Ten Thousand Times Ten Thousand!

William Spencer Walton

Ten thousand times ten thousand!
And thousands, thousands more!
With voices never tiring,
Are singing o'er and o'er
One blessed never-ceasing strain:
"Worthy the Lamb that once was slain."

Their sorrows all are over,
Their tears are wiped away,
No night, with all its darkness,
But cloudless, endless day;
The former things are passed and gone.
They stand in heaven's eternal morn.

List! List! What are they singing-
Those multitudes up there?
The marriage song of Heaven
Is ravishing the air!
The Church, for whom the Saviour died,
Is now with Him, His spotless Bride.

On earth He wooed and won her
With words of love divine,
He cleansed her from all sin-stains,
And whispered, "Thou art Mine";
Now, clothed in bridal garments fair,
She dwells with Him for ever there.

His bitter pain and sorrow
Are things of other days;
The heart which bled on Calvary
Is healed and full of praise;
Rejoiced to have His Bride up there,
And all His glory bid her share.

Strike, strike the harps of heaven!
Roll out, ye seraph throng,
In one grand voice of triumph,
The Bridegroom's nuptial song!
He greets at last His blood-bought Bride,
He rests in her-is satisfied.

I Thirst, I Thirst For the Precious Souls

William Spencer Walton
"Oh that one would give me drink of the well of Bethlehem."-
I Chronicles 11:17.

"Jesus saith . . . I thirst."-John 19:18

I thirst, I thirst for the precious souls
Of the dying sons of men,
The tears that I shed on Olivet's brow
I am shedding again and again.
My heart is the same loving heart as of yore,
When I called but they would not come,
Altho' I have shown them My matchless love
In dying to bring them Home.

I thirst, I thirst for the precious souls
Of the heathen in far-off lands,
I long for more messengers full of fire
Who can loose them form sin's cruel bands.
My voice is the same tender voice as of yore
When I bid them come and find rest,
And my heart still beats in warmest love
For I long to give them my best.

I thirst, I thirst for the precious souls
Away in the haunts of vice,
Whose hearts are hardened in wickedness
And cold as the crystal ice.
My power is the same mighty power as of yore
When I stilled the raging sea,
When I gave to the blind his longed-for sight
And set the demoniac free.

There are thousands still like those of old
Who gazed on God's dying Son,
And gave Him to drink the bitter gall,
Thus mocking the thirsty One.
His cry is still heard from the throne of our God,
But their hearts have grown cold with sin,
While His voice is lost in the busy mart,
Or drowned in the world's loud din.

Arouse, arouse from this sleep of death,
And hark to the Master's cry,
Oh! I thirst, I thirst for the souls of men,
Is there no one to satisfy?
Oh! Blessing of blessings, unspeakable joy,
To break thro' the powers of hell
And lay at His feet many precious souls
Like water from Bethlehem's well.

"I Will Give You Rest"

William Spencer Walton

Hush! my soul, thou canst not murmur,
Thou hast such a gracious Friend,
In His heart of love He planneth
All thy path from end to end.

Naught but good that heart conceiveth,
Best of blessings He'll bestow,
Guarding, keeping, guiding, leading,
All your journey here below.

Hold His hand, ‘twas pierced to save thee,
Let Him draw thee to His side;
Put thy head upon His bosom,
Now in Him thy cares confide.

How He loves to hear thee speaking:
Loves to gaze upon thy face,
Will not lose thy softest whisper
Meant to catch His ear of grace.

As a river, ever onward,
Flows into an ocean calm,
Lit up with a golden sunset,
Echoing with an evening Psalm.

So this rest gets broader, deeper,
Till it's lost in Heaven above,
Where the glory's ever brighter
And the song is always love.

In Tenderness He Sought Me

William Spencer Walton

In tenderness He sought me,
Weary and sick with sin,
And on His shoulder brought me
Back to his fold again,
While angels in His presence sang,
Until the courts of heaven rang.

He wash'd the bleeding sin-wounds,
And poured in oil and wine,
He whispered to assure me,
"I've found thee, thou art Mine";
I never heard a sweeter voice,
It made my aching heart rejoice!

He pointed to the nail-prints,
For me His blood was shed,
A mocking crown so thorny,
Was placed upon His head.
I wondered what He saw in me,
To suffer such deep agony.

I'm sitting in His presence,
The sunshine of His face,
While with adoring wonder
His blessings I retrace.
It seems as if eternal days
Are far too short to sound His praise.

So, while the hours are passing,
All now is perfect rest;
I'm waiting for the morning,
The brightest and the best,
When He will call us to His side,
To be with Him, His spotless bride.

O Touch Mine Eyes That I May See

William Spencer Walton
Matthew ix. 29.

O touch mine eyes that I may see,
In cloudless rapture Thy dear face,
And in that calm serenity,
With patience run my glorious race.

Oh, loose my tongue that I may tell,
With burning words, to sinners lost,
That Thou didst come to seek and save,
To purchase them at such a cost.

Unstop my ears, that I may hear
The softest whisper of Thy love,
To draw my heart from earthly things,
And fix it on Thyself above.

Release my feet that I may run
The way of holiness divine;
Held by Thy hand I cannot fall,
Filled with Thy life I'll brightly shine.

But, Best of All, He's Mine!
William Spencer Walton
I know I have eternal life-
God's precious gift through His dear Son;
He faced the foe, He won the strife,
The work for me is fully done-
But, best of all, He's mine!

I know I have a blood-bought peace,
So real, beyond all human thought;
No end, but still it will increase
Until His loved ones home He's brought-
But, best of all, He's mine!

I know in love He dwells in me-
O! blessed freedom from sin's power!
His law of life has set me free,
His changeless love keeps every hour-
But, best of all, He's mine!

I know my Shepherd's tender care
Leads me by waters calm and still;
I hear His voice-how can I fear?-
‘Tis sweeter than the running rill
But, best of all, He's mine!

I know I'll see Him face to face
In that bright world of endless bliss;
His boundless care I then will trace,
His piercèd hand I then will kiss-
But, best of all, He's mine!

I know He'll welcome me up there,
I know I'll join in Heaven's song;
I know His glory I shall share,
Goodness and mercy all along-
But, best of all, He's mine!

He Could Not Love Me Better

William Spencer Walton
"He loved me, and gave Himself for me."

He could not love me better
(A sinner dark as night);
For me He left the glory,
That glory fair and bright.
From heights of cloudless sunshine,
To depths of deepest woe;
Oh! Love that passeth knowledge,
To think He loved me so!

He could not love me better;
He gave His life for me,
A willing, spotless victim,
Upon Mount Calvary!
And there alone He suffered;
He bore the curse, the guilt;
The Just One for the unjust,
His precious blood was spilt.

