Memoir of the life and brief ministry of the Rev. David Sandeman, missionary to China

Preface

Ix complying with the request made to me to undertake the Memoir of a beloved friend, who, in his thirty-second year, fell asleep in Jesus, I felt that in so doing I might be said to be writing "words concerning the King." For, the example set forth here is that of one whose rare single-inindedness, affection to his Lord, watchfulness of spirit, and most cheerful self-sacrifice in the Master's service, shew what gifts our King can give to His own ; and may stir us up to serve that same Lord, as men should do in whose ear the trumpet-voice is ringing. " Now it is high time to awake out of sleep ! for now is your salvation nearer than when you believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand'' (Eom. xiii. 11, 12).

Mr Sandeman's like-minded brother, Frederick, with the aid of his intimate friend, Mr Coventry,

PBEFACE.

furnished the materials to my hand. They prepared the stones for the building, and my chief work has been putting the stones in their place.

" Let the beauty of our Lord God be upon us ! and establish thou the work of our hands upon us ; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it !"

Contents

Page

CHAPTER I. His Conversion, 1

CHAPTER n.

The First Year after Conversion, . . . .15

CHAPTER ni.

His Days of Study for the Ministry, . . . .55

CHAPTER IT.

The Sinner and the Saviour, 101

CHAPTER V.

His Public Ministrations at Home, . . . .139

CHAPTER VI.

Fragments : — Self-Examination — Letters — Sermons, . 177

CHAPTER Yn.

His Brief Career in China, 253

CHAPTER I

" Wherewith shall I come before the Lord ? "

Micah vi. 6.

'■'Let Israel rejoice in Him that made hira" (Ps. cxlix. 2), is a call of the Holy Spirit addressed to those who have been made new, and made meet for the glory that is to be revealed, by Him who gave them their being. **Whatever a believing man is, he owes it all to the sovereign grace of his God, who made him a vessel of honour ; for his " willing and running" (Rom. ix. 1 6) came not from himself, but originated with God, " who sheweth mercy/'

It was entirely so with him of whom these pages speak. David Sandeman, second son of Glas Sandeman, Esq. of Bonskied, was born at Perth, 23d April 1826. The pleasant residence of this prosperous family was Springland, close to the river Tay, within a mile of the town, and not far from a locality renowned in Scottish history, the old palace of Scone, where the kings of Scotland used to be crowned.

EDUCATION.

In his infancy lie was somewhat more sedate than children usually are, and in boyhood shewed no great interest in games that delighted his companions ; yet he was always fearless in manly exercises, a bold rider, skater, and swimmer. It was not quickness, but perseverance, that distinguished him from other boys, along with regularity in all his habits and a strong sense of duty. At school, while his companions loved him for his kindliness, his teachers remarked his diligence and conscientious industry,which enabled him to outstrip cleverer scholars, so much so, that the rector of Perth Academy, Dr Miller, testified, in referring to his mathematical studies, that to him belonged the praise of bringing forward the entire dass of which he was a member.

The only incident of his younger years which seems marked by any special interest is his being sent, at the age of fifteen, to the Pestalozzian Institution at Worksop, in Nottinghamshire, conducted by Dr Hildenmaier. There, besides laying the foundation of other acquirements, he began to learn French and German, for in that Institution conversation was carried on in both these languages ; and it may be that this circumstance contributed to foster his liking to foreign tongues, and may thus have had some remote influence, in after years, in deciding his mind toward China, At this place, too, his youthful affec-

UNCONVERTED STILL.

tions were drawn out by the kindness of his instructors, and his mind developed amid pleasant scenery ; his common excursions, even in seasons of recreation, being to such spots in the neighbourhood as Chatsworth or Welbect Abbey.

At this period he rose early, was thorough in the preparation of lessons., acted conscientiously, shewed great respect to the teachings of the Word of God, and observed the forms of godliness as others round him did. Many would have thought that he had the fear of God before his eyes. It was not so, however, at that period, though the Lord was keeping abundant mercy for him. The instrumentality employed in bringing about his change was of various kinds, as is perhaps most frequently the case with the Lord's work in conversion. He himself, in reference to agents employed by the Lord in effecting such changes, made the interesting remark in after years to a friend at Jordanhill — "It is just like a large vessel returning laden with goods ; it will be found at last that every individual believer has had a share in the ingathering of souls. As for myself, when letting down the Gospel-net, I always feel that other believers are letting it down along with me/'

We have his own testimony that he lived eighteen years without God. Thus, in 1849, he writes in looking back : —

UNCONVERTED STILL.

