October 24 the believers from the different mission stations in Honan assembled for a nine-days' general meeting in Cheo Chia K’ou. We had four meetings each day. Our native brethren drank in the truth, and often a brother or sister was in private prayer, pleading with God for grace to comprehend these eternal truths.
From Daniel 2 they saw that the four universal kingdoms have already played their rôle; that the last universal kingdom had been divided into ten kingdoms; and that the next great event would be that stated in verse 44: “In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed.” It was shown clearly how Daniel 7 had already been fulfilled, and that the glorious hope of verse 27—“The kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High”—will very soon be fulfilled. Matthew 24 was explained verse by verse, and all saw that in the prophetic history we have reached the last part of the twenty-ninth verse, and that the next great event will be the shaking of “the powers of the heavens,” and then the coming of the Son of God in glory. Kindred truths in Revelation were considered in the same way, and our brethren saw clearly that these scriptures point to the end of all things and the soon coming of our Saviour.
When the subject of the tithe was presented, the brethren saw their duty and privilege to give one tenth of their income to the Lord. From the study of the law, the Sabbath, and the spirit of prophecy, they comprehended that “the commandment is holy, and just, and good;” that “the law is spiritual;” that it is a “law of the Spirit,” hence the law and the Spirit can not be separated; that in breaking the law a person loses the Spirit, which is why there were no prophets in the church from the third century until 1844; and that as soon as a people began to keep the Lord’s Sabbath, which had been trodden under foot, the Lord raised up a prophet. The subject of the nature of man was presented, and it was clearly shown that God only is immortal, and that eternal existence can be obtained only by faith in Jesus Christ.
GROUP OF BELIEVERS ATTENDING THE HONAN GENERAL MEETING
These and other truths filled the hearts of the brethren with thanksgiving, and strengthened their faith in the Word of God, as they saw the prophecies fulfilled14to the very letter. Some who had been Christians for many years in the China Inland Mission wondered why those preachers did not search into these blessed truths, and feed their people on them, instead of filling their sermons with so many useless tales.
More than once the brethren expressed their longing to go out and tell these living truths to others. O that many may soon have the privilege of hearing these blessed truths! that they may believe, cease from following the commandments of men, and turn to God with all their hearts, keep his commandments, and by living faith in Christ be purified and made white, so that they may be ready to receive their Saviour, who very soon will come in his glory, with all the holy angels. We praise God for our blessed hope in Jesus.
A few were prevented from attending the meeting on account of the bad roads. It took some of our brethren two and one-half days to travel a distance of thirty-five miles. The great difficulty they had in reaching our place of meeting, and the fact that our brethren are looked down upon by the heathen and other Christians, is an evidence of their earnest effort to get into the kingdom.
“O, there’ll be joy when the work is done,
Joy when the reapers gather home,
Bringing the sheaves at set of sun,
To the New Jerusalem.”
Praise the Lord that we have such an inspiring truth to give to this people! Sister Allum and my wife held meetings with the women once each day, and spoke to them about the Sabbath, prayer, the time of trouble, our blessed hope in Jesus, etc. The native sisters were much blessed, and greatly enjoyed these meetings, as they felt free to express their feelings of joy and appreciation.
We had two blessed testimony meetings. As we listened with thankful hearts to these simple but powerful testimonies we felt richly repaid, and it seemed as if all our past trials in China vanished as mist before the rising sun. O what joy to hear that the Sun of Righteousness had dispersed the darkness and filled these souls with the light and power of God! Some testified to having overcome the opium habit—one of the hardest to overcome. The empress of China, a few months ago, issued an order that all who expect to hold office in her kingdom must overcome the opium habit within six months. Many officials have not yet tried to overcome it, as they probably think they are not able to do so. A few have died in their effort to overcome, while a few have succeeded. What some of these officials have not been able to do for the sake of office and love of money, these simple but precious souls, by the grace of God, have done for the sake of, and love for, Jesus.
As we listened to these and other testimonies of victory, tears of thankfulness filled many eyes. And it touched all hearts when the boys from our church-school stood up and resolved to serve the Lord faithfully. One boy said: “Last year at our general meeting I stood up and confessed that I had been disobedient to my parents, and then resolved that I would not disobey again. To-day, as I look back upon the year gone by, I know that I have been disobedient many times; but from now on, by the help of God, I want to be an obedient child.” Children in dark, heathen China are taking hold of the truth. Let those of our dear young people at home who seem to be loitering step quickly into line, remembering that “many that are first shall be last.” Christ is in the most holy place; the investigative judgment is very soon to be finished. May we all be ready.
Those of our brethren at home who seem to hesitate to obey the command, “Go ye into all the world,” because it may involve sacrifice, should have seen these faces and heard these testimonies.
We think of Jesus leaving his glorious home and coming to this dark and dreary world, rejected and treated shamefully even by his own. “Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Our sacrifices are nothing, compared with those of Jesus. And as we, too, think of the joy that is set before us, we shall not allow any sacrifices or obstacles to hinder us, but quickly come up “to the help of the Lord against the mighty.” There is no greater joy in this world than to lead souls to Christ. We feel that Matt. 19:29 is partly fulfilled in our cases already. May the Lord richly bless all our dear brethren, and may we all very soon meet in the glorious kingdom.
