David Livingstone – buried, Apr. 18, 1874

David Livingstone’s body (minus his heart) was buried this date,

4/18/1874, in that burial place of British greats, Westminster Abbey.

His heart had been (wisely) buried over ten months before in his

beloved Africa, after one of his servants found him dead on his knees. 

Tradition has it that his African friends carried his heartless body

(bent double at the waist) to the coast, where a ship brought it back to

England. 

 

Dr. Livingston penned Missionary Travels and Researches in South

Africa (1857).  Very few men (perhaps none?) have left behind greater

stories of physical exploits across more unexplored miles, combined

with spiritual exploits for unredeemed men.

 

It is said that his brother, many years before, had tried to discourage

David from throwing away his life;  He could stay in England and be

somebody.  What is that brother’s name?  Few know, or frankly, care –

today he is simply known as – – – David Livingstone’s brother.

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Henry Francis Lyte – buried, Nov. 20, 1847

Jesus, I my cross have taken, all to leave and follow Thee.
Destitute, despised, forsaken, Thou from hence my all shall be.
Perish every fond ambition, all I’ve sought or hoped or known.
Yet how rich is my condition! God and Heaven are still mine own.

Let the world despise and leave me, they have left my Savior, too.
Human hearts and looks deceive me; Thou art not, like them, untrue.
And while Thou shalt smile upon me, God of wisdom, love and might,
Foes may hate and friends disown me, show Thy face and all is bright.

Go, then, earthly fame and treasure! Come, disaster, scorn and pain!
In Thy service, pain is pleasure; with Thy favor, loss is gain.
I have called Thee, “Abba, Father”; I have set my heart on Thee:
Storms may howl, and clouds may gather, all must work for good to me.

Man may trouble and distress me, ’twill but drive me to Thy breast.
Life with trials hard may press me; heaven will bring me sweeter rest.
Oh, ’tis not in grief to harm me while Thy love is left to me;
Oh, ’twere not in joy to charm me, were that joy unmixed with Thee.

Take, my soul, thy full salvation; rise o’er sin, and fear, and care;
Joy to find in every station something still to do or bear:
Think what Spirit dwells within thee; what a Father’s smile is thine;
What a Savior died to win thee, child of heaven, shouldst thou repine?

Haste then on from grace to glory, armed by faith, and winged by prayer,
Heaven’s eternal day’s before thee, God’s own hand shall guide thee there.
Soon shall close thy earthly mission, swift shall pass thy pilgrim days;
Hope soon change to glad fruition, faith to sight, and prayer to praise.

Henry Francis Lyte was buried this date, 11/20/1847, Nice, France.  Though orphaned he was able to attended Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, specializing in English poetry.  Lyte married Anne Maxwell, 1818, at Bath, daughter of William Maxwell a minister of Monaghan. (Their very happy marriage produced at least one child, a daughter.)  From Trinity College he received his MA in 1820.

Lyte did not have a strong body and in later years suffered from asthma and consumption. His last pastorate (twenty-three years) was a poor parish, pastoring the fishermen and families in Lower Brixham, England.  (It was here he penned “Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken.”  Near the end of life (his health in worse condition) Lyte preached his last sermon and also wrote “Abide with Me, Fast Falls the Eventide.”

It was for his health sake that he had started to Italy but expired making it no farther than France. Lyte was born 6/1/1793, at Ed­nam, Scot­land.

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Miles Coverdale – buried, Feb. 19, 1568

Coverdale Bible

In ye begynnynge God created heauen & earth:

2 and ye earth was voyde and emptie, and darcknes was vpon the depe, & ye sprete of God moued vpo the water.

3 And God sayde: let there be light, & there was light.

4 And God sawe the light that it was good. Then God deuyded ye light from the darcknes,

5 and called the light, Daye: and the darcknes, Night Then of the euenynge and mornynge was made the first daye.

6 And God sayde: let there be a firmament betwene the waters, and let it deuyde ye waters a sunder.

7 Then God made ye firmamet, and parted the waters vnder the firmamet, from the waters aboue the firmament: And so it came to passe.

8 And God called ye firmament, Heauen. Then of the euenynge & mornynge was made the seconde daye.

9 And God sayde: let the waters vnder heauen gather theselues vnto one place, yt the drye londe maye appeare. And so it came to passe.

10 And God called ye drye londe, Earth: and the gatheringe together of waters called he, ye See. And God sawe yt it was good.

11 And God sayde: let ye earth bringe forth grene grasse and herbe, that beareth sede: & frutefull trees, that maye beare frute, euery one after his kynde, hauynge their owne sede in them selues vpon the earth. And so it came to passe.

12 And the earth brought forth grene grasse and herbe, yt beareth sede euery one after his kynde, & trees bearinge frute, & hauynge their owne sede in them selues, euery one after his kynde. And God sawe that it was good.

13 Then of the euenynge & mornynge was made the thirde daye.

Miles (or Myles) Coverdale was buried this date (2/19/1568) or some might say (2/20/1569) in England. He produced the first printed English Bible. 

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