Letters from Camp Written Between 1887 and 1892
Five years’ camp, five years’ office; thus, after the language study time was over, the first ten years divide. The meaning of those years was sometimes obscure to the one who lived through them, conscious of something within himself unspent. “I feel half used,” he said one evening in a moment of rare unveiling; and he looked away and beyond the narrow limits of the compound wall and then up to the stars. No one who, knowing him well, heard him read C. A. Fox’s poem, beginning:
“Lie silent on me, patient hand of God!
Ambition beckoning me to yonder height,
Her golden trumpet glittering in the light,
Tempts my rapt soul to scorn the lowland sod;...
Yea, leave me not, 0 God! for why should I
Excel Thy creatures in pre-eminence?”
could miss the sound of a prayer in his voice. But the ten years worked together for the last fifteen and a half, which stand apart. The work then to be done demanded qualities of mind and heart, insight, knowledge of character, and much else which could not have been otherwise acquired. Those ten years, so ordinary in appearance, contained within themselves a jewelmine; digging deep, the miner found his jewels.
The ten years did not fall abruptly into two distinguishable halves, for camp and office merged the one into the other; but 1892 marks an invisible boundary line, and seems the place to pause again and use what may be used of the more personal home letters written within the margin of those first five years.
“After being out in the hot morning sun, and then riding home some miles to one’s tent, one does not feel inclined to 10 i« write superfluous matter,” so an early letter of the camp series begins; and those which follow were for the most part written under canvas, which, to go into material detail, meant, in a stuffy tent, if it were the windless season, or with papers flying round in bewildering fashion, if it were not. Camp life is not conducive to ordered thought. In the hot weather one’s brain substance seems to liquefy, and in the “cold” the tempestuous wind, which cannot be shut out in tent or bungalow without shutting out the light too, seems to blow one’s ideas away with one’s papers, and the sense of a general confusion is complete. Add to this, weariness which may be con sidered chronic, and those who can command leisure, quiet, and coolness will, if they think at all, wonder no more at the occasional dulness of missionary correspondence, but rather that it is ever anything but dull.
“The life of an itinerating missionary is a grand school in which to learn the lesson that a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. I can recommend it as admirable discipline to luxurious Christians who think that they could not possibly exist without this favourite picture or that particular diet. This lesson learnt, a great many costly pictures and superfluous dainties would find their way by a kind of natural alchemy into the treasury of the C.M.S., or I would rather say, the treasury of the Lord. But itinerating life has its own peculiar charms; and if I took up my parable, I should not call it Mara (though good water is hard to get sometimes), but Elim, for it has many a well-spring of Christian joy and is shaded by many a palm tree of particular providence.”
To his sister:
“August 25, ’87. — I feel strongly, more and more, that it is not enough just to move about preaching. We need to get hold of individual souls, and to that end we need the Divine power of God the Holy Ghost. If only we are privileged to see anxious souls pressing forward for salvation, how blessed the work will be, worth ten times all the needful physical exertion. But here, as everywhere, indifference is the great obstacle in our way. People are anxious enough about the bread that perisheth, but for the most part there is little or no hungering after that which endureth unto everlasting life.”
