p. 13 | How a Heathen Read the Bible by W. C. Hankins

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 24, 1910

How a Heathen Read the Bible

By W. C. Hankins

W. C. HANKINS

A FEW days ago we received a letter from a heathen druggist asking us to come and start work in his city. Elder N. P. Keh went to see him, and last evening gave this account of his trip:—

The first day he did not go directly to the man's house, but spent the day in inquiring among his acquaintances as to what kind of man he was. He found that he was a man of good reputation and was well thought of by both heathen and Christians.

The next day he went to see the man, and stayed with him several days, studying the Bible with him and answering his questions. The man had quite a number of Christian friends who had given him literature and tried to persuade him to go to church with them; but he would never go. He read the books they gave him, and also read the Bible; but in the meantime he watched the Christians and studied their lives, with the result that he saw so great a difference between their lives and the teachings of the Bible that he would never go to their churches.

One of the greatest inconsistencies that he observed was that they kept the first day of the week instead of the seventh; for it seemed to him that the Bible very plainly said that the seventh day is the Sabbath. Finally he learned from a young preacher of one of the other missions, who was himself interested in the truth, that there was a people who kept the seventh day as the Sabbath, and he was so anxious to know more that he wrote asking us to come to see him.

Elder Keh says that the man was planning to keep the Sabbath, and that there are a number in the same section who are going to keep it with him, some from among the heathen, and some from the other churches. The young preacher, mentioned above, has been studying the truth for about a year and has quietly sown much seed, especially among the heathen. He himself has fully accepted the truth and has been baptized, and is now working—without pay—to help one of our evangelists organize the work in that section.

God is opening the doors before us almost faster than we can enter them. The interest in the Kityang district, near Swatow, is steadily increasing, as is the interest throughout that whole country around Chow Chow Fu and Swatow. But every one of these openings calls for a greater consecration on the part of God's people, both here in the field and in the home land. We must have more men, more means, more prayer.

We earnestly ask you to pray for this needy field, and would like to suggest that as many as can do so will consecrate a few minutes during the noon hour to offer special prayer for God's blessing upon the work in this dark land.

Amoy.