He yearned to live as long as ever he
could, to tell men of heaven and of Christ.
The Faithful Missionary.
When I was going to Europe in 1867, my friend Mr. Stuart, of
Philadelphia, said, "Be sure to be at the General Assembly in Edinburgh,
in June. I was there last year," said he, "and it did me a world of
good." He said that a returned missionary from India was invited to
speak to the General Assembly, on the wants of India. This old
missionary, after a brief address, told the pastors who were present, to
go home and stir up their churches and send young men to India to preach
the gospel. He spoke with such earnestness, that after a while he
fainted, and they carried him from the hall. When he recovered he asked
where he was, and they told him the circumstances under which he had
been brought there. "Yes," he said, "I was making a plea for India, and
I didn't quite finish my speech, did I?" After being told that he did
not, he said, "Take me back and let me finish it." But they said, "No,
you will die in the attempt." "Well," said he, "I will die if I don't,"
and the old man asked again that they would allow him to finish his
plea. When he was taken back the whole congregation stood as one man,
and as they brought him on the platform, with a trembling voice he said:
"Fathers and mothers of Scotland, is it true that you will not let your
sons go to India? I spent twenty-five years of my life there.
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