Military Mandarin of this place, were present. "General Li is a man of extensive information, and has at different times shown a lively interest in the College. The question discussed at the exhibition was just in his line, viz., "In warfare, does valour or strategy hold the higher place ?" In no examination perhaps, did the effect of their studies reveal itself more distinctly than in Moral Science. Altogether the examinations were very interesting. They revealed not only diligent and faithful instruction by competent teachers, but an average capacity and zeal for learning on the part of the students, fully up to the standard in Western Colleges." "There are now about 70 young men enjoying the rare advantages of this Institution of learning. More are expected next year. The College is becoming known all through the Province, and many of the students are from Tsing Chow Foo and other distant prefectures. English is not taught as a regular part of the course. "Tungchow is a quiet old city with the sea before, and the hills behind it. It is exceptionally clean for a Chinese city, and the same thing may be said of it morally. Altogether it is a capital place for study. It would be well for missionaries in other parts of the empire to assist young men of gifts and piety, during a few years of study here. The readers of The Recorder will be interested in a few items concerning the general work of the Presbyterian Mission in this Province. Mr. Gayley, our pioneer missionary, came here 23 years ago. We have now 2,207 members in this Province. Last year 418 were added to the A good many inquirers, probably as many as 150 or 200, have been turned back, it is hoped temporarily, by the war. There is a good deal of persecution. The commonest form is house-burning, at least in some districts. The Christians bear the persecution well. All our work is going on as usual, and our hopes were never higher than now." The Rev. H. Corbett writes re garding his work during 1884, as follows: "During the year, owing to persecution and excitement consequent on the war and constant moving of troops in this province, I was unable to sell any books, and only gave to men who were enrolled as inquirers. In many places the people either from fear or opposition would not receive even tracts from me or my preachers. Some of my members were beaten very severely by the officials on false charges. Others were cruelly treated by their hostile neighbors, had their crops destroyed and property injured, but the officials positively refused to receive complaints from the Christians. All these adverse circumstances seemed to retard the work. I trust, however, this may be God's plan to establishi the faith of the converts and keep unworthy men from seeking ad mission to the church. In the early part of the year a large number were observing the Sabbath and seemed near the kingdom, but when persecution came, and it seemed to be regarded both by officers and people a crime worthy of punishment to be a Christian, and the wildest rumors were constantly circulated by deserting soldiers that all foreigners had either been killed or driven from the country, and it seemed determined to exterminate the native converts, many became discouraged, and as yet have not had grace given them to make an open profession of faith in Christ. Notwithstanding the troubles, it was my privilege to receive 219 on profession of faith. Most of the Christians have stood firm, and some of them have shown much courage and have manifested great zeal in trying to strengthen the faith of weak converts and to extend a knowledge of the truth." SOOCHOW.-The week of prayer at Chinese New Year was a delightful one. There was a joint communion. The programme gave the subject and three passages from old and New Testaments, and two foreigners and one native were appointed as speakers for each day. The meetings were largely attended, and were many times as effective as where there is one long preacher. The plan is commended for union services.-H.C.D. The Evangelical Alliance at Hankow.-A meeting of the Hankow Branch of the Evangelical Alliance was held in the Sailors Rest, Hankow, on the 4th of March, under the presidency of the Rev. Griffith John, when the Constitution suggested by the Peking Committee was adopted as a provisional basis of working. Exception was taken however, to the admission of the term "bloody" in the expression “bloody passion and death," into the Confession of faith adopted by the Hankow Branch, and the word, "by His death and passion" accepted instead. A Resolution was passed expressive of the deep sympathy felt by the members of the Alliance in this locality with the Brethren, native and foreign, in the Canton Province, who have recently been called to pass through such severe persecution, and the hope was expressed, that some united action on the part of the Missionary Body might be taken towards the suppression of such outbreaks in future. Nineteen names have been entered on the roll of membership. March 9th, 1885. THE gift of the Holy Spirit in wonder-working power to the Christians assembled in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, stands recognized as the first and typical Christian Revival. That was the beginning of the long series of gracious manifestations of the Spirit of God whereby he has been pleased to quicken, cheer, humble and strengthen his people, and to confound, convince and convert the careless and unbelieving. While we should be going counter to the methods of that Spirit who ever works in liberty, to demand or expect as a sine qua non of genuine revival the presence of each individual characteristic of that first great Spiritual movement, a study of some of its features may form an appropriate introduction to the subject which we have met to discuss and pray over to-day. We begin by noticing that it was a divine gift, a divine work. This is evident from the fact that it was promised and prepared for. The more spiritual of the Old Testament seers looked forward to it as Moses looked from Nebo upon the Promised Land. The prophet Joel comforted and cheered the chosen people in the midst of the