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THE KING’S BUSINESS reports him as saying that the rheumatism might double him up, or he might have to beg his bread from door to door, but so long as he was allowed to live and breathe in the United States he expected to be happy. He had seen Europe, he knew the misery over there, he had travelled much and seen it all. And the comparison between this peaceful country and the troubled world on the other side of the ocean was so much in favor of this side he expected never again to complain at anything or to be dejected. He had seen thousands and thousands of people without homes—living in the fields and fence corners and in the alleys of the cities. He had seen women and children lying dead along the road with no one paying the slightest attention to their corpses. He had seen men who had been prosperous a year ago, now walking about dazed and poverty-stricken. He had known happy families to be shot to pieces in a day, and remnants scattered to the winds, never again to be got together in a family. He had been hounded by spies and officers, and arrested on suspicion, and thrown into prison and neglected. He had been robbed of everything he had half a dozen times.. He had gone hungry with money in his pocket, and had almost famished for water on several occasions. He had become infested with vermin, as nearly all of Europe had. He had seen houses burning, with nobody trying to suppress the flames, and women and children crying in front of them. He had geen men torn and shattered on the battle-field, lying on the platforms of railroad-stations, waiting for jolty trains to take them to hospitals. Escap ing from such a seething hell of misery, and landing upon the shores of this quiet country, could any one blame him for almost losing his reason in rejoic ing? Yet there are some who vaunt their patriotism who are longing for this country to get into, the war. Let us. rather thank God that thus far He has preserved us in peace. It is nothing for which we can take any special credit to ourselves, ,but it is something for which we can devoutly and earnestly thank God. it was originally addressed, but to Christians everywhere: When men’s hearts everywhere are failing for fear; when the darkest clouds of sin and slaughter and suffering the world has ever seen, hang overs us; when the end of the age draws near and millions still wait in total ignorance that there is a Saviour, what manner of persons ought we—children of the Loving Omni potent God—to be? Is our Jehovah God able to give us exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think, of His grace, His love, His steadfastness, His power, His victory, His fruitfulness? Is He able to send forth many laborers even in these difficult times? Is He able to keep His promise and “supply every need,” even now? Our membership in the mission testifies that we have each heard the Divine Order for Africa’s evangelization: Is there any honorable retreat?. Our Lord said: “According to your faith;” “pray ye the Lord of the Harvest that He send forth laborers,” and “whatsoever ye ask, believe and ye shall have.” Shall this new year pass with only a few new workers? “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye leave much fruit.” Shall we then be content with little or none? “He that abideth in Me and I in Him, the same bringeth forth much fruit.” Shall we per mit anything to keep us out of that fruitful abiding? Shall we this year find grace to see that no person—no people—no powers of earth or hell—nothing but self— can prevent or limit the exceeding abundant blessings, temporal and spiritual, which God desires to give us? In these days of darkness that are spreading over the whole earth) the following message received a while ago from Charles Hurlburt, in the heart of Africa, seems peculiarly timely, not only for those to whom To What Is God Calling Us ?
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