Through Encouragement of the Scriptures: 10 Years in Communist Shanghai
Helen Willis
Table of Contents
Through the Encouragement of the Scriptures”
"For As Many Things As Have Been Written Before Have Been Written for Our Instruction, That Through Endurance and Through Encouragement of the Scriptures We Might Have Hope" (Romans 15, New Translation)
Foreword
This book is a record of my experiences in Shanghai under the Communists from April 22, 1949, to April 25, 1959. During those years there were many difficulties, but the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me, especially through the Scriptures which He brought to my mind. Hence the title of the book. The word translated 'encourage' has been thus explained: "It means to call upon a person so as to stimulate him to anything', hence to exhort, and to comfort, encourage'". 1 Cor. 4:16 N.T. note. Encouragement was what I received mostly from the Scriptures brought to my mind by the Holy Spirit: this often included comfort, and there was needed exhortation or warning.
I hope that all who read these records of the Lord's faithful care may be encouraged to trust Him more entirely, and may be exhorted to pray for all who are enduring times of testing in China.
The information here given is largely drawn from my memory. The Book Room records were taken over by the police, and any personal memoranda I destroyed before leaving. My sister had kept many of my letters from which I have collected a good deal. In my Bible I have dates against various verses. I cannot vouch for the truth of all reports that I heard: Many "in distress... and discontented" used to come into the Book Room, especially at noon., when they would find me alone; and they would tell me their troubles, and the sorrows of the Church and of the nation; and we would try to strengthen one another's hands in God, especially by the "blessed Hope" of our Lord's return.
CONTENTS
Page
Foreword...
Chapter:
Gathering up the Threads... 1
Sailing for Shanghai ... 7
Liberation for Shanghai
Departures
The Church in China... ... 31
The Old House
Life Under the Communists... ... 88
The Field of Lentiles ... 110
The Questioning ... ... 142
Six Months of Waiting... ... 155
Some Fragments of Spiritual Food... 167
The End... ... 201
Chapter 1:: Gathering up the Threads
I will record the loving-kindnesses of Jehovah, the praises of Jehovah, according to all that Jehovah hath bestowed upon us, and the great goodness... which He hath bestowed upon (me) according to His mercies, and according to the multitude of His loving-kindnesses. Isaiah 63:7 NT.
On December 8, 1941 Japan made war on England, and on that sad morning we in Shanghai found ourselves under Japanese rule. Then followed one and a half years under the Japanese in Shanghai, and two and a half years in a Japanese internment camp in Yangchow. Those of you who have read my sister's book, "Covered up in Kowloon", and my brother's book, "I was among the Captives", know the story of the Lord's goodness to us during the Japanese occupation. I would like to recall one incident not in those books.
During the Japanese advance into China, for a week they had occupied the city of Yeung Kong, in South China, where we had worked. Her husband was away, and my sister was alone with the Chinese Christians. Two women fled to her for refuge, and were hidden in the house. At night she was sitting with our faithful cook, listening to the shouts and cries of a city being looted. Were they coming to her house? What was that noise? "Let God manage it", said the dear old cook. And He covered that house, so that none inside were hurt. How often I thought of those words, in perplexity or danger. "Let God manage it". That might be the motto of this book.
When we came down to Shanghai from Yangchow after the declaration of peace, my brother and his wife returned to Canada, and I remained in Shanghai, recovering our property, and reopening the Christian Book Room. All through those years the little branch shop had been kept open. The main shop had been sealed by the Japanese, and when we returned to Shanghai we were told that all its stock had been sold as waste paper, and the shop taken over, This was a sad surprise, for we had received a letter in Yang-chow saying all the stock had been preserved. But a few weeks after my brother left I received a message that the stock was all right. It was all rather mysterious, and reports were contradictory, but after some delay I was taken to a little room on the fifth floor of the building where our shop was. It was a room about six foot square, and when the door was opened I saw the place was packed with bundles of books almost to the ceiling, except just inside the door, where our old desk stood on end.
It was not until a year later that I heard how the books had been preserved, and even yet I do not know the full explanation. I was visiting in the States, where I met a friend of my hostess. She said that she had a message for me. A year or so before she had attended a teacher's conference, and had sat next to a lady from China. She could not remember her name. When this lady heard that her neighbor knew a Willis family in China, she said that she had something to tell them, but she did not want to put it in a letter. After we had been interned this lady had been in the building where our shop was. There she had seen some coolies building a false wall, and hiding all our books behind it. I have never found out who did that kind deed, but our Lord knows, and wills reward them. How often it has been an encouragement to remember that the Lord preserved those books in this remarkable way, entirely without our help or knowledge. The books were His, and He wanted to use them. And the Lord's hand is not shortened. The books are still His, and He can preserve them if He still wants to use them.
The shop which we had formerly rented was occupied when we came out of the internment camp, and it was not till the following July that I was able to get the use of a room on the fourth floor of the building and open the shop. By that time missionaries were beginning to return, and business was reviving.
My brother and his wife got back to Shanghai on Christmas day, 1946, and took up life again at the old house on Brenan Road. But the owners of the house were anxious to sell immediately. Houses were very hard to rent in Shanghai, and tremendous "key money" was being asked. Whoever bought the house would be sure to want to occupy it; and where could we live? Also, my brother had built a "godown" (warehouse) for the Book Room at the north end of the property: a two-storied building, with living quarters upstairs, and downstairs storage3, space for books, and a Gospel Hall. For the whole property, the old two-storied house which we occupied, and the steel bungalow in the center, the owners asked $6,000.00 Canadian currency. As our funds had been "frozen" all through the war, and only very slowly thawed afterward, my income had accumulated in Canada, and I could pay $3,000.00 cash, and we decided to ask the owners to accept this, and take a mortgage for the other $3,000. But we had never gone into debt, and we did not like the arrangement very much. We were still wondering what to do, when a message came from old friends in Canada who knew nothing of our problem. They offered us a carload of Canadian merchandise, or the corresponding sum in cash, $3,000.00. How often we were encouraged by the assurance that the Lord had given us that house, and so we knew that was where He wanted us to be. It was His, and He would look after it.
When I returned to Canada in 1947 things in China seemed settling down to normal. But under the surface was all manner of unrest. A farsighted business man in the internment camp had said, If the Japanese win the war, we shall all be out of China at once; if the Chinese win, we shall all be out in two years. I could not believe it then, but it was a true prophecy, only the time was a little longer.
Chiang Kai Shek won the war, but he did not win the peace. t He and his wife had done wonders for China in the ten years before the war-establishing a settled government, improving conditions, introducing all manner of reforms; and all the time struggling against the inroads of Communism. After the collapse of the Chinese Empire in 1911, the confusion and demands for reform that had been seething in China overwhelmed the country. The people were seeking a new way of life. If only Christianity could have been presented to it in the power of the true Gospel, the whole country might have been won. As it was, there was too much evil mixed up with the Western approach, and China turned from it, and fell into Communism.
Communism is a religion. Its object is not, like socialism, to relieve social distress; though it promises to do this. But its object is the transformation of the whole human being, a "conversion" through indoctrination and brainwashing, till all individuality is gone; he has "handed over his heart" to communism, and is merely a "little screw" in its machine. The genuine party members are filled with the selfless zeal of religious fanatics, and their belief in its theories is so intense that its slogans are almost regarded as magic formulas which become effective by constant repetition. There is no personal, individual salvation, or hope, or happiness, or prosperity-all for the "Party". In the British Empire, in the free world, the State exists for the individual; in Communism, the individual exists for the state. It does not matter what happens to the individual, so long as the State carries on.
It had seemed as if communism, diligently cultivated by Russia, might have been supreme in the early 1920s. But Chiang Kai Shek got rid of the whole crew of Russian advisers by 1926, and proceeded to build up his power and develop the country. But there was still a zealous communist party, working especially among the peasants, and among students. And Russia still had much influence, and was sending agents through the country, and taking Chinese students to Russia for education in Soviet methods. Mao Tzu Tung all this time was working in the background, building up an agrarian revolt, and collecting an army in central China.
In 1937 the Japanese war broke out, and brought the work of reform and development to an abrupt stop. Then for ten years Chiang Kai Shek was fighting a desperate struggle for the life of his country, retreating back, and back, opposing "time and space" to the modern instruments of warfare of the Japanese. Time and space won. But when the war was over, there was a ravaged country to rebuild. Not only so, there was the foe within to overcome, the Communists. The coast cities which were the stronghold of the Kuomintang power, were seized by the Japanese. And while Chiang was busy fighting, the Communists with their guerilla forces built up their control over the countryside of China. When Chiang again occupied the coastal areas he was swamped by innumerable difficulties of every kind. And in the Kuomintang there was weakness and corruption and inefficiency which turned many away from it. Many turned to Communism, thinking that there they had found the new life for their country.
But they did not understand Communism. Communism is not the people's party; they have no true patriotism to their country. Their loyalty is to the Party, to Marxist principles, something brought in from without, foreign to China, and hated by much of it, forced upon it by the burning fanaticism and iron will of a powerful oligarchy. The Party is only two per cent of the population. People talk of "recognizing China"; it is not China they would recognize. True China is bound and gagged, and it is her jail keeper that would be recognized.
Many of our missionary friends and their flocks had suffered from the Communists before the war. We had a striking contact with them immediately after. In the Internment camp at Yangchow it was days after peace was declared before we knew that our Japanese masters were defeated. Even when we knew, we could not cast them off. The Japanese had to stay to protect Yangchow from the Communists. The people of Yangchow were more afraid of the Communists than of the Japanese.
Chapter 2: Sailing for Shanghai
Worship, and thanks, and blessing,
And strength ascribe to Jesus!
The Lord alone defends His own,
When earth or hell oppresses.
Omnipotent Redeemer!
Our ransomed souls adore Thee;
Our Savior Thou, we own it now,
And give to Thee the glory.
Thine arm hath safely brought us
A way no more expected
Than when Thy sheep pass'd through the deep
By crystal walls protected.
We sing Thine arm unshortened,
Brought through each sore temptation;
With heart and voice, in Thee rejoice,
Thou God of our salvation.
Thy glory is our rearward,
Thy hand our lives doth cover;
And we, e'en we, have passed the sea,
And marched triumphant over:
We own Thy great deliverance,
And triumph in Thy favor;
And for the love which now we prove,
Shall praise Thy Name forever.
C. Wesley.
In 1948 I was preparing to return to China. The nearer the time drew for sailing, the more gloomy were the reports of Communist advance in China. You will never get back to Shanghai, said the friends who knew anything about the situation. You will never need that warm clothing you are preparing against Shanghai winters. I went on preparing, though my own heart was saying much the same thing. I had arranged to visit our Book Room in Singapore on the way back, and if I could not reach Shanghai I knew I could find plenty to do there. But I still felt that I was going to Shanghai. And the Lord gave me two Scriptures which confirmed me in this conviction. The first was not very encouraging you will say: "Bonds and imprisonment await you". I knew something about that after five years under the Japanese, two and a half of them in an internment camp. But it is fairly easy to be brave when one is safely in Canada, and troubled China is the other side of the globe. And my Lord knew how all my own strength would fail me, so He gave me another verse: "Leaning upon her Beloved". There was a Rock Which would never fail.
About this time Christians in California wrote how much they would like to see me on the way back to China. I had a feeling that was the way I should travel; but it was not so convenient, and I was anxious to see New York, so I took passage on a Dutch boat sailing from New York in December. Yet I did want to do the Lord's will, and go His way, and prayed that even if I had missed the guidance of His eye, He would control me as the mule with bit and bridle. (Ps. 32:8, 9) And that is just what He did, and I was very grateful, though ashamed that I was too far from Him to catch the guidance of His eye. There was trouble, a dock-strike I think, on the east coast, and sailings were canceled. Sailings were also very difficult to obtain from San Francisco, and many were held up there, but the Steamship company offered me passage on a small Dutch freighter sailing from San Francisco December 28, 1948. The fare was nearly two hundred dollars less than the boat on which I had booked, so the refund more than paid my journey to San Francisco, and I was able to travel by way of Los Angeles to see the friends who had written me. There was to be a three day Bible Conference in Los Angeles at the new year; what a pity the boat was due to sail just before!
What a happy visit I had in Pasadena; how kind and interested the dear friends were! Then, as it was coming time to leave, word came that the ship was delayed. Perhaps I could be at some of the Conference. It was again delayed. I need not leave till the closing night. I have very happy memories of the dear sisters I met at that Conference, and their loving gift. On new years day we sang the hymn at the head of this chapter. I marked it with the date in my hymn book, Jan. 1: 1949. It was a true forecast of the ten years ahead. When I reached San Francisco the boat had again been delayed, and there was a happy, restful visit with the good friends in Berkeley.
Friday, January 7, I sailed on the Dutch Freighter Tosari. The calendar for that day read: "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee... help thee.. uphold thee". Is. 41:10.
"Lord, in the desert place, The dry, parched land where faith is sorely tried, Uphold us that we faint not; let Thy grace Sustain us, lest we fail and turn aside.”
The Tosari was a small, old ship, I think on its last trip. It did not have all the luxuries considered essential on modern ships; but that was perhaps the happiest and most restful of the many happy trips we have had across the Pacific. The Lord knew there was a strenuous time ahead, and, as often before, He prepared me for it with a time of special peace. We were only ten passengers, two missionary couples, their four children and myself, and one non-missionary. It was a bit hard on her, for she wanted to spend her time drinking and playing bridge. We were about three weeks out of sight of land. The first few days were rough, and the Captain was anxious, for we had a cargo of tractors and motors, and the cases of some of the cars piled on the deck were broken by the waves.
So we moved onto the southern course, and one golden day of shining seas succeeded another. I studied Chinese, read, talked, sewed; I mended all the Captain's socks, eighteen pair, I think. Another three or four weeks we were calling at ports in the Philippines and Java, so it was the end of February before I reached Singapore.
I expected to spend about two months at our Book Room in Singapore so our worker there might get away for a holiday. She had been having an anxious time, for her Mother was ill, and she felt she was needed at home; but it did not seem possible for her to leave the work she had so faithfully built up in Singapore since the war. She went on a round trip to Borneo, and was due back the afternoon of April 12. After she had gone I felt I must not wait till the end of April as we had planned. The only boat I could find sailed the morning of April 12. I knew how disappointed my friend would be to miss me; and how awkward to leave the Book Room that way. But I had to take that ship. If I had not taken it, I would probably never have entered Shanghai. I went to the Immigration office to report my departure: You are going to Shanghai, are you? Well, you certainly will not be able to stay long. I will not take out your registration card, for you are sure to be back within six weeks, said the friendly clerk there. My Lord knew that I was to go to Shanghai, and He again "managed" the boats. My friend's boat arrived early, 8 A.M. of the twelfth. Mine was delayed until noon. We had a happy morning together, and I was able to hand over all I had been doing in the Book Room during the three weeks she was away.
Again I had a comfortable peaceful trip. At Hong Bong my sister and her husband met me and we had three days together. It poured with rain, so we could not go out, and we had long happy talks of old friends in Canada, and the work they were carrying on in Yeung Kong. There did not seem much immediate fear of Communism there. Then came the last step of the journey. April 22 we were due in Shanghai.
