The name 'William Carey' is a well known to every Christian. He was the missionary in India, who had established Serampore College and University near Kolkata. Since then the University has its affiliate Colleges all over India and have been increasing to the glory of God in Jesus Christ.
We are told that Carey was a poor cobbler and Baptist preacher. But he had an immense vision for the lost souls of the world, and strained every faculty to learn the extent of the world’s spiritual need and focus the attention of his fellow englishmen upon it. Although there had been other Protestant missionaries before him, particularly among the Moravians, and the Catholic church never ceased mission work, Carey is called the father of modern missions because his eloquent plea, and personal example, inspired Protestants everywhere to mission endeavors.
We are told that Carey was a poor cobbler and Baptist preacher. But he had an immense vision for the lost souls of the world, and strained every faculty to learn the extent of the world’s spiritual need and focus the attention of his fellow englishmen upon it. Although there had been other Protestant missionaries before him, particularly among the Moravians, and the Catholic church never ceased mission work, Carey is called the father of modern missions because his eloquent plea, and personal example, inspired Protestants everywhere to mission endeavors.
Carey
himself led a Baptist team to India where he learned several languages and
translated the Bible into them, opened a college, planted botanical gardens,
and did much, much more, overcoming family problems, secular opposition, and
setbacks such as a fire that destroyed his work.
An Inquiry into
the Obligation of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathen
“Go ye into all the
world, and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15).”
As our blessed Lord has
required us to pray that His kingdom may come, and His will be done on earth as
it is in heaven, it becomes us not only to express our desires of that event by
the word, but to use every lawful method to spread the knowledge of His name.
In order to do this, it is necessary that we should become in some measure
acquainted with the religious state of the world. As this is an object we
should be prompted to pursue, not only by the gospel of our Redeemer but even
by the feelings of humanity, so an inclination to conscientious activity
therein would form one of the strongest proofs that we are the subject of grace
and partakers of that spirit of universal benevolence and genuine philantropy,
which appear so eminent in the character of God Himself.
Sin was introduced among
the children of men by the fall of Adam and has since been spreading its
baneful influence. By changing its appearances to suit the circumstances of the
times, it has grown up in ten thousand forms and constantly counteracted the
will and designs of God. One would have supposed that the remembrance of the
deluge would have been transmitted from father to son and perpetually deterred
mankind from transgressing the will of their Maker. But so blinded were they,
that in the time of Abraham gross wickedness prevailed wherever colonies were
planted, and the iniquity of the Amorites was great, though not yet full. After
this, idolatry spread more and more, till the seven devoted nations [i.e: seven
Canaanite nations which God devoted to destruction] were cut off with the most
signal marks of divine displeasure. Still, however, the progress of evil was
not stopped, but the Israelites themselves too often joined with the rest of
mankind against the God of Israel.
Yet God repeatedly made
known His intention to prevail finally over all power of the Devil, and to
destroy all his works, and set up His own kingdom and interest among men, and
extend it as universally as Satan had extended his. It was for this purpose
that the Messiah came and died, that God might be just, and the justifier of
all that should believe in Him. When He had laid down His life, and taken it up
again, He sent forth His disciples to preach the good tidings to every creature
and to endeavor by all possible methods to bring over a lost world to God. They
went forth according to their divine commission, and wonderful success attended
their labors; the civilized Greeks, and uncivilized barbarians, each yielded to
the cross of Christ and embraced it as the only way of salvation. Since the
apostolic age many other attempts to spread the gospel have been made, which
have been considerably successful, notwithstanding which a very considerable
part of mankind are still involved in all the darkness of heathenism. Some
attempts are still being made, but they are inconsiderable in comparison to
what might be done if the whole body of Christians entered heartily into the spirit
of the divine command on this subject. Some think little about it, others are
unacquainted with the state of the world, and others love their wealth better
than the souls of their fellow creatures.
