Foreign Missions no Rival to Home Interests
By W. A. S.
THERE is no rivalry between the interests of home and foreign missions. When Carey talked of carrying the gospel to the heathen, there were actually some clergymen who uttered a warning against depleting religion at home by carrying any of it to heathen lands. With the thrilling record of the last missionary century, men now smile at the notion. But it is worth while reminding ourselves often that every step in advance abroad marks a strengthening of the work at home. As we are told in “Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. VI:— The home mission work will be further advanced in every way when a more liberal, self-denying, self-sacrificing spirit is manifested for the prosperity of foreign missions; for the prosperity of the home work depends largely, under God, have upon the reflex influence of the evangelical work done in countries afar off. It is just as truly the case that the home field, as a whole, is blessed by sharing its blessings with lands afar as that an individual is blessed by sharing his mercies with another. When a stranger visited Hermannsburg, in Germany, the parish of the missionary pastor, Harms, the visitor wanted to know how long they had had the revival in progress which he saw under way. He thought he had lighted upon the place in the midst of a special revival effort. They told him that the revival had been in progress for seventeen years—ever since the little flock had annexed the whole wide heathen world, and Africa in particular, as their missionary parish, and had begun of their little store to train and send out missionaries to the lands in darkness. It was a wonderful work that they did in the ends of the earth, and the reflex influence kept their hearts aglow, and brought blessing and progress at home. The quick way to finish this work at home is quickly to tell all the world the message. When once we have planted the witnesses in every land, it will not take long to finish the work at home and abroad. For let it be the working text continually: “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”