Everlasting Pearl Part 6

Many strong opponents of the Gospel, many full of arguments and worldly wisdom sought her out to argue and reason with her, fully a.s.sured that their clever and witty speeches would soon bring ridicule and shame upon her and her belief. But quietly and earnestly she silenced all of them, often even outwitting them in arguments; at other times just telling her simple story, but with such power that all mouths were closed. The Lord indeed gave her "mouth and wisdom" according to His promise in Luke xxi. 15, and very often, when the husband and wife were telling their experiences, the former would say, with a proud, fond look at his wife, "They are never able to get the best of her in argument. The Lord always helps her to overcome them all." How he loved her, and how united these two were in heart and mind! Day by day, as they both followed Christ, they were drawn closer to each other.

Mrs. Lu was always ready for service, and whenever the Lord called her to do something for Him, she did it joyfully and with all her might.

When some days had been set apart for the wors.h.i.+p of a famous idol visiting Kucheng, the people, especially the women, streamed together from all quarters. A good many of them were strangers in the place, and all sights worthy of notice had to be seen. The "Jesus Hall" was one of them, perhaps the most important of all, for the women had heard strange tales of the foreigners with their new doctrine, and they wanted to see the place with their own eyes.

Mrs. Lu saw them coming, and realized that here was work for her to do, as the old chapel-keeper was little good at preaching. That morning Mrs. Lu had read in her daily text-book: "Be of good cheer. Speak, and be not silent, for I have much people in this city." Now the message came back to her, and it seemed to be the voice of G.o.d Himself, so she answered joyfully, "Very well, Lord, if Thou dost want me to preach, I will preach. I will put down my own work, and only work for Thee during these days." So without delay or regret, she put everything else aside, and for three or four days witnessed from morning till night to all the women who came, so that each one might hear the glad tidings of salvation before returning to a distant home. Could such faithful work, done through the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and through the constraining love of Christ, be in vain?

She would say in her own bright way--"I am glad and willing to work for the Lord, even if it should mean great loss; but the Lord does not let me lose anything, not even in worldly things. I give my time to Him, and He so often helps me to do a piece of work that makes up for all the time I have given. Do you know what happened last week? I gave my time to preaching the Gospel during the week, and then on Sat.u.r.day somebody brought a pair of shoes to be mended. It was a difficult piece of work, and few were able to do it. I undertook to mend them, and in that one day I earned 100 cash, when others were only able to earn 20 or 30 cash a day."

Does not this story give a striking example of how G.o.d rewards glad and willing service for Him, even here, in addition to the greater recompense above? "Therefore be ye steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."

CHAPTER XX

DAYS OF SHADOW

Reference has already been made to the death of Mrs. Lu's brother.

This had been a great trial to her, as he was the only one left who bound her to the home of her girlhood. It was in June 1904 that he left them for the better world above, and already in July death called another one from the immediate circle. This time it was the old tailor Chang who was summoned into the presence of the King.

He was, indeed, a brand plucked from the burning. He had been pretty well off, and was a good tailor. When a child, Mr. Lu had been apprenticed to Chang by his parents. Chang was fond of the quiet, conscientious boy, and treated him well, and the two grew fond of each other. But soon their ways parted, and later on Chang sunk very low on account of his opium-smoking habit. He kept an opium den, lived with a woman who was not his wife, and became more and more a slave to opium, until he had wasted his last dollar and sold all he possessed. It was then, when he was landed in utter misery, and knowing not where to turn, that his former apprentice, Mr. Lu, came forward, and offered him a home and shelter.

Chang's body was ruined through former sins, and when trying to diminish his daily supply of opium, he suffered acutely, and was often ill for weeks together. It was during one of these attacks that the Lu children told him to pray to G.o.d for healing. He did so, as he said he could not withstand the pleading of the children, although he had been very displeased with Mr. and Mrs. Lu being Christians. The Lord did raise him up the next day. Chang realized it was an answer to prayer, and set himself to seek the Lord. Little by little he was led on to know the true way of salvation, and decided to serve Christ. Having taken the first step along the narrow way, he went steadily on and never wavered in his decision. It was touching to see his earnestness in wors.h.i.+p and prayer, and in listening to the Word. He left off smoking opium, and was only swallowing one small pill a day as medicine. He tried hard to reduce even that small pill, and several times decided to do without any opium, but he got so ill that he had to take the pill again.

