Evangelistic Work

Active preparation is being made for Evangelistic Services soon to take place in Plainfield, N. J. where we reside. A number of houses are open in which prayer-meetings are held for blessing on the effort to be made.

Much as we love evangelistic work, and desire the salvation of men, we have not felt free to take part in the movement or express fellowship with it thus far for the following reasons:

Some years ago a similar effort was made under an " Evangelist " of great reputation for obtaining conversions. When he came, the whole machinery was set in motion for monster meetings, with large choirs and solos to excite emotion in the crowds, and the preaching consisted of strong appeals for deciding now to become 'a Christian-by resolves, by signing a card with promise to begin a new life, etc. Thousands were then announced as "converts," but no preaching of the atoning death of Christ for sin, nor mention made of new birth, nor of repentance toward God and faith in the Saviour of the lost. Alas, not long after the preacher himself joined the Unitarians!

As the word of God says, " Lay hands suddenly on no man" (i Tim. 5:22) we need to know what the teaching, character, and aim of the work are to be before expressing fellowship with it. So many Churches that used to be called "Orthodox" are now going on with the infidelity of the day-denial of the Scriptures' authority as the word of God, denials of man's ruin, of salvation through the atoning death of Christ, of His Deity, virgin-birth, etc., etc. that the Christian who wishes to "keep
himself pure " needs to know with whom and with what he is to associate.

Our sincere desire is that the work may prove to be of God, bringing men at the Saviour's feet, confessing their sins and the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus. Nothing else will do.

A Question From China

From a missionary magazine we quote from the following :

"In the city of Kwang-chung, China, lived old Mrs. Liu. She was 73 years of age, and a vegetarian. She was induced by her daughter to attend the meetings at the Gospel Hall of the China Inland Mission, but she never seemed to care to have any intercourse with the Missionaries. One day, however, I an impulse to go at once to see this old Chinese woman.

" I began to tell her that we had come on purpose to tell her about the living God, and that God had sent His Son to suffer and die for us, that 'Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' As she listened to our message her face suddenly changed; she seemed like one awaking from a dream,, and exclaimed :'Is it true what you say? Is it true that the Son of God died for me, and that if I believe on Him I shall be saved?' Using my Bible I sought to assure her of its truth, and after awhile her face became radiant with joy-that face which before was so dark and hopeless.
"She then said :' Do tell me again that Jesus died for me. Remember I am over 73 years old. I am so forgetful, but tell me the same words over and over again.' Again I quoted from the Scriptures, verses about the love of Christ to us while we were yet sinners. Then she said :'When you were in foreign countries and knew how to obtain the forgiveness of sins, why did you delay so long before coming to tell us? Why did you not come before? For over forty years I tried to find peace for my soul, going on my small feet from temple to temple, reading prayers, abstaining from meat, etc., not finding peace-now I am so happy.'

"From that time she became a true-hearted Christian and destroyed all her idols. Whenever she came to the meetings it was her constant wish that I should repeat the old story that Christ died for her, lest she should forget it. On the day of her baptism she said:'I do not know much, but this I know that Jesus died for me!'"

To the dear old lady's question, "Why did you not come before ?" it might be answered-if any excuse is worthy – Right here, in our so-called Christian land from which help should go to the heathen, as soon as one is truly enlightened by the Spirit and the word of God, as you have been in China, he finds himself amid darkness almost as great as in heathen lands. Those who ought to be earnest teachers of Christ's atoning death, of the divine authenticity and authority of the Holy Scriptures, have so largely become deniers of these precious truths, that needy souls all over the land are under the burden of their sins as you were yourself in your heathen condition, and it necessitates the evangelizing of our land the same as yours. It holds at home not a few who otherwise could and would gladly go to foreign lands.

May those who have turned to the Lord Jesus in the heathen lands become themselves the pro-claimers of the precious truth received, like the Thessalonians of whom the apostle Paul would say:"For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to Godward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing" (i Thess:1::8), be preserved from the influence of the apostles who would destroy there even as they do here.