Giants of the Missionary Trail

The Life Stories of Eight Men
Who Defied Death and Demons

by Eugene Myers Harrison

Originally published by Scripture Press, Book Division, [1954].
This book is now in the Public Domain.

Preface - Of Dragons and Giants

History and literature have much to say about the depredations of dragons, the tyranny of giants and of the heroism of brave men who, defying danger and death, conquered these monsters; of Siegfried who, when the dragon reared to spring upon him, "drove the immortal sword straight into its heart" and went singing on his way to deliver Brundhilde; of St. George who fought valiantly till, on the third day of combat, "the monster fell like a huge rock shattered by a storm"; of Ulysses and his feat of blinding the one-eyed giant, Polyphemus, the monster who gorged himself upon human victims. But the real heroes of history are the spiritual giants, who, not in the fanciful pages of mythology or legend, but in actual life, defied death and demons, overcame powerful adversaries, "stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight" and died as conquerors.

The Scriptures, telling of Samson's conquest of a fierce lion, are careful to emphasize the fact that "he had nothing in his hand." It was then, and only then, that "the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent [the lion] as he would have rent a kid."

Samson's condition: "He had nothing in his hand."

Samson's enduement: "The Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him."

Samson's triumph: "He rent [the lion] as he would have rent a kid."

Wherein lies the difference between ordinary Christians and extraordinary Christians, between spiritual pygmies and spiritual giants? Simply stated, it is the difference between before Pentecost and after Pentecost. Even after Easter morning, but before Pentecost, the disciples were floundering in a morass of spiritual impotence and cowardice. Between Easter and Pentecost there is not one recorded instance of the disciples making any attempt to preach the Gospel and point lost souls to the Lamb of God. Instead, it is repeatedly stated that they were behind closed doors! They were hiding, not witnessing! But when they paid the cost of Pentecost through the ten days of prayer and contrition in the upper room, and the mighty fullness of the Holy Spirit came upon them and into them, their cowardice vanished, they threw open the doors and entered upon a campaign of missionary conquest which is still the glory of the Christian Church.

This book tells how God wrote history through the lives of eight men who, like the early disciples, were Giants of the Missionary Trail because they were possessed, filled, controlled and energized by the Holy Spirit of God. This great truth is evidenced in the marvelous ministry of Jonathan Goforth, "The Holy Spirit's Man in China," and all the others portrayed in these pages.

As in several earlier volumes of missionary biography, I have endeavored to give a faithful account of the conversion, spiritual development, conflicts, trials and triumphs of each missionary, to discover the hidings of power and to weave all the pertinent data into a pattern of unity and beauty around each character's great life text. It is believed that the questions, topics for study and additional reading suggestions to be found at the end of each chapter, will prove of great value to individuals making use of them and especially to mission classes or other groups using this as a course of study. (Editor's Note: I have chosen not to include these questions and topics, as I am posting this book just for the biographies and not to make it available as a course. Also, the reading suggestions are not included, as many of them are no longer available or easily accessible.)

A young missionary candidate once said to Mr. Hoste of the China Inland Mission: "Please pray for me. I want to be nothing." Mr. Hoste replied: Young man, just take it on faith - you are nothing."

The secret and the cost of spiritual power are found in these words copied from the fly leaf of Billy Graham's** Bible:

"O that I may be foolish enough to depend upon Him for wisdom; weak enough to be empowered with His strength; base enough to have no honor but God's honor; despised enough to be kept in the dust at His feet; nothing enough for God to be everything."

May all who read these pages be led to a deeper devotion to Christ and His world-wide program of evangelization, and may some be caused to recognize their nothingness, to make an utter and irrevocable surrender to Christ, to pay the cost of Pentecost, to receive the fulness of the Spirit, to go forth in His might to take Christ, at whatever cost, to souls sinking into eternal darkness, and, without even being aware of it, to qualify for enrollment among the Giants of the Missionary Trail.

Eugene M. Harrison
Wheaton, Illinois

**Editor's Note: This ministry does not endorse Billy Graham in any way, but I am including these words as found in the actual book.

Table Of Contents:

1. William Carey - The Cobbler Who Turned Discoverer

2. James Chalmers - The Greatheart of New Guinea

3. Jonathan Goforth - The Holy Spirit's Man in China

4. George Grenfell - A Light in Congo Darkness

5. Adoniram Judson - Apostle of the Love of Christ in Burma

6. David Livingstone - The Pathfinder of Africa

7. Samuel Marsden - Bearer of Good Tidings in New Zealand and New South Wales

8. Henry Nott - Herald of the Love of God in Tahiti

Jerry's Note: This book is in the public domain. I have taken the liberty of proofreading each chapter of this book and making sure that all Bible quotations were conformed to the King James Bible. Enjoy!