The morning of April 22 we were in the muddy waters of the entrance to the Yangtze River. News came over the wireless: H.M.S. "London" had been shelled by the Communists, and was lying damaged at Shanghai; and H.M.S. Amethyst was being shelled up river. We sailed up the Yangtze, turned in at Woosung, and along the Whangpoo. We passed the "London", scarred with shells and gunfire. Soon we were tied up. There was my brother, and Dorothy, our helper in the Book Room. Customs was passed. I had wanted to leave my trunk in Singapore, under the pressure of so many friendly warnings. But Dorothy's sister had sent her a box of homemade jam, and I did not know how to carry it, except in the trunk, so I brought it, and left the dunnage bag in Singapore. It was a pity I had not the faith to bring them all, for those things would have been useful those long years in Shanghai. I was grateful afterward that my Lord restrained the "mule" so that I had a trunkful of warm clothes with me. And though Dorothy never tasted that jam, I enjoyed it very much.
Chapter 3: Liberation for Shanghai
Everything was excited and disturbed in Shanghai. The American Consul was advising his nationals to leave, though the British were encouraged to stay. Dorothy and the friend with whom she lived felt they could not face another time like the Japanese internment. Her friend was due for retirement anyway, and felt she should leave. Then came my news of the need in Singapore. Would Dorothy take the place of the worker there? It did not take long to decide: they would not be ready for the refugee ship leaving at once, but they got passage by plane, cleared out their little establishment, and were away the early morning of May 2.
My brother's wife had been ill, and had returned to Canada with her daughter in December; so my brother was alone in the old house. He had been preparing to follow them as soon as I could take over. Now that the others were going, and conditions so threatening, he said he would stay with me till we saw how things would go. But the telephone rang. It was long distance from Canada. His wife was very ill. The doctor said there was little chance for her life unless her husband returned at once. A President boat was leaving May fourth, and he was able to get passage. At once his wife began to mend.
What sad hurried days those were! Even then the Lord gave a token for good. That Monday when the work of years seem collapsing, one of the weavers from the refugee village east of us passed a note over the fence saying that now our Jesus was his Jesus. In that hour was reaped the first fruits of years of seedsowing by my brother and his wife in that village.
You will soon be back, said our Chinese fellow workers, who could not picture the Book Room without "Li Shin Shang". I will expect you in a year, I said. But my brother had the sorrowful knowledge that it would be very long, if ever, before he would return to Shanghai. So just a fortnight after my arrival, I was alone in Shanghai to carry on the work as best I could.
The situation in Shanghai grew more and more tense. The Communists were advancing, and all resistance went down before them. They sent a message to Shanghai: Do not lose heart, we shall soon be there to liberate you! Shanghai was not very anxious to be liberated, but its defense was pitiable. With some wood sent from Canada to build fishing boats, they erected a sort of picket fence along the South West border of the city. They went about collecting anything that could be used for defense, including the line of barbed wire along the top of our garden wall. Soldiers were offered a silver dollar an hour to fight in the front lines. Shops were called upon for supplies: our branch Book Room was told to supply so many pairs of canvas shoes and so many face towels. But before they were due the city had fallen. Prices soared as the value of currency dropped. I am almost afraid to say what heights were reached -I think it was finally fifteen million for a pint of milk, five million for bus fare to the city. But the streets were quiet, business went on, every day I went down to the Book Room, leaving the house about 8, and returning about 6.
The Book Room was on the fourth floor of the Southern Baptist building. The Southern Baptist missionaries were doing a fine work, and they were good friends to me. There was not much doing; of course our big mail order business had collapsed. A few customers came in; one man laid in a big supply of tracts, saying that it might be difficult to get them later. The Communists drew nearer and nearer: what would the fate of a Christian Book Room be? They are especially opposed to books, said one gloomy prophet. There were still various opportunities for people to leave, and as one after another left, I felt very alone. What few friends I had were busy with their own work, and I had to pick up new threads, and make fresh contacts. I was surprised how undisturbed many of the missionaries were. We have no thought of leaving, whatever happens, said the C.I.M.
On Sunday morning there was a consular notice in the newspaper: a warning to all British subjects that this was absolutely the last opportunity for them to register for evacuation. I knew I could not leave, I would not leave; but as I stood there in the little sunroom I literally shook with fear of the things that might be coming to pass. Just then a gust of wind blew through the open windows; it blew down a book of sample illuminated texts that my brother had been preparing and it fell open before me with the words "0 man greatly beloved, fear not; peace be unto thee; be strong, yea, be strong." Dan. 10:9. And as always happens "when He had spoken unto me, I was strengthened". I do not think I was ever overcome again by that unreasoning fear of what might (or might not) happen, though many times my Lord had to repeat His message, "Fear not" I could attain unto "What time I am afraid I will trust in Thee." Ps. 56:3; but not to "I will trust and not be afraid" Is. 12:2.
The days of May passed slowly on: the Communists were nearer and nearer. Streams of refugees poured into the city from the outskirts. The paper money was no value, but in their fear of dispossession and looting, the value of merchandise also disappeared. Paper was offered for sale at $1.00 gold a ream. How I wished afterward that I had taken advantage of the opportunity, but in our tiny quarters on the fourth floor I had no place to keep it. But I laid in stores of tinned milk, sugar, and the American army tinned goods that were still being sold on the streets. Our good friends, the Door of Hope, across the way from us, were wondering how their hundreds of children were to be fed, with supplies from America cut. That Sunday morning their treasurer was given the word from the Lord, "Thou shalt have plenty of silver" Job 22:25. After the morning service a missionary slipped four silver dollars into her hand, and one dollar was enough to buy all the days supplies. The big Chinese silver dollars were what were wanted, one was worth two or three U.S. dollars at that time, and millions of paper notes!
May 24 the Communists entered. There was the rattle of gunfire, the sound of people running. None of us ventured onto the street. A Chinese brother came over to see if we were all right. In the middle of the morning there was a sudden blaze just across the main street. Our neighbors in the matshed village east of us panicked, and some of them rushed into our big empty garden with their possessions. I stood watching and praying with my Chinese housekeeper at an upstairs window. The flames died down. The awful conflagrations that had accompanied the Japanese invasion were not to be repeated. The blaze had nothing to do with the Communists: it was a lumber yard which had several times taken fire.
There was very little fighting in, our district, but in the northern section down along the river it lasted about three days. Then all the defenders had fled or turned over, and on the surface the city returned more or less to normal. On the 27th I went back to the Book Room. Things had been more exciting there, walls scarred with gunfire; one shot had passed through the wall of the washroom just opposite the door of the Book Room. But nowhere had there been many casualties.
I have the date May, 1949 against Psalm 61:2. "From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the Rock that is higher than I. For Thou hast been a Shelter for me, and a strong Tower from the enemy.”
So Shanghai was "liberated".
That first summer was a strange time. Business was almost at a standstill. We were cut off from the outside world. The once crowded harbor was almost empty, and the streets had not half their previous traffic. Yet daily life went on with not so many outward changes. For some reason the Communists did not interfere with life in Shanghai nearly so much or so soon as in smaller towns and in the country. People coming into the city from the interior would say, "Oh, you have not been properly liberated yet. You can still do what you like, you are almost free!”
All along the streets, and in front of all big buildings were red army guards. These incoming troops were perfectly orderly, there was no looting, no violence. A new currency was brought in and quickly stabilized; though till 1955 we were still reckoning in thousands and millions. The "parity unit" was introduced, based on the values of the staple necessities-rice, oil, fuel, cotton. Salaries, rents and some other things were reckoned according to the parity unit. Foreign currency was required to be handed in, and bank accounts could be opened in the parity unit. This encouraged investment, as people need no longer be afraid of seeing their savings dwindle and vanish away.
The Communists were not left entirely in peace. There were almost daily air raid warnings, and several times during 1949 and early 1950 the city was bombed. In February 1950 the electric light plant was damaged, for several days there was no light, and for some time power and light were very strictly rationed. There was also fear that the waterworks would be damaged, and people were advised to prepare wells. One of the brothers, no longer able to carry on evangelistic work, dug a well for us in the garden, and it was a great asset. For four months we were almost entirely cut off from the outside world. Now and again people were able to get away by ships waiting out at the mouth of the Yangtze; but no ships came in, and for four months there were no letters. The banks still operated, and I had no trouble getting money. There was also still the English newspaper, the North China Daily News, with local and world news cautiously presented. In August my brother telephoned me long distance from Canada; that was indeed a red letter day!
A feeling of tension was kept up by the constant reports of mass arrests and executions; and almost daily one saw truckloads or jeeploads of wretched men and women, crouching on the floor, being hurried away to judgment. One night I was awakened by the barking of my little dog. There were police in our garden, come to arrest a neighbor. He escaped them that night, but was taken in the morning. There were ugly stories of informers; of how information against their parents was got from tiny schoolchildren; of enthusiastic young people informing against their parents: loyalty to the State must override everything else. At such times fear would surge over me, and I would think of my message "Bonds and imprisonment await you". I had not the faith to leave everything for God to "manage", and so in His Fatherly goodness He sent me another message. I was on the bus on the way down to the Book Room when I heard clearly in my heart the words "No man shall set on thee to hurt thee." I could not remember the passage at all, but with the help of a concordance I hunted it up, and found how rich the promise was. "Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee, to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city." Acts 18:9, 10. It was great encouragement to be assured that the Lord had "much people" in the city, more than the ten for whose sake Sodom might have been spared.
There was not very much to do in the Book Room, but there were other doors of opportunity. Saturday and Sunday afternoons there were children's classes in our house. I continued the Bible class for Japanese ladies which my brother had been asked to take. There were about a dozen women, most of them married to Chinese husbands, which was the reason of their remaining in Shanghai. A most charming lady translated for me. Later the class was held in her house, and we met only once a month, and all had lunch with her, often delicious Sukiyaki. I became very fond of her and her two dear little girls, and the baby boy who arrived later. She and her husband were very true Christians. They were associated with the "Friends", and remained in Shanghai hoping to serve the cause of peace by trying to spread true reports of conditions in China and Japan. But Communists have no real desire for either truth or peace. Liberty, Peace, and Truth were the three things they were always talking about, but they ended in talk. The words had an entirely different meaning with them-slavery, hatred and deception. So a few years later the husband of my Japanese friend was suddenly arrested, and held in prison for over two years. The wife held on bravely, and kept her faith in God through most trying times. He was at last released, and they returned to Japan. But his mind soon failed, and not long after he died.
Three or four interesting young men came every week to study New Testament Greek. There was a great desire to have a more accurate knowledge of the Scriptures, and all the ten years I was never without some one studying Greek. Some gave up the attempt before they got very far, but several of them were able to read the New Testament, and I hope they got as much profit and pleasure from it as I have. In one inland town there were so many students wanting to learn Greek that they had the whole of a Chinese Greek grammar written out by hand and mimeographed. Unfortunately they printed off only about 200 copies. These were bought up so quickly that I was not able to get the fifty I had ordered for the Book Room. One of my Greek students, with whom I carried on a correspondence course, translated a Greek grammar into Chinese, and we hoped to publish it. But that was much later, and had to be left unfinished when I came away.
In July of that first summer there was a terrible typhoon. The whole city was flooded, and for three days I was unable to get to the Book Room. The garden and the downstairs of the house were flooded. We were accustomed to that; but this was almost the last time it happened. Bigger drains were put in, and our western part of the city was certainly better, though that was not the last time the buses could not get through the water, and I waded home. The part of the city near the river was worse, for there was very little dredging. Every summer we lived in fear of floods, and had some most trying experiences with them. In 1949 the Christian Book Room was still on the fourth floor, so suffered only a broken window, but the ground floor and basement were badly flooded, and power and water supply were stopped for days.
The end of August a break came, and at last letters came through again. Everything seemed to become more normal. The rest of 1949 and 1950 were fairly quiet, and I was very busy in the Book Room, and with outside activities. But the life was complex, and the different threads must be followed separately. Each of the next five chapters takes up a different phase of the life in Shanghai with which I was in contact, and follows it through the years of my time there.
Chapter 4: Departures
A sudden change came at the end of 1950 with the outbreak of the Korean war. Funds were frozen, and no one knew what would happen. I was very much alarmed, and spent all of Christmas and boxing day writing letters, trying to arrange a way for money to come in. Yet the Lord had delivered me and provided for me again and again, and He now continued patiently to give me promises from His Word: "Surely the wrath of men shall praise Thee: the remainder of wrath shalt Thou restrain." Ps. 76:10. "He maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the Lord standeth forever." Ps. 33:10, 11. Perhaps most reassuring was the card over my bookcase which had accompanied me all through the Japanese internment: "The Lord reigneth". Ps. 93:1.
Everyone was talking of leaving. Some were ordered to leave, and it was often made as difficult as possible for them. Friends in the Salvation Army were told they must go, and then were not allowed to leave until all the affairs of the Army were settled, and thus were kept in suspense for weeks and months. One Roman Catholic priest was told at nine that he must be out at twelve. It was a complicated performance to get away. Business had to be wound up, and goods packed; for those in charge of big business, or missions with large property, this was no small matter. Exit visas had to be applied for, a guarantee procured from a business firm, and departure advertised in the paper, in case there might be any outstanding debts. Sometimes the exit came quickly, and there was a tremendous rush; sometimes there were months of waiting. This "hope deferred" was a special way of persecuting the foreigner. When the exit permit came, everything had to be wound up, and one must get away within two weeks. Departure at that time was always by train, though freight could be sent by sea. A very limited amount could be taken with one on the train, and there was great heart searching over what to take. Then, too, most of those leaving had valuables, and only about fifteen ounces of silver could be taken out, and a small amount of jewelry. At first $100.00 U.S. currency could be taken by those who were going overseas, but this was reduced later.
The C.I.M. ladies in my house packed up and departed. Arrangements were made for the beautiful C.I.M. buildings to be rented to the Government for a hospital. All the C.I.M. workers in Shanghai were gone by June 1951, except one, and he got his visa and departed in September. Many missionaries would have liked to stay, but they feared it would only bring trouble on their Chinese friends and fellow workers. Others felt they could not refuse to follow the decision of the organization with which they worked. It was a sad time for every one.
My special Canadian friend left in May, 1951. My dear Swiss friend planned to spend part of the summer with me before leaving. They told her she would receive her residence certificate for Shanghai when she arrived there. When she arrived they gave her only a week. As usual there were endless things to arrange, it was August, pitilessly hot, and she was not well. She felt she could not survive such a week, but the Lord gave strength, and she got safely away.
I did not want to go. I did not pray to stay, but I prayed that I might be like one of Gideon's three hundred men, whom the Lord was able to use in His army. This was not from any special courage or devotion. It was partly a dislike of running away; partly because it seemed an impossible task to break all the complicated ties-dispose of the house, pack up its belongings, leave the dear Chinese workers who were dependent on us; abandon the Book Room; leave its thousands and thousands of books to be turned into waste paper, and probably used to print Communist propaganda. And if the missionaries were all going, the books would be needed more than ever. It was easier for me to stay than for other missionaries; I was not connected with any mission body or organization at home. As I was working with the Book Room I could be regarded as a business woman, not a missionary. But the future was very uncertain: Would I be allowed to stay? Would the Book Room be able to continue? No money was allowed to come in from outside for missionary work, and how could it possibly be self-supporting? And could any money come in for my own use?
