A SUCCESSFUL REPROOF

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Aug 17, 1904

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 30, No. 33.

A SUCCESSFUL REPROOF.

The following incident, says the India Witness, was related by Dr. Lambuth, secretary of the M. E. Church, South, gleaned during an official visit to Japan:—

“A foreign missionary of our church (M. E. Church, South) strongly addicted to the use of tobacco, on leaving the United States, carried great quantities of cigars with him, fearing he would not be able to secure them in Japan, and at all hours of the day he would be seen smoking. A young prince was converted under his ministry and joined the church. For several months following he seemed very happy.

“One day he went to the missionary and said: ‘Sir, something is in my heart to wish you had never come to Japan, for you are a stumbling-block in the way of my friends. There are five or six young men of the royal family (Sumari class) who are my close associates, and I tried earnestly to persuade them to accept the Christian religion, but they say they have no faith in it, for you, who are its exponent, do not live in accordance with your doctrine. You preach about Paul, who said the body is the temple of God, and His Spirit dwells in it and it should be kept pure, which is a reasonable service, but you defile it in every way by the use of tobacco. Sir, tobacco is keeping my princely friends out of the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ.’”

“The missionary was amazed. Looking at the young man steadily, he said: ‘If you can prove to me that this is true, I will never touch tobacco while the world stands.’”

“The prince ran from the room and quickly returned with the young men, his princely friends, who all declared that the testimony of the prince was true, that they could not accept a religion that had so little effect on its followers.”

“The missionary, convicted in such a manner, unhesitatingly brought the remainder of his cigars out and destroyed them in the presence of the young men, vowing never to touch tobacco again. The young prince hurriedly left the room again. Returning in a few minutes, he brought a package carefully wrapped up in paper, which he proceeded to unwrap, disclosing the stump of a cigar. Turning to the missionary, he said: ‘I used to watch you as you walked up and down the orchard smoking, and one day I saw you throw away a piece of your cigar. I took it up, and carried it to my room, placed it where Japanese place their gods—over the doorway—and every day I would kneel under it, and pray for my God to deliver you from your god—tobacco. My prayer has been answered.’ In the course of time the prince had the happiness of seeing all his young friends accept the religion of Christ.”—Selected.