Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Our Life Work


A selection from a letter by James Petigru Boyce to his good friend and fellow laborer in the gospel, John A. Broadus. They had labored together in establishing The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. As president of the seminary, Boyce had the immense pressure of raising funds for the school. While on a visit to France, he received a letter from Broadus telling about a gift of $50,000 for the building of a library. Broadus said this "would doubtless encourage you, with reference to your life-work." It was a great encouragement to him and he expressed his gratitude to God in a return letter to Broadus, written October 31, 1888.

Please express to your friend my hearty thanks for this contemplated gift, both personally and officially. I know not what words to use. None could express too strongly my gratitude and thanks. May God reward her, for he alone can do so worthily of her generosity and noble purposes.

God be with you and bless you, my dear friend. No one knows how much I owe you for your help and your influence in the matter of the establishment of what you call my life-work, but which ought to be 'our life work.'

Life and Letters of John Albert Broadus, by A. T. Robertson, first published in 1901, reprinted by Gano Books, 1987, p. 374.

No comments: