I REMEMBER JOHN SUNG

By William E. Schubert

I. INTRODUCTION

Dr. Sung was probably the greatest preacher of this century. I have heard almost all the great preachers from 1910 until now, including R. A. Torrey, Billy Sunday, Henry Jowett, the great holiness preachers, the Methodist bishops, including Bishop Quayle, even Harry Emerson Fosdick, who set a great example of the homiletic art, though I did not agree with him, and finally Billy Graham. Yet John Sung surpassed them all in pulpit power, attested by amazing and enduring results, of which we will give examples later.

Better Than a Theological Seminary

John Sung was ten years younger than I, and yet he was my teacher in many ways. We had many contacts. In 1931 he was in our home two weeks of three weeks' meetings he held in our station in China. I learned more from Dr. Sung in three weeks than I  learned in three years in theological seminary. Whatever I have been able to do since, is largely due to Dr. Sung, under God. He taught me to preach from the Bible, to find the key word in each Bible book, and the key to each chapter, and connect them together. He taught me to explain one part of the Bible with other parts of the inspired Word. He would illustrate his sermons with diagrams on the blackboard. I learned from him to reinforce the main purpose of the sermon with a theme chorus every two or three minutes, then to give it new force with a sub-theme about two-thirds through the sermon, before swinging back to the original theme chorus. Often these theme choruses would return to the minds and hearts of my listeners weeks or months after, and stir them to repentance or to make a new dedication.

A Dynamic Experience of Old-fashioned Religion

There have been several books and articles written about Dr. Sung in Chinese and English. The outstanding book is by Leslie T. Lyall : "John Sung, Flame for God in the Far East." I recommend that everyone read Lyall's book. It tells much about Dr. Sung and his ministry. But Mr. Lyall did not have personal acquaintance with John Sung and there are many things which he did not know about him. Also, there are some things which Dr. Sung told me in confidence, which he did not want published at that time, because he said they were so strange that people would think he was crazy. And he had a reason for that fear.

After he found the Lord, and had that wonderful experi­ence of the visible presence of Jesus in New York City in 1927, some people thought he was mentally unbalanced, and he spent some time in an asylum, until the Chinese consul got him out and sent him back to China. I later met this Chinese consul when we stayed together at the old Missionary Home on North Szechuen Road in Shanghai. I asked him if John Sung was a little bit "off " at that time in New York City. He told me, "No, Mr. Schubert, he was no more crazy than you or I, but he had such a good case of real, old-fashioned religion, and it was so unusual there, that they thought he was crazy."

The Product of Prayer

Sung Shan-chieh was born in Hinghwa, Fukien Province, South China, son of a Chinese Methodist preacher. At that time the church there was only nominally Christian although there were some very good people. However, a lady mission­ary was not satisfied with the spiritual condition of the church. So she wrote to friends in America and asked to pray for revival in Hinghwa. Among those who prayed, there were two women who met together to plead for revival in Hinghwa.

Now, they had never been in China. They only knew this missionary. But as they met together regularly, they prayed for revival in Hinghwa where their missionary friend worked. One day, about two weeks before Easter 1909, they prayed through : God assured them that there would be revival in Hinghwa. So they wrote a letter, by ship, of course, in those days, which got to Hinghwa about two weeks after Easter. But two weeks before the letter arrived, the revival began --- on Good Friday 1909.

The Hinghwa Pentecost

One of those ordinary Chinese pastors was preaching to his people about the Cross and the crucifixion of Jesus. He himself was greatly stirred. He was moved to tears, and confessed his own sins to his congregation. His church members also wept, and got up and confessed their sins. They made restitution : they returned things they had stolen; they made right wrongs they had done to others; they asked people's forgiveness, and they forgave others. The whole town was stirred, and even travelers staying at inns heard about it and came to the church and were saved. These visitors went back home and witnessed in their own communities. Little churches were started all over that section, one about every ten li (lee) or three miles. In later years, I myself saw some of those little Methodist churches that were the product of what we call the Hinghwa Pentecost of 1909. About twenty years later, Dr. Sung himself investigated, the results of the Hinghwa Pente­cost, and was able to find 2000 of the converts out of the original 3000.

Learned to Pray From His Father's Example

Dr. Sung's father was one of those who was blest in 1909. He used to go up on the hill every morning and pray for his family, his church, and for the community. He also prayed that God would use his son to bring revival to all China.  Dr. Sung told me that the name of the town, Hinghwa, was the same sound as the words to bring revival to China (though the second syllable is a different character.) Because the little six-year-old boy, Shan-chieh, was a problem to his mother, his father took him along up the hill.

There he heard his father pray, and later saw the answers. Many things his father prayed for came to pass. So he began to pray too. In his early days his prayer were more or less selfish. For instance, he was getting only 97 or 98 in his studies, so he prayed that he might do perfect work. From that time on, he began to get marks of 100. Later, I asked one of his missionary teachers, "Did you folks give him better marks because you knew he prayed?" Francis Jones replied, "No, he did it; he did perfect work." Which of course was very unusual, but to be expected. Later, his prayers were for others.

II. FACE TO FACE WITH CHRIST

Dr. Sung told me that he had never had an unanswered prayer. God always answered his prayers, not just in another way, but as he had asked. That is one reason why in his early ministry he would not pray for people's healing. He said, "I know that God would heal them in answer to my prayers, but then it would attract many for healing, rather than for the Gospel." However, in later years he did have healing meetings, usually one a week, in which there were some very wonderful healings. This often broke down opposition to his work.

Fare to America Came in Answer to Prayer

When Sung Shan-chieh finished high school, he prayed that he might go to America to college. However, his father was just a poor Methodist preacher, and didn't have the money to send him to the United States. But about that time, someone who owed his father money, repaid it, and because exchange was very favorable, it was just enough to pay his fare to Ohio, to Ohio Wesleyan. A missionary had told him to come and stay at his house there. But when he arrived, the missionary had gone back to China. So there he was; he had spent all his money on his boat fare, and now he had nothing remaining for room, board or tuition. Today, if students go to America, they must have a guarantor, and also money in the bank. But in those days, no such questions were asked. So here he was, apparently stranded. Then he really prayed, "O God, I'm surely out of luck; if you don't help me, I don't know what I'll do."

When he went over to the college, the YMCA secretary saw this young Chinese man walking around looking very unhap­py, and asked him about his problem. Then he found him a _.job enabling him to work for his tuition, and another for his board and room. He worked his way through college, and finished in three years at the head of his class, others who were there told me. Also, he sent money back to his father in China to send his brother to America to study.

Too Bright to be a Preacher

Then they told him he was too bright to be a preacher. His father had dedicated him to the ministry, and he had gone to America expecting to be a preacher, but they said, "You are too bright for that." He was especially gifted in science. He told me he never took the easy subjects like history or sociology, but only the difficult subjects for which he needed help. He could read the others himself. One summer he learned German by himself, and passed the examination for this required subject. Then after Ohio Wesleyan he went to Ohio State and got his doctorate in chemistry, discovering a new poison gas.

Upon completion of his doctorate, he had three offers. One was to stay at Ohio State as an instructor. The second was to go to Germany for further studies. The third, which he chose, was to go back to China to teach science in the government university in Peking.  But as he was about to sign the contract, he told, his hand shook, so that he was physically unable to sign. Also, God said to him, "You can't do this; you belong to me. Your father dedicated you to the ministry; you gave yourself to it. I have helped you, and now you must preach." So he gave up his teaching plans. Then a friend told him there was a man there from Union Theological Seminary in New York City looking for students. After an interview with this man, he was offered a scholarship. Naturally, they were glad to get a man with a Ph. D. degree.

Lost His Faith, but Jesus Spoke to Him

In Union, Sung was one of the favorite students of Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick, but by the end of the first semester Dr. Sung had entirely lost his faith. He had nothing left to preach. He had no reason to go back to China. And yet he had committed himself. He couldn't return. He said he even considered suicide.

Then between semesters he got out his Bible and began to read it. He got back to the Lord. He read over to Acts, and was filled with the Holy Spirit. As he read Revelation, the Lord Jesus Himself stood in his room there in New York City, and talked to him face to face, and told him what his ministry was to be. (This was later literally fulfilled).

He was so happy that he burst out into the hall and cried out, "I've found God, and Jesus has spoken to me." All his mental and theological problems were solved. Then he went to class, and he told Dr. Fosdick, "You are of the devil. You made me lose my faith, and you are causing these other young men to lose their faith."

Fosdick said, "Now, now, Brother Sung, you have been working too hard. You need a rest, so we will find a place for you to rest. After some thought, and seeing some verse about "Rest," he agreed to go. But when he got to the place, the sign said, "Psychopathic Ward." Then he realized where he was. He was kept in the mental institution 193 days.

Read the Bible Through Forty Times

In those, 193 days he read the Bible through forty times. Someone questioned this, saying, "I find it difficult to believe John Sung read the Bible through forty times during his stay there." But Dr. Sung told me this himself, and I knew him well enough to believe him. It would be once in about five days. My own daughters at 7 and 8 years of age read the Bible through in two weeks when we three had a contest while besieged by the Japanese on Kuling mountain. One of my bishops used to read books a page at a glace. So it does not seem too unusual to me that Dr. Sung read the Bible through forty times in 193 days, besides making notes. He was a fast reader always. Naturally the Word of God took great effect in his life, and no doubt kept him sane in the midst of insane men, though he was greatly troubled by the mentally disturbed men who slept on either side of him. He said he almost despaired of life.

He told me that when the doctors would come and ask him questions, he would ask them questions in return, such as, "Are you born again? Do you know God? Has God forgiven your sins? What are you living for? Are you living for yourself, or for God and others?" Of course these questions would get them under conviction, and they insisted all the more that he was mentally disturbed. The word got back to China that he had gone crazy on religion, and his father was very_. distressed, and prayed a great deal about it. Then the Chinese consul had him released and sent him back to China.

But John Sung was not crazy. The Chinese consul told me later that Sung was sane. He had met the Lord, and one is always different after such an experience of the reality of Jesus. From then on, John Sung had a one-track mind, and only one purpose : to obey God, and to fulfill the life-plan Jesus had revealed to him.

III. DR JOHN SUNG'S FIVE
THREE-YEAR PERIODS

THE PLAN CHRIST revealed to John Sung included five periods of three years each, of which Dr. Sung told me in 1931. The first, typified by water, was a preparatory time. Jesus gave him a new name, "John," and he was to "prepare the way of the Lord." The "Water" period began in November 1927, when he was brought back to China.

The second period was the "Door" period, from November 1930 to November 1933. It was during that time that the door opened for him to leave his own province, Fukien, and begin a wider ministry. And it was during the beginning of the "Door" period that he was with us in Nanchang and told me all this. I wrote it down in my pocket notebook, and it was fulfilled to the letter, as I later checked it from time to time. The fact that this all came to pass in such detail is proof to me that Jesus did really appear to John Sung in New York and tell him these things.

The third period was the "Dove" period, November 1933 to November 1936. During this time the Holy Spirit was poured, out on the church in China, and Dr. Sung himself had some 100,000 converts. Many others of us were greatly blest in our ministry; altars were filled with weeping seekers who got up with shining faces to go out and give an effectual witness.

The fourth period was the "Blood" time, from November 1936 to 1939; it was during this time that Japan attacked China, and China bled as its soldiers stood up and` fought, in the north, and around Shanghai and in Central China, before they learned guerrilla warfare. Dr. Sung himself bled during this time, having fistula, and bleeding bowels, until he could no longer travel, and had to go into the hospital in Peking. The last few times he preached in Indonesia, he had to sit down, and the very last time he lay on a camp cot and preached.

Then he entered the fifth, or "Tomb" period, or "Sepulcher" time, during which he was shut up, in hospital or in his home in the Western Hills out from Peking, and people came to him, and he held three meetings a day, lying on his bed. At this time China also was shut up tight by the Japanese blockade, which closed all the ports of China.

Not Crazy --- But a One-Track Mind

When he told me of these five periods in 1931, Dr. Sung did not know the details of course; he only knew that there were to be five periods, and their symbols were to be Water, Door, Dove, Blood, and Tomb. This was all so strange that he did not want to tell most people. He was not mentally unbalanced, but he was different. I myself was somewhat unsure of him at first, until God so blest his ministry among us that I knew he was a man of God. I'd like to have a one-track mind like his if I could. It only takes all you have. "Leave all and follow me."

Dr. Sung returned to China in 1927. On the ship he took all his diplomas and honors and threw them out of the porthole. From that time on he wore only a plain Chinese gown, and looked like a Chinese coolie. The first time I saw him, I was greatly disappointed. This man was supposed to be such a wonderful preacher, but I thought to myself, "This man is no good." He didn't even look bright, his hair hanging down over his eyes. He wasn't quite like the hippies of today, but he was very strange appearing. However, we were happily surprised.

Back in Hinghwa, they put him to teaching science in the mission school. But the times were revolutionary, and the students ran him out of the school. We heard about him. He spoke at the district conferences and other meetings in his own province, Fukien, and there were some articles in the Methodist China Christian Advocate which mentioned him. But when we wrote about having him come for meetings with our students about 1929, the missionaries replied that he was no good for students, only for country people with whom he did religious education work. Later events proved that they were mistaken, for he had a great ministry with students all over the Orient. However, we did invite him, and he tried to come, but got sick in Foochow and couldn't come. This was because the "Door" period had not yet arrived. Two years later he did come to us, as we will tell later.

Dr. Sung's Wider Ministry Begins

The second or "Door" period, beginning in November 1930, opened a wider ministry in all China. It came about this way: there was a big Religious Education conference near Shanghai, and John Sung was sent as a delegate, not as a speaker, but to learn from others. However, he took a suitcase full of religious education materials he had used in the rural districts. A noted missionary lady saw these materials, and asked him to take her place as a speaker the first day. After they heard him, different ones asked him to speak, and he became the main speaker of the conference.

One of my Chinese preacher friends from Nanchang was there, and came back enthused, and all aglow with interest and zeal. He said, "Oh, Mr. Schubert, we Chinese have our own Paul. He preaches the Bible like I never heard anyone preach before." He asked, "Could we have him come to Nanchang?" I replied, "Yes, why don't you invite him; you have your own church." He said, "I asked the Chinese district superintendent, and he didn't approve."

I said, "You don't have to have his approval." (In those days it wasn't necessary as it is now). John Sung was also a Methodist preacher. "You can invite him; you have the authority." He said, "Yes, but how will I finance it?" I replied, "If he is as good as you say, it will take care of itself, but if not, I'll underwrite it." Which was all he needed.

Pastor Hsu promptly wrote to Dr. Sung, who had promised to come if invited. But meantime, the bishop and the lady "archbishop" (the senior missionary) had written that Sung must return to his work in Hinghwa, so he answered Hsu that he couldn't come. This was a great disappointment to us. However, he got sick, and while he was in Bethel Hospital in Shanghai God told him to come to Nanchang, so he obeyed God, with marvelous results.

IV. REVIVAL IN ANSWER TO PRAYER

Naturally we were very happy that Dr. Sung could come. A young Chinese returned student and I had been praying for fifty days for revival. In fact, Yu Mong-ling had been in Ohio Wesleyan with John Sung, and was now principal of our model school connected with Nanchang Academy. The year before, 1930, he and I had prayed thirty mornings at six o'clock, and nothing happened. 

I had an idea that if we prayed thirty days we could have a revival. When I was a young preacher in California, Bishop Edwin Hughes had told us about a preacher who didn't want to go back to his church, but the bishop told him, "You pray thirty days, every morning, for revival in your church, and at the end of thirty days, if you still want to leave, I'll move you." Well, the preacher prayed, twenty, twenty-five, twenty-nine mornings, and thought, "Tomorrow I can write to the bishop and he will move me." But the thirtieth day, as he was praying in his church, the people came from all directions, afoot, on horseback, and in buggies. They came into the church and wept and confessed their sins, got right with God and with each other, and they had a revival. Of course, the preacher stayed. For this reason, I thought thirty days was the time needed. But in 1930 nothing happened, so when downriver church leaders invited me to speak at a district conference, I did not suggest praying when I came back, because we had prayed without results.

Prayer Needed to Solve Church Problems

Now we found ourselves facing an increasingly dismal situation in our conference. Some of our Chinese preachers were on trial for immorality. (I defended one.) Our senior missionary was so discouraged that he wanted us to close the whole work and have the bishop and the mission board move us all somewhere else. But I wouldn't agree to this.

I said, "We had better begin to pray." This missionary was a fine man (God rest his soul) but he was too busy to pray with me. Others had to take their baths at that time, or do other things. And of course, the women had their children to care for. The senior missionary's wife came the first morning, but it was the first of January, and it was still dark and cold at 6 a.m., so she didn't come anymore. Perhaps she was embarrassed that only the two of us were present.

But that day I saw the young teacher-preacher who had prayed with me the year before, and told him we were beginning to pray again. So the next day he came, and for fifty mornings it was mostly just the two of us, except when some of the missionaries from Kiukiang came for committee business, and they would join us. The other days the two of us prayed.

Many Students Converted

So at the end of our fifty days of prayer, Dr. John Sung came, and he preached in our girls' high school chapel (Baldwin Girls' School) each morning the first week. Our boys' high school, Nanchang Academy, joined. Dr. Sung told his life story, of which we have recounted a part. In the afternoons, he went over to Pastor Hsu's place (the man who had invited him) and preached in the Women's and Children's Hospital run by Dr. Ida Kahn. The students from our two high schools would walk clear across the city, three miles in the rain and mud, to hear him again.

Then at night he spoke in one of the downtown churches. He refused to let us open the doors for the street crowds, as had been our custom there. He said, “No, God told me I was not to fish in a running stream, but in two lakes" (evidently the two high schools). So the students and others came in the side door, and the church was filled with Christians.

During that first week practically all the students were converted. There had been a debate planned on whether religion should be voluntary or required in the schools (at that time the Chinese government did not approve of required religious instruction in the schools). But now none of the students were willing to take the side of voluntary religious education: all felt it should be required.

The second week Dr. Sung preached three times a day in the Baldwin Girls' School chapel. Students and teachers from both high schools, missionaries, doctors and nurses from our Nanchang Hospital, and many from our four city churches, attended. The interest deepened, and some of the teachers were converted.

"Feeding Husks to Pigs"

Dr. Sung preached much from Mark, on "Sin." But one day he spoke from Luke 15, on the Prodigal Son, who fed husks to pigs. He said, "If in your schools here, you teach only English and History and Mathematics, and don't let the young people find God, you are just feeding husks to pigs." Some of the teachers were quite upset, and said he was insulting our students, calling them pigs. They told the Chinese lady principal she should not allow him to preach in her chapel. She was inclined to agree with them. That night, however, she got under tremendous conviction of sin herself. She wrote a letter to Dr. Sung, saying, "Not only are we feeding husks to pigs, but I'm a pig myself."

Dr. Sung showed me this note, and I suggested, "Why don't you have a time of testimony today ?" So he asked if anyone had anything to say. The Chinese lady principal got up in front of everybody---the students of her own school and of the boys' high school, the teachers and missionaries---and she said, "I objected to Dr. Sung saying that we were feeding husks to pigs. But I decided that I was a pig myself. I knew that I wasn't good enough to be principal of this Christian school; however, I thought I was as good as any of the other Chinese teachers, and I might as well have the salary and the nice house, and wear the good clothes. But from now on my purpose will be to help my students find God and salvation."

Teachers Wept All Night

One night two of the men teachers, both preachers' sons, got under terrific conviction. The cries and loud prayers of one wakened the other (one lived upstairs and one down) and they both wept and prayed most of the night until they found peace with God. One of them, Paul Wang, was the son of the Chinese district superintendent I had worked with several years. Rev. Wang Shih-tsing was a very capable administrator and preacher, but there were some questions about his ethics and morals.

Now the son talked to his father about repentance. I happened to come into the room just then, and I believe if it had been the old days in China when the father could kill his son, Pastor Wang would have done it. But he finally broke down and confessed his sins. His wife was released from her inhibitions, and he told me, "Aggie is happy again like she was before we were married." The young teacher was in war work with me in West China in 1945, and he handled millions of dollars honestly, a rare phenomenon in those times. These were some of the social benefits of Holy Ghost evangelism.

V. THE NANCHANG PENTECOST

During this time, Dr. Sung preached three times a day, and every time like a house afire. He wore out the paint on the platform, and they asked him to wear rubber-soled shoes. He would come back to our house, take off all his wet garments, and throw them "plop" out of his room into the hall, as I had suggested, and our amah would wash them --- three sets a day!

One noon we had all our Fu River pastors come to our house for lunch with Dr. Sung, including Hsiung Fei, our district superintendent. Hsiung was a bright and capable man, but he was very proud. He asked Dr. Sung : "This morning you said that some leaders in our work would betray Christ as Judas did. What advice would you give us, so that we would not be that leader?" Dr. Sung replied like a flash : "Don't be a leader!" Hsiung Fei dropped his head like he had been shot. No one said anything, for all that leadership was Hsiung's temptation.

"I Sin Every Day"

One day, Dr. Sung, in speaking about sin, said, "I sin every day myself." I was struck to the heart. Here was this man, whom the students almost worshipped, condoning sin, which Jesus had condemned. That night I spent the night in prayer for him. This, unfortunately, is only once of a very few times that I have spent a night in prayer for anyone. The next morning, after breakfast, I asked him to come into our living room. I pointed my finger at him, as he would do to others, and said, "Dr. Sung, you are of the devil." He exclaimed, "Wha-what?" I said, "Jesus told us, `He that sinneth is of the devil,' and yesterday you said that you sin every day." I never heard him condone sin again, or preach a "sinning religion."

At the end of the first two weeks, Dr. Sung announced on Sunday morning that he would not preach that night, that he would pray, and any who wanted to pray with him could come : "If six or eight or ten come, that is all right." In the afternoon 193 students and teachers went to a village, Bean Sprout Lane, about two miles outside the city. I had conducted a "Thousand Character School" there in previous years, but nobody had been converted. The students and teachers went two by two into the village homes to witness. They would come out of the houses with the villagers bringing their idols. The stone idols they threw into the river. The wooden ones they burned. The entire village gave up idolatry.

Water Baptism and Holy Ghost Baptism

On the way back it "rained pitchforks," a tremendous rain. Only one student had an umbrella, and the wind turned it inside out. The water was running down over their faces, and their hair was plastered down over their foreheads. But they came to me with shining faces, saying, "Mr. Schubert, John the Baptist^-said, I baptize with water, but Jesus will baptize you with the Holy Ghost." We are getting our water baptism now; maybe we will get our Holy Ghost baptism tonight." And that is exactly what happened.

That evening, instead of the six or eight or ten coming, there were 250 to 300 present in the Baldwin School chapel. The place was filled. Dr. Sung had us sing some choruses about prayer. Then he told us to pray. But nobody prayed. It was rather embarrassing at first. Then two little high school girls stood up and began to pray at the same time. I can still see their double braids. We had never had that; never more than one person prayed at the one time. I remembered what Gypsy Smith had told about when he was preaching in a "Gothic" church in Virginia, controlled by a "Gothic lady." When two persons prayed at the same time, this "Gothic lady" said, "Mr. Smith, you tell them to stop; we can't have two persons praying at the same time." He told her, "Sister, God has two ears."

The Holy Spirit Fell on All Present

Just then the Holy Spirit fell on everybody. All began to pray at once. There was no rushing wind, and there were no tongues that I know of. But God spoke to everyone in Chinese, and it seemed the natural thing to pray in Chinese, with utterance beyond what I had ever experienced. God spoke to me in Chinese, and I prayed in torrents of Chinese.

At first, Dr. Sung was very much surprised, and not pleased. He called out for us to stop : "We don't want any fanaticism here." I don't think he had ever been in a place where all prayed at one time, though later in his meetings it often happened.  Later, it became common, and still is practiced in Taiwan and among most evangelical Chinese groups everywhere. But at the time we had never seen or heard it before. The whole outburst was unplanned and spontaneous - a moving of the Holy Spirit. But that night, in March 1931, Dr. Sung stopped us.

He asked all to go to their rooms and pray quietly. He said, "Now I'll pronounce the benediction." But as he prayed, the Holy Spirit fell the second time, and everybody began to pray in chorus again. Again he stopped us: "You didn't under­stand; I didn't say to pray here." I later asked him why he stopped us, and he told me, "I didn't want the missionaries to say `That crazy Sung made all the students crazy."'

Communist Students Converted

Then, as he began to pronounce the benediction again, the Holy Spirit fell upon the whole congregation the third time. So he finally let us go on, and the spontaneous prayer must have continued forty-five minutes to an hour. Christians got under conviction and confessed their sins. There were about seven or eight communist students, who later confessed that they had been paid to come there to school to cause trouble.

These communist students were in the center of rows, scattered throughout the audience where they could make the most disturbance. When they got under conviction, they tried to get out, but the Christian students wouldn't let them out of the rows. The Christian students had been praying for them. I can remember seeing the Christian students beating their own knees for joy when the young communists got so under conviction. All the agitators could do was to stand up and beat their breasts and cry out, "Oh, my unspeakable sins." They all became earnest Christians.

VI. ALL MY PREACHERS BORN AGAIN THAT NIGHT

When the Holy Spirit fell on us that night in Nanchang, all the Chinese preachers from my Fu River District had come in for the district conference. The Kan River and Nanchang District pastors were there also, as well as the students and teachers of both high schools and the doctors and nurses of our Methodist Nanchang Hospital.

Up to that time most of my pastor friends had not been born again, I fear, though I had worked with them for several years, and had prayed for them, and had talked and preached the New Birth. But that night I think everyone of them was born again, including Pastor Wang Shan-chin. I had been his assistant pastor several years before, in the big institutional church in Nanchang. He once confessed to me: "Mr. Schubert, I don't even know if there is a God.” I exclaimed, "Why, Pastor Wang, how can you be a Methodist pastor when you don't even know if there is a God?"

He replied, "I believed in God until I went to America. But there I lost my faith while in Union Theological Seminary. Later, when I was visiting in England during the war, I went to see Oxford University. There I saw the pictures of the great preachers, and I thought, `It is all empty.' But something said to me, `No, anything that can produce men like this, there must be something to it."'

That was the extent of his theology : "There must be something to it." Someone asked me. "What did he preach?" He preached Comparative Religion. In his big institutional church, which he patterned after some he had seen in America, he had an English school (which I ran the year I was with him), a library, a reading room, and many social activities. In that way he eased his conscience, but he wasn't able to preach any Gospel of salvation.

Hadn't Wanted to Do Pastoral Visiting

Once when I suggested that we might call on the church members, he said, "That is what we have the Bible woman and colporteur for, to tell the church members on Saturday that tomorrow is Sunday, and to come to church." Soon after that, Bishop Birney came and wanted to call on the church members, not just the rich leaders, as Pastor Wang suggested, but the poor in the hovels, the bishop said. So Pastor Wang had to go with him. But his heart was not in it of course. This was more or less the attitude of most of the pastors. They did call with me, rather unwillingly, but they didn't want to sell Scripture portions, or hand out tracts.

Pastor Wang also told me that day in Oxford University, "something" told him that if he would keep on and do the best he could, someday it would all come clear, "and that," he said, "is what I am doing." Eight years later, after we had prayed for him all these years, Pastor Wang got back to the Lord in the meeting in Nanchang when the Holy Spirit fell. He really found God, and became a fervent evangelist. He was so zealous that a visiting bishop was afraid of him and appointed him way out in communist territory in Kingteh­chen. This was a city of 300,000 but with only twelve Methodist church members in a rented street-front chapel.

A Self-supporting Indigenous Church Developed

Pastor Wang went out there, but his wife refused to go. She hated the church and the bishop, and talked against them. As a result, their little adopted son grew up to become a communist. Twenty-some years later, when I was in commun­ist China, in Chungking, Pastor Wang's son was a communist leader there. But Pastor Wang Shan-chih went to Kingteh­chen and built up the church from a dozen members to a hundred communicants, with over two hundred attending. He also led three denominations in evangelism.

Then entirely with Chinese funds, and no American mission aid, they built a three-story brick building, with a preaching hall and reading room on the first floor, sanctuary on the second (and a room for the visiting missionary) and children's school on the third floor with quarters for the women teachers. He had a young men's gospel team, mostly his own converts, who went everywhere preaching through the countryside. The last I heard, about 1967, Pastor Wang Shan-chih, then over 80 years of age, was still preaching in that self-supporting church under the communists.

But Pastor Wang was not the only one: Whatever is left of our work in that part of China is the result of the Holy Spirit working in that first great meeting of Dr. Sung's ministry. This is true in many other places in China and throughout the Far East. But it was in Nanchang in 1931 that the Holy Spirit fell in a new way on Dr. Sung and our students, teachers and preachers, and on all of us who were present.

That was the beginning of the "Door" period. of Dr. Sung's ministry, of which Jesus had told him in his seminary room in New York City. He later said it was in Nanchang that the Lord gave him his special anointing. It was the first of many great meetings he held all over China and Southeast Asia. It was not planned by Dr. Sung, nor worked up by anybody. It was a great surprise to him, as it was totally unrehearsed and spontaneous. It showed Dr. Sung and us that there is a Holy Ghost power far beyond man's ability. It is no glory to any human, but it is available to anyone.

A China-Wide Ministry

We asked all those who were converted or filled with the Spirit in the Nanchang meetings to write out their testimonies. Our Chinese teachers copied them, and we posted them around the school chapel for all to see and read. Then we sent copies of these testimonies to the Christian papers throughout China. The news went everywhere, and as a result John Sung was invited to preach in many places. The "Door" was opening.

Then Dr. Sung worked for two years or more with Bethel Mission in Shanghai, with the Bethel bands under the fine leadership of Andrew Gih. But at the end of that time, Miss Jennie Hughes of Bethel, hearing that he intended to leave Bethel and work with the Presbyterians, dismissed him abruptly. He wrote to me that he had no such plans, and asked me, "What shall I do?"

I got out my notebook of 1931 in which I had written down what Jesus had told him in 1927 in New York City. Then I wrote him that now he had finished the "Door" period (it was November 1933). "Now you are about to enter the "Dove" period of your ministry." That was the way it was, because, before he got my answer, there were many invitations to hold meetings in many places in China. He selected enough for six months, one week in each place. That was the beginning of the "Dove" period, from 1933 to 1936, the great Holy Ghost time, during which John Sung had something over 100,000 con­verts, and many others of us were greatly used of God. It prepared many for the coming persecutions. Persecution always follows revival.

The Great Revival Time in China

One time during the "Dove" period, Dr. Sung held a month's meeting in Amoy, to which people came from all over China. He preached three times a day, clear through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. The substance of these addresses was published in Chinese and is still available in Christian bookstores in Taiwan, Hongkong, Manila, Singapore, etc.

The Holy Ghost revivals of 1933-36 continued everywhere. Converts traveled with the refugees on the great westward treks during the war with Japan. There were revivals even in places occupied by the Japanese, as well as in Free China. And there are many faithful Christians in mainland China today, the result of Dr. John Sung's work, though many have died for their faith. We pray that the survivors may be stirred by a great new zeal to witness, and a renewed Holy Ghost power to win souls which will sweep all China with a greater revival than has ever been experienced in that suffering land.

VII. REVIVAL IN SPITE OF OPPOSITION

After the great revival "Dove" period, Dr. Sung entered the "Blood" period, from November 1936 to 1939. During that time Japan invaded China, and blood began to flow. At that very time, November 1936, Chiang Kai-shek was captured and held until he agreed to fight Japan. I remember how thankful we were when he was released. During those years Dr. Sung also bled. He had fistula. But he went on preaching in many places.

Disapproval by Leaders

In 1937 he held meetings in the Guilan Methodist Church in Nanking. The city-wide evangelistic committee of Chinese churches invited him. But the Chinese pastor of the Guilan Church did not approve of Dr. Sung's coming to his church because his missionary co-worker disapproved. The bishop also did not favor Dr. Sung's meetings. But the local Methodist church board voted to let the interdenominational committee have the meeting in the Guilan church anyway, and Dr. Edward James, Methodist professor in Nanking Theolo­gical Seminary, and Mrs. James, entertained John Sung. I was holding meetings in Chinkiang at that time, but I closed my meetings to go to Nanking to pray and otherwise assist Dr. Sung if I could.

When Dr. Sung heard of the opposition of the pastor, missionary and the bishop, he said, "I won't stay here; I'll leave." I knew he meant it, because he had left Kiukiang 1931 when some opposition developed, and they asked me to go to take his place and preach the last seven sermons. He also refused to stay in Wuhu for the same reason. So I said to him in Nanking: "You can't do this to us, John Sung!  I have closed my own meetings in Chinkiang to come here to help you, and Dr. and Mrs. James have `stuck out their necks' to entertain you. So you must stay through this week."  We often talked to each other like "Dutch uncles." So finally he very unwillingly consented to stay as we had insisted.

"He Criticizes Us Missionaries"

Then I went to the missionary, who was a friend of mine, and I asked, "Why do you oppose Dr. Sung?" He replied "Because he criticizes us missionaries; he stands up there and says, `You hypocrites of missionaries on the back seat."' I told him, "Now Frank, I'll tell you what to do: You sit in front of me, and whatever you can't take, you throw it over your shoulder to me; I need it."  He knew what I meant: that he needed it." So he finally said, "All right, Will, you win." From that time he helped.

Then I went to the bishop, and asked him the same question.  He replied that the missionary did not approve, so he was backing him. I asked, "Now Bishop Hammaker, if the Catholics had a man who could fill their largest church, wouldn't they use him, even if they didn't approve of him? Why can't we be as wise as the Catholics?" He agreed, "You are right, Will." He liked me because of some previous dealings in which my judgment had proven right, so he took my advice and stopped opposing.

Chinese Pastor Declared Dr. Sung Insulted Him

The Chinese pastor was less easy to persuade. He claimed that when he called on Dr. Sung, and had waited a long time for him to come, Sung had merely said, "Hao, hao," (Yes, yes) and went on upstairs. I told him how much time Dr. Sung gave daily to the Bible and intercession, and that he didn't have time for more conversation. But he wouldn't be mollified.

