Earlier text: How to Meet Emergencies“Thoughts on the Sabbath.”—This was the title of the first article contributed to the REVIEW by Elder J. N. Andrews. Later he wrote his “History of the Sabbath,” which has passed through many editions. But in this first brief article (in the second number of the REVIEW, December, 1850) the whole case for the Sabbath of Jehovah is established in a few paragraphs. While this pioneer in our cause lies sleeping in Jesus across the sea, in Switzerland, by the life-long witness of faith that he bore he “yet speaketh.” We quote from this first article:— Those who observe the Sabbath of the Bible, may plead as their foundation, a divine institution. “God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it.” In this consists the Sabbatic institution itself. As God has never taken this blessing from the seventh day, the original institution still exists. As God has never sanctified another day of the week, much less enjoined another day as a weekly Sabbath, it is the only Sabbatic institution. Jehovah was the first who rested on the seventh day. His example was followed by the Son of God, and by the church universal, so far as the record of inspiration extends. How absurd to believe that the great Creator observed a “carnal ordinance”! As the seventh day was here sanctified by God, its observance is henceforward a moral duty. But like the other precepts of the decalogue, it was not at first expressly enjoined in the written Word. When God enjoined the Sabbath on Israel (Exodus 16), he pointed out the true seventh day by a threefold weekly miracle, which continued for the space of forty years. Thenceforward the history of the Sabbath is given in the records of inspiration, so that a knowledge of the true seventh day has been preserved to the church. When the law was given by the voice of the Almighty, we find the observance of the Sabbath enforced by the fourth commandment. The reason for its observance, as well as the date of its sanctification, is also clearly given. The Lord made heaven and earth in six days and rested the seventh, “wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.” The Sabbath then is a standing memorial of God’s act of creation. By its observance men would have kept in memory the knowledge of the true God. . . . The most precious blessings are promised to those who keep God’s Sabbath. See Isaiah 56 and 58. And it is worthy of note that this prophecy pertains to a period when God’s salvation is near to be revealed. The blessing is promised to “the son of the stranger” (the Gentile) as well as to Israel. Avoid Extremes
By F. M. W.; W. A. S.
This is an age of extremes. Almost everything, to some degree, is diverted from its natural channel or normal condition. We see extremists in the political and religious worlds, in social life, and in the field of finance. It behooves those engaged in this movement to exercise sound judgment. Wild, erratic moves, extreme positions, and unsound reasoning have always been fraught with danger to the church of God. They are especially dangerous in this age, and those who are engaged in giving to the world a great message of reform need to be particularly guarded. Continually they have to combat evil at every turn. In bringing men to the realization of the importance of truth it is necessary to take decided stands and strong, unwavering positions; but in doing this, great care should be used to avoid extremes and to exercise moderate, well-tempered judgment. Truth is of God, but extreme teaching with reference to truth he does not inspire. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” Extreme positions are usually taken by those who fail to recognize the great underlying principles of truth. Having a zeal without knowledge, they take some little detail, and without reference to its relationship to correlated parts, or to its setting in the great chain of truth, press that to the exclusion of all else. Years ago the writer knew an excellent sister who illustrated this principle. She felt that a brother belonging to the same church was a terrible sinner because he drank tea and coffee, something certainly which he should not have done, while she at the same time was eating that which was probably far more injurious to her in her dyspeptic condition, making fried doughnuts her principal article of diet. This good sister had obtained a knowledge of one little detail of healthful living, but failed to understand its great underlying principles. She did not see that she was violating the principles of health reform in her experience, perhaps to a far greater extent than was the brother whom she criticized. The experience of a brother of years ago is recalled. He criticized another member of the church very severely for running in debt, an unfortunate practise truly, and one to be avoided as far as possible, glorying in the fact that he did not owe a dollar to a single soul, but failed very sensibly to appreciate the wrong influence of his course in driving sharp bargains with his neighbors, and even taking advantage of his brethren in business deals. We see the same spirit of extremism manifested in religious teaching. One man will see, or think he sees, some great truth upon some point of doctrine, and criticize severely all of his brethren