Sketches from Formosa.

OUT AGAIN BY THE HIGHWAYS AND HEDGES 211
Abraham's servant of old, breathed a silent prayer that
God would send us good speed that day, and use our poor
words to some purpose among the weary and heavy
laden ones of Sin-kang.
A crowd had already commenced to follow us, which
increased rapidly as we wended our way through the
busy market-place, on to a wide vacant piece of
ground, where we halted to commence our work. As
a matter of course, all sorts of questions and suggestions
were made as to the object of our visit ; some thinking
we had merely stopped to rest on our way to the North,
and that our sedan chairs and baggage would be following
on behind ; others, that we had come to practise the
healing art ;
a few, that we were here from one of the
Hongs or European warehouses to seek new openings
for the sale of opium, and so on. They appeared to
be quite satisfied when I told them we had no such object
in view, but were now amongst them to speak about the
true God, and the way they could become possessed of
lasting happiness a statement which brought one face
to face with the exceeding difficulty of addressing a
Chinese heathen audience on the truths of Scripture.
In the first place, their minds keep incessantly active
on matters not having the slightest reference to spiritual
and then, when they do pay some attention, it is
things ;
only to fall into all sorts of mistakes as to the meaning of
one's imperfectly spoken words. On this occasion, we
tried to be as short and pointed in our addresses as
possible ; each speaker confining himself to the statement
and illustration of one particular point at a time. I made
as good a commencement as I could by trying to show
who was
that there was only one living and true God ;
everywhere present, who knew all things, was holy,
merciful, and good to all His creatures, and who would
ultimately reward every man according to his works.