This, however, was not accomplished without the greatest possible sacrifices on the part of these noble-minded and whole-souled men. Here is an illustration of the trials endured and of the unflagging zeal manifested. It refers to Doctor MacGregor, but applies equally to all. During the course of his ministry there were many things which were sources of discomfort. At first, he could scarcely find a lodging place, and for some time had to conduct worship in the open air. He adopted a plan of preaching in different places, which rendered it necessary for him to be absent from his home for six or eight weeks at a time and deprived him of leisure for study. He was dependent for his support on the voluntary contributions of his people. These were neither large nor punctually paid, and they were paid chiefly in produce. For a year and a half he received not a shilling in cash. He had to preach both in Gaelic and English and this increased his labours and awakened jealousies, but no dif-

ficulties deterred him from his Master’s work.”"1

15. FIRST MISSIONARY FROM THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF CANADA

“Presbyterianism in the province continued to make steady progress. The set— tlement of Rev. Dr. John Geddie in the congregation of Cavendish and New London in 1838, proved an acquisition of strength in no ordinary sense. Like those already in the field, he was unostentatious and indefatigable in his labours. He also brought with him a zeal for foreign missions, which, it is safe to say, was unparalleled in the lives of his brethren in his own Synod, and not surpassed in the heart of the most ardent advocate of the sending of the Gospel to the heathen throughout Christen-

dom.

He felt, as few before or since have felt, that it was the glory of the church of Christ to have inscribed on her banner “The World for Christ.” He urged the people young and old to become subscribers to the cause of missions with the burning words born of a deep-seated longing for the conversion of the brethren, and so to turn their material prosperity, such as it was, into a white winged angel of God, moving in ministrations of mercy along all mankind.

He established missionary organizations in his own and in other congregations, the outcome of which was a contribution forwarded to the London Missionary Society. Such unbounded enthusiasm was sure to achieve its object by overcoming all obstacles and making unmistakably clear to halting friends and to veiled and ex- pressed opponents, the finger of God in the great movement. The result was that in 1845 Doctor Geddie went forth, the first missionary of the cross from the Presbyterian Church in Canada. The field chosen was Aneiteum, an island in the far off southern seas, where he continued to labour almost until the year of his death (1872) with such grand success that under the blessing of God he was able to say, ‘When I landed on Aneiteum there was not a Christian, and before I left, there was not a heathen on the Island.’ It seemed a hazardous undertaking, but Rev. Geddie and his supporters had the faith that does not question, but dares and does. From this small beginning, the foreign mission work of the Presbyterian denomination in

9l Fullerton, op. cit., p. 309A.

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