A Happy New Year "To Give Is to Live!" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

God grant you, dear reader, to taste the riches of God's love in Christ as you have neYer experienced them before; may He grant you grace to say to Him more boldly and confidently than you ever haYe dared to do in the past, "Abba, dear Father!" God grant you grace to see that you are His own and that He has the first claim upon you; that all you are and all you have, your powers, your gifts, your time, all belongs to Him. May your service of Him bring true satisfaction to your heart; and may you ever realize that, as you serve your fellow-men for • Christ's sake, you are actually serving your God and

Savior! May you find it a delight in this new year to help that your prayer may be more and more fully fulfilled: "Thy kingdom come !" May you come to the •blessed realization that the more yo11 help in bringing the kingdom of God to others, the more will the kingdom of God fill your own heart ! May this new year of grace bring you nearer to living so that all who will may see that you are convinced of the truth of the words, "To give is to live; to deny is to die" l ----,.,---- F. J. L.

"To Give Is to Liv~!"

I ·venture to say that many of our renders have read the classic story of the painter who was asked to paint the picture of a dying church. To the great surprise of many, instead of putting on the canvass the picture of a shabby old ruin, surrounded by a weed-grown lot and a tumble-down fence, the artist painted a stately edifice of great beauty. Through the large open doors could be seen a hand-carved pulpit of most beautiful design, a rich altar, a handsome organ, magnificent stained-glass imported windows, and comfortable-looking pews; in short, an exterior and interior to satisfy the most critical eye and most esthetic ta·ste, an edifice that was truly a poem in stone. Just within the grand entrance, in the generously proportioned vestibule, or narthex, was an offering-plate of exquisite design for the offerings of the worshipers. Beyond the offeringplate, suspended on the wall, was a square box, plain and simple, bearing the words, "For Missions." Over the slot, through which the contributions for missions should have gone, - and here the artist gave expression to his idea of a decaying church, he paintetl a cobweb I Dear reader, do you think the artist could have painted a more expressive and correct picture of a dying church? A church that permits the cobwebs to grow over its contributionbox for missions is dying and, unless the grace of God intervene, will surely die.

"To Deny Is to Die!"

Ti1e history of the Church unmistakably shows that no religious body can live long when once it begins to shut itself off from others and lives only for itself. Stagnant water soon loses its usefulness; the heart that no longer sends its life-giving stream through the body soon ceases to bent; the farmer who no longer sows will cease to reap. The old adage is and remains true to the end of days, "To give is to live; to deny is to die." When, years ago, a man said in objection to Foreign :Missions that we had no religion to spare in this country, but needed more for ourselves, he was correctly answered by another that just because we have so little religion, we ought to do more to send the Christian religion to others; for the more we should send away, the more we should have. This answer was fully in accord with the words of Jesus, who told us to bring the Gospel into all the world; and He plainly declared that, as we measure, it shall be measured to us.

Losing Life is Saving It.

A number of years ago the following testimony was given as to the great service missions had rendered the churches that carried them on : "One hundred years ago the New England churches were called to the mighty task of missions; and whatev~r that great enterprise may have done for heathen lands, it has done quite as much for the spiritual life of the churches at home. Never was the truthmore clearly demonstrated that the losing of life is. the saving of it. The life of the home churches may be quite accurately tested by the flow of gifts toother lands."

And what is true of the churches of New England is just as true of the churches generally throughout this country and Europe. Here is the· testimony of a London editor bearing upon the influence of mission activity upon English churches: "The churches of England derive great strength from their mission-work. ·It is so ehtirely disinterested and unselfish. To a great number of other-• wise ordinary men and women this taking a part in the great work of missions is an important avenue: into the higher and nobler life of unselfish service to others. They learn to pray and give for no narrow personal result, and thus thought of self is weakened, and the desire is strengthened to be a true· disciple of Him who gave His Hfe as a sacrifice for-

others. Just in proportion as Christi ns exercise .fis,ri~ct}.\~jj~-· •ty, absorption in their own intheir faith in the Savior of all men i the work of terests, th:H1f'tilt(rY,' ~ get out of themselves and do missions is the reaction of a greater work in their home churches." z {Y-,!JfJ-irrious ~'ly something tation for for other missions . The result was a strong agiAnd the effect upon the home Louis Harms and Hermanns burg. ~ ch{?irr.hci soon bee· u / ~ 1 .IJ.Ji e n 11/U/~c me apparent. became active Congregations bein the service of

