CANVASSING THE CITY
Dr. House devoted a part of each day to street work. He had previously in his walks about the city prepared an accurate map. He now laid this off in districts and entered upon a plan of systematic visitation to every house in the capital. This plan afforded unusual opportunity to see the people in their homes and to engage them in religious conversation.
“At 1 p. m. went out for a couple of hours distribution of books. Met at a watt gate two old men. To one gave books; the other said he was an old man (seventy-four); his ears were deaf—he could scarcely hear; his eyes had become dark—he could not see to read; and what should he do? He seemed to wish to be instructed in the way of happiness, and I stopped to tell him of the love of God. Then we walked on together.... I could not part from him with Christ yet unspoken of, and so in the road I stopped again, sheltered by my umbrella only, till I had given him the idea of the Son of God dying in the sinner’s place. I did not know or care what passers-by might think, I only thought of the poor old man’s need of the Saviour.
“My first visit was to a floating house where a Siamese lady was sitting in the shade of the veranda.... She was glad to get books—read fluently; said she already held to our way of worship, and gave a specimen of chanting some part of the Roman ritual.
“Next was sent for by a young prince to whose intelligent family I had given books last week. He gave me tea, etc. The woman at the next house said ‘Oh, yes, I would like books,’ and an interesting conversation ensued. She at once assented to there being a Creator, and though probably had never heard of one before, asked for His name. How happy I feel when coming to one such I tell of the God of creation, and unfold the wondrous story of redemption.
“At the next house found a clay modeler at work. He had a book, and brought it to me—proved to be an English speller. It had a hymn in praise of mother-love, also a church—, and a Watt’s catechism. The latter I translated to him, giving me an opportunity to give much religious instruction.”
This type of evangelistic work Dr. House very soon found to be much to his liking, and was surprised at his own versatility in religious conversation:
“I ought to bless God for giving me, as I believe I have, some talent for entering into conversation with strangers, introducing the great subject to those casually met. I was in early youth sensible of a great lack of talent of this kind, but cultivated it and now I am not the same I once was.... O, Master, fill my heart with Thy love, and then my lips must always and to all speak forth Thy praise.”
Occasionally he writes out an abstract of the conversation, especially if it had shown particular thought on the part of the interlocutor. A transcription of one of these entries will give a good idea of how the missionary “preaches”:
“Going over into the palace of our prince, found several Nai, intelligent headmen—one a Khun—gathered on the porch of the audience hall. They invited me to sit down and answer questions, ‘talk about religion’ they said.... Our religion differs in this, for one thing; whereas your god Buddha was originally a man who by merit attained to divinity, ours was originally God, who took on him the nature of man. ‘But what did he do that he might become God?’ they asked. So I told of eternity and Jehovah. They asked if we were hired to come over here; surprised we had no temple with idols; never was a more excellent opportunity to make known God’s blessed truth, or more respectful attention—all friendly, civil. And to many, what I said had all the interest of novelty.... What were God’s commandments? Is Jesus then the Son of God? Can a Siamese man, if he repent, be saved? Can you become God, will you become a God at last? Why did not God create all men alike? Why must he needs try us on probation? In what direction is hell?—these and innumerable similar questions were proposed mostly in good faith. And grace was given me and utterance to give what seemed a satisfactory answer to most of them.”
On another day, passing through the grounds of a watt, he was invited by a priest of his acquaintance to stop for a call. Tea was made ready and a pleasant discussion of religion ensued in the presence of several young priests:
“One thing he could not get over, we killed animals. Yes, so do you, I told him; and explained about animalculæ in water—promised to let him see them through my microscope when it came.
“Transmigration endless! He told me that Buddha taught that if any one took a needle and thrust it into the earth anywhere in the wide world, and was to ask his teacher if he had ever been there,—Yes, he had some time or other been buried there! So of any given place on the earth’s surface. (This beats geology for stupendous periods of time.)
“Buddha taught that time passed very slowly in hell; and he illustrated it thus: Now 2,395 years since Gotama Buddha died—all that time but as half an hour to those in hell.
“‘Let me see your god and I will believe,’ said some onlooker. I asked him if he could see his own god? ‘Yes,’ he replied. ‘Stop,’ said my host, ‘you had better say nothing of that.’ But I went on to ask him if he worshipped brick and mortar which could not lift its hand, nor see nor hear.
“They all thought Nippant (nirvana) preferable to heaven—till I told of the assurance we had that ‘they go no more out.’”