"And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament;
and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars forever and ever.**
©Iff Jfamgn iiiastmt SmmraL
Entered at the Poet-Offlce et Richmond, Vs., sa Second-Clan Matter.
Vol. LX. FEBRUARY, 1910.
No. 8.
A STIRRING PROPOSITION.
A CHALLENGE TO SOUTHERN BAPTISTS.
The Board at its January meeting re¬
ceived through Its Corresponding Secre¬
tary a communication which produced a
distinct sensation. It was clear that the
hearts of the brethren were greatly
moved. The Secretary said that it was
a Now Year’s offer, and. one member of
tho Board expressed the wish that “New
Year" might come every month. Here Is
tho offer:
"I want to make you a proposition. If
your Foreign Mission Board gets out of
debt by May 1, 1910, and wishes to send
out more missionaries, I will pay outfit¬
ting, transportation, and first year’s sal¬
ary for one-third of all accepted up to
sixty.
“All appointments must be made before
November 1, 1910.”
It costs about $1,000 to pay the ex¬
penses of a new missionary to the field
and sustain him for tho first year. Hence
the offer means a gift of about $20,000, if
our people will meet the conditions. One
of these conditions is that we must pay
off all indebtedness on the Board by the
first of May. This wc ought by all means
to do. Wc simply cannot afford to have
a debt again this year. For the sake of
our over-burdened missionaries, on behalf
of the multitudes in heathen darkness
who hold out their hands to us, and in
the name of Christ we must fully sus¬
tain this great work. But surely this
large offer will arouse us to still more
strenuous efforts. When this big-hearted
layman, who has done great things for
the coming of the kingdom, desires
to further put himself and his means into
tho Lord’s work in such a way as to stim¬
ulate us to greater endeavor, his purpose
ought not to fail. Let us all say, “By the
grace of God, we will do our best this
time.”
In order to get the full benefit of this
generous offer, we must not only pay off
the heavy indebtedness on the Board, but
we must do it in such an enthusiastic,
liberal way, as to justify the Board in
calling for and appointing sixty new mis¬
sionaries before the first of next Novem¬
ber. Do we need them? If our people
could hear the patient, persistent plead¬
ings of the over worked missionaries for
more helpers, and realize the importance
of tho immense new fields in which we
ought to open work at once, they would
know that we need every one of these
new workers, and would say with a will
that wo must have them.
If this splendid offer can thrill the
hearts of our people as it has stirred
the hearts of the members of the Board,
the conditions will be joyfully fulfilled. Is
it not the leadings of the Spirit who has
put It into the heart of our brother to
make this offer? Is it not the call of
our Lord and Master? Is it not the voice
of our God bidding us undertake great
things for Him? Shall we refuse? Shall
we fail? God forbid! Let the call ring
throughout tho Southland, and let our
Baptist hosts arouse themselves to meet
this challenge of their faith and their
faithfulness.
