Pleading for Africa. BY A MISSIONARY. IN the burning heat of an African sun, One sultry summer day, I wearily walked at the hour of noon, Till I thought of the love of God's own Son The sun was hot-but what mattered that? And those who were mourning their buried dead, The sun was hot-but what mattered that? The time to think of Home. Time-when in the early morning light Was there time to think of Home? That day passed by, like every day, O we know how to ask for strength by the way! On that day, from a region wild and lone, There the word of life had never gone, My frame was weary, and deep my sleep When the hour of rest came on; I slept, but I only slept to weep, To suffer anguish great and deep, Like those who their watch with the dying keep; I dreamed that I stood on a distant hill, Calling for teachers, calling until They besought with tears, and urging still, Both chiefs and people. They said, "You will Go for us to your distant Home. O send!" "O come!" But all said, "Not there; We give our money, and some there are But what are you doing? How came you here? Deep agony then my soul o'erthrew As I waked from that awful dream-- Though "there's much to do at Home?" They say, "In the home beyond the sea The hearts must be hard and cold, For they give us no light; how else can it be? Thus they long for truth and beg for light They have heard, mayhap, of a Heaven bright, You have doomed them to darkness and endless night, med l'Allah" (praise be to God), and "Elhammed l'Sidna Aisa" (praise to our Lord Jesus), are often on his lips, and I believe always in his heart. Since then his life has been beautifully consistent. Upon my return from England a few weeks ago, I soon learned the good news. I was much touched, on telling him he could have a vacation and go and see his relatives in El Kasar, two days' journey from here, to see him quite break down and weep, and tell me that immediately after his conversion a few weeks before, he wrote to his father that he could no longer remain a Mohammedan, for he had become a follower of Jesus. His father promptly wrote back, on behalf of not only himself but El Hasan's mother, to whom he is tenderly attached, that he was no longer their son, and if he returned they would imprison him. The full import of the renunciation of Mohammedanism and the supernatural power needed to produce it, and the moral courage it demands, can only be understood by those who have lived in Moslem lands. By the law of the Koran, which is the law of every country of the "Crescent," it is death. Hasan said his father would not imprison, he would kill him. As far as I know this is the first Moor (the name given to Arabs in Morocco), who has ever thus renounced Islam and declared himself a Christian since the blighting system of Mohammed had its birth. (I, of course, except the others I mentioned as having declared their faith in Christ's death for salvation, which is a virtual giving up of the false religion. But in El Hasan's case it is a positive renunciation.) It is said that the Jesuits, who have had missions here and in Algeria many decades, if not centuries, have never yet, in Morocco, won a single Moor to Romanism. Some of El Hasan's relatives sent for him to come to them to keep one of their religious feasts or "aides." His comment to us was, "What would I do at their aide ?" I could fill pages with expressions of faith and hope and spiritual intelligence from his lips. He fearlessly confesses Christ everywhere. Like young converts at home, he seems to think it is only necessary to fully make Jesus known, and all Morocco must needs soon be at His dear feet. He is sure there are many devout ones such as he was (somewhat like Cornelius, in Acts, as he himself noted), who will quickly receive Christ if instructed. I am also sure there are hundreds and thousands. He said to me the other day that the truth was not that his Lord Jesus was by his side, but that He was in him. When a brother was quoting to him the text, "A thousand years is with the Lord as one day," he said, "Yes, the Apostle Peter wrote that in his letter." Such acquaintance as that has he gained of the Word of God in these short months of transition from darkness to light. He said to me "I now understand how it is God is one and yet three. It is something like the sun which is one and yet three. It has its substance, its light and its warmth." He longs to be in Fez, where he is going with me, where he will be able to, with me, speak the Word of God to all who will come to us all the day long, and we know throngs will come. If one's heart is big with faith, he says, one will have no fear; and that if he were before the Sultan he would fearlessly confess Christ as his Savior, though his head were to be taken off the next minute. He seemed to be first attracted to Christianity by the sublimity of the teachings of Christ. No other religion, he said, taught men to love their enemies. He notices minutely our actions, and is not slow to say of any inconsistency, "I do not think our Lord Jesus would have done that." If this dear man's life is preserved we believe he will be greatly used of God to win others. He is already himself a missionary without suspecting it, for he constantly speaks of Christ. He has interested some of his friends, even those in high position. Others frown upon him and threaten him. His dauntlessness is an inspiration. Just now we are trembling for him, for he heard his mother was sick and likely to die, and he could not rest until he was on his way to her. We fear it is but an excuse to get him into the hands of his relatives. I have obtained for him letters of protection from the American Consul, which will doubtless protect him from imprisonment. Still the ghastly possibility of poisoning, in which the Moors are adepts, remains. I entreat the prayers of every friend of our work for this dear, promising young convert. I am just on