SIMPLE FAITH[4]
There are few young men who cannot remember having, in their boyhood,
taken a caterpillar and shut it up in a box. Before long the creature
assumed a chrysalis form, and finally developed into a butterfly, with
a completely new power not possessed by the caterpillar. Instead of
only being able to grovel on the ground, the creature in its new
existence is able to soar high into the air. This is one of Nature's
conversions, and is a faint illustration of the spiritual change which
takes place in the human heart, when the natural man becomes a new
creature with new powers. It is customary for some to sneer at the
doctrine of conversion, scorning the idea of a distinctly spiritual
change taking place in the human heart. It would, however, be difficult
to find any other term by which accurately to describe the change that
took place in Gordon's life.
[4] In this and the following chapter, I have, in order to give
Gordon's views, selected quotations from his letters at different
periods of his life, but not always in chronological order. For
want of space a large number of extracts have had to be omitted;
those that are given must be taken as specimens.
Up to a certain period, while he had done well all that he was called
upon to do, and had completely outstripped his peers, showing himself,
in his professional capacity, to be a head and shoulders above his
fellows, there were nevertheless latent powers within him, which had
not yet been called into play. Who can study his life without being
convinced that he had a power with God, in later life, that he did not
possess earlier? Christ said, "I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men
unto Me." He was lifted up before Gordon's eyes, and there was a
distinctive response to the magnetic influence of the Cross; and, as in
the laws of magnetism, the instrument that has been charged can in its
turn charge metal brought into contact with it, so in the life of
Gordon we see, that not only had the Redeemer a distinct influence on
his whole nature, but that he was himself so charged with Divine love,
that he was able to exert a magnetic influence over others.
Ecclesiastics may fight and wrangle about names and terms; we have to
deal with facts. It matters little by what name we call it, the fact
remains that a distinct spiritual change came over Gordon, leaving him
a man who had power with God. But though the effect of this change in
Gordon's life was most marked, it is not so obvious when it took place.
As a boy and a cadet he was full of animal spirits, and somewhat given
to practical joking; but, though not a religious boy, he never was bad
in the ordinary acceptation of the term. After he had obtained his
commission, before he went out to the Crimea, there were distinct
indications of a feeling after God, and some have affirmed that this
was brought about through the influence of his mother. That good
mothers are blessed by God as the means of conveying spiritual light to
their boys, is a fact so frequently evident, that writers and others
are often led to assume it must always be the case. Now, though Gordon
possessed an excellent mother, of whom he was very fond, and who in
later years became a true Christian, as a matter of fact in early life
she was somewhat worldly. She was always a remarkably clever and
sensible woman, but in the matter of religion she never attempted to
influence her son. Whatever of spiritual good there was in him, was
therefore not due to her. That he had great affection for her is clear,
even if there were no other evidence, from a letter written during her
illness in October 1873, when he was abroad, to his sister, in which
occurs this passage:--
"Kiss my dear mother, and do not fret for me. I have, thank God,
all comfort, peace, and happy reminiscence with the knowledge that
the Comforter is with you all; that He is able, willing, unselfish,
and kind, and that He will keep you all till you reach the land
where the 'sun never sets,' and where you will see Him, and know
why 'Jesus wept' at Lazarus' grave. Feed by the living pastures;
they will fatten you."
A few days later he says:--
"By keeping my watch at your time, I feel enabled to know what you
are doing. It will be a sore trial for you to see my dear mother
leave her worn-out shell, but you will feel that God takes her to
Himself. My dear mother has spent a useful, hard-working life, and
a happy one; it seems as if it is for you she is kept."
Still the truth expressed in the following lines applied to Gordon's
case:--
"They talk about a woman's sphere,
As though it had no limit.
There's not a place in earth or heaven,
There's not a task to mankind given,
There's not a blessing or a woe,
There's not a whispered yes or no,
There's not a life, or death, or birth,
That has a feather's weight of worth,
Without a woman in it."
Writers have too often ignored the influence of an elder sister in the
formation of a man's character. There can be little doubt that even
before Gordon went out to the Crimea, he was indebted to his sister for
much spiritual help, as the following letter, written from Pembroke in
1854, shows:--
"MY DEAR AUGUSTA,--Write another note like the last, when you have
time, as I hope I have turned over a new leaf, and I should like
you to give me some hope of being received.
