Chinese Diamonds for the King of Kings — Sketch VI--A Christian General
_Hope for China's Soldiers.
_ *A Christian General* *HOPE FOR CHINA'S SOLDIERS.
* (The following letter was written on board river steamer immediately at the close of the visit to General Feng's camp.
) On Board Yangtze Steamer, September 2, 1919. Dear Home Friends: About the beginning of July, a very urgent message reached Doctor Goforth from General Feng of Chang-teh, Hunan, asking for a "mission" among his troops.
The only possible time he had to give was the last week of August, and the meetings were arranged for this time.
Later the General telegraphed for me to come for meetings among the 70 or 80 officers' wives.
When the time drew near that we should have to leave Chi Kung Shan for Chang-teh, word came that cholera was raging at places along the railway.
Then the heat became so intense I was tempted to listen to some who urged me not to go.
But as I hesitated, I was led to Ecclesiastes 11:4--"He that observeth the wind shall not sow, and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap."
How could I refuse to go, in face of such a text?
If I had not gone, what I would have missed!
The journey of one day by train and three by steamer was extremely hot.
It was as if we were in a Turkish bath day and night.
We slept at night on the deck of the steamer.
On Sunday afternoon, Aug.
24th, we reached the house of Mr. Caswell of the Holiness Mission.
It was amusing to read the General's letter written in English by his Chinese English Teacher, in which he said to Mr. Caswell, "I beg you to prepare the treatment for their coming."
General Feng called within an hour of our arrival.
He is over six feet tall, and every inch a General, yet without a trace of the bombast so often seen in the higher-class Chinese.
His manner is a curious and striking mixture of humility, dignity, and quiet power; he has a handsome, good face.
He at once impresses one as true and sincere, a man to be trusted.
He has been a Christian for six years.
THE STORY OF HIS CONVERSION.
The story of his conversion is most interesting, but it is too long to give in detail.
In brief, it is as follows:--When a young fellow of sixteen, he joined the army.
Shortly after, the Boxer Uprising broke out.
He was among those sent to put down the Boxers at Pao-ting-fu, but his commanding officer was really in league with them.
One day he stood in a mission courtyard when the Boxers came in.
A single lady missionary came out to meet them, and pleaded for her own life and the lives of the others with her, and with great power recounted what she and others had been doing for their people.
What she said touched the young soldier.
She and the others were spared then, but he heard that they were all beheaded later.
Soon after, he was taken ill and treated at the mission hospital in Peking.
On leaving, he wanted to give money; but the doctor said.
"If you are truly grateful for what we have done for you, then all I ask of you is to remember that there is our God in heaven Who loves you."
Later, he was again obliged to go to hospital for treatment at a place far distant from the first one.
Here the doctor, on his leaving, said almost exactly the same words--"Remember there is a God in heaven Who loves you."
Some time after this, the future General was in Peking when Dr. Mott was holding meetings.
He heard Dr. Mott, was much impressed, signed one of the cards, and joined a Bible Study Class.
He was thus definitely started on the right road; and, though other circumstances combined to lead him to take an out-and-out stand, he dated the beginning of his Christian life from Dr. Mott's visit.
THE GENERAL'S WORK.
Before coming here to Chang-teh, we had heard a great deal of what marvels the General had accomplished in the year he has been here; but what we have seen surpasses what we heard.
General Feng has the welfare of his soldiers, both body and soul, at heart.
This is seen by the fact that he has put down vice of all kinds.
All bad resorts and their inmates are removed far from the camp.
No smoking, drinking, gambling, or opium is allowed.
The officers, including himself, dress in the plainest gray cotton.
Even the officers' wives are not allowed to wear silks, but just plain cotton.
No foot-binding is allowed.
The General has arranged all sorts of athletic sports for officers and men.
There is a fine reading room; the illiterate are taught to read.
There is a school for officers' wives taught by a Christian lady, the wife of one of the officers and a graduate of the Peking Girls' School.