To one tempted to introspection:
“October 29, ’87. — This will reach you too late for your birthday — that is why I sent a postcard last week — but it will not be too late to convey birthday greetings. Your text in my birthday book, as you may possibly remember, is: ‘In the Hand of God.’ There is no safer place than that. ‘No man ehall pluck them out of My Father’s hand.’ And it is not merely in His Hand, but indelibly fixed there: c I have graven thee upon the palms of My Hands.’ We must look, therefore, not at our own oscillating and wavering state, but at the strong Hand which holds us; not at the ruinous tendency within us, but at the safe bulwarks without us and around us. There is no doubt or uncertainty about it. ‘The righteous ’ — those who cast themselves on Jesus’ righteousness as their one and only hope — are in the Hand of God. And our work is there too, a feeble unsatisfactory thing, but in the Hand of Omnipotence. I know full well, from often repeated experience, all your feelings and sense of despair and doubt and un worthiness; but we must not give way to them. We stake our all on Jesus and His precious Blood and the power of His endless life. And they never lose who risk their soul’s salvation there. You little know all the doubting and shakings which I have experienced in India. Why are God’s dealings thus? Why does the everlasting Gospel make so little headway? Why is the Christian Church so weak arid dead and dark? These and a thousand other doubts and fears, besides those personal ones which I have already mentioned, rise up within one’s mind. But doubt is of the devil: faith is of God. And one anchortruth holds firm, even in darkest hours — if Jesus is not the world’s true Saviour, at least there is none other. In other words, it is the cry, the out-leaping cry of Peter, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.’ After all, it is the internal evidence for the truth of the Gospel, rather than external arguments, which is soul-convincing. It is when we taste and see that the Lord is good that we realise the companion truth, ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.’ So we will trust and hope and, by God’s grace, love; for we are in the Hand of God. May you realise this new year much of the blessedness which springs from such a consciousness.”
To his friend, Mr. Edgar Pritchard:
“November 4, ’87. — We do want another man definitely for itinerating work. You Lay Workers’ Union members must press the subject of itinerancy more and more. The C.M.S. hold the supreme importance of this branch of the work in principle, but they so often leave their itinerancy undermanned that in several missions it is practically in abeyance. They have established one in the Telugu Mission; but Mr. Stone, who was told off for that work, has now been placed in charge of a large district, so that for the time being the itinerancy is a nullity. More men is the cry everywhere. We want men who will live and die in the foreign field.
“That such societies of young men as the Mpwapwas will spring up all over England, to will and work for Christ, is my hope and desire. But the first-born must set a good example to the younger sons, and must be the leader in vigour, in zeal, and in faithfulness.”
To his sister:
“November 19, ’87. — We have just had the expected visit from X. Alas! for primitive simplicity, or Prayer Book rubrics. Conference of missionaries; much talk about Councils and Bodies; but oh for a good Apostolic prayer-meeting! “is his journal entry for the day.” We are not sorry to see the last of him; for he decidedly leans towards Ritualism, and was unwise enough to defend and commend it publicly to our pastors and agents. Alas! that in the presence of gross idolatry Christians can consent to play at what to me is little better than idolatry. But in India all the unhappy divisions of the home Church are being rapidly introduced, and thus the spread of the Gospel is hindered. It is all perplexing to the thoughtful mind; but what can we do except hold on our way? Union is clearly impossible, except at the expense of vital truth. Satan’s choicest weapon is the blade which cuts asunder the union of the Christian Church itself.
“I see that Spurgeon has withdrawn from the Baptist Union. I feel almost sorry for it, for if the good leaven is withdrawn the whole lump must deteriorate. He has witnessed nobly and manfully for the truth; but one feels grieved that it should be needful to form still new divisions and schisms. However, the true spiritual Church is one, and it shall be manifest in the end
1 The Tinnevelly itinerancy is now being worked by a brave old man of over seventy. The work IB hard; it is trench work. Where are the volunteers?
as a perfect Church, not having spot or blemish or any such thing. It sounds too good to be true, in face of all its palpable blemishes now visible to every eye; but grace can effect it. Fancy our talking about perfection and perfectionism in this world! In what body of Christians or in which individual do we see it? ‘I shall be satisfied in the Awakening with Thy likeness.’ That is the true hope which we should keep before us, while we seek the more at the same time to be imitators of God as dear children every day. The ideal is one thing, the practically attained quite another; and while we know no limit to the heights up which the Christian ought to climb, yet, when we turn and look below, it is but a very little way which we have climbed as yet, so little that many of us are ready to cry, ‘Have I climbed at all? ‘Nevertheless, God is faithful. If He were not, there would be no hope.
“There certainly seems a great stir at home just now on the missionary subject, and so we must not be surprised to find opponents rising up to depreciate the work of missionaries. I fancy that no one is more ready to depreciate their work than the missionaries themselves. At least, I speak for myself. But I have no patience with English clergy sitting down at ease at home to criticise missionary work. Why don’t they come out and do better? They would get the heartiest of welcomes.”
