The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1906-04-18
THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.

"other towns also" There are other forms of
work than the simple proclamation of the gospel.
There is the training of the native church and of
native ministry and the many details of administers
ton. The precious grain is about to perish because
not enough reapers at hand. A hundred times
the present force could scarcely accomplish the work
that is to be done. Perhaps there was never a more
urgent call for the preaching of the gospel in all the
history of the Church of God Now all of these in
deX fingers point in general direction First Here
is a problem, the very thought of which staggers
by its magnitude 1t is certainly beyond to ex-
press it in words. 1t is nothing less than the
dempton of nation 'whose antiquity is of ancient
days. whose population makes up more than one
fourth of the inhabitants of the whole world; whose
people who by natural ability prepared to take
their place among the great nations of the world.
And the time for the solution of this problem is at
hand China is passing through state of change,
change from the fixed traditions of decades of CEN
turtles. The destiny of this people await a moulding
hand Now is the day of opportunity, ''the accept
able time the golden moment. Shall the mighty
ship with her freight of precious lives be guided into
course of life and safety shall she be allowed
drift upon the rocks to destruction and death? Sec
Ond The Church of God is the sole agency which can
accomplish this vast problem Japan cannot save
China, nor any other nation. Our hope is in
God. And Gods divinely appointed agency for this
work is His Church. Will the church arouse her
self to the magnitude of the task before her? Third
In order to accomplish this undertaking the church
must give of her best. Let it not be supposed for a
moment that mediocre men and ngardly giving and
perfunctory praying will do the work The lifting
OF this people from the ignorance of superstition into
the light of true liberty, the training of efficient
native ministry, the initiation of that institutional
work that will give permanancy to work of the church
the meeting of conditions and problems that even
now hard upon and the contest for the truth
and against that agnosticism that already coming
in like flood all this requires the labor and thought
OF the very best men and that the church can
give And those who have borne the burden and
heat of the day well those who shall be sent
forth should be equipped for their task with liber
atty in proportion to the magnitude of the work that
Is to be done. And, lastly but not least and nten-
sty of prayer the part of the whole church the
price that must be paid if would see God make
bare his mighty arm for the salvation of this great
people Would that in meditation we might be
transported to some mountain top of spiritual exper
fence where, in vision there might pass before
our eyes this empire with its myriad of dying souls
who are ready even now, if people were, to
hear the good news which hold in trust. And
would that our hearts might overflow with the love
of Him who, looking upon the mutitudes was moved
with compassion because He they were "dis-
tressed and scattered sheep having no shepherd"
Sing Chang China.