ii SINGH Mrs.ArthurParker SADHU SUNDAR SINGH SADHU SUNDAR SINGH CALLED OF GOD BY MRS. ARTHUR PARKER, London Missionary Society, Trivandram, S. India. NEW YORK CHICAGO Fleming H. Revell Company LONDON AND EDINBURGH Copyright Copyright, 1920, by FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY New York: 158 Fifth Avenue Chicago : 17 North Wabash Ave. London : 21 Paternostei Square Edinburgh 75 Princes Street TO MY DEAR HUSBAND WHO THROUGH THIRTY YEARS HAS KEPT ME "FAITHFUL TO THE BEST THINGS OF LIFE. FOREWORD THIS little book was originally intended for the use of Christian women of the Malayalam country, but the writer has been persuaded to issue an English edition. Nearly the whole of the matter has been the subject of conversations with the Sadhu himself, with whom we have enjoyed much inspiring companionship and with whose permission the book is issued. This word picture of a true servant of the Great Master should be an inspiration to all Christian men and women in India, and it docs not seem too much to hope that Indians of all classes will see how truly Jesus Christ can manifest Himself in and through the people of this great land, and how worthy He is to be India's Lord and Saviour. ARTHUR PARKER. London Mission, Trivandram. A LETTER FROM SADHU SUNDAR SINGH (WRITTEN IN ROMAN-URDU) Jab main is chhothi kitab ka MSS dekh raha tha to yih bat safai so dekhne men ai ki Khuda ki Ruh ne kaise ajib taur se Mrs. R. J. Parker ki madad aur hidayat ki, ki sari baten bagair kisi galati ki likhin, aur mujhe yaqin hai, ki musannif ki mihnat Khuda ke jalal aur bahuton ke ruhani faida ki bais hogi. Aur unko madad milegi jo mushkilat men hain, jis tarah ki main tha, aur khass kar yih malum, karke, ki Khudawand kis tarah mujhe jaise bare gunahgar ko bacha kar apni muhabbat aur fazl se apni khidmat ke liye chun leta hai. Aj main shukarguzari ke sdth apne tajruba 13 baras ke experience se kah sakta him ki Masih aj kal aur hamesha yaksan hai (Hebrews xiii. 8). Men dua hai ki Khuda in chand baton ke auron ki ruhani madad aur apni jalal ke liye istiamal kare. Amin. (Signed) SUNDAR SINGH. September 3, 1918. TRANSLATION When I saw the manuscript of this little book I saw clearly in what a wonderful way the spirit of God had helped and guided Mrs. R. J. Parker so that she had written it without any mistake, and I am certain that the author's work will be for the glory of God and a means of spiritual benefit to many. Also that those who are in the midst of difficulties such as I was, will receive help, and especially will learn how the Lord saved so great a sinner as myself, and by His love and grace chose me for His service. To-day I can say with thankfulness after thirteen years of experience that Christ is the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever (Hebrews xiii. 8). My prayer is that God will use these few words for His glory and for the spiritual help of others. Amen. (Signed) SUNDAB SINGH. September 3, 1918. HAST thou heard Him, seen Him, known Him, Is not thine a captured heart ? Chief among ten thousand own Him, Joyful choose the better part. What has stripped the seeming beauty From the idols of the earth ? Not a sense of right or duty, But the sight of peerless worth. Not the crushing of those idols, With its bitter void and smart ; But the beaming of His beauty, The unveiling of His heart ! 'Tis that look that melted Peter, "Tis that face that Stephen saw, 'Tis that heart that wept with Mary Can alone from idols draw. Draw and win and fill completely, Till the cup o'erflow the brim ; What have we to do with idols Who have companied with Him ? CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION - - xiii I. SADHU AND SANYASI - l II. SUNDAR SINGH AS SADHU - 5 III. SUNDAR THK MAN - 8 IV. NATIONALITY AND BIRTH - - 13 V. CALLED TO SEEK - - 16 VI. CALLED OF GOD - - 19 VII. CALLED TO SUFFER I - 22 VIII. CALLED TO SUFFER II - - 28 IX. CALLED TO SERVE - 32 X. CALLED TO PREACH - - 35 XI. WHAT WISDOM is THIS ? - 89 XII. EARLY EXPERIENCES AS A SADHU - 42 XIII. OBEDIENCE BY SUFFERING - 46 XIV. THE FAST - - 50 XV. FURTHER JOURNEYS AND PERSECUTIONS - - 54 XVI. TIBET - 59 XVII. SUNDAR IN TIBET I - 61 XVIII. SUNDAR IN TIBET II - 04 XIX. FURTHER EXPERIENCES IN TIBET - 67 XX. MARTYRS OF THE FAITH - - 72 XXI. SUNDAR'S MYSTICISM - 78 XXII. THE SADHU'S LOVE FOR THE CROSS - 83 XXIII. SUNDAR SINGH AND THE SANYASI MISSION - 80 xii CONTENTS PAGE XXIV. SUNDAR SINGH AND THK MAHARISHI OF KAILASH - 91 XXV. SADHU SUNDAR SINGH IN SOUTH