When Loujg Harms came to Hermannsburg in others. rr/~a. deepening of religious earnestness 1849, he founcJ the parish at a spiritually low ebb. could soon be seen. Spiritual life and strength The men were a hard-drinking lot, and the youth manifested itself eYerywhere. In seeking to save cared little for the Gospel that he wanted to bring others, they saved themselves. In their endeavor to them. But then he told them his simple talc o.f the bring life to their fellow-creatures, they brought new wants and woes of the poor heathen and thereby life and vitality into their own souls. enkindled a fire which spread far and near. The fire which burned in Pastor Harms's breast was soon Let Us Learn the Lesson! transmitted to his people. '!'hough but few in mun- There is here a most important lesson for us all. ber and feeble in strength and too poor to give lnm- A supreme need among us is a large view, a world dreds and thousands in money, they responded to his outlook, a new faith in the greatness of the mission appeal. There were those who saw this awakening of our Lutheran Church and its pure Gospel, a courat Hermannsburg who doubtingly shook their heads age to la.unch out into the deep as we know the Lord at the missionary enthusiasm o.f Harms and his little would have us do, and the sublime enthusiasm to do flock. But faith in the Lord and childlike prayer something worth while for Him who shed His prefor His help, united with self-sacrifice, prevailed, cious blood and gave His life for us that we may live and a moral miracle was the result. with Him in bliss forever. 'l'he simple Hermannsburgers first gave their The alternative that presents itself to every money, but soon they also gave themselves. One church-body and congregation is an enlarged vision, man gave his farm, and on this farm was opened which takes in the whole world, or a religious pron school where future missionaries were prepared vincialism, which. must result in sterility, exha.usfor their work abl'Ond. And not a few o.f these con- tion, and death. There is no hope for that religious secrated men came to America and served our con- ~ody, great or small, which confines itself within gregations. Then a sailor suggested the building of Chinese walls of self-interest and is deaf to every a ship to bear the missionaries to other lands, and appeal for larger service. The church that responds the Candace, the first of mission-ships, was built to the appeal of missions with a cold and unfeeling and manned by members of the Hermannsburg "W c don't believe in missions" thereby utters its parish. own coµdemnation and doom. Faith can grow only

But this is not all. While Hermannsburg sent by exercise, and so a church can grow into a. fuller forth scores of young men and women to various life only by putting forth its efforts to expand itself countries of the world to preach the Gospel as Christ beyond its narrow boundaries into all the world. has commanded His Church to do, the church at Would we grow strong in faith and love? Would home increased in number, until its membership we have our congregations grow in spiritual life? reached ten thousand, and it became the largest Would we have our dear Church live and grow from Christian congregation in the world. Though they grace to grace? Obey the command of the Lord of gave for the Lord's work with open hands, the Lord the Church: "Go ye into all the world." Preach the would not allow them to exceed Him in giving; Gospel to every creature, everywhere, in season and though they scattered, yet God sa,v to it that their out of season. Bring men to hear the Gospel. Perstorehouse became ever fuJ.ler. suade men to believe it. Be 1nissionaries! F. J. L.

"To Give Is to Live!"

At the close of the eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth century the churches everywhere · were in a. sad spiritual state. Spiritual life was at a very low ebb. The sky looked threatening. The future seemed wholly unpromising. A fe,v men saw that the churches were dying of the dry-rot of sel-

"THE doors are open, and consecrated men and women in · large numbers are offering themselves for service. If the Church will courageously go forward in faith, prayer, and conscientious giving, then the Gospel-car will also move forward with the speed of the age in which we are living."