|
Main
- books.jibble.org
My Books
- IRC Hacks
Misc. Articles
- Meaning of Jibble
- M4 Su Doku
- Computer Scrapbooking
- Setting up Java
- Bootable Java
- Cookies in Java
- Dynamic Graphs
- Social Shakespeare
External Links
- Paul Mutton
- Jibble Photo Gallery
- Jibble Forums
- Google Landmarks
- Jibble Shop
- Free Books
- Intershot Ltd
|
books.jibble.org
Previous Page
| Next Page
Page 36
But the work was now accomplished, the last sheet had been passed for
press, the last verse of the Old Testament completed, and now his mind,
which had been for so many years strained under the weighty
responsibility of translating the Word of God, was free. Of his feelings
on this occasion he made mention in a speech delivered some years later
at Port Elizabeth, on the occasion of his final departure from South
Africa. We quote from the Chronicle of the London Missionary Society for
August, 1870.
"At last," he said, referring to the commencement of the undertaking, "I
came to the resolution that if no one else would do it, I would
undertake it myself. I entered heartily upon the work. For many years I
had no leisure, every spare moment being devoted to translating, and was
a stranger even in my own family. There was labour every day, for back,
for hands, for head. This was especially the case during the time Mr.
Edwards was there; our condition was almost one of slavery. Still the
work advanced, and at last I had the satisfaction of completing the New
Testament. Of this 6000 copies were printed by the Home Society.
"When Dr. Livingstone came, he urged me to begin at once with the Old
Testament. That was a most stupendous work. Before commencing it I
passed many sleepless nights. It was the wish of all that I should
undertake it. I did so, and went on with the work from time to time, as
I had leisure, daily and nightly. I stuck to it till I had got as far as
the end of Kings, when I became completely done up. The Directors were
afraid that I was killing myself. I was advised to go home, to leave the
work, but I decided otherwise. I determined to look up Moselekatse, and
went off with a son of brother Edwards. By the time I had found
Moselekatse, I had got all right again. I came back and resumed my work,
and continued it till its completion. I cannot describe to you the
feelings of that time--of the writing of the last verse. I could hardly
believe that I was in the world, so difficult was it for me to realise
the fact that my labour of years was completed. Whether it was from
weakness or overstrained mental exertion, I cannot tell; but a feeling
came over me that I would die, and I felt perfectly resigned. To
overcome this I went back again to my manuscript still to be printed,
read it over, and re-examined it, till at length I got back again to my
right mind. This was the most remarkable time of my life, a period I
shall never forget. My feelings found vent by my falling upon my knees
and thanking God for His grace and goodness in giving me strength to
accomplish my task. My work was thus accomplished, and now I see the
Word of God read by thousands of Bechwanas in their native tongue."
An incident related in his speech at the Bible Society's Annual Meeting
upon the occasion of his first visit to England in 1839, shows the
importance to the natives of having the Bible in their own tongue.
Speaking of his translation of the Gospel of Luke, he alluded to the
state of the unconverted heathen, and the contrast manifested by the
Christian converts. When the heathen saw the converts reading the Book
which had produced this change, they inquired if they (the converts)
talked to it. "No," answered they, "it talks to us; for it is the Word
of God." "What then," replied the strangers, "does it _speak_?" "Yes,"
said the Christians, "it speaks to the heart!" This explanation was
true, and was often illustrated in fact; for among those to whom the
same Book was read by others, it became proverbial to say that the
readers were "turning their hearts inside out!"
[Illustration: DR. LIVINGSTONE.]
In 1854 Mary Moffat paid another visit to the Colony, and was in
consequence away from home when Robert returned from his journey to
Moselekatse. Tidings reached him about that time of the death of his
mother, the one who first instilled into his breast an enthusiasm for
the missionary calling. She died as she had lived, a godly, consistent
woman, and was called to the heavenly city at the age of eighty-four.
In 1856 Dr. Livingstone, after his unparalleled walk from Loanda, on the
west coast, to Quillimane, on the east--from the shores of the Atlantic
to those of the Indian Ocean--visited England. His visit, and the
description he gave of the country and natives, rekindled missionary
enthusiasm, a special interest being taken in the Matabele and Makololo
tribes. The London Missionary Society resolved to establish missions
among them. As the locality where the Makololo dwelt was in the midst of
a marshy network of rivers, it was considered as a necessary condition
of commencing the proposed missionary work that they should remove to a
spot on the north bank of the Zambesi, opposite to where the Matabele
dwelt on the south bank. The two tribes were, however, hostile to each
other; and, to overcome this hostility, it was determined to
simultaneously establish missions among both tribes. With this object in
mind the Directors wrote to Robert Moffat, proposing that he should go
for a twelvemonth to the Matabele, taking two younger men with him, and
plant a mission among this people.
Previous Page
| Next Page
|
|