To the same:
“November 19, ’87. — Fancy, three ladies who sailed with Keyworth, and that is since I came, are dead. For myself, I never look forward, except in the way of the blessed Hope. One day is enough. To-morrow we can safely leave.”
To his friend:
“March 9, ’88. — I am glad to see that the C.M.S. have passed rules making room for the use of English lay agency in evangelistic missionary work. It is exactly what I corresponded with Mr. Stuart about before. It only remains to see how it will act. The young men selected must be humble and unambitious, and those with whom they are sent to work must be men of humility and love.
“I was glad to receive your nice long letter the other day. It contains a long list of work engagements; but be careful lest they accumulate too much. It is better to do a little well and prayerfully than to fulfil a whole world of engagements with undue haste and rush.
“I am glad to hear of a little network of Mpwapwas bands, if I may call them so, gradually spreading over the country. May the Christian young men of England get on fire with missionary zeal. Please give my warmest brotherly love to all the Mpwapwas. I love to hear of their welfare and their order in their course. It may be that the new rule will open the door for not a few of them to enter on the missionary enterprise.”
To one too much given to self-examination:
“April 19, ’88. — I think you make a mistake about yourself in taking dark retrospects. What is the use of looking inwards, except to humble ourselves and get us to the dust? Who dare write anything but failure over a single day of life? But, surely, instead of useless complaints, we should seek to remedy, in God’s strength, what is wrong. Is it neglected prayer? Well! let a definite time be set apart and jealously kept for prayer. Is it a neglected Bible? Well! it is in our own hands. Let us seek time to read it. Above all, there must be more looking Christ ward. He is our righteousness and our salvation. Then why do we seek righteousness in ourselves? I think that you take morose views. There is the Word, there is the Throne of Grace, there is the Fountain and the Wardrobe. Vain self-accusations (though who does not need to accuse self?) do no good. We must seek new grace for each new day.”
To his sister:
“June 8, ’88. — I am glad that A. is softening towards spiritual work. He must have found out by this time what the half-and-half people are worth. Oh, if men would only start their work on principle and not swerve from it, what a power they would exercise over all! It is this trimming and compromising which spoil all, and they only lead in the end to disgrace and disaster. I have been having a good dip into Elliott’s Horce Apocalypticce, an exposition of the Book of Revelation, from a historical point of view. It is a masterly unfolding of the book, and I am thoroughly enjoying it.
“I have heard nothing of C. lately; I suppose he is settling down, as they call it. How easily we all ’ settle down ‘! Thank God for everything which shakes us up.”
To his friend:
“July 18, ’88. — The great Missionary Conference is over now. I must say that I have been a little disappointed by the ordinary tone and character of the deliberations. It hardly bids fair to inaugurate a new departure in the era of Missions, as was predicted. But we shall see. Anyhow, it is a sign of the times, and a significant one. Fancy such a concourse on the missionary subject fifty years ago. At least it shows that the Christian Church is beginning to wake up and to realise its mission to the world.
“July 25, ’88. — It was cheering to hear of three more missionaries from among the Mpwapwas. May God bless them, and equip them for His holy service! We are spreading the roots of our little Mpwapwa tree by degrees. I expect we shall have a foot in the town of Mpwapwa itself before long. Well! it was a small beginning, when we met to consider ways and means in my old room. But the cause has grown; and St. James’s will soon have six or seven representatives in the foreign field. Thank God. Let us do so heartily, and take courage.”
To the same:
“March 12, ’89. — It is a strange story which Gordon had to tell of Uganda in the February Intelligencer. One wonders what is going to happen next there. I like Eugene Stock’stone about it all — chastened, patient faith.”
To his sister:
“September 21, ’89. — I don’t think it is needful for me to send any notes on Conditional Immortality for W.’s benefit. Any critical examination of the subject would probably be lost on him. The thing he needs, and all such people need, is a vision of God’s holiness. They prate about His love, but know nothing of His holiness. ‘Our God is a consuming fire.’ So says the New Testament, as well as the Old.”
