England and India, America and China, the Orient and the Occident.

Is there any race or condition which the Christian religion has been unable to reach? To what extent has Christianity been able to develop leadership in every race?

Why does Christianity tend to be a universal religion?

How does one's obligation to his own race or nation compare with his obligation to other races or nations?

In what ways did Jesus break with Jewish exclusiveness in His dealings with individuals?

In its history to what extent has Christianity followed the ideals of its Founder in its inter-racial and international character?

How far is America's opportunity to know Christianity dependent upon the missionary character of that religion?

If two appeals for help come to a person-one from people of his own, the other from people of an alien nation-to which ought he to respond? Which would be following Jesus' ideal?

What is the Christian's obligation today to individuals of other lands and races?

CHAPTER V

THE TERRITORIAL LIMITS OF THE

KINGDOM

DAILY READINGS

The attempt has been made to show that Christianity has a message for every individual, and that individuals of every race and condition have accepted the call to citizenship in the Kingdom and gladly built their lives into the Kingdom enterprise. We are faced at once with the further question: Though individuals everywhere may accept Christianity, is it wise and is it possible to press the message of the Gospel in every nation of the world?

FIRST DAY: The Kingdom was not expected by Jesus to advance as an organized army advances, securing all the ground in every direction before it moves on.

Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man that sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares also among the wheat, and went away. But when the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. And the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? whence then hath it tares? And he said unto them, An enemy hath done this. And the servants say unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he saith, Nay; lest haply while ye gather up the tares, ye root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather up first the

tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but
gather the wheat into my barn.-Matt. 13: 24-30.

Good and evil grow up side by side in the world. This is to be expected. The Kingdom will, according to Jesus, permeate everywhere, even among those who are its enemies. Read Matt. 13:36-43.

What is the meaning of this parable for the individual Christian who is anxious to see his religion advance in the world?

SECOND DAY: The silent, steady, inevitable advance of the Kingdom was pictured by Jesus in several striking parables.

Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: which indeed is less than all seeds; but when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the heaven come and lodge in the branches thereof.

Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till it was all leavened.-Matt. 13:31-33.

"Religion spreads by contagion. Our Lord bases His expectation of the extension of His Spirit throughout the world not upon any grand and powerful institution but upon the secret, unnoticed influence of man upon man" (Dods).

What is the limit of our influence? When do our own acts have an effect on the other side of the world? Is this true of bad acts as well as good?

THIRD DAY: When Paul of Tarsus was a Jewish rabbi, he had little eagerness to carry the message of his religion beyond the bounds of his own race. When he became a Christian his transformation in this particular regard was so com

plete that he gave his whole life to the task of preaching the Gospel message outside the Jewish nation.

Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers, Barnabas, and Symeon that was called Niger, and Lucius and Cyrene, and Manaen the foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. And as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

So they, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. Acts 13:1-4.

What impulse sent Paul out into this wider mission? What makes a man a missionary? What evidence is there of similar direction today?

FOURTH DAY:

And the next sabbath almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul, and blasphemed. And Paul and Barnabas spake out boldly, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first be spoken to you. Seeing ye thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying,

I have set thee for a light of the Gentiles,

That thou shouldst be for salvation unto the utter-
most part of the earth.

And as the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and
glorified the word of God: and as many as were
ordained to eternal life believed. And the word of
the Lord was spread abroad throughout all the
region.-Acts 13:44-49.

Notice the leaven of the Kingdom already at work in the world.

"Have you learned to study with interest the growing Kingdom of God in the world; the irresistible trend of civilization; the development of social forces that are evidently beyond the control of men or any combination of men, especially the transformation of heathen civilization?" (Bosworth.)

Is it our duty to study the growth of the Kingdom of God? On what other grounds can we for ourselves judge of its universal claims?

FIFTH DAY:

And it came to pass in Iconium that they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake that a great multitude both of Jews and of Greeks believed.-Acts 14: I.

Thus Paul went out from among them. But certain men clave unto him, and believed: among whom also was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.-Acts 17:33, 34.

And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded Jews and Greeks.-Acts 18: 4.

But when some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. And this continued for the space of two years; so that all they that dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

Many also of them that had believed came, confessing, and declaring their deeds. And not a few of them that practised magical arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all; and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of the Lord and prevailed.

For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no little