He could not love me better,
As Victor o'er the tomb
He took the sting of death away,
Dispelling all the gloom.
Captive, He led captivity,
And set the prisoner free,
Brought joy, and peace, and gladness,
In place of misery.

He could not love me better,
He keeps me all the way,
And when I grasp His pierced
He never lets me stray.
When empty, then He fills me;
When weak, He makes me strong,
And e'en the wail of sorrow
He turns into a song.

He could not love me better;
For me He does prepare,
Among His many mansions,
A special place up there;
And I, with many another,
Am called to be His bride,
His own especial treasure,
His Church for whom He died.

He Is Coming

William Spencer Walton

Oh! they tell me He is coming,
And I want to see His face,
To touch those blessèd wound prints,
Which speak such love and grace.
Oh! they tell me He is coming,
Can that joyful news be true?
For I long, I long to see Him,
And I know He's longing too.

Oh! they tell me He is coming,
It just thrills my heart with bliss,
For I shall see His beauty,
And His precious feet I'll kiss.
I will bask in holy rapture,
In the sunshine of His face,
While all the path He led me
With such joy I will retrace.

Oh! they tell me He is coming,
He will then make all things plain,
What we thought were bitterest sorrows
We shall find were greatest gain.
Oh! they tell me He is coming,
Then the mists will all be gone,
For we'll dwell in endless glory,
And enjoy an endless morn.

Oh! they tell me He is coming,
Then He'll call me to His side,
I know I am not worthy,
Tho' He's made me His own bride.
Even now He calls me, "loved one,"
"His undefiled, His dove,"
He's cleansed me, made me spotless,
And He wants me there above.

Oh! they tell me He is coming,
And my heart it echoes, Come,
Come quickly, blessed Jesus,
For I long to rest at home.
But until that day of rapture,
When I'll see Thee face to face,
Keep me watching, working, waiting,
Ever telling of thy grace.

I Saw His Face of Sorrows

William Spencer Walton
"And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter."-
Luke 22:61.

I saw His face of Sorrows;
His eyes of tenderest care,
They gazed in deep compassion
Upon my wanderings here.
I tried to hide but could not,
While as He looked, He said;
"Poor sinful soul, I love you,
For you My blood was shed."

It seemed as if He followed
Along my sinful track,
And as He did He told me
"He died to bring me back."
It broke my heart, it won me.
Down at His feet I fell:
His love in all its fullness
I try, but cannot tell.

I saw His face of beauty;
My heart was growing cold,
The world had tried to share it,
And had secured a hold.
But, oh! He whispered, "Follow,"
While as He called I saw
In Him such wondrous beauty,
I want the world no more.

And since I've followed Jesus,
I'm held in His embrace,
I love to rest and listen,
While gazing on His face.
My heart is won completely
From all the world could give,
And now ‘tis Jesus only,
To work, to die, to live!

Once more I'll see His beauty,
‘Tis when He comes for me;
The day is not far distant;
Sometimes I think I see
His light, like bursting sunrise,
But then it fades away,
And as I wait I whisper,
"He'll come for me one day."

Inward Stillness

William Spencer Walton
"Stand still and see."-Exodus 14:13
"Be still and know."-Ps. 46:10

There is a stillness in the Christian's life:-
Like summer eve, when all is hushed and calm,
Or like the sea, whose waves have sunk to rest,
Across whose bosom steals an evening psalm.
‘Tis there the voice of our Beloved's heard:-
The discord of our voices, hushed and still,
No longer hinders all He has to say:
‘Tis sweeter than the music of the rill!

There is a stillness in the Christian's life:-
When all self-effort ceases, and he knows
The rest of leaving all in Christ's dear hands,
Who, by His yielding, conquered all His foes.
‘Tis there he learns a lesson, deep and true,
To bring his wrongs, however dark and sad,
And change them for a song of joyful praise;
His gladness, wherewith He can make us glad.

There is a stillness in the Christian's life:-
While all around would fill us with alarm,
As silently we wait, He stills the storm,
Turning the raging tempest to a calm.
His "Peace, be still," above that tempest sounds,
All, all obey His voice of power Divine,
Then to the waiting soul He sweetly says,
"Fear not, My child, I've bought thee, thou art Mine."

There is a stillness in the Christian's life:-
An inner stillness only known to him
Who has so gladly laid at Jesus' feet
His all, and now He reigns alone within,
Master of every motion, wish, and plan,
In stillness crowned, He rules supreme as King,
And in that inner chamber of the heart,
Has made a little sanctuary within.

There is a stillness in the Christian's life:-
The corn of wheat must fall into the ground
And die, then if it die, out of that death,
Life, fullest life, will blessedly abound,
It is a mystery no words can tell,
But known to those who in this stillness rest.
Something Divinely comprehensible;
That for my nothingness, I get God's best!

Jesus Himself

William Spencer Walton

I've seen the face of Jesus,
He smiled in love on me;
It filled my heart with rapture,
My soul with ecstasy.
The scars of deepest anguish
Were lost in glory bright;
I've seen the face of Jesus,
It was a wondrous sight!

And since I've seen His beauty,
All else I count but loss:
The world, its fame and pleasure,
Is now to me but dross.
His light dispelled my darkness,
His smile was oh! So sweet;-
I've seen the face of Jesus,
I can but kiss His feet!

I've heard the voice of Jesus;
He told me of His love,
And called me His own treasure,
His undefiled, His dove!
It came like softest breezes
Across an ocean calm,
And seemed to play so gently
Some wondrous holy psalm!

I've felt the touch of Jesus:-
My brow it throbbed with care,
He touched it, oh! So softly,
And whispered "Do not fear";
Like clouds before the sunshine
My cares have rolled away,
I'm sitting in His presence:
It is a cloudless day.

I know He's coming shortly
To take us all above,
To sing redemption's story,
The story of His love.
We'll hear His voice of music,
We'll feel His hand of care;-
He'll never rest, He says so,
Until His love we share!

My Saviour-I Will Never Doubt

William Spencer Walton

My Saviour-I will never doubt
His tender, loving will,
That heart of love would ne'er conceive
To do His children ill.

When clouds are dark, there shines a bow,
With many a coloured hue,
And as I gaze I love to know
That God is looking too.

I cannot always trace His ways
Through cloud, through storm, through calm,
But this I know; if He should wound,
I always have His balm.

And through the darkness of the night
My pillow is His breast;
My bed-His everlasting arms;-
Oh, this is perfect rest!

He tells me of His changeless love,
A love that knows no ill;
What can I do but stoop and kiss
His sweet and sacred will?

So on I go-soon, soon to see,
With loved ones gone before,
Jesus, my Saviour and my all,
In glory evermore.

