noble missionaries have laboured in the past, and some are still toiling among the Muslims of

Christian Missions to Muslims.

Palestine, Turkey, Asia Minor, and Egypt. But how few their numbers and how lukewarm the support given them! What shall we say of Central Asia, or of the Muslims of the Malay Archipelago, of Africa, or of China? In India I think I am not far wrong in saying that the Church Missionary Society is the only Missionary body that has undertaken missions intended for the exclusive benefit of Muslims. But these have even from the beginning been fearfully undermanned and badly supported. As an example of this may be taken our Muhammadan Mission in Bombay, where one European Missionary has 160,000 Muslims, speaking six distinct languages, to work among in that great city alone. More has been done in the Panjab among the Muslims there, though hardly any special effort has been made for their benefit in that province, except towards the Afghan frontier.

Comparatively great success of work among Muslims.

Compared with the amount of attention devoted to the matter, we may thank GOD that such great results have been obtained. Muhammadanism has received many a severe defeat in India, and learned defenders of Islam have in fact been driven to give up many of the positions¹ they erstwhile deemed impregnable

and to fall back on a new line of defence. Yet, giving all due credit to the noble men, such as Dr. Pfander and Dr. French,¹ who have devoted their lives to the work of carrying the Gospel to those sunk in the darkness of Muhammadanism, we must confess that as yet Christians have been very far from feeling their responsibility in this matter. Too many professing Christians still hold that it is impossible for a Muslim to be converted to Christianity. We are sometimes tempted,—perhaps uncharitably,—when we hear such faithless and ignorant statements, to think that the wish is father to the thought. People a few years ago used to speak of the Jews as never being in a single instance converted,—as incapable of conversion. This was true until an effort was made in GOD'S strength: since then we know how many have been brought to Christ. The same is true, as we shall see, of the followers of Muhammad. Men cannot convert Muslims, or Jews, or even nominal Christians: but He Who has promised to be with His messengers even to the end can and does turn the heart of many a Muhammadan, wherever the Gospel is faithfully preached to them. It is not too much to say that if the Gospel of Christ be not the power of GOD unto salvation to the Muslims as well as to every other seeker after truth, then our faith is vain, and must be relegated to the vast chaos of effete religions and exploded superstitions. Thank GOD, those of us who have