In the previous article we considered the first of seven great triumphs, and found it to be the triumph of a godly life. It is the life of the one who has overcome as Christ overcame. It is the life of the one who can say at the end of his earthly pilgrimage, as did the apostle Paul, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith,” and am now ready to be offered, ready for death. He was beheaded. But the death of such a one, regardless of how that death may come, will be a triumphant death.
The blessed Jesus, at the end of a gloriously triumphant life in mortal flesh, was called to die a most cruel and ignominious death. Nevertheless that death, to him and to all men, for he died for all, was a grandly triumphant death. Satan well knew, when Jesus died triumphant over all his temptations, that the first earth dominion, which by temptation and usurpation had been wrested from the first man, would be restored to man through the death of Christ. Then let us think of the eternal glory that the death of Christ will eventually bring to all the redeemed saints. It was this joy to himself and to the saved that made his death on the cross a glorious triumph. When Jesus cried, “It is finished,” and bowed his head and died, his followers, because of their blindness, could see no triumph in it, but rather a complete and heart-rending defeat. They fled from the scene, hid themselves, and behind bolted doors gave themselves up to uncontrollable and hopeless grief. But O, how all heaven rejoiced at that triumphant death of the One they loved so well!
Dear reader, you are well aware that it is appointed unto men once to die. All overcomers who die in the Lord are blessed by the Lord. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” In the triumph of living faith, they die a triumphant death very soon to be followed by a triumphant resurrection.
Meeting God's Call
By CHAS. P. WHITFORD
CHAS. P. WHITFORD
A CAREFUL study of Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 shows very conclusively that the end of all things is at hand,—that this world's history is soon to close, and the great day of God is about to be ushered in. But there are many millions of people who do not understand this. They do not understand the duties and dangers of the present time. They have no knowledge of the messages recorded in Rev. 14: 6-12, which are designed to prepare a people for the coming of the Lord and a home in the everlasting kingdom.
“If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation.” This is the most solemn message to be found in all the Bible, because the wrath of God without mixture of mercy is to be the fate of those who worship the beast and his image and receive his mark. Seventh-day Adventists must proclaim this message. How great is their task, and how solemn their responsibility! If they do not faithfully perform this work, the Lord will come and find the blood of souls upon their garments. Eze. 3:17-19.
Seventh-day Adventists are to co-operate with heavenly intelligences in making ready a people for the coming of the Lord. Upon this people rests the responsibility of setting forth the truth of God concerning the fulfillment of promised signs by which we may know when the coming of Christ is near, even at the door. The perpetuity of the law of God, the seventh-day Sabbath, and kindred truths must be taught the people. Our duty at this time is set forth in these words: “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up8thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.” Isa. 58: 1.
It is the duty of those who have been blessed with a knowledge of the third angel's message to set themselves to the work of laboring for the salvation of the perishing, and to think not of their own ease, comfort, or convenience. God is calling loudly at this time for his people to labor and not to faint. Shall we all respond to the call?
The Unrepentable Sin
By Eliza H. Morton
THE sin that admits of no repentance admits of no pardon. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to convict and convince the heart of sin. If the Holy Spirit is repudiated, there remains no repentance for sin. The unrepentable sin is the sin against the Holy Ghost. He who cuts off the channel through which God would speak to him is sorrowless and defiant, and the Spirit cannot do its work. He who continually refuses to respond to the influences of the Holy Spirit grieves it away, and places himself beyond the limits of God's grace. The unpardonable sin is the willful setting at naught of God's Holy Spirit.
ELIZA H. MORTON.
Opportunities Are God’s Calls
EVERY opportunity that opens before us in connection with this work is God's call to us. The individual who is most certain to be a success in the foreign mission field is the one who has taken most persistent and active advantage of the opportunities afforded in the home field.
The Warfare of Truth
By William Cullen Bryant
A FRIENDLESS warfare! lingering long
Through weary day and weary year;
A wild and many-weaponsed throng
Hang on thy front and flank and rear.
