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 unfoldings 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 itself, 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 dimensions of an encyclopedia. AIJ we now propose is a general 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 prominent 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 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 uncommon meaning. The devout student sees written large, over the whole face of the record of the century’s missions, 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 subject 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 unchangeable 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 salvation 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.
Such 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 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, Author’s Prefatory Note, pp.v-vii.
This public domain title was digitised from the copy held at Spurgeon’s College library.
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