I thought of different ones who might take over. People thought that of course I would go, like every one else; some came to apply for the use of my house when I went, and I watched the paper for advertisements of houses wanted. In June a Chinese lady came to me, offering to take over the shop. I warned her that it might be difficult and dangerous for her. On July 4th she came back to tell me it would be quite impossible, no Chinese could take over from a foreigner. I felt this was the Lord's message to me, and I decided that I would stay. At once I felt the peace of His approval; and He repeated to me the instructions He had given me in April: "As I besought thee to abide still at (Shanghai)... So Do. 1 Tim. 1:3, 4. On July 9th a remittance of money for which I had been waiting was released, and I felt it was the Lord's seal on my remaining.
And I suppose the secret of the Peace which remained with me throughout those years was that I was absolutely certain I was in the place the Lord wanted me to be.
Until October money could be sent from Hong Kong. It was a very complicated and disagreeable performance. Application had to be made at the Foreign Office, and after a long wait, there would be a long interview, probably several interviews, to explain where the money came from, and what it was to be used for. Nothing was allowed to be spoken in these interviews except Chinese, the northern dialect of which I knew very little, and I found it very difficult. So did the official interviewing me. They probably all knew English, but were not allowed to use it. I remember one of them exclaiming irritably at last, in desperation, "Do talk English!"-so I did, and the matter was quickly settled. Then applications had to be made in writing, and after several visits to the bank the remittance could be deposited there in an account opened in my name. Finally, when the Foreign Office had given its approval to the bank, I could draw it out.
In October the Foreign Office refused its approval: I was told that I must get my support from the Christian Book Room and the money sent had to be returned to Hong Kong.
This was a tremendous blow, but the Lord assured me that He would provide, and of course He did. Friends leaving for England were only too pleased to leave funds with me, and craw on my money abroad. In this way I was provided for until 1956 when my brother was able to arrange for money to be sent in monthly through the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank. It came without fail, and without difficulty until I left. Those years between October 1951 and 1956 money was difficult, and I was very careful. Sometimes my sister, or others, were able to send through devious channels; but we were rather afraid about the whole thing, and kept it secret, and wrote about it in code. But later when the tax office made inquiries about how I got money to live, I had to tell them, and they did not make any trouble.
At the time I could not help feeling it was the beginning of the end. At that same time the Board of Commerce called for a report on the business, and I did not know what that signified. There was always something to keep one in uncertainty; always some fresh call to a Government office; some fresh report to send in. Then there would be opportunities to render secret help to some of the Christians and I would wonder what would happen if it were found out. Each time I put away my summer or winter clothes I thought that probably I would be out of Shanghai before I needed them again. When people who were leaving pressed gifts on me, I would say, What is the use? when I may be leaving next. I grew weary and impatient of waiting. But the Lord showed me that this was lack of faith, the question of the faithless king, "Why should I wait for the Lord any longer? 2 Ki. 6:23. And all the time, just as the Lord had made abundant provision for the King of Israel, so He did for me. At this time the Lord also gave me Psalm 11:3-5. "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" Certainly everything seemed shaken, and what was I to do? But the Psalm goes on, "The Lord is in His Holy Temple, the Lord's throne is in Heaven". That is our resource: "God is still on the throne". And then comes the explanation, "The Lord trieth the righteous", and they must learn faith and patience through the trial: it is the only way to learn them.
As the old friends left, new friends were raised up. When the C.I.M. moved out, one couple decided to stay, and the husband got a position with one of the biggest British firms. They moved into the firm's big house, and found endless opportunities of service among both the Chinese and the foreign community. I could not say how much their friendship and help meant to me. There were two C.I.M. workers in Nanking, and five in the far West, who were not allowed to leave. I do not know how they could have existed without the help of the two in Shanghai. There were also eight missionaries in Shanghai who were held for various reasons. We all used to meet once a month at the house of these ex-C.I.M. friends for prayer for China. But it was not prayer and fasting: we always had a gorgeous meal first. It was an anxious time for these eight, against some of whom the Government had brought charges. However, by ones and twos permission came for them to leave, and we rejoiced with them, though sorry to see them go. I still tried to make plans and preparations, in ease I had to go, but they all came to nothing. Then in December, 1951, I was very definitely given the verse "Ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the Lord will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your reward" Is. 52:12; only I was given the marginal reading "The God of Israel will gather you up". I did not know that He would use the People's Court to gather me up, but that was the way, and as it was His way, no doubt it was the best.
Another very special pleasure which began at this time, and continued until I left, was my companionship with the little group of Christians who carried on an English service, after all the other English services had stopped. I had known many of them for years, but my close contact began when they asked me to give a talk to their young people. The group included a great variety of nationalities, but we were united in a common love for Christ. I had very dear friends among them, and I sometimes wondered how I would have got through the long years without them. A very live group of young people gathered on Saturday afternoons, and had games and then a good meeting in which all took part, and supper together afterward. On Sunday afternoon there was a service, followed by tea and hymn singing. I did not generally get to these, as Saturday was the only time for the many things needing to be done at home. And on Sunday, though I was not teaching the Sunday School in my house, I liked to be at home while it was going on. But I always went to the prayer meeting and Bible study on Wednesday evening. We had very happy and profitable Bible studies together. There was no minister, all took part, and shared in the talks. Then we all had supper together. This was very enjoyable, the only meal I did not have alone, and sometimes the only English I heard spoken all week. Just after I began going there I was asked to give an account of the preservation and translations of the Bible. I was puzzling how to do this in a brief talk, and then I dreamed that I saw a chart of world history as connected with the Bible. I remembered it when I awoke, and made it the outline of my talk.
The group grew gradually smaller, as one after another left for other lands. With each one there was a certain amount of anxiety and uncertainty. Most of them had been born and brought up in Shanghai, and had no other home. Would they get an entrance visa to the land of their desires? Could they get an exit visa from the Chinese Government? For some there was delay of years, some are waiting yet. There was one couple who had waited six years, and had just missed entering one country after another because of suspected T.B. in the husband. They had just been refused once more, and both were desperate and in tears, when three letters were brought to them, telling them that IRO had arranged for them to go to Sweden. They had good friends there, and from there could go on to America, the goal of their hopes. The dear little wife told me about it with the tears running down her face, and said, "I will never doubt God again; This time of waiting has been worth while, I have got to know God so much better.”
The C.I.M. couple took an active part in this work, and were very helpful; but in 1954 the big English firm closed up, and they left, and left a very big hole in my life, and in the whole foreign community. The husband was not an ordained man, but he was the last male Protestant missionary in China. He had conducted funerals, christened infants, held Church services. Their departure meant that I was the last Protestant missionary in China.
After my friends from the C.I.M. left, I volunteered to carry on the foreign ladies' Bible Class, on condition that a place could be found for it, as I felt that my old house was too far away, and too much in the slums, for any of them to come to it. One of the ladies offered her house, and we met there for several months. But then she moved into smaller quarters, and no place could be found, so the class had to be transferred to the old house. Most of the ladies would not come to my house in the "badlands", but some Eurasians, some Russians, and some Chinese continued, and we had very happy times. After the Bible study we had tea. One old Chinese lady never appeared till teatime, when she arrived with a supply of curry puffs, or Chinese cakes; others brought sandwiches or biscuits, and we drank quantities of hot Chinese tea, and heard all the gossip of foreign Shanghai. Gradually they left Shanghai, until there were only Chinese left. We were warned it was no longer safe to have a class, and it came to an abrupt end.
It was in 1954 that some Christian Russians came to Shanghai from Sinkiang, in the very far North West of China bordering on Russia. These people, or their parents, had escaped into China from Russia; and now that Communism had caught up with them again, hundreds of them had sold up their possessions in Sinkiang and come down to Shanghai seeking opportunity to start life afresh in some other land. They lived in the greatest poverty, hoping to be sent on by some of the relief organizations. It was very hard for them, waiting two or three years. They never begged, no matter how hard up they were. Some had friends or relatives in other lands who sent a little money; some still had a few savings; some of the girls got work as servants or in shops, but they earned little more than their keep. Several of the men went around the streets sharpening knives and scissors. After one or two such years some felt they could not race another winter, starving and freezing, and accepted the offer of the government to send them into Russia, or to take them back to Sinkiang, and give them $100.00 to start again there. But many stuck it out, and I think that all have left 'now, and many are making good in Australia or in South America.
My first direct contact with them was in April of 1954. A man came into the shop trying to get Russian Bibles. He did not know any English, and of course I did not know any Russian, so we conversed in Chinese, of which we both knew about as little. He told me that on the very edge of China there was a town where there was no Chinese church, but there was a Russian one; and in another town further south there were three Russian churches-probably they were Baptist, Pentecostal and Seventh Day Adventist. But they had only one Bible and two hymnbooks, and he had not been able to get any in Shanghai.
We had always been interested in the Russian refugees; Shanghai had been a refuge for them from the beginning. We had printed quite a few Russian tracts and books, but unfortunately these were all in the old-style Russian. I had heard vaguely of these Russians in the far West, through Chinese Christians; and had sent parcels of books to them. There was one very interesting boy with a Russian mother and Chinese father who often wrote asking for books. He was in a Moslem district, and wrote to us that they wept for joy at our offer of Arabic tracts; he said that several Mohammedans, and two Russians had been converted. They were also working among some tribes people, and translating hymns for them. Later he told us that all the elders of the church were in prison, and I fear there was much persecution. No more word came from him.
In Shanghai several missionaries had worked among the Russians. When they all left, a Chinese pastor tried to carry on the work. He prepared his sermons in. English, and brought them to me to correct. Then he preached in English, and someone translated into Russian. The Shanghai Christian Russians had almost all left, and he was wondering whether the work could continue when these Sinkiang Christians arrived. The little hall was crowded out with 50 or more present. One of the Christians from the English group started a Sunday School, and soon had over 100 children. At Christmas 1955, 143 Russians were present. I am sure they must have been sitting two or three deep, to squeeze into that tiny hall.
Many of them came to the English meetings; they knew very little or no English; but their singing was lovely. Some of them were very true Christians. A number were baptized, 26 at one time in 1956. They kept coming to the Book Room, seeking Russian Bibles, and there were none to be had. Then friends at home offered to send. I did not dare ask for too many, or all would have been stopped. But two friends each sent me a Russian Bible, or two New Testaments, every month; and one of them also sent to other addresses that I gave him. Some went out to the Christian Russians still waiting in the far West. Some slipped over the border into Russia. Occasionally Russian Bibles came in from Hong Kong. And another friend sent me Russian Hymnbooks and other books, all of which were unspeakably welcome, especially the hymnbooks. There was never trouble at the Post Office over those parcels of Russian Bibles. It was pathetic to see this famine of the Word of the Lord, and it was a great joy when I could supply a Bible. I sold the Bibles at half price, and then gave the money to those working among the Russians, for otherwise unscrupulous people would have taken them. These men and women would walk about six miles across the city, and produce their two dollars for a Bible, when they had nothing to eat but dry bread and tea. Through some of their relatives in Russia I got in touch with some German prisoners of war there, and heard how hungry they were for the Word of God; and I was able to send them several packages of German Bibles.
Not all these Russians were Christians. Some were very bad. And many of the white Russians in Shanghai were regular rascals. I had tried to help some of them; and through one of those rascals I was able to send Scriptures and tracts in many languages into the prison. I hope it arrived there. One poor woman had a son, I think her only child, in prison. Each month, when she was allowed to visit him, she would come into the Book Room to ask for a book for him. Finally she was to be sent to Macao; she appealed for her son, that he might be sent with her, but it was refused. Not long before the end, she came in, to tell me that he was to be sent out to Sinkiang. "He is my son", she said with tears, "and I shall never see him again". She told me that he studied and believed the books, and I was glad that I was able to send him a Russian New Testament.
Chapter 5:: The Church in China
"Hold the fort, for I am coming,
Jesus signals still;
Wave the answer back to Heaven,
By Thy grace we will.
See the mighty host advancing,
Satan leading on:
Mighty ones around us falling,
Courage almost gone!
See the glorious Banner waving,
Hear the trumpet blow!
In our Leader's Name we'll triumph
Over every foe!”
P. P. Bliss.
The Chinese Christians had awaited the coming of the Communists with terror. Many had expected immediate execution or imprisonment; many of the leaders lived with a case packed, and never went to bed 'without putting all ready, in case they were suddenly seized in the night. They had good reason for this fear. Not only had they heard of the terrible things done in Russia; but the Communists had done terrible things in China, especially in Shantung and Kiangsi. The Communists had been perfectly clear in their statements. In the "New Democracy" by Mao Tzu Tung, published I think in 1949, he says "Whoever chooses to oppose Communism must be prepared to be mauled and torn to pieces by the people. If you have not yet made up your mind about being mauled and smashed to smithereens, it would be wise of you not to oppose Communism. Let the Anti-communist heroes accept this piece of sincere advice from me therefore." We can thank God that He enabled many such heroes to "count all things but dross for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus" Phil. 3:8. They literally fulfilled our Lord's condition, of discipleship, and hated their own lives Lu. 14:26, 27. They stood loose from all earthly things and so were the only people in China free from fear.
It was a relief and an amazement when nothing happened when the Communists first entered Shanghai. The evil one was using the tactics of the serpent, not of the roaring lion, and they were perhaps more effective, and more deadly. The Communists have used the professing Church to destroy Christianity. They do not know that the true Church cannot fall, "for it was founded upon a Rock" and "that Rock was Christ" 1 Cor. 10:4. When "the floods came and the. winds blew", how often one was upheld by our Lord's own words, "Upon this Rock I will build My Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" Matt. 16:18.
There were those who saw the danger from the beginning, and asked for prayer that the Church might be delivered from those within. I remember how earnestly one Pastor said to me, Tell them at home to pray that the Christians be delivered from the fear of man, and be filled with the fear of God, which, will make them bold as a lion-"Be not afraid of them which kill the body... but fear Him, Which... hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear Him." Lu. 12:4, 5. One had "great heaviness and continual sorrow in heart" as one heard of one after another slipping away, giving up the faith, compromising; saw the growing restrictions and sufferings of the Christians. But we were reminded that we are waiting for the Bridegroom; the bride must be made ready, and "raiment of wrought gold" Ps. 45:13 must be prepared in the fires. "He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold" Job 23:10. This was the special promise given to one brother; and he asked me to write in his Bible the lines "If I should grow weary of toiling, And burdensome grow Thy demands, Lord, show me Thy hands.”
The promise that I marked for that time in 1951 was "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations". 2 Pe. 2:9.
The Church in Communist China is under the direction of the Government Board of Religion. This manages the affairs of all religions, Buddhism, Taoism, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism. The head of this Board is an atheist, so he is not biased in favor of any of them. The Protestant Churches are under the control of the Three Self Movement, set up by themselves. The "Three Selfs" are self-government, self-support, and self-propagation, or self-teaching, and their motto is Love your country, love your church: God is not mentioned, and is definitely in the second place. To this is often added Resist Imperialism, which means free yourself from the control of the missionaries, and all western influences. It is hard to know how much of their activity is of their own volition; how much they are acting for the State. One thing is sure: they are not free. This movement was planned, and is under the control of the modernist procommunist intellectuals in the Church. Some of these enthusiastically welcomed the Communist regime, and have worked heart and soul with it. Others looked forward to it with fear, and thought they had found in the Three-self a way of living in peace with Communism, and preserving the Church. So some good sound men joined the Three-self, some from fear, some from patriotism, some hoping to influence them for good, some feeling that they must compromise so as to make it possible for Christian work to continue.
