THE AWAKENING OF 1866–7
Doubtless the greatest joy upon return to Siam was to find that a great spiritual awakening had taken place in the mission school. If the fruits of labour seem sparse so far it must be considered that the most favourable soil had scarcely time to produce its harvest. The boys and girls who had been under the intimate influence of Dr. and Mrs. House in the school were just approaching the adolescent age when, in 1866, a spiritual awakening manifested itself. News of this work of grace had reached Dr. House at Hong Kong, and upon arrival at Bangkok he rejoiced to learn that the facts more than confirmed the report.
“Found all well and the very best of good news awaiting us, confirming the hopes I have felt all along that a better day was about to dawn on us in Siam. Two of our oldest and most promising pupils (Hee, the writer of that interesting letter to me, published in the Foreign Missionary last year, being one of them), and a native teacher in our employ (a man of some education) were baptised a few weeks ago as converts from heathenism; and another native teacher, Naah (Esther’s husband), with others of the pupils in the mission school are desirous of Christian baptism. These new converts with the older church members sustain semi-weekly prayer-meetings among themselves with warm interest.”
The convert named in this letter was Tien Hee, who, a few years later, went to America to seek a higher education. Graduating in medicine at the New York University in 1871, he returned to Siam, where he became the first native physician practising the Western system of medicine. He became eminently successful in his practise, amassed considerable wealth, received the title of Phra Montri and lately has been elevated to a higher rank of nobility, as Phya Sarasin. In grateful recognition of what Christianity has done for him he has made generous contributions toward the work of the mission.
Two months later Dr. House reported further confessions:
“It was my privilege and joy last Sabbath to receive to our little mission church in the ordinance of baptism three Christian converts, all connected or once connected with our mission boarding school; and one of these my dear old pupil Naah (Esther’s husband), the boy especially given me by his Chinese father on his dying bed. The others were Dik and Ting.... You do not know how many fold I felt repaid by the privilege I enjoyed that Sabbath.”
In August of that year (1867) he writes further:
“We are permitted to report the admission by baptism to our native church at this station at our last communion of five new members. Two of them girls that have been long under instruction in the missionary families; two others, elder pupils in the mission school for boys; and the fifth, one more advanced in years.
“Among the four young persons who kneeled one after another to receive the solemn ordinance which made them church members was our dear Ooey, who has long in her heart been persuaded of the truth of our religion and the importance of attendance to it, and who a few weeks before came out bright and clear and decided, in her determination to serve the Saviour. Again it fell to my lot to administer the ordinance; and a privilege unspeakable it was to stand up and in the name of the Lord to apply the seal of the covenant to the dusky brow of that child of many prayers, and to others I had helped teach the way to heaven.
“That Sabbath evening Ooey told me with beaming eyes that her heart was full of happiness. And yet only the day before the poor child had been told by her heathen father—who was angry with her for forsaking the old religion—that she ‘must never call him father, nor her mother, mother again’....
“The fifth is Ah Keo, for over twenty years a servant in the different mission families. I recollect talking and praying with him the first year I was in Siam. But his besetting sin, intemperance, made all exhortation lost on him till this spring—a miracle of grace has been wrought.”
This religious interest increased with the days, so that the semi-weekly meeting for prayer gave way to a daily meeting, in which the young Christians exhorted their fellow students and friends to believe on Christ, and their hearts were poured out in intercession for the conversion of their families and of Siam. Then, in September, Dr. House records another confession from among the student group:
“Delia made our hearts very glad the other day by coming to us and saying her mind was made up to become a Christian, and wished to be baptised. Her mother and brother would be very angry with her, but she felt she must take up her cross. She is a girl of a great deal of decision and energy of character.”
The fall meeting of the Presbytery of Siam for 1867 was marked by items of unusual interest. Dr. House was installed pastor of the church, as a successor to Mr. Mattoon. The formal call for his pastoral services (signed by thirteen members), the charge to the pastor and people, the prayers and the sermon were all in the Siamese language—an index of the development of self-government in the native church. At the same meeting A. Klai, of Petchaburi, was licensed as a native local preacher, apparently the first to be fitted for that rank. Dr. House jocularly refers to him as a “graduate of the McFarland Theological Seminary of Petchaburi,” as he had been under the instruction of Mr. McFarland. At the communion in the Bangkok church this same autumn occurred the ordination of the first native elder of the local church, the congregation having elected the young man Naah already mentioned.