The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-12-15
THE STORY or JOHN g. PATTON


,oins rising out Of the sea, clothed with
s..o.,s severed from each other by
I'm valleys. through which tides now
a. Volcanic fires are still active
,a.rolcano on Tanna being now a pill
t.-of cloud by day and Of fire by night
far shining lighthouse for the sailor
,.,5ied by the finger of God himself.
p..bon selwyn said Of John g Patton,
customary to Tanna: Talk of bravery
,.lt n beroisml The man who leads a
f,,.orn hope is coward in comparison
,,,h him. who on Tanna, thus alone
,,i,hout a sustaining look or cheer
..,,, orJ from one of bis own race. re"
o.,ds If n his duty TO hold on In the
f,ce Of such dangers. We read OF The
,.i4iar found after the lapse OF ages
.o,oro the ruins Of Herculaneum. who
cod firm at his post amid the fiery
rain DESTROYING all around him, thus
n.nif,sting the rigidity of the disc'-
cline among those armies of ancient
P,me which conquered the world MI
Patton was subjected to no such IRON
low lie might with honor. when OIL
f.,.d IN him. have sought temporary
osylpm in Auckland, where he would
have been heartily received. But be
Vas moved by higher considerations
Tine ancestors of Patton fought ana
..gored for Christ's crown and cove
,,nt in scotland's killing time. The
,,orse woman in Torthorwald, then
leading an immoral life, but afterwards
changed. declared that the only thing
that kept her from despair and from
no b.1, NJ the suicide, was when, IN
dark winter nights. she crept under MS
f,,hsr's window, and heard him plead
IN family worship THAT God would
convert the sinner from the error OF
wicked ways and polish him as Jewel
c,r,he Releemer's crown" Il felt, "
She said. that was burden on that
yood man heart. and knew that God
would not disappoint him. TIA,
thought kept me out Of hell and at last
led me TO the only Saviour"
Seldom has higher seal OF divine ap'
pro,al been set on Christian service
than ON that of Patton. The record OF
IN. work in Glasgow City Mission Is
marvellous. Eight lads taught by him.
educated themselves for the ministry
Nearly SIX hundred PERSONS mostly
moor mill workers, attended one OF his
classes weekly. He trained about
thirty visitors and tract distributors
who greatly strengthened his hands
one man. converted through his Efforts
D came physician, and thereafter de-
LIGHTED to attend all destitute cases,
giving them also spiritual IN
struction. Il was the witness,
savs Patton, "of many joyful depar-
lures to be with jesus do not
like To call them deaths at ALL" Sue
cessful and happy in this work he
continually heard the wall oil the
perisbing heather in the South Seas,
and saw that few were caring for them
while he knew that many would be
ready to take up this work. Il saw tue
heather perishiug for lack OF the know
ledge Of the true God and His Son
Jssus. while my Green. street people
had the open Bible and means OF grace
within easy reach He met strong
opposition, and to ono remonstrance
that he would be eaten by cannioals
,eplied that it mattered little If he
could serve the Lord Jesus, and that in
the Resurrection day his body would
rise as fair as those buried at home.
The eldest Of family of eleven, II
was bis pride and joy 70 help his poor
parents. buying for them. as hetells u.s.
the COW and the cows grass, paying
the house rent, the school fees and
clothing. and all from his own salary
Of two hundred dollars per year. i
had many staggering difficulty, but
never incurred 4 farthing Of personal
debt One Of the "purest JOYS con-
nected with his departure for the South
Seas. was that as lac received his outht
money and part Of his salary IN adj
vance. he was able 70 wipe out claim
which a lawyer had fastened upon
them. and had long been a heavy bur
den. We stuck to each other and the
old follSike 'burs, and bad all things
in common. as a family in Christ. "
The working girls and lads bought
web after web Of calico print, etc..
which they made up then, and for years
after. for the Islanders. His first I'M
pressions Of the New Hebrides drove
him TO utter dismay. The depth oil
Salau outlined in the first chapter OF
Romans. were uncovered before our
eyes Their paint. Dakedness and misery
Med me with horror as well as pity
Had l gwen up my dear people in Glas'
gov, with 50 many delightful associa'
ions, 10 cOnsecrate my life 10 these de-
graded creatuTesy But soon got ~
deeply interested ia them as in nv
work in Glasgow" When tea war
wanted that evening, the boy could
not be found. lie returned, saying
M,ssi, this is dark land. The people
Of this land do dark works. At the
boiling spring they have cooked and
ieasted on the slain. They have washed
The blood into the stream; the waters
are all red; | cannot get water to mako
your tea" Killing and eating each
other be regarded ss hardly TO be DO
nced, but was horrible that they should
tpoil the water
The IAnufge called Heaven nv fhe