The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-20
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

son for March FL Is Quarterly Re-
view.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
Truth is of interest to most persons
only In it's present relations. None but
a few rare souls care for truth in the
abstract, and disassociated from time
and place. Even historical truth has
its chief value as it is linked to the
present. The reason for the weekly
study of the Sunday-school lesson by
twenty-five millions of persons is not
the desire to acquire certain
amount of historical data SO much as
it is to obtain motive power for cur
rent conduct. and light upon eontem-
poraneous problems. The life depict
help for the life that is lived in this
year 19Q9 For three months the sun
day-schooIs have been working in the
Book of Acts, considering the begin
nings OF Christianity. Now, at the end
OF the quarter. they pause for back
ward look.
The story unfoIded in these nine
chapters is the story of an expanding
church At once the observing reader
is struck by the parallel between this
ancient narrative and present condt-
tions in some mission lands. A per
fectly proper as well as an eminently
interesting method OF presenting the
underlying truths of the quarters les
sons is by a frank contemplation of
modern missionary growth, ever keep
ing In mind, of course. the first mis-
sionary story.
The Romance of Korea.
A mere handful of inconsiderable
persons held the foreground in the op-
ening of this story. The faith-filled
company of disciples was very small.
They were like the apparently negli-
gible missionary force that has dared
to 20 up against entrenched error in
a
character and teaching and witness,
g. multitude of others were influenced
in the succeeding ten years, and the
little church grew like a SNOWFALL,
years in Korea
The romance of Korea should be an
ever-recurring theme in Christian
churches. There the reality of Christ,
and the power of his Gospel, have TAX
en- hold Of the lives of the natives in
Transforming fashion The very faces
of Christians show that they possess
a treasure which old Korea never
knew. In consequence. 1t is their
meat and drink to tell the story of the
GOSPEL. Now there is in Korea a
church of more than one hundred
thousand members, that may be said
to constitute the dominating sfacter
in the nations life. Even Prince Ito
recognizes this so clearly that a few
days ago he dismissed a member of
the Korean cabinet for eriticising the
missionaries, SAYING that the critic dlo
not know what he was talking about.
Many persons are prophesying that
Korea will be the first of the Oriental
nations to be wholly Christianized, and
that it will, in turn be the evangelist
of the Orient.
Some Wonders of Missions
The conspicuous event In the early
Church was Pentecost. This is stunl-
bling block to the materially minded
Simply because t'spiritual things are
spiritually discerned," they can hnd no
parallel or rational explanation TOR
this supernatural enduement OF the m
fant Church. Just so recent events IN
India China and Korea have stagger-
ed observers. The first equipment OF
a strong. growing church must pc
profound and memorable splrltual e&-
perience.
There have been in the growing
Christian community of Northern IN
dia such manifestations of the pres
ence of the Divine Spirit as are allnosI
too strange to be told to Occ1Qehtal
ears. / heard Bishop Warne, Metho-
dist Episcopal bishop Cf India, narrat-
ing some experiences in the Indlan re-
vivaI to great congregations at ocean
Grove last summer In conversation
with him afterward I asked why he |
had not described certain phases OF
the revival about which we had talk
cd together in India. He frankly ad-
Tnitted that the American churches
were scarcely able to bear such testi- |
Inouy; their incredulity would hinder |
the effect of his message, so he mad 10 |
feed them with milk, rather than with |
meat,
I'm IN sordid, material, unimagina- |
tive Manehuria there is at present In
progress a revival like unto nothing
which the Western world knows, En-
tire villages are gripped by spiritual
power; strong men fall prostrate and
writhing. confessing their sins and
crying aloud for mercy. Christians
are being baptized with a conscious |
ness of peace and joy which sends
them gladly out to neighboring villages
as evangels of their faith. OF like
fashion. and even more extensive, was
the revival that began to sweep over
Korea two years ago, purifying the
native church, causing men to bring
forth fruits meet for repentance, and
confounding skeptics everywhere.
InexpIicable all this may be upon
grounds of human reasoning, yet no
man ready to accept credible testi-
mony can doubt it. 1t is the infant
Church's Pentecost repeated; also, it
would seem to be in order that, like
the company of disciples of old, they