STUDENTS’ CHRISTIAN UNION.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 872, 23 April 1903, Page 3

STUDENTS’ CHRISTIAN UNION.

I\IR MOTT’S VISIT.

Mr J. R. Moll, Bit: organising secretary of the Students’ Christian Unions throughout the world, was a through passenger by the Waikare yesterday afternoon. While Ihe steamer was at anchor in the Bay, lie came ashore to deliver a lecture, entitled “The Alliltide of the .Students of the World Towards Christianity.” At half-past three, he held a meeting at Tc Ran College, and gave an address to the students on “ Reality,” in which he urged the necessity of more earnestness in Christian work, and as a result of his address the preliminary steps were taken for forming a branch of the Christian Union in the College.

Upwards of BHi people assembled in Holy Trinity Schoolroom at 5 |>.m., to hear Mr Molt deliver his lecture. The Rev. F. W. Chatter!on occupied the chair, and, after an opening prayer, briefly introduced the lecturer. Mr Mott, who, on rising Lo speak, was received with applause, said that organisations were ;l proof of what men were thinking, and were a good answer to the question whether Christ’s power over men was waning or increasing. He then took his hearers for an imaginary trip lo the leading countries of the world, and showed the hold that Christianity had upon the hearts of students and the inllucnce that the Christian Unions hull in the various colleges. .Starting with America (the birthplace of the movement) and Canada, lie pointed out that 25 years ago there were not ten students who belonged to any Christian Society; now there were 1.0,000, working in (170 unions ; and of these 20110 had during the last sixteen years gone as foreign missionaries. Hi Great lirilain, there were only seventeen unions ten years ago ; whereas now there were 137, the number of members ha-

ving increased from 2000 to fiOOfi in seven years. There were a greater proportion of “ science ” students than students of any other faculty in Great Britain than in any othercountry, and there are 2090 missionary students. He wont on to speak in plowing terms af the extension of the work in France (the land of infi-

delity), where there are now 15(1 unions, will] their own travelling secretary and own periodical. 01 the progress in Germany, whore the movement first started amongst the schoolboys but now has a hold upon the universities ; of the good feeling that existed between the Dutch and British students in South Africa the lecturer spoke, and mentioned that in the Boer camps at St. Helena and Ceylon over fifty Boer students sought to spread the knowledge of Christ among their fellow-countrymen. Then, turning to the Far East, ho said that in India there were 00.000 students who had joined the Union, and of these many hundreds were secret disciples of Christ, and many others vero studying Buddhism not as a religion, hut as a philosophy China, he said, was the brightest country ho had visited, and some of the station's there had been willing to suffer martyrdom rather than deny their faith, and he spoke of one who was converted during his visit to that country some few years ago, and who afterwards became President of his College Union, and during the Boxer movement was cut in pieces by the rebels rather than renounce his faith. Ho touched on the great revival of spiritual life which has swept over Japan during the past two years, and said that some of the leading officials in the State wore avowedly Christian—all due in a great measure in the influence of the Christian Union in Ihe colleges. In conclusion, lie said that time weri about. 85,00(1 students in the world who were members of this great otganisalion. Mr Molt, who is an eloquent mol siirring speaker, spoke for upwards of three-quarters of an hour, and was frequently applauded. ...The Rev.'B. F. Rolhwcll. in moving a hearty vote of (hanks to the lecturer, said lie though! they could not. thank him enough for his kindness in addressing them that evening. For himself, lie would say that he had learnt enough new matter about. China to last him all his life. Mr ('. A. Del-autour, in seconding the motion, said that some of them had been watching Mr Mott’s career with ;l great deal of interest, and he trusted that God would use him as much in the future as he had in the past. The motion was carried with acclamation, and Mr Mott, in acknowledging the vote, thanked the audience for their kindness, and besought tiieir prayers for a convention to lie held in Christchurch -u May 2nd and 3rd, to which some 200 students from all over New Zealand were expected to attend, and he hoped one or more from Gisborne.

At the conclusion. Mr Molt, dined at the Rev. F. W. Chatterton’s residence, and proceeded on his voyage South in the evening.