12. A FAR-FLUNG MEMORY

A FAR-FLUNG MEMORY

DURING the whole of the brief period covered by the work of compiling this narrative, I kept casting about, among the many poignant and precious memories I retain of F. B. Meyer, for one which might serve as a fitting note with which to make an end. I thought, for example, of the first time I heard him preach, in the City of London, from these words: "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send you from the Father . . . He will testify of Me" (John 15:26) ; and of the last, two years ago, in New York City, when his text was: "For this cause came I unto this hour" (John 12:27); and I remembered that more than a full generation lay between. Finally, I reached the conclusion that it should take the form of a sort of reconstructed word-picture of the man as I saw and heard him, one summer Sabbath evening, more than a quarter of a century ago, as he bade farewell to his church and congregation, ere departing for America on the coming morrow. As I crossed Lambeth Bridge the sun, on his way to the west, was turning the turgid, muddy river into a channel of molten gold. The ancient trees in Lam­beth Palace grounds were flinging elongated shadows across the surrounding greensward, what time the evening sunshine, piercing through the interstices of their leafy branches, transformed the great stones of the courtyard into a mosaic of lustrous topaz and gleaming amber. When I arrive at Christ Church, I find it crowded with a congregation that quite filled the ground-area and the galleries. The man in the pulpit---a tense, slender figure---evinces no signs of strain or weariness, such as might have been expected to show upon him after the exacting duties of the long, strenuous day. I knew that, since seven of the morn, he had been in­cessantly laboring, and, now, it was towards evening, and the day far spent. But for Dr. Meyer this hour of the long English twilight has its clear, compelling duty, which waited to be duly fulfilled ere the curtains of the night were fully drawn. For the third time this glorious summer Sunday the calm, magnetic voice of Meyer is heard---exhorting, pleading, extolling his Lord; for the third time a congregation of Londoners hang expectant upon his every word.

It is St. Paul’s immortal love chapter---the thirteenth of First Corinthians---to which Dr. Meyer directs the attention of his hearers in this hallowed hour. He begins by tracing the striking gradation---each step rising above another---in which St. Paul enumerates those things which those who are called Christian, and usually accounted as such, appear to really imagine will atone for the absence of brotherly love. He goes on to show how the great apostle, beginning with the quality least in value---that of talking well---advances therefrom, step by step, until he comes to the highest of all. A step above eloquence, is knowledge with faith, a step above that; good works are a step above faith; suffering for righteousness, above good works. Than this, naught is higher, save only Christian love---­love for one’s fellows, flowing out from a love for God.

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels"---­the highest eloquence, whether of private conversation or public ministration---the brightest talent, either for preaching or prayer---if they be not joined to humble, patient love, will bring no man one step nearer Heaven.

"Though I have the gift of prophecy"---of foretelling future events, which no ordinary human can foresee; "though I understand all mysteries"---of nature, of providence and the Word of God; though a man possess knowledge of all things, human and divine, if he have not humility, gentleness, love, he is as nothing in the sight of God.

"And though I have all faith"---if this faith work not by love; if it bring not forth lowliness, meekness, it availeth nothing. All faith that is, that was, that will be, which is apart from a tender benevolence of spirit, is not the faith of a Christian, and will stand a man in no stead before the face of God. The great congregation sits intently watching and listening to the preacher---immovable, fascinated, held by magnetic power. Night comes on apace. The summer gloaming gives place to gathering darkness; daylight dies. The church is not illuminated, but lights are now turned on above the preacher’s head and behind the pulpit, silhouetting his form against the brightened background. The tranquil, expressive features are no longer plainly discernible, but the arresting voice, vibrant with restrained emotion, is clearly heard, whispering hope, speaking of pardon, proclaiming peace. There is no diminution of interest, no lessening of quickened emotion, as the darkness deepens. Rather are both intensified, as Dr. Meyer proceeds to unfold the nature of the true relationship between God and man: The love Christ requires in all His followers [he says] is the love of God and man---of God, for His own sweet sake, and of man, for God’s. In all provocations, arising either from the weakness or malice of men, we must show our­selves a pattern of gentleness, and meekness, and be they never so oft-repeated, are not to be overcome with evil, but are to overcome evil with good. Let no man be per­mitted to deceive us with vain words. He who is not longsuffering hath not love; he who is not kind hath not love; he who envieth hath not love; he that is proud, vain, and puffed up, that man hath no love. The conclusion of the whole matter, my brethren, is this: whatever I speak, whatever I know, whatever I believe, whatever I do, whatever I suffer, if I have not the faith that worketh by love, that produces not love to God and all mankind---I am not walking in the way which leadeth to life. Whatever eloquence I have; what­ever natural or supernatural knowledge; whatever faith I have received from God; whatever works I do, whether of piety or mercy; whatever suffering I undergo for con­science’ sake, even though I resist unto blood---all these things avail nothing before God, unless I am meek and lowly of heart, unless my soul be filled with love.

