The Modern Mission Century A The Modern Mission Century Viewed as a Cycle of Divine Working A Review of the Missions of the Nine­ teenth Century with Reference to the Superintending Providence of God By Arthur T. Pierson London James Nisbet & Co., Limited 2 I Demers Street AUTHOR'S PREFATORY WORD To trace, in the history of the missionary century just closed, the footsteps of God, is the one main end now in view; studying the divine plan, and its unfold­ ings in action and achievement. To know the supreme aim of a book helps to a right reading of it, and, if these pages are read in the light of this, its professed purpose, its form and content will, we hope, be found to agree with such design. Form, in its true sense, determines also content, for it is an idea taking shape. It must therefore be one with it­ self, and must both include and exclude, if unity and consistency are not lost. To annalize is one thing; to analyze is another. The annals of a hundred years would need volumes, and, if details were treated, a history would take on the dimen­ sions of an encyclopedia. AIJ we now propose is a gen­ eral survey, as one seeks, from some commanding mountain-top, to glance over the whole horizon; and this end will best be served if we select a few promi­ nent and representative facts which may stand for the many, sufficient both as proofs and as examples oi God's planning and working. The conviction that such a divine factor, only, could account for this century of missions, first prompted these studies; and, as the needful steps have been taken in the careful pursuance of the theme, that conviction V v1 AUTHOR'S PREFATORY WORD has grown into a more and more confident certainty. With each new search into the progress of events, and the facts which together make up this hundred years of history, there has come a deeper sense of awe, akin to what Moses felt as he stood before the burning bush. The historic tree ceases to be a common growth when its great branches and even its lesser twigs, touched by the Divine Presence, become aglow with an uncom­ mon meaning. The devout student sees written large, over the whole face of the record of the century's mis­ sions, as in letters of light, DIVINE DESIGN. There are single events, but, above all, combinations of events and sequences of events, which cannot be adequately explained by any atheistic theories of chance, or mere human development and conformity to environment. The studies in world-wide missions, begun forty years ago, find their latest fruit in this book. The sub­ ject has proven, at each new stage, more attractive and instructive. The whole course of mission history is a march of God, shewing His superintendence over all forward movements for bearing His Good Tidings to a lost world. We lay down the pen with an unchange­ able persuasion that, from the first yearning of William Carey over the Death Shade of a heathen world, to the last longing of the most recent convert for the salva­ tion of his fellows, God has been at work-the same God who, in the darkness o-f that primal chaos, said, " Let light be! " and Light was. St1ch studies in mission history give new nerve to all holy endeavour. He who bade us, "go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature," added the promise, "Lo! I am with you alway, even unto the end of the age." His word shall not return to Him void; His everlasting sign shall not be cut off; instead AUTHOR'S PREFATORY vVORD vu of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree, and instead of the brier, the myrtle-tree. He will utterly demolish and abolish the idols. They who do the preaching may rest in the promised Presence which always means Power; and all who go or send, give and pray, may be content, like those of Thessalonica, to "serve and wait." To find God's plan and take part in God's work is to mount His chariot, and, with Him, ride on to the final goal of the ages, conquering and to conquer. ARTHUR T. PIERSON. II27 DEAN ST., BROOKLYN, N. Y., October, 1901. PASTOR'S COLLEGE, Miss:◊1,.i.1n LrnRARV, CONTENTS CHAPTRR P.\GE AUTHOR'S PREFATORY WORD V PART J. "THE WORKS OF THE LORD" I. "Declare His Doings" ....... ,................... 3 II. "The Way of the Lord" . 14 III. " The Place of My Feet". • . 23 PART II. " THE TIMES AND SEASONS " IV. "Times Before Appointed"............ 41 · V. "The Fulness of Times"............. 54 VI. " The Signs of the Times" . 66 PART III ... THE WORD OF THE LORD .. VII. "The True Sayings of God ".. 85 VIII. " Every Man in His Own Language".. 97 IX. "Published Among the Nations" .............. 107 PART IV. "THE SERVANTS OF THE LORD" X. "Vessels unto Honour" .......................... 