“Home's not merely four square walls,
Though with pictures hung and gilded;
Home is where affection calls,
Filled with shrines the heart hath builded.
Home's not merely roof and room,
It needs something to endear it;
Home is where the heart can bloom,
Where there's some kind heart to cheer it.”
NOT in a spacious mansion, not in a palatial in residence, but in a humble, very humble ' three-roomed cottage near Dumfries, in the South of bonnie Scotland, in the year 1824, John G. Paton first saw the light of day. His parents were poor, hard-working people, but rich in the knowledge and love of God. He was the firstborn of eleven children that had to be provided for by the stocking weaving of the father. In speaking of this hallowed home of his early days, Paton touches a tender chord in the hearts of many in describing one of the three rooms in that dear old homestead, namely, the closet, the sanctuary of that cottage home. This was the especial Bethel for the head of the family. Here the Ebenezer was raised, here the father held secret communion and hallowed intercourse with his Maker. Need we wonder at the Dower given, and the success vouchsafed to faithful prayer, when Paton speaks of his father coming forth from that sanctuary with "a light as from the throne itself" resting upon his countenance. Truly this closet was to this good man the presence chamber of the Most High. Speaking of those never-to-be forgotten days, and their mellowing influences in after years, Paton writes, with artless simplicity, "Though everything else in religion were by some unthinkable catastrophe to be swept out of my memory, or blotted from my understanding, my soul would wander back to those early scenes, and shut itself up once again in that sanctuary closet, and hearing again the echoes of those cries to God, would hurl back all doubt with the victorious appeal: He walked with God; why may not I?”
Although his father was by some means prevented from entering the ministry himself (for which he had a strong desire), he made a covenant with God, that should sons be given to him, they should be consecrated to the ministry of Christ. As Elkanah and Hannah gave up their Samuel to the Lord, so did these descendants of the Covenanters give, in prospective, their sons for the Master's use and service, should He deign to accept them. This faithful disciple lived to see his heart's desire fulfilled in the case of three of his sons, namely, the hero of this sketch and his brother Walter; and James, the Benjamin of this illustrious family.
Little, perhaps, did James and Janet Paton think that long after they had passed "the way of all flesh," the seed sown by loving prayers and pious exhortations in that dear old Scottish homestead, would bring forth fruit to the Master's glory, not thirty, not sixty, but verily an hundredfold. The moral and religious development in J. G. Paton, may undoubtedly be traced to the careful, prayerful, and personal training of these devoted parents. Themselves descendants of pious, Christ-serving disciples, who had fought nobly and served faithful); for the Christ's sake, they inherited traits of character, and possessed religious instincts, which could but have a great influence on the mind, character, and disposition of their children. Few parents have succeeded so well in their difficult task. James and Janet Paton were eminently devoted Christian parents. The spiritual prosperity of their children were dearer to their hearts than their intellectual progress, although the latter was by no means neglected when opportunity offered itself. We thank God to-day for open Bibles, a preached gospel, ministers, teachers in all forms; but eternity alone will reveal how much of these things we owe to pious, praying, godly parents.
Like Ellis of Madagascar fame (who worked in the gardens when a lad, in the Fenland town of Wisbech), John G. Paton, before he had attained the age of twelve, had started to learn his father's trade; and a very apt pupil he proved himself. It is a significant fact, that the major part of our heroic missionaries have been prepared by a wise and all-seeing Providence for their future conflicts with trial, privation, and fatigue, by an extremely early discipline in fighting the battle of life. For 16 hours a day had this youthful hero to toil for the bread that perisheth; and yet he had, or rather, made spare moments. The time allowed for meals (which is usually spent in rest or recreation), was eagerly seized upon by this youthful student, not for the rest, which was doubtless so much needed, but for improving the mind; hence we find him diligently studying, and successfully mastering the rudiments of Latin and Greek.
It is sometimes said, "Truth is stranger than fiction." It was so in the history of the life before us. Certainly it appears to savor, at first sight, more of romance than reality, this intense earnestness, this great thirsting by this youthful aspirant after knowledge; but we have the reason explained, and the truth of the assertion manifested in the utterance: "I had given my soul to God, and was resolved to aim at being a missionary of the Cross, or a minister of the gospel.”
Here was the aim of his youthful aspirations, the ideal of his life. Not to become great, but useful; not to have the wisdom of this world only, but to be made wise unto salvation. Evidently one task had been accomplished, one lesson had been learned by this early disciple, under the teaching and influence of the Holy Spirit. He had learned to know himself. Consecrated as he was, at this early age, to the service of his Divine Master, need we wonder that in after years, the "baptism of fire" thus received brought forth goodly fruit in the vineyard of the mission field.
The prayers and aspirations of the boy were but the "droppings before the shower," compared to the solicitous pleadings and intense yearnings of the father. He, also, with mighty and unwavering faith, laid hold upon the Promises, and at the family altar again and again was this first-born given afresh to the Lord, and out of the depths of a full heart, that had been set on flame with a Redeemer's love, was the conversion of the heathen especially made the subject of his strong cries and tears. Oftentimes as they rose from these family devotions, Paton tells us, "I used to look at the light on my father's face, and wish I was like him in spirit, hoping that in answer to Ids prayers, I might be privileged and prepared to carry the blessed gospel to some portion of the heathen world." Everything in this godly family was sanctified to the Master. In after years, Paton had no cause to regret those early days of toil and labor, finding all that he had learned in that home to be of immense and invaluable service to him in his missionary labors.
One incident connected with this home life seems especially worthy of our attention, skewing as it does, the unwavering faith in God of the godly mother of that household. During the absence of the head of the household from home, there appeared a fear lest "the barrel of meal should waste, and the cruse of oil should fail." In the hour of her dire extremity this Christian mother placed her children in their beds, with the assurance that the God in whom they trusted would supply their need. And so it was. The prophecy of this pious, trusting mother was literally fulfilled. In a most unexpected manner, the next day, a plentiful supply of the things just needed was sent them, and so the mother's faith was honoree and the promises of God abundantly glorified. We may rest assured they were not slow in acknowledging the Hand that had so marvelously ministered to their necessities.
Such then was the home in which John G. Paton was nurtured. Such were the holy influences which surrounded his early days. We would fain linger in this abode of peace and righteousness, and tell more of that father's love, and mother's devotion. But space forbids. Sufficient has been said to convey some idea of the hallowedness and sacredness of this Scottish household. Was the "bread cast upon the waters" in this home” found after many days? Let the chapters that follow answer that question.