In order that the subject
may be taken into more serious consideration, I shall: enquire whether the
Commission given by our Lord to His disciples be not still binding on us;
consider the practicability of doing something more than is done; and discuss
the duty of Christians in general in this matter.
An Inquiry Whether the Commission Given by
Our Lord to His Disciples be not Still Binding on Us.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, a
little before his departure, commissioned his apostles to go, and teach all
nations; or, as another evangelist expresses it, “Go into all the world, and
preach the gospel to every creature.” This commission was as extensive as
possible, and laid them under obligation to disperse themselves into every
country of the habitable globe, and preach to all the inhabitants, without
exception or limitation. They accordingly went forth in obedience to the
command, and the power of God evidently wrought with them. Many attempts of the
same kind have been made since their day, and which have been attended with
various success; but the work has not been taken up, or prosecuted of late
years (except by a few individuals) with that zeal and perseverance with which
the primitive Christians went about it. It seems as if many thought the
commission was sufficiently put in execution by what the apostles and others
have done; that we have enough to do to attend to the salvation of our own
countrymen; and that, if God intends the salvation of the heathen, he will some
way or other bring them to the gospel, or the gospel to them. It is thus that
multitudes sit at ease, and give themselves no concern about the far greater
part of their fellow-sinners, who to this day, are lost in ignorance and
idolatry. There seems also to be an opinion existing in the minds of some, that
because the apostles were extraordinary officers and have no proper successors,
and because many things which were right for them to do would be utterly
unwarrantable for us, therefore it may not be immediately binding on us to
execute the commission, though it was so upon them. To the consideration of
such persons I would offer the following observations.
FIRST, If the command of
Christ to teach all nations be restricted to the apostles, or those under the
immediate inspiration of the Holy Ghost, then that of baptizing should be so
too; and every denomination of Christians, except the Quakers, do wrong in
baptizing with water at all.
SECONDLY, If the command
of Christ to teach all nations be confined to the apostles, then all such
ordinary ministers who have endeavored to carry the gospel to the heathens,
have acted without a warrant, and run before they were sent. Yes, and though
God has promised the most glorious things to the heathen world by sending his
gospel to them, yet whoever goes first, or indeed at all, with that message,
unless he has a new and special commission from heaven, must go without any
authority for so doing.
THIRDLY, If the command
of Christ to teach all nations extend only to the apostles, then, doubtless,
the promise of the divine presence in this work must be so limited; but this is
worded in such a manner as expressly precludes such an idea. “Lo, I am with you
always, to the end of the world.”
[He examines cases in
which the command could not be fulfilled]
It has been said that
some learned divines have proved from scripture that the time is not yet come
that the heathen should be converted; and that first the witnesses must be
slain, and many other prophecies fulfilled. But admitting this to be the case
(which I much doubt…) yet if any objection is made from this against preaching
to them immediately, it must be founded on one of these things; either that the
secret purpose of God is the rule of our duty, and then it must be as bad to
pray for them, as to preach to them; or else that none shall be converted in
the heathen world till the universal down-pouring of the Spirit in the last
days. But this objection comes too late; for the success of the gospel has been
very considerable in many places already.
It has been objected that
there are multitudes in our own nation, and within our immediate spheres of
action, who are as ignorant as the South-Sea savages, and that therefore we
have work enough at home, without going into other countries. That there are
thousands in our own land as far from God as possible, I readily grant, and that
this ought to excite us to ten-fold diligence in our work, And in attempts to
spread divine knowledge amongst them is a certain fact; but that it ought to
supersede all attempts to spread the gospel in foreign parts seems to want
proof. Our own countrymen have the means of grace, and may attend on the word
preached if they choose it. They have the means of knowing the truth, and
faithful ministers are placed in almost every part of the land, whose spheres
of action might be much extended if their congregations were but more hearty
and active in the cause: but with them the case is widely different, who have
no Bible, no written language, (which many of them have not), no ministers, no
good civil government, nor any of those advantages which we have. Pity
therefore, humanity, and much more Christianity, call loudly for every possible
exertion to introduce the gospel among them.
