The Russellville Democrat., 1885-11-12
The Shadow Resting on MlssIOn
 Work.


 To the brightest picture there is often dark background. Millions are yet unreached even by the echo of the Gospel trumpet. The vast Armament of pagandom is thickly studded with Gospel stations, yet, like the stars, they are centres of vast vacancies. Among some of the more cultivated pagans only stand ing place has been secured for evan. gelization to start; the men and mon ey furnished are wholly inadequate for the extent of the field and the needs of the work, on the one hand, and the number of professed disci- pies and the amount of means at our command, on the other. Christian civilization has introduced obstacles, like opium and whisky, more serious and more formidable than those en countered on the ground itself, so that the missionary has better prom ise of success in some cases if the shuttle of commerce has woven no bond of contact with Christian na- tions A sluggish church permits the missionaries of infidelltv to pre- occupy the field and SOW tares before the wheat has been sown, furnishing the educated pagan with the works Of Hegel and Strauss and Renan as weapons to ward off the arrows of the truth! The fields of the papacy, now open to the circulation of the Bible and the preaching of the Cross, yet lie waste with harvest white for the sickle, because the laborers are so few. The territory of Moham. med is scarcely approached as yet by the army of Christ, though it might have been penetrated aud pos sessed. Missionaries ought to be multiplied ten fold in Syria, Persia, Egypt; hundredfold in Turkey, In dia and Japan; and thousand fold in China, Africa and the Papal States.
 The main hindrance to missions to day, lies in the church of Christ at home. The lesson is slowly learn. ed that not only self-extension IS q condition of vitality in q church. Hundreds of congregations give not one dollar to missions. Hindranccs have been referred to as introduced by so-called Christian civilization.
 Britain compelled China to admit opium against the rcmonstrances Of China herself, hundreds of thous- ands of whose people are annually sacrificed to this drug. China re- members this, and not only England but all Christendom encounters 6 prejudice in the Chinaman against whatever is connected with Christ ian reople.
 In India, extracts from Paine's "Age of Reason" are affixed to the walls in Calcutta and read eagerly; while in Bombay, where the Univer- sity IS situated, natives ward of the Gospel with quotations from skeptic, al writeis.
 In Japan, likewise, skcpticism is imported by American and Europe an teachers, who are rapidly leaven- ing educated society from the state schools and universities. The devil is come down, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but q short tune. While the missionary press is active ln spreading the truth, he mandates the country with skeptical literature from the West. Some, years ago missionary was sent out by the Unitarians, and Tn stead of making converts, himself went over to heathcn sect, the famous Bramo- Somaj
 Meanwhile, the ID ain hindrance to prompt and energetic prosecution of missions abroad is the atmosphere ot the churches at home. We all need what Christlieb says the Germans need--tbe threefold conversion, heart, head and purse. Let us not forget that nothing is more needed for the sake Of the home churches than n true missionary revival. Let us re-