The first move was to cleanse the Church of Imperialism. Everywhere "accusation meetings" were held, when Church workers must accuse the foreign missionaries with whom they had worked. Some refused to do this. For some the result of this refusal was imprisonment; for others, nothing was done against them at the time, but it was held against them. Church workers also had to criticize themselves, and each other. These accusation meetings were broadcast, and one would hear them from the loud speakers, a confused clamor, sometimes rising to a roar as of a bloodthirsty wild beast. If the accusations and criticisms were not severe enough they must be done again and again. I know of at least one good man who died under the strain. Of course taking part in these meetings, especially for those who made accusations, was very bad for their spiritual life. It was not only a sin against charity, but generally a sin against truth. A schoolteacher from a former mission school said to me, We had to accuse the Principal. We know he is a good man, but if we had not accused him, we would have lost our jobs, and been in trouble ourselves. In those first months they were so busy preparing accusations, there was little time left for any Christian activity.
At first not all joined the Three-self, and it was said not to be compulsory. But gradually more and more were drawn in, until by about 1955 they said there were only five groups not associated with them. Bible schools and Theological seminaries were united under the direction of the Three self. About twelve were joined in Nanking; for a time at any rate this seminary was divided into Modernist and Fundamentalist, and had some studies separate, some together. The Spiritual Food Seminary still continued separate, and continued to train truly spiritual and devoted young men and women.
Already a special point of attack was separation from the world. "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world" 1 John 2:15 is so clear that it had to be explained away by all manner of devices. And how unsatisfactory the Three-self knew these explanations to be was proved by their being repeated in almost every number of their organ, the "Heavenly Wind" magazine, and special books were written about it. Once when I quoted that verse, a devoted Christian, who believed it as firmly as I did, hushed me up at once, saying, If that is overheard, it would get us into prison. Our brother in the Southwest wrote, "I am practicing 2 Cor. 6:14 (Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers). He truly did, and before long he was in prison. But at the same time he had said he was resting on Heb. 4:15, the "grace to help in time of need" that we may obtain from our great High Priest.
Another doctrine hated by the Communists was the Coming of the Lord. In some places it was forbidden to mention it. In Shanghai, which for long was more free than elsewhere, the pastors were warned not to stress it in any special meetings. One Pastor in the south was imprisoned after a series of addresses on Matthew 13. One mark of our Lord's care over us was that we were always able to carry a good stock of books on the Coming of the Lord. There was a steady demand for them, for the Blessed Hope was very dear to many Christians.
Throughout the country parts many, perhaps most Churches were closed, and in many places the buildings were taken for Communist use, and Bibles and Hymn books destroyed. There is a story that in one place when the Communists took possession, and began to hold their meeting, angels appeared on the platform, and the Communists were so frightened they never used that Church again. The closing of the country churches was said to be a temporary measure, while land reform was going on; because all meetings were forbidden, while arrangements were being made for seizing and destroying the landlords, and dividing up their property. But when these arrangements were completed, there were many excuses for the churches not to reopen.
In Shanghai services continued in the churches much as usual; many Christians found that opportunities for personal work were better than ever before; the rich were especially ready to listen, for they had already lost much, and all was uncertainty before them. At this time I was often reminded of Bunyan's simile in the Pilgrim's Progress. The flame burned hotter and brighter, in spite of the water cast upon it, because out of sight stood a man secretly casting in oil. The water of persecution may seem now to have almost quenched the flame, but the Holy Spirit cannot be driven away. "He Who letteth will let until He be taken away." 2 Thess 2:7.
Special evangelistic meetings were often held. In November 1953 there were special revival meetings in a large Church. Many Christians went each morning at 3 A.M. to pray, and prayed all day. In the evening at five, and again at seven they had Gospel preaching, and there were crowded meetings, and good results. At new year many prayed all night; one year I heard of eleven groups who did this. Even, up to 1957 I know of one group of young people who began their year in this way: before the year was out, I think all except two of that group were in prison.
We heard too of blessing in country parts. A Baptist Pastor told me that wherever he went people were eager to hear the Gospel. Some churches were reopened, souls were saved, and people baptized. We had a big order of posters to go to Szechuen, for the farmers to put up in their houses; they said they looked so bare since taking down the idol posters and shrines.
In 1954, in July and August, the Department of Religion called a Conference of 232 Pastors in Peking. The interest centered round Wang Ming-tao, who was especially invited to attend, but refused; he would have no fellowship with those who did not believe the truths of the Bible. One heard various reports. It seems that he was accused of all manner of wickedness, without any proof. It was generally admitted that his life had been so blameless, there was nothing to take hold of against him. Twelve men stood up to defend him; I was told that the Government representative insisted that they should have a hearing, and said that if he was a Christian he should certainly believe the whole Bible, as that is supposed to be the Christian rule of life. There was a long article about the conference in the Peking News, pointing out the splendid liberty of the Church in China!
When the representatives returned from Peking, all Church workers from Shanghai and surrounding parts were called to attend special indoctrination classes. These were held in the former Union Church, just opposite to the Christian Book Room, or at the Missions building, just down the street. I used to watch them going back and forth, and a good number used to come in to buy books. One of them used to spend his noon hour in the shop, reading and taking notes from Trench's Synonyms of the New Testament. Many had very sad and perplexed hearts; some few spoke out bravely for the truth.
Special evangelistic meetings were held each year as usual at Chinese new year for three or more days. In 1955 one church had moved into a larger building, but this too proved too small, and in six days meetings over 300 put down their names as wishing to believe. At another gathering there were three days of meetings, and each day more than 100 expressed a desire to believe. This was followed by many baptisms at Easter. At the same time there were many who fell by the way, discouraged or deceived. And there were those who sowed tares: Jehovah's Witnesses were very active, many foreigners were following Christian Science; some very earnest young Chinese were taken up with Benjamin Newton, probably they did not know how evil were his teachings about our Lord Jesus.
One group of Chinese Christians was doing splendid work at this time, and making a definite stand for the truth of the Scriptures. They had a little bookshop in Shanghai where they sold sound Chinese books; and workers went out to the fax parts of the land, to the North and West-Mongolia, Sinkiang, etc. They supported themselves by manual work, or some small business, making and selling candies, photograph shops, cutting firewood, any form of "tent-making" for which they were suited. At the same time they preached the Gospel, and encouraged the little scattered communities of Christians. They walked, or traveled by bicycle. One or more of them struggled through the desolate districts round the Gobi desert, scorched by the hot winds in summer, and frozen by the bitter cold in winter.
I think we need not be surprised that there were special signs and wonders at such a time, when Christians were experiencing conditions very similar to the early days of the Apostles. I heard many stories of miraculous healing, accompanied by the conversion of whole households. One man told me a charming story of his little boy. In the night he heard the Lord calling him by name, "Little friend, I want you." A few days later he said to his Father, I cannot remember what the Lord Jesus said to me. You ask Him, said his Father, and He will tell you again. So the child prayed, and again the. Lord called him, saying, Little friend, I want you. The last time I saw the Father he was looking very thin and worn. I fear he was suffering persecution, but I did not venture to ask. But he brightened up at once when we spoke of the Lord's return. He was laying in a stock of good books for each of his children.
There was a remarkable story of a girl of 18, an ardent Communist. I believe she had been at a Mission school, but now she had joined the youth group, and was preaching ardently against our Lord. She suddenly died, and was put in her coffin, but the funeral was delayed until the arrival of a cousin who was very fond of her, This cousin stood crying beside the coffin, calling to her to come back. She took her hand, and found that it was warm. The girl was quickly taken out of the coffin, and revived. She told them that she had been taken down to hell, and there she saw people, row after row, suffering terribly. She begged not to be taken there, and at last they took her up to Heaven. She was stopped at the gate and questioned: Have you been washed with the blood? No. Have you the seal of the Spirit? No. Five things she was asked, and none of them she had, so they said, You cannot come in here. Oh, she said, do not send me back to hell! Jesus, Jesus, save me! The Lord appeared and said, I cannot save you here. That must be done on earth. But you will be given another chance, you may go back to earth. She went about the churches, preaching and testifying; but a foolish prominence was given her, and she was soon silenced, and disappeared.
I quote the following story from a letter of March 1957. I had just met the monk at supper at a friend's house. He showed me the nine scars on his head, where he had been burned by the nine cones of incense which is the initiation into the Buddhist priesthood. But I am not sure just when he became a Christian. "A Buddhist monk had a very sore foot. Once when he was out he met an evangelist who offered him a tract, and urged him to believe. The monk said, I believe in Buddha, I do not need your Jesus; but he read the tract and was much impressed. The Christian asked him if Buddha could heal his foot? No. Let us ask my Jesus, said the Christian. They prayed, and the foot was healed, and the monk believed. When he went back to the monastery he said he would not recite the Buddhist Scriptures any more, but asked to help in the kitchen. Thus he thought he could get food before it was offered to the idols. But the cook accused him of stealing food, and beat him. So he left the monastery, and after some time found a Gospel hall. He was very hungry, and asked the Pastor for food, saying he wanted to be a Christian. The Pastor refused, but a Christian man heard it, and said, We should certainly help him, and took him home. Soon after the Christian was going somewhere to preach, and the ex-monic asked if he might go with him. They had to pass his old monastery. It was a dark cold night, and the Christian missed the monk. He went back searching for him, and found him lying by the monastery, apparently dead. But he was still warm, so he had him carried home. For three days he lay unconscious, when he awoke, he said that just as he was passing the monastery a devil struck him down; then for three days he had wonderful visions of heaven and hell. Now he is preaching the Gospel. There was another wonderful story of a woman healed of cancer after prayer by a Christian servant, and the whole family are now Christian. I think there is a great struggle in the heavenlies at this time over this land, and it is most urgent to help by prayer.”
In May 1955 the Three-self held another great meeting for Church workers in Shanghai. This caused great searching of heart. A committee of ninety members was elected. Among these, there were some very good men, who felt that they should cooperate as far as they could. The Principal of the Spiritual Food Bible Seminary accepted a position on this committee, and was received with great enthusiasm, for he was a leader of the fundamentalists. His argument was, hold your position, but go as far as you can with them. Many of his students and teachers felt they could make no compromise with unbelievers, and with great sorrow they left their school. The old Principal could not long be satisfied with the Three-self, nor they with him. He was accused of never having changed his heart, and was soon outside. Only his great age and bodily weakness saved him from being "inside"-in prison. Many felt that this was the only way they could continue to work for Christ, and they hoped they might get control of the movement. Of course it only meant that they were forced to compromise more and more. We who have never been so tested have no right to judge them. Some are still doing good work. I heard there were sixty-one baptisms in the church of one of them in 1959.
Several missionaries have asked me, What can we say or do to help our native converts if they must pass through such a trial as in China today? The question is: shall we compromise and survive? or, hold our principles and suffer? There is no doubt that the Scriptural way is to suffer. Our Lord predicted it, "In the world ye shall have tribulation." John 16:33. The Apostles confirm it, "Rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His Name". Acts 5:4; "Now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptation". 1 Pe. 1:6; but matching the manifold temptation we may draw on the "manifold grace of God" 1 Pe. 4:10; and it is "not strange", and cause for grief, but we should "rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings" 1 Pe. 4:12, 13 Paul makes the sweeping statement "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." 2 Tim. 3:12. It is not only in the days of the Apostles, or in Communist China, that we may be tempted to compromise to avoid suffering, or seek the easy path to avoid discomfort. Our Lord "suffered being tempted" Heb. 2:18. Most of us yield to the temptation rather than suffer; of course we may have to suffer remorse afterward, that is a suffering our Lord never felt. The only strength is personal contact with Christ. No organization can help; the bigger the organization, the greater the danger. Fine hospitals and schools only arouse the greed of the oppressor, and they tend to inspire confidence in human resources instead of in Christ.
If we are to stand we must have Christ. It was only the house founded upon the Rock which could stand when "the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew". This safety depends on two things: "whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them" Matt. 7:24. We must know and hold fast the Scriptures; and we must practice their teaching.
Constantly we lamented over those who like Peter denied their Lord. They were afraid. But they were not like Judas, they could be restored just like Peter. "The Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord". Lu. 22:61. But, if Peter had not been looking at the Lord, he could not have known that the Lord turned, and looked at him. So if we want restoration, we must look to Him, just as we looked to Him first for salvation. "The, first look at Christ gives life; every after look the power of living" He is "able to save" Heb. 7:25; "able to keep" 2 Tim. 1:12; "Able to deliver" Dan. 3:17; "able to succor" Heb. 2:18 and able to "restore" Is. 57:18; Jer. 30:17.
It was in 1955 things got definitely harder for the Church. There were very violent attacks on the Roman Catholic church. I was told that twenty foreign priests and nuns were deported, only about six were left. Several suffered torture and imprisonment; some died in prison. Everywhere posters were put up, caricaturing them. We were asked to put one up in our Book Room, which of course we refused to do; but they were posted in many Christian institutions. There were plays and movies slandering them, and I do not know how many Chinese were arrested. They made a very good stand; even children of twelve and thirteen held their faith in spite of threats of imprisonment. Because they made a braver stand than many Protestants, not a few earnest young people turned Roman Catholic.
For the Protestants the trouble was headed up in the attack on Wang Ming Tao. In June there was a long article in his magazine setting out the present condition of the Church. He said that those do not deserve the name of Christian who deny the virgin birth, the atonement, the bodily resurrection, the Lord's return, and the inspiration of the Bible; or who call these five things unimportant details, as had been done in a recent book by a leader of the Three-self movement. There was a great demand for his books, and I could hardly keep stocks in the Book Room. Of course his stand was answered by bitter attacks on him, and on those who were known to favor him. In July came out his last article "We are for Faith" or "We, Because of our Faith". This was bitterly attacked. One of the attacking articles in the "Heavenly Wind" was entitled "We are for Anti-imperialism". There were the opposing positions summed up!
In August, Wang Ming Tao, his wife and some companions were arrested. The end of October the Government issued a statement to be read to all church workers about Wang Ming Tao. He was accused of setting up independent bands for Bible teaching; of utterances contrary to the Government-these might be such as "Love your enemies", "your citizenship is in Heaven" "Love not the world'„ etc. He was also accused of favoring the Japanese, because when they were in power he had preached that we should always rejoice; he was accused of corrupting the youth of China. There is no doubt he had great influence. More than a thousand attended his services weekly, and it was said that most of them were young people.
These meetings for Church workers were held everywhere, and each individual must condemn Wang Ming Tao, and renounce him and all his works; if not, they would lose their position, and there might be worse to follow. Very, very few ventured to make a stand. This was one of the saddest results of the persecution; people dared not tell the truth, and so their whole moral character suffered. I was told how Pastors would come home from these and other meetings, and cry bitterly, saying, "We have to tell lies, it is impossible to tell the truth" Then was literally fulfilled "Truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey"; and the margin reading was equally true: "is accounted mad". "And the Lord saw it, and it displeased Him... and He wondered that there was no intercessor". Is. 59:15,16. I have the date 1955 beside this, and the marginal reading marked. But there were some ready to suffer the loss of all things, knowing that they had "in Heaven a better and an enduring substance" Heb. 10:34.
From the beginning there had been great talk of unity, and now there was a further urge that all churches must join the Three-self, all must be one. Of course there were plausible reasons, especially that this would do away with distinctions only introduced by the western imperialists, but one could not help remembering the ruler who wished that all his subjects had but one neck, so all could be executed at one stroke.
At this time there was an article in the Heavenly Wind, peaking of Mary anointing the head of our Lord. It compared this with Psalm 133: "For brethren to dwell together in unity is like the precious ointment upon the head"; and it concluded, So if you join the Three-self you are doing as good a deed as Mary did.
