66 Being a Christian Christ; that is, it is "I have been the spirit of Christ as the director and ruler of our lives. is living a life of obedience to the indwelling spirit of Christ living again in us and working on the world through us. crucified with Christ; yet I live; and yet no longer I, but Christ liveth in me." (Gal 2: 20.) Christianity grows by the impact of life upon life; one life touches another and communicates an influence itself has caught from the divine life. Do we wonder at times why so many of our efforts are fruitless? Perhaps the reason may be found in the lifelessness of the effort. If we would influence men our lives must touch theirs, not simply our lips. In the Hebrew, Isaiah's expression for "comfort" is "speaking to the heart." Heart must speak to heart and life must be laid upon life if we would swing men out of the current of the world and bring them into touch with our Master. And we ourselves must be controlled and permeated by the divine life, so that when we touch them men shall feel the healing touch of, at least, the hem of His garment. Dare we say to our closest companions, "Have I been so long time with you and have ye not known me?" "Know ye not that I am in my Master and my Master in me?" Life is power. The Christ life in us and our lives laid on the world, — this alone is Christian service. The world waits for the actualization of this in the Christian Church, and then shall the kingdoms of the world become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. Nothing but life is builded into this temple. The foundation stones bear the names of John, Peter, Paul, and the other apostles, and every stone built upon them bears a name. If we could read them we should recognize many names we have known in history and many which we love to repeat. Every name stands for a life builded into the structure. There is a vast amount of activity which finds no place in this building because it does not represent life. A missionary or a minister to a home church may preach and labor for long years until missionary activities become the routine of his daily existence, and yet his labor will not find place in this grand temple unless underneath all these activities lies the gift of himself, his life, which is constantly expending itself in service to others. The supporters of missions may give large sums, but these will find no place in the walls of Christ's temple unless they represent life given. Jesus Christ, in commending the poor widow who cast two mites into the treasury, said, "She did cast in all her living." That meant that a very considerable portion of her life had entered into her gift. When she turned away from the treasury she may well have thought, "There's a part of me there." How much of our life goes into the contribution box? We shall never find a stone in Christ's temple marked "$1 a year," or "$100 a year," or "$10,000 a year." Christ does not measure gifts thus. Not dollars but lives find place there, and the only true test of Christian giving is found in the question, Has my gift touched my life? It is not the money we leave behind us when we have left this world which Christ values most. It is not the overflow of our lives that is precious in his sight, but the strong current, the crystal stream of life's best thoughts and activities. "For verily the Son of man came not to be ministered unto but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many." Letters from the Missions. South China Mission. INDIRECT GOSPEL WORK. MR. NELSON writes from Canton: "A goodly number of the male missionaries in China are doing a quiet, indirect work, namely, that of superintending native colporters in their respective fields. Within the past five years the field most successfully worked in South China has been Kwang-si, and to the native colporters much is due that the gospel can now so freely be proclaimed in that province. At present the people are far more friendly than those of Kwang-tung, where in some places like Canton the gospel has been preached for ninety years. The missionaries now at work in Wu-chow tell us that they rarely hear the term foreign devil,' or the expression, Kill the foreign devil,' while in Canton we hear them all too frequently. The colporters, too, say that of late they have met with but little abuse and no open violence. They have traveled North, East, West, and South, and gospels and tracts have sold well. They have even visited the hill people successfully. Since coming to China, now five years ago, I have superintended, each year, two and sometimes three native colporters. Books and money have been granted me by the National Bible Society of Scotland, but personally I receive no remuneration for my part of the service. "Last year I had two men at work; one has had ten years of experience and the other five years. Both can speak two or more dialects. As a rule they go together, but sometimes separately. They first select some village or city as a base for operation. Here they deposit most of their books, often at an inn. Should there be a chapel it would naturally be there. Chapels are still rare in Kwangsi, and colporters must, as a rule, put up at the inns. "During the past year the two colporters, aided only in the summer vaca tion by three students who sold books one month each, have sold the following: Portions of the New Testament, such as Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts, 3,000 copies; large tracts, such as the Gate of Virtue,' Two Friends,' Gate of True Wisdom,' Mirror of Conscience,' 'Great Truths of the Gospel,' etc., 3,022 copies; small tracts, 2,636 copies; Pilgrim's Progress, 5 copies; New Testament complete, 9 copies; sheet tracts, 1,320 copies; calendars, 2,000 copies; total pieces, 11,992. The traveling expenses for the year have been $48 in silver; their sales have amounted to $51. I pay the men $5.50 in silver per month, which is