Among the many beautiful word pictures that are painted for us in the Scriptures, there is perhaps none which surpasses that found in the twenty-first and a portion of the twenty-second chapters of the book of Revelation: the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven; the throne and tabernacle of God with men; every tear wiped away; death no more, neither mourning, nor crying, nor pain; the first things passed away, and all things become new. There is given a description of the New Jerusalem, with its gates of pearl, its streets of gold, its foundation of precious stones; the glory of God is the light over all, and the Lamb is the temple; the gates are open continually, and there is no night there; from the throne of God flows the river of water of life, and on either side of the river is the tree of life, yielding its twelve manner of fruits. Finally, as if it were the last stroke in the picture, are these words: “And there shall be no curse any more: and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be therein: and his servants shall serve him.”
This suggests the theme for the hour: The service of God, the highest aim of our lives here, and our joy hereafter.
If we should attempt to present what the Scriptures say concerning this question of service, it would require a presentation of the whole Scriptures; for, from first to last, this view is held before our mind,—service, service, service. We can touch upon only a few points that may be suggestive of others.
First, in that remarkable history which we find in the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt, this thought of service is repeated again and again. Note the message sent to Pharaoh: “Israel is my son, my first-born; . . . let my son go, that he may serve me.” And this deliverance from Egypt, which is typical of our personal bondage, is to teach us this lesson: God delivers us from bondage, not that we may bless ourselves, not that we may serve ourselves, but that we may serve him; and the word to him who holds us in10bondage, or who would do so, is the same word which was sent to Pharaoh, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.”
When Moses was rehearsing to the children of Israel their experiences, and giving to them final instruction, we find these very significant words:—
“And now, Israel, what doth Jehovah thy God require of thee, but to fear Jehovah thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve Jehovah thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, to keep the commandments of Jehovah, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good? Behold, unto Jehovah thy God belongeth heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth, with all that is therein. Only Jehovah had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all peoples, as at this day. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked. For Jehovah your God, he is God of gods, and Lord of lords, the great God, the mighty, and the terrible, who regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward. He doth execute justice for the fatherless and widow, and loveth the sojourner, in giving him food and raiment. Love ye therefore the sojourner; for ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt. Thou shalt fear Jehovah thy God; him shalt thou serve.”
As Joshua gave his farewell address, after completing his work as the leader of Israel in Moses’ place, he said:—
“Now therefore fear Jehovah, and serve him in sincerity and in truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the river, and in Egypt; and serve ye Jehovah. And if it seem evil unto you to serve Jehovah, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah.”
These words have come down to us for many generations, and have been oft-times repeated as a personal decision when one has decided to turn away from the service of evil to serve the true and living God: “As for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah.”
So also when David was speaking concerning the temple, and giving instruction to his son Solomon, we find him saying:—
“And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind; for Jehovah searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts. If thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off forever.”
And the Old Testament canon closes with a remarkable statement as to the difference between serving God and refusing to serve him. These are the words:—
“Your words have been stout against me, saith Jehovah. Yet ye say, What have we spoken against thee? Ye have said, It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept his charge, and that we have walked mournfully before Jehovah of hosts? and now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are built up; yea, they tempt God, and escape. Then they that feared Jehovah spake one with another; and Jehovah harkened, and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before him, for them that feared Jehovah, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith Jehovah of hosts, even mine own possession, in the day that I make; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.”
This is sufficient for a suggestion of the instruction which forms the warp and woof, as it were, of the Old Testament Scriptures,—deliverance from sin, not to bless ourselves, but that we may serve the living God. The example of this, that example to which we look for both instruction and power, is found in the life of Christ himself on earth. Those words spoken by the father of John the Baptist concerning Christ relate to this very theme:—
“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; for he hath visited and wrought redemption for his people, and hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David. As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets that have been from of old, salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; to show mercy toward our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; the oath which he sware unto Abraham our father, to grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies should serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. Yea and thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Most High: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to make ready his ways; to give knowledge of salvation unto his people in the remission of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dayspring from on high shall visit us.”
This was the purpose of the salvation promised to Abraham, this was the purpose of the revelation of the gospel, that we should be delivered, and that we might serve him in righteousness and holiness all our days. So the very purpose of sending Christ was to bring about this changed condition: That those who were in bondage, and unable to serve under a hard taskmaster, and who had been made to serve with rigor, might be delivered, and might serve without fear in righteousness and holiness.
