MY CAMPAIGN IN IRELAND.
MY steps were next directed towards Ireland, immediately after the
Church meetings at Edinburgh; first to 'Derry, where the Presbyterian
Assembly was met in annual conclave, and thereafter to Belfast, where
the Pan-Presbyterian Council was shortly to sit. The eloquent fervor of
the Brethren at 'Derry was like a refreshing breeze to my spirit; I
never met Ministers anywhere, in all my travels, who seemed more
wholehearted in their devotion to the work which the Lord had given them
to do.
I addressed the Assembly at 'Derry and also the Council at Belfast. The
memory of seeing all those great and learned and famous men--for many of
the leaders were eminently such--so deeply interested in the work of
God, and particularly in the Evangelizing of the Heathen World and
bringing thereto the knowledge of Jesus, was to me, so long exiled from
all such influences, one of the great inspirations of my life. I
listened with humble thankfulness, and blessed the Lord who had brought
me to sit at their feet.
On the rising of the Council, I entered upon a tour of six weeks among
the Presbyterian Congregations and Sabbath Schools of Ireland. It had
often been said to me, after my addresses in the Assemblies and
elsewhere, "How do you ever expect to raise £6000? It can never be
accomplished, unless you call upon the rich individually, and get their
larger subscriptions. Our ordinary Church people have more than enough
to do with themselves. Trade is dull," etc.
I explained to them, and also announced publicly, that in all similar
efforts I had never called on or solicited any one privately, and that I
would not do so now. I would make my appeal, but leave everything else
to be settled betwixt the individual conscience and the Saviour--I
gladly receiving whatsoever was given or sent, acknowledging it by
letter, and duly forwarding it to my own Church in Victoria. Again and
again did generous souls offer to go with me, introduce me, and give me
opportunity of soliciting subscriptions; but I steadily refused--going,
indeed, wherever an occasion was afforded me of telling my story and
setting forth the claims of the Missions, but asking no one personally
for anything, having fixed my soul in the conviction that one part of
the work was laid upon me, but that the other lay betwixt the Master and
His servants exclusively.
"On what then do you really rely, looking at it from a business point of
view?" they would somewhat appealingly ask me.
I answered, "I will tell my story; I will set forth the claims of the
Lord Jesus on the people; I will expect the surplus collection, or a
retiring collection, on Sabbath; I will ask the whole collection, less
expenses, at week-night meetings; I will issue Collecting Cards for
Sabbath Scholars; I will make known my Home-Address, to which everything
may be forwarded, either from Congregations or from private donors; and
I will go on, to my utmost strength, in the faith that the Lord will
send me the £6000 required. If He does not so send it, then I shall
expect He will send me grace to be reconciled to the disappointment, and
I shall go back to my work without the Ship."
This, in substance, I had to repeat hundreds of times; and as often had
I to witness the half-pitying or incredulous smile with which it was
received, or to hear the blunt and emphatic retort, "You'll never
succeed! Money cannot be got in that unbusiness-like way."
I generally added nothing further to such conversation; but a Voice,
deep, sweet, and clear, kept sounding through my soul--"The silver and
the gold are Mine."
During the year 1884, as is well known, Ireland was the scene of many
commotions and of great distress. Yet at the end of my little tour
amongst the Presbyterian people of the North principally, though not
exclusively, a sum of more than £600 had been contributed to our Mission
Fund. And there was not, so far as my knowledge went, one single large
subscription; there were, of course, many bits of gold from those
well-to-do, but the ordinary collection was made up of the shillings and
pence of the masses of the people. Nor had I ever in all my travels a
warmer response, nor ever mingled with any Ministers more earnestly
devoted to their Congregations or more generally and deservedly beloved.