T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
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Near View of New Site, Hunan Autumn Bible Conference (Nanybh) Site extends up ridge of hill at left
Seeded in preventing us from renting the house we wanted and had bargained for. They finally allowed us to rent a house in a retired position that -from their point of view was of little im portance, but in God’s wisdom was far superior to the original choice for the early years of the work. Gradually the gentry were won over and, with the exception of two or three men, became quite friendly. One of the exceptions was one of the most influential men in the place. This man, Mr. Kuang, would have nothing .to do with us and stubbornly resisted every advance. Every year before we left Nanyoh we' would invite the gentry in for a meal, but Mr. Kuang never would come, he would not even return a salutation on the street. Now this Mr. Kuang had a son who was utterly profligate, personally a very bright, attractive young man,, but a slave-to drink, opium, gambling and other vices, a great trial and sorrow to his father. Over two years ago the Holy Spirit spoke to young Kuang and l$d him to Christ, in Him he found a Saviour who enabled him to at once make a clean sweep of all vices, he was “ born again” , in deed and truth “ a new man in Christ Jesus.” After he had been received into the little China Inland Mission church at Nanyoh some one went to his father and told him that his son had “ eaten the foreign re ligion” , the Chinese way of saying that
he had joined the Christian church. The elder Kuang was furious and roared out, “ Send some men and have him brought here and I will thrash this non sense out of him.” Young Kuang is married and was living with his wife and child in a separate home some little distance from hiafather’s house. When he heard of this threat he first prayed earnestly over the matter and then having committed himself wholly to his Saviour, he went right up to his father and said to him, “ Father, I hear that you have sent men to bring me to you; that is not necessary,' I will come to you voluntarily at any time when you want me. I have been a most unworthy son, I have disobeyed you, dishonored you and wasted your money; you are my father and have a perfect right to beat me if you so desire; I will not re sist you. It is true that I have become a Christian, but before you beat me for that I beg you to look into my life and see the change that Christ has wrought in me. I no longer drink, smoke opium, gamble or indulge in grosser sins; I do nothing to disgrace you, and w e .now have a happy home. Surely, a religion that can make such a change in a man cannot be bad. Beat me if you wish, you have a perfect right to do so, but beating cannot destroy my faith, and again I implore you, before you beat me carefully consider the great change in my life.” The father made no reply, he did not raise his hand to beat him,
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