03 - Chapter 03
Chapter 3 - Tuesday Morning, July 6th
------------------------------
(This was to have been the first day of meeting, but, as Mr. Beauchamp and Mr. Studd were still nursing a patient with small-pox, it was felt to be a thousand pities that they should suffer by their love and self-devotion, so the Special Meetings were deferred till the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday following.
However, as we and the Baptist brethren had come together, expecting a meeting, a meeting was held, and a very precious one it was.—S.P.S.) Mr. Hudson Taylor read that most wonderful chapter, Ezekiel 36:1-38. In doing so, he made passing comments—
“And thou, son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God: Because the enemy hath said against you, Aha! and, The ancient high places are ours in possession: therefore prophesy, and say, Thus saith the Lord God.” One must not lose sight of the literal meaning of prophesy, but let us for the present take the spiritual meaning: it is most encouraging to us. It is a good thing when the enemy takes up a reproach against the children of God. A few years ago, after the Yang-chau riot, the Duke of Somerset said in the House of Lords, “Every missionary must be either a knave or a fool. If he does not believe in his creed and his mission he is the former; and if he does, he is the latter.” We all prefer to be among the fools. The Lord values His honour; and His honour and His people’s honour are bound together. There are many persons who speak of Christianity as effete, and missions as a failure. The idea of failure has been due to the fact that they were expecting things which ought not to have been expected, and further, looked on things from the wrong point of view. Moreover, many have occupied themselves with some superficial facts which are indeed to be deplored, but are very, very small by the side of what God is doing among the heathen. But the fact that they do look on missions as a failure is one of great encouragement. If the enemy take up the wrong side, and speak against the Lord’s servants, the Lord will have something to say. The enemy may say, “Aha!” and “The ancient high places are ours in possession.” Don’t be so sure about your possession! “Therefore prophesy and say: Thus saith the Lord God.” Never mind what the enemy says, but hear the word of God. Then comes that wonderful series—“I will,” and “ye shall.”
What a contrast between the doings of Israel and the doings of God. Now hear what the Lord will do, and take note that it is the Lord Who is going to do it. “I will sanctify My great name, which hath been profaned among the nations, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God.” What is our work here, but to make the heathen know that Jehovah is the Lord? How is this to be carried out? “When I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.” Who is going to do this work of sanctification? “I will take you from among the nations, and gather you out of all the countries, and will bring you into your own land. And I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean.” Is it not very blessed, too, that all this is in the Indicative Mood and not the Subjunctive—“I will,” “I will,” “I will?” (Read verses 23-38, and note the emphatic I wills.) At one time when the Viceroy, Tseng Kwoh-fan, then living in Nankin, was reporting to the Emperor on Protestant missions, he said, “There is no need to trouble ourselves about them; let the missionaries preach, they cannot do us any harm.” He thought the Chinese too well instructed and too respectable to join any such sect. “The best way is to let the Protestants in, let them fight the Roman Catholics, and we will look on.” This was most encouraging; for when men thus speak, the Lord will care for His Holy Name.
Mr. Taylor then dwelt much on the 14th and 15th verses, “Therefore thou shalt devour men no more, neither bereave thy nation any more, saith the Lord God; neither will I let thee hear any more the shame of the heathen, neither shalt thou bear the reproach of the peoples any more, saith the Lord God:”—pointing out the preciousness of the oft-repeated “any more.”
MR. ORR EWING bore testimony as to how the Lord had blessed him through this 36th chapter of Ezekiel. He said the key to the blessing was verse 37, “Thus saith the Lord God; I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them.” Mr. Orr. Ewing said he had claimed that the Lord would cause him to walk in His statutes and to keep His judgments and do them (verse 27). He urged us “to claim,” and “to take possession,” citing Caleb’s case. Caleb was promised an inheritance by God: his claim was admitted. He not only claimed, but, though eighty years old, he went up and “took possession.” The one who next led in prayer dwelt much in his petitions on verse 23, “I will sanctify My great Name, which hath been profaned among the nations; …and the nations shall know that I am the Lord,….when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.”