Continent in Chaos: Hard Hearts-Closed Minds

Although colonization in Africa had begun 250 years prior to Walton's arrival in 1888, certain regions were only beginning to open to foreigners, including missionaries. A vast majority of the natives resisted colonization, yet only a small percentage took action. Where physical fighting was absent, hard hearts and closed minds took its place.

A Suffering Land

By the conclusion of the nineteenth century, the continent of Africa had been suffering not only from the social unrest leading up to the Boer War, but also from one physical calamity after another.

Extended drought plunged Africa into famine, which weakened the population's general health and impoverished farmers. Locusts ravaged food crops, and malnourishment intensified devastating diseases. Starvation and death were rampant, and native tribes were decimated.

Virulent Plagues

Moreover, a virulent plague reduced cattle herds by more than 90 percent. As a result, abandoned rangeland became the breeding ground for a tsetse fly infestation that transmitted parasites and disease from wild animals to domestic animals and humans, killing nearly two hundred thousand people from 1902 to 1906.

An Open Door

These withering sufferings opened the doors for evangelists to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the once-closed continent. In 1888, the Lord called William Spencer Walton into Africa.

British Boyhood: Merchant Son

William Spencer Walton was born-the second son-at Clare Cottage, Tulse Hill, London, on January 15, 1850, to Charles and Martha Debenham Walton.

Spencer was, in many ways, a typical British boy of the nineteenth century. He was raised in a loving family and received a traditional British education. His father was "a partner in the firm of Messrs. Charles Walton & Sons, shipping merchants, of Fenchurch Street-the first house to establish steam communication with Australia." His mother was "a woman of beautiful disposition and saintly character, and her influence over Spencer was always very great." (All quotes taken from W. Spencer Walton by George E. Weeks, Marshall Brothers of London, 1907.)

Mischievous Son

After some years, the family moved to a country estate at Beckenham where Spencer and his brothers enjoyed life to the full: "He himself was always passionately fond of natural history, and the woods around his home were a never-failing source of delight.... In temperament Spencer was sanguine and enthusiastic, with a love of fun and mischief which marked him out as leader in many an escapade."

Divine Preparations: "Widely Sundered Corners of the World"

Despite his delightful environment, his happy and light-hearted youthful years were hindered by poor health. Consequently, since he was "not robust as a boy," he was sent, "on a long sea voyage, in the course of which he visited Australia, Tasmania, India, Ceylon, and other places."

"To the end of his life the same tastes characterized him, and the pages of his diaries enshrine many a floral specimen, gathered in widely sundered corners of the world."

First Great Sorrow

At the age of fifteen, the first great sorrow in Spencer's life occurred. While he was on that lengthy voyage necessitated by his poor health, his forty-year-old father died. The news was more difficult to bear because it reached him long afterward in distant Australia. Far from his cheerful home, he was all alone, ill, and now fatherless.

A Deferred Meeting with God

"The Walton lads were educated at a boarding school in Hampstead, kept by the Rev. William Shingleton, a staunch Baptist and a conscientious teacher.... It does not appear that Spencer owed much spiritually to his school-days; God was to meet with him in other directions."

"On leaving school he commenced business life in the office of Messrs. Churchill & Son, wood brokers, and remained some time in their service. During this period he was again ordered to take a voyage, and in 1867 for the first time saw South Africa."

"A Thorough Worldling"

"Returning from South Africa, Walton resumed his duties at Messrs. Churchills'. At this time he became interested in the social side of the work at the Stockwell Congregational Church, acting as secretary of the Debating Society, and teaching in the Sunday-school. Looking back upon those days he confesses with sincere regret that he was but a ‘dead professor' and ‘a thorough worldling.'"

Though he appeared religious on Sundays, he had yet to meet the Savior. He felt that before he received the Lord Jesus, he was a profligate hypocrite-present to teach Sunday school after having partied till the wee hours of dawn.

Solemnizing Effects

In 1872, a series of events were used by God to soften Walton's heart toward Christ and drive home the certainty of his own mortality and the vanity of human life without Christ.

He had made arrangements to go somewhere with a friend, and when he went to meet him at his office, he asked, "Is P______ in?" The curt answer pierced him like an arrow: "Yes, he's in-in his grave." Just the day before, Walton's close friend had contracted blood poisoning and within twenty-four hours was dead! The event was both devastating and sobering.

While the "solemnizing effect" of the loss of his friend was still upon him, Walton went to listen to a preacher named Father Ignatius, whose "sermon then preached was instrumental, under God, in preparing him for that definite step" of receiving Christ as his Lord and Savior.

In the same year, Walton's younger brother invited him to hear an evangelist named Hook. After the gospel message, Walton went directly to the preacher and straightforwardly asked, "Sir, how do I get to God?" Hook then led Walton to the Savior, and he was "converted."

"All, Yea, All"-A Diary Entry

February 19, 1872-"My new Birthday is February 18, 1872. I was then born again, thanks to God. How sad it is, nevertheless, to think that I have wasted twenty-two years, thinking that works-not Christ's blood-saved me, and living a hypocritical and wicked life. It looks like a great black cloud, a past chaos. Oh God! strengthen me for the future, as I now see the blest reality of what Christ did for me in the past. All, yea, all."

British Plymouth Brethren

Walton immediately began to meet with the British Plymouth Brethren, where he fell in love with the Bible and made it his daily companion. Sometimes he was so enthralled with it that he could not sleep, and greeted the dawn still reading the Word of God.

A Heart for Service: Brevity of Life-Search for Significance

Painfully aware of the brevity of human life and inwardly drawn to love God, Walton longed that his life would have eternal significance. Infilled with the Divine Life, Walton sought to channel God's overflowing love through gospel service. He and his friends began to host evening open-air gospel meetings.

However, his first message was cut short when a listener approached and spit in his face. Feeling that he had failed God, "that night, upon his knees, he definitely claimed from God power for service, and as definitely pleaded that the gift of the evangelist might be his."

For the next decade through 1882, Walton continued his evening gospel labor while working full-time, though he "pined for the day when the fetters of business should be broken."

A Crowning Evening

Though Walton was so busily occupied from morning to night, he was also learning how to stay in close inward fellowship with the Lord. In one mission in the Channel Islands, a Christian coworker described Walton's walk of service in Christ:

I had learned ... to love Spencer Walton, and from time to time helped him in Gospel services; but this closer contact revealed a man so beautiful in his simpleness of purpose, his consecration to God, that it made me feel my distance; and I at once longed for a like experience of the Divine Life within, affecting, transforming the whole being, and shedding gracious influence on those around....
I was soon impressed with the way in which the evangelist drove home to the consciences of all present the exceeding sinfulness of sin.... It came with such power that I was deeply moved, and felt the man had a message direct from God to the people.... I had never before heard preaching like this, and wondered at the quiet searching probing of hearts....
Then came the blessed message of God's wonderful love to the sinner, and of God's longing for his deliverance.... Then came the after-meeting, with the deeply realized power of the Holy Spirit working mightily. Of all my new experiences this was strangest. People all round were deeply moved, conscience-stricken and sobbing. Some of the burly soldiers present were among these, their faces buried in their hands.