because they do not accept it with the same enthusiasm, while other vital and perhaps more important truths are either entirely ignored in his teaching or violated in his practise. There is much in “keeping in the middle of the road” in our religious faith and principles. There are certain great fundamental truths upon which we may rest all of our weight, and teach with emphasis. The perpetuity of God's unchangeable law, including the sanctity of his holy Sabbath; the free and glorious salvation through the worth and merit of our only Saviour, the Lord Jesus; the nature and12 destiny of the human family; the ministry of our great High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary; the nearness of Christ's second coming; the perpetuity of spiritual gifts in the church; the proper support of the gospel ministry; the doctrine of Bible temperance and healthful living, together with the great prophecies relating to past history or to events now fulfilling in the world,—these are some of the great fundamentals upon which we may safely build. They form a foundation both sure and steadfast. These great truths we may preach with confidence and assurance, each in its proper setting, each with due consideration for its relationship to every other part. But while we proclaim these excellent principles with assurance and steadfastness, let us do so without dogmatism or Pharisaical pride. While we should count these among the fundamentals, and reject as error everything which stands opposed to their teachings, at the same time, let us not consider for a moment that the avenue of revealed truth is forever closed. God will reveal no truth in coming days that will unsettle the great fundamental truths of the past and present, but he will take our limited vision, and so clarify our sight and enlarge our horizon, that we shall be thrilled again and again, as we see new beauty and power and volume in these old truths which we have believed so many years. So while we maintain in its integrity the faith once delivered to the saints, let us keep our hearts open to the whisperings of the Spirit, and our eyes directed heavenward, that we may behold and comprehend the unfolding glory of God's great truth as he in his own time and way shall reveal it to us. The revelation may come in unexpected manner and from sources not of our choosing. God will select the instrument. As never before in the world's history or in our own experience, we need to pray for sound minds, for unbiased judgments, for good sense, and for the spirit of loving charity. We need to pray that in this time of stress and storm, God will keep our nerves calm and steady, our hearts loyal to the right, our faith in his word of truth unwavering, our love for our fellows true and generous. God leads as in Israel of old. We can see the movings of his providence on every side. In the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night he is going before his people. May we not look back to Egyptian darkness, or be found with the mixed multitude in the rear of the march, but with our eyes fixed upon the Captain of our salvation, may we press forward to the blessed triumph which awaits us in the near future. A First Face-to-Face View
By Brother E. F. Forga, of Peru, now in England, we are permitted to print a paragraph from a letter he has received from Sister Daisy Bacon, who recently went from London to southern Peru, to engage in teaching in a private family. Writing on board the boat, after having touched at various points from Panama downward, and having visited our workers in Lima while the boat was in the port of Callao, Miss Bacon says:— Callao and Lima are much nicer than the other places we have visited since we left New York, and yet there seems to be something terribly wrong with all the places. . . . I believe that God has a special blessing for those who give their lives for the mission work in these lands. He knows the sacrifice it must be for men to leave their homes as our ministers have done, and live in such benighted places. We speak of difficulties—they are mere nothings, compared to the difficulties in these places. I feel as I never felt before in my life that we must give ourselves entirely to this great work of saving souls. I can understand a little now of the earnestness with which our missionaries make their appeals. I am certain our people at home are asleep to the responsibility which God has placed upon us, and I can see now more than ever before, that I have never understood the situation. Hot, blinding sun, sand-storms, diseases, mosquitoes, bad water, ignorance, and immorality, and Catholicism abound in these countries. One can hardly believe that such things exist in this age of the world's history. I have not seen anything compared to what others have seen, and yet I have seen enough to convince me of the truth of all that I have heard. This paragraph was not written for publication, but we know our sister will not censure us for passing on the description of her first face-to-face view of conditions and needs in one portion of the mission fields. Miss Bacon has known the message from childhood, and has all along been stirred with the calls from the mission fields. Our workers try to tell of the needs, of the spiritual desolations, of the few