The Gospel Preached in all the World.
WITHIN the last century, and more emphatically within the last fifty years, a wonderful work has been done in the direction of circulating the word of God among all the nations of the earth. The following statements show what has been accomplished by the British and American Bible Societies. This is naturally held by many as an evidence that all the world is soon to be brought under the power of the gospel. But if it were so, the increase of converts to Christ should keep pace with the dissemination of the word of God. On the contrary it is a lamentable fact that even in nominally Christian lands, the population is increasing in a far greater ratio than the professors of religion; while with those who do make a profession, the standard of holiness has been greatly lowered, and evidences of true, vital piety, are sadly wanting. Nevertheless this activity in spreading before the nations the word of God, the infallible record of his truth, is a prominent and note-worthy sign of the times; for it can be nothing less than the chief agency by which the gospel is to be disseminated, which our Lord said should be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations just before the end should come. Read what the Bible Societies have been doing:— “According to their latest Annual Reports, the British and Foreign Bible Society have printed and are circulating the word of God in 200 different languages and dialects, viz.: in Europe, 66; in Asia, 79; in Africa, 24; in the Pacific Islands, 19; in America, 12. During the past year it issued from its warehouse in London 2,144,601 copies, and from its depositories abroad 1,758,466, making a total of 3,903,067.” “The American Bible Society issues the Scriptures in 27 additional languages and dialects. During the past year it sent out from its house in New York 921,289, and from its foreign depositories 179,482, or a total of 1,100,871.” “The whole number of copies of the Scriptures issued by both these Societies during the year was 5,003,938, and the total since their organization is 90,979,836. Other societies in Europe have issued 12,064,956, making thus from all 103,044,792 volumes of the word of God that have been put in circulation by Bible Societies.” “It has been estimated that at the period of the Revolutionary War there were only about four million printed copies of the Bible in existence. The wonderful change in less than a century is a striking indication that the whole world is soon to be brought under the power of divine truth.” If it was anywhere declared in the word of God, that the gospel was designed to convert all the world, we too might look upon this as an indication that that time was approaching. But when it is declared that the object of the gospel among the Gentiles is only “to take out of them a people for his name,” Acts 15:14, and that it is to be preached simply as a witness to all nations, Matt. 24:14, and then the end will come, we can only look upon this movement as evidence that that end is now at the very doors.