THE DOVE PERIOD IV

From Power to Power
1935-1936

From the end of 1935 to April 1936 we see John Sung visiting his native Hinghwa, and from Hinghwa we see him holding another mammoth meeting at the Moore Memorial Church in Shanghai. By March he is seen busy again at Tsinan and Tenghsien in Shantung Province where over a thousand thronged to hear him. He was highly commended by Dr Martin Hopkins of North China Theological Semi­nary, for in Tenghsien another five hundred souls were saved and one hundred and thirty preaching bands organized. From Tenghsien the doctor moved on to Liuho, Kiangsu Province, where he organized another fifty preaching bands in March 1936. But what God was leading him to was a repetition of Amoy and Kulangsu over Formo­sa (Taiwan) where he landed April 1936.

Before we go with John Sung to the three major cities he evangelized, it may be profitable for us to learn a little of the geography and history of this fabled island.

Formosa as she was called in the thirties is a beautiful island, and that is what this Portuguese word means. Known to the West as Formosa, the Chinese call it Taiwan, i.e. Terraced Bay, the terraces no doubt referring to the lofty ranges rising one after the other from the coast. Crossing the. Formosa (Taiwan) Straits from the mainland on a sunny day, a magnificent view of the mountains, tier upon tier, can be obtained. A journey to the foothills will earn the traveler some of the most beautiful scenery in the Far East. Mt Morrison soars to a height of 13,000 feet.

Formosa first received the Gospel in the seventeenth century when it was occupied by the Dutch, 1624-1661. When the island was taken back by Coxinga (Cheng Ch'eng Kung), a hero of the old Ming dynasty, Christianity was extinguished except for a few broken relics.

The Gospel vine so luxuriantly cultivated by the English Presbyterians in the Amoy region (1851), 100 miles across the Straits on the mainland, was bound to spread its branches to Formosa, where the dialect spoken is the same. Thus in 1865, a permanent work was established with the founding of a Christian medical work in Tainan by Dr James Laidlaw Maxwell. The first English missionary was accom­panied by three Hokkien assistants: an evangelist, a male nurse, and a janitor.

The establishment of another work on Formosa, in the north, was effected in 1871 by George Leslie MacKay, sent by the Canadian Presbyterian Mission. MacKay's life was deeply influenced by William Chalmers Burns (1815-68) when the latter held revival meetings in Canada before he became a missionary to China.

MacKay was a pioneer of great daring and originality. He gathered from his early converts a band of young men whom he taught in a "peripatetic school" as he made long safaris with them. He instructed them not only in the doctrines of the Gospel and the way of preaching, but also how^, to "pull teeth." They drew a good hearing all right, for many among the crowds with toothache from decadent molars offered themselves readily for treatment. This extraction session over, MacKay would douche them with a soothing sermon on "relief from the pain of sin." MacKay's annual reports on conversions were tallied with a column on extractions!

The churches flourishing from the Gospel seed sown by English and Canadian Presbyterian missionaries were united in a common Synod in 1912.

In 1895 Japan took Formosa from China and colonized it for fifty years, returning it in 1945 at the conclusion of the Second World War.

When John Sung landed on Formosa (Taiwan) in April 1936, it was a matter of months before war between China and Japan flared up again. As William E. Schubert has said with regard to the mighty revival of John Sung during his Dove period, "it prepared many for the coming persecu­tions. Persecutions always follow revival."

John Sung opened his campaign in Taipeh. Under Japanese "police protection", one thousand attended the meetings. When he moved on to Taichung, however, many from Taipeh went along with him, so the numbers at Taichung doubled. When the evangelist came to Tainan the last on this Gospel trail, the crowd swelled to four to five thousand. Was this not a reenactment of Amoy?

In the overall Formosa campaign five thousand souls were born again. The people gave $4,000 and many articles of jewellery and gold to the Lord for the support of six hundred Preaching Bands. Although the Japanese authorities tried to hinder the healing meetings, nevertheless, many of the sick were prayed for. Six hundred converts registered to attend the Second Bible Institute that was now scheduled to convene in Amoy, across the Straits. (The Japanese author­ities, however, cut this figure down to three hundred.)

