Pentecostal Blessing--Special Meetings--Prayer
Answered--Confession of Sin--Revival in Schools--Great
Meetings--Bible Study--Effects of Blessings--Transforming
Power--Holy Spirit Revival--Comparative Statement of
Growth--Features of the Great Work--Union of Christians in
Korea.
The story of “How the Spirit Came to Korea” reads more like an extract
from the Acts of the Apostles than an account of what could have
happened in our modern matter-of-fact world. More than twenty-four
years ago mission work was begun in this country, but before we relate
that story of first beginnings, let us turn to the last page and look a
little, as best we may at a distance, and see how God had been crowning
and perfecting His work of grace there.
It seems to the writer, in looking back over the history of events for
beginnings and causes, that the beginning as far as can be told was at
the conference for prayer and consecration held by all the American
missionaries of both Methodist and Presbyterian denominations in Seoul,
August, 1904. There had then come upon all present, unexpectedly,
overwhelmingly, a powerful impulse toward closer fellowship and entire
union in work, and the conviction that the native Church in Korea ought
emphatically to be one. Men were swept away with an irresistible tide
of enthusiasm. No one wished or attempted to resist the mighty movement
of the Spirit. All who were present testified to the blessed sense of
the presence of the Spirit of Love. Hearts glowed; brother drew nearer
to brother; misunderstandings, differences, divergencies of method, of
creed, seemed trifling and insignificant; difficulties vanished away or
were brushed aside; and they voted unanimously for a Council of Union
of all the missions working in Korea, and for a United Native Church of
Christ.
It was a blessed experience, but, as might have been expected, the
powers of evil would never quietly submit without interference to a
measure so calculated for their overthrow, so in keeping with the
Lord’s will, and there forthwith sprang up in the minds of a few,
difficulties, doubts, mistrusts and hindrances. Nevertheless, a similar
meeting was held in August, 1905. A Union Council was then regularly
organized with officers and rules. Plans were made and various
committees formed to forward and perfect the organization of one United
Native Church of Christ in the near future. Again one Spirit seemed to
fill all hearts. One impulse of holy love to our Lord and to each other
seemed to move us all to one supreme consummation--obedience to the
dying command of the Master, and we all felt that He would follow this
with still greater blessings.
In the fall of that same year, Dr. Hardie and other missionaries of Won
San received a baptism of the Holy Spirit with power, characterized by
a deep and searching sense of sin and God’s awful holiness and majesty.
This experience was extended to the native Christians as well, and
with deep repentance came a new feeling of peace and a greater zeal
and consecration than ever before. To the other mission stations and
communities of native Christians the news of this came, as well as
thrilling accounts of what God was doing in Wales, in India and in
other parts of the world, and a great longing filled all souls. “Bless
me, even me, also, oh, my Father,” was the continued cry of their
longing hearts.
Dr. Hardie came to Seoul and held meetings with some of the native
Christians and the missionaries. Many felt that they had received a
blessing, but there was no very marked or general revival.
At the annual meeting of our Mission, 1905, there was one afternoon
set apart for a special meeting of the women missionaries for mutual
conference as to the best means of bringing Koreans and themselves into
closer and fuller walk with God, and to pray for renewed consecration.
It was a solemn heart-searching time. They seemed to realize that
all their efforts and prayers and desires had hitherto been but
half-hearted compared with what they should have been, and ere they
parted, they, on their knees, joined in a mutual promise to pray by
name every day for the quickening and full sanctification of each
other. It is not possible to put into words the deep impression made
on the minds of most of the women present by the Holy Spirit, in that
little meeting.
Not long after, a little printed pledge to pray daily for the
outpouring of the Spirit on the Korea missionaries, on the native
Christians and on the heathen communities, was sent by one of the
Southern Presbyterians to each missionary in Korea to be signed and
kept if he wished. It was simply putting into definite form the leading
of the Spirit in all our hearts, a united cry, “Bless me, even me,
also, oh, my Father.” It was the cry heard in our little circles of
prayer. It was the continued petition of our closets, the principal
thought and desire filling our conscious moments. The natives were
moved as one man with us. Some of the little churches held nightly
meetings of prayer for this blessing. For months, even years, some had
been holding these meetings before the foreigners began.
