twelve months God may, perhaps, move the hearts of His servants to meet together, for the completion of the Japanese translation of the entire Bible. One of the most remarkable events of recent years, was the meeting of a general conference of missionary workers at Osaka, in the spring of 1883. I am especially thankful that the idea of holding such a conference originated with a C.M.S. missionary; that it was warmly taken up by the C.M.S. Conference; and I consider it no little honour to have been permitted to have a humble share in making the arrangements for holding it. It was a time of remarkable blessing to all the workers labouring in connection with the various sections of the Church; and it was a practical demonstration of their substantial unity in the work entrusted to them. The influence of this united gathering had a very marked effect upon the native Christians. They had seen us united in various ways before, but this auspicious manifestation of our unity of spirit taught them more than ever to recognize it as a fact.

It was about the time that this conference was held that a revival blessing was granted to missionaries and converts in Japan. There was united prayer by a few brethren in Yokohama for a revival blessing, and in due time the blessing came. Quite independently of this, some of us in Osaka were moved to more earnest prayer, and when the brethren from different parts of the country were brought together, the two streams of revived life were blended, and brotherly sympathy and affection deepened. The native church too shared in this blessing. About the time of the general conference, God moved a few of the native Christians in Osaka to meet together to pray for a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The desire for united prayer for this object spread from congregation to congregation, until the praying circle included every congregation in the city, and meetings were held night after night in one or other of the chapels. No foreign missionary had anything to do with this movement, and there was no organized effort to keep it going. It was evidently of God, and the short but fervent prayers, and the pointed mutual exhortations to whole-hearted consecration, touched many a heart. A similar movement went on in Tokiyo and Yokohama, and the result was a deepening of the spiritual life of many. In one case a native pastor, who had always been anxious to depute his preaching duties to others, had a heart so full that his one desire was to preach the Word.

The native Christians in Osaka were drawn together more closely than ever. Some time before several efforts had been made to establish a united prayer meeting, to be held periodically, but they were unsuccessful. After, however, this revival blessing was granted, a weekly prayer meeting, held in rotation at the different chapels in the city, was established without difficulty, and flourishes to this day. Ever since that time too there has been a most cordial feeling between the native and foreign workers. As you may know, the Japanese are an independent race, and native Christians and Christian workers have sometimes shown an inclination to be jealous of the interference of foreign workers. One native pastor publicly confirmed that jealousy had formerly filled his own heart, but that by God's mercy it was so no longer; for he had been taught that there was neither Greek nor Jew, native or foreigner, but that all are one in Christ Jesus.

One of the last things I did in Osaka just before I left was to address a meeting of the Young Men's Christian Association. It is an interesting fact that in connection with this organization, the native Christians in Osaka-now some 600-make united efforts for the conversion of their fellow-countrymen, especially by means of public lectures in theatres; and I may mention in conclusion that they are now anxious to build a suitable lecturehall for such work. They are doing much towards their own self-support, and can hardly expect to raise sufficient money amongst themselves for the purpose; and acting under the advice of the missionaries, they have addressed a letter to the Young Men's Christian Associations of England and America, asking for a loan of say £275. Mr. George Williams has, I am thankful to say, nearly raised this amount amongst a few friends. But the missionaries of Osaka ask, that in addition to the loan which the native associations desire, a present of about the same amount should be sent, to enable the Osaka Young Men's Christian Association to put up a fireproof and in other respects more suitable building. And although I am not here to ask for money, I venture to suggest that it would be a fitting thing for a great undenominational gathering like the Mildmay Conference to help on the Catholic work of the Young Men's Christian Association of Osaka, Japan. May the Lord, if it be His will, move many amongst us to respond to this appeal.

Missionary-Praise Meeting.

ADDRESSES BY

MR. JAMES E. MATHIESON.

REV. JOHN G. PATON.

F. J. E. LAKSHMAN RAO. MR. GEORGE SOLTAU. COLONEL PASHKOFF. MR. REGINALD RADCLIFFE.

Saturday Morning, June 27th, 1885.

HE Praise Meeting with which the Conference generally terminates was on this occasion turned into a

Missionary Meeting, and praise was rendered not only for blessed experiences of the days of Conference, but also for the cheering tidings from the mission-fields, brought by the brethren who spoke, of various lands.

