BALLOONS FOR JESUS

This reflects another harebrained approach to evangelizing the world! -ed.

Missionary balloons. 

The Hong Kong Register publishes under the title of suggestions to missionaries, a very strange project which consists in arranging the distribution of small publications of the Bible Society and other religious tracts over the whole surface of China by means of balloons. Upon a calculation made of the weight of the tracks, each balloon could carry 2000. Which might. Be allowed to fall one by one at short intervals. Thus the word of the Lord would fall literally like a refreshing shower over the incredulous. Flowery land.

And it is supposed that the God of heaven needs such human contrivance to enable him to verify his word? He has assured us that the word that goes forth out of his mouth shall not return to him void. But it shall be like the rain and the snow that comes down from heaven and returns not thither. But water the earth and gives seed to the soar and bread to the eater. Can these wonder-working missionary balloons makers unstop the bottles of heaven and bring down the rain and the snow?  Or can they repel the rain and snow when God is pleased to send it down? If the Lord does not need their assistance to aid him in sending rain and snow and in causing the rain and snow to answer his purpose in watering the earth and making it fruitful. Then neither does he need their aid in sending down his word upon China or any part other part of the earth where he designed to descend it. For the one display of his power shall be like the other, as he has said.

It is true enough that the Tracts usually published and peddled by the track societies are very light affairs. We do not doubt that a balloon might carry a large quantity of them, especially if their weight is to be tested by the effect they are to produce in the salvation of sinners or, evangelization of the heathen.

Gilbert Beebe

March 1,1851

Signs of the Times