Jesse Page

“ The seats of learning, the sacred temples of the Christian faith, the priceless archives rich in the thought and piety of the age, the seven Churches of the Apocalyptic messages, all were overthrown as the Crescent supplanted the Cross. The tide of conquest not only overran the holy places of the East, but flung itself against the ramparts of European Christianity. The peril of the age woke the chivalry of the Crusaders, and the flower of Knighthood perished in trying to wrest the sacred spots of Palestine from the Infidel. ”

“ A blessed eternity is now the daily subject of my meditations. How awful is this change! Blessed be God Who hath sent us a Redeemer, who has borne our sins and purchased eternal happiness for all who, being sensible of their sins, ‘flee to Him for refuge.’ If we are reconciled to God by that blessed Redeemer we have no reason to be afraid of dying and quitting this world. Our whole life ought to be a preparation for death. May God give us grace to die to sin and the evil of the world, and to live to His glory, that when He calls us away, we may be prepared for that great change! ”

“ A thousand times I think with myself: ‘Good God, must all these people die—must they all give a strict account of their lives—must they all appear before the tribunal of Jesus, the mediator and judge? How little do they mind their end, and the consequences of their lives?’”
There is no doubt that at this time Schwartz was feeling the effect of his long life of incessant work, and in his letters to his friends he asks their prayers that more strength may be given him. ”

“ Believe me, no cross is to be compared with this cross. On the other hand, how happy it is to live in dying daily and in mortifying our own will and in seeking not our own but the things that are Jesus Christ’s! I trust that through the merits and prayers of our holy mother the Church, in which is my chief confidence, and through the prayers of its living members, to which you belong, our Lord Jesus Christ will sow the Gospel seed in this heathen land by my instrumentality, though a worthless servant. ”

“ Let us therefore ask you seriously before that God who knows your hearts and ways, do you love your neighbours sincerely? Is it the bent of your lives not only to honour your God but likewise to make your fellow creatures happy? Have you showed a tender regard to their eternal welfare? You see thousands before your eyes sitting in darkness and the shadow of death. Have you endeavoured at least by your example to convince them of the purity and excellence of your religion? ”

“ He never lost touch with his people. One who knew him well in his relation to others reveals the secret of his great influence. “They saw,” he says, “other Europeans in succession lift themselves from obscurity and humble stations to affluence, rank and power, then disappear and others take their places, but none taking any interest in their welfare or making use of them except as a means of accomplishing their own aggrandizement, but Schwartz remained with them. In him they always saw the same unaspiring meekness, and found in him the same kind and disinterested friend. ”

“ God has in great goodness afforded it. He has taken compassion on ignorant man and given freely to him His word and true law, whenever He has revealed all the doctrines which are necessary to the attainment of everlasting happiness. He has made known to men, rebellious, corrupt, and lost, the Saviour of the world, as the restorer of forfeited blessedness and the way in which that salvation is to be attained. In short, all that can make us holy and happy is in this word of God made known to mankind. Read and meditate upon it with prayer to God, so will it become clear to you. ”

“ Praised be Thy name, O Lord, in profound humility, for all the grace, protection, and blessing during the [Pg 57] whole of our journey Thou hast graciously bestowed upon us of Thine undeserved mercy for the sake of Christ, our Mediator! May the seed of Thy word, which we Thy poor servants have sowed on our journey, spring up and produce abundant fruits that we and those who have received the word in their hearts, may praise and adore Thy goodness to all eternity! ”

“ Happily he was constitutionally free from that introspective self-condemnation which made so melancholy the experience of others in his day. Probably his theological standpoint was very much the same as that of Henry Martyn, but Schwartz was less of a mystic than he and possessed a calm and restfulness of spirit which his great successor in the field did not always enjoy. But no man knew better the value of that intimate and Divine communion which we know as “the practice of the presence of God.” ”

“ With the dawn of the sixteenth century we meet the awakening of that spirit of discovery which was to affect so deeply the missionary enterprise of the world. Vasco da Gama had already visited India in May, 1498, and henceforward from Portugal, the faithful son of the Romish Church, sailed ships of exploration and adventure to establish trading colonies, upon the decks of which were hundreds of friars. Churches, monasteries, and colleges sprang up wherever they landed, and Goa, raised to the dignity of a bishopric, became the flourishing centre of Church and Empire. ”

“ O therefore help and bestow upon me all necessary wisdom, grace, and strength for this office!’
“My gracious God has already manifested so many proofs of His paternal love towards me that I cannot but remember the word of the Lord Jesus which He spoke to upright Nathanael, ‘Thou shalt see greater things than these.’ May the Lord give me grace that like Nathanael I may use the proofs of divine goodness and mercy which I have hitherto experienced, and as a solid foundation and confirmation of my faith. If henceforth I do not behold the glory of God then verily unbelief will be the cause of it. ”

“ To Hyder’s palace high and low came, inquiring of me the nature of the Christian doctrine, so that I could speak as long as my strength allowed. Hyder’s younger son (not Tippoo) , seeing me in the Durbar or hall of audience, saluted me in a friendly manner and invited me to pay him a visit in his own apartments. I told him I would come most cheerfully, provided his father would give permission, since to do so, without his consent, might prove injurious both to himself and to me. Of this he was perfectly aware. Even the most intimate friends do not venture to speak their mind freely. ”

