The Personal Life of David Livingstone: Chiefly from his Unpublished Journals and Correspondence in the Possession of His FamilyBlaikie, William Garden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The Personal Life of David Livingstone: Chiefly from his Unpublished Journals and Correspondence in the Possession of His Family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
"_March 5th_.--A woman left Tette yesterday with a cargo of
slaves (20 men and 40 women) in irons to sell to St. Cruz [a
trader], for exportation at Bourbon. Francisco at Shupanga is
the great receiver for Cruz. This is carnival, and it is
observed chiefly as a drinking feast."
"_March 6th_.--Teaching Makololo Lord's Prayer and Creed.
Prayers as usual at 9-1/2 A.M. When employed in active
travel, my mind becomes inactive, and the heart cold and
dead, but after remaining some time quiet, the heart revives
and I become more spiritually-minded. This is a mercy which I
have experienced before, and when I see a matter to be duty I
go on regardless of my feelings. I do trust that the Lord is
with me, though the mind is engaged in other matters than the
spiritual. I want my whole life to be out and out for the
Divine glory, and my earnest prayer is that God may accept
what his own Spirit must have implanted--the desire to
glorify Him. I have been more than usually drawn out in
earnest prayer of late--for the Expedition--for my
family--the fear lest ----'s misrepresentation may injure the
cause of Christ--the hope that I may be permitted to open
this dark land to the blessed gospel. I have cast all before
my God. Good Lord, have mercy upon me. Leave me not, nor
forsake me. He has guided well in time past. I commit my way
to Him for the future. All I have received has come from Him.
Will He be pleased in mercy to use me for his glory? I have
prayed for this, and Jesus himself said, 'Ask, and ye shall
receive, and a host of statements to the same effect. There
is a great deal of trifling frivolousness in not trusting in
God. Not trusting in Him who is truth itself, faithfulness,
the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever! It is presumption
not to trust in Him implicitly, and yet this heart is
sometimes fearfully guilty of distrust. I am ashamed to think
of it. Ay; but He must put the trusting, loving, childlike
spirit in by his grace. O Lord, I am Thine, truly I am
Thine--take me--do what seemeth good in Thy sight with me,
and give me complete resignation to Thy will in all things."
Two months later (May, 1859), a second ascent of the Shiré was
performed, and friendly relations were established with a clever chief
named Chibisa, "a jolly person, who laughs easily--which is always a
good sign." Chibisa believed firmly in two things--the divine right of
kings, and the impossibility that Chibisa should ever be in the wrong.
He told them that his father had imparted an influence to him, which had
come in by his head, whereby every person that had heard him speak
respected him greatly. Livingstone evidently made a great impression on
Chibisa; like other chiefs, he began to fall under the spell of his
influence.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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