In the beginning of 1956 all churches were supposed to register. This was said not to be compulsory, but when one must volunteer, it is hard to distinguish between voluntary and compulsory.
In February the attack was turned on the great group of Christians meeting at Nanyang Road, often known as the "Little Flock". About 60 I think were arrested. Many were released very soon, but others were accused of terrible crimes, and given sentences up to fifteen years. There were special meetings everywhere for Christians. Everyone who had attended meetings at Nanyang Road had to receive special indoctrination for several weeks. The many students who had attended were not allowed to go home for the new year holiday, but had to undergo special political training and brainwashing.
Of course much fear followed these arrests. Up to this time a little group of Christians had met in the Gospel Hall in our grounds. After this we felt we could meet no longer. We knew we could not register. This would involve having a flag and a picture of Mao Tzu Tung in the hall; meetings would be under the control of the Three-self, and a representative must be appointed to attend the weekly meetings of the Three-self, where he would be told what to teach on Sunday. That was a sad morning, as the brothers departed with the tears running down their faces, but comforting each other with the hope of soon meeting on the Cloud. I have the date Feb. 1956 in my Bible beside Joshua 7:9 "And what wilt Thou do unto Thy great Name"? My great comfort was the promise of personal, individual fellowship with our Lord, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me." Rev. 3:20.
One Sunday morning a woman and her son came to see me. They had heard that there was a gathering at our house to worship the Lord according to the Scriptures, and they were hungry and searching for the truth. We had a time of Bible study together, and recalled how the Lord hearkened, and remembered "them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His Name." Mal. 3:16. She showed me that the verse was marked in her Bible. Later the young man came for a time to help in the Sunday School in our house. There were many such, seeking for the true Church, seeking to worship the Lord according to His will, not according to the traditions of men. We may be sure the Lord comes in to sup with them. The verse before this was also very comforting: "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten" There is no doubt there was much evil to be repented of in the Church in China.
But the Lord still loved it. This is not 'agapao', the more formal word for love, but 'phileo', the tender natural term of family relationship and friendship. The same word is used in John 16:27, "The Father Himself loveth you". The troubles come because of His love, because He is "the Father", Who would have us to be holy, as He is holy. 1 Pe. 1:14-17. Pray that the suffering ones may never doubt His love. The Lord sits very close, very carefully watching, when His silver is passing through the refiner's fire. Mal. 3:3. His heart is very specially occupied with His suffering saints in China now, and so our hearts should be there too, if we are in harmony with Him. I used to notice the fathers in the bus with their children. The child might not seem very attractive to me, but each one was precious to its father. The more incapable and foolish they were, the more carefully he looked after them. If one was weak or sickly, how tenderly he carried it. And how gentle they were with the frightened ones! He did not scold them, he could not always remove the cause of their fear, or even explain it. But how lovingly he comforted and cared for them. And "the Father Himself loveth you". If His frightened children do not behave very well, He is very understanding. But we must pray that none be frightened into sin.
The Nanyang Road Book shop was closed. Soon after, that other true little shop which was not under the Three-self was closed, and its manager was imprisoned. It had sold Wang Ming Tao's books, and was active in sending out Literature to far parts. I too was selling those books, and sending out Literature; but the Lord still covered the Christian Book Room under His wings, and held open the door. The manager's "crime" probably was having written, or published an article on "Love not the world". I suppose it was at this time that most of those brave workers along the border were imprisoned; and many died in prison.
It was about this time that the Bishop of Hong Kong, and later the Bishops from Australia were invited to visit China. It was amazing how they swallowed down everything they were told, and seem really to have believed that the Church was free, and not suffering! I saw a man from one of the institutions these clergy visited. You had so and so visiting you, I said. Oh yes, he replied, but of course we could not tell him anything true.
Of course it is very difficult to estimate the situation. Any one who knows China knows it is impossible to generalize. What is true in one part is absolutely different in another. Sometimes the Church seemed dead and hopeless, and I used bitterly to think of Browning's lines-"So with a sullen, All's for best, The (Church) seems settling down to rest".
There was a Baptist Pastor elected to one of the Government bodies; "He had such a good influence on the young people, grounding them in politics", they said. That perhaps was typical of one group. But there were others, the "seven thousand" who would not bow to any Baal. 1 Ki. 19:18. From the north came a letter from a little group, so happy and steadfast, full of trust in the Lord. They wrote, When the missionary left, we did not see how we could continue, with no one to shepherd us. But the Lord Himself has been our Shepherd, and has added many to the assembly. From various places came grateful letters for parcels of shopworn books, telling how eagerly they were received by the Christians. From the south came news of country churches being revived; of simple farming folk who had held fast with prayer and praise, when there was no outside help.
In 1957 there seemed a definite turn for the better. It had perhaps begun the autumn before when several Christians had been released. We had a letter from a girl in the south west, telling of her Father's release after he had three times collapsed, no pulse to be found. He was suffering from stomach ulcer, enlarged heart, his right side apparently paralyzed, very thin., and with a throbbing in his head. But he still held fast his faith, and was constantly singing the hymn beginning "Begone, unbelief! My Savior is near", and ending "And since all we meet must work for our good, The bitter is sweet, the medicine is food: Though painful at present, 'twill cease before long, And then how triumphant the conqueror's song. Everything he accepted from the Lord, quoting "Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above" John 19:11 and "Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake." Phil. 1:29. Two or three months later we heard that he was improving, and was again going about visiting, and had started a Bible reading in a home.
In October it was definitely confirmed that Wang Ming Tao was free. There were so many reports and rumors, it was hard to know what to believe. A little before, we had most circumstantial accounts of his wife's death of T.B., but they were all false,-she was released with him. What is certainly true is that his mind was gone. I was told this by the police. The report was that there had constantly been two men in the cell with him, questioning and brainwashing him, until his mind gave way, and he recanted. There was an article in the Heavenly Wind, withdrawing his previous heterodox teaching; but it is certain it was not really written by him, for at the time his mind was gone, and he could not write. The Department of Religion had a tea party for 300 Christians at which it was announced that Pastor Wang had now "repented", so the Christians must comfort him and give him work.
Poor Wang Ming Tao was terribly depressed. We were told that he went about beating his breast, and saying that he was Judas, he had sold his Lord. Gradually, as his mind cleared he said, No, he was like Peter, and he could repent. And finally, due they say to the prayers of his wife and her mother, his mind cleared, his soul was restored. Then, perhaps in June 1958, he and his wife returned to the police to withdraw his recantation. And so they returned to prison.
But during 1957 things certainly seemed easier. My Scripture was, "Mightily grew the Word of God, and prevailed" Acts. 19:20. The Government had announced its policy of Let a thousand flowers blossom, and different schools of thought contend. Criticism of the Government was invited; magazines and other Literature were allowed to come in; Of course political interference did not stop. There were more meetings for Pastors for political training; but this was almost constant; every week they were gathered to be instructed in what they should preach about the following Sunday. Some of them still preached the Gospel, but there must be some politics with it. Where a true Gospel was preached, there was a ready response. At new year special meetings were again held in most of the churches. At one of these 120 said they wished to believe.
There were three days of special Gospel meetings at the Gospel Hall on our compound. The little group of brothers gathered at my house for prayer that new years day. They read in Matthew 26 of our Lord in Gethsemane. All spoke of the need to "watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation". They did not venture to meet again then. They said it might be all right as far as the Government was concerned, but the Three-self required a leader, and none felt that a man could be put in that place, when the Holy Spirit is our Leader. So they concluded by deciding to pray more about it. In August we gathered again. On that happy Sunday two women and several young people were baptized. Three had asked for their place at the Lord's Table, and we ate the Lord's supper together. We continued to gather once a month until the tyranny again showed its strength the following February.
One of the women baptized then, died six months after. She had been won by the testimony of a dear old woman in the matched village, who was almost blind and almost deaf. She could not read and she knew almost nothing; but she loved her Lord, and she loved her neighbor. Through her testimony her old husband was saved just before he died, and now this neighbor. There are many like her: I heard of one country woman who was used to bring more than fifty souls to the Lord in one year. We should pray for such women, that the Lord will use them at this time when so many have been silenced. The other woman baptized was the wife of a Christian. I think she truly believed, but she was still a babe needing to be fed with milk. There are many like her, and there is no one to feed them. But the Holy Spirit is still there, and can bring to mind what they have learned. And our prayers can help.
It seemed that the organized church and trained Pastors which had so sadly compromised was being set aside, and the Lord was raising up His independent witnesses. I knew a woman at a Bible school. When she was born her father had dedicated her to the Lord as a Nazarite, never to cut her hair, or to drink wine. He had been among those sent to Europe in the first world war, and while there had become a Christian. This girl was born after his return, the only one of eight children to live. Her parents died when she was young, and missionaries had her trained as a nurse. All her life she desired to devote herself to the work of the Lord, but she was already forty when she was able to enter Bible school, and she found it hard to work with the younger ones. In the holidays the students were sent out to do evangelistic work, and she returned to her home town. She came back overflowing with joy. She had carried on 36 cottage meetings, as many as 200 at some of them She had visited in the homes, and taught unnumbered children. They begged her to come again, but she was afraid she would not be able and was training a young man to help them, and sending him books. I fear she has been taken "inside", but I am not sure.
In a certain district fourteen churches had been closed and about seven hundred people used to come to a Christian woman for help and teaching. At our first contact I had sent this "Deborah" sixty "Words of Comfort" and some other books. Two months later they came to tell me how much blessing these books had been, especially a little book on the Lord's Coming. One woman was devil possessed, and had baffled many doctors; but the Christian woman prayed for her, and she was restored and three of her family became Christians. They asked for another 100 Words of Comfort, and some more books on the Lord's Coming. She also wanted Scripture expositions, and how thankful I was to supply them.
Then there was a carpenter, who came in for a big print Bible. He was ministering to another group left without a Shepherd. And there were many others.
Many Pastors who had refused to join the Three-self or to teach as they directed were removed, some imprisoned, some confined to their homes, or given other work. One Pastor was set to selling vegetables. He went round selling at the homes of the Christians; and at each house he had prayer, and spoke to the people. The Christians saw to it that all his vegetables were sold. In that little mountain Church there was a wonderful work of the Holy Spirit. Many of them had been in prison, and when some of them were allowed out the number of the Christians increased tenfold, from 300 to 3000. They were greatly needing Bibles. One morning a woman came in with some Bibles. She told me that her Mother used to have a Bible class, and these had been lying by since her death, and she said to send them any where inland that there was a need. Next day the brother-in-law of the Pastor of this Church came in, and was delighted when I shewed him the eight Bibles she had brought. He said that he had very much wanted to get some, but had no money, so could only pray. So I got 6 more Bibles and some portions, and some Words of Comfort, and sent them off with a parcel of books and one of posters. I will quote from a letter of a month later. "On Wednesday I was thinking it would be nice to send some Bibles to that church which has grown from 300 to 3000; I counted up that I might be able to send forty three Bibles and New Testaments with a certain sum, but asked for a token that it would be the right thing to do. In a few minutes the dear young man, with the sweet little girl who studies Greek, came in, bringing his brother and nephew. The nephew was saved last week, such a bright faced boy, about fifteen. The brother was leaving that night for that very place, and they were wanting Bibles and Hymnbooks. So they bought five Bibles and New Testaments and nine hymn books. There is no question about more being needed. So I have twenty five here waiting to go, and will get more tomorrow. We are combing the shop for wrapping paper, as there is none to be bought. It is wonderful how much we can scare up, and the devil will not hold up Bibles by that move.”
The little Church carried on bravely. Even in 1958 it dared to hold special evangelistic meetings at the new year. The brave young Pastor would not join the Three-self. He was imprisoned, and his wife struggled on, trying to care for the Christians, and to bring up their three children.
Her brother was one of the most Christ-like young men I ever met. His face shone with such a light that I never saw him without thinking that I was having a glimpse of my Lord. Other Christians facing persecution had that same light in a greater or less degree. One such said, If we want the crown, we must have the light affliction. We pampered folk in the West might not think the affliction so very light. I
know what Stephen looked like when "all... saw his face as it had been the face of an angel." This young man had been Pastor of a little country Church, but he too would not join the Three-self. He was not imprisoned, but for over a year he was mostly confined to his house, and constantly questioned. Of course he could not continue at his Church, and they were left, simple farming folk, without a human shepherd. But he spent his time in prayer for them, and when, very occasionally, he had a visit from them he found that they were growing in grace more than when, he was with them. He was like Epaphras, "always laboring fervently... in prayers." Col. 4:12. Once he asked me how long I spent in prayer each day, and I was ashamed to confess that it was less than an hour, when I knew that he sometimes spent whole days and nights in prayer.
The Communists fear and hate prayer, which is surely an incentive to us to persevere in it. One of the charges against me was that I had supplied information used by the imperialists as subjects for prayer. It shows that although they profess to believe there is no God, they really know in their hearts "that He is, and that He is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek Him" Heb. 11:6. The Communists would reward those that pray with imprisonment, for it shows that they confess and trust in a Power outside and above Communism. There was a young man in prison, in the far west of China, the only son of his mother, a widow, who lay ill of an incurable disease in Shanghai. He might have been released if he would stop praying; but he would not give it up, and his mother blessed him for it and prayed with him. I heard of another who refused to give up praying as the price of his release. One of the other prisoners was so impressed by this that when he was released he sought out a Gospel Hall and became a Christian. I am sure there was much fruit from the witness of our fellow Christians in prison. One young man kept in prison for a year on suspicion, came out saying, They "thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good" Gen. 50:20. He was rejoicing because he had "two Onesimuses" in prison, two sinners saved. Of course there was no disgrace in going to prison, the best people were there.
The Father of the young man who looked like Stephen was Pastor in an inland province. He too stood fast for the truth, and was turned out of his church, and forbidden to leave his house. He wrote to his son that formerly he had three or four meetings a week; now that he was confined to his house he had four or five a day. The Christians came all day long to visit him, and with each he had prayer, and expounded the Scriptures. He was once baptizing 17 converts. They were so happy, they sang and rejoiced too loudly, and soldiers came in and arrested them all, and marched them off to the city. One of them, a girl of fifteen, was just alight with the joy of the Lord, and when told to hold out her hands to be handcuffed, said "I am not worthy of so great an honor." An elderly man had suffered six years from arthritis, and his arms, bound behind him, were very painful. He asked the guard to loosen his bonds a little, but instead they bound him more tightly. Then, just as they passed through the city gate, the ropes suddenly fell apart, and he held out his arms for the guard to see, saying, You see, my God has released me. At the same time his arthritis left him, and did not return. They were all imprisoned that night; in the morning nothing could be found against the seventeen converts, and they were released. The Pastor was kept in prison, and like Peter, was sleeping between two soldiers. The one on guard suddenly saw two tall men in white, standing beside their prisoner. He wakened his companion, who also saw them, and they were so frightened they hurried out of the cell. They went to the Pastor's wife, and told her, asking Were those your Jesuses? No, she replied, They were not; but I can tell you who they are, they are His messengers. (In Chinese 'messenger' and 'angel' are the same word) Well, said the soldier, I will never persecute the Christians again. And we cannot have such goings on in the prison, so your husband can come home. And you tell him, not to have so many people at his meetings, and not to have them so publicly, and with so much noise.
