18 - Chapter 18
Chapter 18 - Since the Conferences by J. Hudson Taylor
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As some time has elapsed since the meetings took place recorded in the foregoing pages, the thought naturally arises, how far have the anticipations thus raised been fulfilled? To this question the subsequent history of the work affords a most satisfactory answer.
I.—At T’ai-yüen Fu.
Dr. Edwards, writing from T’ai-yüen Fu on September 27th, 1886 (two months after the Special Meetings), says:―
“Yesterday we were greatly encouraged, as Miss Broomhall’s little maid told her she had decided to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus. In the morning, at our early prayer meeting. Mr. Orr Ewing had asked that at least one soul might be given us, and before the day was out we had the little maid’s confession.” On October 29th, writing from the same station, Miss Gertrude Broomhall wrote as follows:
“When I last wrote I told you of one conversion; I can now tell you of more. Three of the old school girls have confessed Christ, and two women who have come regularly to the Sunday services for some time. These (with the exception of one girl, who has gone to P’ing-yang with Mrs. Bagnall) have been formed into a class. We hope soon to tell you of further additions. God is opening doors in this city. I have encouraging times on Monday afternoons, with a number of Manchu women, not far from here.” On December 23rd, Mr. Orr Ewing writes:―
“Mr. Sturman and I are living together at the opium refuge (the Memorial Hospital), and, although he of course does all the work, I see a good deal of the patients, and am truly interested in them. They come into our rooms and make themselves quite at home, and we have asked the Lord for the souls of all the patients; several have been interested in the truth, and one who has all but completed his time is causing us great joy by admitting that he believes in the true doctrine.
“There are continual answers to prayer week by week, and I feel sure we shall soon be able to tell of many being blessed. Among the Christians I am certain there is more health of soul, and this is the first step to better work among the unsaved.” On January 19th, 1887, Mr. Sturman sends us further information of an encouraging character:―
“I am sure you will be delighted to hear of blessing in the opium refuge. One man, a mason, has come out and confessed Christ. Praise God! Last Sunday I had just returned from school, and was feeling a little downcast, because of the seeming hardness of the hearts of those to whom I had been speaking. I went to the Lord with it; a few minutes after this man came and looked in at my window. I asked him in, and, as soon as he was seated, I said to him, ‘Why do you not give your heart to God, and let Him hereafter be your Master?’ And he replied with great stress, ‘That is just what I wanted to tell you; I have done it, and I believe fully in Jesus.’
“I could not help saying, ‘Praise God!’ and then went on to talk with him. After a little while he said, ‘But my heart is not happy.’ I asked why. He said, ‘You know I have a brother and mother at home; they do not know about Jesus; and you say they can only get to heaven by faith in Him; how could I be happy and see them in hell!’ ‘Well,’ I said, ‘you must go home now and tell them what you know, and we will pray for your family, and the Lord may lead them also to believe.’ He was delighted about this, and said, ‘My brother is religious and recites prayers every night; if only he would put that hot heart on this Gospel (taking up my New Testament), that would be good!’
“He has gone home now full of joy, and one of the last things he said was, ‘My brother smokes opium; pray that he may also come here; then you can teach him, and I can teach my mother at home.’ The Lord keep him bright.
“On Saturday last I had a most interesting man in. He came once before, and seemed very much interested; but one could not make him feel the real need of a Saviour. He took away a New Testament, and now there are only a few chapters in Revelation that he has not read. He was here fully two hours; said he always prayed to Buddha, and on one occasion, when almost dying, Buddha ‘appeared to me, and I was instantly healed.’
“He wanted to have Christ and Buddha, and for a long time was proof against all I could say. At last I said, ‘Have you a son?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ ‘Well, now,’ I said, ‘if your son came in here and honored me as his father, and took no notice of you how should you like it? Would it be right or wrong?’ ‘Ah,’ he said, lifting both hands, ‘that is right. I see it now; it is wrong to worship a man (for he admitted Buddha was only such) and forget the Father of all. I will never worship again any but God.’ Then, after a most interesting conversation, we had prayer together before he left. The Lord lead him clearly out into the true light. This is two since last mail upon whose hearts the Spirit is surely working. Praise the Lord!”
Again, Mr. Sturman writes on February 7th (after giving an account of a visit to the country, and mentioning his return to T’ai-yüen Fu):―-
“Yesterday, after the afternoon service, four of the men confessed faith in the Lord. We do praise God for this. One, who is sick, prayed with Mr. Orr Ewing after some little conversation. The Lord is with us, there is no doubt about that; and we are crying to Him to help us in laying hold of the promises. We continue praying daily for the 100 workers.”
