Fifteen Years Among the Top-Knots; Or, Life in KoreaUnderwood, Lillias H. (Lillias Horton)
Religion
Fifteen Years Among the Top-Knots; Or, Life in Korea
Underwood, Lillias H. (Lillias Horton)
Korea -- Description and travel; Missions -- Korea
Korea, lying as she does so close to China (whose future is fraught
with such mighty possibilities of good or evil to the whole world),
with such close affinities and wide sympathies for that people, is, we
hope, to be a polished shaft in God’s quiver in conquering that great
nation for his kingdom. But whatever his eternal purpose may be, there
is no doubt as to our present privilege and “power to the last particle
is duty.”
If in these pages you have seen much that leads you to think the land
is a difficult one in which to live, if you have read of political
unrest, bad government, riots, robbers and plagues; if you have learned
that missionaries have died of typhus fever, smallpox, dysentery and
other violent forms of disease, this will only serve to remind you that
the more valuable the prize to be won, the greater the difficulty and
cost. If you desire to share in the joy of this great harvest, and are
worthy, you will fear no danger, shrink from no obstacles, either for
yourselves or for your loved ones, whom you are asked to give to the
work.
God placed an angel with a flaming sword which turned every way at the
gate of paradise. Is the kingdom still thus guarded? Must we all who
would enter follow him who was made perfect through suffering? What
was our Lord’s meaning when he said, “The kingdom of heaven suffereth
violence, _and the violent take it by force_.” Some of us are ready
to pray that God would place another such flaming sword at the gate
of our mission fields, so that no man or woman who could or would
not brave such baptism of fire should enter. There is no more place
on the mission field for the fearful and unbelieving than in heaven
itself. Like Gideon’s army, let the applicants be reduced till only the
resolute, the consecrated, those who believe in God, the people and
themselves, are accepted for this mighty privilege, this high calling.
Let it only be remembered by all who would enter the Lord’s army to
wrest the kingdom of heaven from the rulers of darkness, that he, whose
we are, and whom we serve, he who never faltered on the thorny road
that led to Calvary, who trod the wine press alone, who came with dyed
garments through the conflict to victory, has bidden those who profess
to love him, as one of his last commands, thrice repeated, feed his
sheep.
“Lovest thou me? Feed my sheep.”
“Lovest thou me? Feed my sheep.”
“Lovest thou me? Feed my lambs.”
I.
Oh, never swear thou lovest me,
Who lovest not my sheep;
For he who would my servant be
My treasured flock will keep.
II.
Oh, never vow thou lovest me,
As follower leal and true,
Who shrinkest in my paths to be,
Or fearest my will to do.
III.
Oh, never weep thou lovest me,
My lambs who feedest not;
Who wouldst my crowning glory see,
But hast the cross forgot?
IV.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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