浙江一位军官的故事

shiyi18

cheh-kiang province.
§?ruif tyftex Tetany ^ct^s.-^e §for^> of ^u ^u$-s§cm.By A. W. Douthwaite, M.D. T'ai-ping rebellion, an officer named Yu
的军官，被派驻到宁波，指挥一个连队。
在那里，他被传教士的宣讲所吸引。他对基督教教义了解多少，我无法说清，但他所了解的内容在他心中留下了深刻的印象。在叛乱结束时
叛乱结束后，帝国军队在很大程度上被解散，而于团长作为不再需要其服务的军官之一，被出纳--或者更有可能是被解雇，没有现金，就像通常的惯例一样，不得不寻找其他工作。不幸的是，他是一个学者，所以他不能从事任何工作。
所以他买了几本医学著作，研究古代的写作方法。戴上了不可或缺的眼镜，并开始了 "全飞 "的实践。
开始了作为一个全职医生的实践。他自然是非常虔诚的，但对偶像崇拜没有信心。他加入了一个改革派佛教徒的教派，他们反对偶像崇拜。
反对图像崇拜。余具有真正的传教士精神。这种精神在中国很少见，它使一个人无畏地试图迫使他人相信他自己知道的事实。他的宗教是他的一切，他全心全意地相信他所加入的教派的教义，他请求首领们允许他作为他们的特派员前去。并在任何地方赢得皈依者。他没有得到任何薪水，而是徒步旅行
徒步旅行，当他挨家挨户宣讲他的新教义时，靠给他的食物生活。他的诚恳，加上他的绅士风度，使他所到之处的人们心悦诚服。久，他就在浙江各地和江浙一带登记了数千名皈依者的名字。他继续这种巡回工作
几年，然后在金华市定居，恢复了他的医疗工作。1875年，我在金华设立了一个传教站，余医生没有忘记他15年前在宁波听到的内容。每天定期参加在那里举行的福音仪式。经过大约一年的认真学习和探究，他确信了基督教的真理，要求受洗，并被接纳进入教会。
被接受进入教会。
在他信主的几个月后，他病倒了。我邀请他到离他家三天船程的九洲城来找我治疗。到目前为止他没有表现出对基督教事业的热忱，而这种热忱是他作为基督徒的特点。
迄今为止，他对基督教事业没有表现出任何热情，而这正是他作为一名佛教传教士的特点。
但在他生病期间，他过去那种积极进取的精神被唤醒了。
但在他生病期间，他以前的进取精神被唤醒了，或者说，上帝的灵
在他生病期间，他以前的好斗精神被唤醒了，或者说，上帝的精神激起了他的热情，在他完全康复之前，他请求我派他到邻近的江西省去传教。
我清楚地记得他恳切地请求我允许他去。
因为，"他说，"我已经带领数百人走上了错误的道路，现在我想带领他们走上真理之路。
让我走吧。我不要求工资，也不想要你的任何钱；我只想为耶稣传道。"
我当然高兴地把他送走了，由于他太老了，身体虚弱，不能走路，我给了他一点钱来支付他的旅费。三个星期后，他回来了，带来了他以前的一个皈依者，一个粗壮的、看起来很快乐的老农，名叫于良海，他似乎因为高兴而疯狂，正如他所说，"在黑暗中寻找了40年之后，找到了真理。" 这位老人在我这里住了几天，然后要求在回家之前接受洗礼。起初我拒绝接受他加入教会，因为我对他了解不多；但他恳切地请求，说他是 "一个老人，再也无法进行如此漫长的旅行了"，于是我屈服了，给他洗礼。六个星期后，他又来了，旁边还有他的六个邻居，这些人清楚地表明，他们在认真地寻找能够满足他们灵魂的东西，因为他们自己的宗教完全没有做到这一点。我招待并指导了他们几天，然后让他们回到自己的村庄，告诉别人他们所学到的东西。他们随后接受了洗礼，通过他们的努力，还有九个人--男人和女人--被引导相信基督，而我负责这项工作。
我们不能指望魔鬼会允许这样的工作不受阻碍地进行下去，而且令人难过的是，农民于良海在寻求他人的救赎方面非常勤奋，甚至自费建造了一座小教堂，却成了背道者，而且据我所知，他仍然被排除在团契之外。在完全恢复健康之后，他开始了另一次进入江城的旅程，在通往边境的路上，他遇到了一个叫董的年轻人，他是一个富裕的农民，住在玉山市附近的泰阳。他显然是一个心地善良的人，因为他自愿协助老医生搬运他的一捆被褥。我们的朋友俞敏洪总是愿意为他的主人说话，他敦促这个年轻人放弃偶像崇拜，只相信基督的救赎；在他们分开的时候，他给了他一本新约圣经，并要求他仔细阅读。俞敏洪留在S'ing-keng村，而董明珠则前往40里外的T'ai-yang的家；但他听到的话语给他留下了深刻的印象，以至于他在S'ing-keng村逗留期间，经常放弃一整天的时间来拜访这位老传教士。九个月后，我访问了塔阳，我很高兴地发现，董先生有效地宣扬了他所知道的福音，他的许多邻居在名义上是基督徒，并且已经放弃了偶像崇拜。
放弃了偶像崇拜。
我在这个村子里呆了五天，白天配药，每天晚上向大批听众传教。在那里，我主人的兄弟，一个大约19岁的青年告诉我，他即将结婚，但他和新娘以及他们的家人都希望有一个基督教的结婚仪式，因为他们不想再有偶像崇拜的做法。我同意为他们举行婚礼，并在一大批围观者面前举行了仪式。
中国的百万人口。
在我访问泰阳的第二年，我为该村的15名信徒施洗。
当我因健康状况不佳而被迫离开该地区时，我的继任者兰德尔先生（现在的博士）在玉山市开设了一个布道馆
我的继任者兰德尔先生（现在的博士）在玉山市开设了一个布道馆，皈依者每周都会去那里做礼拜。
每周到那里进行聚会崇拜。我被告知，现在大约有七十名与该教会有关的信徒。
我被告知，现在大约有七十名与该教会有关的信徒，尽管许多最初的皈依者已经去世。我们的朋友于玉山早已与主同在了。
主，他的服务是他的快乐；但他播下的种子仍在发芽和结果。
我讲述这个故事，并不是因为与医疗宣教有任何直接联系，而是为了让其他人能够从所讲述的事实中得到鼓励。
我讲述这个故事，并不是因为与医疗宣教有任何直接联系，而是为了让其他人能够像我一样，受到所叙述的事实的鼓励，坚持不懈地开展传扬 "基督和他被钉死 "的光荣工作，无论表面上有多少人相信我们的报告，即使我们可能永远看不到我们劳动的结果。三十年前在宁波传道的弟兄们--他们中的大多数人现在与基督同在--从来不知道在他们呆板冷漠的听众中，有一个人正热切地听着他们说的每一句话，他是上帝所拣选的器皿，要把救恩的消息带到更远的地方。我们需要经常提醒所罗门的话及其属灵的意义："早晨播种，晚上不要停手；因为你不知道这事或那事会兴旺，或者这事和那事是否一样好。



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