" For eighteen years of my life I believe that I was truly without the knowledge of God. During all that time, my conduct was never influenced by the thought of His existence as a person, or of any thing I did being pleasing or displeasing to Him. Assuredly I worshipped as the heathen at Athens, an ' unknown God;' or as the Samaritans, I 'knew not what/ Anything like a knowledge of Him was a vague, undefined sense or fear of future retribution for evil done, and that a God, a powerful Being, would inflict it.

" An undefined sense of duty, my parents, masters, emulation among my fellow-pupils, carnal lusts, and above all — 6 self ; these, I believe, w r ere my gods ; at least, they held all the place where God should have been.

" I was dissatisfied or happy, entirely as I managed to please or displease them. Of the worship due to Jehovah, the God of Abraham, I was as ignorant as a stock or stone/'

On 4th April 1852, he takes a similar review of the past : — " This day corresponds to the Sabbath of my new birth. I still bitterly repent the time 1 spent in Satan's service. It is unmingled bitterness : I went smoothly on in utter disregard of Christ. I never honoured Him as God, as my Creator, my Judge, and my risen Redeemer. I was a decent rebel,

INSTRUMENTS.

outwardly respectable, but in reality a despiser of Christ."

And yet from infancy he had been taught by his parents the way of salvation, and had been moving among those who not only knew the Lord, but also adorned the Gospel by their holy life. Often doen he refer, at a later period, to his mother's prayers and anxious yearnings over him in those days ; sometimes to books put into his hands ; and also to faithful ministers whose preaching of Christ and His salvation he felt to be impressive. Still for eighteen years his soul was dead to God. In the years 1839 and 1840, the ministry of Mr Millar, then minister of St Leonard's, Perth (now of the Free Church at Clunie), and next that of Mr Milne, his successor, produced a considerable impression on his mind, which was deepened by attending the services conducted by Mr W. C. Burns, now missionary in China, during a season of revival. It was only then that he began to see what the sinner is by nature, and what is the way of escape. A friend remembers meeting him and his two brothers in the lobby of the church, after a sermon by Mr Burns on the words — " Deliver from going down to the pit ; I have found a ransom;" and how, with a solemn expression of countenance, he said, " I never knew till to-night what my Saviour did for me.*" Sacramental seasons also,

GLASGOW.

at that period, used to give an impulse to his feelings. For about two years he remained in this halfawakened state.

In December 1842, he came to Glasgow to learn business. Blameless from infancy to the world's eye, ever ready to shew kindness to others, kept, too, by the hand of a gracious God from all outward vice, and even the appearance of evil, nevertheless he was, and knew that he was, unconverted. He had gone only so far as nature may go ; he was not born of God. One step onward he seemed to take in Glasgow — namely, he was taught the lesson of the world's utter insufficiency to give the soul what it craves. " He that drinketh of this water shall thirst again," was his experience.

He maintained the form of prayer, and even of Christian converse, with those with whom he boarded. The ministration of Mr Somerville of Anderston, whom he had fixed on as his pastor, interested him, and roused his soul from time to time ; while visits to a circle of Christian friends, to whom he was introduced, contributed to keep the things of salvation more and more before his mind. Then came the memorable Disruption of the Church of Scotland in 1843. Having carefully watched the progress of the great controversy, he had no hesitation in following his minister out of the Establishment, and in

MR SOMERVILLE 'S CONVERSATION. 9 giving his hearty adherence to the principles of the Free Church, persuaded as he was that the Free Church held the truth by which the Great Head of the Church is honoured, and might therefore expect His blessing.

In the beginning of April 1844, being about to have Glasgow, he called upon Mr Somerville, who took the opportunity of frankly inquiring into the state of his soul, The conversation made such an impression on his mind, that he has recorded part of it in his journal : — " You say" (said Mr Somerville to him) " that you do not care for the world — that it is not that which keeps you from Christ, or anything connected with it. You have now been more than a year in this place. You came anxious about your spiritual state, and you go away in the same manner. How long is this to continue ? If it is nothing in the world that prevents your coming to Christ, it must be the unwillingness of your own heart/' He then added, " I would beseech you not to rise from your chair till you have accepted Christ's free, full, and open offer of salvation to all who will come to Him ! n Both the words and the solemn earnestness with which they were spoken affected him deeply. It was an interview which he never ceased to remember.

