THE KING'S BUSINESS
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ence over him was profound, and it ever increased as the years went on. Also, it was a great day for him when the mother put her boy in the Hill School at Pottstown, and under the influence of Mrs. John Meigs there, for William often testified—as many another young man has done— that the impression which that conse crated life made upon him was deep and lasting. And other great days followed when the mother brought under her roof and into the circle of the family life godly laymen, min isters, professors, and missionaries. By all of these means young Borden saw God more and more clearly. He learned that the Christ-life was the reasonable life, and that it alone was perfect and good. Gently, therefore, but surely and positively, he yielded to Christ s claims. Thus the day came in England, after hearing a sermon by Dr. Torrey upon the “Baptism of the Spirit,” that he yielded, with glad and whole-hearted surrender to his Saviour-Lord. From henceforth he could in true and large measure de clare, “To me.to live is Christ!” A LIFE OF STEWARDSHIP It was a life of stewardship. From the day William Borden surrendered to Christ he held all that he had as belonging to his Saviour-King. And, as we must count such things in life, he had much to give. The newspapers have exaggerated his wealth, but it remains true that on coming of age he found himself a millionaire. This wealth, however, he did not count his own. His attitude was not that of possessing his money and giving the Lord a tenth. He held the ten-tenths as belonging to God, and what he used for himself he used as His steward. Hence he gave freely, generously, al ways all of his interest and sometimes part of his principal. And this he did
thoughtfully and prayerfully. His check-book would reveal tender kind nesses innumerable, and a far-reach ing liberality that was unimagined. And no one ever received a gift from him who felt that it was spoiled by an accompanying patronage. It was not simply a stewardship generously ful filled; it was that better stewardship that did not let the left hand know what the right hand did, and that en nobled, not only the giver, but also the recipient. It was a life of faith. William Borden was not emotional. He was the opposite of this. Some persons, because he had the ruggedness of strength, thought that he lacked senti ment. Indeed, he himself was tempted to bemoan his spiritual indifference. But he never allowed this supposed lack of emotion to affect his actions. He believed in the God of the Word and in the Word of God. So he searched the Scriptures carefully, prayerfully, and often cried ou t: “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” And when he had found the commandment he obeyed it. This practise of obedience irrespective of feeling was what urged him forward. It took him from school to university, and from university to seminary, with Christian service ever in view. It led him in vacation days and in the midst of summer heat to associate himself with the National Bible In stitute of New York City, and to preach on the city streets. It con strained him to offer himself to the China Inland Mission for service in China, to turn his face toward Cairo in order to prepare for work among the Mohammedans by the study of Arabic, and to hold it as the hope and ambition of his life to serve in the far- distant province of Kan-suh. With him the obedience of faith was better than the sacrifice of feeling. Daily, hourly, he walked by faith and not
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