it, but to God's great work
of salvation in all lands."

"Ah, that is what he means," thought Hubert, and repeated to
himself--"the dearest object of God's heart!"

"You may question my definition of that work," said Mr. Carew, "but a
moment's reflection will convince you that it is true. We may measure
the object's value by the price expended for it. For what other than the
dearest object would God have been willing to give His most priceless
treasure--the Son of His love? You will pardon my giving some attention
to the fundamental facts of our common salvation before speaking
specifically of the work in which I have had a part for some years in
China. My apology is this: that wherever the returned missionary goes,
even among God's people, he finds himself obliged to defend his work to
some who regard it as an impractical and self-devised effort at doing
good, rather than the simple carrying out of the expressed will of God.
We have to go back to first principles and inquire afresh: '_What is the
will of God_?'"

"That sounds sensible," thought Hubert, who loved to hear vital
principles discussed.

"Some very simple, well-worn texts will serve for our brief study," said
Mr. Carew. "First there is that comprehensive passage, familiarly known
and quoted in all evangelical circles: '_For God so loved the world that
He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not
perish, but have everlasting life_.' The words that I wish to emphasize
especially are two:--'_the world_.' They show you the scope of God's
love and gift. He loved 'the world,' not some favored race within it.
And love, which cannot rest inactive, _gave_; gave according to its own
measure--'His only begotten Son.' We cannot be otherwise than agreed
that this love and this gift were for all, and so must include my poor
China. Indeed, could you divide God's love arithmetically (it is a
foolish way to put it--you cannot divide infinity!) then my friends over
there might claim about one-fifth of it, I suppose, as they number about
that proportion of the world's population."

The ladies smiled indulgently at the curious way of putting it, but were
not yet persuaded in their hearts that so considerable a portion of the
love of God could be diverted from their own delightfully engrossing
race, not to China alone, but to other peoples also, as would follow by
that kind of arithmetic. Let the missionary talk. It would still be as