FRQM THE LIBRARY OF 

COLLEGE 



v 



COLLEGI 
MJ SSIONARY 
LIBRARY 





r. 



EARLY PROMOTED. 



H H&cmmr 



REV. WILLIAM SPILLER COX, M.A., 

OF QUEEN S COLLEGE AND WYCLIFFE HALL, OXFORD, 
MISSIONARY TO SIERRA LEONE. 



COMPILED BY HIS FATHER. 



WITH ILLUSTRATIONS. 



SECOND EDITION. 



LONDON 

SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON & COMPANY 
LIMITED 

St. Dunstan s li ousr 
FETTER LANE, FLEET STREET, E.G. 



(Lto 
f 



PRINTED BY 

LOVH AND WYMAN, LIMITED, 
GREAT QCEEN STREET, LONDON, W.C. 




PREFACE. 



" HIS Memoir has been compiled to meet 
the wish expressed by many to have 
some record of one who, during his short life, 
endeared himself to all who knew him. 

It is hoped that the effort made in these 
pages to set forth so attractive a personality, 
actuated by so noble a purpose, may be 
helpful both as an inspiration and an ex 
ample. 

In the endeavour to exhibifthat personality 
in all its aspects, his letters have been 
frequently introduced letters which, with 
unconstrained freedom and vivid simplicity, 
express the thoughts and feelings cf the 
writer in varying circumstances. 

The testimony of others respecting him 
has also been quoted where it seemed 
needful. 



iv Preface. 

Mr. Eugene Stock has kindly contributed 
a note on C.M.S. Missionaries who have 
gone forth from Oxford. 

The title given to the volume was 
suggested by the thought conveyed in the 
following extract from a letter lately re 
ceived from Bishop Taylor Smith, of Sierra 
Leone : 

"Bishop Thorold (then of Rochester, after 
wards of Winchester), when I consulted him 
about my going out to Sierra Leone, said to 
me, If you die the world will say you have 
made a mistake and thrown your life away ; 
but I will say the LORD has excused you the 
intermediate service and given you quick 
promotion ; for, he added, this is only the 
beginning of service. 

The portrait facing the title is reproduced 
from a photograph taken in 1896, by W. 
Blackall, of Oxford. All the other illustra- 



Preface. v 

lions are reproductions of photographs taken 
by the subject of the Memoir. 

To GOD be all the glory of any good thing 
in His servant which may be manifested in 
this memorial of him. 

EDWARD W. COX. 

8, ELLERDALE ROAD, 

HAMPSTEAD, N.W. 
\*jtJi November, 1897. 

P.S., 3ist October, 1898. The issue of a 
Second Edition justifies the announcement 
that any profits resulting from the sale of 
this book will be given to the Church 
Missionary Society. 



CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER I. 
EARLY DAYS AND SCHOOL LIFE. 

PAGE; 
Birth and Home at Hampstead Natural Disposition 

and Spiritual Character Mrs. Coghlan s Kinder 
garten School Heath Mount School, Hampstead 
Westminster School Confirmation Failure for 
Indian Civil Service Exhibition to Queen s College, 
Oxford I. 

CHAPTER II. 
OXFORD. 

"A Good Set" Genius for Friendship Boating 
College Musical Society Choice of Final Schools 
Keswick Convention, 1892 Letter to Rev. \V. H. 
Finney Change in Spiritual Life Mr. Finney s 
Personal Recollections Children s Special Service 
Mission, at Eastbourne Life at Oxford Moody s 
Mission College Bible Readings Visit to the 
North Sea Fisheries Final Honours List Keswick 
Convention, 1893 Wycliffe Hall Offer of Curacy 
at Peckham Ordination at Rochester Rev. E. H. 
Elwin s Reminiscences ..... 



Contents. vii 

CHAPTER III. 
PECKHAM. 

PACK 

Visiting the Poor Sympathy with Temporal Distress 
and Spiritual Needs Visit to Oxford in " Eights " 
Week Holiday in 1894 Multifarious Duties of a 
London Vicar Bible Study Ordination as Priest 
Holiday in 1895 Foreign Mission Field Offer 
to the Church Missionary Society Acceptance 
Return to Wycliffe Hall, Oxford Narrative by 
Rev. Thomas Goss 50 

CHAPTER IV. 
PREPARATION FOR THE FOREIGN FIELD. 

Wycliffe Hall, Oxford Work at Queen s College, &c. 
Bishop French s Life Destination fixed, Sierra 
Leone instead of India Work at St. Martin s, 
Gospel Oak Swiss Tour Chaplaincy at Spiez 
Farewell to Four Missionary Recruits from Hamp- 
stead Farewell at Exeter Hall Livingstone 
College, Stratford Leaving Home, January ist, 
1897 7i 

CHAPTER V. 
SIERRA LEONE. 

Start from Liverpool, January 2nd, 1897 A Burial at 
Sea Grand Canary Study of Temne Arrival at 
Sierra Leone First Impressions Visit of Inspec 
tion through Temne Mission Work at Fourah Bay 
College Second Tour Work at the Cathedral 



viii Contents. 

Rainy Season Losses by Death Illness of Mr. 
Humphrey and Mr. Elwin Telegram announcing 
Death on June I2th, 1897 Last Letter Particulars 
of Illness Burial at Sea , 85 

CHAPTER VI. 
CONCLUSION. 

Announcement of Death Memorial Services Oxford 
Letter in "Record" Resolution of C.M.S. Corre 
spondence Committee 108 

"In Memoriam," by Miss SPILLER . . . . in 

Note on C.M.S. Missionaries from Oxford, by Mr. 
EUGENE STOCK .... . 112 

BIBLE STUDIES, BY W. S. Cox. 

I. The Called of Jesus Christ . . . . . 115 

II. With Jesus in the Mount . . .116 

III. "Hide and Seek" . .118 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Portrait , Frontispiece 

Queen s College, Oxford .... Facing page 6 

"A Bump." The Oxford " Eights " . . 9 

Library, Queen s College .... ,, 30 

The High, Oxford (from Queen s) . ,,38 
St. Mary s Church and Radcliffe Library, 

Oxford (from Queen s) . . ,, 48 

On the Cherwell, Oxford . . ... 52 

St. Mary Magdalene, Peckham ... 64 

Porch of St. Mary s, Oxford ... 72 

Magdalen Tower, Oxford (from the Cherwell) 74 

Spiez, Lake of Thun 77 

Upper Glacier, Grindehvalcl ... 78 
Three Missionary Recruits for Africa, from 

Christ Church, Hampstead ... 80 

Reichenbach Falls, Meiringen ... ,, 84 

Group of Clergy, Fourah Bay College . ,, 88 

Group outside house of King of Makomp . 91 

Ambaki house, Sierra Leone Hinterland . 93 

Start of Mission Party from Fourah Bay . 94 
Native house at Ropoloi ; Mission party 

about to start .... ,,96 

Missionary Group, Port Lokkoh . . ,,98 



CHAPTER I. 
Early Days and School Life. 

" The childhood shows the man 
As morning shows the day." Milton. 

W7ILLIAM SPILLER COX, or 
W "Willie," as he was always called, 
was born at Hampstead on the /th Septem 
ber, 1 8 70, the eldest of a family of four sons 
and four daughters, of whom he has been 
the first to be gathered to the heavenly 
home. 

From his earliest childhood he was bright, 
lovable, and affectionate, but he had an un 
usually strong self-will. This strength of 
will, which tended to obstinacy, and some 
times caused trouble and anxiety, afterwards 
became, under the controlling power of the 
Holy Spirit, an indomitable determination to 
pursue right ends, at whatever personal cost. 



2 Natural Disposition. 

Willie was indeed a striking and en 
couraging example of how even some faults 
of character, by the grace of God, can be 
transformed into virtues. 

He was of a singularly contented and 
happy disposition, with a sunny brightness 
and cheerfulness that was very attractive ; 
and though in later years he often had 
seasons of deep depression, these were rarely 
caused by personal troubles ; it was the 
burden of the sins and sorrows of others 
that cast its shadow over him. In his 
short pastoral life he bore as much of the 
world s great load of sin and care as falls 
to the lot of most faithful ministers. 

It is impossible to indicate any particular 
time when his heart became right with God. 
From a child he was taught to love the 
Holy Scriptures ; he had early conviction 
of sin, and seemed gradually and imper 
ceptibly to grow up into the knowledge 
and experience of the true life. 

At seven years of age he attended the 



Mrs. CogJilaiis School. 3 

Kinder-garten school so long and success 
fully carried on at Hampstead by the late 
Mrs. Coghlan. It is remembered that the 
late Professor Coghlan, who took some 
of the classes, was much impressed with 
Willie s power of " continuity "-the faculty 
of keeping the mind steadily concentrated 
on one subject which he considered a 
valuable quality, certain, if cultivated, to 
lead to success. While " continuity " and 
perseverance might be called Willie s most 
distinguishing intellectual qualities, extreme 
conscientiousness in the performance of 
duty was perhaps his most noticeable moral 
characteristic. He never could be tempted, 
even as a child, to leave work for play, and 
needful recreation was only too much neg 
lected during his schoolboy days. At the 
same time, he had a keen enjoyment of 
many kinds of out-door exercise, and was 
an ardent lover of nature. 

At the age of ten, Willie went as a 
day-boarder to Heath Mount School, 



4 HcatJi llount School. 

Hampstead, then conducted by Mr. F. W. 
Goldsmith, and afterwards carried on by 
the late Rev. C. F. Walker, where he 
gained a character for sterling goodness 
and steady industry. 

At Easter, 1883, an Exhibition at West 
minster School was won, and in the following 
year a Queen s Scholarship. This necessi 
tated his boarding at St. Peter s College, and 
thus for the first time he found himself 
launched on all the temptations and trials 
of full schoolboy life. These were ex 
perienced in a somewhat intensified form. 
His determined total abstinence principles 
were specially the subject of persecution 
during his Junior Queen s Scholar days. 

He usually spent his Sundays at Hamp 
stead, so that he was in constant touch with 
home and all its hallowing associations. 

<r> 

His Westminster days were, on the whole, 
very happy. He was proud of his school, 
and took his full share in all that concerned 
its inner life the concerts, &c. and had an 



Westminster School. 5 

important part assigned to him in the Latin 
play at Christmas, 1887 ; but he did not 
distinguish himself in any of the school 
games, nor did he shine in scholarship, 
though he was " fairly good all round." 

He frequently availed himself of the 
privilege enjoyed by the Queen s Scholars, 
of admission to the parliamentary debates, 
and, as one of the Senior Queen s Scholars, 
he had a good place in Westminster Abbey 
at the Jubilee Celebration in 1887. 

His pastor, the Rev. E. H. Bickersteth, 
had been appointed Bishop of Exeter in 
April, 1885, and it was arranged that he 
should hold a Confirmation in his old Parish 
of Christ Church, Harnpstead, in the June 
following, when Willie was confirmed. This 
was to him, as it has been to so many, a time 
of definite blessing. 

o 

At Easter, 1888, he left Westminster 
School in order to be specially prepared, for 
the Indian Civil Service Examination in 
July, 1889. He was considered by his 



6 I.C.S. Exam. 

tutors one of the best of those who were 
being prepared together, but he and only 
one other of them failed to obtain places 
among the successful candidates. This was 
a sore disappointment, as there were many 
family ties with India. Willie was specially 
comforted by his father s confident assurance 
that he must have failed because he was 
intended for some better work than even 
the noble I.C.S. Those who know what he 
accomplished during his short career feel 
that this anticipation was realised. 

In the spring of that year he had com 
peted for an open Exhibition at Queen s 
College, Oxford. The successful competitor 
having gained an appointment in the Indian 
Civil Service, was obliged to vacate this 
Exhibition, which was then offered to Willie, 
thus making the way plain for his going in 
the following October to Oxford. 

o 



CHAPTER II. 
Oxford. 

" Mind hath much to learn below, 

Knowledge hourly must be sought, 
Ever seeking truth to know, 

Wisdom comes with work and thought." 

J. Nevaye. 

T^ROM his first entrance upon University 
life, Willie was fortunate in getting into 
a "good set," and among them he formed 
lasting friendships. 

He had a real genius for friendship. His 
affectionate and sympathetic nature drew 
others to him ; and these qualities, com 
bined with much practical common sense, 
often led people older than himself to confide 
their troubles to him, and seek his advice. 
Many touching testimonies have been 

c 



8 College Life. 

received since his death as to the way in. 
which his friendship was valued.* 

He threw himself energetically into the 
life of his College, especially the Musical 
Society, the Chapel choir, and boating. He 
always took the most eager interest in the 
intercollegiate boat-races, and rowed several 
times for his College. He was an enthusiast 
in everything he undertook ; into it he went, 
heart and soul, grudging no effort or pains. 

Just two extracts from his letters may be 
given as showing the keen interest he. took 
in the Queen s College boating, and in the 
" Eights Week" doings- 
Oxford, February 2/th, 1891. 

As you will very likely have seen in the papers,; 
we succeeded in keeping our high place in the 
" Torpids," and ended up on Tuesday, 7th as we 
began. We had a tremendous ovation on coming 
back to our barge on Tuesday for the last time, 
and the performance is considered very creditable 
considering all the adverse circumstances. In the 

* One of his College contemporaries writes: " His greatest 
achievements are written in the silent chapters of daily con 
verse with those whose privilege it was to be his friends." 



"Eights Week." 9 

evening the success was celebrated by a supper, 
which the Boat Club Committee provided, and our 
health was drunk as the " lightest and pluckiest 
torpid on the river." 

Oxford, May 2Qth, 1892. 

At last this awful (" Eights ") week of dissi 
pation has come to an end, and glad I am too, 
though it has been a very jolly time, but it is a 
good thing it only comes once a year. On> 
Wednesday night we had fireworks and a magni 
ficent bonfire a really scientifically arranged one, 
which it took us a full hour to pile up pro 
perly. We chaired all the " Eight " round it and 
made a huge noise, and generally enjoyed -our 
selves. That night I got to bed at two ; next day 
Finney had some people up, and we went down to 
Nuneham ten of us in two boats had our picnic 
in almost the same spot as two years ago, and 
afterwards had a most delightful ramble through 
the woods. The day was perfect, a few small 
showers of rain only served to keep us from being 
too hot. On the way we visited Iffley Church, 
which I think I should never tire of inspecting. 

Friday was an awful day for me ; work was 
impossible, the president of our Musical Society 
was laid up, so I was chief in command, and had 
to be on the spot seeing to everything connected 
with the Concert and that everybody did their 

C 2 



io College Concert. 

duty ; besides having to write cheques for the 
orchestra, and do a hundred and one other things, 
to say nothing of the appalling thought of my 
after-supper speech ! However, I was extremely 
gratified at the way everything went off. Thursday 
night it poured with rain. Friday night was 
beautiful, the hall was packed, as it always is. 
The Cantata quite surpassed our expectations, and 
went with a swing and go that took everyone by 
storm. In the second part both the solos, and one 
of the part songs, were most tremendously 
received ; people pronounced it as successful a 
Concert as we have ever had, and the papers have 
been very complimentary. The supper afterwards 
was great fun, the speeches good on the whole. 
When I rose, every idea I had previously had in 
my head vanished, but I managed to say some 
thing, and got through with great success and 
much applause. We finished up with " Auld Lang 
Syne," and separated at I o clock. 

Now at last things are over, and we have settled 
down again to work and make up for lost time. 
Other men s people and attractions of other sorts 
have left Oxford, and things resume their old 
aspect. 

Willie took a Third Class in the "Mods" 
examination/ the first Classical Honours 



" Mods " Exam. 1 1 

School and he wrote as follows to his 
father, while smarting under what, in his 
view, was a failure : 

Oxford, April I5th, 1891. 

By this time, doubtless, you will have seen 
the "Mods" list in the papers, and know the 
unpleasant fact of my having got only a Third 
Class. Of course, I need hardly say that my 
disappointment is very great, as I quite ex 
pected (and I think my tutors did too) that I 
would, at all events, get a Second. I was, how 
ever, naturally the last of the honours men of 
my year, most of the others being Scholars, and 
those who were not, had better Exhibitions than 
mine; so perhaps I ought not to have anticipated 
any more than a Third. 

Of course, in such circumstances, it is con 
demning myself to make excuses, but still I 
cannot help feeling that, but for the row in last 
December (which utterly upset me and robbed 
me of a fortnight s reading),* and possibly my 

* This refers to an unpleasant affair which had divided 
the College into two hostile camps, and caused Willie great 
mental disturbance. One of his fellow undergraduates, now 
a Clergyman, wrote lately respectin? him, evidently having 
special reference to this matter : " Many of his contempo 
raries at Queen s will remember how nobly he ranged 
himself again and again on the side of those things that 
were true, honest, and of good report." 



