Keeping Watch

VOL. 18 SHANGHAI, CHINA, AUGUST—SEPTEMBER, 1929 NO. 8 and 9 Keeping Watch I. H. EVANS HE second advent occupied no minor place in the instruction imparted by the Saviour Himself, and this great theme was taken up and carried on by the writers of the New Testament. With them all the second coming of Christ is the culminating event in the plan of salvation. When Christ spoke concerning His second coming, He almost invariably closed His discourse with the admonition : " Watch." This charge follows His great discourse on the signs of His coming ; it follows the parable of the ten virgins ; and it is the climax of other lessons on being prepared to meet Him with joy when He comes. Watching is, not easy. Perhaps of all things that try the temper and break the spirit of man, to watch for an expected event is the most difficult. An army can march and prepare for battle with spirits high and banners flying ; but to camp, and wait, and keep watching, with nothing happening, requires unusual will power and a high degree of discipline. Often at such a time well-organized armies disintegrate, dissatisfaction smoulders, quarrels break out, and the morale is broken. So it is with the watchmen on the walls of Zion ; the most strenuous demands are not in active field work, however hard, but in waiting and watching for the coming of the Lord. Watching implies readiness. One can not be said to be watching for the Lord's return unless he is ready for that event. Christ draws two pictures — readiness and unreadiness. Had the good man of the house known at what hour the thief would come, he would have been on the watch. The faithful servant gives the household of God meat in due season ; but the unfaithful servant says in his heart, " My. Lord delayeth His coming," and entangles himself with the affairs of this life. Watching implies being wide awake. to one can watch who is sleeping on his job, and will not arouse himself. The danger lies in the hour when the watchman is asleep. No menace is so great to an army as a drowsy guard. The lives of all are endangered by one indifferent, sleepy watchman. In the army, to sleep on guard is a capital offense, and costs the life of the sleeper. But with the church the sleepy, drowsy watchman may bring ruin to all under his influence, and none save the Lord can punish. Surely such will come to judgment with blood on their garments. If heaven and the church appoint men to be watchmen, what an accounting they must give for a church unprepared for the coming of the Master ! The faith of the people is the product of the watchman. Every preacher produces his own kind. A fruitful watchman will have a people ready for the Lord's return. The Master's command is, " Be ye also ready." If the cry should be sounded to-day, " Behold the Bridegroom cometh !" would we be ready to go forth to meet Him ? The charge is to all : " Watch therefore : for ye know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of man cometh." FAR EASTERN DIVISION OUTLOOK The Far Eastern Academy for the Girls' School at Singapore children of missionaries has had a good year, with' an enrollment of 32. The girls' school at Singapore had Training Our Youth The students are from Japan, Korea, an enrollment during 1928 of 70 Manchuria, Sumatra, and several parts pupils, 20 of whom were in the of China. dormitory. The government is allow- The Educational Department of the With the closing down of several ing the girls' school to become a part of our higher schools in China be- of the Malayan Union Seminary, and Far Eastern Division cause of political unrest, the Fireside be under the same management; ac- Correspondence School took on a cordingly, the principal of the semin- S. L. FROST new impetus. The enrollment to date ary, Professor Hendershot, has been is almost 900, and the active list in- placed in charge of all our school (Synopsis of some outstanding cludes 574 students. This is the high- work at Singapore. paragraphs taken from the annual est enrollment of any school m, the report rendered by Professor S. L. Far East. Frost, Division secretary of the In Harbin a mission school has been High Ideals of Character Educational Department for the Far conducted for our Russian young East, during the April Committee people, the enrollment having been 39. V. J. MALONEY Council held in Shanghai. This re- Some from among these have earned port covers the year 1928). a portion of their expenses. Five THERE is one thing that new China THE early part of 1928 was almost were baptized during the year. needs,—a need realized by every one as perplexing a time for our educators In the Philippines, Brother Am- who has made a thoughtful study and leaders in the field as was the mundsen, the principal, and his as- of conditions. She needs a new year 1927, when in the China field sociates, have worked earnestly to emphasis placed on the teaching of many of our mission educational in- make the past school year the best in righteous virtues and uprightness stitutions were closed. In instances the history of the Philippine Junior of character. China needs these not a few, it was 'impossible to open College. The enrollment was 260. exalted principles in order that her Christian schools throughout the year Four students earned full scholarships citizens and her students, who will 1928. At present, however, all, our and two earned half scholarships. become the future officials and lead- higher-grade schools in China have The industries of the school include ing men, may have those high been reopened, although the enrollment carpentry, gardening, laundry, sewing, qualifications of character that will in most of them is still comparatively and embroidery. The Jaro Middle harmonize with the excellent ideals low. The Junior Middle Schools for School (Iloilo, in the West Visayan of the new government. China are located in Mukden, Tsinan, Mission), enrollment was 104 stu- In no place are these virtures Yencheng, Hankow, Changsha, Ying dents. In Artacho, 99 were in at- more strongly emphasized than in Shang Hsien, Shanghai, Wenchow, tendance from various portions of the the Christian schools. Foochow, Amoy, Canton, and Chung- Northern Luzon Mission. A school Not only do the Christian schools king. building has been erected in Cebu, endeavor to instil righteous virtues In Chosen twenty-six schools have and this places the East Visayan Mis- and high ideals and those things been in operation. One of these is sion on vantage ground educationally. that make for strength of character the training school at Soonan. Our The total number of schools in the in students, but they teach a strong teachers throughout Chosen number Philippines is nineteen, with 1,171 course of study in the different sixty-eight, and the enrollment of students in attendance. branches of useful learning,— his- students is reported as 1,479. Seventy- tory, geography, mathematics, lan- The department has spent consider- guages, physiology, etc. eight of the students have been able time in making the China Chris- baptized during the year. In the tian Educator In the larger schools the students a help to teachers and are taught some useful industry. training school, there have been 328 students throughout the China field. students enrolled; 209 of these are This not only aids them in earning This paper carries programs for the a portion of their tuition expense, either Seventh-day Adventist church young peoples' and home missionary members, or children of Seventh-day but teaches them the usefulness and departments, as well as ministerial as- the honorableness of labor. Adventists; 120 worked for their sociation material. school expenses in whole or in part- In our middle school at Foochow, Various steps have been taken in we endeavor to carry out these 40 doing full work, 20 half work, and the preparation and issuance of text 70 less than half. Farming, carpentry, ideals faithfully. books in certain Far Eastern verna- Could a business man, official, health food manufacturing, and sew- culars for use in our schools. ing are the chief industries. or any citizen who desires to see A considerable portion of the bud- these virtures taught the people, In Malaya, 33 schools were in get of various fields is used in con- operation during 1928, with a total nection with our educational advance. make any better investment than of 2,050 students. In the Malayan We would appeal to boards and other by helping an institution that is Union Seminary, in charge of Pro- responsible committees to give close emphasizing and exalting these ideals fessor Hendershot, the complete enroll- study to the ideal of having every before students and people? ment, including the girls' school, was Seventh-day boy and girl in our own 328. About 30 students were baptized schools, where they will be receiving in this school during the year. that which tends toward holiness and In Japan only three schools have a love for the cause of God. Erratum been conducted,—one for Japanese boys, one for Japanese girls, and a IN the July issue a short note small church school for the children concerning the splendid membership of our missionaries in Tokyo. The 3€0300,000 Children Without attained by the Kiangsu Mission was combined enrollment of all three Schooling inadvertently inserted twice, the type schools was 69.

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