I beseech you, therefore, brethren in the Lord, that ye permit yourselves to see, that true godliness, in the very essence of it, is a matter of holy tempers. And all other forms of "godliness", no matter what name it wear, or bear, is lighter, more negligible, than egregious vanity.

Let every man here, therefore, see to it that he secure the one thing needful. With all his eloquence, his know­ledge, his faith, his works, his sufferings---let him hold fast to love. He that through the power of love endureth to the end is humble, faithful, patient, loving. He, and he alone, shall, through the merits of Christ Jesus, inherit the kingdom prepared for mankind from the foundation of the world. In a closing word, may I implore you, all, to rededicate yourselves, this night, in a spirit of consuming, abiding love? No matter what the past have in it of alien thought and character, have done with it, in this hour, and may the spirit of Christ Jesus be in you---that spirit which is Love Incarnate, which knows no barriers, and embraces all mankind. The message is delivered, and the preacher comes to his closing word. It is a ringing challenge---a note of triumph---a glorious confession! "Tomorrow morning, long before many of you are astir, I shall be on my way to Southampton", he declares. "The King’s business requireth haste, and with its urgent dispatch I am solemnly charged. I go, knowing full well that you will pray earnestly, as I shall pray, that I may be safely restored to you. Meanwhile---until I look into your faces again---rest you confidently, overcomingly, on this gracious, enheartening word: ’Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or dis­tress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ... Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come; nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus the Lord.’ " The crowded congregation, suddenly released, in­stantly becomes susceptible of movement. The high tension is slackened, men and women look again into each other’s faces; time, which had seemed to halt ­stranded on a hush---moves forward again, on its march to eternity. The ultra-exalted mood, poignant in its intensity, is succeeded by one of rarely-experienced tranquility; over the souls of men and women the peace of God descends, as gently as dew upon the slopes of Hermon. For all of us, it has been a season of sweet, spiritual refreshing---an hour in which God had, indeed, tabernacled Himself with men. We had heard and hearkened to His voice through that of His honored servant, and refrained not from adding praise to praise.

Lights are turned on, and the concluding hymn upwells, in a burst of hallowed song: The day Thou gavest, Lord, is ended,
The darkness falls at Thy behest;
To Thee our morning hymns ascended,
Thy praise shall hallow now our rest. The sun that bids us rest is waking
Our brethren ’neath the western sky,
And, hour by hour, fresh lips are making
Thy wondrous doings heard on high. So be it, Lord; Thy throne shall never,
Like earth’s proud empires, melt away;
But stand, and rule, and grow forever,
Till all Thy creatures own Thy sway. The congregation bends in solemn prayer, and under the searching words of their pastor the hearts of his flock melt, as wax before a flame. Their spirits glow with the warmth and radiance of kindling love. Tears fall like rain---tears which, being caught up in prayer’s golden crucible, are laid, therein, upon the altar of the Lord. They come up acceptable in His sight; and lo! the fire descends, and dries them all!

Once again the preacher’s voice is heard---raised in the last public utterance his brethren are to hear from him until he come to them again; the last of which any record will be made in these pages.

"Brethren," he says quietly and with uplifted hands, "pray for me . . . that I may be restored to you the sooner. And may the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well­-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."

