STUNG K'UN-SHAN is the name of one of our most zealous Christian workers in Lao-he-K'ou, Central China, Dr. Parrott writes to us. His surname "Hsiung" means "a Bear"; "K'unshan" means "Earth Hill," and this is the name by which most of us call him. He is about twenty-six years of age.
The circumstances connected with our first meeting with him were somewhat peculiar, and his early career was a strange one.
As a schoolboy he did not make much progress. His idea of life was that of the soldier, as was that of his elder brother. So, when old enough, he enlisted, but only to find that the work was not to his taste, and after five years of soldiering he started in business in a small way as a seller of silk. Then he learned the cap-making business, and opened a hatter's shop. At this time he was about twenty-two years of age. One of his brothers lived in Hankow, and was a Christian. K'un-shan resolved to come to Hankow to his brother, and try his fortune there. So he gave up his hat-making business, and arrived in Hankow, without money, and without any prospect of work beyond a hope of getting some employment in the ranks of a big mandarin, upon the strength of a recommendation from his own mandarin brother. This was in 1893. His Christian brother could do little for him.
We had recently arrived in Hankow from England, and were wanting a servant who could cook. We engaged a youth, who had had some experience, and he turned out to be the son of K'un-shan's Christian brother. We were to go forward by boat the next day to Lao-he-K’ou, and what was our surprise to find two men ready for the cook's place, the extra man being the young cook's uncle, K'unshan.
I protested that I had engaged only one man and could not take two. But the K'unshan pleaded hard to be allowed to accompany his nephew, who was young, and had not before been away from home, and said they would be content with one man's wages.
It became a question of taking the two men or none. Servants were not easily obtained, and our boat being already hired, and delay impossible, we decided to bring the two men. A few months proved the young cook to be both incapable and morally unsatisfactory, and we had to dismiss him. The uncle, on the contrary, had so commended himself that we gladly offered him the situation which his nephew had forfeited.
From the first day of our acquaintance with K'un-shan we noticed an unusual readiness to know the gospel. During our long journey of a month up the Han river he spent many hours in trying to read the New Testament. Afterward, when his work was finished, he would go into the boys' school, and learn to read with them. His diligence in this respect was soon rewarded, and he is now able to read the Bible as well as most people.
He was with us more than a year before we could see any evidence of a real change of heart. His love of reading the Scriptures increased, and gradually the light dawned upon him. From the first his growth in spiritual things has been steady. Indeed, this is so in the majority of native Christians. There is not in their case, as at home in Christian lands, some ground-work of Christian knowledge before conversion.
Eighteen months ago K'un-shan was one of the first three we had the joy of baptizing in this place, and he is now our most gifted gospel preacher. He assists me in seeing the dispensary patients, and preaches every day to men who come to the dispensary and to our evening evangelistic meetings.
His testimony has been blessed to the conversion of a few, and to the enlightenment of many.
A few days ago, in protesting against the unrighteous treatment of a nephew of his who had gone to serve in a tailoring establishment, with a view to being apprenticed to that trade, he received rough handling, and only by the interference of a friendly shopkeeper did he escape a beating from the three brothers, whose rage was being vented upon him, more from the fact that he was a Christian, I think, than anything else. K'un-shan took it very quietly, and one could clearly see had gained a great victory over himself by not giving way to passion as any other man, not a Christian, would have done. Some months ago a thing happened which shows the character of the man. He was speaking one Sunday morning at our meeting, when the cook came in late. K'un-shan at once somewhat severely rebuked him before all the others. After the meeting I told him I thought, he had been unnecessarily severe, and that he should have spoken to him privately. This was all I said. The next time we all met, a few days later, K'un-shan, the moment the meeting was over, stood up and confessed to ' being hasty on the occasion I have mentioned, and calling the man by name, begged his pardon. This was quite voluntary, and produced a splendid effect upon us all. It was the grace of God, I am sure.
I would like to ask prayer for this young man. He has a good deal of natural ability for public speaking, and can usually gain the attention of the people more readily than any other one of our native brethren. There lies before him a large field of usefulness. There is no greater need in all this land than of men, full of the Spirit and of faith, who, being natives of the land, can speak the language, as no foreigner, however clever a scholar he may be, can ever speak it.
May we not add that the testimony to the Faith of a converted native Must be More impressive to his hearers than that of a foreigner?
COLPORTAGE IN BELGIUM.
We have before mentioned some incidents in the work of Mr. Gaussen in his volunteer colportage in Belgium. The following paper is taken from "The Bible Society Reporter." Mr. Gaussen thus writes:—
“Wherever my visit to a village or district preceded the priest's knowledge of it, all went well; and, as the result of about ten minutes' canvass in each house, sales were effected in, say, one out of three, and tracts were given; and, when one had visited the last house, it was with the happy consciousness that a village was left in light, which had been entered in darkness. But, alas, experience developed a dark side to the picture; for the next Sunday would, nearly always with certainty, bring forth a violent interdiction from the cure, who would say from his altar, Up till now, those who have bought those wicked books of the devil may have done it in ignorance—and, if so, it is not mortal sin; but, after this hour, those who do not burn them or bring them to me are excommunicated.' In consequence many Bibles and books were burned; but, thank God, many more were not; and, where they had been even very partially read, many were bold enough to contend that there was no harm in the books, but good.'
' On re-visiting a village or district, I was, in many cases, heartily greeted, and I was received and thanked, where I had spent, say, a quarter of an hour in making good my reception and effecting a reluctant and grudging sale. Some would confess that, by the priest's orders, they had reluctantly burned their purchases. But, on my explaining the enormity of the folly of burning God's Word, they generally accepted my gift to replace the destroyed property, promising this time to cherish it, as they knew that several of their neighbors did. The chief allegation was disrespect—if not blasphemy—against the `Sainte Vierge,' and that she was ignored, which a reference to Luke 1 often got over.
“The masses at Antwerp speak Flemish, with the exception of a certain number of Walloons, amongst the latter being about half the conscript soldiers of the garrison. My method of working among the Flemish, who are nearly all of the working-classes, and live in one or two rooms, is to knock at the door, or enter the workshop or public-house, and, taking off my hat, to present the book, saying that it is in Flemish. It is looked at and declined; but with all gentleness and assurance I persist, guiding their eyes to the table of contents, then (giving them plenty of time) confidentially guide them to John 3:16, 17,16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:16‑17) marking the passage there and then with a pencil, and also other passages, and when other persons are present inviting one to read out the passages, to be heard of all. I then put down a ten centime (nickel) piece, and say it is the price, and the bargain is generally concluded with goodwill on both sides..... I have come across single portions (with my marked passages) fifty and sixty miles distant from the place where they were first disposed of, and I have learned that a daughter or a son had sent it by post. It was always treasured by the possessor. Sometimes the parents could not read, but the children could; and it was an interesting thing to make one of the latter read out from St. John, and to watch the play on the parents' countenances.”
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BIBLE distribution is effecting wonders in various Roman Catholic lands. Only a few years ago countries, now open by law to Bible distribution, were kept close shut by the priests of the Roman Church. Let us thank God and take courage.