BY THE REV. D. GRAHAM, SHIELDAIG, ROSS-SHIRE.
DEAR MR. EDITOR,—With your permission, I may give a brief report of my visit to the Royal Naval men in Chatham and Portsmouth.
At the urgent request of the Rev. Mr. Cameron, the convener, I, after some hesitation, complied with the request, considering it my duty to go, even in the face of dangers, to preach the Gospel to the brave men who are hazarding their lives in the defence of their country. I left Shieldaig on the 13th of March, and arrived in London late on Friday night, where I was comfortably put up by Mrs. Mackay, 19 Bryanston Street, and where I took up my headquarters during my stay in England. At that time the air raids were frequent and dangerous, so much so that many were leaving London because of the scare of the raids. Mr. Fraser, our Missionary then in London, informed me that about fifteen of the young women attending our Mission Hall had left that week, or were about to leave, the families in which they served leaving the city on account of the raids. But I should be thankful to the Most High that I had no experience of any such raids during my time there.
I gave three Sabbaths to Chatham and four to Portsmouth. In Chatham we had a prayer meeting on Saturday evening, and two services on Sabbath, a prayer meeting in the interval. But, owing to my being nearly two miles away from the barracks, I could not attend the prayer meeting held between the services. I found it enough to walk twice the double journey to and from the barracks. There were a number of praying men in both places, Chatham and Portsmouth, where I had much pleasure in hearing them engage in earnest and solemn prayer on their own behalf and on that of the nation. The first two Sabbaths in Chatham we had good congregations, but then the men got their much-longed-for spring leave, to which they looked forward with such desire that they could hardly express their joy. And who could but sympathise with them, men who are now nearly four years, some of them, away from their homes, and who only get a short leave twice in the year to visit their dear ones?
To Portsmouth I gave four Sabbaths, as already mentioned. There we have a prayer meeting on Friday evening, and on Sabbath two services, and a prayer meeting in the interval. The morning service is held in Miss Weston’s Hall, to which the men come. On parade in the evening the service is held in the barracks. The morning services as a rule are well attended; the men come from Whale Island, the R.N. Barracks, etc.; but here also the spring leave affected the attendance for the time being. The majority of the men, if not all of them, seemed to appreciate
the Gospel, and sat very attentively during the services, and one would think that they were impressed. I do sincerely hope that these services were and are blessed to some of them.
The praying men among them often expressed their gratitude in being privileged with the means of grace in their own native tongue while at such a distance from their homes, some of them saying that the solemnity of these services reminded them of their solemn communion seasons at home. And I must say that I had much joy and happiness in my own soul in delivering the message to them, and, as my predecessor remarked in his last report, I could have stayed much longer with them, if circumstances would have permitted, and felt sad when I had to part with them. May the Lord be pleased to fulfil in this case, as in other cases, His own promise, which runs thus:—”For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it to bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater; so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth, it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” (Isaiah lv. 10, 11).
The Sabbath desecration in the cities, towns, and villages is deplorable. One is disposed to think that, should we have no other sin as a nation but this particular sin, it would be enough to bring down the judgments of the Most High upon us as a nation. Oh, that the Lord would be pleased to open our eyes as a nation that we may turn from our evil ways, and seek the Lord while He may be found, and call upon Him while He is near. “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” This awful war, with its fearful devastations, should cause the stoutest hearts to tremble before God, and the most careless to seriously consider the voice of the Most High speaking to us as a generation through these fearful judgments, and, if we do not return, the Lord will still whet His sword.
I visited several hospitals during my stay in England. How painful to see so many of our young men maimed in their bodies, and yet the most of them careless about the salvation of their souls! But we believe that these fearful horrors of war have been blessed to some of them.
I had much pleasure in meeting dear friends in our Mission Hall in London, but had to mourn the absence of others, whom I met there before, some of them removed by death, others having to obey the call of their country. The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was dispensed in the hall during my time, and I was very glad to meet the Rev. J. S. Sinclair, Glasgow, who came up for the occasion, and to assist him with some of the services.
May the Lord bless the means of His own appointment!
D. G.
The late Mr. Arch. Macleish, Ontario.
ARCHIBALD MACLEISH, born at Ascoig, parish of Kilfinan, Argyll, in 1830, was one of a large family, of whom he left none remaining behind when he entered into his rest on the 20th of December last. He came to Canada in 1843, and settled with the family in East Williams, Middlesex County, Ontario. Some years later he settled on the farm in West Williams, where he died. Of his early childhood and of his boyhood days little can be said. He is reputed, by one remaining who was intimately acquainted with him during more than three score and ten years, to have been a quiet and sober-minded youth. He does not seem ever to have been ready to lift the veil that hid from other eyes the secrets of his soul’s experience. It is a happy thing when one can be so readily known by his fruits as was he. It was not in his character to attempt to play Mr. Facing-both-ways. Yet one could wish to learn of that momentous change in him, what time he was delivered from under the power of sin and Satan and was translated into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. The very clearness of the testimony borne by his walk and conversation to the fact of such a change arouses one’s interest to discover an account of that change itself. Here we have very little to go upon. The first settled ministry under which he sat in Canada was that of Rev. Lachlan Macpherson, of whose sermons a number have appeared in these pages. He was but little past twenty when this rich privilege became his. To judge from his ardent admiration for this man, one would be ready to look upon Mr. Macpherson as the messenger through whom he first heard the word with saving power. No more constant sympathiser did his minister have than he.