"... I got your very kind letter to-day, and am very much obliged
to you for it. I have not had time to look out the texts, but will
do so to-morrow. I am lucky in having a very religious captain of
the 11th, of the name of Drew; he has on the mantelpiece of his
room the 'Priceless Diamond,' which I read before yours arrived. I
intend sending to you, as soon as possible, a book called 'The
Remains of the Rev. R. M'Cheyne,' which I am sure you will be
delighted with. I told Drew to go to Mr. Molyneux; and he did so,
and of course was highly pleased. I cannot write much in favour of
our pastor; he is a worldly man, and does not live up to his
preaching; but I have got Scott's 'Commentaries.' I remember well
when you used to get them in numbers, and I used to laugh at them;
but, thank God, it is different with me now. I feel much happier
and more contented than I used to do. I did not like Pembroke, but
now I would not wish for any prettier place. I have got a horse and
gig, and Drew and myself drive all about the country. I hope my
dear father and mother think of eternal things. Can I do or say
anything to either to do good? When you get my book, read the
'Castaway.'
"You know I never was confirmed. When I was a cadet, I thought it
was a useless sin, as I did not intend to alter (not that it was in
my power to be converted when _I_ chose). I, however, took my first
sacrament on Easter day [16th April 1854], and have communed ever
since.
"I am sure I do not wonder at the time you spent in your room, and
the eagerness with which you catch at useful books--no novels or
worldly books come up to the Sermons of M'Cheyne or the
Commentaries of Scott. I am a great deal in the air, as my fort is
nine miles off, and I have to go down pretty often. It is a great
blessing for me that in my profession I can be intimate with whom I
like, and have not the same trials among my brother officers as
those in a line regiment have. I ought not to say this, for 'where
sin aboundeth, grace aboundeth more fully;' but I am such a
miserable wretch, that I should be sure to be led away. Dearest
Augusta, pray for me, I beg of you."
For several years after the date of the above letter, he alludes very
little to religion, and if we may accept his own statement on the
subject, in a letter from China, dated Taku Forts, 15th March 1862, it
is probable that he went back for a time.
"The climate, work, and everything here suits me, and I am thankful
to say I am happy both in mind and body. I have had a slight attack
of small-pox--it is not necessary to tell my mother this, as it
will trouble her. I am glad to say that this disease has brought me
back to my Saviour, and I trust in future to be a better Christian
than I have been hitherto."
Then followed the stirring adventures he went through in command of the
Ever-Victorious Army in China; but that he could not, during that
period, have had the full assurance which characterised him later on,
and which arises from the witness of the Holy Spirit, is evident from
the fact that he once remarked to his aunt, Miss Enderby, that he could
not make out how it was that he had feared death so little, when all
the time he did not know that he was prepared to die.
On the 19th September 1865, his father passed away a few months after
he had taken up his appointment at Gravesend. This event seems to have
marked an important crisis in his spiritual life. He shut himself up in
complete retirement for a few days, and emerged a very different man
from what he had been before. From that time to the day of his death,
he was known as an out-and-out Christian. During the previous ten years
it is clear, from his letters, that he was in the highest and truest
sense a child of God, but there seems to have been something wanting in
his character. From the time of his father's death, he seems to have
had such a firm assurance in Christ, that religion was the prevailing
element of his life.
It is interesting to note that Gordon dedicated himself to the service
of God not only in the full vigour of health and strength, but at a
time when he might have been, had he chosen, one of the world's
favourites. In the case of some, broken health, advancing age, or
disappointed hopes and ambitions, are the causes that lead to a search
for something more lasting than this world can offer. Thankful as we
may be when any man yields to the higher claims of his Heavenly Father,
whatever the prompting cause may be, it is satisfactory to be able to
record an instance in which apparently none but the highest motives
were at work. Gordon at the time of his father's death was only
thirty-two years of age, and though young, he had done deeds of heroism
which might make many a Victoria Cross hero envy his opportunity and
courage. He had seen what the world had to offer, and he decided that
there was a nobler life to be led. To that new life he dedicated his
remaining years, and, it need hardly be added, he never regretted the
choice. As late as the 26th March 1881, after he had just recovered
from a severe illness, he remarks: "B---- said, when dying, how glad he
was he had sought God in his time of strength, for when he was sinking
he could not do so, and so I feel."
