William Jackson Elmslie

“ In the secrecy of your own chamber, meet me often at the throne of grace, and thus you will do genuine mission work of the most exalted character. Be like Jacob–wrestle with God in prayer, and, through faith in our beloved Saviour, you will win the victory. He loves to bless us; He delights to grant our requests, but He will try us first whether we desire them with all our hearts. Pray much for poor enslaved Kashmir. ”

“ I may never see much of the fruit of my labours. Blessed be God, He has vouchsafed to let me see some,–some among my own countrymen, and some among the heathen. An officer in the army, and one who is related to the highest authorities in India, has come all the way to Kashmir to see me, because he regards me as his spiritual father. God blessed to his soul a discussion which I had with a gentleman, one night at dinner, two years ago. What a glory it is to receive from God, to be the means, in the hands of the Holy Spirit, of leading a sin-laden soul to Jesus, the Divine burden-bearer. ”

“ As he wanders along he scans eagerly the face of every one who seems like the friend he so much needs, but in vain; the busy stream of human beings rushes past unheeding, and he feels utterly desolate and in despair. Unable longer to bear up, he stands still, his young heart bursting under its accumulated sorrows, and through his tears sends up to heaven the cry, "God help me!" That is the burden of his prayer. ”

“ Well might I be taunted, as I was, when I tried to preach the gospel in villages far distant from the capital, with the unblushing wickedness of my own countrymen. How steeped the people themselves are in sin none can tell but those who have seen them as I have done. How one corroding sin seems to be eating out the vitals of all classes, casual visitors to the valley would perhaps scarcely guess. ”

“ A little beyond Aliabad Serai the traveller reaches the summit of the pass, about 12,000 feet above sea level. On it there stands a watch-tower, inhabited by the guardian of the pass. The view is inconceivably grand, it entrances one, making one forget all the fatigues of the journey and rejoice in the glories of God's creation. India's plains lie stretched before you, with an intervening foreground of marvellously verdant mountains, while towering above and around are the thousand snowy peaks of the Himalayas. The descent is not so easy as it seems at first. ”

“ A poor Kashmiri can call nothing his own. But, in reality, it is not only half a man loses, for at least another quarter is taken by the rapacious government officials who have to collect the nominal half. Shakdars, Kárdárs, Ziladárs, soldiers, and others, all come in for their share. The wonder is, how the people exist at all. Of course I am a credulous missionary, and believed every story I heard, but I should like to find the man in Kashmir who could deny these facts. But it is not only the poor peasants who suffer; perhaps the condition of the shawl weavers is worse still. ”

“ Men, like the late Dr. Elmslie of Kashmir, are indeed an ornament to any profession, and, independently of their missionary labour, must influence for good any society into which they may cast their lot. We most sincerely desire to see medical men of this stamp scattered over India; we look upon them as being among the very best representatives of the English character–well educated, liberal-minded individuals, pursuing with earnestness the healing art, not for the greed of gold, but that they may spend and be spent in doing the work of their Master. ”

“ And then on reaching the ridge, mile upon mile of dazzling white snow lay before us. It is impossible to do justice to the view. It was one of surpassing grandeur, purifying and elevating the soul to that glorious and almighty God, who by the word of His power had called this beauty and grandeur into existence. One would think that the inhabitants of this lovely valley, and those grand lofty mountains would be purified, and have their devotional feelings raised to God their Creator. ”

“ When one thinks of the vast power–moral, intellectual, and religious–being prepared and developed within the walls of our universities, how unspeakably important that every influence for good should be brought to bear upon our students. It strikes me we have not yet done all we ought to and might have done to them. My dear Thomson, can't you discover some way by which students may be more impressed, and have the claims of God and a perishing world forced upon their notice. In your letter you lament the want of men to fill existing vacancies in the medical mission field. ”

“ My dear Thomson, it makes one's heart bleed to think that so few young men are willing to devote themselves to this glorious work, and that our societies have comparatively so small funds at their disposal. Oh, that God would again raise up such men as the brothers Haldane were, to make a spiritual invasion of our universities and schools of learning to awaken the sleepy souls of our young men to a recognition of their duty, and an appreciation of the dignity and blessedness of denying one's self in the service of our blessed Redeemer. When will men be wise? ”

“ The more we identify ourselves with Christ, the holier, the happier, and the stronger we become, for He is our righteousness, He is our joy, He is our rock. The Christian needs to know the depravity, and the desperate wickedness of his own heart, but having known it somewhat, he requires to be ever looking unto Jesus in whom we and God are revealed. Look steadily to Jesus, dear Acklom, there sin is revealed, there love is revealed ”