It was some years after the Union of 1875, when the Presbyterian Church of Canada, as at present constituted, was formed, that he was ordained an elder. Previously to that time he had become somewhat acquainted with like-minded friends in the North through meeting them at Brucefield. There in Mr. Ross’s day they gathered from North and South at communion seasons. It was rather, however, through conversation with Rev. R. D. Mackay in later days that he became deeply impressed with the sterling worth of these brethren from Kincardine and Lochalsh. After connection was established with the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland this acquaintance grew into warm intimacy. Through visits to the North at communion seasons he came to be known and esteemed throughout our Ontario congregation.
He was a warm-hearted man and a constant friend. It never was a puzzle to know where he would take his stand in questions relating to the upholding of a thoroughgoing uncompromising scriptural testimony. For half-heartedness in cleaving to Christ’s Word he had only sharp reproof. As is often to be noticed with such earnest sincerity and unaffectedness a lively vein of humour
frequently revealed itself. Having on one occasion been told that he was three hundred years behind the times in his views on purity of worship, he made the remark that it was useless for him to think of catching up in the little while that was left him here.
But he was not inclined to attempt any such task. He loved the Psalms. He received them into a good and understanding heart. He loved to sing them. Others liked to hear his sweet, melodious voice sound forth in leading the praise in public. Knowing that the voice of the Good Shepherd directed him to sing these Psalms of David, and being firmly convinced that it was a stranger’s voice that called him to give other songs their place, he was not disposed to deal kindly with the displacing of the Psalms. Yet it was in no legal spirit he held on his way. His heart could discern no reason for leaving the pure stream of the Psalms for any waters fouled by the feet of erring human teachers. When bodily strength was ebbing to the close, he would sometimes seem too weak to take an active part at family worship. The singing of the Psalm would revive him, and he would sing many verses, saying that there was a taste of heaven from the Psalms. Toward the end he dwelt with emphasis upon the 51st and the 23rd Psalm.
The weight of over fourscore years was bearing heavily upon his robust frame for some years before the end. It was with difficulty that he attended the services when Rev. D. Beaton was here in 1916. Yet that time was one of reviving to him, so that he was able to attend the services for a Sabbath or two after Mr. Beaton’s visit. The many miles he lived from the place of meeting never interfered with his attendance on the public means of grace, either during Mr. Macpherson’s day, or afterwards, until shortly before the end. The weight of responsibility in connection with these services, in the absence of regular ministerial supply, fell upon him, until comparatively recently. During the time that he was thus detained from the assembly he loved so well, and especially of late, he longed for the companionship of those who feared the Lord. In his family round about him he enjoyed the fellowship of those like-minded, but he could not but feel as one who used to joy when they said to him, “Let us go up to the house of the Lord,” but who was to go up thus to that house on earth no more again for ever.
He is no more with us, for the Lord took him. May the Lord regard us with a pitying eye! May we learn in truth that it is not in Him we are straitened, but in ourselves! To the various members of his family, we extend our heartfelt sympathy.
W. M.
GLORY follows affliction, not as the day follows the night, but as the spring follows winter; for the winter prepares the earth for the spring. So doth sanctified affliction prepare the soul for glory.—Sibbes.
Interesting Report of South African Mission.
BY REV. J. B. RADASI, F.P. MISSIONARY, MATABELELAND.
THE following is the Report, read at last Synod by the Rev. Neil Cameron, Convener of Foreign Mission Committee:—
C/O NATIVE COMMISSIONER, BEMBESI,
MATABELELAND, SOUTH AFRICA, March, 1918.
MY DEAR MR. CAMERON,—I am glad to inform you that I received your letter of the 7th January, also the £30 to send the young lad to Lovedale. The boy was sent to Lovedale as soon as the money arrived. He was only a week late, as the School opened on the 14th February. There are two sessions in the year at Lovedale—the first session begins in February and ends in June, and the second begins in August and ends about the 13th December. Students, living as far away as Matabeleland and Bechuanaland, only go home on December holidays.
Miss Adelaide Ntuli, who was acting teacher here, went to Lovedale last year to qualify for a teacher. She was sent by her parents. She was doing Standard V. work when she left. We have now a qualified teacher teaching in our School here who has passed his teacher’s examination. He is one of those boys of ours who were sent by their parents to Lovedale to be trained as teachers. The natives have no money, but those that have cattle sell their cattle, and send their children to school. But very few here can afford to do that. The great number of the scholars leave school as soon as they have received their Bibles, and some, I am sorry to say, even leave school before they are qualified to receive their Bibles. The custom is still followed of giving Bibles to those scholars who have learned to read fluently and intelligently the native language; and in that way, from time to time, a very large number of these Bibles have been given away. Most of the scholars only learn the Kafr language, and leave school; and it does not take them very long to learn the native language.
