The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-01-28
FOREIGN MISSIONS.


can missionaries left for the East, to
bear the glad tidings of Christ to
heather people. These were five young
college graduates, one of whom was
Gordon Hall, aud another Adoniram
Judson. They were the first men, it
is said, to pray the American missionary
spirit into existence in this country.
For thirty eight years, and until his
death in 1850, DIR. Judson labored
among the Burmese, accomplishing a
great work in the way of enlightening
the heather mind, gathering converts
into churches, translating the scriptures
into the Burmese language, and en-
ploying other means for the gradual dis
placement of an idolatrous religion.
English missionaries were few
years earlier in the foreign field, and
they had far greater numbers and a
stronger support, but the missionary
spirit once aroused continued to kindle
and glow, until the American churches
were all on fire with zeal for the work
of evangelizing the world. Societies
were formed having this end in view,
funds were created; agents went upand
down in the land pleading the cause of
missions, year after year additional
laborers were equipped and sent into
the field, and at last we hear of the up
lifting of the banner of the cross, not
only in India, Burmah and China, but
in lands, if possible, still more be-
nighted.
Begun in weakness, and in small
way, the results of missionary labor in
point of magnitude well-nigh defy
computation. Only seventy-six years
have gone by since Judson and Hall,
with their three associates, among the
earliest of foreign missionaries, set out
to preach Christ in the dark lands of
heathenism and yet we look with
amazement to-day upon the harvest
that has issued from that early plant
ing. Within the period marked by
these seventy-six years, thousands of
missionaries have been sent forth to
different heather countries, and many
thousands of schools and churches have
been established, into which have been
gathered great multitudes of children
and converts to the Christian religion.
Consider, also, that within this time,
the scriptures, which had been pub
lished in less than fifty languages, have
been published in at least two hundred
languages and dialects; and that from
being accessible in languages spoken by
about 200, 100000 men, they are now
accessible in tongues and dialects
spoken by more than 900, 100000. We
cite in this connection another inter-
esting fact, and one full of encourage
ment to the friends of foreign missions:
that while not a dollar one hundred
years ago was given through any organ
lied channel expressly for the object
of sending the living preacher to the
heather, now many millions Of dollars
are annually contributed to the foreign
missionary societies alone. That the
offerings by Christians, consecrated by
faith and prayer, have not been made
in vain-that no effort, no sacrifice has
been expended for naught, but have
all been abundantly blessed of God to
the advancement of his Kingdoms
grandly and impressively shown by the
fact, that within the present century
whole islands and groups of islands
in the North and South Pacific, inhabi-
ted by the lowest savages, have been
christianiZed; that the work of illumi-
nation has been more than begun in
the darkest parts of Africa; that wide
door has been opened for the gospel in
India, China and Japan; while in Tur-
key, where the government only few
years ago visited with instant death all
apostates from the national faith, the
principle of religious liberty is to-day
interviewer with the fundamental laws
of the empire.
The thoughtful reader will under
stand without reminder that the facts
and figures we have given, though
affording the most substantial and
cheering proof of progress in the work
of evangelizing the world, at the same
time give a very inadequate view, or
only a partial exhibit, of what has
actually been accomplished. 1t is i'm
possible to estimate the influence of a
single converted soul on the corrupt
mass Of heathenism around. And what
must be the influence Of three or four
hundred thousand converted souls, ami