The women in some of the churches met regularly to pray for this. It
was the chief theme of their requests at all their services. How they
prayed in secret none but God knows, but each man and woman knew how he
or she was led to besiege the throne, with a spirit that would not be
denied, that with fasting and strong crying, continued in supplication
before God. It was prayer divinely led, for even as the blessing was
demanded, as it were, the weak flesh wondered how such large things as
we were irresistibly impelled to ask could possibly be expected. We
prayed that there should be Pentecostal outpourings; that thousands
should turn to Christ; that the great class of the nobility, (as yet
untouched), so bound down by caste, by custom and social usage, by
political requirements and family duties and bonds, should come into
the kingdom; that the church should be spiritualized; that Koreans,
intellectually converted, should realize the hideousness of sin; and
that we, natives and foreigners, might “comprehend with all saints what
is the height and depth and breadth and length and to know the love of
Christ that passeth knowledge and be filled with all the fulness of
God.”
These were the prayers that had been unitedly offered by all the
missions at the conferences held every year since August, 1904, at the
churches, native and foreign, at family worship, in little neighborhood
prayer-meetings, in the closet and as they walked the streets or went
about their work.
As has been said, the first blessings had fallen upon Won San. The
next report of which I have note is from Mokpo, where Mr. Gerdine held
services in October, 1906, twice a day for a week, from whence the
report came, saying:
“The word was like a scalpel, laying bare the secret sins and hidden
cancers of the soul. Strong men wept like children, confessing their
sins, and as they realized the Saviour’s forgiveness and peace with
God, their faces shone and the church rang with hymns of triumph. Men
stood six deep waiting to testify of blessing received, sins forgiven,
differences healed, victory over self, and baptism of the Spirit. From
the beginning the spirit of _prayer_, _intercession_ and _confession_
was poured out in a remarkable way.”
In August, 1906, a Bible and prayer conference was held at Pyeng Yang,
by the missionaries of that station, for the deepening of their own
spiritual life. Dr. Hardie, of Won San, was present and “helped them
greatly,” and Mr. Lee writes that there was born in their hearts the
desire that God would take complete control of their lives and use
them mightily in His service. Immediately after this, at Seoul, during
the Annual Meeting of the Presbyterian missionaries, many of them
received much blessing and aid in meeting Dr. Howard Agnew Johnson,
who had already been greatly used in helping the Seoul missionaries.
He went to Pyeng Yang later and stirred up fervent desire in the
hearts of native Christians by telling them of the wonderful blessing
poured into India, “and from that time natives and missionaries were
praying for the blessing, till it came,” says Mr. Lee. To one looking
back over the whole history of events, it had already begun. All the
previous fall and winter we had seen that something wonderful was
happening. A new spirit was abroad. There was a shaking and rustling
among the dry bones. Christians were not only praying but working.
Even those who had never done much hitherto, would go out into the
country and spend several days or even weeks at a time, preaching to
unbelievers and teaching Christians, the letters that came from other
missions and other stations in all parts of Korea to the capital as
booksellers and native helpers sent in their reports, all were of
the same nature; “Not enough books, tracts and hymn books for those
who want to buy,”--“The Bibles all gone. Unpublished new edition
all sold in advance,”--“Churches and chapels crowded,”--“Inquirers
multiplying,”--“Numbers of baptized and newly enrolled
catechumens far in advance of any previous time,”--“Missionaries
over-worked,”--“Hospitals paying their own running expenses better than
ever before,”--“Many new groups formed,” till our hearts thrilled and
we felt “this is surely the Lord’s doing and it is marvellous.” God was
answering the prayers of His people.
In our churches the sight of the increasing crowds every Sunday deeply
stirred us. To see the throngs which not only filled to suffocation
the little buildings but stood crowding the windows and doors, was to
us who had seen the first feeble timid beginnings of a little handful
of men and women, beyond power of description, glorious and thrilling.
We knew that this eager, anxious throng were there because _Jesus of
Nazareth was passing by_. At every service Christians came to the
missionaries bringing those who had made their decision for Christ;
from one or two to whole families. Idols were cast away and Christ was
chosen. We could hear the Master’s stately steppings and we felt that
the place whereon we stood was holy ground.
In Pyeng Yang, fervent prayer was continually offered for a special
manifestation of God’s power, by natives and missionaries in special
daily meetings as well as in private. Just before Christmas special
noon meetings were held by the missionaries for the Men’s Bible
Training Class. These men from the country, said by Mr. Swallen, who
had charge of the enrolment, to number about one thousand, had come up
for the winter Bible class, from many villages and distant districts.