If we may form any opinion from expressions in his letters, dating from
this time to the day of his death, Gordon's religion brought him that
"peace of mind which passeth all understanding," and which the world
can neither give nor take away. The following are but specimens of many
remarks which he let fall from time to time on this subject:--
"I may say that I have died suddenly over a hundred times; but in
these deaths I have never felt the least doubt of my salvation."
"I would that all had the full assurance of life. It is precisely
because we are despicable and worthless that we are accepted. Till
we throw over that idea that we are better than others, we can
never have that assurance."
Nor must it be thought that the joy and happiness he experienced in
religion arose from any inward sense of self-satisfaction. Never had a
man a humbler estimate of himself than Gordon, but his faith in this
respect took a very healthy form. Instead of morbidly looking into his
own heart for evidences of his union with Christ, he ever kept his eye
on the precious work of his Saviour for him. Space will not permit many
quotations from his writings, so the two following must suffice. The
one was written soon after his conversion, the other near the end of
his life.
"_May 3, 1867._--We are _born_ corrupt, and, if the devil had his
way, we should be kept in ignorance of it; our permitted
transgressions show us our state; it is the root that is evil, and
evil must be its emanations, yet we feel much more oppressed by the
outward sin than by the inward corruption."
"_May 7, 1883._--Give me a ream of foolscap and I will sign it: it
may be filled with my demerits and unworthiness, which I agree to;
but my so doing is a proof of how much I accept the free gift of
God. Unless our Lord's sufferings were in vain, it is just that
sheet of demerits that I have signed which gives me my right to
Him; had I a clean sheet I should have no right to Him."
Gordon's, however, was not a faith which contents its possessor merely
with a sense of the forgiveness of sins. That he possessed this happy
assurance, is evident. But no sooner had he entered into possession of
some of his privileges as a child of God, than he pressed on to obtain
more spiritual advantages. The indwelling of God in his heart was a
truth to which he attached much importance, and the following extracts
are but specimens of much that might be quoted showing that he held the
same truth from a period very soon after his father's death to the year
which preceded his own death.
"_July 31, 1867._--I have had very nice thoughts on 1 John iv.
13--'Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God
dwelleth in him, and he in God.' I think it is the key to much of
the Scripture. I am more than ever convinced that the secret of
happiness and holiness is in the indwelling of God. The same truth
is shown in many other verses, but the above, to my mind, shows it
more clearly. Let a man seek the teaching of the Holy Spirit on
such verses, and he will grow much in grace. As we believe _that_
text, so we shall realise the presence of God in our hearts, and,
having Him there, we have as a sequence holiness and love. He alone
can make us believe the truth and keep it in mind."
_"March 15, 1882._--It had struck me before, in 1865, that the
ordinary Christian life of _non-assurance_ was not a sufficient
gain to have come from Christ's incarnation and death; then I
learnt _assurance_, then followed the knowledge of His indwelling,
then the solution in my mind of the problem of the safety of
others; and then I halted, having given up the thought that in this
life it was possible to regenerate the body, putting down its
failings as venial and connected with our human infirmities. In
time it came to me that surely some growth, some improvement, ought
to be made, some increased sanctification ought to be expected,
one ought not to be so very barren; glimpses of selfishness,
self-seeking pride, and a certain weariness of one's _chateaux
d'Espagne_ came to me, and led to this--Christ dwelleth in us, and
His light enlightens all dark places."
He held very strongly the teaching of the Apostle in Rom. vii., that we
have two natures contending for the mastery, the one good and the other
evil. Writing to his sister he says:--
"We are torn in twain by our two natures, namely, our own judgment
and our faith, and the result must be inconsistent work. How can it
be otherwise? In appearance the Bible is inconsistent, and so must
we be who fulfil it. The only consolation is to fall back on the
text, 'Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto
thine own understanding.'"
And again on the 6th October 1878:--
"You cannot evade it: we are each composed of two beings--one of
which we see, which is temporal, which will fulfil certain works in
the world; and one unseen, eternal, and which is always in
conformity with God. One is sometimes uppermost, sometimes subdued,
but rules in the long run, for it is eternal, while the other is
temporal."