However, Bishop Ward, just elected, whom the pastor admired, favored Dr. Sung, which helped greatly. Finally, some of this pastor's church members were healed in Dr. Sung's healing meeting, and this changed his attitude. But Dr. Sung bewailed the Nanking meeting as a failure, because there were only 600 seekers, and he was accustomed to 1,000 to 1,500 or more in a week..

During the Nanking series in May 1937, Dr. Sung preached one day on Acts 16. As usual, he had the great congregation of 2000 or more read each verse aloud. Then, after the exposition of each verse, he had us sing "More Love to Thee, 0 Christ." Part way through the sermon he had us sing another chorus which showed how our love for Christ would give us a concern for our own family's salvation. Then back to "More Love to Thee, 0 Christ," because our first love and loyalty should be to our Lord. Here are some notes taken during that service.

The Life of Love - Acts 16:12-17

Read Acts 16:12. Paul had seen a vision "Come over and help us," (verse 9) so they went to Philippi walking, after carrying their luggage through Phrygia and Galatia, to Troas. (This was prophetic of wartime treks by many). He had us sing "More Love to Thee" after each verse exposition.

16:13. On the Sabbath day they went to a prayer place, where women prayed. In 1909 two women prayed for Hinghwa. God told them there would be a revival; it occurred before their letter arrived in Hinghwa. Sing.

16:14. Lydia sold purple. She was in business, but not to get rich. If we have food to eat, and clothes to wear, that is enough. On one hand, she did business; on the other hand, she helped Paul preach. "The Lord opened her heart." Sing "More Love to Thee, 0 Christ."

16:15. She was baptized, and her household. She was not satisfied for self alone to be saved. All sang: "And where is your husband? No doubt at home a-gambling." (Tune of "I Will Sing Hallelujah.") 2. "And where is your brother? Probably also gambling." Lydia insisted that Paul and his gospel team stay at her house. "Endure hardness." Love moved her to constrain them to abide. Sing: "More Love to Thee, 0 Christ."

16:16,17. Paul mentions the Macedonians' "deep poverty" in II Cor. 8:2, but they were liberal. There was a girl who opened a church that had been closed for years. Another girl was queer; she couldn't sing, but she led 200 to Christ. Many have gone to Yunnan to preach. Why? They love Christ. High school students and teachers go to Kuling for morning Bible study, then afternoon preaching. Sing: "More Love to Thee, O Christ."

Dr. Sung's Family Was Second to God

During the "Blood" period, though ill, he traveled to Singapore, Indonesia, Manila and Taiwan and preached in many places for all groups. One time I happened to be at the Bund in Shanghai waiting for somebody also to arrive by ship, and here I saw Dr. Sung just coming ashore. He had been in Singapore or Indonesia. He asked me, "Shu Sien-sen (Mr. Schubert) can you tell me where my wife lives?" His wife had moved, and he didn't know her address. So I telephoned to a Chinese friend, who came and got Dr. Sung and took him home.

Dr. Sung had a very lovely, beautiful wife, a sweet Christian. They had four children, a boy and three girls. Dr. Sung hadn't wanted to get married, but his father insisted. He would go off for months at a time and leave his wife while he held revival meetings all over the Far East. However, he wrote out his life story, and the income from "My Testimony" and his choruses and other books was Mrs. Sung's. She filled the orders and received the money. Later, a committee did that.

Dr. Sung was very much afraid of getting rich and fat, he told me, like some evangelists who had made lots of money and settled down, and as he said, were "too fat." So he wouldn't keep any of the money that was given him in his meetings, but turned it over to a committee, who supported his wife and children, and gave him whatever he needed, which was very little except fares. Incidentally, after he died in North China two or three years after the end of the fifteen-year ministry, Mrs. Sung culled out material from his notebooks and sent it to this committee, and they published it. It is available in Chinese, though not in English. This includes many of the things the Lord told him as he studied the Bible day and night for years. Thus Mrs. Sung tries to continue his work..

VIII. A MAN OF ONE BOOK

One secret of Dr. Sung's lasting success was the way he spent hours every day with his Bible. In fact, he seldom if ever read anything else. When he was with us in 1931, I offered him the morning paper. He looked at the headlines (mere courtesy) and laid it down, not interested. Bishop Gowdy, his own bishop, who admired and appreciated him, gave him the conference course books, but Sung told me, "They have no taste; what shall I do?" I replied, "Don't read them." Hinghwa Conference admitted him anyway.

Our electricity went off at ten p.m., so we gave him a little night lamp, but the next morning the oil was all gone, and he asked if he could have a larger lamp: We gave him a big lamp, but the following morning that was empty' too. I thought, "What does he do at night?" So I made an excuse to go in and see if he needed anything, and there, in the middle of the night, I found him on his knees by the desk, with his Bible and notebook, writing down the things the Lord gave him. Day and night he was in the Word of God. I asked him why he didn't write up some of these things. I told him, "People ought to know some of the things God tells you." He replied, "Oh, Shu Sien-sen, if I would publish the things God tells me, they would surely think me crazy." So he didn't publish them, and they are not in the books written about him. But I have written some here.

Every Bible Word Has a Meaning

During those days in Nanchang, Dr. Sung told me that every word of the Bible has a meaning, a spiritual meaning, even the numbers. No word of Scripture, nor phrase, is there just by chance. If we will wait before the Lord, the Holy Spirit will reveal to us the meaning. Sometimes it has been necessary for me to wait on my knees all day to find the meaning of one word or phrase, such as : What did Jesus write on the ground? (John 8:8). Then it would come in a flash like lightning revealing great sweeps of scenery, opening up great vistas of truth. Often this revealing would come just before time to preach, sometimes while they were singing the first song, and me on my knees upstairs. So I must hastily jot down the main lines of thought, and trust the Holy Spirit to reveal the details as I preached. Most of my sermons on Mark came that way at Wuhu.

One thing more, among many, that Dr. Sung told me, was that each chapter of John's Gospel is divided into three parts Dead to the World, Dead to Self, and Dead to Our Own Ability. Or to put it positively : Pardon, Purity and Power. I have found this valuable in preaching, and I have one series of 21 sermons on John, which developed over the years, and which I used in evangelistic meetings in many parts of China, and later preached on the radio in Manila, broadcast over the mainland China. He also explained each of the three octaves of John by the seven days of Creation : Light (Genesis 1:3) explaining John 1,8 and 15; Division of Natural and Spiritual (Genesis 1: 7) explained Chapters 2, 9, and 16, etc. Chinese Christians just "ate up" this method of Bible exposition, but American congregations did not seem to care as much for it, nor did Americans seem to desire three meetings a day with two-hour sermons, seven days a week, like the Chinese Christians enjoyed in those early days. I owed all to Sung.

Some of Dr. Sung's Subjects

In Nanking, May 15, 1937, Dr. Sung gave me a list of preaching subjects. They should be progressive, leading the hearers along: John the Baptist first, with his word of repentance, then on to Revelation at the last, with its message of hope. This included Conversion, Sanctification, the Ful­lness of the Holy Spirit, the Way of the Cross, and Joy.

Conversion:

"If not converted, will not go up," or progress spiritually.

1. God's way to bring people (sickness, etc.) Isa. 40: Comfort, "Come."

2. True Repentance - Zacchaeus, restitution, a spon­taneous, inner urge.

3. Heaven and Hell - VERY STRONG !

4. The Cross.  Isaiah 53.

5. The Blood, through the whole Bible, Old and N.T., the Ethiopian eunuch.

6. Doctrine of the New Birth, Nicodemus.

7. Witness of the Holy Spirit, and of one's own conscience, as signs of new life. Use many testimonies.

8. Testimony. Dr. Sung spread his own story over eight days.

Sanctification:

1. Filled with the love of Christ - flow out. Daily consider: "How He loved you."

2. Hate sin to the very bone, the test of holiness.

3. Full Consecration - die to self, and Christ will live in you.         "Not by mouth, but by act." God said to Abraham: "Now I test you." "You must do something - you've got to act."   An act of the will is important.

Fullness of the Holy Spirit

1. Filled with the Holy Spirit - Get.

2. Flow out as Living Water - Pour.

3. Take to Others - Carry.

"A man filled with the Holy Spirit, if keen, has an army with him; some have thousands, some have two, according to your faith." "The commander gives soldiers to leaders, who are like Peter, brave, having the spirit of adventure, loving Christ."

The Way of the Cross

1. The Life of Faith - the Devil gets after you.

2. Abundant Life.

3. Life of Love - humble servant in the country - not all have to be evangelists - poor widow, "Old woman sang a song for the sick people, for love's sake."

4. Life of Hope - Hope makes us work; Second Coming incentive.

Philippians - Joy

Chapter 1: Joy of Work, study Bible, pray, work..

Chapter 2: Joy of Fruit.

Chapter 3: Joy of Hope.

Chapter 4: Joy - Lasting Joy.

