The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-01-24
LIVINGSTONE AND STANLEY.
The Heart of the Dark Continent-Bishop
WhipPle Of Minnesota Relates an Inter-
estfng Incident

The Heart of the Dark Continent-Bisbop
Whipple of Minnesota Relates an Inter-
estinE Incident.
At the close Of the last century a
thoughtful young Englishman asked the
Governor of the East India Company to
go to India to preach the gospel. The
answer was THE man that would 20
to India upon that errand is as mad as
man who would put torch to powder
magazine"
A few years ago Chunder Sen, the
great scholar of India, died. On his
dsathbed friend asked him what ne
thought were the prospects Of Christian
lty in India, He answered Jesus
Christ has conquered the heart of In
dia." Not that great battles are not yet
to be fought, much weary work to be
done, but with more than half million
OF Christians in India, which have been
won in this century, we are certain that
the nation will be won to Christ.
turn to the dark continent which has
had more of human sorrow bound up in
Its history than any place on earth.
Forty years ago in cottage in the high
lands Of Scotland an aged man said to
his son David, you will have family
prayer to day, for when we part we will
never meet again until we meet before
the great white throne" David Living.
stone read the thirty-fourth psalm, the
key none OF that wonderful life, and
then poured out his heart to God in
prayer, tn ew bis arms around his faith
er's neck and kissed him, and 30 they
parted never to meet again in this world,
and he went to Africa. He did won
derful work in the Bechuna country.
He was carpenter, blacksmith, teacher,
laborer, physician and minister to those
poor souls, but the mans heart was in
interior of Africa. One day, with about
as much preparation as Itake when l 90
to the north woods of Minnesota, he left
for the interior of Africa. His route was
along the path of slave traders, and
every few days he came to some place
where poor woman had tainted in the
chain-gsng and had been strapped to
tree with her babe at her breast and left
to be stung to death by insects. No
wonder that he wrote in his journal and
blotted it with tears "Oh, God, when
will the great sore of the world he
healed ?"
When you remember that the follow.
ers of the false prophet are the only peo-
pie engaged in this traffic in human
flesh, and that to the poor African it
means slavery or death, you have the
answer to the stories of the progress Of
Mohammedanism in Africa.
cannot tell the story of his life. One
day he was found dead on his knees in
prayer in an African hut. That life had
so impressed itself upon the heather folk
that they did what will always be a
marvel Of history. They wrapped the
body in leaves. They covered it with
pitch. They carried it nine months on
their shoulders. They fought hostile
tribes. They swan swollen rivers. They
cut their way through impenetrable
thickets, and at last stood at the door of
a mission house in Zanzibar, and said :
1--WE have brought the man Of God to be
buried with his people, And so David
Livingstone sleeps in Westminster Alb
bey.
Our Stanley took up Livingstone's
work, and he laid Africa open to the
gaze of the world. be travelled nine
hundred and nnety-nine days, and the
thousandth day reached the seacost. In
all that journey he did not meet a single,
solitary soul who had heard that Jesus
Christ had come into the world. Stan
ley tells the reason why he went back to
africa. he SalQ
when l found Livingstone cared
no more for missions than the variest
atheist in England. had been a press
reporter, and my business was to follow
armies and describe battles; to attend
conventions and report speeches, but my
heart had not been touched with sympa
thy for missions. When l found this
grand old man l asked "What is he
here for Is he crazy ? Is he cracked"
sat at his feet four months and l saw
that power above his will had taken
possession of his life, hunger to lead
this poor heather folk out Of their dark
ness.
Il have heard the same voice speaking
to my heart, Follow me, and go back
to Africa to finish Livingstone's work"
This was a few years ago. Today
there are 10 Christians bishops OF our
communion in Africa. Eight were pres
ent at the Lambeth Conference. One of
them, Bishop Crowther, was captured
when boy ten years of age on slave
ship, placed in mission school, trans
fered to high school, then to the uni.
versity, graduated with honors, and
went back to Africa as a bishop. AS l
looked in the face of that black man
ane thought of his wonderful history,
remembered another man from Africa
that carried the CT oss of my blessed Mas
ter up the hill to Calvary, and that this
aged servant of Christ was following in
His blessed footsteps.