re.

The church had for many years been much interested in both home and
foreign missions. I preached frequently upon the subject, and kept it
constantly before the people. Regular collections were taken for
missionary objects, and the Every Member Canvass plan had long been in
operation. The response was always general and liberal. In fact, those who
were well acquainted with the churches of the state have often said that
in proportion to its resources, its gifts were larger than those of any
other church. Not only did they give money, but they also gave their sons
and daughters to carry the gospel to less favored regions. Many of the
young women of the church had gone to teach in home mission schools. And
there came a beautiful summer Sabbath when a favorite niece, brought up in
my home, and an active and useful member of the church, beloved by all,
with solemn services in the little church on the hilltop was consecrated
to the foreign work and sent forth with the prayers and blessings of all
the people to represent them among the awakening millions of China.

As I was sitting in my study one day pondering upon these things, the
absurdity of the situation came over me all at once. "Here we are
gathering money to send our sons and daughters to the distant parts of the
earth, but we are doing absolutely nothing for scores of families that are
almost within the sound of our church-bell. We feel some responsibility
for the millions of people of other lands whom we have never seen, and
never shall see, but we have not felt very much responsibility for those
who are separated from us by only a few miles. We are anxious to give the
gospel to the colored people, the Chinese, and to those of alien races;
but we have felt no such anxiety for those of our own race who are not so
very far away. There are many families and hundreds of people within five
or six miles of our church that are practically without the gospel, as
truly as are the Chinese or the South Sea Islanders. We have made no
systematic effort to interest them in these things. We have given them no
reason to believe that we are drawn out toward them with Christlike
motives. Surely there must be something wrong in our calculations." Then I
heard the Master say, "These ye ought to have done, and not to have left
the other undone."

And then came the vision of "The Larger Parish." I saw the church
reaching out its hand and touching tenderly but effectively all the peo