Mr. Talmage continues:
"I cannot close this letter without saying a word in reference to our
prospects of success. The moral condition of this people, their spiritual
apathy, their attachment to the superstitious rites of their ancestors,
together with the natural depravity of the human heart, and at the same
time their language being one of the most difficult, perhaps the most
difficult of acquisition of any spoken language, all combine to forbid, it
would seem, all hope of ever Christianizing this empire. But that which is
impossible with men is possible with God. He who has commanded us to
preach the Gospel to every creature, has connected with it a promise that
He will be always with us to the end of the world. The stone cut out
without hands, we are told by the prophet, became a great mountain and
filled the whole earth. The kingdom which the God of heaven has set up
'shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms and it shall stand
for ever.' Thus, whatever may be the prospect before us, according to
human reasoning, we have 'a more sure word of prophecy.' Resting upon this
we can have no doubt in reference to the complete triumph of the cause of
Christ, even over the land of Sinim. In connection with such prophecies
and promises we have many facts to encourage us. The people are accessible
and friendly, and willing to listen to our doctrines. The superiority of
Christianity to their systems of religion, sometimes from conviction and
sometimes perhaps only from politeness, they often admit.
"Already a few converts have been gathered into the visible Church, and
there are others who are seeking to know the way of life more perfectly.
Those who have been received into the Church are letting their light shine.
The conduct of some who have heard the truth, reminds us forcibly of the
conduct of the woman at the well of Samaria, and of the conduct of Andrew
and Philip when they first found the Messias.
"It is thus that this empire and most other heathen countries must be
evangelized. The work must be done by the natives. The Church in
Christian lands, by her missionaries, can only lay the foundation and
render some little assistance in rearing the superstructure. She can never
carry forward the work to completion. She can never furnish the heathen
nations with missionaries of the cross in sufficient numbers to supply them
with pastors, neither is it necessary that she should. The Christian is a
light shining in a dark place. Especially is it true among the heathen,
that every disciple of Christ is as 'a city set on a hill which cannot be
hid.' His neighbors and acquaintances must observe the change in his
conduct. He no longer worships their gods. He no longer observes any of
their superstitious rites. He is no longer a slave to their immoralities.
his example must tell. But many of the converts will have gifts to make
known the Gospel, and will eagerly embrace these gifts in order to rescue
their dying countrymen. Already have we examples of this. Such converts,
also, in some respects, may be more efficient than the missionary. They
can go where we cannot, and reach those who are entirely beyond our
influence. They are better acquainted with the language. They understand
the customs of the people more thoroughly. They remember what were the
greatest difficulties and objections which proved the greatest obstacles to
their reception of the Gospel, and they know how these difficulties were
removed and these objections answered. Besides, they have all the
advantages which a native must be expected to possess over a foreigner
arising from the prejudices of the people.
"Perhaps it may be necessary to guard against a wrong inference, which
might be hastily deduced from the facts just stated. The fact that the
natives are to be the principal laborers in evangelizing this empire, does
not in the least remove the obligation of the Church to quicken and
redouble all her efforts, or supersede the necessity for such efforts. It
will be many years before this necessity will cease to exist. The Churches
in Christian lands, in resolving to undertake the evangelization of this
empire, have engaged in great work. In obedience to the command of their
Master they have undertaken to rear a vast superstructure, the foundation
of which is to be laid entirely by themselves, and on the erection of which
they must bestow their care and assistance. This work has been commenced
under favorable auspices, but the foundation cannot yet be said to be laid.
More laborers must be sent forth. They should be sent out in multitudes if
they can be found. They must acquire the language so that they can
communicate freely with the people. They must proclaim the message of the
Gospel from house to house, in the highways and market-places, wherever
they can find an audience,-until converts are multiplied. Schools must be
established, and the doctrines of the Gospel be instilled into the minds of
the children and youth. We must have a native ministry instructed and
trained up from their childhood according to the doctrines of the Gospel
before they will be capable of taking the sole charge of this work. Until
all this has taken place the churches may not slacken any of their efforts;
nay, to accomplish this there must be an increase of effort beyond all that
the churches have ever yet put forth."
During the year 1848 he sent a letter to the Society of Inquiry of the
Theological Seminary, New Brunswick, New Jersey.
"It is yet a 'day of small things' with us. Our work thus far has been
chiefly of a preparatory nature. This will probably be the case for some
time to come. There have been just enough conversions to teach us that God
is with us and will own the instrumentality which He Himself has appointed
for the salvation of men, and to encourage us not to faint in our work. We
have a vast amount of prejudice and superstition to remove--prejudice and
superstition which has been growing and consolidating for forty centuries,
and has become an essential ingredient in the character of the people and
part of almost every emotion and conception of their minds. At present
both officials and people are very friendly, and we are permitted to preach
the Gospel without hindrance. But we cannot tell how long this state of
things will continue. When the operation of the leaven has become
manifest, we must expect opposition. We cannot expect that the great
adversary of God and men will relinquish this the strongest hold of his
empire on earth, without a mighty struggle. We must yet contend with
'principalities and, powers and spiritual wickedness in high places.'