CHRISTIAN CONFERENCE AT MBULU. 569 



ness meeting, and not what Christians in England understand as a conference. 

 Like Hezekiah's conference (2 Chron. xxix. 36), the thing was done suddenly. 

 But the Lord had prepared all our hearts, as he had theirs. I believe it was 

 His will that I should leave the Mbuhi for some months to preach His word 

 to other tribes. I wished before leaving to gather my people for special waiting 

 upon the Lord. I therefore invited them to a two days' conference. My field, 

 containing seven churches, is about forty miles wide. We have neither post, 

 bridges, railways, nor clocks ; but as I tell my people, we have the Lord ! 

 He always arranges when His servants obey His word. He had put it into 

 my heart to hold a regular Tuesday mid-day service for believers, so that the 

 elders and members of the other six churches could join us once a week in 

 prayer. This weekly meeting He had greatly blessed. The members of 

 out-churches attended it well. Many women walked over the hills sixteen 

 and eighteen miles to be present. I called a special meeting for prayer on 

 Tuesday, Sept. 15, and invited all the churches to a conference of two days 

 for the following week. 



" The Lord gave us lovely weather. Our first meeting was held at 

 one o'clock, some of our members having to come about twenty-five miles. 

 The subject for this meeting was ' Come unto me, all ye that are heavy 

 laden, and I will give you rest.' There was no difference between this con- 

 ference and the Mildmay Park Conference, except in the numbers, the size of 

 the building, the colour of the skin of all the saints, except two, and the 

 tongue in which it was conducted. He who presides at conferences in Eng- 

 land presided at the Mbulu Conference. The subject chosen of course drew 

 all hearts to the Lord Jesus, to His person in glory, to Him alone, and round 

 Him this band of Caffre Christians were drawn by His word and Spirit. 



'We numbered about 150 or 200. I explained the command for con- 

 ferences (Heb. x. 25); how they are generally conducted in England; and 

 then I addressed the churches on ' the words of the Lord Jesus.' Addresses 

 were alternated with prayer and praise. The selection of appropriate Caffre 

 hymns was wonderful. The elder who spoke after me followed on the words, 

 ' Come unto me.' He is a faithful brother, an earnest labourer for the Lord. 

 Another faithful elder followed him, speaking on John vi. 51. I never saw 

 such marked attention. I would gladly have continued, but many had come 

 from far, and needed food. So, after about three hours' conference, I closed 

 our first meeting. Many had been deeply affected. When all had gone out 

 but one woman, who was crying strongly, I said to her — 



" ' Sister, there is crying for joy as well as for sorrow; are you crying 

 for joy?' 



" ' Oh, yes,' she said, ' for joy, for joy !' And then she told me, that 

 although she had known the Lord Jesus long, she had never seen Him so 

 clearly as to-day. 

 x2 