FURTHER SUGGESTIONS: 23rd Psalm to interpret John; I Corinthians to open the whole book of Mark - 16 chapters of Love. This method of Bible study is very fruitful, both for one's own mind and soul, and to use with select Bible study groups.

"What Chapters Shall I Preach on?"

Dr. Sung was so saturated with the Word of God that he could preach on a moment's notice on any chapter of the Bible suggested by the congregation. Sometimes he would ask "What chapter shall I preach on today?" Then he would write their favorite chapters on the blackboard, have them vote, and then he would preach on the chapter getting the most votes, including an interesting blackboard design to illustrate it. This was apparently impromptu, but was the result of years of midnight oil, absorbing the Bible on his knees. God forgive us for neglecting our Bible!

Bible Sales Soared

Thousands would sit before him with open Bibles, marked with red pencil, page after page filled with the important Bible words, Chinese characters, encircled with red. As a result, Bible sales soared all over China. Dr. Carleton Lacy of the Bible Society told me he always knew where John Sung was holding meetings by the increased orders for Bibles.

Some of these Bibles were burned by the Red Guards, and their owners were killed, but many remain, though in some places we hear they bury their Bibles between secret meetings. But the seed of the Word sown in many hearts will yet spring up in a great spiritual Springtime upsurge.

"For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all nations." (Isa. 61: 11).

IX. CLOSE DEALING WITH SEEKERS

Another secret of Dr. Sung's lasting success was the thorough work he did with seekers. He not only preached unsparing two-hour sermons three times a day, but then he would have altar services in which he asked searching questions. He would name sins, and have seekers all over the big church raise their hands when he mentioned their particular sin.

I thought because I was a missionary, and his close friend, and was there to learn, that I could look. But he pointed at me and said in English, in no uncertain tone: "Shut your eyes." I did! However, I took rather full notes of his Nanking sermons and altar work.

As he would name their sins, and they would respond to each sin mentioned, and acknowledge by raising their hands by the scores, and sometimes by the hundreds, he would say: "Will you make restitution? Will you ask forgiveness? Will you forgive this person? Will you return the money you stole? Will you make right the wrong you did?" Some questions were:

Questions Dr. Sung Asked Seekers in Nanking, May 1937:

DO YOU HATE? Father, mother, brother, sister, teachers, grandmother, daughter-in-law, husband, wife, friend, children, fellow workers, students. Have you not talked to them for years? Do you hate in your heart? Do you hate to the very bone? Are you willing to write to them? You must ask forgiveness, face to face, or write. If you will, raise your hand. Now pray : "Lord forgive." Have you done it? Pray: "Lord, I will forgive; I will write." Raise your hand if you will. There was a widespread response, and many tears.

MONEY STEALING: Did you "borrow" and "forget" to return things, or don't want to return them? $100? $1000? $50 ? $5 ? 5 cents? 5 coppers? On the train, did you borrow from a friend, and not return a handkerchief, books, an umbrella? If you have no money now, return it later. If they have died, or you don't know their address, give it to the poor, or to the church. If you are willing, raise your hand! Promise aloud. (These questions might apply in your church. You might try using them.)

STEAL: Did you steal from your parents, from your husband, wife, friends, or your business partner? Did you help others steal, and keep quiet? Did you take public funds, much or a few cents? Did you cheat God? Did you steal a letter? Did you cheat in examinations? Did you use false stamps? Did you steal $500? $60? One cent? from birth to now? Return it! Pray aloud: "When I arise from my knees, Lord, I'll return it." Bracelet, rings, handkerchief, books, umbrella, toys, food, fruit, flowers? Did you use public things for personal use, such as office paper? Did you ride on a pass when you had no right? Pay back the fare! Did you pick up something not yours? $500? $50? 50 cents? One cent? Or books? Umbrella? (Oft repeated: there must have been a lot of umbrellas taken!) Maybe someone left something in your room. Return it. (In Peiping, officials returned thousands of dollars to the Chinese government after Dr. Sung's meetings. It greatly impressed other officials.)

DID YOU COMMIT ADULTERY? From the beginning to today? Did you almost? Mentally? With people in your own family, sister, brother, man and man, woman and woman, with animals? Have you been guilty of self-abuse? Did you take someone's wife or husband? Or concubine, or someone's else concubine? Before marriage? (Is this too close? Will you go on reading?)

DID YOU KILL? By abortion, by poison, or other way? Have you entered the communist party?

HABIT: Do you gamble? Play mahjong, cigarettes, opium, heroin, wine? Do you sell opium, cigarettes, morphine, idol worship materials? Do you buy or sell lottery tickets? Do you dance, go to movies, read bad books? Do you look at pornographic pictures? BURN THEM!

SINS IN THE FAMILY: Do you beat members of your family? Do you sell servants or slaves? Do you lend money at a high rate of interest? Are you disobedient to your parents? Do you quarrel with your sister-in-law, or others? Will you write a letter asking forgiveness?

SUPERSTITION: Do you worship idols or ancestors, or the picture of Sun Yat-sen ? Do you draw lots or go to fortune tellers? Do you eat idol food? On Sunday, do you buy or sell food? (Travel if necessary, and buy a little food, is O. K. - Sung) Do you omit Bible Study? Have you stopped praying? Do you testify for Christ? Have you kept your vows?

INNER SINS: Do you still have the old temper, jealousy, pride, covetousness, backsliding, blasphemy? Have you an unforgiving spirit? Did you want to commit suicide? Have you an unbelieving heart? and not believe the Bible? Do you doubt God, and think God is unjust? When you were sick, did you make some promise to God, then when well did you forget your promise? Do you worry, and have no faith? Put your worry on God, not on yourself. Did you blame God when someone died? Did you ask "Where is God?" Did you bear false witness? Did you criticize people? Did you write a false letter home? Did you make love for fun, then give up? Do you have jealousy in your heart, and fight for position? Do you love the world?

Dr Sung asked many more questions; then had everyone pray a prayer of praise, and sing : "For me, for me, it was for me the Savior died."

Dr Sung prayed, and all said, "Amen." He told me later, for more questions see the Free Church Common Prayer Liturgy of Confession. When I asked at lunch that day if people really did all these things, he told me that he didn't ask the worst things people had confessed to him.

Seekers' Meetings Produced Lasting Results

Some may wonder at the value of these long, drawn-out seekers' meetings, after a two or three-hour sermon. No one seemed bored or tired. All the people who did not intend to stay clear through were asked to leave before Dr Sung preached, then the doors were locked. If anyone started to get up during the preaching or after meeting, the Chinese ushers would tell them to sit down. Chinese Christians did not object to much repetition of choruses and prayer. The Holy Spirit was at work, and the great crowd of 2,000 was in the spirit of repentance and consecration. They were prepared by much prayer by Dr Sung and others, by the power of the Word of God, and by a felt need. One must judge these methods by the results, producing real conversions, sanctification and con­tinuing faithfulness.

Gospel Teams

Another way that Dr Sung's ministry was multiplied and continued throughout China and the Far East was by the Gospel Teams he organized in the places he held meetings. At one of the Nanking meetings the Gospel Team flag was shown, with a large Cross on it in red. All sang "At the Cross." The many gospel teams were brought to the platform one at a time, and were prayed for. These gospel teams were organized in every place, held prayer meetings in homes, and preached everywhere.

Dr Sung had a magazine which had Gospel Team news and advice, which went to all. These teams brought converts to their home churches. When I preached once in the big Moore Memorial Church in Shanghai, with 3,000 present and 1,000 young people in the balcony, we gave no altar call (Sunday morning) but the gospel teams brought seven or eight to the altar and prayed them through to salvation.

Greatest Evangelist

His was a great ministry, of the Word, of private dealings with seekers, and of intercession. I still say John Sung was the greatest evangelist of the twentieth century, so far. But we pray and hope for others.

X.  HOLY GHOST POWER THE SECRET OF  SUCCESS

In Nanking, in May 1937, Dr Sung preached a series of sermons on the Fullness of the Holy Spirit. There were 2000 more present each time.

The Holy Spirit Filling

On May 15, in the morning, he preached on Isaiah 35. We read each verse in unison aloud. After each exposition we sang "Showers of Blessing." 

I. THE GLORY OF GOD. The wilderness of our heart will blossom like the rose. Pray for a Holy Ghost outpouring. Read Isaiah 35: 1 together. It is illustrated by Acts 1 : in the Upper Room the 120 believers had a great hunger and thirst for the Holy Spirit, and were in constant earnest prayer. In Hinghwa, the church could hold 3,000, but only 200 came. But in a week the Holy Spirit fell, and all the seats were filled. 

