13 FOR THE CHILDREN OF INDIA
Chapter 13 FOR THE CHILDREN OF INDIA
ALL the time that Dr. Phillips was engaged in ministering to the paupers and prisoners of Rhode Island, and in faithfully discharging his uncongenial duties as secretary to the Philadelphia Evangelical Alliance, his heart was really elsewhere. No one who watched him would have guessed the secret, for he completely mastered this desire, and was able to suppress any dislike that he felt for his work, and to throw himself with singular energy into the task which lay nearest to his hand. The work of each individual day was done as if it was the only work which he expected to do in his life. The love of Christ was a fire burning in his bones, and it shone forth in his face and speech until the souls of felons and the cold emptiness of formal churches caught the glow. Yet at night when the house was still, and he sat alone at the close of the day’s labours, his thoughts traveled far beyond his environment, and his mental eye scanned a distant scene across the sea. His heart was in the land of his birth, and he was once more discussing Christianity with the cultivated Hindus, and preaching the Gospel to the savage Santals. " Dear India," as he always called it, was to him a delightful memory and an ever present hope, and it was to the little ones of India that at this time his heart chiefly turned. He was soon to have his heart’s desire; and the man who had faced the dangers of the jungles, who had trained up natives as preachers of the Gospel, who had proved himself equally apt in the prison wards and in the secretarial office, was to end his career in a work which he rightly judged to be higher and more important than aught else — the Christian training of little children.
" For years," he wrote at this time, " I have had a sort of golden dream, a dream of working for the children of my own dear India."
Through successive seasons of tropical toil, and throughout his subsequent labours among the destitute and the criminal. Dr. Phillips kept a heart fresh enough to become an ideal missionary to little children. The call to this new work came in October 1889, and on the 7th of this month he wrote in his diary — " A call came to-day from my dear India to the new post of general secretary to the India Sunday School Union. The Lord help me to decide this aright. My heart is praying, ’ Make Thy way straight before my face.’ " In a letter to his friend Bishop Thoburn of the Methodist Episcopal Church he wrote — " A letter from Dr. T. J. Scott startled me this week with a call to the general secretaryship of our India Sunday School Union. . . . Please send me your own impressions of the nature and duties of the post, and say whether you think I could fill the bill. ... I am sure there is nothing in the line of missionary service to which my heart could more fervently respond."
He repeated this last statement in his first annual report — " No call could have been more unexpected, but surely none could have been more welcome."
We must go back a little to understand how this call came to be sent. The first Sunday School in India was formed at Serampore on July 9th, 1803, those who attended it being chiefly the children of converted natives or those who had lost caste. But the Sunday School as an agency for evangelisation was little appreciated until the India Sunday School Union was established in 1876. The prophet of this new movement was Dr. T. J. Scott of Bareilly, to whom belongs nearly all the honour of pushing the idea into prominence, and of planning with unwearied patience for its development throughout the land. Into his labours Dr. Phillips entered, and in so doing, he entered also into the sympathies of his fellow missionaries in the field, into those of the British and American Sunday School Unions, and finally into the hearts of the young folk of the International Bible Reading Association, who straightway put their hands into their pockets and with their pence provided Dr. Phillips’ salary. The story of the negotiations which finally led to the appointment of Dr. Phillips has been told by Dr. Scott in the India Sunday School Journal for 1893, a magazine edited by Dr. Phillips. From its pages the following account has been condensed : — The difficulty of pushing on the work of the India Sunday School Union without a secretary set apart for the work had long been felt and discussed, but the matter did not take practical form until the Sunday School Convention held at Cawnpore in January 1888, when Dr. Wherry moved the appointment of a secretary, and suggested that the Sunday School Unions of England and America might undertake his support. Negotiations with this view began to take place. The English Committee of the Sunday School Union stated that they were of opinion that the appointment of a Sunday School missionary for India would be very desirable, and that if a suitable person could be found, they would be prepared to guarantee a portion of his salary. At the great World’s Sunday School Convention, held at London in June 1889, Dr. Scot’s report on the India Sunday School Union was listened to with much attention. It closed with an earnest appeal that a secretary might be sent, who " should visit all parts of India, urge the importance of Sunday School work, stir up an interest, form an auxiliary Union, grapple with the question of Sunday School literature and appliances, and establish some kind of Sunday School Journal for India." The salary was the chief difficulty, but the Convention unanimously adopted the idea, and " recommended that an organizing secretary be appointed for Sunday School extension and work in India." The India Sunday School Union then felt justified in seeking for a suitable man. At the suggestion of several prominent Indian missionaries, Dr. Scott wrote, as we have already seen, to Dr. Phillips, and received a reply, dated —
