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GOOD NEWS FROM MASULIPATAM.

Na letter received from Mrs. Peel a few days ago we were delighted to hear that a former pupil of the Caste Girls' Schools in Masulipatam, which my wife had charge of when she was in India, had come out from heathenism and professed Christianity. Her name is Sheshamma. She went to one of the schools when she was quite young, perhaps nine or ten years of age, and remained two or three years, when she joined her husband, and went to live at a place some distance from Masulipatam. After a year or two her husband died, and she came back to Masulipatam to be with her friends. My wife heard that she would be willing to become a pupil-teacher, or monitor to the younger children of the schools, and employed her as such part of the day, while she continued her studies the other part. Before we left India in 1880 there appeared to be signs of a good work going on in Sheshamma's heart. She used to go on Sunday afternoons to the house of one of the Christians, and occasionally to my wife, for reading the Word of God and prayer. And since we have been in England we have heard that she was still seeking after God.

Mrs. Peel now writes: "Last June she professed her desire to become a Christian, and in her own house has tried to live in accordance to God's law. About four months ago her father died, and she did not like to leave her home then for fear of being thought heartless, but last week she told Mr. and Mrs. Anantam (the Christians whom she used to visit on Sunday afternoons) she had quite made up her mind and would come out' the following Sunday. When she came to our house she wrote to her mother saying: I have chosen Christ to be my Saviour, and wish to be baptized in obedience to His command."" Late at night the mother, brother, and a girl went to Mr. Peel's house and tried to induce Sheshamma to give up the idea of being a Christian, but without success. Then the brother dashed his head violently against the pavement and the women began shrieking to show their sorrow. As she was still unmoved they reasoned with her again; and then the brother gave himself a terrible blow on the head, which made him quite unconscious for a time. As soon as he recovered they went away. The next day the mother and sisters went and tried to persuade her to give up her new religion; they too did not succeed. She was to be baptized on the following Sunday. I trust she has remained steadfast and has been received into the ark of Christ's Church by baptism. Sheshamma herself wrote a nice letter to my wife, telling her that she had professed to be a Christian though her friends had begged her not, and asked for prayer that she might continue in the faith of the Lord. She had not received baptism when she wrote, and may after all have been prevailed on by her friends to go back; but I trust she has been enabled to lean on that Strength which is sufficient for every time of need. She belongs to the Sudra caste, and is the first one who has publicly come forward from those schools and professed Christ. May she ever remain His ! WALTER CLAYTON.

Sheshamma to Mrs. Clayton. (Translation.)

To Mrs. Clayton.-Dear Mother-From the day you went to England to this day I, by God's help, have been well. Up to this time I am doing work in the schools which you placed (or begun). When you were here you had much desire for me to join the religion of Christ, and now by God's grace He

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creation comes beholding Jesus

Ni olanla rè kikun.

In his full majesty.

Awon t'a gan (a), awon t'a pa (a)
Those who despised him, those who slew him
T'o kan (a) mo agbelebu
Who nailed him to the cross

Nwon osokun, bi uwon wo Oluwa won.
They shall weep, as they behold Lord their.
Erekusu, okun, oke,
Islands, seas, mountains,
Orun,
aiye, a fo lo,

(away),

(The) heavens, (the) earth, they flee go =
Awon t' o ko 0 l'a da won ru,
Those who rejected him they are confounded,
Nigbati nwon gbohùn rè:
When they hear voice his :
Wá s' idajo, wá, k'alo!
Come to judgment, come, come go!
Idasile ť' a ti nreti
Liberation which has been hoped for
Opo ewa l' a fi han,

Plenty (of) beauty it reveals,
Awon t' a gan lodo aiye
Those who were despised by (the) world
Npade rè lóke l'ohun.

Are meeting him above yonder.
Halleluya, Olugbala

'de.

ogo The Saviour of glory has come.

THE STORY OF AGARPARA.

GARPARA is a native village about ten miles north of Calcutta. The church and mission premises seen in the illustration are situated on the eastern bank of the river, where the buildings form a very pretty picture to passers-by in sailing up the

has given me strength to confess Him before all. Therefore I, last Sunday, Hooghly from Calcutta. The Mission is one among the many

to become a Christian woman, came to Mrs. Peel's house. I am there still. My relatives came and begged me very much to return to their house; at that time, the Lord being my helper, I heard their words but did not go with them. He delivered me out of that temptation. If the Lord will, to-morrow even I having obtained baptism, shall be received into His Church. I am writing this small letter to tell you that you may be very glad. Dear mother, you will please pray that I, according as I have begun, may continue to the end faithful to the Lord, and towards Him may increase in faith and love. Please both you and Mr. Clayton accept my loving salaams. I have written in this way. SHESHAMMA.

