Chinese Diamonds for the King of Kings — Sketch VII--A Chinese Nobleman

*A Chinese Nobleman* *A Chinese Nobleman* As I review the life of the man of whom I am to write, two incidents of over thirty years ago come to mind.

On our way to China one of our fellow-passengers was a man who had been in business twenty odd years in China.

He declared there were no real Christians in China, that they were all "rice" Christians--followers of the foreigner for what they could get and so on.

Practically all the passengers, except the missionaries heartily agreed with these statements.

Later we heard the same thing repeated on the coast steamer.

Shortly after reaching our destination a well-known resident of China, who had occupied for twenty-five years a responsible position in the "Customs" made such positive statements along the same line that the writer began to wonder if these things could be true.

Six weeks later this accuser, and as I know now to be, cruel slanderer of the Christians had gone to meet his Judge--dying suddenly in his chair as the result of a vicious debauch!

It is now the writer's privilege to give testimonies after thirty years standing, to the genuineness of the Chinese Christian--here is one of them.

Twenty miles northeast of the Mission Station of Changteho lived a well-to-do banker and landowner named Chen-Lao-Jung.

He was a man of most masterful personality.

His old mother, to whom he was greatly devoted, had long been afflicted by attacks of what the Chinese called demon possession--which from all accounts exactly resembled those recorded in the Bible.

Every heathen means had been used for her relief.

Witch doctors, necromancers, Buddhist priests, and others had used their arts upon her (some of these being very cruel), but the poor woman was "nothing better, but rather grew worse."

One day a Christian called when the woman was in a serious and violent condition.

Mr. Chen asked Mr. Hsu, the Christian, to pray to his God for his mother, but the Christian replied, "I would gladly do so, but it is useless for me to pray to my God, who is the only true God, when you recognize so many other gods that are false.

These household gods must first be destroyed: then I can pray."

(Oh, that our home Christians would realize this too, _then_ would _they_ know the power of prayer).

After some demur Mr. Chen decided that he had tried these gods and they had failed him, now he would burn them rather than lose this opportunity of having his mother healed by the Christian God!

In face of the bitterest opposition from his family and neighbors he publicly burnt all the household gods.

Then he and Mr. Hsu followed by all the family and a crowd of curious neighbors went into the mother's room where she lay foaming on the bed.

Mr. Hsu first sang the hymn "Jesus loves me"--then prayed, then sang again.

Gradually the woman quieted down and before long was completely restored.

Thus the Lord as of old answered prayer and delivered the woman from the terrible power which had had such a hold upon her.

Her deliverance was so wonderful that all the family and some neighbors immediately accepted the Gospel.

Mr. Chen left his home and business for several weeks and came to the out-station where the writer and her husband were.

Here he took the place of a little child.

His humility, earnestness, and sincerity impressed us all.

When he felt he had grasped the main truths of the Gospel he returned home realizing as few Christians seem to do, that he had been saved to save others.

He at once started family worship, and prepared a building as a chapel and preaching hall--here he gathered and taught all who wished to learn.

His whole family became out and out for Christ and soon neighbors were won.

The first of these was a notable opium slave.

The story in detail of the growth of Christianity in Mr. Chen's region would fill a volume, but space permits only the brief record of open outstanding facts.

About two years after Mr. Chen became a Christian the locusts came over the country in great numbers, eating all before them.

Mr. Chen told his family that since they would all be busy fighting the locusts, family worship would for the time be given up.

A few days later a fine boy in the family, about seven years of age, became paralyzed in one side and was unable to get off the kang (or brick bed).

The following is Mr. Chen's own account of what followed.

"One day I was out in the fields fighting the locusts when I suddenly seemed to waken out of sleep.

"Hsing Wu kuo lai" I cried aloud--'Why!

_the connection is cut!

The connection is cut!

_' I hastened home and called all the family together.

I told them to get down on their knees and confess with me our sin of _putting God aside_, that by doing so we had cut the connection with God, for God had said, 'Your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid His face from you.

Oh, Lord now that the connection is mended, won't you heal the little boy?'

And as we prayed we heard the child get off the kang, and before we rose from our knees he was running around quite well."

Mr. Chen became a tower of strength to the missionary, who when obliged to be absent sometimes from that part of his field would commit the affairs of the Church into his hands.

Did he get money for this, you ask.

No--all his service was for love of his Lord.

Not many months ago this man stood bravely, grandly, one of the severest tests any Christian could be put to.

He had a very dear little daughter, a pretty, gentle, timid child of about nine years of age.

This child was away from home when she was attacked by a young woman of violent temper, the daughter of another Christian.

The child was struck several times with a heavy stick, and as she fled terrified was followed and struck again, it is believed, on the head, a few days later the child returned home, but could say little else than, "I'm afraid" over and over again.

She sank rapidly and died;

but before her death she told her father of the attack upon her.

A few days later the writer received a most touching letter from Mr. Chen in which he reviewed the past--what he had been saved from--what Christ had been to him--then wrote as follows-- "Shepherd Mother--My heart is crushed, my little daughter is dead.

I do not want the one who killed her to be punished.

I only ask that you warn her so that other children shall not suffer as mine has done."

Those of us who know how exceedingly _revengeful_ the Chinese are by nature will agree that one could scarcely find a more beautiful example of the power and fruit of the Gospel of Jesus Christ than this.

*SKETCH VIII*

*Mr. Doong*