the point of starting to Fez, the northern capital of Morocco. It is ten days' journey, on muleback, into the interior. We ride on pack saddles, the animals carrying also panniers full of our clothing, tents, cooking utensils, books, etc. We will, in Fez, occupy a native house, with no other furniture than our camp beds and boxes, conforming our living, as far as possible, to that of the Moors we long to win. In Fez live some two hundred thousand Christless souls. It is the seat of such rude learning as the country can boast, and is the heart of Morocco in every sense. The population is entirely Moorish, save a few thousand Jews. Arabic is the language of all. The Sultan divides his time between Fez and his southern capital, the City of Morocco, where he is at this time. As he comes and goes he is accompanied, we are told, by some fifty thousand people. I hope to yet stand before him and speak to him and those about him, of the "great salvation." I have already had an audience with the eldest son of the presiding shereef (a sort of pope or high priest) of all Mohammedanism, at Wizzan, Morocco's Mecca, where he was holding his Shereefan Court, in his father's absence. I go to Fez to speak of Christ to the people and to get on with the language. I doubt not the men of Fez will be coming in and going out continually of "our own hired house" where we will receive them. Tangier, Morocco, CHILDREN AND MISSIONS. to how God overrules the plans of men for his own glory. Rev. D. L. Wilberforce is the principal of this school. Pupils must be able to pass an examination in the common branches before entering, and then take a prescribed course of three years. Our denomination is German in its origin, and is historically connected with the Reformed Church of Germany. Out of this fact grew the desire to open mission work in that part of Europe. This feeling took practical form in 1870, when a mission was projected and Rev. C. Bischoff appointed to the work. This mission was located in the kingdom of Bavaria with the head-quarters at Naila. The laws were and are still oppressive in their bearing on our missionaries, and on this account the work has been greatly hindered. Still many have been converted and we now have ten native missionaries with 638 communicants. It might be well to state that there are two papers published in connection with our foreign mission work, The Early Dawn is a semi-monthly published at Bonthe, British Sherbo, West Africa. The Heilsbote, a monthly, is published at Coburg, Germany. Both are self-supporting. The future is full of hope for these missions and that future seems to be assured. The past year has been the richest in valuable results, at home and abroad, of any❘ in our history. With our native ministry in the foreign field, increasing in numbers and efficiency, more and more, each year, we shall be able in the near future to plant Christianity in a thousand towns on the West Coast and many cities in the German Empire. General Work of Missions. The Children and Missions. BY REV. H. H. FRENCH. The secretaries have struck the key-note of victory at last! A "Children's Crusade" not to snatch the holy sepulcher from the Saracens, but "to put God's wedding-ring around the globe!" Their immediate. help will be worth a great deal. That boy who wrote to Dr. McCabe saying, "I am a boy who can lift a pound," has a lot of brothers and sisters. We must utilize this mass of children. But the most potent reason for interesting the children is not their present aid. It was Hannibal the child, touching the sacrifices of the altar, and then swearing eternal hatred to Rome, who became Hannibal the conqueror of Rome's generals. And the children of to-day can be made into an army of trained, intelligent givers for the future, to take our places when we fall out of the ranks. But what can we, the pastors, superintendents and 137 parents do to complement the work of the secretaries? Malebrun was once asked what was the best way of teaching popular liberty? He replied, "Begin with the infant in the cradle, and let the first name it lisps be Washington." And is it not equally good reasoning to say, "If you would interest the children in missions draw out their affections toward Jesus Christ?" The work of missions is to spread the Gospel, and the Gospel is the story of Jesus' love. Let that love be shed abroad by the Holy Ghost in the heart of a little child, and, if he is then faithfully instructed, you have won a permanent convert for missions. Loyalty to Jesus through the love they bear to Him will make them zealous for this cause. Bring them to experience the holy joy of the Gospel themselves and they will long to have others partake of that joy. Without this foundation work you may win apparent success. You may be able to appeal to the motives of competition, enthusiasm, and thus collect money. But to make missionaries of them all their lives convert them, and appeal to that highest of all motives, "The love of Christ constraineth us." Then let us inform the children. Take them into your confidence. Let the great plans of the church be spread out before them with minuteness and care. How often do we run across this sneering remark, “I don't believe in missions." The remedy for it is information. And the informing process must begin in childhood. When Johnny or Mary are reciting at school lessons in geography embracing the great missionary countries, why not point out to them our missions? Designate the grave of Bishop Wiley on China's map. Tell them, as you point out Beirut, the life-story of the consecrated Kingsley. Show them the place where in the Sepoy rebellion, the blood of the martyrs became the seed of the church. Most of our Sunday-schools are organized on the missionary plan; but I believe a good many of them do not know what that means. The superintendent ought not to be too busy to inform his scholars of facts such as