Every Wednesday evening, at seven o'clock, Mrs. Judson met a class of
women, numbering generally from twelve to twenty. To these she would
read the Scriptures and talk in a simple way about God. "My last meeting
was very animating," she said when describing one of these classes, "and
the appearance of the females (thirteen in number, all young married
women) very encouraging. Some of them were inquisitive, and after
spending two hours seemed loth to go. One said she appeared to herself
like a blind person just beginning to see. And another said she believed
in Christ, prayed to Him daily, and asked what else was necessary to
make her a real disciple of Christ. I told her she must not only say
that she believed in Christ, but must believe with all her heart. She
again asked what were some of the evidences of believing with the heart.
I told her the manner of life would be changed, but one of the best
evidences she could obtain would be when others came to quarrel with her
and use abusive language, if, so far from retaliating, she felt a
disposition to bear with, to pity, and to pray for them. The Burman
women are particularly given to quarrelling, and to refrain from it
would be most decided evidence of a change of heart."
During the daytime, while Mr. Judson was talking with any man who
called, Mrs. Judson would sit in another part of the place and see all
the women visitors. By this plan she was enabled to preach the Gospel to
many. What time she could spare from this work she now devoted to a
study of Siamese. A number of people in Rangoon knew only that language,
so she learned it sufficiently well to be able to converse with them,
and to translate a gospel and several tracts into their tongue.
In 1819 the hearts of the missionaries were cheered by a native, Moung
Hau, coming out and openly professing Christianity--the first fruit
gathered after seven years of labour. Many had partly accepted their
teachings, and had been evidently impressed by their message; but up to
that time no real, definite converts had been made.
Moung Hau soon showed that a real work of grace was progressing in his
heart. He told the missionaries that he had found no other Saviour but
Jesus Christ, from all the darkness and uncleanness and sins of his
whole life, that he could look nowhere else for salvation, and that
therefore he proposed to adhere to Christ for ever. "It seems almost too
much to believe that God has begun to manifest His grace to the
Burmans," the members of the little mission band said one to another;
but the sincerity of Moung Hau was such that they could not doubt it,
and after a time of probation he was publicly baptized.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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