laborers, and the millions in darkness. We try to understand them. But it is the face-to-face view that tells us how little can be told in words. Thank God, the cause is growing and spreading in these lands! Our workers do not count it a great sacrifice to live and work where needs are greatest, if only they can have the blessing of health and strength with which to work. Remember these needy fields, brethren and sisters, every week in prayers and gifts. The enlarging work calls for ever-increasing missionary funds. Many extra thousands must come in this year. Pray to God for it. The hope of this advent movement is in obeying the heavenly vision—a message flying as by an angel in the midst of heaven, to every nation and tongue and people. THOSE who are placing our publications in the homes of the people are fostering Bible study; for these publications challenge the reader at every page to go to the fountainhead of truth, the Word of God. But it must be that in many a home there is no Bible. At the recent annual meeting in Virginia, Brother V. O. Punches, who has charge of our book work in that conference, told us of a conversation with one intelligent and educated lady. “What church do you belong to?” he asked. “I belong to that big church on the hill,” she replied; “the fashionable church; where they don’t have any religion.” She had been a Sunday-school teacher, but had never studied the Bible, and had not a copy in the house. Now she is reading our literature, and we hope the Word of God also. The experience suggests the need of watchful care to get the Bible itself into every home. This is made an important feature by our workers in Catholic and non-Christian lands. There is no book like “the Book.” It is the best of all publications to sell. It is the same blessed treasure, beyond all price for value, that it was when Waldensian merchant missionaries carried concealed portions of it in manuscript, watching for a chance to place the words of life in the hands of the people. W. A. S. A CORRESPONDENT of the New York Christian Work, having asked what Paul meant when he said, “We shall judge angels,” received the reply:— Prof. Marcus Dods, in his “Commentary on First Corinthians,” says Paul means just what he says: “The saints are destined to judge the world, to judge angels; that is to say, to judge persons in separation from earthly interests, to judge unclothed detached spirits.” My personal opinion is that you know what St. Paul meant just about as well as anybody else ever did, except himself. No commentator whom I have consulted knows anything further than what St. Paul simply says: “We shall judge angels.” The comments hardly leave it as Paul says it. How simple is the apostle’s statement in the light of the fact that the saints take part with Christ in judgment during the thousand years, at the end of which both evil men and evil angels, including Satan, are destroyed in the lake of fire. Revelation 20. Demonstrated Value of Prohibition
It is often argued by the opponents of prohibition that in those States and communities where it has been tried, it has proved valueless, that the people have come to regard it as a yoke of bondage rather than an aid to better citizenship. Such has not been the experience of Kansas, according to the Hon. Mr. Cobern, secretary of agriculture in that State. In a recent address in Chicago he very plainly showed the excellent results attending prohibitory enactment in the Sunflower State. As given by Mr. Cobern the following are some of the benefits for which Kansas may be thankful to prohibition:— Prohibition was never before so popular in Kansas as now, after a thirty years' trial. Its effects upon all phases of society's welfare have been helpfully wholesome, and the aforetime noisy threats of resubmission are no longer heard, even in whispers. Something of its beneficial influence upon society may be discerned in the official statistics, disclosing that at the end of the last fiscal year twenty-eight county poor-farms were without tenants; eighty-seven had no insane inmates, and fifty-four had no feeble-minded inmates. Twenty-one counties had no convicts in the penitentiary, thirty-six had no prisoners in the reformatory, fifty-two had no prisoners serving sentence in their county jails, and sixteen counties were without a prisoner serving sentence in any institution. Statistics show further that Kansas, with practically a fifth of New York's population, has less than one tenth the number of insane, and that Cook County, Illinois, furnishes more insane to the State hospitals and the institution at Dunning than the total population of all the Kansas charitable, correctional, and penal institutions combined. Fifth Session of the Southwestern Union Conference
By Arthur G. Daniells
The Southwestern Union Conference was organized in 1901. The constituency of this union conference is Arkansas, Oklahoma, Indian Territory, New Mexico, and Texas, containing a population of about seven millions. The fifth session of this conference was held at Keene, Tex., February 2-9. There were forty-seven delegates in attendance, representing all parts of the union conference, and all phases of the work being carried forward. The presence of a large number of visitors from different parts of the field bore witness to the growing interest of our people in the biennial sessions of the union conferences. The faculty of Keene Academy arranged the program of the school so that the students could attend the most important meetings. The presence of a large number of students who manifested a deep interest in the proceedings added very materially to the interest and value of the conference. The proceedings of the conference consisted of the presentation of reports by the officers of conferences and departments, the discussion and adoption of resolutions outlining the plans to be followed during the next biennial term, Bible studies, and the election of officers. In most respects, all the reports were very encouraging. During the biennial period just closed, two new conferences were organized. These were New Mexico and West Texas. The tithes paid during the last term amounted to $102,169, an increase of $25,282 over the preceding term. The annual tithe of this union conference has increased from $20,439 in 1902 to $55,530 in 1909. There has been a corresponding gain in the offerings for both the home and the foreign work. The publishing department presented a very encouraging report. The sale of literature for 1908-09 was $75,139, a gain of $29,722 over 1906-07. Keene Academy is the only conference institution in the Southwestern Union Conference. The academy has resources amounting to $45,000, and is free from debt, except the current accounts which it carries in its working operations. At the time of the conference there were 175 students in the academic department, and 140 in the preparatory grades, making a total attendance of 315. Three industries are being operated by the academy at the present time. These are the broom, tent, and food factories. The broom factory gives employment to about twenty-five young men, who are thus enabled to almost wholly pay their way through school. This department has worked up a large, profitable trade. With its present capacity and equipment, the factory can not fill the orders offered to it. The tent factory is small, but it turns out a good grade of work. It supplies the conferences in the union conference with the most of their tent outfits. The food factory is just being started. In addition to giving students an opportunity to work their way through school, these industries make it possible for many to learn useful trades which will enable them to render the cause and their fellow men helpful service when they shall have left school to devote their lives to the work of the Lord. From these items culled from the reports of the various departments, it will be seen that in many respects the outlook in the Southwestern Union Conference is very encouraging. It is to be regretted that the reports do not show a larger increase in membership and the development of a stronger and more efficient ministry. These are most important considerations, to which all the union conferences in the United States should give earnest, prayerful consideration. While we have reason to rejoice that our people are paying a larger tithe, making larger offerings to missions, and are more freely consecrating their young people to home and foreign work than ever before in the history of our cause, yet we can not be satisfied without seeing our fellow men being led to take their stand for the truth. We need greater efficiency and power in our work, and for these we should all earnestly pray. The delegates were disposed to adopt broad, progressive plans for the future. The southern part of the Texas Conference was cut off from that conference and made a mission field, with the expectation of organizing it into a conference in another year or two. The presidents of local conferences cheerfully accepted their share of responsibilities of the general work. They are making earnest efforts to raise the contributions for foreign missions to an amount equal to ten cents a week for each church-member. They pledged their best endeavors to raise their share of the $300,000 Fund, and to press the "Ministry of Healing" campaign to a successful issue. The conditions in the Southwestern Union Conference all appear favorable for the rapid growth of the work. There are no really serious difficulties in the way. Now is the time to press the battle. But little change was made in the official staff of the conference. Elder G. F. Watson was elected president of the union conference. This places upon Brother Watson new responsibilities, for which he will need added wisdom and strength, and both are freely offered by the Master. Western Canadian Union Conference
By George A. Irwin