In this state of soul he returned to Sjiringland. The time of the dispensation of the Lord's Supper

PEESSED TO DECIDE.

was drawing on, which naturally led his mother to say to him, " David, did you ever give yourself to Christ ? You have no right to remain one week without loving Him/' His pastor also, Mr Milne, met him, and urged on him the duty of professing his faith in the Lord Jesus, by taking his place in the number of communicants. He objected, specially stating his fear of bringing dishonour on the cause of Christ by his inconsistency, as well as the difficulty he felt regarding his personal state. This same month his eighteenth birthday came round, in connection with which a thought had been very seasonably presented to his mind by a passage in Angell James's " Father's Present to his Children 99 — a passage in which it is remarked that the usual time when persons decide for the Lord, or for the world, is from the age of fourteen to eighteen. " I felt," says he, " as if this might be the case with me." The fact that the Lord's Supper was to be dispensed in the congregation roused his conscience to the anxious inquiry, Am I in a state fit for that ordinance ? His honest conclusion was that he could not go to the Lord's table, for as yet he was not willing unreservedly to give himself to the Lord. " I was still rejecting" (these are his words) "the waiting Saviour's free calls to come. I was wilfully sinning against what I knew so well. I was an open rebel, so much the guiltier because brought

THE NIGHT TO BE REMEMBERED.

up near Him, and so well acquainted with His law."

On the Sabbath evening, with these feelings disquieting him, he had engaged in prayer with his sister, and retired to his room. Then it was that the Lord found the sheep that was lost, and laid it on His shoulder. While pondering alone on his spiritual condition, his heart was drawn out " by the omnipotent hand of God" to think simply of Christ, and the ;,/ willingness of Christ to receive all who have a true wish to come to Him." He says he knew that this wish was not of man, but of the Holy Ghost;* it was the Lord who enabled him now to take Christ as all his salvation and all his desire. That was the evening (7th April) when he for the first time felt his soul cast anchor on the Rock of Ages.

Hear his strains of adoring gratitude: — " The Lord God Almighty, the Lord Jesus, and the Holy Ghost, the triune Jehovah, be praised, be eternally glorified ! " " I may henceforth call God my hope, my only hope, my life, my death (for I would as it were fall asleep in Him), my all ! the high, the mighty, the glorious work of salvation ! How it sinks man, and raises and exalts the God of salvation V*

Soon after we find him saying that his short experience has already given him proof of his heart's * John i. 12, 13.

HIS PRAYERFULNESS BEGUN.

proneness to depart even from this God of love, and that he could not of himself continue for a single instant abiding there. But here is his prayer — " my soul, expect everything from the Lord Jesus. He is encircling thee in his arms of love, ever watching to preserve thee from danger/' And very remarkable it is to find one characteristic of all his after course at once beginning to develop itself — namely, his sense of the immense importance of prayer. "Continually, in prayer, ask his direction. Thou hast as it were only to whisper, or rather breathe, complete dependence upon Him, and ask Him to work for thee, by thee, through thee, and He will do what seemeth Him good/'

Having come to Christ, he must join those who can say, "My beloved is mine/' Accordingly, he sat down at the Lord's table, seven days after this, in St Leonard's Free Church, presided over by his beloved friend Mr Milne. His entrance into the marvellous light had been distinct and clear. His experience at this period is such as calls up to our thoughts the spiritual history of one of our fathers, Fraser of Brea. At the age of eighteen, this man of God heard intimation made that the Lord's Supper was to be dispensed next Lord's day, which led him to solemn searching regarding his fitness to go to that ordinance. He wished to go, and knew that

A PARALLEL CASE.

he ought to go ; but then he also knew that he ought to be converted first, and feared that if he went in a Christless state " he might give over hopes of ever thereafter being converted/' Full of these thoughts, he, before the Sabbath came, set himself to seek the Lord Jesus. While thus alone in his closet, solemnly considering the state of his soul, the Lord enabled him all at once to perceive that Christ was a Saviour indeed — a full Saviour, the sinner's Saviour, gloriouslycomplete in His work and in His offices, because so glorious in His person, and no less glorious in His love and grace. "Where am I now ! what is this !" were his first words of adoring wonder. " Heart and hand, and all that I have, is thine ! Begone, poor world!" Next Sabbath found him seated _at the table of his Lord

CHAPTER II %\t first |'car after Conlursien

• What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me?"

Psalm cxvi. 12.

Neither strangers nor friends could fail to notice

something sombre in Lis character in his early days.

But after his conversion, this shade no longer hung

on his brow. One who knew him well remarked,

" It was the love of J esus which first put that smile

on his face which never left it/' For a time, even

after his bark was safely in the haven, he had the

heavings, if not the tossings, of the tempest that

chased him into his refuge ; but certain it is, that

from the day he was able to say, " I know whom I

have believed/' his was a joyous countenance, so

much so, that you might have pointed to him as a

most obvious illustration of the apostolic injunction,

"Eejoice in the Lord always." The glory of God in

the face of J esus shed gladness through his heart, a

gladness that his companions often took notice of,

and which they felt to be infectious.