The Bibles are now finished, and there are several scholars here and in the out-stations who are now qualified for Bibles, but have not yet received them.
I am glad to say they seem to be very fond of their Bibles, and read them regularly, I am told by those who come in contact with them after they have left school. The following is an example:—One of our boys, who had learned to read the native language, and had received a Bible, and had left school, was working in a mine. Afterwards a heathen boy came, and he also got work in the same mine, and the two boys occupied the same hut. He says, “I used to read the Bible and pray every morning and night, and this boy did not like this at all. He said, ‘Why do you
always trouble me? You read what I do not understand, and you pray to One you cannot see. I do not like what you are doing at all. You are trying to teach me new customs; I did not come here to learn your new customs, I came to seek work; we never pray at our home, and I hate this custom of yours, and if you continue this custom of yours, I shall leave this place altogether.” This boy says, “I continued to read and pray every morning and night, and he continued to show his dislike of what I was doing, until one day, early in the morning, while it was still dark, I heard him cry out, ‘Get up, and let us pray; I like praying now. I have tried it myself; everything seems to be new now with me. When I begin the day with prayer, I find my work light and easy, and I do it cheerfully. Tell me more about God and His Christ. I like to hear about them now.’ He now used to listen very attentively to the Word of God, and wanted to know more and more about Christ and His great salvation for sinners.”
He further told that a stranger who had recently been employed at the mine visited them in their hut one evening, and they had worship as usual. After worship the stranger was silent for some time, and seemed to be in deep thought. Afterwards he broke out in these words, “I am glad to see that you are praying, boys. Keep on praying, my boys. There is a God in reality, and He does hear prayers. I will now tell you of a true incident that happened to me. Before the railway line was made from Bulawayo to Salisbury, goods used to be transported by ox-wagons. I was a driver for some Dutchmen on one of their ox-wagons going to Salisbury. They treated me very cruelly on the way, and so I decided to run away from them. I left them one day and escaped. I kept away from the main road, and followed the foot-path. I had not gone very far when I saw a lion in front, coming towards me at a rapid pace. I turned back to where I came from; to my surprise I saw another lion coming towards me from that side. A lion in front of me, and a lion at the back of me, and both coming to me; it was a hopeless case! I looked round to see if there was no tree to climb; I could not see any; and both lions were coming nearer and nearer to me. I now lost all hope of escape. Just at that time I seemed to hear a voice saying, ‘Pray.’ I knelt down, and prayed at once, and as soon as I got up, I saw both lions running away from me as fast as they could, and so I was saved from them. Boys, keep on praying. There is a God in reality, and He does answer prayers.”
We have lost at our Induba church an aged woman who was one of the wives of the late King Lobengula. She lived at Induba, and was a member in full communion with our Church there. She was converted two years ago. When she got ill, her friends took her away for a change to a place twenty miles from Induba. The change did her no good, but she became worse and worse, and they had to bring her home again, after she had
been there for six weeks, and when she returned, she was so ill, that she could not speak any more. I went to see her on Wednesday just a day after she had returned and read the Bible and prayed, but she had lost her power of speech and she passed away on Friday. They say that just about two hours before she died, she said in a loud voice, “I am leaning on Christ alone for salvation.” Those were the only words she was heard to speak, since she returned home.
We are all glad to hear that the war in German East Africa is now finished. We hope that all our men will return soon, as some of the elders were a great help to us in our out-stations. But at present we only see the sick and wounded returning.
I must now conclude with kindest regards to you.—Yours sincerely,
J. B. RADASI.
The following letter was written by Mr. RADASI on 26th March:—
I received the postal order for £1 sent by two friends. You will kindly thank them for me. I would be very glad, too, if the Lord would raise up a young man here to go to Scotland to be trained for the ministry. I had in my mind Kiwa Mhlahlo, the boy we first sent to Lovedale, but his health so broke down, that he had to return before even he had finished a year, and so I was disappointed. The difficulty is this, that the majority of boys leave school after they have learned the native language only. I cannot say yet about the lad we have recently sent to Lovedale. The work of the ministry is of such transcendent importance that a very careful selection has to be made. May the Lord Himself put into the mind of a truly converted lad a desire to be trained for the ministry.
I am greatly in need of a cart and a mule for visiting the out-stations, especially in rainy seasons, as the bicycle is of no use in rainy weather. I have an opportunity of visiting the out-stations whenever I can go, as there are always people ill with fever. A new cart would cost £30, and a mule from £20 to £25. Mules are better than horses in this hot country. The mules have gone down in price since the introduction of motor cars; before, they cost £40 to £50 each. If it is possible after the War, we would like one of our ministers to pay us a visit here.
I must now conclude with kindest regards to you.—Yours very sincerely,
J. B. RADASI.