Letters to His Friends Part 8

It is such a joy to me to be allowed to be her G.o.dparent, and I shall remember her often in my prayers. What a wonderful revelation she must be to you both--making the Heavenly Home a fuller reality than ever before! It is through earthly relationships that we realise the meaning of the unseen world. I like those lines of Faber:

All fathers learn their craft from Thee: All loves are shadows cast By the beautiful eternal hills Of Thine unbeginning past.

_To his mother._

Rouxville, Orange Free State; July 8, 1899.

It is a strange and somewhat terrible study in religion--this Boer religion. It seems to have little or no connection with morality.

Kruger seems to have ama.s.sed great wealth by doubtful means. A man comes to him and offers him, say, 8,000_l._ on condition that he may have the right to sell mineral waters. Mrs. Kruger comes in and counts the money; and if it is right, the concession is granted. Yet he is religious, very religious. A short time ago they wanted to fire sh.e.l.ls into the low-lying clouds during a time {111} of drought. The clouds gather, but they will not break. Firing sh.e.l.ls was found to have a good effect in bringing the rain. But Kruger stopped it because it was wrong to 'fire sh.e.l.ls at the Almighty.' You would think that a little state like this might be an ideal one with its simple scattered population of farmers. But it is by no means so. Corruption and injustice are only too prevalent. At the start off they were unfortunate in their choice of President. The state was at war with the Basutos at the time when he was elected; and three months after he was made President he had to be deposed, because he was discovered selling arms to the Basutos.

The Dutch don't treat the natives as well as we do. Yet in some respects their laws are wise. A native may not live in the Free State without doing some definite work, unless he pays a tax of 5_s._ a month: this is, I think, a wise rule.

We had two very nice services last Sunday at the English church; I preach twice to-morrow.

_To C. T. W._

Durban; July 1899.

I write to congratulate you most heartily on your First Cla.s.s. . . . I believe you will find in a year's time that whatever your work may be, contact with others--the necessity of influencing and guiding them--will be a tremendous help to you in your own life. . . .

Good man! I am delighted to think that you may see the Bishop of Durham. Prophets' eyes are {112} needed out here to catch the glory which must be slowly--so slowly--gaining on the shade. There is so much materialism, so little refinement and spirituality.

I had a grand voyage: only three people rescued from drowning before I got on board, and two stowaways after we left Madeira, and two or three days of rough weather. I enjoyed it. . . .

I had afternoon tea, or rather coffee, with Uncle Paul. He is a strong, fine old man. He was sitting puffing away at his large pipe.

It was after a long day's work in the secret Volksraad. He was tired.

'It is hard work,' he said, 'for the head.' The State attorney, a young Christ's man, explained to him that 'we were both at the same school in England.' Kruger was eloquent on the subject of the Pet.i.tion. He told me that some of the 21,000 had died three years before they signed it, and some had signed it owing to a bottle of whisky. 'And I want you to let that be known in England' (I know anything said to you will circulate--by experience). He said, did the subtle old man, that he wanted to do what was right and fair irrespective of nationality.

This Transvaal question is complicated. I thought it easy at first.

But now I can see no moral grounds of any sort for a war with the Boers, in spite of their iniquities. There is a great deal to be said on their side, and much iniquity concealed under such specious phrases as 'Imperialism,' 'Supremacy of Great Britain in South Africa.' I cannot see that we have a real cause for war, but it is a big question with many sides. If England goes to war and wins, she {113} will have her work cut out. 'Can she afford,' said the Attorney of the Transvaal to me, 'to have a second Ireland at the distance of some 5,000 or 6,000 miles from home? What if she had war in India?

_To W. A. B._

Lucknow Lodge, Berea, Durban: August 22, 1899.

I thank my G.o.d in my prayers on your behalf for His goodness in granting you His best gift--a human soul to love and to inspire.

Together you will be able to know and love Him better than either of you could alone. You cannot make your love too sacred; as you know G.o.d you will learn to know one another.

We are inclined to think that we know all that love means. The truth is, we are only beginners. Thank G.o.d that we are in the school, although only in one of the lowest forms. He will teach us, as years go by, to sanctify ourselves for the sake of another. We have not learned to love until we are living the highest possible life, in order that the object of our affection may become a saint. G.o.d is giving you a present, the value of which you see in part now, you will realise fully hereafter. You must wrestle with G.o.d for her and for yourself.

If you are true to the highest, both of you will rise together and see G.o.d. If you are not, she may not be able to mount alone.

I am filled with joy and hope as I think of you both. I believe that you will live for G.o.d more completely now than ever before, and that you will be a fuller blessing to your people. You have my prayers.

{114} I want you to make your ideals higher and higher. Then, when you have gained one height, you will find that what you took for the summit from the plain was not really so: there were further peaks beyond.

It is the beginning of an endless life. If G.o.d Himself be the centre of all, the nearer we are to Him, the nearer we are to one another. I _am_ glad that your wife is one who shares in your ideals, who lives for the highest. What a life in store for you here! And there--

Before the judgment seat, Though changed and glorified each face, Not unremembered you will meet For endless ages to embrace.