This service is an exclusive service. There can be no partnership with any power of evil. This is clearly shown in the reply that Christ made to Satan in the time of temptation:—
“Again, the devil taketh him unto an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them.”
Only a small part of the kingdoms of the world, only a small part of the glory, can he show to us, yet that little glimpse oftimes makes us waver; but he showed Christ “all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them.”
“Again the devil taketh him unto an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and he said unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”
In the face of the severest temptation that can be brought to bear upon the Son of man, after that period of fasting, in that condition of physical weakness, his reply is our reply: “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” This, again, is the purpose of deliverance.
The work of Christ and the plan of salvation are set forth in many places in the Scriptures; for example:—
“For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling them that have been defiled, sanctify unto the cleanliness of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish unto God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
The gift of Christ, the sacrifice of Christ, the work of Christ, the ministry of Christ, the whole purpose, is that we may be able with clean hands and pure hearts in holiness and righteousness to serve the living God.
The experience of Christ, our example and helper for this work, is set forth in this scripture:—
“Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.”
“But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant.” Here we shall see more clearly as we proceed, that it was in harmony with the divine fitness of things that Jesus should take the form of a servant. He was to serve, he had been serving, he was to serve in another capacity; only that service, however, required a wonderful self-effacement, a wonderful sacrifice.
The message in his own words to his disciples sets forth in a very clear way the principles which underlie this whole question:—
“And there arose also a contention among them, which of them was accounted to be greatest. And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles have lordship over them; and they that have authority over them are called benefactors.11But ye shall not be so: but he that is the greater among you, let him become as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For which is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am in the midst of you as he that serveth.”
Wonderful words! The Lord of glory, the express image of the Father, taking the form of a servant, made in the likeness of men, humbling himself even as a man, being obedient even unto the death of the cross, speaking of himself, says, “I am among you as he that serveth.” Certainly if any words or example could dignify service, service rendered unto God, this example, these words, ought to do it. Again referring to his experience under these circumstances, he says:—
“Not so shall it be among you: but whosoever would become great among you shall be your minister; and whosoever would be first among you shall be your servant: even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
We are accustomed to judge all these things differently. He who can command a large retinue of servants to serve him, is counted great. Of him in whose train follow many ready to do anything at his beck or nod, we say, Behold the greatness of this man! This lesson is contrary to the world’s way and to the world’s policies; yet it is even a lesson to us, that we may understand the nature of true service, that we may render it heartily as unto God, and not to man. These words have been written concerning this very thought:—
If we live to ourselves, and for ourselves only, our life must necessarily be a small and poor life, since it is limited by our circumstances, our situation, and our powers. But if we forget ourselves, and open our doors of work, thought, and sympathy into the great overflowing life of the whole world, we step into so large and full an existence that we can never exhaust nor tire of it. “No man is happy until his first object is outside of himself.”
He who looks only within to find joy and happiness, finds misery multiplied, and the more he looks, the worse he grows. In the very nature of things we have been so created.
No man can be unhappy who throws himself, self-forgetfully, into any effort to share in and better the world’s wide life.
These are words worth remembering and principles worth applying. It is not always easy, I grant you, to do this; but in our very nature, it is where we find our truest happiness, and our best and most useful service. Here are other words worth reading:—
Our Saviour’s joy was in the uplifting and redemption of fallen men. For this he counted not his life dear unto himself, but endured the cross, despising the shame. So angels are ever engaged in working for the happiness of others. This is their joy. That which selfish hearts would regard as humiliating service,—ministering to those who are wretched, and in every way inferior in character and rank,—is the work of the sinless angels.
This may be worth remembering and emphasizing in view of the thought that may sometimes come to our minds: Why should we go to far-off, distant fields, to the interior of China, for example, far away from the forms of civilization; or to India, to spend our lives, after a careful preparation for good service in ministering, for those who appeal to us as being on a lower plane, where life seems a wretched condition, an unutterable wo? Why should we place ourselves in such surroundings as these? Measure, if you can, the distance between the glory of heaven and the wickedness of this world, and compare that with the distance between our spiritual rank and theirs. Think you there is as great a gap between our plane of thinking and working and living and that of the lost for whom we may be called to labor, as there was between the plane of living and thinking of him who had the glory of the Father before the world was, and a lost world?
