IN THE FOOTSTEPS of William Whiting Borden

“‘As the Father hath sent me, even so send I you.’”

John 20:21
“Out from the realm of the glory-light

  Into the far-away land of night,

Out from the bliss of worshipful song

  Into the pain of hatred and wrong,

Out from the holy rapture above
  Into the grief of rejected love,

Out from the life at the Father’s side

  Into the death of the crucified,

Out of high honour and into shame

  The Master willingly, gladly came:

And now, since He may not suffer anew,

  As the Father sent Him so sendeth He you.”

Henry W. Frost, D.D.

TWENTY-NINE
“I have absolutely no feeling of a life cut short.  A life abandoned to Christ cannot be cut short. ‘Cut short’ means not complete, interrupted, and we know that our Master does no half-way jobs. 

I am glad for Bill!  In His immediate presence –– no longer a clouded, imperfect experience, but a wholly satisfying one.  What his life means to us all!  I mean the life we knew, the one he has finished, or the part he has finished.  Put that loyalty, that staunchiness, the quality for which weaker men called him ‘narrow’, over against the ‘modern’ line of things, and how Bill’s life stands out!  A splendid mind, a splendid body and a great soul –– all handed over to the One who does all things well.”

Sherwood Day, missionary
~~~
“As he sat at the table with us, talking of all he hoped to do for and in China, his face became glorified, his eyes shone with a light which only divine things can awaken.  At the same time there was a poise, a dignity and balance which showed that his was not the mind of a fanatic.  He was one who had counted the cost but never flinched for a moment.”
~~~
“Lord Jesus, I take hands off, as far as my life is concerned.  I put Thee on the throne in my heart.  Change, cleanse, use me as Thou shalt choose.  I take the full power of Thy Holy Spirit.  I thank Thee.”

William Borden, from his notebook
~~~
“My Lord, enable me to conquer my will and overcome my desires.”

William Borden, written on paper and kept in his pocket
~~~
“. . . but I really oughtn’t to try and form plans of my own but God do it for me, and then it’s sure to be right . . .”

William Borden, in letter to his mother
~~~
“When I survey the wondrous cross

On which the Prince of Glory died,

My richest gain I count but loss

And pour contempt on all my pride.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,

That were an offering far too small;

Love so amazing, so divine,

Demands my life, my soul, my all.”


And in his life and his death, young William Borden brought forth a fortitude of determination to be all that I called him to be.  Was his life ‘cut short’?  Many would think so, for this man was fully equipped to win the souls of many, and yet, My Plans were not that form of conquering, just as I came and allowed man to hang Me upon a cross.  Could I have conquered the nations?  Yes, but that was not the Plan.  William could have worked for many more years and won the most stubborn of those who were lost, but his place was to be with Me warring in a different capacity –– a most Holy work.  You will understand more on the day of your arrival.  All of who William Borden was and is, is committed to Me and I allowed this young man to lose his earthly life to bring forth My Plans.
All is well.  All is right!

THIRTY
“‘To do His Will’ nothing greater or more glorious could be desired, and Borden knew of nothing that brought deeper satisfaction.  Life was not, to him, a question of being or having this or that; it was simply a question of the Will of God –– knowing it, doing it, loving it . . .  So, his message was one of gladness and power.”
~~~
“A saying quoted by Mr. Moody had deeply impressed him: ‘The world has yet to see what God can do with a fully consecrated man.’  To be such a man was his highest ambition, and he was learning how real and practical is the price that has to be paid.  He was learning that it comes into everything, and that it may be expressed in one inclusive word, obedience.  Obedience toward God had come to be the keynote of his life ––– instant, glad obedience.  To him, the Word of God was final.”
~~~
“And one other thing about Bill –– his instant and full obedience to the Will of God.  There never seemed to be any conflict in his life between duty and pleasure, for the moment he saw what his duty was, he did it.  There was no procrastination about him.  If the thing was hard to do, it made no difference.  Feelings were out of the reckoning.  ‘Obedience irrespective of feeling’ was, perhaps, the strongest thing about his life.”
~~~
“It was his steadfast turning from doubtful things that gave him, I think, the atmosphere of separateness that was part of his power.  And then, I suppose, this single-mindedness in his spiritual life was the secret of that fixity of purpose which took him straight along whither he had set out.  What Bill started, you might be quite sure he would finish.”
~~~
“One of the passions of his life was for righteousness.  He had indeed that ‘hunger and thirst’ we read about in Matt. 5:6”
~~~
“He never seemed to lose his vision for a single instant . . .”

He never lost his vision, for you see, William’s vision was from Me.  He sought my Will.  He surrendered everything for My Will.  He obeyed Me explicitly and brought forth a “Standard of Excellence.”  Even this day, he stands and his Kingdom prowess is well known.  Obedience to the Cross is what I desire My Bride to show the world.  Ask that I would sear you with My Love - the Love which took Me to the Cross for you.  Only as you are windswept and consumed by this Love, can you do My perfect and full Will.


“Many crowd the Saviour’s kingdom,

  Few receive His Cross.

Many seek His consolation,

  Few will suffer loss,

For the dear sake of the Master,

  Counting all but dross.

Many sit at Jesus’ table,

  Few will fast with Him,

When the sorrow-cup of anguish

  Trembles to the brim;

Few watch with Him in the garden

  Who have sung the hymn.

But the souls who love Him truly

  Both in woe and bliss,

These will count their very heart’s blood

  Not their own but His!

Saviour, Thou who thus hast loved me,

  Give me love like this.”


* All quotes taken from “Borden of Yale ’09” by Mrs. Howard Taylor

IN THE FOOTSTEPS of Brother Lawrence 

INDEX