PHILOSOPHY, civilization, commerce,—none of these things regenerate the hearts of men or make them new creatures. Graduates from the best universities may still be heartless and reprobates; the children of the best citizens may stoop to do the meanest acts of avarice and crime; the richest tradesmen and the ablest financiers may possess all the qualities of the gambler and the spendthrift, the highway robber and the public defaulter; in none of these things is there any such thing as regeneration, a renewed conscience, a new heart.
But when you come to Christianity, the first thing the individual learns is the necessity of being “born again.” He is taught that all his old ways are wicked, full of self and sin, and the only hope of his soul lies in his being made a new creature in Christ Jesus. True, all this talk of being born again is a mystery to the hearer, nor does he realize what it all means; but he places himself in the channel of the Spirit of God, and accepts the Word, and divine grace does the rest. Sorrow for sin comes in due time when the conscience is once aroused and the poor soul sees himself as compared to the Sinless One.
What God does for one soul, He can as easily and as readily do for all, would they but come to Him and be saved. That Christianity is the means of bringing the heathen to a knowledge of sin, and awakening in them a consciousness of guilt, is a fact. Just as soon as a heathen accepts the Word of God as the rule of his life, and Christ as his Saviour, he finds peace with God. It was my privilege to be in a testimony meeting the other night where a large assembly of Chinese heathen and Christians were assembled. It was the regular prayer-meeting night, and two hundred heathen had come to hear what was said. After the minister in charge had talked for about twenty minutes, he turned the meeting into a testimony service; and I was never more surprised than to hear what God had done for some of these dear souls.
Canton River, China
No sooner had the pastor opened the meeting for any one who wished to witness for God, than a man from the middle of the congregation arose and hurried to the platform and began speaking. He had been a Christian but a short time, but he witnessed for the Lord in a most positive testimony. The speaker was from the famine-stricken district in the province of Anhui. He said: “Last fall my only son was very sick. I had all the Chinese medicine-men in our section of the country doctor him, and they all told me that my son could not live. I bought his coffin and his burial clothes, and had everything ready for his expected death. During my grief, which was very great, a Christian called on me, and told me that God could heal my son and restore him to health if I would only pray to Him. But I did not know how to pray. I at once set myself to seek God, so that I might have His help in this time of my great need. I confessed my sins, and promised the Lord my life if He would heal my son. The Lord in heaven heard my prayer, and my son was healed, and recovered his health, and is alive to-night. The Lord raised him from the dead, for all hope of his living was gone. Friends, I know God hears prayer, and that His Word is true. I was a wicked man; but I found healing for all my sins from the same God who healed my son.”
Brother Mei, a new convert from the city of Hankow, said: “About three months ago I wanted baptism. The day was previously set, and when the time came I was sick, and besides there was a hard snow-storm. We had to go out of town for some distance, for there was no place in the city where we could have this ordinance. It was a cold, windy day; and my friends told me it would kill me to go into the water on such a day as that. But I wanted baptism, and so I ventured with others to go forward in that sacred ordinance. I went into the water and was baptized, and felt better from that very hour. My sickness left me, and I was healed. I used to be a heathen and worshiped idols; but when the Lord sent me His Word, I believed and obeyed. Since then I have tried to follow the Word of God and obey His commandments. Years ago I was impressed to cut off my cue, when all my friends laughed at me. Shall I now fear to follow my Lord if others mock and deride me? My son was a heathen, and when I became a Christian he left home. I took his name to the Lord in prayer, and asked the Lord to save my son. The Lord has answered my prayers; for my son is now converted and is a baptized Christian. I know there is a God that hears prayer and can save sinners.”
Liu Tien Bang, from Chow Kia Kow, said: “When I first heard the truth, I opposed it with all my might. I hated it, and hated all Christians and all foreigners. Then there came to our province a terrible famine, and I took the plague, and expected to die. All hopes of my recovery were given up, and I believed my end was near. In this condition, waiting for death to do its work, the words of the Gospel came to me with great force. A conviction came to me that I was a bad man, and needed help to die. I could not shake the conviction off that what I had heard about God and sin was true, but there was no help for me. I became so distressed in mind that I called my father, and asked him to go to a certain Christian I knew, and tell him that I was dying and wanted to hear about God. The man came to see me. I was dying with the plague; but my sins seemed to be crushing all hope out of my heart. This man showed me how to pray, and I confessed my sins and found pardon and peace. The plague left me, I recovered my health, and have since loved my Saviour. I was a gambler; I drank; I worshiped idols; but the Lord has saved me from all these sins and given me the victory. Surely the Lord is good, and I love Him.”15
Other Idolaters Helped
Another brother from Honan said: “I have been a believer for four years. Before I was converted, I was an idolater. I was constable for our district, and as such controlled all the temple worship in my territory. My son was taken very sick and given up to die. I did not take him to the temple to be healed, for I knew there was nothing the priests could do to heal him. I called upon God to spare the life of my son. He heard my prayer, and I have given Him my heart. I gave up idolatry, and have found peace in Christ Jesus. I gave up the office of constable, that I and my family might be Christians.”
