1900 - Tianjin Li

1900 - Tianjin Li

July 1900

Tianjin

Tianjin Li.

One of those slain at Tianjin was a well-known and much-loved Christian known as Tianjin Li.

A successful businessman who owned approximately 25 properties in the city, Li was also one of the leaders of the church, and often shared the gospel with his business associates. In the early part of the summer, when notices were posted around the city telling of the dates that the Christians were to be exterminated, many businessmen went to Li and encouraged him to give up the foreign religion and thereby save his life. Just at that time,

“Li was very sad, for his beloved daughter had fallen sick and died, so he was almost heartbroken. But when he heard these words, the fire came into his eyes and he lifted up his head and said bravely, ‘Do not bring me these idle rumours; the thing cannot be done. ‘Burn the chapels and kill the foreigners,’ you say. But our God is able to protect His own. He is stronger than the wrath of evil men!’”[1]

When reports of massacres of Christians came flooding in from the countryside, Li was encouraged to go down to the mission compound and seek protection along with many of the other believers. So many people had come to the gates demanding to be let in, however, that the missionaries had decided only Christians should be admitted, but not the unsaved members of their families. This was a reasonable demand considering the Boxers were only interested in killing those who believed in Jesus Christ. When Li was told of this rule he declared, “Then it is impossible for me to come, as I cannot take my wife and daughter-in-law, who are not believers. Moreover, I do not think there is any danger. I am putting my faith in God. He will protect me!”[2]

Li possessed an invincible faith that God would spare the Church. What he didn’t realize is that it was God’s will for his children to undergo this trial by fire in the summer of 1900, so that his Church could come out the other side refined and purified, and better equipped to reach the nation with the message of Christ’s salvation. When he heard that the city church had been burned to the ground and the Boxers were bombarding the mission compound, Li was so dismayed that he locked himself up in his home and did not speak for six days.

Finally, after much prayer, Li left his house to walk around the city to inspect the damage. While he was in the streets a man recognized him and told the Boxers. They swooped on him, accusing Li of being a slave of the foreign devils. He boldly replied, “Why do you shout and revile me like this? I have done no harm to any man…. You think you can banish the Christian faith from this land by destroying the believers; but remember that it is China itself that will be destroyed by these deeds, and never the religion of Jesus!”[3]

Li began to preach to the Boxers, urging them to repent of their evil deeds and put their faith in Christ. This infuriated the persecutors. They bound him and pushed him along the street towards the Drum Tower Chapel, which had been burned to the ground a few days previously. “You can preach to us here as long as you like!” the murderers shouted,

“and then cruel swords cut him down and soon beheaded him. They nailed his head on the ruins of the chapel, so that it could be seen by passers-by, and then amused themselves by making a mock of it, crying out, ‘Preach to us now, as you used to do! Tell us of Jesus, who you say can protect the Christians!’”[4]

© This article is an extract from Paul Hattaway's epic 656-page China’s Book of Martyrs, which profiles more than 1,000 Christian martyrs in China since AD 845, accompanied by over 500 photos. You can order this or many other China books and e-books here.

1. Bryson, Cross and Crown, 122.
2. Bryson, Cross and Crown, 122.
3. Bryson, Cross and Crown, 123.
4. Bryson, Cross and Crown, 123-124.

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