HUDSON TAYLOR The man who believed God by Marshall Broomhall

92 THE MAN WHO BELIEVED GOD
Hudson Taylor set great store, both then and subsequently,
upon the Romanized version of the New Testament,
as an aid to the illiterate. ·
Such labours were not in vain, for, within the space
of twelve months from settling in at Bridge Street, there
was established a little Church with eight members
in communion. There was Tsiu the teacher and his
mother; there was Fang the basket-maker, and Nyi the
cotton merchant; there was Wang the farmer, and Wang
the painter; not to speak of others. For such a harvest
in so short a time there was much cause for praise.
He was realizing God's presence and power to bless,
and he was to prove God, in a time of acute crisis, as a
Mighty One, able and willing to save.
It was Wednesday, February 9, 1859, a day long to
be remembered, for Hudson Taylor stood, or kneeled,
at the bedside of his dying wife. Every remedy seemed
unavailing and all hope of recovery was almost gone.
Life was fast ebbing away. Hudson Taylor had sent an
urgent request for prayer to the missionary prayer meeting
being held that afternoon. Just then another remedy
suggested itself to his mind, but he felt he must
first consult Dr. Parker before using it, yet he was two
miles away, and it seemed doubtful if his dear one's life
could hold out till he returned.
"It was a moment of anguish", he afterwards wrote.
"The hollow temples, sunken eyes, and pinched features
denoted the near approach of death; and it seemed more
than questionable as to whether life would hold out until my
return. It was nearly two miles to Dr. Parker's house, and
every moment appeared long. On my way thither, while
wrestling mightily with God in prayer, the precious words
were brought with power to my soul: 'Call upon Me in the
day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify
Me'."