BY THE REV. NORMAN MATHESON, HALKIRK.
DEAR MR. EDITOR,—As a deputy of our Church to Gaelic-speaking Naval men at Portsmouth and Chatham, I give a brief account of work done during my stay in England. Our work as deputies in London and naval ports consists chiefly in the preaching of the Word, and the visitation of patients in Hospitals.
At the request of the Convener of Committee to Naval Forces, I agreed to remain eight Sabbaths in the South. Four of these I gave to Chatham, three to Portsmouth, and one to London. For the day I was in London, Mr. Angus Fraser, our missionary in the London Mission, went to Portsmouth in my place.
I was able to conduct the regular services at both naval ports with a considerable measure of comfort. But at Chatham, on a Saturday evening, we had to bring the meeting to a close, owing to the warning coming out of an approaching raid, and in London, on a Tuesday evening, I was unable to attend our usual prayer meeting there, as there was an air-raid on at the time of service. It is sad to think that, though for the duration of raids there seems to be a somewhat sobering effect made on the conduct of many of the careless, yet no sooner are they over than they are as vain and frivolous as ever. This is without doubt due to the want of faith in an overruling God in providence. However, we have reason to believe that some, through fear of death, are made to look to Him as the only true safety for their souls as well as their bodies.
The attendances at the meetings at naval ports and in London were very encouraging on the whole. On Sabbath mornings the attendance at Portsmouth averaged, I should say, one hundred and ten, and at Chatham one hundred and twenty. The evening meetings on Sabbath and week-days were comparatively small in the numbers that attended, for which we believe a reasonable excuse could be given in regard to some who were absent. At the week-day meetings I generally asked one or two of the men to engage in prayer. The earnestness with which they prayed for themselves and others that they would be prepared to meet the Judge of all at death was very noticeable. May the Lord raise up others in their midst as witnesses for Him!
The visitation of hospitals was a most interesting part of my work. It enabled me to come in contact with many of various denominations, and with some of no denomination at all. I did what I could by way of distributing religious pamphlets, Testaments, and gospels. Mostly all patients were glad to get something religious to read, and I may be permitted to say that, as a rule, those of the Baptist Church, whom I happened to speak to about the realities of eternal things, were more easily approached than those of other denominations. Probably this may be due to the more particular attention that they give as a Church to the work of teaching the Bible to the young. Among the booklets I gave away were Protestant booklets, which I tried to distribute with caution. Still, when I asked patients if they would accept of one, I seldom got a refusal. In a few cases I got an answer to this effect, that they would read anything. We do not know what will prosper—this or that. May the promise in these words, “Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days,” be fulfilled.
By the help and guidance of Mr. Angus Fraser, I was able to do a considerably greater amount of work in London, by way of visiting hospitals, barracks, and the people of our own congregation, than I otherwise could have done. We trust his labours in the Mission are blessed. There is some cause to believe that this is so. Our small Mission in London needs the support of the prayers of the Lord’s people, and perhaps the financial support of our Church, but as was reported already in the pages of our Magazine, they are able to support themselves meantime, but not, we fear, without a good deal of self-denial on the part of the congregation.
I should not forget to acknowledge, with thanks, the kindness I found at the hands of those with whom I took up lodgings in the different places of labour.—Yours, etc., NORMAN MATHESON.
F.P. MANSE, HALKIRK.