The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-10-21

Vltai plety anu the lhtIouu0'''" VI
destructive doctrine. Aud when at last
the Reformation once more lighted up
the gloom that had settled down upon
mankind and brooded over them with It's
chilling shadows for centuries, 1t found
the Church phantom,
" A hollow form with empty hands.
1t may seem somewhat remarkable,
that the Church of the Reformation,
which was no other than a reclaiming OF
the Apostolic Church from the thraldom
of Popery, should not have copied the
example of her primitive mother, and III
scribed the language of the great Com
mission upon the Gospel banner which
she then so nobly unfurled and so heroic
ally defended Her neglect in this par
ticular may possibly be owing, in part at
least, % her peculiar Surroundings at the
time. Romanism, the deadly f-e OF
evangelical religion, when it saw the
dangers that threatened it, put forth It's
mighty enginery of hell to crush out the
Church that had dared to protest against
its false assumptions and blaspheming
heresies; and the Reformers may have
felt that the great work devolved on
them was to establish Professionalism and
extend it as far as possible among the
millions who groaned under the tyranny
of the Pope.
Be this as it may, the missionary spir-
it, as it is called, is of comparatively re-
cent origin, aad the present century has
witnessed the largest and most compre-
hensive schemes for the evangelization
of the world that have been i'll operation
since the earlier years of the life of the
Church.
And since the war, there seems to be
revival of the missionary spirit in that
branch of our common Zion with which
we are connected. 1t is but few weeks
since three young men left the endear-
ments of home and bade farewell to
Christian friends, that they might carry
the Gospel to the teeming population of
China. But shall we, therefore, con-
gratulate ourselves that We are doing our
whole duty for the SOO,OOO,OOO of pa
gans that are perishing for lack of knowl-
edge? Here is field of appalling
magnitude, already white unto the har-
vest, into which death is remorselessly
tArowing in his sickle. Every hour hun
dreds are hurried off and called into the
awful presence of their Judge; and the
wall of these dying sons and daughters
of Adam is borne mournfully upon our
ears by every wind that sweeps from tbs
Atlantic and the Pacific coast; yet bnt
a handful of devoted men responds TO
their fearful cry and hastens to their re-
lief. When such dreary wastes stretch
before our aching eyes far beyond the
horizon of our vision, and God is open
ing up highway for missionaries into
all the nations of the earth, can we doubt
the nature of the call which ne is making
upon the Church? ? Does he mean to
excuse that indifference and sluggishness
of spirit which can contemplate such
desolations almost without tear and al
most without an honest effort to reclaim
them? And shall the Church rest upon
her old moorings and not spread her
sails TO bear the rich treasure of the Cos
Del to millions of our brothers who are
stretching forth their hands to us with
piteous pleadings for the bread of life !?
Shall we look out upon such harvest
as the world presents, and send forth
barely dozen laborerS when thousands
are needed?
All my friend, these days in which
We live are critical. The opportunities
now in our grasp are beyond the power
of computation. Never before since the
time of the Apostles surely, has the
Church of Christ been summoned by so
loud and imperative voice to lengtheu
her cords and strengthen her stakes.
And never has 1t been more obligatory
than now, upon every pious youth, to
pause upon the threshold of manhood,
and ask with prayerful, fearful earnest
ness, Lord, what wilt thou have ne to
do ?"
And here, let me urge you, dear f.,
and all of our Christian youth, yea, and
other Christians too, to get and read and
ponder a tract recently issued by our
Committee of Publication from the pen
of Rev. DR.. Dabney, and styled g What
is a Call to the Gospel Ministry?" The
Church cannot afford to ignore this great
subject and be guiltless. The time has
come when the ministerial force needs to
be greatly multiphed,-far indeed, be-
vond what has yet entered into the prac
tical conception of the Church; and tc
overlook the exigencies of our situation
and be deaf to the demands that are
made upon us, is to prove recreant to the
solemn call of our reascended Lord, anC
roll back, so far as human agency can
the glorious tide of victory which il
hearing forward the Kingdom Of oul