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EVANGELISTIC WORK IN THE COUNTRY. l8lChina is open as never before. This is the testimony ofdevoted workers in all parts of the Empire. More thanforty years ago the late Hudson Taylor said that therewas no need to pray that China might be opened to theGospel, that it was even then open, and God was waitingfor His people to enter. If that was so then, what shallwe say of conditions to-day God ?is, in a very real sense,waiting for His people to enter, and with the greateropportunities come the heavier responsibilities.When we speak of China being open do not interpretthat as meaning that the Chinese are hungering for theGospel. They are hungering for something and we knowthat the Gospel alone can satisfy their real need, whetherthey know it or not. The people everywhere manifest awillingness to listen that has not been known before,and all the Bible Societies report unprecedented sales ofScripture portions.It can also be safely said that there are now noparts of this immense land that are closed to the missionary or the Chinese evangelist. Even the smallhamlets will give welcome to the Chinese evangelist, eventhough sometimes these are now still inaccessible tothe foreign missionary. If progress in aggressive evangelism in the country district may be thought by someto have been slow in the past few years, it has not beenbecause of closed doors, but rather because the churchesat home have not laid hold on their God-given opportunities. Of no time more than the present could thefollowing words have a direct application: "Behold, Ihave set before thee an opendoor." Will not He whoopened the door requireit of the churches that it beentered, and that it be entered speedily, for we know nothow longit may remain open? Surely in this respectat least there has been progress and that of a divineorder, for has it not been Jehovah going before Hispeople !There may be many conflicting opinions as to thesecondary causes for the wonderfully open door, but we