The Personal Life of David Livingstone: Chiefly from his Unpublished Journals and Correspondence in the Possession of His FamilyBlaikie, William Garden
Religion
The Personal Life of David Livingstone: Chiefly from his Unpublished Journals and Correspondence in the Possession of His Family
Blaikie, William Garden
Livingstone, David, 1813-1873
"The hard and cold unbelief which distinguished the last
century, and which is still aped by would-be philosophers in
the present, would sneer at our faith, and call it
superstition, enthusiasm, etc. But were we believers in human
progress and no more, there must be a glorious future for our
world. Our dreams must come true, even though they are no
more than dreams. The world is rolling on to the golden
age.... Discoveries and Inventions are cumulative. Another
century must present a totally different aspect from the
present. And when we view the state of the world and its
advancing energies, in the light afforded by childlike, or
call it childish, faith, we see the earth filling with the
knowledge of the glory of God,--ay, all nations seeing his
glory and bowing before Him whose right it is to reign. Our
work and its fruits are cumulative. We work toward another
state of things. Future missionaries will be rewarded by
conversions for every sermon. We are their pioneers and
helpers. Let them not forget the watchmen of the night--us,
who worked when all was gloom, and no evidence of success in
the way of conversion cheered our paths. They will doubtless
have more light than we, but we served our Master earnestly,
and proclaimed the same gospel as they will do."
Of the services which Livingstone held with the people, we have the
following picture;
"When I stand up, all the women and children draw near, and,
having ordered silence, I explain the plan of salvation, the
goodness of God in sending his Son to die, the confirmation
of his mission by miracles, the last judgment or future
state, the evil of sin, God's commands respecting it, etc.;
always choosing one subject only for an address, and taking
care to make it short and plain, and applicable to them. This
address is listened to with great attention by most of the
audience. A short prayer concludes the service, all kneeling
down, and remaining so till told to rise. At first we have to
enjoin on the women who have children to remain sitting, for
when they kneel, they squeeze their children, and a
simultaneous skirl is set up by the whole troop of
youngsters, who make the prayer inaudible."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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