It is gratifying to note the tone of remark from every quarter respecting the recent large bequest to the American Board, tidings of which have, doubtless, already reached all our readers. Officers of other missionary societies, of various denominations, have been at the pains to send their congratulations. The religious papers have spoken most cordially, and have uttered some wise words of counsel and caution, both to the Board and to the churches, in view of this prospective increase of funds. Already there are indications that many friends of missions, so far from having a lessened sense of obligation to give the gospel to the heathen, have recognized this as a new call for personal consecration and larger giving.

A CONTRAST.

Among the responses received to the appeals recently sent out by the Board are these two. The first, naturally enough, without name or date, says: "The church here cannot entertain this appeal; and they are greatly surprised to find that it was sent to them from the large and rich city of Boston, in which there is such an overflowing amplitude of superabounding wealth." The other letter, enclosing $5, from a Home Missionary pastor in the West, whose salary is less than $400, says: "I purpose to infuse the interest I feel into my congregation, it being a part of my work as a Christian minister accustomed to pray, 'Thy kingdom come.' My already weak church, I do not intend shall be made weaker by my suffering it to withhold contributions to benevolent objects, though they may be small."

"Whether of them twain did the will of his Father?"

THE Bishop of the Australian diocese of Newcastle, under the care of the English Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, has made a munificent gift for the endowment of the institutions of his diocese. He has given no less than $1,250,000, forming various funds for the support of the bishop and clergy, and for maintaining theological and other schools. How this bishop came into the possession of so large a property is not explained, but it is said that he has lived a most frugal and self-denying life, and during his thirty years of foreign service has not once visited his home in England. Whatever question may be raised as to the wisdom of these endowments, no one can fail to admire such consecrated service. Would that all who admire would imitate.

MESSRS. WATKIns and Kilbourn, on their return to Guadalajara, Western Mexico, where they arrived March 4, report the mission in a flourishing condition, with increased security in all evangelical work. The hold which the Protestant faith has gained in that city is seen in the fact that one hundred persons called upon these missionaries within three days after their arrival.

THE Greek Archbishop of Cyprus has, to the surprise of many, given to an agent of the British and Foreign Bible Society a permit to sell the Scriptures throughout the island. It sounds oddly to hear one who claims to be a bishop in Christ's church declare that the books of the Old and New Testaments are of "sterling value."

THAT "HALF MILLION" ASKED FOR.

FOR years past, when we have sought in all candor to set forth the claims of the foreign field and the opportunities for enlargement on every hand, we have been obliged to take up the words of the prophet: "Who hath believed our report?" Men have listened with strange incredulity to the most earnest appeals, as if they were only the stock material to be employed in raising funds. The appeals have really moved but a small portion of the church, and that portion consisting, usually, of the few individuals who had already given most largely to sustain the cause. Yet the officers of the Board, faithful to its traditions as a progressively conservative body, have never allowed themselves to exaggerate the need or the opportunity. They believe in the truth, and that the Holy Spirit will in the end accept and bless the truth, rather than any sensational representations. Their hope of success is in the blessing of God on efforts made and carried forward in harmony with his holy will.

Painful and discouraging as it has been at times to have the most careful statements so little regarded, it has yet been felt to be due to the cause to make them in all earnestness and sincerity; due, too, to those who humbly and prayerfully labor and wait for its triumph. Now that a large legacy is reported as likely to come into the treasury of the Board at no distant day, it may not be amiss to recall the fact that half a million of dollars has been asked for, again and again, during the last few years, not to found new missions, but simply to supplement the purely evangelical work of the Board in missions already established. This sum was called for to found Christian colleges, to support theological seminaries, to aid in church building, and in the dissemination of a Christian literature, objects essential to the Chris tian civilization which is the natural outgrowth of missionary effort already expended, and which are largely provided for by special societies in the home land.

