Foreign Mission Journal, January 1883

FOREIGN MISSION JOURNAL. Published Monthly l»y the Foreign Mission Hoard of the Southern Baptist Convention. “ALL POWER js given unto m e in heaven and in earth, go ye, therefore, and teach ALL NATIONS.” Vol. 14 — New Series. RICHMOND. VA„ JANUARY, 1S83. No. 6.— Whole No. 132. iKntcrect ut tlm I’oM-OHlct* nt Richmond, Vn„ necoml-chibH maltor.J Foreign Mission Journal RAT ICS 1*12 R ANNUM: One copy, separately folded anil addressed.... . f v> Three copies, addressed to one person . i oo Ten copies, addressed to one person........ . 3 forty copies, addressed to one person . 10 00 One bundled copies, nddiesscd tonne person . 20 00 ed'*l‘lcnsc remit by Draft, Postal Order, or in KcrIs- tticd Letter, ami notify us i-komi’TI.v of any Chanel' in address. Address, POKK1GK MISSION* JOURNAL. Richmond, Va. FOREIGN MISSION BOARD OF THE GOUTHEHN BAPTIST CONVENTION, Locatbi, AT til(JHMONI). VIUtHNIA. Гпкяшкмт-.Т. I.. M. ClTltRY. VicB-l'HKSiDitK-re — lllrnm Wooitx, Hack- pit. I.a., .1. Г., Harrows. Va.. 1*. I1, Illslioti. Fla., O. Г. Gr<srory, N. C.t liobart ltylanJ, Ky., J. .1. 1». linn- t rue, Alabama, II. s, llnncan, Me*., O. W. l'lckni, Texas, IV. I Kilpatrick. IT a., elms. Manly, S. (J., Mall. Hills man. T.an.. W. 1). Mayfield, Ark., Grorcc Whltnrkl, Ml..,, M. Klll.on, W. Va. Пор.пвягояшь-о Heciiktaiit— It. A. TUI’I'KH. TiiKAbUKKii— J. O. WILLIAMS. 11КГОП1ЧЧН Siir.fir.TAUY— W. II. (I WATIIMEY. Асштоп— .Ю.ЧКРИ V. OOTTHKLL. IlOAiinof Manaiikiih.— J. H. Hawthorn*, .T. H. Wal- klns, II. 4. Kllyson, W. IS. Hatcher, It. Wnrlham. W. I). Thomas, V/, noddln.H. II. Harris, J. Pollard. Jr., J. W. Janes. A. It. tfbuke, .г. II. Winston, .T. It. liai¬ son, G H. Win, ton, S. Jl- GlOliton. SSF'All communciations in reference to the business of this Hoard should he addressed to II. Л. Tuppuk, Corresponding Secretary , ltiehmond, ir«. In the death of Rev. Elias Dodson, which occurred December 12th, the cause of For¬ eign Missions lost one of ils most valuable supporters. He was remarkable, not more for the variety, minuteness and accuracy of his information, than for his indefatigable zeal, and steady persistence in every good cause. Who will take his place in the border coun¬ ties on either side of the Virginia and North Carolina line ? Rev. II. I\ Iluckner, though in the em¬ ployment of the Home Hoard, was in spirit and in labors a foreign missionary. Ilis death, nil Sunday, the 2d of December, is lamented all over the Southern baptist Con¬ vention, and scents to be an irreparable loss to the Indians, among whom he had lived, and preached, and taught, for four and thirty years. He found the Creeks a tribe of savages ; lie leaves them a civilized and Christian people, with settled habitations, property, schools and churches. “ Hlessed are the dead who die. in the Lord, from henceforth ; yen, saitli the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors ; for their works follow witli them.’’ HOW MUCH 7 There are two ways of giving. Some con¬ tribute to any good cause oti the impulse of the moment, and according to their present convenience. This is belter than not to give at all, far better than to let the generous im¬ pulse die without issue. The objections. to it are that it is hardly worthy of a rational being, does not cultivate a steady Christian character, gives no reliable basis for regular benevolent work, and, above all, is not ac¬ cording to Scriptural injunctions. There are, indeed, special objects and peculiar occa¬ sions, which call for extraordinary giving, as in the church at Jerusalem, when they "sold their possessions anti goods,” and " brought tile money and laid ie-at the apostles’ feet.’’ Sucli cases sometimes arise in these days, and then it is better to follow the example of the whole-souled Harnabas than that of tlie prudent Ananias. The other way of giving, on principle and regularly, is indicated in Paul’s thanks to the Philippians for their " fellowship witli him in the matter of giving and receiving." Even during his short stay at Thessalonica they ” sent once and again unto his need," after¬ wards they “did indeed take thought, lint lacked opportunity,” and when the oppor¬ tunity again occurred, they abundantly sup¬ plied iiis wants in the imprisonment at Rome. The plan is more explicitly stated in I Cor., xvi : 1-!, and earnestly enforced in II Cor.,viii and ix— Upon the first day of the week, let eacli one lay by him ill store, one’s abundance beinga supply for another's want, each man doing as he hath purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God lovclh a cheerful giver, and all in memory of him who was rich, yet, for our sakes became poor, and witli thanks to God for his unspeakable gift. We hope any who have been giving spas¬ modically will study these and other like passages, and learn how much better it is for their own growtli in grace, for the spread of the gospel, and for the glory of God, to follow the Scriptural