Some had walked many miles, most of them bringing their supplies of
rice with them. On January 6th, evening meetings for the Class and the
people of the city began in the large Central Church which holds about
fifteen hundred. As it would have been much too small for an audience
of both sexes, it was arranged for the men only to meet in this
building and the women were asked to meet separately in four different
places, and the schoolboys in the Academy chapel. The Central Church
was full of men every night. The meetings grew in power until Saturday,
which was best day of the whole week. Sunday evening the expected
blessing was withheld, but on Monday night the wonderful manifestation
of God’s Presence came.
It was marked, as had been those in Won San and Mokpo, by “a spirit
of prayer,” conviction of sin, confession and intercession. Awful and
overwhelming conviction of sin was its most marked feature. Men wept,
groaned, beat their breasts, falling to the ground and writhing in
agony. Mr. Lee, speaking of one of those who confessed said, “In a
broken voice he began to pray and such a prayer I never heard before.
We had a vision of a human heart laid bare before its God. As he
prayed, he wept. In fact he could hardly control himself, and as he
wept, the audience wept with him. We all felt as if we were in the
presence of the living God.”
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, the same wonderful
manifestations, the same overwhelming sense of the immediate presence
of the awful glory of God. Mr. Hunt says of them, “Two or three most
earnest prayers were followed by such an outpouring of the Spirit
as I had never before witnessed--great strong men, half a dozen at
a time, pleading for forgiveness and confessing their sins in great
agony of spirit. From that day on there was not a day without some new
proof of His presence with us individually and collectively. There was
public confession of sin that brought agonized groans from the entire
congregation. There were private confessions to God which brought
strong men to tears. There were similar confessions to men, accompanied
by restoration or other real mending of wrong. It was a time of praying
such as we had never known before. The prayer meetings were crowded.
The meetings held each evening in the big church were crowded, men only
being admitted. Whole companies were reduced to tears. In the boys’
schools the work spread and to those at first most sceptical came the
most bitter suffering. Between these schools had sprung up some bitter
rivalry. By reason of the Spirit’s work among them, love and an earnest
spirit of intercession has taken its place.”
On the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday the same manifestations of power
were felt in the advanced school for girls and women, and at the
Central Church Boys’ School, which had been experienced in the men’s
meetings. On Thursday the Spirit fell on the primary school for girls.
Mrs. Bernheisel went down to the girls’ school in the city and found
the Spirit there also; she wrote, “The Spirit of God literally fell on
us, and we couldn’t help but weep and confess our sins.” Saturday night
the power fell upon the women of the church.
“All through the class, the women had been meeting separately,” says
Mr. Lee, “but there had been no special manifestation among them, and
it was decided to hold special meetings for them also in the Central
Church on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings following. On
Saturday night the power was felt and the women agonized over their
sins and confessed as the others had done, and on Monday and Tuesday
evenings the meetings for women being continued, God’s mighty power
continued to be manifested. So great was the strain that one of the
women became unconscious.”
Mrs. Baird writes that “it was a matter of regret to all that the Pyeng
Yang college and academy was not in session at the time of the gracious
visitations described by Mr. Lee. Several of the resident students
were led through a very wonderful experience, and on all sides the
earnest hope was expressed and the prayer offered that the beginning
of the spring term might witness another wonderful manifestation of
God’s power and that not one of the students might be left unvisited.”
Several days before the opening of the school, “informal prayer
meetings, attended as well by several of the Korean members of the
school faculty were held in the Principal’s study. One morning, feeling
burdened, he sought out his fellow (missionary) worker who had been
much exercised in prayer and the two knelt together and prayed for the
descent of the Spirit upon the school. It was at that hour that the
storm broke in the study. Cries and sobs of anguish filled not only the
room but the whole house.”
For two wonderful weeks the work went on among the boys, with whom
meetings were held every day at four. “No attempt was made to lead
these meetings. Indeed, leadership would have been impossible. All
were prostrate on their faces and all alike except those who had
already received a blessing were in an agony of repentance. Sometimes
they beat their foreheads and heads against the floor, sometimes they
literally writhed in anguish,--then when there seemed no more power
of resistance left they would spring to their feet and with terrible
sobs and crying pour out their confessions. No human power could have
dragged these confessions to light.”
At the beginning of the school term the usual curriculum was laid
aside, the first week was devoted to Bible study and prayer, reserving
the evenings for devotional services with the whole school. On the
first evening one young man after another sprang to his feet and
testified to a sense of pardon, peace and joy. But these were only a
small part of the three hundred young men and boys present, and many
remained “cold and lumpish as ice.” The battle was between our God
and His forces on one hand and all the hosts of Satan on the other.
