MUCH has been written as to South America's spiritual need, but, as yet, comparatively little done for its immediate evangelization. Here is a continent containing 7,000,000 square miles, and with a population of 37,000,000; a tract of country containing one-eighth of the land surface of the globe, and yet there are more preachers in New York City alone than in the whole of that continent. South America's millions, who are wholly unevangelized, wait to-day for the messengers of Christ. The fourteen benighted countries are here being opened as never before to the Gospel, in spite of all the opposition of atheism, superstition, and priest-craft.
Traveling in South America, over thousands of miles through Argentine, Patagonia, Chile, and Bolivia, I have met multitudes of people who have never before heard the Gospel, nor seen a Bible, tho there are plenty of Romanists, priests, nuns, cathedrals, convents, crosses, and images. One young man said that he had been seeking for a Bible for three years without success. In Bolivia, with 2,000,300 people, without a single missionary, I held a meeting in Oruro, after which the people were so intensely interested that they kept me talking half the night. Many offered their houses as places of worship, to show their appreciation of what they had received. The priests are, of course, very bitter against the work, and often have recourse to violence to stop the preaching of the Gospel. A Bible colporter, Mojardino, lost his life some years ago in Bolivia, but the Word of God will yet prevail in spite of all opposition, difficulties, and persecutions. Persecution is still going on in Peru, but the Lord's work is prospering. The Romish priests are doing all they can to prevent the circulation of the Bible. One of them said that he had already burned twenty Bibles, and wanted all my books that he might burn them. Another wanted to burn me on top of my books, etc. Many steal my Bibles, but I pray that they may read the book and learn to steal no more.
Romanism has blighted this beautiful continent and enthralled its people. Africa is not more benighted than many parts of South America, with all its popish rule and teaching. Ecuador, with her two millions of people, has been in midnight darkness for centuries, but is now, in God's providence, opening her closed doors to the preaching of the Gospel. General Alfaro, who won the battle in the last revolution, a few months ago, is in favor of religious liberty. In Guayaquil the people were so hungry for the Word of God that when I began to distribute Bibles among them, they seemed like hungry wolves, and, in a few moments, the books were all gone. In northern Chile, almost every night that we held meetings, people accepted Christ, and one night thirty anxious souls came forward seeking a Saviour. The people of South America are ready and willing to receive the Gospel as never before. Since God has so much blessed America and England with the heavenly bread, shall we not give some crumbs from the Master's table to our starving sister, South America? The Christian people of America are especially responsible to God for the evangelization of our sister continent.—Missionary Review.