Page:China's spiritual need and claims.djvu/53

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Areas of Europe and the Dependencies compared.
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in extent the sum of all the other countries in Europe. Add this immense country to all the others we have enumerated, and we gain a more adequate standard of comparison. The whole continent of Europe has an area of 3,797,256 square miles; Manchuria, Mongolia, the North-Western Dependencies, and Thibet, together have an area of 3,951,130 square miles. These extensive regions contain many millions of our fellow creatures, but except the four missionaries in New-chwang, they have no missionary. They are perishing, and they are left to perish. Among them no missionary resides to make known that wisdom, the merchandise of which "is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold." Throughout this immense territory, larger than the whole continent of Europe, with the exception noted above, there is not a single ambassador for Christ from all the Protestant churches in Europe and America to carry the word of reconciliation, and to pray men in Christ's stead, "Be ye reconciled to God." How long shall this state of things be allowed to continue?

My reader, think of the over 80 millions beyond the reach of the gospel in the seven provinces where missionaries have longest laboured; think of the over 100 millions in the other eleven provinces of China Proper, beyond the reach of the few missionaries labouring there; think of the over 20 millions who inhabit the vast regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, Thibet, and the North- Western Dependencies, which exceed in extent the whole of Europe—an aggregate of over 200 millions beyond the reach of all existing agencies—and say, how shall

God's name be hallowed by them,
His kingdom come among them, and
His will be done by them?

His name. His attributes, they have never heard. His kingdom is not proclaimed among them. His will is not made known to them. Do you believe that each unit of these millions has a precious soul? and that "there is none other name under heaven given amongst men whereby they must be saved" than that of Jesus? Do you believe that He alone is "the Door of the sheep-fold;" is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life?"—that "no man cometh unto the Father but by Him?" If so, think of the state of these unsaved ones; and solemnly examine yourself in the sight of God, 'to see whether you are doing your utmost to make Him known to them.

Before proceeding further it may be well to give a Conspectus presenting at one view the whole work of the Protestant Missions in China in March, 1884.