The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-18

This is not the most interesting but the most important and vital subject before us One reason why Christian steward ship Is so unpopular is because it drives the responsibility too close to home. We have more interest and information than we are acting upon
 '"The need of the people on the other side of the world is not the reason of my giving, hut because that which l have is not mine, but His, to be distributed as He wills
 ''The trouble with us is that we believe our lives are our own, instead of Christ t's. instead of realizing that these lives of ours are trusts. Our money, after all, is just so much human life. It is our life ready to be put into Christian use.
 We forget that life is simply tool, a weapon an agency to be used by us for an end the thing by which we are , to live, and to accomplish the great ends of God
 ''The privileges of the Christian life rest equally upon every layman.
 Simply to say that belong to Christ is not going to bring me under the rule of his life. You and I need definite practical rule. There are not enough men practicing the gospel.
 "Of what use is it that we go away and pray Thy kingdom come when we do nothing toward it. The path to purer, more Christlike, consecrated life is to be found in systematic, spiritual, continual tithe giving"
 Mir. Speer closed the meeting with a prayer that seemed to be the overflow of his soul and the afternoon session ad- journed.
 Personal Experience.
 After a selection by the quartet. Louis H. Severance of New York mem Der of the Laymen's centennial commits sion, delivered a stirring address on Mission Lands at First Hand" MT. Severance gave his own personal ex- | perience in the Orient | MT. Severance commenced with the 1 Japanese hinese war and traced the 1 development of freedom in the Orient. He pointed out the good results which followed the wars in the Orient.
 "The Russian Japanese war brought freedom of religious thought to Rus sa and Japan he said. MT. Severance spoke of the condi- tions in India, where Christianity had most formidable opposition. 1 Yet, you can see the breaking down 1 of the old customs there. Such prac- tice as burying the body of the widow 1 after the death of her husband Is pass ing away.
 "A short time ago the chief justice of India allowed his daughter, aged 10 years, who had been left a widow to remarry. This is the first time that l old custom has been broken. This is one sign of the upheavals."
 pr. Bradley Introduced. ] After a song Dr. J. M. Bradley of Suchien,, China. delivered strong ad- dress His subject was, "The Appeal of 1 the East From Vest ''The streets of China are thronged as you never saw the streets of New York" said pr. Bradley. They are scattered like sheep without a shepherd. 1 They are dying by thousands in ignorance 1 and without hope.
 "One feels depressed when he first goes to China. Look at the changes that are taking place in China for the past 10 years. The recovery of China is bound to come
 | 'The United States of America is the l country that China looks to in distress. This government contributed s2.0000O0 to relieve the flood stricken In China. This money was distributed by the Southern l Presbyterian missionaries | Dr. Bradley told of his medical ex- perience in China. He told of the pa- tients that he treated and of the Chi l nese students that he had taught the science of medicine. He treated 17,000 pa tients last year.
 Dr. Bradley told of operations that he had performed on some of them, and the ignorance and suspicion of the ChinamaL to the foreigners
 | Dr. Bradley declared that the Southern l Presbyterian hospital at Suchien, China. had been started on $o00 We need $10,- GOO to make the hospital decent.
 At the conclusion of Dr. Bradleys ad- dress MT Cummings of North Carolina made a motion that Dr. Bradley be given $10 0O0 today for his hospital.
 From all over the hall men arose and answered that they would give $100 each for the hospital Men ind churches alike contributed to this cause. So fast did the contributions pour in that it was inn possible almost for the secretaries to keep account of the donors.
 Practically every important church in the south was included in the raising oi the $0,OOO
 Dawn in the Dark Continent" by tho Rev. Watts Martin of Luebo, Congo Free State, was the next speaker.
 Can you realize gentlemen, that 65 ou' of every 70 infants in Africa die"
 MT. Martin declared that In Africa the people know nothing of the common