Page 267 - Neglected Arabia (1911-1915) Vol II

I

32 *
i
Why should we give at this time more liberally than ever to this
work ?

1. In the providence of God we have gone to Arabia, and now for
these twenty-live years we have proved His faithfulness. There has
been abundant reward for all the work done, capital invested and lives is
laid down. Valued and consecrated lives have been laid down and =
their loved forms wait in the God’s acres of Arabia the day of resur- 1
rection and complete reward. We must be loyal to their memory. « B
2. God in His mercy to us as well as to the Arab chose Arabia as f
one of the fields in which to challenge our faith, and when His Holy
Spirit moved us to respond to that challenge He moved Himself to
reward that faith with wonderful results in souls saved, social con­
ditions bettered and much opposition softened or done away. Our
Dr. Zwemer tells us in his latest printed message: “There never was
so much friendliness, such willingness to discuss the question at issue ;
such a large attendance of Moslems at Christian schools, hospitals,
public meetings and even preaching services as there is to-day.*' • And
from his vantage ground in Egypt he calls special attention to the need i'
of pressing with ail our might plans for the immediate evangelization
of the educated classes. He says. “They are adrift, and the Gospel
alone can give them new anchorage. They are hungry for the friend­
ship that does not patronize and the love that can forgive. They have
lost faith in the old Islam and reach out to new ideals in ethics. Who
can satisfy them but Christ? This is the missionary's supreme oppor­
tunity. If we can win the leaders of Moslem thought now, ‘reformed
Islam will be Islam no longer,’ but an open door into Christianity.*’ 1
3. The more strongly this work is pressed now the more rapidly
and widely the influence of the Gospel will spread, bringing ever
larger multitudes to Christ. It is not many years ago that the con­
.
version of a single Mohammedan was denied or seriously questioned,
now the acknowledged converts are numbered by thousands. God’s
blessing on the work done hitherto has caused that work to grow, so
that the past and present gifts, however large, are insufficient to
maintain it.
Abroad, men are spending many million dollars a day and thou­
sands of lives to kill and destroy and to minister to their ambition to
rule over their fellows and gain victory over their enemies. Can we
not, in grateful acknowledgment of God’s goodness in sparing our land
from such horrors, give hundreds and thousands in money for the
triumph of our Lord’s work, and as many new workers as He shall
lead to us asking to he sent?
We shall meet many Arabs among the redeemed around the Throne
of God. Shall we not now help them to get there?

Christ “emptied himself.” and gave Himself to suffering and death
tor our salvation. Shall we not give freely for those for whom He
died ?