Directory_and_Chronicle_1850 — Page 534

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Memoir of the Rev. Walter M. Lowrie.

SEP.

thus early to make use of the written character to make known the truth to the people. He prepared a small tract on the observance of the Sab- bath, a commentary on the gospel of Luke, a commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, all of which were published. He had also completed a commentary on the Epistle to the Romans and a translation of the Shorter Catechism of the Westininster Assembly. The manuscript of the former was lost, and the latter never received his final revision. These early efforts give reason to believe that, had his life been spared he would have done much to forward the cause of Christianity in Chi- na by his contributions to that Christian literature of which the founda- tion must be laid by the missionaries of Christ.

As a student of the Chinese language he was exceedingly diligent and successful, and during his residence at Ningpo made rapid pro- gress. Evidence of this may be found in the fact that he had com- menced, and was steadily carrying forward, a Chinese and English Dictionary to comprise all the characters in the Four Books and Five classics, which contain the great body of the most useful characters in the language. Nor was he by any means backward in the acquisition of the colloquial dialect, although he himself seemed for a time to have thought his progress slow, so that he was sometimes tempted to give way to discouragement. In the second year of his residence at Ning- po he cominenced a regular Chinese service on the Sabbath, for which he always carefully prepared himself. He spoke with fluency and serined to secure the attention of his hearers. This service he maintained without interruption until his departure from Ningpo.

In May 1847, having been elected one of the delegates for the revision of the translations of the New Testament, Mr. Lowrie removed from Ningpo to Shanghai. He there took part in the discussions which were carried on relative to the proper term by which to render the word ɛog, and was an ardent advocate for the use of the word

shin. But, alas, he was never permitted to engage in the work of translation. Before the discussions were closed circumstances called him suddenly back to Ningpo. He left Shánghái on Monday the 16th of August 1847 and reached Chápú on the following day. He was detained at that place during the whole of Wednesday, the 18th, by a strong southerly wind. On Thursday the 19th he sailed, though the wind was still contrary, for Ningpo. Their progress was very slow, and after sailing several hours the hills near Chápú were still visible. A boat was descried in the distance. It was a large flat bottomed boat, propelled by many oars and crowded with men. The fears of the boatmen were excited, but Mr. L. deemed them ground-