The Personal Life of David Livingstone: Chiefly from his Unpublished Journals and Correspondence in the Possession of His FamilyBlaikie, William Garden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The Personal Life of David Livingstone: Chiefly from his Unpublished Journals and Correspondence in the Possession of His Family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
"_August 12_.--A very good and attentive audience. Surely all
will not be forgotten. How small their opportunity compared
to ours who have been carefully instructed in the knowledge
of divine truth from our earliest infancy! The Judge is just
and merciful. He will deal fairly and kindly with all."
"_October 15_.--We had a good and very attentive audience
yesterday, and I expatiated with great freedom on the love of
Christ in dying, from his parting address in John xvi. It
cannot be these precious truths will fall to the ground; but
it is perplexing to observe no effects. They assent to the
truth, but 'we don't know,' or 'you speak truly,' is all the
response. In reading accounts of South Sea missions it is
hard to believe the quickness of the vegetation of the good
seed, but I know several of the men" [the South Sea
missionaries], "and am sure they are of unimpeachable
veracity. In trying to convey knowledge, and use the magic
lantern, which is everywhere extremely popular, though they
listen with apparent delight to what is said, questioning
them on the following night reveals almost entire ignorance
of the previous lesson. O that the Holy Ghost might enlighten
them! To his soul-renewing influence my longing soul is
directed. It is his word, and cannot die."
The long absence of Livingstone and the want of letters had caused great
anxiety to his friends. The Moffats had been particularly concerned
about him, and, in 1854, partly in the hope of hearing of him, Mr.
Moffat undertook a visit to Mosilikatse, while a box of goods and
comforts was sent to Linyanti to await his return, should that ever take
place. A letter from Mrs. Moffat accompanied the box. It is amusing to
read her motherly explanations about the white shirts, and the blue
waistcoat, the woolen socks, lemon juice, quince jam, and tea and
coffee, some of which had come all the way from Hamilton; but there are
passages in that little note that make one's heart go with rapid beat:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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