Foreign Mission Journal, May 1884

FOREIGN MISSION JOURNAL. Published Monthly by tlio Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. “ALL POWER IS GIVEN UNTO LIE IN HEAVEN AND IN EARTH. GO YE, THEREFORE, AND TEACH ALL NATIONS.” Vol. IB— New Series. RICHMOND, VA„ MAY, 1884. No. Ю.— Whole No. 190. [Entered nt the l'ost nt Richmond, Va., tve eecond-claee matter.] Foreign Mission Journal. RATES PER ANNUM: One copy, separately folded end addressed . $ 50 Three conies, addressed to one person... . 1 00 Ten copies, addressed to one person., . . 3 00 Forty copies, addressed to one person...*. . . 10 00 One hundred copies, addressed to one person . 20 00 **-}'lease remit by Draft, Postal Order, or in Regis¬ tered Letter, and notify us promptly of any change in sddreas. Addiess, FOREIGN' MISSION JOURNAL. Richmond, Va. FOREIGN MISSION BOARD OF THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION. Looatsd at IIHHIMONU, VIltniNIA. l’nseiDKNT— . J. X-. M. OUHllY. ViCB-PnMtPBNTB _ Joahtta I.rverlOK, Mi!., J. Л. HACK, II, bn., J. L. Burrow., Va., О. K. All™, Flu., О. K. Orezory, N. О., T. T. Union, ICy.. J. J. I). lttn- froo, Alabama, li. S. Duncan, .“ilo., II И, Carroll, T.xa., W. 1,. Kilpatrick. Oa„ Clhiu. Mnnly, S. ()., Mall. Hlllsman, Turn., J. II. Searcy, ArK., Oeorge ■WlUtfleld, Ml,,.. W. 1>. Walker, W. Va. OOBHKei'ONDINO S.CIIKTAHV— II. Л. TUlM'Kll. Tu.asduku— J. O. WILLIAMS. Кксоашяо SkcnaTAiir-W. H. OWATIIMEY Auditoh— JOSEPH F. COTTHELL, Hoaudop Manaokiip — Г. H. Hawthorne, J. ll.Wnl* klsi, II. tC. Kllyeon. W. B. Il.khfr, E. Wortham, W. V. Thoma., W. (Toddln, II. II. Harrle, J. I’ollurd, Jr., J. W. Jon,,. Л. II. Clarke, J. II. Wloeton, J. II. Hut- ton. О. H. WIORlon. S. O. niepton. t&TAIl communications in reference to the business of this Hoard should be addressed to H. Л. Turi'EK, Corresponding Secretary , Richmond, Va. We fill a large part of this number with an outline of the exceedingly interesting report of the Hoard. Some of the (acts recited are already familiar to readers of the Journal, but are here grouped so ns to give a general and complete view of the year's work. Pre¬ serve this copy i you will need it for future reference. THE CONVENTION. The Southern baptist Convention will meet in Jlaltimore on Wednesday, the 7th inst. Twice before in its history the body lias met in the monumental city, viz., in 1S53 and in 1SGS. Although the place is in an extreme corner of our territory, it is a com¬ mercial centre, easily accessible by numer¬ ous lines of travel, and its far-famed hospi¬ tality will doubtless attract a large delega¬ tion even from the distant Southwest. The ladies, too, we are giail to hear, have made arrangements to gather a goodly company of fair sisters, and give fresh impetus to " Woman’s Work for Woman." We expect, moreover, not a few of our northern breth¬ ren to avail themselves of this favorable op¬ portunity for meeting with us to sec how we do, and perchance to oiler valuable thoughts suggested by their experience in similar work. Altogether we anticipate a well-at¬ tended and a profitable session. The first day of the meeting will doubtless be occupied in enrolling delegates, organiz¬ ing the body, receiving the reports of the two Hoards, laying out work for the remain¬ ing days, and hearing the Convention ser¬ mon. The reports will naturally give the keynote for the whole session, and it will have n higher pitch than ever before, both in respect to the amount of money raised for missions and in respect to the apparent results secured in its expenditure; yet the melody of exultant thanksgiving for tokens of divine approval, will be tempered by some plaintive notes, remindingalt of human frailty, and of our own rapidly approaching dissolution. If the delegates have, as we trust they will, an abiding sense of the shortness of time and an eye single to the glory of God, there will be little danger of any root of bitterness or any unwise action, but every assurance that liberal things will be devised for " promoting foreign and domestic mis¬ sions and other important objects connected with the Redeemer’s kingdom.” The usual course of procedure has been to refer the several sections of the reports to as many separate committees, and reserve all discussion until these committees report, To this some brethren object that it leaves the Convention at first with little or nothing to do, and crowds the closing hours of the session with more business than can be prop¬ erly attended to ; they, therefore, suggest the propriety of taking up for discussion the reports of the Hoards as presented, and re¬ ferring to committees for calmer and more mature consideration only those sections which ask for instructions or indicate new lines of policy. The body will, of course, decide for itself, if the question is raised. We indicate no preference further than to say, that if any change is made, the utmost care should be taken not to destroy the character of the Convention by changing it from a deliberative assembly into a mass¬ meeting following a previously arranged programme. The retrospect of the closing year is full of encouragement. What shall the next bring fortli ? Shall tve use the