Gordon was a remarkable instance of the truth of the text, "The people
that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits," a truth which
is as applicable to individuals as it is to nations. Gifted by nature
with a strong character, its strength was greatly developed by the way
in which he came into personal contact with God in the study of His
Word. He yielded no slavish subservience to any Church or priest,
however good, but tested all doctrines by the unerring standard of
God's truth. "Take the Holy Spirit," he used to say, "for your teacher,
and you will never want another word from man on questions of
doctrine." He never shrank from facing difficulties, or new theories,
as some do who are not quite sure of the ground on which they stand,
but would ask all who propounded novel doctrines for chapter and verse
for their authority. When difficulties arose, he used to treat them as
that great scholar, the late Dean Alford did, as shown in the following
words: "I find difficulties in the Bible as well as others, but I am so
convinced of the general truth of that sacred volume as a whole, that I
can easily afford to suspend my judgment on those matters which for
some purpose perhaps God has not permitted me to understand."
The Bible was to Gordon a living oracle, to which he used to apply at
all times. Here are extracts from two of his letters showing how he
regarded it:--
"Out of commiseration for our dual condition, God _has_ given us an
oracle which will answer any question, advise, instruct, and guide
us; now this oracle must be His voice, for, if not, it would not be
His word. He has in His infinite wisdom incarnated His voice in the
Scriptures; His voice is to be understood by the highest or lowest
intellect; it gives answers, &c., through all time. To the carnal
man it is an ordinary book, to the spiritual man it is alive and
makes alive."
"Whether we may apprehend it or not, the Scripture contains the
mind of Christ, and is, when illuminated with the Spirit, as if
Christ was ever talking to us. Now, we should think that if Christ
was ever near to talk with us, _that_ should suffice us, and
consequently, _as I believe that in theory_, I try to realise it in
practice."
Knowing the high value that Gordon placed on the Word of God, we shall
not be surprised to hear that he took intense pains to study the sacred
volume. He incidentally mentions that one page of his Bible had been so
worn by use that he could hardly read the words. The energy and
thoroughness ever evinced in his professional duties, he also practised
in the earnest search for God's truths. He used to apply the text, "In
the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread," to the soul as well as to
the body, to the living Bread of Life as well as to the bread that
sustains physical life. At one time he devoted a great deal of time to
studying the book of Revelation, although he admitted that it was the
most difficult book in the Bible to understand. He did not profess to
understand it all, but he used to quote that saying of Dr. Mackie's,
"The blessing to be looked for does not come by comprehension, but by
the reading of the revelation God has given us in His Word, Rev. i. 3."
But though he read and studied his Bible as earnestly as he would any
other book, he never forgot the fact that only the Holy Spirit can
teach us the truths contained in it.
"We can see the _history_ of the Bible, and may understand it, but
we forget that we are blind to its secret mysteries, unless God
shows them to us; our Saviour says, 'Unto you it is _given_.' Only
the Spirit _in_ man finds God."
He contended, moreover, that there could be but little benefit from a
mere theoretical study of the Bible, and that consequently the best
school in which to learn the sacred truths it contained was that of the
discipline of life.
"I feel sure that no study without trial is of avail; life must be
lived to learn these truths. I believe, if a man knows his Bible
fairly, and then goes forth into the world, God will show him His
works. The Jews learnt the Scripture by heart, and so I expect our
Saviour did; He therefore had no need to study it. He applied its
teachings to life and its trials."
Nor did Gordon study his Bible only when he was alone, for he was very
fond of reading it in company with those who, like himself, valued it.
Thus Mr. Pearson, of the Church Missionary Society, who was at Nyanza,
gives a brief account of his visit to Khartoum in 1878, and says,
"After the work of the day was finished, Gordon would say, 'Let us have
reading and prayer;' and in that very palace which was, perhaps, the
scene of his death, we used to meet and pray, not separating sometimes
until one in the morning."
Before leaving Gordon and his Bible, it is interesting to note that the
actual copy of the Scriptures which he had for a long period, including
the time of his first visit to Khartoum, is now at Windsor Castle in
the possession of the Queen. The following is the Queen's letter on the
subject:--
"WINDSOR CASTLE, _March 16, 1885_.
"DEAR MISS GORDON,--It is most kind and good of you to give me this
precious Bible, and I only hope that you are not depriving yourself
and family of such a treasure, if you have no other. May I ask you,
during how many years your dear heroic Brother had it with him? I
shall have a case made for it with an inscription, and place it in
the Library here, with your letter and the touching extract from
his last to you. I have ordered, as you know, a Marble Bust of your
dear Brother to be placed in the Corridor here, where so many Busts
and Pictures of our greatest Generals and Statesmen are, and hope
that you will see it before it is finished, to give your opinion as
to the likeness.--Believe me always, yours very sincerely,
"VICTORIA R. I."