"How HE Helped Me"

Walton recorded his impression of that same meeting:-

Oh, how HE helped me. Every word I felt went in His power, and soon began to tell. Tears and broken hearts all round. In the after-meeting there were so many to speak with that it was eleven when we left. The crowning evening of all.

Full Time for the Lord-1882

At the age of thirty-two, Walton relinquished his business in order to devote himself to evangelistic work in connection with The Church Parochial Mission Society, which took him throughout the British Isles. His labor was marked by two life practices: "his intense love for the Word of God, and his unceasing habit of prayer."

In response, the Lord was moved to pour out His love and mercy to those in need:

The most remarkable services were those held in the mission church at Townsend Street, which was filled every night with a most attentive audience. Large numbers remained for the after-meetings and it was strange to see the mixture of classes among those who remained on their knees, seeking for pardon and peace. Here a poor rough-looking ragged man, sobbing out ‘Lord, be merciful to me;' close to him a lady, her sealskin jacket actually touching the poor man's rags, also praying for mercy.

"Such Perfect Rest"-December 31, 1884

The next two years were spent in devoted missionary work, interrupted only by another time of "feeling very weak and ill" due to overexertion. Walton was driven to a "real time of prayer" wherein he abandoned his visible means of support by leaving the missionary society. He was learning how to depend entirely upon the Lord. 

On the last day of 1884, he wrote, "I do not want to see the future, but the Lord will see to it and look after and provide for my dear ones. Oh it is such perfect rest!" Walton's last entry continues with the scriptures the Lord gave him as he committed his future life of service in the Lord. Walton also included a verse of a hymn by Philip P. Bliss penned just before his untimely death:

December 31, 1884-"Left the Church Parochial Mission Society Dec. 31, 1884.

Psalm 37.5 Prov. 3.5,6
Prov. 6.22 Phil. 4.19

I know not what awaits me, God kindly veils my eyes,
And o'er each step of my onward course He makes new scenes to rise,
And every joy He sends me comes a glad and new surprise.
Where He may lead I'll follow,
My trust in Him repose,
And every hour in perfect peace
I'll sing, "He knows; He knows."

"A Stillness in the Christian's Life"-1885

An entry in Walton's diary of February 1885 shows what principle would govern the remainder of his Christian life:

Not merely set apart for work, but set apart for Himself; then claiming death in His death, burial in His grave, and resurrection with Him. A new power, commencing at Pentecost and ending when He comes. What a fact to rejoice over that this belongs to His weakest child.

There is a stillness in the Christian's life:
The corn of wheat must fall into the ground
And die; then if it die out that death,
Life, fullest life will blessedly abound.
It is a mystery no words can tell,
But known to those who in this stillness rest,
Something divinely comprehensible.
That for my nothingness I Get God's Best.

Called to Africa: Keswick Convention

Earlier in 1882, at his first Keswick Convention, Walton met Andrew Murray, a native of South Africa who had been laboring for the Lord there, and "a warm friendship sprang up between the two." Murray had indicated that if Walton would be led there, he would be the first to welcome him "in the name of the Lord."

In a series of missionary conferences, the Lord continued the call to the foreign field in Walton's heart.

A Prayer to be Guided Aright

At the Leamington Conference, one of the speakers was Mrs. Osborn (now better known as Mrs. Osborn-Howe), who had been for some time engaged in devoted service among the soldiers in South Africa. Listening to Spencer's impassioned appeals for consecration to the cause of Christ, the conviction was borne in upon her that here was the man for whom she had been praying, who should undertake a wider work in South Africa than had been within her power to do. Long and earnestly she prayed to be guided aright, then, writing a letter to Spencer, she begged him to consider it as a definite call to South Africa.

As a Child-Not Knowing

Upon receiving her letter on the last day of the conference, he immediately sought fellowship with other Christian leaders such as Hudson Taylor and F.B. Meyer. Upon leaving the conference, he went to Harrogate and intended to engage in a "quiet season of waiting upon God." However, the very next day, there upon the mantelpiece, he found Bogatzky's Golden Treasury, and upon opening to a well-thumbed page, these words caught his attention and became both his prayer and confirmation of the Lord's intention:

O Lord, I am like a little child, knowing neither the beginning nor the ending of my way; but Thou being a wonderful counselor, I think it is only my wisdom to be advised and ruled by Thee. Oh show me always Thy ways in all things, even in the least, that I may never miss to do Thy work in due season and due order. Make me such a faithful steward as not to go an inch from Thy will, but on all occasions to act and suffer according to Thy pleasure.

Walton immediately dispatched a letter to "Mrs. Osborn informing her that he could no longer doubt God's will for his immediate future; that he was called for South Africa, and that he hoped to sail within the next few months.... And so once more God fulfilled His promise ‘In all thy ways acknowledge HIM, and He shall direct thy paths.'"

Walton's biographer, George E. Weeks, concluded the chapter portraying Walton's heart of obedience to God's call with the following exhortation to all who would serve the Lord:

Would that all who seek to work for Him would make this assurance the regulative principle of their lives. It would conduce to that ‘"quiet mind' which is ever a condition of the most effective service, and would honour HIM in the eyes of a restless, anxious world.

Nothing before, nothing behind,
The steps of faith
Fall on the seeming void, and find
The rock beneath.

Leaning on Him, make with reverent meekness
His own thy will, 
And with strength from Him shall thy utter weakness
Life's task fulfill. 
(Whittier: "My Soul and I")

Abundant Blessings: Setting Sail

Walton made arrangements for his mother's care with his brother Eliot. Mrs. Walton's words released and supported Spencer to follow the Lord's course: "I know you want to go to South Africa. I shall sorely miss you, but I dare not stand in your way; by-and-by I shall have you always." Walton set sail for South Africa from Plymouth on June 15, 1888.

Undaunted

After a twenty-day voyage, on July 5th, 1888, Walton's ship reached Capetown, where Murray and two other missionaries, Mrs. Osborn (who had prayed for Walton) and Mr. Howe, warmly greeted him.

Immediately upon Walton's arrival, he helped with gospel meetings that grew larger and larger until they required the use of the Exhibition building that "accommodated 2,000, and even so, many night by night were turned away. So widespread was the influence of the mission that special trams and trains were run for the convenience of residents in the suburbs." Within a month, more than five hundred people "professed conversion," many of whom became future laborers for Christ.

