The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-01-21
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IN
THE MISSIONARY IDEA.

The Reverend 4. F. Carr. pastor of the
Central Presbyterian Church. South,
preached yesterday morning on The Mis-
sionary Idea" taking as his text Matthew
vi. 10. Thy kingdom come" Mr.. Carr said.
in part:
Doctor ]. Murray Mitchell tells Of as
cending the Godavari River. in India. to It's
source. As he passed up the stream he
found II growing smaller and smaller as
he drew near to its head. till at length he
reached a point in the mountains where the
drops which trickled over the rocks could he
held for some momen IN the palm Of the
hand. so small was the beginning of the
stream From this point he could see Il
running down among the mountains. be-
coming ever broader. flowing majesticaily
turning toward the Bay of Bengal. and
finally losing itself in the ocean far away.
"This IS a picture OF the missionary idea.
That idea may be defined as the unfolding
in history Of Gods purpose of grace to-
ward man In other words, IL is the COM
ing on earth Of the kingdom of heaven. Tx
the river, it is small In It's beginning. but
becomes broader and mightier as II flows
down the centuries. TIL It shall finally spread
cut into that boundless ocean OF God glory
waters cover the great deep. Daniel saw q
vision OF that kingdom IN the stone cut
out OF the mountains without hands. which
grew till II became a mountain. and TIL
1t filled the whole earth. We sometimes
hear the missionary idea referred to as a
product Of modern times. a new idea 1t
hAd- III O0Cl lLlCb kdhGH q more Nlle-
spread hold upon men. and is receiving q
more extensive manifestation than ever be-
fore. but the idea itself is not new.
Augustine wrote a book on the subject
fifteen hundred years ago. in which he re-
ferred to for its origin back to the time
when war arose IN heaven and disagreeing
world. Alexander Duff would take il beyond
that and find its origin In the eternal pur-
pose OF God. In Its historical manifestation
II may be considered as beginning with the
call of Abraham TO come ont frOm T-r Of
the Chaldees. Abraham was the first great
missionary. He was called of God TO leave
strange land for the revelation Of Gods
grace to men. Abraham's descendants were
a race Of missionaries.
W do not ordinarily think Of them that
way. We think of them as anything but
missionary In spirit-and so In fact they
were. They were not willingly missionary,
sionary work. The religion which he gave
them Is a missionary religion, and he called
them out from the rest OF the world that
the comil6 OF his son. At the coming OF
Christ the missionary idea received a new
tmpuise-he was the greatest of all the mis-
glory of the eternal God into the DARK
world OF death that divine light might Shine
upon IL and divine life be given - it
Everywhere and evermore the missionary
idea is to have a new meaning and a new
glory. After the resurrection of Jesus the
apostles were taught by. three successive
Nh1e Lax 1O-RCA Il lAllcEueu OF e
tiles as well as for Jews-the first Of these
steps was taken when Philip went down 10
Samarta and preached Christ there. The
Jews had no dealings with them. 1t was 4
step In advance for a Jew to go and preach
to them. The second step was taken when
He was a pagan by birth. but a proselyte
70 JUDAISM The final step was taken when
Peter saw the vision of the sheet let down
from heaven containing all names of four
footed beasts and was told to call nothing
unclean which God had cieansed; and when.
IN obedience to that heavenly vision. he
went and preached the Gospel to Cornelius.
This was the full recognition of the uni
versatility OF the gospel message. Thu was
me wal, prepared for the separation OF
Paul and B~arnabas for the work to which
they were chosen. Through the instrument
tality of these devoted missionaries. the
knowledge OF Christ.s kingdom was carried
Christianity had become the acknowledged
religion of the Roman Empire. and Con-
ssa1tlne had professed himself a disciple
OF Jesus b stream is thus seen to be
growing and broadening with wonderful
rapidity. From a few drops trickIing over
the rocks at its source. it has become a
majestic river. watering the mightiest OF
earth's Empires on its way.
But Its pure waters become more and
those of paganism. The missionary idea
passes through the period of the Dark
Ages, and becomes almost entirely OBJ
scured by the darkness.
Through the long centuries of night
which settled upon the world. as a repre-
sentative OF the missionary idea. Raymond
Lul stands alone. His majestic figure rises
IN SOLITARY grandeur against the back
ground Of darkness. At once a theoiogian,
a nobieman. a scientist. an Independent IN
ventor OF the mariners compass. he was
also the greatest missionary to the Mo-
hammedans that has ever vet preached ia
mat obdurate race. He desired to change
the monasteries which filled Europe into
institutions OF learning. where the monks
should learn. Oriental languages, and have
mem; instead OF spending their time count
ing their beads. &c out into all the world
and preach the gospel. But the age was
not ready for him. To his earnest e1orts
TO arouse the church from her sIumbers
she barely opened her sleepy lids to reply
lou nave walked me too soon, /
must siumber again. Had the church
responded TO Raymond Lulrs ap-
Carey became five centuries later and The
Coming OF Christ's kingdom might have
been FASTENED by the space of zoo wears
But II was reserved for modern times 10
witness the great awakening.
within the last century the work has
seen a missionary movement, such as vas
Fever SHOWN betore-doors. tightly closed
centuries. have been opened wide. Bar
rlers. mountains high. have been broken
GOWN Modern inventions and improvements
nave made that easy which before was i'm |
In every way God has -reoared
the world for the advance of his cause
nor nave the wonders OF our age been
merely In the way OF preparation. Much
HeSuai ADVANCE has already been made. |
a Worldwide evangeIization. his hone was |
called the dream of a dreamer who dreams |
ne Is dreaming In the ight OF modern mi.- |
sions 70 are made to see that instead IL |