plan. In the warfare witli sin, we gladly welcome the aid of im¬ petuous volunteers, though they join the ranks only for a single battle ; how much more gladly should we see them resolutely enrolling themselves in the steadily ad¬ vancing line of the regular army. To these last, whether tried and trusiy veterans, or fresh recruits just buckling on the harness, we ofier some help in deciding how much each ought to give to the foreign mission work of the Southern llaptist Convention. A systematic giver regulates the sum of his contributions by his ability — "as he may prosper" is the apostolic rule. He then de¬ liberately divides this sum among different objects according to his best judgment on their relative claims. During tire past year our Southern land, with a few local excep¬ tions, lias been greatly blessed. A kindly heaven and a generous eartli have united their forces to produce abundant crops. Manufactures and trade have in like manner enjoyed remarkable prosperity. Our ability is greater than it lias been for more than a score of years. The Jew was required to pay a tenth of all his increase. It may be that sonic with small income and large household ought not to give so much ; others, differently situated, ought to give much more. No rigid rule is laid down in the New Testament. Hut surely the stand¬ ard of Jewish law for the support of a na¬ tional ritual ought to be at least equalled by the average of Christian liberality for the evangelization of the world. Wliat propor¬ tion tlien ought to lie set apart for our for¬ eign mission work ? What are its needs, wliat its promise t Two years ago the number of Americans bolding appointments from the Hoard to labor in foreign lands was twenty-one. Their support, with that of thirty native as¬ sistants, schools, churches, residences, and expenses of administration, cost in round numbers ?2S,OOn. During the last conven¬ tional year, (ending May 1st, 18S2,) the num¬ ber of foreign missionaries was increased to twenty-nine, and their support, as above, cost JIG, 000. This year the increase of our work¬ ing force lias been still greater — the list shows forty missionaries and thirty-five as¬ sistants. Their annual support will cost about <5.1,000. Of this sum 500,-100 lias been received up to December lOtli, leaving <21,000 to be raised between now and the first of next May. Hut more than this will be needed here¬ after. Under tlie ever active force of gravi¬ tation a body falls with constantly accele¬ rated velocity, and so under tlie constrain¬ ing love of Christ tlie rescue of tlie fallen should go forward faster and faster, "until tlie times of restitution of all tilings, where¬ of God spake by the mouth of his holy pro¬ phets.” Every heart subdued opens an ave¬ nue to other hearts; every station success¬ fully occupied gives a vantage-ground for moving upon otiier points. The enlarge¬ ment of our corps of workers has seemed to the Hoard, in every instance, to he demanded by sound policy, ami indicated by divine providence. Not to advance would be re¬ cusancy to the trust committed to our hands, and high treason against the King of kings. He it, therefore, well understood that while our work may be carried on this year with 555,000 it may lie expected to need next year 505,000 or 570,000, ami so on and on and on from year to year. Seldom, if ever before in the history of our missions, have the prospects seemed brighter. Four letters in tlie December number of tlie journal reported twenty-six baptisms— five in Mexico, ten in Italy, and eleven in China. The fields are white, the laborers hopeful, the Lord of the harvest really to bless. Oh, brother, redeemed by tlie blood of Jesus, how much ought you to give, systematically and regularly, to support and reinforce these lonely toilers, and to has¬ ten the glad day when “the kingdom of the world shall become tlie kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ : and he shall reign forever and ever." TORRE PELLICE, Tlie most interesting of our Italian stations, after tlie central one at Rome, is that in tlie Waldcnsian Valleys. Tlie (own and its en¬ virons are surpassingly beautiful. Snow- covered Alps form a gram! background in tlie west. Spurs jutting far out eastward into tlie basin of the I’o enclose the valley, north and south, with their dense covering of primeval oak and chestnut trees. The only opening is toward tlie rising sun. Bright streams course down from the melt¬ ing snow and from tlie mountains on either hand. Rivulets are led along the hillsides for purposes of irrigation. Tlie fiat mead¬ ows, some half a mile wide, are very pro¬ ductive, and high up tlie slopes tlie ricli soil is' cultivated like a garden. Orchards of mulberry yield food for silk-worms, while wheat grows rank over their roots and vines hang in graceful festoons from branch to branch. Wherever there is a patcli of grass, on a spot too rocky for the spade, a large, sleek, mouse-colored cow is