only be fair to give some little part of it
at the collection at the church to which you go. You could give
some of it for destitute children. It does not matter much where
you give it. I think the London Missionary Society has the best
claim. Think over it, boys. Jesus died to save us: surely we can
show our gratitude by giving Him some of our money?'

Later letters to his father outline for us his religious experience, and
enable us to realise something of the spiritual experience of these
years.

'Ch'ao Yang: March 29, 1887.

'I am wondering how you all are. God has been drawing me nearer to
Him these last weeks, and I am living in the hope that He will
bless me and my work largely some day. There is much ignorance to
be removed, much suspicion, much misunderstanding of me as a
foreigner, and I am hammering away as hard as I can. There are
mountains of difficulty to be removed, but I am trusting in God to
remove them, and these last days I have had much peace and joy in
my heart thinking of God's love to me and the salvation of Jesus. I
have no doubt at all about my being His, and sometimes the great
hope is almost too much to realise. But I am often at the same time
downcast that I cannot see more people here converted, and I think
that, if God has a favour to me and delights in me, He can well
move the hearts of these people to believe in His Son, and choose
out people to come and help me in my work. I am sometimes lonely
here, and wish I had a friend to talk to and tell all my troubles,
and then I think that Jesus is such a friend, and so I tell Him all
my griefs; but I would like to have a colleague.

'I hope, my dear father, that your heart is contented and happy in
Jesus. Only let Him arrange all things for you as regards your
soul, and He'll do it all right. He can be trusted. Heaven is not
far away; we'll soon be there; comfort your heart. Won't it be too
blessed to be again with our wives, freed from all that is earthly,
and suffering, and surrounded by nothing but what is nice! This is
no dream: it is real; it is true; it is kept for us; it will be
ours. We'll see it soon; you and I will be there together. It may
be some time before we are there together; but years soon pass.
Cheer up, my father!