Читать книгу: «The American Missionary. Volume 43, No. 02, February, 1889», страница 5

THE CHINESE.
A GLIMPSE AT SHADY SIDE

REV. W.C. POND, D.D

Our friends will get a quite one-sided and mistaken view of our work among the Chinese, as of any other missionary work, if they have nothing but the sunny-side reports to read. It is a war that we are waging, and war is serious business. The varied fortune of the battle involves defeats, incidental and temporary, on the way to the final victory. Sometimes it is hope deferred.

There are Chinese in whom we have come to be deeply interested, for whom we have long prayed, who have for years been among the most constant and most pleasing of our pupils, and for years have been convinced that an idol is nothing, but that the God of the Bible is the only true God, and the Christ of the Gospel the only true Saviour, who stop just there. Over and over again we ask about them, only to find them still just there. Not a step forward seems to have been taken, and meanwhile time—weeks that grow to months, and months that grow even to years— time that might be full of service, runs to waste. The heart gets sick with this hope deferred.

Then there are cases of disappointment. Bright hopes have darkened almost to the blackness of very despair. A brother whose conversion, (must I say apparent conversion?) has seemed to be unusually clear; whose walk as a Christian seemed, while he was with us, to be well-nigh perfect; whose spirit was singularly humble, devout and Christly; who was growing rapidly in knowledge of the word, and could already preach the word with power, goes back to his home in China. Sore pressure is brought to bear upon him, and he pays some sort of homage at an idol's shrine. He feels forthwith condemned. He will not be a hypocrite, and therefore will no longer profess to be a Christian. Now that he has returned to California, he is ashamed, he says, to show himself among the brethren. He stands aloof; keeps out of sight, and thus takes the very path along which Judas hastened to his doom. In vain do we show him the better way of faith; in vain speak to him of Peter, or of the Father's welcome to the prodigal, and the delight we once had in him adds soreness to the heartache of our disappointed hope.

These are not solitary cases. Yet we may thank God that they represent not the general rule, but the exceptions. The general rule is that of constancy and faithfulness, and these exceptions are such as occurred even in the Apostolic ministries: how much more to be expected in ours! Yet the pain they bring and the shadow they cast are none the less real and deep.

Another element in shady side arises in a quite different quarter. "Coming events cast their shadows before," and these shadows just now obscure our sunny side. We resolve not to be worried about to-morrow, and yet we must not enter doors that open except we first count the cost. That coming event is a deficit that seems inevitable, unless we shut our ears to what sound like the calls of God. Our plan heretofore has been to listen to these calls and answer them if possible, believing that he who gives the commission will not fail to supply the means. Nor has this faith been put to shame. Yet, when the rules of arithmetic confront one at every summing of his probable resources and subtracting of his fixed expenditures, and the figures, like fleshless, bony fingers, point him to deficits and unpaid bills impending, then, even while faith maintains her hold, it cannot be denied that shadows cross our path. Our friends who have helped us hitherto must expect some urgent appeals before this fiscal year is ended. The utmost economy shall be practised. Each dollar shall be made to do full service, if care and watchfulness on our part can assure this, but the work must not be hindered. Souls are at stake, priceless and immortal.

I have not yet reached the end of my catalogue of shadows, but I soon tire of looking at the shady side. Shadow pre-supposes sunshine, and sunshine there is, clear, abundant, having cheer in it for the present and promise for the future—promise of harvests such as may make this year to be as the last and even more abundant.

ANNIVERSARY OF CHINESE MISSIONS

Superintendent Dr. Pond is a modest man, and we, therefore, take the liberty of quoting from the Congregationalist a little sketch by our friend Dr. Holbrook, of the recent anniversary of the Chinese Mission as presenting a broad ray of sunshine over the "Shady Side," as given in Brother Pond's candid article above.

The Chinese Mission of the A.M.A. on the Pacific coast, under the superintendence of Rev. W.C. Pond, D.D., is very efficient and successful. Its thirteenth anniversary was held on Sunday evening, December 9, in the First Congregational Church in San Francisco, Prof. I.E. Dwinell presiding. The exercises by the Chinese converts indicated remarkable proficiency in the English language and in music, both in solos and choruses. Jee Gam, the first convert, and now employed by the courts as an interpreter, read an address on "The Congregational Association of Christian Chinese," of such merit in thought and language, that some doubted its originality, which, however, was vouched for by Dr. Pond. The writer sketched its origin in 1871 and the progress of the Association since, and said it had been the means of the conversion of more than 700 Chinese, and that it designs to send missionaries to China. It is self-supporting, though the expenditures during the year have been $9,619.50, of which $2,066 were for rent. Dr. Pond advocated the appointment of itinerant preachers to labor with the Chinese in the moving camps on the railroads. Rev. Dr. Barrows made a very effective appeal for funds, and a collection was taken. Dr. Pond certainly deserves great credit for his labors in this department, in addition to the pastorate of Bethany Church in San Francisco, in which there are a large number of Chinese.