From the number of people saved and energized by the mighty working of the Holy Spirit, the Formosa or Taiwan campaign could well be termed another Pentecost. Now, if we examine the first Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2, what the Scripture stresses is not so much the speaking of tongues (languages) per se as its result. If we can see a connection between the "strangers of Rome" who heard Peter in Latin and were baptized, and a Church already existing in Rome when Paul wrote the Epistle to the Romans, we must conclude that Pentecost's main objective is the expedited extension of the Gospel and the founding of churches.

In the light of this perception, let us return to Lim Puay Hian, John Sung's convert and disciple from a side-trip John had made to Swatow nearly three years before. We have noted that Lim Puay Hian later complemented John Sung's work, particularly in the South Fukien (Hokkien) field. Did Lim Puay Hian have anything to do with John Sung in Taiwan, which is only 100 miles of water from the Fukien coast? If what Dr Sung had done was of the Spirit, there would be an out flowing of the living water of the Spirit even unto life everlasting (Jn 7:38,39), on and on. Indeed, there is a connection between John Sung and Lim Puay Hian also in the Taiwan field.

After the Second World War when Dr Sung had been received into glory, Lim Puay Hian made a first trip to Taiwan. There he tried to pick up from where John Sung left off. But it was a different Taiwan altogether. Edward Band reporting this post war situation in Taiwan in his Hundred Years' History of the English Presbyterian Mission wrote: "To the usual aftermath of the war - devastation, unemploy­ment, inflation, shortage of materials, food and medicine - were added the corruption and incompetence of the new officials from the mainland, most of whom could not speak the Amoy dialect used in Formosa. After fifty years of Japanese rule, efficient if ruthless, the people had hoped to find themselves in the land of Promise, soon to flow with milk and honey: but in fact they were being exploited much as they were before, only this time by a vastly inferior government."

Into this post-war situation, when the hearts of many had "waxed cold," came Puay Hian in the spring of 1947. The days of white-hot enthusiasm for the hearing of the Word under John Sung over, Puay Hian nevertheless was wel­comed by a hardcore of old faithfuls. Arriving by cross­-channel steamer from Chuanchow on the mainland, where Puay Hian had a warm reunion with his pre-war converts, he was handed a string of ten preaching engagements starting from Tainan.

After a northern circuit to Taipeh and Keelung, Puay Hian returned to the south where he was requested to organize a short-term Bible school called "Spiritual Workers Institute." This Institute lasted three-and-a-half months. But there was no more that astounding chalking up of statistics as in former days. (We had noted that Puay Hian's revival ministry lasted only five years against John Sung's fifteen years.) Nevertheless, His Word, as the prophet Isaiah had promised, "shall not return unto Me void" (Isa 55: 11). Whether Puay Hian knew what would result from his sowing in tears or not, here is the testimony of one of his fruits from the Taiwan field.

Rev Tai Po-fu, a Taiwanese missionary and evangelist to Singapore, was converted during Lim Puay Hian's first visit to Taiwan in 1947. At the time of his conversion he was thirty-three years of age and an elder of a Presbyterian Church. But his eldership was accorded rather by the will of man and influenced by a consideration of hereditary pre­stige. For, he is the grandson of one of the earliest converts of the Canadian pioneer, George Leslie MacKay, and his grandaunt was married to the missionary.

Tai was an officer in the Finance Ministry, both under the Japanese and the new Chinese Government. Having been born again under Puay Hian's ministry, he yielded his life to fulltime service. He became one of the first students of Puay Hian's Spiritual Workers' Institute. After another season of study at the Tainan Theological Seminary, he was ordained in 1955.

Since then he has served as pastor of a big church in Taiwan, and from 1961 to 1973 as shepherd of his home church at Bang-Kah. From 1973 to 1978 he was sent as a missionary by his home church to Singapore. While in Singapore he had the pleasure of visiting Puay Hian some months before his home-going (1975), and must have glad­dened the latter's heart. "But he that received seed in the good ground is he that heareth the Word and understandeth it, who also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty" (Matt 13:23).

Isn't this a wonderful case study of the work of the Holy Spirit flowing with streams of living water from one to another, and from another to another? From John Sung to Lim Puay Hian, from Lim Puay Hian to Tai Po-fu? When we see the final tally of John Sung's converts run into hundreds of thousands, praise God, what a mighty river of life that flows wider and deeper it shall ever be.

Now let us go to Amoy to participate in John Sung's marathon Bible Institute, but before that this intermezzo!

