the late war. The success of one is the success of the other; the failure of one is the failure of the other. When the Church clearly sees its responsi'bility and duty, it will quickly rise to the sublime idea of at once entering upon the great work of saving the world. We seldom accomplish more than we believe to be possible. We must believe that Jesus Christ is able to save the world. We can not doubt that he has declared this to be his purpose, for he said: "And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me." The world is to be drawn to Christ through the Church. To the extent that the Church is Christ-like, it will draw men to the Savior, but to draw them it must have the Master's spirit. If we were baptized with the fullness of the Spirit, we would give ten millions a year to save the world, and giving like that would hasten on the millennial glory. We need a faith that will take God's Word without discount or qualification. This was the faith of the apostolic Church, and this faith sent the missionaries of the Church into every land. This was the faith of Boniface, who led the missionaries of the cross into Germany, and who said: "Let the oaks sacred to Thor be cut down, that they may make churches for Christ." This was the spirit of Knox, who said: "Give me Scotland, or I die!" It was the spirit of John Wesley, who said: "The world is my parish!” It was the spirit of Christ, who began his first missionary journey at the throne, and ended at the cross.

The patriot is moved by love of country to defend her interests by argument, by the contribution of money, and, if need be, by the sacrifice of life. The Christian is a fellow-citizen with the saints; he belongs to the Israel of God. The kingdom to which he owes his allegiance extends from the rivers to the ends of the earth. The sun never sets on the territories belonging to Christ. As Christ loved the world and gave his life a ransom for it, the loyal Christian loves the world, and gives labor, money, and, if need be, his life to bring it to Christ. Christian graces are born of faith, and faith moves them all to work for Christ. Love for Christ and love 'for souls are the forces that move all Christian hearts to seek the perishing, whether they are near our doors or in far-away lands. These are the highest and most sacred motives that can stir human hearts to deeds of valor. Our love for Christ and souls moves us to give our money to prosecute the holy war that is being waged to save the world. If what we give to missions is our measure of love, ought we not to bow with shame before the Master and acknowledge our unfaithfulness? Jesus died to save the world, and, after making an atonement for sin, he says to his Church: "Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and in the uttermost parts of the earth."

We are to witness that Jesus died for our sins, that all the world may be saved, and the uttermost parts of the earth are to have an interest in his death. If we can not go, we can send some one else. The missionary at the front stands as a witness that Christ died and the Church is faithful. The Church will never touch its highest possibilities of power until it gives the Gospel to every creature. The spirit of faith and love alone can move us to zealous efforts in this great and good work. And with this spirit we press to the first line of battle.

But there is something more sacredly binding than motives to lead us to serve our divine Lord. We are under obligations to him that we can not meet by the rule of three. The obligations we owe can only be paid

by the rule of grace. The Lord has said, "Freely ye have received, freely give." By the rule of three, we never can give as freely as we have received, for we have really nothing. Our freedom was bought with a price, and all that we have is Christ's. But the rule of grace enriches us; as freely as grace flows into our hearts, grace takes up and sanctifies the moral force of these hearts, and sends them out to work for God. Every Gospel blessing comes freely because it comes abundantly, and it comes freely because it comes to us without price. Our salvation costs us nothing, but it cost the life of Christ; he paid the price. To pay our debt, the Master says, Take the Gospel to others as freely as it came to you, and keep on taking it until all have come to a knowledge of the truth.

A poor American went to Dr. Franklin, while in Paris, and asked the loan of ten pounds. The doctor gave the poor man the sum desired, and, when the man said, "Doctor, when I am ready to pay this debt, where will I find you?" the doctor replied, "When you find an American who needs it more than you do, give it to him, and that will discharge the debt." Our debt to Christ is paid by taking the Gospel of Christ to those who are destitute of it. When the Church shall give as freely as it receives, the millennial morning will be near at hand. Christ gave himself for us. Can we do less than give ourselves for him? And this we do when we consecrate ourselves, our substance, and our lives to his service.

The Christian's reward begins with his work; he is blessed in his deed. It is more blessed to give than to receive. This is the experience of every liberal giver. Who that has given to the deserving poor, while seeing the tear of gratitude sparkling in the eye of the recipient, has not felt a thrill of joy that, if possible, was sweeter than the emotion that swelled in the bosom of the receiver? Giving to the poor is lending to the Lord, and he will repay it. But giving for missions is giving to the Lord for the benefit of those who are destitute of the Gospel. What a joyful thought that God will accept our hearts as an offering, and what a precious thought that he will accept any thing that we can give! It all belongs to him, but he gives to us the privilege of giving it. It is as when we give our children money to give to God; they have the pleasure of giving what we have given to them, and God gives us the pleasure of giving what he has bestowed on us. The man or woman who has never experienced a joyful emotion occasioned by giving has never given according to the Scriptural spirit or measure. Some of the most joyful days experienced by Christian Churches are the days when missionary offerings are made, especially when these offerings are large and liberal. The Church can never sing so sweetly,

"Jesus shall reign where'er the sun
Does his successive journeys run,"

as when it has done its whole duty in giving for missions.

