throughout Africa shows that Christian missions on that continent must more than double their forces within the next five years if they are to keep pace even with the advance of civilization. Steam communication by four different routes will soon be established with the very heart of Central Africa, regions which twenty years ago had never been visited by a white man, and were utterly unknown to civilized peoples. Then there are the special calls which come to American Christians for giving the gospel to those islands and peoples to which our government is extending its name and rule. What immense and unprecedented opportunities are before us! What vast responsibilities are simultaneously thrown upon us! What wisdom and grace and courage and devotion are called for at this time of crisis!

The Tremendous Responsibility which will rest upon the members of the Board of Managers at the meeting on Jan. 11, constitutes a call to the entire constituency of the Missionary Union for special, united and fervent prayer that the Holy Spirit may absolutely guide in all the deliberations of the Board at that momentous meeting, and that the will of the God of missions may be exactly impressed in its decisions. Let us pray.

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In Evening of Prayer for Missions. For several years it has been the custom of the women laboring in association with the Woman's Baptist Foreign Missionary Society to observe the evening of Feb. 9 as an occasion of special prayer for foreign missions, and much interest has been developed in connection with these meetings. The Executive Committee of the Missionary Union, realizing the importance of occasions of special prayer for its work, and especially at the present time, when decisions of such great moment are to be made, have in conformity with the custom of the Woman's Society appointed the evening of the regular prayer-meeting following the first Sunday in February as an evening for special prayer for the Union and its missionary work. It is hoped that this evening will be generally devoted by our churches to this purpose, and that it may receive special attention by previous notices, and a large attendance may be gathered. Let earnest, united, special prayer be made for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all the missionaries, and upon the missionary workers at home, that grace and wisdom may be given unto all who are called upon to direct in the affairs of the missions, and that great power and effect upon the hearts of those who hear may be given to the message of the gospel in all the mission lands. It is only by the divine blessing that any success can be gained in this missionary work, and no occasion of greater importance in its influence upon the missions could be called to the attention of our churches than this meeting for special prayer. If we feel that the work is God's, and that it can prosper only by his blessing, let us come to him unitedly, humbly and earnestly for his favor upon the missionary work in which we are so widely engaged.

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The recent death of Dr. Duncan has called renewed attention to his able and comprehensive "Survey of the Asiatic Missions," presented at the annual meeting of the Missionary Union last May. The remaining copies will be sent to all who apply to the Mission Rooms, Tremont Temple, Boston, Mass., inclosing a one-cent stamp for postage.

WE

A NEW BURMAN BIBLE

E regret to learn that the British and Foreign Bible Society has finally authorized a committee in Burma to prepare a new version of the Burman Bible, which the society will print. This is a concession to the sectarian prejudices of a few persons representing principally the High Church element of the Church of England, and is a direct violation of its rule and practice in other countries, to circulate versions which have obtained currency among various peoples if they are of approved accuracy. No one has dared to attempt to impeach the accuracy of Judson's translation, and the only objection to it is the translation instead of the transliteration of the terms relating to baptism. The general satisfaction with Judson's version was shown by an offer from the society to adopt it, provided the baptismal terms could be changed. Baptist Christians outnumber those of all other bodies in Burma many times over, and a grievous wrong is done to the predominant Christian body in that country by this placing of a professedly undenominational society on the side of a few sectaries. On the point to which objection is made, Judson's version does not differ essentially from Luther's German version and the other European versions based upon that, which are freely printed and circulated by the Bible Society. To be consistent with its action in Burma, the society ought now to proceed to prepare entirely new versions in German, Swedish and other languages. Baptists can only protest at this perversion of Christian comity and invasion of the proprieties of Christian courtesy. But we do protest vigorously and emphatically, and the Bible Society cannot escape responsibility for the more marked divisions which will be introduced into Christian ranks in Burma, and for the check to the progress of the gospel among the more intelligent Burmans, which will result from this uncalled-for and partisan action.

The Missionary Calendar of Prayer for 1899 is now ready. This year it is made a

Birthday Calendar, the names of nearly all the missionaries being given, so that all can have the pleasure and privilege of praying for the missionaries on their birthdays. This is a unique and beautiful idea of Mrs. H. N. Jones of Philadelphia, the editor of the calendar. The price is twenty-five cents, and it can be obtained from Mrs. H. N. Jones, 1420 Chestnut street, Philadelphia; Miss A. E. Stedman, Tremont Temple, Boston, Mass., and Miss A. L. Stevens, Masonic Temple, Chicago, Ill. The following premiums are offered: For clubs of twelve, "Leaves from the Life of Lyman Jewett," or "Giving What We Have," by Anna Robertson Brown; for clubs of twenty-five, "Behind the Pardah," by Irene H. Barnes, or "Fellow Travelers," by Rev. F. E. Clark, D.D.; for clubs of fifty, two dollars in cash; for clubs of one hundred, five dollars in cash. A large circle of friends make a practice of following this missionary calendar in their daily devotions year after year, and many marked instances of answer to prayer have been recorded in connection with it. Certainly it must make for every missionary a marked and holy day of that on which he knows that such a multitude of God's people are specially bearing him to the throne of grace in their petitions.

The Progress of Protestantism in France is shown by many cheering signs. One most recent and significant is the fact that so many of the priests of the Roman Catholic Church have been converted to Protestantism that it has become necessary to open for them a home in Courbevoie, near Paris. By their training they are unfitted for the active duties of practical life and need a place to which they can retire after their conversion, in order that they may become familiar with the truths of the simple gospel, and may have time to adjust themselves to the new circumstances into which their conversion has plunged them. It is hoped that many of these converted priests will go to the Protestant seminaries and become preachers of the gospel.

