Missionary alliance 1888.pdf - DSpace

26 (NTER-SEMINARY MISSIONARY ALLIANCE.I n every nation under heaven there is progress toward self.government,the highest possible attainment of civil society. What convulsions,upheavals, revolutions may yet shake or shatter tbe Old Worldgovernments we may not be able to foresee, or whether by silent andhappy movements the changes shall be wrought that shall put thenations into line for the final battle against wrong; but one thing iscertain-the hand that was nailed to the cross at that crisis of the worldis swaying the destinies of the millions beyond the seas, and Jesus willyet swing them into line, and marshaled on the high table-land of selfgovernment,they will prove a resistless force in the final assault on thecitadel of unrighteousness. Truly, my brethren, our God is marching on.And what else may we say of the educational forces? Education gotits impulse and inspiration from Christ and Christianity. There is,indeed, reason to lament the unhealthy and immoral character of someof our educfttional forces-vicious books) infidel or semi-infidel maga·zines and novels and even school-books, with many low-thoughted andimmoral daily and weekly newspapers, including especially that mostinsidious and poisonous of all, the Sunday newspaper; and yet, here, aselsewhere, the trend is upward and onward. The great universities, thecolleges and schools of every grade} with the best writers and lecturersand preachers, the real leaders of the world's thinking, are almost aunit for God and godliness. The Bible is becoming more and more,as the years roll by} the inspiration of the world's thinking. It is true,d.ar friends, that in the great throbbing brain and pulsing heart ofhumanity the throb and beat of the brain and heart of the Christ is feltmore and more.Now, if we add to this the Christian trend of the commercial andindustrial world, what cheer and hope it gives us! lIay it not beaffirmed that every movement of these mighty industrial forces isinclining more and more in directions favorabl e to the progres~ of thekingdom of Christ? Tbe brawn and brain that is building up andgiving direction to the tremendous industries of the world is comingmore and more under the influence of righteousness. While there arelines of trade and commerce which exist only to curse and kill therace, and whose only excuse for existence is a greed that ought toshame even the devils themselves, still the great, broad, legitimate enterprisesof the world, may and probably will flourish when Jesus swaysthe scepter of the nations and his truth dominates the enterprises ofthe earth. It need scarcely be mentioned that commerce has alreadyproven herself to be a pioneer in the world's evangelization. Is it nowa dream that inspires the hope that, in the not distant future, all thewhite sails that dot the seas of commerce, all the iron highways that girdleour continents, all the electric wires that stretch around the earth , makingall the world one neigbborhood and bringing the cities of states andcontinents into speaking distance, shall be but so many Christian agen.1\I••THE WORLD ORISI S. 27cies, manned and operated with the distinct and dellnite purpose ofbringing the whole world into complete and glad sul-mlsslon to Himwhose right it is to reign ? You may not think such a thing is likelyto be, but there are prophecies thousands of years old which, withoutany violence of interpretation, give color to the hope, while the movementsof the last fifty years greatly encourage it. To some, at least, itappears that the infinite Spirit which resides in and directs the movementsof the Ohurch has taken His place in the very center of all industrialand commercial forces and enterprises, and, like that grandCorliss engine of OUf Centennial exposition, is making God's powerfelt and His will obeyed through every belt and shaft and wheel andevery single piece of the vast machinery of this grand world enterprise.Let it be borne in mind, now, that the only living and aggressivereligion in the world is Christianity, and that religion of some sorthas always been the dominant force in the world. Too often, alas! ithas been a false religion, a religion of devils j but it has controlledmankind. If, then, the Christian religion is the only aggressive formof religion in the world j if its ideas are working in every form of life jif as leaven it is working its way throughout human society-is not theprospect for the future a glorious one indeed? Has not the crisis beenpassed? Are not all the forces of this world falling into line for thefinal conflict? May we not, going forth under the standard of thecross, shout our haHeluiahs and prepare to celebrate our final triumphin the comparatively near future? However these queries may beanswered, it appears to mA there is but one thing for us to do, and thisconvention can help tremendously toward the doing of that one thing.We can take a more decided and aggressive attitude toward evil, andcall the church to a more hopeful and enlarged view of its mi!:lsion tothe world.Oan we not go forth in these days "when men's hearts are failingthem for fear, and for looking after those things that are coming on theearth," and with prophet voice cry out, Look up and lift up your heads,for your redemption draweth nigh? If God's word warrants theview of the j)[essianic world kingdom we have presented thisevening, and if the crisis is past, let the church rise to the sublime demandsof the hour. Let the glad tidings be spread abroad. Let ourwatchword be, the world for Christ. Let love for ,T esus inspire us withthe glory of God, and the good of humanity ever before our eyes. Letthere be a complete consecration of all to this blessed and stupendousenterprise. Let us call for a mighty nprising of all the people of God.Let swi fter messengers th9..n ever answered the summons of patriotismcall the truehearted to meet the emergency of Uessiah's kingdom. Letthe thrilling episode of Dawes and Revere be outdone by men whosesouls are on fire with a loftier patriotism, in arousing a sleeping churchto meet the call of the hour. Oh! If the church were only aroused.