“ Oh that they could be freed from the galling chains of worldliness and money-worship, and could be made to believe that really to live for God and not for self–really to live for the good of our fellow-men, with the eye of faith and hope fixed upon the sublime and awful verities of an unseen, but coming world, is verily the perennial source of man's greatest happiness and glory. ”

“ I don't know how it goes with you, dear Mallett, but as for myself, I have frequently sad cause to mourn over the misimprovement of these most invaluable opportunities. It is so very difficult to be always earnest, always watchful, always full of Jesus, always looking far ahead into that awful eternity, to which time is hurrying us along with such lightning speed. Oh what an endless journey of improvement lies before us. My dear M., if we are ever to be like our beloved Saviour, we must be much in His transforming company. ”

“ After many difficulties we have at length got a house, which, though only a native one, is really very suitable, being quite among the people. We have, therefore, gladly and very thankfully left off tent life for the present. The house is entered from the river by a flight of steps, which brings you into a wide archway. Our garden is large, and full of the delicious ottar roses. They are pink, not very large, but very rich in perfume. I fancy they must refresh the patients very much, so I don't grudge their gathering some as they wander about during the waiting time. ”

“ To influence the world we need to be full, and running over with faith and love. To be so we must often, Jesus-like, repair to the mountain side, or desert place, alone. It is often a great blessing for a Christian man to be laid aside for a little from the busy engrossing pursuits of this high-pressure life, which in these days we are forced to live. Even the Christian life is not exempt from this pernicious feature of our age. God did not stop your work; He only modified it for a season, and made praying your working. Doubtless the workers in prayer are most successful. ”

“ It made my heart sad to think, when reading the rectorial address of Mr. Carlyle, that so many young plastic, loving, and enthusiastic hearts were being fed with husks instead of the children's bread. Earnestness! unless it spring from love to God and man in our divine Saviour, Jesus Christ, is but the quintessence of selfishness and of all that we shall contemn as most hateful when we get to the other side, and stand before God. The man who tells his fellow men to be earnest in their worldly pursuits, is doing a superfluous work. ”

“ In speaking to others of Jesus and His unutterable love, I feel my own soul glowing and going out towards God in yearning desires for greater holiness, greater likeness to my blessed Redeemer, and for a complete consecration to His service. My heart's most earnest desire is, next to my own salvation, that God would honour me to lead many to the Saviour before I die, and I am hopeful of one or two of those among whom I labour. Paul may plant, and Apollos water, but it is God alone who can give the increase. ”

“ If you knew all that has befallen me during the past year,–the difficulties I have had to contend with in the prosecution of my work, my anxiety during the epidemic of cholera when I went daily to the city and spent hours among the sick and dying, you would say that from my heart there ought to flow a river of gratitude towards that gracious Father who has given me strength to bear up through it all. Without Christ one can do nothing, but with Him we can do all things. ”

“ Kashmir is becoming very dear to me now. I should like to remain here as long as there is work for me to do. Plenty of work there certainly is. It is an untilled field, but the Holy Spirit will surely be granted to break up the fallow ground, and make the soil ready to receive the seed. Indeed, we are very hopeful that something has been effected, which time will reveal. Dear old Qadir the catechist has been very much cheered by the number of inquirers this summer. If we are allowed to remain here many will come forward, but the fear of persecution without us keeps many back. ”

“ And then, whichever way you branch out from the central valley up its smaller vales, there is still the same or even greater beauty. Rushing rivers with snow cold water flinging themselves over rocks and stones; little villages hid under the shade of towering walnut trees; and, as you get further up, peaks reaching up to heaven, glaciers, from under which bellow forth dark dazzling streams. ”

“ In India Dr. Elmslie had two homes–if indeed he had a home at all, for he spoke of himself as being like Noah's dove, without a resting place for the sole of his foot–two homes and three spheres of labour. For six months in the year he lived and worked, as we have seen, in Kashmir. Then going each season to and from this, his main centre of action, he had no home whatever–sometimes like his Divine Master he had no place to lay his head–but he had a precious sphere of usefulness in wayside ministries amongst the sick and suffering, of which he gladly availed himself ”

“ To be happy is to seek, first, the kingdom of heaven.... This world is a great school: poor –– has very difficult lessons to learn in it; may God help him. I find all my past experience useful. Our lessons are sometimes very disagreeable, but only let God our heavenly Father be our teacher, and they will all prove profitable. How kind God's people are to you, dear mother. ”

“ Yet numbers of Kashmiris do prefer India to their own lovely land, simply because in India every man can live and be his own master, whatever else he has to put up with. But few are the happy men who can get away. A few are allowed to go into India, if they leave their wives and families behind as a guarantee for their speedy return, but only a few. As I was leaving Kashmir, two or three of these shawl weavers smuggled themselves out of the country as my coolies. ”