Chapter 3

"We are to relieve the distressed, to put the wanderer into his way, and to share our bread with the hungry, which is but the doing good to others."--SENECA.

Our hero having returned to his native land, and to settle for a little while at the quiet town of Gravesend, refused to be lionized, and he begged that no publication of his deeds of daring and devotion in China, should be recorded. His quiet life here as an engineer was not less remarkable, though of a different kind, than life in China had been. Here, however, he spent the energies of his spare time, to the services of the poor. At this juncture I was privileged to come in contact with this remarkable man, in the great city of Manchester, where for a few months, he was employed on some Governmental Commission. Like his Master Christ--he went about doing good. My position at this time was an agent, or scripture reader for "The Manchester City Mission." Gordon found his way to the office and saw the chairman of the mission, and from him got permission to accompany one of the missioners round his district. He expressed his desire to go round one of the poorest districts of the city; as it might afford him an opportunity of seeing for himself some of the social blots and scars in our national life; also of giving some practical help to the deserving poor. My district was such an one as would furnish him with the opportunities to satisfy him in that particular, and I was therefore asked to allow Col. Gordon to accompany me to its squalid scenes, to my Ragged School, cottage and open-air services, and to the sick and suffering, of which I had many on my list. This request was gladly complied with; for the first sight of the stranger made me love and trust him.

And now the hero of so many battles fought for freedom and liberty, was to witness scenes of warfare of a very different kind. War, it is true, but not where there are garments rolled in blood and victims slain; but war with the powers of darkness, war between good and evil, truth and error, light and darkness. We went together into the lowest slums of the district; walked arm in arm over the ground where misery tells its sad and awful tale, where poverty shelters its shivering frame, and where blasphemy howls its curse. We found out haunts of vice and sin, terrible in their character, and distressing in their consequences. I found he had not hitherto been accustomed to this kind of mission. Once on my entering a den of dangerous characters and lecturing them on their sinful course and warning them in unmistakable words of the consequences, he afterwards said: "I could not have found courage of the kind you show in this work; yet I never was considered lacking in courage on the field of battle. When in the Crimea, I was sent frequently and went on hands and knees through the fall of shells and the whizz of bullets right up to the Russian walls to watch their movements, and I never felt afraid; I confess I need courage to warn men of sin and its dangerous consequences." He met me, for a time almost daily, well supplied with tracts, which I noticed he used as a text for a few words of advice, or comfort, or warning as the case required, but he invariably left a silver coin between the leaves; this I think was a proof he was sincere in his efforts to do good. Along Old Millgate, and around the Cathedral, at that time, were numerous courts and alleys, obscure, often filthy, dark and dangerous; down or up these he accompanied me; up old rickety staircases, into old crumbling ruins of garrets he followed without hesitation.

{C. G. Gordon: p51.jpg}

At the bedside of the dying prodigal or prostitute he would sit with intense interest, pointing them to Him who casts out none. In our house to house visitation he would sit down and read of the Saviour's love, making special reference to those that are poor in this world, assuring them it was for the outcast and the forsaken, and the lost, that Jesus came to die. He would kneel down for prayer by a broken chair or the corner of a slop-stone, or by the wash-tub, and with the simplicity of a child, address in tender and touching petition, the Great Father of all in Heaven, while tears chased each other down his sun-tanned face; his great soul going out with his prayer for Heaven's blessing on the helpless poor.

His sympathy was tender as a child's, and his beneficence as liberal as the best of Christian's can be. He often came and took tea with me in my quiet home, where we had many very interesting interviews, and where we conversed on subjects varied but mostly religious; he rarely referred to his military achievements; when he did so it was with the greatest self abnegation and humility. He would say, "No honour belongs to me, I am only the instrument God uses to accomplish his purpose." I introduced him to my ragged school; this to him was a most interesting scene of work, and he volunteered to give us some of his time and service; and to see him with 20 or 30 of these ragged lads about him was to say the least, full of interest. He, however, had the happy art of getting at their heart at once; by incidents, stories and experiences, which compelled attention and confidence. In a very short time he won the esteem and the love of every lad in the school. To some of these lads he became specially attached, and for some time after he left Manchester he kept up with me, and with several of the lads, also with some of my colleagues on the mission--a very interesting correspondence. Happily, I have preserved a good number of these letters, and they show the spirit and motive of that noble soul, more than any poor words of mine can do.

