zation, and the feeble races wither before the hot breath of the white man's vices. The great nations have combined to suppress the slave trade. Is it too much to ask that they shall combine to prevent the sale of spirits to men who, less than our children, have acquired the habits of self-restraint? If we must have "consumers," let us give them an innocent diet.

The enemies of foreign missions have spoken tauntingly of the slowness of the work and of its great and disproportionate cost, and we have too exclusively consoled ourselves and answered the criticism by the suggestion that with God a thousand years is as one day. We should not lose sight of the other side of that truth-one day with Him is as a thousand years. God has not set a uniform pace for Himself in the work of bringing in the kingdom of His Son. He will hasten it in His day. The stride of His Church shall be so quickened that commerce will be the laggard. Love shall outrun greed. He exacts faith. He will not answer the demand to show a course of stone in His great cathedral for every thousand dollars given. But it may justly be asked that the administrators of our mission treasuries justify their accounts; that they use a business wisdom and economy; that there be no waste; that the workmen do not hinder each other. The plowing and the sowing must be well done. These may be and should be judged; that is

men's part of the work. But the care of well planted seed is with God. We shall have reports from the harvesters showing that He has given the promised increase some thirty and some an hundred fold.

Gifts to education are increasingly munificent. University endowments have been swelled by vast single gifts in the United States during the last few years. We rejoice in this. But may we not hope that, in the exposition of the greater needs of the educational work in the mission fields, to be presented in this conference, some men of wealth may find the suggestion to endow great schools in mission lands? It is a great work to increase the candle power of our great educational arc lights, but to give to cave dwellers an incandescent may be a better one.

Not the least beneficent aspect and influence of this great gathering will be found in the Christian union that it evidences. The value of this is great at home, but tenfold greater in the mission field, where ecclesiastical divisions suggest diverse prophets. The Bible does not draw its illustrations wholly from the home or the field, but uses also the strenuous things of life-the race, the fight, the girded soldier, the assault. There are many fields; there are diverse arms; the battle is in the bush and the comrades that are seen are few. A view of the whole army is a good thing; the heart is strengthened by an enlarged comradeship. It gives promise that the

flanks will be covered and a reserve organized. After days in the brush the sense of numbers is lost. It greatly strengthens the soldier and quickens his pace, when he advances to battle, if a glance to right or left reveals many pennons, and a marshaled host, moving under one great leader to execute a single battle plan.

During the Atlanta campaign of our civil war the marching and fighting had been largely in the brush. Sometimes in an advance the commander of a regiment could see no more than half of his own line, while the supports to his right and left were wholly hidden. To him it seemed as if his battalion was making an unsupported assault. The extended line, the reserve, were matters of faith. But one day the advancing army broke suddenly from the brush into a savannah-a long narrow natural meadow-and the army was revealed. From the center, far to the right and left, the distinctive corps, division, brigade and regimental colors appeared, and associated with each of these was the one flag that made the army one. A mighty spontaneous cheer burst from the whole line and every soldier tightened his grip upon his rifle and quickened his step. What that savannah did for that army this world's conference of missions should do for the church.

AT THE ECUMENICAL MISSIONARY CON

FERENCE

RESPONSE TO WELCOME OF PRESIDENT MCKINLEY AND GOVERNOR ROOSEVELT

April 21, 1900

It would have been more appropriate if some one of our distinguished foreign guests had been assigned to the pleasant duty of acknowledging the generous and kindly welcome which has been brought by the president of the United States and by the governor of New York state, to this great conference.

But in behalf of the delegates who, from far and near have gathered in this conference, I return to the president of the United States our most hearty thanks for his presence here to-night. Perhaps some of our foreign guests miss the display, and the regalia, and the sound of trumpets with which the chief executives of foreign nations make their progress and are greeted by their subjects. Could anything be more simple, and when the mind receives the thought, anything more grand and majestic, than the simple presence of an American president here

to-night! We were quite prepared, sir [to President McKinley], because you are known by your fellowcountrymen as a Christian gentleman, that you should extend to these who are assembled the sympathy and fellowship of one who has part with them in the work of setting up God's kingdom in the world; but it was kind, sir, that you should leave those duties that some have recently called simple, and which, at least you and I know, are arduous and exacting to the very extremity of human endurance, and should add to them the labor of travel, that you might witness here on behalf of this Christian nation the sympathy of the whole country with this great foreign missionary

movement.

Of course, it was no trouble for Governor Roosevelt to come here. Indeed, I think he rather likes to get away from Albany, and if we may believe those unfailing chroniclers of the truth, whose representatives are here before me, he is not infrequently here for the purpose of having consultations. He availed himself of the few moments that we spent together in the reception room to consult me about a matter, and when I had given him my opinion, he said: "Well, that is what I was going to do anyhow, no matter what you would say," I felt very lucky that I had hit upon the conclusion at which he had already arrived. We are glad to have from him these hearty words of commendation of the cause of missions. I think you can receive as the