the great preacher himself experienced, for he too passed away six years later in a hotel adjacent to the little sanc- tuary in which he related the story. MISSIONARY UNBELIEF The Christian that does not believe in foreign missions does not believe in the "great commission." Repeat it and see. The Christian that does not believe in foreign missions does not believe in the apostles' creed. Repeat it and see. The ' Christian that does not believe in foreign missions does not believe in the Lord's prayer. Repeat it and see. The Christian that does not believe in foreign missions does not believe in the doxology in long meter. Repeat it and see. The Christian that does not believe in foreign missions in this generation be- lieves that three hundred more millions of the heathen world ought ±o die before we try to tell them of Jesus Christ. How long is this unbelief to go on? How many more millions must die be- fore the church of God is ready? "If thou canst believe, all things are possi- ble to him that believeth." •— Herrick Johnson, D. D. God and the soul are beyond price, will be bitterly jeered at. Nor will the social ostracism, which punishes zealous Christians, become less stern. There are about us signs of a corrupting and decaying society. Old checks are being removed, and if we are to trust those who know, the descent is rapid. The time may soon come when the Christian believer will be openly flouted by the principalities and powers that rule. In such a time he will need a strong heart to believe steadily that the things that are not will bring to nought t he things that are. Our Lord and His apostles, were fully aware of this; but even as the Lord Himself took the weight of shame, so His followers must. It was the shame of the Cross that was our Lord's ex- treme trial. The deeper we go into the mystery of the Saviour's life, the more we shall understand this. It was the actual essential part of His ? discipline. He made acquaintance during His min- istry with contempt and hatred and cal- umny, and after so many leagues of weary road He came in full sight of the
Spurgeon related the following anec- dote: A young Christian lady, who was slowly dying of decline, was one even- ing impressed that her end would come within a few hours. Her long illness had proved most trying — as she well knew—to an affectionate sister who had tenderly nursed her, and she longed to spare her further fatigue. Early in that night she therefore begged her to go to bed, for she might safely be left, as she was "all right." At dawn her sister went to her bedside, only to find that her spirit had fled. Under her candle- stick, however, was a half-sheet of paper, on which she had spent her dying energy to write her farewell assurance that she was departing to be with €hrist, "which is far better." It ran thus: "When death is at hand I'll not fear undressing, Nor shrink through the valley of shadows to go; To die in the Lord is a covenant bless- ing. Will He fail to be with me? Ah never! Ah no !" This, doubtless, continues the writer, /•rfN these days true followers of 41 Christ have to endure, not open persecution, though to that it may come, but sneering, mockery, scorn. They may have more of it to endure, and the signs are that they will. Says a recent writer: "There is an awful mystery about the future of Christian- ity." What seems tolerably certain is that in the coming time there will be new and fresh difficulties, constant and augmenting struggles'. The battle will increase, it will not diminish. Chris- tianity will be faced by the pride, the wealth, the intellect of the world. The languid indifferentism which ha3 replaced the challenge of mortal defi- ance will not always continue what it is, will become more openly disdainful of those who take part in the great war of Christianity against the wisdom of this world. The Christian will be judged a fool or a hypocrite. In pro- portion as the strife for commercial supremacy becomes more fierce, those who stand aside from it, who believe that there are nobler ends in life than making money, and that the things of
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The Offence of the Cross By Sir W. Robertson Nicoli, LL.D.
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