Yet nerve thy spirit to the proof,
And blench not at thy chosen lot;
The timid good may stand aloof,
The sage may frown, yet faint thou
not,
Nor heed the shaft too surely cast,
The hissing, stinging bolt of scorn;
For with thy side shall dwell, at last,
The victory of endurance born.
Truth, crushed to earth, shall rise again;
The eternal years of God are hers;
But Error, wounded, writhes with pain,
And dies among his worshipers.
Yea, though thou lie upon the dust,
When those who helped thee flee in
fear,
Die full of hope and manly trust,
Like those who fell in battle here.
Another hand thy sword shall wield,
Another hand the standard wave,
Till from the trumpet’s mouth is pealed
The blast of triumph o’er thy grave!
— William Cullen Bryant.
Trust in the Lord
By C. F. Campbell
C. F. CAMPBELL
“Trust ye in the Lord forever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.” Isa. 26: 4. How long are we to trust in the Lord?—Forever. Trust in him whatever befalls. Trust him in the shadow as well as in the sunshine. Why should we trust in the Lord?—“For in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.” That kind of strength can never fail us in the greatest time of need. “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.” Jer. 17: 7. “Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.” Ps. 37: 3-5. “They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth forever.” Ps. 125: 1. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.” Ps. 46: 1, 2.
To those burdened with care and trouble and sorrow the admonition is, “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee.” Ps. 55: 22. “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” 1 Peter 5: 7. If we do this, we shall not have any to carry ourselves. Another precious promise is found in Matt. 11: 28: “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” And in John 6: 37 the blessed assurance is given, “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”
Let us trust in the exceeding great and precious promises of God. They are more sure than anything in this world. They can never fail. Although spoken hundreds or thousands of years ago, they have not lost any of their force through lapse of time. Like their Author, they are the same yesterday and today and forever. When almost discouraged or cast down, “lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.” Isa. 40: 26.
Trust in the Lord forever, for he hath said, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” Heb. 13: 5; Deut. 31: 6, 8. He is “able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.” Jude 24. Do not for one moment lose sight of that blessed hope, the soon coming of our Lord in all his glory with all the holy angels. We need to read often his precious words of comfort as recorded in John 14: 1-4: “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart.” Ps. 27: 14.
GRAVE OF WILLIAM MILLER
“When our soul is much discouraged
By the roughness of the way,
And the cross we have to carry
Seemeth heavier every day;
When some cloud that overshadows
Hides our Father’s face from view,
O, ’tis well then to remember
He hath helped us hitherto!”
“Looking back the long years over,
What a varied path! and yet
All the way his hand has led us,
Placed each hindrance we have met,
Given to us the pleasant places,
Helped us all the journey through,
Passing through the deepest waters;
He hath blessed us hitherto.”
“Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you.” Isa. 35: 4.
Perth, Ontario, Canada.
At the Home of William Miller
By R. J. Bryant
R. J. BRYANT
ELDER C. J. RIDER and I are holding a tent effort in Rutland, Vt., and Sunday, August 8, I had the privilege of preaching to a large number of the relatives of Elder William Miller. The meeting was held in the church built by Elder Miller himself, at Low Hampton, N. Y. Between the church and the cemetery is the old home built in the year 1815 by the father of the advent movement. At the head of the stairway stand two life-size oil paintings of William Miller and his wife. It was in this house that the Lord opened the wonderful book of Daniel to his faithful servant, and from here gave to the world the message which we love so dearly. The home is now occupied by C. H. Phelps and family. Mr. Phelps is a great-great-grandson of Mr. Miller.
On a former visit to this home I was invited to return when it could be arranged to have the church opened once more and invite the people to come to a meeting. So I accepted the invitation. Mr. Phelps had advertised the meeting well, and it was a pleasant surprise to find the church filled to the doors. A granddaughter of Elder Miller presided at the organ, and in the congregation sat a grandson and a number of the great-great-grandchildren, many of whom are grown to manhood and womanhood.