Letter.

GRAVESEND, _June 19th_, _1869_.

"My Dear Mr. Wardle.--My long silence has not been because I had forgot you and your kind reception of me; but because secular work has so completely taken up my time of late. I was glad to hear of you . . . . and of the Dark Lane (ragged school) lads. I often wish I could go down with you and see them; I often think of them. I wish I could help them, but it is only by prayer that I can now benefit them. I loved them very much, and look forward to the time when our weary march, dogged by our great foe will be ended; and we meet for ever in our Heavenly home. I remember them all, Jones, Carr, &c., &c., and I often think of their poor young faces which must soon get deepened into wrinkles with sorrow and care. Thank God we go like Israel of old, after a new home; we cannot find our rest here! Day by day we are, little as we may think it, a day's march nearer, till someday we shall perhaps unexpectedly reach it."

Good bye, my dear Mr. Wardle, Yours sincerely, C. H. GORDON.

"Kind regards to _my_ lads."

Gordon was deeply moved by the sights of poverty and distress around him; this was shown by the dress and appearance of the factory hands. He was especially struck by the clatter of the clogs--the Lancashire cotton operative's foot gear.

To his Sister he wrote:--

MANCHESTER, _September 21st_, _1867_.

"Your heart would bleed to see the poor people, though they say there is no distress such as there was some time ago; they are indeed like sheep having no shepherd, but, thank God, though they look forlorn, they have a watchful and pitying eye upon them. It does so painfully affect me, and I do trust will make me think less of self, and more of these poor people. Little idea have the rich of other countries of the scenes in these parts. It does so make me long for that great day when He will come and put all things straight.

How long, O Lord, how long!

I have but little time to write by this post, so will say no more about that. I have less confidence in the flesh than ever, thank God, though it is a painful struggle and makes one long for the time when, this our earthly tabernacle, shall be dissolved; but may His will be done. If there is sin and misery, there is One who over-rules all things for good; we must be patient. The poor scuttlers here, male and female, fill me with sorrow. They wear wooden clogs, a sort of sabot, and make such a noise. Good-bye, and may God manifest Himself in all His power to all of you, and make you to rejoice with joy unspeakable. If we think of it, the only thing which makes the religion of our Lord Jesus Christ differ from that of every other religion, or profession, is this very indwelling of God the Holy Ghost in our bodies; we can do nothing good; Christ says, "Without me, ye can do nothing." You are dead in trespasses and sins, you are corpses, and must have life put in you, and that life is God Himself, who dwells in us, and shows us the things of Christ."

C. G. GORDON.

Letter. No. 2.

"My Dear Mr. Wardle,--I had a nice letter the other day from one of my lads, Carr, whom I hope you will look after, as well as all the rest. I have often thought of you all. Keep the "Tongue of Fire," {57} before you, and you will have great joy. I have thought much lately on the subject of God dwelling in us, and speaking through us. We are only witnesses, not judges; the Gospel is:--God loves you: not--Do you love God. The one is a witness, the other an inquiry which is not to be made by man of his fellow man, for it is impossible for man to love God unless he first feels and knows that God loves him. Our fault is, want of Charity one towards another. We do not go down to the poor lost sinner, but ask him to do what of himself he cannot do, viz., come up to us. What ought to be always floating in our proud hearts is:--'Who made thee to differ.'

Kind regards to all my friends. Never forgotten, or to be forgotten. Yours truly, C. G. GORDON."

Letter. No. 3.

"My Dear Mr. Wardle, I send you 'Jukes on Genesis' and on the 'Four Gospels.' I have to send you his work on 'The Offerings in Leviticus,' and also Macintosh's 'Genesis and Exodus.' I am sure you will enjoy them. I cut Genesis up so as to lend it about; I hope you won't mind my having used them, and marked some papers. I hope D.V. to see you Monday evening, and with kind regards.

Believe me yours sincerely in Christ, C. G. GORDON."

