LITTLE fat-faced Chin Wong was sitting on the side of his father’s fishing boat watching the fishing birds. Each bird had a collar about its neck and was tied by a long string to the boat. When they got into the middle of the river, Chin Wong’s father would lift the birds and let them dive into the water.
They caught the fish in their long beaks, but before they could devour them Chin Wong’s father took the fish away and dropped them into his basket.
Now Chin Wong’s father sighed. There seemed to be very few fish in the river, and alas! there was very little money at home. There was a sick baby there, and money was needed.
“Honorable Father,” said Chin Wong. “Let us go further up the river. There may be more fish there.”
The father shook his head. “My son, you know there is an evil spirit further up the river. He might take us and destroy us.”
Chin Wong shuddered at the thought of the evil spirit. Poor little lad. Like so many of his people, grown-ups as well as children, he believed in evil spirits... there were spirits everywhere... cruel and spiteful and unkind. Chin Wong knew nothing of the great and good Spirit whose name is the God of Love.
The father knew that he must find fish, or there would be no money. Presently he decided to take the risk and row to the “dangerous place” or at least a little way towards it. “Well, let us try it, my son,” he said.
Chin Wong did not reply. He had just seen a very interesting sight. Away up the river, on one of the banks was a party of white people. They were having a picnic, and seemed to be enjoying themselves. Chin Wong knew that they belonged to the missionaries, the “Jesus Teaching People,” as they called them. He knew too that his father did not like them.
The boat was going slowly up river, and there must be fish, for the fishing birds began to flap their wings and show signs of excitement. They always knew when there were fish.
Then something happened. Chin Wong and his father would have said that the evil spirit of the river got angry and seized the boat and began to pull it about and rock it; the white people would have said that the boat had got into a current.
The boat suddenly toppled over. Chin Wong and his father found themselves in the water.
Chin Wong howled with terror. “My father! My father! The river spirit is holding me. He is dragging me down.”
“Hold on! Hold on!”
Voices, the voices of white people, came from the bank. A man and a boy, not a lot bigger than Chin Wong, were taking off their coats. A moment later Chin Wong’s father was seized and pushed out of the current so that he could scramble to the bank.
But Chin Wong’s father gave a cry of horror; he saw the sleek black head of his little son and the fair one of a white boy, disappearing under the water.
“The spirit has got them,” he shouted in dismay, and trembled as he saw the man who had saved him strike out for the sinking boys.
The next few minutes were very terrible ones, not only for the Chinese farmer, but for the white people on the bank. Other men had jumped in, but the current was strong. Chin Wong’s father, knowing only evil and cruel spirits, had no one to cry to, but even in the midst of his distress he saw that the women on the bank were kneeling and he sensed they were crying to their God to help save” the boys.
It seemed that THAT Spirit helped at once. Two heads came to the surface, two men gripped a boy, two dripping silent forms were brought to land.
The Chinese father made sure his dear son was dead, but he was asked to stand aside. White men knelt by the boys, lifting their inert hands over their heads and laying them down, over and over again.
At another time Chin Wong’s father would have been horrified toy see white people — who taught about, Jesus — touching his boy, but now — but now!
At last there were two groans, and two boys opened their eyes.
“My son!” cried the Chinese father.
“Thank God!” said the white one.
In a few minutes the boys were sitting up and drinking hot sweet tea. Chin Wong’s father turned to his helpers.
“How can I thank you, honorable gentleman? You have saved my son.”
“Our God helped,” said the white man, and then he asked Chin Wong’s father why he had come to such a dangerous place to fish. Chin Wong’s father told how he needed money for his sick little son at home and that he was poor; but the Spirit was vengeful.
“Yes, but there is another Spirit—a good and loving One,” they told him, and they asked him if he would like to bring his sick baby to the hospital. It might be that the Good Spirit would show them how to cure him.
For a moment the Chinese man was silent. He FEARED these people — and yet HOW STRONG their God must be — and how kind trouble about a boy who did not know Him or worship Him.
“I will come,” he said presently.
And so it came to pass that Chin Wong’s father learned about the Lord Jesus whom these people loved and served. Today there is one less peon in China who believes in evil spirits, and one more who loves and serves the Saviour.
Boys and girls, and men and won, in Christian lands like ours need the Saviour just as much as Chin Wong and his father, for “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God... Ye must be born again.” John 3:3,73Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)
7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. (John 3:7). To be saved there must be personal faith in the Lord Jesus as one’s Saviour. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:1212Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12).
ML-09/09/1962