EAGER TO BECOME CHRISTIANS.
Bibles Cannot Be Printed Fast
Enough for Koreans.
Enough for Koreans.
Dr. Horace G. Underwood occupied the pulpit at the First Presbyterian church last night and delivered a sermon dealing with the missionary work in Korea. Dr. Underwood has spent twenty-four years as a missionary to that country. His headquarters have been at Seoul.
"Thousands of laymen of the Korean church," he said, "will travel from their homes to attend a conference; will walk all of the way and be on the road for ten days; will remain another ten days and then consume still another ten days returning, and what for? Merely to study God's word, that they may become more in spirit with its teachings. And, after reaching home, they will send the women.
"Korean women are timid. A rabbit jumping up beside one of them will give her a fright. Yet, that they may have the opportunity to study the Bible, they will t ravel for ten days over mountain roads infested with wild beasts. We can hardly print the Bible fast enough to supply them. Just before I left Korea I ordered 20,000 copies and now every one is spoken for. Koreans want to buy them. They work for 15 or 20 cents a day and are wiling to pay from 20 to 75 cents for a Bible."
The speaker told instances showing their simple, childlike faith in prayer and their active work as soon as they become converted. Once Korean, who had professed in a meeting conducted by Dr. Underwood, went to another town without the latter's knowledge. In three months he came back and announced that he had there a church with more than 100 members.
"To the Korean, to win a soul is considered the peculiar privilege of a Christian," he said.
That they are money-giving is shown by their donation last year to their church work, $61,730.