In the spring of 1904 he tried again to do without opium altogether, and we gave him some anti-opium medicine, but he could not take it.

His poor body was altogether ruined. Soon he had to keep to his bed, and Mrs. Lu looked after him as if he were her own father. The old man loved her, and could not bear her out of his sight. The children, too, cheered him greatly, as they would come to his bedside and talk to him about G.o.d, and sing their hymns to him. During his illness he drew nearer and nearer to the Lord, and was constantly in prayer. Often during the day, and especially during the long sleepless nights, his voice could be heard in praise and prayer. For the last few days he refused to take even the smallest pill of opium. They told him that it was only as medicine he needed it, for he could not take any food; but the old man firmly resisted, saying, "I will go to meet my G.o.d altogether free from opium, and from any other of my former sins. The blood of Christ has cleansed me, I will not defile myself any more."

Although suffering all the time, he awaited his end joyfully, and continually repeated to those around him that he was trusting in the merit of the Crucified.

One day shortly before his death an old vegetarian leader came to call upon Mrs. Lu. His chief motive was to point out to her that all the sickness, sorrow, and trials, and the deaths of some of her family had come to her as a result of her breaking her vegetarian vow. He finished up by saying, "You see how wrong you were. Your G.o.d does not care for you, He only sends you trouble." Mrs. Lu felt tired and weary that day, and being downhearted did not answer so quickly and brightly as was her wont.

Old Chang, lying on his death-bed in the next room, could hear all, and noticed not only the man's cruelty, but Mrs. Lu's depression. Feeble as he was he managed to get out of bed, and stumbled into the room, to the great distress of Mrs. Lu. She knew he had not walked a step for days, and was afraid he might fall, so prepared to help him back again.

But he took no notice of her, and confronting the vegetarian, said, "No, she is not wrong; you are wrong, our G.o.d is worthy of our trust.

He does care for us, He does love us, and the trials are only for a short while." He asked for a New Testament, and began looking for a text. His eyes were dim, and he wanted to put on his gla.s.ses, but had not the strength to do so, and his fingers were almost unable to turn the pages of the book. Mrs. Lu remonstrated, telling him that he was ill, dying, and must go back to bed. But he heeded her not, he must show the vegetarian in black and white on Whom their hope was built.

At last he found what he wanted. His trembling fingers pointed to the Word, and in a weak, but glad voice, he read out--"Be ye also patient, stablish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." His eagerness and earnestness, even when at the very door of death, made a great impression on all around, and the vegetarian leader took his departure. A few days later old Chang was called Home. He was never enrolled on the Church register, but no one ever doubted that his name was registered in the Book of Life. His faith kept firm to the last, and he gave instructions that no heathen rites were to be performed for him. He said, "I am going straight to my Saviour. I do not need any Taoist priest to break open the door of h.e.l.l, or to bridge the gulf, for the door of heaven is opened wide for me through Jesus and His blood."

Mr. Lu bought a coffin for him, and his own relatives were to take the coffin to the home of the old man, three miles out in the country. The relatives came, but not to do their duty, only to make trouble. They declared the Lu family must have received a lot of money from old Chang, and demanded it back. They refused to bury their relative, so Mr. Lu calmly called others to bury him, and paid all the extra expenses. Then the shop-keepers at Kucheng got enraged, and made the relatives ashamed of their behaviour, for they knew in their hearts, and all others knew, that Mr. and Mrs. Lu had pitied the old man in his poverty and sickness, when his own people had spurned him.

Again the Lord had been glorified through His servants, and although they did not receive much grat.i.tude here for many of their loving deeds, they will not lose the reward laid up for them in the Father's Home.

CHAPTER XXI

THE SHADOW DEEPENS

So far reference has only been made to the trials connected with the illness and death of two in the family circle. But another storm was already pending, and a great dark cloud was yet to break over the heads of these two devoted servants of G.o.d. Did the Lord not have compa.s.sion on them, or had He ceased to care? Why did they not prosper in everything as before? Had the Lord changed in His love for them, or had He forgotten to be gracious? They did not think so, neither did they murmur. They were ready to take what He sent, and could say with Job, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him." They knew they could trust Him; and their faith was kept firm and bright, and the presence of their Heavenly Guide grew more precious as He led them through the valley of shadows.

