A Retrospect
1894
A Retrospect
1894
A Retrospect is an extraordinary document of faith tested to its limits. Hudson Taylor arrived in China at twenty-one, armed with conviction, and built the China Inland Mission on a principle that seemed almost impossible: he would never ask for money. Instead, he waited on God in all things, even going hungry rather than mention his needs to those who would have gladly given. This is the story of that radical trust, and of a man who believed the Creator of the universe cared about the details of his daily provision. Taylor recounts his upbringing, his wrestling with faith, and the extraordinary answer to his father's prayers for a son who would serve China. He shares vivid anecdotes of provision arriving at the last moment, of doors opening against all odds, of an entire mission built on prayer. The stakes were nothing less than the salvation of an empire. What makes this memoir endure is its challenge: can you trust God this completely? For readers drawn to radical faith, spiritual biography, and the birth of the modern missionary movement, this remains a staggering testament.
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“In this way I had more than two-thirds of my income available for other purposes; and my experience was that the less I spent on myself and the more I gave away, the fuller of happiness and blessing did my soul become. Unspeakable joy all the day long, and every day, was my happy experience. God, even my God, was a living, bright Reality; and all I had to do was joyful service.””
— James Hudson Taylor
“It is always helpful to us to fix our attention on the God-ward aspect of Christian work; to realise that the work of God does not mean so much man's work for God, as God's own work through man.””
— James Hudson Taylor
“seemed to me that if there were lack of funds to carry on work, then to that degree, in that special development, or at that time, it could not be the work of God.””
— James Hudson Taylor
“To me it seemed that the teaching of God's Word was unmistakably clear: "Owe no man any thing." To borrow money implied, to my mind, a contradiction of Scripture”
— James Hudson Taylor
“The use of means ought not to lessen our faith in God; and our faith in God ought not to hinder our using whatever means He has given us for the accomplishment of His own purposes.””
— James Hudson Taylor
“HAVING now the twofold object in view of accustoming myself to endure hardness, and of economising in order to be able more largely to assist those amongst whom I spent a good deal of time labouring in the Gospel, I soon found that I could live upon very much less than I had previously thought possible. Butter, milk, and other such luxuries I soon ceased to use; and I found that by living mainly on oatmeal and rice, with occasional variations, a very small sum was sufficient for my needs.””
— James Hudson Taylor
“The inconsistencies of Christian people, who while professing to believe their Bibles were yet content to live just as they would if there were no such book, had been one of the strongest arguments of my sceptical companions;””
— James Hudson Taylor
