Moral schools on a probation of three months. Thus our boys are selected. And though we teach them after this for many years and though I feel I know them thoroughly, we do not depend upon this early selection but watch and study whom God seems to select for the great work of preaching. As these young men continue, they join with the Hindu and caste boys of the High School in Telugu subjects, and thus we have the commingling of Christians and caste young men. This gives manliness and self-respect to the one, and influences for good the others. As an instance of the good feeling thus formed, I mention that I have seen a Brahman put on a Christian's turban when having his photograph taken. In social things we have to develop much their uncouth natures and habits. For this accomplishment I give them every personal influence I can, either in their houses or in mine, and always urge simplicity in style and dress. In moral things I try to teach and discipline in a manner to training. reach their souls. To illustrate, I have a rule forbidding smoking, and, in one case of violation, the cigar was hung above the young man's head in the place of our daily prayer until, in two weeks, it seemed like a mountain weight upon his soul. When two of the boys quarrelled I made them catch hands as they came to our daily worship, and continued this for a week. I tell you they were walked into shame and will not be likely to quarrel again. Spiritual training. Licence. In things spiritual there must be God's help. Hearts must be reached by kind and earnest words. Thus have I striven. And the young men have wondrously aided me in this spiritual work by establishing and continuing a voluntary and earnest prayer meeting held thrice a week. I declare it, this training young men for the Lord's work is the greatest on earth. THE REV. E. W. PARKER, M. E. C., Moradabad, made the following remarks: Local I wish to say a few words on training men after they enter the Preachers' work. We have a Theological School for training our men, and when a man graduates from this school, we usually give him what we call a Local Preacher license. This makes him a member of our District Conference, and in connection with this Conference he has to pass a four years' course of study. The Conference meets annually and examines these men in their studies and looks into their work and renews the license of worthy men. If the local preachers prove worthy, they can enter the annual Subsequent Conference when their four years' course is completed, and here training. they pass yet another four years' course of study. This gives us If a trained, educated men who have been tried well in the work. A very important part of this training is the work in the Conference. Every licensed man is a member of our District Conference, and on this Conference floor the Exhorter has the same rights as has Dr. Scott or any other Missionary. Thus responsibility is placed on the men, and the giving and renewing of the licenses is in their hands, so that they feel that the work is their own. They have borne their responsibility well and are developing manhood and independence. The power to select men for the Theological School also belongs to the Conferences, and great care is taken in this. Our brother Bose spoke of preparing inferior men for this school when in charge of the orphan boys. So he did, but this District Conference plucked them all-not one of his inferior men passed through. We deem it very important to train the men to bear responsibility; and giving all our licensed men equal rights with us in these Conferences has worked well-no license or examination has any relation necessarily to the salary of the men-nor do any of these Conferences administer finances. They deal with work. Responsibility placed on the men. Afternoon Session. The Promotion of Spiritual Life and Enthu siasm in the Churches of India. FIRST PAPER BY THE REV. G. BOWEN, M. E. C., Bombay. By the churches in India are meant the churches gathered from the indigenous people of India; the native Christian community. Question. This is really the vital question concerning all Christian The Vital churches throughout the world. We shall solve the problems relating to the Christians of India most effectually, when we have solved them for the Christians of Europe and America. Let us glance for a moment at the things which lie in Obstacles. the way of the full development of life and enthusiasm among Christians generally. 1. The tendency to regard the measure of spiritual life which we find in the church, as practically the measure of the attainable. One who comes from the world into the church, looks upon the church as a practical exponent of the Gospel, and allows his conception of what the Gospel Actual spiritual state deemed the of the Church limit. Crucifixion needed but difficult. really demands, to be determined for him by what he finds in the church. It may strike him, in reading the New Testament, that the life of faith there described, differs materially from the life which he finds in the church, but immediately the thought arises, I am but a novice and those among whom I am now brought are experienced Christians, understanding far better than I do what is really the mind of the Master, and how much is really attainable.' It seems to him that he is almost forbidden to seek any thing higher and better than the measure of consecration and piety which obtains in the church. 