Mr. Lu had not been strong for years, and every now and again, specially during the winter and spring, he had a bad cough, with some slight haemorrhage. As he got better as soon as the warm weather set in, they had not considered the attacks dangerous, and Mr. Lu would work as hard as ever, often doing night work by the dim light from the Chinese oil-lamp. On Sat.u.r.day they would all come to the prayer meeting, and then go back home and work till long after their regular bedtime, so that they might be free for the Sunday. Mr. Lu was a very hard worker, and never spared himself.

In the beginning of 1905 he took a more severe cold than before; his cough became very troublesome, and he was constantly spitting blood.

He believed everything was owing to the exceptionally cold winter we were experiencing, and hoped to be better as soon as the spring set in.

But before spring came, he gave every evidence of serious consumption.

Knowing that he had been ailing for years, it was hoped that he might possibly improve again, and perhaps live on for some time. He was therefore invited to come to the city Mission Station for a while, so that he might get proper medicine and better nourishment than he could have in his own home. As soon as his strength allowed him to take the journey, he came and stayed with us for a month. During that time all was done that love could do. At the end of the month he felt better and seemed stronger, but soon after his return home he began to get worse again, and his cough grew more violent. Soon it was evident to all that there was no hope of his recovery, but he and his wife were the only ones who remained calm about it. Many doctors came to ask if they could do anything for him; some out of kindness, others to enrich their own pockets. But Mr. Lu only replied, "No, you are not able to do anything for me. I am going Home. The Lord is calling me."

His wife was blamed by everybody for "letting him die," as they put it.

"Why don't you try to save him? The Taoist priests would restore him to health. Why do you not call them?"

"Because," she replied, "what you and the priests trust in, is all false and powerless. Life and death are alike in the hand of G.o.d, and He will do what is best."

The people shook their heads at her obstinacy; others declaring it served her right. Her husband's death would be at her door, for had she not angered the idols in leaving them? Mrs. Lu heeded them not, for her heart was fixed. The Rock upon which she had built was the Rock of Ages, and upon it she stood secure, firm and unshaken in the time of trial. She knew whom she had believed, had proved His faithfulness, and that He would remain though all else were taken from her.

Mr. Lu, though glad for his own sake to go to the Home above, would at times feel sorry for his much-loved wife and son, and would express his regret at leaving them while the boy was still so young. But Mrs. Lu, instead of complaining or murmuring against her fate, as others would have done, gently encouraged her husband in the Lord, saying, "Never mind about us. You just prepare yourself to meet your G.o.d. We have Him, and He will take care of us. Do not worry." With words like these she would comfort his heart, although her own was bleeding. But she knew where to take her sorrow, and every day, and many times a day, she fled to her safe and happy refuge.

When Mr. Lu was staying in the city and she was left alone, her heart often went out in longing after him, and she was wondering anxiously how he was. She felt lonely without him, and, try as hard as she might be to cheerful, sad thoughts would come. Just then one of the evangelists went to Kucheng to take the Sunday services. He was led to speak on John xiv. 1--"Let not your heart be troubled, ye believe in G.o.d, believe also in Me." That was the message Mrs. Lu needed. She felt comforted, and, after the meeting, she started to read the whole chapter. What treasures it revealed, and how precious it became to her. She heard, while reading it over and over again, the voice of Him who first spoke these words to His beloved disciples, and that voice had lost none of its former power. Eagerly and joyfully she drank in the beautiful words and precious promises, spoken to those other sad ones when the loving Master was about to leave them, and in her quiet room her heart was filled with "the peace that pa.s.seth all understanding." Needless to say, John xiv. became her favourite chapter henceforth.

When the writer went to see Mr. Lu for the last time, we arrived late one Friday night. He sat up joyfully when he heard our voice, and greeted us with the words--"Our next meeting-place will be in Heaven."

It did not need more than one look at the wasted form to realize that for him, at least, that happy place would soon be reached. It was with a sad and husky voice we replied, "Yes, Mr. Lu, it will be with our Lord in Glory." The native evangelist who had accompanied us now entered the room, and after some talk we had prayer together. Although our hearts ached and the tears could not be kept back, we were filled with praise to G.o.d for His saving grace, for the hope of glory, and for the eternal inheritance laid up in heaven. Oh, how near Heaven seemed!

Christ was in our midst, and the humble room seemed hallowed by His presence. Having commended our brother to our Father's tender care, we separated for the night.

The following day he was much the same. In the evening the prayer meeting was held in his house, as we had a message from the Lord we wanted to deliver to him and his wife. He insisted on being helped out into the public room, and remained there while the meeting lasted, which was consequently shortened. It was a blessed hour we spent together in communion with the Lord, and in hearing His voice speaking through Psalm xxiii.

The following day, Sunday, the meetings were held in the chapel, so Mr.

Lu could not be present. But he was present in spirit, and during the prayer meeting his heart was lifted up to G.o.d in his lonely chamber.

In the evening the little praise meeting was held at their home, and we shall never forget the picture that met our eyes as we entered. Mr. Lu was lying on a low couch, his wife sitting close beside him, holding his hand. Their little son was sitting close to both of them at the end of the bed, leaning against his mother, and gently stroking his father's feet. It was the most touching and home-like thing we had ever seen in family life in China. But, if the shadows rested over that united and loving home, the Sun of Righteousness was s.h.i.+ning also.

Everybody seemed to choose bright hymns about the Heavenly Home and the coming again of our Lord in glory. Mr. Lu was lying there with a happy smile on his face, and the last hymn he asked for was "Oh, thou my soul, bless G.o.d the Lord." As we sang our praise to G.o.d our souls were lifted above the sufferings and trials of this life, and seemed to realize already something of the glory which was to be revealed. One of our fellow-workers had sent a card for Mr. and Mrs. Lu with Romans viii. 28 on it, and as we read it, it seemed as if we already saw beyond the veil, beyond the "workings" to the blessed result--"The joy unspeakable and full of glory." Mrs. Lu said after a while, "The longer I sing, the happier I get. My sorrow has quite departed, and is no more." Oh, how little does the world know what real joy means!

What are all the pleasures this world can offer, yea, even the choicest ones, compared to one hour's real joy in fellows.h.i.+p and communion with Him who is the Fount of every Blessing, and in whose presence there is fulness of joy? Would that the poor souls hungering for rest and happiness, dissatisfied with the worldly pleasures, tired of their empty show, might turn to Him who is the source of all true and lasting joy. How abundantly they would be satisfied with the fatness of His house, for He would make them drink of the rivers of His pleasure. How much richer their lives would be already here, to say nothing of the life hereafter.

Take the world, but give me Jesus, Other joys are but a name, But His love abideth ever, To eternal years the same.

Oh, the height and depth of mercy, Oh, the length and breadth of love, Oh, the fulness of salvation, Pledge of endless life above.

CHAPTER XXII

ENTERING THE VALLEY

The following morning there seemed to be a change in Mr. Lu, and thinking that the end would come that day we stayed on until the afternoon, for which he was very grateful. Several times he would say, "I know quite well why you are staying here, it is only for my sake. I shall never be able to repay you for what you have done for me, but G.o.d will." And yet it seemed so little that one had been able to do for him, and he had been such a help to us, and to the work in Kucheng.

Towards evening we had to return to the city; so after a parting prayer and a last farewell, or, rather, a hopeful "We shall meet again up yonder," we left him smiling his bright farewell. The evangelist remained with them till the end should come.

Mr. Lu lingered on till Thursday night. During those days many came to see him, and expressed their regret and pity at his not getting better.

But he answered brightly, "No, I am not sorry that the end is near.

Although I am loth to leave my family, I am still full of joy. There is no fear of death in my heart, I am prepared for it, and I know my Saviour is coming to take me to my Heavenly Home, to be with Him, which is far better. What about you? Take heed and prepare quickly for the day when you, too, may be called." With these words and many others, he would testify to the joy he had in Christ, and exhort his neighbours and friends to seek salvation before it was too late.

The day before his death he had a visit from a Christian distantly related to him. He greeted him brightly, and said, "Jesus has not yet come. I wish He would come quickly and take me Home. Our teacher left the evangelist here to help us, and I know she has other work for him to do." Up till the very end his thoughts were for others and not for himself.