Australia's Call.
"Not always thus, with outward sign
Of fire or voice from Heaven,
The message of a truth divine,
The call of God is given." |
N 1866 a letter was sent from Australia to America
asking that two young men be sent to lead them
in the work out there. T. J. Gore and G. L.
Surber were thought the men best fitted to go. This
meant some sacrifice on the part of these young men.
T. J. Gore was situated happily at Hustonville, but
he felt that God wanted him to work in Australia for
Him. He went down to Bloomfield and told his
mother about it. It meant a sacrifice for her, the
giving up of the boy she so much loved, but without
hesitation she said, "If the Lord has called you to
go, my boy, you must go." Several other relatives
could not understand why he should want to go
Australia when there were thousands of unconverted
people in America, and some said when they knew
that he was giving his life to the ministry, "What!
going to be a preacher? You'll starve." But in spite
of opposition he felt the insistent call to Australia.
This was a work which meant hardships and many
sacrifices, but what were they in comparison to what
the One he loved and was anxious to serve had
suffered for him? God called him to Australia, and
it was not for him to turn a deaf ear to that call.
It was hard to part with his own folk, especially
his mother, but neither by word nor look would she keep
her boy from doing what he considered his duty. [15]
Thomas Jefferson's diary dated 24th September,
1866, reads:--
"This morning dawned upon me in the City of
Lexington, Kentucky. I feel somewhat strangely.
To-day I leave Lexington and my many friends. I,
in company with Bro. G. L. Surber, start for the land
of Australia. We go to proclaim the Gospel of Christ.
May the blessing of Heaven rest upon our task. We
go because we deem it our duty to preach the Gospel
in any land where it is needed. We believe God calls
us to this distant field, and we go putting our trust
in Him Who governeth the Universe. I spent my
last night in Lexington at the hospitable home of
President Milligan. His family with whom I once
boarded have warm places in my heart, and while its
pulses beat they will be remembered. Professor
Milligan is my ideal of a good man--a follower of
Jesus, the meek and lowly One. He seems the very
embodiment of humility and prayer. Here lies his
strength."
In his diary dated 26th September he says:--
"Before many more weeks I will be--the Lord willing--far
away, and in the hearts of my parents and
brother and sister will occupy a very dear place. How
strange it seems that we shall live far apart in this
world, when we have so few years to live! Yet such
is the case: the Lord calls, and we must obey. 'Go
into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every
creature.'"
Writing on 29th September, after visiting Niagara
Falls, he says:--"The Falls must not only be seen to
be appreciated, but they must be felt. As you stand
before these mighty waters you feel the power resident
in them, and there is the great secret of this
wonder. They cannot be described, for you cannot
term the feeling. The man has very little soul who
can stand and gaze upon Niagara without his nature
being stirred to its very depths." [16]
"'For if the ocean be as nought in the hollow of Thine hand,
And the stars of the bright firmament in Thy balance grains of sand;
If Niagara's swelling flood seems great to us who humbly bow,
O Great Creator of the whole, how passing great art Thou!'" |
Saturday, 6th October, he writes:--"To-day we left
our native land. A little after twelve we pushed off
from shore. There were quite a number of persons
on the pier assembled there to bid their friends farewell.
The ship moved off amid the waving of handkerchiefs.
Bro. Surber and myself stood together on
deck conscious that none of the waving was for us--but
that our friends were 'over the hill and far away.'
We are launching out to try the stormy deep, trusting
in Him Who holdeth the deep in the palm of His
hand. 'If God be for us who can be against us?'
"'Roll on, thou deep and dark blue ocean,
The fleets of man sweep over thee in rain.' |
Byron had seen the ocean, or else he never could have
penned that sentiment."
Throughout his diary there are snatches of humour.
Writing on 19th October he says:--"Sea-sickness is
dreadful, so they say who have suffered. Land is the
best place for land animals. The Ocean may do for
whales, and fish of various kinds, but not for human
beings."
October 20 they reached England, and two days
afterwards were in the hospitable home of David King
in Birmingham, and some time was spent with Robert
Black, of London, and G. Y. Tickle, of Liverpool, and
Elias Parkins, of Manchester. On 6th November they
left Liverpool for Australia. [17]
[TJG 15-17]