The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-03-18
Foreign Hiss ions.

On last Thursday evening Rev.
Wood who has been engaged since 1883
in the foreign mission work in China
poke most entertainIug.y in the
First Preshy terrain CnGr2n Of Column
Uia upon toe iuissinu eau 81 in China.
His presence was due TO all invitation
from the Chi!drens Mission Band, but
many OF the Older members of the
congregation heard ~ iJh pleasure and
profit what he had II cay. After
giving q general insight into the
every day i.ie 81 the rich in China
and then Of the poor, their strange
customs, beliefs, likes and diaiikes,
exhibiting specimens OF Chinese
finger nails, opium pipes, idols, visi-
ting cards, fan cases, SHOES and the
like, he turned to the more important
theme OF their moral degradation and
need of the eleVating forces OF Chris
tianity and above all Of a Saviour.
Especially did the picture of the
cruelty and Indifference of the Chi
uese TO their female children, as
portrayed by the speaker, touch a
chord of sympathy in the breasts OF
his audience for the women Of China.
He said that no woman in China sat
at meat with her husband or walked
at his side on the street, not being
deemed his equal. He told OF =
Christian woman OF China who was
dependent upon her own labor for
her existence, in "A country where the
finest of needle work could earn only
about three cents ii day, who Ey :'int
OF constant self-deuial had accuuHG5a-
ted two hundred dollars; all Of her
lifetime savings she donated AT one
time to the cause she had Recently
learned to know and love. What an
example tnis heather convert eXiIIbi-
ted to those of us who are POSSESSED
of not only the necessities but many
OF the IuXurie5 of life! Out of her
peuury she saved much for her Sa-
vior's cause; out of our abundance
what are we doing for Him. The
speaker said that if Christian people
old aud young would only practice a
| little selt-denial for the sake Of send
ing the Gospel to the heather, the
work would progress more rapid y.
In speaking OF the opium habit OF the
! Chinese, he said that the English
people forced opium upon them al
| the lannon's mouth in 1912, aud that
they were in great measure Tespon-
sible for the curse thus ent3llcd, and
owed this additional debt to thi:
heather nation, to send them the
| Gospel, besides their duty to obey
Christ's commands. He stated thai
the funds sent were economical
expended; that some of the worker:
paid back into the treasury a portion
of their own salaries, to aid in for
warding the cause; that there Were
forty thousand converts i'll China
that the number converted i'll the
past ten years were fifteen thousand
and that in most instances the con
versions were genuine, as evidenced
by the prosecutions the convert:
underwent during the recent riots, re-
fusing to deny the faith. That one
of the most pressing needs was fol
more female missionaries, because il
was impossible, by reason of the Gus
toms of the country, to otherwise
reach the women of China. The re-
marks of this minister, fresh from
! the field of action, were heard with
eagerness by the audience, and it is
hoped will bear their legitimate fruit
! in increased zeal for the cause oil
Foreign Missions in our midst. II
| the church was not founded by Christ
to disseminate his Gospel among all
nations, what is its object? II it is
not fulfilling its mission, it is either
because it has not taken the trouble
| to investigate and learn its duty, or
else it's spiritual pulse beats feebly
and its love for the great Head is
cold. AS Of the church so of its indi-
vidual members. There is no Chris
tian duty more plainly pointed out,
and none which can Ice more readily
discharged. Each one can either go,
or con .ribute to the support of some
one who will and can do so. Can
any Christian be in doubt as to his
duty? Every one can give some
! thing. What are you giving to cave
benighted world, and bring about
that glorious day when every knee
shall bow at the name of Jesus and
every tongue acknowledge Him King
of Kings and Lord of Lords?