II.―IN THE SOUTH. In the southern stations great progress has been made in the work. In the city of Hoh-chau, Misses Reuter and Jakobsen have gone to labor among the women. Writing from Hung-t’ung on November 8th, 1886, Mr. D.E. Hoste says:―
“Mr. and Mrs. Bagnall are now up at Sih-chau, whither they went at the close of the gathering here, which passed off very well. The P’ing-yang Fu gathering was also a good time. Mr. Bagnall baptized three men and three women. At Hung-t’ung Mr. Stanley P. Smith baptized fifty four men and two women. Praise God!” On December 8th, 1886, Mr. Stanley P. Smith writes:―
“Since I last wrote I have been up to see about the ladies’ opium refuge. When they arrive they will find an admirable place awaiting them. You ascend a hill in the town of Hoh-chau; the houses few, nicely open spaces abounding. At the top of the hill you see an unpretending gate large enough to admit a cart. On entering you see a large courtyard, 50 yards by 20; this is theirs. Flanking this on one side are three smaller courtyards—the north, the ladies’ courtyard; the middle, the women’s opium refuge; the south yard, the men’s opium refuge, separated by a wall and entered by a door on another side. The rooms are admirable and numerous. I trust next year there will be a glorious work there. I went to visit one village where there was a young Christian, and six or seven young fellows interested; but was only at Hoh-chau some three or four days.
“Later I started for Chao-eng to go round eleven villages in which there are believers; it was indeed an interesting time. I saw enough indeed to make one’s heart rejoice. In two villages we saw a family strip the house of idols; it was grand, having worship and praise after abolishing their former wretched objects of worship. But the message I felt led to give in every village, as well as the Gospel, was the Lord’s coming; telling them it was good for them to turn from idols, and better to serve the living and true God; but not to forget ‘to wait for His Son from Heaven’—that blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ. How glorious! ‘caught up,’ ‘for ever with the Lord!’ Well may we comfort one another with such words.
“In most of these little villages they have now chapels or worship rooms. The blessed work is spreading; it must; God is with us, nay more, in us; and he will work to will and to do His good pleasure, which is to save guilty man.”
HIAO-I.
Mr. Sturman and Mr. Orr Ewing have also visited the Hiao-i Christians. Of this visit Mr. Sturman writes as follows:―
“On Friday we left for Hiao-i Hien to visit a man who had been a patient. We spent the evening with him, and it was interesting to find him with his New Testament and hymn book. Though the family was there, he said several times that he was trusting the Lord, but we did not like to see the idols about. I trust that he will come clearly out. He pressed us to stay for a few days and teach him, but we were unable.
“On Saturday we left for the village where the Christians are, that we might spend Sunday with them. They gave us a royal welcome. On Saturday we had a little gathering, and another on Sunday morning. In the afternoon we went to a village five li distant, where two other Christians were living; we had a very refreshing time there, and returned to the first village for evening service. The Lord gave me great liberty in preaching, especially on the subject of His second coming. Oh, how those dear people’s faces beamed as they heard this precious truth, probably for the first time: we had real blessing.
“After the evening service, the eldest son of the family where we stayed, a man of thirty, confessed his decision to follow the Lord Jesus. We intended leaving very early in the morning, but they were before us, and we had another gathering early before starting. They besought us to spend a few days there, but we were bound to leave, so they followed us out, and parted with us in tears. It did one good to see such love. Poor people, one feels how much one would enjoy a month with them, to lead them on to know the Lord, for really they are very, very ignorant, though sincere, I feel sure.”
Mr. William Key, writing from Sih-chau, sends us interesting intelligence of the Hiao-i work, and mentions the opening of two new opium refuges, one at P’u-hien, the other at K’o-shih.
THIRTY NEW CONVERTS AT HIAO-I.
“We found pastor Ch’ü bright and rejoicing in the Lord. He had stayed about a month with Hiao-i Christians, and got great blessing. He visited all the villages round, and brought back over thirty names as inquirers. The old man Li, who put us up during our visit, accompanied him and brought their first donation for the work―1800 cash.
“Mrs. Key and I have just returned from a visit to Ta-ning. We spent a very happy fortnight with the Christians, visiting seven villages in which we found converts, who were very poor but very pleased to receive us, and did all in their power to make us comfortable. We had good meetings; while Mrs. Key was having a meeting with women, Pastor Ch’ü and I would hold one next door with the men. We had quite a hallelujah time.
SEVERE TRIALS.
“Mr. Yang has had to pass through a severe trial; he has lately lost his wife and a grown-up daughter; in the spring he had his child carried off by a wolf. Poor man! He seems to feel it very much.
“At P’u-hien a literary man has been converted, and has opened an opium refuge. Another has been opened at K’o-shih, a small town between Hoh-chau and Sih-chau.”
We hear from Mr. Stanley P. Smith that in connection with the P’u-hien work there are now 50* (*Feb. 1890—We learn that about ten were actually received into Church fellowship.) inquirers. As is usual in every true work for God, we have abundant evidence of Satan trying to hinder. There cannot be so much blessing without much opposition from our watchful foe. We would ask, therefore, the prayers of our readers that the missionaries may be increasingly blessed and the native Christians may grow in knowledge and experience and not diminish in evangelistic zeal.