed for Havana, Cuba. While giving much of their time to the study of the language, they avail themselves of every op¬ portunity for ])reaching to soldiers and to civilians who understand English. They have baptized fifteen; the Sunday-school is well-attended. The Cubans have a form of Christianit}^, but little of its power. Many Cubans need the Gospel as much as do the Hottentots. In June of the current year Abram E. Cory and family left for the Hawaiian Islands. They were most cordially received by the brethren there. In connec¬ tion with them and the committee they are ])lanning their life work. This work in Honolulu was begun at the instance and at the expense of Lathrop Cooley. Since the organization of the Society 102 missionaries have been sent out or engaged on the fields. The whole number now at work is 257. Of these 111 are missionaries, and 146 are evangelists, teachers and helpers. Tlie stations and out-stations number 118. Seventy-nine churches have been organized. — 18 The present nieml)ership in all the churches is 5, 742. Many have died and moved away ; some have gone back to the weak and beggarly elements which they once renounced. The cliildren under instruction in the Sunday- schools number 0,871; in the day-schools, 1,406. Some of these are being taught and trained to assist the work. Great numbers of tracts and gospels have been sold and dis¬ tributed. The patients treated each year number about 50,000. Of the missionaries a number have died in liarness. These were M. D. Todd, Mrs. Mollie B. Moore, Mrs. A. Hoick, Miss Sue Ro])inson, Miss Hattie Judson, Mrs. Joseph¬ ine W. Smith, Charles E. Garst, Mrs. Carrie Loos Williams, E. P. Hearnden, Mrs. E. P. Hearnden, A. P. H. Saw, Dr. Harry N. Bid¬ dle. Miss Robinson had been live years in India; had she been less self-sacrificing she might be alive and well to-day. Miss Jud¬ son went to the assistance of the workers in Mahoba in the time of plague and famine, and worked beyond her strength, took the fever and died. Mrs. Smith laid dcnvn her life three years after reaching Japan. Her death made a profound impression. C. E. Garst lived and died as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. After six years of faithful and fruitful service Mrs. Williams went to her reward. E. P. Hearnden was drowned while crossing a stream on his way home after visiting some converts. His wife died soon after of a broken heart. While nursing some famine refugees x4. F. H. Saw con¬ tracted typhus fever, from which he never 11 — recovered. Dr. Biddle ex])osed himself while searching for a suitable place to begin work in Africa. On the way home he died and was buried in the Canaries. Some mission¬ ary children should be added to this list. They were dear to the Lord while alive, and their death was precious in his sight. It is by stepping over the graves of its members that the Church advances. Their graves are way-marks for their successors who will march past them with great strides. Of those who died at home special mention should be made of Isaac Errett, the peerless advocate of Foreign Missions; Timothy Coop, the largest moneyed contributor to the Society; Joseph King and Thomas Mun- nell, its constant friends and champions ; A. M. Atkinson, the ])ersonal friend of every worker on the field; and Robert T. Mat¬ thews, a member of the Executive Commit¬ tee for ten years, and many others whose names are in the Book of Life. The Foreign Society is an international organization. The churches and Sunday- schools of Canada have contributed regularly and generously from the first. The women of Ontario and the Maritime Provinces sup¬ port Miss Rioch in Japan. The Endeavorers of Ontario have paid for a dispensary in China for Dr. Osgood. England supports Dr. McGravran in India, and has recently sent Miss Clark to be her associate, and sends large amounts each year for the general work. Australia supports Miss Thompson, F. E. Stubbin, and three native helpers, in India. Considerable money has been sent to China — 15 — from the brethren beneath the Southern Cross. The income of the Society for the first year amounted to $1,706.85; for the past year to $180,016.16. The receipts year by year are as follows: 1876 . $ 1,706 85 1877 . 2,174 05 1878 . 8,766 24 1879 . 8,287 24 1880 . 12,144 00 1881 . 18,178 46 1882 . 25,068 94 1883 . 25,004 85 1884 . 26,601 84 1885 . 80,260 10 1886 . 61,787 07 1887 . 47,757 85 1888 . 62,767 59 1889 . 64,810 08 1890 . 67,750 49 1891 . 65.865 76 1892 . 70,820 84 1893 . 58,855 01 1894 . 78,258 16 1895 . 88,514 08 1896 . 93,867 71 1897 ... 106,222 10 1898 . 180,925 70 1899 . 152,727 88 1900 . 