121 XI. "Meet for the Master's Use" ..................... 134 XII. "Prepared unto Every Good Work" ..........••.. 147 PART V. "THY HONOURABLE WOMEN" XIII. "Of the Chief Women".... 161 XIV. "Which Laboured in the Gospel" ................ 174 XV. "Women Which Ministered to Him" ... ,, ........ 185 ix X CONTENTS PART VI. "FELLOW-HELPERS TO THE TRUTH" CHA!'-TE:R PAGB XVI. "Workers Together with Him" . • . 201 XVII. "Workmen of Like Occupation" .............•... 215 XVIII. "Faithful and Wise Stewards" ............•...... 228 PART VII. "THEY THAT HANDLE THE PEN" XIX. "Of Making Many Books" .•.................... 243 XX. "The Pen of a Ready Writer" .................... 254 XXI. "The Words of the Wise " . • • . • . 264 PART VIII. "SIGNS AND WONDERS" XXII. "The Fire of the Lord" .......................• , 287 • XXIII. "God Working with Them" ..................... 301 XXIV. "Confirming the Word" . • . • . 312 PART IX. "THE PLANTING OF THE LORD" XXV. "The Everlasting Sign "... .. • . 329 XXVI. "Fruit Unto Holiness". 341 XXVII. "God's Husbandry"..... .. 356 PART X. "THE MARTYRS OF JESUS" XXVIII. "They Loved Not Their Lives".. 373 XXIX. "Counted Worthy to Suffer". • . • . 386 XXX. "Slain for the Word of God" ... , •............... 397 PART XL "THINGS WHICH ARE BEHIND" XXXI. "The Glory of the Lord" ................•...... 417 XXXII. "The Joy in Harvest" ................•......•..• 432 XXXUI. "The Voice of the Lord"•........................ 445 PART XII. "THINGS WHICH ARE BEFORE" XXXIV. "The Wiles of the Devil" ........................ 461 XXXV. " Some Better Things for Us " .................... 477 XXXVI. "The High Calling of God". • • . 491 INDEX ...................•............................... 507 PART FIRST "THE WORKS OF THE LORD" The Modern Mission Century CHAPTER I "DECLARE HIS DOINGS" THAT first journal of missions, "The Acts of the Apostles," is a model for all future missionary narra­ tives. Its main feature is this, that all forims and fruits of service to man are traced to God. Throughout the whole book, God is seen working. Man is there, but in the background, comparatively so small and of so little account as at times scarcely to be seen at all. God is so magnifiedandglorified as theone GreatWorkerthat His human instruments are lost sight of, because they are instruments only, as, in the presence of a master me­ chanic, architect or artist, we forget his mere tools. The book begins by bidding disciples to wait for the Power of God before they go out on their witnessing errand. Then follows the account of the Spirit's de­ scent, and to Him is traced not only all unction but all utterance. From this point on to the close all things are of God. He is constantly kept before our eyes. He calls men, grants repentance and faith, turns them from their iniquities, adds to believers, chooses for service. The lie of Ananias and Sapphira is unto God rather than :l 4 THE WORKS OF THE LORD unto men; it is the angel of God and the Spirit of God that bring together Philip and t'he eunuch, Peter and Cornelius; it is the Son of God who in person calls Saul of Tarsus to be a disciple and an apostle. In connection with the conversion of this arch-perse­ cutor, a striking phrase occurs which is a key to the whole book: He is a CHOSEN VESSEL UNTO ME, to bear my name" (ix. 15). This word vessel-crKwos-used eighteen times in the New Testament, means a utensil to contain and convey somet:hing, an instrument or means for doing work-the very word most apt to de­ scribe what is used by another, and wholly dependentfor such use on his will and choice and act. It is the potter's vessel, shaped on his wheel, formed by his hand, baked in 'his fire, cleansed, filled, carried, emptied as he will. The whole framework of the narrative in this brief story of early missions is so constructed that at every point God is prominent and preeminent. God is build­ ing a great temple, and man's work is but the scaffold­ ing about it, which is not allowed to be so cumbrous and conspicuous as to hide God's work behind it. Every­ where it is He who is willing and working in man and through man, and the very words of the narrative are so guarded that in not one instance does the human instru­ ment obscure the Divine Agent. From the point where foreign missions start, the all­ working God is more than ever at the front. While the Church at Antioch, itself the first-born of Gentile assem­ blies, is fasting and praying, the Holy Ghost says: " Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work where­ unto I have called them"; and they depart, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit.