Letters Between November 1885 and June 1887
There are few missionaries who, after years have brought wisdom, would care to see their first letters in print. Those who in the innocence (and foolishness) of their hearts have allowed such things to be exploited have usually lived to regret it. But the sagest of seniors will not find much unsuitable matter in the letters of this novice; he had learned to observe what he called a holy reticence before he came to India. These letters are extremely characteristic. It was like him, for instance, to fear publicity, like him too to avoid ruptures, and to do all that in him lay to help others to steer clear of the rocks. Years afterwards it fell to his lot to be frequently consulted about certain workers, good and true at heart, but exceedingly difficult to get on with, as they had an uncomfortable habit of taking offence at trifles: “Leave them alone and they’ll come home, and carry their tails behind them,” was all he would usually say; and the counsel followed invariably led to peace.
To Mr. Edgar Pritchard, Hon. Secretary of the Mpwapwas, that band of keen young men whom he left behind at St. James’s, Holloway:
“February 5, 1886. — I have not seen the C.M.S. periodicals this month, but I understand they contain notices of our little company. I am rather afraid of publicity, as it opens out the way for pride. May God keep you all very humble at His feet, seeking, above all, to shine for His glory, first and foremost, in the home and in the house of business. I do not believe that God ever blesses in missionary work those who forget to glorify Him in their lowlier and smaller spheres....
“Let the Mpwapwas look out for the jewellery of their male and female friends, and beg them for the missionary box; or, to be still more practical, let all the members think of little useless luxuries which they can forego for the sake of the great Master’s work.” “We can deny ourselves for Christ’s sake, that we may have the luxury of giving to His cause,” is a word from a later letter.
“April 9, 1886. — My first Vicar’s wife in Stratford used to say that I was never satisfied on the missionary question. I am sure the Master Himself is far from satisfied, as He looks down on the gross darkness which envelops the peoples of the earth. I am sorry to hear of the dissension in the company of Mpwapwas. We cannot possibly prosper in missionary enterprise if we are divided. The secret of the success of the C.M.S. has always been that her supporters rallied with one mind and object round her simple purpose to preach the pure Gospel to every creature. You must strain a point somewhere to procure unity; and it will be better to settle down on your constitution as now modified, rather than to be restlessly adding new Acts of Parliament. It is much better to have a few simple, lucid rules, and stick to them through thick and thin, than to risk divisions by innovations. Of course, I would say when changes are necessary and advisable, make them; but do it gently and cautiously, and not too frequently. You see I am very conservative.
“... I hope Mr. M has got the C.M.S. fever. I shall
rejoice to hear that he is stirring you all up, raising the C.M.S. total, and still more that he is coming out to the work himself. Since I left, you have only given the two next curates to the work at home. It is high time that you gave another to work abroad.”
The Mpwapwas gave themselves. Since the founding of the band, June 29, 1885, twenty-three have offered for foreign missionary work, and seventeen have been accepted for work abroad; many others are in active work at home.
To the Mpwapwas:
“June 22, 1886. — The Mpwapwas must make up their minds that with God’s blessing there shall be no going back. ‘Forward ’ must be the word.
“The threatened retrenchments, mentioned in the annual C.M.S. report, must not be suffered for one moment. What! go back when the door is wide open! By God’s help, never! May every member of our little society this new missionary year be humble, zealous, wholehearted. By the by, I cannot tell you how thankful I am that all the variances are settled peaceably. Let the division be not in the ranks at home, but in the fact that some are taking the field and so become ‘Associates ’ indeed, in the blessed work of winning the heathen for Christ. This is the only division we ought to admit, and this is really not division, but closer unity. When some of you, like myself, if God grant you the honour, are far away from home and friends, you will discover that there is a union far closer than any which is cemented by fleshly ties; it is the union which binds spirit to spirit, quite independent of material things, in other words, it is the communion of saints.
“I do not forget the need of the work in England, and I am deeply interested in the open-air services and other evangelistic agencies; but the stir of action at home is sure to keep the work glowing there. The danger is to be indifferent to the claims of the distant and unseen.
“Sometimes I look back, in pleasant memory, to the happy work at home. It was work which I really loved, and for which I was perhaps better fitted than I am for the difficulties of missionary work. But the call is loud and the volunteers are few; and to me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. Already Palamcottah has a home feeling about it to me, though I hope one day to be literally homeless, itinerating for Christ’s sake and the Gospel’s:
“I only pray, God fit me for the work;
God make me holy and my spirit nerve
For the stern hour of strife.”
To his mother:
“October 15, 1886. — I am glad that some people are getting their eyes opened to the fact that pleasure-garden entertainments are not conducive to spiritual improvement. It is a pretty confession to make to the world that we have no joy in our religion, but must seek it at broken cisterns! As a young missionary lady said to me once, speaking of such things during our voyage out: ‘I find Christ enough.’ Surely, to the Christian whose religion is not all a sham, there ought to be more joy in praising his Saviour and listening to His words, than in all the paltry, artificial amusements of the world. It is the whole truth, Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Let people say what they will about being narrow and straitlaced and too particular, and so on. Why should we not confess with all humility and joy that we find God Himself our highest good and our greatest bliss? If there be a God Who loves us, surely it is only reasonable to suppose that the highest attainable privilege of man is to know Him, and to love Him, and to be like Him. ‘Having loved this present world ’ is the test which we must write up over the other system, no matter under how much ecclesiastical patronage it may be carried on. ‘My joy shall be in the Lord ’ was the decision and determination of Bible saints.
“I am just reading 1 Peter, where the two linked thoughts running through the whole are suffering and glory. The sufferings of Christ and the glory which should follow, our sufferings and the glory which shall follow. The darkness of suffering is gilded by the light of the approaching glory. If we are truly partakers of Christ’s sufferings, we shall also be partakers of His glory. It was wonderful grace which brought Peter to be a witness of the sufferings of Christ. How thoroughly once he had been ashamed of the suffering Jesus. But now he had learnt the lesson that such suffering was not shame but glory, and his first epistle is full of the glory of his changed mind. He had been ’ converted ’ now from his shame and failure and weakness, and so ’ strengthened his brethren ’ for all time with his bold and sanctified expression of the truth. ‘If any man suffer as a Christian ’ (he does not deny that Holy Name now), ’ let him not be ashamed.’ >:
To his sister:
“October 30, 1885. — Never mind A.’s hints and uncharitable remarks and suspicions. Do your work for Christ, and seek the souls for whom He died. What we have to do is to study to show ourselves approved unto God, not as pleasing men, but God which trieth the hearts. He will honour all feeble efforts which are put forth for His glory, and there is joy in His presence over every sinner saved, no matter what suspicions there may be on the part of the orthodox (so called) leaders of religion. What we want is humility and love. If I could only make sure of those for myself, how willingly I would let everything else go.
“I often look back longingly to the Sunday night services at the Lecture Hall. Oh that there souls may live before Him! If one may only meet some of them, many of them, in the Father’s home, what joy it will be! But I fear that many are yet in their sins. Surely that work, so close as it was to my heart, has taught me how utterly useless is all work except God’s own work.
“December 26, 1886. — Never mind A.’s mistaken notions. Seek to like him all the better, and go on steadily with the work. If God owns it, it matters not who else disowns. I have been sending to some for the New Year that word from the 22nd Psalm, ‘Cast upon Thee.’ Let that be our attitude and all will be well.
“Undated. — Tell F. [a relative] that I am surprised at his going to a separate church because of choir attractions. What is the use of his complaining of ritualism and so on, if he does not practise what he preaches? For myself, I had enough of musical services in Stratford, and want no more. Where are we told in the Bible that ’ the choir is the power of God unto salvation ‘? And when men try to preach that Gospel which is the power of God unto salvation, it offends fastidious tastes for its plain -spokenness. Oh that we English people thought less about the messenger and more about the glorious message! ‘I don’t like his preaching, he is too personal. He doesn’t prepare his sermons,’ is commonly said about men who come from their knees before God to speak simply and pointedly to dying souls.”
To the Mpwapwas:
“January 8, 1887. — I am glad to hear of the Mpwapwas at work, but do not desiderate for them too much publicity. Humility is the attitude, as love is the mainspring of all missionary effort.
“We have entered on a New Year. May it be a year of real progress with us all! Not our glory, but His, must be our aim. The more we can keep ourselves hidden in the background, hidden by the folds of the banner which we wave, the better both for ourselves and our work. I would say, study to do well whatever is to be done. Aim at quality rather than quantity. The addresses which Mpwapwas give should be good ones, the result of much study, much prayer, much love. That God may make you a band of young men who shall count nothing dear if only Christ may be glorified, and who shall lie low at His feet in the willing spirit of ‘Here am I, send me,’ is the prayer and wish of your friend and brother in the field. Let each look to his own heart, let each be honest and true in his religious life, let each study to know more and more of the Master’s missionary work in the past and in the present.”
To his friend:
“March 5, 1887. — I am learning lessons and doing the little things of my novitiate as they come to hand. It is one thing to labour with fair success at home and quite another to work in the missionary field. Out in this part every missionary, no matter how experienced before in home work, has to win his spurs. I have got to win mine before I can be called a missionary indeed. Tamil is not learned in any fair sense of the word by sitting still, it is a real struggle. I like the language very much, and trust that in time I may learn to speak it with comfort and ease; but it will need much practice before that comes to
“Only, my dear brother, seek grace for yourself and your fellow Mpwapwas to be very low. Don’t be carried away by rush of engagements into a sense of impatience, or into hot feelings of friction when things don’t go smoothly. You know the spirit in which I say this as one of yourselves, ’ last of all and servant of all.’
“I am looking to my return from the hills this year as, D.V., the end of my probation period and the beginning of my actual work. Will you all pray specially that I may have the needed liberty of speech and the wisdom requisite for planning the campaign? It will be grand to get into real harness again with a little company of young men to help me. The people listen on the whole willingly, at our open-air services. But they are so blind; Satan, the god of this world, has had his way so long in heathendom that the blindness of souls is of a very desperate character. Only the other night, after our preaching and concluding prayer, I heard a poor heathen man crying, ‘Siva! Siva! Siva! ‘Poor souls, to trust in such a God as Siva, whose abominable deeds, according to their own books, are execrable.”
To one tempted to spiritual depression:
“April 1, 1887. — I feel quite as strongly as you on the subject of personal unworthiness; but, if you will allow me to say so, I think you talk a great deal too gloomily. Surely we ought to be thankful and joyful? Our Saviour is not a hard slavedriver, but a loving Master. Instead of wasting time bemoaning our unworthiness, we should often do better to be on our knees thanking Him that it is His righteousness, not ours, which God looks upon. The true remedy for prayerlessness is an honest effort to right the wrong by determined prayer. How we wrong a gracious God by gloominess in religion! Sit as low as you will before Him, but at least rejoice in His salvation. Seek to be glad and content with His will, and to fill the sphere which He assigns so as to glorify His name. I feel sure that we need to watch carefully against anything like bitterness in our religion. We may groan because of sin; but at least let it be in private, and let others see only the light and the joy. How often I have felt, since coming to India, that I have no right to teach others; but it would simply ruin my work to let such secret misgivings come out before others. The fact is, we want a great deal less of looking at self; for self-esteem is really at the bottom of these things, and a greal deal more of looking at Christ. Day by day we are to trust and to labour. To-morrow is as distant as eternity, for anything we know. We have the sentence of death in ourselves, that we may trust wholly in God Who raiseth the dead. So here is a little sermon for you from a lonely mountain spot in distant India, and comes from one who knows what the depths are from experience.”
