The Washington herald., 1909-07-17
An Old Nation, New Problem.

! Tcrse Comments upon the Christian Endeavor
Topic FOR July z. Heroes Of Missions in China 90
Matthew. V:l3l6
Some persons still think of China only
in terms OF Chinese Iaundrymen. They
assume an attitude Of rather contemptu-
! Gus Indifference toward the heather
Chinese" and rather take credit 20 them
selves for It. They have no knowledge
Of the real China, with its polished man
ners. It's immemOrial customs. its clas-
sical education. and its incalculabIe
wealth in men. minerals. and merchan-
disc i is altogether beyond the power
Of most Of us 10 visualize a nation OF
40. 10000 people So we 20 on in
our provincialism, utterly unaware that
some OF the gravest problems OF the
twentieth century are being wrought out
in that greatest Of all living nations.
which within the memory Of every person
who reads these words has reversed
front with respect to all that is known
as Western civilization.
Whoever sets out to know China is
wise with the wisdom Of tomorrow.
A great may westerners have buried
themselves as leaven in China ard. all
unrecOgnized, their lives and labors are
factor In the present transformation Of
the empire.
To have lived greatly for great ends
is a form OF success achieved by many
missionaries who have given themselves
for China.
The idea Of a career entertained by
Jesus aptly describes the life OF some Of
the great missionaries OF China. "The
Son OF man came not TO be ministered
unto. but TO minister. and TO give His life
a ransom for many"
The ancient art Of China, and the his
tory Of China. have been appreciated by
only few persons. although to-day Chi
nese ceramics are priced by discriminat-
ing persons everywhere. Even the geog-
.raphy Of China has been a terra incog-
nita." and the first really complete and
correct maps have appeared within the
past twelvemOnth. These. characteristics
ally, like most other pioneer enterprises
IN China, are the work Of missionaries.
This Atlas OF the Chinese Empire" with
its separate maps Of the eighteen PROV
inces and four dependencies. is a work to
evoke 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
.sinologues as Sir Robert Hart and Sir
Ernest Satow warmly praise the scholarly
excellence OF this work. which is only one
more OF the innumera0le by-products Of
missions.
raN
such.
The scholarly power OF some mission
aries is really astonishing. There .xas
Walter Medhurst, who could speak nine
languages; Bishop Schereschewsly. who
translated the whole Bible; Eljsh Bridg-
man, also a Bible translator; and such
living veterans as ". A p. Martin. d. Z.
Sheffield, Arthur H. Smith. Dr. Wherry.
and the lately deceased Calvin J. Mateer.
The new education Of China is in the
hands Of Christian missionaries and their
students.
Morrison. Milne, Chauncy Goodrich.
Walter LOwTie J. Hudson TAYLOR. John
L. Nevius. DIT. Peter Parker. Bishop
Boone. Wells Williams. H. Blodget. DR..
GrlNth John, James Meadows, Hunter
Corbett-how the names OF the great ser
wants OF China mount up. The western
world little knows what they have done,
out some day China wiz enshrine them
in her haH Of great ones.
To say thar all missionaries are great
and noble and heroic is, OF course.
ridiculous. They are not. 1 have met
all kinds in China alone. But remem-
Der most clearly such men as the reserved