As I stood before these dear people, the Spirit of the Lord came down in great power and gave a message that seemed to stir the hearts of all who were present. As the prophecies were outlined, and the place occupied by Mr. Miller in the great work of God was shown, tears began to flow very freely, and hearts to respond to the deep working9of the Holy Spirit. After the meeting a large number of the relatives told us that they had never heard these prophecies explained before, and that they themselves had not understood the work of their progenitor. I was asked to hold meetings in Fair Haven, Vt., in the near future, which I hope to be able to do. This is a beautiful little city two miles from the Miller home, and where most of the people live who attended the meeting.
In the accompanying picture the relatives of Elder Miller are on the steps of the church, the small children sitting in front being the fifth generation.
As we stood by the grave of this forerunner of the greatest message the world ever heard, I remembered the words of another servant of the Lord, recorded in “Early Writings:” “But angels watch the precious dust of this servant of God, and he will come forth at the sound of the last trump.”
I was invited to dinner with the family at the old homestead, and given the place at the table occupied so long by Elder Miller. As I moved about the house, especially in the east room, Mr. Miller’s study, and where he died, I felt that the place was almost sacred. Then I was led out to the woods, the place of secret prayer. The church, the grave, the house, the woods, and the everlasting hills and beautiful dales, seemed to speak to us of how the message began quietly and in simplicity, but was to grow until the whole earth should be filled with the knowledge of God.
An interesting feature of the meeting was the number of automobiles seen on the lawn of the church. Dr. C. F. Ball and Brother Walter Hall came from Rutland, with their automobiles filled with members of the church in that place. Others came on the electric cars. Members of the Miller family came in their automobiles from other directions. Thus I was able to make a practical illustration of the signs of the coming of Christ, which made a great impression on the minds of those who were present.
I earnestly hope and pray that the Lord will give us the privilege of bringing the whole truth to these dear people. What a grand thing it will be for the servant of the Lord to come forth from his dusty bed to meet a large number of his children who were called to the kingdom in the last hours of earth’s history. It seems that no greater blessing could come to him than this.
Show the Lining
By Mrs. E. M. Peebles
MRS. E. M. PEEBLES
“The other side of every cloud is bright
and shining;
I’ll therefore turn my clouds about,
And always wear them inside out,
To show the lining.”
CHURCH BUILT BY WILLIAM MILLER AT LOW HAMPTON, N. Y.
All those on the steps and porch are descendants of Mr. Miller.
WHAT a beautiful showing of sunshine and color we might always present to the world if we could only learn to wear our clouds always inside out; for it is true that every cloud has a “silver lining.” It is but another way of saying that “all things work together for good,” and that we must “glory in tribulations.” And why glory in tribulations? Because “tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope.” Without trials we cannot hope to gain eternal life. They are the stepping-stones, and they test and try us, and show us what is in our hearts. By them each of us learns to “endure hardness, as a good soldier.” And are we not enlisted in a far better warfare than those men who lie in the trenches exposed to the cold, pitiless storm, often
sick from hunger and privation, and their lives always in danger? These men put us Christians to shame. They are fired with patriotism at the command of their king, who is but an earthly monarch, whose kingdom is but an earthly possession; while we are enlisted under the banner of the King of kings, whose banner over us is a banner of love, and whose cause is sure to triumph. When we win, each soldier becomes a joint heir with Christ “to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
Then when we meet others, we need not fill their ears with the sad tale of all our cares, but rather speak of the opportunities we have for overcoming and for gaining new victories. If we speak of our trials, and cannot yet say, “Come and hear . . . what he hath done for my soul,” we can tell of another proof of the care and love of him who has us in training to fit us for his kingdom, and has said, “Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” He has given his word that he will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able to bear, but will with the temptation make a way of escape. We can tell of our determination to hold on, and we can learn to ask God, not to remove the trial, but to give us grace to bear it, until we have learned the lesson there is in it for us.
Many of our trials are simply the way we take things, and often we can sing them away. When the dark shades of sorrow fall across our path, when the heart is overwhelmed with grief, crushed well-nigh to the breaking, then we may know that there is One by our side bearing the burden with us, saying: “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee;” “I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands;” “As one whom his mother comforteth , so will I comfort you.” He knows it all, and there is good somewhere in it. We know that when we are tried, it is that we may come forth as gold, fitted to walk the golden streets, cleansed from earthly tarnish, able to appreciate what our Saviour suffered to bring us there.
Rejoice
By LYDIA M. NATHIE
LYDIA M. NATHIE
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” What a blessed promise! Why, then, go about mourning under a load of sin? Those sins are forgiven, if confessed. They are not only forgiven, but they are removed “as far as the east is from the west,” and are entirely forgotten by the Lord. “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.” If the Lord forgets, then why can we not, and go on our way rejoicing because of our cleansing from sin?
The True Way to Be Humble
THE true way to be humble is not to stoop till you are smaller than yourself, but to stand at your real height against some higher nature that shall show you what the real smallness of your greatest greatness is.—Phillips Brooks.
Progress in Porto Rico
By N. Z. Town
N. Z. TOWN
From July 30 to August 8 a general meeting and workers’ institute were held in Santurce, a suburb of San Juan, Porto Rico. About sixty of our own people were present at this meeting, and a goodly number of others attended the evening services.
In a brief review which Elder William Steele, the superintendent, gave of the work in Porto Rico since 1909, when he entered that field, he presented the following encouraging figures:—
In 1909 the tithe paid in the island amounted to $53; in 1914 the amount was $1,199; and in the first half of 1915, the $874. In 1909 the Sabbath school offerings came to $3; in 1914 they were $366; and during the first half of 1915, $239. The literature sales in 1909 amounted to $1,551; in 1914 the amount was $7,006; and the total sales from 1909 to 1914 were $24,800. At the time of the previous general meeting here, eighteen months ago, the membership in the mission was less than forty; now it is eighty-five.
WORKERS AND BELIEVERS ATTENDING RECENT GENERAL MEETING IN PORTO RICO
In the early days of the work in Porto Rico, when Brother and Sister B. E. Connerly were located on the island, Brother Connerly began the publication of a little monthly paper called El Centinela de la Verdad. As quite a portion of the paper was devoted to news items, some of our Spanish-speaking workers in other fields did not consider the Centinela so very valuable as a factor in giving the message. But the efforts of Brother Connerly were not in vain. In a little town away in the west end of the island, a copy of this little sheet fell into the hands of a man who became interested in the truth it contained. He became a subscriber, and later began to keep the Sabbath. In response to his urgent calls, last year Brother Steele and Brother and Sister C. E. Moon conducted a series of meetings in Moca, where this brother lives. The Lord blessed the effort, and after a few months of labor they were able to organize a church of twenty-seven members. As reported in the REVIEW, this company now have a neat little chapel of their own, which they were able to dedicate free from debt.
For several months Miss Jessie Butler has been associated with Brother and Sister Moon, doing Bible work. The evening I visited them, the children of the church entertained us with a very interesting program of recitations, songs, etc., in which one could see the result of the faithful work of Sister Butler in training them. The Lord has richly blessed Brother and Sister Moon and Sister Butler in the study of the Spanish language, and in their efforts among the people. They are now branching out into neighboring villages, and hope soon to see others uniting with the Moca church.
A New Church and Headquarters
Eighteen months ago, when I visited Porto Rico, the brethren in San Juan were meeting in a hired hall separated from a noisy saloon by only a single board partition that reached part way to the ceiling. It was also on a very noisy street, so that with the street noise and the rows in the saloon it was almost impossible to hold evening services. But now, by the blessing of God, that is all changed, and this year we could meet in a neat little building of our own. This building, a picture of which accompanies this report, is located in Santurce, a beautiful suburb of San Juan, about fifteen minutes’ ride from the center of the city by street car. It is only one block from the principal street and trolley line. There are three rooms in the basement, which will be used for church school, book depository, and office of the Porto Rican Mission and Tract Society. Above is a chapel that will seat about two hundred persons. The lot and building cost about $2,300, more than $1,200 of which was raised among the believers on the island. As will be seen by the picture, this new headquarters is beautifully located in a grove of coconut palms. It is a very quiet, desirable place, overlooking San Juan Bay, and, best of all, it could be dedicated free from debt.