In the truest sense, we only give to Jesus when we give for missions. Supporting the home Church is like supporting your own family, like paying taxes to support a government that protects you. Giving to missions is giving to Christ, and all such giving secures the approbation of Christ.

If we

There is also the joy of success. We may rejoice in the success of others, but it is nothing like the joy arising from our own success. make the missionary cause our cause, its success will be our success, its joy will be our joy. We shall rejoice in the success of Christ's work in every land. We may follow the missionary work in Europe, Asia, and Africa.

The steady march of our armies in Europe and Asia, and the flying legions of Taylor in Africa, will cause our hearts to beat with glad emotions.

The joy of final victory will bring a rich reward. Joyful was the day when the late war was ended, and when the soldiers heard for the last time

the joyful words, "break ranks." The soldier's return was everywhere greeted with joy, and eyes were dimmed with tears of gladness when the shout, "Home at last!" was heard all over our land. What a day of joy when all the armies of Christ shall meet on the peaceful shores of heaven! All the battle-fields of earth shall be behind them, while glittering crowns and glorious thrones are before them. We shall partake of the glory and joy of that day according to the part we have taken in the struggle to win the victory. If we could enter heaven without being instrumental in saving one soul, would we not be conscious that we had lost an immeasurable fullness of joy?

As the redeemed from all lands shout the praises of Christ, and sing the new song, "Saying with a loud voice, worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing." What a joy to know that we were instrumental in bringing some of these immortal singers to Christ! Heaven is richer with every additional blood-washed soul that enters her portals. What an honor to be permitted to garnish heaven with souls washed in the blood of the Lamb! May the love of Christ constrain us to seek the wandering souls of men wherever they may be found. Then even eternity will be too short to tell the story of joy that shall thrill our souls because of the work we have done for the Master. And may the triumphs of our second centennial dissolve into the richer glory of the millennial morning.

PROBLEMS SOLVED BY METHODISM IN CHINA.

S. L. BALDWIN, D. D.

WHAT were the problems Methodism was called to meet in China? It was an impetuous form of Christianity, always impatient of delay and demanding immediate results. Could it "learn to labor and to wait?" This was the test to which it was to be put. It must encounter the most intense bigotry, a deep-seated and almost universal prejudice against foreigners, ancient superstitions which seemed ineradicable, and which were always thrusting themselves in the way of progress. Such bigotry was not to be overcome in a moment; such prejudices were not to yield in an hour; such superstitions were not to be banished in a day. Yet this work must be done in some considerable degree before Christianity could get a fair hearing. A difficult language must be learned. The seed-sowing must be protracted and patient. The harvest would be long delayed. Can this impetuous Methodism adapt itself to such an order of things? Such was the problem when the work began. All these difficulties were encountered. Sickness and death depleted the mission, and there was one period of eighteen months, six years after the opening of the mission, when but a single family was left upon the field. Had Dr. and Mrs. Maclay then been withdrawn it is quite possible that the subsequent history of our mission

might not have been written. Through these early years of sickness and disaster, of sad disappointments, of conflicts and trials, with no apparent results in actual conversions, Methodism proved its power to "hold on,” to obey the divine command, and to wait for results. There was much impatience in some quarters at home, but no doubt or hesitation on the field. The workers believed the divine promise, "In due season ye shall reap, if ye faint not." When nearly a decade had passed, the first convert was

received in 1857.

And now that converts began to be received the next problem to be solved was, Will the peculiarities of Methodism be adapted to the Chinese character? Methodism is emotional. How will it succeed in a nation whose people are noted for repressing the emotions, whose classics teach them to hide their feelings, whose character is stoical? Will it retire from the field in confusion? or will it demonstrate that the Chinaman, beneath his calm exterior, has a warm heart that may be touched by the love of Christ?

