Woman and Her Saviour in Persia: By a Returned MissionaryLaurie, Thomas
History
Woman and Her Saviour in Persia: By a Returned Missionary
Laurie, Thomas
Church of the East -- Missions; Missions -- Iran; Women missionaries
The hours of social prayer were full of tenderness. Those who heard the
pupils pleading far within the veil, close by the mercy seat, almost
forgot that they were yet on earth. The school, their parents and
relatives, were all affectionately remembered. The hour always seemed
too short, and often closed with such expressions as these: "If we have
not been heard here, we will go to our closets, and if not heard there,
we will return here, and again go back to our closets, and so continue
to plead for these loved ones to the last." These meetings, though
varied in character, were always of thrilling interest. Now there was
an overwhelming sense of sin, as committed against a holy God, and
then, as a ray of hope appeared, a weeping voice would implore, as on
one occasion, that "the Holy One would walk over the hills of Judea,
find Golgotha, and let them live." Again, the sight of manifold
transgressions prompted the cry, "But we fear our sins have covered
Golgotha from thy sight, and then are we forever lost." Another part of
the same prayer contained the entreaty, "Lift not the mercy seat from
off the holy ark, to look on the law we have broken, but look into
Jesus' grave, and bid us live."
In the daily family prayer meetings every inmate of the room was
specially and tenderly remembered. Once, when a father had come for his
daughter, and Miss Fiske went to find her, on opening the door she
heard a prayer for one who had shown little feeling; and in pleading
the sufferings of Christ on her behalf, each petition seemed to rise
higher, till every face was turned upward, as if to see him; and the
one who led in devotion involuntarily stretched out her hands to lay
hold of him, saying, "Come, Lord Jesus, and save our perishing sister;
but if she will not receive thee in this life we must forever rejoice
in her destruction"--a striking illustration of intense spiritual
emotion, bringing the heart into sympathy with the whole truth of God.
(Rev. xix. 3.)
These labors for their impenitent associates, and for those women who
came to the Seminary, were full of Christ. The hour between supper and
the evening meeting was usually spent in personal labor from room to
room; and the entreaties and prayers, then audible on all sides, made
it delightful to be a stranger in a strange land for Jesus' sake. It
was scarcely less affecting when superstitious grandmothers, worldly
mothers, and giddy sisters were prayed with and entreated to come to
Christ.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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