Gordon was intensely and deeply religious; it was in him certainly "as a well of water springing up into everlasting life." He could talk of nothing else, in whatever company, it was the same theme--"Christ in you the hope of glory." A favourite text of his was 1. John, chap. 4, ver. 15--"Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God." This he took as a text for a little homily which he printed and circulated by thousands. After the above head-line, in special type, it ran thus:--"Reader! Do you confess that Jesus is the Son of God? Do you believe in your heart that Jesus is the Son of God? If you do then God dwells in you to-day. Whatever you are, whatever you have been, or have done,--and if you ask Him, 'O Lord, I believe that Jesus is the Son of God; show me, for His sake, that Thou livest in me.' He will make you feel His presence in your hearts, and will make you feel perfectly happy, which you cannot be in any other way. Many believe sincerely that Jesus is the Son of God, but are not happy, because they do not believe THAT which God tells them--that He lives in them both in body and soul, transforming the whole man into the likeness of Jesus Christ, if they confess Jesus to be His son. Do you believe this statement? If you do, yet do not feel God's presence, ask Him to show Himself to you, and He will surely do so."

After this homily, on the same tract, were the following passages of Scripture:--

Luke, chap. 2, v. 13. "If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children; how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask."

Rom., chap. 10, v. 9. "If thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."

I. Cor., chap. 3, v. 16. "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you."

I. Cor., chap. 6, v. 19. "Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own."

II. Cor., chap. 6, v. 16. "Ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."

The tone and spirit of this tract, is the kernel, if I may say so, of his deepest religious convictions.

He gave me a number of New Testaments for distribution, as he did also to one or two others of our missioners. The following letter accompanies the parcel:--

"My dear Mr. Wardle,--I have sent thirty Testaments for you and thirty for Mr. Fielden. Will you kindly oblige by marking in each the following passages, viz.:--

Matt. chap. 2, V. 28, 29. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls."

Gal. ch. 5, v., 19., 25. "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: adultery, fornication, uncleanliness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21. Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God." 22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23. Meekness, temperance; against such there is no law. 42. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the spirit, let us walk in the spirit."

Also I John ch. 4, v. 15. "Whosoever shall confess, etc."

He also published a little work entitled "Christ and His members; or the in-dwelling of God, the root of faith in Christ." One or two quotations may be sufficient to show the nature or scope of the work, a copy now lies before me.

"Belief or faith in Jesus being the Son of God, is the distinguishing spiritual mark of the members of Christ's body; it is a fruit which springs from a root, or source, from which it is sustained, and increased. This root is the indwelling of God the Holy Ghost in the soul. This indwelling gives faith or belief in the fact that even as the sun gives light, or the fire gives warmth, and as there can be no warmth without fire, and no light without the sun, neither can there be any belief in Jesus, without the indwelling of God in the soul."

He wrote me from Liverpool as follows:

"My dear Mr. Wardle, do not forget to take the Testaments on Tuesday night. I always carry some with me, and always regret if I am taken by surprise, and have not any.

Read and delight in "The tongue of fire," especially the first four or five chapters. If a man would be the instrument of winning souls to his Lord, it is utterly impossible for him to do so except through and by the Holy Ghost. He must be loving the praise of God, more than that of man. He must be humble, mean spirited it is called by many; even sometimes by his friends: and he can only be mean spirited by living near God. Let a man live distant from God, who is light, and he will not think he is so bad, but will think himself a little better than others, but let him live near God, and as he lives near Him he will feel himself worse than the worst; such is the power of the glorious light . . . . Goodbye; kind regards to all.

Yours sincerely, C. G. GORDON."

Another letter from Gravesend.

Nov. 24, 1868.

"My dear Mr. Wardle, I thank you for your kind note. I send you 500 leaflets, kindly give them to the boys and girls of Buxton. The servant forgot to pay the carriage, so I send a small sum which I hope will cover it. I hear now and then of the Dark Lane Ragged School, from Mr. James Johnson, who kindly writes now and then. I will write (D.V.) again shortly. Kind regards.

Yours sincerely C. G. GORDON."

Again he writes from Gravesend.

"My Dear Mr. Wardle, I hope you have not forgotten me, for I have not done so to you, but I am sure you are very busy, and hard worked . . . . Will you thank Fielden for his kind note and remember me to his wife and brother. Tell him I was very glad to hear of two of my boys, English and Hogg.

I often would like to look in and see you and the lads at _Dark Lane_, {63} and all my poor old sick folk I used to visit. Remember me to them all.

I do not see my way to come down yet awhile, for we have all our leave stopped. Excuse me for I have my hands full of work. Believe me, my dear Mr. Wardle.

Yours sincerely C. G. GORDON."