Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-27
CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR HOUR
Conducted by Grace Livingston Hill.
For February %, 1904.

CHlNA. Acts IA: 1o-Z3.
49, And there came thither certain Jews
from Antioch and Iconium who persuaded
the people, and. having stoned Paul, drew
him out Of the city. supposing he had been
dead.
20 Howbeit, as the disciples stood round
about Him, He rose up, and came into the
city; and the next day He departed with
Barnabas to Derbe.
p. And when they had preached the gos-
pei to that city. and had taught many, they
returned again to Lystra, and to Iccnium
and Antioch.
%. Confirming the souls of the disciples,
and exhorting them to continue in the
faith. and that we must through much
tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
%. And when they had ordained them
elders in every church. and had prayed
with fasting. they commended them to the
Lord, on whom they believed.
There have not been wanting, as In the
days of the disciples. men in China who
persuaded the people and stoned the mis-
sionaries.
1.-The church in China" writes one Of our
missionaries, docs not need to read a book
of the martyrs-she is writing one" And
today in our topic. we come to the study
of that book of Chinese martyrs.
Before the recent troubles in China, while
the trouble was first brewing-there were
many who stirred up the people against
the missionaries of the cross and tried to
lay the blame of the discomfort against for
eigners upon them.
'The missionary" says Mr. Speer, zap
pears prominently because he is everywhere.
He is the only foreigner that most of the
Chinese see. He lives where no trader will
go; and so he bears the brunt of and-for-
eign dislike
This is where the missionary begins.
70 ;,ta af,.;a J1t-l Low i,fo
forts which even for worldly gain men
would not take upon themselves. We all
are familiar by this time with the thrilling
stories of the bravery Of our missionaries
during the Boxer war. Many and many a
name is inscribed upon the walls of our
memories among these missionary heroes.
high as Pauis is writ, or any of the early
Christians
The days of reading books of martys are
over. The world knows scarcely even the
names, now, of those wonderful men who
suffered and died for their faith and stand
among those about the throne in places of
great honor. 1t is almost forgotten that
men can die for their faith. 1t may be that
one great use of the terrible slaughter in
China was the showing to the world that
Jesus, the Christ, was one whom men would
die for, as He died for them
But after all ore expects a certain amount
of bravery from men who have consecrated
their lives to Christ, and given up all the
attractions Of life in the land vi re they
were born, with it's attendant com )rts and
possibilities, to go and tell others the story
Of Jesus And though it thrilled US as we
heard or read OF the matter-of-fact way in
which our missionaries stood by their posts,
or went calmly to meet their deaths for
Christ's sake, still We at least, who had
prised at their bravery. They were heroes,
Of course. All Christ's children may be
heroes In some way II they but give up
their lives to Him.
vxJaC xlyha m
faithfulness of native converts that we
realized the power of Jesus to draw out
true heroism in the humblest human heart.
Far beyond the Boxers hatred for the
foreigner was that felt for the native con-
verts. Every method was employed to
break down their faith. They were threat
ened and bullied. The governor advised that
Christians should temporarily abjure Chris
tianty, and some in power even went so
far as to issue orders that they must not
only do that, but must also give pledge that
they would never enter church again, II
they wished to live or to hold their property
safe. In some cases native Christians were
given only three days to recant.
Rev. Ting Ii Mai, native pastor near
Laichowfu city was seized, thrown into
foul prison, beaten two hundred blows with
bamboo club on the naked thighs and
legs until they were almost jelly Then
the magistrate asked him. Are you a
Christian yes, am" he replied. He
was beaten again and then asked the same
question, with the same answer, and still
a third time. Then he was sent back to
prison. DR.. Lilo, a young native physician
was treated in almost the same manner
and refused to deny his Master.
The list is not short of those In humber
walks of life than these two who have been
true to their faith. In some cases, along
the Shantung and Chill border the man
-gled bodies of these lowly followers OF
Christ were thrown into the smoking ruins
of their little homes.
Miss Halves, who so miraculously es-
capped death at the time of the destruction
of the Wei Hen mission, says: MY good
faithful cook, who prepared for us the last
food (Which renewed our strength for that
long walk of ten miles to the German
mines), faithful and true to us. was beaten
to death by the mob. They tore his clothes
all off him and took his money and beat
him with a club having nails in it. Today
that good man bears in his body the marks
of the Lord Jesus. / want to tell every
body about our faithful, true Christians in
China, some of them suffering horrible tor
ture, and some killed for Christs sake
An uneducated servant of DR.. Lewis at
Chinanfu, on refusing to recant, had his
ears cut off and then his hands were cut
off When he still insisted he was Chris
tan they beheaded him and he died, only
mourning for his wife and three little ones
left helpless.
In one place two little children were cut
down mercilessly because they declared
they believed in the one true God.
Speaking of this martyrdom, Maltbie ID.
BaDcOch Sd!u.
"a day of terrible testing and adversely
has dawned for Christians in China and
for their Christian brethren in America.
The ancient words comes to us-If thou
faint in the day of adversely thy strength
is small Reality is only realized by tests.
What do you know of a ship on still
day. of soldier on dress parade; of
surgeon at his dinner table? But give the
shin whirlwind, the soldier forlorn
hope, the surgeon a swift opportunity when
friends are GREATNESS, and then what they
are worth comes out. What shall this test
ing bring out in us, fellow Christians? New
dedication or desertion: courage or coward
ice: advance or retreat? This is concern
of our kings"
And as we read of the glorious death of
these followers of our Savior our own lives
dwindle and fall far short of heroism. Why,
we sometimes begrudge the few pennies or
dollars we send to help this cause along
We have not heroism enough in our Chris
tian hearts--somes of us-to make us give
up new pair of gloves or stay at home
from a summer vacation for the cause of
Christ. Let US look to our own heroIsln
while we are studying China, for a testing
time will come for US also. 1t may be at
hand
How to Help the Leader. .