Beirut, Jan. 22, 1890.
Thank God the word is good about the Lord’s work, and very comforting. From Egypt I have had many letters of late telling of peace and quiet among those gathered, and of new places where the Lord is working in grace. Dear——is much comforted. He had already seen a good many gatherings, and finds them fresh and occupied with the Lord, and laborers diligent and humble, with evidence of blessing in their service. Perhaps lie is by this time as far up as Assouan, near the southern limit of Egypt. There is no gathering yet in the far south, but a good many pious persons whom he has long known, who are interested in the truth, and whom he likes to visit and comfort, and convey to them books.
Others have written to me, and their letters are encouraging. For instance, one of them from an old gathering writes about the recent conversion of a man whom I have known for some years, but who bore a very bad name, although a man of means and fortune in the world. He says of this one: “He had spent his past life in the service of the devil, but the Lord has wrought in him by the Holy Ghost, and he is born from above, and now he assembles with us daily and prays with tears, and you will now find him singing with joy, and expecting the return of the Lord from heaven. He now longs to see you.” Such items of news refresh the heart. I remember well at both my last visits to this place that I saw this man present at every meeting, and I told the brother who now informs me of his conversion, that that man was under conviction, although he perhaps could hardly think so, as he knew what a bad life he had been leading. Hence my heart has been specially refreshed by the news. But oh, think of the joy in heaven over even one sinner that repenteth! I think, too, that it is a good sign in an old meeting when souls are drawn thither and converted. It shows that there is freshness and life. We are all so apt to become formal, and assume a kind of stereotyped condition. We become estranged from heaven’s joy over returning prodigals, and perhaps think that this work only belongs to evangelists. Thank God, it does pertain to their blessed mission, for God has sent them for it, and pronounces their feet “beautiful;” but this does not exclude His other saints from participating in this blessed service. Christ Himself is “the truth,” and this is needed by sinners and saints, and what is specially needed to convict the former will always refresh the latter.
From Mesopotamia I hear very good news. The brothers there had been anxious lest I was on the way, and feared that the rain and the cold would be too much for me, and were relieved when they got my letter telling them that another brother was coming instead of me. I thought this an evidence of real love. The brother will have reached there before this, but there has not been time for a letter to reach here telling of his arrival. I am sure the Lord is working in those regions to cause the midnight cry to be heard, and to proclaim the grace of the gospel. Patience is always needed in order that we may work with God: as Paul tells Timothy that the husbandman must first labor before he gathers fruit.
You will be interested to hear that I had the other day a visit from one who has been evangelizing a little among the Yezidees, “devil worshippers,” of that region. He cannot report fruit, but has been among them a good deal, and says they received him kindly, and allowed him to read to, and talk with them, only he must not speak against Satan. They admit that he is fallen, and under God’s displeasure, but say that, as God is merciful, He will not be wroth with him forever, and when He pardons and restores him into favor, they will share in his mercy, that is, the mercy shown to him. There are 72,000 families of them in the region where this brother has labored, and are said to be rather superior as a race of people. Few of them can read. They date the beginning of true religion from the time of the Mahommedan conquest, as their founder, “Yezreed,” lived about that time and rejected the new creed. One can suppose that their ancestors had a measure of Jewish and Christian light, but had lost hold of Christ, and only had Satan, His adversary, left. This shows us, in a naked, undisguised form, what took place, very extensively, amongst the mass of the Christians in those countries about that time. Only some remnants of them retained the confession of Christ the Son of God, and that under oppression and loss. However, the principle of what then took place is, I suppose, always true; if we lose or give up Christ, one then falls under the direct power of His adversary. Did not the Lord show this to Peter when He rebuked him? However God can work among “devil worshippers,” for He has done so among us, who were at least his slaves! Let us all seek to hold fast to the Son of God and grace.
B.F. Pinkerton
Thus after years of deep interest and trusting God to reach these poor Yezidees, the Lord has again answered prayer. I ask all who read this, who are Christ’s, to join in prayer for these remarkable people, and for the work of God in those vast regions of darkness. God is working, praised be His name. C.S.