You will be nearer the centre then, and nearer to one another.

May G.o.d Himself bless you, dear old fellow! Forgive this poor attempt at a letter. I share in your joy, although I am not actually with you.

I never remember any wedding outside my own family which has given me greater pleasure. It was good of you to ask me to be present--very good.

B----, I _am_ glad. You must thank G.o.d and ask Him to tell you what it all means, and for her sake live as good a life as you possibly can.

With best love I am your friend,

FORBES.

_To a Friend after hearing of his intended ordination._

Durban: August 1899.

Your ordination will be like my own over again. It is unutterably good of G.o.d . . . to put it into {115} your heart to live the life which I had prayed might be yours. _Meizoteran touton ouk charin, hina akouo ta ema tekna en te aletheia peripatounta_ . . .

[Transcriber's note: The Greek phrases in the above paragraph were transliterated as follows: _Meizoteran_--Mu, epsilon, iota, zeta, omicron, tau, epsilon, rho, alpha, nu; _touton_--tau, omicron, upsilon, tau, omega, nu; _ouk_--omicron, upsilon, kappa; _charin_--chi, alpha, rho, iota, nu; _hina_--(rough breathing mark) iota, nu, alpha; _akouo_--alpha, kappa, omicron, upsilon, omega; _ta_--tau, alpha; _ema_--epsilon, mu, alpha; _tekna_--tau, epsilon, kappa, nu, alpha; _en_--epsilon, nu; _te_--tau, eta; _aletheia_--alpha, lambda, eta, theta, epsilon, iota, alpha; _peripatounta_--pi, epsilon, rho, iota, pi, alpha, tau, omicron, upsilon, nu, tau, alpha]

. . . If your temptations are great it is because your nature is rich and n.o.ble; and when it is disciplined you will have tremendous power.

I shall not be content until your every thought is led captive to 'the obedience of the Christ.' You are born to be a saint, and you will be wretched until you are one. You are not the kind of man who can do things by halves.

I think I have told you of my father's words spoken during his last illness: 'If I had a thousand lives, I would give them all--all to the ministry.' You will not regret your decision. If angels could envy, how they would envy us our splendid chance--to be able, in a world where everything unseen must be taken on sheer faith, in a world where the contest between the flesh and the spirit is being decided for the universe, not only to win the battle ourselves but also to win it for others! To help a brother up the mountain while you yourself are only just able to keep your foothold, to struggle through the mist together--that surely is better than to stand at the summit and beckon.

You will have a hard time of it, I know; and I would like to make it smoother and to 'let you down' easier; but I am sure that G.o.d, who loves you even more than I do, and has absolute wisdom, will not tax you beyond your strength. . . . I'll pray for you, like the widow in the parable, and I have immense belief in prayer. . . . You remember what was said of Maurice, 'He {116} always impressed me as a man who was naturally weak in his will; but an iron will seemed to work through him.' That Will can work through you and transform you, but for G.o.d's sake don't trust to your own will. . . .

If you are ordained it will be because there is one who in St. Paul's words--_ho aphorisas me ek koilias metros mou_--was separating you from birth and educating you with a view to the Gospel of Christ. . . .

Tasks in hours of insight willed Can be through hours of gloom fulfilled.[1]

[1] Matthew Arnold, _Morality_.

[Transcriber's note: The Greek phrases in the above paragraph were transliterated as follows: _ho_--(rough breathing mark) omicron; _aphorisas_--alpha, phi, omicron, rho, iota, sigma, alpha, final sigma; _me_--mu, epsilon; _ek_--epsilon, kappa; _koilias_--kappa, omicron, iota, lambda, iota, alpha, final sigma; _metros_--mu, eta, tau, rho, omicron, final sigma; _mou_--mu, omicron, upsilon]

To his mother.

Estcourt, Natal; August 18, 1899.

General Gordon came to Kokstad on his way to Basutoland. When he arrived he went to the Royal Hotel, ordered a room, threw open the window, and spent two hours in prayer and meditation. The next day was Sunday. He asked Mr. Adkin what was being done for 1,000 Cape Mounted Infantry then stationed there, and when he learnt that nothing was being done for their spiritual food, he burst into tears. On Monday morning the first telegram which he sent off to the Cape Government was a request that a chaplain should be appointed. Mr. Adkin was appointed and remained chaplain until the force was disbanded. General Gordon went on to Basutoland, and had wonderful power over the natives. He told them that no force would be brought against {117} them; he himself was without weapons. He was settling the country, when news came to him that the Cape Government was, contrary to stipulation, sending an armed force against them; so he left the country in twenty-four hours.

Cecil Rhodes was once at Kokstad. When he was near the place, he lay down on the hillside and exclaimed: 'Oh, how I wish they would let me alone--let me stay here!' However, he had to go down to be feted. He was listless, and bored by the banquet, until the present mayor began to attack him violently in his speech, and to complain about the Cape Government, and to express a desire that Natal would take them over.