This conference was held at Lacombe, March 4-16. Owing to landslides and washouts, some of the delegates and visiting brethren from abroad were late in arriving; but the meeting began on time. A carefully prepared and well-arranged program had been sent out some time prior to the beginning of the meeting, so that each one who was to take part knew from the very first what he was expected to do. This added materially not only to the interests of the meeting, but to its practical utility. The three conferences and one mission field composing the union were each represented with a full corps of delegates. Besides these, there were several brethren present who were not delegates, making, in all, over forty persons in attendance, not to mention the brethren who live in and about Lacombe. The president's report was an interesting document. It reviewed the work in the field prior to the organization of the union conference in October, 1907, and carried the work along from that time until the beginning of this first biennial term. At the time of the organization of the union an appropriation of $7,500 from the General Conference was considered necessary in order to carry on their work. In 1909 the appropriation was reduced to $6,000, and for 1910 they14 asked for only $2,500. If the work is attended with the same degree of prosperity as heretofore, it is the opinion of the president, Elder H. S. Shaw, that when this latter appropriation is exhausted, the conference will then be self-supporting. It was further stated in the president's report, that while the union had received $6,000 on appropriation from the General Conference for 1909, it had returned to the General Conference, in the form of donations, more than that amount. This Western Canadian Union Conference is certainly an interesting one when viewed from the standpoint of the third angel's message, inasmuch as it contains in its population representatives of almost every nationality. The country is rapidly filling up with a thrifty, industrious class of people. Railroads are being built to open up the territory that has hitherto been unentered, or inaccessible, because of its great distance from the lines of travel. Farming and stock-raising are the principal industries, although mining, lumbering, fruit raising, and other industries are carried forward. The brethren in this field early appreciated the advantages of education; so that even before the territory was organized into a union conference, each of the three local conferences had started and was maintaining an intermediate school. The school in Alberta is the most prosperous at the present time. This school was moved the past year from Leduc to Lacombe, where a good-sized school building has been erected on land owned conjointly by the school and sanitarium. The school has an enrolment at present of eighty. The school in the Manitoba Conference was not opened the past year, owing to a misunderstanding between the management and the one they had employed to conduct the school. There has been some talk of Manitoba and Saskatchewan uniting and establishing a school for the two provinces. If this is carried out, the Manitoba school property will be sold later. The attendance at the British Columbia school has not been so large as upon former occasions; but the brethren having charge of the work there are hopeful that in the near future there will be a good attendance. At present no sanitarium work is being carried forward in the union. For three or four years Brother Frank Hommel, with a corps of workers, operated treatment-rooms in a rented building in the city of Edmonton, the capital of Alberta. He built up quite a reputation and practise. The building, however, was finally sold to the Young Men's Christian Association, and this threw them out of a place. Anticipating this, land had been purchased at Lacombe for a sanitarium in connection with the school. Since the closing of the health work in Edmonton, Brother Hommel has been devoting his time to the sale of 'Ministry of Healing,' and the raising of means to erect a new building at Lacombe. Work on this building will be begun as soon as spring fairly opens. So it is expected that before another winter comes, both the school and sanitarium work will be in full operation in the beautiful valley in which the growing town of Lacombe is located. A gain of one hundred forty-seven in the membership of the union conference was reported. The total sale of books and literature during the biennial period amounted to $35,478.32, being an average sale per capita of $19.76. Eleven and three-fourths cents per capita was reported on the ten-cent-a-week plan for the two years, the average for 1909 being fifteen and three-fourths cents. The total amount paid by the conference during the two years in tithes amounted to $35,153.95; the total offerings amounted to $11,441.83, making a grand total in tithes and offerings of $46,595.78. The tithe per capita for 1908 was $19.30, and for 1909, $24.50. This shows a healthy increase in the payment of tithes. The probabilities are that at the coming camp-meeting to be held, the Saskatchewan mission field will be organized into a conference, as it is reported as being self-supporting. If this is done, then the union will consist simply of four organized local conferences. The religious liberty paper, the Dominion Sentinel, has been a great help to the work in the Canadian field, and is already receiving attention at the hands of the Sunday law advocates, inasmuch as they are beginning to realize that it is a potent factor in opposing their plans. It was also voted to start a union conference paper as a medium of communication between the union conference office and the States, and a medium also by which the presidents can keep in touch with the churches and isolated brethren in their respective fields. A book men's and missionary convention was carried along simultaneously with the regular conference work, the afternoons being devoted entirely to this branch of the work. Brethren H. H. Hall, from the Pacific Press, and A. J. S. Bourdeau, from the General Conference, with local talent, led out in this work. Missionary agents were appointed for each of the fields, and plans were laid for a vigorous campaign the coming biennial term with our literature. Elder Shaw was unanimously re-elected president of the union conference, with Elder C. A. Burman vice-president. The brethren all seem of good courage in the work. The sermons and instruction during the conference were all of a practical nature, calculated to build up and establish our brethren in the faith. Elder A. J. Breed, vice-president of the North Pacific Union Conference, accompanied me to the meeting, and rendered valuable assistance both in the preaching and in committee and other work. Inasmuch as it was my privilege to represent the General Conference in the organization of this union conference, I was very grateful for the privilege of being present at this their first biennial meeting, and to note the progress that had attended the work as a result of the organization. If the same self-sacrificing spirit continues in the Western Canadian Union Conference that has characterized it up to the present time, there is no question but that the work in this field will rapidly increase, and in the very near future it will take its place along with the other strong union conferences. My prayer is that God may give wisdom to those chosen as officers of this conference, and bless the efforts that are put forth by them and the other laborers throughout the field, so that there will be a rapid increase in all parts of this conference during the next period. LET me but live my life from year to year,
With forward face and unreluctant soul,
Not hastening to, nor turning from, the goal;
Not mourning for the things that disappear
In the dim past, nor holding back in fear
From what the future veils; but with a whole
And happy heart, that pays its toll
To youth and age, and travels on with cheer. Another Conference in South America
By J. W. Westphal
FOUR years ago the Santa Catharina and Parana Conference was organized. Owing to the nature of the field and the extent of the territory, it has been an awkward field to oversee; but, because of a lack of laborers, a division was impossible. At the meeting held at Curityba, Jan. 8-15, 1910, a division was effected, and the state of Parana was organized into a new conference, with Elder Emilio Hoelzle as president, and A. B. Stauffer secretary and treasurer. Besides the president, the conference has another laborer, a licentiate, Joseph Lindermann, Jr. There are five churches, with a membership of about two hundred. The brethren of this state gave $1,328 tithe for the year 1909, and they hope that their tithe, together with the offerings, will make Parana self-supporting from the beginning of its existence. In connection with the organization, a ten days’ meeting was held in a neat board shed erected for the purpose. The attendance of our brethren was small, except on Sabbath and Sunday, but the outside attendance at the evening services was large and attentive. Elders F. W. Spies, and John Lipke, and the writer were present. We realized some precious blessings from the Lord’s gracious hand. We are now at Blumenau, Santa Catharina, where the Santa Catharina conference will begin its session to-morrow. The New Self-Denial Box
By A. J. Haysmer
For several years the Southern Missionary Society has been putting out a self-denial box for the purpose of securing funds for the work among the colored people of the South. This is in harmony with the light God has given us through his servant, Sister E. G. White. I quote only a few statements from the great amount that has been given on this subject:— “I present to you this portion of the Master’s vineyard, which has been neglected, but which must be worked. I make an earnest appeal to all who love the Lord Jesus to do all they can to help at this important time. “The Lord instructed me that much could be accomplished by placing self-denial boxes in the homes of our people. I acted upon the light given. I am glad to learn that the love of Christ has moved many hearts, and that so large a number have responded. My heart says, Thank God for the good results that have been seen. The money sent in from these self-denial boxes helps in the accomplishment15 of the great and good work that we desire to see done.” “Many should become interested in the work of placing these boxes in homes. Ask old and young to aid the work for the colored people by placing these boxes in every home possible. A blessing will surely follow the gifts of self-denial thus brought to the Master.” “Tell the little ones about the work that is being done for the colored children, who have been so greatly neglected. Tell them that the money they put into the self-denial boxes is used in giving colored children some of the blessings white children are so abundantly provided with.” “My dear brethren and sisters everywhere, I wish to ask if you would not regard it a privilege to lay aside a certain sum weekly for the Southern field. Will you not put in a prominent place in your home a box with the inscription, ‘For the work among the colored people of the South’? Will