Before the opening of the much heralded Second Bible Institute, from the conclusion of the Taiwan Pentecost, May 9th to July 10th, John Sung made lightning strikes upon Canton, campaign after campaign, invaded Anhwei Pro­vince, then swung back to Hong Kong, an important citadel already captured for the Gospel.

Mr. George A Birch of the CIM, Suancheng, Anhwei Province, wrote gloriously of the things he had seen and experienced. Of the hundreds of converts he saw two men who destroyed, one his mahjong set costing $20 and the

other his cigarette making machine. A gambler who had won $87 surrendered this sum to the Methodist Church. The missionary's servant got saved while his mother a nominal Christian became a soul-winner, bringing friends to the revival meetings. The cook's wife also repented with tears.

Mr. Gordon Dunn, superintendent of the CIM in Anhwei testified in 1953 that many of the outstanding evangelists and leaders in Christian work he met testified of the blessings they had received through the ministry of Dr Sung.

The purpose of the Second Bible Institute was precipi­tated by the number of zealous converts now dropping out from the scene, and by the heresies that were claiming a good many of these to veer from the Truth. The Institute was held in Amoy July 10th to August 9th, 1936. One thousand six hundred delegates (plus local auditors, two thousand) converged on Amoy from all over China with a sizeable number from Nanyang - Singapore, Malaya, Penang, Philippines, speaking many dialects like those gathered at the first Pentecost, but Mandarin was under­stood by all. These were lodged in six schools then on summer vacation while the Institute was held in Trinity Church. Most of the delegates were members of the Preaching Bands.

As it was mid-summer, the study sessions were so timed as to take advantage of coolest parts of the day – 7:30 to 11:00 am and 7:00 to 10:30 pm. Beginning from Genesis 1:1 Dr Sung led his pupils chapter by chapter to Rev 22:21 all within the scheduled time of one month.

To get a taste of the spiritual food that was presented to the 2,000 Bible students, here's a sample of Dr Sung's exposition of Holy Scripture in Genesis Chapter Three:

"The most cunning of all, the Snake, is seen here tempting Eve. Now Eve loved beauty, so the Snake tempted her in her desire (Are not girls today desirous of new fashion?). When Eve saw the Forbidden Fruit in all its beauty, in all its sweetness, she became the more infatuated by it. She doubted God's Word. Perhaps she would not die. But God had told them, to eat it would bring certain death. She doubted, `Not surely die!' She gave Satan a loophole to enter. Pity of pities!

"Now the Snake's tail is rather curly. Doesn't it resemble toe curl of the question mark? The Snake causes us to doubt. Eve ate and Adam also ate. Satan need not entice everyone. He need entice just one person! When the woman was enticed, naturally her husband followed suit in the entice­ment.

"After their enticement, they knew what was good and evil. Before they were children, now they became adults, knowing the shame of nakedness. They trusted in their own righteousness by making tree-leave garments to cover their bodies, but to no avail, because they trusted in their own method.

"When God called for them, they were afraid of Him, so they hid themselves. Before this they loved God. Now they feared God. This was due to their sin - so sin separates us from God. They could find no shelter, so they were con­fronted by God when they had eaten the Forbidden Fruit. Adam blamed it on `the woman You have given me, who enticed me.' The woman blamed it on the Snake, each one blaming the other. But God gave them no chance to excuse themselves, and punished them. The Snake would eat dust - eat Adam. But God had a Great Promise: `The Seed of the woman will bruise the Snake's head.' This is a preview of Jesus coming to bruise Satan. Now they had been too free and idle, and does not idleness lead to sin? But henceforth they will be very busy. (Truly the sons of a rich household, being too free and idle, often fall into the Devil's trap.) God did not want them to-wear tree-leave garments for long, but made coats of lamb skin for them, showing righteousness comes not from their good deeds, but from Jesus the Lamb that is slain. After this God drove them out that they might not eat of the tree of everlasting life. Henceforth death came into the world, separating us from God. How pitiful!"

Testifying to the tremendous value of this Bible Institute, Paul E Kauffmann of Asian Outreach refers also to the permanent record of this month-long Bible study, "When published, these messages occupied (an octavo volume of ) 554 pages. Has anyone else ever attempted such marathon expositions of the Scriptures?" The addresses were taken down verbatim and published before the year was out.  A second printing of the same in one volume was executed by Miss Alice Doo the author's aunt in Taiwan 1952. Now, in its third printing, it is available in three volumes from the Bellman House, Hong Kong under the management of CLC (Christian Literature Crusade).

