i88i.] 
On the Way to the Zambesi. 
5 
I am just beginning to realize that God's promises are not mere 
words written for the instruction of our minds, or for repetition 
with our lips, but certainties to go by \ and the assurance of one 
of them is better than the presence of an army. 
For some time I have been seeking to let go all of God's word 
that I have only learned in my head, and to begin at the very 
ABC, and so learn and fix the first truths of Scripture in 
my hearty that they may become part of my very being. This 
is surely nothing more than God is able to work in me. Head- 
knowledge will not stand the moment of trial, and there will be 
many such moments before me. 
September iZih. — I know that your prayers and sympathies are 
with me in this work, in which I trust the Lord will strengthen 
me to proceed with faith and diligence. I do not feel as if I were 
in a strange country, or among a strange people, and I can say 
with my whole heart that I love these Africans and long for their 
conversion. This desire is, I am persuaded, not of myself, for 
there is everything about the natives that is repulsive and un- 
loveable, but "God so loved" them is surely enough for me. 
Some of them are very sharp and intelligent. A missionary was 
telling me of one, who in talking to him a few days ago said that 
surely the missionaries had made a great mistake somewhere. 
Looking at the time they had worked in Natal and the small results, 
he seemed to think they might give up the work as a bad job. The 
missionary replied by quoting the English proverb, "One man may 
lead a horse to water, but twenty can't make him drink." "Ah !" 
said the native, with scarce a moment's thought, "but I never yet 
saw twenty horses led to the water without some of them drinking." 
October ist, 1881. — We must add to our faith patience. If we 
believe that the living God is watching between us when we are 
separated, then we mtist have patience ; and if our confidence is 
truly in God we shall have patience, and what would otherwise be 
a time of suspense and anxiety will be turned into a time of 
joyful exercise of that most God-honouring fruit of the Spirit, 
patient faith. After such an expression as we find in Colossians 
i. 2, "Strengthened with all might according to His glorious 
power," we might expect to read, "unto the working of some 
miracle," or, "to the accomplishing of some great work;" but it 
is "unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness." 
