On the 30th of August, 1854, Mr. Talmage wrote, enclosing the subjoined
appeal of the church at Peh-chui-ia for a missionary. It is addressed to
the American Board, which these brethren call "the Public Society." A
duplicate letter was sent at the same time to Mr. Burns to be presented to
the Board of Foreign Missions of the English Presbyterian Church. "They
tell us," says Mr. Talmage, "that every sentence has been prayed over.
According to their own statement, they would write a sentence, and then
pray, and then write another sentence, and then pray again."
"By the mercy and grace of God, called to be little children of the Saviour
Jesus, we send this letter to the Public Society, desiring that God our
Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, may bestow grace and peace on all the
saints connected with the Public Society. We desire you to know the
boundless grace and favor of God towards us, and in behalf of us, little
children, heartily to thank God because that the announcement of God's
grace has been conveyed by your nation to our nation, and to our province,
even to Amoy, and to our market-town Peh-chui-ia. We desire the Public
Society to be thoroughly informed, so that they may very heartily thank God
and the Lord Jesus Christ; for we at Peh-chui-ia originally dwelt in the
region of death and gloomy darkness, a place under the curse of God, and
were exposed to God's righteous punishment. But many thanks to God's
compassion and mercy, the Holy Spirit influenced the pastors of your nation
to send holy brethren (Amoy native Christians), in company with the English
pastor, the teacher, William Burns, unto our market town, to unfold the
holy announcement of grace, and preach the Gospel. Many thanks to God,
whose grace called several brethren, by day and by night, to listen to the
preaching of the Gospel, for the space of four months. Many thanks to the
Holy Spirit, who opened our darkened hearts, and led us unto the Saviour
Jesus, whose precious blood delivers from sin. By the grace of God five
persons were received into the Church and baptized. Again, two months
afterwards four persons were received into the Church and baptized. There
are still some ten persons and more, from different quarters, not yet
baptized, who have been operated on, so that they listen to the preaching
with gladness of heart.
"By the will of God, the English pastor has been called to return to his
own nation. Our place is distant from Amoy by water, several tens of
'lis,' [One li is about one-third of a mile] so that it is difficult to
come and go. The two pastors of your nation at Amoy (Messrs. Doty and
Talmage) have not a moment to spare from labor, for the holy brethren there
are many; and it is difficult for them to leave home.
"We, the brethren of the church at our market town, with united heart pray,
earnestly beseeching God again graciously to compassionate us, and send a
pastor from the Public Society of your nation, that he may quickly come,
and instruct us plainly in the Gospel.
"It is to be deplored-the brethren having heard the teacher William Burns
preach the Word for a few months, their spiritual nature only just born
again, not yet having obtained firmness in the faith, that just at this
time, in the seventh month, the pastor should be separated from us.
"Day and night our tears flow; and with united heart we pray, earnestly
beseeching God graciously to grant that of the disciples of the Lord Jesus
a pastor hastily come, and preach to us the Gospel, this food of grace with
its savoriness of grace, in order to strengthen the faith of us, little
children. Moreover, we pray God to influence the saints of your nation
that they may always keep us little children in remembrance. Therefore, on
the 28th day of the seventh month (August 21, 1854) the brethren with
united heart have prayed earnestly beseeching God that this our general
letter may be conveyed to the great Public Society, that you may certainly
know these our affairs, and pray God, in behalf of us, that this our
request may be granted. Please give our salutation to the brethren.
KONG-BIAU,
TEK-IAM,
TEK-EIAN,
U-JU,
SI_BU,
JIT-SOM,
KI-AN,
LAM-SAN,
KIM KOA,
"The disciples of Jesus at Peh-chui-ia.
"Presented to the Public Society that all the disciples may read it."
Mr. Talmage concludes a letter speaking of the "times of refreshing" in
these words:
"This remarkable work may well fill our hearts with gratitude and
encouragement. Heretofore, we have always been obliged to wait a long time
before we were permitted to see much fruit of our labor; and we were almost
led to the conclusion that such must always be the case, in carrying the
Gospel to a heathen people. Now we see that such need not be the course of
events. We should preach the Gospel with larger expectations, and in the
hope of more immediate fruit. He who commanded the light to shine out of
darkness, can shine into the darkest minds, 'to give the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus' on the first
announcement of the truth as it is in Jesus. When the proper time comes,
and His Church is made ready for the great accession, it will be an easy
thing for Him to accomplish the expectation that a nation shall be born at
once."