_An Enquiry whether the Commission given by our Lord
to his Disciples be not still binding on us._
Our Lord Jesus Christ, a little before his departure, commissioned his
apostles to _Go_, and _teach all nations_; or, as another evangelist
expresses it, _Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every
creature_. This commission was as extensive as possible, and laid them
under obligation to disperse themselves into every country of the
habitable globe, and preach to all the inhabitants, without exception,
or limitation. They accordingly went forth in obedience to the
command, and the power of God evidently wrought with them. Many
attempts of the same kind have been made since their day, and which
have been attended with various success; but the work has not been
taken up, or prosecuted of late years (except by a few individuals)
with that zeal and perseverance with which the primitive Christians
went about it. It seems as if many thought the commission was
sufficiently put in execution by what the apostles and others have
done; that we have enough to do to attend to the salvation of our own
countrymen; and that, if God intends the salvation of the heathen, he
will some way or other bring them to the gospel, or the gospel to
them. It is thus that multitudes sit at ease, and give themselves no
concern about the far greater part of their fellow-sinners, who to
this day, are lost in ignorance and idolatry. There seems also to be
an opinion existing in the minds of some, that because the apostles
were extraordinary officers and have no proper successors, and because
many things which were right for them to do would be utterly
unwarrantable for us, therefore it may not be immediately binding on
us to execute the commission, though it was so upon them. To the
consideration of such persons I would offer the following
observations.
FIRST, If the command of Christ to teach all nations be restricted to
the apostles, or those under the immediate inspiration of the Holy
Ghost, then that of baptizing should be so too; and every denomination
of Christians, except the Quakers, do wrong in baptizing with water at
all.
SECONDLY, If the command of Christ to teach all nations be confined to
the apostles, then all such ordinary ministers who have endeavoured to
carry the gospel to the heathens, have acted without a warrant, and
run before they were sent. Yea, and though God has promised the most
glorious things to the heathen world by sending his gospel to them,
yet whoever goes first, or indeed at all, with that message, unless he
have a new and special commission from heaven, must go without any
authority for so doing.
THIRDLY, If the command of Christ to teach all nations extend only to
the apostles, then, doubtless, the promise of the divine presence in
this work must be so limited; but this is worded in such a manner as
expressly precludes such an idea. _Lo, I am with you always, to the
end of the world._
That there are cases in which even a divine command may cease to be
binding is admitted--As for instance, if it be _repealed_, as the
ceremonial commandments of the jewish law; or if there be _no
subjects_ in the world for the commanded act to be exercised upon, as
in the law of septennial release, which might be dispensed with when
there should be no poor in the land to have their debts forgiven.
Deut. xv. 4. or if, in any particular instance, we can produce a
_counter-revelation_, of equal authority with the original command, as
when Paul and Silas were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the
word in Bythinia. Acts xvi. 6. 7. or if, in any case, there be a
_natural impossibility_ of putting it in execution. It was not the
duty of Paul to preach Christ to the inhabitants of Otaheite, because
no such place was then discovered, nor had he any means of coming at
them. But none of these things can be alledged by us in behalf of the
neglect of the commission given by Christ. We cannot say that it is
repealed, like the commands of the ceremonial law; nor can we plead
that there are no objects for the command to be exercised upon. Alas!
the far greater part of the world, as we shall see presently,
are still covered with heathen darkness! Nor can we produce a
counter-revelation, concerning any particular nation, like that to
Paul and Silas, concerning Bythinia; and, if we could, it would not
warrant our sitting still and neglecting all the other parts of the
world; for Paul and Silas, when forbidden to preach to those heathens,
went elsewhere, and preached to others. Neither can we alledge a
natural impossibility in the case. It has been said that we ought not
to force our way, but to wait for the openings, and leadings of
Providence; but it might with equal propriety be answered in this case,
neither ought we to neglect embracing those openings in providence which
daily present themselves to us. What openings of providence do we wait
for? We can neither expect to be transported into the heathen world
without ordinary means, nor to be endowed with the gift of tongues,
&c. when we arrive there. These would not be providential interpositions,
but miraculous ones. Where a command exists nothing can be necessary to
render it binding but a removal of those obstacles which render
obedience impossible, and these are removed already. Natural
impossibility can never be pleaded so long as facts exist to prove the
contrary. Have not the popish missionaries surmounted all those
difficulties which we have generally thought to be insuperable? Have
not the missionaries of the _Unitas Fratrum_, or Moravian Brethren,
encountered the scorching heat of Abyssinia, and the frozen climes of
Greenland, and Labrador, their difficult languages, and savage
manners? Or have not English traders, for the sake of gain, surmounted
all those things which have generally been counted insurmountable
obstacles in the way of preaching the gospel? Witness the trade to
Persia, the East-Indies, China, and Greenland, yea even the accursed
Slave-Trade on the coasts of Africa. Men can insinuate themselves into
the favour of the most barbarous clans, and uncultivated tribes, for
the sake of gain; and how different soever the circumstances of
trading and preaching are, yet this will prove the possibility of
ministers being introduced there; and if this is but thought a
sufficient reason to make the experiment, my point is gained.
It has been said that some learned divines have proved from Scripture
that the time is not yet come that the heathen should be converted;
and that first the _witnesses must be slain_, and many other
prophecies fulfilled. But admitting this to be the case (which I much
doubt[1]) yet if any objection is made from this against preaching to
them immediately, it must be founded on one of these things; either
that the secret purpose of God is the rule of our duty, and then it
must be as bad to pray for them, as to preach to them; or else that
none shall be converted in the heathen world till the universal
down-pouring of the Spirit in the last days. But this objection comes
too late; for the success of the gospel has been very considerable in
many places already.
[Footnote 1: See Edwards on Prayer, on this subject, lately re-printed
by Mr. Sutcliffe.]
It has been objected that there are multitudes in our own nation, and
within our immediate spheres of action, who are as ignorant as the
South-Sea savages, and that therefore we have work enough at home,
without going into other countries. That there are thousands in our
own land as far from God as possible, I readily grant, and that this
ought to excite us to ten-fold diligence in our work, and in attempts
to spread divine knowledge amongst them is a certain fact; but that it
ought to supercede all attempts to spread the gospel in foreign parts
seems to want proof. Our own countrymen have the means of grace, and
may attend on the word preached if they chuse it. They have the means
of knowing the truth, and faithful ministers are placed in almost
every part of the land, whose spheres of action might be much extended
if their congregations were but more hearty and active in the cause:
but with them the case is widely different, who have no Bible, no
written language, (which many of them have not,) no ministers, no good
civil government, nor any of those advantages which we have. Pity
therefore, humanity, and much more Christianity, call loudly for every
possible exertion to introduce the gospel amongst them.