CHEH-KIANG PROVINCE.
§?ruif tyftex Tetany ^ct^s.-^e §for^> of ^u ^u$-s§cm.By A. W. Douthwaite, M.D. DURING the T'ai-ping rebellion, an officer named Yu
Yuh-shan, in the service of the Imperial Government, was stationed in Ning-po, in command of a company
of soldiers, and while there was attracted by the preaching
of the missionaries. How much he understood of Christian doctrine I am unable to say, but what he did understand made a lasting impression upon his mind. At the
close of the rebellion the Imperial army was, to a large
extent, disbanded, and Captain Yu, being one of the
officers whose services were no longer required, was
cashiered—or, more probably, dismissed without cash, as
is the usual custom—and had to seek other employment. Having the misfortune to be a scholar, it was infra dig.
to work at any trade ; so he purchased a few medical
works, studied the ancient methods of writing prescriptions, put on the indispensable spectacles, and commenced
practice as A FULL-FLEEGED PHYSICIAN ! He was naturally very religious, but having no faith in
idolatry, he joined a sect of reformed Buddhists, who
oppose image worship. Yu had that true missionary
spirit, so rarely met with in China, which makes a man
fearless in trying to compel others to believe what he himself knows to be true. His religion was everything to him, and believing with all his heart the doctrines of the sect he had joined, he asked permission of the chief men to go
forth as their accredited agent, and win converts whereever he could. He received no salary, but travelled on
foot, and lived on the food given him as he went from
house to house preaching his new doctrine His earnestness, coupled with his gentlemanly bearing, carried conviction to the hearts of the people wherever he went, and
ere long he had enrolled the names of thousands of converts in all parts of Cheh-kiang province, and over the borders of Kiang-si. He continued this itinerant work
for several years, and then settled in the city of Kin-hwa, and resumed his medical practice. In 1875 I opened a mission station in Kin-hwa, and Dr. Yu, who had not forgotten what he had heard in Ning-po
fifteen years before, attended regularly the Gospel services held there every day. After about a year's careful study and inquiry, he became convinced of the truth of Christianity, asked to be baptised, and was
RECEIVED INTO THE CHURCH.
Several months after his conversion he was taken ill. I invited him to come to me for treatment in the city of Kiu-chau, three days' boat journey from his home. So
far he had manifested none of the zeal in the cause of
Christianity which had characterised him as a Buddhist
missionary, but during his sickness his old aggressive
spirit was roused within him, or rather, the Spirit of God
so stirred his soul to enthusiasm that, before he had fully recovered, he requested me to send him forth as missionary to the adjoining province of Kiang-si.
I well remember his earnest entreaty to be allowed to go, "For," he said, "I have led hundreds on the wrong
road, and now I want to lead them to the way of truth
let me go. I ask no -wages, nor do I want any of your money; I only want to setve Jesus."
I, of course, sent him away gladly, and as he was tooold and feeble to walk, I gave him a little money to defrayhis travelling expenses. Three weeks later he returned, bringing with him oneof his former converts, a stout, jolly-looking old farmer,named Yu Liang-hyi, who seemed almost wild with delightat having, as he said, "found the truth, after SEARCHING IN VAIN FOR FORTY YEARS." The old man stayed with me several days, and thenbegged to be baptised before returning home. At first I declined to receive him into the Church, as I knewsolittle about him ; but he pleaded so earnestly, saying thathe was "an old man, and would never be able to makesuch a long journey again," that I yielded, and baptisedhim. Six weeks later he turned up again, accompaniedby six of his neighbours, men who showed plainly thatthey were earnestly seeking for something that wouldsatisfy their souls, as their own religion utterly failed todo. I entertained and instructed them for several days,then sent them back to their villages to tell others whatthey had learned. They were subsequently baptised, andthrough their efforts nine others—men and women—wereled to trust in Christ, while I had charge of that work.
It was not to be expected that the devil would allowsuch a work to go on unhindered, and it is sad to have torelate that the farmer Yu Liang-hyi, who had been soearnest in seeking the salvation of others, and had evenbuilt a small chapel at his own expense, became a backslider, and is still, I am informed, kept out of fellowship. But to return to our devoted missionary, Yu Yuh-shan.Having fully recovered his health, he started on anotherjourney into Kiang-si, and while on the road leadingover the borders, fell in with a young man named Tung,a well-to-do farmer, of T'ai-yang, near the city of Yuhshan. He was evidently a kind-hearted fellow, for hevolunteered to assist the old doctor in carrying his bundleof bedding. Our friend Yu, always ready to speak aword for his Master, urged the young man to give upidolatry, and to trust only in Christ for salvation ; andere they parted he gave him a New Testament, with arequest that he would read it carefully. Yu stayed in the village of S'ing-keng, and Tung pro-ceeded to his home in T'ai-yang, forty li further on ; butthe words he had heard so impressed him that he fre- quently gave up a whole day to visiting the old missionaryduring his stay in S'ing-keng. Nine months afterwards I visited T'ai-yang, and wasoverjoyed to find that Mr. Tung had so effectually pro-claimed what he knew of the Gospel that many of hisneighbours were nominally Christians, and had
given up idolatry.
I remained in the village five days, dispensing medicinesduring the day, and preaching to large and attentiveaudiences every night. While there the brother of myhost, a youth about nineteen years old, informed methat he was about to be married, but that both he and thebride, with their families, desired a Christian marriageceremony, for they would have no more idolatrous practices. I consented to marry them, and the rite was per-formed in the presence of a large assembly of onlookers.
China's Millions.
During the year following my visit to T'ai-yang, I baptised fifteen converts from that village, and when I was
compelled by failing health to leave that district, my successor, Mr. (now Dr.) Randle, opened a preaching hall
in the city of Yuh-shan, to which the converts went
weekly for assembled worship. I am informed that there are now about seventy communicants in connection with
that church, though many of the first converts have died. Our friend Yu Yuh-shan has long since gone to be with
the Lord, whose service was his delight ; but the seed he sowed is still springing up and bearing fruit.
I have told this story, not because of any direct connection with Medical Missions, but that others may be
encouraged by the facts narrated, as I have been, to persevere in the glorious work of preaching " Christ and Himcrucified," however few may apparently believe our report, and even though we may ne ver see the results of our labours. Our brethren who were preaching in Ning-po thirty years ago—most of them now with Christ—never knewthat among their stolid, indifferent hearers was one whowas eagerly drinking in every word they said, and who wasGod's " chosen vessel " to carry the news of salvation to the regions beyond. We need reminding frequently of the words of Solomonand their spiritual significance : " In the morning sow thyseed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand ; for thouknowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, orwhether they both shall be alike