A REMARKABLE STORY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1504, 29 July 1912, Page 6

A REMARKABLE STORY.

CHRISTIANITY IN KOREA. STIMULATING ADDRESS BY THE REV. F. L. PATON. The Rev. F. L. Paton, M.A., D.D., cf I Victoria, who is visiting the main centres of the Dominion iti the interests of tho student volunteer movement and tho Laymen's Missionary movement, arrived in Wellington on Friday. Speaking from St. Andrew's pulpit yesterday forenoon on the theme of "Tho -Message of Korea," Mr. Paton had a very remarkable story to tell. It is the stor'v ot a people the least likely in the world, to set an example of any kind to their neighbours, giving a lead even to the most highly-civilised nations in the matter of Christian evangelism. The heathen Korean, according to Mr. Paton, is one of the most helpless and hopeless members of tho human race. His mental world is dcmoii-haiinted, his political independence has been taken from him by tho enterprising and not over-scrupulous Japanese. His face as he tramps tho roads is care-lined nnd utterly despondent. But when the Korean embraces Christianity, and ho is doing so by tons of thousands, a marvellous transformation is wrought. The fear of tho demons departs, and. a joy so great that it must needs be shared willi others, takes its place. Every Korean Christian becomes an evangelist. He stops hating (he Japanese conqueror, and he turns his attention to his neighbours, and sets himself with remarkable pertinacity to convert (hem. His wholesale success is one of the marvels of modern times. Conversion frequently means persecution—heathen husbands beating their wives and parents their children if they show leanings towards Christianity. But persecution is of no avail to arrest the conversion movement. Sometimes whole towns are carefully mapped out, and every heathen in them visited seven times. ' Four thousand converts are reported as the result of one such movement. The evangelistic, impulso is so strong that poor people, living from hand-to-mouth, will contribute several days' work in lieu of money,, or live on millet, the food.used for cattle, instead of their accustomed rice, in order to help the good work. One church in a few brief years has Tjecome the mother of fortv daughter churches. A thin and disappointingly small prayer meeting is one at which 950 persons were present. Often the persecutors are themselves converted, and gambling saloons are turned into churches. Mr. Paton attributed these remarkable successes of Christianity in Korea to four causes: First, the Bible being studied under the idea that its teachings are to be literally obeyed, and that a life such us .Tesus lived is actually to be lived by his followers; second, prayer in the snirit of simple-hearted children-prayer that is not afraid to ask for fie accomplishment of seeming impossibilities; thirdly, malciug the missionary motive tho chief end of the' Christian Church; fourthly, unreserved acceptation of the guidanca and control'of tho Holv Spirit. Mr. Paton's address was in tho highest degree stimulating and suggestive, and lie spoke with the authority of ono who had personally witnessed tho'phcnonicna which he described. THREE FORMS OF INFLUENCE. The Rev. F. Paton preached to a large congregation at Wesley Church, Tarannki Street, last evening. He based his address on the words, "Beginning at Jerusalem.-'' He said: By far tho most potent personal influence which we wield is the unconscious influenco of our personality. That influence depends not on what we say or do, but upon what we are, and what we are depends upon tho secret life which wxj are living. If wo are living near to .Tesus Christ and allowing His Spirit to saturate our lives, then the unconscious influence which goes out from us will be that of Jesus Christ living and working in 'us. Lufc no cno can live the life of fellowship and communion with Jesus Christ without flinging oneself instinctively info the conscious service of our fellow men. This is tho necessary outworking of His Spirit in us. If we do not translate the vision in terms of human, love and service wo shall loso it for ourselves. Jerusalem is for the university student his college cr university, and in that sphere what counts most is what he is in the secret life he is living. The Christian union expresses for him his corporate responsibility, and ho must fling himself into that work in tho service of his Lord. It is the most strategic, work ho can do, as the lives ho touches arc these of the future leaders of tho nation. Jerusalem is foi the citizen, Wellington. Are there not social ills to cure, and many things to put right? Somewhere in the heart of the problem will bo found sin, and tho onlv final cure will be found in the Spirit o'l Jesus. Just where the sin begins and ivsl W'heie tho Spirit of Jesus has been depart wl from wc must discover for ourselves upen all our problems we must bring k ,-? T 'I'S ln » ue,, co of a dedicated person, ality, filled with the Spirit of God. Om personal influence is moro or less limitoi by our personal touch. By our money in iluence we extend tho personal infliienc turtner afield by getting other personal' ties to work where they could not be main tamed but for our money gifts. In (hj. way we find men and w'omen'full of (hi Spirit of Jesus to labour in the home mi* sion field, or wo go still further afield an< set men and women to work in the non Christian lands. In this we combine will the student volunteer movement, Tlici supply Hw personality and we supply thi money influence. Both peist nalitv am money influence aro limited, but"prayeinfluence is as unlimited as the love am power of God. Jesus used this method and He taught His disciples to regard i as the supremo method. Modern histori is full of outstanding examples of niei who have dona mighty deeds by pravcrsuch men as George Midler, Hudson 'Tny lor, Dr. John IT, Molt. Our own studonj movement is full of the most wonderfu instances of how God works through thi< method. And yet it is the poivcr u< wield least of all. Prayer is the spirit™ live wire along which God's power is trail* nutted into hiim-m life. Prayer implies i Father at ono end and a dedicated per KO-nabty at the other. But for us, as 'a Christ, the measure of our pravcr and o our service is the broken bodv and tin cMied-blood. Are we willing for that» Onb thus can our lives tell in the fullest an< wopest «vay for the coming of His kin 1 «.om. Anil is anything more worth whil tnan that? At 8.30 Mr. Paton held a meeting o men in Wesley Church on the "Men' Missionary .Movement," at whicii he emin crated tho Vrinciplos of the movement n a forceful address.