The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-03-22
MISSIONS, A MANS WORK

commonest figures of missionary ora tory represents the nations as crowd ing into the church. Now, the unwel- come fact Is that heathendom, as a whole. has scarcely been budged by missions. Great as have been the mis- sionary triumphs in spots, the whole mass has hardly been touched by the Christian teachings. Even enlightened Japan, which many persons believe to have become almost Christianized, Is still ranlxly heathen. except for a small , percentage of the population which only the mind of faith can invest with conquering power. The overwhelming and, at first sight, immovable and im- pregnable heathenism of mission lands is challenge to the churches.
 Now. this big task calls for large measure. The brains which have cre- ated the vast commercial enterprises of the twentieth century must attack this work with equal adequateness. This | undertaking Is too great to be main- tained on a basis of pretty. pathetic, | or heroic stories. adapted to arouse the | interest and sympathy Of women and children. Unless 1t be established on firm basis of principle and purpose by men who have the vision and cour- | age and resourcefulness to plan tre- mendously and persist unfalteringly the missionary work that the condi- tions imperatively demand car not be | successfully accomplished. Che is made indignant, and almost disgusted to behold the two-penny~ character oi work that Is designed to transform | nations. More than once while on the \ mission field was tempted to write tc | the laymen of America: Either do the job or chuck 1t; don't play at it. l The biggest work in the world, says Mir. Ellis-"and as such I do not he's itate to characterize foreign missions -should be done in the biggest manner | in the world by the biggest men in the world" It ig not alone the ''bigness' | of the work that calls for men, MT. Fl. lis points out. but ''also because of itl | intricately and delicately strategic character" He continues:
 "One whose eyes have seen how tight
 ly wrapped up with problems of state craft national prestige, internationa relationships, and commercial expan
 sion is the missionary movement, | bound to feel the weight of this appea to men. The modern man brides him taalf on his broad views and farsight l edness. He loves politics, big politics
 Let him Sget even a glimpse of wha
 missions means to the future of Kore I-poor, oppressed Korea, with it's neV manifestations of the Christian spiri
 that put all Christendom to the blush and his chivAlrous zeal for giving tn
 under dog e square deal and for mak ing himself count greatly, will inspir
 htm to rush to the succor of Kore with q generosity that will speedil
 multiply the missionary force an
 equipment in that most fertile an
 promising of all mission lands.
 Similarly, China, which is but an
 other word for Possibility will nc
 be left to the cruel craftiness of poll
 ticians and promoters; but her tru
 welfare of her friends. will be fur
 thered by a many-fold increased mis
 sionRry effort which will be the pre-
 cursor of general education, genera
 cosmopolitanism, general patriotism
 and general civilization throughout thi
 largest of the worlds empires. ChinI
 now actually in the crisis of her his
 tory, offers an opportunity to Chris
 tianity which makes one's blood tingl
 with eagerness to do large things fo ! the enlarging kingdom"