See the native preachers of the Foochow Mission, in their closing session with Bishop Harris, when Sia Sek Ong gave voice to the feelings of the brethren, and the fast-dropping tears from many eyes gave evidence of the depth and genuineness of their emotions. And after the annual meeting has adjourned, at a late hour of the night, what are those sounds which attract the attention of visiting American brethren? The voices of native preachers, pleading earnestly and with tears for clean hearts, and for a deeper consecration to their work. Look in upon the quarterly-meeting at Kia-sioh. At the invitation of the presiding elder the native preachers kneel in earnest prayer for the descent of the Holy Spirit and plead for purifying power. The presiding elder retires at ten o'clock, but is awakened at twelve by the earnest pleading of the brethren, dresses himself, and goes out to the chapel-room, and for an hour or more prays with them and tries to help them into the full light, retires again, and at three awakes and hears the voice of prayer still; and as the gray dawn appears there are still kneeling and pleading disciples, genuine sons of Wesley, who could say:

"With thee all night I mean to stay,
And wrestle till the break of day."

Methodism has vindicated its emotional character among the Chinese.

But, again, Methodism had always insisted on the preaching of the Gospel to bring sinners at once to Christ. Here was a country in regard to which men were saying: "You can not expect to do much with the adults of such a land. You must begin to train up the children under Christian teachings, and look to the next generation for results." How will Methodist theories work here? Well, the missionaries preached immediate salvation for all. The first convert was a man forty-seven years old, and of the first eight one was sixty-nine, two were over fifty, two between forty and fifty, and three between thirty and forty, and of the two thousand. members now gathered the large majority are adults who have been brought to Christ through the preaching of the Gospel. Father Hu, the military mandarin, tells his two sons to go and listen to the preaching which he feels will help them to a true life, although he thinks it is too late for him, with all his sins, to find forgiveness. When the young men have found the Savior they persuade their venerable father to come and

seek him too; and the old man, yielding to their entreaties, finds that Jesus can save him as well as his sons. Ching Ting, a sorcerer, an opium smoker, a man of vile life, beyond middle age, hears from the pulpit, "Jesus can save you from all your sins;" the wonderful message attracts him; he becomes an earnest inquirer. By and by he comes to the missionary with a radiant face exclaiming: "I know it! I know it! Jesus can save me from all my sins, for he has done it already!" The opium pipe is banished; sorcery is abandoned; vile habits are forsaken; and Ching Ting goes forth to lead hundreds of his countrymen to Christ. And Methodism reports from China, as from every other field, "Yes, the Gospel saves men, and saves them now!" But Methodism has a way of taking converted men and making exhorters and local preachers of them and sending them out to save other men. How will this work in China? Will men just out of heathenism be able to preach? Let Kin-taik, the painter, answer as he sells out his tools and stock in trade, and goes out over hill and dale with the simple message of the Gospel. Let Po Mi, the young soldier, answer as he gives up his chance of military promotion and becomes a herald of salvation! Iet Yu Mi answer, as he puts his Testament by the side of his anvil, studies it between his strokes, and then, when Sunday comes, goes out to proclaim its saving truths! Methodism has proved itself in China able and ready, as of old, to bring men from the farm, the anvil, the workshop, the teacher's desk, into the ministry. But Methodism has a peculiar system of ministerial supply-the itinerancy. How will this work in China, where attachment to home and kindred is very strong, and where the people are opposed to change? I well remember that I was thought to be unnecessarily radical when I said, "If Methodism can not work the itinerancy here it has no call to be here!" I recall now, with a feeling of amusement, the departure of Hu Yong Mi from Foochow, when he was appointed to a station twelve miles up the river. His friends gathered around him at the wharf and wept as they said goodbye. You might have supposed that he was going into some wilderness of savages. But he has since, as presiding elder, traveled over districts extending hundreds of miles, and objected to being continued the fourth year on the Kucheng District, because the Kucheng Circuit was attached to the district of which he was presiding elder before, and he had therefore been stationed over a considerable portion of the district for four years, and he thought that the spirit of the Discipline required that he should be moved. An example of fidelity to the spirit of the little book, on the part of a presiding elder, that may well be commended to the fraternity in the United States. With abundant experience we can now affirm that the itinerancy works well in China.

But Methodism has its peculiar meetings and ecclesiastical gatherings. How will class-meetings, and quarterly and annual conferences, work in China? Well; I remember that as soon as we had members enough to form a class, Dr. Gibson organized one, and led it himself until a leader could be found and trained among the natives. Nor did he neglect to train the members in that excellent Methodist means of grace, the taking of a collection! And as Methodism has grown, class-meetings have increased; quarterly-meetings have come in naturally; love-feasts are enthusiastic. The annual conferences are thoroughly Methodistic. They open with, "And are we yet alive?" They close with, “And let our bodies part!"