2. All advancement in spiritual life is dependent on of the flesh the crucifixion of the natural life, and this is something from which we shrink as involving conflict, humiliation and pain. As the child who has to swallow a bitter potion, thinks a mere taste may suffice, or, if with great difficulty persuaded to swallow a few mouthfuls, vehemently repudiates the idea that anything more is necessary and thus falls short of what would be restoration to him, so the man who turns to Christ may persuade himself that a very partial acquaintance with Gethsemane and Calvary will meet the necessities of the case. Paul says that "he that is Christ's hath crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." But the tendency is to rest content with partial crucifixion, and thus men are hindered from experiencing the power of Christ to save fully those who come to Him. 3. Though not of the world, Christians are in the the world. world, and have more or less intercourse with it, and the world is ever doing its utmost to hinder them from attaining a high measure of Christian life and enthusiasm. need not expand this consideration, as it may be said to be involved in the question of self-crucifixion already spoken of. Influence of We If now the man converted in Europe or America, naturally accepts the standard which is practically exhibited in the lives of the church-members, as a sufficiently faithful expression of the requirements of the Gospel, much more is the man, who is brought from the darkness of heathenism into the light of Christianity, likely to receive as Christ's own standard that which he finds in the Missionary through whose agency the change in him has The spiritual been effected. Though he may become a diligent student state of the of the Scriptures, yet will the tendency ever be to refer to Missionary the conduct and life of the Missionary as furnishing the standard. proper explanation of the Gospel demands. Hence we taken as the see that in the nature of things, the measure of piety among native Christians will bear some proportion to that which obtains among the Missionary body. We may shrink from admitting this; may call to mind Missionaries of life and enthusiasm whose converts are still weighted down with the evil customs of their old nature. But there is often a good deal of Christian experience that does not verify itself to the consciences of the native Christian. It may have cost the Missionary great sacrifices to leave his own kin and country to become a preacher in a foreign land, but this is not always obvious to the Christians under his care; what impresses them chiefly, perhaps, is the superior style of his living to theirs. It is not easy for them to see the evidences of self-denial where they perceive so much more of this world's good than falls to their own lot. Lives of Another hindrance to the spiritual development of the native Christians in India, is the fact that there are so Europeans. many Europeans living with very little reference to the requirements of the Gospel, and thus conveying to the unsophisticated the impression that the piety of the Missionary is exceptional and supererogatory. Many of these are persons of influence, honoured of the Government; and the convert from heathenism does not readily perceive why the lives and sentiments of such may not be accepted as defining the obligations of Christians. "Christ gave Himself for the church that he might redeem it from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people zealous of good works." In other words, that they might have life and have it more abundantly; that the life in them might reach the point and enthusiasm for the salvation of men. With regard to this word Enthusiasm. enthusiasm, we may remark that it is an eminently religious word, meaning the life of God in us. On the principle of corruptio optimi pessima, it is a very pernicious thing when founded on imagination, instead of fidelity to God's word, as may be illustrated by the case of the Six Years' People' in South India. When the water that Christ gives is in His people a well of water springing up to everlasting life, then they are invested with the power of God, and may be used to thresh the mountains. Should be founded on God's word. Native Before indicating what we consider the most effectual means of promoting the higher Christian life in the Churches too churches of India, we would remark that churches are dependent on retarded in their development by too great dependence Missionaries. the upon the Missionary body. A state of pupilage is not favourable to the highest development. It is when men come in direct contact with the responsibilities of life that their energies are aroused. The Sermon on the Mount piles obligation upon the believer that he may be led to a keen sense of his need of Divine grace, empowering him to meet these responsibilities. Anything which tends to hinder the pressure of responsibility from settling down upon the churches of India, will be found injurious. It is desirable, for instance, that they should, as soon as possible, be brought to recognize their responsibility to sustain their own institutions, to maintain their pastors and their teachers, and even to build their own church edifices and schoolhouses. Love begets There is reason to believe that nothing will tend more enthusiasm. effectually to promote the spiritual life and enthusiasm of native Christians, than the earnest, continual exhibition of love on the part of the Missionaries. Not that questionable love which aims simply to gratify the wishes of the converts in all things, but that which vindicates itself to them by ever studying their highest welfare and the fullest development of their piety. True Christian love will seek at once to make them acquainted with the fulness of Christ's demands, and with the fulness of Christ's grace. We are to walk in love even as Christ hath loved us and given Himself for us. In this connection we may consider the words of our Lord in John xvii. 19: "And for their sakes I sanctify myself that they also might be sanctified through the truth." He desired that the truth might have its fullest exhibition in His consecrated life, so that they might have embodied before their eyes the standard to which they should be conformed. Again, He says, "I am no more in the world, but these are in the world," and "I am glorified in them." They who are imbued with the spirit of the Master, will seek the spiritual elevation of the converts by studying "to walk even as He also walked", so that the truth which sanctifies may be most effectively brought home to their convictions. Let us suppose that the Missionary contents himself with Christians directing their attention to the Christ of the Gospels; what will be more natural than for them to say, 'Wherein Missionaries. the Missionary neglects to imitate Christ, we may safely neglect to imitate him?' Their obligation will be practically indicated to them by what is exhibited in the lives of their teachers. Paul tells us that he sought to Native the |