Mission Meeting.

Southland Times, Issue 4792, 15 November 1883, Page 3

Mission Meeting.

A large meeting \M those; inteiested in mission work was held yesterday evening in the First Cluirch. The Rev. Mr Ferguson presided and briefly introduced the Rev. Wm. Bannerinan, of Puerua. Convener of the Mission Committee of the Southland and Otago Presbyterian Synod. : ■ Mr Bannerman said that he scarcely expected to see so many present. He was therefore thej more gratified, as their presence indicated/that they had a deep interest in the mission work. It was not necessary for him to say anything of the duty resting on Christians to engage in mission work. THe * tiinte : was past when any Christinn man or Christian Church doubted the obligations resting on them to seek extension of the Redeemer's kingdom and by that extension seek God's glory and the good of their fellowbeings. Missionary work seemed to be essential to the Christian's position, •ad sprung naturally from'participation in the blessings of , Christianity. Many figures were made use of by Christ to illustrate this teaching. •' Ye are the light of the world." -^Not of _■- their families or neighborhood ; but they had to contemplate the world^ as the field with which they had to do. Then^ again, Christ's teaching was-^-M Go ye out into all the world and preach the; Gospel to every creatmre." He gave this command not - only to His apostles, but to all His asaera-bi4d,clißcipleß--7-.. the members of His CSlrijfc^ He -.trusted they were all in the regular . habit, of making use of tlie words contained ia the Lord's prayers "Thy kingdom come; Thy will, be done on carth 1 tw it is heaven." Each of these clauses in that wondrous prayer was a missionary prayer. They should make this prayer with practical effort, for prayer of it«el£ never gets an answer. They could not expect their daily bread by asking it, and neither could they expect that God s kingdom would come hy simply praying for it. Thej must be up and doing, in ; order to obtain the first ; and the lame principle held good in things spiritual as well as in things temporal. It was remarkable that in connection with the state of things existing in Philippi when the missionary spirit was at a low ebb, that the Apostle exhorts the Philippians to have the same mind in them which was also in Christ Jesus. Seek ye the salvation of men in tbe same mind and manner as Christ himself. The reverend speaker exhorted his hearers to increased liberality in carrying on missionary work. They had but one missionary to the Chinese in the colony, and what could a single man do amongst many ? The speaker's idea was to send the missionaries out two by two ; the one wou'd sustain the other in trying circumstances. Tbe missionary committee desired to render some assistance to Mr Don. They proposed doing this by means of a Chinese catechist — a convex ted Chinaman, to fill Mr Don's place while he went to another field to prepare tbe way for another catechist. If the Church rose to view the matter in this light, then would the cry be the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of the next. Mr Don, missionary to the Chinese of Rivertonand Roundhill, said a catechiet was muchrequired. It took a life time to understand tbe Chinese, and one dropped off just as he was beginning to learn their character!. Therefore, what was wanted was a converted Chinaman ; one who, having seen the light of the Goßpel, would be able to grapple with the superstitious beliefs of his countrymen. The language had no alphabet, but there were about 50,000 hieroglyphics, one for a house, another for a tree, and ao on. The language was exceedingly perplexing ; but to overoome the difficulties was well worth the missionary's while, the language being a very rich one. Their superstitious beliefs were great obstacles to the spread of civilisation. Their religions were three — Taouism, Buddhism and Confucianism. The Chinese were like the Jews, not religious but irreligious. They had gods certainly, but should these not do as they'wish them they are not believed in, and sometimes they are whipped for not performing their desired functions. The . Chinese were against the opium traffic, which was a great hindrance to the spread of Christianity. Over 200 missionaries had signed a petition to the Imperial Parliament for the repression of the traffic, but as yet nothing had come of it. " What will free," tbe speaker asked, " the Chinese of this degrading habit ?'' —The Truth. There were 400 Protestant missionaries laboring in China, and as a result of their labors whole Tillages around Canton had been converted to Christianity. The Rev. Mr Stobo was also to speak, but as the evening was far spent he deferred bis remarks till acother occasion. The Rev. Mr Bannerman closed the meeting with the benediction.