. . . amounted to and resulted in a complete failure, if God had not blessed their puny exertions in the undeniable manner he did, making of us so many living witnesses to the truth of his apostle's solemn declaration, that the weakness of God is stronger than men; that the foolish things of the world God hath chosen that he may confound the wise; that he hath chosen the weak things to confound the strong; and the base things and the things that are contemptible hath God chosen, and the things that are not, that he might bring to nought the things that are, that no flesh should glory in his sight -- I Cor., 1, 27-29. This precious and most consoling text is familiar to all missionaries. I learned it by heart, or rather took it to my heart long since. God alone knows how well it has served me.

Hence I repeat without a particle of shame, but with a readiness equalled only by an absolute conviction, that if there is anything praiseworthy in the rapid growth of the mustard seed brought over from the old world and planted by us in this new one, it is to the abundant dew, the incessant and ever increasing blessing from above that it is due. Non nobis Domine, non nobis, sed Nomini . . .