Again, if all settled ministers of talent and influence remain at home,
how can such a number of missionaries be secured as seem needed for the
world's conversion? If many of those already in the sacred office do
not go, it is absolutely certain, that the present generation of heathen
must die without the Gospel. The angel of death continues hovering over
the dying nations, mowing down his twenty millions a year; and before
ministers can be raised up from among the youth and children, will be
drawing a stroke at the last man of all that are now heathen. The
present generation of ministers must preach the Gospel to the present
generation of mankind. It will be the duty of the next generation of
ministers to preach to the inhabitants that shall be then on the globe.
To look for missionaries from among the young alone, is making no
provision for the present generation of heathen. If the heathen are to
be left till missionaries can be trained up, they are to be left--the
soul shudders at the thought--till they shall be in hell! By making this
postponement, the churches, in effect, though certainly without
intending it, sign the death warrant of a great portion of the present
six hundred millions of perishing heathen; relinquish all effort for
this vast multitude, and only dream of saving the next generation--of
whom it would be a mercy never to be born, unless there shall be more
hope of their salvation than can be seen at present--_dream_, I say, of
saving the next generation; for to think much of raising up the young to
be missionaries, without going ourselves, is little better than
dreaming.
To induce young men, to any great extent, to become missionaries, when
their fathers and elder brethren do not, is hopeless. Precept must
become more powerful than example, before such a result can take place.
How can you so blindfold the young, stop their ears, and wall them off
from surrounding influences, as to expect such a result? If their eyes
are left open, what do they see? They see their fathers and elder
brethren settled at home, and some of them in quiet, comfort and honor.
If their ears are left open, what do they hear? They hear various
excuses for remaining at home, and among others, the specious idea of
training up children to be missionaries. And what will they do? They
will dream of training your grandchildren for missions, and your
grandchildren dream of training the next generation, and so on, as the
sixty generations past have done, from the time of the Saviour down. But
the fire of God's Spirit shall burn up this chaff. The world shall not
be cheated out of its millenium. The judgment trumpet shall not sound
before the arrival of the latter day glory.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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