The Practicality of Something Being Done, More than What Is
Done, for the Conversion of the Heathen.
The impediments in the
way of carrying the gospel among the heathen must arise, I think, from one or
other of the following things—either their distance from us, their barbarious
and savage manner of living, the danger of being killed by them, the difficulty
of procuring the necessaries of life, or the unintelligibleness of their
languages.
FIRST, As to their
distance from us, whatever objections might have been made on that account
before the invention of the mariner’s compass, nothing can be alleged for it,
with any color of plausibility in the present age. Men can now sail with as
much certainty through the Great South Sea, as they can through the
Mediterranean, or any lesser sea. Yes, and Providence seems in a manner to
invite us to the trial, as there are to our knowledge trading companies, whose
commerce lies in many of the places where these barbarians dwell. At one time
or other ships are sent to visit places of more recent discovery, and to
explore parts the most unknown; and every fresh account of their ignorance, or
cruelty, should call forth our pity, and excite us to concur with providence in
seeking their eternal good. Scripture likewise seems to point out this method,
“Surely the Isles shall wait for me; the ships of Tarshish first, to bring my
sons from far, their silver, and their gold with them, unto the name of the
Lord, thy God” (Isaiah 60:9). This seems to imply that in the time of the
glorious increase of the church, in the latter days, (of which the whole
chapter is undoubtedly a prophecy), commerce shall serve the spread of the
gospel. The ships of Tarshish were trading vessels, which made voyages for
traffic to various parts; thus much therefore must be meant by it, that
navigation, especially that which is commercial, shall be one great means of
carrying on the work of God; and perhaps it may imply that there shall be a
very considerable appropriation of wealth to that purpose.
SECONDLY, As to their
uncivilized, and barbarous way of living, this can be no objection to any,
except those whose love of ease renders them unwilling to expose themselves to
inconveniences for the good of others. It was no objection to the apostles and
their successors, who went among the barbarous Germans and Gauls, and still
more barbarous Britons! They did not wait for the ancient inhabitants of these
countries, to be civilized, before they could be christianized, but went simply
with the doctrine of the cross; and TERTULLIAN could boast that “those parts of
Britain which were proof against the Roman armies, were conquered by the gospel
of Christ” – It was no objection to an ELLIOT, or a BRAINERD, in later times.
They went forth, and encountered every difficulty of the kind, and found that a
cordial reception of the gospel produced those happy effects which the longest
intercourse with Europeans, without it could never accomplish. It is no
objection to commercial men. It only requires that we should have as much love
to the souls of our fellow-creatures, and fellow sinners, as they have for the
profits arising from a few otter-skins, and all these difficulties would be
easily surmounted…
[He argues that
Christianity is the best means to civilize the heathen]
THIRDLY, In respect to
the danger of being killed by them, it is true that whoever does go must put
his life in his hand, and not consult with flesh and blood; but do not the
goodness of the cause, the duties incumbent on us as the creatures of God, and
Christians, and the perishing state of our fellow men, loudly call upon us to
venture all and use every warrantable exertion for their benefit?
[He dilates on examples
of endangered missionaries and says the animosity of the natives is often
brought upon Europeans by their bad behavior.]
