In June, 1862, John E. Clough was graduated from an Iowa college. He had
been eager to make a name for himself. Many promising avenues of secular
work had opened to him, and he had tried to take one or another of them.
But always he knew that it was not right for him to plan for anything
but the ministry. The impression was deepened when the president of the
college took for the text of his baccalaureate sermon, "For none of us
liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself." So the young graduate
left the college feeling that he was no longer free to go out and use
his education for the career he had dreamed of.
But he did decide to teach for a year. With Mrs. Clough, he made an
engagement to teach a public school one year. But he did not dare stay
for a second year, because the people were so good to the new teacher,
and there was so much evidence of this popularity, that the Bible words
kept ringing in his ears, "Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of
you." He knew he was not in the right place. In later life, when
opposition came to him because he was doing faithful Christian work, he
was strengthened by the memory of this text that had once been anything
but a comfort to him.
At last came the beginning of the work in India that made the name of
John E. Clough famous. His success was due, in large measure, to the
fact that he emphasized God's Word. One of his first acts was to prepare
a tract in Scripture language, telling the things necessary for
salvation, and this proved useful throughout his services.
Everywhere he went he quoted Scripture to the people. He felt that
whatever else he might say to them, this would be most effective. One
text was used more than any other, in private conversation and in
sermons, the invitation of Jesus, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and
are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." This, he said, was always
new, and the people received his explanations gladly. Once, during a
time of grievous famine, when about them millions of the natives died of
want and disease, these words proved especially effective.
As a measure of famine relief the missionary took the contract for a
section of the great Buckingham Canal. Under his leadership the natives
were set to work on this. Native evangelists as well as white
missionaries toiled day after day, and this gave a splendid chance for
preaching the gospel. "The name of Jesus was spoken all day long from
one end of our line to the other," Mr. Clough wrote in his
autobiography. "The preachers carried a New Testament in their pockets.
It comforted the people to see the holy book of the Christians amid all
their distress. They said, when they sat down for a short rest, 'Read us
again out of your holy book about the weary and heavy laden.' That
verse, 'Come unto me all ye that labor,' was often all I had to give the
people by way of comfort. The preachers were saying it all day long. It
carried us through the famine. We all needed it, for even the strongest
among us sometimes felt our courage sinking."
All through Dr. Clough's missionary career there was one verse in
particular that carried him far. When he was out on tour among the
people, often many miles distant from home, Mrs. Clough was accustomed
to send after him a messenger who would take to him, for his
encouragement, the message she felt he needed. Knowing his fondness for
the text, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the
heathen," she sent the words to him on more than one occasion. In the
story of his life he told of a day when the text came to him with
special force:
"I was tempted to shake the dust off my feet and go. My helpers and I
had camped in a new place, and had been trying hard to get the people to
come and listen to the gospel, but they would not. I concluded that it
was a hard place, and told my staff of workers that we were justified in
leaving it alone and moving on elsewhere. Toward noon I went into my
tent, closed down the sides, let the little tent flap swing over my
head, and rested, preparatory to starting off for the next place. Just
then a basket of supplies was brought to my feet by a coolie, who had
walked seventy miles with the basket on his head. In the accompanying
letter Mrs. Clough quoted my favorite verse to me. While reading this,
some of the preachers put their heads into the tent and said, 'Sir,
there is a big crowd out here; the grove is full; all are waiting for
you. Please come out.'"
Once the two verses that were the keynote of the missionary's life were
especially prominent. For a long time he had been discouraged because
results seemed slow and difficulties were great. But the day came when
he stood before thousands and preached to them the Word, strong in the
assurance of the presence of Him who said, "Be still, and know that I am
God: I will be exalted among the heathen." The text that day, as so
often before, was "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden."
For an hour the people listened to his words. Then they began to plead
for baptism, and would not be denied. At length, after rigid
examination, baptism was administered to 3,536 within three days. And he
had not baptized one soul in fifteen months before this time!
God's Word gave courage to Clough; it enabled him to give courage to
others; and it will give courage to you.