p. 133 | Before Many Tongues by B. A. Stephens

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Apr 24, 1879

"Before Many Tongues."

By B. A. Stephens

WHEREVER God has faithful children they plainly see from the dark state of the world, compared with the Bible, that we are in the last days; that soon the waiting church will see its Redeemer coming in the clouds of heaven. My heart was greatly touched recently in reading an account in the Sabbath Recorder of the Seventh-day Baptist mission in China. One of the native preachers thus writes :—

"'Le Erlo, servant of Jesus Christ, wishes peace, and sends salutations to Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter, and to all the brethren and sisters in the foreign land.'"

"After speaking of the depredations of thieves during his illness, he refers to the great famine :—"

"'First the locusts, now grasshoppers have devoured the cotton crops in all places. Such is the desolation, it seems as if the judgment day of our Lord had come. We are distressed that the emperor, mandarins, and people, refuse to repent, and refuse to believe in God our Father, and in our Lord Jesus Christ. Mindful of these things, I have gone forth in hot weather and cold, preaching the good tidings everywhere, greatly desirous that the kingdom of God may be advanced; hence my illness. . . I pray the Heavenly Father to protect me, and give me health.'"

"At a later date Le Erlo writes :—"

"'By the mercy of God, I am well again. God has preserved us as a family and the brethren and sisters of the Church. Having received your letter, I know you do not forget us, nor the Church in China. Relying on the name of Christ, I do not forget you in my prayers. . . Always when I go out to preach, I am thronged by the poor people wanting aid. Therefore I have sold property to satisfy their necessities. There are also many poor children who want me to teach them to read, and to read the Holy Book.'"

"Erlo wants a teacher to come and tell his countrymen, who are suffering from famine and pestilence, of God and the great day of reckoning, and to help establish for the children a school, and sends this touching message :—"

"'We hope that you, teacher Carpenter, with other brethren and sisters together, will aid us, a small church, in this work, that we may speedily grow and prosper; that in reliance upon the mercy of God and the merits of our Lord, we may spread abroad the gospel message to all places. This is my heart's desire and joy.'"

The Recorder further says :—

"'Sah Chin Sang, the blind deacon, sends, by the hand of another, his compliments to all the brethren and sisters in the foreign country. . . . He, too, thinks the day of judgment for poor China is at hand, and longs for the speedy coming of a teacher to build up the kingdom of God in that stricken land.'"

God grant his prayer may be answered. For centuries China was like a sealed book to the "barbarian" world. But the Anglo-Saxon race made a breach in its great wall, whence have poured forth thousands of its benighted people to other lands. A few thousands have found their way to California. Missions have been established among them by the Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, and probably other churches, and many of them have made a profession of faith in Christ. Such take up the cross under great difficulties. They are shunned by their countrymen, and suffer not a little persecution from them, and also from small-souled Caucasians, who accuse them of becoming Christians in order to benefit their temporal condition.

None have embraced present truth as yet, although I hope and pray that the third angel's message may "save some," for it is to go "before many tongues." At Bro. Healey's meetings in Visalia, Cal., in the summer of 1876, one Chinaman seemed interested for awhile in the sermons on faith, and purchased several books. And I know of one, who is a Methodist preacher, who has expressed his belief in the sleep of the dead, exclaiming when the light dawned upon his mind, "Why, I believed in the immortality of the soul when I was a heathen!" A brother replied, "When you become a Christian you should leave off your heathen notions." He promised never to preach inherent immortality again.

If the storm of persecution ever arises against these poor people (and we see a few muttering drops before the angry shower, in the popular cry, "The Chinese must go"), may God grant that as they "go" a few may carry the last tidings of mercy with them across the waters of the Pacific to those who sit in darkness, that out of all nations "that God has made of one blood," Acts 17:26, may be gathered those who shall stand on the sea of glass before the great white throne. Amen.

B. A. STEPHENS.