The following incident is related in an issue of the _Illustrated
Missionary News_:
One day a Chinese scholar named Ch’u paid a visit to an old
friend, Chang, who was priest of a Buddhist temple among the
mountains of Shansi. As he looked over the library his eye fell
upon a book of unusual appearance lying on a dusty shelf, and
he inquired of the priest what book it was. “Ah,” replied his
friend, “that is a strange book I picked up on a journey--a
foreign classic. You will not think much of it.” It was a copy
of the Gospel of Mark, and Ch’u became interested in some things
he read in it. He had never heard of Christ before, and now that
life so simple and sublime laid hold on him. He came again and
again to the temple to read that little book until he knew it
almost by heart. But no one else could tell him more, for no
Christian had ever penetrated to that lonely mountain. Could
all this story about Jesus be true? If so, when did it happen?
Where were His followers whom He told to preach His gospel?
Could Jesus help men now? At length, after long waiting and much
inquiry, he learned that there were some Christians in a town
three days’ journey away, and he set off to seek them. There he
met Pastor Hsi, a Chinese evangelist, who was able to tell him
that Jesus Christ was alive and he could trust Him. Once again
he visited the Buddhist temple, this time to tell his old friend
of the grace of Christ, and Chang also became a believer. When
some years later a Christian missionary went to this place,
there was a community of saved men and women, and a little
church gathered together through the agency of the message of
that one little book.
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