Jones to this country in 1883-4, and of Mr. Richard in 1885-6, led to our increasing largely our staff there.

Suffice it to say that the work has continuously advanced. Persecutions have recurred. From November, 1881, to November, 1882, the story of the church was one "long tale of persecution." In 1883 it became so bad that they had to enlist the offices of our consul to get a proclamation issued setting forth rights of the converts to remain unmolested. In 1884 they had twice to give up premises through the opposition exhibited to their settling in new places. The work had been carried into the adjoining province of Kiangsu, though subsequently the stations in that province were given over to the charge of another Mission. But through evil report and good report the work grew in solidity and strength. In 1879 the old church at Chefoo of about fifty members was transferred to the care of the American Baptists near there.

IMPRESSIONS OF THE RECENT DEPUTATION.

The Deputation in the report on their recent visit to China. describe in the following terms their impressions :—

"The groups of associated baptized persons are not organised into separate churches' in our sense of the word, but all constitute together the church,' which, consisting of 1,050 members, is governed by delegates from each group. Each group has its leader'; most of them have also a deacon, and in addition a man set apart to instruct the young. Two of these represent the group in the ruling body—a body more popularly constituted than a presbytery; more authoritative than an association. This body governs and unites all. The whole is divided into six districts, for the financial management of each of which one or two stewards' are appointed. The 'general deacon' is the treasurer of the whole church. These officers give a great deal of time, work, and interest to the cause, for which, of course, no remuneration is received. No leader' or other worker in the church receives any payment whatever from us, or from them, excepting that Pastor Chêng-who takes the oversight of the whole church, and who came to them with Mr. Richard as a stranger from another district-is paid by us. Six pastors who were set apart while we were there are also to be paid a small salary furnished by the church. "The church, in addition, has a 'Poor's Fund,' much needed and fairly supported; and contributes, besides, part of the support of the men in the training institution.

"There were many gratifying evidences of the self-propagating power of the Gospel. Many regularly engage in preaching the Gospel. Indeed, the demands on the time of the missionaries are so great, and travel is so slow in China, that in the Tsing Chow Foo district the stations can only be visited by a missionary twice a year. The work of propagation, therefore, is bound to fall on the people themselves, on their leaders, on the men who were students and are now pastors, helped, perhaps, by the occasional ministrations of an evangelist.

"Ignorant of the language, we were not so able as otherwise we should have been to learn by direct converse the views, feelings, and experiences of the people. But, using interpreters, and questioning all who could inform us, we did our utmost to learn the workings of soul by which they had been brought to Christ, and the nature and strength of their attachment to Him. There are differences in what may be termed the process of the development of the Christian life, answering to the different states of mind in which the Gospel finds men there; the stage of "inquiry" often presenting characteristics it lacks here, and lacking characteristics it has here.

"We found from many missionaries, in various parts and of various views, a uniform testimony-that a deep sense of sin, which is so commonly the starting-point of spiritual solicitude at home, is rarely met with until the Gospel has been received. Probably, their vague conception of one personal God, and the distribution of their worship amongst minor spirits, prevents this rising in their mind. There is no sense of personal responsibility to a personal moral ruler pervading the minds of men, and giving the preacher a fulcrum for his lever. This deeper sense of sin comes, but comes as the result, not the beginning, of conversion. The glory of the Lord, as revealed in the Gospel, seems to make the first impression; then the great goodness of God; then the love of Christ in His redeeming work; then His fitness to be their guide; then, last of all, the mystery of the Cross, with its suggestions on the malignity of sin, the need of pardon, the possibility of reconciliation with God. Deliverance from the fear of spirits is a very great deliverance to a Chinaman, and one of the greatest mercies for which he thanks God.

"The faults of the race remain in the converts to some extent. In a land where none deem truthfulness a duty, regard for truth must grow, and cannot even by conversion be made. And the love of money-which their poverty makes so pardonable-still lingers neces

But

sarily among those whose position is just above starvation level. our hymns, translated, express their hearts. Their prayers are, we are told, fervent, childlike, spiritual. Their constancy under persecution is remarkable; and, though the morals of the people generally are low, it is very rarely that our church members fall into immorality. None smoke opium. Altogether we have every reason to believe that, as a body, our membership consists of men and women regenerated by God's Spirit, consecrated to Christ's service, resting on His Cross, and expecting His everlasting home.

"When it is considered that in each of seventy-nine different towns and villages around Tsing Chow Foo there are little communities delighting in the heavenly light and shedding it forth, the Committee will be enabled in some degree to realise our surprise at finding a work so rooted, so extended, and so flourishing. We were familiar before we left home with the mere statistics of the work; but not till we visited the villages, and realised, on one hand, the immense labour which visiting so many would involve, and, on the other, saw the way in which men and women had laid hold on the Gospel with active, and not merely passive, acceptance, did we realise the immense value of the work accomplished."

CHOWPING DISTRICT.

In addition to the work round the original centre at Tsing Chow Foo, we have now a large and very promising work in a district of which the city of Chowping, about sixty miles west of Tsing Chow Foo, is the centre.

It is a small city, containing a population of about twelve thousand. In 1888, Mr. Jones, after visiting it regularly for some time, and treating such as were sick with his medical skill, had taken up his abode there. Five other workers have since joined him.

Just before he had taken up his residence, the whole of Shantung, and, indeed, almost the whole of the Great Plain of China, was overwhelmed with autumnal rains such as had not been experienced for a century.

As the land lies flat and low, and for hundreds of miles the bed of the Yellow River is above the level of the adjoining country, it will readily be understood how awful must be the mischief when a mighty river, extending when in flood perhaps a mile from bank to bank, bursts the double row of embankments which the labour and