Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-02-28
CalnaQe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talrnase. d. ID.

Los Angeles, Cal, EeD. 2o.-ln nls
sermon in the familiar figure OF a hus
bandman the preacher shows us how
TO secure the richest harvests by using
our opportunities for rendering Loyal
service TO God aud our fellow men. The
text is Uaggai, i, ., 6: Consider you,
ways Ye have sown much and bring
I'm little"
A short time ago | had most inter
esting conversation With an American
missionary who had spent many years
I'm China. He was telling me about the
marvellous changes which have been
initiated In China since the Boxer up
rising of 1900. ! had asked him to tell
me something about the Japanese peril
and what would be the condition OF
the east If the mikado succeeded In
dominating the whole Asiatic CONT
nent.
Much TO my surprise he answered:
Japan will never dominate the east
japan will never dominate China. The
great peril Of the east is not to be
found in Japan, but in China. The
oldest civilization on earth was in
China All the civilization Japan has
ever received has come from China.
The dominance of the east will come
not from military but from CONNER
cial power, and the greatest merchants
of all the east are the Cinnamon. They
can buy and sell all round the Japa.
neSe. They have the keenest mercan.
tile brains OF the eastern hemisphere.
Furthermore. they have military gen.
Jus. Lord Wolseley as well as General
Grant testified that when he is rightly
trained and handled the Chinaman
makes the greatest soldier that ever
lived. He is 4 man absolutely without
nerves. He can exist upon the dainty
diet of handful of rice. And he is a
man who knows no fear.
'Chlna has been dead for 1000 years.
But the giant of the east is now wax
ing up. China has never been govern
ed by set of practical men, but only
by set of scholars, or of what Is
called the literary class. For instance,
four years ago in my province 10000
students came up for examination upon
the teachings and the legends of an
cient China. From among those schol-
airs would be selected the future rulers
of China. But now all that is done
away. Two years ago by an edict
from the throne the Chinese literary
students were wiped from the face of
the earth. When that little handful OF
foreigners marched from the seacoast
up to Picking, the Chinese court was
compelled to acknowledge that west
n eix an IL.
ilization than theirs. Now China is be-
Ing reorganized upon the lines of our
western civilization. Her armies are
being disciplined by German officers.
Her students are being educated along
technical lines. Her mines and re-
sources are being developed Her
opium curse in ten years will be COM
pletely wiped out by governmental
power. And within thirty years new
China will arise which will not only
dominate the east, but will be a mighty
factor in dominating the world And
II we are going to Christianize China
we must do 1t within the next thirty
years, for after that it will be too late.-
In Thirty Years.
This was the testimony of Chris
tian missionary who knows China
well. Now, If it is true, rs l believe
1t Is, Ii indicates that the Chinese gov
eminent has statesmanlike sagacIty.
They found that their method OF edu-
cation did not produce good results
did not produce. the results they ex-
pected from it, SO they have changed
III fS wis
over 1t, l wonder whether we, as u
Christian community, ought not to do
the same thing. Our methods are not
producing the effects we expected.
Where is the fault? What is the cause
or the poor spiritual harvest? So this
morning want you to join with me in
following the prophets advice. Let us
consider our ways"
now, l think the fault is not that
you are unwilling to work for Christ.
You are like the people of my text,
VINO as husbandmen have scattered
the seed far and wide. But at the time
or harvest you have only gathered In
Few miserable grains of wheat. all
withered up and almost useless. Now.
are you willing to let me diagnose the
spiritual failings OF your life? And
remember that when 1 am preaching
against your spiritual faults am dag
hosing my own spiritual shortcomings
as we'll.
Our scanty spiritual harvests, in the
nrst place. are due to our lack of loy-
atty to God. We are not as a class de-
voted heart and mind and soul to his
service. We only give to him a luke
warm allegiance. Indeed, most of us
ana speak the words calmly and de-
llDerately-do not know what the word
loyalty" means in any department OF
life. We do not know the full signi6.
canoe of allying ourselves to man or
institution. And We are just as luke
warm to our spiritual king.
The Spirit of Loyalty.
1 go down to the store and find q
clerk behind the counter. Now. by
every law of common sense that clerk
should be devoted to his masters In
terests. He should do all he is able to
neip his employer in every way. If he
is asked about his employers charac.
Ter. he should say in his favor all thai
ne can truthfully. He should speak
well or him. He should publish his
good qualities and the good qualities
or the store. He should speak well of
mis- employers family and OF the kind
nesses which that employer is continu-
ally showing to the sick and the trou-
bied In the city. He should tell how
Eas employer is one OF the directors OF
the Young Mems Christian association
and how his word is as good as his
bond. But that is not what the aver
age clerk does Instead Of sinninn tha