Forty Years in South China: The Life of Rev. John Van Nest Talmage, D.D.Fagg, John Gerardus
Religion
Forty Years in South China: The Life of Rev. John Van Nest Talmage, D.D.
Fagg, John Gerardus
Missions -- China; Talmage, John Van Nest, 1819-1892
"On Sabbath, March 26th, we were permitted to receive into the fellowship
of the Christian Church ten individuals, eight men and two women, the
eldest a widow woman aged sixty-eight, the youngest a young man aged
twenty." "On the last Sabbath in May, we again received nine persons, six
men and three women, the eldest an old man aged seventy-four, the youngest
a young man aged twenty-three."
"On the thirtieth of July (Sabbath), we again baptized nine others, four
men and five women, the eldest a widow aged fifty-one, the youngest a girl
aged sixteen. Thus the whole number of adults baptized by us at Amoy
during the present year, thus far, is twenty-eight."
He cites individual cases. Speaking of an aged widow he says:
"She lives at a village some fifteen miles or more from Amoy. Boats coming
from that place to this place land at a wharf near my house. On one
occasion, when she arrived here a few months ago, she resolved to come to
my house, and see how the foreigners lived. On entering, she was met by
the Christian who has charge of the chapel. He asked her business. She
said that she only came for amusement. He replied, 'This is not a place to
visit for amusement, but to hear the doctrine.' 'Well,' says she, 'then I
will hear the doctrine.' He explained to her something of the truths of
Christianity. He told her also that after breakfast I should be in the
chapel for morning worship. She went back to the neighbor's house whence
she had come, to wait until after breakfast. But the new doctrine which
she had heard, took so deep a hold on her mind, that she desired no
breakfast for herself. Soon she again came to hear more. She was deeply
impressed with the truth and importance of the things which she heard. She
reasoned with herself thus: 'The myriads of people I meet with do not know
what is in my heart, but these people tell me what is in my heart and in my
bones. This doctrine cannot be of man. It must be the great power of
God.' She was poor and lived at a distance from Amoy. She learned that
the Christian who had charge of the chapel was of the same surname with
herself. She inquired whether she might not come down next Saturday, and
lodge with his family. She said she would bring with her some dried
potatoes for her food. Of course her request was readily granted. From
that time to the present, she has come the whole distance from her village
to Amoy almost every week, in order to hear the Gospel. She has two sons
and one daughter. She has brought both her sons with her, desiring that
they also may become Christians. The eldest, aged seventeen, is among our
inquirers. She has also brought some of her neighbors with her to hear the
Word. She has met with much opposition and persecution; but so far as we
can learn, she has borne all with the meekness of a true disciple of
Christ. Since her baptism, she has rented a room in Amoy, that she may
live within sound of the Gospel. When she told me of this, I asked her how
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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