John Urquhart, part 12: Dinners with Dr. Chalmers

Thomas Chalmers.

It must have been with mixed emotions that John departed from London and his frequent conversations with Robert Morrison. He was anxious to be back with his friends and Dr. Chalmers, eager also to be back among his Sabbath school students and busy with the missionary society. But Morrison had been for him a wealth of knowledge and also the embodiment of what he aspired to be.

When the missionary society had first begun its meetings, it faced surprising opposition. Neither the college nor most places in town would permit the use of their facilities for the scheduled meetings. It should be remembered that although there were some evangelical professors and an increasing number of godly young men on campus, the spirit of the age was still one of increasing skepticism and rationalism. In places where the Christian faith was not cast aside, there was a growing tendency toward moralism and charitable works rather than heart-felt belief in Christian doctrine. But upon his return for his fourth year at St. Andrews, Urquhart was pleased to find that the society was more warmly received than before. He did not record a specific reason for the change, other than to say it was the unexpected blessing of God. In a letter to his father he wrote, “With God, however, all things are possible; and it is because we expect so little, and desire so little, and pray for so little on the faith of his promises, that these promises are not more speedily and more triumphantly accomplished.”

Because he sensed an increasing draw toward life as a missionary, John believed his last year at university should not be wholly filled with academic efforts. If he was going to be spending his life teaching and preaching, he needed to be developing those skills right where he was. When possible, he helped John Adam in his Sunday afternoon preaching to nearby towns, and he faithfully taught in his little sabbath school in nearby Denino. During the winter, Thomas Chalmers (who was then 45) turned over the responsibility of his own such school to Urquhart. This token of trust in his abilities must have been an encouragement to John. Taking over this school left his own students without a teacher, and this concerned him; but this gave him the opportunity of more frequent (and more personal) conversations with Chalmers and his wife since John began eating regularly with them on Sunday evenings.

Taking over the school that Chalmers had taught gave John a more intimate understanding of the kind of man that Chalmers was. He recalled a walk they once took together to visit the parents of the children in the school. He was pleased to see how comfortable these parents were with Chalmers—though he was the revered college professor, they spoke to him as a friend. To John, this was evidence that Chalmers was a frequent visitor to these by-the-wayside homes. As they walked together, Chalmers told him, ‘This is what I call preaching the gospel to every creature. That cannot be done by setting yourself up in a pulpit, as a center of attraction, but by going forth and preaching from house to house.’

John balanced these ministries with his academics. He carried on with his studies in Hebrew and began taking what was then known as natural philosophy, or as we think of it today, the methodical study of nature (science). But his heart was set on one thing—serious investigation and prayer about the field of foreign missions. After his death, William Orme found a journal that demonstrated his method of diligent study; it showed he had labored in the Scriptures and pondered other books on missions. Orme reflected on these efforts and wrote, ‘It would be very desirable, indeed, if those who offer themselves for this service, were found generally to possess such a knowledge of the work which they profess to undertake.’ John was determined not to be one of the Old Testament prophets who had “run without being sent” (Jeremiah 23:21). Though his heart was set on going to the nations, he wanted to be fully persuaded that it was the right course of action for him, and he would continue to seek counsel from others as the school year progressed.