The New Generation (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1893. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... X. Missions. "All martyrs and noble men and gods are of one grand host; immeasurable; marching ever forward since the beginning of the world; the enormous, all-conquering, flame-crowned host, noble every soldier in it, sacred and alone noble. Let him who is not of it hide himself; let him tremble for himself. Stars at every button can not make him noble; sheaves of Bath-garters, nor bushels of Georges, nor any other contrivance; but manfully enlisting in it, valiantly taking step and place in it. O heavens will he not bethink himself, he is so needed in the host?" --CARLYLE. "Out of the shadows of night The world rolls into light, It is daybreak everywhere." --LONGFELLOW. "Alpha et Omega, magnus Deus, Heli, Heli, Deus meus." --HILDEBERT. MISSIONS. WE come in the order of our specification to the last of these prodigies which manifest the leadership of God in our own times. There is a sense in which all that has gone before converges here. Intercommunication, the press, democracy, and the spread of English, all focus in missions. Foreign missions were first practically organized in the nineteenth century, the first that can properly call itself Christian. The contributions to missions from 1800 to 1840 were two and one-half times as much as all that had previously been given in America for foreign evangelization. From 1840 to i860, half the time, the amount increased in the geometric ratio of two and one-half. But even with this increase practically maintained for another twenty years the impression is left upon the sincere student that the Church has done little more than play at missions. Every standpoint we have taken in the preceding discussion points to the possibility and necessity of enlarged missionary enterprises. But missions have also a distinct sugge...