The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-09-19
TO AMERICA FOR
SPIRITUAL AID
ITO be Trusted is to Be Saved
Are we Ready to Meet
Such Expectation"
BY Meta Folger Townsend in Chris.
tan Advocate.


Japan has never been more in
need of Christian workers than
today; she needs very efficient
II is my great desire
to be one of these men; but I
shall never be able to realize this
passionate longing without Sc
curing more spiritual power,
more biblical knowledge, and a
more loving heart toward God
n toward man.
To those OF us who nave personal
knowledge of Zenscky Hinohsra. the
quoted words have a pItofound mean
ing. While a student at Trinity Col
lege "a few years ago, he preached and
lectured at many places Throughout
h State. and everywhere made
friends who loved him for the firm
ness of his spirit and the unaffected
simplicity Of his Christian character
In his SOU were tvb passions SO
intimately blended that you could no
say where one began n the other
ended. These two passions were a
contain divine patriotism that enrap--
ped his beloved country, and a still
diviner zeal for the Masters service
believe l speak for every member
Of ihe Church who Knew him when
! say that his religion was so absorb
ing, 50 absolute in its unSeiflsh beau
ty, that it shamed the rest of VI into
a understanding hunger for h a high
er form of Caristian living which
is satisfied with nothing less than the
noblest.
The other day when ] sat in church
listening again to this seeker after
truth, making the growth of his
Greek-like intellect, the widening and
deepening of his spiritual insight. a
sense of awe came over me. The
wonder Of it, To think that Japan
that masterfu' country, rich in age
old history. stirred now by new ano
| gigantic forces, should turn to us fol
! spiritual help! To America. DINING
struggling, material America. | re
| membered how he a said to m'
| once that his country was looking
to England for certain forms o
education, to Germany for another
but to US for spiritual aid.
ITO be trusted is to be saved ARE
We ready to meet such expectation
Can this Japanese student, this dis.
cip!e of Christ. align himself will
the leaders Of American thought. lead
ers in social, palitical ethical life
and in literature Can he absorb thu
spirit Of this life for two and a hal
years, then go back to Japan possess
! ed with greater power and simplicity
Let us hope so. Let US trust that be
! reath this restless, seething outer
! current. VIII ereon is tossed the foam
! of worldliness, our student may strike
the solid bedrock Of idealism.
I take it that our Japanese SUDDEN
will concern himself little with polit
real. social, or Give life in this coun
try except as it is connected witt
his study OF religion and literature
The sestablished order of government
seems fixed in Japan. Patriotism. no
not anarchiSm. is a national 'charac
t~eristic. The Emperor holds tee ale
glance of his people. While the ole
religions are losing grip on his sub
ject.s those subjects show noIslgn o
weakening in reverence forfg thel
ruler. Turning to Western cultivation
for the best We v to offer them
the. Japanese do not propose to dis
card the best in their own nationa
individuality. fence it is only in tn
field of ethics that we have much t;
offer them. much that will appeal Z
them In this field religion and liter
allure are commingled. When we OF
fer 20 Mr.. Hinohara the heart-stirr1n
music. of Robert Burns. we give hin
the religious feeling that embodies 1t
self in Lines to a Young Friend" an,
'sCotter's Saturday Night When W
bid him read Emerson's Self Reli
ance,' we open to him the mind OF
man VITO represented the best OF VIVA
is typical in American thought. and
at the same time. We put him l.
touch with that which is purely an
essentially religious. If we give hin
that masterpiece in our literature
The Autobiography Of Benjami1
franklin" we offer him not only a
illustration Of preeminent power an
Simple ity, but also the product .
D C~hr:stianized civilization.
Com.ng down to our day. one ma
We'll wonder what books in the line o
general literature might safely be pu
into he hands Of tcis Dun studen
who Il already possessed of thos
TWO great elements of character.
spiritual power that stirs the soul o
his hearers and a simplicity that goe
to the heart of truth
need things to read in tn
.,,.o cf rha French novel wrifar<