יד

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The Missionaries in Rangoon, Burma, received the telegram announcing that Dr. Duncan had been obliged to leave the steamer at Port Said on Oct. 6. On the next day a meeting was held for special prayer for Dr. Duncan and his family, and also in view of the great disappointment to the hopes of the missionaries. The News says that the keynote of the meeting was: "In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God, and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus." Phil. iv. 6, 7. In these bereavements which so often come to the missionary work by the loss of valued and important laborers, those who have been long in the work have learned that the only source of comfort is to turn to Him who is the fountain of strength and to whom the work belongs.

She is espe

The Death of Mrs. Grattan Guinness on Nov. 3 brought a shock of sorrow to many in this country who remember her visits with lively interest. cially known to American Baptists for her efforts on behalf of the Congo mission, of which she was the Secretary before it was transferred to the Missionary Union, and her addresses before our Baptist churches while here arranging the details of the transfer, created a profound impression of her great mental powers and devoted Christian character. For more than six years Mrs. Guinness has been laid aside from the active duties which had engrossed her attention by repeated shocks of paralysis the last of which proved fatal. Two of her children are missionaries in China in connection with the China Inland Mission, Dr. Whitfield Guinness, and Geraldine, the wife of Mr. Howard Taylor, son of the beloved Hudson Taylor. We extend to Dr. Guinness and the bereaved family our sympathy in their bereavement, which is also a great loss to Christianity and the cause of foreign missions.

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The recent cabinet changes in Japan mark a temporary reaction. The retiring cabinet was fully sustained by the Diet, but the members could not agree among themselves. It was the first really representative cabinet, and its fall is to be regretted on that account. The new cabinet is military in character and reactionary, but can hardly hold office long in the present state of opinion in Japan.

AN UNUSUAL PROCEEDING

то 'O select a letter from one church for special commendation, might usually be thought to imply undue partiality, but in this case the unusual course was evidently justified by an extraordinary cause. The Pittsburg (Pa.) Baptist Association has a committee called the "Committee on Church Letters." It goes over the letters, statistics, etc., sent in by the churches, and comments on what is noteworthy. This year that committee said:

We rejoice with the Wilkinsburg Church in their year of unparalleled prosperity, numerically, financially and spiritually, and would venture the suggestion that the unusual development of the benevolent work may have had much to do in bringing about the great spiritual blessing.

The pastor of the Wilkinsburg Church, Rev. John M. Moore, comments:

We do rejoice greatly, not in what we did, but in the really wonderful work God did through us. There is absolutely no doubt but that the committee is right when it suggests that the rich spiritual blessing we have enjoyed has come as a result of our willingness to help others. The missionary church cannot fail to be blessed, while on the other hand, the church that is not missionary, God cannot bless. It is not in the real sense of the word Christian, for Christian and missionary mean the same thing.

Here is the letter referred to:

Dear Brethren: We are grateful to God for a year of unparalleled blessing; the revival spirit has been constantly manifest. Our membership has been almost doubled. Baptisms have been frequent. The recommendations of the Committee on Systematic Beneficence have been adopted with the most gratifying result. We find that by applying system to our church finances we have raised for all purposes $21.56 per member. Of special significance is the increased and increasing interest in missionary and benevolent work, an average of $3.34 per member having been given for this work. A monthly missionary prayer-meeting is held, which is the best attended and the most interesting of the month. The future is full of promise. A. W. SIMPSON, Clerk,

We suggest that a multitude of our Baptist churches labor for a revival on the same lines.

hristian Imperialism.

There is a difference of opinion among the people of this country in regard to the advisability of annexing the islands which might come to us by reason of the victory over Spain, but there can be no difference of opinion as to the advisability of extending the kingdom of Christ throughout all the earth, and the establishment of his righteous reign over all peoples and all lands. American imperialism is possibly an idea which is more attractive in the first enthusiasm and flush of victory than it would prove in the process of the management of foreign territories and peoples through a series of years. Christian imperialism is an idea which may well excite the enthusiasm and enlist the heartiest efforts of every follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. However we may differ as to the proper and profitable limitations of the boundaries of the United States, we may all be united in a mighty enthusiasm for the annexation of every nation and people on the face of the whole earth to the dominion of our King Jesus.

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AS IT APPEARED WHEN THE BAPTIST GENERAL MISSIONARY CONVENTION WAS FORMED, MAY 18, 1814

T The First Baptist Church of Philadelphia celebrated its bicentennial the first week in December. In view of the fact that the society was organized in its house of worship May 18, 1814, the American Baptist Missionary Union was given an honorable place on the programme, the address of Rev. Henry C. Mabie. D.D., Home Secretary, on Dec. 8 being one of the marked events of the week.

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The Conference of the German Baptist Churches held in St. Louis, Mo., Sept. 26, 1898, adopted the following resolution:

Whereas, The American Baptist Missionary Union financially supports our work in Germany and aids our German brothers and sisters as missionaries in heathen lands; therefore, be it

Resolved, To request our churches financially and in every other manner to sustain the noble cause of the Missionary Union.

In behalf of the Conference,

JACOB H. MERKEL, Secretary.

The sympathy and assistance of our German Baptist churches in America is highly appreciated by the management of the Missionary Union, and this new proof of their interest and loyalty is cordially welcomed.

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The Gospel for the Philippines. - The British and Foreign Bible Society sent an agent to Manila immediately after its occupation by the United States forces. In spite of much opposition from the priests he secured a place for a depository. His first day's sales were twenty Spanish Bibles, seventeen Testaments, forty-eight separate gospels, one English Bible and one Testament. After time enough to learn the temper of the people, he writes:

Make known to the missionary world that the harvest is ripe and the laborers are few. Who will be in haste to enter in this newly opened door?

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