[Since the above was in type, we have received from Mr. Clayton, with great thankfulness, the news that Sheshamma had been baptized and was remaining steadfast, though much opposed by her friends. Her brother had even threatened to stab her.]

instances in which we see an All-wise Ruler bringing good out of evil; famines in different parts of the country having been the immediate cause of its establishment. Various circumstances

have led to the desolating famines which from time to time have visited different parts of India. Frequently they have been caused by drought; but probably as frequently by inundations. In 1832, three inundations of an unusually severe character swept away thousands of the inhabitants of large districts in Lower Bengal. Mrs. Wilson, widow of a C.M.S. missionary, who was one of the pioneers of mission work among the women of India, seized the opportunity which this calamity afforded for interesting friends in the destitute natives; and having obtained funds,

[A picture of one of these caste girls appeared in the GLEANER of despatched a Christian catechist, with several helpers, to assist Sept., 1881.]

A Hindu's Opinion of Hinduism. NATIVE Government official, the Deputy-Collector of a large town in the Bombay Presidency, "a very energetic and enlightened man," lately travelled across India to visit Benares and the other sacred places in the North, "He came back disgusted with what he saw, and at a public lecture given in the High School he exposed the hypocrisy, deceit, and wickedness which he had witnessed while on pilgrimage." He then printed his lecture, and sent copies to the C.M.S. Mission in his district, with permission to distribute them. Thus, writes the Missionary who sends this information, "educated nonChristians are doing what they can to pull down the crumbling edifice of Hinduism. May the time," he adds, "soon come when they will be willing

to build as well as destroy by substituting a living faith for a dead one."

the sufferers. By this means many children were rescued ; though several whom they had hoped to save were so exhausted that they died on the way to the home prepared for their reception. The buildings at first occupied by Mrs. Wilson were regarded only as temporary, and after much search for a suitable spot on which to establish an orphanage, the present premises were bought by her, an unused Government silk factory, which occupied the site, being altered and enlarged to enable it to accommodate its new inhabitants. The new buildings were completed in 1836. The following year saw the erection of a commodious school-house, capable of holding 500 pupils, for

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youths of the better class of Bengalis, and the year 1838 saw the erection of a mission-house for the residence of a missionary.

The church seen in the picture was erected afterwards, and in the autumn of 1841, though not quite completed, was opened for Divine service. (There was originally a tower to the church, but it was destroyed in the terrible cyclone of 1864, and has not been rebuilt.)

In 1842, Mrs. Wilson left India, and during the forty years that have since elapsed the Mission has necessarily passed through many hands. But each successive missionary in charge has brought to bear upon the work the full power of an earnest and loving purpose, notably the revered Revs. T. Sandys and S. Hasell, and their wives. For ten years the Orphanage has enjoyed the able superintendence of Miss H. J. Neele, under whose administration much good work has been done amongst the children.

The Boys' School to which we referred above was opened two years before Mrs. Wilson left India. That it was fully appreciated by those for whom it was established is proved by the fact, that within a very few months 300 boys were in attendance. The work went on prosperously until a temporary check was given to it, in consequence of its bearing real fruit in the conversion and baptism of one of the pupils of the English school. He was a Brahmin, and his baptism naturally roused the anger of the influential Hindus of the neighbourhood, who set up opposition schools, which of course drew away many pupils from

the mission schools.

In 1842, Babu Guru Churun Bose, a convert to Christianity, was appointed head master. His history is an interesting one :

