PROVIDENTIAL GUIDANCE
IT now seemed very clear that the lost property--including everything I
possessed in China, with the exception of a small sum of money
providentially left in Shanghai--had been deliberately stolen by my
servant, who had gone off with it to Hang-chau. The first question, of
course, was how best to act for the good of the man who had been the
cause of so much trouble. It would not have been difficult to take steps
that would have led to his punishment; though the likelihood of any
reparation being made for the loss sustained was very small. But the
consideration which weighed most heavily was that the thief was a man
for whose salvation I had laboured and prayed; and I felt that to
prosecute him would not be to emphasise the teaching of the Sermon on
the Mount, in which we had read together, "Resist not evil," and other
similar precepts. Finally, concluding that his soul was of more value
than the £40 worth of things I had lost, I wrote and told him this,
urging upon him his need of repentance and faith in the LORD JESUS
CHRIST. The course I took commended itself to my Christian friends in
England, one of whom was afterwards led to send me a cheque for £40--the
first of many subsequently received from the same kind helper.
Having obtained the little money left in Shanghai, I again set out for
Ningpo, to seek assistance from Dr. Parker in replacing the medicines I
had previously lost by fire. This being satisfactorily accomplished, I
returned once more to Shanghai, _en route_ for Swatow, hoping soon to
rejoin my much-loved friend, Mr. Burns, in the work in that important
centre. GOD had willed it otherwise, however; and the delay caused by
the robbery was just sufficient to prevent me from starting for the
South as I had intended.
Over the political horizon storm-clouds had long been gathering,
precursors of coming war; and early in October of this year (1856) the
affair of the Lorcha _Arrow_ at Canton led to the definite commencement
of hostilities. Very soon China was deeply involved in a second
prolonged struggle with foreign powers; and missionary operations, in
the South at any rate, had to be largely suspended. Tidings of these
events, together with letters from Mr. Burns, arrived just in time to
meet me in Shanghai as I was leaving for Swatow; and thus hindered, I
could not but realise the hand of GOD in closing the door I had so much
desired to enter.
While in Ningpo, I had made the acquaintance of Mr. John Jones, who,
with Dr. Parker, represented the Chinese Evangelisation Society in that
city. Hindered from returning to Swatow, I now decided to join these
brethren in the Ningpo work, and set out at once upon the journey. On
the afternoon of the second day, when already about thirty miles distant
from Shanghai, Mr. Jones and I drew near the large and important city of
Sung-kiang, and I spoke of going ashore to preach the Gospel to the
thronging multitudes that lined the banks and crowded the approaches to
the city gates.
Among the passengers on board the boat was one intelligent man, who in
the course of his travels had been a good deal abroad, and had even
visited England, where he went by the name of Peter. As might be
expected, he had heard something of the Gospel, but had never
experienced its saving power. On the previous evening I had drawn him
into earnest converse about his soul's salvation. The man listened with
attention, and was even moved to tears, but still no definite result was
apparent. I was pleased, therefore, when he asked to be allowed to
accompany me, and to hear me preach.
I went into the cabin of the boat to prepare tracts and books for
distribution on landing with my Chinese friend, when suddenly I was
startled by a splash and a cry from without. I sprang on deck, and took
in the situation at a glance. Peter was gone! The other men were all
there, on board, looking helplessly at the spot where he had
disappeared, but making no effort to save him. A strong wind was
carrying the junk rapidly forward in spite of a steady current in the
opposite direction, and the low-lying, shrubless shore afforded no
landmark to indicate how far we had left the drowning man behind.
I instantly let down the sail and leapt overboard in the hope of finding
him. Unsuccessful, I looked around in agonising suspense, and saw close
to me a fishing-boat with a peculiar drag-net furnished with hooks,
which I knew would bring him up.
"Come!" I cried, as hope revived in my heart. "Come and drag over this
spot directly; a man is drowning just here!"
"Veh bin" (It is not convenient), was the unfeeling answer.
"Don't talk of _convenience_!" cried I in an agony; "a man is drowning,
I tell you!"
"We are busy fishing," they responded, "and cannot come."
"Never mind your fishing," I said, "I will give you more money than many
a day's fishing will bring; only come--come at once!"
"How much money will you give us?"
"We cannot stay to discuss that now! Come, or it will be too late. I
will give you five dollars" (then worth about thirty shillings in English
money).
"We won't do it for that," replied the men. "Give us twenty dollars, and
we will drag."
"I do not possess so much: do come quickly, and I will give you all I
have!"
"How much may that be?"
"I don't know exactly, about fourteen dollars."
At last, but even then slowly enough, the boat was paddled over, and the
net let down. Less than a minute sufficed to bring up the body of the
missing man. The fishermen were clamorous and indignant because their
exorbitant demand was delayed while efforts at resuscitation were being
made. But all was in vain--life was extinct.
To myself this incident was profoundly sad and full of significance,
suggesting a far more mournful reality. Were not those fishermen
actually guilty of this poor Chinaman's death, in that they had the
means of saving him at hand, if they would but have used them? Assuredly
they were guilty. And yet, let us pause ere we pronounce judgment
against them, lest a greater than Nathan answer, "_Thou art the man_."
Is it so hard-hearted, so wicked a thing to neglect to save the body? Of
how much sorer punishment, then, is he worthy who leaves the soul to
perish, and Cain-like says, "Am I my brother's keeper?" The LORD JESUS
commands, commands _me_, commands _you_, my brother, and _you_, my
sister. "Go," says He, "go ye into _all_ the world, and preach the
Gospel to _every_ creature." Shall we say to _Him_, "No, it is not
convenient"? shall we tell _Him_ that we are busy fishing and cannot
go? that we have bought a piece of ground and cannot go? that we have
purchased five yoke of oxen, or have married, or are engaged in other
and more interesting pursuits, and cannot go? Ere long "we must all
appear before the judgment seat of CHRIST; that every one may receive
the things done in his body." Let us remember, let us pray for, let us
labour for the unevangelised Chinese; _or we shall sin against our own
souls_. Let us consider _Who_ it is that has said, "If thou _forbear_ to
deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be
slain; if thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not He that
pondereth the heart consider it? and He that keepeth _thy_ soul, doth
not he know it? and shall not He render to every man according to his
works?"
Through midnight gloom from Macedon,
The cry of myriads as of one;
The voiceful silence of despair
Is eloquent in awful prayer:
The soul's exceeding bitter cry,
"Come o'er and help us, or we die."
How mournfully it echoes on,
For half the earth is Macedon;
These brethren to their brethren call,
And by the Love which loves them all,
And by the whole world's Life they cry,
"O ye that live, behold we die!"
By other sounds the world is won
Than that which wails from Macedon;
The roar of gain is round it rolled,
Or men unto themselves are sold,
And cannot list the alien cry,
"O hear and help us, lest we die!"
Yet with that cry from Macedon
The very car of CHRIST rolls on:
"_I come; who would abide My day,_
_In yonder wilds prepare My way;_
_My voice is crying in their cry,_
_Help ye the dying, lest ye die_."
JESU, for men of Man the SON,
Yea, THINE the cry from Macedon;
Oh, by the kingdom and the power
And glory of Thine advent hour,
Wake heart and will to hear their cry:
Help us to help them, lest we die.
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