The Saviour’s life on earth was not a life of ease and devotion to himself, but he toiled with persistent, earnest, untiring effort for the salvation of lost mankind. From the manger to Calvary he followed the path of self-denial, and sought not to be released from arduous tasks, painful travels, and exhausting care and labor. He said, “The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” This was the one great object of his life. Everything else was secondary and subservient. It was his meat and drink to do the will of God and to finish his work.
So those who are partakers of the grace of Christ will be ready to make any sacrifice that others for whom he died may share the heavenly gift. They will do all they can to make the world better for their stay in it. This spirit is the sure outgrowth of a soul truly converted. No sooner does one come to Christ, than there is born in his heart a desire to make known to others what a precious friend he has found in Jesus; the saving and sanctifying truth can not be shut up in his heart. If we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ, and are filled with the joy of his indwelling Spirit, we shall not be able to hold our peace. If we have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, we shall have something to tell. Like Philip, when he found the Saviour, we shall invite others into his presence. We shall seek to present to them the attractions of Christ, and the unseen realities of the world to come. There will be an intensity of desire to follow in the path that Jesus trod. There will be an earnest longing that those around us may behold “the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.”
And the effort to bless others will react in blessings upon ourselves. This was the purpose of God in giving us a part to act in the plan of redemption. He has granted men the privilege of becoming partakers of the divine nature, and, in their turn, of diffusing blessings to their fellow men. This is the highest honor, the greatest joy, that it is possible for God to bestow upon men. Those who thus become participants in his labors of love, are brought nearest to their Creator.
While we seek to get nearer to our fellow men, let us get nearer to them by serving them.
This is a sufficient foundation upon which we may rest certain statements concerning this service to God. First, let us notice that this service rests upon the right of ownership:—
“Know ye that Jehovah, he is God: it is he that hath made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”
This same thought is brought out in these words in speaking of those who should be looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:—
“Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession, zealous of good works.”
Perhaps no one whose record has come to us through the Scripture, illustrates this truth more clearly than did the apostle Paul after his conversion. It was the whole thought of his life to give himself in service. He recognized that God had a right to that service, and he acknowledged that right. In that time of peril when the ship was likely to be lost, he said:—
“There stood by me this night an angel of God whose I am, whom also I serve.”
And his whole life was a development of that principle. Every power of his being he recognized as belonging to God, and he devoted it to the service of God. That is true Christian ownership, divine rightful ownership. By creation, by redemption we are his. “Ye are not your own: for ye were bought with a price.”
(Concluded next week)
A Korean Believer Shares the Gospel
By Mimi Scharffenberg
SISTER MIMI SCHARFFENBERG writes from Korea:— To-day I received a letter from a new believer, a man I have never heard of before, saying that he had just come into the truth. He saw our paper, which he liked very much; and as he wanted to have a part in giving the last gospel message to the world, he asked us to send him 150 copies of the January special within ten days if possible. We could not fill his order for this special, and I had to ask him to take our summer special, which came out in July. The summer being a hard time for our people to sell papers, we planned to get out only a small edition; but to our surprise, orders have kept coming in, until at present we have orders for 11,680 copies of this number.
The Coming of the Master
By L. D. Santé
L. D. SANTÉ.
I LONG for the Saviour’s appearing,
I watch, and I wait, and I pray;
The signs tell the advent is nearing,
And my hopes are as roses in May.
My faith reaches up from the mortal,
Far swifter than eagles can fly,
And I catch the white gleam of the portal
That shineth in heaven’s fair sky.
There the saints, clad in heavenly splendor,
Cast their crowns at the Saviour’s dear feet,
With a love that is holy and tender,
A rest that is endless and sweet;
And they thrill with unspeakable gladness,
Where the glory of God covers all,
Where is never a shadow of sadness,
And tears o’er the cheeks never fall,
And never is sickness or crying,
And never a heartache or pain;
No partings are there, and no dying,
No mourning o’er hopes that are vain;
But fashioned in wonderful brightness,
They shall rise to the Eden above,
Where the bosom for ay keeps its lightness,
And the songs are evangels of love.