Guru Churun Bose belonged to a family of good position in Calcutta ; he was born in 1823. When a youth at school his attention was first drawn to Christianity by reading a book, which had been lent to his elder brother by a Christian schoolfellow, now the Rev. G. C. Mitter. This book, Bishop Wilson's "Evidences of Christianity," convinced him of the Divine origin of Christianity, and with God's blessing led him beyond the simple head belief, touched his heart, and he could no longer remain among his heathen relatives. Anxious to embrace Christianity, he took refuge at Bishop's College, where he received further instruction previous to baptism. While there, many were the attempts of his family to lure him away; threats and entreaties were, however, alike unavailing; the oft-repeated plot of the feigned entreaties of a dying mother, that her son would visit her ere it was too late, was in his case attempted in vain. At last one day his brother visited him, and taunting him with his unkindness to his mother, said that, in her anxiety to see him, she, "a purdah-lady," who never went outside her own apartments, had actually accompanied him to the boat to beg an interview. The poor youth, though fearing much to put himself in the power of his family, longed to see his mother; and judging that his heathen relatives would have but a poor idea of his newly-adopted religion, should it appear to harden his heart against her who loved him so much, decided to enter the boat, which was drawn close up to the shore, and in the cabin of which he expected to have the sad pleasure of once more embracing his beloved mother. He entered the cabin to find, alas! no mother there, but to know that he had fallen a victim to the plots of his angry relatives, several of whom were there to receive him, with anything but loving words. The boat was soon loosed, and rapidly rowed from the shore; his cry for

help reached his Christian companions, who had watched the scene from the river's bank; their angry shouts soon brought down one of the professors to still the commotion. The question, "Did he go of his own

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THE ISLET OF DESHIMA, NAGASAKI, JAPAN. (See also Pictures in Gleaner of March, 1877, and December, 1878.)

accord?" elicited many earnest replies of "No!" "no!" "Man the boat!" was the order given, and in little more time than it takes to write the account, the college boat was ready, and rapidly pursuing the fugitives, upon whom it was evidently gaining head, when an uncle of Guru Churun's, the leader of the capturing party, sternly demanded, "Will you promise not to be baptized ?" "I cannot," said the youth; "I will not deny my Saviour." Upon this the uncle, in furious anger, seized the slight youth, and throwing him overboard, left him struggling in the rapid, dangerous current. Those in the college boat redoubled their efforts, and were providentially able to rescue the poor fellow from the watery grave.

Shortly after this he was received into the Christian Church, being baptized in October, 1842, by Bishop Dealtry. He was only between 19 and 20 years of age when two or three months later he was appointed as Head Master of the Agarpara English School, where, notwithstanding his youth, his efficient aid enabled Mr. De Rosario to record such satisfactory results in the progress of the Mission school. His daughters were pupils in our Agarpara Upper School; their well-written examination papers and intelligent replies elicited the approval of the school inspectors, while a letter from one of them shows what is the spirit of many of our Bengali Christians. After telling of her marriage with a man in a good position under Government, she says, "He employs his leisure hours in writing for a Christian vernacular paper, and in preaching the blessed Gospel. I am thankful to say he is doing both these works gratis."

The foregoing account of Agarpara is condensed from an article by Miss Neele in the C.M. Intelligencer for December last. The Rev. F. Gmelin is now in charge. Miss Neele herself is returning to India this autumn, but she is now to establish a Boarding School at Calcutta for Christian girls of the better classes, a work of very great importance. She will be accompanied by Miss Alice Sampson, daughter of the Rev. J. E. Sampson, Vicar of Barrow-on-Humber. In last month's C.M. Intelligencer Miss Neele describes her plans, which call for our warmest sympathy and most earnest prayers.

A PLEASANT REUNION AT NAGASAKI.

T Nagasaki, Japan, the Rev. Herbert Maundrell has a little theological institution for training Native evangelists and teachers. (See GLEANER, December, 1878.) Some of the men are already stationed out at important cities, and doing excellent work. Mr. Maundrell sends a pleasant account of a ten days' gathering of the whole number at head-quarters last November :

On St. Andrew's Day, the anniversary of the opening of the College, we had full morning service with Holy Communion at Deshima Church, when I preached from Matt. iv. 19, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." In the afternoon there was a football game between the catechists and the students, in which Mr. Andrews, as always, was a champion; and in the evening there was a tea for the catechists, students, and a few other Native friends, at my house. And this evening Mr. Andrews entertained them in Deshima School, with a Natural History lecture on Bees, with the help of magic-lantern slides, which afforded much profitable amusement, and he kindly invited the catechists and our foreign staff (Mrs. Goodall, Miss Shaw, and ourselves) for another evening's social entertainment at his house. There was no examination this time (that is to be at future gatherings), but there were many profitable meetings for the discussion of matters concerning the work of our Church in Kiu-Shiu, and there were some devotional meetings, at which St. Paul's Epistles to Timothy and the work of the ministry generally, and in Japan particularly, formed subjects for prayer and meditation. There were frequent opportunities for preaching at Deshima, and each catechist gave one or two good sermons while here.

We had also a missionary meeting in Deshima School, at which there were six speeches, each not more than twenty minutes long. The first and introductory one referred to the Society's work throughout the world in general, and then to the particular work of the Society in Japan. Then followed an account from each of the catechists of his own special field of labour, and Mr. Andrews read a paper (Japanese) on the introduction of Christianity into Britain. After the catechists of the out-stations had spent ten days or more here, including two Sundays, they returned to their work.

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1 T Slavery abol., 1834. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy, Ps. 2 WH. Williams landed N. Zealand, 1823. Bearing precious seed, [Ps. 126. 6. 3T Speke discov. V. Nyanza, 1858. The field is the world, Mat. 13. 38. The seed is the word of God, Lu. 8. 11. Which liveth and abideth for ever, 1 Pe. 1. 23.

4 F

5 S

6 S

[Thee according to the joy in harvest, Is. 9. 3. 9th aft. Trin. 1st stone Metlakahtla ch., 1873. They joy before M. 1 K. 10. 1-25. Ro. 6. E. 1 K. 11. 1-15, or 11. 26. Mat. 19. 27 to 20. 17. 7 M 2nd Niger exped. at furthest point, 1854. Blessed are ye that sow be8 T In the morning sow thy seed, Ecc. 11.6. [side all waters, Is. 32. 20. 9 W In the evening withhold not, Ecc. 11. 6. [life, Ro. 6. 22. 10 TE. Auriol d., 1880. Fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting 11 F Peet d., 1865. Shall come again, his sheaves with him, Ps. 126. 6. 12 S To him that soweth righteousness a sure reward, Pro. 11. 18. [bountifully shall reap also bountifully, 2 Co. 9. 6. 13 S 10th aft. Trin. H. Wright drowned, 1880. He which soweth M. 1 K. 12. Ro. 11. 1-25. E. 1 K. 13 or 17. Mat. 23. 13. 14 M Put ye in the sickle, Joel 3. 13. [reapeth, Jo. 4. 37. 15 T 1st Niger exped. ent. River, 1841. One soweth and another 16 W Gordon killed at Kandahar, 1880. If it die, it bringeth forth much 17 T The harvest is the end of the world, Mat. 13. 39. [fruit, Jo. 12. 24. 18 F The reapers are the angels, Mat. 13. 39. 19 S Krapf vis. Rabai, 1844. The seed should spring and grow up, [he knoweth not how, Mk. 4. 27. 20 S 11th aft. Trin. From Me is thy fruit found, Hos. 14. 8. M. 1 K. 18. 1 Co. 1. 1-26. E. 1 K. 19 or 21. Mat. 26. 57. 21 M First the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear, Mk. 22 T The husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit, Jas. 5. 7. [4. 28. 23 W Be ye also patient, Jas. 5. 8. [reap, Gal. 6. 9. 24 T St. Barthol. Jowett to the East, 1815. In due season we shall 25 F 1st Miss. sailed for N. Z., 1809. If we faint not, Gal. 6. 9. 26 S Japan Treaty Ports op., 1858. Look on the fields, for they are [white already to harvest, Jo. 4. 35. 27 S 12th aft. Trin. My word shall not return to Me void, Is. 55. 11. M. 1 K. 22. 1-41. 1 Co. 7. 25. E. 2 K. 2. 1-16, or 4. 8-88. Mk. 2. 1-23. 28 M It shall prosper, Is. 55. 11. [the labourers are few, Mat. 9. 37. 29 T China Treaty Ports op., 1842. The harvest truly is plenteous, but 30 W Lord Dufferin vis. Metlakahtla, 1876. The fruit thereof shall [shake like Lebanon, Ps. 72. 16. 31 T Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send [forth more labourers into His harvest, Mat. 9. 38.

THE

"Freely ye have received, freely give."

HERE is, on the coast of Somersetshire, a small fishing village, with a population of above one hundred souls. A short time since I received a letter from the valued clergyman who has the spiritual charge of this little flock, and, in answer to an inquiry which I had put to him as to what he had been able to do for the C.M.S., he makes the following interesting and suggestive reply :

"You ask what I have done for you in the way of improvement. Little, I fear; but still, progress may be hoped for. I told the people here that we must do something, and it seemed better to have a quarterly subscription, I thought, than a yearly collection. I waited some weeks, and then, having all the heads of families, about twenty, one evening at my Bible class, I asked for the names of any who, as a thank-offering to God for the free of cost spiritual blessings they received in this parish, were anxious to give each quarter for this year something, as they could afford, to the C.M.S. It was pleasant to hear the ready response, and offers varying from one shilling to threepence a quarter, to count from last October, will, I trust, make a worthy offering by October, 1882" (the time of the annual sermons and meetings in the parish of which this fishing village is a hamlet).

Very earnestly do I trust that the example thus set may be followed by many a small village and hamlet, and that so many more even of the very poorest in our land may have the opportunity of doing something to tell others of that Saviour whom they themselves have been taught to love.

H. H. S.

Topics for Thanksgiving and Prayer. Thanksgiving for Mr. W. C. Jones's benefaction of £72,000 for China and Japan. Prayer that the money may be wisely used, and be greatly blessed to the extension of the kingdom of Christ in those empires. (Page 89.) Thanksgiving for the Giriama Christians. Prayer for the advance of missionary enterprise in East Africa. (Page 90.)

Prayer for the Holy Land (page 94); particularly for Nazareth (page 96). Prayer for the Caste Girls' Schools at Masulipatam (page 97); for Agarpara (page 97); for the new Girls' Boarding School at Calcutta (page 99); for the Catechists at Nagasaki (page 99); for the new Native Clergy in Tinnevelly (page 100): for the new Secretary of the Niger Mission (page 100).

EPITOME OF MISSIONARY NEWS.

The C.M.S. Committee have lately had interesting testimonies respecting the Society's work from influential independent witnesses who have attended their meetings. On April 11th, they received Archdeacon Matthew, of Kandy, Ceylon; on May 8th, Bishop Strachan, the new Bishop of Rangoon, late a missionary of the S.P.G. in South India; on May 15th, Bishop Suter, of Nelson, N.Z.; on June 6th, Bishop Steere, of the Universities' Mission, Zanzibar; on July 4th, Mr. F. Holmwood, H.B.M. Consul at Zanzibar, and Mr. Odell, a merchant at Fuh-Chow; on July 10th, Archdeacon Mathews, of Mauritius. All of them spoke in warm terms of the C.M.S. Missions they had visited. Mr. Holmwood's testimony concerning the men and the work in East and Central Africa was especially important.

We are thankful to say that the Rev. A. E. Moule is now permitted by the Medical Board to return to China. The Revs. J. P. Ellwood and G. H. Weber, and Miss Neele, are returning this autumn to North India; the Rev. R. Bateman, to the Punjab; the Rev. R. Bruce, to Persia; and the Rev. J. A. Maser to Lagos. These, with the new missionaries whose appointments have been before-mentioned, and also Miss Alice Sampson, appointed to Calcutta, and Miss A. H. Ansell to Sierra Leone, received their instructions at a Valedictory Dismissal on July 17th, too late in the month for us to give full particulars in this number.

On St. Peter's Day, June 29th, Bishop Crowther held an ordination at St. Paul's, Onslow Square, when the Rev. T. Phillips, B.A., who is about to join the Niger Mission as English Secretary, was admitted to Priest's Orders. The Rev. W. N. Ripley, Vicar of St. Giles's, Norwich, preached the sermon; and the Revs. H. W. Webb-Peploe, W. H. Barlow, and F. E. Wigram, also took part in the service. This is the first instance of a white clergyman being ordained by a black Bishop.

On March 5th, at Trinity Church, Palamcotta, Bishop Sargent ordained eight more Tamil clergymen for the Tinnevelly Mission, viz. the Revs. N. Mutthu, Arulanantham, Selvanagagam, P. Suviseshamuttu, A. Gurubathem, S. Sarkunen, J. Kohlhoff, and E. Asirvadem. The candidates were presented by the Rev. T. Kember, Principal of the Training Institution; and the sermon was preached by the Rev. V. W. Harcourt, Principal of the Sarah Tucker Female Institution. There was a congregation of 1,246 Native Christians, including 44 Native clergy.

On Whit-Sunday, the Bishop of Lahore held an Ordination at Simla, when Mr. Thomas Howell, a Native Agent of the C.M.S., was admitted to Holy Orders. He will be in charge of the Jhelum Mission, Pind Dadan Khan, as a "deacon evangelist," that is, he will not be a pastor of a congregation under the Native Church Council, but be employed directly by the Society as an evangelistic missionary.