1 2 CJioice of Final Schools. 

rowing in the " torpid " (which, under the circum 
stances, could hardly be avoided), the result might 
have been different. 

I have certainly learned a lesson which I hope 
I shall never forget. I hope to manage my work 
for my Final Schools very differently, and to profit 
by the experience " Mods " has given me. Above 
all I mean to work hard this term. 

I do not know what more to say. I can quite 
understand how keen your disappointment must 
be, and cannot tell how sorry I feel for having 
brought it upon you, and how I reproach myself 
for not having done better. 

Before entering- his third year it became 
necessary that a profession should be chosen, 
more or less provisionally ; and the College 
authorities being of opinion that as the 
holder of an Exhibition he should not be 
satisfied with the Pass Schools, it was decided 
that he should read Honours Theology, with 
a view to taking Holy Orders. He entered 
upon this course of reading with great zest. 

In March, 1892, Mr. Edwin Arrowsmith, 
of the Children s Special Service Mission, 
visited Oxford, " prospecting for the Long 



Keswick Convention, 1892. 13 

Vac.," and succeeded in interesting- Willie in 
the work so far as to promise, provisionally, 
to assist him at Eastbourne, in August. On 

o 

June 1 2th, however, Willie wrote : "I don t 
know what to do about Eastbourne ; the 
amount of work to be digested this Vac. is 
alarming." 

In July he had the opportunity of attending 
for the first time the Keswick Convention, 
where his spiritual life experienced a mar 
vellous uplifting, and his always happy spirit 
acquired a new joyousness which he never 
afterwards lost. 

None who saw him at this time will forget 
his bright face, literally shining with the joy 
of the Lord, the spiritual tone of his con 
versation, and his ringing voice constantly 
singing the sweet Convention hymns. Talk 
ing to his mother one clay soon after, with 
keen appreciation of the lovely scenery in the 
Lake District, he quoted the lines beginning : 
" Heaven above is softer blue," etc., saying 
how true he found it, that having one s eyes 



14 Letter to Rev. W. H. Finney. 

opened to see the glory of Christ greatly 
enhanced one s enjoyment of the works of 
His hands. 

A letter written to an intimate college 
friend, after joining his family for a few 
days at Kent s Bank, on Morecambe Bay, 
gives so graphic an account of this crisis 
in his life that it seems well to insert it 
in extenso : 

Moorhurst, Kent s Bank, Grange-over-Sands 
August 8th, 1892. 

My dear Finney, I expect you will have been 
wondering at not having heard from me for so 
long. The truth is I have been longing to write to 
you, but have not had time, as I felt it would have 
to be a long letter when it did come. Now at last,. 
this wet afternoon, I can sit down and try to tell 
you the truly great and wonderful things that God 
has done for my soul at Keswick. Even now I 
feel it is beyond my power to tell the story pro- 
perly, so I must just ask that the Holy Spirit may 
direct my pen in every word. 

The Convention proper began on Tuesday, the 
26th. On the Sunday previous we had two 
wonderful sermons from Mr, which stirred. 



Heart Searching, 15 

me very much, and gave me intense longings for 
something, I hardly knew what ; but it was 
realised during the week. On Monday night was 
the preliminary meeting, and then began a time of 
searching such as I had never undergone before ; 
God seemed to go through and through me, and 
put His finger on thing after thing that I had not 
thought of as sin, and say, " this, that, must be 
given up." Well, I can tell you I felt fairly 
wretched, but the only comfort was that I felt 
God would not leave me where I was. Then the 
next day the grand truth about "cleansing" came 
upon me as it had never come before, and every 
thing seemed to open out as clear as daylight ; I 
saw clearly that it is only as we ourselves limit 
God s power to save, that so we remain unsaved ; 
that if only we allow Him to be true to His 
promises, and to do whatever He wills with us, 
and if only we are willing to sanctify Him in our 
hearts as Lord, and as the only Lord, He will do 
what He has promised ; He will give us a clean 
heart, cleanse our desires, and take away from us 
the desire to sin. What has kept me back from 
this before, I must confess with shame, has been 
the fact that 1 have not been wholly consecrated 
and yielded up ; I seem to have gone on with a 
sort of idea that a certain amount of sin must re 
main in the camp ; and I wished to keep it there, 



3 6 Heart Cleansing. 

without realising that it was God s will that the- sin 
should be entirely taken away, and that He had 
.tlie poiver to do it too, if only I would let Him.* 

Well, I did give myself up on that Tuesday 
night as I had never done before, and I do believe 
that God did then and there cleanse me from the 
sin in me, and I can certainly testify, without 
boasting (for it is not my work at all, but Christ s 
in me), that I have been kept from conscious sin, of 
certain kinds at all events, which before had been 
a constant trouble to me ; specially have I realised 
this with regard to wandering thoughts in prayer. 
Of course I don t imagine there s nothing else to 
be done, no need for watchfulness or prayer ; there 
is still the constant need for Christ s keeping power, 
as well as for His cleansing power ; only now I 
seem to stand in a different position : instead of 

* It is only right to explain that " sinlessness," or "sinless 
perfection " are not meant here. While strongly holding and 
testifying to a "clean heart" as God s purpose in Christ for 
believers, Willie never taught any more than the speakers on 
.the Keswick platform the impossibility of falling, or in 
fallibility. To him a "clean heart" meant one free from any 
conscious sympathy with sin, or any desire towards it. Mr. 
Eugene Stock writes respecting this letter : " I do not 
think anyone should find fault with your dear son s method 
of describing the Lord s gracious dealings with him. He was 
real, and reality is what we all need, and what we must have 
if the Lord is to use us. We may differ in the language we 
employ ; but after all the New Testament expressions are 
full of the Holy Ghost filled with the Spirit. That is what 
the Lord s servants want, at home and abroad. 



Consecration. 1 7 

trying to grow into a state of cleansing, one now 
starts with a clean heart, and then the growth con 
tinues ; but it was no use trying to grow without 
having the clean heart ; it was like trying to make 
a watch go right that was out of order, by winding 
it, instead of sending it back to the watchmaker to 
be cleaned and started over again. 

Well, as I have said, on that Tuesday night all 
this came home to me in a new way, and I just 
stood up and consecrated myself wholly ; I claimed 
the blessing, and I am quite sure I got it. I went 
home, feeling very happy, but still I felt there was 
something wanting yet. Next evening Dr. Elder 
Gumming, of Glasgow, spoke about the " rilling of 
the Holy Ghost," showing quite plainly that this 
was an experience subsequent to conversion and 
to cleansing, and that it was quite a pertinent 
-question to ask believers, " have you received the 
rilling of the Holy Ghost ? " I was perfectly 
certain I had never received this " filling." I 
longed to receive it ; but somehow I felt as if it 
were too hasty a step to accept the gift then and 
there. I said to myself that I must consider the 
matter carefully, and not be in too great a hurry to 
accept the blessing ; I had got quite enough for 
the present, and must wait. That was the sort of 
way I reasoned with myself, and I left the meeting 
feeling hungry and dissatisfied with myself. 



1 8 Claiming the Blessing. 



& 



But God would not let me rest, and I do praise 
Him for that. After supper I heard there was to 
be a special night prayer meeting at the Drill 
Hall, and something led me to go to it. It really 
was a wonderful time; it lasted till about 11.30, 
and by that time I am sure every one got every 
thing they wanted, and so there was nothing to 
remain for except to praise. I don t know exactly 
what I expected to get by going there, but I know 
this that God told me in unmistakable terms that 
He was ready to give me the filling of the Spirit 
then, and that it was only my perverseness that 
was keeping me back from it. What was I to do ? 
God told me to claim the blessing and to believe 
that I had received it ; I did so. I didn t feel 
anything particular at the moment, but gradually 
a conscious joy, such as I had never known before, 
began to steal over me, and when the meeting 
broke up I felt inclined to go and sing all through 
the streets. 

I have said the meeting broke up at 11.30, 
because there was nothing more to remain for. 
I don t think anyone left that room without being 
filled with the Holy Ghost, but I, for my part, felt 
as if I could have remained there all night for 
praise. I walked about the streets for a long time 
far too happy to go to bed. I wanted to go- 
somewhere where I could sing and make a joyful 



Night of Praise. 1 9 

noise. I went back to my room and wrote about 
it all to father and Mr. S - ; then my candle 
went out, or I would have written to you, old man. 
I lay down to rest for about a couple of hours or 
so, but could not sleep much, so got up about 3 
o clock and went out to see the sunrise. I climbed 
a crag named Walla Crag (about 1,100 feet high) 
and there I had a grand time. I was far away 
from the haunts of man, and so could make a 
noise without fear of disturbing anyone. I had 
my hymn-book with me, and stayed up there till 
about 5.30, having a grand time of prayer and 
praise ; then I came down, had a bathe in the 
lake, and went to the tent for the 7 o clock meeting. 
I felt rather shy about breakfast, as I feared the 
others would not quite understand my happiness, 
but they soon found out something had happened 
to me, and then it all came out. On Friday 
evening or Thursday, I forget which, they all 
got the same blessing, and so we all rejoiced 
together. 

I see I have already got into the third sheet, so 
I must shortly close ; but I could fill sheets upon 
sheets with telling of all the wonders God has 
done ; of the marvellous answers to prayer ; of the 
splendid missionary meetings in the tent and on 
the lake ; of the wonderful way in which God gave 
us strength to go to the meetings all day long 



2O Coining down from the Mount. 

without getting tired ; of the wonderful ex 
periences related by Mr. G - and his mission 
band in India and Australia ; of their marvellous 
guidance by God, and how their needs were 
supplied. When next we meet soon, please 
God I will tell you more about it. 

On Saturday morning there was a grand three 
hours missionary meeting. I think this time at 
Keswick has put a finishing touch to my mind on 
this question, and I am ready to go when God 
wants me. 

The whole atmosphere of Keswick seemed 
saturated with the Convention ; everyone you 
met carried a hymn-book and Bible, and had a 
happy, smiling face. It was like being on the 
Mount of Transfiguration, and it seems a bit hard 
to come down to an every-day life again ; but 
that s just where the test comes in : and I am 
sure God s blessing is meant to last, and will last 
with me wherever I go at home, at Eastbourne, 
back at Oxford, anywhere ; though, when looking 
ahead, the difficulties seem to loom like thick- 
clouds. Do pray for me, old man, that I may not 
get self-confident, but may be kept always full of 
the joy of the Lord. Specially will you pray that 
I may be fitted for the work at Eastbourne, and 
made ready and willing to do anything that God 
calls upon me to do there. I won t think about 



CJiange in Spiritual Life. 2F 

next term yet though I realise my life will have 
to be very different but just " do the next thing." 

Now I must close, with many prayers for you r 
old man, that God may bless you with all the ful 
ness of His blessing which I expect you have 
already got, but there is " always more to follow " 
and may guide you every moment, and fit you 
for His work ; and asking your prayers for me. 
Yours ever in Him, 

WILLIE S. COX. 
Rev. W. H. FINNEY. 

In nothing was the striking change that 
had taken place in Willie s spiritual life more 
manifest than the way in which his natural 
shyness and reserve in speaking on religious- 
subjects disappeared. By a definite act of 
faith he sought deliverance from this, which 
he had felt to be a oreat hindrance to his 

o 

usefulness in the past, and according to his 
faith so was it unto him, Henceforth, when 
fitting opportunity arose, he was always able 
to speak without nervousness, and with an 
earnestness that was impressive, because all 
his utterances came straight from his heart 
and he felt his message was God-given. 



22 Rev. W. H. Finney s Narrative. 

The following personal recollections by 
Mr. Finney may find their appropriate place 
here : 

It was in the year 1889 that I first came in 
contact with Willie when he came up to Oxford as 
a freshman. There was a good deal in common 
between us which naturally drew us together. We 
both rowed, and were fond of music, and above all 
were both Christian men. It was this latter fact 
which cemented our friendship, for though sur 
rounded by many friends of a most excellent kind, 
there was wanting in many of these that great fact, 
so far as we could tell, which was so much to us. 

I am afraid that our first two years of intercourse 
did little more for us than serve to fan the flame of 
faith in our own hearts. I know I was helped by 
him. But our testimony to others was not of a 
very vigorous or aggressive type, and beyond the 
College Bible Reading, and an occasional visit to 
the Daily Prayer Meeting and the Common 
Lodging Houses for Service with the inmates, 
we took no prominent part in the Christian work 
of the University. 

In the year 1891 to 1892, however, the Lord 
began to work in our hearts wonderfully. The 
spirit of rebellion and self-will had been crushed in 
my own heart, and I had come under the influence 



Rev. W.-H. Finnefs Narrative. 23 

of the " higher teaching." I naturally told Willie 
all about it on my return to College, and found a 
ready response in his heart to the yearnings and 
questionings of my own. At our meals, which we 
almost always took together, we discussed the 
possibilities of Christian living ; we read the 
Epistle to the Romans together, and after being 
puzzled and provoked " were finally " persuaded " 
that a life of deliverance from sin was possible and 
meant for us. 

The subject was mooted at the Bible Reading, 
which had now become much quickened. It began 
to assume a form of reality, and we were seeking 
it. We seldom said good night without first 
unitedly asking God for this blessing for our 
selves and others in College. -But when, in 
June, 1892, I went down to be ordained, neither 
of us could say we had " entered in." 

It was in the following month, July, 1892, that 
Willie went to Keswick, little dreaming as he told 
me afterwards, of what was in store for him. Here 
he was deeply "convicted for holiness" as -lie 
described it, and finally, through the depths; led 
out into full experience of cleansing and the filling 
of the Holy Ghost. 

From this time his whole life was changed. He 
was on fire. At Eastbourne, at College, at Wycliffe 
Hall, and in his curacy^so far as I could sec from 

D 



24 Rev. W. H. Putney s Narrative. 

a distance, his one purpose was the full salvation of" 
souls, especially boys, and the Glory of GOD. 

On his return to College he took an unmis 
takable stand for the Truth ; his hands were soon 
full of Christian work within and outside the 
College. Others can, better than I, give correct 
impressions of his last year at College and at 
Wycliffe Hall, as I was down in my curacy, and 
only in touch with the work by correspondence. 

Willie came to stay with me at Exeter in April, 
1893, a d we had a blessed time. I had now 
fully " entered in," and could understand the secret 
which possessed him. Together we held a holiness 
meeting in the parish, and I don t think anyone 
would ever forget his earnest testimony ; reality 
rang through it all. There was, too, such a joyous- 
ness about him as could not fail to impress every 
one, and many times afterwards friends enquired of 
me concerning him, and alluded to his bright and 1 
happy face and life. 

I had the privilege of a visit to the North Sea 
fishermen with him and a brother clergyman, and 
to this day the men on board the mission ship to^ 
which we were assigned, ask after him with interest 
and affection. 

It is not an easy matter to give any adequate 
impression of his life, or expression to the feeling 
of stimulus and exaltation I always experienced. 



Rev. W. H. Finney s Narrative. 25 

from a short time with him. All Christians know 
what it is to get a real " lift up," and I always got 
this from Willie. 

One of the last things he said to me I shall 
never forget. Speaking of certain discussions in 
which the Truth, as we earnestly believed it to be, 
was somewhat discounted by a tone of " self" and 
contempt for others, he said, " I am persuaded that 
what is needed is nothing less than a mighty 
baptism of love." He had received it himself, and 
I don t think that I can recall a single occasion 
on which I heard him speak of another in any 
spirit but the spirit of. love and meekness. 

I was much struck, too, when paying a visit to 
him in his curacy at Peckham, to notice the trouble 
he took over any individual soul. I know of a 
case in which considerable time and trouble was 
spent over one soul, and I could not help thinking 
of the words of the Lord, who spoke of the shepherd 
going in search of the lost sheep until he find it. 

I shall always recall his friendship with deepest 
gratitude; I look upon it as one of God s greatest 
blessings to me. It is hard, indeed, to think that 
his work was done so early, or to readily grasp the 
fact that so profitable and delightful a friendship 
is over, till the day dawn, and our intercourse is 
resumed to know no further interruption. 

July, 1897. W. H. FINNEY. 

D 2 



26 C.S.S. Mission at Eastbourne. . 

Willie s engagement to assist Mr. Arrow- 
smith at Eastbourne shortened his holiday 
and his reading time during the Summer 
Vacation. His mind in the matter is shown 
in the following letter to his father : 

Keswick, July 26th, 1892. 

I have written to Mr. Arrowsmith telling him I 
cannot decide arrangements, but am leaving it to 
you to write to him and say when I am to come, if 
at all, Let me tell you what my own opinion is ; 
I am perfectly ready for myself to give up going 
to Kent s Bank altogether. I know what the 
sacrifice involves, but I am quite willing to make 
it, and am really longing to get to Eastbourne 
to work in however small a way. I know it is a 
sacrifice also for all of you, and so I must leave it 
for you to decide. 

