The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1873-03-26
FoR THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
THE REVEALING. 7.

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In one or two of these numbers | have
endeavored to maintain the position that the
Church-meaning thereby the evangelical
Christian body, of our generation, has, at
her command, the pecuniary and material
means for accomplishing that great, indis
pensable part of her work, the evangelization
of the world, or in case she is not actually
possessed of these means to the necessary
extent, they would be multiplied to her as
needed, if she addressed herself earnestly
and trustfully to the work. 1 do not pro-
pose to discuss that point any farther; but
will only ask, is there any Christian mind,
to which this proposition shall be submitted
and that has even the "grain of mustard
seed" faith, .hat will deny or controvert it,
in the last, if in the first branch of it?
But, having pat forth the sentiment that,
if the Church r God, in Cur day, should,
under the impulses of power from on high,
give herself as she ought to the effort for
the worlds salvation, she might hope very
soon to see it accomplished, may be met
with another difficulty. If the Church has
the material means, or God will give them,
where are the men to come from-the thous.
ands, nay tens of thousands that would be
wanted to do the personal work of evange-
lizing the thousand millions of the human
race? And this does, at first sight, look
like formidable objection to the opinion
above advanced. But, having at hand the
"Year Book" of the New York Observer,
find that there are, in the United States,
about $50 educational institutions, male and
female, holding the grade of Colleges and
Universities, with between forty and fifty
thousand students, some 95, 600 of them of
the male sex. Fully ne.third of the num-
Der come forth every year. Suppose that,
by such an outpouring of divine influence
on these institutions, as we may not only
fancy but pray for and look for, in these
Z" latter days. the larger part Of these edu-
Gated youths should be converted, then how
long would it take, if all or most Of these
converted ones should devote themselves Co
the ministerial and missionary work, how
long, | say, would it take, even for the Chris
tian body of this country to furnish the
'' workers" for the worlds evangelization ?
Even with the comparatively high requisi-
tons of the Presbyterian Church, any hun
dred, or thousand, or two thousand of these
young men might get into the ministerial
ranks in three or four years from this time.
Five thousand year, from all the evange-
lical denominations, for twenty-five or thirty
years, allowing some deduction to ell up losses
by death. would, in that time, give US nearly
one hundred thousand laborers in the field.
And let it be borne in mind that this calcu-
lation looks only to our own country as
source of supply. IL leaves out all that
Scotland, and Protestant Continen-
tai Europe could furnish for the glorious
army of evangelists. And is it to be Pro-
testant Christendom only whose bosom is to
nurture them? Will God touch the hearts
of no more De Sanctises and Gavazzis, for
Italy-no more of such as He has already
raised up for Spain and Mexico and other
merely nominal Christian countries? Has
He none others in reserve, for the Greeks of
our day, "like minded" with our dear Kalo-
pothakes? What if He should pour out of
His Spirit upon the thousands of Greek
young men that, animated by the ancestral
inquisitiveness, love of learning, vivacity,
and enterprise, fill up the Athens University
and High Schools, from different parts of
the Levant? What if He should give His
grace to even one man like Latas,
the Greek ecclesiastc who has lately attract.
ed such attention'by his oratory, in his own
corrupt communion, and in some way got
himself under the ban i? And look, still be-
yond, to the youth of almost all lands and
tongues, in scores of thousands, already
gathered in the foreign missionary schools;
what but more general outpourings of grace,
such as have actually been realized in such
at Constantinople, in Ooroomiah,
Asia Minor, Syria and elsewhere-are needed
to bring forth, from those schools thousands
of the very laborers suited to do the work
among the respective populations to which
they belong?
And, brethren, has not the "Lord of the
harvest hidden us to ask for the needed la.
borers? And does this mean, ask for few,
when it is expressly said, "the harvest is
great?" But does some one again make
the difficulty, how are we to support such
a multitude of laborers, in the work? |
answer, my brother, He who, in answer to
His peoples prayers, gives the laborers, will
give the means to support them; dOst thou
not believe it? Miracles, indeed, have
ceased; but many prophet servant of God,
even in these days, can testify that, in a
true and good sense, the Lords "ravens"
have not ceased to fly for them and theirs.
His Sustentation funds" is not only unex
hausted but expansive. In.