PART II

LAUNCHING OUT INTO THE DEEP

1866-1868. AET. 34-36.

CHAP. 6. MY PRESENCE SHALL GO WITH THEE.

TO SEARCH OUT A RESTING-PLACE.

O THAT THOU WOULDEST BLESS ME INDEED,
AND ENLARGE MY COAST.

Nothing before, nothing behind:

The steps of faith

Fall on the seeming void, and find

The rock beneath.

WHITTIER.

CHAPTER VI

MY PRESENCE SHALL GO WITH THEE

1866. AET. 34.

HUMAN nothingness, divine sufficiency-the one just as real as the other-was the atmosphere of those last days at Coborn Street. None could come and go without feeling it. Among packing-cases and bundles the Saturday prayermeetings were held, friends from far and near crowding the room, sitting up the staircase and on anything that came to hand. Upon the wall still hung the great map; on the table lay the open Bible; and all else was lost sight of.

"Our great desire and aim," Mr. Taylor had written in his pamphlet, "are to plant the standard of the Cross in the eleven provinces of China hitherto unoccupied, and in Chinese Tartary." 1

"A foolhardy business!" said those who saw only the difficulties.

"A superhuman task!" sighed others who wished them well. And many even of their friends could not but be anxious.

"You will be forgotten," was the chief concern of some. "With no Committee to represent you at home you will be lost sight of in that distant land. Claims are many nowadays. Before long you may find yourselves without even the necessaries of life!"

1 "Your plan of seeking to plant two missionaries in each of the unoccupied provinces is a noble one," wrote the Rev. William Burns from Peking in January of this year (1866), and if, by the help of God, it is but half accomplished, a great step will have been taken in advance, and the necessities of China will become more visible and clamant in the view of all the Protestant Churches."

I am taking my children with me," was Mr. Taylor's reply," and I notice that it is not difficult for me to remember that the little ones need breakfast in the morning, dinner at mid-day, and something before they go to bed at night. Indeed, I could not forget it. And I find it impossible to suppose that our Heavenly Father is less tender or mindful than I."

Little wonder that the quietness and simplicity of it all, combined with such aims, such faith, drew out the sympathy of many hearts ! 1

Over the dark blue sea, over the trackless flood,

A little band is gone in the service of their God:

The lonely waste of waters they traverse to proclaim,

In the distant land of Sinim, Immanuel's Saving Name.

They have heard from the far-off East the voice of their brother's blood:

A million a month in China are dying without God. . . .

No help have they but God alone to their Father's hand
They look for the supply of their wants in a distant land.

The fulness of the world is His-' All power' in earth and heaven; They are strong tho' weak, and rich tho' poor, in the promise He has given.

'Tis enough! they hear the cry, the voice of their brother's blood: A million a month in China are dying without God.2

Never surely were travellers more prayed for, as the long months of the voyage wore on, and none could have more needed such aid. Sailing from London on the 26th of May, it was the end of September before they reached Shanghai; and very determined were the onslaughts of the enemy, first to wreck the unity and spiritual power of the missionary party, and then to wreck the ship on which they travelled, sending

1 The Rev. Alexander M'Aulay, then a minister in East London, saw a good deal of Mr. Taylor and his fellow-workers at this time. "I watched very closely the manner and spirit of those about to proceed to China," he said as President of the Wesleyan Conference ten years later. "I was delighted to find the spirit of self-sacrifice very deep in every one of them, so far as I could discern. They were given to prayer, and had all the elements about them that were likely to make them successful missionaries in any field to which God might call them."

From The Voice of thy Brother's Blood, by H. Grattan Guinness.

them all to the bottom. But from the hour of parting, when they were commended to God in the stern-cabin of the Lammermuir by Mr. Berger and a company of those nearest to them, they were daily sustained in this most important way.1

And prayer was wonderfully answered on board that little sailing-ship tossed on the mighty deep. Most of Trinity Sunday, their first whole day at sea, they were anchored awaiting a favourable breeze. Freedom from much motion gave opportunity for morning and evening services and for rest which was greatly needed. Next day was occupied with putting things in order and steadying the heavy baggage, piled up in the corners of the saloon upon which the cabins opened. On Tuesday regular studies were begun, Mr. Taylor taking a class in Chinese every morning and Mrs. Taylor another in the afternoon.

I should like you to have a peep at us when we are gathered together," she wrote to Mrs. Berger, "just to see how happy we all are! God ever keeps us so. The Captain and crew number thirty-four, which with our own party makes fifty-six souls on board."

After that came rougher weather, when many were down with sea-sickness and Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, in the absence of of a stewardess, had their hands full. By the time Madeira was reached almost all "had their sea-legs," and great advance had been made in getting into touch with the crew. From that time on, all across the Atlantic (for their course took them westward almost to Brazil) round the Cape of Good Hope and up to the East Indian Islands, the weather was wonderfully fine-few gales and no distressing heat.

1 The Saturday prayer-meeting was continued by Mr. and Mrs. Gough (the widow of Mr. J. Jones of Ningpo) in their home on Bow Road, near Coborn Street. Another weekly prayer-meeting was held by Mr. and Mrs. Berger at Saint Hill, who also kept up the noon half-hour daily, no matter what guests or occupations they might have. There were praying circles also in Scotland, Ireland, and the provinces, in which the needs of the mission found constant remembrance.

2 This they had all to themselves, with its three port-holes at the stern, and sky-light over the table from the poop deck. Immediately outside this saloon (or "stern-cabin ") was the main-mast, forward of which lay the well-deck with officers' quarters, and the forecastle. The Lammermuir was a three-masted iron sailing-ship of 760 tons burden.