In an article published in the Missionary Herald, January, 1876, after alluding to various objects outside of the appropriations of the year for which the sum of not less than $35,000 was required, two other objects of permanent interest were specially commended to men of wealth who might desire to signalize the centennial year "by large gifts in the interest of a high civilization and Christian culture, the endowment of theological seminaries, and the foundation of Christian colleges in the foreign field." It was said that "while millions of dollars are annually devoted to these objects at home, a wise economy, in the large interest of the world's progress, would not confine these endowments to our own country. Seminaries for the education of a native ministry are of prime moment to the progress of missions and the permanence of the work accomplished. The American Board has now ten such institutions scattered over its vast field, for each of which the sum of fifty thousand dollars would constitute a permanent endowment, the income whereof might pay the salaries of the necessary professors and native teachers, till such time as these institutions, with their endowments, could be passed over to the care of the native churches.

worthier object, one more closely connected with the kingdom of Christ, it is not easy to conceive of. Similar investments might also be judiciously made in seminaries for women in the different mission fields.

....

"Next in importance to the support of such institutions, and in large measure subsidiary to it, while embracing the entire intellectual progress of a people, and the development of science and the arts, are the foundation and adequate endowment of Christian colleges. . . . . The man or woman who founds a college or a seminary is living for ages to come. The man or woman who should now set apart half a million of dollars, the income of which should be used to found a Christian institution of learning in some part of the heathen world every two or three years for the next century, would exert an influence upon the social and moral destinies of the human race, such as has had no parallel in the annals of recorded time.

"In making this exhibit, we make no appeal; we indulge in no anticipations; we simply state the facts, and the opportunities open to a largehearted Christian benevolence in the foreign field, in the interest of Him who gave himself not for us or for this country simply, but for the world." Some months after this, a special paper was prepared on the "Claims of Mission Colleges on Men of Wealth," and the need of half a million of dollars was again presented. While in England a few months since, the Foreign Secretary suggested to the Marquis of Salisbury that the English government could in no manner promote the success of the Protectorate established over Asia Minor so wisely and so successfully as by placing this sum of half a million of dollars in the hands of the American Board, to be expended, through its missionaries, in the interest of higher education throughout the Turkish Empire. Various enterprises in contemplation, such as rectifying the frontier between India and Afghanistan, and developing the manifest destiny of the English race in South Africa, have doubtless prevented the proper consideration of a suggestion which, if acted upon, would put thousands of educated young men - Armenians, Greeks, and Turks at the service of the English government in carrying out the political and social reforms essential to the regeneration of the empire. But if the English government could not properly make a grant of the kind proposed (and it was not expected that it would), it was not deemed unwise to make the suggestion for the benefit of British Christians interested in the progress of civilization, especially in that part of the world brought into such close relations to Great Britain.

This idea of a half million needed in fields already opened is thus no new thought of an enthusiastic secretary, but is based on a careful consideration of what is demanded for the healthful development of the great work already begun, and still, in the providence of God, dependent upon American Christians, acting through the American Board.

And now comes the legacy to the Board of more than the half million, when needed, when fully prepared for in the progress of the missionary enterprise, for the completion of what has already been undertaken and the entering into new fields, to broaden and deepen the great work, to encourage every giver to yet larger contributions and to more humble and prayerful effort. Thus the Master meets the needs of his work, and thus is he beckoning us forward, forward to the grand consummation.

A MUNIFICENT BEQUEST.

ALLUSION was made in the last number of the Missionary Herald to our wish that we could turn our importunate cries for help into hallelujahs. The opportunity has come much sooner than could have been expected. Reverently and joyfully do we render thanks to Him whose are the silver and the gold for the tidings of a princely gift which may amount to nearly a million of dollars, to come in the course of not many months, probably, into the treasury of the American Board. The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad. Never was such a gift more unexpected; never was one more opportune. So far as is known, no human being now living had anything to do with directing this large sum into this channel of benevolence. The time, the method, and the amount of the gift, are of his directing, "who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working." He knew the need and he knew how to meet it. To his name be all the praise.