MR. HUDSON TAYLOR then said, ―Most people would rather hear testimony about a person than hear the person testifying of himself. Let me say a few words about my first wife. The year 1870 was time of great trial, a time of the greatest difficulty I have ever known in China. From Pekin to Canton the people were agitated. At Tien-tsin the French Priests, Sisters of Charity, and even the French Consul were massacred. We did not know from day to day what would take place at our inland stations. But I had unspeakable rest in my soul, for the Lord had taught me some months before what it was truly to rest in Him.
I was watching at the bedside of my sick wife. At four o’clock in the morning the day dawned, and clearly did I see the stamp of death upon her countenance. She awoke rejoicing in the Lord, and gave me a sweet smile. I said, “My darling, do you know that you are dying?” She said, with a look of surprise, “Can it be so? I feel no pain, only very weary.” “Yes,” I replied, “you are dying; you will soon be with Jesus.” My precious wife thought of my being left alone at this time of trial, having no companion like herself, with whom I had been wont to bring every difficulty to the Throne of Grace. She said, “I am so sorry, dear,” and paused, as if half correcting herself for venturing to feel sorry. I said, “You are not sorry to go to be with Jesus, dear?” I shall never forget the look that she gave me, and as looking right into my eyes she said, “Oh no, it is not that; you know, darling, there has not been a cloud between my soul and my Saviour for ten years past: I cannot be sorry to go to Him. But I am sorry to leave you alone at this time; perhaps I ought not to be sorry, for He will be with you, and supply all your need.”
Now, added Mr. Taylor, if any one does know the husband it is the wife, and if any one does know the wife is the husband. I knew that what she said was perfectly true. In the Yang-chau riot, when she and the little children were in danger of being massacred at any moment, she was as calm as when in the parlor in London; and I am quite certain if she could have altered any of the circumstances in Yang-chau, she would not have done it, for she was satisfied that God’s ordering was the wisest. Perhaps this testimony of the power of the Lord to create perfect peace in the heart, and to sustain it unbroken for years, is the more reliable, because given of one who is no longer with us.
Enoch (Genesis 5:22, Genesis 5:24; Hebrews 11:5) and Noah (Genesis 6:9) walked with God; and as regards St. Paul (Acts 20:13, Acts 20:31) guided by the Holy Ghost, he bears testimony, that for three years in one place he had “all the time” walked blamelessly, not only at some times. Why did he thus testify? Out of conceit? No. “Not I, but Christ.” In 1869 the Lord brought home to me the passage: “He that believeth on Me,… out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:38) (God has prospered my work ever since that time as never before.) Praise God, said I, as my eyes were opened, “He that cometh to Me shall never thirst:” (John 6:35) then I need never thirst again. What is the “never” here? Never, at any time, under any circumstances (as in the verse “No man hath seen God at any time”). Do we believe this? So “Be careful (anxious) for nothing.” Not even about your holiness. Cast the care of your purity of heart and life upon the Lord Jesus.
Mr. Taylor then read Zephaniah 3:12-19, again touching upon the “any more” verse 15: “Thou shalt not fear evil any more.” Referring to himself, he said, Speaking of the testimony of St. Paul quoted above, I should be glad that the native Christians should follow my path as it has been at some times, but not at all times. Why? Just because in many cases I have failed to trust, I have failed to abide in Christ, in the fullness that is always for me. May it not be so with us any more. Amen.
We then concluded with several prayers.
PAT TECUM.
“Thou wilt keep Him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee, because He trusteth in Thee.” ―Isaiah 26:3.
“Peace! Perfect Peace! In this dark world of sin?
“The blood of Jesus whispers peace within.
“Peace! Perfect peace! By thronging duties press’d?
“To do the will of Jesus, this is rest.
“Peace! Perfect peace! With sorrows surging round?
“On Jesus’ bosom naught but calm is found.
“Peace! Perfect peace! Our future all unknown?
“Jesus we know, and He is on the throne.
“Peace! Perfect peace! Death shadowing us and ours?
“Jesus has vanquished death and all its powers.
“It is enough: earth’s struggles soon shall cease, “And Jesus call us to heaven’s perfect peace!”
E.H. Bickersteth.