It is not a little remarkable that in the history of all eminent
Christians, those who attach great importance to the study of the Word
of God invariably make a point of spending much time at the throne of
grace, waiting on God in prayer. These two means of grace seem to be
almost inseparable, and we seldom find one much in use without the
other. Some people talk about being too busy to spare time for prayer
or study of the Scriptures, but Luther used to say that the more work
he had to do, the more necessary did he find it to hedge-in time during
which he could be alone with God. The more work there is to be done,
the more strength is needed, and therefore the more important is it to
make use of those means which alone can bring strength for work. Few
men get through more work in the course of the year than Gordon did,
but he made a great point of so arranging his work as to enable him to
find time for private communing with God.
When in the Soudan as Governor-General he used to hoist a flag outside
his tent to indicate to outsiders that he was not to be disturbed
except under very urgent circumstances, and that flag became the signal
that the occupant of the tent wanted to be alone with his God, to seek
for guidance[5] and strength, which he felt he needed so much in
conducting the affairs of the province over which he was called to
rule. Like all men who begin by praying much for themselves, his heart
was soon drawn out in prayer for others; and it is evident that he
interceded much for his enemies, as well as for those with whom he was
officially brought into contact. Thus in one letter he says: "I believe
very much in praying for others; it takes away all bitterness towards
them;" and on another occasion:--
[5] It is sometimes said that Gordon used to "toss up" when he
was in any doubt, and that such a step indicates want of faith in
prayer. As a matter of fact, he did appeal two or three times to
lot in this way, and he used to quote Acts i. 26 as a precedent;
but it is not true that he often decided questions thus, nor is
it true that he resorted to an appeal to lot instead of seeking
guidance in prayer. He would pray first, and ask God to indicate
His mind in this modern form of appeal to lot.
"The only remedy with me is to pray for every one who worries me;
it is wonderful what such prayer does. In heaven our Lord
intercedes for us, and He governs heaven and earth. Prayer for
others relieves our own burdens. God turned the captivity of Job
_when he prayed for his friends_, who had been as thorns in his
side. I feel strongly that the grace God gave me to pray for my
enemies in the Soudan led to my success, though I certainly used
the sword of Caesar on them."
Those who are opposed to the doctrine that salvation is not to be
obtained by human merit, but by simple faith in the Lord Jesus Christ,
sometimes assert that the Gospel teaches people to be selfish, by
thinking first of their own salvation. As a matter of fact, the most
active Christians are those who hold this doctrine; and never has the
Church of our country been so fruitful of good works, as when her
children have been careful to make it clear that salvation is not to be
obtained by them. It is not selfishness for a man to think of his own
soul first, when he knows that he cannot do much good to others till
its salvation is assured. The happy combination between a natural
unselfishness, and a newly developed love for the temporal and
spiritual welfare of his fellow-creatures, had very blessed results in
Gordon's case. No sooner was he thoroughly convinced of the importance
of religion, than his unselfish nature exhibited itself in a marvellous
development of the missionary spirit at home and abroad. When Gordon
secured anything good, his unselfish nature at once prompted him to let
others share it. It is sometimes supposed that only men of strong faith
are in earnest about the propagation of their faith, but this is not
altogether a correct way of stating a fact. The young man who makes
good use of the muscular power given to him by Nature acquires greater
strength, whereas he who fails to do so finds that he has to pay the
penalty of his neglect in having his muscles grow flabby and feeble.
And so it is with faith. The unselfish man who starts with a weak
faith, but is determined to let others derive as much benefit as
possible, finds his faith growing stronger and stronger, as he
continues to witness evidences of the influence of that faith on
others. Had Gordon, like one in the parable, wrapt his faith up in a
napkin, instead of making good use of it by putting it out to usury, he
might never have acquired the strong faith which so characterised him.
As it was, he not only to the last day of his life had cause to thank
God for the full assurance he enjoyed, but the number of orphans, of
widows, and of others, who derived benefit directly or indirectly from
his faith, will never be known.