The method of Bible study as exemplified by his comment­ary on Genesis 3 was sound, illustrated mostly from the teacher's own experiences, augmented further by the experi­ences from the tens of thousands of letters he had read of converts. His emphasis was holiness and a victorious life, but he did not believe in sinless perfection. Touching eschato­logy, he was a pre-millennialist. One great asset of Dr Sung was his wit and humor, without which the teacher would have elicited many a semi-conscious drowsy amen in the summer heat.

The good seed of the Word which he had sown in the thousand and six hundred delegates coming from every corner of China and Southeast Asia, and four hundred local auditors cannot be over estimated. His expectations in his pupils cannot be gauged unless we listen to his closing remarks on the final night, which are recorded as follows:

"Dear brothers and sisters: I have been with you the last thirty days. Now it can be said that my work is done. Before God and man, I have a clear conscience, because what God wanted me to say, I have said. We were worried about the stamina of both teacher and interpreter. Thank the Lord, He has enabled us to stand here to see your face. During this month God has provided everything for us, enabling us to study the Bible book by book. Henceforth this Bible is become your Book, to be brought back. I have merely given you a key that you might open the Bible yourself, to discover many hidden treasures, now waiting for you to explore. May God use you mightily as soldiers for these end-times - this is our greatest objective insofar as the Bible Institute is concerned.

"I do not know when I shall leave this world. But while I am on earth I live a day at a time, to fulfill my daily duty. Now that I have given you the Word God has given me, I can see the Lord without a qualm when I leave this earth.

"During these thirty days, I have trembled before God as I endeavored to deliver God's Word, according to its correct meaning. My duty is now discharged. You are going home, and I will pray for you always. May this work produce great results. `They that sow in tears shall reap in joy' (Ps 126:5). I believe God will not let this Bible Institute come to nought.

"Though we have been reviled, I feel I am guiltless before God and man. I have striven my level best to preach the Gospel, not coveting a single dollar. During this month I have been, as it were, living in imprisonment. Many wanted to see me, but I could not receive you properly and I am very sorry for this. But this could not at all be helped. For I had to prepare your daily spiritual rations. I was completely wrap­ped up in this. I could hardly open the many letters you've sent me. I'll read them, however, on board the ship. Henceforth, I must pray the Lord's blessing upon you. When you return, promote Bible study! `Freely ye have received, freely give' (Matt 10:8). Great have been the expenses for this month, but God has supplied all our needs! Satan has attacked us in vain! May God use us as His end-time soldiers. Therefore whatever be the criticisms, I would accept them. The Lord knows our every trouble during this month, but I have committed to Him to take care of every misunderstanding.

"Dear brothers and sisters, after we disperse, there are those bound for Nanyang. May you be a lighthouse in Nanyang. Many are returning to Taiwan. May you be a lighthouse in Taiwan. There are those of you from North and Central China. May God be with you. As to delegates from Kwangtung Province and Hong Kong I know you have more difficulties than the others, but God help you to fight victoriously. Though there are losses in the preaching bands in Fukien I pray God will preserve you. Brothers from Amoy and Kulangsu, I beg your excuse for troubling you during this month. But may you be comforted in the Lord.

"Let me tell you of the marvelous grace of God. Before the opening of this Bible Institute I asked God for three things: 1) cool weather; 2) good spirits in attendance; 3) health for every member.

"Thank the Lord! He loves us. He has not only given us coolness of weather, He has increased our spirits with each passing day. During this month every seat has been taken. For God has given you the spirit of thirsting for righteous­ness. Though some members were sick, you have been healed through prayer. Hallelujah, Glory to God!

"Now may the love of God go with you, that you may share the grace you've received with others. The more we give the more we receive. If you keep it to yourselves you'll lose everything.

"I don't know where I'll go from here. But I trust in the Lord's arrangement. Maybe we won't have a third Bible Institute next year. Maybe I could hold a retreat with some brothers who love the Lord.

"Finally, the Lord be with you till He comes! Amen."

In typical John Sung style, our Bible Institute teacher took no time to rest. In a matter of days he appeared in Foochow for a seven-day campaign.