To his friend:
“February 24, ’90. — It was so nice to have our little Cantab quartette complete at last. We are having nice times in our Chummery, as we call the little bungalow where we all chum together. Don’t we have grand hymn-singing! Mr. Carr has his younger brother here on a short visit, so that, for the time, we are five of us packed close together in one little house, all Cambridge men. I am not really in the house, as I have a tent pitched in the compound. We sang lustily last night some of the old hymns: ‘The crowning day is coming,” There shall be showers of blessing,” To God be the glory.’ And we end our days by kneeling together round the table, and having prayer and praise all round. It is cheering to encourage each other with the old missionary watchword which has been my stay in Tinnevelly, ‘He must reign.’”
To his sister:
“April 19, ’90. — We are proposing to inaugurate an annual Kodaikanal Convention, of the Mildmay or Keswick type; and Carr and I have been making the first overtures on the subject to-day to the American missionaries up here. I hope we shall be able to carry it through, as it might prove a grand time of stir-up every year to S. Indian missionaries.
“We have a ritualistic chaplain up here, and so have had to protest and take our stand. However, he is of a kindly disposition, and has promised at least to allow us to administer the Lord’s Supper in our own style on alternate Sundays.
“May 5, ’90. — I don’t think I told you that the Madras Committee have asked me to take a kind of oversight of the Ootacamund and Wynaad Mission, spending my holidays up there. It will add to my duties, of course; but I shan’t object to a change of work in lieu of holidays. The district is some 400 miles away from Tinnevelly. Certainly there seems a whole crowd of work awaiting me in the near future.
“June 2, ’90. — Here I am back in Palamcottah once more. We had a glorious holiday in Kodaikanal, and I am feeling better than I have done for months past. Our convention was a decided success. I am chairman of Committee, but shall probably be on the Nilgiris next year, in which case I shall have to think of someone suitable to succeed me; it is to be an annual convention.
“December 31, ’90. — There is a little word I have been thinking of, at the beginning of Joshua iii.: ‘Go after it.’ If we set out on this new year with the Ark of Christ’s presence to lead us, and go after it, all will be well whatever comes. May you know much this year of the experience of going after it.
“January 12, ’91. — So you see a missionary’s is not an irresponsible work. We are introducing up here many new plans for the more thorough and systematic conduct of the work. You don’t know what a systematic old thing I have become! I can’t bear a picture to hang crooked, or a thing to be done casually.
“We shall have to return to Palamcottah at the end of the month, en route for Church Council at Nullur. I am going to have the itinerating band out there with me, D.V., and spend February in evangelising. Pray for us, that in all our work we may keep the Master full in view, and seek to lead others to Him. On the Sunday before leaving Palamcottah I preached for the new year on Joshua iii. 3: ‘Go after it,’ taking the Ark to represent Christ. If we go after Him this year it will mean to us what it meant (though in a material sense) to Israel — guidance, assurance, victory, succour.
“To-day is the Hindu Thivali, a sort of Feast of Lamps, held in honour of their god Siva. They go in for fireworks (crackers, etc.) and illuminations, and make it a time of special festivity. It commemorates Siva in his character of fire-god. But Hindu festivals are rather fairs than religious holidays. They drag their gods on large cars through their streets, and so on. But as for seeking the God Who made them, and calling on His Name in solemn worship, so far as I know there is nothing of the kind at all. Hindu worship consists in going to the temple, while the officiating Brahman priests anoint the idol with oil, garland it with flowers, wave incense before it, and present offerings to it. This is called Swdmi tharisanam (the vision of God). What a vision of what a god! Their prayers are the daily recitation of certain mantrams, or prescribed stanzas, and not at all the uplifting of empty hearts towards the Divine supply. Alas! one seldom finds a sense of sin, a seeking of salvation, a sincerity about truth and light. But we are coming to a real missionary age, I trust, in which heathenism will be attacked with something like that vigour which is called for by the exigencies of the case.