We saw one of his characteristics, viz., prayerful-

B

THE COMMUNION TABLE.

ness, beginning to shew itself on the very night of his conversion. It was not long ere another distinctive trait appeared, viz., the desire to be of use to others. With him it was first liberty, then service ; the work not of the hireling seeking to purchase freedom, but of the son serving the father whom he loved. Perhaps his early zeal approached the borders of censoriousness ; his light flung out sparks, but soon it burnt upward with a calm, steady flame.

We left him at the Communion Table. See him now rising from it to go forth and work for his Lord. The question of personal acceptance had been first settled, and now there followed the grateful acknowledgment of the accepted soul in the full surrender of all his life to the service of the Eedeemer. One met him coming from the communion table and asked, " Were you happy ?" " So happy that I fear to trust it. What a salvation ! Shall not life be spent in proclaiming it V' This utterance of his soul in that hour of bliss was embodied in action during all his after days. We may fancy him singing with Toplady,

u Loved of my God, for him again With love intense I burn !"

Immediately after we find him noting down, in the review of his past life, " I have already lived two years and 208 days of Sabbaths !" Then follow the two first entries in his journal, which present to us the

PRAYERFTJLNESS.

traits of his spiritual character, that all along so distinctly marked him out from most others, viz., prayerfulness, and labour for souls. Thus he writes : —

" May 6. — I wish that more progress were visible ; but it is in truth a pure impossibility for man, in his own strength, to begin or to maintain a walk with God. My evil passions and wicked heart are continually interfering and leading me off, almost before I am aware of it. It is only by a continual renewing of my covenant with Christ, trusting everything to Him and nothing to myself, that I can ever expect to walk as I ousfht : and from this must follow a most rigid watching over my heart and conduct to others. Pray WITHOUT CEASING."*

" Lord, give me a more earnest prayerful spirit for my dear unconverted friends. If I would but think seriously of their condition, that each of them is continually fighting against his Lord, inflicting new wounds on Jesus' s breast, and yet it is the very hand which they are wounding that prevents them dropping into everlasting misery ! How can I rest one moment while I do assuredly know that such is the case. Lord Jesus, shew but Thy face to them, shew them

* These words are found written in the original Greek, Ad/a- XiiTTCfj; K£(j6i'oyj6k" on a slip of paper that lay in his desk : and the initial letters "a- T." may be tracked throughout his notebooks.

EFFORTS FOR OTHERS BEGUN.

their terrible, awful condition and certain doom, if they remain indifferent, shew them but a spark of Thy incomprehensible love, and O then how they will be changed ! Thou holdest every man's heart in Thy hand, O Lord ; if it be Thy will, change their hearts. Would it not be for Thy everlasting glory ? "Will they not have longer to praise and glorify Thee ? Lord, give me no rest till I have done all that man can do. Let me be often pouring forth earnest supplications for them. And surely I cannot doubt but that Thou wilt be graciously pleased to answer : ' for this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us."

And now, having found (i the joy of salvation," he can say, " I will teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners shall be converted unto thee" (Psa. li. 13). For his faith was aggressive; he did not content himself with " sitting under his vine and fig-tree/' but (as Israel shall do in the day of their return), he also "called his neighbour" to enjoy the same refreshing fruit and shade (Zech. iii. 10).

" Monday, May 26. — I have been trying to speak to several persons about their eternal state, but see well that it is only by God speaking through me that it can be of the smallest benefit to their souls."

At the same time, he in no way relaxes his vigilance over his own soul : —

A DECEITFUL HEART.

"My father presented me with a Bible, which I hope will incite me to greater diligence in searching the Scriptures. I have to grieve over the continual changes in my religious feelings and affections. At times Jesus enables me to feel supremely happy in Him, while often a few hours after I seem to have everything, to begin again, and from some evil imagination of my heart, I feel as it were estranged from Jesus. This must be meant to teach me that I must be ever looking to Him, incessantly watching and praying, never withdrawing my hand from a firm hold of His merciful, His gracious arm. This constant vagrant disposition of my mind shews truly what the natural heart is. It is made of carnality, which is enmity against God, and is therefore ever making efforts to draw away from God. This truth is what, I believe, every one who is Christ's will be taught, and will have it graven upon his heart, as with a pen of iron and the point of a diamond. O Lord, change my nature from that of a sinful man to that of the meek and lowly Jesus ! Thou must work the change ; look at thine own Son Jesus, and do Thou it for His sake/'

Another effort follows.