I wander through life as a stranger,
I have grieved o’er earth’s sin and its scorn,
I have toiled on the mountains of danger,
In hope of a soon-coming morn.
But those that in heaven would have freedom,
Must water the seed with their tears;
O, every soul hath its “Edom.”
Before the fair Canaan appears!
Moline, Ill.
Itinerating in the Southeast China Mission
By W. C. Hankins
W. C. HANKINS
ONE morning not long ago the writer arrived in Swatow, and made arrangements with Brother Hung to start at once for the interior, to visit the little companies of Sabbath-keepers who live from fifty to seventy miles inland from Swatow. We took the launch to Kit-yang, arriving there about four o’clock in the afternoon. It was raining, and the little footpaths that serve as roads in that vicinity were in such a state of slippery, sticky muddiness that we thought it wise to hire a Chinese “Pullman sleeper.” This consisted of a flat-bottomed boat about thirty feet long and six feet wide in the middle, with a good bamboo cover over about two thirds of it, and with two men to row or pole it.
We finally agreed with the owner of a nice, clean boat to take us wherever we wished to go for about four cents a mile,—two cents a mile apiece. This is as cheap as traveling by train in America, with no extra charges for baggage or sleeping accommodations. There was a dining-car attachment to our “Pullman,” but we had to furnish our own food, and cook it ourselves; so the first thing we did after hiring the boat was to go into the town and buy a supply of provisions and charcoal. Kit-yang does not have any wells, so we were obliged to cook our food in the river water. As long as we have been in China, we have never really become accustomed to using river water for cooking purposes; but sometimes one must do as the Chinaman does. At such times it is best to forget all about germs, else the desire for food might be taken away. We had a small quantity of good well water with us for drinking purposes. This we carefully hoarded, to make it last throughout the trip; for—such is the inconsistency of human nature—even if we did have to eat the river water, we didn’t wish to drink it.
Having arranged our beds to our satisfaction, we proceeded to cook and eat our supper,—we had had no dinner,—and as soon as dark we retired. Indeed, that was the only sensible thing to do; for if we had stayed outside our nets, the mosquitoes would have made it very unpleasant for us. It rained that night, and more or less every day we were out on that trip; but our cover was waterproof, and the rain kept the weather delightfully cool.
Our first stop was at a little village called Kho-khoe. We readily found our brethren, and were shown the place where they meet on the Sabbath. Their meeting-room was about seven by nine feet, and was lighted by whatever light could come in through the open door and a little hole in the wall near the roof. There is nothing I ever saw in the United States to which I can compare this room, to give you an idea of what it is like. It is too small for a cow-stable, and, besides, no humane man would keep his cow in such a poorly ventilated place. The best comparison I can think of is a chicken-coop, and even then I am afraid some of my readers will not be able to realize what it is like; for many chicken-houses in America are more commodious and better ventilated than is this room. We immediately asked if there was not some place that could be rented, but were told that there was none. Between ten and twenty true-hearted Sabbath-keepers meet in that little room to worship God and study his Word.
From Kho-khoe we went to Kau-to, a village just across the river from the former place. Here we found the meeting-place a shade better, as it was a little larger, but it, too, was dark and poorly ventilated. These two companies generally meet together, meeting one Sabbath at one place and the next at the other. I know it would have done you good to see their shining faces, and hear their plans for spreading the knowledge of the truth in that vicinity. There are no other missions working in these two places, so there is a good opportunity for us to do some pioneer work among the heathen. The Chinese there seem to respect our brethren, and to be willing to listen to the gospel. While we were there, one of the men offered to give a piece of land, and some of the brethren offered to help both in money and in work if we would put up a little chapel. They thought that if the mission would furnish about one hundred dollars gold, they could do the rest. I could not promise them anything at that time; but it seems a great pity not to have a suitable meeting-place for these two companies. Is there not some one in the home land who would consider it a privilege to give that hundred dollars for the chapel at Kau-to? Any one desiring to do this should send the money through the regular channels, and label it, “For the Kau-to chapel, Swatow, China.”
From Kau-to we went to Li-o, where one of our workers is living. We found that he was out on a preaching tour, so, after visiting with his family and a few others in that village, we started back down the river. By traveling most of the night we reached a fork of the river within about three miles of Kit-yang, and the next morning started up another branch to a place called Soa-o, where we visited the family of the man who went from there to help in the work at Singapore. We found all the family well and actively working for their neighbors, friends, and relatives. As it was evening, we held a preaching service with them, and between twenty and thirty came to listen.