vantage ground already gained for additional con¬ quests ? Shall we employ the momentum acquired for increasing the speed with which we are to send abroad the glad tidings of salvation ? " I held it truth, villi him who slugs To one dear harp In divers tones, Thai men may rise on stepping stones Of their dead selres, to higher things." During the past few years the churches have risen in their contributions as follows: in 1881, ft 4, 000, (we use round numbers;) in 1882, ft 0,000 ; in 1883, fG4,000; in 1S84, 873,000. The increase is accelerated year by year. The Hoard has correspondingly increased its corps of missionaries until we now have forty-fine, besides nearly as many native assistants. We shall not be at all satisfied to report in May, 1SS5, less than f 100,000 raised, and at least fifty mission¬ aries at work in foreign lands, with others under appointment. If we are to do this, we must begin at once and keep steadily at work. The collections tiiis year have been swelled by the personal appeals of brother Powell in behalf of his Mexican schools. For next year we do not anticipate such another special elTbrt, and must rely more on pastors and church committees and wo¬ man’s societies to pour into our treasury a steady stream from the first of May until the last of April. WOMAN'S WORK. It will be seen from the annual report that the contributions of some (150 woman’s so¬ cieties amount this year to over fill, POO. It should he added that a good many other societies pay over through their churches what they raise, mid do not report to the Central Stale Committee. If these were added the aggregate would not fall short of f20,000. Woman has all the reasons and motives which operate on any other Christian In favor of foreign missions. She lias these two in excess of what man can feel. First, that her sex is more benefited by Christainity than ours. The degrading effects of heathenism and superstition fall heaviest on the weaker vessel. The gospel confers, we may say, equal, because infinite, blessings for the life to come, on all who receive it; for this present life its blessings are in proportion to human needs, and fall, like rain and sunshine, even on the unthankful. And, secondly, her more sen¬ sitive nature and more vivid imagination enables her to appreciate more keenly the condition of benighted lands and to bear them more constantly on her heart. It may be added that in the cloistered prisons which false religions have put into the place of Christian homes, she can do a most important work, from which the sterner sex is absolutely excluded. It is, therefore, not at all surprising that the gentler sex not only furnishes nil help-meet for every bro¬ ther who undertakes the hardships of mis¬ sionary life, but also sends out some single and alone, to care solely for the things of the Lord; nor again is it any wonder that the female members do their part towards rais¬ ing the annual contributions in their churches and then superadd, weekly or quarterly, their own collections for their own peculiar work. Co-operation between the woman’s socie¬ ties and the Hoard is put upon the following basis, devised to secure the advantages which other organizations have gained by such co-operation, and to avoid the mistakes into which some 01 them have fallen. In each State there is a Central Committee who, without fee or reward, give much time and attention to the organization of socie¬ ties, tlie dissemination of information and the collection of funds, which are paid over to our treasury. Appointments of unmar¬ ried ladies are made on the recommendations, indeed, of these and other discreet women, but by the Hoard and solely on its own re¬ sponsibility. Such ladies are sent out only at the request of some mission, and with suitable arrangements for residence in the home of a Christian family. There are a few who think a more compact organization of woman's work, with a separate treasury and secretary, would be more efficient, but we have abundant reason to know that an overwhelming majority of Southern women would not only oppose, but would absolutely refuse to co-operate in such an enterprise. For the success which has crowned the ef¬ forts of the societies during the past year much credit is due to their organ, The Heathen Helper , published monthly at Louisville, Ky., at fifty cents a year. It is a bright little eight-page sheet, handsomely illustrated and filled with reports from societies, letters from missionaries, pithy editorials and other such matter. The paper is already, as wc understand, self-sustaining, and richly deserves a yet more liberal pa¬ tronage. _ _ Miss Lula Whilden wishes her friends to address her, Hox 05, Clifton Springs, N. V. In her temporary sojourn, far away from her Southern home, letters will be doubly wel¬ come, though they must remain unanswered, because iier physician insists that “the less writing she does, the better it will be." Do sit down right away and send her a bright, newsy epistle, and when you think it is time for her answer to come, just write another of the same sort and tell her you do not expect a reply. _ _ The letters for which we find room this month are