The brethren and sisters in Porto Rico are rejoicing, not only over having Brother and Sister Moon and Sister Butler, who have been with them over a year, but also because of the arrival of Brother and Sister D. D. Fitch and Sister D. A. Fitch. They have settled in Santurce, near the new chapel, where Brother Fitch will begin a series of public meetings as soon as he gets the Spanish sufficiently learned. They have already engaged a teacher and are busily studying the language.
When Sister Butler first went to Porto Rico, she engaged in nursing in Santurce for several months. As a result of this work and her good influence, there is a great demand still for one of our nurses in that part of the city. The Porto Rican committee, therefore, voted to ask the General Conference to send a good lady nurse for Santurce at the earliest possible date. As there are many Americans living in this part of the city, she can begin work at once among English-speaking people. There is also an excellent opportunity for a visiting nurse who is also a Bible worker to connect with Dr. J. F. Morse on the south side of the island. The doctor offers to pay the salary of, and furnish a room to, such a worker. The committee voted to ask for a good lady nurse and Bible worker to fill this opening.
For several years colporteurs have been circulating large quantities of books and papers in Santo Domingo. As a result, many have become interested in11the truth, and there is an urgent demand for a minister to follow up this work in that island. The prospects are good for bringing out a company of believers there in a short time.
The church in Santurce had for some time been collecting funds with which to start a church school; they now have on hand nearly two hundred dollars for this purpose. At the general meeting, definite plans were made for opening this school in September. Mrs. G. D. Raff will act as teacher. She expects to have an attendance of more than twenty children.
Since Brother and Sister Steele went to Porto Rico six years ago, Brother Steele has acted as superintendent and treasurer of the mission. Mrs. Steele has done faithful work in assisting him with the bookkeeping, sending books to the canvassers, etc.; but with the removal of the office into the new building, Mrs. D. D. Fitch will act as secretary and treasurer of the mission.
Steps were taken at this meeting to organize more fully the home missionary work and the young people’s work, in harmony with the plans of these departments. Brother Fitch was elected secretary of these two departments for the coming year. As there are several of our young people in the island who wish to prepare themselves for more efficient service in the work, the brethren hope next year to begin a little training school for workers in the Porto Rican Mission. One young man expects to attend school in Cuba this year.
The outlook for the work in the Porto Rican Mission is very encouraging. If the workers they are asking for are sent, we believe that by the blessing of God they can easily double their membership before the end of 1916.
Leaving Batavia, Java, on Furlough
By F. Tunheim
MISS F. TUNHEIM
For nearly two years I have suffered much with fever, which seems to come on every time my body gets overtired. Each attack was worse than the one before, and the brethren thought it necessary for me to have a change and rest. It was very hard for me to consent to this, for the work and the people in Java have become very dear to me. It seemed that I could not endure the thought of leaving for a whole year, and it was one of the hardest struggles I have had. I finally left it all in the Lord's hands, and asked him earnestly that if it were his will that I should go, he would so fit and prepare me for his work that I might be the means of bringing some souls to the Lord in the homelands. As our boat pulled out from the harbor, it was very painful to me to see the bitter tears shed by the dear people who had come out from the darkness of heathenism into the light of the precious truth, and become members of the royal family of God. What a longing it gave me for the great reunion that is soon to take place, when the sorrows of parting will forever be in the past.
We stopped for some hours at the island of Billiton. As I walked up the streets of the principal town, I was so glad that the message had just entered this island through the printed page. One of our canvassers had taken more than two hundred subscriptions and had sold quite a number of tracts.
The beautiful city of Singapore, the headquarters of the Malaysian field, where the message has been sounding for many years, is a very busy place. Thousands of jinrikishas run here and there, carrying people of all nationalities to the different parts of the city.