Walton continued to minister at a "series of missions ... held at various centres throughout the colony" that had been arranged by Murray and Howe. During his travels, he became convicted of the need for a mission organization to reach those "who were apparently quite unreached by the existing religious agencies. ...The many entries in his diary show that it was the burden of many hours of prayer."

"A Bethany Indeed"

October 10, 1888-This is a Bethany indeed, just fragrant with the Master's presence. Mr. Murray seems to live in heaven, and certainly heaven is in him, and with it all there is such a perfect simplicity and humility and a joyful willingness to be the servant of all.... It has been a privilege to work with him, and our talks have been most searching to my own heart. He has lead me to see and realize more of the Blessed life. We talked much about ‘Christ in us,' and he thinks there is much more to be realized than many at present teach.... Once or twice I had to throw myself on my knees in my bedroom, and cry to God for more truth in the inward parts and more true holiness. This visit has been a season of untold blessing to my soul.

Bethany means "house of dates," which refers to the sweet fellowship of the Lord Jesus, Lazarus, Mary, and Martha in their home. Walton enjoyed Murray's home where people of all conditions must have gathered for sweet fellowship in the presence of the Lord. To be in Murray's presence, was also to be in the Lord's presence.

Murray supported the direction Walton felt to pursue in a column of The Christian:

If the prospect should be realized that Capetown should ... be made the centre of home mission work, whence other towns might be guided and helped, a work might be accomplished of which it is difficult to calculate the consequence. We shall wait upon God to remove every difficulty out of the way, and trust that our brethren in England will help Mr. Spencer Walton forward in prayer in the work he hopes to undertake.

Again Mrs. Osborn played an important role in confirming Walton's next steps. She proposed that her labors among the soldiers and sailors be the basis of the new mission.

Mining Precious Gems for the Master's Crown: "Swaziland for Christ"

On October 17, 1888, Walton sailed for England. During the trip, he earnestly pondered a map of Africa. His eyes fixed on Swaziland, and he exclaimed, "Swaziland for Christ"! He could not know then how instrumental he would be in bringing the gospel to this land, for God was already weaving Walton into the tapestry of His plan for Swaziland that He had begun many decades before in Scotland.

Pleading with His God

In the 1840's, in the Scottish Highlands, a seed of divine intention for Africa was germinated:

A solitary shepherd was tending his flock, alone to the outward eye, but on that lonely moor he knew the sweet companionship of his Lord. The sun was setting, and the air was filled with the fragrance of the sweet heather. On his knees, his head buried in his plaid, the shepherd was pleading with his God. It was no unusual experience for that old highlander. Many a time the hush had been broken by the strong cries and prayers of that servant of God. He was pleading for God's blessing on Africa's unevangelized millions. Little did he know of the dark continent, but in that dark mine of sin he knew there were precious gems to be found for the Master's crown. One day the moor missed the old saint-the bleating sheep had lost their master, and the faithful collie his friend. He had entered the joy of his Lord. But his prayers were registered, and one day they were to be answered.

Other Hearts for Swaziland

As Walton traveled to various parts of England describing the great need in South Africa, he learned of a woman in Sunderland who was anxious to meet someone from Africa. Her daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Baillie, were living in Transvaal and were burdened for the Lord's purpose in Swazieland. Walton relates the account of his visit with this humble woman:

Although engaged in business they [the Baillies] were spending all their spare time in working for Christ among the surrounding heathen. Their diary was read to us, and we learned how their hearts were yearning for freedom from business that they might devote their lives to mission work. Living in a town (Barberton) two days' ride north of Swaziland, their hearts seemed especially drawn to that dark country. John Baillie wrote that every Sunday he spent an hour on the Barberton hills, looking towards Swaziland, and crying to God for the Swazies.... We [Walton and companions] little thought when on the steamer we claimed Swaziland for Christ, that this was the way God was to answer our prayers. John Baillie and his wife became our pioneer missionaries in Swaziland, and thus God answered the prayers of his saintly grandfather, the old highland shepherd, who, on the lonely moor, had day by day pleaded with God for the dying millions of Africa.

Encouraged that many heartfelt prayers had prepared the way for the Lord's desire to proclaim the gospel in South Africa, Walton continued to garner the counsel and participation of "tried and trusted Christian friends, some of whom had personal knowledge of South Africa." Thus, the Cape General Mission (CGM) was formed on March 12, 1889. The new mission was met with wholehearted support:

At Mildmay that summer, and at Keswick, large and enthusiastic gatherings met under the auspices of the newly formed mission. That at Keswick met on the beautiful Friar's Crag under the leadership of the Rev. F. B. Meyer. No less enthusiasm was manifested at meetings held in London, where the Metropolitan Tabernacle was placed at the disposal of the Mission by Mr. Spurgeon, who himself presided.

A Deeper Walk: A Brief Joy

Earlier while conducting a mission at Buxton, England, in 1887, Walton had met Kathleen Mary Dixon. Kathleen understood the "secret of the consecrated life," which she translated into serving at a city mission in Manchester. "Truly humble and of a retiring disposition, she was much blessed of God in this service, and many still remain in that district" whom she led to Christ.

While Walton was in England, their affection for one another grew, and "when asked by him to share his work and home in South Africa, she entered heartily into his hopes and aims. On June 5, 1889, they were married," and Kathleen accompanied the first CGM group that sailed to South Africa on August 16, 1889.

Great Sorrow

On March 9, 1890, they were blessed with the birth of a son, whom they named Murray and joyfully consecrated to Christ. Tragically, two weeks later Kathleen passed away from complications in childbirth. Although her service in South Africa was brief, she deeply touched many with her loving care. "When her coffin was borne ... it was entirely hidden beneath the floral offerings proffered by those who had known the blessed influence of her fragrant life."

Christ, the Comforter

Looking to Christ for comfort, Walton found Him as his "Savior, Master, Friend." Determined to know the Lord ever more deeply in mourning, he wrote:

I cannot always trace His ways 
Through cloud, through storm, through calm,
But this I know; if He should wound,
I always have His balm.

A Long Cherished Mission

Before her death, Walton's wife, Kathleen, had spoken of Swaziland more often than any other part of Africa. Just over a year after her death, in June of 1891, Mr. and Mrs. Baillie and their baby son, along with an interpreter and two boys to help with the building, all trekked twenty-two days into the heart of Swaziland and established the first mission station.

It was fittingly named "Bethany" (meaning "house of dates," which may be interpreted "sweet fellowship") in memory of Kathleen Walton, whose desire was to see the Lord's sweet presence in Swazieland.

