Part 8 (2/2)

It is the beginning of an endless life. If G.o.d Himself be the centre of all, the nearer we are to Him, the nearer we are to one another. I _am_ glad that your wife is one who shares in your ideals, who lives for the highest. What a life in store for you here! And there--

Before the judgment seat, Though changed and glorified each face, Not unremembered you will meet For endless ages to embrace.

You will be nearer the centre then, and nearer to one another.

May G.o.d Himself bless you, dear old fellow! Forgive this poor attempt at a letter. I share in your joy, although I am not actually with you.

I never remember any wedding outside my own family which has given me greater pleasure. It was good of you to ask me to be present--very good.

B----, I _am_ glad. You must thank G.o.d and ask Him to tell you what it all means, and for her sake live as good a life as you possibly can.

With best love I am your friend,

FORBES.

_To a Friend after hearing of his intended ordination._

Durban: August 1899.

Your ordination will be like my own over again. It is unutterably good of G.o.d . . . to put it into {115} your heart to live the life which I had prayed might be yours. _Meizoteran touton ouk charin, hina akouo ta ema tekna en te aletheia peripatounta_ . . .

[Transcriber's note: The Greek phrases in the above paragraph were transliterated as follows: _Meizoteran_--Mu, epsilon, iota, zeta, omicron, tau, epsilon, rho, alpha, nu; _touton_--tau, omicron, upsilon, tau, omega, nu; _ouk_--omicron, upsilon, kappa; _charin_--chi, alpha, rho, iota, nu; _hina_--(rough breathing mark) iota, nu, alpha; _akouo_--alpha, kappa, omicron, upsilon, omega; _ta_--tau, alpha; _ema_--epsilon, mu, alpha; _tekna_--tau, epsilon, kappa, nu, alpha; _en_--epsilon, nu; _te_--tau, eta; _aletheia_--alpha, lambda, eta, theta, epsilon, iota, alpha; _peripatounta_--pi, epsilon, rho, iota, pi, alpha, tau, omicron, upsilon, nu, tau, alpha]

. . . If your temptations are great it is because your nature is rich and n.o.ble; and when it is disciplined you will have tremendous power.

I shall not be content until your every thought is led captive to 'the obedience of the Christ.' You are born to be a saint, and you will be wretched until you are one. You are not the kind of man who can do things by halves.

I think I have told you of my father's words spoken during his last illness: 'If I had a thousand lives, I would give them all--all to the ministry.' You will not regret your decision. If angels could envy, how they would envy us our splendid chance--to be able, in a world where everything unseen must be taken on sheer faith, in a world where the contest between the flesh and the spirit is being decided for the universe, not only to win the battle ourselves but also to win it for others! To help a brother up the mountain while you yourself are only just able to keep your foothold, to struggle through the mist together--that surely is better than to stand at the summit and beckon.

You will have a hard time of it, I know; and I would like to make it smoother and to 'let you down' easier; but I am sure that G.o.d, who loves you even more than I do, and has absolute wisdom, will not tax you beyond your strength. . . . I'll pray for you, like the widow in the parable, and I have immense belief in prayer. . . . You remember what was said of Maurice, 'He {116} always impressed me as a man who was naturally weak in his will; but an iron will seemed to work through him.' That Will can work through you and transform you, but for G.o.d's sake don't trust to your own will. . . .

If you are ordained it will be because there is one who in St. Paul's words--_ho aphorisas me ek koilias metros mou_--was separating you from birth and educating you with a view to the Gospel of Christ. . . .

Tasks in hours of insight willed Can be through hours of gloom fulfilled.[1]

[1] Matthew Arnold, _Morality_.

[Transcriber's note: The Greek phrases in the above paragraph were transliterated as follows: _ho_--(rough breathing mark) omicron; _aphorisas_--alpha, phi, omicron, rho, iota, sigma, alpha, final sigma; _me_--mu, epsilon; _ek_--epsilon, kappa; _koilias_--kappa, omicron, iota, lambda, iota, alpha, final sigma; _metros_--mu, eta, tau, rho, omicron, final sigma; _mou_--mu, omicron, upsilon]

To his mother.

Estcourt, Natal; August 18, 1899.

General Gordon came to Kokstad on his way to Basutoland. When he arrived he went to the Royal Hotel, ordered a room, threw open the window, and spent two hours in prayer and meditation. The next day was Sunday. He asked Mr. Adkin what was being done for 1,000 Cape Mounted Infantry then stationed there, and when he learnt that nothing was being done for their spiritual food, he burst into tears. On Monday morning the first telegram which he sent off to the Cape Government was a request that a chaplain should be appointed. Mr. Adkin was appointed and remained chaplain until the force was disbanded. General Gordon went on to Basutoland, and had wonderful power over the natives. He told them that no force would be brought against {117} them; he himself was without weapons. He was settling the country, when news came to him that the Cape Government was, contrary to stipulation, sending an armed force against them; so he left the country in twenty-four hours.

Cecil Rhodes was once at Kokstad. When he was near the place, he lay down on the hillside and exclaimed: 'Oh, how I wish they would let me alone--let me stay here!' However, he had to go down to be feted. He was listless, and bored by the banquet, until the present mayor began to attack him violently in his speech, and to complain about the Cape Government, and to express a desire that Natal would take them over.

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