INDIA - - 95 XXVI. SADHU SUNDAR SINGH AT A GREAT CHRISTIAN CONVENTION - - 98 XXVII. CEYLON - - 102 " " XXVIII. UNTO THE UTTERMOST PARTS OF THE EARTH - 108 " " XXIX. CALLED, CHOSEN, FAITHFUL - - 118 " " XXX. CHRIST SENT ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL - 118 THE MESSAGE OF THE BOOK 124 APPENDICES : THE SADHU AND His FATHER TIBET THE SIKHS SOME OF THE SADHU'S ILLUSTRATIONS - 125 SADHU SUNDAR SINGH CALLED OF GOD INTRODUCTION FEBBUARY, 1918, is a time that will linger in the memory of Christians of all denominations in Trivandram, for the visit of Sadhu Sundar Singh was an unprecedented event that brought to many profound spiritual blessing. " One of our missionaries rightly said, Such a figure has " never Indian before in passed through the Church ; and passing he left the deep consciousness that God had visited His people. The fame of the Sadhu had preceded him, for a few had read the books published about his life and work, and of these some looked for a day of miracles to dawn. Most, however, were filled with desire to see and hear him that they might receive the spiritual blessings xiv INTRODUCTION they believed possible from his ministry. That God did not disappoint these hopes there arc numbers to-day who could give joyful testimony. As the train bringing Sadhu Sundar Singh to Trivandram drew into the station, besides the mission ary, a group of Indian Christians stood ready to accord a to arrival welcome him ; and upon at the Mission House a crowd had gathered for the same purpose, and would hardly be persuaded to disperse in order to allow the Sadhu to get a wash and some food. A Wesleyan missionary thus describes the appearance " of the Sadhu : The Sadhu has a noble presence. He is tall, with a well-shaped head and fine features. His hands and feet are delicately formed and exquisitely kept. He is scrupulously clean in person and attire. The only dress he wears is the long orange robe of the ascetic, which falls in graceful and dignified folds about his body. No one can look upon him for the first time without being struck by his close likeness to the tradi tional portrait of Christ." There are many things in this old land that give a fresh understanding of the Bible, but no man of my experience has made us realize so fully how our Saviour lived and moved about in His day. During his visit to Trivandram, whenever Sadhu Sundar Singh appeared in public, wondering crowds followed him. Even the children gathered behind him that they might touch his yellow robe, and the sick were brought that he might pray with them. It is almost impossible to INTRODUCTION xv convince the people that he does not heal the sick, even when the assurance comes from his own lips. At one of his meetings a pathetic incident occurred that brought vividly to mind how pur Lord was sought. It was at a large open-air meeting. Some men appeared carrying a sick man on a bed. They placed it gently upon the ground in a place where the afflicted man could behold the face and hear the words of the Sadhu. He was a Christian from a village seven miles away, and had been brought in overnight so as to be present at this great gathering. That very night another incident took place that reminded us of the visit of Nicodemus to our Saviour. At two o'clock, when all the world was locked in sleep, a low rapping at the door announced the arrival of a midnight guest. A caste man desirous of discussing religious matters had come to see him. When explain ing that he had felt ashamed to come in the daylight " the Sadhu replied, Jesus Christ was not ashamed to suffer for you on the cross in the daylight, so cannot " you suffer a little for Him ? At the service next day this gentleman took his courage in both hands, and appeared amongst the crowd of Christians to listen to the Sadhu preaching. Sundar Singh has brought fresh visions of God and Christ to us all, and many of us realize how by close fellowship with Jesus, and complete obedience to His will, he has become so conformed to his Lord that " " wherever he goes people say, How like Christ he is ! xvi INTRODUCTION To see and hear him makes one's heart beat high with hope for India's future, and with confidence that the day will come when the east will have some new aspect of our Saviour to discover to the west. For thirty years we have waited for men to rise up who can reach the heart of India, and surely none has come nearer to doing this than this humble lover of the Cross', Sadhu Sundar Singh.