"Head Preacher"

In November of 1891, Walton "realized a long cherished visit" to Swaziland with Andrew Murray. Walton, Murray, and the accompanying party traversed mountainous terrain, forded three rivers, and dealt with a series of thunderstorms between the outset and the crossing of the border into Swaziland:

The travelers were most warmly welcomed by Mr. and Mrs. Baillie, and from the little group of workers deep and sincere thanksgiving ascended in the hush in the evening. The memorial station was of the humblest description. It consisted of two houses, or rather sheds, one of the construction known in South Africa as "wattle and daub"-that is, of interwoven sticks, covered with a plaster of mud and one of corrugated iron, the universal building material in the less settled parts of the country. The news very quickly spread that the "head preacher" had come, and Walton tells of the reception he met with:-

In his diary, Walton describes the visit with the entry titled,

Over the Last Hill and Bethany Came Into View-My visitors flocked round the door and window, some with very bright merry faces, but all dark with heathenism.... Two headmen and 25 others gathered round to hear what the white man had to say. Baillie spoke first, then he sang, then I had a talk with them through the interpreter. I told them the old message of grace, and then, pointing to a picture of my wife, told them about her desire for their salvation, and that while she was now with Jesus, she would, were she with us, plead with them to come to her Saviour. All were hushed and still.

A Visit with the Queen

Walton's group was told by the natives that they must first obtain permission from the king and queen to speak to them; thus they commenced the four-mile trek to the queen's abode. Walton speaks of his appeal to be allowed to minister to the people:

Her majesty asked to shake hands with me. I told her I had come from England, where the greatest queen on earth reigned, and described London and its greatness to her, which produced exclamations of astonishment. Then I went on to tell them what had brought me there, and how my wife and I had prayed for the Swazies. I told them how she had died, then, pausing, handed round her photograph. They eagerly gazed on it and said, "How young and beautiful!" Then they asked me if it did not pain me to keep her face. ...[I] said I should meet her again, and so gave them a bit of the Gospel. We then tried to explain to the queen that our desire was only to do them good, assuring her that we wanted no concessions, nor to take money nor to trade in any way, but simply to lead them to our God and Saviour. To all this she listened, but said she feared to give her consent, though she felt most friendly. We spoke of sending a medical missionary, which evidently ‘took.' We then had to go, and she handed me a bracelet as a present, much to our surprise.... As we were leaving the kraal we met the witch doctor, going in to see the queen. He had snake skins round his head, charms round his neck and hanging from his waist, consisting of roots, goats, horns, bladders, and I know not what else. We long to see the power of these men broken.

Isolation and Farewell

After much discussion concerning the way to advance the Lord's purpose in Swaziland, Walton describes his farewell in his diary:

November 23, 1891-The weird chant of the Swazies was the music that awoke me. Oh for these Swazies' souls. Up at 4:30 and packed. Baillie left at five to walk (ten miles) to the Jacksons' mission house. After prayer with Mrs. Baillie, we bade her good-bye, leaving the dear soul in tears. How little do our friends in England realize what true isolation is. I can indeed say that this trip has opened my eyes to Christians' selfishness. God bless Baillie and his little wife.

God's Faithfulness: "We know HIM"

The beginning of 1893 gave Walton the opportunity to review God's faithfulness and to continue to place his trust in the Lord for the work and service. He wrote in Pioneer, a Christian periodical,

While we do not know what may happen during this New Year, we know HIM, and that is more than enough;-"

Peace, perfect peace, our future all unknown,

Jesus we know, He is on the throne.

Basutoland Visit

In 1893, Spencer Walton and Mr. C. Sampson visited Basutoland-now the Kingdom of Lesotho-a mountainous country surrounded by South Africa:

March 21, Tuesday -At 4:30, March 21, we entered Basutoland, and knelt in prayer. Some Basuto women watched us as we knelt on the grass, and cried to God for Basutoland, its devoted missionaries, native converts and heathen....
In all my South African travels I have never seen such perfect cultivation or such splendid cattle. The Basutos themselves are a fine people, and above the average of African tribes. A Basuto stopped us, told us in good English he was a policeman, and asked us if we carried any spirits. Directly he heard we were missionaries he allowed us to pass, and informed us he himself was a Christian.
Next day, after some hours' hard riding, we came in sight of Morijah, nestling under a grand mountain, a lovely picture indeed, and we instinctively took off our hats and prayed for our beloved brethren who had laboured so long and so successfully. The church, the schools, the missionaries' houses, were hidden away among gums and weeping willows. There stood the station, like an Eden from which many rivers were flowing, north, south, east and west, the scene of the labours of the Arboussets, the Gosslins, Dykes, Casalis and the Mabilles [missionaries to Africa]. Once a desert of death or a wilderness of sin, but now a garden of the Lord. Oh, the glorious triumphs of the Gospel. The life-giving power of the name of Jesus, the mighty work of the Holy Ghost alone could have effected all this through His beloved servants. Words fail to express what I felt as I looked upon Morijah. It made my faith rise as I wandered in thought to our little mission station in Swazieland. I could picture another Morijah rising in the midst of the Swazies, hear the church bell, and see the Swazies, like the Basutos, flocking to hear the Word of God. I think the work of this mission with its thousands of witnesses is the grandest argument one could bring to bear upon the infidel, and must silence the skeptic and hush the scoffer....
...At four o'clock we had our first prayer meeting in the church. About 500 were present, perhaps more, a fine band of Christians. ...One old soul with a beaming face was introduced to me. She told me she was one of the early converts, and over forty years upon the Lord's side. She carried a well-worn hymnbook. As for the singing it was simply grand, it certainly took me right away from the earth. Mr. Mabille leads, and has a superb voice, and the people sing in part, clear tenor and deep bass.
In the evening I spoke in the schoolroom, Mr. Dyke interpreting for me. Bibles were well used, and the rustle of the leaves made a music not often heard in our churches. As I walked home the moon and stars looking down, and the voices of the natives singing hymns floating out upon the clear air, I thought of the state of the country before the French missionaries began their work, when it was wrapped in the darkest heathen superstition, and abounded in sin too awful to name. One man told me today he had ridden eighty miles rather than miss a blessing; that is the earnestness one likes to see. Quite a number had come sixty, seventy and eighty miles...

March 25, Saturday-We sent this morning to the Paramount Chief to say we proposed calling upon him this afternoon. He sent word that he could not see us but that he intended coming to the Sunday service, and that he ordered all his people to come. Today his chief wife, the Basuto queen, came. She, with one or two others, is a true Christian, so thank God there are witnesses in the king's village.
I was much exercised about the morning meeting. The church was overcrowded; it was a grand sight, and would have melted many a heart. Nearly all were Christians. Are missions a failure: I asked myself, and heartily wished every skeptical fault-finder could see for himself. Oh, if our rich brethren could see the quiet, solid and ever-extending work this Mission is doing, they would be more ready to unloose their purse-strings.... After I had spoken we had a very definite dealing with the Lord, and many openly confessed their hindrances and claimed deliverance. It was a glorious time of blessing when many entered into a new experience in their Christian life. Mr. Dyke told me as we walked home how subdued he noticed even the noisiest were.

