LIFE AND LETTERS OF JOSEPH HARDY NEESIMA

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THE SAMURAI CLASS. 171 ropean politics are but juicy beefsteak to their desper­ate appetites. If we let them take their own course, what will be the future destiny of Japan? If they fall down Japan will go down with them. And if they rise they will certainly raise up the whole nation. If you take them away from the people, nothing but old-fashioned plodders will be left behind. National prosperity or misery hangs upon the pivot of this particular class. I believe it is just the time to reach, rescue, and win them to Christ. If we let them swim away from the gospel net, they will certainly be caught by the Devil's hand. Remember that he is far wiser than the children of light. If we fail to reach them now, we fear we shall find the process of evangelization an uphill work. But if we win them we shall certainly win the whole Sunrise Empire. Being far better educated than any other class, they are more susceptible to Christian truth. Being strictly trained to faithfulness to their feudal masters, they will be more faithful to the Master of masters, if He is made clearly known to them. Being middle in rank, they can reach both the higher and the lower. This may be the very class where you may expect to find a Saul of Tarsus. Yea, this may be the people whom God has chosen from the beginning to be the foremost cross-bearers, to lead their fellow-country­men to the Eternal City. "Your question will naturally arise : how to reach this class? to which my reply will be very simple. Provide for us the highest and best possible downright Christian institution. It is the only way to both sat­isfy and win them. My ten years' experience in Japan has induced me to affirm that the highest possible Christian education will be a power to save the nation."

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