may be skilled in the controversy against the heathen systems of religion; but nothing can make up for the want of spirituality."

There are many who express a sentiment something like this: "We missionaries are human like the rest of people, and we each have our faults. I suppose we must excuse others, if we wish to be excused ourselves." This view no doubt has the appearance of toleration, charity, and humility, but does it satisfy that high sense of duty or those clear demands of Right, which are the impetus of every true reform, the power of every sermon, the incentive of every acceptable prayer? If such genial, limp leniency is the ideal of the Gospel, the pulpit need not sound out any more its calls to repentance, and Christianity need not replace the older systems of Buddhism and Confucianism. Rather than the lowering or the ignoring of a Christ-like standard, should the Church advance with the development and activity of the age, press into the enemies' lines, and conquer by faith and prayer and watchfulness, the powers of evil that assail the soul and the Church, as once they assailed Christ and Heaven.

Others again in the solemn moments of quiet meditation or in the intercourse of honest confiding friends, will candidly express their ideas thus: "I must say, that I am not altogether satisfied. While saying nothing about others, I feel that I for one am far short of the mark. I believe I am consecrated, but I don't think I have reached the possible in religious attainments. What I want is help." If every missionary would open his eyes rather than close them; if evils would be acknowledged; and if one united cry for a revival of the Spirit's work might be heard; a glory would encircle the cause of missions, as a thousand schools, with busy printing-presses and the daily discussion of mission methods, would fail to accomplish. In other words what is needed is spirituality, and the means for this is the cultivation of the spirit of devotion. Religion is the human communing with the divine through the God-man Christ Jesus. This is primarily an individual act, but it should expand into the combined act of the Church. Personal piety needs the sympathy of others; and the fellowship of the saints needs the development of individual responsibility. Missionaries, as a general rule, are strong in individual characteristics and independence, but are sometimes lacking in open-hearted, life-giving, Christian fellowship. Nearly every glaring blemish might be erased, if this spirit of communion with God and fellowship with the saints were persistently and earnestly cultivated. Christians, if true to their better natures, will cry out with the Apostle Paul, "Who is sufficient!" or with John Calvin, "O Lord, how long!"

and in the moment of weakness and anguish will crave the aid of others, who with no feeling of superiority or wish to rebuke, will with a sense of a similar need draw nigh to the Source of life and the Giver of gifts. The confessions of prayer, no more than those of the confessional, should not be seized as a point for future gossip, caricature or reprimand; but should be remembered as evidences of that humility, which true prayer spontaneously produces. As believers kneel together, the hearts soften, become more charitable, are touched with more sympathy, and become more considerate of the wants and feelings of each other. The one most noticeable element in the largest Missionary Society in China is the element of prayer, and has not God most signally blessed this obedience to His command? Wherever the young men from Cambridge during the last year prevailed on members of different missionary societies to unite in prayer, there came added zeal, more mutual helpfulness, a gentler warmer tenderness, and finer insight into the everlasting grace of God, the power of the Spirit, and the self-sacrifice of Christ. May we not say, that not only do we need a missionary conference for religious discussion and a brilliant display as to who shall be convener or who shall not be convener, but a conference like that at Northfield in Massachusetts under the direction of Mr. Moody, which sought the presence of the Spirit, and exalted the magnitude of prayer? Before the union of the Churches on an ecclesiastical basis, must come the union of Christians on the basis of mutual respect, helpfulness and recognition. To unite in prayer bowing before a common Father and trusting in a common Saviour, is the preliminary to the harmony of mission methods, to the alleviation of personal grievances, and to the diminution of sects and schisms. Prayer withdraws the soul into the peace and love of Heaven, and by its very effort soothes all discouragement, contention and suspicion, and humbles all pride and jealousy. It is a pleasant picture to see missionaries in a mission station halting for a time in the midst of their perplexities and duties, and with one heart seeking the favor of heaven; but how much grander and more inspiring the sight to see missionaries who are scattered all over a land, meeting as members of the Inland Mission do, at one time with one accord, if not in one place, at the throne of grace, and this not merely in the momentary rapture of a religious excitement or the occasional appointment of an Evangelical Alliance, but with the regularity of ever-succeeding days, bringing with them their ever-recurring needs and the unceasing presence of a divine blessing! No doubt it is fitting in the hour of danger, sickness or death, to hurry the brethren and

sisters together for an hour of prayer; but would it not be equally appropriate to meet in the time of health, joy, and success, and render to God a glad homage of praise and gratitude. Prayer is not merely petition, and should not always be for self or inspired by want or fear. Prayer is the focus of the divine light in the soul; it is the open window by which the Heavenly Dove may enter; and more

"Prayer is the breath of God in man,

Returning whence it came."

Of the early disciples it is recorded for our instruction, that "all with one accord continued steadfastly in prayer," and by this effort of combined heartiness and persistency in prayer, there was revealed the presence of the Spirit; and the presence of the Spirit is spirituality. The soul soars up to Heaven; Heaven comes down to earth; the supernatural and the natural blend; and in a newer and gladder way we learn that "there is a real power which makes for righteousness, and it is the greatest of realities for us." Beyond the sight of the natural eye is the spiritual vision of spiritual truths. Beyond the hearing of the voice of man and the voice of naturethe roll of the thunder, the singing of birds, the gentle murmur of the leaves of the trees and the grain of the field,—is the hearing of that still small voice, pleading a fuller admittance into the heart, and the hearing of the music of Heaven, as it floats over the river to the sainted dying Christian. Beyond the grasp of the hand or the pressure on the brow of the feverish man, is the grasp of the hand of Christ, as He leads us up to glory. Beyond all natural knowledge, gained by intellectual investigation, is the spiritual knowledge of spiritual things. The soul at its best, while tarrying in its mortal tabernacle, dwells in the land called Beulah, where the air is "sweet and pleasant," where the birds are always singing, and the sun shines night and day. The cause of missions has given in the past an unspeakable inspiration to spiritual life and religious neroism; and as the ranks enlarge and victories increase and the day of the Saviour's glorious return draws nigh, it is our duty to preserve the honor of our cause by personal consecration and by a full cooperation in the "pursuit of holiness" and the reception of faith and power.

THE RHEINISH MISSION.

BY REV. C. R. HAGER.

HAVING viewed in a former sketch the labors of the Basel Mission, let us in the present instance, turn our attention to its sister mission, commenced at the same time, and very much under the same circumstances. It was Dr. Gützlaff, who by his indefatigable zeal and magnetic power, stirred the Christian heart of Germany, and directed the attention of the different Missionary Societies to China, as a field for Christian work among the heathen. What others have done in England and America to arouse the missionary spirit in the churches, Dr. Gützlaff did in Germany. From the East to the West and from the North to the South of the great "Fatherland," the voice of this "Apostle of the Chinese," was heard in thrilling accents, pleading the cause of the sons of Sinim. With voice and with pen, everywhere and on all occasions, he presented the need of Christian Missions in China, until princes gave of their means and Missionary Societies listened to his appeals. Such was his enthusiasm and zeal for the Master's cause, that he urged the organization of a separate society, whose sole object would be the evangelization of China. Nothing ever came of this "German and Chinese Society," and it did not live beyond its period of incipiency, but the Rheinish mission after some deliberation, decided to send out two men in the autumn of 1846 in company with the two missionaries from the Basel mission. Dr. Gützlaff had already chosen the fields of the two missions, the Basel mission was to occupy the eastern part of the Kwangtung Province, while the Rheinish mission was to labor in the western part of the same province. Under these circumstances, Genähr and Köster landed in Hongkong, March 19th 1847, where Dr. Gützlaff met them and immediately set them to the work of studying the language, and to visit with the native preachers, the villages near Hongkong, for the purpose of disseminating the Gospel. Such was the unceasing activity of this man of God, that he thought that others were similarly constituted with himself, and could endure the same amount of physical and mental labor. From the very first these two pioneers of the Rheinish Mission in China, made tours on the mainland and distributed medicine among the natives. To the ever hopeful and visionary mind of Gützlaff, all that was necessary of these missionaries, was to superintend the native preachers, and

China would speedily become converted, but alas how different was the sequel! Mr. Köster after a brief period of six months labor passed to his reward above, leaving Mr. Genähr the sole representative of the mission. Towards the close of the same year, Mr. Genähr moved from Hongkong to the mainland and commenced work in the village of Tai Ping, which dots the shore of the Canton river. The San on district has been from that day to this the principal scene of the operations of their society. The chief reason of removing its mission center from Hongkong, was no doubt due to the fact, that Mr. Genähr had become conscious in part of the shallowness of Dr. Gützlaff's work and that the 500 or 600 persons gathered around him were for the most part rogues, and unfit to be made the heralds of the Gospel, and so he turned his footsteps into the interior, adopted the Chinese dress, blacked his hair and commenced to gather a few pupils about him, instructing them in the Gospel, until they were ready to be sent forth as preachers themselves. With this school Mr. Genähr's seventeen years of life in China were spent. It was his joy and pleasure to teach others, and with the exception of three years, during the English and Chinese war, he carried on his work uninterruptedly in the country, never leaving his post during all that time. Lobscheid, Krone and Louis, all faithful and earnest men-joined him after a time, but the first of these was soon compelled to return home again on account of his health and when he returned again it was under the auspices of another society. During these seventeen years, Mr. Genähr besides teaching his seminary students, was also engaged in preparing Christian literature for the Chinese, and among the number of his publications, two at least are to-day still standard works in this part of China, read with much interest and profit by the natives. The 廟祝問答 and 眞道衡平, are valuable additions to Chinese Christian literature. Though in the main occupied with this work, yet he still found time for occasional preaching tours upon which his medicine chest did him good service in reaching the hearts of the people. Lobscheid and Krone were the traveling missionaries, and they worked incessantly, but they were often obliged to leave their work on account of sickness, while Mr. Genähr seemed to stand at his post through the varying vicissitudes of missionary trials and hardships. His death was almost tragic, and as heroically borne, as any that has ever been laid upon the altar of self sacrifice. In the year 1861 Mrs. Genähr, (Mr. Lechler's sister,) was taken very sick, and physicians decided, that she must be taken home to rest. But how can these two people leave their work? Krone and his wife are already in Germany for much needed rest, and to leave the churches