“June 26, ’91. — I don’t know whether I said much in my last letter about a letter from the Home Committee asking me to be superintendent of the Tamil Church. It will mean a tremendous responsibility. Mr. Barton was only here for a year, and so did not get the full burden of it. Besides, he was largely helped by others. It is no light task to superintend fifty-five thousand Christians, specially when along with it you have to introduce and write a new set of rules. No actual step has been taken yet, but I shall have to begin in real earnest by and by. Meanwhile, until things take a more definite shape and are handed over to me, I am quietly going on with my itinerating work. You will not forget to pray, I feel sure, that all needful grace may be given to me, and wisdom for the arduous work before me.
“July 13, ’91. — We all rejoice to hear of the work in Uganda. But the history of the Tinnevelly Mission makes me dread anything like making too much of a mission field. When we begin to praise ourselves, God allows disaster to come and humble us.
“July 28, ’91. — At last we have got a proper understanding about the conduct of the mission. Until a suitable layman of good business capacity can be found and sent out from home for the office part of the work, Carr is to assist me in the conduct of affairs. We have a lot of work before us. It will be like a new start in the mission. We are going to bring the office down to our end from the other end of Palamcottah, where it has been for many years. A building is being prepared for it here, but it will be six weeks at least before the change can be effected. Meanwhile, I have plenty to do in preparing plans for the great changes which lie ahead. It is not easy to get people out of the groove in which they have been travelling for twenty or thirty years.
“I have had quite a poetical fit lately, and have been casting in a Tamil mode a lot of Sankey’s hymns. I am going to do two more, to make twenty hymns in all, and then I must stop for a time.
“I go to North Tinnevelly next week for Church Council; I suppose I have almost done with long evangelistic tours. In future my strength will have to be thrown into the nourishing of spiritual religion in the native Church. After all, if we can help the native Christians to strive for Christ, we are doing more than our own services can effect to witness to the heathen.
“October 21, ’91. — The years seem to draw on apace nowadays. With so many younger men gathering round the work in Tinnevelly, I am beginning to feel quite a patriarch! Well, each year is only bringing us nearer the end of all, and the full realisation of all God’s promises by Christ in the Gospel. May this new year be very full of rich experience of His Presence.” March 7, ’92 [just before Mrs. Walker sailed for England]. — Here we are at Mengnanapuram, in the district round which I am working as hard and as fast as I can, before the hot weather drives me to the hills. There is a great deal to do, but there is nothing for it but a steady effort to do it. I am arranging the work so as to spend each week-end in
From a photograph taken a few years later.
Mengnanapuram with B. Fifty-five thousand Christians are not easily kept in proper control. Think of the trouble which sometimes arises even in little congregations at home, and then you will get some idea of the difficulty one has to face here. The congregations have suffered from Bishop Sargent’s long and protracted weakness, and his consequent inability to move constantly about among them. I need your prayers that both wisdom and strength may be abundantly given me for the work.
“April 26, ’92 [at Ooty after Mrs. Walker had sailed]. — I hardly remember what was the last news I sent you. I have two English services each Sunday and a Tamil one, though I generally get someone to preach in English for me. On Wednesday evenings we have service, and on Thursdays we have private Bible-readings here. I am taking the Book of Joshua as a missionary study. Next Sunday is C.M.S. Sunday, with a missionary meeting the next day; correspondence with Tinnevelly is heavy, and gives me a good deal of trouble and anxiety. Then I have some manuscripts to take through the press, and other miscellaneous duties, sick-visiting, etc., BO that I am not losing much time during my holidays. But I am wonderfully well and strong and not a bit fagged. B. persuaded me to sit for my photo in Madras. I have sent the proofs home to her and ordered copies to be forwarded. She will supply you by and by. I can’t say whether they are good or not. All I know is that the martyrdom of sitting for them is over.
“I am enjoying the quiet so much, and the cool air. It is such a treat after all the rush and heat of recent work in Tinnevelly. I feel like a ship quietly riding at anchor after a stormy passage.”
“If no supernatural power is expected to attend the Gospel, its promulgation is both insincere and futile.”
ARTHUR, Tongue of Fire.
1894]