The Bishop of Madras writes that in his recent charge (noticed in our June number), he under-stated the number of Natives confirmed in his Diocese in the four years 1878-81. He gave it as 8,722: it should be 11,432, viz.-by himself, 1,290 males and 1,100 females; by Bishop Caldwell, 2,080 males and 1,981 females; by Bishop Sargent, 2,753 males and 2,228 females. Bishop Moule, in January last, made a tour in the Chu-ki district (better known by the name of one of the villages, "Great Valley," concerning which interesting accounts have appeared in the GLEANER), in the province of ChehKiang, Mid-China. He confirmed 42 Chinese Christians there. The Rev. A. Elwin writes, "Five years ago, there was not one Christian in this vast district; indeed the name of Jesus was unknown. Now there are Christians in 33 villages, and the Bible is read, prayer offered, hymns sung, the Gospel preached, at nine convenient centres every Lord's Day in rooms set apart for the purpose."

The Divine blessing is manifestly resting upon the labours of the C.M.S. missionaries in Japan. The number of baptisms in the year was 99. Of these, 44 were of children, which in a young Mission is a noteworthy sign of progress, as indicating an increasing number of Christian families. Among the 55 adult converts were some men of position and influence, including a leading ex-official, well-known for his scholarship, and a Shinto priest, in the Island of Yezo; and two gentlemen Samurai, father and son, with their respective families, at Kagoshima.

The number of Christian adherents connected with the C.M.S. Mission to the Hindu coolies in Mauritius, has increased during the year from 1.406 to 1,551. There were 96 adult baptisms. Forty services are held weekly in different parts of the island, most of them conducted by the two Native clergymen and a staff of Native teachers, but a good many by volunteer Christians, who, writes Mr. Buswell, "are happily beginning to understand that the way to enjoy religion is to communicate it to others." The newly-formed Native Church Council is working well, "a supply of the oil of kindliness having kept the wheels in motion with hardly a jarring sound."

The reports from the Fuh-Kien Mission this year are again deeply interesting. The Christian adherents now number 4,099, an increase of 549 in the year. The communicants number 1,386. There are 112 stations and out-stations. We hope to print some extracts from the reports shortly in the GLEANER.

The Editor acknowledges the following contributions to the Society's Funds with many thanks :-Two Friends, South Devon, £5; Anonymous (Almonds. bury), £1; Anonymous, Bath, £1; Miss Joy, for Persia, 10s.; Topsy, 108. Among recent remittances to the Society are:-5s. from "A Christian," proceeds of books sold; and 13s. from the Rev. W. Lloyd, Lillingstone Lovell, Bucks, being moiety of a church collection in his parish, which contains 160 souls, 76 of them under 20 years of age, and all of the labouring class.

The GLEANER EXAMINATION will be held in January next. Conditions the same as last year. We hope for a large increase in the number of competitors.

THE CHURCH MISSIONARY GLEANER.

THE WORKING TOGETHER

SEPTEMBER, 1882.

OF GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE CHURCH IN THE
EXTENSION OF CHRIST'S KINGDOM.

an answer "from among themselves"! Surely prayer for missionaries means prayer for diligence to look for them, discernment to discover them, wisdom to choose them, self-denial to "separate them to the work," and willingness to spend time and money to

BY THE REV. J. B. WHITING, M.A., Vicar of St. Luke's, Ramsgate., train them.
VI.

EADER, no one can survey the widely opening Mission field without a deep conviction that men of note and education are required to meet the difficult questions which have arisen in the natural development of events. And we turn once more to the Sacred Word for guidance.

In John xvi. we read, "I will send the Comforter unto you, and when He is come (ie., to the disciples) He will reprove the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment."

St. Luke was moved by the Holy Spirit to illustrate by examples this action of the Comforter upon "the world" through and by means of the men whom Jesus Christ had chosen. It was through their "witness" that "the Lord added daily to the Church"; "the Lord working with them." The Lord did not work without them, but by them.

It was the especial work of the Lord Jesus during His earthly ministry to select, and for three years to train, this agency, through whom the power of the Holy Ghost might operate.

The Apostolic Churches followed the example of their Lord and Master. They "chose" men after prayer. They "looked out from among themselves" "men full of the Holy Ghost and of power."