" June 6. — I have taken up a class for young men and was pleased to see four at our meeting. Resolved, in God's strength and with His help, always if possible

HAKLAN PAGE.

to engage alone in prayer before commencing to read, teach, or pray with any one, on these all important subjects."

Just at this period, the Life of Harlan Page, which bis mother put into his hands, attracted his special attention. In reading it, he was very greatly impressed ; bis hopes of being used by God in saving souls received a great impulse. At the same time, he noted carefully that Harlan Page was not blessed without earnestly praying for it, being instant in prayer for unconverted friends, as well as taking opportunity to write to them and speak with them ; availing himself, also, of openings that occurred for prayer meetings and classes. On laying down the book, a book to which he often resorted, this was his prayer : —

" Lord, who holdest the hearts of all men in Thy right hand, do Thou be pleased to make me, by Thy grace, a means of bringing poor, careless, and dying sinners to the Rock of Ages, and make me indefatigable in labouring for their conversion ; prevent my heart from becoming cold in this work, and my zeal from flagging, for it is Thy work and not mine/' Soon after, his soul rejoices in his work begun. " June 10. — Thanks be to God, for I think He has enabled me to feel as a hired servant, as a servant bought with a price, and staying all upon Him, to

CONCERN FOR THE CARELESS.

await His shewing me the path by following which I may be enabled to do most to His glory/'

The thought of unsaved souls hangs heavy on his mind.

" June 12. — Lord, give me such thoughts of the awful condition of unconverted sinners, that I may not cease from continually warning them of their imminent danger, that they may flee from the wrath to come. How awful to think that the spirits of any of those within my reach should rise up in judgment against me, and say that I had not told them the truth. Some to whom I have spoken seem to be anxious, and particularly some of the cottars. May this be but the beginning of the falling of a dew from heaven."

And now we have his statement of his experience in regard to the healthful influence, upon his own soul, of all efforts made in behalf of others. Again and again, in after days, does he make similar statements. He gave what he received, and in giving got more.

i( June 18. — I find that unless lam continually doing something for the souls of unthinking sinners, my love becomes cold, and a deadening effect is the result, which soon spreads into everything/' Yet it was not easy for the flesh at first, though ultimately he won the victory. " I have to grieve/' says he, "over a feeling of unwillingness, and even irksomeness, to go and speak to persons about their eternal salvation.

PRAYER FOR ZEAL.

Am I stone ? Am I hardened as adamant ? How can I allow such feelings to gain the mastery ; they are called natural, but are they natural ? If these persons were in imminent danger of falling a prey to wild beasts in the desert, would I not flee to their rescue ? Lord, touch this heart which is so cold and senseless. Thy countenance can make it ever full of love for deluded sinners/'

After again perusing Harlan Page, he writes : — " When on my deathbed, how will every effort, every trial to bring souls to Jesus, seem cold and lifeless. O for the mind of the Lord when He wept over Jerusalem ! Give me, Lord J esus, a heart to weep for poor sinners, a heart to bleed for poor sinners, a heart to pour out itself in prayer for poor sinners. Thou knowest the weakness and coldness of my pleadings for unconcerned sinners. O give me faith, give me love, burning, unquenchable love to do all I can in God's strength to convince those living without Thee, that they are wilfully throwing themselves into destruction, that they are of their own free wiiZ-casting from them everlasting salvation, and embracing eternal damnation. O that I had a forehead as Ezekiel, ' as adamant harder than flint/ that I might speak the Lord s will to every man/'

There was nothing of bondage in David Sandeman's unceasing service ; his was the filial obedience of one

GEORGE PHILIPS.

who, by Christ, could enter the Holiest of all, and could look up to the Holy One and cry, " Abba, Father." This confidence in his Lord, this boldness to enter by the blood of Jesus, this assurance of the acceptance of his person in the Beloved, and therefore of his services, was the secret spring of that untiring delight he manifested in waiting for his God. Let us hear him speak on this point. He has been reading a little book, " Glimpses into the World to Come/' by a young friend, George Philips, and here are his remarks : — " George Philips's case remarkably shews that God must be sought only through the merits of Jesus. For six years he was concerned about his soul, and could obtain no peace. But then he yielded much to going in with irreligious friends in trifling, and for long had not resolution to tell them boldly why he would no longer join with them. A more prolonged and chief occasion of his want of peace was his looking to his frames, and confiding in the earnestness of his prayers as the ground of his acceptance with God ; and it w r as only when he saw the freeness of the Gospel offer, made only through the blood of J esus, and when all suspicions of God were removed, that peace flowed into his mind, and that but shortly before his death."