In the midst of our rejoicings over this prospective gift, we must not be unmindful that, like all God's mercies, it will depend upon the use we make of it, how much of a blessing it will be. It were easy to show to what noble uses this large sum of money might at once be put, in the strengthening and enlargement of missions already established; in providing for training and theological institutions in every nation where we have already lifted the standard of the cross; in giving a Christian literature to the people who are asking for knowledge; in reaching out to the regions beyond, explored and unexplored, where are souls, the purchase of the Saviour's death, who have never heard of him.

But aside from the direct help to missionary operations which, it is obvious, these funds will afford, the gift may prove a blessing in many other ways. It may serve as the voice of the Lord calling Christians to take a larger view of the missionary enterprise. The offerings of Christ's church have hitherto been utterly disproportioned to the magnitude of the work intrusted to her by her Master. What is a million of dollars in face of the work to be done for the hundreds of millions of pagans? The wastes of heathendom are so vast that the streams of benevolence hitherto flowing have hardly touched the borders of the desert before they have been exhausted. We well know that the schemes of commerce for opening channels of trade are not accomplished except by the outlay of millions of dollars. Who can expect that that grandest of all schemes, the subduing of the nations to Christ, can be accomplished by the offering of mites only, without the millions? It may be that the Lord will use this legacy to the American Board, so far as is known the largest gift ever made by one person to a missionary organization, as an incentive to others, the rich and the poor alike, to give on a grander scale for the world's redemption. It may be, that with the news of this reënforcement coming at a time of no little anxiety, the hosts of the Lord will take courage, and say with one voice that this is the hour for a grand advance. It may be that young men and young women, hearing this call for advance, will offer themselves in increas

ing numbers to the missionary work. It may be, that in view of broader schemes and deepened interest, Christians will pour out more ardent prayers for the coming of Christ's kingdom. Such results are not only possible, but they would seem to be the natural results of this prospective replenishing of our missionary treasury.

On the other hand, there is a peril which all can see. It may be that some who have no true apprehension of the work in hand will lose the sense of personal responsibility. They may imagine that even now, months. before the anticipated sum is available, the foreign missionary enterprise is provided for. Heretofore, in order to secure needed contributions, it has been absolutely necessary to present the pressing needs of our established missions, and to show the perils of debt and retrenchment. When such appeals are withdrawn will the obligation to give still be felt? And if for any reason personal offerings are withheld, will not interest and prayers fail? Such results would be deplorable indeed. How poor a response this would be to that Providence which, by this bequest, calls us not to smaller but to larger gifts! It would forbode disaster to the missionary enterprise, in the near as well as in the distant future.

But while these perils are by no means imaginary, and need to be guarded against, especially by all Christian leaders, we are persuaded better things of the churches, though we thus speak. We look for enlargement on all sides. The next few months will test the faith of the churches working through our Board as it has, perhaps, never been tested. It is one thing to stand firm in times of depression: it is another thing to be steadfast in times of seeming prosperity. Will the faith of Christians be equal to this emergency, for emergency it is? Will they hold fast in gifts and in prayer, or will they feel relieved from personal responsibility, and cease to do what they can for the world's evangelization because some one else has done more than was expected? A few months will determine how much of real faith and missionary zeal exist in the churches operating through the American Board. We await the result not without anxiety, yet with a prevailing hope. To us the voice of Providence in this gift is as clear as was the voice of the Lord to Moses, "Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward."

MR. ASA OTIS.

THE friends of missions will wish to know something of the person who has left such a large bequest for missionary purposes. The following notice of the late Mr. Otis has been prepared by one who was well acquainted with him.

The donor of the late bequest to the American Board, Mr. Asa Otis, of New London, Conn., was born at Colchester, Conn., February 10, 1786. He died March 10, 1879, being ninety-three years of age. When he was quite a boy, the family removed from Colchester to New London. In early manhood he went to Richmond, Va., and there spent his prosperous business life. When about fifty years of age, he retired and returned to New London, principally that he might care for and be a companion to his widowed mother and his sisters. All these passed away long before himself. His tastes were very simple. Every comfort for the household was