March 26, Sunday-...In the little valley where we had previously held our open-air services 4,000 people were sitting on the ground. In the middle was the Lord's Table, covered with a white cloth. ... Circle after circle came as it was given to them, first by us and then by the evangelist elders, and for thirty-five minutes this blessed feast of love went on. The singing was intensely sweet, and must have gone up like a cloud of incense into the presence of our Lord....

March 28, Tuesday-Up early and off to a village named Kolo. As we rode along M. Mabille pointed out various scenes of interest. Here was a village with some 500 inhabitants, in which the Gospel had been preached for thirty years without a single convert having been made. On the other hand we passed one in which all the people were Christians. We at length reached Kolo, and were introduced to the man sent by Moshesh [a tribal leader] to buy missionaries with 100 head of cattle. It appears that Moshesh was very anxious to have peace in his country, and being advised that the only way to obtain it was to introduce missionaries, he forthwith dispatched this man with the hundred head of cattle to get some. He happened to meet the early French missionaries who had just arrived and had been prevented by the authorities from going further north, the Lord evidently needing them in Basutoland. They at once accepted the offer and settled here, and now their mission has a firm hold on the country, and there are hundreds of converts.

April 10, Monday-After reading and prayer by beloved M. Mabille we started on our long dusty journey and passed out of Basutoland at 4 o'clock.

Two with a Single Purpose: An Unconventional Wedding

In February of 1893, just before Walton's trip to Basutoland, he met Miss Lena Gibson at a mission service at Worcester, South Africa. They were quickly engaged before he left in March, and on June 20th, they were married in Andrew Murray's parsonage at Wellington. Lena Walton described their wedding:

My mother and a few special friends were present and after the ceremony the dear Murrays entertained us all to lunch, after which we drove away in a Cape cart, accompanied by Rev. Andrew Murray for a few miles as he had a visit to pay in the same direction as we were going! It was a very unconventional wedding. We spent our honeymoon on a Dutch farm, and on the Sunday Spencer took the service in a small country church.

A week later, the Waltons sailed from Capetown to England and then across the ocean "for a tour in the United States in the interests the Mission."

Exhaustless in Service

Walton still seemed exhaustless in service, declaring, "I cannot speak enough of Thee." Of Walton's readiness to serve Christ, his new wife wrote a few weeks after their marriage:

We spent the month of August at Tyndrum in Pershire with my relatives. Spencer enjoyed the trout fishing in the Highland Lochs, but, true to his character could not thoroughly enter into a holiday unless it had some work for his Master. It was a great pleasure to him when Rev. Wm. Fraser ... asked him to take the Sunday services. These services have long been remembered by the Highland folk and some of them have followed him in his work with their prayers ever since. We know of one farmer's wife who saw him again twelve years after, and who pressed into his hand a twenty-pound note for the work in South Africa, saying at the same time, "I have never forgotten you, sir, and have been saving this money to give ye for the work." 

Living Water

When Walton crossed rivers such as "the great Usutu" in Africa or witnessed Niagara Falls in America, he compared their strength and beauty to the flow of the Lord's life within him:

The falls, the rapids, the ice-hills, the spray with its prismatic colouring baffle description. But what appealed to me were the possibilities of all this mighty power. ‘Out of him shall flow rivers of living water' was continually suggested to me. Out of me, out of God's weakest child, a mightier power than Niagara can flow. Follow this mighty rush of water-it is lost in the ocean. Follow those living waters; no ocean can swallow them up! They reach North, South, East, West-India, China, Africa, all the world over. Oh, to be in His hands, quiet, trustful, surrendered that His power may flow through me.

A Home of Hospitality

In September of 1894, the Waltons returned to South Africa. Earlier that year, the Cape General Mission had united with the South East Africa Mission, and Walton became the Director of the newly named South Africa General Mission (SAGM). Lena Walton noted, "We had been traveling about for a year and a half, and it was a great joy to us both to settle down for a time in a little home of our own in the Gardens of Capetown. It was here on November 24 that our little Ruth was born."
Their open arms to others was well noted: "From the first, God's benediction rested on the union, and those who were privileged from time to time to enjoy the hospitality of their home will ever remember the singleness of purpose and identity of interests which there found expression."

"Absolute Surrender"

In September of 1895, the Waltons relocated to Durban, South Africa, to facilitate changes in the administration of the mission: "The work had grown so rapidly and we were extending so much, that it was decided that we should take the supervision of what became the South Eastern Branch of the Mission [SAGM], namely Swaziland, Zululand, Tongaland and Natal."

In 1897, Walton held a Convention along Keswick lines in the Natal region, at Victoria Park, with the theme, "Absolute Surrender." Numbers of Dutch people came from far away in their wagons, setting up camp in them for the large open-air missionary meetings.

"Mercy from First to Last-Grace Upon Grace"

While some miles "up country" from Durban in 1898, Walton wrote in his diary:

January 15, 1898-My 48th birthday. Mercy from first to last...; Grace chose me in Him; Grace sought me by Him; Grace saved me through Him; Grace keeps me for Him. All of grace! Grace upon grace.

The Shadow of Bereavement

In 1898, the shadow of death came again to the Walton home. In January, they learned of the death of Spencer's mother, and a few weeks later, of Lena's father also. Then in November, so suddenly, their daughter, "a beautiful girlie of one year," was stricken with pneumonia. The situation was ever worsened by the fact that Lena couldn't communicate with Spencer, as he was on passage from Port Elizabeth to Durban. He landed just twelve hours before the baby was taken.

Sweet Aroma of the Knowledge of Him

An article he wrote in January 1899 for the Pioneer, a Christian periodical, gives us a glimpse of Walton's response:

A new year has to be faced. Let us face it as those who know no future but God. We can say of the past, ever remembering the dear Master's patience and care, "Thine hands took pains about me." Step by step He has brought us through His school, sometimes sitting as a "refiner and purifier of silver," when the furnace has been hot, sometimes coming into our sorrows, as the "Man of sorrows" alone can; and making us feel that the sorrows were worth having, when we had Him with us through them all. Sometimes we have experienced His loving vote of confidence in us, when He has "chastened us sore"; sometimes we have been on the Mount of Transfiguration, when He has given us wonderful manifestations of His glory, and again with Him in the harvest field, when we have had the joy of gathering in, for the great harvest field, shock after shock of ripe corn. Praise His name! It has been just Himself all along the way, and we can say:-

From vintages of sorrow are sweetest joys distilled,
And the cup outstretched for healing is oft at Marah filled,
God leads to joy through weeping, to quietness through strife,
Through yielding into conquest, through death to endless life.
Be still-He hath enrolled thee for the Kingdom and the Crown,
Be silent, let Him mould thee, Who calleth thee His own.

