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THE KING’S BUSINESS
b a c k th e eld ers a n d d eacon s an d b ro th e rs an d sisters w ho once were w ith u s!” H e go t no fu rther, fo r th e w ho le cong regation , w ith dozen s w eeping, sta rte d to p ra y fo r th e b ack -sliders, a n d G o d h e a rd th a t p ray e r, an d alm o st ev e ry one cam e b a c k to th e Saviour. A t one o f th e Irish P re sby te rian station s th e m issionaries sa id : “You n eed n o t exp e c t an y unusual m o v e m en t am o n g ou r Christians. W e are N o rth Ireland h a rd -h e a d e d P re sb y terians, an d on r p eo p le a re like us. T h e y c an ’t w eep, a n d w on ’t p ra y u n less you ask th em to .” But in a few d ay s G o d so a b u n d a n tly p o u red out th e spirit of p ra y e r up o n th em th a t no one could g e t a s ta rt unless he sta rte d b e fo re th e o th e r one h a d said “A m e n .” A n d I saw th a t a u d ience w eep ing for" one aw ful hou r ov e r th e ir sin, an d th en th e y b ecam e m igh ty intercessors. A Dead Church Revived. T h e re w as one church in M an churia so m uch in sin th a t I w as to ld it could n o t b e revived. I w as fold this in o th e r m ission centers, w here G o d h a d com e w ith pow er, a n d m y one rep ly w as: “Y ou now know G o d ’s p ow e r; p ra y fo r th em .” T h e n finally one S a tu rd a y 1 a rriv ed a t th a t hopeless m ission c en te r an d th ey h ad w on d e rfu l things to tell me. A ra il w ay co n tra c to r in th a t m o rn ing ’s p ra y e r m eeting confessed to having ch e a ted th e ra ilro ad com p an y ou t o f $200 , an d p rom ised to m ak e re sti tution. T h e re w as a B ible w om an also w ho w as b ro k e n -h e a rted ov e r hav ing d en ied h e r L o rd in th e Boxer year, a n d she to ld h e r L o rd if H e ev e r gave h e r ’a n o th e r o p p o rtu n ity she w ou ld glorify H im w ith h e r life. O n S u n d ay m orning, w hen I en te red th a t church fo r th e first time, b e fo re ever I o p en ed m y lips, I saw th a t w ho le cong reg ation b ro k e n dow n be-
h av e an y desire to help them selves. A s soon as I g o t to m y room , I fell on m y knees in agon ized p ray er. Soon G o d seem ed to reb u k e m e by saying: “D o you n o t u n d e rsta n d th a t I am th e A lm igh ty ? T ho u g h My p eo p le h av e no t p re p a re d for My com ing, My sovereign g race is sufficient, an d I can d o My w o rk .” When the Fire Fell. I h a d no m o re anx iety as to th e issue. N ex t m o rn ing I saw one of th e eld e rs w ith his face on th e spot w h e re I h a d k n e lt th e nigh t before, an d h e cried a h e a rt-b ro k e n cry : “ 1 will p a y it all b a c k ; Lo rd , forgive m e .” It seem s this e ld e r h a d be en tre a su re r of som e church funds a t th e tim e o f th e Boxer uprising. T h e Boxers cam e an d b u rn t th e bu ilding a n d th e church books. T h e eld er th o u g h t th a t since all p ro o f h a d be en d e s tro y e d ,'it w ou ld b e quite safe to lie, an d say th e m oney h a d n o t come into his possession. H e d e c la red to th e m issionaries th a t h e never, h ad th e m oney, an d all th e tim e he was using it in his own business. Said he, “ 1 h ad no tro u b le o v e r th a t sto len m oney until y e ste rd ay , a n d th e n G o d search ed m e as by fire a t b o th services, a n d I co u ld n ’t sleep last night. I will p a y it all b a c k .” T ho u g h w e h a d seen no signs, G o d h a d b e en w o rk ing in th e h e a rts of th e people, an d H is p ow e r b ecam e m o re m ighty w ith each succeeding service until on th e fou rth d a y th e w hole aud ience of 700 o r 8 0 0 y ie ld ed, an d b ro k e b e fo re G od , as m en w ill a t ju d gm en t. T h ey th en h a st en ed to g e t rid o f all sin. I h e a rd th em p ray a fte r th ey g o t righ t w ith G od . T h e ir p a sto r sto o d u p in tears a n d said : “W e c an ’t m an ag e a church unless we h av e rulers to g o v ern it, an d w h en m en b re a k these rules, w e m ust discipline; b u t oh! if som e w ay could b e found to b ring
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