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The Revolution in China

HF revolution in China is causing serious anxiety to the friends of missions throughout the world. The Board has been in constant communication by cable, through the China Council, with the various missions. No missionary connected with the Board has lost his life, and only one has been injured by a stray bullet. Many of the missionaries from Hunan have left their stations under order of the United States Consul, and have gone to Shanghai or one of the port cities. Some of the missionaries, especially women and children, along the line of travel of the soldiers have also removed to places of greater safety. Every precaution has been taken for safety of the lives of the missionaries.

It is difficult to foresee what the result of the revolution will be, but in the providence of God we believe it means larger opportunity for the extension of the Kingdom.

The Board has in China 359 institutions of learning with 7,000 pupils--136 organized churches with 18,470 communicants; a native force of nearly 700 preachers, teachers, Bible women, etc.; and thousands of Christians who are testifying to the Gospel of the grace of God.

Every Christian in the homeland should pray for them and for China in this hour of her great need.

The Standard Oil Company-The American Tobacco Company-The Missionary Company in China

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REV. H. W. LUCE.

T WAS only the other day we heard it— the bright and rather keen remark of an up-to-date American business man. He belonged to that rapidly growing band of Christian laymen, who in ever greater numbers are now visiting the Far East in order to see with their own eyes and hear with their own ears what God hath wrought among the nations. Said he: "America seems to exercise influence out here through three channels, namely, The American Tobacco Company, The Standard Oil Company, and The Missionary Company, all three having the motto, 'Let There Be Light.'"

I suppose there is hardly a city or village in all the Empire where the deadly cigarette is not used, hardly a straw-thatched hut which may not change the ancient bean-oil

light for the brightness of Standard Oil. Light-bearers of the gospel also go to and fro, their rays piercing far into the ancient darkness; but their success cannot be at once so wide and so signal, for the simple reason that only trained hearts can carry this blessing and must appeal to the hearts of others to receive it, while any untrained coolie may carry the tobacco and oil, appealing to men's lower physical passions or needs.

Recently a group of missionaries gathered together from all parts of Shantung were listening to the venerable Dr. Hunter Corbett as he reviewed the fifty years of missions in Shantung which he himself had witnessed. We were deeply impressed with what we might call the physical darkness which surrounded these early missionaries. There was hardly a

FOREIGN MISSIONS

foot of sanitary ground to stand on save where they were crowded together in their own little abode-a temple, which after much opposition they had secured from an opiumsmoking priest. The cholera raged, their little ones were swept away, their wives succumbed, and strong men laid down their lives to the dire scourge. There were no physicians and no hospitals. Today what a change! Though hospitals are still far from sufficient, and every physician longs for the strength of ten, yet the darkness of ignorance and pain is gradually being dispelled by the twenty hospitals in this province, as many small dispensaries, and the growing work of the Shantung University Medical School, which is just beginning to send forth trained physicians. But the hospitals should be doubled in number, the dispensaries quadrupled, and the Medical School be given the outfit and force it needs to send forth the needed physicians who shall bring healing to this helpless people. "Let there be Light."

But if the physical darkness is apparent, it is the spiritual darkness which oppresses one most, oppresses even the heart of the medical missionary, whose deeper aim is always, like the great Physician's, to cure souls. The Chinese can never say that no one has cared for them. They may not know how much care and toil and life has been spent upon them, but we, who have traced the long and wonderful story, know how great the sacrifice has been. During the last fifty years man after man, woman after woman have left their homelands and come here, for China's sake and Christ's, to scatter the darkness. By the way-side well and threshing-floor, along the highway, in city street and chapel, these ambassadors of the cross have proclaimed the enlightening message with smiling faces and hearts lit with the joy their Master gave them, ever mindful that they were "the lights of the world." Many came to them; but they loved darkness rather than light, and went away sorrowful; but many desiring not evil deeds but good, went not away. One by one they "came to the light," some in turn became light-bearers, the darkness grew less, churches were formed, preachers were ordained, and the young church, still small and weak, is becoming more and more a power in the land. But what are 10,000 Christians and their adherents among the 30,000,000 of Shantung!

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Still the light centers are too far apart. Many as yet have seen but a flash of the gospel's light blinded by its strangeness they cannot at once take it in, and the light-bearer, having only the weak strength of one lone man or woman, must press on to other towns whereunto they were sent. We are grateful for the thirty or forty stations and the scores of out-stations where the light is streaming forth, but we think of the Bible Schools which should be established, the centers which should be "occupied" with at least a chapel, the hundreds of villages still sitting in darkness, the Theological Department of Shantung University needing the "oil" of men and money— and yet our commission is, "Let there be Light."

