me and imitate his acts to the least particular. Much more
faithfully, I fear, than we imitate Jesus, our example. The great question
in Arabia is whether Mohammed or Jesus is to rule the country. Mohammed
has had it very much his own way for thirteen hundred years, but now his
dominion is being disputed. God's providence is working in many ways to
help His gospel. I sometimes think that we might call His providence the
plow and His gospel the good seed. For example, what a strange thing it is
for the Arabs to find Christian governments interfering with their slave
trade. Does not the Koran approve of slave holders and did not Mohammed
buy and sell slaves? And then when the big merchant ships come to the
coasts of Arabia and the ignorant Arabs learn of other lands and peoples
and civilisation they cannot help losing some of their pride and
prejudice. They compare the government of England in Aden with that of the
Turks in Sanaa and then--well they feel like turning the world upside down
themselves!

The Mohammedan religion has such a strong hold in Arabia that it will not
be overcome in one day or by one battle. We must expect a long and hard
fight. Before Topsy-turvy Land becomes a Christian land there will be
martyrs in Arabia. Every Moslem who accepts Christ does so at his peril,
and yet there are those who dare to confess Christ before men. When you
read in mission reports of troubles and opposition, of burning up books,
imprisoning colporteurs and expelling missionaries you must not think that
the gospel is being defeated. It is conquering. What we see under such
circumstances is only the dust in the wake of the ploughman. God is
turning the world upside down that it may be right side up when Jesus
comes. He that plougheth should plough in hope. We may not be able to see
a harvest yet in this country but, furrow after furrow, the soil is
getting ready for the seed.

Don't some of you want to come and do a day's ploughing for the King?
There are some splendid stretches of virgin prairie yet untouched between
Bahrein and Mecca.

XX

TURNING THE WORLD DOWNSIDE UP

The story of mission work in Arabia is not very long, but it is full of
interest. From the day when Mohammed proclaimed himself an apostle in
Mecca until about sixteen years ago when Ion Keith Falconer came to Aden
as a missionary, all of Topsy-turvy Land lay in darkness as regards the
gospel. For thirteen hundred years Mohammed had it all his o