In Mr. G s sermon on Sunday night, on the 
three " ye cannots," he said they were the tests of 
full submission, " he that loveth father or mother 
more than me cannot be my disciple." This seems 
to appeal to me with special force just at 
present. I do want to give full submission, and if 
this is God s message to me now it seems to me 
I ought to go at once. I think that GOD wants 
me to go to Eastbourne, and that His voice is in 
the letter I have received from Mr. Arrowsmith. 



General Work of tJie Mission. 27 

Such arguments could not be resisted. 

That Children s Special Service Mission 
at Eastbourne was a time of great happiness 
to Willie. The following extracts from his 
letters may be interesting as giving a view 
of the inner life of the Mission Band as well 
as of their more public operations : 

Eastbourne, August ipth, 1892. 

At present I have no special department, but am 
a "general," making myself useful in any way I 
can, and there really is any amount to do. All 
the various paraphernalia have to be taken down 
to the church for the Prayer Meeting, and then to 
the beach ; the banner has to be borne aloft along 
the parade to collect the people ; hymn sheets, etc., 
to be taken round ; a good deal of work in sending 
out notices, etc. When out of doors you have to 
be always on the look out for new boys, and then 
the boys have to be looked after, in a general way, 
always. 

The object of the cricket, teas, sports, etc., is, 
of course, to draw them in gradually to come to 
the meetings and eventually to Christ ; for you 
won t get boys to meetings if there is nothing 
besides. 

Last night we had a splendid boys meeting, 



28 Work among the Boys. 

about forty-eight to tea first, and then about sixty 
altogether in the meeting, in spite of a thunder 
storm brewing the whole evening. About twenty 
stopped behind to be talked to, and several of 
them came right out for Jesus. I got a dear little 
boy to talk to ; he is a Christian all right, but was 
not happy, felt he had gone back rather ; after a 
talk and prayer I walked home with him, and 
think he was a bit happier. He has not got the 
< cleansing " and " keeping " yet, I think. I don t 
know whether such a small boy can receive a thing 
like that, and I feel rather diffident about saying 
anything on the subject ; but I am praying for 
guidance in the matter, and shall get it, I know. 
I will write as often as I can, but I foresee that 
leisure time will be scarce ; in fact, it makes one 
feel guilty almost to have any leisure time. 

Eastbourne, August 23rd, 1892. 

People talk of religion making children unhappy ! 
See our boys play cricket, see them at the sports, 
their happy faces at the meetings, hear them sing ; 
above all, see them work ! 

I was out on parade to-night for two hours with 
a boy trying to get others in ; very successful, got 
nearly twenty new ones. May GOD bring them 
all ! This boy is as keen as a razor on getting 
others to come. 



Happy results. 29 

Don t forget, all to pray for the boys meeting 
on Thursday night ; pray specially for a boy 

named , in whom I am much interested. I 

do want him to confess Christ on Thursday night ; 
may GOD send the right word to his heart. Don t 
-forget also the other services round the coast. 
Oxford and Cambridge cricket match this after 
noon ; I captained Oxford. 

Eastbourne, August 3 1st, 1892. 

We are still having a glorious time, and are 
praising GOD continually. Sunday morning opened 
very stormy, but in answer to special prayer it 
cleared up before 12, and we had the Church 
packed in the afternoon in spite of a flower-service 
elsewhere ; 80 boys in the evening, a time of great 
^blessing and real decision for Christ on the part of 
.many. 

Last Thursday was poor in numbers, only 54, 
but the power of the Spirit was manifestly shown, 
-and several of the bigger boys came right out for 
Christ. Wednesday we had a lantern service, an 
immense gathering was present, both parades 
crammed with people, such a sight as I shall never 
forget. Such a meeting must have been blessed of 
GOD to many. Went to Pevensey on Monday, 
when we had a most delightful day. 

To his mother he wrote thus, some difficulty 



30 Close of tlie Mission. 

having arisen as to prolonging his stay till the 
close of the mission, and beyond the time 
originally arranged : 

Eastbourne, September 5th, 1892. 

Do work it for me : I shall be simply miserable 
if I leave to-morrow ; I must stop and look after my 
boys till the end ; the importance of this last week 
with them can hardly be over-estimated ; each 
" bro." has his own to look after specially, so do 
let me stop and look after mine. I shall be able to- 
" read " all the better when I get home, and could 
not settle down till this Mission was over. 

I shall have a very happy birthday (the /th 
September) here, though of course I shall miss all 
the dear ones at home, but I know you are all 
remembering us specially in prayer and will 
continue to do so. We had 105 boys at the 
meeting last night. Praise the LORD. 

Needless to say, he remained until the 
close of the mission. This was not a mere 
passing interest ; he kept up correspondence 
with many of the boys, and months after we 
find him writing thus : 

I had such a splendid letter from one of my 
boys on Sunday morning ; it rejoiced my heart 



Sunday at Oxford. 31 

rr:ore than any letter I have had all the term ; I 
should think I have read it twenty times since, if I 
have read it once. Yesterday I got a letter from 
the mother of another of my boys, thanking me 
very warmly for writing to him. This is gratifying, 
is it not ? 

The following letter describes a Sunday 
evening s work at Oxford, that Autumn 
Term, and shows the spirit which now 
animated him : 

Oxford, October i/th, 1892. 

I had a splendid time yesterday evening. At 
seven o clock I went with Ehvin* to a children s 
service at St. Clement s Mission Room, in quite a 
poor part of Oxford. There were about 180 boys 
and girls there in equal numbers, some of the 
boys very rough indeed, but they really behaved 
wonderfully. 

We had some of the evening prayers, plenty of 
singing, and an address from myself and one from 
Elwin. I gave an object lesson on " a pencil," and 
the way they listened was delightful. The service 
lasted just under an hour, and was one of the most 



* Now the Rev. E. H. Elwin, Vice-Principal of Fourah 
Bay College, Sierra Leone. 



32 Martyrs Memorial Service. 

enjoyable I have ever been at. I had never spoken 
to children before, and an audience of 200 was at 
first rather alarming ; but I went in trust, and 
realised once more that " God s commands are 
covenanted possibilities of power." 

After that we went off to the open-air service at 
the Martyrs Memorial. Elwin, not content with 
what he had got out of me, had engaged me to 
speak here also. I was rather doubtful whether 
my voice could stand it and was loud enough, 
having had choir-practice, choir, and children s 
service already ; however, " My God shall supply 
all your need," lung power included, the promise 
came true, and I was able to make myself heard 
all right. After this, four of us walked about the 
.streets for nearly an hour talking. Then we 
separated, and one of them came in with me to 
have cocoa and a chat. We were just settling 
comfortably down when in came another Queen s 
man ! I was rather up a tree at first, and thought 
our time together was spoiled, but praise the Lord ! 
" all for the best ! " we very soon got on to the 
subject and had a straight go ; I have talked with 
this man before, and last night may be just a " link 
in the chain." 

Willie soon after resigned his place in the 
College choir, because he wanted more time 



A Passing Cloud. 33 

for reading, and because it prevented him 
attending the Daily Prayer Meeting, which 
took place at the same hour as the choir 
practice. He also gave up the secretary 
ship of the College Musical Society, which 
had occupied a great deal of his time. But 
he continued his connection with the College 
boats, for the sake of the influence it gave 
him over other men. 

Notwithstanding his remarkably happy 
disposition, he was not without occasional 
times of depression. Thus we find him 

wntin " * 

Oxford, October 25th, 1892. 

As for myself, I am at present under a cloud. 
I can t make out what it is, but I am hanging on 
to Phil. iii. 15, and trust that it will be revealed 
in time. I am almost believing that I ought to 
give up the boats, but that seems like giving up 
all chance of one s influence being felt. I have 
been trying to witness faithfully this term, but, so 
far, it does not seem to produce any effect. Oh, 
for more heavenly wisdom ! 

This did not last long, for only six days 
ilater he wrote : 



34 Moody s Mission. 

Oxford, October 3ist, 1892. 

That cloud has indeed passed away, and I have 
never known such peace as during the last few 
days ; peace, too, in the midst of a good deal of 
worry and trouble of various kinds. What a 
grand thing it is simply to fall back on the ever 
lasting arms for rest of body as well as rest of 
mind and soul ! 

His earnest longing for the spiritual 
welfare of his beloved University is breathed 
in the following extract ; 

Oxford, November 5th, 1892. 
I am quite convinced of this now, that if Oxford 
is to be won for Christ it must be by the conse 
crated lives of the Christians themselves rather 
than by preaching. 

The following letters refer to Mr. Moody s 
Mission at Oxford in November, 1892, which 
was a very blessed season : 

Oxford, November I4th, 1892. 
Moody is coming on Friday and will hold 
services each night until Monday inclusive. Do 
pray that many men may go, out of curiosity 
perhaps, and be made anxious about their souls, 
and that we may have all fear of man taken away 



Res2ilts of Moody s Mission. 35 

from us and be bold to ask men to go, and to tell 
tJiem u>/iy we want tJicni to go. Oxford was shaken 
when Moody was here last. Oh that it may be so 
again ! 

The "Junior Fours " are on next .Saturday, and 
we are now in training for them. My boat is 
going fairly well. I feel sure GOD has sent me 
down to the river to fulfil His purpose and for His 
glory, and I am praying earnestly for the conver 
sion of the others in my " four " during Moody s 
Mission. Oh that grace may be given me to 
persuade them to go and hear ! Whether the 
LORD will tell me to go on rowing after the 
" fours " are over, I don t know, but He will guide 
when the time comes. If there is one thing I have 
learnt lately it is to seek for guidance for the 
present, said not for the future : "as thy days so 
shall thy strength be " 

Oxford, November 23rd, 1892. 
Well, Moody s Mission is now all over, and we 
can, indeed, praise GOD. I believe Oxford has 
been really blessed, and the effect will be widely 
felt ; many men stood up each night at the after- 
meetings in evidence of accepting Christ. Sunday 
night s meeting for men only was a most thrilling 
sight: the Corn Exchange was packed to over 
flowing. On Monday night Moody spoke on 



36 . College Bible Readings. 

" Confessing Christ," and then asked all who were 
willing to confess Christ in their daily lives to 
rise, when nearly all the audience rose, in truth a 
mighty army. But there is a difference between 
doing this and " confessing " in the daily life. 

Oxford, December 5th, 1892. 

After Moody left there was a furious correspond 
ence in the " Oxford Review " on the impudence of 
the " Evangelical undergrads " who had dared to 
bring an American to preach to cultured, intel 
lectual Oxford ! This is good, and shows very 
plainly that the Mission has not been without 
results. 

In the general attack on the " so-called Evan 
gelical party" one special subject was the preaching 
at the Martyrs Memorial. This resulted in our 
having a very crowded service there last Sunday, 
so the LORD has " made the devices of the people 
to be of none effect" and has turned it all to His 
honour and glory, Praise to His Holy Name ! 

Willie was the Secretary of the Queen s 
College Bible Reading Society, and its 
meetings were generally held in his rooms. 
This autumn and winter he often seems to 
have led them, and they are frequently 
referred to in his letters. Thus : 



" The Truest Humility." 37 

Oxford, 23rd November, 1892. 
We had a splendid time here last Wednesday,, 
eleven present The subject taken was the 
" Raising of Lazarus," typical of various stages 
in spiritual life : dead and buried ; raised to life 
(but bound with grave clothes) ; loosed from 
fetters ; walking free ; witnessing by the life ; 
and feasting with Jesus. I had an indirect 
testimony next day to appreciation of the Bible 
Reading. Praise the Lord, His word shall not return 
void. 

Oxford, January 3Oth, 1893. 
We had a very good time at the Bible Reading 
last Wednesday. Nine present. I took " He is 
able," and a discussion followed on Jude 24, in 
which some of the fellows did not agree with 
me, and practically would not allow that the text 
meant what it said. One even said that " we must 
keep on sinning, to keep us humble " ; but if so,, 
the greater the sinner, the more humility, and 
therefore our Adversary would be the most 
humble of all ! Surely, relying on Christ for 
ALL, " letting go, and trusting," is the truest hu 
mility the entire abnegation of self. I know 
some of the fellows got a " lift-up " that night ;. 
praise the LORD for it ! Pray that we may have 
grace to comprehend Christ s ///// salvation. 



38 Misinterpreted Motives. 

" F on Theatres"* has often formed a sub 
ject of discussion. On Saturday I had a long yarn 
with a man on the point. Finally he rounded on 
me, and said, " Don t let your good be evil spoken 
of," and suggested that the texts in my room, blue 
ribbon, " Martyrs Memorial doings," c., were 
stumbling blocks in some fellows ways ! This was 
a new aspect of the question, and for a time rather 
dismayed me. It seems hardest of all to have 
one s motive 1 ; misinterpreted, but I suppose this is 
what is meant by " bearing the reproach of Christ." 
I feel sure it was GOD S bidding that I should put 
up texts, &c. ; it was not done in a spirit of self- 
advertisement. If it has offended others, I can t 
help that, and GOD will defend His own honour. 

We are going to have the subject of Rom. xiv. 
up some Wednesday night, and have a go at the 
whole question. I feel sure that to alter my con 
duct in these particulars would be a great mistake ; 
but I much need guidance now that I find my 
actions are watched more narrowly than I ever 
dreamed of. 

I had a grand day yesterday ; took a Bible 
Reading in the afternoon, Is. xii. What a wonder 
ful chapter that is ! " Praise, sing, joy, declare, cry 

* A sermon by an old Queen s College man on the texts 
" Let not your good be evil spoken of," and "Abstain from 
all appearance of evil." 



Approaching Honours Exam, 39 

aloud, SHOUT." In the evening at the Martyrs 
Memorial, and then had a good time with a fellow 
in my own rooms. 

His examination in the Final Theology 
Honours School was now impending, and 
we find him writing thus : 

May 8th, 1893. 

The week has been a more or less uneventful 
one. I have got through a good week s work, but 
the Schools are getting aivfully near four weeks 
to-day ; but " He knoweth the way that I take." 
What a comfort that is ! I did a paper again on 
Friday, and quite came up to my own expectations, 
but not to my tutor s, I think he estimates me a 
great deal too highly, and expects too much of me. 
It is good to think of the time when it won t be 
necessary to study so much the Higher Criticism 
and ecclesiastical history; when there will be more 
time for real " eating " of the living Word of God, 
less Theology and more Bible ; yet "we have need 
of patience," and patience works on to experience. 

And a little later : 

I have done my last paper for my tutor, and see 
him for the last time to-morrow. I am very " fit " 
at present, so shall probably work on till Wednes 
day or Thursday, and then take a few days holiday 

E 



4O " One Things " of New Testament. 

before the exam, next Monday, " in quietness and 
confidence . . . your strength." 

Towards the close of his undergraduate 

life, he writes : 

Oxford, 8th May, 1893. 

We had the Bible Reading on Wednesday before 
breakfast, that seeming a more suitable time in 
the summer, but only five men turned up. It is 
rather discouraging, and I am much afraid the 
meeting will fall through when I am gone, there 
seems no one at present inclined to take it on. It 
seems rather as if my work for the LORD, which 
has largely consisted in getting up the Bible Read 
ings, will be tried by the fire, and won t stand 
the test. I do trust God that it won t be so. I am 
conscious of much slackness in the past ; but 
latterly, at least, I have been sincere in trying 
to let Him work through me, so I do believe He 
will own my labour for Him, even though I may 
not see it myself.* 

Our subject on Wednesday was "one thing." 
I don t know whether you may have noticed the 
.cue tilings of the New Testament, so I will give 
you them ; they make a grand study : 

I. "One thing" lacking : Humility. Mark x. 21. 

* It is pleasant to record that the Bible Readings at 
Queen s continued and flourished. 



Visit to North Sea. 41 

2. "One thing" needful: "Seek ye first." Luke 
:x. 42. 

3. " One thing " I know : Assurance of salvation. 
John ix. 25. 

4. "One thing" I do: Press forward. Phil.iii.iJ. 

5. " One thing " forget not : His coming. 2 Pet. 
dii. 8. 

The following letter refers to a projected 
visit that summer to the North Sea Fisheries, 
in connection with the Deep Sea Mission, 
already referred to in Mr. Finney s personal 

recollections : 

Oxford, May 2pth, 1893. 

Finney, Seaton, and I, are going to sea on the 
jrd July. We have not only thought well about 
at, but prayed well about it, and believe it is the 
LORD S will that we should go ; so I don t see that 
there is any reason why we should be called mad 
for going. I am a fairly good sailor, and expect 
I shall be all right after two or three days. 

He wrote as follows while on this 

Mission: , 

" The Clulow, North Sea, 

July loth, 1893. 

The cutter does not go till to-morrow a? there 
has been no wind, and consequently no trawling, 
so I have time for a regular letter. 

E 2 



42 Experiences on Voyage. 

I don t know how to describe things at all ; 
never had such a day in my whole life as 
yesterday ; never was at such services, nor heard 
such singing. 

To begin at the beginning, we did not leave 
Gravesend till two o clock on Friday afternoon, as 
one of the crew was missing. We sighted the 
fleet on Saturday night, but too late to come on 
board, so came on about 7.30 on Sunday morning. 
The time on the cutter was well, never mind,, the 
LORD took us through it all ; but it was trying to 
health, both physical and spiritual : three nights 
on deck without changing one s clothes was not 
pleasant, but we had some grand talks with the 
men. 

On Saturday I was a little upset, went down to 
try and eat some dinner, but soon came up again. 
Sunday was calm, and so is to-day, praise the 
LORD ! He has thus enabled us to get used to the 
motion, and though we were all three a bit upset 
yesterday, strength was given us for meetings, &c. 

We had a grand service in the fore-cabin yester 
day morning, and again in the afternoon, when one 
man came out on the LORD S side Glory to GOD ! 
He was regularly broken down. I never was in 
meetings where the power of the. Spirit was so 
manifested. To hear these men pray would make 
you weep, and I am sure it must make the angels 



Work among- the Smacks-men. 43 

sing. After tea we had hymns and prayer, &c., on 
deck as it was so fine, and finished off with the 
Communion Service in our little after-cabin 
eleven present a most touching service, the 
memory of which will never leave me. Altogether 
it was a most glorious day, sunshine without and 
sunshine within. 

These men out here there s no nonsense about 
them. If they are on the LORD S side, then every 
body knows it ; they are full of joy and praise, and 
it must come out. Thus, at first, to one coming 
from staid Hampstead or staider Oxford, it is a bit 
difficult to be in the right spirit. Pray that the 
LORD may give us all, and me especially, the grace 
to be what He would have us to be in our present 
circumstances. 

This morning was still calm, and we had a 
glorious dip over the side. The morning was 
spent in visits from various smacks-men, who came 
for "baccy," &c., and thus opportunities of saying a 
word for the LORD were afforded. In the afternoon, 
as several men were still on board, we had a 
service in the forecabin, and one man came over 
the line Praise the LORD ! 

The calm still continues, and so long as it does 
so the men cannot fish ; which is trying to the 
faith, but favours the LORD S work. Still, we must 
pray for a breeze. 



44 News of Honours List. 

The berths, &c., and all the arrangements on 
board the Mission Ship are paradise compared 
with those on board the cutter. Praise the LORD- 
indeed for all His mercies ! It is good to be here. 
I can t write any more now, if I did it must be to 
praise Him for all His goodness. Excuse bad 
writing, as the vessel is rolling. 

I suppose the Theological list is now out ; send 
it to me as soon as possible. 

Very much love to all, and may the LORD keep- 
you from being anxious, for " He holdeth the sea in 
the hollow of His hand." 

While in the North Sea he received the 
welcome news that he had gained a Second! 
Class in Honours Theology, and wrote thus : 

" The Clulow," Abreast of Silts, 

July 1 4th, 1893. 

Many thanks for the welcome news about the 
Schools. I don t quite know at the present whether 
I am standing on my head or my heels. Praise 
the LORD, indeed, for His undeserved mercies ! 
Two texts are continually ringing in my mind : 
" He will fulfil the desire of them that fear Him," 
and " O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou 
doubt ? " I don t feel that I deserve a Second, 
but I think it is an answer to prayer. I had a~ 



The LORD S Goodness. 45 

letter from my tutor also, who says I had " luck 
but well-deserved luck " (whatever that means), 
and was on the border-line between Second and 
Third. 

Wednesday afternoon was very calm, so we 
three went " visiting " with the skipper. Visited 
four smacks, and held service on two of them. 
We had a good time; the LORD was with us, three 
or four pledges were taken, and we believe two 
or three came on to the LORD S side. But the 
nature of the circumstances makes the work very 
difficult and apt to be discouraging. One may 
see a man once and have a word with him, and 
then not see him again for some time. Truly, 
the devil is at work here, and does his best to 
hinder ; but the LORD is mightier and must 
prevail, and His work does go on in spite of 
opposition. 

I can t get over the Schools list yet (it is now 
evening), the LORD really is too good to me. I 
have come out above men who, I believe, are 
really worth more than I am. However, it is 
His doing, and to Him be all the Glory. He 
has done exceeding abundantly above all that 1 
asked or thought. 

Once more he had the privilege of attend 
ing the Keswick Convention, this year in 



46 Keswick Convention, 1893. 

the Students Camp with many Oxford men. 
One letter thereon must suffice : 

Students Camp, Keswick, 
July 23rd, 1893. 

At present there are about 100 men in camp, 
including Bishop Hill and Mr. Stewart,* and 60 
more arrive to-morrow -30 in all from Oxford. 

At 7.0 this morning most of us went to the 
Communion at St. John s where there was a good 
gathering. I had a glorious time there myself. 
How good the LORD has been to me of late ; my 
class in the Schools ; the North Sea ; and now 
Keswick ; besides numberless other mercies. 
Psalm C. 5, seemed to have new meaning this 
morning. 

Breakfast in camp at 8.20. Went to church at 
10, service at 10.30, crammed of course. A 
most heart-searching sermon from Rev. H. B. 
Macartney on "The single eye." Praise the LORD! 
The Convention has begun in the right way for 
me at least ; and whatever the light reveals the 
blood will cleanse. 

I had almost forgotten the weather. It was 
lovely yesterday, and the mountains quite clear. 

* It is sad to remember that Bishop Hill died from 
African fever in January, 1894, and that the Rev. R. \V. 
Stewart was one of the victims of the Massacre at Kucheng, 
in August 1895. 



Ordination as Deacon.- 47 

This morning is dull and the mists hanging low : 
but never mind, " when He giveth quietness, who 
can give trouble ? " 

After taking his degree in October, Willie 
went to Wycliffe Hall. The original inten 
tion was that he should stav there a full 

j 

year, but he had received from the Rev. 
Thomas Goss, of St. Mary Magdalene, 
Peckham, himself a Queen s man and the 
father of a Queen s man who knew Willie 
well, the offer of a Title, conditional on his 
joining at Christmas. 

The sphere thus presented a London 
parish having a population of 12,000 
(chiefly poor), with well-filled church, 
mission hall, flourishing national schools and 
full parochial organisation, but only two 
clergy was just the one he desired. 

Mr. Goss s offer was, after prayerful con 
sideration, accepted, and Willie was ordained 
deacon on St. Thomas s Day, 1893, by 
Dr. Randall Davidson, the then Bishop of 
Rochester. 



48 Rev. E. H. Elwiris Reminiscences. 

This seems to be the right place for the 
following Oxford reminiscences, written from 
Sierra Leone, by the Rev. E. H. Elwin : 

My acquaintance with Willie began in Novem 
ber, 1890, at Oxford, when, on being told he was 
secretary of the District Visiting Society, I called 
to ask him to tell me how- I could join. His rooms 
were full of men, but he was most kind. I dined 
with him soon after, but I did not see much of 
him, for he was in every sense a College man 
and kept to his own College. 

In August, 1892 he came down to Eastbourne 
to help Mr. Arrowsmith in his work. I was there 
too, and he told me what a great blessing he had 
received at Keswick. I had never been to the 
Convention, and I watched him very carefully. He 
was certainly very much changed. His whole 
trend was now for the glory of the Master, and 
his whole life was lived with that end in view.. 
We often talked of spiritual things, and I 
remember how I would urge that it be not called 
the "Keswick blessing," and how readily he agreed 
He was used of God much, I believe, during the 
mission among the boys. 

When he came back to Oxford for the October 
term, I remember he was not a little exercised 
as to what stand he should now make with the 



Rev. E. H. Elwiris Reminiscences* 49 

new light given, and in my diary I find we were 
often in each other s rooms seeking to know how 
best to shine for GOD among the men in our 
respective Colleges. In the October of that year,. 
Mr. Grubb came to Oxford; and I believe it 
was then Willie imbibed a higher view of 
the "clean heart" than Scripture would allow,, 
and it was a subject of much debate between us. 
Gradually he seems to have found what we believe. 
to be the true Scriptural doctrine in the matter. 
His influence at Queen s College after the blessing 
he received in 1892 was, I know, very great, and. 
I well remember how he went round to all the 
freshmen, and how he purposely threw himself 
more into his rowing that he might win some 
for GOD. 

He then went to Peckham, where I saw him. 
once. After being accepted by the Church Mis 
sionary Society he came up again to Wycliffe 
Hall, but I am sorry to say we saw each other rarely. 
In May of last year I came to Sierra Leone, and in. 
January he arrived. We often talked together, and 
I know how the truths he had learned were life 
to him, and how anxious he was for the welfare- 
of all around him ; also how, far from having gone 
back, he had grown very much and had grown, 
deeper. 

2ist July, 1897. E. H. ELWIN, 



CHAPTER III. 
Peckham. 

" He liveth long who liveth well ! 
All else is being flung away ; 
He liveth longest who can tell 
Of true things truly done each day." 

H. Bonar. 

T N entering upon his curacy, Willie felt 
^ deeply the responsibility of being put 
in trust with the Gospel, and devoted him 
self especially to visiting at the homes of the 
poor. The following extracts from two of 
his letters show his sympathy with temporal 
distress among his people and with their 
spiritual needs : 

There are rriany cases of distress here that go to 
one s heart ; people who have seen better days, and 
are at the last gasp, by no fault of their own, and 
would not for worlds have their neighbours know 
their state. One such case I visited on Friday ; 
the man lost his employment because his em 
ployer s methods were not "straight," and it was 



Ministerial Responsibility. 5 1 

against his conscience to work with him. The 
man is an earnest Christian, and I know the case 
to be a perfectly genuine one ; and yet one felt it 
would be almost insulting to offer help. I think 
some must be sent anonymously. There are many 
such cases, alas ! 

And again : 

What must not have been " the care of all the 
churches " to St. Paul ! One realises now in some 
measure the "care of all the streets," and the people 
in them the hundreds and thousands one knows 
nothing about, and many of whom never attend a 
place of worship. But this is the care of only one 
" church," and St. Paul had the churches of Galatia, 
Ephesus, Corinth, and many more a sort of arch 
bishop or primate in some sense. Certainly the 
thought of the people in want whom one cannot 
relieve, the people in darkness who will not see the 
light, the godless homes one visits all this does 
weigh heavily upon one at times. The only com 
fort is that it weighs far more heavily upon our 
blessed LORD Himself. 

He was often exercised in mind about the 
comparative luxury of life in England, and 
writes thus to his mother : 

I agree entirely with what you say about home 
life being much too comfortable. I am thinking 



52 Visit to Oxford. 

^o very much at present ; there is but little of 
" taking up the cross " in present-day Christianity. 
My own quarters here are far too comfortable. I 
often think of moving to the other end of the 
parish and taking cheaper rooms and living less 
expensively. A great deal could be saved thus 
and much better spent on home or foreign mission 
work. My present circumstances would be but a 
poor preparation for Africa or China. 

He very seldom took even half a day away 
from his parish ; and his family at Hampstead 
saw very little of him, unless they paid 
Peckham a visit, for which an excuse was 
frequently found by one and another of them. 

When, however, he did get away from his 
work he thoroughly enjoyed himself. Thus, 
during the "Eights Week" in May, 1894, he 
paid a short visit to his beloved Oxford, and 
wrote thus : 

It does seem so natural to be writing once more 
from Oxford. I feel quite like an undergrad. 
again. I have had an awfully jolly time up 
here, and it has done me a lot of good. We 
have had a little tennis and plenty of boating. 
This afternoon we punted right up to Marston 



Summer Holiday. 53 

and had tea there. The weather has been cold, 
but Monday and Tuesday were fine, and to-day 
has been lovely. Oxford is looking " A I." Of 
course I have had many pleasant meetings with 
friends. 

Willie spent his first summer holiday from 
his curacy, partly in paying visits in the West 
of England, and partly with his family at 
Ventnor. He enjoyed much the scenery of 
the Wye, and wrote thus : 

Dingestow Court, Monmouth, 

July 5th, 1894. 

I am sitting out on the terrace now, writing. 
The view from here is perfectly entrancing. 

I sat out and basked this morning, and tried to 
read, but the view proved too much for me. From 
this terrace you look down a gently undulating 
slope of about 500 or 600 yards ; then across a 
lake (fifty yards or so) studded with lilies, on to a 
hayfield ; then a dip, in which the railway lies 
-hidden ; and then a wood rising up a fairly steep 
knoll ; the whole being most beautifully wooded. 
The panorama of hill and dale is simply glorious, 
but I am afraid my descriptive powers will not do 
justice to it. 

It is truly restful to be here. We generally 



54 Scenery of tJie Wye. 

separate for the night at 10.30 ; prayers in the 
morning at .8.20, then Bible-reading together, and 
breakfast at nine. 

On Tuesday we left here at 10.30, drove to 
Monmouth, there took a boat and rowed down 
the river to Tintern, having a picnic lunch by the 
way. I don t know how to describe the Wye ; it 
is quite the richest piece of scenery I have ever 
seen. You miss the mountains, but otherwise it is 
something- like Borrowdale, only more narrow 
and like a gorge. The sylvan verdure is more 
luxuriant on the Wye. We had glimpses of sun 
light on the way down, but in the afternoon the 
sun came out gloriously. Tintern Abbey is most 
picturesque. The old monks certainly had an eye 
to the beautiful in selecting their sites. We drove 
back along the valley of the Wye. I think I 
enjoyed this even more than the boat in the morn 
ing ; the sun was out brightly, and showed the 
valley at its best. We got back here soon after 
7.30. Altogether, a most delightful trip. 

Being left in charge of the parish during 
Mr. Goss s holiday, Willie learned something 
of the multifarious duties of a London Vicar. 

Thus he writes :- 

Peckham, August 2/th, 1894. 
Nearly 11.30 p.m., but I have really been so full 



The Work of a London Vtcar. 55 

of odds and ends to-day that it is only now that I 
have leisure to sit down and write, though I have 
been looking for an opportunity all day. 

From 9.30 this morning my time has been taken 
up with one thing and another ; people to see me, 
visits to pay, letters to write for people, &c. I see 
now something of the secular work that Mr. Goss, 
and other Vicars, too, I daresay, have to do, and 
how it runs away with time. It makes one wish 
that the people who come to see one came more 
often about their souls than about their bodies. 
Alas ! in how few cases do people think about, or 
get anxious over, the question of their soul. But, 
on the whole, I have had one or two rather 
encouraging talks to-day. 

One wants to be so completely under the manage 
ment of GOD, that He shall be able to ivork through 
one, and use one simply as a channel. What we 
also want is more prayer. I don t get half or 
quarter enough time to pray ; the things I have on 
my mind at this moment would take an hour to 
roll off on to the LORD. 

With regard to the need of private study 
of the Word of GOD, writing to a brother, 
Willie says : 

I feel with you the danger of letting thought for 
the spiritual state of others swamp the care of one s 

F 



56 Bible Study. 

own spiritual life; (see I Tim. iv., 16) "Take heed 
(a) unto thyself," (b} " unto the doctrine ; " " thus- 
shalt thou save (a) thyself," (b) "others." One s- 
influence on others must suffer if one s own soul is 
not properly watered and refreshed. Don t be 
too introspective, however ; remember Murray 
McCheync s " For one look at self, take ten at 
Christ." 

Willie s Bible bears marks of constant and 
painstaking study ; it is full of markings and 
notes from beginning to end. He knew in- 

o o 

deed what it was to feed upon the Word,, 
and to meditate therein day and night. 
Like most thoughtful students, he had 
during his Oxford career passed through a 
season of doubt and difficulty concerning 
many subjects connected with the sacred 
writings ; but the LORD led him through 
these into a position of complete acceptance 
of the entire Bible as a divine revelation to 
man of the being and the will of GOD. This 
revelation he acknowledged as the one rule 
of life, and he was content to obey what 
he knew, leaving what was beyond human 



Bishop s Exam. 57 

comprehension to be solved in the full light of 
the perfect day, when we shall know as we 
are known. 

Some of his notes of Bible studies are 
given at the close of this volume. 

The following letter, dated 4th December, 
1894, refers to his approaching ordination to 
priest s orders, and breathes the humble yet 
happy spirit of a true-hearted minister of the 
Gospel : 

I heard from the Bishop last night that I had 
"satisfied the examiners," so that is all right. I feel 
deeply thankful to GOD, for I do not think I de 
served to get through. We ought all to give a 
special thank-offering. It is a relief to feel it is all 
over, and one can now look forward to and prepare 
for the solemn occasion of Friday, the 2ist. How 
this year has flown, and how little one has done in 
the time ! But " I will restore to you the years 
that the locust hath eaten." 

And again, a few days later : 

I am looking forward to next week very much. 

I badly need a quiet " retreat," which I hope this 

will be. There are many things to be pondered 

over, and one s whole self and life want a sort of 

F 2 



58 Ordination as Priest. 

overhauling occasionally, for which there is hardly 
time in an ordinary busy life. I am looking, more 
over, for a more abundant fulfilment of Acts i. 8 in 
my own soul. Somehow I seem to know sadly 
little of that as yet ; there doesn t seem to be 
much spiritual " dynamite " about one s life or 
work, and it is of no use to work without the 
power. 

On the eve of his Ordination he wrote : 

Rochester, December, ipth, 1894. 
This is a solemn time, and makes one look back 
on the past year with many regrets ; so little 
done, so much unfaithfulness, so many broken 
vows. Truly one cries "Woe is me, for I am a 
man of unclean lips " ; but thank GOD for the 
next verse ! We are indeed, I trust, getting a 
vision of GOD here which may enable us to see 
the realities of life more clearly, so that we shall 
all go from this place with firmer resolve, and 
with real definite dealing with GOD, in our own 
souls. But it is very hard to write one s mind 
on these matters. I feel and trust that this is 
to be an epoch in my life, more so than last year. 
May I realise what it is to be poured forth as a 
drink offering to GOD on behalf of men. 

Willie was always very popular with 
children, took a great deal of trouble in 



Work among Children. 59 

preparing for any instruction he had to 
give them, and also threw himself thoroughly 
into their recreations. Thus he writes on 
1 7th January, 1895 : ~~ 

To-night we are having a sort of children s 
party at the schools, for members of the Scripture 
Union and Band of Hope. I am preparing myself 
to be torn in pieces it will do me good. 

Concerning a similar previous occasion he 
had written : 

I enjoyed it much, and I fear that at such times- 
the fact becomes sadly patent that I am still 
very young ; there is no doubt I do thoroughly 
enjoy a good romp. 

His summer holiday in 1895 was spent 
with several members of his family, visit 
ing Edinburgh and the west coast of Scot 
land. Leaving them at Oban, he extended 
his tour northward, alone, and thus described 
the scenery on his return journey from 
Inverness : 

Leith, N.B., August I4th, 1895. 
The scenery on the Highland Railway is fine 
and varied. I never knew what heather was 



o Visit to Scotland. 

till I saw it to-day on the moors of Grantown and 
Kingussie ; there you have it, miles upon miles. 
The chief places of note are : Grantown and the 
view of the Spey, 1,000 feet above sea level, where 
you are quite up in the clouds ; the view across 
the Moray Firth from above Forres ; the view of 
the Eastern Grampians, Cairngorm, &c , from 
Aviemore they are a fine, noble outline ; the 
Pass of Drumouchtcr (1,500 feet), which is wild, 
and tends to be dreary, but the beautiful heather 
slopes relieve it. Then you get to the beautiful 
Glen Garry the finest mountain stream I have 
seen swollen with the recent rains, and looking 
as if it were trying to run a race with the railway. 
Blair Athole is picturesque, and ushers in the more 
cultivated part of the journey, beginning with the 
Killiecrankie Pass, which is different from any 
other pass I have seen, and extremely fine. Soon, 
at Pitlochry, you reach the Tay Valley, where the 
view all ways is grand ; Ben Vrackie and Ben-y- 
Gloe, a fine background ; while towards Loch 
Tay you have Schiehallion and our old friend Ben 
Lawers, whose shape I easily recognised. The 
valley of the Tay reminded me somewhat of the 
Wye, it is very luxuriant and well wooded ; Dun- 
keld and Birnam pass description. 

The demands of the Foreign Mission 



Foreign Mission Field. 6 1 

Field had long pressed upon Willie ; but it 
had been decided for him that he should 
have at least two years work at home, in 
order that he might gain experience, and 
be able to weigh the relative claims of the 
home and foreign fields. 

He writes thus to his mother : 

Peckham, October i/th, 1895. 

The question of offering to the Church Mission 
ary Society is a good deal in my mind. I rode 
over to Richmond to see Aunt L on Monday, 
and called on Mr. Squires, and had a long talk 
with him about it. He thinks I ought not to delay, 
but, having been in work at home for two years, 
should put myself into communication with the 
C.M.S. soon. 

This is the conclusion to which I seem to have 
been led up more and more all this year. I kn AV 
that there is no obstacle on your part, that you are 
quite willing I should offer myself for this work. 
My health is no obstacle. The longer one re 
mains in work at home, the less likely does it 
become that one ultimately goes abroad. The 
questions of language and of acclimatisation are 
both better settled when one is young. Looking 
at it all round, I can see no good reason why I 



62 Offer to C.M.S. 

should not offer for the mission field, while there 
are 10,000 reasons why I should. In fact, it is not 
why should I go? but why should I not go? 
While all the time perfectly conscious that I have 
no special qualifications for this, or indeed for any 
other work in GOD S vineyard, yet I trust there is. 
the one qualification, a call to do the work, and an 
earnest desire to work where GOD places me. 

After well weighing the matter, he took 
the first step, as recorded in the following 

letter : 

Peckham, October 24th, 1895. 

By this post goes to the Rev. H. E. Fox a letter 
from myself offering for the C.M.S. 

It seems as if this path has become plainer and 
plainer the last few months, weeks, and especially 
days. No reason has appeared for delaying the 
matter longer. My visit to Oxford yesterday 
practically decided me. I talked the matter over 
thoroughly with Mr. Chavasse and Mr. Gibbon,, 
and they both think my course seems clear. 

Most strangely, I had by yesterday morning s 

post a letter about the Vicarage at P *. I have 

written this afternoon declining. It sounded very 
tempting, but I felt as if Luke ix. 62, applied here. 

* This refers to a vacant living for which it was proposed 
that his name should be put forward. 



Offer Accepted. 63 

Later on he writes : 

Peckham, December 3rd, 1895. 

On Sunday night I preached on I Cor. iiL 
11-15. What a solemn thought it is that at the 
testing day all our work, that is not done 
absolutely for GOD, and in GOD, will be burnt up- 
like wood, hay, and stubble. It makes one think 
there will be little left. Do you know I sometimes- 
feel as if I were going to the C.M.S. under false 
pretences. I cannot honestly say that I have 
been a success here ; and, therefore, what am I 
likely to be in the mission field, where many things- 
hinder? 

Looking back now on the past two years, there 
seems precious little that I have been privileged to- 
accomplish ; and so much left undone, and what 
has been done so badly done. The thought some 
times crosses my mind that I have been tried in. 
the balances and found wanting. It is very 
humbling. 

His offer of service was accepted by the 
C.M.S., but his destination could not be at 
once decided ; and, as he felt the need of a 
time of rest and study before going to the 
mission field, he returned to Wycliffe Hall 
in January, 1896. 



<54 Rev- T. Goss s Narrative. 

It was with great regret that he parted 
from his Peckham friends, from whom he 
"had experienced nothing but kindness, and 
who presented him on leaving with many 
tokens of their goodwill. 

The narrative of this period cannot be 
better concluded than by the following 
.account of his life at Peckham, kindly given 
by his vicar the Rev. Thomas Goss : 

My first introduction to dear Cox was early in 
the Autumn of 1893. Only recently instituted 
.then to this important South London parish, I 
was most anxious to obtain for it the services of an 
earnest, godly, and capable young colleague ; and 
by God s grace I found such. My son, then an 
.undergraduate at Oxford, had spoken in glowing 
terms of young Cox, of his own College, and 
thought he might accept a Title for the ensuing 
Advent Ordination. An interview with him, and 
a visit paid by him to the parish, resulted in the 
.offer on my part, and the acceptance on his, of an 
invitation to come and work here. He was just 
then very full of the spirit of self-dedication, and 
opened his heart very lovingly. He had recently 
returned from the enjoyment of much spiritual 
communion with young fellows like himself at the 




ST MARY MAGDALENE, PECKHAM. 



Rev. T. Gosss Narrative. 65 

Keswick Convention of 1893, about which we had 
Jong, earnest, and confidential talk. 

My future colleague had graduated with a good 
class in the Final School of Theology, but he 
-wished, nevertheless to spend the interval between 
the Long Vacation and Advent at Wycliffe Hall, 
for special reading, which he did, and enjoyed his 
work there greatly. Part of that work, and perhaps 
of as great importance as any, if it could be ascer 
tained, was the impression he left upon many minds 
there of a man thoroughly in earnest. It is known 
that some even of those who were inclined to 
resent his directness of speech came afterwards 
to acknowledge the genuineness, and to appreciate 
more highly the character, of their fellow-student. 

Ordained on St. Thomas s Day, 1893, the new 
curate came into residence, and commenced work 
at once. His manner from the first was that of a 
man intensely in earnest, and in all that he said or 
did there was the impress of reality. For a time, 
to some, his plainness of speech was somewhat 
objectionable, and his manner and tone, in the 
pulpit especially, were thought to be beyond his 
years. But this difficulty gradually disappeared, 
.and before he finished his course here, those who 
-were slow to appreciate his worth at first were 
among his warmest friends. But then it must be 
also said that our friend passed with wonderful 



66 Peckham Curacy. 

rapidity from stage to stage of spiritual appre 
hension and ministerial power. 

He always devoted what time he could to- 
private devotion and study, ordinarily reserving 
his morning for that purpose ; and then going 
forth thus equipped, he learnt not less, perhaps 
still more, from intercourse with men and women,, 
in the visitation of the parish, and in his efforts 
especially to bring the Gospel to bear upon cases 
of sin and backsliding. 

If his personal religion was something very 
real, his desire to be helpful to others was no less, 
striking. Many a special consultation did he 
obtain at the Vicarage over difficult cases ; and 
at such times it was touching to see how he felt 
for individual souls, often wrongly attributing 
blame to himself for the lack of apparent success- 
in dealing with them. If it were desirable, several 
instances could be named in which his work and 
labour of love were manifestly owned of GOD in 
rescuing inveterate sinners from the error of their 
ways, and in recovering backsliders. He was a. 
distinctly good visitor, always following up diffi 
cult cases, and continuing to bear them before 
God in prayer. 

The experience thus gained and the practical 
acquaintance with the Gospel of Christ, as the 
power of GOD unto salvation, shone forth increas- 



Rev. T. Goss s Narrative. 67 

ingly in his pulpit ministrations ; so that after the 
first year of his ministry it became an increasing 
pleasure to listen to his luminous exposition of 
Scripture, and a solemn responsibility to hear his 
earnest application thereof, and his appeal to the 
hearts and consciences of all. Speaking for myself, 
I used, during the last few months especially of his 
too short stay with us, only just over two years, 
to look forward to the occasions of his preaching 
in Church, and was never disappointed. 

He had very wisely accepted advice to write 
his sermons for the Church congregation ; and 
they were so carefully prepared, and withal so 
well taken in by himself during preparation, that 
the delivery from manuscript came to be much 
more easy and natural, both in manner and tone 
of voice and modulation, and all that goes to 
make successful speech, than would have been 
the case without manuscript. At the mission 
service in the school room on Sunday evenings, 
where he much liked to be and was always 
welcome, he dispensed with manuscript, and never 
failed to interest the people. His labour during 
the week was spent chiefly in that part of the 
parish in which the school stands, and his growing 
acquaintance with the feelings, habits, and wants 
of the people served him much in his public 
ministrations there. 



68 PeckJiam Curacy. 

If space would allow, much might be said of his 
devotion and usefulness in many departments of 
work. At the Day Schools he was much at 
home with both teachers and scholars, and besides 
frequently instructing in Scripture, was a living 
instance to them of a whole-hearted Christian. At 
the Mothers Meeting he frequently gave short 
addresses, as also at the young people s Band of 
Hope and other meetings. The Saturday evening 
prayer meeting was always a joy to him, and his 
removal was a decided loss to that weekly 
gathering. He never failed to take part, and in 
his prayers there, as elsewhere, there was always 
the impression of another Jacob wrestling with 
God. With an utter absence of striving after effect 
in mere language, his directness and earnestness 
were most marked. Like Samuel or Elijah of old r 
he would cry earnestly to God ; but never was 
there vain repetition, never any formality in his 
petitions. Our dear brother gave himself con 
tinually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word. 

Great was the regret of very many of his 
Peckham friends when the announcement was 
made that our dear friend had offered himself to 
the C.M.S. for Foreign Mission work. Great was 
my regret also, notwithstanding the fact that I felt 
it to be right he should act upon what was to his 
mind a distinct call. He had cherished the 



Rev. T. Gosss Narrative. 6o/ 

thought from before the time of coming to work 
with me, and had made known his intention 
before accepting nomination to the curacy. And 
certainly his thoughts and prayers were much 
thereupon. In evidence of this, at his prompting,, 
special prayer on behalf of Foreign Missions was 
frequently offered at our Saturday evening meet 
ings, in which he always took so large a share ; 
and frequently in his sermons he drew attention to,, 
and used illustrations from, the mission field. He 
devoted considerable energy also to quickening; 
missionary interest in the parish ; and besides 
acting as secretary to the parochial C.M.S. branch 
very successfully for the time being, he was never 
better pleased than in preparing special missionary 
lectures for school children and young people. 

How at last he threw in his lot with the Mis 
sionary Band ; how, after hoping and expecting to 
be sent to India, he accepted nomination to a post 
at Sierra Leone ; how, in the interval of his pre 
parations for the foreign field, after leaving us, he 
visited us occasionally, and warmed our hearts by 
his loving enthusiasm for the Master s cause ; how 
many farewells he took, and how solemn the last 
parting at our C.M.S. quarterly meeting in the 
Church Hall all this would be too much to tell 
in detail. 

Too sad, alas ! to tell, would be the state of mind 



7O PeckJiam Curacy. 

into which many of us, all of us, were thrown by 
the sad news, which reached us on the very eve of 
the Queen s Jubilee Sunday, that our dear brother 
had been called away from earthly toil. There 
Avere some one fears there were some not 
wholly submissive thoughts amongst us at first ; 
but better thoughts followed. 

Our dear brother died as one of the Noble 
Army a martyr, a witness for Christ, a soldier of 
the Cross. He leaves a precious memory here, 
and will find above some crowns of rejoicing from 
amongst us. 

;th Oct., 1897. THOMAS GOSS. 



CHAPTER IV. 
Preparation for the Foreign Field, 

" God s will on earth is always joy, 
Always tranquillity ! " 

Faber 

I "HE two terms Willie was now able to 
keep at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, under 
his valued friend the Rev. F. J. Chavasse, 
was a period of comparative rest combined 
with useful study and instruction. It was 
also a time of active labour in connection 
with his old College, and in occasional 
deputation work for the C. M. S. in the 
neighbourhood of Oxford. 

The following extracts are given from his 
letters written during this period : 

Wycliffe Hall, January 2/th, 1896. 
You can t imagine how perfectly delightful it 
seems to be up here again, in this dear old place 
at the dear old Hall, with a prospect of steady 

G 



72 Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. 

reading and preparation before one. It seems 
like a dream, and I keep thinking that some 
moment I shall wake up and find myself back in 
Peckham again ; not that I should be sorry, for I 
left there with many regrets, but still it is good to 
be here. 

Yesterday was a restful day, and a change from 
my Sundays of late. I actually heard three 
sermons from three different preachers, and had a 
walk in the afternoon. Mr. Chavasse advises me 
not to seek any regular Sunday work or parish 
visiting this term, but to read and hear other 
people, and try to get amongst men at Queen s 
and elsewhere. I hope there may be a work for 
me to do in this way while here, as well as getting 
good myself. 

Wycliffe Hall, February ipth, 1896. 

C T. Studd (of China) is up here again ; another 
man and I are entertaining him, and some men 
to meet him, at breakfast to-morrow morning, at 
Queen s. I have been in Queen s to the Bible 
Reading to-night, and am trying as far as possible 
to enter once more into the College life, and get to 
know men. I went to the debate last Friday, and 
have been down at the boats, coaching, almost 
every afternoon this week and last. 

The " Torpids " begin to-morrow, but I do not 
anticipate any great things of our boat. 




PORCH OF ST. MARY S, OXFORD. 



Bishop French s Life. 73 

Wycliffe Hall, April 24th, 1896. 

I am wondering whether to come up for the 
C. M. S. anniversary or not. It would be very 
nice, but perhaps rather a religious luxury which 
one ought to forego. I sometimes think that if 
half the people who come up to town for mis 
sionary meetings were to send, instead, the money 
they would spend on travelling, GOD S work would 
be more forwarded. 

I am just now reading Bishop French s life ; it 
is intensely interesting, and makes one long to be 
out and at the work. To tell the truth, I am be 
ginning to get rather tired of not being in active 
work, and shall be glad when the time comes to be 
aggressively engaged again. What a pity that, as 
yet, so few Oxford men have followed French ! 