There are some to whom one might apply, though in a slightly different
sense, the words of Naaman's servants, "If the prophet had bid thee do
some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it?" While willing to
exercise this faith in the performance of great deeds, they overlook
numerous smaller opportunities of working for their Master, and fail to
do anything because they are always looking out for great
opportunities. The great change in Gordon's life took place at
Gravesend, and it was there he commenced to show that intense longing
to do good to others which characterised him to the end. Nothing was
beneath his notice, nobody too insignificant for him. The gutter
children, and the inmates of the workhouse, might have been passed over
by many in his position who had higher aims. It was not so with Gordon,
and consequently he quickly cultivated the missionary spirit, and soon
reaped a rich harvest, proving the truth of Browning's lines about the
humble-minded man, who finds nothing too insignificant for his
energies:--
"That low man sees a little thing to do,
Sees it and does it:
This high man with a great thing to pursue,
Dies ere he knows it.
That low man goes on adding one to one,
His hundreds soon hit:
This high man aiming at a million
Misses an unit."
Here was a man, who had already made a great name for himself in the
world, and might, had he wished, have been far better known, planning
out for himself a future career, the main object of which was to spread
abroad a knowledge of those spiritual truths which had so greatly
benefited him, and that not by the formation of some great society,
some splendid organisation, but by simply putting himself into touch
with some of the humble city missionaries, and, through their
instrumentality, getting at the poor. Witness these two passages from
his letters:--
"_January 8, 1881._--I hope, D.V., to put myself in communication
with some of our Scripture-reader people, and shall try and visit
Christ, who is in the East end in the flesh (Matthew xxv. 34). I
feel this is what I shall like; these truths were not given to make
a man idle."
"_September 24, 1881._--I have been down for two Sundays to meet a
lot of Chinese, and have spoken to them as well as I could. I have
not yet touched on Jesus and His sacrifice, but spoke of God's
indwelling. It was satisfactory, and they were pleased."
It is also interesting to note how, from time to time, he kept on
reproaching himself for not being more alive to his responsibilities,
and making better use of his opportunities to do good. He even seemed
to begrudge himself the few months' holiday he spent in Palestine
recruiting his health and energies. Writing on August 14, 1882, he
says:--
"Fancy, since I left Mauritius, with the exception of twenty-nine
days on board ship, I have been living at hotels, and, I may say,
have not talked of the pearls to more than a dozen people."
And again from Palestine he wrote:--
"You know I do not like idleness; I want to get to a place where I
can find sick people to visit, feeling sure that is the necessary
work for me; I think He will direct me, so I seek no advice
elsewhere. I leave it to God, to decide in His time. I do not like
the ways of the polished world, and my dislike has increased during
the time I have been here."
However much Gordon might reproach himself, it must not for one moment
be supposed that, in the ordinary acceptation of the word, there was
any cause for it. He was in truth a most indefatigable worker, and no
matter how hard his official work was, he always seemed to find time to
do something for his Master. A case in point is the time he spent in
South Africa, when it is difficult to understand how he got through all
the official work he managed to compress into his brief sojourn. Yet we
find that the herculean task of reorganising the colonial army was not
the only thing that occupied his attention, for on the 12th August 1882
he writes to his sister:--
"How odd, those leaflets[6] being in Dutch, and my wanting them,
and your sending them just as I am about to go up to the Free
State, when, as in the 'Auld time long ago,' I shall be dropping
them along the road near the Boer towns. What hundreds I did give
away; how I used to run miles, if I saw a scuttler (boy) watching
crows in a field! If I, or any one else, went now to Gravesend and
dropped them, how quickly men, now grown up, would remember that
time. Send me the whole lot out unless you want them, I mean of all
languages; it is the loveliest leaflet I ever saw, and it still
looks fresh."
[6] This leaflet consists principally of a few choice and
carefully selected passages of Scripture, and shows how intensely
he valued the _ipsissima verba_ of God's own word, as a means of
reaching the human heart.
Francis de Sales, an eminent saint of the Roman Catholic Church, when a
famine was prevailing, and he wanted to preach in a certain village,
purchased twelve waggons and packed them with bread. He sent the
waggons forward one at a time, going on the last one himself. "For,"
said he, "we must get at the poor through their physical natures. They
will be the more willing to receive our message for their souls when
they see that we care about their bodies." Gordon used to act on the
same principle, and made a great point of caring for the physical wants
of any he found in trouble. It would be difficult to enumerate all the
instances of this to which publicity has been given, but a few cases
may suffice. One lad who exhibited consumptive tendencies he sent at
his own expense to Margate. The boy recovered, grew up to be a man, and
christened his eldest son "Gordon," in memory of one who, he used to
say, had "saved both his body and soul." Another story is told of a
case in which Gordon handed over a dirty little urchin to one of his
lady friends, with the remark, "I want to make you a present of a boy."
