Foreign Mission J ournal
I'u1>12hIkmI Monthly by the Foreign IUInmIom Elonrd ol the Southern ltirptist Convention.
"ALL POWER IS GIVEN UNTO ME IN HEAVEN AND IN EARTH. GO YE , THEREFORE AND TEACH ALL NATIONS
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Vol. — New Series. 1 RICHMOND, VA., JULY, 1882. No. 4.— Whole No. 148.
IF.ntcml ut Die I’ost-Olllce nt Richmond, Yn , ae treond*
1 clans matter.]
FOREIGN MISSION JOURNAL.
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Address, FOREIGN MISSION JOURNAL,
RICHMOND, Va.
IMPROVEMENT OF JOURNAL.
Our next paper will appear somewhat enlarged ;
and, it is hoped, under new editorial management.
The rates of subscription will be unchanged, ex¬
cept that ftfiy or more copies lo one address will be
twenty cents a copy.
UNFORTUNATE QOOD FORTUNE.
At the last meeting of the Southern Baptist Con¬
vention the Hoard of Foreign Missions reported
itself out of debt, wjth a balance of $3,270.76 on
hand. This seemed a cause of congratulation. Hut
this seeming good fortune has had the very unfor¬
tunate effect of restraining contributions to a dis-
tressingdegree. Hefoi c the Corresponding Secre¬
tary returned from the Convention, more than the
balance on hand had been absorbed by drafts of
our missionaries, and much more has been paid
out, on thesameaccount, while comparatively little
has come in, except from the General Association
of Virginia, which has recently adjourned. Shall
the good providence of God be so illy requited ?
Shall the Hoard be forced to begin again and so
soon, the pernicious practice of borrowing ? Yet,
this is enevitable, unless the churches send
promptly and regularly the means necessary for
the expenses of our missions. The Board puts
this matter on the conscience of God’s people.
In accordance with the By-laws of the Conven¬
tion, the fourth Sunday in July, or as near that
time as possible, is suggested as a day for prayer
and contributions for the heathen-world. The
address in this issue on our duly to the heathen, is
sent to all our pastors.
NEW ERA AND NEW SECRETARY.
In his annual sermon before the Baptist General
Association of Virginia, Rev.
С.
H. Rylniul, D.
D., suggested that in addition to the other Boards,
a “Board for collections” be appointed. This
suggestion was significant. It gave voice to the
deepening sentiment among our people that tile
resources of our churches should be more thor¬
oughly explored, and .that the matter should be
done in an organized way. It lias been one of
ithe errors of the past decade that money would
flow spontaneously into our treasuries, if collect¬
ing agencies were withdrawn. This error was
based upon three assumptions : First, that Bap-
lists arc generally more sanctified than they are:
Second, that pastors would do the work of agents,
if agents were not in the field : and Third, that
the simple proclaiming of the gospel and cultiva¬
tion of Christian graces would suffice to^pnrry on
our denominational enterprises without the inform¬
ation and encouragement with regard to these en¬
terprises, that are given by special agents. These
assumptions being regarded true, there lias
been much criticism of the expense which has
been necessary for collecting agencies. But, a
change is coming over the spirit of our people.
The Southern Baptist Convention lias recently es¬
tablished a system of developing the benevolence
of our churches, in the face of the demonstration
that the system is a very expensive system. The
Convention has learned that lie that gavetli spar¬
ingly shall reap sparingly. Out of 7,!I85 churches
of tlie South enrolled, only give anything for
Foreign Missions. The General Association of
Virginia lias learned the same lesson. Out of GS9
churches enrolled, 823 give to Foreign Missions.
Whatever it costs, our churches arc to be canvass¬
ed. The Lord’s money is among the people, and
the amount is sufficient to justify the expendi¬
tures necessary to get it. The area for ingather¬
ing is to lie enlarged. The search is to extend, if
possible, not only to every church, but to every
member of the church. The children of this
world, with their agents and advertisements, must
not be wiser than the children of light. God
presses his claims on every hand, and by myriads
of works. In stimulating agencies graces may be
developed. The heathen are for the churches as
well as the churches for the heathen.
We welcome the new Secretary of the Home
Board to the new era dawning upon our Zion.
If his improvement of opportunities shall be equal
to that of his predecessor, Southern Baptists will
have occasion to congratulate themselves on his
accession to this office, which our brother will not
find a sinecure.
