The Dependencies of China
Having completed our survey of China Proper, we must now cross the border, and cast a passing glance at the extensive, though thinly-populated regions of Chinese Tartary and Thibet. We fear lest our readers should weary of these details; but though they may seem uninteresting, they are really important and solemn realities. Whether interesting to us or not, every individual of the millions of China, every inhabitant of these vast regions, must either live for ever or die for ever. They are in a fallen state, are unclean, unthankful, unholy. Every day tens of thousands, every three months 2,000,000 subjects of the Chinese Emperor pass into eternity, very few of them ever having heard the gospel. Do we realise what this number means? A million days are 2730 years; a little more than two million days ago Adam was walking alone in the garden of Eden, and Eve was not yet formed. So large a number is two million days. But as many souls die without the gospel every three months. Should we say, “Behold, we knew it not,” God will not justify our leaving them to perish on the ground of that excuse. Very uninteresting to the priest descending from Jerusalem to Jericho was the state of the poor Jew, whom the robbers had left naked, wounded, and half dead. Not so, however, to the good Samaritan; he felt the greatest interest in the case, and he shewed it too. Oh! let us shew our interest in these sin-sick, perishing souls, by making strenuous efforts to bring them to the Great Physician.
In order to enable our readers to realise the vast extent of the outlying districts of the Chinese empire, we would suggest a comparison of them with those countries which are nearer home. We have already referred to France as being nearly four times as large as England; Spain and Portugal together are considerably larger than France. But for the purpose of comparison. Great Britain and Ireland, France, Spain, and Portugal taken together do not suffice. The peninsula of Norway and Sweden is about six times as large as England; and Denmark, Iceland, and Holland exceed in extent Scotland and Ireland. Add these to the preceding, however, and the whole is still too small. Belgium, Switzerland, and Italy, may be added; Germany and Austria, and Turkey and Greece may also be added; and the sum total of all these countries does not half equal the extent of the outlying regions of the Chinese empire with which we are comparing them. Russia in Europe is about ten times as large as Spain and Portugal, and exceeds
Areas of Europe and the Dependencies compared. 39
in extent the sum of all the other countries in Europe. Add this immense country to all the others we have enumerated, and we gain a more adequate standard of comparison. The whole continent of Europe has an area of 3>797)256 square miles; Manchuria, Mongolia, the North-Western Dependencies, and Thibet, together have an area of 3,951,130 square miles. These extensive regions contain many millions of our fellow creatures, but except the four missionaries in New-chwang, they have no missionary. They are perishing, and they are left to perish. Among them no missionary resides to make known that wisdom, the merchandise of which “is better than thS merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.” Throughout this immense territory, larger than the whole continent of Europe, with the exception noted above, there is not a single ambassador for Christ from all the Protestant churches in Europe and America to carry the word of reconciliation, and to pray men in Christ’s stead, “Be ye reconciled to God.” How long shall this state of things be allowed to continue?
My reader, think of the over 80 millions beyond the reach of the gospel in the seven provinces where missionaries have longest laboured; think of the over 100 millions in the other eleven provinces of China Proper, beyond the reach of the few missionaries labouring there; think of the over 20 millions who inhabit the vast regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, Thibet, and the North-Western Dependencies, which exceed in extent the whole of Europe — an aggregate of over 200 millions beyond the reach of all existing agencies —
and say, how shall
God’s name be hallowed by them.
His kingdom come among them, and
His will be done by them?
His name. His attributes, they have never heard. His kingdom is not proclaimed among them. His will is not made known to them. Do you believe that each unit of these millions has a precious soul? and that “there is none other name under heaven given amongst men whereby they must be saved” than that of Jesus? Do you believe that He alone is “the Door of the sheep-fold;” is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life?” — that “«o man cometh unto the Father but by Him?” If so, think of the state of these unsaved ones; and solemnly examine yourself in the sight of God, ‘to see whether you are doing your utmost to make Him known to them.
Before proceeding further it may be well to give a Conspectus presenting at one view the whole work of the Protestant Missions in China in March, 1884.