Society was indeed fortunate in the selection of time and place for its special meeting connected with the Grifith 'John Jubilee Buildings, which it is proposed to erect in Hankow. The Ku-Ting Church was full when the chairman, the Rev. 8. Isett Woodbridge announced the oj hymn, "All Hail the Power jof Jesus' Name," which was sung with touch spirit and power. The opening rayer was led by Mr. Archibald Orr Owing, after which the chairman, in a few apt and genial remarks, announced that while they were mot in a general senso to celebrate and congratulate the venerable and Reverend Griffith John on the occasion of his jubilee in China, the meeting was convened specifically to review the work, state the results, and set th for the claims of the Central China Religious Tract Society, and to mater-valise the plan for the Grifith John Jubilee Buildings.
In calling attention to the needs of the Society on a larger scale the Right Reverend Bishop Roots said that the great cure for discouragement was a review of history. God was moving i current history, and all agencies, plans, purposes in the wide range of the divine econotay proved that we were living in a kingdom, where every crisis, and the whole consummation of crises, was in the right trend towards the fulfilment of God's purposes. The Bishop paid a warm tribute to the founder of the Society, Dr. John, and in eloquent terns emphasised the fact of the unifying agency that the Society had been among all Missions in Central China.
After a beaut: ful vocal and musical velection in the rendering of How lovely are the Messenger," the chairman, called upon the honorary Secretary and Treasurer, the Bey. Joseph 8. Adams, who was received with applause, and reviewed in a fow well-chosen points the work of the Society. He made special mention of the names of David Hill, W. Scarborough, Bishop Ingle. and others in connection with the work. God planted vine in Hankow thirty years ago. _Tts branches had reached into all the lands where Chinese dwelt. From Erie, Pa., U.s.A-, ame the news of Chinese converted through reading tracts, From Corea, Japan. the Wei Indies, Honolulu, and other places, come guests for literature, In China' its-If the fruit of this vine were found in every province. From the north. in Shantu: came the story of Wong Chun-ho. father was a wealthy fisherman aiid boatowner on the coast, and he, being the second gon, was put in charge of the fishing-boats. During 1900 Wong's father, " heathen, received snd hid a native preacher named Wu. It was through the consistent life and testimony of this man that Wong was converted. He was now colporteur, and sold his books everywhere, at fairs, temples. inns, and leo on the railway trains. South, from rebel-infested Kuaogsi, came the story of Mr. Lo, of Lotion. Three year 0 several packages of books were ven out to the students. Mr. Lo, man of about forty. received one, snd wax much impressed with the con: tents of the books. He was previously prejudiced, having believed all the evil reports ourrent, and had never soon any of their literature. From that day ho became a seeker after truth, and was now a thorough Christian, and a great hol to the work at Lotien. Such incidents could be multiplied. East and wort oung the same glad song of fruitfulness and joy. The ever-increasing demand indicated that the Society supplied what the supplied needed, th the missionary
Word of Life presented in such a manner that the scholar andthe coolie alike might read and find the Saviour of the world, The little vine had become a vi and the produce bad increased immensely, till it had reached the immense sale of t ion five hundred thousand publications. This growth demanded larger and suitable buildings, The Religious Tract Society of London had promised the support of a suitable agent, for three years, when the Jubilee Build: ings had been secured. By the courtsoy of the China Inland Mission, Me. H. B. Stewart had been released from his engagement with the Mission, and had entered the Tract Society as its agent, It must be stated, that all this work so far, had been done without paid European assistance. The work had become too great for volunteer labour. It must be remembered that the Society is really a emall missionary Society in itself. It employs eighty-six colporteura in the provinces of Hunan and Hupeh. They circulated 475,000 copies of the books and tracts in 1904. Also 583 Bibles, 4.491 New Testaments, and 43,000 Gospels. These men had beau evangelists also, taking the light of the Word into the dark places of the earth, They had been instrumental in founding of churches, and in linking together the scattered assemblies of believers in districts far away from any foreign missionary. far, out of a needed sum of Tis, 20,000, about Tls. 4,500 bad been received. The Society was not in a decline, and was not going to perish, but because the God of Heaven had prospered the work, "therefore we, His servants, will arise and build. Our faith is, He will provide the site and the building materials."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.