Among the An-ko-me-nums, or Flathead Tribes of Indians of the Pacific CoastCrosby, Thomas
History
Among the An-ko-me-nums, or Flathead Tribes of Indians of the Pacific Coast
Crosby, Thomas
Indians of North America -- Missions; Salish Indians
Two weeks of terrible struggle followed this awakening. I often spent
most of the night in prayer, beseeching God to have mercy upon me.
At last, one evening, while on my knees, the answer came, and I was
enabled to believe that God, for Christ’s sake, had pardoned all my
sins.
A flood of joy filled my soul. My happiness was so great I felt
constrained to give it out to others. A burning desire to be useful
and helpful to others took possession of me. I immediately identified
myself with the church and the Sunday School, joined the Tract Society,
and with the praying band assisted in cottage prayer-meetings and
visited the sick and the prisoners in the jail. Later on I was placed
on the plan as a local preacher, and in connection with our services
had the joy of seeing souls saved.
I now felt more than ever that every moment must be improved in storing
my mind with useful knowledge. I purchased additional books, mostly
of a devotional character, and spent my evenings, until late into the
night, in study.
I never failed to avail myself of the privileges offered by any
services of a special character, and while in attendance at a notable
camp-meeting, held near Ingersoll, Ontario, at which the Rev. Wm.
Taylor (then known as “California” Taylor) preached a wonderful sermon
on sanctification, my heart was set on fire of love, and a stronger
desire than ever to glorify God took possession of my soul.
About this time my attention was drawn to the fervent appeals of the
pioneer missionaries to British Columbia, published in the _Christian
Guardian_, and previously referred to. Again the flame of missionary
zeal, which had been first lighted in my boyhood days by the influence
of the saintly George Piercy, began to burn with renewed intensity.
One day a friend handed me a copy of the paper with the letter from
Bro. White in it, and said: “Crosby, you ought to go there.” I took the
paper into my room and read it on my knees, and there and then promised
God if the way should open and the money should be forthcoming I would
go. But where the money was to come from I did not know.
Presently some of my friends noticed that something was troubling me,
and asked me what was the matter. I hesitated a little, and then told
them I felt I ought to obey the call in my heart to go and preach the
Gospel to the heathen of British Columbia, but I had not the money. The
reply was: “We will lend you enough to go, and if you are never able
to pay it back it will be all right anyway.” This was a very serious
moment, for I did not expect the answer to come so soon. The thought
of what it meant to leave home and friends and go to a land of which
little was known, suddenly presented itself to me. I excused myself
from my friends and went away to my room, and there pleaded with God to
help me to do what He had now clearly called me to do. When my decision
was made to obey God at whatever cost, the way seemed all bright and
clear.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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