180,016 16 There has not only been an increase in con¬ tributions, but in the number of contribu¬ tors. The first year twenty churches re¬ sponded to the appeal for funds; last year, 8,067. Twelve churches are now supporting their own missionaries on the field. The Sunday-schools began to give before they were asked. Children’s Day originated in the home of J. H. Garrison of St. Louis. — 1 () — It was observed first in 1881. Tliat year 180 Snnday-scdiools responded; last year, 8,2(50. The Sunday-schools have given from the first $878,080.04. The whole amount received from the first from all sources is $1,472,(508.85. Of this about $250,000 has been invested in j^roperty on the fields. The Society has received $0(5,851.01 from be- cpiests. The largest of these were received from Mrs. Emily Tubman, Abram Farewell, Alliert Allen, John Stark, Timothy Coop, Asa Shuler, J. D. Metcalf, and Mary O’Hara. The money from this source has been used to open new stations. The Society has received on the Annuity Plan $02,240. Most of this has been invested in buildings. It has been expedient to house the missionaries, and give them schools, orphanages, and hospitals. They-will live longer and do better work be¬ cause of these comforts and conveniences. Besides it is much cheaper to pay intentst than it is to pay rent. At the death of those giving this money it will l)elong to the Society. An examination of the books shows that, taking one year with another, the ex])ensos average eight per cent of the gross receipts. As money is worth more on the field than it is here, a dollar reaches the field for every dollar given, after the ex])enses have l^een paid. It should be borne in mind that it is not handling money that costs, but getting money to handle. If the money came into the treasury as it is needed, without any effort or exj)enditure on the part of the So¬ ciety, it could be handled for less than one — 17 — ]:>pr cent. As it is, the Society must estab¬ lish agencies; it must kee]) the facts ))ef()re the people every month in the year. It is this ceaseless cam])aign of education that costs. There are more than a million people to be instructed. If the Society ceased ad¬ vertising the recei])ts would fall off till they would amount to practically nothing. Be¬ sides, if the income of the Society were doulded, the per cent of expense would be reduced one-half. It is as easy to handle three thousand dollars in a year as half that sum. The Society has had only two presidents. Isaac Errett served in that capacity from the organization of the Society until his death. Charles Louis Loos succeeded him and still holds the office. Among the vice-])residents who have served longest have been Jacol) Burnet, James Challen, A. I. Hob})s, O. A. Bartholomew, J. B. Briney, Dr. E. Williams, R. T. Mathews, T. M. Worcester, E. T. Will¬ iams, B. C. Deweese, B. J. Radford, C. J. Tanner, Hugh McDiarmid, J. Z. Tyler, L. E. Brown, J. A. Lord, G. A. Miller, George B. Ranshaw. Two men have served as treas¬ urer; W. S. Dickinson and F. M. Rains. The names of the recording secretaries are as follows: B. B. Tyler, James Leslie, S. M. Jefferson, A. P. Cobb, C. W. Talbot, J. H. Hardin, P. T. Kilgour, I. J. Spencer, S. M. Cooper. There have been four corres])ond- ing secretaries ; Robert Moffett, W. T. Moore, W. B. Ebbert, and the present incuml)ent. J. F. Wright has served as auditor, and Dr. P. T. Kilgour as medical examiner. F. M. 18 — Rains was elected as financial secretary in 1898. When W. S. Dickinson resigned as treasurer’, Mr. Rains was elected to succeed him. His duties are substantially the same as they were from the first. His main work is to raise money. Since his election seven years ago the receipts have increased nearly threefold. The most serious problem before the Soci¬ ety is that of getting men to serve as evangel¬ ists. There is no lack of qualified and con¬ secrated wort them. Some of these workers are possessed — 10 — of siicli great wealth that they oot only sii])- ])()rt themselves, but whole stations. There are fifty men connected with the Churcli Mis¬ sionary Society who are self-supporting. Young men and women go out from j)alaces and castles, and from homes of wealth and culture and refinement, and give their lives and their fortunes to the Lord’s work. The confident expectation that the work at home would be blessed and prospered because of the efforts put forth to preach Christ where He had not been named has been abun¬ dantly juM-ified. It is not too much to claim that the marvelous advances made in our country in the past few years have been made ])ossible, in part, at least, by what has l)een done to carry the gospel to all the ends of the earth. Twenty years after the