Wycliffe Hall, May I4th, 1896. 
Bishop French s life lets one into real missionary 
work and its difficulties. In reading what he had 
to do, and did, one feels more powerfully than ever 
one s own weakness and good-for-nothingness. I 
very much fear I have in no way the capacity for 
an educational missionary sometimes that I have 
no capacity for anything. How much closeness of 
walk with GOD, and how much prayer, will be 
needed when out in the foreign field, if one is to be 
anything more than a cumbcrer of the ground ! 

G 2 



74 Influence at Oxford. 

From among many letters received since 
Willie s death, testifying to the influence 
exerted by him at this time and previously, 
the following extract from one signed by 
four undergraduates of Queen s College is 
selected for insertion here : 

During the last years of his life in Oxford we 
were much in contact with him, and we can hardly 
tell how much we owe to the strength and sim 
plicity of his character. His devotion to his 
Master has made a deep impression upon those 
of us who had the privilege of his friendship. 

And one of his fellow-students at Wycliffe 
Hall narrates the following characteristic 
incident : 

None of us will forget that morning when a 
pitched battle took place between him and a man 
who scoffed at foreign missions, until at last 
Cox, with tears in his eyes, got up and walked 
out of the room. 

While at Wycliffe Hall, Willie had been 
studying Mohammedanism and Buddhism,, 
and preparing more or less definitely for work 
in India. But in June, 1896, the Committee 



Call to Sierra Leone. 75 

of the Church Missionary Society asked him 
whether he would be willing to go out as 
assistant to the Rev. \Y. J. Humphrey, on 
his return at the end of the year to Sierra 
Leone. 

This proposition was far from welcome 
ior many reasons. His father s grandfather, 
the late Rev. John Hands, had been one of 
the early missionaries under the L.M.S. 
to South India ; he had many other family 
-connections with that country, and it was 
the field to which he had been looking 
forward ; the position offered at Sierra 
Leone would entail a great deal of secular 
business which could not be otherwise than 
distasteful ; and. there was the question of 
the unhealthy climate of West Africa. 

On the other hand, the invitation from the 
Committee (they never send anyone to Sierra 
Leone), and the urgent needs of that Mis 
sion seemed like a call ; his old Oxford 
friends, Alvarez and Elwin, were already 
labouring there ; there was the fact that he 



76 



Call accepted. 



had the needful physical qualifications, for the 
doctors had unanimously declared that he 
might "go anywhere"; and finally, as he 
himself put it, "The Field is the World." 

The proposal was, therefore, deliberately 
but promptly accepted. 

It may be interesting to give here a copy 
of an entry on the fly leaf of Willie s bible,, 
which seems to be a succinct record of the 
various stages in his offer for Foreign 
Mission Service : 



7th September. 1894. 
(his birthday.) 



3 ist December, 1894. 
ist January, 1895. 



1 9th November, 1895. 
(accepted by the C.M.S.) 



ist January, 1896. 

ist January, 1897. 

(date of departure for 

Sierra Leone.) 



LORD, what wilt Thou have me 

to do? 
It shall be told thee what thou 

shalt do. 
Whom shall I send ? Who will 

go for us ? 

Here am I, send me. 
Jf the Son, therefore, shal 

make you free, ye shall be 

free indeed. 
If Thy presence go not with 

me, carry me not up hence. 
My presence shall go with thee, 

and I will give thee rest. 
Whither Thou goest, I will go. 
Arise, let us go hence. 
He knoweth the way that I 

take. When He hath tried 

me, I shall come forth as gold. 



Swiss Tour. 77 

From the time he left Wycliffe Hall 
Willie had constant clerical work ; assisting 
the Rev. T. H. Russell at St. Martin s, 
Gospel Oak, regularly for six weeks, and 
preaching at Christ Church, Hampstead, the 
last Sunday evening in July. 

It had been a long-standing arrangement 
that his family should spend the month of 
August with him in Switzerland, and, he 
having been appointed Chaplain at Spiez> 
that lovely place on the Lake of Thun 
became their centre. 

Although Spiez was their headquarters,, 
frequent excursions were made to other 
places. Willie wrote as follows to a rela 
tive, describing some of his experiences 
and impressions : 

Grindehvald, August 20th, 1896. 

We are all charmed with this spot. The 
situation right among the mountains is grand. 
Yesterday was a splendid day. Most of us 
started by the seven o clock train for the Little 
Scheidegg ; arrived there, we walked to the Kiger 
Glacier. This is finer, I think, than either of the 



78 A Daj 1 in tJic Mountains. 



glaciers here, shows one more how it is formed, 
and impresses one more profoundly with its mass 
and the tremendous power of the slowly-moving 
ice-stream. These glaciers seem to me a grand 
illustration of the way in which GOD often works 
slowly yet irresistibly. 

At 10.30 we were joined by the rest of our 
party, who had come up by the later train, and 
all proceeded up the Lauberhorn. Here we had 
a magnificent view of the snow mountains on three 
sides of us, from the Wetterhorn right away to the 
Bllimlisalp. 

The walkers (nine of us) then descended the 
Wengern Alp, and so on to Lauterbrunnen, the 
others going by train. We intended to have gone 
straight down into the valley by the Trummelbach, 
but lost our way, and wandered about in a wood 
on the Mitten Alp for more than an hour. At 
last we reached Lauterbrunnen, about 5.30. After 
tea we went to see the Staubbach, which is wonder 
fully beautiful. The valley of Lauterbrunnen 
altogether is a perfect paradise ; I should like a 
whole day there with my camera. Finally we 
reached here by the rail via Zweilutschinen at 
seven o clock, after a tiring but most enjoyable 
day. 

On Monday we visited the Lower Glacier and 
Ice Grotto here. To-morrow, if fine, some of us 




UPPER GLACIER, GRINDELWALD. 



Chaplaincy at Spies. 79 

are hoping to go on to the Eismeer at Baregg. 
On Saturday we return to Spiez, spending five 
or six hours at Lauterbrunnen and Miirren. 

My time at Spiez has been very pleasant. My 
camera goes with me almost everywhere ; I have 
taken about fifty views already, and have some 
good ones of the snow mountains. 

Altogether this is a most wonderful holiday. I 
feel as if such an abundance of new things and new 
ideas had entered into one as never before. It has 
altogether surpassed my expectations, and I feel 
as if one wanted about a week to think it all over 
calmly ; and I suppose we shall see a good deal 
more yet in the next fortnight. The Sunday 
work has been very pleasant, though responsible 
and anxious, but I have been wonderfully helped 
so far to deliver the message, and trust there may 
be some fruit, though I may not see it. 

The memory of that holiday, and especially 
of the happy Sunday services in the salon of 
the Spiezerhof will ever be fragrant. 

Many of the visitors expressed their high 
appreciation of Willie s ministry ; and one 
of them, a London clergyman, wrote from 
Spiez to the Colonial and Continental 
-Church Society as follows : 



8o Meeting at Hampstead. 

I have just spent two Sundays here with my 
family with much profit and pleasure, and beg most 
heartily to thank your Society for the privilege 
afforded in the hotel of a most reverently con 
ducted Church service and earnest spiritual 
preaching under your Chaplain, whose sermons 
were greatly appreciated. 

Willie was a delightful travelling com 
panion ; always cheerful, full of fun, and 
never complaining of little difficulties ; full 
of plans and suggestions, taking more than 
his share of trouble, and ever thinking of the 

o 

comfort of others before his own. He was. 
the life of that Swiss tour. 

Willie and his three friends Dr. Albert 
Cook and the Rev. Beresford Wigram going 
to Uganda, and the Rev. Harry Durrant 
going to India all fresh recruits for the 
mission field, and all from the congregation 
of Christ Church, Hampstead, had been 
commended to the grace of God at a 
public meeting held at the Bickersteth 
Memorial Hall, on the i;th July, 1896. 

The following is an extract from the report 




<& & 
a 

u 



Meeting at Haiupstead. 81 

of the meeting which appeared in the " Christ 
Church Remembrancer " : 

Those who were privileged to attend that 
gathering will not soon forget the feeling of 
solemnity which pervaded it. ... The four 
young missionaries were introduced by the chair 
man, and each spoke for a few minutes. . . . 

The Rev. W. S. Cox told of the unexpected call 
to important and responsible work in Sierra Leone r 
whereas he had hoped and prepared for India. He 
asked for prayer that in obeying this call he might 
be endowed with the necessary grace and wisdom. 
He appealed forcibly to us as a congregation to- 
spare more helpers for the work abroad, asking 
how we could be satisfied to send only four more 
of our number, when a much larger proportion, 
could well be spared without the work at home 
suffering. He spoke, too, of the need of a high 
tone of spirituality in each missionary, and assured 
us that its existence greatly depends upon the 
spiritual tone, as well as the prayers, of us at home.. 

. . . The meeting was drawn to a close by 
earnest prayer from Canon Girdlestone for each 
of the departing missionaries, and we parted after 
singing the hymn, " GOD be with you till we meet 
again." 

Later on, Willie was among the 



82 Livingstone College. 

missionaries "sent forth" at the C.M.S. 
Farewell Meeting held at Exeter Hall, 
on the 29th September, 1896, when he 
spoke, as the representative of Oxford, from 
2 Sam. xv. 1 5 on the two kinds of readiness, 
i.e., Willingness and Equipment. 

In October he went i nto residence at 
the Livingstone College, Stratford, to gain, 
under Dr. Harford Battersby, some practical 
knowledge of medicine and surgery, with 
special reference to the diseases peculiar to 
Africa. The enthusiasm with which he 
entered into these studies was almost amus 
ing in its intensity. During his one short term 
there he learned much that was calculated 
to be most valuable in the Mission Field, 
and he only regretted that time would not 
allow of his undergoing a longer medical 
training. But he was eager to enter upon 
the work of preaching the Gospel among 
the heathen. 

Everything in his outfit had reference to 
utility in the Mission Field. The photo- 



Sunshine in the Home. 83 

graphic camera and the magic lantern 
parting gifts from his Peckham friends had 
been chosen with this view ; and he devoted 
much time to the selection of suitable lantern 
slides for religious teaching. His violin 
would be useless in West Africa, so he 
learned the concertina for open-air services. 

It is difficult to speak of the family 
gathering that Christmas, shadowed as it 
was by the impending separation from him 
whose presence was always like sunshine 
in the house. 

None but his home circle knew the full 
charm of that presence. To his parents he 
was much more than a son, "a brother 
beloved," and the intercourse between them 
was very close. His mother looks back to 
her occasional Saturday to Monday visits 
to him in his Peckham curacy as precious 
times of communion with one deeply taught 
of GOD. His brothers and sisters were 
devoted to him, and to each and all he was- 
a sympathizing counsellor and companion. 



84 Leaving Home. 

Those about to part with him felt no 
foreboding, but rather joy, in surrendering 
one so dearly loved to the LORD for His 
work among the heathen. 

The brilliant sunshine that flooded the 

earth at the hour of his departure on that 

New Year s morning, as he bade farewell 

o home and friends, was a true reflection 

of the inner sunshine which brightened the 

sorrow of parting. The old year had been 

grayed out in that home, and the little group 

gathered at the Throne of grace will never 

forget the tender pleading tones of Willie s 

voice or the deep spirituality of his prayer. 

A few hours later most of them had knelt 
with him to receive the memorials of our 
LORD S dying love at the customary New 
Year s Morning Communion at Christ 
Church. The next time, though mercifully 
they knew it not, that they were together to 
-drink that cup of blessing, it would be " new " 
with the Master in the Father s kingdom. 




REICHENBACH FALLS, MEIRINGEN. 



CHAPTER V. 
Sierra Leone. 

" Measure thy life by loss instead of gain, 
Not by the wine drunk but by the wine poured forth ; 
For love s strength standeth in life s sacrifice ; 
And whoso suffers most hath most to give." 

Hammond. 



Rev. F, Baylis, C.M.S. Secretary 
for Africa, was about to pay a visit of 
inspection to Sierra Leone ; and he, with the 
Rev. W. J. Humphrey and Willie, started 
from Liverpool on the 2nd of January, 1897. 

On the morning of that day Willie wrote 
thus to his mother : 

Had many helpful thoughts all yesterday, and 
now what a grand message in the Scripture Union 
portion from Joshua i. for us three, and me spe 
cially, brimful of meat, encouragement, exhortation 
and promise. " Every place that the sole of your 
foot shall tread upon " shall we say from the 
wilderness and this Sierra Leone unto the great 
river, the river Niger? "shall be your coast." 
All must be His at length ; so we must, and may, 
claim it now by faith. 



86 Voyage out. 

A burial at sea took place soon after they 
left Liverpool, and Willie remarks in his 
journal-letter respecting it, "a very impres 
sive ceremony, much more so than on 
land." Little did he think that within five 
short months his own body would be com 
mitted to the same resting place. 

He tells of his getting among the sailors 
with tracts, etc., "finding them very disposed 
to be friendly." He adds : 

I must not close without adding a word of 
testimony to the wonderful grace and goodness 
of our GOD, who has, indeed, been very near to us, 
and made His presence felt even in times of 
sickness, and when one had no energy for reading, 
or thinking, or hardly for prayer. This has been, 
I am sure, largely owing to the prayers of many 
loving folks at Hampstead, Peckham, and else 
where. Home also has seemed very near at 
times, and I need hardly add very dear. To Him 
be all the glory for these mercies ! It has been 
good to have a prayer meeting every day on the 
subjects for the week of prayer. 

At Grand Canary the missionary party had 
a most interesting excursion, visiting the 



Grand Canary. 87 

peak of the Caldera (1,870 feet), whence 
they had a grand view. With his usual 
readiness to find spiritual illustrations in 
nature, Willie remarks : 

The best crater lies just below La Caldera, and 
from the peak we looked right down into it. It is 
the most perfect specimen known ; one mile 
across, nearly four round, and 1,000 feet to the 
bottom, which has gradually sunk. There is no 
outlet to it, and the sides are very steep ; but a 
path leads to the bottom, where, strange to say, 
nestles a farmstead, surrounded by vineyards and 
other cultivated fields. A beautiful parable, I think, 
in fact, the whole island teaches it, being covered 
with crops of various kinds, although a mass of 
cinders, of how, in the hand of Gop, human 
nature can become fruitful and beautiful, even 
though our life may seem parched and dry and 
useless to start with. (Isaiah xxxv. I, 2.) 

After describing the people and their 
dwellings, he adds : 

We rowed out to our vessel, and in a few hours 
Canary was out of sight, leaving us the richer by a 
new chapter in one s experience of human nature 
and natural scenery. 

H 



88 Arrival at Sierra -Leone. 

In prospect of his future work he writes : 
Mr. Humphrey and I pound away at Temne. We 
have had several good talks about the work out 
yonder, and are very glad to be getting near it. 
The first four weeks will probably see a good deal 
of travelling about, as I shall accompany Mr. 
Baylis on his visits to Leicester, Waterloo, Port 
Lokkoh. and beyond. It is good to know that we 
are now actually abreast of that vast " Dark 
Continent." May the wedge of light soon widen 
and spread right across it ! 

On the 1 8th January he writes from 
Sierra Leone : 

Here at last ! Came on shore this morning 
How wonderfully strange and beautiful it all 
seems ! Such crowds of new faces, and all so 
much alike ! Had such a warm greeting from 
Alvarez and Elwin. Large gathering of clergy 
and laity this afternoon to meet Mr. Baylis. The 
temperature now (8.30 p.m.) in my room is 84 
but I do not find it too oppressive. 

Again he writes as to his first impres 
sions : 

Fourah Bay College, January 22nd, 1897. 

Sierra Leone is a lovely place ; beautiful situa 
tion ; flowers and trees most luxuriant. The 




U s 



o 

. U 

i > 

2 < 



a 

< 

K 

C3 
v O 

o ta 

H fa 
* O 

4 



^ 

w 



First Impressions. 89 

College stands on a promontory, almost sur 
rounded by water, and thus we get the breeze if 
there is any. The churches and chapels show 
that there are many Christians here ; in fact, there 
are about 20,000 professed Christians in Freetown, 
but there is an equal number of heathen and 
Mohammedans. One sees signs of this all around. 

Last night we went to the Cathedral School, to 
the dismissal of five Africans for the Temne 
country. On the way back, along the Fourah 
Bay road, we heard the Mohammedans at their 
prayers, the noise of the tom-tom for a heathen 
dance, and met many people wearing charms. It 
is painfully clear that while Freetown has been 
evangelised, it has not all been, even nominally, 
converted. 