Students who had received a blessing spent hours of every day in prayer
and _some spent whole nights on their faces before God_.
At the meeting of the second evening, before ever the leader took his
place, the tide of prayer began rising and though three young men arose
one after another and attempted to lead in prayer, their voices were
not heard in the tumult of intercessory supplication that broke out. As
prayer continued, the building began to resound with groans and cries.
Many fell forward on their faces on the floor.
At this meeting and two that followed it was noted that while most
of the Presbyterian students had been reached, the body of Methodist
students was still largely untouched. The local Methodist preacher, an
unusually able man _had from the first been opposed to union in the
school or in any other way, and had used his influence against it_.
He had longed for a blessing on his people and when it fell first on
the Presbyterians was jealous and displeased, and it was feared in
several quarters that he was using his influence both in the pulpit
and the class room to throw discredit on the movement. Special prayer
was therefore made for him by native and foreign members of both
denominations. On Friday evening the break in the Methodist ranks
began. One young man after another, members of a band who had agreed
together that they would stand out against the prevailing influences,
gave up all pretence of resistance and cast themselves on the Lord for
mercy. At midnight there were as many as fifty risen to their feet
awaiting their turn to confess their sins. During the evening many
threw themselves on their knees before the preacher and confessed that
they had done wrong in yielding to his influence. Conviction seized
upon him and at the close of the meeting this proud man was weeping
in the arms of the missionaries and sobbing out penitent confessions
of coldness, wilfulness and jealousies. During the remaining evenings
there was little disposition to resist the Holy Spirit. Then the Lord
began pouring out His blessings upon the Methodist congregations in the
city and the same wonderful manifestations were exhibited here that had
been seen elsewhere.
Mr. McCune said of the men’s meetings. “The room full of men was filled
with voices lifted to God in prayer. I am sure that most of the men
in the room were praying aloud. Some were crying and pleading God’s
forgiveness for certain sins which they named to Him in prayer. All
were pleading for the infilling of the Holy Ghost. Although there were
so many voices there was no confusion at all. It was all a subdued
perfect harmony. I cannot explain it with words.”
“We missionaries had our union meetings with the Methodists one week
before the class began. They were a source of the richest blessing to
all of us and when we were closing Thursday evening it being suggested
that we continue the meetings for the next week or so at noontime, we
decided to do so. Daily we have been waiting there and praying for the
Holy Spirit. _We have no leader for the meeting. Each one who enters
the room quietly kneels down and as he is led prays._”
“We find that these meetings of ours are blessed _just in proportion
as we spend the whole time from first to last on our knees in prayer
or proffering requests for_ prayer or thanksgiving, _precluding much
conversation or discussion_, even upon the progress or incidents of the
revival.”
The blessing fell on both Methodists and Presbyterians, on missionaries
and natives. Mr. Noble, of the M. E. Church of Pyeng Yang says, “We are
having the most wonderful manifestations of the outpouring of the Holy
Spirit on the native churches that I have ever seen or heard. Perhaps
there has been no greater demonstration of Divine power since the
Apostles’ days. At every meeting the slain of the Lord are laid out all
over the church, men and women are stricken down and become unconscious
under the power of conviction. The whole city is mourning as people
mourn for their dead. Many spend whole nights in their homes agonizing
in prayer, either for their own pardon or in behalf of others. The
people break out in spontaneous prayer. Hundreds of voices fill the
church with a murmur that has no more discord than would the notes from
so many instruments of music.”
From Syen Chun Miss Samuels writes of the coming of the Spirit in
power in January. Mr. Clark wrote from Seoul, “During the past month,
February, the most marvellous working of the Holy Spirit in the hearts
of Christians in this city has been the subject of daily conversation.
Revival meetings have been in progress in all the churches. I am
reminded of the history which records the wonderful results that
followed the preachings of Whitfield and Wesley.”
So the power spread like wildfire from station to station and from
little country group to group, at the country classes and among both
Methodists and Presbyterians, time and space failing here to give
extracts from all the thrilling reports that were sent.
And now what were the results of this wonderful revival? Was it a mere
wave of emotionalism? Korea had known Christianity for many years but
never before had anything been seen like this.
