5. The principal question, however, is one of means. How is this life to be secured? To get fresh water we go to the spring. To get information we go to the sources of knowledge. To get spiritual vitality we go to Christ. Life in nature is the product of living organisms in contact. The strength and continuance of that life depends upon the closeness of the contact. The steel must touch the magnet to receive and retain magnetism. So spiritual life and zeal comes from contact with a living Christ. The strength and fervor of that life is forever conditioned upon the closeness of our contact with our living Head. No one thing so lowers spiritual heat and light as distance from Christ. Neptune has not a thousandth part of our light and warmth. He is too far away from the central orb. We are just now too far away from Christ; hence our comparative barrenness. We must sit where the fire and inspiration of His eye kindle in ours; where his glowing enthusiasm passes over into us; where the greatness and grandeur of the work He has given us to do shall thrill us and grow upon us. Then we shall mount to its accomplishment on the wings of eagles, and run and not be weary, and walk and not faint. Never had this Association more call for enthusiasm, never for greater hopefulness. What did we see here last night—the black man and red man, men from Asia and Africa and America, strangers and proselytes, speak in their own tongues the wonderful works of God. I cheer you on to the labor of another year. As we go down from this mount let us go to our upper chambers and, whether for eight days or as many weeks, let us tarry and pray until we are endued from on high and receive the tongues of flame and the utterance of the Spirit. Then let us, in our various fields, gird up our loins and go forth to achieve for the Lord of Hosts, resolved that before another anniversary of this Association comes round we will, God helping us, see thousands housed and happy in Christ’s dear love all over our beloved land of very race and color. * * * * * ADDRESS OF PROF. W. M. BARBOUR, D.D. The topic assigned me is in the line of the theme just discussed by Dr. Dennen. My friend and classmate Dr. Pike insisted upon my coming over here and taking part in this evening meeting; and he said, “Your theme will be: Spiritual Vitality the Crowning Necessity in Missionary Work.”