We used to say that the missionary came to China to save souls. Now we say he comes to save MEN. The latter phrase is richer and deeper and more true to Christ. For convenience we speak of body, mind and soul, but we are less and less inclined to separate them for are they not all His, 'created by Him and fashioned for wonderful uses? They are so wonderfully inter-related in mutual ways and dependence, that we could not divide them if we would and would not if we could. So, where the Church has gone, there we find the schoolhouse and the hospital. An intelligent soul in a healthy body, meet for His worship-such worshippers God, through us, is seeking. In Shantung the early Christians were unlettered men and women, but their children are not. In many a country hamlet or busy town there is a little school, often all too dingy and small for adequate use, yet a center of light. Here are gathered the children of Christians; here also the non-Christian often sends his children, willing to risk their possible Christianization for the mental and moral good he is sure will be acquired. From these schools they pass on to the high schools of the main station, where. the Christian forces are stronger and more varied, where the light shines with greater intensity. From these some return to the country districts as teachers or evangelists: while those worthy of further training pass on to the university, where, instructed in the books of both nature and revelation, they come forth with such a knowledge of God's world and understanding of His purpose as enables them to become leaders in this great work of spreading the light. But the output is all too small, because the darkness is very great.

From the lowest school to the highest the "oil" as measured on men and money, is very low; often this oil gives out entirely. And yet-the commission of the Church at home to us is, "Let there be Light."

Once a traveler came to our university and he was good enough to call it "The Lighthouse of Shantung," suggested by the approaches to it being by way of the sea. It reminded us of an incident in the life of one of our physicians. There is a lighthouse off the promontory of Shantung. An attendant fell ill and word was sent by boat to the physician. Through wind and storm he pressed to give him relief. His ministrations finished, the keeper showed him the great light. Listening to wondrous tales of ship-wreck and life-saving, the physician realized as never before how great are the responsibilities of the light-keeper in the midst of his loneliness. "Do you never fear," he asked, "that you will sometime let the light go out?" "I'd rather die," came the instant response. Such must be the spirit of those who in any way are related to the spread of the gospel light throughout the world.

Since coming to China I have often been impressed with two things; one is the amount of work already accomplished. It sometimes seems almost incredible that, considering the forces of opposition and of the powers of darkness, the light should have spread so far that one, no doubt, could travel on foot across this province and be able to spend each night at a Christian home. In places large groups of Christians gathered into churches would greet the traveler on his way. But one can travel far in a day, and he would pass through whole regions where the name of Jesus, if ever heard or mentioned at all, would be known only as a word to indicate the hated foreign religion. Thousands upon thousands do not have the slightest idea who Christ is, and still many millions more are ignorant of Christ as a World-Redeemer, the Saviour of mankind.

And so, though one is impressed

by the amount of light already shining, he is also impressed, and save for the record of the past and faith's vision of the future, would be depressed, because of the dense and unscattered darkness. "Let there be Light."

A Chance in China

REV. J. STEWART KUNKLE.

CAME to China for the chance for work it offered. I have been in China now five years. I am going to tell you what I have found the chance to do.

I. I have found a chance to preach. There is something like two million people in my field to preach to. The gospel to them is still the "good news." As a foreigner I am enough of a curiosity to draw a crowd anywhere and secure a patient hearing. Given these, it would be a poor preacher indeed who could not deliver an effective message, even in a strange tongue. We are not limited to any day of the week or hour of the day. It is ours to be the light in a great darkness.

2. I have found a chance for pastoral work. I was touched the other day by the wish expressed by one of the elders that I should be regularly called, installed, and, as far as possible, supported, as the pastor of the Lien Chow Church. It would be hard to

tell you how much these Christians need the full time of a true shepherd; they are just out of heathenism and surrounded by it still— they are but babes in Christ—and trials, hardships, temptations are heavy upon them. The standard of Christian living is still largely to be set. The pastor to them is the standard, as he is the interpretation of Christ.

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There is pastoral work waiting to be done in the three churches under our care. future depends on how well it is done.

3. I have found a chance for educational work. We propose to put a schoolhouse beside every chapel. I have started two new schools this year and will aim each year to add two more. Circumstances have placed me this year in charge of the two boarding schools at Lien Chow. Those who regularly have this work and are able to give their whole time to it, have a unique opportunity in China today. But I am speaking now of

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