II. WARFARE, THE ARMOUR NEED AND SUP­PLIED. Isaiah 35:2 and Acts 2. Like flowers opening, our eyes, ears, mouth, feet, hands, all blossom when the Holy Spirit comes: "Hallelujah" is spontaneous - no need to urge, no false shout. Tongues? Hearers could understand; flowers of fellowship, not false tongues, but deeds that glorify God. The Spirit-filled Christian's face shows the glory of God; the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace. Sing "Showers of Blessing."

Isaiah 35:3 and Acts 3: Hands and feet have power. Faith to stand does not need others to carry; no dependence on others. Sing "Showers . . ."

Isaiah 35:4 and Acts 4: Peter and John, filled with the Holy Ghost, had no fear. The Holy Spirit gives courage and hope that cannot be put down. (This is a prophecy about his converts under persecution today. Let us pray for the thousands of true Christians in mainland China, for the Holy Spirit to give new zeal.) Sing: "Showers of Blessing."

Isaiah 35: 5 and Acts 5 : Eyes are opened, ears hear. We can stand if filled with the Holy Spirit. This steadfastness is proof of being filled with the Spirit. Do you want it? Put up your hands! Sing : "Showers of . . . ."

III. VICTORY. The Spirit-filled believer is not only protected from the devil's attack, but he will attack Satan. The Christian takes the offensive. He has victory under all circumstances. Sing: "Showers of Blessing." (Sung's con­verts fulfill this. Many in mainland China died for Christ. God cares for their widows as in Acts 6, and others keep on witnessing. The irresistible Gospel inevitably surfaces in victory.)

Isaiah 35:7 and Acts 7: Great faith and hope. Stephen witnessed with power. Do you want the Holy Spirit? Put up your hands! "Showers of Blessing."

IV. WALK HEAVEN'S ROAD (P'ao t'ien lu.) Isaiah 35:9 and Acts 9: The Way of Peace; no "fear of tigers" (a Chinese idiom "bu p'a lao hu," indicating fearing nothing.) Ananias was sent to see Saul of Tarsus, the persecutor. God said, "Don't fear." Sing.

Isaiah 35: 10 and Acts 10: The Way of Happiness and Joy. God sent Peter to Cornelius the Roman. Do you want the Holy Spirit to fill you? Raise your hands! Sing: "Showers of Blessing."

V. HOW TO BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT (Isaiah 4). The widows weeping were like Christians without the Holy Spirit. "We seven" when filled with the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 4: 1) will be taken away. Then “the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious," and there will be fruit (verse 2) and holiness (verse 3). The old temper will be gotten rid of, also pride, etc., so the Holy Spirit can do His work in the hearts of others. For this we need early prayer: are you filled on the 20th, then full of death on the 21st? Why? The Lord said, "Get up early and learn of me."

Then there will be "a cloud and smoke by day, and, the shining of a flaming fire by night." There will be glory and defense, "a place of refuge," verses 5 and 6. Everything is cleaned up, as Jerusalem was to be, in and out. Isaiah 4:4. How can this come to pass? Some suggestions are:

1. Die to the world, as a widow.

2. Unite together, thirst for the Holy Spirit like the seven women.

3. With one heart beseech for the Holy Spirit - no longer dependent on the world, hope and pride gone, cling to One, the Holy Spirit, to come to be our husband. We must cleanse our hearts, burn outside and inside.

4. Truly wholly sanctified - empowering - put on the Holy Spirit - wrapped up in the Holy Spirit. Sing "Showers of Blessing." Questions:

Questions After Dr Sung Preached on "The Holy Spirit Filling" Isaiah 35:

How many want the Holy Spirit? Raise your hands. Come forward. There was quite a season of prayer. Sing: "Showers of Blessing." Prayer (after the leader) confessing need and asking for the Holy Spirit. Then "I Believe." More prayer (all at the same time). Sing "Fill Me Now." Stand. Do you believe? Raise your hands. Dr Sung gave instructions.

    Pray for the church; raise hands; more prayer. Sing: "All for Jesus." Questions. Pray for home and friends. "Are you willing?" Raise hands. Concert prayer. There was much more fervor. Sing "All for Jesus." Pray for those needing comfort: the sick and sorrowing. Sing "All for Jesus."

For Those With the Old Nature and Habits, Who Can't Get Free:

Will you pray? Raise your hands. Concert prayer. Sing "All for Jesus." Pray for courage to make immediate restitution. There were more questions. Raise hands; prayer. Sing "All for Jesus." Then all together : "Lord, I believe with peace," raising hands with faith. Prayer. "All for Jesus." Do you believe? Really? Then put up your hands! Clap and sing "All for Jesus." Do you want it? Clap hands. Ask: "Exalt Jesus" (Tune of "Come to Jesus.") Put up hands and sing: "Exalt Jesus."

Do you believe Jesus? Raise your hands and sing "Believe Jesus" (Tune of "Come to Jesus"). Look to Jesus? Sing "Look to Jesus" (Tune of "Come to Jesus"). Clap. If someone hits me, "I'll Praise Jesus!" Do you want it? Hands. up ! Sing "Praise to Jesus." Filled with Jesus? Do you want it? Raise your hands ! Clap and sing "Filled with Jesus." (Same tune.) All pray. Sing: "All for Jesus." Prayer by Dr Sung, and thanks. He said, "It is like Mark's Upper Room." Praise by Dr Sung. Do you believe? Raise your hands again. Sit down. Then he announced group and private interviews at 9-12 and 1-3. Be sure to bring the Prayer Blanks.

The value of these seeker's services is evidenced by the indelible impression made on many now serving Christ faithfully all over the Far East. Such service might not be welcome elsewhere, but might be tried.

Healing Service

This was led by Dr Sung in Guilan Church, Nanking, May 18, 1937. After reading in James 5 about healing and anointing with oil, and explaining the promise in Mark 16: 17, 18 and 20, then prayer and singing "In the Cross," the ill ones were taken one at a time to the platform.

Dr Sung prayed for each one, anointed him with oil, and smacked him smartly on the forehead as he did it. Many were praying meanwhile. Many were healed, including sick mem­bers of Guilan Church, whose pastor had opposed Dr Sung's coming; but as a result of the healings, the pastor became favorable and cooperated.

This Nanking series was one of Dr Sung's lesser meetings. He was disappointed because there were only 600 seekers in the eight days. God, raise up another John Sung! What he had them sing is true today

"East is vain, West is vain, South is vain, North is vain Everything is vain. But we labor not in vain." Amen!

XI. A GREAT REVIVAL PROMISED

August 5, 1941, Dr John Sung wrote to me: "Peace to Mr. Schubert, Fellow laborer in the Lord: Since we parted at P.U.M.C. (Peking Union Medical College) I have remembered you without ceasing in my prayers. On June 7 when I left P.U.M.C. Hospital there were three wound mouths. By God's blessing, two of the three were entirely healed up while I lived in the home of Dr Hsu, head of the Peiping Gospel Teams.

"On July 3 my wife hurriedly returned to Shanghai because of the serious illness of our son. The same day I came to Hsiang Shan (Fragrant Mountain) and temporarily rented a house for a summer retreat. I have already been here a month, and the mouth of the wound is nearly healed.

"Many years ago God used His child to do the first step of His work. Now God has been using more than two years of illness to prepare His child to accomplish the second step, a much deeper work, not only to lead His children out of Egypt and across the Red Sea into the Wilderness, but also to lead His children across the Jordan River into Canaan to receive that Eternal Rest.

"In my prayers God has shown me clearly that the great revival time of the Chinese church will come. This great revival is not through man but through the work of the Holy Spirit Himself exercising the hearts of a certain class of workers, moving them with one accord, one heart and mind to unite in an out-of-the-way place for a long time of prayer, to do prayer work in the Spirit.

"During this time of prayer in the Spirit, God Himself will begin the work, will lead them into the depths of truth, will lead them to utterly die out, will lead them to want, not self, just want the Lord. Not to see self, but see the Lord alone.

"God will lead them with one heart to run with united footsteps, will lead the members to strengthen each other, and in the Spirit to have mutual fellowship, to edify themselves in love.

"He will lead them to love what the Lord loves, to see as the Lord sees, to hate what the Lord hates, to pray as the Lord prays, to complete what the Lord would complete, will lead them to break every fetter, to be free in the Spirit, to use faith to finish the work that, God would finish.

"God, during this time, will do a wondrous work. There are many things I cannot write with a pen, but I hope you will pray much about this, and I believe the Holy Spirit surely will speak in your heart, so I will not say more.

"In my prayers, God also entrusts you with responsibility for the great revival of the Chinese church. May the Spirit that worketh in my heart also work in your heart, together with the Lord to hear still small Voice, in these last days to finish the work He Himself would finish, even a work with gold, silver and precious stones,' which can go through trial by fire. Isaiah 62: 1, 2, 6. "These last words of Dr Sung to me were no doubt a prophecy of impending persecution for the church.