“ Let us, therefore, according to that heavenly pattern and divine admonition, strive to be one, one in doctrine, one in adhering to Christ, one in loving Him, one in despising and renouncing the world, one in loving one another, and one in bearing the cross. As God has made us equal in the share of the most glorious benefits of the Gospel, one baptism, one hope, one glorious Redeemer, so He has thereby designed us to be the same in brotherly love. ”

“ It is not surprising that under this rather complex system of self-government, without lines of direct communication with England, Denmark, and Germany, a born administrator like Schwartz should have been looked up to with reverence and confidence. For he had the faculty of managing men with cheerfulness, and yet, as one had said of him, Schwartz commanded instant respect to his wishes, and made others feel their inferiority without any sense of fear. ”

“ In those days the English were winning and stubbornly maintaining a precarious foothold in India by the ambition of the merchant, the soldier, and the diplomat; East and West had met in relentless struggle, and [Pg iv] at the gates of the Orient the white man clamoured for power and conquest. Amid the glare of this conflagration of war, Schwartz and these early missionaries quietly pursued their sacred duties, and with weapons not carnal but spiritual fought their good fight of faith. ”

“ John draws from the love of God towards us is very natural. ‘We love him because he first loved us.’ Such a Christian will esteem and venerate, adore and praise God, keep His commandments, His Sabbath Day, His word. Love will teach him all this. His soul and body he will present as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which will be his reasonable service. Such an one will not be conformed to this world but transformed by the renewing of his mind, that he may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. ”

“ The loss of Schwartz was felt all the more because he was such a remarkable personality, one of those men of whom it is fairly admitted that it is extremely difficult for another to take their place. Many men can do mighty works, but only the few can beget love and inspire, not only amongst their friends and converts, but in the hearts of worldly wise civilians, and the priests of pagan religions, a sincere and respectful confidence. ”

“ He looks upon God as his Father who has loved him in an unspeakable manner, who sent His only begotten Son into the world for his eternal happiness, who has called him out of darkness into marvellous light, who has blessed him with pardon, peace and hope, and this heartily inclines him to love Him sincerely and ardently. ”

“ It is the sacred office of the Church to preserve the blessed memory of her standard-bearers and confessors: the world will look after its own.
The personality of Schwartz was unique. He seems to have combined, like Gordon, a singular tenderness with heroic strength of purpose—a man of action with a strain of mysticism, a very Bayard in purity and honour in an age when reputations in India suffered loss. As will be seen in these pages, he served the civil power well because the enemy could implicitly trust him. In the audience chamber of a pagan tyrant he was still a Christian missionary ”

“ The glorious God and our blessed Redeemer commanded His Apostles to preach the Gospel to all nations. The knowledge of God, of His divine perfections, and of His mercy to mankind, may be abused; but there is no other method of reclaiming men than by instructing them well. To hope that the heathen will lead a good life without the knowledge of God is a chimera. ”

“ Having lived nearly forty-two years in this climate, my strength decreaseth and I look for a blessed eternity.
“God has dealt kindly, very kindly, with me. He has led me as a father, forgiven me ten thousand talents which I owed Him, has given me a knowledge of His love and the love of my Redeemer, has made me, unworthy creature, an instrument of His grace to convey some knowledge of the Redeemer to others; so that I have a lively hope of finding some with whom I shall sing the praises due to the blessed Jesus for ever and ever. ”

“ The truth of the Gospel, particularly concerning the Author of our salvation, is like a girdle that will keep close and, as it were, unite our strength. But as the principal truth of the Gospel concerneth the righteousness of Jesus Christ, let us above all take and put on that perfect righteousness as a ‘breast plate’ which covers our breast and screens our conscience, so that no accusation or condemnation can reach and disturb it. ”

“ Whatever great things our nation has done for India since then—and the Church has poured forth without stint her best treasure and noble witnesses for the salvation of its people—the palm of credit must be given to Denmark and Germany for the pioneer missionary efforts. The great missionaries of England were yet unborn, but the hearts of many godly people were deeply stirred by the tidings of what was being dared and done by the Lutheran brethren who had gone forth with their Bibles in their hands. ”

“ Picture to yourself a stout well made man, somewhat about the middle age, erect in his carriage and address, with a complexion rather dark, though healthy, black curled hair and a manly engaging countenance, expressive of unaffected candour, ingenuousness and benevolence, and you will have an idea of what Mr. Schwartz appeared to be at first sight. ”

“ Two gardeners stopped their work to ask Schwartz this question: “We have not yet obeyed our own Shasters, how should we now keep the true law? When we leave you, we forget what we have heard.” He told them to pray. “But how shall we pray?” This was his advice, a bit of wisdom for all time. “Act like starving beggars. Do not they know how to set forth their hunger and distress? Set before God your ignorance, obduracy and misery, and beseech Him to open your eyes and discern Him and His true word. This you may do, even in the midst of your labours. ”

“ The good we receive at the hand of the Lord far exceeds the evil. When I consider all the way which God hath hitherto led me, the distresses from which He hath delivered my soul, and the riches of His goodness and forbearance and long suffering, I feel compelled gratefully to exclaim, ‘The Lord be magnified!’ Believe me, it is a privilege and happiness far beyond all description to enjoy in Christ the remission of sin. ”

“ Let us now represent a person truly believing in Jesus and united to Him, washed from his sins, strengthened by His Spirit, and cheered with the hope of an unspeakably glorious crown hereafter. Being endowed with such a gracious faith and lively hope, what shall he do? What will be the effect of such a faith or hope? Love towards God and all men. A person that is blessed with such faith and hope cannot but love God and all mankind and that from the bottom of his heart. ”