There was a demand for Bibles from many parts. The Bible House said they had many orders from up-country; in many places where churches had been closed, and Bibles and hymn-books destroyed, they were opening up again. A young Baptist Pastor came in to get ten Bibles. He told me that they were to be sent to a little Church with eight members, who had been sent to that distant place, just five li, less than two miles, from the Russian border. He brought in two old Bibles, and three hymn books which a brother was sending from his own home, as he had no money to give. We were able to send some Russian books along with them.
There were some wonderful revival meetings for Christians held in two places not far south of us. In one place it began with some meetings held by a local man, and attended by about 250 persons. The authorities were suspicious, and had him up for trial and decided they had better cut off his head. The sword was brought, and he just stood there, and said, That is quite all right. So they let him go. In the other place the work seems to have begun with an old gatekeeper, who just went faithfully on with his work, studying the Bible in all his spare time. Then a Christian woman, another Deborah, with her little child, went at Chinese new year and had meetings, five days in each place. Eight hundred people came; some walked fifty English miles, carrying a little food and bedding on their shoulders. From six to seven they had Quiet Time; from nine to ten they sang hymns; from ten to twelve they had preaching; from two to three they sang hymns; from three to four-thirty preaching, and again in the evening. The church building could not accommodate them, so they were allowed to use the military center, and cook in their kitchen. Two Communists were sent to watch, and at first were very suspicious. But they were much impressed with how happy they were. What makes them so happy? they said, so poor, nothing good to eat, just sit there in the cold on those hard benches, with their eyes shut, saying Jesus, Jesus, Lord, Lord! When the brief glimpse of freedom was shut off, "Deborah" was called up for questioning, and after some anxious weeks was sentenced to eight years in prison. Her sister was able to visit her, and found she was busy ten hours a day making soldiers' uniforms, but kept in perfect peace of heart.
There was much dissatisfaction with the Three-self. Two old men were in the shop discussing Christian work. "And what do you think of the Three-self? asked A. I don't think, said B, I express no opinion, it is not for me to judge them. I go on the principle of the second clause of Revelation 22:11, "He who is filthy, let him be filthy still"; and he repeated it several times with great satisfaction. Many did not feel free to attend any of the churches, and longed for a place where they could meet according to the Scriptures. One earnest young man told me that there were many young men sitting at home doing nothing. In other days they would have become Pastors, but they felt they could not enter the State-controlled church. If they took up any secular work there was absolutely no time for anything else, such long working hours, and then political meetings, and preparation for them. He asked special prayer for them. Of course now, all such young people would be compelled to work for the State.
The "thousand flowers" called on to blossom by the Government were soon nipped by the frost. Many people had been so foolish as to rise to the bait, and there had been a storm of criticism of the Government. Of course the result was many arrests. In September the Rectification Campaign set in. Once again everyone had to confess. Everyone again had to write an autobiography from the age of eight, analyzing his thoughts and confessing any feeling against the Government. The general form of this was: Before the Communists came I was very much afraid of them, for we had been told many lies by the capitalists. Since they have come we see how good they are, and now I am very happy under their rule.
I was warned by many that there were hard times ahead. One Chinese friend sent me a tiny note, The fiery trial is coming: pray for us. I never heard from her again, but I have been told that she is in prison.
At the end of 1957 the Department of Religion called another conference of about 130 Pastors, and all were looking forward with much fear to what would happen when they returned. This Conference was The Tenth Plenary Session of the Standing Executive Committee of the Chinese Christian Three-self Patriotic Movement. Its final resolutions, as reported in the Heavenly Wind, were as follows: It confessed the sins of the Chinese Christians in the past in allowing themselves to be used as tools of Western Imperialism in its aggression in China.
It promised unconditionally to accept the leadership of the Chinese Communist party.
It made a solemn vow to join the great "Leap forward" movement toward Socialism, and to join in the Government's "Socialist Education". Finally, it commanded all churches to call similar conferences to eradicate the capitalistic viewpoint, and establish the socialist viewpoint.
On New Year’s Eve I had the privilege of having supper with a little group of young people who were determined to stand for the Truth, no matter what happened. It was a very happy evening, they were so cheerful and loving. How earnestly they prayed.
And later I think they all spent the whole night in prayer. Before the end of the year almost half of them were in prison.
Immediately after Chinese New Year 1958 the Pastors were gathered for political training. The country pastors were brought into central towns for six weeks or two months, or longer. We had letters begging for prayer. The Heavenly Wind was full of reports of wicked things discovered. Especially it stormed against faith healing, and casting out of demons. I wonder how the Pharisees would have written, if they had had such a paper in 30 A.D. It was also full of lists of Pastors imprisoned. Many of the older Pastors were dismissed or imprisoned; younger ones who had refused to join the Three-self were sent to work in mines, or to the far North West. There were terrible stories of suicides. One did not know whether to mourn most over those accused, or those who made the accusations.
In Shanghai there were so many church workers that they were divided into two groups. The first group had the more important members, and its meetings lasted five months. The reports of the accusations and debates were terrible. Against one Pastor more than three hundred accusations were brought. Accusations would be of favoring foreigners, speaking well of missionaries, favoring Wang Ming Tao, receiving letters or money from abroad; others would be of mismanagement of church funds or property; of signs of arrogance and superiority; lack of sympathy with the Communist policy, etc. Any protest or criticism was a crime, and the speaker was branded as an anti-revolutionary. There were also many baseless accusations of immorality etc.
Bitter accusations were again brought against all foreign missionaries and missionary societies. Most of all Hudson Taylor and the C.I.M. were denounced. Billy Graham was another object of attack. Many Chinese leaders were attacked, including those who had tried to conform to Communism, and had written in praise of it and of the Three-self. Every article in the Heavenly Wind spoke of the "Anti-revolutionaries hiding under the cloak of religion". Another special attack was on the "independent, illegal evangelists" working throughout China, especially" those who claimed to cast out spirits or trust in faith healing.
One was constantly reminded, when reading or hearing these attacks, of the Spanish inquisition and Torquemada. These men, some of them real Christians, were worked up into believing they were acting righteously in accusing their brethren. Then the church handed them over to the civil arm for punishment. One read of tens of men, sentenced to two, five, eight, ten, fifteen years of imprisonment, and after that, loss of civil rights (if there are any rights in Communism).
The State was no longer executing criminals, except for very glaring crimes. They needed slave labor for their great irrigation works, and other grandiloquent plans for the great leap forward. These condemned men were mostly sent to slave in labor camps, removing by hand thousands of tons of earth. Some of my special friends were taken at this time.
The Heavenly Wind published reports of the resolutions passed by the conferences in various places. These generally were, Against all teaching of separation from the world; against depressing hymns and sermons, such as those referring to sin and judgment; against any mention of the end of the world; against any Literature from Hong Kong or elsewhere which might be subversive. One of the churches in central China issued its manifesto: these were the five "goods" which all must follow-support the upright man, work hard, help everybody, study politics, be careful of hygiene. And the five "nots"-no preaching outside the church, no house meetings, no faith-healing and casting out demons, no contempt for this world, not to allow the observance of Sunday or other church services to hinder work.
At such a time of testing of course the Lord gave special encouragement. Some one wrote referring to Rev. 7:1, and it was indeed a great comfort to remember those strong angels controlling the winds of the earth, those fierce winds trying to overthrow, but powerless against those founded on the Rock. Some one else spoke of the safety of the individual in the "place by Me", standing "upon a Rock", hidden in "a cleft of the Rock" covered "with My hand". Ex. 33:21-22. I was told that at this time Psalm 18:1-6 came to many as by a voice from Heaven: "The Lord is my Rock, and my Fortress, and my Deliverer... the sorrows of death compassed me... in my distress I called upon the Lord... and my cry came before Him, even into His ears". Also Isaiah 43:1-4, especially the last verse, "Thou wast precious in My sight... and I have loved thee". Also Psalm 12-the "flattering lips" and "double heart" were indeed terribly abundant those days, and the exaltation of "the vilest men". But the "seven thousand" were still there, and they are still there, many in prison, many still free, and how they all need our prayers.
The Lord gave to me Daniel 11:35; the date May, 1958 is against it. Many "of understanding" that seemed pillars, many that we loved, fell in those days, and it was a comfort to know that it was "to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end". God works even that together for good. The margin reads "to try by them", and that was also true; by their fall, others were purged. The "fall" might not be only fall into error; it was only too true that it also had the meaning of verse 33: they fell "by captivity and by spoil". Another comfort was Isaiah 58:11,12. In that time of drought the Lord did guide and satisfy. One knew of those who were like a "watered garden", and who, one felt, were being trained by the Lord to be "the repairer of the breach". But it was a sad, sad time, and our hearts kept crying "How long, Lord, how long"? It was at this time Wang Ming Tao was again imprisoned. Reports had to be sent in from our compound, about the Sunday school, the Gospel preaching, and a. list of those who met to take the Lord's supper. There was no action taken, and all still continued for a time.
The outstanding result of the Shanghai conference was the amalgamation of the churches. By September 1958 the churches in Shanghai were reduced from about 150 to about 20; in Peking 64 were reduced to 4, and about the same in Canton. Those taken were turned into schools, factories, etc. Those left, had several services on Sunday. I do not know how far denominational differences were allowed to remain. The Anglican church still used the prayer book, and followed its ritual in the Cathedral, and probably in other places. But then the Bishops were leaders in the Three-self movement, and might in a measure direct its policy. The Three-self by no means was equal-or perhaps some were "more equal than others". When the ordinary Pastors were being paid about $25.00 a month, the Y.M.C.A., who were the controllers of the movement were having expensive central heating installed, a luxury they had not had even under the Imperialists.
Someone told me about the first joint service in the Youngallen Memorial church. Nothing was said about or from the Bible. The Preacher explained that up to 1949 the Christians had been very much in the dark, and very bad. But now at last the light has come, and all is fine. My informant said he would never go again. Though the number of churches was so greatly reduced, they were not nearly filled. Many of the poor and old who had been the most faithful attendants could not now accomplish the long distance to some strange church. In all the Kiangwan and Hongkew districts of Shanghai there were only the Darroch Road Church and the Youngallen Memorial, and Cantonese services in the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Many felt they could get their political training better in other places than the church. In a few places a true Gospel was still preached with a minimum of politics as an introduction; but in many it was all politics, hung to a twisted Scripture text. Some were afraid to go. Many had no leisure: some worked seven days a week, and those who did work only six days might have their holiday any day of the week; or Sunday might be filled with political meetings.
It was said at this time that everyone fell into one of four classes: they were either farmers, or workers, which were good; or those seeking their own enrichment, or living on others, which were bad. Church workers were said all to belong to the last, parasites, living on others-so they must quickly try to become farmers or workers. Old Pastors and Bible women were sent to factories, many of them learning to make hats or toys. Younger ones were sent to the country. A few of the former Pastors still continued at their churches, but by this time the young men educated in the Government controlled seminary were ready, and the Three-self could put in their own people wherever Mr. Valiant-for-the-Truth was ejected. Pressure came down heavily on any that would not fall into line. One after another men and women who had held unauthorized meetings were gathered into prison. The Sunday school and other meetings in our compound stopped. The teachers were lads who had counted the cost, and had deliberately chosen to obey God rather than man. One after another they were taken. After some months they were tried and sentenced to five, eight, fifteen, twenty years in labor camps. After their sentence the prisoners were allowed a visit from their friends. Most of them came out weeping and lamenting. But these Christian, lads came out laughing and joking, cheering up the friends who had come to see them, still rejoicing to be counted worthy to suffer for the sake of Christ. There were many, many others. There was the old man who would give away tracts, and speak to people on the streets: he was sentenced to eight years; the woman who had told the Gospel to her neighbors; the young women who would not work in the Bible School controlled by the Three-self; over forty students from the Spiritual Truth Seminary; John Sung's daughter who had worked among students; the Principal of John Sung's Bible School; there was an older man, a beloved brother, who had preached the Gospel without their permission; he wrote to his wife, God is keeping me in perfect peace. God can do that for them all; but consider what it means as the days and years pass, carrying away their youth; working ten or twelve hours a day, shoveling earth, sleeping on the ground, very poor food, no Bible-and going on five, eight, ten, fifteen, twenty years. We who are free, who have all things, who have the Scriptures and freedom to worship God according to our conscience, can we fail in praying for them?
In August the second group of church workers began their training. These included all students from the Spiritual Truth Seminary and the workers in the Bible Society. The result was the Bible Society was closed, except for a couple of hours weekly.
Towards the end of 1958 there was another movement which took in everyone in China, therefore all the Christians. This was the Hand over your heart campaign. This was zealously taken up by the Three-self. In June 1958 its leader Wu Yao Tsung contributed an article to the Heavenly Wind entitled "Let the Christian circle all hand over our hearts to the Communist Party". In the same number is quoted an article by a Communist, giving the oath of some young University man: We swear-That we shall eternally and without any limits faithfully obey the communist party, and surrender our living strength to socialism". This doctrine was exalted in the churches, even sometimes expressed in the words "Thou shalt love the communist party with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”
This is the policy of the Three-self as expressed in their organ the Heavenly Wind. The Editor of the China News Bulletin has analyzed the contents of the magazine for 1958.
Secular propaganda from communist newspapers-48%
Religious propaganda to suppress Christian opposition to communism, and draw them into enthusiastic support of it-36%
Devotional and Bible study materials-12%
Items of Chinese news-1%
Editorial comment-3%
Yet there still were many Christians leading quiet and peaceable lives. I often wondered why some escaped, when others were taken. Perhaps some were too insignificant, perhaps some were too valuable. But however it was, there still were many. Now that all are being forced into the Communes, it must be much more difficult. The Christians need our prayers; but after all, their sufferings are "but for a moment" and work "a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" 2 Cor. 4:17. In far greater need are the more than six hundred million souls still in the dark, "without God and without hope". The burden of their fellow countryman, whom they are not allowed to help, lies heavy on the Chinese Christians. So listen to them calling to us: "Finally brethren, pray for us, that the Word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified, even as it is with you: and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith". 2 Thess. 3:1-3.
"But the Lord is faithful.”
Chapter 6: The Old House
"There they dwelt with the King for His work".
1 Chron. 4:23
"That the Christ may make His home in your hearts".
Eph. 3:17 Lit.
The house was shabby, and old, and poor:
Damp were the walls, and broken the floor:
Windows askew, glass broken or cracked,
And paint or varnish it sadly lacked.
The floors were bare, and the rooms were cold,
The furniture all was worn and old,-
Worn and old and shabby and scratched,-
Everything seemed to be broken or patched.
The garden, too, was a piteous sight;
Where roses grew, or ramblers bright,
Now piles of rubbish and broken bricks,
Where trees and shrubs, now old dry sticks.
But there they dwelt with the King of kings,
Dwelt under the shadow of His wings,
Dwelt with the King, His work to do,
And the King dwelt there, with His feeble few.
The King, Who was in a stable born,
This poor old house will never scorn.
My King, my Lord, where Thou wilt be,
'Twill be my joy to dwell with Thee.
C.W.
I think the old house deserves a chapter to itself. It is a large brick house with two stories, and an unfinished attic, standing in a long compound. When my brother moved there in 1930 it was almost an island, with pools and marshy ground around it. But the city not only filled in the ground around, but raised it higher than our garden. The water ran down into our garden, and after a heavy rain the garden was flooded, and often the house also, sometimes more than a foot deep. The foundations remained good; but the floor and walls downstairs were discolored and rotting away with damp. After the war, when no one had taken proper care of it during our internment by the Japanese, the ground floor was almost unusable. So the upstairs was made into a comfortable flat. Downstairs the huge living room was used for children's meetings. Outside were the servants' quarters, and a little gatehouse.
