Search this book
‘Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death.”’—Phil. i. 20.
AFTER his recovery from the effects of the fast, Sadhu Sundar Singh went again to Tibet for the six months of the hot weather of 1913, and returning spent the cold season touring through North India. Early the following year he was again in Bengal, and working his way up to Darjeeling he entered Sikkim. The Native States bordering Northern India, chief of which are Nepal, Sikkim, and Bhutan, are ruled by princes of their own, and are as hostile to Christianity as Tibet itself. The people are superstitious and ignorant, and the preaching of a foreign religion is strictly prohibited within certain areas. In 1914 Sadhu Sundar Singh entered Nepal knowing that he ran every risk of ill-treatment and possibly death. For some time, however, in spite of opposition and threats, he went from place to place publishing the good news until he came to a town called Tlom. We had not been there lone when he was told he must discontinue preaching or some evil would befall him.
An order was issued for his imprisonment, and whilst delivering his message he was seized and hurried off to the common prison, to spend his days and nights with murderers and thieves. Here was an opportunity for him to speak for his Master, and soon he began to tell the unhappy prisoners of the power of Christ to change men’s hearts and to bring peace to their consciences even within the dismal walls of a prison. Many believed his message of joy and accepted Christ, and thus were these fearful days converted into seasons of blessing both to the Sadhu and to those whom he taught.
The news that he was changing the hearts of his fellow-prisoners was told in high places, and on this charge Sundar was removed from the prison and taken to the public market for punishment. Here he was stripped of his clothes and made to sit on the bare earth. His feet and hands were fastened into holes in upright boards (stocks), and in this crippled position, without food or water, he was made to remain all day and the following night. To add to his tortures a number of leeches were thrown over his naked body, and these immediately fastened upon him and began to suck his life-blood. He carries the marks of this horrible treatment to-day, so that of him it may be truly said, “I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.” <A mocking crowd stood round to watch his torture, and none offered him even a drink of water to relieve his physical misery. In speaking of this experience to the writer the Sadhu said, ‘‘ I do not know how it was, but my heart was so full of joy I could not help singing and preaching.”
Through the long night he agonized, growing hourly weaker with loss of blood, but when morning came he was still alive. When his persecutors saw the Sadhu’s tranquil face they were filled with superstitious dread, and being sure that he held some strange power they did not understand, they took him out of the stocks and set him free. This dreadful experience had made him so weak that he fell unconscious, and only after some time and many attempts did he manage to crawl away from the spot. In that place were some secret believers belonging to the Sanyasi Mission (spoken of in a later chapter) and these kind people received their wounded brother and cared for him until strength returned.
The Sadhu’s brief record of his days in the prison of. Ilom will be found in a later chapter, and, as in his case it is to be expected, he ascribes his great joy in that dreary place to the near companionship of his neverfailing Friend, Jesus Christ.
At Srinagar in Garhwal, he had a most unexpected experience. He knew that this was a dangerous place in which to speak of Christ, but one day when he was preaching outside the city some young men taunted him by saying he dare not say such things inside the city. He felt impelled to accept the challenge, and entering the city he went to the market place and there started to preach. Upon seeing this some of the bystanders hurried off to bring the pandit of the place, hoping he would controvert the Sadhu’s statements and put him to shame.
When the pandit arrived he went up to. Sundar, and in front of all the people he placed his two forefingers in the Sadhu’s mouth with the words, ‘I have done this to prove that we are brothers, and not enemies as you suppose, for we both believe in Jesus Christ as Saviour.” The effect upon the crowd was electrical, and before many minutes had passed all his enemies had vanished away. Sundar then passed one of the happiest days of his life in conversation with this good man, discovering, much to his joy, that the pandit only prolortged his stay in that dark place in order to bring others to the light. Already he had by God’s grace secretly won sixteen souls, and intended to carry on this work so long as it was God’s will he should.
In the wild and inhospitable regions which Sadhu Sundar Singh often needs to pass through in the course of his missionary journeys, he naturally has varied and often most extraordinary experiences. One such occurred when he was passing through the thickly wooded. forests of Bhulera, which is a favourite haunt of thieves and murderers. Four men suddenly intercepted him and one rushed on him with a drawn knife. Unable to protect himself, and believing the end had come, he bowed his head to receive the blow. This unexpected conduct caused the man to hesitate, and to ask instead that the Sadhu should hand over all he had. He was searched for money, but finding none his blanket was seized and he was allowed to pursue his way.
Thankful to escape with his life he went on, but before he had gone far one of them called to him to return, and now certain that death awaited him he turned back. The man then enquired who he was and what was his teaching. Sundar told him that he was a Christian Sadhu, and opening his Testament he read to him the story of the rich man and Lazarus. The man listened attentively, and in reply to the question as to what were his thoughts, he replied that the end of the rich man had filled him with dread, adding that if such a terrible punishment followed so small a sin what would become of greater sinners.
The opportunity thus afforded was quickly seized by the Sadhu. He immediately opened up the riches of God’s grace to him, and listening, the man’s heart was deeply moved. He poured out a miserable story of guilt and sin, amidst many sobs and tears. He then took Sundar to his cave, prepared food for him, and begged him to eat. After some more conversation and a short prayer, the two men retired to rest. Very early next morning the man awoke Sundar and, bringing him outside took him, to a cave where there was a ghastly heap of human bones. With loud weeping he pointed to the bones and said, “ These are my sins; tell me, is there any hope for such as me?” The Sadhu’s heart was touched by the man’s anxiety and contrition, and he told him of the thief who was forgiven on the cross. Then they knelt together and the pocr sinner sobbed out his repentance to God. Before the Sadhu had finished with him, the man had made a start on the strait and narrow way, and together they went to Labcha, Sakkum, where he was handed over to the missionaries and eventually baptized. The other three men also gave up their bad Jife and took to honest occupations. Thus was the Sadhu used for the help of four great sinners.