"Philadelphia, Oct. 8th, 1889. -- I am very glad that our India Sunday School Union has taken the step you write of, and can sincerely say that should my brethren in India call me to the work of general secretary, I should give the matter the most prayerful and earnest consideration. India is my heart’s first love, and only stern necessity has kept me away so long from her interesting and promising fields. I am happy to say that my dear wife’s health has so far improved during the past year, that I might be justified soon in leaving my family and resuming work in India. In case you call me, please clearly define my duties, state time and place of beginning work, and business details, so that I can send you a definite answer." In January 1890 the Committee of the International Bible Reading Association undertook to provide the funds for the secretary’s salary. On this the Sunday School Union wrote to America stating that they were prepared to undertake the whole support of the Mission, leaving America to take up similar work in some other country. To this they agreed, and in February a committee of the Sunday School Union was appointed to conduct the Mission. On 27th March the Indian Committee held its first meeting (Lord Kinnaird in the chair), when a letter from Dr. T. J. Scott was read recommending Dr. J. L. Phillips. Other communications were also read, and it was resolved to offer the appointment to Dr. Phillips. His letter of acceptance was dated 21st April 1890. The circulars appealing for contributions to the Indian fund were sent out to I.B.E.A. branches in March 1890, and by the end of June the first year’s salary was more than covered by the receipts in hand. In July 1890 the Sunday School Union thus refer to their engagement of Dr. Phillips — On all hands the Committee are receiving the most gratifying testimonies to his peculiar fitness for the post. His long acquaintance with India, his knowledge of its languages, his enthusiastic love for its people, his power by his platform utterances to awaken the sympathy and enthusiasm of others, and most of all his own earnest love for Christ and souls, combine to make him the very man for the post." But we must return to Dr. Phillips in Philadelphia. The moment the letter from the Committee had been read, his wife saw no alternative, but simply said, " You must go ; there is nothing else to be done." In view of the fact that some criticisms were passed upon his action in again leaving home, she wishes it to be placed upon record that he again and again said to her, " If you say so, I will settle in America and not go." But, hard as it was to break up the home, she felt that he was pre-eminently fitted for the new position, and that it was his clear duty to accept it. For the next few weeks he was busily occupied in winding up the affairs of his secretarial office, and in paying farewell visits to the various churches.
"Oberlin, May 26th, 1890. -- I have just given a lecture to 1400 students in the College chapel. There is a beautiful Christian influence here, and a more responsive audience I never had. I shall yet see some of these young people in foreign lands. My work among the churches is over. I have visited Indiana, Tennessee, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, and Pennsylvania in behalf of missions. I am glad to have had this opportunity of seeing a little missionary enthusiasm in these places. I start for dear India in August, but I shall have several weeks’ work in England and Scotland on my way to Bombay.
" There are days when my heart so longs for my own sweet home, that only prayer and duty can hold me to my post. Human as I am, and very weak too, I shall often feel in days to come, when seas roll between me and my dear ones, that only prayer and faith can hold me true and firm to my high Captain’s orders. You know how I hate a babyish, whining disposition in a man, and how I admire Christian pluck in everybody. So many times, when the flesh has been weak and I have sighed for home, and longed to rest, I have read over once more St. Paul’s wonderful words to Timothy, and girded up my loins for a fresh effort. Somehow I feel that I shall need great grace and strong faith, and much humility and self-denial for this new work in India. My heart loves it, and I do not shrink from it, but God knows how weak I feel in the presence of so great a work. Let every thought of this new work, to which the Lord is calling me, fill our hearts with prayer." The page in his diary that chronicles " my last day at home " is pathetic reading. Half an hour before starting to catch the night train to Cleveland, the parting words were spoken.
" Ours was a sad, hard parting," wrote Dr. Phillips ; " we were all together, and tried to sing, * God be with you till we meet again,’ repeated the traveler’s psalm (121), and then knelt in prayer. We all prayed, and it was a precious hour. Every thought of home is now a prayer for God’s blessing on my dear ones." The SS Etruria made a quick and easy passage to Liverpool, and Dr. Phillips was able to record with satisfaction that he did not miss a single meal. -- " The Atlantic was like a millpond. I never saw it so before. Even the sea may be merciful."
They passed Queenstown on Friday, August 22nd, and on the following day reached Liverpool, where Dr. Phillips was welcomed by Mr. Millar, one of the secretaries of the Sunday School Union. He remained in England until the end of October, when he started for India, the intervening days being occupied with much preparatory business, and with meetings in various parts of Great Britain. Among other places, he visited in turn Bristol, Cardiff, Norwich, Rochester, Brighton, Bolton, Manchester, Bradford, Sheffield, Newcastle, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Leicester, and Nottingham. A few more characteristic entries in his diary will be interesting.