What results can it show as a seal to its divine origin? “By their
fruits ye shall know them,” said our Lord. “Men do not gather grapes of
thorns or figs of thistles.” Satan does not cast out Satan, and here on
all sides we see following these revivals sinners converted, those who
had done wrong making confession and restitution of money and goods,
the churches crowded to overflowing with inquirers and new believers,
the coffers of the Lord’s treasury filled, and men of different
denominations lovingly joining hands, putting away old jealousies,
forwarding the Lord’s kingdom shoulder to shoulder. Let me quote again
a few particular instances mentioned by men working in different
denominations in various parts of the field.
Mr. J. Z. Moore, writing to “The Korea Field,” says, “Many incidents
could be told but two must suffice. A young man who had been a
Christian for some time received a strange new fire into his life and
went to his parents, who were not Christians, pleading with them in
tears. They gave up keeping the saloon they had had for twenty years
and are now earnest followers of Christ. In two large towns about
a half mile apart there were two quite strong groups. Ever since I
have had the work I have been trying to get them to unite and build a
church, but a church quarrel has always frustrated not only our plans
for the church but the Lord’s work in that section as well. The revival
came and there was great confession in agony and tears, of pride,
jealousy and hatred, and now they are united in the building of a large
tile-roofed church. Besides the Bible study classes, nearly every one
of the larger churches and some of the small ones have had revival
services lasting from one to three weeks. The native preachers having
taken part in the Pyeng Yang revival took the lead in this work, _which
has resulted in transforming churches all over the circuit_. These
meetings were times of heart-searching prayer, confession of sin and
restoration and straightening up of the past in so far as was possible.
This was followed by a real sense of sins forgiven, joy in the
assurance of the new birth and baptism of the Holy Spirit in cleansing
and power for service.”
“These revivals,” he continued, “have taught me two things. First,
the Korean is at heart and in all fundamental things at one with his
brother of the West. In the second place these revivals have taught
me _that in the matter of making all life religious, in prayer and
in a simple childlike trust the East not only has many things but
profound things to teach the West_ and until we learn those things
we will not know the full-orbed Gospel of Christ. Best of all,” he
adds, “this revival has written another unanswerable chapter of
Christian evidences. The old gospel of the cross and the blood and
the resurrection now has become a free, full and perfect salvation to
multitudes and has taken literally hundreds of lazy, shiftless and
purposeless Koreans and turned them into very dynamos of evangelistic
power. Not only this, but it is proven that Christianity does satisfy
the spiritual needs and hunger of the people.”
Mr. Clark writes from Seoul: “The most conspicuous thing, in the whole
church life for the year was the great Holy Spirit revival in February.
The church was shaken as never before and, purged as by fire, now under
the guidance of the Spirit they are reaching out for others. The three
city congregations were never so much one in thought as now. It has
been a beautiful year of growing together.”
Mr. Cram writes from Song Do: “I thank God that His mighty transforming
power is realized by the Korean heart in definite expression.”
Mr. McCune writes: “We have not been counting the new believers as
we did in previous years. There will surely be in all four churches,
Methodists and Presbyterian, in Pyeng Yang, at the close of the
meetings not less than two thousand new believers, if we may judge from
the way they seem to be coming now.”
Mr. Gerdine, of the Southern Methodist Mission, wrote, September, 1906,
“The past year has been one of large increase in numbers throughout the
church in Korea. It is probable that thirty thousand new believers have
come in during that time.[16] Our own church has shared in the general
prosperity and advancement. This is true not only of the district as a
whole but each circuit will show a good increase over last year. Here
is a comparative statement of growth:
[16] This refers to the whole Church, the 2000 above referred to being
in Pyeng Yang alone.
October
1905 1906
Number of societies 46 129
Adult baptisms 201 606
Total membership 759 1227
Probationers 457 1694
Applicants 1712
Total number on rolls 1216 4623
In 1907 there was an increase in membership of 756, in
probationers of 1331, and there were forty-seven new
churches.
This is the growth in one church after the revival spirit had fallen
upon many of its leaders in Won San and it has not been less wonderful
in many of the others.”
Mr. J. Z. Moore says there has been a gain of at least one third in
membership over the last year, (in many churches it has been 50 per
cent).
Mrs. Baird says, “The night schools in the city were shaken. There were
meetings in all the churches for the unconverted and between twelve
hundred and two thousand came out at that time for Christ among the
Presbyterians in Pyeng Yang alone. At the meetings of the missionaries
there were sacred times, all hearts melted in a wonderful solvent of
love. Work spreads to the country classes and churches like holy fire.”
The money given by the churches of the Presbyterian missions nearly
doubled the amount contributed the previous year.
