THE LOCKHART MEMORIAL.
(In Lewisham Congregational Church.)
Memorial to a Medical Missionary.
Medical missions have come into deservedly increasing prominence of late years; and a few months ago a beautiful tablet was erected in Lewisham Congregational Church to the memory of Dr. Lockhart, the first Protestant medical missionary to China, who went out about the year 1838. The tablet is a beautiful piece of work in alabaster and marble, and is carved in the form of a triptych, i.e. in three panels, the medallion portrait occupying the centre. On the left hand panel appears the following inscription:—"In affectionate memory of Dr. Lockhart, first medical missionary to China, founder of hospitals at Macao, Shanghai and Pekin, who served the London Missionary Society with untiring zeal for twenty-six years in the mission field, and with unabated devotion in England to the last day of his life. Member of this church for thirty-seven years. Deacon and Church Secretary. Born October 3rd, 1811. Died April 29th, 1896." The following inscription appears on the right hand panel:—"This memorial is erected by those who admired him as a strong man, loved him as a friend, hold his services in grateful memory, and who pray that his zeal for missions and his devotion to the Church may inspire all who shall ever worship within these walls." The tablet is placed on the wall of the church near the vestry door, where Dr. Lockhart used often to stand before the service, watching the people enter.
Self-control.
A man who lately came over from America told the writer that on board the steamer one of the passengers went up to another in the smoking-room and asked him to have a drink with him. The man thus invited continued reading a newspaper and made no reply. The other man again asked him to drink with him. No answer again. A third invitation was then given in these words: "Sir, I have asked you in as friendly a way as possible to drink with me, and each time you went on with your reading, and had not the civility to answer me. Now I ask you for the third time if you will drink wine, whisky, or anything else with me?" The man then put aside his paper and answered very quietly: "Do you see that glass, sir? Well, if I were to take even a quarter of it, I could not leave off until I had drunk all the liquor on board. This is why I would not drink with you." All present admired the man's self-control, and learned a striking lesson on the danger of putting temptation in a brother's way.
An Ever-Recurring Question.
Two friends of the writer were sitting in a close carriage, discussing the problems of life—where we came from and whither we are going. The driver of the carriage went rather too near another vehicle. "Where are you going to?" shouted the driver of the latter. The occupants of the carriage looked at each other and remarked, "That is just what we were wanting to know." So it is that the great problems of life cannot be ignored, for they are reflected in the small incidents of daily existence. Particularly is this the case with the question whence we came and whither we are going. This can never be shelved.