FOURTHLY, As to the
difficulty of procuring the necessaries of life, this would not be so great as
may appear at first sight; for though we could not procure European food, yet
we might procure such as the natives of those countries which we visit, subsist
upon themselves. And this would only be passing through what we have virtually
engaged in by entering on the ministerial office. A Christian minister is a
person who in a peculiar sense is not his own; he is the servant of God, and
therefore ought to be wholly devoted to him. By entering on that sacred office
he solemnly undertakes to be always engaged, as much as possible, in the Lord’s
work, and not to choose his own pleasure, or employment, or pursue the ministry
as a something that is to subserve his own ends, or interests, or as a kind of
bye-work. He engages to go where God pleases, and to do, or endure what he sees
fit to command, or call him to, in the exercise of his function. He virtually
bids farewell to friends, pleasures, and comforts, and stands in readiness to
endure the greatest sufferings in the work of his Lord, and Master. It is
inconsistent for ministers to please themselves with thoughts of a numerous
auditory, cordial friends, a civilized country, legal protection, affluence,
splendor, or even a competency. The fights, and hatred of men, and even
pretended friends, gloomy prisons, and tortures, the society of barbarians of
uncouth speech, miserable accommodations in wretched wildernesses, hunger, and
thirst, nakedness, weariness, and painfulness, hard work, and but little
worldly encouragement, should rather be the objects of their expectation. Thus
the apostles acted, in the primitive times, and endured hardness, as good
soldiers of Jesus Christ; and though we living in a civilized country where
Christianity is protected by law, are not called to suffer these things while
we continue here, yet I question whether all are justified in staying here,
while so many are perishing without means of grace in other lands. Sure I am
that it is entirely contrary to the spirit of the gospel, for its ministers to
enter upon it from interested motives, or with great worldly expectations. On
the contrary the commission is a sufficient call to them to venture all, and,
like the primitive Christians, go every where preaching the gospel…
[He suggests practical
means of subsistence]
FIFTHLY, As to learning
their languages, the same means would be found necessary here as in trade
between different nations. In some cases interpreters might be obtained, who
might be employed for a time; and where these were not to be found, the
missionaries must have patience, and mingle with the people, till they have
learned so much of their language as to be able to communicate their ideas to
them in it. It is well known to require no very extraordinary talents to learn,
in the space of a year, or two at most, the language of any people upon earth,
so much of it at least, as to be able to convey any sentiments we wish to their
understandings.
[He describes the
character and technique necessary for missionaries]
An Inquiry into the Duty of Christians in General and what
Means Ought to Be Used in Order to Promote this Work
If the prophecies
concerning the increase of Christ’s kingdom be true, and if what has been
advanced, concerning the commission given by him to his disciples being
obligatory on us, be just, it must be inferred that all Christians ought
heartily to concur with God in promoting his glorious designs, for he that is
joined to the Lord is one spirit.
One of the first, and
most important of those duties which are incumbent upon us, is fervent and
united prayer. However the influence of the Holy Spirit may be set at nought,
and run down by many, it will be found upon trial, that all means which we can
use, without it, will be ineffectual. If a temple is raised for God in the
heathen world, it will not be by might, nor by power, nor by the authority of
the magistrate, or the eloquence of the orator; “but by my Spirit, saith the
Lord of Hosts.” We must therefore be in real earnest in supplicating His
blessing upon our labors.
[He employs an obscure
passage relating to Jewish repentance after Christ's return to show the effects
of prayer]
The most glorious works
of grace that have ever took place, have been in answer to prayer; and it is in
this way, we have the greatest reason to suppose, that the glorious outpouring
of the Spirit, which we expect at last, will be bestowed.
[He gives examples of the
power of prayer]
Many can do nothing but
pray, and prayer is perhaps the only thing in which Christians of all
denominations can cordially, and unreservedly unite; but in this we may all be
one, and in this the strictest unanimity ought to prevail. Were the whole body
thus animated by one soul, with what pleasure would Christians attend on all
the duties of religion, and with what delight would their ministers attend on
all the business of their calling.
We must not be contented
however with praying, without exerting ourselves in the use of means for the
obtaining of those things we pray for. Were the children of light, but as wise
in their generation as the children of this world, they would stretch every
nerve to gain so glorious a prize, nor ever imagine that it was to be obtained
in any other way.
