Certain Victory: As My Father Hath Sent Me, Even So Send I You
George Christopher Willis
Table of Contents
Certain Victory
It was an exceptionally dark and cloudy night, and as we wended our way through the narrow streets of a South China city, under the dark arches of the city gate, and down to the river bank, our small lantern hardly seemed to pierce the gloom, or indeed, even make an impression on it.
We were sleeping on a boat on the river,—it gave us a chance to get away from the heat and the noise of the city, and gather strength for the work of another day. This evening we were late getting away. A young father had stayed after the meeting to get some medicine for his little girl, who he feared was developing infantile paralysis. She was just the age of my own little girl, now hundreds of miles from me, and as I watched the anguish of the father's heart, forebodings would enter mine.
It had been an exceptionally hard and trying day. Disease and death and famine,—all in a more tragic way than are known at home,—had been terribly borne in upon our hearts, until I was sick with the thought of it all. But surpassing all these, was the awful spiritual darkness pressing in upon us on every side, truly a darkness that might be felt,—the power of Satan apparently ruling supreme, till the clouds and darkness of the night that long since had closed around us, was as nothing compared to it. The Light we had come to China to hold forth, apparently did not make as much impression on this spiritual darkness, as the tiny native lantern we were carrying did on the gloom of night about us.
My companion was soon asleep, and the stillness of the night was only broken by the distant noises from the city. Some idol worship was going on, and the beat of the drum sounded through the black night even to where we were. I was only partly better from an attack of malaria. I was so tired, and the hard bed-board seemed harder than ever tonight, but it was all as nothing compared to the sickness of heart, and utter discouragement, as scenes of the day, and the thought of the darkness around, passed and re-passed through my troubled mind. I listened to the deep, quiet breathing from the other bed, telling of peaceful, restful slumbers; how I envied him as I tossed about, sad and lonely, wondering if after all it was worthwhile,—why not just leave it all, go and join my wife and children, and take them away from such scenes, home to where such sorrows and darkness are unknown?
=============================
Why not, indeed? I was pondering "why not?" when I suddenly found myself in a large upper room. I seemed to know the place, and the men there were not strangers,—but the sadness of their faces was beyond description, utter, blank despair,—it surpassed even my own. I anxiously inquired the trouble. "Our Christ is dead!" was the sad, short reply; and with awe and sorrow I thought, "You may well be sad!" I had not time to put the thought into words, however, as I suddenly saw Another standing in the midst. I knew Him in a moment, but had there been any doubts, His sweet words, "Peace be unto you," would have dispelled them instantly. Then, as He stretched forth those wounded hands, and bared that pierced side, I could but gaze upon Him. So different from the sorrowing ones I had first seen in that room,—Joy, Love, Triumph, all shone from that Face,—HE was a Victor, a Conqueror, One Who had overcome; and now in all the joys of His triumph He had come to share the triumph with His loved ones. Then with those fresh wounds still in view, with that look of joy and triumph on His face, I again heard Him: "Peace be unto you, AS MY FATHER HATH SENT ME, EVEN SO SEND I YOU.”
The words needed no comment, and none was given, but as I still gazed in rapture on the One Who is so rightly called "WONDERFUL," it all came before me like a flash,—sent to suffer, sent to be despised, to be rejected, sent to be a Man of Sorrows, to be acquainted with grief; aye, and sent to die, such was the MAN before me, but more than that,—He was sent to TRIUMPH, to OVERCOME,—and, "As My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you.”
=============================
But even as I gazed upon Him, He was gone, and I found myself in another room, in another land. I knew the room well, it was a beautifully furnished library. I looked over the books with interest. There were many of Mr. Darby's writings, also those of Mr. Kelly, Mr. Bellett, and many other well known names. A piano stood in one corner, with ornaments and photographs artistically arranged on top of it. The soft, heavy carpet seemed a strange contrast to the tile floors of China. Through the partially opened doors I could see the silver on the sideboard in the dining room, and it reminded me of the last time I had taken dinner there. The house was not really extravagantly furnished, though artistic in the extreme, but somehow as I looked around at the lovely pictures, the pretty light-fixtures, and all the arrangements of the home, I seemed to fairly shudder. I was just going to ask my host how all this could be, when the Lord had said, "As My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you.”
Before I had time to speak, however, he said to me, "We must be leaving for the prayer meeting." I glanced up at the clock, and saw to my dismay that it was ten minutes to eight. He saw that look on my face, and laughing said, "Don't worry, I'll get the motor out right away, and we'll be there in plenty of time.”
I did not know he had a motor, but before I could remark on it he was gone, and taking leave of the family, I met him at the front gate. It was a beautiful little car, a Sedan, with an exquisitely wrought monogram on the door. I was examining it, when the piercing cry of an infant, evidently close by, brought me back in an instant to the darkness of China. I jumped from my bed, and ran to the door of the boat, but all was pitch black, and now the stillness of the night was only broken by the murmur of the swift waters about.
Was it another little life added to the long, long toll for which that sad, dark river is accountable? I know not,—but strange as it may seem, I went back to my bed (not with the sorrows gone, but with another added), with a heart overflowing with thankfulness that the Lord had put me in China, and with a peace that did not come from this world. Yes, and with a heart filled with joy, knowing that as the Father had sent the Son, even so the Son Himself had sent me, to suffer with, and perhaps for Himself: but sent also to CERTAIN VICTORY!
(From: Tales from the Middle Kingdom)
=============================
It is more than forty years since this happened, but the sight of that Glorious, Triumphant Visage, once marred more than any man's, took away forever the temptation to `give up.'