222 DAVID LIVINGSTONE. [chap. xi. 



employing him as an instrument in His work. One of 

 the greatest honours was to be employed in winning souls 

 to Christ, and proclaiming to the captives of Satan the 

 liberty with which he had come to make them free. He 

 was thankful that to him, " the least of all saints," this 

 honour had been given. He then proceeded to notice the 

 presence of members of various Churches, and to advert 

 to the broadening process that had been going on in his 

 own mind while in Africa, which made him feel himself 

 more than ever the brother of all : — 



" In going about we learn something, and it would be a shame to 

 us if we did not ; and we look back to our own country and view it 

 as a whole, and many of the little feelings we had when immersed in 

 our own denominations we lose, and we look to the whole body of 

 Christians with affection. We rejoice to see them advancing. I be- 

 lieve that every Scotch Christian abroad rejoiced in his heart when he 

 saw the Free Church come boldly out on principle, and I may say we 

 shall rejoice very much when we see the Free Church and the United 

 Presbyterian Church one, as they ought to be. ... I am sure I look 

 on all the different denominations in Hamilton and in Britain with 

 feelings of affection. I cannot say which I love most. I am quite 

 certain I ought not to dislike any of them. Really, perhaps I may 

 be considered a little heterodox ; if I were living in this part of the 

 country I could not pass one Evangelical Church in order to go to my 

 own denomination beyond it. 1 I still think that the different denomi- 

 national peculiarities have, to a certain degree, a good effect in this 

 country, but I think we ought to be much more careful lest we should 

 appear to our fellow-Christians unchristian, than to appear inconsistent 

 with the denominational principles we profess. . . . Let this meeting 

 be the ratification of the bond of union between my brother 2 and me, 

 and all the denominations of Hamilton. Remember us in your prayers. 

 Bear us on your spirits when we are far away, for when abroad we 

 often feel as if we were forgot by every one. My entreaty to all the 

 Christians of Hamilton is to pray that grace may be given to us to be 

 faithful to our Saviour even unto death." 



1 Dr. Livingstone gave practical evidence of his sincerity in these remarks in 

 the case of his elder daughter, saying, in reply to one of her guardians with whom 

 she was residing, that he had no objections to her joining the Church of Scotland. 

 This however she did not do ; but afterwards, when at Newstead Abbey, she was 

 confirmed by the Bishop of Lincoln, and received the Communion along with her 

 father, who helped to prepare her. 



2 Dr. Livingstone had been joined by his brother Charles, who was present on 

 this occasion. 