[He expands the example
of trading companies]
Suppose a company of
serious Christians, ministers and private persons, were to form themselves into
a society, and make a number of rules respecting the regulation of the plan,
and the persons who are to be employed as missionaries, the means of defraying
the expense, &c.&c. This society must consist of persons whose hearts
are in the work, men of serious religion, and possessing a spirit of
perseverance; there must be a determination not to admit any person who is not
of this description, or to retain him longer than he answers to it.
From such a society a
committee might be appointed, whose business it should be to procure all the
information they could upon the subject, to receive contributions, to enquire
into the characters, tempers, abilities and religious views of the
missionaries, and also to provide them with necessaries for their undertakings.
They must also pay a
great attention to the views of those who undertake this work; for want of this
the missions to the Spice Islands, sent by the Dutch East-India Company, were
soon corrupted, many going more for the sake of settling in a place where
temporal gain invited them, than of preaching to the poor Indians. This soon
introduced a number of indolent, or profligate persons, whose lives were a
scandal to the doctrines which they preached; and by means of whom the gospel
was ejected from Ternate, in 1694, and Christianity fell into great disrepute
in other places.
If there is any reason
for me to hope that I shall have any influence upon any of my brethren, and
fellow Christians, probably it may be more especially amongst them of my own
denomination. I would therefore propose that such a society and committee
should be formed amongst the Particular Baptist denomination.
I do not mean by this, in
any wise to confine it to one denomination of Christians. I wish with all my
heart, that everyone who loves our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, would in
some way or other engage in it. But in the present divided state of
Christendom, it would be more likely for good to be done by each denomination
engaging separately in the work, than if they were to embark in it conjointly.
There is room enough for us all, without interfering with each other; and if no
unfriendly interference took place, each denomination would bear good will to
the other, and wish, and pray for its success, considering it as upon the whole
friendly to the great cause of true religion; but if all were intermingled, it
is likely their private discords might throw a damp upon their spirits, and
much retard their public usefulness.
In respect to
contributions for defraying the expenses, money will doubtless be wanting; and
suppose the rich were to embark a portion of that wealth over which God has
made them stewards, in this important undertaking, perhaps there are few ways
that would turn to a better account at last. Nor ought it to be confined to the
rich; if persons in more moderate circumstances were to devote a portion,
suppose a tenth, of their annual increase to the Lord, it would not only
correspond with the practice of the Israelites, who lived under the Mosaic
Economy, but of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, before that
dispensation commenced. Many of our most eminent forefathers amongst the
Puritans followed that practice; and if that were but attended to now, there
would not only be enough to support the ministry of the gospel at home, and to
encourage village preaching in our respective neighborhoods, but to defray the
expenses of carrying the gospel into the heathen world.
If congregations were to
open subscriptions of one penny, or more per week, according to their circumstances,
and deposit it as a fund for the propagation of the gospel, much might be
raised in this way. By such simple means they might soon have it in their power
to introduce the preaching of the gospel into most of the villages in England;
where, though men are placed whose business it should be to give light to those
who sit in darkness, it is well known that they have it not…
[He suggests other
practical expedients for raising mission funds.]
We are exhorted to lay up
treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, nor thieves break
through and steal. It is also declared that whatsoever a man soweth, that shall
he also reap. These scriptures teach us that the enjoyments of the life to
come, bear a near relation to that which now is; a relation similar to that of
the harvest, and the seed. It is true all the reward is of mere grace, but it
is nevertheless encouraging; what a treasure, what an harvest must await such
characters as PAUL, and ELLIOT, and BRAINERD, and others, who have given themselves
wholly to the work of the Lord. What a heaven will it be to see the many
myriads of poor heathen, of Britons among the rest, who by their labors have
been brought to the knowledge of God. Surely a crown of rejoicing like this is
worth aspiring to. Surely it is worth while to lay ourselves out with all our
might, in promoting the cause, and kingdom of Christ.
(Source : www.chinstitute.org)
