Page:China's spiritual need and claims.djvu/56

42 The foregoing Conspectus deserves the most thoughtful consideration, for in it may be seen at a glance the population of the Provinces, the number of Missionaries in each, the Stations they occupy, and the Societies to which they belong. The date at which each Society commenced operations in China is also given, and the total number of their Missionaries. The study of these figures, in the light of the foregoing pages, will surely give emphasis to our appeal. With these facts before us, and with the command of the to go and preach the gospel to every creature, each one needs to ascertain whether he has a special call to stay at home. If not, shall we disobey the 's plain command to go? If, however, we can conscientiously say that duty—not inclination, not pleasure, not business—detains us here, are we labouring in prayer for these helpless ones as we might do? Are we using our influence and means as largely as they might be to help forward their salvation? In short, are we seeking first, for ourselves and for them, the kingdom of and His righteousness, leaving to  to add other blessings? Oh, let us take the time to ponder the words of the unchanging —"If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; if thou sayest. Behold, we knew it not; doth not He that pondereth the heart consider it? and He that keepeth thy soul, doth not He know it? and shall not He render to every man according to his works?"

It may not be unadvisable to point out a few facts tending to shew the facilities for more extensive evangelization in China.

In the first place, the physical conformation of China Proper is most interesting. To the west of the 112th degree of longitude the country is mountainous, and therefore less densely populated than the more easily accessible regions on the east of that line. If we equally divide the eighteen provinces at 110° E. longitude, we shall, roughly speaking, have

As we have such free access to the whole sea-border of China, this fact is of the deepest importance.

But further, the eastern half of China may be subdivided at 30° N. latitude into the more hilly region on the south, and the region containing greatest plains to the north, of that degree. Here, again, we find the healthier plains of the north to be far more populous than the less accessible regions of the south—regions in which the difficulty of the language is much greater,