01 - Chapter 01
Chapter 1 - A Visit to Shan-si by J Hudson Taylor
Having long wished and made many attempts to visit Shan-si, my way was at last opened to do so in the summer of 1886. Mr. Archibald Orr Ewing, who had reached Shang-hai in the month of June, was going to labor in that province, and I had the pleasure of his company, as also of that of my dear son, and Mr. Lewis.
Leaving Shang-hai on June 16th, two days brought us into the beautiful bay of Chefoo, and a short stay of three hours or so enabled us to visit our mission station, a mile and a half from the harbor. Another day brought us to the bar outside Ta-ku, at the mouth of the Pei-ho River upon which Tien-tsin is situated. After a delay of about twelve hours in this most dreary spot, we succeeded in crossing the bar, literally ploughing our way through the muddy bottom, and entering the river, reached Tien-tsin about 11 o’clock on Sunday morning.
We were warmly welcomed by missionary friends there, and a special meeting was kindly arranged by the Rev. Thomas Bryson of the London Missionary Society at his house on Sunday evening; at which, after a short address from myself, Mr. Orr Ewing gave an account of the way in which the Lord had led him to leave his business, and his happy evangelistic work in the vale of Leven, in obedience to the Master’s call. Though well known as a truly happy Christian worker, his countenance bore witness to the reality of his testimony, as he told of joy such as he had never had before. It was pleasing to meet several on the following day who spoke of the help and refreshment they had received at the little meeting. The afternoon of Monday, June 21st, was well advanced when we commenced our journey across the plains of Chih-li; but to have made a start was something, and not a little thing in China. After hard traveling from earliest dawn, or before it, to dusk for three consecutive days we found ourselves in the suburbs of the city of Pao-ting Fu. We had traveled 120 miles, several cities and many towns had been passed, but no missionary or mission station had we seen since leaving Tien-tsin! At Pao-ting Fu, however, the American Board have had a mission for many years. We missed the warm welcome and hearty hospitality our missionaries have so often enjoyed from the kindly workers of this station, as they were all from home; but we met several of their converts, who vied with each other in rendering valuable assistance.
Proceeding with little delay on our journey till Saturday night, and renewing it long before daylight on Monday morning, we reached Hwuy-luh, the last city on the Chih-li plain, on Monday the 28th. There we exchanged our jolting carts for swinging mule litters, and soon entered the hill country, and pressing on reached T’ai-yuen Fu by Saturday. Here again, in all this long journey of eight days, we met no missionary, we came to no mission station or out-station. The one mission station, Pao-ting Fu, was the only one passed in the fortnight.
We were warmly received, and kindly entertained by Dr. and Mrs. Edwards, and soon met the remainder of our T’ai-yüen missionaries (my dear niece and nephew Gertrude and Hudson Broomhall, Mr. Sturman, Mrs. Rendall, Miss Kingsbury, and Miss Symon), also Miss Kemp, or Roachdale, who was on a visit to her sister Mrs. Edwards. Our workers from the P’ing-yang plain had come up, viz.:―Mr. William Key, and five of the Cambridge band, the Rev. W. W. Cassels, Mr. Stanley P. Smith, Mr. D. E. Hoste, Mr. Montagu Beauchamp, and Mr. C. T. Studd. The usual Saturday afternoon prayer meeting for the widely scattered members of our mission, was a very happy and deeply interesting one. A series of special meetings were commenced on the Monday and from notes taken by Mr. Stanley P. Smith and Mr. Lewis, the following account has been compiled by Mr. Montagu Beauchamp, as the friends present asked to have a permanent record. Mr. Orr Ewing kindly offered to present a copy to any missionary desiring it. Others also having expressed a wish for it, the book has been prepared for more general circulation. THE SECRET OF HIS PRESENCE. In the secret of His presence, how my soul delights to hide!
Oh! How precious are the lessons which I learn at Jesus’ side!
Earthly cares can never vex me, neither trials lay me low, For when Satan comes to tempt me, to the secret place I go. When my soul is faint and thirsty, ‘neath the shelter of His wing There is cool and pleasant shelter, and a fresh and crystal spring; And my Saviour rests beside me, as we hold communion sweet:
If I tried I could not utter what He says when thus we meet!
Only this I know: I tell Him all my doubts, and griefs, and fears.
Oh, how patiently He listens, and my drooping soul He cheers! Do you think He ne’er reproves me? What a strange Friend He would be, If He never, never told me of the sins which He must see! Do you think that I could love Him half so well, or as I ought, If He did not tell me plainly of each sinful deed and thought?
No, He is very faithful, and that makes me trust Him more, For I know that He does love me, though He wounds me very sore. Would you like to know the sweetness of the secret of the Lord?
Go and hide beneath His shadow; this shall then be your reward. And whene’er you leave the silence of that happy meeting-place, You must mind and bear the image of your Master in your face.
You will surely lose the blessing and the fullness of your joy, If you let dark clouds distress you, and your inward peace destroy;
You may always be abiding, if you will, at Jesus’ side! In the secret of His presence you may every moment hide.*
(*A beautiful and appropriate tune to the above words, by George C. Stebbins, can be had of our publishers. The writer, Ellen Lakshmi Goreh, is a Mahratta Brahmin lady, now working as a missionary among her own countrywomen at Amritsar, in the Punjaub.)