The Dark Continent by W. S. Hyatt

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Oct 30, 1907

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 33, No. 44.

The Dark Continent

By W. S. Hyatt

By Superintendent W. S. Hyatt and Others

A Plea from Africa.

STANDING at the Cape of Good Hope and looking northward, we see a vast field stretched out before us; a field with its 200,000,000 of human souls who are to be saved with an everlasting salvation or lost eternally; a field in which multitudes of its inhabitants have never heard the saving name of Jesus; a field in which the people have been bound for ages in chains of the darkest heathenism, ignorance, and superstition; a land without a literature or civilization, as in many heathen countries, hence the appellation, "Darkest Africa."

But the Spirit of God is moving upon this great depth of blackness, and He has said, "Let there be light;" and the light is shining, yes, penetrating the darkest recesses of Africa. The light of the glorious Gospel of the kingdom must shine into all the world, "and then shall the end come."

The same God who said, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature," is preparing the hearts of His creatures to hear that Gospel. He has said, "I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh," and salvation will be offered to all mankind. Long ago the sweet singer in Israel prophesied that "Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God." To-day her hands are outstretched, pleading, yes, mutely pleading, for the bread of eternal life. Her more favored sisters have it in abundance; but will they give it to her? or will they pass her by and leave her to perish?

To us who are in the field, the Macedonian call is continually sounding in our ears, and many times we find ourselves utterly helpless to respond to these calls. Native young men are longing for an education that will fit them to bear the "glad tidings" to their people. Hear these pleadings in their own words which I copy from letters recently received:

"Dear, loving teacher, can't you send us as quickly as you can? Don't wait long. O, I wish you could send us now. I beg you, we are just ready for it. We want to go in big school in Cape Town."

Another writes: "As I think about my people, my heart just trouble me very much. I do not want to go there just to see them; no, no, not me. But if I just have a time before Jesus comes to show them that Jesus is coming."

Another young man writes: "I am sending my words to you. I said, Please, father, can you send me in big school? Father, hear my cry. I am your servant in Jesus. May God bless my asking."

O how we long to grant all that these native boys desire! The desire is a pure, holy aspiration to be prepared to work for God, and it has been planted in their hearts by God Himself. But an empty treasury stares us in the face, and we can not do what we would. The world is full of gold and silver, and we are sure that God is impressing men and women to provide the facilities that these calls may be met. We plead that you will hasten with your gifts, that the training of laborers for the work of soul-saving may not be delayed. O that God may speak to the hearts of His people by His own voice, and inspire them to give to Ethiopia that for which she is longing.

"Hear the pathetic cry of ours, O dwellers in Christian lands! For Afric' stands before you, With pleading, outstretched hands; You may not be able to come yourself, But some in your stead can go. Will you not send us teachers? Will you not let us know?" W. S. HYATT. Cape Town, South Africa.