The road from here to the town is very busy and 
full of interest. All the shop-wares are placed 
out in the road, and the noise is indescribable. 
Probably fifty languages or so are being spoken 
within a distance of one mile, Temne and Yoruba 
being the principal ones. All sorts of dresses are 
worn. The Christians wear European dress mostly ; 
the Mohammedans keep to their own long, flowing, 
graceful robes ; while the Heathen wear anything 
or nothing. 

Three days later a party, consisting of 

H 2 



90 Visit to Temne Mission. 

Canon Taylor Smith (now Bishop of Sierra 
Leone), Canon Spain, Mr. Humphrey, and 
Willie, accompanied Mr. Baylis on a visit of 
inspection throughout the Temne Mission, 
which proved most interesting and encou 
raging. 

The following letter describes some of 
their proceedings : 

Fourah Bay College, 

3Oth January, 1897. 

We left here on Monday, at twelve, by the 
Mission boat, our party consisting of the Bishop- 
elect, Canon Spain, Mr. Humphrey, Mr. Baylis, 
and myself. Progress was slow, the wind being 
against us, and after having covered only ten 
miles in more than six hours, we at length halted 
at Tasso Bomp, at 6.15, for dinner. 

At this place there is a nice little mud church, 
and a small body of Church of England Christians. 
One of them places his parlour and kitchen at our 
disposal ; we dine, and start again at eight. A 
breeze has now sprung up, and we bowl along 
merrily in the darkness. The captain fortunately 
knows the river well, and avoids the various rocks 
and sandbanks that abound. Sleeping in the boat 
is not easy, and at length, at one in the morning, 




3 W 



Pert Lokkoh and Makouip. 91 

we halt at Maferi. We are carried on shore, and 
stumble up the bank somehow. A certain Mr. 
John is known to us ; he most obligingly turns 
out for us, and goes to sleep somewhere else, while 
we bestow ourselves in various parts of two rooms, 
and are glad to be able to sleep horizontally. 

At 4.30 we are up again, and off soon after six, 
for the last fifteen miles to Port Lokkoh, which we 
reach at last about eleven o clock. Here we are 
hospitably received by Mr. and Mrs. Alley, break 
fast being soon announced and plans talked over. 
Port Lokkoh is a large and important town of 
2,000 people, mostly heathen and Mohammedan. 
There is a nice church, and a little body of 200 
Christians or more. In the afternoon we visited 
the King, and in the evening had a service. 

Next day (Wednesday) we started earl} on a 
fifteen mile tramp to Makomp, which we reached 
in time for breakfast. Here we have another 
station, with two very good workers at it ; a mud 
church and school, both well used. The first four 
converts were baptised last year, and progress 
is really being made. In the evening we were 
present at the school, and had a short service 
(conducted, of course, in Temne), Mr. Baylis and 
Canon Taylor Smith speaking through an inter 
preter. The King was present and a good com 
pany, and one realised at last what evangelisation 



92 Workers Conference. 

means. It was a most moving and yet a sad 
sight, and yet again one ought to be very thankful 
and hopeful for the \vork here. 

Next morning we left early to return to Port 
Lokkoh, nineteen miles by a new road. We had a 
hot march, and no time for preaching, nor any 
good interpreter with us. 

Friday was a most interesting day for us. All 
the Temne workers, about twenty in number, had 
assembled there for a conference, which began at 
seven with the Holy Communion, and went on, 
with two intervals for meals, tttl six in the 
evening. For me this was, of course, most instruc 
tive, and the Temne Mission which I am in some 
sort to superintend is now a good deal more than 
a mere name to me. Such a conference has never 
been held before, and would not have been possible 
a year ago, so greatly has the work developed in 
the past twelve months. The country is full of 
exceptional difficulties, but we are much en 
couraged on the whole, and go forward in faith 
to possess the very much land that yet remaineth. 
We left Port Lokkoh at seven on Friday, spent the 
night (or rather four hours of it) at Makori, and 
arrived at Fourah Bay at noon on Saturday. This 
morning (Sunday) I preached at Cline Town, and 
am just off with the students to the Mohammedan 
service. 



Heathen Superstitions. 93 

During our journeying through the Temne 
country we passed at each village an Anibaki 
house, i.e., " old man s house." When a man dies 
they place a stone on his chest, in order that his 
spirit may pass into the stone ; it is then placed in 
the Anibaki. At this house they make prayers 
and offerings of rice, &c., and when any evil hap 
pens to the village, they must appease the spirits ot 
the departed by special offerings at the Ambaki. 
This illustrates the foolish religion of fear which 
these poor people have. On the march one day I 
passed a little sort of arch, about 5 ft. high, placed 
over a path, with some charms hung from it ; this 
is intended to guard the place to which the path 
leads from the Krifi (evil spirits) and robbers. 

The following letter to a relative, written 
while out on a subsequent tour of three 
weeks, gives a succinct account of his life 
during this period : 

Ro-Gbere, Temne Country, 

Sierra Leone Hinterland, 

April ist, 1897. 

I was delighted to get your welcome letter the 
other day. It is so nice to get letters out here, 
assuring one of all the love and prayer that is 
behind one in the dear home-land ; not that one 



94 Second Tour. 

ever doubts it for a moment, but letters seem an 
outward and visible sign of it. 

Mr. Baylis visit came to an end in the middle of 
February, and then we had a very hard month of 
it at Fourah Bay College, many arrears of work 
having to be cleared off, and all the various accounts 
of the Mission for last year made up and audited. 
Besides this, our school inspections came at this 
time. All this gave us plenty to do, and a good 
deal of it came to my share. Very glad I was to 
have it to do so soon, though friends at home 
would be astonished and amused at the things we 
missionaries have to do sometimes, but all, even 
the little things, are the Lord s work and to be 
done for Him. One day I spent about three hours 
finding out a mistake in a school register ! 

Our new mission party for the , interior started at 
last on March 5th. Alvarez, with two students 
from the College fine young fellows, and with 
real zeal from the Holy Ghost form the party.* 
They have gone N.N.E. from Freetown, about 200 
miles, to the district round Falaba (you will find 
this marked on the C.M.S. map), a district hitherto 
quite untouched by missionary work. 

Mr. Humphrey and I left Freetown last Monday 
week for a three weeks itinerating tour in this 

* An account of this by Mr. Alvarez appears in the " Church 
Missionary Intelligencer " for September, 1897. 



New Mission Station. 95 

country. We have had a most interesting time. 
We went by boat to Makori, thence walked E. to 
Mapoli ; there we stopped the night and preached 
to a very interested congregation ; we also 
preached at a stopping place during the day. 
Next day we went twenty-one miles N.E. to 
Magbankita, where we have a station, lately opened,, 
with two agents ; there are no converts yet, but 
some catechumens and enquirers. We rested here 
a day, and preached in the evening. Moving on r 
next day, N.N.W., we got to this place on Saturday 
morning. We have two white men and five 
Africans here. The place was occupied about ten 
months ago. The people are very friendly, and 
we are hoping great things for GOD S kingdom 
here. But the work must be slow. The people 
have little idea about GOD, and think that He and 
our message have nothing to do with them. Their 
main thought is an intense belief in the devil, whom 
they fear, try to propitiate, and almost worship. 
You see everyone wearing charms on their body, 
and little charms hung about in all sorts of places 
in their houses. 

We are just building a square mud house for 
our men here, and have had endless trouble 
over the arrangements, price to be paid, &c. At 
last, in answer to prayer, the matter seems likely 
to go well. The rains begin in about six weeks, 



96 Sunday at Ro-Gbcre. 

and it is most important that the house be built 
and ready to inhabit before that time. 

We had a very happy Sunday here. At 7 a.m. 
we had the Holy Communion, a very sweet and 
precious time. A mud floor is quite as good to 
worship GOD upon as a Cathedral marble. You 
can have no conception how real the means of 
grace are out here, and how very near and 
precious the dear LORD S presence is, right in the 
midst of a heathen town. After the service I 
Avalked with two of our men to a neighbouring 
town, Rokatolori, about two miles off. Here we 
had service with a fairly good number present, 
very quiet, attentive, and apparently interested. I 
preached, through an interpreter, on the " true way 
to God," John xiv. 6. In the afternoon our party 
at Ro-Gbere separated into parties of two, and 
went out, like the disciples, into the neighbouring 
towns to preach ; we who had been to Katolori 
staying in to rest. In the evening we had a big 
lantern service here, and I showed some of my 
slides and spoke on them. 

This will give you, perhaps, some idea of a real 
missionary Sunday. The people seem certainly 
interested in what we say, but not much more 
as yet ; stony ground is plentiful, and the "fowls 
of the air " are very active. But we believe in 
the supernatural power of GOD the Holy Ghost, 




s rs 



Forward Movement at Sierra Leone. 97 

Who is surely working, and can and will work 
a sense of sin in their hearts. Only He can create 
this ; we cannot do it. 

On Saturday we go to Karene and spend 
Sunday ; then we turn south to our station at 
Makomp, strike north-west into some unknown 
country for two or three days, thence to Port 
Lokkoh, down the river to Makori for the Sunday, 
and so home to Fourah Bay. There is a consider 
able difference between this sort of work and my 
work in Freetown ; here it is right among 
the heathen, there it is chiefly business work and 
preaching to Christians. Both kinds of work are 
intensely happy, because both are the LORD S will 
for me ; and there is joy just in doing His will, is 
there not ? 

In anticipation of this tour he had 
written : 

On Monday, hurrah ! Mr. Humphrey and I go 
off for three weeks. Hard work, too, not a holiday, 
but change of work, fresh air, eighteen miles a day 
\valking, and life among the dear Temne people. 
Good ! 

It may be interesting to quote here 
from a letter recently received by Willie s 
father from the Rev. W. J. Humphrey, 



98 Work at the Cathedral. 

telling of the progress of the Forward 
Movement at Sierra Leone : 

The C.M.S. have just sanctioned our request to- 
be allowed to open up five stations in the Temne 
country. It was to select these that your son and 
I made our long journey last March. How he 
would have rejoiced to have seen eleven men going 
up at one time. They start (D.V.) in October 
next, when they will have completed their year s 
training at Fourah Bay College. 

He had studied the Temne language 
during the voyage out, and also at every 
opportunity afterwards ; but it was a great 
happiness that, as English was generally 
understood by the professing Christians at 
Sierra Leone, he was able to preach at once 
to them without an interpreter. 

During Canon Taylor Smith s visit to 
England, for the purpose of consecration,. 
Willie was appointed to assist at the 
Cathedral. He writes thus on his return 
from the second tour : 

Fourah Bay College, 2ist April, 1897. 

My work at the Cathedral began directly I got 




fc : 2 



Ly 

U H 



la w 



1 fa 

fa O 

> a. 

StS ^ 

:" O 

i g 



Easter Sunday. 99 

back here. Last week I preached there on Tues 
day, Thursday, and Friday evenings. My usual 
work will be preaching on Wednesday evenings, and 
taking half of the regular Sunday work. Easter Sun 
day began with the Holy Communion at seven a.m., 
when we had over 230 present. Directly after this 
came morning prayer at eight a.m., with sermon (I 
preached on Matt, xxviii. 6), followed by the Holy 
Communion. The church was packed, over 1,200 
were present, and over 200 remained for the Sacra 
ment. The service was over at 10.30, and I confess 
I was glad ; the heat was tremendous. However, 
I soon recovered at Mr. Lucia s house after break 
fast and rest. At two p.m. I went to the Colonial 
Hospital for service, which reminded me of the old 
Hampstead Infirmary days. Then to the gaol, 
where I had three short services, with the women, 
with the men, and in the hospital. This was quite 
new work for me, very sad and touching, and diffi 
cult, because probably half the prisoners knew not 
ten words of English. This was over at four, and I 
retired for tea. At five we had service in the 
Cathedral (the Archdeacon preaching), followed by 
Holy Communion; finished at seven. I had dinner 
with Mr. Lucia, and then walked home, not so tired 
as I expected, but quite tired enough. The church 
was very pretty, palms forming a very beautiful 
and natural adornment. The day on the whole 



TOO Unhealthy Season. 

was happy, and one felt glad of the opportunity of 
preaching and ministering to such a large and im 
portant congregation. 

The rainy season at Sierra Leone was now 
advancing, and this year it proved specially 
unhealthy. After telling of the losses by 
death of several members of the Sierra 
Leone Church, and of other troubles, Willie 
says : 

The lesson of living the life of faith, one day at 
a time, is very needful out here. Much more true 
it is here than in England that you never know 
what a day, or half a day, may bring forth. One 
has to be constantly prepared for the unexpected, 
either of news or of work. This would be difficult, 
even impossible, if one did not know that the 
LORD reigneth, and that even the stormy wind 
fulfils His word. 

I succeeded in staving off an attack of fever on 
Thursday by a timely dose of quinine. All the 
morning I lay in my hammock, feebly trying to- 
prepare a sermon I was to preach at five o clock. 
In the afternoon I was able to go down to the 
Cathedral in a chair, preach for 22 minutes, and 
walk back in 25 minutes, racing against a tornado. 
I succeeded in getting home before it burst. It is 



Multifarious Duties. lor 

astonishing what different sensations of health one 
can have here within 12 hours. 

Mr. Humphrey and Mr. Elwin both 
being ill, Willie s work was now much 
increased. He writes on the 8th May : 

Since Monday I have had rather an exciting 
time. Elwin is still in bed with continued fever, 
though temperature not very high. On Thursday, 
after breakfast, Mr. Humphrey developed a tem 
perature of IO3 4. By night time he was normal 
again, but last night had a slight return. So I 
have had two patients on hand, neither of them 
seriously ill, but both needing attention. Yesterday 
was lively ; being the only able-bodied European 
in the place, I took chapel and two of Mr. 
Humphrey s lectures, and, of course, had to answer 
all notes, messages,. &c., that came for any of us^ 
You would have been amused at seeing me going 
to lecture with books in one hand and medicine ini 
the other, which I was taking to Mr. H. on the 
way. Other incidents of the day were : a sick 
servant, a sick student (nothing serious), and one 
of the teachers from the College School who came 
to have a tooth extracted (operation successfully 
performed). The weather this month is very try 
ing, and I feel thankful to have got through so far 
without a real attack of fever. 



IO2 Last Letter before Illness. 

The following is an extract from the last 
letter written by him before the fatal 
illness : 

Fourah Bay College, May ipth, 1897. 

My letters have been rather irregular of late, 
owing to a combination of causes ; uncertainty of 
mails, extra special pressure of work, and the 
weather. However, I have decided to cease 
excusing myself, or anyone else, on the ground 
of " no time " for anything that ought to be done, 
with the answer " you have all the time there is," 
so will proceed. 

My two invalids are all right again, and 
were able to go down to most of the meetings 
last week. They say this month is like a foggy 
November in England. Several old people have 
died. At one time last week ten Government 
Officials were down with fever. There can be no 
doubt we enjoy great immunity from danger out 
here on the Promontory, and the fresh air does 
much to keep us well. Three members of the 
American Soudan Mission have died quite 
recently, two of them being new recruits ; 
one missionary of another society has also died 
last month. These things impart a solemnity to 
the very fact of one s life here, and they teach one 
constantly to live literally by faith one day at a time. 



Last Letter before Illness. 103 

Our men up country are well, though Allen * 
has had fever. This is certainly a trying month. 
I have had a slight rise of temperature now and 
then, but no real fever, and have not had to go 
to bed. 

I have begun to pray definitely for a revival, and 
preached on it last Sunday. The difficulty is to 
go on quietly with one s daily hum-drum work. 
One would like to spend half the day in prayer and 
Bible study, and the other half in visiting and 
pleading with the people. However, He knows all 
about this, and we can trust Him to use one s 
mouth on Sunday, even though one has been at 
secular things all through the week. Most of 
yesterday I spent correcting exam, papers. A 
great deal of time lately has been spent on an 
inch-mile map of our Temne district. I have this 
morning made a tracing of it for the Government, 
and it will probably be copied on to the next 
Government map. 

The foregoing letter was received on the 
3rd June, and then came an interval of 
silence. 

On the morning of Saturday, the iQth 

* The Rev. F. S. Allen succumbed to successive attacks of 
fever on the 3oth June. 

I 



IO4 News of Death. 

June, a telegram was received by the C.M.S. 
from Grand Canary as follows : " Cox fell 
asleep June i2th." 

Two days later the African mail arrived 
bringing the following letter, written by 
Willie to his mother from his sick bed : 
Fourah Bay College, June i. 

I cannot let you think that I have forgotten the 
1 5th (her birthday) or the i8th (confirmation day} 
of this month. Am not able to write to the dear 
girls, Win, Hilda, and Lil (about to be confirmed), 
nor a long letter to you. Have been in bed with 
fever since May 22. Much to be thankful for, no 
complications, only obstinate high temperature. 
Am now decidedly on the mend. No more 
except love. W. S. C. 

He doeth all things well. 

