"Mr. Lund then rose, and told us that whence, student in Stockholm the desire to work in Spain had been laid on his heart for nearly four years. He studied the language, but, seeing no opening, was on the point of starting for America, when he received a letter from Mr. Guinness which entirely altered his plans. He came to London, and on meeting Senor Previ, offered to accompany him to Spain. The two brethren earnestly requested the prayers of the meeting for their new and difficult work."
The prayers here offered were more than answered. The first labourer has fallen in the field, but others have filled the ranks, and the light kindled in a dark place is now shining brightly.
Miss Macpherson's own words here follow:—
"What is the cry from all ends of the earth? For men and women to witness of a Saviour's love by His death and resurrection. And we are not only to pray the Lord to send forth labourers into the fields that are white, but to look at the things we oft call our own as belonging to another. There are hundreds of young men and women who have been brought to the truth, and whose souls long to be free for Christ's service, but they need a helping hand in little things.
"Let us pray that, from this mission, there may be many results such as the following letter shows. Six years ago the writer was the first-fruits after a winter's labour in the Bedford Institute, Spitalfields—a wild, musical Shoreditch youth. We offered to teach him to write. The Lord changed him, and he has ever since been a consistent Christian. He has been the means of leading his mother to the Saviour. He went to Canada, earning sufficient money to place himself this winter at Oberlin College. I was asked if I knew of one suited to become an artizan-missionary among the tribe of the Basutos. His reply encourages our faith that many more, led thus simply on, may soon go forth as working missionaries, after the pattern of St Paul, reaching souls by their simple, holy life, as well as by their preaching."
"OBERLIN COLLEGE, OHIO, March 25, 1873.
"My DEAR MOTHER IN THE LORD,—Your welcome letter to hand on the 22nd, and the book on the Basutos on the 24th. My soul doth bless the Lord for all that He hath done for me. My soul was filled with praise when I read your proposition to go to Africa. I had been bound in spirit for you, as you for me, and I had been asking the Lord for many days that He would incline you to write to me.
"Previous to receiving the same, I had cast myself upon the Lord more than ever. I could not see my way to run in debt, and I was wondering whether I should go and work on the road; but I had a burning desire to labour most of all for Christ, and I was longing to go South, or somewhere to tell the heathen of Jesus. But when I received your letter, I took it as an answer to prayer from the Lord, and I could hardly finish reading it before I was telling my landlady to rejoice with me. How blessed to trace the hand of the Lord in this! I have learned by this to praise the Lord for what He has done, and it has enabled my soul to trust Him for what He has promised.
"Believing this call is of God, and after much prayer, I have laid myself, all that I am or hope to be, upon the altar, for Africa, to labour to lead souls to the Lamb of God, to the blessed Lord Jesus. I expect to be consumed by the power of the Holy Ghost, to be fitted through Him for the work I am called to, to be used as the ram's horn, to be spoken through, to lead souls to Jesus, not to receive the praise of men, but of God.
"And I feel led to say, if it is for anything save for the glory of God that I accept this call, to be used to the salvation of souls, may the Lord take me home to Himself on sea or on land, that I see you not in the flesh but in glory.