As our boat steamed into the harbor of Hongkong, and I saw the high mountains and hillsides clad in their robes of evergreen and magnificent colors, I thought of the eternal haven of rest that we have almost reached, and wondered how many will see its glory and beauty. Ah, he that is pure in heart shall see God and all his wonderful works. There is a cable tram that goes to the top of one of these very steep hills. From a distance it looks like a fly climbing up the side of a window. I felt that I must have a ride on that wonderful tram that can do such climbing. As I sat inside the car and watched its progress, I was overwhelmed at the sight. It was evident that a slight mistake would plunge it to the bottom. I asked the conductor what would happen if the strong rope that was pulling the car should break. He said, “We should fall and be gone, destroyed entirely. But we have never had an accident,” he added, “because we change the rope every three or four months.”
This gave me a new thought. We are on the car of time, and we are pulled with a strong power from above. We are connected with that wonderful power with a rope also, and that rope is our prayers. But our rope must be changed daily, and sometimes even hourly, or it will become weak, and finally break. Then the connection with the only power that can pull us safely through to the haven of rest is cut off, and we fall into ruin and everlasting destruction.
Looking upon the beautiful scenery of the hillsides, one forgets for a moment the gloomy, dark, and sinful world. But ah, there is another sight, a very sad one, below these beautiful hills. There is the large city of Hongkong, with its thousands of people living in the darkness of heathenism and sin. And oh, what a longing comes into the heart to help these poor, ignorant souls who have been bought with the precious blood of a loving Saviour! But how can they come to the Saviour except some one is sent to give them the invitation? This is only one city among the thousands in the large provinces of China. There are many others, with their teeming thousands crowded into small, narrow, dirty streets, and swarming in and out of the small dark houses which often contain several families. At the joss houses they push their way in and out, bowing in worship to the numerous large, lifeless images that are unable to help them in their distress. Oh, this picture is before me day and night, and it has stirred my heart as nothing ever has done before!
THE NEW PORTO RICAN CHAPEL AND MISSION HEAD-QUARTERS, SAN JUAN
From Europe we hear the sound of cannon, the alarm of war. Jer. 4: 19, 20. Streams of blood are flowing from brave men who are sacrificing their lives for their country, while in the homes the widows and the fatherless are sobbing with broken hearts for the loving companion and kind father who will never return.
What does all this misery and cruelty mean? Oh, it is one of the last mileposts showing that Jesus is coming very, very soon, yes, that he is even standing at the door. Should not this stir our hearts, dear brethren and sisters, as they have never been stirred before, and lead us to pray with intense earnestness to the Lord of the harvest that he will put the spirit of sacrifice into our hearts, and a burden for the salvation of these teeming millions, so that we may reach out a helping hand to them before it is forever too late? In these last moments of this world's history let us make every sacrifice; then soon, very soon, we shall stand on the sea of glass, and have the joy of clasping hands with many of the redeemed from these benighted lands, who have been plucked out of the fire.
Manchuria
REPLYING to a recent letter, Brother B. Petersen, who, with Brother O. J. Grundset, has opened mission work in Mukden, Manchuria, writes:—12
“Your letter of May 13 was received about a week ago. I should have answered immediately, but thought best to wait a few days, for we were, it seemed, just at the very point of buying property for our headquarters here in Manchuria, and I thought I could forward the good news in this letter. But a week has passed, and still we have not obtained the property, though we have good hopes it may be secured soon.
Then, speaking of a brother and his wife under consideration for that field, he continues:—
“We should be very happy indeed if not only they, but another family also, could be sent this year to begin the study of the language, so that later we may enter the two northern provinces of Manchuria. From the vicinity of Harbin there has long been an urgent call for a worker, and we feel we must begin work there in the very near future. When we came to Manchuria last fall, we soon became busy in the work here, and have not had time to visit this other place; but I am planning to go there next month, and we hope to locate a Chinese evangelist there.
“At the general meeting held in Shanghai in May, the brethren recommended that two families be sent to Manchuria. Our hearts were therefore made glad when we heard that one family was ready to come this fall.
“Our work here is progressing very nicely, and a number have been waiting for baptism for some time; but we have held them back, as we wished to have a good foundation for our work in this place. Other urgent calls are coming to us from other parts of Manchuria, and we are expecting to visit these places soon. Since returning from the general meeting in Shanghai, we have been kept here on account of our land proposition. We are anxious to get this business finished before we leave.”
