A SHIPPING COMPANY FOR JESUS.
THE kindly minister of Chalmers church, now very deeply interested,
offered to spend the next day in introducing me to his clerical
brethren. For his sake, I was most cordially received by them all, but
especially by Dr. Dunmore Lang, who greatly helped me; and now access
was granted me to almost every church and Sabbath School, both
Presbyterian and Independent. In Sabbath Schools, I got a collection in
connection with my address, and distributed, with the sanction of
superintendents, collecting cards amongst the children, to be returned
through the Teachers within a specified date. In congregations, I
received for the Mission the surplus over and above the ordinary
collection when I preached on Sabbaths, and the full collection at all
week-night meetings for which I could arrange.
I now appealed to a few of the most friendly ministers to form
themselves into an honorary committee of advice; and, at my earnest
request, they got J. Goodlet, Esq., an excellent elder, to become
honorary treasurer, and to take charge of all funds raised for the
Mission ship. For the public knew nothing of me; but all knew my good
treasurer and these faithful ministers, and had confidence in the work.
They knew that every penny went direct to the Mission; and they saw that
my one object was to promote God's glory in the conversion of the
heathen. Our dear Lord Jesus thus opened up my way; and now I had
invitations from more schools and congregations than I knew how to
overtake--the response in money being also gratifying beyond almost all
expectation.
It was now that I began a little plan of interesting the children, that
attracted them from the first, and has since had an amazing development.
I made them shareholders in the new Mission Ship--each child receiving a
printed form, in acknowledgment of the number of shares, at sixpence
each, of which he was the owner. Thousands of these shares were taken
out, were shown about amongst families, and were greatly prized. The
Ship was to be their very own! They were to be a great Shipping Company
for Jesus. In hundreds of homes these receipt-forms have been preserved;
and their owners, now in middle years, are training their children of
to-day to give their pennies to support the white-winged Angel of the
Seas, that bears the Gospel and the Missionary to the Heathen Isles.
Let no one think me ungrateful to my good Treasurer and his wife, to Dr.
and Mrs. Moon, and to other dear friends who generously helped me, when
I trace step by step how the Lord Himself opened up my way. The Angel of
His Presence went before me, and wonderfully moved His people to
contribute in answer to my poor appeals. I had indeed to make all my own
arrangements and correspond regarding all engagements and details,--to
me, always a slow and laborious writer, a very burdensome task. But it
was all necessary in order to the fulfillment of the Lord's purposes;
and, to one who realizes that he is a fellow-laborer with Jesus, every
yoke that He lays on becomes easy and every burden light.
Having done all that could at that time be accomplished in New South
Wales, and as rapidly as possible--my Committee gave me a Letter of
Commendation to Victoria. But there I had no difficulty. The Ministers
had heard of our work in Sydney. They received me most cordially, and at
my request formed themselves into a Committee of Advice. Our dear
friend, James M'Bain, Esq., now Sir James, became Honorary Treasurer.
All moneys from this Colony, raised by my pleading for the Ship, were
entrusted to him; and, ultimately, the acknowledging of every individual
sum cost much time and labor. Dr. Cairns, and many others now gone to
their rest, along with two or three honored Ministers yet living, formed
my Committee. The Lord richly reward them all in that Day!
As in New South Wales, I made, chiefly by correspondence, all my own
engagements, and arranged for Churches and Sabbath Schools as best I
could. Few in the other Denominations of Victoria gave any help, but the
Presbyterians rose to our appeal as with one heart. God moved them by
one impulse; and Ministers, Superintendents, Teachers, and Children,
heartily embraced the scheme as their own. I addressed three or four
meetings every Sabbath, and one or more every week-day; and thus
traveled over the length and breadth of Victoria, Tasmania, and South
Australia. Wheresoever a few of the Lord's people could be gathered
together, thither I gladly went, and told the story of our Mission,
setting forth its needs and claims.
The contributions and collections were nearly all in very small sums, I
recall only one exception,--a gift of £250 from the late Hon. G. F.
Angus, South Australia, whose heart the Lord had touched. Yet gently and
steadily the required money began to come pouring in; and my personal
outlays were reduced to a minimum by the hospitality of Christian
friends and their kindly conveying of me from place to place. For all
this I felt deeply grateful; it saved money for the Lord's work.
The work was unceasingly prosecuted. Meetings were urged upon me now
from every quarter. Money flowed in so freely that, at the close of my
tour, the fund had risen to £5000, including special Donations of £300
for the support of Native Teachers. Many Sabbath Schools, and many
ladies and gentlemen, had individually promised the sum of £5 yearly to
keep a Native Teacher on one or other of the New Hebrides Islands. This
happy custom prevails still, and is largely developed; the sum required
being now £6 per annum at least--for which you may have your own
personal representative toiling among the Heathen and telling them of
Jesus.
Returning to Melbourne, the whole matter was laid before my Committee. I
reported how God had blessed the undertaking, and what sums were now in
the hands of the several Treasurers, indicating also larger hopes and
plans which had been put into my soul. Dear Dr. Cairns rose and said,
"Sir, it is of the Lord. This whole enterprise is of God, and not of us.
Go home, and He will give you more Missionaries for the Islands."
Of the money which I had raised, £3000 were sent to Nova Scotia, to pay
for the building of our new Mission Ship, the _Dayspring._ The Church
which began the Mission on the New Hebrides was granted the honor of
building our new Mission Ship. The remainder was set apart to pay for
the outfit and passage of additional Missionaries for the field, and I
was commissioned to return home to Scotland in quest of them. Dr. Inglis
wrote, in vindication of this enterprise, to the friends whom he had
just left, "From first to last, Mr. Paton's mission here has been a
great success; and it has been followed up with such energy and
promptitude in Nova Scotia, both in regard to the Ship and the
Missionaries, that Mr. Paton's pledge to the Australian Churches has
been fully redeemed. The hand of the Lord has been very visible in the
whole movement from beginning to end, and we trust He has yet great
blessing in store for the long and deeply-degraded Islanders."