supplementary to the annual re¬ ports and are as usual of thrilling interest. They indicate spiritual prosperity in all the stations iieard from. Notice the accounts of baptisms at Shanghai and at Canton. BSfThis number of the Journal will fall into the hands of some who are not sub¬ scribers. Can you afford to do without this opportunity for monthly communion with your representatives in foreign lands ? Will you not help the cause by not only taking the paper yourself, but inducing others to do the same? Notice the terms, on this page, and observe the reduced rates on packages addressed to one person, who will distribute them. _ Brother Geo. B. Taylor in his first report to the Hoard gave 7 as the number baptized during the year. Later he reported 25 as the number, but too late to have the correction made in the annual report. CANTON JOTTINGS, MISSION WORK IN CANTON. At the first annual meeting of the Canton Missionary Conference some statistics were given of five missions having their centre of operations in our city. Three hundred and ninety-five converts were baptized in con¬ nection with these missions, and the whole number of members is 2,]GG. These are divided ns follows : Wesleyan mission, 300 ; Loudon mission, 380 ; Berlin (German) mis¬ sion, 600; American I’resbyterian mission, GOO; American Baptist mission, 3S0. Total, 2,100. AN ADVANCE. The Canton Baptist church has lately called brother Tso Lunc to be assistant pas¬ tor. He consented on condition that the church would raise the amount of his salary, (<10 per month,) without any assistance from the mission funds. At tiie first communion service after the Chinese New Year the amount was subscribed, many of the breth¬ ren giving nobly. Brother Tso was installed pastor on March 2d, and baptized three can¬ didates into the membership of the church. AN ACIED CONVERT. On March Oth an old woman of 83 years was baptized in Canton. She had been at¬ tending our services at Tsing Yuen for months, but her olejest son and other rela¬ tives forbade her coming after the disturb¬ ances last autumn. She has recently come to live with a younger son, who is a Chris¬ tian, and said her mind was fully made up to confess her faith in Jesus. How many at home will be condemned at the last day by the faith of this trembling, aged believer? A TRIUMPH OK GRACE. On the same day brother Tso baptized a woman from the country who has long been an opposer of the gospel. She is a' woman of much energy and force of character. When the gospel was first preached in her village she opposed it with all her might. When the two or three believers there met. she would go to the meeting and revile and scold so that all were afraid of her. Her husband became a believer, but was so over¬ awed by her that he was afraid to join him¬ self with the Christians. Last year, how¬ ever her husband had strength given him to be baptized. Much prayer was offered by the Christians for his wile. On his return to liis village his wife became so changed that/J? the people said the husband must have givenaj her some “ temper-subduing pills," or some'» other Christian medicine. A montli ago she yielded so far that she came to Canton to visit her brother-in-law, who is a Christian. After resisting the Spirit for some time, she saw a friend of hers baptized, and says that from that time siie yielded her heart to Christ, and began to call on God to forgive her sins. The hearts of the believers have, been filled with joy at this answer to their' prayers. Let this trophy of grace encour- Se others to pray for the conversion of the linese. SOME-GOOD RESULTS OF TIIE WAR. As many a fragrant wood gives out its fra¬ grance only when struck by the axe, or placed in the fire, so many improvements are forced on a country by tiie pressure of war. Tiie present difficulties with' France have led to the construction of a line of tele¬ graph from here to the Annam border, and another line is in progress from Canton to Shanghai, and so to Peking. Sliiu Hing and N’g-Chau, where I have been so often sepa¬ rated by a journey of days from all foreign¬ ers, are soon to be in telegraphic communi¬ cation with Canton. Thus war drives in the small .edge of the wedge of progress. Another good resulting from tiie war has been that hundreds of young men from the distant interior of China who have never heard of Christ, nor seen a Christian book, come daily to our chapel and buy books. They speak a different dialect, and we can¬ not speak with them satisfactorily; but they see our methods of work and read our books. Some troops were quartered near our chapel at Tsing Yuen, and several of the officers strayed into the chapel. One of the military secretaries was so impressed that he brought a man to translate for hint, and then brought his friends to hear. He has read many of the books, and says that Christianity is true. . He spent last night at my house, and has taken a copy of the Bible to present to the Imperial High Commissioner, General Pang, in whose service he is. God, who, “from evil still educes good,” may over-rule these troublous times lor the extension of his truth in China. For this let God’s people be in earnest prayer. R. H. G.