The Deathless Sermon was a
sermon
A sermon is a religious discourse or oration by a preacher, usually a member of clergy. Sermons address a scriptural, theological, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law, or behavior within both past and present contexts. El ...
given as a plea for missionary work during the rise of
Hyper-Calvinism in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. It was preached by
Particular Baptist Minister,
William Carey on 30 May, 1792 at the Friar Lane Baptist Chapel in
Nottingham
Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...
as an effort to arouse his pastoral contemporaries to intentional evangelistic action.
The message is rooted in the text of
Isaiah
Isaiah ( or ; he, , ''Yəšaʿyāhū'', "God is Salvation"), also known as Isaias, was the 8th-century BC Israelite prophet after whom the Book of Isaiah is named.
Within the text of the Book of Isaiah, Isaiah himself is referred to as "the ...
54:2-3:
: Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes. For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the
Gentiles
Gentile () is a word that usually means "someone who is not a Jew". Other groups that claim Israelite heritage, notably Mormons, sometimes use the term ''gentile'' to describe outsiders. More rarely, the term is generally used as a synonym for ...
, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.
No extant copies of the sermon remain; however church historians almost unanimously recognize its form as having only two points:
#expect great things from God, and
# attempt great things for God.
Although initially his audience was unmoved, ultimately the sermon was remarkably successful. His oration served as the initial catalyst for the founding in
1792
Events
January–March
* January 9 – The Treaty of Jassy ends the Russian Empire's war with the Ottoman Empire over Crimea.
* February 18 – Thomas Holcroft produces the comedy '' The Road to Ruin'' in London.
* February ...
of the "Particular Baptist Society for Propagating the Gospel to the Heathen" (later renamed to the
Baptist Missionary Society
BMS World Mission is a Mission (Christian), Christian missionary society founded by Baptists from England in 1792. It was originally called the Particular Baptist Society for the Propagation of the Gospel Amongst the Heathen, but for most of its ...
), which would commission Carey as one of their first missionaries. Carey's activity in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
is renowned and placed him firmly in history as the "father of modern missions".
References
* McBeth, H. Leon, ''The Baptist Heritage: Four Centuries of Baptist Witness'', (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1987), pp.171ff.
* Gonzalez, Justo L., ''The Story of Christianity, Vol. II: The Reformation to the Present Day'' (New York: Harper & Row, 1985), pp.306ff.
* Gonzalez, Justo L. (2010) The Story of Christianity Vol. 2: The Reformation to the Present Day, Zondervan, , p. 419
External links
Chapel and commemorative plaque
Calvinist texts
Christian sermons
1792 works
1792 in England
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