Born in Illinois, the son of a Presbyterian minister, who prayed that God would raise up more missionaries.
In his senior year, he asked a fellow student, Mr. Konkle, for his argument supporting missionary work.
He formed the Punjab Prayer Union, the members of which set aside half an hour a day to pray for spiritual revival.
He went home to Northampton, Massachusetts, where a malignant brain tumor was discovered, and he died there after an operation in February 1912, aged 46.
"[citation needed] He was buried in his family's plot in Moss Ridge Cemetery in Carthage, Illinois.
[3] Through his missionary work in Sialkot, Pakistan, millions of people accepted Jesus Christ, from the seeds of the Gospel which he planted.