you not ask your children to put into this box the money that they would otherwise spend for candy and other needless things? When visitors come to your home, they will see the box, and will ask in regard to it. Let the children tell the story of their effort to help a needy missionary field by denying self.” “Every church-member should cherish a spirit of sacrifice. In every home there should be taught lessons of self-denial. Keep in your homes a self-denial box into which you can put the money saved by little acts of self-denial.” “Invite those not of our faith to do all they can for the advancement of this work. The Lord has placed the responsibility upon them. He expects them to act their part. As they have received, so they are to impart.” “By precept and example, teach self-denial, economy, large-heartedness, and self-reliance.” I am sure that these words will find a hearty response among God’s remnant people. Just now there is a greater need than ever that we should deny ourselves and make a real sacrifice, that this work may no longer be kept back for a lack of means. There is a great dearth of laborers, but there are several now ready to enter the work had we the means to enlarge our force. I wish all would read pages 199-226 in ‘Testimonies for the Church,’ Vol. IX. I will quote only a little from the closing paragraphs:— “Thousands of colored people in the South may now be uplifted, and become human agents to help their own race, if they can receive the help God is calling upon us to give them. . . . “My dear brethren and sisters, Christ is now saying to you: ‘Lift up your eyes and look on this Southern field; for it needs workers—sowers of the seed, and reapers. It needs your means; for the maintenance of these workers. The grace of Christ is unlimited, it is God’s free gift. Then why should not this neglected people have some hope and courage and faith brought into their lives? There is sunshine in the heart for all who will accept Christ.’” In order that all our people may have a part in this work, we have prepared a very neat and substantial self-denial box again this year. In place of the calendar we have several good illustrations showing some typical scenes in the Southern field, also some of our institutions which have been established for the uplifting of the colored people. This box will last several years, and thus the means used to get out new ones each year will be saved to use in the work. I am sure all will be pleased with it. We are desirous of placing this box not only in the homes of all our people, but with all who would like to assist in helping to carry the gospel to this needy race. We need your assistance in getting this box into these homes. As we do not have all the names and addresses, we will esteem it a great favor if all who read this will make an earnest effort to assist us. Will not each of our church elders send us the name and address of the head of each family in his church, and all others who will assist in this good work? Write us as soon as possible how many to send you for your church and neighborhood. Brethren, here is an opportunity for all to be workers together to help the work along. May the Lord bless all efforts put forth. Address me at 61 Lindsley Ave., Nashville, Tenn. A. J. HAYSMER, Secretary. In the Maori Mission Field
BROTHER READ SMITH in a letter written from Tologa Bay, New Zealand, gives the following interesting information in reference to their work for the Maori people:— “Our work among the Maoris continues to be interesting and varied. We have Sunday-school at 3 P. M. in their hall. At this time of the year they are a moving population. It is shearing time, and the natives move from one station to another, so that the number present at the school fluctuates. Sometimes we have only six or eight, another time over fifty of all ages. “The teaching needs to be simple, yet interesting and well illustrated. They are teachable, easily pleased, easily offended, easily spoiled, and therefore need much teaching and training and development. “We of necessity sing until we are tired. They are passionately fond of music, though the masses are in no way trained. They do not assemble by appointment, but wait until we sing, and the singing draws them. Those near by hear and communicate to the next neighbor, and so on, and thus it takes about half an hour of continued singing to get the congregation together. “This month sickness has not been so general, but last month was an exceptionally busy one, for we gave over three hundred treatments. This means much labor, for they are all given in the homes, and one can imagine the lack of facility in some. Nearly every baby and child was ill, and adults also. It kept us going from very early in the morning until the late hours, but we rejoice that we have the privilege of helping those who need help, and we are able to praise the Lord with all our soul and mind and strength that he has helped us so much, for, so far, not one of the cases we have had in hand has been fatal—all recovering under the blessing of the ‘Giver of every good and perfect gift,’ and among them were some really serious cases. “We delight much in the work our Lord has called us to, and praise him for the honor he bestows upon us in that we are colaborers with him.”