Seeking Only God's Will: "More Time Alone With God"

On January 15, 1899, Walton turned forty-nine, an occasion which the Lord used to accomplish a deeper work in him. He became even more desperate and determined that in his remaining years he would "have more time alone with God" and "be more careful and prayerful in [his] study of God's word, to ask HIM more about little things."

Called to the Front Lines

After the Boer War broke out in October of 1899, Walton ministered food, medicine, and grace to missionaries escaping from the interior of Swaziland and to thousands of refugees pouring into Durban.

In spite of the danger, Walton felt called to the front lines throughout the war. Once, even as he stepped off the train, a stream of soldiers gladly received more than six hundred copies of the New Testament.

Oftentimes, Walton and others ministered in the army hospitals and on the campgrounds:

Every evening, on the veldt between the lines, with no canopy but the purple African sky, we held a service, the congregation numbering three, four, or five hundred. By the light of hurricane lanterns and an acetylene lamp hymns were sung, the men lying prone, wrapped in great coats, or standing in groups, not only within the area of illumination but far out into the shadows beyond. Never could preacher command more reverent attention than that we experienced on these memorable evenings. All seemed softened and rendered impressionable by the experiences through which they had so recently passed, and by the sickness and death so prevalent around.
Upon the conclusion of the open-air service adjournment was made to the large tent, and an informal prayer or praise meeting held. Lovingly and earnestly the offer of the Gospel was presented, and only time-nay, only eternity-will reveal the momentous issues there and then decided. It was not an unusual thing, long after "Lights Out" had been sounded, and a deep stillness had settled over the sleeping camp, for some dear lad to make his way in the darkness to the workers' tent, and beg earnestly to be shown the pathway into light eternal.

Every Available Seat Occupied

Further travel to the front, this time in Ingagene in the extreme north of Natal, Walton held meetings for the soldiers. In spite of the mid-July cold, which prevented open-air meetings, Walton sought a way to bless the soldiers with the Gospel:

After prayer I was led to consult the General as to what was best to be done. He kindly lent us a railway wagon cover, and by first extending the outer fly of our 12 x 12 tent and then adding the wagon cover we were able to make a canvas tunnel about 53 feet long.... The meetings commence at 7 o'clock, but often the men congregate before half-past five and by 6 o'clock every available seat is occupied. From six to seven we have singing with two violins and one cornet accompaniment. From seven to eight we preach the Gospel, and night after night, without any after meeting, it has been our joy to point sinners to Him who taketh away the sin of the world. 
It is a great joy to us to contribute to their personal comfort when consignments of socks, shirts, towels, and warm sleeping caps arrive from Durban for distribution.... I often feel, as I sit and talk to them of the deeper things of the Spirit, how needful such times are for the young converts who have just begun to live a life of faith in the Son of God.
We felt the gambling in camp to be a great curse to the men, and after much prayer Fleming and I made an attack upon this great evil. We spoke frankly to the men, and told them what a sin it was. The Lord set His seal to the Word, and so much blessed it, that they began to bring us their money, asking us to send it home for them. Others requested us to get watches and other things for them so that their spare cash might not be a temptation to gamble. In this way, some £600 passed through our hands.

New Mission Stations: More Hungry for Jesus Than for My Daily Food"

A visit to Tongaland after the war was full of incident. Meetings held for the natives brought great interest as Walton gave them object lessons to show that Christ might live within:

We had a sheltered spot for the meeting in the shadow of an enormous ant-hill.... I then showed them my ‘ironclad' watch, which is a patent one, the case being separate from the works. Taking the inside of the watch out I threw the case to one of the men and asked if it spoke. ‘No.' ‘Was it pretty?' ‘No.' I showed them how like that was to a man without Christ.

Later, a visit to the "king's kraal" (a rural village of huts surrounded by a stockade) revealed the blessing on the Gospel speaking:

After tea that evening, the king and his two teachers, who have taught him to read, joined us as we sat in the moonlight beside our camp fire, and we had a long talk with him. He told us he was more hungry for Jesus than for his daily food, and was eager to follow Him. I believe him to be sincere, and to be living up to the light he has. If rightly guided, and truly converted to God, what a power for good he may become amongst the thousands of Tongas over whom he rules.

An Untouched District

After the war, Walton prospected for new mission stations. The compassion of God welled up within him upon sighting Kosi Bay, and his plea echoed the old Scottish Highlander's prayer of many decades earlier:

This is an untouched district with a people lying in darkness, and in the shadow of death, without a single witness to carry to them the Gospel of Christ.... God forbid that we should be slack to go in and possess this land for Him. Never before in South Africa have I seen such an open door, where the people are asking for missionaries and willing to receive them.

Sweet Supplies, Enough to Spare: God's Faithful Care

A few years later, after enduring many hardships in South Africa, Walton rejoiced in the Lord's faithful care:

He is "a land where we have eaten bread without scarceness, and have not lacked anything in it. He has been our Guide, our Way, our Protector, our Provision; He has been our All in every step of the way, and now we look forward and our eyes still look upon Him... We have drawn from Him sweet supplies, enough to spare.

Leaving Africa

By 1904, the handful of laborers with whom Walton had arrived in South Africa had become an army of more than one hundred workers stationed at far-reaching outposts.

That same year, the Walton family sailed from South Africa to travel abroad on behalf of the mission. As they left behind their beloved Africa, they had ample "assurance ... that He Who had led would lead" in their absence and in their future.

Through years of faithful service, Walton bore much fruit for the Lord among the African natives as well as the European immigrants. He was to be undaunted by the death of his beloved first wife in childbirth, the tragic death of a fellow missionary, the Boer War, outbreaks of the Bubonic plague, and constant communication difficulties with the South Africans. Through dangers from man and nature, Walton remained full of faith in the Lord who had sent him there.

Called Home

On August 22, 1906, in the midst of their travels, Walton developed a life-threatening abdominal infection. Four days later, Mrs. Walton felt she must tell him he would soon die. From the rich depths of abiding in Christ, he responded, "He knows! I'm ready. I've been ready for thirty-four years. Bless His Name!" Walton breached the veil of time and place at the age of fifty-six, on August 26, 1906.

Grace upon Grace

Walton declared that his entire Christian life had been "grace upon grace all along; mercy from first to last." These are the opening words of his diary the year he passed away:

The fulness of the riches of God in Christ Jesus-all mine. Praise the Lord! Thy will:-nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.