ANNUAL ADDRESS. -
_ The By-Laws of the Southern Baptist Conven¬
tion, providing that the Secretary of the Board of
Foreign Missions “ be required to prepare each
year, or to secure without cost to his Board, as
soon as practicable after the meeting of the Con¬
vention, the preparation of a suitable address,
containing such facts and points as he would pre¬
fer to make in a speech, could he catch the ear of
all the people," the following address, by Rev. J.
II. Eager, our missionary to Italy, is commended
to the careful perusal of our pastors and people,
with the request of the Convention that on the
fourth Sunday of July, or “ns near as possible”
to that time, a collection be taken for the cause of
Foreign Missions.
I.
THU IMPORTANCE OF SENDING THE GOSPEL TO
THE HEATHEN.
In considering this subject the first point that
naturally claims our attention is the spiritual con¬
dition of those whom we propose to benefit. Let
us look at
The condition of the heathen world,
And what I mean by the heathen world is, those
who have not the revealed Word of God, being
left to the light of nature and reason, and the
voice of conscience.
Were I to consider this subject in the light of
history, I think it might easily be proved that lire
tendency of every heathen nation has been, not
towards purity of heart and holiness of life, and
likeness to God, but, on the contrary, towards im¬
purity of heart, unholiness of life, moral deformi¬
ty, and unlikeness to God ; that, in spite of refor¬
matory laws, systems of philosophy, a high moral
code, (as e. g. in Burrnah and China,) the light of
nature and reason, and the voice of conscience,
there was no true spiritual advance, growing out
of the fact that morally the tap root was unsound,
the effect being seen in sickly, fruitless branches,
and, not tinfrequently in the final decay of the en¬
tire tree.
But, in discussing this subject, let us come di¬
rectly to the Bible, to the infallible Word of God,
which alone should be our guide in such a ques¬
tion.
Concerning the antediluvian world
(/.
e., those
who lived before the flood,) it is said, (Gen. vi),
“And God saw that the wickedness of man was
great in the earth, and that every imagination of
the thoughts of his heart was only evil continual¬
ly.” What words could be stronger than these to
prove the universal defection of mankind from
God ! If we read Gen. xviii and xix, containing
an account of Sodom and Gomorrah, their uni¬
versal wickedness, and consequent fearful de¬
struction, we shall see how soon a portion of the
world relapsed into its former wickedness.
Later we hear David saying, “There is none that
doeth good. The Lord looked down from heaven
upon the children of men, to see if there were
any that did understand and seek God. They are
alt gone aside, they are all together become
filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."
Ps. xiv.
Many times it is said that Israel went astray
from God.and brought down his wrath upon them,
because they sinned according to the ‘abomina¬
tions of the heathen,” who worshipped all the
host of heaven, and served them ; who caused
tiieir children to pass through the fire to Moloch
(an idol); who observed times and used enchant¬
ments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards;
who wrought much wickedness in the sight of the
Lord. II Kings, xxi.
We find throughout the prophets such expres¬
sions as the following; “ Filthiness of the heath¬
en,” “ye have not walked in my statutes, neither
executed my judgments, but have done after the
manner of the heathen that are round about
you; ” “ I will do these things unto thee because
thou hast gone a whoring alter the heathen, and
because thou art polluted with their idols;” "the
day of the Lord is near upon all the heathen ; ” "I
will execute vengence in anger and fury upon the
heathen, such as they have not heard.”
What does God say to us on this subject through
the apostle Paul ? Turn to the first chapter of his
letter to the Romans, and see the picture he draws
of heathenism. Does he tell us the heathen were
tolerably bail, or perhaps respectably good ? Does
he anywhere intimate that some of them were
good enough to merit salvation ; or that they were
ignorant, and hence not guilty ; or that God can¬
not condemn whole nations to eternal death ; or
that there is no necessity for carrying them the
gospel? Let us see. “Being filled with all un¬
righteousness, fornication, wickedness, coveteous-
ncss and licenciousness ; full of envy, murder, de¬
bate, deceit, malignity, whisperers, backbiters,
haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors
of evil things, disobedient to parents, without un¬
derstanding, covenant breakers, without natural
affection, implacable, unmerciful; who knowing- the
judgment oj God, (which every heathen feels in
his conscience,) that they which commit such
things are worthy of death, not only do the same,
but have pleasure in them that do them." Com¬
ment on such words in unnecessary. Also in
Ephesians, iv; 17-10, we read, "This I say, there¬
fore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth
walk not' as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of
their mind, having the understanding darkened,
being alienated from the life of God through the
ignorance that is in them, because of the blind¬
ness of their heart ; who being past feeling have
given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work
all uncleanness with greediness." Again in
Romans, iii ; 0, and following, we rend, " For we
have .before proved,” says the apostle, "both