Society was organized Robert Moffett testified that zeal for Foreign Missions had multiplied zeal for Home Missions everywhere. He saw the hand of God in the organization of the Foreign Society. He saw how it created and fostered a spirit which is indeed the s})irit of Christ, and which has been a spirit of life to preachers, Sunday-school work¬ ers, and church workers generally. Wherever this broad missionary spirit has gone, and in the ratio in which it has been dom¬ inant, it has united discordant churches, it has lifted mind and heart above contention about small things, it has given new tone to preaching, it has filled the church with new and lasting fragrance, it has organized work¬ ers and filled them with hope, it has helped in the education of the Disciples of Christ into Christ]ikeness. The Lord has l)een with the Socdety, and the Foreign Society has been a benediction to all those who have ])rayed and toiled for its success. The outlook for the Society was never be¬ fore so ludght. There are signs of hope and promise all around the sky. Sentiment has been revolutionized. The churches are com¬ ing to feel that they are called upon to walk with God and to work with Him in His mighty plan of redeeming the world, the work for which Christ died and for which the ages wait. They are coming to feel that this is their great work, their first concern,.their supreme business. They are coming to feel thatit is a joy and an honor to aid this divine enterjudse of world-wide evangelization, and so to keep step with the march of the Omnip¬ otent. As has been said, it is coming to be regarded as an indisputal)le fact that though a church may be weak it must on no account suspend its missionary duties, that this, in fact, is the circulation of its life-blood, which would lose its vital power if it never flowed to the extremities but curdled at the heart. Individuals are giving on a larger scale. Lathrop Cooley, a pioneer preacher, ])ro])oses to give $25,000 to plant missions so that the sun Avill never set upon them. Another, who does not wish his name known, gives $15,000. Others give less, but make sacri¬ fices quite as great as these. Our colleges are aglow with the missionary spirit. Young men and young women are ))eing trained for the service. The press gives generous s])ace and al)le advocacy to this cause. The Bethany 21 — C. E. Reading Course has prepared three mis¬ sionary text-books as a part of its contribution to bless the chnrclies and the world. Tlie Stu- . dent Missionary Campaign Library is l3roiight within the reach of all. There is an increas¬ ing number who propose to give themselves and their substance to this work, till He conies Whose right it is to reign and take unto Himself His great power, and rule King of kings, as well as King of saints. There can be no doubt as to the final issue. Sultan and Empress may oppose, converts may be slain liy the thousands, churches and schools and hosjiitals may be looted and hred. Now, as of old, the blood of the mar¬ tyrs is the seed of the Church. The banners of God never go down in defeat, and those who walk and work with Him are certain of victory. The Lord has done great things for us, for which we are glad. He has multiplied and prospered us in the proportion in which we have sought to do His will. He has strength¬ ened our faith when it was weak and faint and ready to perish. By every token of His goodness and love He calls upon us to enlarge our hearts and our efforts. More workers should be employed. Larger offer¬ ings should be made. The whole body of be¬ lievers should be enlisted. At the present time not more than one-half the churches, and not more than one-third the member¬ ship, are doing anything. Of the churches that do help, there is scarcely (3ne that could not easily double its contribution if all the members gave half as much as they were — 22 — al^le to give. Many churches could give ten times as much as they have ever given, and not feel it, except in the added blessings that come to them. Before the Golden Ju- bilee of this Society comes round the re¬ ceipts should amount to a million dollars a year. We are able to give that much now, and twice that amount for the work at home, and to every other good cause among us in like measure. We are a great people. We are growing at an unprecedented rate. Our .wealth is well-nigh illimitable. There is scarcely anything that we cannot do if we will all give and do with all our hearts and souls. If we will resolve in the fear of God to do this, we shall most worthily celebrate our Twenty-fifth Anniversary and do most to please and honor Him whose we are and whom we serve. [Five cents a copy.J