tethered or per¬ haps watched by a sunny-faced maiden with needle-work in her hands. Tlie people, therefore, are intelligent. They are also re¬ markably kind-hearted and noted for their politeness. It was in the last days of June, four years ago, that tlie writer spent there three happy days, inhaling the delicious air, enjoying the scenery and holding sweet converse with a little band of brethren — "not many mighty, not many noble,” but loving, earnest Chris¬ tians. If it were proper he could fill a column with recollections of dear old brother Fcrraris and his little llock. Nothing was more striking than tlie general neatness and exquisite taste displayed on every hand. Tiiere had just been copious rains, the ground was wet, the roads were muddy, anti yet everything was in order. No, not every¬ thing, tlie rented locale, in which tlie brethren met, looked dingy in those bright surround¬ ings; ils suitableness for a church may be judged from the fact that on Sunday morn¬ ing we witnessed the baptism of a lady in a bath-tub. This has been changed now. Thanks to tlie indomitable zeal and perseve¬ rance of Dr. Taylor and the special contri¬ bution of 55, C00, we have now in Torre I’ol- lice a neat and convenient chapel and resi¬ dence, built, paid for and occupied, but not en¬ closed. That lack would be bad anywhere, worst of all in such a place as we have de¬ scribed. Shall it lie allowed to remain so nearly complete and yet out of harmony with its surroundings ? Dr. Taylor, in his letter elsewhere publish¬ ed, estimates that £100 will be enough to put a good stone wall around the lot and pay for other needed fixtures. Suppose we give him #500. He will make a wise use of tlie surplus. Some who wanted to give some¬ thing toward the chapel were too late, now is their chance. Hut we fear they will be too late again. So those of us who contributed to build the chapel had belter add one tenth as much to what we gave before and let the work be done at once. AN EBB TIDE. Our treasury is a reservoir, with its dis¬ charge pipes runningthrough the established channels of trade to China, Italy, Africa, Brazil and Mexico. Ail tlie missions draw regularly, according to previously approved estimates; their bankers cash these drafts and forward them for collection; when they reacli Richmond, whether any money is in hand or not, they must be promptly paid. Thus the outflow, month by month, and quarter by quarter, is as nearly uniform ns that of a broad, deep river. The supply, on the contrary, is variable and unsteady ns the rains of heaven that feed the sources of the river, flowing and ebbing like the ocean tides from which the clouds are born. Two months ago attention was called to the fact that receipts had not been sufficient to meet expenditures, and that 5R.000 would be needed in November. Tlie money came pouring in, a flood fide rising to the full height of the emergency. Then came the ebb, and the receipts acknowledged in this number are but little over 011c sixth part of wliat they were last month. We do not complain. Tlie reasons for tlie difference are obvious. Tlie churches take their an¬ nual collections for Foreign Missions, for the most part, either just after the autumnal ingathering of crops, or in the beginning of tlie year. We would not have them change good plans. Like the patient husbandman, we wait with confidence for " the early and the latter rains." But our work is progressing. To meet the increasing demand, eacli flood tide of re¬ ceipts must rise higher than tlie one before it, each ebb be stayed from falling quite so low. We expect contributions to come in more freely this month, and hope they will be both early and large, so as to meet the deficit already incurred and keep up witli the drain of constant expenditure. What belter way to begin the new year than by a generous gift to carry out tlie great com¬ mission ? Brevity is no doubt an excellence in many things. Yet, every month wo have to regret that our short and narrow columns will not allow the full development of con¬ nected trains of thought. The best we can do is to drop a few seed here and there, and hope that in the minds of our renders they may find congenial soil, and attain a fuller growth. Just as we restrain ourselves in writing, so also we prune tlie correspond¬ ence and cut down the selections from other papers to tlie narrowest limits. Condensed milk is put up in small packages, when used it should he taken by the spoonful only, and allowed ample time to dissolve. We are glad to put side by side the letters of brethren Simmons and Graves. One tells of cruel persecutions nt an interior station; tlie other, of signal triumphs of the gospel at another place in which just such pcrsccu- cutious were suffered a few years ago, The American Baptist Publication Society lias appointed John Baptist Haygooni, M. D., to labor as colporter in Constantinople, and Rev. John Stadling to represent the Society in Sweden.