Reward of Missionary Effort.
By Editor
THE following excellent article was written by the California Superintendent of Baptist Missions. We commend it to every missionary worker among our people; and especially do we desire it to be read by every one who is not already a missionary worker, for they need it still more:— One who has written much on the subject of Home and Foreign Missions, has said: "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister." Another who has done more for missions than Paul, or any of us, has said: "Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give unto your bosom. For with the same measure that ye meet withal, it shall be measured to you again." The gifts of God to us are without measure. His gifts are limited only by his love. That is, without limit. But it finds expression in every gift. He so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son to be our Saviour. So also his love for us finds expression in what he requires of us. If he requires us to deny ourselves, it is that we may be more like Christ, and so be loved more of our heavenly Father.69If he requires us to give, it is that he may give back the more to us. If he requires work, it is that we may rest in Christ. So in all his requirements, "Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of these, ye did it unto me." He will not forget our works of love. These two principles should underlie all our work in missions. Our efforts, in time and thought bestowed upon the work, in gifts made to it, or sacrifices for it, should be the expression of our love. We love Christ, we love souls for whom he died, we love the "saints" to whom we "minister," we find an inward satisfaction in anything we may do to supply the destitute fields, and this finds expression in our readiness to respond to oft-repeated calls with a glad heart. Then again, efforts thus put forth, and gifts made in such a spirit, are not subtracted from our capital. It is rather capital invested, upon which we are to receive a large dividend. "Give and it shall be given you" is not the promise of a being whose ability is limited and whose treasury may be absorbed or lost, but it is made by one whose thousand hills are covered by his cattle, and whose mines are never exhausted. And he will bring it to pass, that he will not forget our works and labor of love, in that we have ministered to the saints and do minister. Brethren, let us cultivate this spirit, forgetting the things that are behind and pressing forward to the things that are before! There are open fields and white for occupation; there are calls which seem to come from the scattered sheep who are perishing, and not more possibly for want of ability to help them, than for want of this mind and spirit of Christ which would soon develop all our resources and gladden all our hearts, causing us to shout the praises of Him who hath called us with an heavenly calling, that we might sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.