considered fair wages. "It is to be sincerely hoped that some of these books will be read, and some light given. I am not, however, of the opinion of those who have stated that we are working in the midst of a reading people.' To be sure, the majority of the men know some characters, can doubtless read some signs they everywhere see, and yet they cannot read a book when placed before them. This refers of course to the common people. The better class of Chinese can read, but give them a book with ideas new to them and they do not make out very much. How can they understand except some one shall guide them? These books, however, in many instances prepare the way for the gospel, and no doubt are an important factor in the evangelization of the Chinese. In addition to selling books, thousands are given away to the students who attend the government examinations. This year, in Canton city, one of my men gave away 1,200 gospels." North China Mission. ORDINATIONS. DR. ARTHUR H. SMITH, of PangChuang, reports the ordination of two of the leading helpers who had been long under the care of the mission. Under the spirit of Christ as the director and ruler of our lives. "Being a Christian Christ; that is, it is is living a life of obedience to the indwelling spirit of Christ living again in us and working on the world through us. "I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live; and yet no longer I, but Christ liveth in me." (Gal 2: 20.) Christianity grows by the impact of life upon life; one life touches another and communicates an influence itself has caught from the divine life. Do we wonder at times why so many of our efforts are fruitless? Perhaps the reason may be found in the lifelessness of the effort. If we would influence men our lives must touch theirs, not simply our lips. In the Hebrew, Isaiah's expression for "comfort" is "speaking to the heart." Heart must speak to heart and life must be laid upon life if we would swing men out of the current of the world and bring them into touch with our Master. And we ourselves must be controlled and permeated by the divine life, so that when we touch them men shall feel the healing touch of, at least, the hem of His garment. Dare we say to our closest companions, "Have I been so long time with you and have ye not known me?" "Know ye not that I am in my Master and my Master in me?" Life is power. The Christ life in us and our lives laid on the world, — this alone is Christian service. The world waits for the actualization of this in the Christian Church, and then shall the kingdoms of the world become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. Nothing but life is builded into this temple. The foundation stones bear the names of John, Peter, Paul, and the other apostles, and every stone built upon them bears a name. If we could read them we should recognize many names we have known in history and many which we love to repeat. Every name stands for a life builded into the structure. There is a vast amount of activity which finds no place in this building because it does not represent life. A missionary or a minister to a home church may preach and labor for long years until missionary activities become the routine of his daily existence, and yet his labor will not find place in this grand temple unless underneath all these activities lies the gift of himself, his life, which is constantly expending itself in service to others. The supporters of missions may give large sums, but these will find no place in the walls of Christ's temple unless they represent life given. Jesus Christ, in commending the poor widow who cast two mites into the treasury, said, "She did cast in all her living." That meant that a very considerable portion of her life had entered into her gift. When she turned away from the treasury she may well have thought, "There's a part of me there." How much of our life goes into the contribution box? We shall never find a stone in Christ's temple marked "$1 a year," or "$100 a year," or "$10,000 a year." Christ does not measure gifts thus. Not dollars but lives find place there, and the only true test of Christian giving is found in the question, Has my gift touched my life? It is not the money we leave behind us when we have left this world which Christ values most. It is not the overflow of our lives that is precious in sight, but the strong current, the crystal stream of life's best thoughts ties. "For verily the Son of man came not to be ministered unt ister and to give his life a ransom for many." Letters from the Missions. South China Mission. INDIRECT GOSPEL WORK. MR. NELSON writes from Canton : "A goodly number of the male missionaries in China are doing a quiet, indirect work, namely, that of superintending native colporters in their respective fields. Within the past five years the field most successfully worked in South China has been Kwang-si, and to the native colporters much is due that the gospel can now so freely be proclaimed in that province. At present the people are far more friendly than those of Kwang-tung, where in some places like Canton the gospel has been preached for ninety years. The missionaries now at work in Wu-chow tell us that they rarely hear the term foreign devil,' or the expression, • Kill the foreign devil,' while in Canton we hear them all too frequently. The colporters, too, say that of late they have met with but little abuse and no open violence. They have traveled North, East, West, and South, and gospels and tracts have sold well. They have even visited the hill people successfully. Since coming to China, now five years ago, I have superintended, each year, two and sometimes three native colporters. Books and money have been granted me by the National Bible Society of Scotland, but personally I receive no remuneration for my part of the service. "Last year I had two men at work; one has had ten years of experience and the other