Korea and Christianity
The extraordinary movement now taking place in Korea is one that may well be taken advantage of to spread the truth of the gospel in its saving power. Twenty-two years ago there were only ten Christians in Korea; today there are upwards of one hundred thousand.
In the Kong-ju district one man and his family were baptized eight years ago. That one family has multiplied into sixteen thousand five hundred converts, represented in eight hundred villages.
In the providence of God He has so ordered it that Japan, and not Russia, has the controlling influence in this Far Eastern kingdom. This has thrown the country open to missionary enterprise, an opening which they have not failed to make use of. In less than a quarter of a century the prejudices and antagonisms of centuries have been overthrown, and it is estimated that in less than half a generation the whole of Korea will be a professedly Christian nation.
Of course this does not mean that all will be converted people, any more than in our own so-called Christian land. But it does mean that the whole country is open to hear about the Saviour.
Personally, one cannot but regret the element of excitement that seems to prevail somewhat after the fashion of the revival in India. At the same time one cannot lose sight of the difference in temperament that exists amongst the various nations of the earth, nor can one forget the manifestations that accompanied the Spirit’s working, as recorded in Acts 2, 3, and 4, nor the physical accompaniments of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, and of the unbeliever spoken of in 1 Corinthians 14.
Whatever we may say to these things we cannot ignore them, nor deny that God is throwing open the door in India, China, Korea, and Japan in a way hitherto unknown. “Who will go for us?” Are there any who will reply, “Here am I, send me?”
It will no doubt interest our readers to know how this extraordinary revival began. An eyewitness writes:
“In January 1906, meetings were commenced in Pyeng-yang, where Dr Johnston had told the story of the revival in India. On the Monday evening a meeting was held, the like of which none who were present had ever seen before. When the usual time for closing the service came, those who desired to go home were invited to do so, and the meeting was reduced to some five or six hundred persons. Man after man rose, confessed his sins, broke down and wept, and then threw himself on the floor, often beating it with his fists in a perfect agony of conviction. Sometimes after a confession the whole audience would break out in audible prayer, sometimes in uncontrollable weeping, and this confession, weeping, and praying went on until two o’clock the following morning.
“In this manner began a work of God which spread like a flame from place to place, so that, as one of the Koreans said, Soon we shall all be Jesus-believing people.”
What Aquila and Priscilla will be raised up to expound unto this people the way of the Lord more perfectly?
ED.