this. But let all information breathe and throb with life. We must present those phases naturally attractive to the child. In early life the imagination largely predominates. Hence the more glowing and picturesque the form of the information takes, the more lasting the impression. Thrill them with the successes, the potencies, and above all the heroics of missions. Let Christianity appear like a form of grandeur moving over the earth instinct with life. At all events let us believe in the children. We ought to expect large things from them. It was a heathen who said, "The youth of Sparta are her walls," when inquired of regarding the defenses of that renowned city. Ought we not to have as much faith in childhood as a heathen? The "crusade will be successful. And the crusaders shall return "with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads." 136 Missionary Societies. On the return of Mr. Flickinger to the United States, Dr. W. B. Welt and Rev. J. K. Billhimer were appointed! to the African work. They reached Freetown early in Foreign Missions of the United Brethren in Christ. January, 1857. Land with written title was secured BY REV. Z. WARREN, D.D., CORRESPONDING SECRETARY. The Home Frontier and Foreign Missionary Society of this church, was organized by the General Conference in May, 1853. By that body the following officers and Board of Managers were elected : President, Bishop J. J. Glossbrenner. from Chief Caulker and the work commenced. The difficulties were great owing to the deadly nature of the climate, and the degraded condition of the people. Slavery, polygamy, drunkenness, witchcraft and devil worship, prevailed everywhere. In the midst of these discouraging circumstances and repellant forces, our Vice-Presidents, Bishop Henry Kumler, Bishop L. brave missionaries commenced their work, with the purDavis, Bishop David Edwards. Board of Managers, Rev. Wm. Longstreet, Rev. Jacob Emrick, Rev. D. Shuek, T. N. Sowers, Esq., John Dodds, Esq., D. B. Crouse, Esq. Rev. J. C. Bright was elected Corresponding Secretary, and Rev. John Kemp, Treasurer. The first Annual Meeting of the Board was held at Westerville, Ohio, June 1st, 1854, and the annual sermon preached by Rev. W. J. Shuey. Three questions were carefully considered: First, Where shall our Foreign Mission Work be located? Second, Where shall we get the money with which to Third, Who are willing to go as missionsupport it? aries? The first question was answered by the adoption of the following Resolutions: "That we send one or more missionaries to Africa as soon as possible." The second was answered by the General Secretary proposing to go to our people and get it, and the third by the offer of Revs. W. J. Shuey, D. K. Flickinger and D. C. Kumler, to go out under the direction of the Board to the field selected. These were strong, true, men, and had the confidence and sympathy of the church. These brethren sailed from New York early in January, 1855, and reached Sierra Leone, West Africa, the latter part of February. British Sherbro, sixty miles south of Freetown, offered an opportunity for mission work equal to any portion of the West Coast. The Chief, T. S. Caulker, had been driven by wars from this territory, making it impossible to locate the mission for the present. Meanwhile Good Hope, occupied by the American Missionary Association as a mission station, was the headquarters of our own missionaries. From this point they visited and examined the country to find the most eligible point at which to commence work. Without reaching any definite conclusion, Messrs. Mr. Flickinger reShuey and Kumler returned home. mained until driven away by the African fever. Messrs. Shuey and Kumler met with the Board at its second Annual Meeting, and gave much valuable information This report enas to the country, climate, people, etc. abled the Board to plan with higher intelligence for the work in hand. Before leaving Africa Mr. Flickinger made a verbal agreement with Chief Caulker for land on which to erect the necessary buildings, near the town of Shengay. pose to win these wretched people for Christ. The work continued with varying fortunes up to 1870, when it seemed to have passed under an eclipse and the faith of man was staggering. At that period a new thought came to the Board and found expression in the appointment of two colored missionaries to the field. These were Rev. J. Gomer and wife, of Dayton, Ohio. They landed at Freetown, Jan. 11th, 1871, and met with a friendly reception at the hands of Chief Caulker, whose quiet and concealed opposition had hitherto been a great hindrance to the work, In the following August he died, expressing some hope in Christ, and was succeeded by his son George, who has always shown friendship for our work. About this time a Sherbro boy, D. F. Wilberforce, accompanied a sick missionary of the American Missionary Association, to New York. He was about fourteen years old and while not converted, desired to be educated for missionary work. The A. M. A. having then no place for him, he was in the act of returning to Africa when the attention of Rev. D. K. Flickinger, our General Secretary, was called to the boy. He learned that the boy had been born while Mr. Flickinger was in Africa as a missionary, and was named for him. Mr. Flickinger brought the boy to Dayton, the Board adopted him and educated him, the Lord converted him, and he is now a strong man, doing a grand work among his own people. In 1881 our missionaries reported 276 members as the result of twenty-four years effort. In 1883 the American Missionary Association proposed to turn over to our Board the Mendi Mission under, their care. This was accepted for a term of five years. With this transfer there was turned over the interest on the "Avery Fund," amounting to $5,000 a year. We now have in our African Mission forty-three missionaries, seven of whom are Americans, and all are colored but two. We have reported December 17th, 1886, as members 3,929. An increase since 1881 of 3,653. The net increase the past year is 1,300. We now occupy 387 towns and have mission property valued at $30,000. A building of stone is now being erected under the direction of Rev. J. M. Lesher to be used for a Training School. In this school preachers and teachers are to be trained for mission work. Most of the stones used in the building are taken from the old slave pens of John Newton, on the Plaintain Islands, a striking instance as CHILDREN AND MISSIONS. to how God overrules the plans of men for his own glory. Rev. D. L. Wilberforce is the principal of this school. Pupils must be able to pass an examination in the common branches before entering, and then take a prescribed course of three years. Our denomination is German in its origin, and is historically connected with the Reformed Church of Germany. Out of this fact grew the desire to open mission work in that part of Europe. This feeling took practical form in 1870, when a mission was projected and Rev. C. Bischoff appointed to the work. This mission was located in the kingdom of Bavaria with the head-quarters at Naila. The laws were and are still oppressive in their bearing on our missionaries, and on this account the work has been greatly hindered. Still many have been converted and we now have ten native missionaries with 638 communicants. It might be well to state that there are two papers published in connection with our foreign mission work, The Early Dawn is a semi-monthly published at Bonthe, British Sherbo, West Africa. The Heilsbote, a monthly, is published at Coburg, Germany. self-supporting. Both are The future is full of hope for these missions and that future seems to be assured. The past year has been the richest in valuable results, at home and abroad, of any in our history. With our native ministry in the foreign field, increasing in numbers and efficiency, more and more, each year, we shall be able in the near future to plant Christianity in a thousand towns on the West Coast and many cities in the German Empire. General Work of Missions. The Children and Missions. BY REV. H. H. FRENCH. The secretaries have struck the key-note of victory at last! A "Children's Crusade" not to snatch the holy sepulcher from the Saracens, but "to put God's wedding-ring around the globe!" Their immediate help will be worth a great deal. That boy who wrote to Dr. McCabe saying, "I am a boy who can lift a pound," has a lot of brothers and sisters. We must utilize this mass of children. But the most potent reason for interesting the children is not their present aid. It was Hannibal the child, touching the sacrifices of the altar, and then swearing eternal hatred to Rome, who became Hannibal the conqueror of Rome's generals. And the children of to-day can be made into an army of trained, intelligent givers for the future, to take our places when we fall out of the ranks. But what can we, the pastors, superintendents and 137 parents do to complement the work of the secretaries? Malebrun was once asked what was the best way of teaching popular liberty? He replied, "Begin with the infant in the cradle, and let the first name it lisps be Washington." And is it not equally good reasoning to say, "If you would interest the children in missions draw out their affections toward Jesus Christ?" The work of missions is to spread the Gospel, and the Gospel is the story of Jesus' love. Let that love be shed abroad by the Holy Ghost in the heart of a little child, and, if he is then faithfully instructed, you have won a permanent convert for missions. Loyalty to Jesus through the love they bear to Him will make them zealous for this cause. Bring them to experience the holy joy of the Gospel themselves and they will long to have others partake of that joy. Without this foundation work you may win apparent success. You may be able to appeal to the motives of competition, enthusiasm, and thus collect money. But to make missionaries of them all their lives convert them, and appeal to that highest of all motives, "The love of Christ constraineth us." Then let us inform the children. Take them into your confidence. Let the great plans of the church be spread out before them with minuteness and care. How often do we run across this sneering remark, "I don't believe in missions." The remedy for it is information. And the informing process must begin in childhood. When Johnny or Mary are reciting at school lessons in geography embracing the great missionary countries, why not point out to them our missions? Designate the grave of Bishop Wiley on China's map. Tell them, as you point out Beirut, the life-story of the consecrated Kingsley. Show them the place where in the Sepoy rebellion, the blood of the martyrs became the seed of the church. Most of our Sunday-schools are organized on the missionary plan; but I believe a good many of them do not know what that means. The superintendent ought not to be too busy to inform his scholars of facts such as this. But let all information breathe and throb with life. We must present those phases naturally attractive to the child. In early life the imagination largely predominates. Hence the more glowing and picturesque the form of the information takes, the more lasting the impression. Thrill them with the successes, the potencies, and above all the heroics of missions. Let Christianity appear like a form of grandeur moving over the earth instinct with life. At all events let us believe in the children. We ought to expect large things from them. It was a heathen who said, "The youth of Sparta are her walls," when inquired of regarding the defenses of that renowned city. Ought we not to have as much faith in childhood as a heathen? The "crusade will be successful. And the crusaders shall return "with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads." |