The Fulfilment of a Dream of Pastor Hsi's: The Story of the Work in HwochowCable, Mildred
Religion
The Fulfilment of a Dream of Pastor Hsi's: The Story of the Work in Hwochow
Cable, Mildred
Missions -- China -- Huo-hsien (Shansi Province)
The elder scholars, anxious to do their part, acted as stewards; each
one had charge of some part of the building, so that should a baby cry
and threaten to divert attention, she could carry the small offender to
an adjoining room and keep it there until such time as it was prepared
to enjoy the larger gathering. One of the "old girls" took charge of
small children, and managed her creche so successfully that we were
undisturbed by the younger portion of the community.
Each morning before seven a gong sounded and all assembled for prayer.
After breakfast a short Bible-reading was given, the subject chosen
being the sevenfold "I Am" of St. John's Gospel. These meetings were
simple and evangelistic, and many testified to blessing received as they
saw afresh all the wealth laid up in Him who is the Way, the Truth, and
the Life.
It was to the eleven and four o'clock meetings that the crowds gathered.
While the congregation was assembling a choir of schoolgirls sang hymns,
and after reading of Scripture and prayer by a Chinese lady, the address
was given by Miss Gregg. The women listened intently as she talked, and
illustrated her remarks by objects so familiar. The fan used for
winnowing the grain is, I think, now never used by those who attended
without the thought asserting itself afresh that thus He will separate
the wheat from the chaff.
This Mission accomplished all that we had hoped. Christ the Redeemer was
revealed to some who, in obedience to the wishes of the head of their
household, had passively substituted Christianity for that system of
idolatrous observances which had constituted their religious life.
Christ the Master laid His claim upon some who had believed, but never
served.
Even heathen women, listening to the earnest, convincing words, were
startled to a realisation that the offer of salvation with which they
were faced compelled a decision on one side or the other, that the
detached view with which they had hitherto regarded Christianity could
no longer be maintained. Amongst the schoolgirls were some, daughters of
Christians, who were in precisely the same position as girls in a
homeland. They neither doubted nor questioned, but they now realised
that the whole matter had assumed a personal aspect, and the individual
spirit was summoned to an audience with its Maker.
The Evangelists, Bible women, and ripe Christians amongst us suddenly
saw the fields white, and every dilatory thought which suggested the
perennial excuse: "There are yet four months and then cometh the
harvest," was silenced in a sense of immediate urgency: "I must be about
my Master's business." This gathering affected a wide area, for our
visitors came from the counties of Hungtung, Chaocheng, and Fensi, now
all gladly welcomed by the Hwochow church, and missionaries from those
districts came to share with us in the campaign.
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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