Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-22
who have given them
selves for China

serves Tor emma.
Mn*
The idea of a career entertained b,
Jesus aptly describes the life IF some
of the missionaries of China. THE
Son of man came not to be ministereo
unto, but to minister, and to give his
life ransom for many"
The ancient art of China, and the
history of China, have been appreciat-
ed by only a few persons, although to-
day Chinese ceramics are priced by
discriminating persons everywhere
Even the geography of China has beer
a terra incognita." and the first really
complete and correct maps have APP
peared within the past twelvemonth
These, enthusiastically, like most
other pioneer enterprises in China are
the work of missionaries. This Atlas
of the Chinese Empire, with its sep
arate maps of eighteen provinces and
four dependencies, is a work to envoke
the enthusiasm of every student OF
China. 1t is issued by the China Inland
Mission, and has a companion volume,
The Chinese Empire" Such eminent
sinoiogues as Sir Robert Hart and Sir
Ernest Satow warmly praise the
scholarly excellence of this work,
which is only one more of the innum-
cradle by-products of missions.
No hero of missions regards himself
as such.
The scholarly power of some mis-
sionaries is really astonishing There
was Walter Medhurst who could speak
nine languages: Bishop Schereschew-
SKY, who translated the whole Bible;
Elijah Bridgman, also ii Bible trans
ator: and such living veterans as w.
A. P. Martin, D. z. Sheffield. Arthur H.
Smith. DR.. Wherry. and the lately de-
ceased Calvin j. Mateer. The new edu-
cation of China is in the hands of
Christian missionaries and their stu
dents
Morrison Milne, Chauncy Goodrich,
Walter Ilowrie, j. Hudson Taylor, Jno.
l.. Nevius, DR.. Peter Parker. Bishop
Boone. Wells Williams, H. Blodget, DR..
Griffith John. James Meadows, Hunter
Corbett-how the names of the great
servants of China mount up The
western world little knows what they
have done, but some day China will
enshrine them in her hall of great
ones.
TO say that all missionaries are
great and noble and heroic is of course,
ridiculous. They are not. / have met
all kinds in China alone. But I remem-
Der most clearly such men as the rev
erved and scholarly B. c. Patterson, a
Southern Presbyterian; DR.. ]. Walter
LoNrie, the great son of one of China's
great missionaries, and himself the
savior of his city from destruction by
the Allies in 1900; the sturdy, tireless
Courtenay Fem. miller of the Picking
siege and now teacher of teachers and
a Christian administrator: Isaac r.
Headland, connoisseur in Chinese art
and literature; Fletcher Brockman and
D. Willard Lyon, major generals of
the new army of Chinese young men;
DR.. w. II. Park, the beloved doctor of
Soochow, and DIR. H. C. DuBose, of the
same city, father of the anti-opiunl
movement that Is relieving China and
the world of this curse.
An increasing number of natives are
to be numbered among the Christian
izing forces of China. Once we reck-
oned upon the missionaries to convert
the nation; now we see clearly that if
China is ever won to Christ the chief
agency will be the Chinese native
church. Already there exists a China
evangelization society, manned and
supported wholly by natives. The spirit
and ability OF these young Chinese
were among the finest evidences OF
Christian progress that I encountered
in China There are a number of self
governing native churches, and the day
is approaching when these bodies will
be even stronger in China than they
now are in Japan.
The business man or government Of
fetal who lives a Christian life in
China is to be reckonet among the real
missionary agencies at work in that
empire.
new form of Christian co-opera
ton at work in Chin, is the Mis-
sionary SerVicu Association. This is In
line with the complete moderniyation
of the whole missionary enterprise
The air is to serve as business agent
for all the mission boards and societies
supplying missionaries with the neces.
sites of life at the lowest possible
prices. through the operation o.
Wholesale merchants and manufacture
ers in America, Great Britain and Aus
tralia.
After all has been said. it remains
patiently and profoundly true that tle
greatest of all missionaries is the mys-
FERROUS and inscrutable Spirit of the
living God. The latest news from China
is like breath from Pentecost. 1t tells
or wonderful outpourings, with extra
ordinary manifestations. of the Spiri
upon the stolid natives of Manchuria
SO that now the gospel is sweeping
like fire through the whole rerior
s'cOuN. = iiS itNiNdi, ONeIi6dplHS vas
stretches of country, has since gone t
Marking the ancient Southern capita
Of the empire This is no mere warm
ing of Christian fevor, such as the
home churches occasionally know.
is a consuming fire, that is purifying
the native church and imparting to i
a new radiance. so that the non.
Christian neighbors are being won il
numbers to the company of peaceful!
ed believers.
SENTENCE SERMONS