The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1886-08-04
THE MISSION FIELD

enough that is dlthcult, perplexlng, and dis
heartening to discourage saint on earth. A
the same time there is enough that is Joyful, en-
couraging and foretelling victory to delight anC
inspire an angel in heaven"
-SYRIA-Rev. DR.. Craig, at the May
meetings in London, gave the following inter,
esting statistics as to what is now doing for SYRIA
little land with population of only two mil.
iions-one halt Mohsmmedan and the other
halt nominal Christians-instead of the probably
twenty millions in the days of Solomon There
are thirty different missionary societies at work
among them, represented by 500 laborers, 200
being European and American, and 600 native.
There are l4O preaching stations with 1000
| regular attendants at the churches 80 900 oc-
casional attendants and 1000 church members
800 schools, with $4,000 children, and IA
medical missions, where upward of $4,000 pa.
tients were treated, who were sent away, when
cured, with small selection of tracts In their
own language; and thus the gospel was carried
where the missionary could not go. The re-
liglous press was doing grand work a great
change is taking place among the Moslems An
intelligent Turkish pasha had told him that
though not many Mohammedans were converted
to Christianity, he scarcely knew of educated
family that had not the beautiful illustrated
books of the Religious Tract Society open upon
their tables
The July Missionary GLeane1 re-
lates the following history Six years ago a
learned Persian dervish, on looking over the
books In friends house happened to take up
an EfyH New Testament) which its owner said
was about the prophet Jesus, a useless book
which had been presented to him by an AmerI-
can goldsmith, Moved with curiosity, Agha
Mira Syed Khalech glanced inside, and form
ing different estimate as to the value of Its
contents, asked for loan of the New Testament
and when his friend offered to give 1t, thankful
lv accepted and took the precious book home.
HIS private study Of it convinced him of the
truth of what he read, and he has accepted, and
openly confessed, the Lord Jesus to be his Sa
vlour Having previously been dissatisfied with
Mohammedanism he spent all his monev.iu 60
ing ispm place 10 place seeking The 1ge 70 glon,
&C 1V, Sti.tsi.iii-s pOV5fty ana pf5scrip-
ton, he isHucc sgfuliy testiyiu for Chfist in his
own and an adjoining village.
Three and half years ago a census
was taken of Protestant missions in India in or
der to see exactly what progress was being
made, and that showed that IN India alone AT
the end OF 1881 the native Christian Protestant
commun.ty numbered 4l7,372 of whom 49,
80 were communicates 46l native ordained
ministers, and 2 4SS lay preachers or catechlsts.
Inc most remarkable and encouraging fact dis
closed by that census was the decennial rate of
progress during the late three decades. The
rate of progress from 1851 to 1851 was about SO
per cent; from 1861 to 1871 it rose to 81 Der
cent, and from 1871 to 1881 to Sc per cent.
MISSIONARY ATMosPHERE.-The air
we bres the has much to do with the hea tn and
vlgor of our bodies. So the home influence
which surrounds us has much to do in molding
character, and In shaping course of life.
TINS was certainly 30 in the case OF the late Dr.
Alexander Duff for many years missionary
IN India, whose name is a household word in
many Christian family. He tells us that his
father was a man of profound missionary spirit
"a man with whom love for Christ's kingdom
was passion The cause of modern missions
was MUCK upon his heart and lips. He" re-
lolced IN tracing the triumph of the gospel in
different lands, and in connection with the diff
ferent branches of the Christian Church." To
interest his children in the subject, he procured
pictures of Juggarnath and other heathen idols
and spoke of them in such a way as to show the
awful sin Of idolatry and to excite the compass
sion OF the children towards the poor blinded
Idolaters. These talks on heathenism were also
sure to be well mixed with statements of the love
OF Jesus for perishng sinners. Is 1t any wonder
that the mind OF your Duff was we'll instructed
touching the condition of the heather, and that
his heart beat for them in loving sympathy-a
sympathy which ripened in later years into an
active and unreserved conservation to the cause
OF Christ in India
Fourteen years ago DR.. Mckay,
missionary Of the Presbyterian Church Of Can
ada, first went to Formosa. Describing the
then condition Of the country, DIR. Mckay says
ldolatry was rampant. The people were bit
ter toward foreigners. There were no churches
no hospitals, no preachers" This same mission.
ary recently celebrated his fourteenth anniver-
sary of work in that island, and l,273 converts
assembled from all parts Of the country at
Iamsui to express in a public manner their
gratitude for his self denying labors among
them. Since this meeting Dr. Mckay made a
tour along the east coast during which though
only absent ten days, he bapuzsd over 200
persons
The Livingstone of the Waldensian
Valleys is Slgnor Weitzecker, their distinguish
ed missionary to Basutoland, Africa. The
Italian newspapers have given great prominence
to his letters full Of most interesting details Of
his mission work, and Of the observations made
throughout his journeys which he has forward
ed as a member Of the Italian Geographical
Society. He has sent as gift to the Ethnolo.
gical and Pre.Historical Museum IN Rome, a
large collection Of objects from Basutoland and
from that part Of Africa. The objects sent we're
Of kind Of which Italy possessed no specimen
whatever" HIS writings, his researches and
his gifts have won for him an honor similar to
that accorded to Livingstone by the press and
the scientific societies Of Great Britain. At the
same time so much do his missionary zeal and
bis love to his Divine Master outshIne all his
other qualities, that he is scarcely ever referred
to by the Roman newspapers except as the Ms