Name/Title
AU Broadnax, Joseph M. - 1896-01-20 letter to Joseph Hastings HarrisEntry/Object ID
1990.1.522Context
Student Volunteer Movement
for
Foreign Missions
80 INSTITUTE PLACE, CHICAGO, ILL.
January 20, 1896.
My dear Brother,–
Whenever I am alone and as able to get in fuller communion with God and a deeper insight His plans for this world, and knowing too that He has left the evangelization of it to us, a deep longing comes over me to be able to do more for Him and the cause for which Christ laid down His life, and to do this I feel constrained to write to you whom I have been led to believe God would like to use and honor in the foreign work. Our little talk together, while it gave to me but a glimpse of your inner life, yet I could see much in your experience that was in mine, and that of many others when the Mission question was before us for settlement and we were striving to know God's will for us. A right settlement is certainly of supreme importance to us so far as God's plans for the world are concerned, as well as our spiritual lives and work in the world. Doing anything other than what He has purposed for us means a failure, and a misuse of the one life which has been intrusted to us. Far bet from me to presume to know more of your inner life or better what God would have you do with your life. I have only been led to feel that the Holy Spirit was striving with you from our little talk together, and if I am right in my conclusion of it, may you not delay to make known your purpose to do His will along this line. The principle of making haste slowly is a good one, but slow motion after we know God's will may mean eternal loss to thousands and a missing of God's plan on the part of many, because we did not do the work which was ours while in College. Many may never hear of the Gospel unless you and I take it to them, and it is a dreadful thought that many may go out of College into other work whom God would have
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had you and me lead into His foreign work, but delay on our part to accept God's will for us robbed us of the privilege and result was the missing of His will for many and a loss of eternal life for those to whom they might have gone.
Under no circumstances would I urge you to decide at once for Missions, but believe I can wisely insist on one's making a decision when he has fairly and honestly faced the question, having sought the guidance of the Holy Spirit in its settlement. May God help you to find out very soon that His will for you is, and knowing it, that no time may be lost in carrying it out, even while in College, where our work may be more for reaching than is any subsequent sphere.
I have written these words to you because I feel that God would have me and may the be used to help you to an early decision. The king's business indeed requires haste.
Feeling a personal interest in you and yet a deeper interest is the speedy coming of His Kingdom, may I not hear from you by February 1st, as to what decision you have reached.
My prayer shall be that you will be led into that work and place where you will be most pleasing to God.
Believe me, most sincerely,
Your friend,
{Jos. M. Broadnax}
Mr. J.H. Harris
Ohio Normal University,
Ada, Ohio.
[End of Letter]
