ST.ANDREW'S

 

1365 West 11th Ave.,

Vancouver, B. C.        

August 1, 1934.         

Rev. R. D. MacIntosh

Princes Town

Trinidad, B. W. I.

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Dear Mr. MacIntosh:

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I have before me your letter of June 1st requesting a message for your jubilee celebration. With this request I very cheerfully comply, but wish it were possible to give the message in person, for so many pleasant memories surrounding your church and district so cling to mind that to stand amongst you once more, after the lapse of so many years, and speak face to face, would be a rare pleasure.

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As, however, this is not possible I shall do the next best thing, viz. send you a few thoughts on paper.

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It was in the Autumn of 1886, just 48 years ago, I first came to Princes Town and thereafter for well nigh 20 years went in and out amongst you as your missionary. In these early days, in order to visit and inspect our mission schools, erect new buildings and in opening up new work, the missionary had to travel, not in a comfortable motor car, over paved as is done today, but usually in the saddle, over unmade traces and muddy roads, and not infrequent on foot, yet it would be difficult for an earnest missionary to find a more inviting field of labour, or a finer class of people, who would be more kind to the missionary and more willing to be instructed than these dear men and women scattered over the sugar and cocoa plantations in your beautiful Savanna Grande district, I say beautiful, for what more pleasing sight could one behold than to look over towards the Montserrat hills, when the beautiful Bois Immortal are in full bloom? Or to ride over the Cedar Hill road towards the Usine St. Madeleine, when the large fields of sugar cane are in arrow or bloom.

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As so many of my best years were spent in your district it need not be wondered at when I say that there are many among the living and the dead, who have had a strong pull on my heart strings, and lest I should offend, or do an injustice or anyone through omission, I will refrain from mentioning any names, as neither time nor space will permit my doing justice to all deserving ones. Still it should be remembered on this interesting occasion, that this splendid mission began 67 years ago, or 19 years before my time, by one of my revered predecessors, who admirable work is well known. Having seen the splendid opportunities this Island afforded for mission work, he so ably brought the matter before the Home Church in Nova Scotia, that they at once decided to undertake this mission, although there was no money in sight for the purpose. At what better appointment could they make, as their first missionary than this same young man? he arrived in the Autumn of 1867 and began his work in the village known as Iere in a very small way and under many difficulties. But like the grain of mustard seed the mission developed into such proportions that it now takes first rank among the mission fields of the entire Christian Church. You in Princes Town form an important part in this splendid  mission and I congratulate you today on continuing firm and true since its inception and especially during the last 50 years.

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Everyone who had lived in Trinidad, knows that you have throughout the year many days of cloud and rain, but if you count the days of bright sunshine, with a delightful temperature, you will find that they are far outnumber than damp, cloudy, showery days. likewise you and I have had our dark, discouraging days but bless the Lord, the bright days, the days in which the heart is filled with joy and peace in believing, far outnumber them, and even till this day the memory of instances of love, of confidence, of faithfulness and devotion to our Lord and master carry into the heart a sense of brightness and joy.

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It is not, it should be remembered, those who are most in the limelight, or those who are constantly floating on the light air of favourable public opinion, whose work is the most acceptable to God. But it is the work of the humble Godly men and women, who love to go into the dark and cheerless homes and places, where the way of life is not known, and there, with no thought or desire of discovery, and with great earnestness and skill, endeavour to lead precious souls into saving touch with Jesus Christ. Instances of the self effacing work of this nature, of some of my devoted helpers, are among my most pleasant memories. If, therefore, I had these missionary years to live over again, beginning with the knowledge and experience I now have, there are two things I would certainly do. I would first avoid all the mistakes I had made, and there I would, if possible, put more love, earnestness, and faithfulness into my work, especially the work of personal evangelism, or dealing individually with men.

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Now as you have stood firmly and faithfully in the past, I want to urge you on to even greater faithfulness in the days that are to come. It will be remembered that in the book of Revelations a special message was given by our risen Lord to each of the seven churches in Asia. They were urged to repent, to cherish and manifest the missionary spirit in active work, else their light would go out in darkness. While, therefore, these churches manifested the missionary spirit and earnestly sought the salvation of their fellowmen they prospered, but when they became worldly, cold and formal they lost the missionary spirit and then in a short time they became extinct - so that today there is not a vestige of any one of these churches remaining.

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The same is true of the, at one time, and influential church in North Africa. A church that produced distinguished men like St. Augustine, Tertullian, Cyprian and the heroic matyr, Geronimo, must have been a strong and prosperous church, but having been overcome by worldliness and Paganism they, like the seven churches of Asia, lost the missionary spirit, and then gradually became extinct.

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The lesson for us is plain. It is the necessary for eternal vigilance. The church, the mission or individual who rests on his or her oars, or fails to wage vigorous warfare against every form of sin, will soon find themselves so spiritually and morally improverished that extinction becomes inevitable.

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May you all then, my beloved friends, in the midst of the joys of the celebration resolve, through divine grace, to seek renewed consecration, deepened earnestness and faithfulness in the Master's service, for in no other way can you find that peace, joy and prosperity which this world cannot give nor take away.

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May the Lord bless and keep each one of you in his fear and love until life's end.

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