sore afflictions which pressed upon them, with the promise of a better time coming when the Spirit, the Fountain of all blessing should be poured out upon all flesh, and their sons and daughters should prophesy, their old men dream dreams, their young men see visions, and to the servants and hand-maidens even should the blessing in all its richness extend. John the Baptist spoke of a greater one to come, who should baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire; and our Lord himself made special and repeated promises of the coming of a Comforter and Strength-giver who should be * A Paper read at the Missionary Conference of Osaka, Japan. more to his disciples than even he had been to them in those three years of blessed discipleship and companionship. The divine character of the gift is further shown in the time and manner of its bestowment. It was no accident that the dispensation of the Spirit was inaugurated at the feast of Pentecost; that feast which brought together the largest number of Jews and proselytes from the most widely separated lands. Again, the manifestation was sudden. The disciples knew not the day nor the hour when the gracious visitation should be made; and so although they had prayed for, and were anxiously awaiting his coming, the sound which announced his approach broke with surprise upon their ears, and they doubtless, as well as their hearers, were amazed and marvelled at the new power given them. We notice, thirdly, that the divine character of the gift is shown by its manifest power. The "sound as of a rushing mighty wind" which "filled all the house was not of earth; it came "from heaven." The "tongues as of fire" were of divine not human origin. The Spirit with which the disciples were filled and which is the only adequate explanation of the new and strange power which henceforth characterized their lives and preaching-in such sharp contrast with Peter's denials, and Thomas' doubts, and the utter despondency of the two Emmaus-going disciples-was "the promise of the Father," "the power from on high," given in accordance with the promise of Christ. But if this Pentecostal blessing was a divine gift, a divine work, it is clear that it was also a resultant of human action. true sense it was the work of man. In a Note first that the promise of the Spirit was coupled with a command,- -a command to obedience. "Behold I send forth the promise of the Father upon you; but tarry ye in the city until ye be clothed with power from on high." If the disciples had refused thus to tarry, if they had been disobedient to the Master's words, we have no reason to think the blessing would have come. That this connection between the divine gift and human obedience was clearly understood by the apostles is shown by Peter's words as reported in Acts v. 32. "And we are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Ghost whom God hath given to them that obey him." The blessing was therefore a resultant of divine grace and human obedience. This was not, of course, that obedience which would claim the divine presence as its desert. It was that obedience which springs from faith working by love, which indeed is faith. Again, the blessing comes in answer to prayer. The relation between prayer and the gift of the Holy Spirit, so beautifully represented in the descent of the "Heavenly Dove" from the opened heaven upon Jesus as he stood "having been baptized and praying," was further indicated early in our Lord's ministry by that strong comparison: "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts. unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" It is clearly seen also in the declaration of Our Lord in John xiv. 16. The Divine Redeemer could say, "I will send Him unto you," and again "I will come unto you," but He also says, "I will pray the Father and He will give you another comforter." The importance of prayer in this connection is also well shown by the narrative in Acts (i. 14) a verse which we may well keep in mind to-day. The disciples prayed; they all prayed, they prayed without distinctions as to clergy and laity or as to sex, the women, however, being especially mentioned; they continued in prayer; they were united, of one accord as touching the blessing sought. We notice, once more, that the gift of the Spirit followed teaching. There was nothing fortuitous in the fact that the Out-pouring of the Spirit followed the three years ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. The divine wisdom and order are manifest in it. In vain does the rain fall and the sun shine upon the earth if the seed be not sown. The parable of the sower emphasizes an essential feature of the divine economy. I do not hold that the Holy Spirit's working is strictly limited to those who have read or heard biblical truth, but the honor put upon the Bible by its Divine Author is plainly visible in the fact that the dissemination of its truths has been so intimately associated with the most marked workings of the Spirit of God. It is God's gracious way to give the increase after Paul and Apollos and the great company of Christian workers whom they represent have planted and watered the seeds of truth. Although He is the Spirit of all Truth it is especially the truth as it is in Jesus that He impresses upon men. It is the Christ of the Bible that the Spirit glorifies. And the promise of the constant presence of Christ even unto the end of the world is given to those-and so far as I can see, to those only who by lip and life, by word and work, teach the observance of those truths imparted to men by the Son of Mary, the humble Nazarene, during those years of arduous self forgetting seed-sowing. A revival is therefore a gracious and unmerited gift of God, a work of God. It is also a resultant of human effort. With these two statements we form the perfect sphere of a great truth, a truth essential to successful Christian work. It may seem to you needless that I should here and now thus dwell upon these two statements, as the systems of theology which neglected either side of the great truth, belong to a past age rather than to the present. True enough. |