The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-04-03

| Inc uFSt meeting mouse ever Dullt NY
Methodists for a pagan people was
built there and stands to-day. On the
9TH of April, 1879 q Foreign Missionary
society was organized in New York
No missionary society on this planet Is
making great force for Jesus Christ
| that the Methodist missionary society.
In Iowa and Kansas find more Meth
odists than all other denominations to-
gether and this is probably the reason
why they have prohibition. All through
the west the missionary society has
pioneered Methodism. While / was
presiding elder in Kansas there was
| only one organized church in my con-
| ference. One conference now has more
churches than the whole state had in
1866. 1t has been hard work for the
sinner to get so far into the west that
there was no Methodist preacher on his
track. The Methodist preacher has
been at the front in the west because
the missionary society made it possi-
pie; 5000 Methodist preachers In the
! United States are now supported by
this society. They are there laying the
foundations of the church on which our
/ childrens children win build. Our
preachers are preaching the gospel in
this country in fourteen different lam
guages and it is not a miracle as was
the case at the Passover. We are max
ing Christian civilization in this coun-
! try. In the United States we need all
the tongues of Pentecost for all nations
are represented here and in this regard
this is a great missionary field. The
great cities are the storm centers of
the country and l believe the Methodist
church should put its hand on those
cities with renewed power. Every time
you establish a new church in the Unit
ed States you establish new power.
I believe this country is the greatest
center of missionary influence and
power the world knows. But our work
is not confined to America, it goes over
the entire world. The saying that char
ity begins at home is an old lie set
going by the devil. 1t works ruin.
When it comes home it is not charity.
1t is duty. There is no benevolence in
it, and many of us put more into the
benevolent column than we ought to.
You might as well put your grocery
bill in the benevolent column as to put
your preachers salary in that column.
You need the bread of life as much
as wheaton bread. A benevolent act
means the doing of something for some
one for relief, when you expect no re-
turn 1t is giving money because Jesus
Christ commands it. When you give
money to the heaten world, that is pure
| benevolence.
Our work in Siberia has grown into
conference, and though difficulties
have been met with the words of Cox,
Though a thousand fall do not let
Africa go'' have been remembered and
the work has been carried bravcly on.
Although some Christians who have
! gone there have first prayed on their
knees and afterwards preyed on the
natives With the possessions being
gained in Africa Christian influences
are being taken in. Railroads are be-
ing built, and where railroads go
Christian influences go. In South
America for twenty years a great work
has been carried on among the natives
in southern Brazil, Argentine, Uruguay,
Peru and in the valley of the Amazon.
In 1S47 we went to China. DR.. Mas
ters said that during his twelve years
in China he never saw Chinaman who
was drunk or begging. If the China
men on the Pacific coast had vote the
politicians would court him as they do
other nationalities. The Chinaman will
save money on salary which would
only buy beer for a German or whiskey
for an Irishman. The Chinese have
forty centuries OF unbroken history.
They have vast resources slumbering
and waiting the breath of God. God
must have something in view in keep
ing these people together so long. 1t
seems as if it was to show the world
what a people can be who have not
His gospel There are, however, points
of light through the empire, and every
where the people know that there is
such a thing as a Christian religion.
They begin to see that if they are to
cope with the world they must adopt
modern ideas and open the empire to
Christianity. In 1847 three men were
established at Foo Chow, and after ten
years they got in religious dynamite
enough to blast out one native. Now
we have a conference with Foo Chow
as its center, and the best Anglo-Chi-
nese college in all China. When you
get Chinaman converted you have a
martyr next day if you want one. Sec
|
when the atrocities were committed
year ago. courageous people these
newspaper editors are. When we talk
about Chinese riots we want to put our
hands over our mouths. Ten China
men have been butchered here to one
American who has been murdered in
China.
Work is being carried on in German
and Scandinavia, and there is one con-
gregation OF Firms in the cars king
dom. In India also great work is being
done. To-day we have six annual con-
ferences there comprising a member
ship of 68.000 The work oversteps all
our bounds. 1t is the most successful
we have done since the organization of
the society. In Bulgaria we have come
into contact with the Greek church. We
have a small mission there with 246
members. In 1872 we went to Japan.
most wonderful work has been done
there. They ought to have a man of
their own nation at the head of their
church, and they have a man for the
place, educated at Drew seminary, Mr.
Hunda.
In Mexico there is an annual con-
ference and we have even got a mis-
sion in Rome where we have a con-