"Do not view the diseases, scarcity, and misunderstandings we encounter in foreign lands as obstacles. Rather, they are sandpaper used by God to wear away our natural pride. Without this painful friction, the gospel we bring to this nation would be like rusty iron, hard and cold with metallic edge. Suffering softens the truth, making it easier to penetrate people's hearts."
— William Milne
Source: A Letter of Encouragement from Milne to Colleagues of the London Missionary Society (LMS)
Suffering, disease, truth
Views: 59
"I do not aspire to have the name 'William Milne' recorded in the annals of this world. I only ask that when the people of China open the Bible and read of God's love, they do not need to know who translated it, nor do they need to know who devoted their lives to it. As long as the truth is remembered and the translator's name is forgotten, that is the greatest reward for him."
— William Milne
Source: Milne's Personal Devotional Diary
Bible, translation, truth, reward
Views: 63
"I felt the setting sun approaching behind me, while the wilderness ahead remained vast. We cannot wait until all conditions are perfect before setting out, for then we will only meet the Lord with gray hair and unfinished regrets. Even if our lamp oil is limited, we must illuminate this path before it runs out, so that those who follow will not have to grope in the dark."
— William Milne
Source: Farewell letter
Condition: Darkness
Views: 63
"The method of water and stone flow (the fountain) that I have demonstrated, though seemingly ingenious, actually follows the universal gravitation and laws established by the Creator. Without those constant and unchanging laws, even with myriad methods, I could not make water gush upwards. Observing the order of water, one can understand the grandeur of the law maker."
— Michel Benoist
Source: Letters from Jesuit Missionaries to China
Laws, Order
Views: 56
"The suffering I endure here (in the palace) is heavier than that I would endure in the wilderness. For in the wilderness I can call out the name of the Lord with a loud voice; but here I must live out the name of the Lord in every stroke of my pen, in endless silence and in the midst of mundane affairs."
— Giuseppe Castiglione
Source: Letters from Jesuit Missionaries to China
Bitterness, wilderness, trivial matters
Views: 52
"True co-workers are not two people with equal talent standing side by side, but two people willing to smooth out half of their rough edges for the same goal. We are here not to prove who is more capable, but to prove the power of Christ. If my concession can open the door to the gospel wider, then this 'stepping back' is the greatest 'advance'."
— William Milne
Source: Milne's private letter to Morrison
Same work, same goal
Views: 47