- Title
- Foreign Mission Journal, October 1892
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-
- Date
- October 1892
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-
- Volume
- 24
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-
- Issue
- 3
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-
- Editor
- ["Bell, Theodore Percy, 1852-1916"]
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- Creator
- ["Southern Baptist Convention. Foreign Mission Board"]
-
Foreign Mission Journal, October 1892
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THE
FOREIGN MISSION JOURNAL
Vol. XXIV— October. 1892— No. 3.
GOD’S TESTING TIME.
“You «'ire often in my thought. The difficulties of this Centennial
year seem strangely numerous and various. It is God’s testing time,
let us hope, and I trust that he will bring order out of the confusion,
and great increase of purpose and consecration.” So writes one of the
most faithful foreign mission workers in the South. And he voices a
thought that doubtless has found place in many minds, if not expres¬
sion by many tongues. “God’s testing time.” Whom is lie testing?
At once even' one who reads this question will say — ’Why the Board
of course. And so it is. God is testing, and severely testing, the pa¬
tience, wisdom and faith of the Board. Upon them more than upon
any one else in all the denomination rest the responsibilities of the
work, and when difficulties and dangers beset that work, naturally
the heaviest burdens fall upon their heads and hearts. Between now
and the thirtieth of April next the Board will pass through a season
of anxiety which will not and cannot be appreciated by any brethren
who are not on it. Adverse criticism where the}' might have expected
commendation, opposition where the}' had a right to expect cordial
support, an income utterly insufficient to meet the monthly expendi¬
tures, and a consequent struggle to keep the work going; the fear lest
some unforeseen political or financial events may destroy confidence in
money circles and lead to a refusal of credit on the part of banks, all
these and many other things will bring to the members of the Board
many an anxious hour, and perchance cause a few more grey hairs to
appear on the heads of some of them. Indeed God is testing the
Board. But does the testing stop there? Is he not also testing the
churches ? Nay, beyond the churches, is he not by the very unusual
circumstances in which the work of foreign missions is placed now,
testing each individual servant of his in the bounds of our Conven¬
tion? True love for, and devotion to, any cause, do not manifest
themselves, at least do not prove themselves, whenall is fair and bright
about that cause. Any one can then be a But when
troubles gather around the cause and diffici^^^^K; it; when fair-
weather friends are turning away, and even s^^^Hfones grow luke-
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