Brother Han, from the province of Anhui, bore this testimony: “I used to worship idols. I was just as bad as any of you who are out of Christ. I did not believe in God. I want to tell you how God can change a sinner's heart. I used to run a Chinese drug shop. All I had to learn to succeed in my business was how to cheat, deceive, and lie. I gambled, I used opium; I was just as bad as any of you. I wanted to be a big official. But one day the Lord spoke to my soul, and I was convicted of sin. I knew I was dishonest, for I had cheated all who dealt with me. I gave my heart to God, and never tried to collect bills owing me. I knew I had been dishonest and did not deserve what was owing me. In my new experience I had such peace and joy that I had never known before. God helped me to quit my using of opium. I gave up gambling, and have tried to be an honest man. I know God can save a sinner.”
Another man said: “I was a user of opium; I was an idolater; I was a wicked man; but when the Gospel came to me, I stopped these things. They told me the Gospel was a foreign doctrine, and should be shunned; that foreigners bought men with money to be Christians; that if I became a Christian, it was because the foreigner gave me money. Friends, this is all false. We who are Christians, have not been bought with money; but we have been bought with the precious blood of Jesus. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not a foreign doctrine; this Gospel belongs to the Chinese just as well as to the foreigner.”
One old man past seventy years of age bore this testimony for Christ: “I used to be the wickedest man in all our country. Talk about opium using, gambling, stealing, lying! Why, these were small sins for me. I have lost a thousand strings of cash at one sitting. I would not hesitate to kill a man if he opposed me. I feared no one; but I was feared by all who knew me. I was an oil merchant. I made a science of cheating. I was often warned that God would smite me if I did not stop my sinning, for I was exceedingly wicked. In one of my wild sprees I was stricken dumb. I could not speak a word. All who knew me said the gods had smitten me. Month after month I could not speak a word. One day a missionary came to talk with me. He told me of God and His love and how He could forgive sinners and heal them of their sins. He told me I had been serving the devil, and that it was the God of heaven who had struck me dumb. I thought of this for some time, and finally told the Lord if He would give me back my speech as an evidence of His forgiving my sins, I would be His child. Then I gave myself to God, and He as instantly healed me of my dumbness as He had smitten me in His wrath. My speech returned to me, and I became a standing miracle of what God can do for sinners. For fifteen years I have been trying to serve the Lord with all my heart. I now am an old man, but I know God can save from sin.”
Many such testimonies were borne for Christ; and that heathen crowd, most of whom were standing, listened most attentively to all that was spoken. It was a wonderful meeting. In all my experience I never heard such testimonies borne before. Men had definite things over which they had positive victory. Brother Fang related how his poor old father was an opium fiend and the family had given up all hope that he could ever stop using the drug. He came to a meeting last fall in that same place, and for twenty days did not use opium once, and had never touched it since. As the heathen heard all this, it made a deep impression on their hearts. In silent awe they listened to these living witnesses to the saving power of God.
Fifty Heathen Seeking the Lord
After the time for testimonies had all been filled, and it was getting late, a call was made for any who wanted help from God and who would give the Lord their hearts, to separate from the congregation and come to the front seats. In a few moments more than fifty souls, all of whom were heathen, came forward to seek the Lord. They came in their poverty and sin, and they said they wanted to find God and help to lead a better life.
It is wonderful what transformations in character the Lord can make in the hearts of men. In one short hour God can do for a sinner what prisons and penitentiaries fail to do in a lifetime. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, when received, puts conscience into any sinner's heart; and when the conscience is quickened, there is no pleasure in sin. Christianity can make a heathen sinner honest, clean, and upright. It puts within the hearts of the converted a desire for knowledge, and the Christian converts long to learn to read the Word of God. These converted Chinese make splendid Christians. Thousands of these converts to Christianity have bravely and unflinchingly given their lives a willing sacrifice to God.
The influence of Christianity lifts these people out of the dirt and mire of sin and physical uncleanness, and makes of them new creatures in Christ Jesus. Christianity not only appeals to the heart in behalf of one's self, but it moves the impulses of the very soul in behalf of others. Wherever Christianity is accepted, schools for the education of the people follow; hospitals for the sick are erected; homes for the orphans, and institutions for the unfortunate, are provided; honesty in deal, cleanliness in the home, respect for womanhood,—these all follow as surely as light dispels darkness.
