The Message of Another Missionary Grave by William Ambrose Spicer

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · May 4, 1905

The Message of Another Missionary Grave

By William Ambrose Spicer

It is sad news that comes to us from over the sea this week. One of our little band of Honan pioneer workers, Dr. Maude Thompson Miller, has laid down her life for China’s millions. Dr. Harry Miller’s letter bearing the sad tidings shows how a heart crushed with personal sorrow may still be strong in God. The burden of his soul is that none shall count the price of life itself too precious to pay for the evangelization of China and the hastening of the coming of Christ. And it was our sister’s prayer that if she could not live for the work she loved, God would somehow use even her death to roll the burden for China upon hearts in the home land.

In a special way the workers pressing the battle in the outmost bounds belong to all the family of believers in the home lands. Their joys, their sorrows, their work, and their triumphs belong to us all who stand by them with our prayers and our means. Our hearts are wrung with grief at this news from far Honan, but we know that with one voice the family of believers will send the message back to China that by the grace of God this new grave shall but mark the way still deeper into Inland China, and strengthen our hearts and quicken our steps in the finishing of the work.

Our sister was a noble, womanly soul, devoted to God, loyal to this cause, well equipped by training for service, and physically strong. Her heart had been drawn out for the children of China, especially since the loss of two little twin babes of her own. Brother Miller writes:—

One of the things that touched my heart most during the experiences of the last two weeks was the sorrow of some of the children. When one little girl was told that Mrs. Miller could not recover, the little one was overwhelmed with grief. She would not eat, and begged her mother to kneel down and pray with her for God to heal “Cin-ion,” as she called her. The child’s mother broke down and wept when she heard the sad news. These are some of the monuments Maude has left behind, which count more than anything artificial that I could erect. After my wife’s death this little girl came to comfort me. She sat by my side, her eyes full of tears, unable to speak. Finally I asked her if she knew that Mrs. Miller was asleep. “Yes,” she said, “it is exceedingly bad. At my home I cried for Mrs. Miller.” May God bless the seed sown in the

hearts of the children of Shang-tsai Hsien by Mrs. Miller, that they may bring forth a glorious harvest, is my prayer.

Sister Miller died March 14. Of her last days and her last messages concerning the work our brother writes:—

During the last six weeks of her illness she thought much about the new earth and the New Jerusalem, and was strongly impressed that Christ’s coming was very near. She would often quote passages from the book of Revelation, which book she could repeat from beginning to end.

Among her last words she left this message for her young friends in America: She hoped none of them would become fearful at her experience, but would be inspired to take up the work in these difficult fields, and stand by it until the work is finished, and the harvest reaped.

To the Mission Board she said: “I gladly give my life for the work in China. It would have been a pleasure for me to labor until the work was finished, but if my work is ended for this people whom I love, I hope others will take up the burden.”

Her desire concerning myself was: She wanted me to remain at my post of duty until Christ should come to gather the faithful.

It was no struggle for her to face death, and it was in a most peaceful and quiet way that she died, being conscious until within two hours of her death. How much I miss her only my Saviour knows; but God is good, and he is my strength. Her last words were: “I will meet you in the New Jerusalem.” So the hope of the resurrection has become very dear to me.

It was a life truly and nobly lived, and now there comes her call from the very verge of eternity—a sweet, clear, ringing appeal to us to throw our lives and our all into the work of carrying this message to the waiting millions.

Dr. Miller, from the depth of his sorrow, can read God’s providence only in the light of the fact that there is danger of a lagging progress toward the fields, and the Lord must needs allow some precious lives to be taken in order to call attention to the work that must be done even though it cost the life. He says:—

God could have healed her, even as we saw Sister Pilquist raised up by prayer a year ago. She fully believed he would restore her. But he had some wise purpose in allowing the sacrifice, which I can not help but believe will somehow be China’s gain, great though the present loss is. A few things we must recognize. She died of an ailment peculiar to this climate, as was the case with Brother Watson in Africa. Coming just before the beginning of the General Conference in Washington, it must surely direct the attention of this representative body to these needy fields in the far East. God does not cause a life to be sacrificed if anything else will avail. The strongest appeals were not sufficient: a consecrated life must be laid down to arouse us who are in the field as well as our brethren in America to push the battle to the front in these neglected fields. There is no reason why she should not have recovered, for she had good nursing, every equipment necessary to treat her, nourishing food, and a comfortable room. But she willingly laid down her work when convinced it was the Father’s will.

Is it true that we need these experiences to arouse us to such efforts for the regions beyond as we have never made before? May God forgive us, if so. And may this life laid on the altar of sacrifice be not laid down in vain.

Just one further extract from Dr. Miller’s letter we must share with our readers:—

Mrs. Miller’s request was that she should be laid away in the Chinese clothes that she had worn, and that very little money should be spent in her burial. She wanted the money spent for the living, for it is very precious over here to help the poor children that she loved. I purchased a little plat of ground outside the city wall for the grave. We had to carry the coffin to the place of burial in the late hours of the night, as there would otherwise have been so many people following us that we could not have done it. So a mound of earth will mark the resting-place of one of the first messengers of this truth to Central China. There is nothing of faltering or weakness in this story of service. Let seventy-five thousand believers say what shall be the response to such appeals as come to us in these times to press the battle to the finish. The only basis of comradeship in such a work is in the life surrendered, with all that we can command of strength and means and powers devoted to the finishing of the work. Does it pay? Read the answer in the messages our sister sent us as she stood face to face with eternity. There is nothing worth while save the cause of our coming King. And that is worth everything. W. A. S.