Page 52 - incense-bearers of han
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CHAPTER VIII - A SCIENTIST MEETS THE GOD OF SCIENCE



                     I was preaching in Wuchang, one of the twin cities of central China.  I noticed a
                   well-dressed man sitting in the rear of the church. He looked rather bored. Seated in a
                   pew all by himself, he put his foot up on the bench, braced his back in the corner of

                   the pew, and tried to settle down for a comfortable nap.

                     Presently I began to read from the Mandarin Bible. The passage was Matthew 24.

                   The man in the rear of the hall began to prick up his ears just a wee bit and to evince
                   some interest that a foreigner could read the Mandarin with a rather unusual degree of
                   facility. Having read a portion of the great Olivet discourse containing the signs of the
                   age as given by the Savior Himself, I proceeded to give a message on the signs of the
                   second advent of Christ, citing recent world conditions and international relationships,

                   the general breakdown of morals, the departure from revealed truth as fulfillments of
                   the sign. The man on the back seat was unable to go through with his nap. In spite of
                   himself, he became deeply interested, straightened up his back, put both feet on the

                   floor, and then leaned over on the seat in front with arms folded and chin on the back
                   of his hands. His eyes burned into me as  I set forth the truth of the near return in
                   judgment of the Son of God.

                     After the service was over, he came down to the front to speak to me. Rarely have I

                   seen such agitation. Sputtering in alternate English and Chinese, he began to shout,
                   “It‟s true. It‟s true. Every word that  you say is true. I never knew that these things
                   were revealed in the Bible. May I go with you to your house and talk with you further

                   concerning these matters?” I readily agreed.

                     As we walked along to the house,  I learned that he was the dean of the Science
                   Department of a great university there in Wuchang, a Doctor of Philosophy from one
                   of our American universities. We had a long and earnest conversation, and my friend,

                   Dr. Cheng, really met the Lord Jesus. A fire was kindled within him the like of which
                   I have never encountered before in a spiritual babe.


                     At the next few meetings he was present, each time with his Bible open, listening
                   with avid interest. On Saturday evening, he told me about a certain friend whom he
                   had brought  in  as  a professor of mathematics  in  his  department.  His  friend was  in
                   Shanghai in a hospital and he felt he was going to die shortly from a serious kidney
                   malady. As he told me about it, he showed the greatest agitation, and shouted, “He is
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