ADDRESSES FROM A HEARER’S NOTES - Burns, William Chalmers

1858

PREFACE

The following reminiscences of the evangelistic labours of my esteemed friend, Mr. Burns – which were so singularly owned of God in former years to the converting and quickening of many souls in various parts of
Scotland – having been recently brought under my notice, it has occurred to me, that great service might be rendered to the cause of Christ by their being widely circulated.In this conviction I have been confirmed by the warmly expressed opinion of many Christian friends; and
I feel that there is perhaps no way in which I can more effectually commend them than by giving the testimony of one who heard them delivered.”These addresses, whatever they may have lost in their present form, are faithful memorials of days of awakening. Many will value them for their plain-spoken earnestness; and some will recognize in them the
appeal of power – the arrow which the Lord sent home to bring them to the feet of Jesus.”Some of them are longer, because the speaker seemed compelled to press again and again on the vast audiences, assembled from great distances, the message of his Master. Others are shorter, having been compressed into the forty-five minutes which, in those days, working men could snatch, even during a snowstorm, from the breakfast-hour, to gather in the house of God around the open Bible. To how many a shop, or anvil, or clerk’s desk, or attic, was then carried the manna portion, to be fed on there with joy, the Day will declare.”May it please the Master a second time to bless these comments on his own Word, and to stir up believers to remember before God the devoted missionary, who now in China stands face to face with an almost unbroken heathenism!

God has already, in some places owned the labors of his servant there; but in others, as at the present time, he is made to feel how sovereign is the life-giving Spirit, and urgently to call on believers for earnest
and persevering prayer.We seem almost set down in apostolic days in reading the narrative of Mr. Burns’ arrest, given by Governor Yeh (see Note); or, in perusing the following epistle from the newly-gathered converts of the province of Fo-kien, addressed to Mr. Burns when last in Scotland. The infant Church at Pechuia had heard of his having left Amoy for Britain, and sent after him this affecting appeal for teachers: — “They would write,” say one on the spot, “a sentence, and then pray; and then write another sentence, and then pray again.” Not many months before, they had bowed down to idols with the mass of idolaters around.

Given to be inspected by Mr. Burns and all the disciples.”We, who have received the grace of Jesus Christ, send a letter to pastor William Burns. We wish that God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, may give to all the holy disciples in the Church grace and peace.Now we wish you to know that you are to pray to God for us; for you came to our market-town, and unfolded the gracious command of God, causing us to obtain the grace of God.”Now, as we have a number of things to say, we must send this communication. We wish you deeply to thank God for us, that in the intercalary seventh month and thirteenth day, pastor Johnston established a free school here; there are twelve attending it. Formerly, in the third month, a man, whose name is Chun-sim, belonging to the village of Chieng-choan, heard you preaching in the village of Hui-tsau. Many thanks to the Holy Spirit who opened his blinded heart, so that in the seventh month he sent a communication to the Church at Amoy, praying the brethren to go to the village. They were and spoke for several days, and all the villagers with delighted heart listened. Also in the town of Chiokbey the Holy Spirit is powerfully working; the people generally desire to hear the gospel. The brethren and missionaries have gone together several times; and now, in the village of Ka-lang, there are two men, Ch’eng-soan and Sui-mui, who are joining heart with the brethren in prayer.”Teacher! We, in this place, with united heart, pray, and bitterly beg of God to give you a level plain to go home, and beg of God again to give you a level plain quickly to come. Teacher! you know that our faith in
thin, and in danger. Many thanks to our Lord and God, who defends us as the apple of the eye. Teacher! from the time that we parted with you in the seventh month, we have been meditating on our Lord Jesus
love to sinners, in giving up his life for them; also thinking of your benevolence and good conduct, your faith in the Lord, and compassion for us. We have heard the gospel but a few months; our faith is not yet firm.”Teacher! you know that we are like sheep that have lost their shepherd, or an infant that has lost its milk. Many thanks to the Holy Spirit; our Lord, morning and evening, comforts our hearts, [and gives us] peace. And in the seventh month, the twenty-fourth day, the brethren with united heart prayed, and shedding tears, bitterly begged of God again to send a number of pastors, quickly to come, again to teach the gospel. We wish that God our Father may grant this prayer, which is exactly that which the heart desires.”Nine names are appended to this, being all the members of the infant Church at Pechuia, at the date when
the letter was written, viz, autumn of 1854. Never did a more touching appeal come from a heathen land. And now one of the members of that little church, Si-boo by name, is himself a missionary, labouring among the Chinese at Singapore, where a blessing is manifestly following his labours, for one who heard the gospel at his lips has returned to Amoy, and borne witness to his acceptance with his emigrant fellow- countrymen.Let us not refuse to join these Chinese believers in pleading for their country, nor forget those missionaries who have carried them the message; going out, as one of themselves has expressed it, “not as
mere adventurers, but as representatives of the Christian Church at home, in order to reap the fruit of their prayers.

