Page 55 - incense-bearers of han

After the prayer of dismissal, the Chinese lady principal of the high school asked
me if I would wait for her a moment in her office. She had a word to speak to me.
This I agreed to do, and when she came in, she sat down on the other side of the desk
from me and said, “Mr. Graham, that is a very interesting story that you told at the last

of your message this morning. The most interesting part of it is that I know the other
half of it. The gentleman to whom you referred, who has now passed away, is a
son-in-law of this school. His wife is an alumna and incidentally a former principal, a
graduate of Columbia University of New York. We call her Ai Loa (Love-Joy). Just a

few days ago she came into this very office to see me. I had not seen her for sometime
and I had heard the report that her husband was dead. I found it difficult, therefore, to
explain the fact of her peace and joy of countenance when she came in, coupled with
the fact that she had on no widow‟s weeds or anything of that nature. I thought I must

have been mistaken about her husband‟s death else she could not have appeared so
calm and natural.

“After we and exchanged greetings, I said, „And how is your husband? I heard that

he was sick.‟ „Oh, yes,‟ she replied; „he is gone to be with Jesus, and I shall meet him
in His presence one day.‟

“I was very much amazed at this statement,” went on the lady principal, “because

this couple were rather notoriously irreligious in our set, and how she could speak so
confidently that her husband had gone to be with Jesus and that she would meet him
there one day amazed me beyond words. So I asked her for the basis of her assurance.

“She replied, „It is all very wonderful. I can‟t even explain it myself. My husband
was at the point of death; we all knew the end was near. He had been unconscious or
in a coma all of that Sunday morning. At about 10:30, as several of us stood around
the room, he raised his head up off his pillow and with a very clear eye and voice,

declared to us all that he had seen Jesus Christ nailed on the cross for his sins. “I do
not know why,” he said; “the conviction has become so plain to me, but I know that
He died for me. I know that I believe in Him. I know that I have eternal life and that I
shall enter shortly into His presence. My dear wife,” he said, addressing me, “we have

wasted our lives. We have known of this gospel. We have neglected it. I urge you here
and now, before I go hence, to trust Jesus Christ for salvation and to give your life to
make Him known. In the school that we own and operate in Nanking, see to it that
you have true Christian ministers to come there and preach the gospel to our students

from now on.” After so charging us, he put his head back on the pillow and his lips

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