Jesus was the Christ they were filled with a sense of their
wickedness in crucifying Him. So it is with persons in Christian lands
when their minds become interested in the truth; they are made to feel
their wickedness in so long resisting its influences. But the case seems
to have been different when Philip first carried the Gospel to Samaria. The
first effect there seems to have been that of 'great joy.'

"It seems to be thus in Amoy. The conviction of deep sinfulness comes by
meditating on the Gospel, the work of Christ, etc.

"It is the doctrine of the cross of Christ, after all, which should be the
theme of our discourses."

March 18, 1851. To his brother, Goyn.

"They say in regard to preaching, that when a man has nothing more to say
he had better stop. If this rule were carried out in conversation and
letter-writing, there would be much less said and written in the world,
than is now the case.

"You seem to think that we missionaries can sit down at any time and write
letters, always having enough matter that will be interesting to you at
home. This is a good theory enough, but facts do not always bear it out.

"Our missionary work moves on usually in the same steady manner without
many ups and downs or interesting episodes (rather a mixture of figures you
will say), which we think worthy of note. I wish you folks at home could
send us more men to drive on the work a little faster. The door of access
at Amoy still continues as wide open as ever, and now seems to be the time
for the Church to send her men and occupy the post, which the Master offers
to her. But the Church at home cannot, it seems, look at this matter as we
who are on the ground....

PRIMITIVE LAMPS

"We have no good lamps yet for the church, consequently cannot open it in
the evening. But I have prepared some lamps for my chapel. I think you
would laugh to see them. They are four in number. Two of them are merely
small tumblers hung up by wires and cords. By means of another wire a wick
is suspended in each tumbler and the tumbler filled with oil. The other
two are on the same principle, but the tumblers are hung in a kind of glass
globe which is suspended by brass chains. These look considerably more
ornamental than the first two. Whether you laugh at them or not, they
answer a very good purpose. They do not make the room as light as would be
required in a church, in as large a city as Amoy is, in the United States,
but by means of th