" Monday, September 1st. — Mr. Charles Boyer came to the Sunday School Union for me at 10 am., and we walked miles in the East End of London in the streets of the poor, where he gathers in the boys and girls to the Sunday Schools. We visited Ben Jonson’s Board School, which has over 2000 boys and girls, and I spoke to the top class of each side. We spent four full hours in this Jack the Ripper district, and considered its conditions and claims. The poor are better housed than in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, or Boston."
"September 21st {Norwich). — Mr. John Clark came at 9.30 a.m., and took me to the Sun Lane Sunday School, where I spoke three times. Then we drove to the Carrow School, where I spoke twice. Both of these are capital schools, well managed and admirably housed. In the afternoon Mr. Clark showed me the New City and Princess Street Sunday Schools, both of which I addressed. In the evening I preached at St. Mary’s Chapel. This has been a delightful day, but I find myself very tired tonight."
"September 25th {Brighton). — At 7.30 p.m. I addressed a public meeting at North Street Chapel (the late Countess of Huntingdon’s), and worked in a strait jacket, for the old deacons charged us not to laugh or applaud ! "
"September 28th. — This is the twenty-eighth anniversary of my ordination in New York, and has been a day of much thought and prayer. Lord fill me with Thy Spirit, and give me many souls in my dear India."
" October 19th, Sunday {Aberdeen). — In the evening, at six o’clock, I went to the U.P. Church and heard lecture on New theories of the life of Christ.’
He took up Strauss, Eenan, Ecce Homo, Robert Elsmere, etc., and spoke and read for ninety minutes; and then he read a hymn of five verses, all of which we sang; then he prayed, read three verses of the 72nd Psalm, which was also sung, and then pronounced the benediction! Great is the endurance of a Scottish congregation; but why teach our people what critics and freethinkers write? "
"October 26th, Sunday (London). — My last Sabbath in dear England has gone. Thank God for the opportunities I have had of pleading for my own dear India in England, Wales, and Scotland, and for His gracious help and blessing in the work during the past two months! "
After seventy days pleasant work in England, Wales, and Scotland, Dr. Phillips packed up his boxes on October 31st, and left them at 56 Old Bailey, for Mr. Millar to put on board the SS. Pekin, and taking only some hand luggage, left Holborn Viaduct Station at 11 a.m., whence he proceeded to Paris, which he reached at 7 p.m. Paris, Lyons, Geneva, Florence, Rome, and Naples were all visited on his way to India, and everywhere he brimmed over with enthusiasm for Christ and the children.
" Nov. 2nd, Sunday (Paris). — At 9 a.m. attended the Sunday School at the Church of the Holy Spirit, and at M. Sautter’s request addressed the children, he interpreting in French. In the evening I went to the McAll Mission, and preached to the French congregation, M. Sautter interpreting for me. Thank God for the joy of preaching in this city the glorious Gospel of His Son ! "
"Nov. 10th {Rome). — We visited St. Peter’s, which impressed me much, and the Sistine Chapel, and the art galleries of the Vatican, all of which I greatly enjoyed, particularly the masterpieces of Raphael, Michael Angelo, and others. The face of the demoniac boy in the Transfiguration scene by Raphael, I shall never forget. In the evening I addressed a drawing room meeting at Dr. Young’s, and enjoyed telling thirty or more Christian friends of various Churches about our Sunday School mission in India. Thank God for favoring me with this opportunity of meeting the saints that are at Rome also ! "
Dr. Phillips sailed in the P. & O. steamship Pekin from Brindisi, on Sunday, November 16th, bound for Bombay, having during his brief Continental trip preached three sermons and delivered ten addresses. The Pekin anchored off the Apollo Bunder at three o’clock on a Sunday afternoon, and that night Dr. Phillips reported himself " too happy to sleep." He subsequently wrote in the India Sunday School Journal —
" God bless my dear India! How glad I am to be back! Glad on leaving London ; gladder when, from the deck of the big mail steamer, I saw the shores of Europe fade away; but gladdest when my feet touched dear India’s soil here last Sunday afternoon. Hardly had the Pekin dropped anchor before a steam yacht was seen coming from the shore, and very soon Mr. Carroll of the Sunday School Union was on deck, helping me to reach my first appointment. Before I had been on shore an hour, I was looking into a group of happy faces in the Free Baptist Church. It was a special meeting of the Bombay International Bible Beading Association. Fitting indeed that I should speak first to them and tell them of the I.B.E.A. members in Great Britain, whose prayers and pennies had nobly helped the Sunday School Union in launching this Indian mission."
Dr. Phillips was now in his element, for the work of seeking to save the children absorbed his whole being, and fulfilled his ambitions True, he did not regard Sunday School organization as an end in itself, though it will be seen with what ability and success he gave himself to its accomplishment; but he viewed it as a means to the one great end of leading the millions of India to the feet of the world’s Redeemer. " I hope," he said, " if God spares my life, to see all India thoroughly organized for Sunday School work."