ROBERT MACDONALD North Leite, January, 1858.

GOVERNOR YEH’S ACCOUNT OF MR. BURNS’ ARREST IN THE INTERIOR

YEH, High Imperial Commissioner, Governor-General of the Two Kwang Provinces, &c, addresses this
declaration to H. S. Parkes, Esq., Her Britannic Majesty’s Consul at Canton.I have before me an official report from WANG-CHING, Chief Magistrate of the district of Hae-yang, in the department of Chaon-Chow, which contains the following statements: —It being the duty of your subordinate to act with Leseuen-fang, the Major commanding at this city
(Chaon-Chow), in the inspection of the defenses of the place, we suddenly observed, whilst engaged in this service, three persons seated in a boat on the river whose appearance had something in it that was unusual.
We found in their boat, and took possession of, seven volumes of foreign books, and three sheet tracts; but these were the only things they had with them. On examining the men themselves, we observed that they all
of them had shaven heads, and wore their hair plaited in a queue, and were dressed in Chinese costume. The face of one of them, however, had rather a strange look; his speech in respect to tone and mode of
expression being not very similar to that of the Chinese. We, therefore, interrogated him carefully, whereupon he stated to us that his true name was Pin-wei-lin (William Burns); that he was an Englishman, aged 42 years, and, as a teacher of the religion of Jesus, had been for some time past engaged in exhorting his fellow-men to do good deeds. In 1847, he left his native land and traveled to China, and took up his
residence first at Victoria, where he lived two years, and afterwards in the foreign factories at Canton, where he remained for more than one. Subsequently, he visited Shanghae, Amoy, and other places, and there spent several years; wherever he went he made himself acquainted with the languages of the Chinese, and by this means he delivered his exhortations to the people, and explained to them the books of Jesus, but without receiving from anyone the least remuneration. In 1854, he embarked in a steamer from Amoy, on a visit to his native home; and in December 1855, joined himself to one of his countrymen, surnamed Tae, who was going to Shanghae to trade. I accompanied him thither,” said Burns, “in his vessel’ but from Shanghae, Tae returned home again, whilst I remained there and engaged myself in the distribution of Christian books. In the sixth month of the present year (July), I left Shanghae, and took passage in a foreign sailing vessel to
Shantow (Swa-tow), in the district of Chinghae. There I fell in, on the 12 th day of the 7 th month (August 12 th ), with Le-a-yuen and Chin-a-seun, the two Chinese who have now been seized with me. I called upon them
to be my guides, and we proceeded in company to Yen-fan, and from thence came on to this city, where we had it in contemplation to distribute some of our books. Scarcely, however, had we arrived at the river’s bank on the 19 th day of the 7 th month (19 th August), when to our surprise we found ourselves under surveillance, and deprived of our liberty. We entertained, however, no other views or intentions than those
which we have stated, and declare that these statements are strictly true.”

Such is the account given by the missionary, William Burns, who, together with his seven volumes of foreign books and his three sheet tracts, was given over into the charge of an officer, and brought in custody to this office.Having examined the above report, I (the Imperial Commissioner) have to observe thereon, that the inland river of the city of Chaon-Chow is not one of the ports open to (foreign) commerce; and it has never on that account been frequented by foreigners. I cannot but look upon it, therefore, as exceedingly improper, that William Burns (admitting him to be an Englishman) should change his own dress, shave his head, and assuming the costume of the Chinese, penetrate into the interior in so irregular a manner. And, although, when closely examined by the magistrate, he firmly maintained that religious teaching and the distribution of books formed his sole object and occupation, it may certainly be asked, why does William Burns leave Shanghae and come to Chaon-Chow, just at a time when Kiang-nan and the other provinces are the scene of hostilities? Or, can it be that a person, dressed in the garb, and speaking the language of China, is really an Englishman, or may be not be falsely assuming that character to further some mischievous ends?

I have directed Heu, the assistant Nan-hae magistrate, to hand him over to the Consul of the said nation, in order that he may ascertain the truth respecting him, and keep him under restraint; and I hereby, by means of this declaration, make known to him (the Consul) the above particulars.William Burns, seven volumes of foreign books, and three sheet tracts, accompany this declaration.Helen fung, 6 Th year, 9 Th month, 2d day. (September 30, 1856) The two native teachers alluded to, a fortnight after Mr. Burns was sent off to Canton, were examined anew by the district magistrate, and because of the testimony which they bore to the truth of the gospel, and its power in contrast with the doctrines of Confucius, as the means of saving the soul from death, they were
both beaten forty blows on the cheek. After four months’ imprisonment, they have at least been set at liberty. Mr. Burns has resumed his labors at Swat ow.