18. Chapter XIII - HIS THREE OUTSTANDING CHARACTERISTICS, AND THEIR UNDYING INFLUENCE

Chapter XIII HIS THREE OUTSTANDING CHARACTERISTICS, AND THEIR UNDYING INFLUENCE

THINKING over Mr. Hyde’s life as a whole I find some special features in him which account for his influence over men. His ardent lave for the Saviour. I asked Hyde one day, how it was that be was not married, that a wife would be able to look after his comforts. He smiled and, after a little time, he said just as if he were betraying a secret.

Years ago,’ he said, ’ I felt that I wanted to give something to Jesus Christ who loved me so, and I gave myself to Him absolutely and promised Him that no one should come into my life and share my affection for Him, I told the Lord that I would not marry but be His altogether.’ What a devotion ! and how loyally he kept his promise. Christ was all in all to him, he was constantly talking to Him ; this accounted for the atmosphere of prayer that Hyde lived in. This love was a gift, and we can have the same gift ; Hyde went down, lower and lower, so that the love of God could be poured into his life ; he opened his life for God’s love to flow in. Oh that we could do this, then prayer would naturally flow into our lives also.

Arising out of this, all knew that he had a passionate love for the people among whom he worked, so that he practically sacrificed every­thing for them. He lived with them, he ate and slept with them. I repeatedly heard that some took advantage of his kindness and imposed upon him. He knew this, but would say nothing to them even though they stole his goods, he saw men wearing his clothes, he would not call them to account lest the men should be driven further away from Christ. He so loved men’s souls that worldly goods were of no account when a soul was in danger. He was often blamed for this by some of his fellow-missionaries, but it had no effect upon him. An Indian doctor in the Punjab told me soon after Mr. Hyde’s ’ Home-Call ’ that some time before, the Arya Samaj was troubled because of his influence over men and the number of men that were converted under his preaching. The members of the Samaj determined to send a man to find out all about Mr. Hyde’s life, to watch for his faults and then they would publish these abroad and so break his influence over the people. One of their number went to Mr. Hyde and pretended that he was an enquirer, and wanted to know all about the Christian religion. Mr. Hyde received him kindly and invited him to stay with him. This was just what the man wanted and he remained with Mr. Hyde for three or four days and then ran away, and went to the men that had sent him and said, He has no fault, the man has no fault, he is a God ! he is a God ! ! and not man.’ This was the verdict of a man who lived with him day and night for three or four days—no fault. How many of us would have stood the test ? He so loved men, and men realized it, that they could see no fault in him. This again accounted for his prayer-life. Hyde must have seen much fault in the men, but to see a fault was only an excuse for prayer for those men. He always found some excuse for those who deceived and robbed him, it was so like the Master, They know not what they do.’

If we loved men more and sacrificed more for them, we would pray more for them. His genuine regard and affection for his fellow-missionaries, and yet he dared to go against their opinions when he felt that the Lord was guiding him in that direction. We have heard some of the members of his own mission say, that for years they did not under­stand him, but once they did they were the first to acknowledge his power. Some hard things were said to him and of him, but I do not think that any one ever heard him speak an unkind word to any missionary or of a missionary. He said more than once to me, that some of the missionaries did not understand him. Many thought that he was a morose, melancholy person, but he was not, though he looked like that at times. When he was in the company of those that understood him, how bright and cheerful he was, he had what some have called ’ Sanctified humour,’ he was very humorous, but he had it under perfect control and he seemed to keep the company that he was in, in the same spirit. His influence over missionaries the last few years of his life was wonderful, I think that it would not be wrong to say that he created a new era of prayer in the Punjab among some of the old prayer warriors that knew and felt India’s needs, they prayed much for the country, and loved to be with Mr. Hyde for he gave them a new conception of prayer ; the dear Indian Christians flocked around him, and he always gave them some dainty morsel from the Word. He was as faithful in leading men to Christ ; if he thought that men were looking up to him and not to the Master, he would run away and remain away in some hiding place praying for them.

He being dead yet speaketh is true of him. It is now ten years since he was called Home, but he is not forgotten, he is speaking to us to-day, and throwing light on the Prayer-Life of Christ. Whenever I spent a few days in his company, I always vowed that I would pray more than I had ever done and Christ always seemed more real to me, it seemed easy to pray, for Jesus had become more precious than ever to me. And if these reminiscences of him will lead us nearer to Christ and give us a new conception of prayer, then they will net have been written in vain.