From Soa-o we went to Chiu-iu-lo, where we spent the Sabbath. It rained hard that morning, so all the brethren in that region did not get in to the services, but there were from fifteen to twenty present, and they gave careful attention as we explained the Word of God. One of our workers lives here, and he seems to be doing efficient work. The room set apart for meeting purposes at this place was much better than in any of the other places, as it was much larger, and could be made quite light and airy by opening two windows in one end of the room.
From Chiu-iu-lo we returned to Kit-yang, having visited five companies and traveled about one hundred miles in our little boat. It took us longer to travel that hundred miles than it would to go directly from Chicago to San Francisco, but we were very comfortable, and accomplished the work that we started out to do, so we did not feel inclined to grumble because it took so long.
I wish that I could describe to you13all that I saw on this trip,—the beautiful scenery along the banks of the river, the bamboo groves, the fields of green rice, and the mountains; the large amount of traffic carried on by means of the flat-bottomed boats; the millions of people waiting for the gospel; the eager faces of those who have received it; the open doors reported by the workers; the countless opportunities for work. All this and more I wish you could have seen, and then that you would remember that we have not one foreign worker living in that whole region, because the Mission Board has not enough money in the treasury to warrant sending out another worker.
God has greatly blessed the work in this place; but will he hold us guiltless if we fail to press into a field where the doors are thrown so widely open, and where there is such a loud call for help? Who will supply the money with which to answer this call? May God help us as a people to be awake to our opportunities; and when he opens the way, let us press forward and do the work that needs to be done.
Kulangsu, Amoy.
A Glimpse of Native Life in Java
By H. E. SHARP
H. E. SHARP
As the climate of Java does not call for warm garments, the natives do not wear much clothing. The sarong, a strip of muslin painted in various designs and colors, is generally used. This is fastened around the waist, and reaches almost to the feet. Above this is worn a light coat, or jacket. There is not much difference between the dress of the man and that of the woman, except that instead of the sarong the men sometimes wear trousers of the same material, and a light coat, cut after the European style.
The women do not often wear hats, but the men generally wear them. Their hats are cone or basin-shaped, made of palm leaves, painted black, white, red, blue, green, or yellow. Some have special hats for wet weather, which measure from three to four feet in diameter, and effectually shelter the person beneath from the rain.
These people can live on very little—about four cents being enough to buy necessary food for one day. A servant girl works one month for $1.40, and a man can be hired for from twelve to twenty cents a day, according to the work he must do. There are government schools for the natives; and those who have had a little education, and become fitted for office work, are able to earn much more. A great many are employed in government offices. The police force is also composed of natives.
A visit to the morning market is an interesting sight. This consists of several rows of long, low sheds without walls, being simply bamboo floors, with red tile roofs. These sheds form a shelter for numerous little stalls, and here one may obtain almost all of the native products. There are fruit stalls, where the native women sit amid the many kinds of tropical fruits that they have for sale. Fine large bananas cost only four or five cents a dozen, and other fruits are equally cheap, with the exception of apples, which are imported from Australia. At another place there is a man selling bean sprouts, and next to him another is offering cakes of moldy peanuts.
Farther on there are vegetable stalls, where one may purchase, for six cents, sufficient vegetables for a large family dinner. Just opposite, the women are selling meat. Since little of the animal is thrown away, there is to be seen lying around the saleswoman almost any part of the animal; a bullock’s head, heart, lungs, stomach, etc., will always find a ready sale in Java.
At the fish-market one sees many gold-fish and silverfish lying in pools of water, waiting for their price to be paid, when they will be taken out, hung on a string, and taken home to be cooked. If one is able to make his way through the stench to another corner, he will find many kinds of dried fish for sale. Thousands of small fish are packed into large boxes just as they are taken from the water, mixed with some material which is a very poor preservative, and shipped to Java. The natives eat a great deal of such fish, but the European views the fact in amazement.
Another phase of native life is the professional beggar. There are many thousands of these throughout Java, every town and village having a full supply. Some are blind, some are crippled, and others diseased, having great sores all over the body, and causing one to shudder at the sight.
These beggars have various methods of traveling. The blind are led by small boys, the lame hobble about with sticks, some crawl, and others move on their feet and hands. One has a small cart made from a box, with wooden axles, and wheels cut from a board, which are hardly in the shape of a circle. A little boy draws this wagon, while the passenger helps a little in propelling it by pushing with a stick. The usual method of begging is to squat down, take off the hat, and say, 'Tabek toean,' which means, 'Good day, sir.'
Some of these beggars are really helpless, and deserving of pity, but a great many are able to work. In Java, as in other countries, there are unprincipled men who do not scruple to get money by unfair means. Some of these hire beggars who are unable to look after themselves, and give them a little food and clothing, in return for which they must go out and beg, the money going to the master. It is said that many men get rich in this way. Another sad story is that many of these beggars are taken when babies, and purposely crippled by persons who hope later to use them for obtaining riches.
You know how the Saviour worked for the people while on earth, how he toiled to give the message of salvation to men, and how he commissioned those who believe on him to do the same works that he did, adding, 'And greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.' Do you not wish to have a part in this work? and do you not think that these people of Java are in need of such help? If you do, the time to begin is now, and the way to help is with your prayers, your means, and your time. Who knows but that the little you give, or the time you spend, or the prayer you offer in behalf of these people, may bring eternal peace and happiness to some one of Java’s millions?
Japan
By Mr. H. F. Benson; Mrs. H. F. Benson; Mr. Y. Seino; Mrs. Y. Seino
We began work in the province of Iyo on the island of Shikoku (the smallest of the four larger islands of the empire) in May of this year. Owing to several hindrances, we were not able to get our tent-meetings started as soon as we had hoped, and were compelled to close quite early on account of the rainy season, which began about the first of June. But during the short time we had for our meetings, we found a large number who were anxious to hear the truth; at present we are studying with these interested ones. We shall pitch the tent again about the first of August.
This is the first permanent work that has been done on this island, the inhabitants of which have always been rather favorable to Christianity. This province, which comprises about one fourth of the island, has an area of about two thousand square miles and a population of more than a million. There are14no large cities, only about seventy-five thousand of the entire population living in cities of more than ten thousand; most of the people live in small villages of from five hundred to a thousand inhabitants. To reach these people will be very difficult, owing to the large area to be covered; but as we are responsible only for the work that presents itself each day, our great desire is to do well the task that is at present committed to us.
We earnestly plead for your support, expressed in prayers, lives, and means, for the success of the work in Japan.
Mr. and Mrs. H. F. Benson,
Mr. and Mrs. Y. Seino.
He Goes Before You
By Annie L. Flint
He goes before you, O my heart!
Fear not to follow where he leads;
He knows the strength each task demands,
He knows the grace each trial needs.
He's just a little farther on;
Along the dark and lonely way
His bleeding footprints you may trace,—
He goes before you all the day.
He goes before you, O my heart!
Through deepest depth, o'er highest height,
He knows where lurks the ambushed foe,
And what the battles you must fight;
He sees the pitfalls you will meet,
The place where you will faint or fall,
The weariness, the pain, the tears,—
He goes before, he knows it all.
He goes before you, O my heart!
He does not ask that you shall bear
A single pang he has not borne,
A single grief he does not share;
He beckons on through toil and wo,
Through storm or calm or tempest blast,
And you shall see him, as he said,
For he shall lead you home at last.
He goes before you, O my heart!
Still follow on through gain or loss,
And, for the joy that's set before,
Despise the shame, endure the cross.
The path your faltering steps must take
Is one his nail-pierced feet have trod;
Through garden, mount, and riven tomb
He goes before you up to God.
—Annie L. Flint.
Out in the Fields With God
By Elizabeth Barrett Browning
THE little cares that fretted me—
I lost them yesterday
Among the fields above the sea;
Among the winds at play,
Among the lowing of the herds,
The rustling of the trees,
Among the singing of the birds,
The humming of the bees.
The foolish fears of what may hap—
I cast them all away
Among the clover-scented grass,
Among the new-mown hay,
Among the husking of the corn
Where drowsy poppies nod,
Where ill thoughts die, and good are born,—
Out in the fields with God.
— Elizabeth Barrett Browning.