A NEW AGENCY NEEDED
"My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith
the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways
higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."[3] How true
are these words! When the LORD is bringing in great blessing in the best
possible way, how oftentimes our unbelieving hearts are feeling, if not
saying, like Jacob of old, "All these things are against me." Or we are
filled with fear, as were the disciples when the LORD, walking on the
waters, drew near to quiet the troubled sea, and to bring them quickly
to their desired haven. And yet mere common-sense ought to tell us that
He, whose way is perfect, _can_ make no mistakes; that He who has
promised to "perfect that which concerneth" us, and whose minute care
counts the very hairs of our heads, and forms for us our circumstances,
_must_ know better than we the way to forward our truest interests and
to glorify His own Name.
"Blind unbelief is _sure_ to err
And scan His work in vain;
GOD is His own Interpreter,
And He will make it plain."
To me it seemed a great calamity that failure of health compelled my
relinquishing work for GOD in China, just when it was more fruitful than
ever before; and to leave the little band of Christians in Ningpo,
needing much care and teaching, was a great sorrow. Nor was the sorrow
lessened when, on reaching England, medical testimony assured me that
return to China, at least for years to come, was impossible. Little did
I then realise that the long separation from China was a necessary step
towards the formation of a work which GOD would bless as He has blessed
the CHINA INLAND MISSION. While in the field, the pressure of claims
immediately around me was so great that I could not think much of the
still greater needs of the regions farther inland; and, if they were
thought of, could do nothing for them. But while detained for some years
in England, daily viewing the whole country on the large map on the wall
of my study, I was as near to the vast regions of Inland China as to the
smaller districts in which I had laboured personally for GOD; and prayer
was often the only resource by which the burdened heart could gain any
relief.
As a long absence from China appeared inevitable, the next question was
how best to serve China while in England, and this led to my engaging
for several years, with the late Rev. F. F. Gough of the C. M. S., in
the revision of a version of the New Testament in the colloquial of
Ningpo for the British and Foreign Bible Society. In undertaking this
work, in my short-sightedness I saw nothing beyond the use that the
Book, and the marginal references, would be to the native Christians;
but I have often seen since that, without those months of feeding and
feasting on the Word of GOD, I should have been quite unprepared to
form, on its present basis, a mission like the CHINA INLAND MISSION.
In the study of that Divine Word I learned that, to obtain successful
labourers, not elaborate appeals for help, but, _first_, earnest _prayer
to GOD to thrust forth labourers_, and, _second_, the deepening of the
spiritual life of the church, so that _men should be unable to stay at
home_, were what was needed. I saw that the Apostolic plan was not to
raise ways and means, but _to go and do the work_, trusting in His sure
Word who has said, "Seek ye _first_ the Kingdom of GOD and His
righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."
In the meantime the prayer for workers for CHEH-KIANG was being
answered. The first, Mr. Meadows, sailed for China with his young wife
in January 1862, through the kind co-operation and aid of our friend Mr.
Berger. The second left England in 1864, having her passage provided by
the Foreign Evangelisation Society. The third and fourth reached Ningpo
on July 24th, 1865. A fifth soon followed them, reaching Ningpo in
September 1865. Thus the prayer for the five workers was fully answered;
and we were encouraged to look to GOD for still greater things.
Months of earnest prayer and not a few abortive efforts had resulted in
a deep conviction that _a special agency was essential_ for the
evangelisation of Inland China. At this time I had not only the daily
help of prayer and conference with my beloved friend and fellow-worker
the late Rev. F. F. Gough, but also invaluable aid and counsel from Mr.
and Mrs. Berger, with whom I and my dear wife (whose judgment and piety
were of priceless value at this juncture) spent many days in prayerful
deliberation. The grave difficulty of possibly interfering with existing
missionary operations at home was foreseen; but it was concluded that,
by simple trust in GOD, suitable agency might be raised up and sustained
without interfering injuriously with any existing work. I had also a
growing conviction that GOD would have _me_ to seek from Him the needed
workers, and to go forth with them. But for a long time unbelief
hindered my taking the first step.
How inconsistent unbelief always is! I had no doubt that, if I prayed
for workers, "_in_ the Name" of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, they would be
given me. I had no doubt that, in answer to such prayer, the means for
our going forth would be provided, and that doors would be opened before
us in unreached parts of the Empire. But I had not then learned to trust
GOD for _keeping_ power and grace for myself, so no wonder that I could
not trust Him to keep others who might be prepared to go with me. I
feared that in the midst of the dangers, difficulties, and trials which
would necessarily be connected with such a work, some who were
comparatively inexperienced Christians might break down, and bitterly
reproach me for having encouraged them to undertake an enterprise for
which they were unequal.
Yet, what was I to do? The feeling of blood-guiltiness became more and
more intense. Simply because I refused to ask for them, the labourers
did not come forward--did not go out to China--and every day tens of
thousands were passing away to Christless graves! Perishing China so
filled my heart and mind that there was no rest by day, and little sleep
by night, till health broke down. At the invitation of my beloved and
honoured friend, Mr. George Pearse (then of the Stock Exchange), I went
to spend a few days with him in Brighton.
On Sunday, June 25th, 1865, unable to bear the sight of a congregation
of a thousand or more Christian people rejoicing in their own security,
while millions were perishing for lack of knowledge, I wandered out on
the sands alone, in great spiritual agony; and there the LORD conquered
my unbelief, and I surrendered myself to GOD for this service. I told
Him that all the responsibility as to issues and consequences must rest
with Him; that as His servant, it was mine to obey and to follow
Him--His, to direct, to care for, and to guide me and those who might
labour with me. Need I say that peace at once flowed into my burdened
heart? There and then I asked Him for twenty-four fellow-workers, two
for each of eleven inland provinces which were without a missionary, and
two for Mongolia; and writing the petition on the margin of the Bible I
had with me, I returned home with a heart enjoying rest such as it had
been a stranger to for months, and with an assurance that the LORD would
bless His own work and that I should share in the blessing. I had
previously prayed, and asked prayer, that workers might be raised up for
the eleven then unoccupied provinces, and thrust forth and provided for,
but had not surrendered myself to be their leader.
About this time, with the help of my dear wife, I wrote the little book,
_China's Spiritual Need and Claims_. Every paragraph was steeped in
prayer. With the help of Mr. Berger, who had given valued aid in the
revision of the manuscript, and who bore the expense of printing an
edition of 3000 copies, they were soon put in circulation. I spoke
publicly of the proposed work as opportunity permitted, specially at the
Perth and Mildmay Conferences of 1865, and continued in prayer for
fellow-workers, who were soon raised up, and after due correspondence
were invited to my home, then in the East of London. When one house
became insufficient, the occupant of the adjoining house removed, and I
was able to rent it; and when that in its turn became insufficient,
further accommodation was provided close by. Soon there were a number of
men and women under preparatory training, and engaging in evangelistic
work which tested in some measure their qualifications as soul-winners.
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FOOTNOTES:
[3] Isaiah lv. 8, 9.