Pledges for a certain number of days of evangelistic work have become
common and at one of the Bible classes held in Seoul, men promised in
addition to other Christian work and precious pledges, an average of
seventeen days apiece for the coming year,--enough in all to make one
man’s entire time for six years, and the rule is that these pledges are
more than kept, most of the people exceeding the time promised.
These are simply a few of the results of this great work of God in
Korea. In every station and village, in large cities and country
districts, the fruits are being gathered. Let those who are permitted a
share in it thank God.
Before finishing this very incomplete review, there are several
features of it which should be noted.
1st. It was preceded, as has been noted, for a period of three or more
years, by a constantly increasing desire and fervent united prayer of
missionaries and natives--desire and prayer undoubtedly inspired by Him
who intended to give--for the Gift of the Spirit.
2d. It simply fell upon the people waiting before God in insistent,
believing prayer, without having been worked up in any way by exciting
appeals to emotion.
3d. It came to a people who, during a knowledge of Christianity of
some twenty odd years, have never had anything of the kind in their
religious life, and have never shown signs of great excitability in
their deepest Christian experiences.
4th. It was marked, everywhere the same, by a realization of the awful
blackness of sin, consequent upon an acute sense of the immediate
Presence of the terrible Majesty of the Most High and followed by
agonizing repentance, confession and restitution.
5th. Wonder and regret have been expressed at the kind of sins
confessed by some of these native Christian people. It must be
remembered that they were Christians who had come out of heathenism
with no previous Christian training and breeding, that they were
living surrounded by heathenism, but poorly instructed, and some of
them, no doubt, had never been more than intellectually converted.
It must be remembered also that the Apostle Paul addressed admonitions
to early Christians, whom he evidently considered real Christians,
who had had the benefit of his inspired teaching and who had seen the
miracles, and perhaps been present at Pentecostal outpourings, who were
guilty of the darkest sins on the calendar.
Again, is it not a fact that when we come to God or our brother and
confess in a general indefinite sort of way to general indefinite sort
of sins, when nothing in particular seems to us to be an intolerable
burden of sin, there is little genuine repentance, only a half
pleasurable sentimental feeling of regret that we are not as perfect
as we could wish? This repentance means _nothing_. When men confess
particular sins they are really repentant. And again, one of our most
well known pastors in a large city said with deep emphasis, when this
wonder was expressed, that were the Spirit of God to come with the same
power to our American churches, the revelations of depths of sin would
not be one whit less appalling than those in Korea.
It is, however, greatly to be deprecated that those who have heard
these confessions should make them a subject of idle gossip. They
belong only to the confessor and his God and, perchance, the one who
was wronged. It seems to the writer an awful thing to meddle in such a
matter, sacred to the Holy Ghost.
6th. And this seems to the writer an intensely significant fact. This
revival was preceded, accompanied and followed by a burning desire on
the part of the great majority of all Christians of every denomination
and nationality in the country, for union, for one Church of Christ
in Korea, an uncontrollable, Heaven-inspired conviction that there
in Korea, then, at once, if possible, the Lord’s last prayer while
on earth for His Church must be fulfilled, and that we must be one
in effort, in aim, in name, as we were already in heart, that the
differences and old worn-out historical divisions of the Occident must
not be foisted upon the Orient, that in the words of the devoted Bishop
Harris, we missionaries had not gone across the Pacific to establish a
Methodist or a Presbyterian church, but to advance the kingdom of the
Master, that native Christians were not converted to Presbyterianism,
Methodism or any other sect but to the Lord Jesus. This was the spirit
which preceded and followed the revival and which in Pyeng Yang, where
the power was felt by the greatest number of people and perhaps in the
most overwhelming way, seemed more general than elsewhere, and right
here I feel impelled to quote the words of Mrs. Baird in regard to the
daily prayer-meeting of the missionaries alone of both denominations.
“_All denominational lines seem wiped out forever and we wonder that we
could ever have attached importance to them or have allowed ourselves
to be cramped by them._”
But everywhere small jealousies have to a great extent been put aside
and a beautiful spirit of mutual love and generosity prevails.
Thus hath God wrought. He has made bare His mighty arm and shown His
mercy to one of the weakest and most despised of the peoples, for that
is His will and way. He made His ways known unto Moses, a poor shepherd
of a despised race, His acts unto the children of Israel, a nation
of slaves, and He has glorified His Holy Name in little, enslaved,
despised Korea. “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many
wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the
wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the
things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which
are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring
to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in His presence.”
THE END.
[Transcriber's Note:
Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation are as in the original.]