To his sister:
“May 12, 1887. — I often miss my books. I should ask you to arrange about sending at least some of them out to me, but I don’t know yet how I shall be fixed. The other missionaries here are able to have their books of reference, but then I have no proper home to call my own, and so I don’t like to fix anything. If another comes out to join me this year, he will probably have to live in Palamcottah at least one year for language learning, and in that case would have to occupy my quarters. Perhaps by the time one of our friends goes home on leave, I shall be able to see more definitely whether it will be better to be bookful or to continue almost bookless.”
To the Mpwapwas:
“May 23, 1887. — All the publicity which as a band of missionary workers you have attained, involves with it a great responsibility. You must see to it, therefore, that you slack not in the good enterprise, and that the life and conduct of every Mpwapwa may be such as to commend the Gospel of our God and Saviour in all things. Let the voice of Jesus be the call that urges us onward and forward, and let the glory of the Saviour be our one desire and aim. To obey Him and to spread far and wide His glorious Gospel is that in which true manliness consists. Do seek, therefore, that your meetings may not merely be pleasant social gatherings (I trust they will be that), not merely a rendezvous for those who wish to consult together as to parish and other work; but a real means of grace in which you shall find the great Lord of the vineyard Himself present to bless and refresh you. Every week ought to find you growing in missionary knowledge and warming in missionary work. To know what is being done in the foreign field and to bear up the workers and the work in the arms of faith before the mercy-seat, these are by no means secondary things: brethren, pray for us.”
To his friend and to the Mpwapwas:
“May 23, 1887. — We can’t afford to be divided. If every one of us be ready and willing to be last of all and servant of all, we shall be able to put up with many seeming slights....
“That I may have wisdom to proceed aright, fluency of speech in the Tamil language, a yearning desire to win souls for Christ, and grace to be both in life and service all for Jesus, let me solicit earnestly your individual and united prayers.”
To his friend:
“June 30, 1887. — My own tent is pitched close by my little bungalow, and is now all ready for use. The tailor is sewing away at a second one on the grass in front, rigging up some old material to serve for a time at least. I feel now that I would give a good deal to have a European fellow-labourer to pray and consult with, but I suppose it may not be. The C.M.S. are sending us a good man out this year, Carr, a Cantab; but I fear that he will be required for more settled work. Still, I think it is a great mistake not to have a strong itinerancy in every old mission field. They could stir up the Christians by the way, and make something like a sensible attack on the stronghold of heathendom. To have only one, whose health may give way (for who knows?) at any time, with no one coming forward to learn the language and take up the work, is surely a great mistake. Of course, one is better than none at all; but I am sure it is not a wise arrangement, though I know that there are calls from every side. However, the Mpwapwas must do their
CH. r.] EARLY LETTERS 69
part. Here I am, one of themselves, and they must strengthen me by their united prayers.
“June 30, 1887. — Try as a little company of God’s young men not to get too many irons in the fire. It is much better to have a few and make them really hot. It is your privilege, I take it, to pay special attention to one, the missionary iron. If I mistake not, it is the best conductor of heat amongst all the irons of parochial machinery. If it gets well heated, it has a wonderful influence in warming all the rest. Attend well to it; make it very hot.
“May practical consecration be the object set well before you all, the humility which is willing to be last of all, the surrender of self which leaves God to order and send, and the love of Christ which makes His service the brightest joy on earth.”
“Am I uncharitable in the surmise that materialistic ideas, and plans, and schemes, and problems bounded too strictly by the horizon of time and of the life that now is, are clouding from the sight of modern missionary writers, and students, and enthusiasts, and experts, the one great object of missions, namely, salvation? What is needed is to open the eyes not of the intellect so much as of the inner man, the soul, the immortal being; to turn all men by the Word and Spirit of Christ from darkness into light.... Let us care more unreservedly for the things which are Jesus Christ’s, and not so much for problems and schemes and plans which place these things in the background too much, or in a subsidiary position.”
VBN. ARCHDEACON A. E. MOULB.
1887]