China by Harry W. Miller, M. D.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · Jun 2, 1904

China

By Harry W. Miller, M. D.

SIN TSAI HSIEN.—The past few weeks have rapidly passed. It has now been four and one-half months since we left the States. We have heard very little news during that time, only what we receive from the States. We do not know what events are taking place in China. There may be war here now, for all we know. The Chinese communicate news verbally only. We receive news twice a week from the homeland when our friends write us. If it rains, the mail-carriers can not come, so sometimes it is a longer time between our mails.

The winters here are short and pleasant. It snows once or twice, the snow usually melting the same day it falls. We have a dry and a wet season. This is now the dry season. The rainy season begins in May, and lasts through July, when almost all the rivers overflow their banks.

A symbol of a serpent is used on all the coins and official documents, also symbols of other hideous creatures suspected of being devils. While the people are intelligent, they pattern after the devil in every respect they can. When they pray, they pray to the devil most earnestly. You may wonder why they do this. You would think they would pray to their gods to fight the devil. But when they get sick, they pray to the devil to be so kind as to leave them. And they continue to do this until they become so sick that they are about to die, then they call in their neighbors, each having some instrument or pan, with which to make a noise to scare the devil away. Being in a kingdom which the devil claims as entirely his own, we may expect a conflict with him in bringing the last message of warning to these people, but the gospel has the power of changing the hearts of the darkest heathen.

God has been working for us in a most remarkable way ever since we left the States. While it was hard to part with our friends, still we shall appreciate their companionship in the earth made new. In the blessing God has bestowed upon us, we have evidence that he will do the same for others who will come. God has pointed out the defects of the last church very plainly. The Laodiceans are neither hot nor cold, they are not active, nor do they feel their need; they are asleep. God finds no fault with them because of their gospel, but with the way they treat the gospel.

Our little company has been praying for the pentecostal blessing here in China, and we are getting it. When we reached our station, we found Mrs. Pilquist sick, and she continued to fail in health, having had tuberculosis for the last few years. She soon was compelled to take to her bed, on account of emaciation and weakness. We attended her faithfully, and the nurses stood by her bedside day and night. We saw her fail to a degree beyond which any human means could save her. We thought it not God's will to lay away a worker in heathen China, with millions around us in darkness, when she knew the gospel, and also this difficult language.

You have already read from her own pen how wonderfully the Lord has wrought in her case. God is working for us. This is only the beginning of the pentecostal blessings. Pray for us that we may be humble in God's service.

HARRY W. MILLER, M. D.