The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-10-27

lasting destiny, what then Is to become o
you? If your hope is only In what Jesu
Christ, your substitute, has done for you, il
your failure to do your best, is it very gen
erous to be so careless about the fate of tht
poor heather who has failed to do his best
Let the heathen alone" do you say .
But see you not that they will not be lei
alone; that in the newly-opened intercourse
with all the world bad men will not let then
alone; the devil will not let them alone; the
terrible vices and cOrruptions of nomina
Christian sailors and traders will not let then
alone?
But aside from all that, to demand of the
church that the heather be let alone, is in
effect demand that Christianity cease to be
Christianity that the gospel of Christ cease
to be gospel. For it is of the very nature
of this gospel, or "goOd news" that the
news be told and told to all the world. And
this story is the story of servant of God
that taketh away the sin oGthe vOrld. not of
Europe and America only. Its author,
Jesus Christ, "csme into the world to save
Sinners not into Asia only. Hence his
commission to his church, as if anticipating
just such heresy as this "let the heather
alone," specifies the extent of it with such
marked particularly given almost to tautol
ogy-" unto all the Vorld'-" to every crea-
ture' '-"tO all nations, beginning at Jeru
salem" And, accordingly, the history of
the gospel movement from the beginning is
that of foreign missionary movement The
first preachers of this gospel were miracu-
lously educated for the very purpose of be-
ing foreign missionaries on the day of Pen
tecost. And, accordingly, after the account
of their obedience to the Master command
in evangelizing India and Samaria the whole
story of the church becomes story of its
foreign missions. There were just as many
obstacles in the way of evangelizing the
heathen as at this day-whether they went
on their mission to the civilized Pagans or
to the savage Barbarians. And if time per-
mitted to trace this remarkable history it
could be shown that for the first seven years
they labored in Judea with Jerusalem for
their center according to the command. But
after the vision of Peter revealing to him
that the Gentiles are to be received into the
church, thenceforward the history is of sue
cessive missionary journeys to all parts of
the world, and within thirty years they had
planted the church in all the principal places
of the Roman Empire. The history of the
church for the next five hundred years is
but journal of her martyrdoms and of her
foreign missionary work in carrying the gos-
pei successively to the Celtic, the Teutonic
and the Slavonic races; then to Germany,
Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and gradually
over the world. Even in the corrupt days
of the church and in its lower apostasy, this
conception of Christianity as gospel for
" the world never dropped out, though al
most everything else essential to true Chris
tianity was crushed out. The Roman Cath
Ole missions to the East in China and Ja-
pan, to the South in Africa, and to the West
in South America, attest how tenaciously
this great idea of Z" all the world" for Christ
adhered in the Christian system. And the
rapid growth of the spirit of modern mis-
sions once the struggle for the freedom of
of Christ's church was ended, shows how
vital is that great idea in general EVangel-
ical Christianity.
No, brethren, this clamor of "let the hea-
then alone" is but another form of demand
ing that Christianity shall cease to be Chris
tianity, and its gospel cease to be itself. And
sad experience has taught the church in all
time past, and the future will surely confirm
the lesson, so far as this selfish spirit may
get foothold in the church, that Chris
tianity which has not this gospel for sail
the world" all nation" "-is a worthless
and dead Christianity.
And this may explain to you why our
Southern Church, though poor and despOiled
of her means, has yet struggled so earnestly
to have hand in this work of giving the
gospel to all nations" every creature" II
is this which confirms her title to be church
of Christ, and her title on which to claim
the blessing of her adorable Head. And
hence it is that she calls upon you, in the
name of the Master, for these contributions
to enable her to obey the Masters command
Missionary.