The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-28
CHRISTIAN
Topic for Sept. 20: Missions: Growth
of the kingdOm-PsaIm Ixxii.

Robert Stewart, missionary martyr in China,
asked, on his last visit home, How can you
say. poor missionaries? p 1 tell you it is a life
the highest archangel in heaven might envy"
Alas, That the churches at home have so little
Of the spirit of the missionaries abroad and on
the frontier. When our Nation adds to itself a
new island, every citizen feels enlarged: but the
kingdom of God may add to itself a new ma
ton, and most of the citizens of that kingdom
will know little about it and care less. The
marvel of history is that missions should pro-
gress so nightly with support so inadequate.
What is an annual gift to foreign missions of
less than 40 cents a year, when compared with
the ability and duty Of the average Christian?
And yet this note Of disbursement is war
ranted only when We look to what is possible.
Actually, enormou sums are paid annually for
missions, some 12OOO,O 900, and the amount is
constantly Increasing. No operation in all the
world. whether Of state or Of commerce, equals
in extent, complexity or Importance, the opera
tions OF Christian missions. Literally, they are
changing the face Of the earth.
Every Christian. by virtue Of his Christianitv
is a cosmopolitan. 1t is his pride that he is a
citizen of a kingdom reaching further than
Great Britain. The Hindu. the Jap, the Hot,en-
tot, the Fijian, is his felow-citizen. 20 secular
newspaper has so wide a political sweep as the
religious newspaper. No student Of worldly af-
fairs requires so wide and profound knowledge
of men and events as the student of the affairs
of Christianity.
When Christians come thus to recognize their
worldwide field sqd exult in it, the entire atti-
tude of the church toward missions will be
changed. That patriarch of India missionaries
DIR. Jacob Chamberlain, has well said. The
time has come tor each church to support two
pastors-one for the thousands at home anotb-
er for the myriads abroad" Tho time has come
for every church to put itself in. definite. vital
individual connection with this great work so
that missions shall mean more than boards and
societies and secretaries and contribution boxes.
they shall be an accepted part Of the church
work, as truly, rs the sections salary.
What can Christian E.ndeavor do to hasten
this spread OF the kingdom?
We can read more missionary books And
what branch of literature is so fascinating To a
Christian?
We can promote the circulation Of missionary
magazines. Give them the constituency OF the
great secular journals, and they will have a
more remarkable Message to give. in a more ef-
fective way.
We can prepare ever more interesting mis-
sionary meetings; though 1 have heard Of En-
deaVor missionary meetings so interesting that
they had to be repeated before the entire church
We can train cur members to give systemati-
cally, iHteligentiy and literally. Already more
than twenty thousand Of them have promised To
give one-tenth cf their income to church work
That is a good beginning, but it is only a begin
ming.
And in the midst OF all this. constantly and
urgently, we can Tray for that blessing OF the
Spirit. without which all endeavors are vain
but with which they are certain to succeed.
AMOS r. WELLS