In the middle of the Compound was a bungalow built of sheet steel brought out from Scotland. This was rented. At the North end was the godown (warehouse) for the Christian Book Room. Besides ample storage space on the ground floor there was a fair-sized Gospel Hall facing the gate; upstairs were living quarters for the workers in the Book Room. At this north gate there was also a gatehouse. A short distance along the lane at either end was the busy street West of us. Along the East border of the garden was the matched village. Refugees had come here during the war, and almost overnight a village of about 4,000 souls had sprung up on the ashdump, an area, I should think, of less than two acres. My brother and his wife had visited among them, distributing tracts; their son had opened a Clinic for them for a short time; again and again Gospel meetings had been held for them, and Sunday schools started. But they seemed hard and bad and unresponsive. Perhaps at the bottom of it was jealousy of our comfortable houses and big garden, when they were so crowded.
And they were always trying to encroach on us.
Sometimes I felt the house was a burden greater than I could bear-the complaints and quarrels of the tenants; their refusal to pay rent; the constant fret of the neighbors in the matshed village; the difficulty of getting repairs done; the reports to be made to the Government; the taxes to be paid. I suppose it was ungrateful to chafe so under it. The house had been given us by the Lord. My ownership of it probably contributed to my being allowed to remain so long. The money sometimes received in rent was very useful.
The tenants were the greatest trial. In the South gatehouse a family had squeezed themselves in, in that first confused May, 1949, just before the Communists entered the city. When they came they claimed to be refugees who had lost everything escaping from the Communists. But very soon they were converted to Communism, dropped all appearance of Christianity, and were ardently progressive. They paid no rent, and made prodigal use of light and water. They expected my housekeeper to wait on them, and spied on all who came. After about two years they suddenly moved out. This was certainly the good hand of the Lord, for there was everything to induce them to stay, and it was impossible for me to turn them out. In their place a young Christian couple moved in, and set up a little chewing gum factory. They were desirable in every way. They stayed until a few months before I left, when they were forced to unite their little factory to the Government-owned candy factories.
The steel house in the middle of the compound was always a trial. The tenants would not keep to their agreements, would not pay their rent, or their share of the taxes, and were always demanding repairs. But they also had their troubles. One young man was imprisoned in connection with the factory where he worked; his old mother and his wife were obliged to attend the court, and applaud the sentence-which was almost certainly unjust. Another was accused of being a rightist and had to work for months as coolie, and without wages, in the bank where he had been employed. The tenants were all supposed to be Christians, but I am afraid it was little more than a name.
During the confusion of the city being taken over by the Communists, a Christian woman and her non-Christian husband managed to get into some of the rooms over the godown. This was on the distinct understanding that they should move out when I needed the place. But of course they would not go. The woman was always very pleasant but the husband was often very unpleasant. I once received a very definite message from the Lord on account of this man, which often strengthened my heart, and was both encouragement and rebuke. One Sunday morning I had a very disagreeable and threatening letter from him. It was delivered to me, and I had foolishly read it, just before going over to remember our Lord in His death. I could not get it out of my mind. Then I recalled that there had been a comforting verse that morning on the calendar, and I thought I would look it up. The reference is Isaiah 51:12, I said to myself. As a matter of fact it was not that at all, but that was the word the Lord had for me. "I, even, I, am He that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die? and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; and forgettest the Lord thy Maker that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundation of the earth; and halt feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor? But I am the Lord thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: the Lord of Hosts is His Name. And I have put My words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of My hand.”
We gathered regularly in the Gospel Hall at the north end of the godown to remember our Lord in His death. We were only about a dozen, but the Lord was certainly with us. One great sorrow was that a very dear brother withdrew. He was employed in a Government institution and had constant indoctrination classes, and they so shook him that he said he could not believe there was a God. This is the special• point of attack by the Communists. It is impossible for those in Christian lands to realize the crushing effect of living in an atmosphere of atheism, and being forced to listen constantly to false teaching. Prayer won the day for this brother. After about five years he was restored and in his prayer of thanksgiving he acknowledged, God never failed me, though I often failed Him.
The garden was another trial. It was a large garden and had once been a tennis court, with trees and flowers. But since the war it was a wilderness of weeds. When the Communists took control no land was allowed to go waste, so I had it dug and planted, to avoid its being managed by "Assistants" from the Lane. Various things were planted in it at various times-yams, peanuts, corn, wheat. But the soil was bad, very little grew, and what little did grow was often stolen or trampled down by the neighbors. I sometimes thought it was a parable of man's heart, and of much Christian work. Between the bad soil of our own hearts, and the snares and temptations of our neighbors the world and the devil, the fruit is very poor. Yet our Lord patiently continues seeking fruit, digging and cultivating. The little south garden was quite different. Things grew well in it, and my housekeeper kept it bright with flowers. One side was the well, and beside it a magnificent rosebush and a palm tree. What I liked best was the figtree: not that it bore fruit, I do not think it ever brought more than a dozen figs to perfection. But each spring when it put forth its leaves it came with the message of encouragement, "Look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." Luke 21:28-31. There are hearts like that garden too, if they keep facing south in the sunshine of the love of God. "Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ". Jude 20.
I would not have minded the labor and the poor crops. It was the constant interference was such a trial. This was of two kinds. The houses of the village which overlooked the garden used it as a garbage dump; also they broke down the fence, and were always coming in. At long last permission was obtained from the headman of the village to put up a new fence; but it was put up with almost as much difficulty as Nehemiah had in building the wall of Jerusalem; it would never have been completed if the workmen had not been Christians, very brave and faithful. The second thing was that everything was inspected, and the Lane Committee was always finding fault. They pointed out that as Christians our place should be tidier than our neighbors', and to this we quite agreed; but it was difficult to keep tidy with such neighbors. Then they said the vegetation in our garden encouraged flies and mosquitoes. Our nice trees had to be cut down. A year or two later everyone had to plant trees, and they demanded that we should plant a great many. Most trying was the hunting for mosquitoes: at dawn and dusk a flock of women and children crowded in with washbasins smeared with soap which they waved round to catch mosquitoes. They did catch a few but the destruction of our garden, and the annoyance to our tempers was very great. But that happened only in the last year, when all freedom of private possession was gone.
I would have been thankful to have the old house to myself, with no worry of tenants. But there was great housing shortage in Shanghai, and the house looked so large that I knew it would have to be shared. Again and again deputations came asking for the use of our big empty room downstairs, but they always accepted my refusal, for God "Made an hedge about (me) and about (my) house". Job 1:10. The house had been so definitely given to us by the Lord, I felt responsible to use it for Him. It was a privilege to receive those who were homeless because of their stand for Christ. Several such occupied the downstairs Gunroom at different times.
As I have said, the upstairs had been turned into a flat. There was a little kitchen at the north end of the big hall, partitioned off by a big china cupboard. Off this opened two rooms facing north. I always said the house was built upside down. The entrance was through the downstairs kitchen; and the whole south wall was taken up by the staircase and bathroom. Now the south in China is the one desirable aspect, warmed by the sun in winter, and cooled by the prevailing south winds in summer. One room at the head of the stairs had a south window, and off it was a bright little sunroom, facing south and east. This sunroom was really the end of a verandah running along the whole east of the house.
The first people who shared the upstairs flat with me were two ladies from the C.I.M. Very soon after the Communist occupation, work in, most country parts became impossible, and a good many missionaries moved into Shanghai, where Christians were long better off than anywhere else in China. The population of Shanghai was then about seven million, nearly half as many people as in all Canada. So it seemed there might be work for every one there. Among other places it was suggested they might work in the matshed village beside us. I was only too delighted, and offered them rooms in the house, and the use of the Gospel Hall. A young man moved into the north gatehouse; an older worker, and a young Swiss girl just finishing language study lived in the big house. The only reasonable arrangement was to let them have the south room, with the sunroom and the little room opening off it. I felt very loath to let go all the sunny south rooms. But at the time I was reading the end of Ezekiel, and I was given the verse, "The chamber whose prospect is towards the north is for... these... which come near to the Lord". Ez. 40:46. The northern regions of our life, those barren, bitter stretches from which we shrink, are generally where we draw near to God. When we get to Heaven I think we shall be more thankful for them than for the sunny days. Both are necessary: "Awake, 0 North wind; and come, thou South, blow upon my garden, that the spice thereof may flow out. S. of S. 4:16.
It was delightful having these ladies in the house; they were so cheerful and wholesome. They worked hard in the village, visiting, starting children's classes and Gospel preaching. But that village seemed utterly bad, the children, incorrigible. The difficulties, were increased by the antiforeign feeling being preached everywhere, so finally it was decided that the foreigners had better not appear at all, but leave it to the Chinese to carry on the work. Most effective was the work of a Chinese sister who visited in the village. She was teaching at the far end of the city, perhaps twelve miles away, and very busy. But whenever she had a free day, she would come over and visit in the homes. The work went on till a few months before I left, and there was fruit; I think about twenty professed to believe.
In less than a year the C.I.M. workers all left the country, and my rooms were vacant again. I was able to keep them for some months; my Swiss friend sometimes stayed in them; and some missionaries used them as they passed through Shanghai on their way out of the country. But by 1952 all the missionaries who could leave had left. A Chinese Christian family asked to rent them, and they lived there until the exodus from Shanghai to the Northwest moved them out in 1957. And I was not sorry to see them leave. A Christian woman who was suffering for her Lord then came in, and brought with her a true blessing. She had enough "northern" regions in her life; and she sanctified that South room with her presence and her prayers.
The Sunday School was perhaps the most profitable use that was made of the house. After the war there had been a Sunday school in the Gospel hall and some of the boys were so bad that they were turned out. My brother could not bear to think that they were refused an opportunity to hear the Gospel, so he started a class for the "bad boys": they fully lived up to their name, but the class continued, even after the original one in the Gospel hall had ceased. Then his daughter started a class Saturday afternoons for the Christian children, especially to teach them to sing the hymns. But the neighboring children wanted to come too, and soon the Saturday class was as big as the one on Sunday. At that time the lane to our gate was fenced off, so it could not be used by the village, and the children who came were a shade better than those at the north end. When my brother left I had to carry on these classes. My knowledge of the northern dialect was very small, and I spent all Friday and Saturday evenings reading over the lessons in my phonetic Bible, and in Bible primers, and in preparing pictures. Various Chinese lads came at times to help, and a Canadian missionary friend from the Door of Hope opposite generally came on Saturday to play the hymns on the ramshackle little organ. She then often spent the evening with me, and this was a great pleasure. The children were very wild and unruly but sometimes some of them listened, and they learned many Gospel verses and choruses. Sometimes as many as 100 came, sometimes almost none. They seemed eager to come. An hour or more before the time they would gather outside the gate shouting "Ting Ye Su" -"Hear about Jesus", or "Hear Jesus". In spite of all our efforts against it, they insisted on identifying us with our Lord. Our house was known as "The Jesus House", and as I went down the lane the children shouted "Ye Su, Ye Su" after me. When their S.S. teacher was arrested, they said sadly "They are taking Jesus away". One understood how the disciples gained their name in Antioch, Acts 11:26. I have no doubt the children began it, running after them, shouting "Christos, Christos". We are accustomed to being called Christians, and perhaps do not realize the responsibility of "that worthy Name by which ye are called". Ja. 2:7. But when one is called "Jesus", one is startled into thinking "What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness". 2 Pe. 3:11.
In the autumn of 1950 the lane was put through to the village, and a much rougher group of children came. The Saturday class was dropped, but we struggled on with the Sunday class. Some of the young men undertook the responsibility of it, and after a time I felt it was best for me not to appear: there was too much anti-foreign feeling. The class continued, and the Lord sent a helper through whom there was real blessing on it.
I was asked to lend the downstairs sunroom to a young man who had been turned out of his Bible school because he persisted in holding himself separate from the evil of the Three-self movement. He belonged to a wealthy Chinese family overseas. He had had a good position, but gave it up to devote himself to the Lord's service. He had been accustomed to comfort, and it was not easy for him to come down to our little sunroom; but he not only accepted it, he shared it with another young Christian in even worse plight than himself. His heart echoed Pastor Hsi:
"For the Lord's sake my home is poor
And I might well be sad.
But remembering Christ in manger laid
I cannot but be glad.”
The room was shabby and broken, but he set about to beautify it with prayer and praise. I could not say how many hours a day he spent in prayer: I know it was enough to put most of us to shame. He not only prayed: he worked hard. With bricks from an old wall he laid a new floor to the big room. He mended up the walls; he made more benches; he put up Gospel posters. He made friends with the children, so they would sometimes stay all afternoon talking to him, and asking questions about Christianity. He worked in the garden, training vines up the walls, planting flowers, bringing order and beauty wherever he could. He told me that he had not felt called to labor among children; but the Sunday School seemed to be the work the Lord had for him, so he laid hold upon it. On it he concentrated his prayers, and very soon there was a change. Those noisy troublesome children that had baffled all our efforts were subdued by prayer. They came in quietly, and sat quietly, and listened; and more and more came, sometimes over 200. I do not suggest that they became angels at once; I could not say definitely that any were converted. The soil was much like our garden, bad soil and much to hinder. But I believe some of the good seed will bring forth fruit unto everlasting life.
Every Sunday they used to sing the chorus
"Jesus loves the little children,
all the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white,
They are precious in His sight,
Jesus loves the little children of the world.”
The last Christmas the young people made up about 300 calendars with a picture of the Lord blessing the little children, and a pad with a Scripture verse for each month. These were given out, and I am sure were hung up in many heathen homes. In the spring of 1958 the class had to stop. I felt very sad, as I heard the children outside shouting "Ting Ye Su, Ting Ye Su!", and the door could not be opened. The time is very near when every door of mercy will be shut. Be sure that you and those dear to you are inside before that happens. Do not forget to pray for the children of China, growing up in the darkness. "It is not the will of your Father that is in Heaven that one of these little ones should perish" Matt. 18:14.
At one time this young man had served the Republic. But later he had worked under the Communists, and they knew all about him. He was called up for questioning, and we were very thankful when he came back safe. But in 1958, in the great drive against independent Church workers, he was again taken. After several months he was brought to trial, and it was pronounced that there was no charge proved against him. But he would not stop praying. So they said his way of thinking was not right; his confidence was not in the Communist government, and he was sentenced to three years in prison.
Each summer for the first few years after the Communist occupation, a student conference was held at Nanyang road. These lasted perhaps three days or a week, with all day meetings. Hundreds of students attended, and so many wished to go that admission had to be by ticket. One summer after the Conference, meetings were held daily, beginning at 6 A.M., at one of the churches, to prepare the students for what they would have to encounter. About 80 attended. As things got more difficult these meetings had to stop. Some of the students asked if they might use our big room, and two summers there was a week of meetings of about 20 young people. They bought and cooked their own meals, and there was a wonderful spirit of love, faith, and joy. All knew that testing times were ahead, but they were preparing to meet them in the strength of the Lord.
