Honan, China by J. J. WESTRUP

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 15, 1913

Honan, China

By J. J. WESTRUP

J. J. WESTRUP

As I have no one to talk to in English, I shall talk to my dear brethren scattered all over the battle-field, fighting the good fight of faith to get the victory over self, the flesh, and the devil. Let us every day listen to the Captain of the Lord's host. He says: “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Tears of joy fill my eyes as I think of the day when I shall meet God's dear people, and with them enter the pearly gates and forever enjoy the blessed company of Jesus. O, dear brethren, none of us realize how near we are to that glorious day. Now is the time to press forward for complete sanctification.

Sometimes one is tempted to feel, “What is the use of writing?” I can not tell you how much it encouraged me to get a letter from a dear sister in Vermont, saying that she had read our articles and wanted to raise one thousand dollars for our work. That is just the amount we need to build our schools and chapel in Yen-cheng, and although I have not asked any man for it, God is already preparing to send us that very amount. Who does not believe in prayer? But what inspired me most was to see the faith of this sister, and to know that our articles do help some.

I am very busy from five in the morning until nine at night. Sometimes I am tempted to stay up longer, but I am determined to take plenty of rest, as I want to keep well and work for Christ until he returns in glory, and says to every overcomer, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” Why, brethren, those precious words falling on our ears are even now to us worth more than earth's millions. The trouble is most of us are too much taken up with the perishable stuff of earth and do not realize the unsearchable riches we have even now in Christ Jesus. O, let us wake up and lay hold on these riches, and by sacrifice show that we value them above everything that this sin-cursed world can offer!

The harder I work, the better I feel. I am confident that hard work in a common sense way is a great blessing. John Wesley walked a great deal and preached much, but at the age of seventy-three he was as hale and hearty as ever. I put my bedding, etc., on a wheelbarrow and walk, and the more I walk the stronger I grow to preach. But what is more, the Chinese rejoice to see this, and one sermon preached in this self-sacrificing love does them more good than ten otherwise would.

Besides the ordinary work of this large province, I have to move, and to build

two foreign houses, a church, and a school. We are going to move our main station to the railway line, which will be much more central and more convenient in every way and a great saving of time. You should see my surroundings here—doors, windows, flooring, bricks, all taken out; as the owner is not willing to buy our improvements we take them with us, as is the custom here, and I shall use them in building our new station. I am determined not to neglect the spiritual work, hence I go out and visit our out-stations every week and walk some twenty-five or thirty miles.

The other day, as I looked at this clay and dust and confusion in my quarters, the thought came to me: “Here I am, fifty years old, and all this moving and packing and building, which I dread more than anything in this world, before me this year. The tears began to flow quite freely. Then at once I straightened up, and thought: Look at that poor beggar out there, covered with rags and vermin, nothing in his stomach, and shivering with cold. What have you to weep for? The tears dried at once, and I began to sing songs of praise and thanksgiving.

“This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” That statement is very broad and takes in everything. Some have too much comfort and still are grumbling. How were Christ and the martyrs able to endure all they did, if not by faith? Whenever the enemy of souls tells us that we have a hard lot, let us be quick to look up, and the eye of faith will help us see things as God sees them, and we shall be strong.

One evening last summer as we were having our testimony meeting, a very large scorpion crawled up and bit me terribly. How it did pain me! We had no cocain at home and there was nothing for me to do but to endure it. As I did not want to disturb the blessed meeting, I bit my lips in silence and began to pray. That helped. I kept on praying and that lessened the pain or made me stronger to endure it, I do not know which. Bedtime came, and I thought, Now I shall have to lie awake all night and suffer this horrible pain. But I prayed earnestly that the dear Lord would help me go to sleep. In about half an hour I was fast asleep, and when I woke up at five the next morning the pain was almost gone. Is there virtue in prayer?—Surely there is. People pray so little and so carelessly because they do not realize the great power and efficacy of prayer. Tempted, struggling soul, do you want to be strong? Then pray, really pray, and you will get what you need so much. When the heathen is bitten by a scorpion, he gives way to his feelings and cries and acts as if he were going to die at once. That only makes him feel the pain so much the more; but the prayer-abiding faith in God has given his people power to endure patiently in all ages. Try it, poor, wavering, disheartened soul, and you will find it true even in your case.