Chap. VII. 



OF MISSIONARIES IN CHINA. 



135 



pose which is worthy of all praise, and yet what 

 is the result? How Tew have "beheved their 

 report " ! The Chinese as a nation are jealous, 

 selfish, and eminently conceited ; it is therefore 

 difficult to convince such minds that nations many 

 thousand miles distant will subscribe large sums 

 of money merely for their religious benefit, or that 

 men are to be found who will leave friends and 

 home with no other views than to convert them 

 from heathenism to Christianity. And hence it 

 would seem that the labours of the medical mis- 

 sionary societies would prove a powerful auxiliary 

 in aiding the spread of the Gospel amongst such 

 a people. All nations, even the most cold and 

 selfish, have some kindly feelings in their nature 

 capable of being aroused and acted upon. If any- 

 thing will warm such feelings in the minds of the 

 Chinese, the labour of the medical missionary is 

 well calculated to do so. The blind receive their 

 sight, the lame are enabled to walk, and the 

 wounded are cured. And when the better feelings 

 of the man are thus expanded into something like 

 gratitude, his prejudices are more likely to give 

 way, and thus his mind may become softened and 

 more apt to receive religious impressions. 



Having been led to make these remarks upon 

 the value of medical missions, I will now return 

 to the Shanghae rebellion. For many months the 

 army of the Imperialists seemed to make no im- 

 pression upon the rebel bands who held tlie city. 

 Battles, such as has been described, were fought 



