On the hot night when I for the first time preached the gospel in Chinese in the Tungku Gospel Hall, a young tobacconist's assistant was present. I knew him as such by the strange dress that he wore. His bulbous head and tapering fingers nervously touching his gospels, contrasted oddly with his style of dress. He was a student, we saw, and could read well; and we also noticed that his neck, lithe arms and strong legs were all equally tinted a yellowish green by handling the tobacco leaf.
During my preaching, I was keenly conscious of the hiss of the Tilley lamp overhead, and his shining, clean shaven head below. However, the Lord gave help, and after others had also preached, we watched the Chinese groups leaving the hall. This young man remained behind when the others had gone, and coming forward, sat on one of the front seats. My fellow-laborer sat beside him and I joined them there.
To our joy he told us that during the service he had trusted Christ. On talking with him though, we found that he had not yet received the assurance of salvation. We explained to him that, by simple faith in the finished work of Christ on Calvary's cross, his sins, however great, were all forgiven him. Only then we had the joy of seeing the peace of God come not only into his heart but also into his face.
At first we thought the reticence of this young man, and the hesitancy of his faith, were due to a natural timidity; but soon we were to learn differently. He seemed reluctant to leave us; so we waited, and then he began to pour his story into our ears.
He told us that five years previously the Communists had raided his home town. His parents had been killed by them and he had been taken prisoner. They made him a baggage-bearer in the Red Army; and eventually they thrust a rifle into his hands. He was forced to fight and to march among them as a Red soldier. On two occasions they made him execute innocent captives held by them. Then followed long months of their issuing forth from their stronghold among the mountains; then surrounding, storming, taking, and looting some city, until he became weary of the evil life he was forced to live.
It was at this time that there fell to them a city which had hitherto been held by the troops of Chiang Kai-Shek. On the walls of the city he saw, in large characters, an offer of pardon made by the Generalissimo to any of the Communists who would surrender to his troops. There and then, he determined to give himself up to the troops of Chiang Kai-Shek.
The Communists were driven out of their stronghold in Paipu and took refuge in the surrounding mountains. It was at this time that our friend decided to make his escape and to surrender. Accordingly, late one evening he cautiously made his way with his rifle toward the lines of the Generalissimo's troops. Before he could reach their lines, his plan was suspected by two of his old companions. He was seized by them, brought back, judged, condemned to death, and locked in a hut to await his execution on the morrow. During the night he was able to make good his escape and, empty-handed, he arrived at the headquarters of the Central Government troops. Here he gave himself up, and received the Generalissimo's pardon.
When he came to Tungku, he was conscious that, although he had obtained Chiang Kai-Shek's pardon, he still bore the burden of sin. This weighed heavily upon his heart and conscience. Determined to seek relief, he had come that night to that gospel hall. Here he had heard the wondrous story of God's love to lost sinners, and by simple faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross, he had cast himself and his burden upon our mighty Burden-bearer. Now the peace of God filled his heart, and he could go on his way rejoicing in Christ.
"(NOTHING) shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."