Under good influences the lad grew up until he became a respectable
member of society. Years after, when he was earning good wages at sea,
and was about to be married, he fell from the topmast of his vessel,
and was conveyed to the Gravesend Infirmary with a fractured skull. In
his last moments, however, he did not forget his benefactor, and, in
trembling tones, asked his adopted mother to tell the Colonel how he
valued the truth contained in that beautiful hymn he had taught him,
"Jesus, Lover of my soul." The same writer mentions also the history of
a boy called Albert who, through Gordon's kindness, was apprenticed to
a tradesman at Gravesend. Subsequently the lad went into a business
house at Southampton, where he was placed in a department which he did
not understand. Fearing that his services would be dispensed with, he
communicated with his friends, and they, in turn, wrote to General
Gordon, who happened to be staying in Southampton at his sister's
house. Without loss of time the General called on "Little Albert," whom
he scarcely recognised in the youth of six feet two inches who
presented himself, and had a consultation with his employer. The result
was that the young man was retained in his situation, and placed in a
department with which he was well acquainted.
It is by no means uncommon to find that those who are eager about the
spread of spiritual truths among professing Christians, are also keenly
alive to the importance of mission work among non-Christian people.
Gordon was a remarkable instance of this happy combination. The chapter
that deals with his life in Palestine gives an insight into this part
of his character, but a few words will not be out of place here to show
his opinion on this subject in other countries. He had a very high
ideal of what a missionary should be, and a supreme contempt for bad
missionaries. He was on the whole fortunate in the class of men he came
across in Palestine, the Soudan, and South Africa. In the first of
these two places the missionaries belonged to the Church Missionary
Society, an organisation with which he was much in sympathy. But he
also met men of other societies, and his large-hearted sympathies went
out to them too. He was a great admirer of Livingstone, and spoke of
him with much respect and affection. The spirit of heroism which has
characterised so many of our missionaries attracted him greatly. "Do
not send lukewarms," he once wrote to Mr. Wright, the Honorary
Secretary of the Church Missionary Society; and one of the first things
he did at Gravesend was to support the Moravian Missions by becoming
their local treasurer. Later on in Africa he writes, "How refreshing it
is to hear of the missionary efforts made in these countries."
We may not quite agree with all that Gordon said on the subject of
foreign missions, and some may think that the standard he set up was
too high for frail human nature to aim at. Moreover, recent events in
Uganda, and elsewhere, may have shown us that good work can be done by
men who fall far short of Gordon's standard. Nevertheless, we cannot
but feel that he was himself, in the truest sense of the word, a
missionary, and that the Earl of Harrowby did not at all exaggerate the
truth when he said about Gordon, after his death:--
"I believe that one effect of that man's example was to lift up a
noble standard for the cross in a way that no professional
missionary could have lifted it up, and to oblige devotees of
pleasure and people who had thought but little of such things to
acknowledge the power of the Gospel. Many who saw him and spoke to
him could not understand him. It was to them a marvellous sight to
witness, and I feel that we can hardly be grateful enough to that
great man for the infinite benefits which he has bestowed upon us
as friends of missions."
Apart from any direct work that he did to advance the cause of
missions, an illustration has recently been given us in _The Jewish
Intelligencer_, showing what an influence his life had on Mohammedans
and others with whom he came in contact. The writer describes a
conversation he had with a shereef from Mecca, a man who was held in
the greatest veneration by all loyal Mohammedans. He was a
well-informed man, and had travelled much. In speaking of Gordon, he
said: "Oh! the English lost a great man, it is true, but the unhappy
Mussulmans have lost in him a benefactor, a father, and a servant of
the true God. Before I knew him I hated the Christians, but Gordon has
taught me to love them; and I see more clearly every day that a
religion which makes such heroic, faithful, and disinterested men, can
only be a religion coming from the true God." And, believe me, the
whole Mohammedan world has felt, and still feels every day, the loss of
the noble defender of Khartoum.