On the arrival, a week later, of the 
incoming African steamer " Bathurst," full 
details were obtained from those on board, 
and letters also came by the same steamer 
telling of his illness before leaving Freetown. 

The prevalent malarial fever had seized 
him. after some premonitory attacks, on the 
22nd May. 



Particulars of Illness. 105 

Fortunately, his friends, Mr. Humphrey 
and Mr. Elwin, were then well again, and 
able to nurse him, which they did most 
tenderly. 

He had had no headache or other pain 
incidental to fever, indeed no complications 
of any sort, only the high temperature, which, 
in spite of the repeated use of cold baths 
and wet pack, could never be reduced below 
1 02 6, and which rose every night, some 
times as high as 105. Yet his strength 
had been wonderfully maintained, and the 
two doctors in consultation advised a trip 
to the Canaries, thinking his removal in- 

O 

volved no great risk, and that to be out of 
the malarious atmosphere of the coast would 
in all probability enable him to throw off the 
fever. 

Mr. Elwin writes concerning the departure, 
on Friday, the i ith June, from Freetown : 

The doctor and I took him downstairs after 
Mr. Cole had helped him to dress. At the bottom 
he got into my hammock, and we carried him 

J 2 



iq6 Particular s of Illness. 

carefully to the wharf, and into the boat. I sat by 
his head all the way, and we chatted together, he 
smiling again and again, and expressing hopes of 
what we should do on his return in a few weeks 
time. When we got to the ship, the sailors carried 
him up on the mattress, though we had agreed he 
should walk, and he lay on the deck for a while. 
We then took him downstairs, undressed him, put 
him to bed, and gave him nourishment from time 
to time. This was about ten o clock, I believe. 
I stayed on board till 4.15 p.m., when the vessel 
started. I had had prayer with him and long 
talks, but in no way did he show that he thought 
he was not likely to recover. The clerk at the 
Cathedral came to wish him a safe journey, and I 
v/ell remember Willie saying, " Good-bye, Lang, I 
hope soon to be back again " ; and he said the 
same to Archdeacon Johnson. So the farewell 
words were words of hope of speedy recovery. We 
all prayed with hope during that week, and were 
very astonished and grieved at the telegram. 
W T illie had got into all the work so well, was so 
kind, so unselfish, and so in earnest for the good 
of the people. He was preaching very much about 
revival the need, the way, and effect ; and his 
words to me when I said I was going to preach for 
him at the Cathedral were, " Do preach on a re 
vival ; nothing else will do any good." 



Burial at Sea. 107 

Archdeacon Crowther of the Niger 
Mission kindly acceded to Willie s request 
that he would pass the night with him. It 
was well he did so, for Willie rapidly became 
much worse ; he was very restless, delirium 
set in, and the temperature rose to 107. 
He revived, however, and at 10 a.m. seemed 
much better ; but the worst symptoms soon 
returned, the heart s action failed, and he 
quietly fell asleep at 11.5 p.m., on the I2th 
June, 1897. 

Archdeacon Crowther read the Burial 
Service at ten o clock the following day, 
Trinity Sunday, when " in sure and certain 
hope " the body was committed to the deep 
in Lat, 1 1 o N. and Long. 17 46 W. 

" A spot unmarked but holy." 



" GOD hath His mysteries of grace, 

Ways that we cannot tell ; 
He hides them deep, like the hidden sloep 
Of him He loved so well." 

C. F. Alexanders " Burial of Moses? 



CHAPTER VI. 
Conclusion. 

AT St. Mary Magdalene, Peckham, and 
** from several Hampstead pulpits, the 
sad news was announced on the 2Oth June- 
Jubilee Sunday. 

A Memorial Service, attended by a large 
congregation was held at St. Mary Magdalene, 
on Wednesday, the 3Oth June ; and at Christ 
Church, Hampstead, the Evening Service, 
on Sunday, July 4th, was made specially 
commemorative of the one thus suddenly 
called to higher service. 

The "Record" newspaper, of June 25th, 
had the following from its Oxford corres 
pondent : 

The death of the Rev. W. S. Cox, of the C.M.S. 
Mission, at Sierra Leone, has cast a gloom over the 
Christian Union, of which he was a member during 
his University course. The memory of his bright, 
active, devoted life still lives in Oxford. 

The following minute was adopted by the 
Committee of Correspondence of the Church 
Missionary Society, on the 6th July, 1897 ~~ 



Resolution of C.M.S. Committee. 109 

Resolved : That the Committee have heard 
with deep sorrow of the early death of the Rev. 
W. S. Cox, of the Sierra Leone Mission, who, 
having joined the Mission so recently as January 
of the present year, was called home on June I2th, 
after some three weeks severe fever. The Com 
mittee had received the offer of service from Mr. 
Cox, and his acceptance of the post of Assistant 
Secretary at Sierra Leone, with much gratitude, 
and with great hope for the future ; and while 
desiring to acknowledge that for him to die has 
been gain, according to the good purpose of Him 
in whose eyes the death of His saints is precious, 
they cannot but feel the blow to the Mission a 
very sore one, and pray that his place may be soon 
taken by some one willing and able to take up so 
responsible an office. The Committee desire their 
sincere sympathy to be expressed to Mr. Cox s 
sorrowing relatives. 

Numberless were the letters received by 
the sorrowing family, and the personal 
communications made to them, testifying to 
the love and esteem in which their dear one 
had been held, and many of them telling how 
his influence had been blessed. 

Unspeakably comforting was the sympathy 



1 1 Testimony and Sympathy. 

thus widely felt and expressed ; and very 
joyful was the assurance that the short time 
of service here had been abundantly fruitful. 

They wish to re-echo his last written 
words : 

"He doeth all things well." 



P.S., 3ist October, 1898. It seems fitting 
to record that two of those with whom the 
subject of this Memoir was closely associated, 
and whose names frequently appear in these 
pages, have been recently called to their 
rest: The Rev. W. J. Humphrey mur 
dered last March by the insurgents in the 
Hinterland of Sierra Leone, whither he had 
gone to carry relief to his brethren; and the 
Rev. Thomas Goss, struck down, three 
weeks ago, by a fatal brain attack in the midst 
of the activities of a large London parish. 

"Thus Heaven is gath ring one by one, 

In its capacious breast, 
All that is pure and permanent, 
And beautiful and best." 



IN MEMORIAM. 

WILLIAM SPILLER Cox. 



Tis well ! Yes, though our hearts are sorely riven, 
And this deep mystery we fain would spell, 

Though faith with dark perplexity hath striven, 
Yet still our inmost hearts can say, Tis well. 

Tis well for thee, dear, earnest, noble spirit, 
Who wentest bravely armed with purpose high, 

Counting thy life not dear, so thou inherit 
The warrior s portion, or to do or die. 

Ready to live for Afric s down-trod races, 
To win by word and life the sunk, the lost, 

By self-denying love and Christian graces 

To show he lives the best who loves the most. 

Ready to die to give thy life an ofPring 

And sacrifice to God of savour sweet. 
Ready to serve in doing or in suffring, 

Because thou st laid thine all at Jesus feet. 

For four short months mid toil and anxious labor, 
Thy light for Jesus shone on Afric s shore ; 

And now the call has come to rest for ever, 
Burden and heat shall weary thee no more. 

Tis well ! All joy for thee, though sad the ending 
Of this thy short, bright, happy, fiuitful life ; 

The angel minstrels their glad strains are lending 
To greet thee victor after noble strife. 

Though short thy life, not short as heaven reckons, 
There, not as here, they measure life by love, 

And when the Master home His servant beckons, 
Full the reward awaiting each above. 

Tis well ! Thou st entered on the service higher, 

Which disappointment never can alloy. 
Thou st walked with God on earth ; now holier, nigher, 

At His right hand thou walk st in endless joy. 

M. A. SPILLER. 
June 22nJ, 



NOTE ON C.M.S. MISSIONARIES 

FROM OXFORD. 



ALTHOUGH the number of C.M.S. missionaries, 
from Oxford has not equalled the number from 
Cambridge, yet the list of sixty-four Oxford men, 
who have gone out in connection with the Church 
Missionary Society (of whom twenty-two are still 
labouring), contains many names of noble servants 
of God. No less than ten Oxford C.M.S. Mission 
aries have become bishops : William Williams, of 
Waiapu ; Hadfield, of Wellington ; George Smith, 
of Victoria (Hong Kong); French, of Lahore; 
Poole, of Japan ; Hodges, of Travancore and Cochin;. 
Hannington and Tucker, of Eastern Equatorial 
Africa ; Evington, of Kiu-shiu ; W. L. Williams, of 
Waiapu. Add to these such names as John Tucker,. 
Henry Watson Fox, W 7 . Hooper, John Sharp, W. 
E. Rowlands, Rowland Bateman, J. W. Knott, F.. 
A. P. Shirreff, H. C. Squires, and we see how much 



Note on C.M.S. Missionaries. 1 13 

the mission field owes to Oxford. Of younger men 
still in the field I will not speak ; nor can I refer 
here to the excellent Oxford men who have become 
missionaries of other societies. But think of the 
five C.M.S. who have been called, in what we hoped 
were but the early years of a long and happy 
service, into the immediate presence of their Lord,, 
within recent memory : Perry (of Worcester), in 
Ceylon ; Harvey (of Exeter), in China ; Fremantle 
(of Balliol), in India ; Dobinson (of Brasenose), on 
the Niger ; and now Cox (of Queen s), in West 
Africa. What a muster-roll it is ! 

A few months ago, Sierra Leone, for the first 
time in its history, had four University men at 
work in its Missions; and though the senior, Mr. 
Humphrey, hailed from Cambridge, the presence 
together of Alvarez, Elwin, and Cox, gave us hopes, 
that the Church Missionary Society s oldest Mission, 
was going to be in the main, an " Oxford Mission." 
Why should it not be so still ? Will not some of 
the younger clergy who look to Oxford as their 
alma mater, and some of the men still studying in. 
its classic precincts, dedicate themselves in the 
name of the Lord to West Africa ? 

Sierra Leone itself is not a romantic field like 
Uganda, or the Afghan Frontier, or the heart of 
China. But there can be no higher work than that 
of taking an existing Native Christian Church, with 



Note on C.M.S. Missionaries. 



its own pastors and evangelists, and by fervent 
prayer and a holy example, helping to lift it up to 
a higher life, so that it may itself engage with 
greater earnestness in the evangelisation of the 
immense heathen lands beyond. The new Bishop 
of Sierra Leone, Dr. John Taylor Smith, calls for 
volunteers. Will not some come forward at once, 
especially from Oxford ? 

Of what manner of man a missionary of the cross 
ought to be, we have a singularly beautiful picture 
in this little volume. 

With all my heart I trust that this sketch of 
William Spiller Cox will prove to be God s message 
to the hearts of many of His people. 

EUGENE STOCK. 

October, 1897, 



BIBLE STUDIES. 

By W. S. Cox. 



I. "THE CALLED OF JESUS CHRIST," M CALLED 

TO BE SAINTS." 

Important time in life, when a boy has to decide bis- 
" calling " " work. St. Paul often reminds of the heavenly 
calling, I Cor. i. 2 ; Phil. iii. 14 ; I Thess. iv. 7 ; Eph. 
i. 4; cf. i Pet. i. 15 ; 2 Pet. i. 3. Consider this "calling": 
Our business is "to be saints." 

I. Choice of the Calling : 

(i.) In part made for him by others (e.g., parents, 
teachers, friends), but chiefly by himself : so with 
the Christian calling. Josh. xxiv. 15. 

(2.) One Calling chosen, others must be laid aside ;. 
cannot be farmer one day, soldier the next, &c. : 
so with the Christian. Matt. vi. 24. 

(3.) Calling chosen that is not too full. There are not 
too many saints in the world ! A " little flock." 
Luke xii. 32. 

I 1 . Life of the Calling : 

(i.) He must prepare for it ; find out what it means 

and requires. Luke xiv 28. 
(2.) He must understand his work. A Christian must 

know what he ought to be and do. Deut. x. 12, 13. 

A saint (a) ore given over to God ; (b) one holy ia 

heart and life. 



1 1 6 Bible Studies. 

(3.) To this end he must give study and his whole 
attention to it. Phil. iii. 14. (Apply). 

(4.) He must love it. Ps. xl. 8. 

HII. End of the Calling : 

(i.) A work that will pay. Matt. vi. 33. 
(2.) Rest, peace, quietness. i Tim. iv. 8. 

(a) How are we doing this work? How far are we 

saints yet ? Let us not say it ourselves, but 
what might others say ? 

(b) How may we become saints ? Not by ourselves. 
i Thess. v. 23. "The Holy Spirit which 
sanctifieth me." John xvii. 17. 

IV. The Reward of the Calling : 
Eternal Glory. i Pet. v. 10. 



51. WITH JESUS IN THE MOUNT (Luke ix. 28, 51). 
T?vo remarkable contrasted scenes : 

(a) Mountain Victory, Glory, CHRIST. 

(b) Valley Defeat, humiliation, the Devil. 

Mountain Life. Solitude, separation from sin. View will 
repay the climber. v. 28 : Too little mountain life 
now-a-days ; too much hurry, rush, fever, bustle ; not 
the spiritual force our fathers had because we spend 
less time " in the Mount." Mountain climbers : Moses, 
Elijah, Paul, &c. Men of great spiritual power have 
always been much in the mount, e.g. Fletcher of Madeley, 
Wesley, Moody, &c. 



Bible Studies. 1 1 7 

I. The Motint is the place to see God 

(a) In a special sense Matt. vi. 6. 

(b) In a new light (v. 29). Air clear on mountain top 

away from mists of sin. 

(c) There we really know Him, talk with Him. (Dis 

ciples had not heard of His death before). "A 
little talk with Jesus " will teach us more than much 
talk about Him. 

II. The Mount shows our character. 

(a) They were sleepy not making the best use of their 

marvellous privilege (v. 32). 

(b) They did not fix their attention wholly on CHRIST. 

" Hear Him" Whom do we go to church to hear ? 
Whom do we hear ? (v. 35). 

(c) They wanted to remain and be idle (v. 33). 

III. The Mount is the place of power. 

CHRIST retired to pray before special work or trial. 
Luke vi. 12 ; xxii. 41 ; Matt. xiv. 23 ; Mark i. 35 ; 
Heb. v. 7. Prayer in the Mount means power in 
the valley. More Prayer and fewer Entertainments 
would make the Church victorious in her conflict. 
Win your enemy, your class, &c., by putting them 
on your prayer list. 

IV. The Mount must be left for the Valley. 

v. 37. Be prepared for immediate conflict. Directly 
after a blessing, directly you leave your room, 
going home from Church, you will have to meet 
the Devil. Back to business ; Gon wants you in 
the Valley ; work to be done there. 

Let GOD S light shine out from you as from Moses. 
Exod. xxxiv. 29. 



u8 Bible Studies. 

III. "HIDE AND SEEK" (AN ADDRESS TO 
CHILDREN). 

I. - What is bound to be "found out : 

Illustration of discovery after long concealment. A 
man once wrote some bad words on a wall in 
Pompeii ; the city was buried in ashes and lava ; 
after 1800 years the city was laid open and the 
words "found out. Hab. ii. 11. 

So our sins -will be found out (Num. xxxii. 23) ; for 
nothing hid that shall not be revealed. Luke xii. 2, 
&c. Illustration : Cain, Gen. iv. 10 ; Joseph s 
brethren ; the cup in Benjamin s sack. Gen. xliv. 
16. ; Achan, Josh. vii. 18 ; cf. also Ps. xc. 8. 

So our words (Matt. xii. 36). What is whispered in the 
ear shall be proclaimed on house-tops. Luke xii. 3. 

II. How can we escape the result oj being found out? 

By the finding of 

(i.) A Ransom (Job xxxiii. 24), which sets free, as pay 
ment frees fiom punishment for debt. 

(2.) A Saviour, John i. 41. 

(3.) A Treasure (Matt. xiii. 44). Illustration, diamond 
mines of South Africa. 

(4.) A Friend, JESUS, who comes to find the lost. 
Luke xv. cf. Is. liii. 6. 

III. What can never be found? Sin for given. (Jer. 1. 20.) 
Because it is put 

(i.) Behind God s back (Is. xxxviii. 17). But better 
(2.) Into the Sea (Micah vii. 19). Yet some smugglers 

cast their brandy kegs into the sea, only to find 

them floating to tell the tale. So better still 
(3.) As far as the east is from the -west (Ps. ciii. 12). 

Neither east nor west can be reached : two points 

which never approach each other. 



I 



BV 3625 S5C6 1898 TRIM 
Cox, Will iam Spiller r 
Early promoted 140942 



BV 3625 S5C6 1898 TRIM 
Cox r W i 1 1 i am Sp i 1 1 er , 
Ear 1 y pr omot ed 1 40942