All the Missionaries Would Leave

About that time Dr Sung also told a missionary friend of ours that God had revealed to him that there would be a great revival in China, but that the missionaries would all leave first. A few years later the missionaries were all forced out by the communists. Now we look for the revival. It is interesting that in his August 5, 1941 letter John Sung speaks of the "trial by fire." The church in China surely went through, and is going through, that time of testing. The Lord had used John Sung to raise up a people scattered throughout China that were able to stand the test, some even unto death, but others whose spark will be fanned by the winds of God's Spirit until the flame of revival will burn away unbelief and materialism and atheism with Holy Ghost fire. Our work is to pray for this.

A Continuing Influence

Why did John Sung's ministry have such lasting results? He was different from all others I have ever known in his prayer life. In Nanking, we were in adjoining rooms, and I heard him pray. He had hundreds of prayer requests, even thousands, on prayer blanks. In each place where he held meetings, Dr Sung would have seekers come to him for group or private interviews. In order to have such a prayer interview with Dr Sung, each of them must bring a prayer blank (costing one copper each) with name, address, sex, age, photograph, prayer requests, and a testimony. These repre­sented never-dying souls, hearts open to His gaze.

By the nature of the prayer requests, usually three or four each, he could tell how far along the seeker had come spiritually. Some asked for selfish benefits, such as a job, etc. Others felt their need for heart purity or holiness, or were concerned for the salvation of others, or for revival in their home churches. Dr Sung kept all these prayer blanks, and carried them with him, thousands, in two big suitcases, and he would pray fervently for these people afterward, even while preaching three times a day and having many interviews, besides hours with the Word.

In Nanking I heard him weeping, and groaning in agony of soul, praying for these people in places where he had held meetings previously. I don't know how he did it, except that he had a great spiritual passion, even an obsession, which very few have, and which is to be coveted. "Seek earnestly the better gifts." More exactly, Paul says, "Covet earnestly the best gifts." I Corinthians 12:31. This gift of intercession is surely one of the greatest gifts. It takes dedicated will-power to exercise it, and that will-power comes from a God-given love for souls. I Cor. 13.

Some who have written about Dr Sung thought he was proud, but he could not have lived so close to God as to intercede in this way if he had been proud, because "God resisteth the proud" (James 4:6 and I Peter 5:5). John Sung's humility came from having seen and talked with Jesus, and from living in the light of Jesus' Cross and the daily searching of the Word of God. Most of us are too busy and proud to pray in this way.

Daily Intercession for Others

That is one secret of his success, and of the lasting results of his ministry : that he prayed for the seekers after he left them. He prayed one day for all the seekers in Peiping, another day for all those in Tientsin, then for those in Shanghai, Foochow, Hinghwa, etc. So wherever John Sung, had been, there were Christians who remained true and faithful; Wherever I. have been in China, including Taiwan, , the most faithful and dependable members in the churches were those who had been saved and blest in Dr Sung's meetings. Others have said the same. This is because he prayed for them, afterward. Not long ago I talked, to a pastor from Indonesia,': who has a thriving church during this great revival time there, and he said that the forty strongest members and best soulwinners of his church in Indonesia were the product of John Sung's ministry.

So as the Lord promised John Sung, it will happen again, and in even larger measure. As Robert Porteous predicted, "The desecrated churches and chapels of China will yet resound with the praises of God."  For that we wait and pray.

XII. DR. SUNG'S LAST ILLNESS, SORROW, HUMILITY, DEATH

The fifth period of Dr John Sung's ministry was the "Sepulchre" or "Tomb" period. Near the end of the "Blood" period, when he was in Indonesia, Dr Sung had to sit down to preach, and in his final meeting there he lay on a camp cot and preached. Then he came home to Shanghai, and was unable to travel anymore in evangelism.

During this time of illness in Shanghai, Dr. Eugene Erny, chairman of the Oriental Missionary Society, himself a fervent evangelist and soul-winner, went to see Dr. Sung. In the course of their conversation, Dr. Erny asked why Dr. Sung was so sick when God had used him in the healing of so many others. Sung replied that now he needed someone to pray for him. However, none of us were able to pray effectually for him, and he got worse, and had to go to Peiping to the hospital for several operations. Later, they found that he had cancer. Evidently he had "run his course."

This was the "Tomb" period, 1939-1942, in which Dr. Sung was shut up. And China was also shut up: all the ports of China were closed by the Japanese blockade. There wasn't as much bloodshed as there had been because the Chinese had learned guerrilla warfare and had gone into the interior, but China was definitely sealed. At first, Dr. Sung was in the hospital, then he and Mrs. Sung went to the Western Hills in the mountains out from Peiping. He was in bed, and people came to him from all over China. He still had three meetings a day, preaching from his bed, and two Chinese lady secretaries wrote letters for him.

Dr. Sung's Criticism of Missionaries

While Dr. Sung was in the hospital in Peiping, and I was living in Shanghai, some of the Fukien missionaries in Shanghai asked me to take his wife to Peiping, as I was going there anyway to hold meetings. Mrs. Sung went with me, to see him, and of course I visited him in the hospital. At that time he said to me with tears, "Oh, Mr. Schubert, God has been dealing with me. God tells me that I have been too critical of missionaries." I replied, "No, Dr. Sung, we needed it; I think it was of God that you found fault with us." He insisted, "No, you left your homes and families, and your own land, and made great sacrifices to preach the Gospel in China, and yet I criticized you."  So he said, "I ask you, on behalf of the missionaries, to forgive me."  So he showed his humility.

My "Morning Worship"

There had been times when Dr. Sung did have a critical attitude toward us. Once he told me I "might amount to something" if I would not give so much time to my family. When he was staying with us in Nanchang in 1931, he came down to breakfast one morning, and saw me down on my knees by the couch playing and talking with our baby Lois. She was our first child after thirteen years of marriage, and was very precious to us. Dr. Sung said, "Oh, I see you are having your morning worship."

He himself always put God and God's work ahead of his family. Some criticized him for that, but I never felt he was wrong in it. He was merely taking the call of God seriously, even "hating his own family" as Jesus said one must do if he is to be worthy to enter the kingdom of God and be Christ's true follower. The rest of us do not take God's call and God's work seriously enough. He had a one-track mind. How wonderful if we could all be that way. One had to know Dr. Sung, and see his work and the results, to appreciate his attitude in this respect. His own family appreciated him; Mrs. Sung seemed to feel he was doing the right thing. I never felt that she was critical of him. His own daughter became a Christian young people's leader, and the communists put her in prison because she had too much influence. In 1974 she still had two-and-a ­half years to serve.

His Only Son Died

When Mrs. Sung got back to Shanghai from that trip to see Dr. Sung in the hospital, she found their son seriously ill. It was a fatal illness, though we prayed for his healing. Dr. Sung told me when I saw him again in the hospital in Peiping, "Shu Sien-sen, God had only one begotten Son, and He died. I had only one son and he died."  It is true that John Sung in many ways typified the ministry of God in the world, especially as regards China. His ministry, in his own body, typified the sufferings, and the spiritual victories of China and the church in China and the Far East. China was in agony, and John Sung had this great sorrow in illness.

When we began to come to the end of Dr. Sung's fifteen years of ministry, of which Jesus had told him in his room in New York City, I began to pray about it. I wept and prayed, and I said, "Lord, we need him. Please continue his ministry. Extend the time as you did with King Hezekiah." He did live two or three years after the fifteen years, but without any public ministry. He died August 18, 1944.

Greatly Blest by Dr. Sung's Memory

At the close of the war, in the autumn of 1945, I was in Peiping, and I went out to the Western Hills and saw Mrs. Sung. She took me to Dr. Sung's grave. As I stood there by the stone cross, I was greatly blest by the memory of his wonderful life. At that time Mrs. Sung gave me one of two personal copies of his Chinese chorus book. I used it in many evangelistic and revival meetings in mainland China and in Taiwan, as we broadcast the Gospel back into communist China and around the world.

This chorus book is the one used in the Nanking meetings, from which we give quotations (translate) in the notes of those meetings. Dr. Sung's personal copy lies before me as I write just now. It has his name in his own writing in Chinese on the cover. It is one more thing to challenge and inspire me to be more faithful in my soul winning and intercessory ministry. However, I despair of even approximating Dr. Sung's zeal in Bible study and prayer. But we hope that God will raise up others who will be inspired by his life to a similar ministry in the Orient or the West.

So, as we remember John Sung, we pray that God will produce another, perhaps even greater, evangelist in this century. God often calls His leaders from the ranks of Jesus' persecutors. When this man, or men, come on the scene, then China and the Far East will be aflame for God with the preaching of the irresistible Gospel.