own religious systems, which fact calls for constant prayer that God would create soul thirst for Himself.
(c) The low standard of morality which prevails everywhere, and often makes an appeal to live a higher life fall flat and forceless on the minds of one's hearers.
(d) The pride and arrogance of the educated classes, which causes them to refuse even a hearing to the teaching of the "foreign barbarians."
(e) The dislike and fear of many of the people with regard to foreigners, and their wish to avoid them as much as possible.
(f) The treatment of China by foreign nations, which has increased their animosity to outsiders.
(g) The wide prevalence of the opium habit, which besots and enervates its victims, and seems to close their hearts and ears to the Gospel message.
Encouragements
(a) The widely-open door for preaching the Truth in the towns and villages which so thickly stud the province.
(b) The willingness of many of the Chinese to listen to what we have to say, and their civil treatment of those who visit their houses.
(c) The tolerance by the "powers that be" of all religions, so long as the laws of the Empire are adhered to.
(d) The readiness and ability of the native converts to make Christ known to their neighbours.
(e) The widespread desire for Western education, even where such teaching is given by missionaries on a distinctly Christian basis.
(f) The dissatisfaction of the educated classes with the present state of the Empire, and their desire for change and improvement.
(g) The fact that there are about 150,000 converts connected with the Protestant Church in China, many of whom are true servants of the Master, and have proved their sincerity in a multitude of ways.
