xvni LIFE OF DR LIVINGSTONE. 



plain, if you are prayerful and earnest about it. These excur- 

 sions are amusingly referred to in page 5. 



The following traits of character are brought out in the book 

 of Travels : — The valuable power of total abstraction of mind 

 amid surrounding noises; intense independence of character in 

 entirely supporting himself by labour while attending the medi- 

 cal and Greek classes, and divinity lectures at the University of 

 Glasgow; and great endurance, arising from a life of early toil. 



The life of Dr Livingstone affords a remarkable illustra- 

 tion of God's superintending providence. If ever the doctrine 

 of a particular providence were clearly proven by the tes- 

 timony of human experience, as corroborative of Scripture, 

 surely this life completely does this; so much so, that I pro- 

 pose deliberately to be guilty of some anachronisms, by 

 bringing together certain episodes in his experience occurring 

 at different times. It is best to trace God's hand whenever 

 we can; and to shew "chance" and "change" to be only 

 other words for "providence." With general providence 

 we do not now concern ourselves : this is well summed up 

 in that passage, " He maketh the sun to shine on the just 

 and on the unjust." See God's particular providence as set 

 forth in the following occurrences. Just as our traveller is 

 about to proceed to China, the Opium War breaks out : " Man 

 deviseth his way, but God directeth his steps." Had he gone 

 to China, who would have opened up Central Africa? In 



consequence of this frustration of his Chinese plans, he turns 



- 

 his thoughts to Africa, and in time proceeds thither. Here 



is one instance : turn attention to another. 



While at Kuruman his waggon- wheel breaks, and he is 



vexatiouslv detained there a fortnight instead of returning to his 