There is an industrial school for women; also an industrial school for men who are nearing the age limit of the army, to teach them ways of earning a livelihood.
Christian worship is taught and encouraged in every way.
One morning Dr. Goforth and I had occasion to pass through several courtyards of the men's quarters just at breakfast time.
As we passed along, we saw the men in groups standing before the food singing their morning hymn of thanksgiving.
And we were told by the missionaries living near the camp that every evening they can hear the soldiers singing their evening hymn.
Sometimes it is, "Oh, come to my heart Lord Jesus; there is room in my heart for Thee"--or "Pass me not, O gentle Saviour."
As the soldiers march along the street, they sing Christian hymns, one of the favorites for marching being "Onward, Christian Soldiers."
The General has a band, and also a choir; but I hardly know what to say about the quality of the singing and music generally.
I can only give my impression of it as I heard them in the Assembly Hall at one of the meetings.
The band, organ and men all start at once on the third stroke of the baton, no leading note being given.
Every instrument in the band seemed to my ears to be tuned to a different key, and every man seemed to sing without the least regard for the key of his neighbor.
All kept the tune, as far as I could hear, and all played or sang as loudly as they could bang, toot, or shout.
The general effect was deafening, and to me almost appalling, for there were about 1,000 men and some twenty instruments engaged.
When the General later called upon the choir of twenty men to sing by themselves with just the baby organ accompaniment, it was really delightful to listen to them.
They sang very well indeed.
THE MISSION AND ITS RESULT.
And now as to the "Mission" we have just held.
From the first, God has been very manifestly working.
Twice every day Dr. Goforth has had an attentive and keenly interested audience of about 1,000 men, chiefly officers.
At three of these meetings the wives were permitted to be present; but all the rest of the women's meetings were separate, when God gave me much help in speaking to them.
At our last meeting, practically all the officers' wives present said they wished to follow the Lord Jesus.
At one of the last meetings for the men, General Feng broke down as he tried to pray.
What seemed to affect him was the thought of his country.
As soon as he could recover from his sobs, he stood up and, facing his officers, pleaded for his country--pleaded with them to join him in putting aside all mean motives, and think and work and pray for their country.
One of his staff officers followed, praying earnestly, then one after the other of the officers, with sobs and tears cried to God on behalf of themselves and their country.
An old missionary who was present, and who described the scene to me, said he did not think there had ever been such a scene before when a general wept before his own officers, with all that followed.
But the discipline was not broken by it; for when the General rose to leave, the audience rose as one man.
Dr. Goforth and General Feng went yesterday to a camp 23 miles away, where there are about 4,000 troops.
Five hundred of these have already been baptized, and hundreds more are enquiring.
A Christian Chinese gentleman, who has won a fine name, is to come to act as the General's chaplain and organize the work among the troops.
THE COMING MAN OF CHINA.
Many feel that General Feng is the coming man of China.
His troops belong rightly to the north, but were sent down here to fight the Southern Army.
General Feng, however, has made it clear to the Peking Government that he is willing and eager to fight the enemies of his country; but, unless forced to do so, he will not fight his own countrymen of the south.
When the war was on, he telegraphed more than once to be sent to France; and when the situation looked very serious in Shantung a few months ago, General Feng was spoken of as the man to cope with the Japanese.
Surely it is a cause for most earnest praise to God that such a man is being raised up.
The very fact that such wonderful possibilities lie before him, and that after all he is but human, should call forth definite prayer for him.
China needs--oh, so terribly!
--just such men.
May God grant that General Feng be kept and used to save his country at this time of crisis.
July 24th, 1919. --Almost a year has passed since the above letter was written.
Several thousands of General Feng's soldiers are now baptized and the splendid work continues.
But as I write, civil war, which has been simmering for years, has now broken out in dead earnest, General Feng and his men are in the midst of the conflict and all are looking to him and his friend Wu-pei-fu to save the situation in this crisis.
*SKETCH VII*