Every head is bowed; each heart is blest; the benison of the Lord is over all! Dr. Meyer steps down to join his brethren, who crowd about him with expressions of love and gratitude, wishing him Godspeed upon his journey and a regretful, yet fond farewell. Wending our way homeward in the friendly darkness, we con­verse, one with the other, concerning the great verities of the Gospel---of the gracious experience which had been ours that day. Seldom, if ever, had God seemed so strangely, so blessedly near. So susceptible had we become to things divine; so alert to "the music of the spheres"; so aware of the nearness and reality of things eternal, that it seemed as though the very atmosphere about us were made electric with the power and pres­ence of the Highest; the firmament above us charged with choicest benediction, and God’s glory breaking, in shafts of lambent beauty, from the placid bosom of the stars. The glamour of that gracious hour once more descends upon me. I see again, in the dim interior of the great church, the slender figure of that fearless leader, faithful witness, brother-man, and ere the mood pass---perchance for ever---I lean across the intervening, war-scarred years, and take his hand. . . .

NOTABLE DAYS IN THE LIFE OF DR. F. B. ME YER 1847. Born in London, April 8.

1856. Removed with parents to Brighton, Sussex, and entered Brighton College.

1862. Returned to London, and completed his early edu­cation in that city.

1864. Entered the counting-house of Allan Murray, Tea Merchants, Billiter Square, London.

1866. Decided to become a preacher, delivered his "trial" sermon in Seven Dials Chapel, and entered Regent’s Park College, to prepare for the Gospel ministry.

1868. Assumed charge of Duke Street Baptist Chapel, Richmond, Surrey.

1869. Completed College Course, graduated B. A. (Lon­don University), and appointed Assistant Minister to Rev. Charles M. Birrell, Pembroke Baptist Chapel, Liverpool.

1871. Married to Miss J. E. Jones, of Birkenhead, Che­shire, February 20.

1872. Received, and accepted, call to pastorate of Priory Street Baptist Chapel, York.

1873. Invited Dwight L. Moody and Ira D. Sankey to his chapel, and here the American evangelists’ wonderful Mission in Great Britain virtually began, July 2.

1874. Invited to succeed Dr. Haycroft in the pastorate of Victoria Road Baptist Church, Leicester, and proceeded thither.

1878. Resigned from Victoria Road Church, to engage in a wider ministry among the masses. Engaged Museum Building for the purpose, and there con­ducted "popular" services, May 2.

1880. Foundation stones of Memorial Hall, Leicester 8 I. laid, July I 1880, the opening services of the new church being held, July 2, 1881. Began a notable ministry, which included work among the unem­ployed, discharged prisoners, and other forms of Christian philanthropy.

1887. Mrs. Meyer’s health becoming impaired by the clayey soil of Leicester, a change of location deemed advisable. After a three-week vacation in Algeria, Dr. Meyer decided to accept pastorate of Regent’s Park Chapel, London, Christmas 1887.

1888. Entered on ministry at Regent’s Park, and there continued four years.

1889. Visited India and Burma.

1891. On the invitation of D. L. Moody, paid his first visit to America, to address meetings at East Northfield Summer Conference. F. B. Meyer continued to make periodical preaching trips to the New World during the rest of his life, making, in all, twelve journeys to America. His last visit was in 1927, and he was scheduled to repeat in I 929, but death intervened.

1892. Called to Christ Church, Westminster Bridge Road, on the retirement of Dr. Newman Hall, and entered on his Lambeth pastorate, October 2, thus beginning another great ministry, which lasted fifteen years.

1901. Visited Damascus, Beirut, and other parts of Asia Minor.

1902. Conducted a series of Conferences in Russia.

1904. Elected President, National Free Church Council, and conducted a notable year of meetings in all parts of England. Took active share in protest against Educational Bill and Chinese Labor.

1906. Elected President of the Baptist Union, and carried through another strenuous year’s work.

1907. Resigned pastorate of Christ Church and went off on a world tour.

1909. Received, and accepted, invitation to Regent’s Park Chapel for a second pastorate.

1915. Entered on second pastorate at Christ Church.

1917. Sustained leading share in founding Advent Testi­mony Movement.

1920. Resigned pastorate of Christ Church, and became minister-emeritus. Elected President of National Free Church for a second time. Also undertook Secretaryship of Council, after the death of Thomas Law.

1921- Engaged in continual itinerancies in England, 28. Australia, Canada, and the United States.

1929. Death of Mrs. Meyer, in January of this year. Preached last sermon in Wesley Chapel, City Road, London, February 10; entered Nursing Home, February 13; removed to Boscombe, March 15; became rapidly worse in health, and died March 28. Funeral services in Christ Church, and interment at Boscombe Cemetery, April 3; Memorial service in Christ Church, April 7.