Iminediately after the Ascension, the Church, consisting of about 120 disciples, calling to mind the direction of the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David, selected with great discrimination two men who had a personal knowledge of Christ, and then prayed that the Holy Spirit would show which of the two should be "numbered with the eleven." Stephen, selected by the Grecian section of the Church at Jerusalem, was the means for the ultimate conversion of Saul of Tarsus, himself a Grecian Jew. When the city of Antioch had been moved by men of Cyprus, the Church at Jerusalem sent, as their commissioner to inquire, Barnabas, himself a man of Cyprus. Barnabas, observing the kind of man wanted at Antioch, went to seek for Paul. secured the help of Timothy when he was "well reported of by the Brethren."

Paul

The instance in Acts xiii. was noticed in the last paper; but we recur to it again, for it is evidently intended to exhibit the combined action of God the Holy Spirit with the Church in this most important duty. The Church at Antioch was guided by the Holy Ghost to perceive, as clearly as if a voice had spoken, that they must separate to a work which He Himself had designed, gifted men, eminent for usefulness among themselves. And they then make choice of the very men whom the Spirit had Himself prepared for the work. In this selection and sending forth the whole Church at Antioch co-operated with the Holy Spirit.

Surely these instances are related to point to the Church in every place the duty of selecting, training, and separating to the work the agents by whom the Gospel may become "the power of God unto salvation."

But in these days how few Churches have made it a duty to furnish missionaries! All that has been done has been to catch at some good young man offering himself, and to approve or disapprove after he has come to a decision in his own mind.

An annual Day of Intercession has for some years been observed for Foreign Missions. But in how many cases has this been only idle prayer! How few Churches have "looked" for

Last year money was received from 5,500 parishes by the Church Missionary Society. Suppose 3,000 of the churches in these parishes were to embrace the habit of looking for missionaries, how apostolic, how Christ-like, the object they

would set to themselves! There would then be no lack of heralds

possessing the highest qualifications of mind and heart and body to tell to the perishing masses the tidings of a Saviour's love.

This the Church in every place may do by keeping the missionary enterprise before the minds and near the hearts of the young converts, by reckoning the name of missionary as among the noblest titles of a Christian, and counting the records of Mission work a source of real joy (Acts xv. 31). Then, watching the development of character in young Christians, to set apart those whom God endows with especial wisdom, faithfulness, and ability for the noble office of a messenger of the Churches.

DIG DITCHES.

"Make this valley full of ditches."-2 Kings iii. 16.
"DIG the trenches wide and deep!
Dig by night, nor dare to sleep!
See, the fee is nigh at hand!

Up, then! 'tis the Lord's command-
Dig the trenches! And you'll see
How He giveth victory."

Thus the Prophet spake: and lo!
Obediently the warriors go;
Fearless through the darksome night,
Trusting in Jehovah's might;
Toiling that the morning sun
Might behold their labour done.
SHAOU-HING, CHINA, May, 1881.

EGYPT AND

It was done: but o'er the plain
Blew no wind, and fell no rain :
Can it be God doth not care,
After all the faith and prayer?
Nay! Behold, from Edom's land
Water for the faithful band!
Dig the trenches, wide and deep!
God will sure His promise keep:
Labour here, and labour there;
Open channels everywhere;
Then, in ev'ry barren place,
Shall flow streams of saving grace.
J. D. V.

THE C.M.S.*

Ta time when the eyes of the world are upon Egypt, the readers of the GLEANER will be glad to be reminded that it was formerly a Mission field of the Church Missionary Society. In the Society's early days there was a great desire to revive the corrupt Christian Churches of the East, that they might be led to witness more faithfully for Christ among the Mohammedan Turks and Arabs by whom they were surrounded. After the overthrow of Napoleon, the Mediterranean seemed an open highway for missionary effort, and in less than three months after the Battle of Waterloo, the Rev. W. Jowett was on his way to Malta. Mr. Jowett, who was Twelfth Wrangler, and Fellow of St. John's, Cambridge, was the first English clergyman and University graduate to offer himself for missionary service. A great part of his work was to consist of inquiries into the religious state of the Oriental Churches, of which but little was then known. He was "to visit and to correspond with the ecclesiastics at the head of the different communions," Greek, Armenian, Copt, Maronite, &c., with a view to the spread of education and the circulation of the Holy Scriptures. His journals excited great interest in England, and for many years afterwards "Jowett's Christian Researches" was a standard book. Among other places visited by Mr. Jowett was Egypt. *All the pictures in this number are Egyptian scenes.

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