Part 3 (2/2)

'_c. The power of prayer._--This last lesson explained the other two.

Perhaps only a few of those who knew Forbes as undergraduates learnt it. Yet an intimate knowledge of him must have forced almost any man to the belief that 'more things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.' He prayed for those he loved, it is certain, for hours at a time. All his thoughts about some men gradually became prayers. He could not teach us everything that prayer meant to him; he could not teach us to pray as he prayed. Yet through him one or two at least of his undergraduate friends saw a little further into the eternal mystery of prayer. And men must sometimes--with all reverence be it said--have experienced in his presence the same kind of a feeling of some great unseen influence at work as that which the disciples must have experienced in the presence of Christ after He, apart and alone, had watched through the night with G.o.d in prayer. For many an hour of his life did Forbes spend like that, striving with G.o.d for those he loved.

He believed--he knew (this was his own testimony)--that he could in this way bring to bear upon a man's life more real effective influence than by any word of direct personal teaching or advice. So did he prove once more that the man of power in the spiritual world is the man of prayer.

'These are the great lessons of Forbes Robinson's {52} life--lessons which many a careless undergraduate learnt in a greater or less degree, and, learning, caught from the teacher something of his pa.s.sion for life and love and prayer, for service of G.o.d and man.

'There must be many who will not soon forget the lessons; there must be many in whose lives the influence and inspiration of that saintly life will be for ever a power making for holiness and high ideals of living; there are, it is certain, very many who will thank G.o.d continually that they were, in their undergraduate days, allowed to call Forbes Robinson friend.

'How many of us, when we heard with a shock of almost horror that he had pa.s.sed from us, conjured up before us the picture we shall never see again--the picture of our friend sitting any evening at his table in Darwin's historic rooms at Christ's, dimly lighted with candles! We shall remember long the quick look up at our entrance, the half-smile on his face, the welcome of a man's love in his eyes, however busy and tired he might be. Then, though it cost him later hours out of bed, the invitation to sit down, followed quickly by an indignant remonstrance as we ousted his cat from the best arm-chair. And then the talk that followed: sometimes almost trivial; sometimes (but only if we wished it) deeply serious; sometimes--and these occasions were precious--a kind of soliloquy on his part, as he spoke of G.o.d, of the realities of life, of love, of prayer. Then, with still the same half-smile, he would bid us ”Good night,” and watch us out of the room with the same look of love in his eyes with which he welcomed us, {53} as he turned back to his table to work and think and pray far into the night.

'So many a one of us has left him again and again, to return to the merry, careless, selfish undergraduate world a n.o.bler, better man. And now he has pa.s.sed from us--”dead ere his prime” we should say, did we not understand that somewhere the faithful, hopeful, loving soul has better work to do. He is, as he ever was, ”in Christ.” He lives. His life remains here and beyond. His faith in G.o.d, in prayer; his hope for every man; his utterly wonderful, amazing love,--they still remain.

For _nuni menei_ (nothing can rob us of the word) _pistis, elpis, agape, ta tria tauta; meizpon de touton he agape_.'

[Transcriber's note: The above Greek phrases were transliterated as follows: _nuni_--nu, upsilon, nu, iota; _menei_--mu, epsilon, nu, epsilon, iota; _pistis_--pi, iota, sigma, tau, iota, final sigma; _elpis_--epsilon, lambda, pi, iota, final sigma; _agape_--alpha (soft breathing mark), gamma, alpha, pi, eta; _ta_--tau, alpha; _tria_--tau, rho, iota, alpha; _tauta_--tau, alpha, upsilon, tau, alpha; _meizpon_--mu, epsilon, iota, zeta, omega, nu; _de_--delta, epsilon; _touton_--tau, omicron, upsilon, tau, omega, nu; _he_--(rough breathing mark) epsilon; _agape_--alpha (soft breathing mark), gamma, alpha, pi, eta]

{54}

LETTERS

_To A. V. R._

Brislington Hill, Bristol: September 24, 1890.

. . . I have been persuaded to try the Semitic Languages Tripos. I have been learning German and Syriac a little this Long with that aim in view. . . . I don't really know what to do. I am trying to do what will best fit me for my future work. It is hard to know what is right.

. . . The only thing I want is not to develop into a mere bookworm. . . . The atmosphere of Cambridge so tends to deaden one, and to make one unsympathetic with humanity; and yet the Church today does so need men who know something, men who can express with no uncertain sound the truth of Old Testament and New Testament criticism.

I want so to find out what the Old Testament is, and how far we can believe in it, in its essential truth, in its historical accuracy. The question can only be settled by scholars--by scholars filled with the spirit of humility and understanding. It cannot be settled by the so-called spiritual faculty alone, but only by the intellect guided by the Spirit of Truth.

I have been reading St. John's Gospel in Greek and Syriac, and more and more I become convinced {55} that what it says is truth: _zoe_--life--anything worth calling life--anything that can last--anything that is of use here and hereafter--is to be gained alone by actually eating and drinking the Body of the Son of Man. The expression is awfully strong--the expression in itself. I am not talking of all sorts of modern explanations of the expression. Take it as it stands in the original: 'You have no life, unless you eat and drink. . . .'

[Transcriber's note: The word _zoe_ in the above paragraph was transliterated from the Greek letters zeta, omega, eta.]

I wish there could be a small Greek Testament reading in the College for considering what the New Testament really means, apart from modern interpretations. Is it possible to find out the true, original meaning of that book, and to understand its problems a little and its solutions? 'Quid importat scientia sine timore Dei?'

_To T. H. M._

Aldeburgh House, Blackheath: March 20, 1891.

I am gradually finding out how ignorant I am of the meaning of the New Testament, and how miserably I have read my own miserable notions and glosses into the words of St. Paul. I am sure that the solution of the greatest problems which concern humanity is to be found in his Epistles, if we could only approach them without bias and with more childishness. I feel certain that the Incarnation is the great fact of the world's, and probably of the universe's, history. 'The Word was made flesh.'

And so the Word had breath, and wrought With human hands the creed of creeds In loveliness of perfect deeds, More strong than all poetic thought.

{56}

The death on Calvary must have had effects far beyond this particular world. 'He descended into h.e.l.l.' He claimed His power over all parts of His universe. The Good _has_ conquered. The Bad _is_ defeated.

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