five years. Both can speak two or more dialects. As a rule they go together, but sometimes separately. The first select some village or city as a1 for operation. Here they deposit of their books, often at an there be a chapel it wo there. Chapels are sti si, and colporters mu at the inns. **During the pa porters, aided tion by three students who sold books one month each, have sold the following: Portions of the New Testament, such as Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts, 3,000 copies; large tracts, such as the 'Gate of Virtue,' 'Two Friends,' 'Gate of True Wisdom,' 'Mirror of Conscience,' 'Great Truths of the Gospel,' etc., 3,022 copies; small tracts, 2,636 copies; Pilgrim's Progress, 5 copies; New Testament complete, 9 copies; sheet tracts, 1,320 copies; calendars, 2,000 copies; total pieces, 11,992. The traveling expenses for the year have been $48 in silver; their sales have amounted to $51. I pay the men $5.50 in silver per month, which is considered fair wages. "It is to be sincerely hoped that some of these books will be read, and some light given. I am not, however, of the opinion of those who have stated that we are working in the midst of a 'reading people.' To be sure, the majority of the men know some characters, can doubtless read some signs they everywhere see, and yet they cannot read a book when placed before them. This refers of course to the common people. The better class of Chinese can read, but give them a book with ideas new to them and they do not make out very much. How can they understand except some one shall guide them? These books, however, in many instances prepare the way for the gospel, and no doubt are an important factor in the evangelization of the Chinese. In addition to selling books, thousands are given away to the students who attend the government examinations. This year, in city, one of my men gave away els." th China Mission. ORDINATIONS. H. SMITH, of Pangordination of two of ho had been long mission. Under date of September 27, writes: 66 Dr. Smith Agreeably to invitations sent to six stations of our mission, a council met here September 25 to consider the propriety of ordaining two of our helpers. Mr. Stanley and one of the Tientsin members represented that station; Hung Mushih, the Peking pastor, and a deacon were present from Peking; Dr. Goodrich and Pastor Chang, with Helper Kao wen lin, represented Tung-cho. Pastor Meng and another helper from Pao-ting-fu completed the number. The severe illness of Mr. Perkins prevented any missionary from Lin Ching from being here. The examination was thorough and eminently satisfactory. Both of the men to be ordained have been with us since they were lads, and may be called the children of the church. They have each displayed great strength of Christian character. "The ordination services were held yesterday under somewhat disadvantageous circumstances. The chapel is in process of enlargement, and the west wall was taken down and a mat-shed put up to accommodate the overflow, which was very large. Owing to the fact that this is a busy period of the year, there were far less outsiders than at any previous gathering of this kind. The services lasted nearly three hours in the morning. The charge to the pastors was given by Dr. Goodrich, and that to the church by Mr. Stanley, who began the work here just thirty years ago. It is seventeen years since the station was separated from Tientsin, and we have been living here fifteen years. We had the communion as usual and received thirteen on probation, and eleven were received by baptism, each of the latter parts being taken by the new pastors. We are personally very much attached to them, and there was a very tender feeling running through all the exercises. It was a great delight to them to have their old theological instructor with us on this important occasion, as well as the pioneer of the station, known now, however, to but a comparatively few. "The numbers grow so fast that it is hard even for us to keep with them. It is less than two years since I returned from America, but in that short time we have received about 300 on probation and have baptized 217. The review of the history of the station in the afternoon meeting was very interesting and helpful to our faith. We are now to confront the problem of raising the amount needed for the support of the pastors. This would not be difficult by itself, but the church already pays two colporters, who are also deacons. Perhaps the latter will have to be taken over upon the general funds for a little time, but we do not want any portion of the pastors' salaries to come from the Board at any time. "We had about 300 communicants at our service of yesterday and perhaps seventy-five probationers. Our people came from twelve different counties and districts, three in Chihli. All the visiting brethren made addresses of a helpful kind." QUALITY OF THE WORK DONE. DR. PECK, of Pang-Chuang, whose work is in the medical department, writes thus of the labors of his associates : "I often wonder if the Board and the churches at home appreciate the quality of the work which is done by their missionaries. I fear some are more apt to look over tables of statistics and reckon how many converts their dollars have brought in. But being to some extent an outsider, I may be at liberty to speak of the directly evangelistic work as I see it in comparison with what I see done by other societies of American and other nationalities. And it seems to me that the careful and intelligent methods of our own mission are distinctly superior in the development of character to those of any other society. And my impression is that in this station this wise and discriminating educational influence is conspicuously evident. I can say this without egotism, for it is not to my own credit, and I think it is an unbiased estimate in the main. We can none of us truthfully boast of being |