SIR MONTAGUE BEAUCHAMP, Bart., B.D., stroke
oar of one of the Cambridge University Trial Eights,
one of the Cambridge Seven, thus relates his conversion:
"During the first few months of my life, in
1860, I was
for days often thought to be dead; nothing but skin and
bone laid upon a down pillow. My parents dared not
plead for restoration unless the spared life should be for
the glory of God.
"I have very distinct recollections of daily
prayer and
Bible reading with my mother when 5 or
6 years old. I
had two sisters a little older in this same group of our
big family. They must have decided for Christ about the
same time. The verse that appealed to me was: "Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners[.]" That was
enough for me, and I accepted
His salvation. The great-
ness of that word has grown ever since and still increases.
"At a private school all went smoothly.
At my public
school, though I took some stand as a Christian my
ardour cooled off. Later at Cambridge I grew thoroughly
cold. The fact of God and of Jesus Christ I could never
deny. But concerning the Holy Spirit I was in grave
doubts. Then during the long vacation of 1881, the great
crisis of my life came. It was after several months of
intense pleasures of all kinds. It seemed that God had
given me the very best of everything in the homes of many
friends. I was convicted of ingratitude, and also knew
that such pleasures could not be the aim and object of my
life. One of my sisters was with me on this round of
visits, and she was the instrument used of God. The
Word which brought the great change was Revelation
3. 19: ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any
man
hear [M]y voice, and open the door, I will come in to him,
and will sup with him, and he with [M]e[;]’ and there in the
margin of my same Bible still in use I see this note:
‘Aberuchill, Sept. 30th, 1881,’ for that is the place
and date of the battle fought and won. Praise God!
"It was midnight and after all others in the
house had
turned in. But the next day my sister wisely urged me
to confess Christ amongst those of the house party, and
also to write to my mother and others. One of my elder
brothers, at this time a backslider, wrote back saying:
‘Ah, another case of measles. I had an attack
once like
that, but it passed off.’ Thank God, this brother was
brought back some years later through much tribulation,
and died a valiant Christian after a short life of testimony.
"On my return to Cambridge (1881) I was rowing
two
consecutive years in the ’Varsity boat up to the time of
going to Putney. I had taken a firm stand for Christ, and
with others started a Trinity Boat Club Bible Reading.
When D. L. Moody came to Cambridge, this Bible
Reading
band was an asset of his mission for ’Varsity men.
"A sudden and most unexpected call came to go
to China
in 1884. Stanley Smith was the instrument used of God.
I had now known him intimately for just ten years. The
call was to join the C.I.M. He told me that C. T. Studd
had already joined, and as accepted mies. they
were touring the country for further recruits."
In his 70th year he sailed again for China in 1929.