The proceedings were opened by prayer by the chairman, Mr. JAMES E. MATHIESON, and the singing of hymn No. 27

"Forgotten! no; that cannot be,

The oath of Him who cannot lie."

A portion was then read from Phil. ii., and a number of requests for prayer and praise were read, and laid before the Lord by the Rev. JOHN WILKINSON. The following opening address was then given by

Mr. JAMES E. MATHIESON.

I may be permitted to refer briefly to the subject which has been occupying our thoughts during these last three days.

You remember last year the subject of Conference was the knowledge of God; and the root of the knowledge of God was found to be love, "that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." And as in knowledge so also in service; it has been proved that for the service of God the necessary qualification is love. One verse has been repeated several times in the Conference from the book of Exodus, "I love my master, I will not go out free." Why does the slave not want to go out free? Because he loved the master, because he wanted to be near the master. Nearness to the Master is the root of success in Christian work. It has been a great misfortune to England in the past that in the translation of the New Testament the word "slave" has been turned into "servant." In nearly all cases, when the word servant is given in our version, it is "slave" in the original; and in the Revised Version we have in all these cases "bond servant," in the margin at least. The real force is slave. Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ; James, a slave of Jesus Christ; Peter, a slave of Jesus Christ; John, a slave of Jesus Christ. The importance of observing the true meaning lies in the fact that in these days we understand by "servant" a person who contracts to give so much service for so much wages given, a hired servant. The relation between God and His servants is totally a different one. Moreover, the bond servant or slave is not, in the original, one captured in war-that is a different word--it is one born in the house, born a slave. Until we get

that deeply sunk into our hearts, we shall fail to ascertain the true relation that should subsist between God and ourselves as Master and slave. Of course there are other important aspects of the relationship-the Father and His children, and so forth; but we have to do at present with that of Master and servant.

Now, observe, that while faith saves us, love chiefly, preeminently fits us for service. It is the service of love. Take, for example, Peter. It was not when he confessed Christ boldly, "Thou are Christ, the Son of the living God;" or when he showed his boldness by drawing the sword for Jesus; but when, in response to the Master's "Lovest thou Me?" he was able to say, "Lord, Thou knowest all things: thou knowest I love Thee," that he received his commission as servant, "Feed

My sheep," "Feed My lambs." So with the sons of Zebedee. It was not as Boanerges, as sons of thunder; it was not when, in excess of zeal, they wanted to bring down fire on a village that would not receive Christ; but when John rested on the bosom of love, and imparted to his brother James the same spirit, that they went on to service-one to be one of the first martyrs for Jesus, the other abiding steadfastly to the close; last of the apostles.

May we learn this secret of service this morning, that the love of Christ may constrain us, the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by His Holy Spirit which He hath given us. And as there is love to the Master, so there must be to one another. "By love serve one another." (Gal. v. 13.) “See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently." (1 Peter i. 22.)

Now this is to be a missionary meeting; it need not, therefore, be any less a praise meeting. Those who will speak will doubtless give us such tidings from the various fields as will gladden our hearts by reason of the victories of the Gospel. May the Lord lay upon us some impression of the tremendous need of these lands! I will call, first of all, on our aged brother from the distant isles of the sea.

Rev. JOHN G. PATON

(New Hebrides.)

My dear Christian friends, I have had great pleasure in being permitted to attend this Conference to see the work being done in London, to hear the wise words spoken, to join in the prayers that have been offered, and to enjoy the blessed communion, a foretaste of the eternal glory. I trust the Holy Spirit may deepen the impressions made, that all of us may be led to live and labour for Jesus as we have never done before; and that we may carry away the blessing here received, to become a blessing to others with whom we come in contact.

Now I am to speak of God's work in the South Sea Islands. I will not repeat what I said the other day, but I ask you to fancy what it is for a missionary and his wife to be put ashore on a cannibal island, he himself the only white man, his wife the only white woman on the island. So it was with us. So we were put ashore, two missionaries, about thirty-seven years ago, and others afterwards, nearly all on different islands, and all alone; no one save our wives. We