The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-11-16
THE FOREIGN FIELD.

Cnurcn at present IS the Mission Field.
While there is much deafness and world
illness in the Christian life of Christen-
dom, abroad the fires are burning with
brightness never before known. A mis-
sionary in India writes: I'm the twenty
four years that have past since 1 first
came to India, I have never seen such
spirit of hopefulness and faith among the
missionary workers of all denominations
as there is now. The native Christians
are waking up and becoming conscious of
power, and becoming alive to their re-
sponsibilities and privileges" From ia
pan, DR.. Gordon writes: "There has
never been time when the friends of
Christianity have felt so hopeful: nor one
in which its opponents have felt and
feared its power so much. Within the
past two months at least three anti Chris
tan tracts have appeared. One of them
opens by saying that Christianity is
spreading like fire on grassy plain, so
that in capital and country there is no
place where it is not preached" The
Japan Mail says: "Long and tolerably
intimate intercourse with the Japanese
enables US to say that the pure, upright
lives and single-minded earnestness of
our missionaries have not less power of
persuasion here than the doctrine they
preach.
At the recent Methodist Gcumenical
Conference in London, the Rev. E. E.
Jenkins stated that Jesus is the most
popular name in India-not the most
loved and honored, but next to Vishnu
and Buddha, the most widely known,
the most frequently upon mems lips
and, without any exception, from hu-
man point OF view, the most pow erful.
Jesus is the avowed leader, and the New
Testament the avowed textbook, of the
most recent philosophical school of India. I"
The Rev. Robert Stephenson said that
the Methodist mission in India received
in one year 100000 from the native con-
verts. The Rev. j. w. Waugh, D. D., of
India, said that the missionaries in India
had found it a good thing to teach the
gospel by singing it to the people. II
was estimated, he remarked, that there
are now 100000 Christians in India
In the Annual Survey of the Amer
lean Board of Foreign Missions" we read ::
In India and Ceylon the number of adj
ditions to the churches is increasing year
by year, and the influence of the gospel
is more and more recognised in the char
acter and lives of those who bear the
Christian name. . The points of spe-
cial interest in these missions are the fol-
lowing: The large and constantly in
creasing number of Mohammedans who
attend on the preaching of the gospel in
Bombay; the efforts to prepare we'll
educated and effective native agency =;
the remarkable growth and success of
woman's work in the Madura and Ceylon
Missions. Through these agencies dur
ing the past year not less than 10000
women and girls have been told the story
of Christ in the Madura Mission.
A writer in the London lfSSsio1ayv
Herald says: i have nowhere found men
and women in Christian lands of higher
type than l meet in North China-of
finer spiritual experience, of higher
spiritual tone, or of nobler spiritual life.
came away with the conviction that
there are in the native churches Of China
not only the elements of stability, but of
that steadfast and irresistible resolution
that will carry over the whole empire to
the new faith"
Again, we read "There is an extra
ordinary awakening at Hamadan, a sta
ton Of the Presbyterian Board in Persia.
About forty Jewish families have become
Christians. Near the supposed tomb Of
Mordecai and Esther q. company of the
children of Israel are meeting regularly
twice week to examine the law and the
prophets and to enquire concerning the
Christian faith"
Then take an item of this sort The
Rev. Gerald F. Dale (Presbyterian), says