Just south of our house was the large property of the Door of Hope. Here in the "Love School" several ladies and their Chinese helpers for many years had cared for several hundred cast off children, whom they trained up in the fear of the Lord. These ladies had always been among our best friends, and it was a privilege to have anything to do with their devoted Christian work. For a time soon after the Communist occupation I went once a week to speak to the girls on Bible history, as shown on our big dispensational chart. I had supper first with the ladies, and heard something of their problems-the endless inspections and reports to the Government; the search for new kinds of work to take the place of the fine knitting the girls used to do for the foreign community; the efforts to find suitable work, or suitable husbands for the grown girls. They would often telephone me in the morning, as I was sometimes able to do messages in town for them. Then we would "swap verses", tell each other the verses that had brought us encouragement, on David's principle: "0 magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His Name together" Ps. 34:3. One of their special sources of strength was "There is nothing too hard for thee" Jer. 32:17. They prepared a lovely chorus from it, which they used to sing in times of difficulty, with the refrain "There is nothing too hard for Thee, dear Lord, There is nothing too hard for Thee".
A year or two later the time came when it seemed best for the foreigners to withdraw, and there was the heartbreaking business of handing over their charge to others. The Lord gave me the end of Isaiah 54, and the 13th verse seemed prepared for them: "All thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children" Shall we turn this into a prayer for the many hundreds of children brought up in Christian orphanages? Ultimately all were taken over by the Government, and the children scattered: those who had relatives were sent to them. Others were sent to the far west where the Government was eager to populate the desolate districts near the Gobi desert. Some still had their Christian teachers with them, but it was only by stealth that they could speak to them of the things of the Lord. I heard that objection was raised to the girls from the "Love School" reading their Bibles. For the time it was decided they might keep and read them themselves, but they must not try to influence others.
There was one Girls' Home managed by a Chinese lady. She received no support from abroad, and many in Shanghai who had helped her were now leaving. But her confidence was in the Lord, and I heard through the girl who went daily for mail to the Post Office that every day sufficient came in for the support of the large family. None of the charges brought against other orphanages-foreign support, inefficiency, ill-treatment of children, etc.-could possibly be maintained against the much loved Principal. So two Communist cadres were quartered on her, who did their best to indoctrinate the girls, and to induce them to accuse her. That too failed. At last they trumped up charges, and the Principal was arrested. She was held for over a year, I think without having been tried, and then was so ill from the bad conditions in which she was kept, that she was released. The girls were all scattered.
"Arise, cry out in the night; in the beginning of the night watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward Him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street". Lam. 2:19. Especially remember the children of Christian parents -compelled to attend schools where all the teaching is against God; where the fool not only says in his heart, but shouts aloud, "There is no God". Ps. 14:1.
I know one Mother. She was brought up in a Christian home, and she and her husband are true Christians. When all wages were cut in the Communist regime she had to leave home to find work in a big city. The five children remained with the Father, under the care of an old woman who had been with them from the time they were babies. The Mother developed T.B., but still she struggled on, very lonely, far from her family, years after she was able to pay a short visit home and another baby was born, the Mother's special comfort and joy in her loneliness. Then came the "Rectification" campaign. The husband was pronounced a "rightist" and sent to the mines. He had been an accountant, and he found the work heavy, and the conditions terrible-working in lime in his bare feet, very little food, very long hours, and of course no pay. The Mother sent for her older children, and the old woman brought them out to her. For a time they were happy together, and she was especially thankful that now they had an opportunity to attend Sunday school. Then the edict came: it is imperialistic to keep a servant. So the old woman had to go back, to her great sorrow. The baby could not be left alone at home, so the Mother had to put him into a state nursery, where Communism is taught as soon as they can speak. The Mother was heartbroken, and the baby cried day and night. The Mother was working in a store. But everyone must do some manual work, so she was sent to the country to work on the roads. Then she had to put all her children into the State schools to be taught "There is no God"; "Love the State; it is your Father and Mother". Once for five happy days the Father was allowed home, and the Mother gathered the children together; but the parents had to go back to their work, and the children to their schools. This is one Christian family. Think of all the others!
Now to come back to my life in the old house! I was very comfortable in my North-east corner. The Lord kept me in wonderfully good health. All those ten years there was only one day that I was not well enough to go down to the Book Room. It is true that for several years each spring I had a month or more of fever, and just dragged through the days. But the last two or three years, after a doctor friend began specially to pray for my health, that fever entirely disappeared. N.B. He did not give me any medicine. The Lord fulfilled His promise, "As thy days, so shall thy strength be. Deut. 33:25; and if I was not well, it was generally on a holiday. So, if you want more strength, fill your days fuller; or perhaps it must be that the Lord fills them. I slept on, the verandah, looking East. Many mornings I awoke to see the morning star shining upon me. It seemed to be especially bright those years, sometimes still shining into the pink glory of dawn. Always it brought a message of encouragement and warning: "Behold I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. "Rev. 3:11. "Abide in Him; that, when He shall come, we may not be ashamed before Him at His coming. 1 John 2:28.
The rooms were comparatively cool in summer; in winter they were very cold. My brother had left a supply of coal and of coal oil which lasted two or three years. After 1951 all electric power must be reserved for industry, and its use for cooking or heating was forbidden except with a special permit. I was given a permit for the shop, to heat my lunch, but it was not allowed at the house and the power wires had to be removed. Then we cooked on coal ball "eggs", formed of a mixture of clay and coaldust, slow and rather difficult to light, but which gave a very hot smokeless fire. We burnt the coal ball in a little chatty, a Chinese stove the size of a five-gallon coal oil tin. In the winter evenings I kept it beside me, with a kettle of hot water, a hot drink, and a hot water bottle on my knee, my "hot water system". The one pleasant thing in a Shanghai winter is getting into bed with a hot water bottle. The only thing nicer is to get into bed with two hot water bottles. I always cooked my own breakfast on a coal oil stove. When the coal oil was almost done, I felt much worried. Coal oil was not to be bought, and Chinese stoves are hard to light, could not have been lighted in my upstairs room, and all my household arrangements would be thrown out of gear. The coal oil came to an end on Monday. Tuesday a friend said to me, "Would you like to buy a five-gallon tin of coal oil? I know someone who wants to sell." I was never without coal oil up to the end. It was evidently a need, and "My God shall supply all your need". Phil. 4:19.
The most detestable part of the cold was when it froze the pipes. Night after night I would turn off the water, but still the taps would be frozen in the morning. Upstairs there were tanks that could not be turned off, and they froze, all the plumbing froze, and was unusable for days on end. Then it would melt, and of course pipes had burst; and there were leaks. As more and more shops were brought under Government control it became more and more difficult to get any private work done. Floods at the Book Room in the summer and frozen pipes at the house in the winter were the bane of my life. There was one winter when the pipe burst which brought in our water from the main. Of course, it happened just at the new year holiday, and for weeks we were without water. We were thankful then for our well, but of course we could not use it for drinking. Drinking water had to be bought from the street.
There was a special Northwest wind which brought the cold, and it seemed specially to blow on Sundays. How cold one was, at the end of the morning meeting, after sitting two hours or more on a board bench, in an unheated room with a cement floor, and the temperature below freezing. And yet, it is "His cold" and "His wind". Ps. 147:17, 18. And that terrible north wind that swept up the flood waters in the summer was a "stormy wind, fulfilling His Word". Ps. 148:8. These verses all come in the special praise Psalms at the end, and that is probably a hint that we should praise for them, not grumble; and praise too for the cold, windy stretches of life which we call tribulation.
For a long time there was no difficulty about food. At first the shops were trying to get rid of foreign food, and I bought sugar and tinned milk very cheaply and laid in a good supply. On the street and in the market you could still buy American army rations very cheaply, and I got good supplies of them too. I had a good housekeeper, a dear sister in the Lord. She did some shopping for me and prepared my meals, and kept the house beautifully clean and tidy. Once a week I went to the big market, and laid in meat and foreign vegetables. And I could get foreign groceries at the compradores near the Book Room. Meat and vegetables and fruit were cheap and abundant: I have bought mutton at twenty cents a pound, beef just a little more, tomatoes at five cents a pound, strawberries fifteen or twenty cents a pound, all Chinese currency, which is about half the value of ours. And in the winter the streets would be golden with the oranges piled in the stalls. All gone now!
Restrictions came in gradually. First was on sugar. Only those belonging to a guild could buy sugar, and then only one pound. Mercifully, I had a good supply on hand. Before it was done the regulations had changed. A quota was issued to certain shops, and one person might buy a quarter pound. The quota was small and was soon exhausted, so to buy sugar people went at four or five in the morning, and waited in line till the shop opened at eight; and if you were at the end of the line probably you did not get any. I never attempted it. But my dear Chinese friends sometimes did it for me. I remember one day a Pastor brought me a whole pound of sugar. He and three of his children had waited three or four hours in the dark and cold of a winter morning to get it for me. Sometimes we could get butter, sometimes not, and it was very expensive, over four dollars gold a pound. Sometimes we could get honey or peanut butter. I made marmalade with honey. Meat became difficult to get, especially pork, the meat that the Chinese depend on.
A large departmental store, the Sun Company, had been turned into a food shop, where foods from all over China could be bought. It was very interesting to see them, and the smell extended far beyond the doors. Unfortunately I did not know what to buy, or how to cook them, as of course all descriptions and instructions were in Chinese; and knowledge of Chinese character gleaned from reading the Bible does not prepare one to decipher food advertisements or recipes.
By the end of 1957 there was definite food shortage. It was a struggle to get anything. Morning after morning my housekeeper would be out by five o'clock to stand in line, but often returned empty-handed. Rice and oil were already rationed. There was great heart-searching over the rice, and many meetings. At last the ration was settled at 28 catties a month per person. The small catty used in Shanghai was 1.1 pounds. This was really enough, though none too much for a working man. A few had more. In the country the ration was much less, and it is much less everywhere now than it was then. In some parts they lived almost entirely on sweet potatoes. Peanut oil is a staple in the Chinese diet, it largely takes the place of meat. Vegetables are cooked with it. There was much grumbling when it was rationed at 14 ounces per person, later reduced to 12; but in the country they had only two ounces. Eggs and peanuts and soya beans had all disappeared. Food became so difficult to get, that we were almost relieved when the definite ration was appointed: 4 ounces of sugar a month, 4 ounces of meat once in ten days, and half a catty of fish; mutton and beef were sold only to Moslems who do not eat pork. Bread was not rationed, though flour and macaroni were included in the rice ration. But bread was very difficult to get, only certain shops sold it, and they were always changing, and if you were not on hand when the supply came, you would miss out. The bread became more and more dry and unpleasant, mixed with various dark meals, probably sweet potato flour.
Cotton cloth was also rationed, varying amounts each year, and varying according to places. In Peking, where a good impression must be made on foreign visitors, more was alloyed than in Shanghai, and more in Shanghai than in the country. The last year it was down to about eight yards for the year. Silk and wool were not rationed, but they were very expensive. Wool was about $25.00 or $30.00 a yard. All Chinese wear cotton winter and summer, in winter with cotton wool interlining. They wear many knitted garments, and knitting wool was also very expensive, and sometimes not to be bought. Shops sprang up all over the city where you could take any kind of old woolen yarn and have it carded and re-spun into yarn.
Once the Communists were installed, all the foreigners had to apply for residence permits. There was a long form to fill in, then a period of questioning from the police, then a long wait. Some were granted promptly, for periods of 6 months, a year, or two years. For those of us who waited week after week, extending into months, there was considerable anxiety, especially when stories were circulated of people who, instead of being given a permit, were told to prepare to leave.
I was waiting anxiously for my permit in June 1952 when I received a letter from a friend at home. She knew nothing of my anxiety, but she sent me the reference Prov. 2:21 "The upright shall dwell in the land". I am sure the Lord inspired her to send that unusual reference. Soon after, the permit was granted. My permit each time was only for six months, so there was a constantly recurring anxiety. In 1955 there was a most searching examination. Everyone had to fill in two copies of several sheets in English, as well as Chinese, and an enormous card in English. There had to be a detailed personal biography from the age of 12, schools, subjects studied, work done, places of residence, etc., especially everywhere one had been in China. There must also be given the names of ancestors and descendants, and twenty or thirty names, addresses, and occupations of relatives and friends. They were annoyed that I had no living ancestors or descendants, but I pointed out to them that this was hardly possible for an unmarried woman over sixty. Another time it was nine and a half months before the permit was issued, and as it was given that time for a year, and one must begin to apply a month beforehand, not much time was left.
In November 1956 I had the wonderful pleasure of a visit from my brother. He was preparing to leave for Canada, and was very anxious to see me before going. I got forms from the Bureau of Foreign Affairs early in the summer, and sent in an application for two weeks visit. Then we waited, and I could get no information, could never get further than the door boy of the office. At last he gave up hope of a visit, but hoped he would be allowed a stopover on a steamer. He went up to Japan on a boat due to call at Shanghai on the return trip. The very courteous representative in Shanghai promised to do all he could. The boat came in, but was anchored in mid-stream. The agent sent an application for my brother to land. No answer. There seemed very little hope. He warned me the only way might be to go out in a sampan, and drop down past the boat, and so perhaps get a glimpse of him. Next day I waited on with less and less hope. The agent went up to the foreign office. No, we do not think the application can be granted.-Oh well, that is a matter of no importance; my passenger really does hot care.-Well, perhaps he might land for a short visit.-Do not trouble, I really do not want the permit. -You might as well have it; there is the permission; but he must be on board again by 10 P.M.
So at one o'clock my brother appeared in the Book Room and we had nine golden hours together. My niece had stripped herself of shoes and warm clothing for him to bring, as new clothing was not admitted. And my brother left his big woolen pullover, which was an unspeakable comfort the next two winters. There were sweets, and other good things from my sister, a huge package, and no objection to its coming in. We saw a little of the city as we went up to tea with an old friend. The dear Chinese brothers and sisters were gathered at the house, and there was a little time of prayer. But they would not stay, We know you two want to be together, they said. What memories the old house must have brought back to my brother: the friends scattered, the children in homes of their own, the wife, who had been the light and center of all, in Heaven. And that is where his treasure and his heart is, so perhaps the sorrow for the changes in the old home was not too great.
As I have said, there was a certain measure of liberty in 1957. I had a number of visitors, missionaries passing through on their way to or from Japan. I was especially thankful for opportunities to send out messages, some true information about the Church's sufferings, about old friends. In August I had a delightful three day visit from two of our fellow workers in Hong Kong. I was even allowed to go on board the ship with them and have dinner, a marvelous taste of liberty, and a marvelous taste of foreign food. In November my sister and her husband came. Already restrictions were tightening. The boat did not stay so long, and I was not allowed aboard. We had a very happy visit, perhaps happiest of all was the last morning. We had said goodbye, and they were to leave at daylight. But there was delay, and they turned up again at the Book Room, and we had a delightful walk through the People's Park, the former Racecourse.
The following summer they and other friends suggested coming again. But conditions had changed, and everyone warned against it. By the following November I was practically under house arrest. But before that, the Lord gave me a very special message. It was a dream. I thought I was walking along the road, and caught sight of the top of the old house, the red tiled roof and the chimneys just as I often saw it from the lane. But all around it was a glowing silver light. In the light I could distinguish the great shining wings of angels moving unceasingly round the house, and words came to me: They are contending for the privilege of protecting it.
"The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them". Ps. 34:7.
Chapter 7: Life Under the Communists
There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulcher; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: their feet are swift to shed blood: destruction and misery are in their ways: and the way of peace have they not known: there is no fear of God before their eyes.
Romans 3:11-18
The tragedy of communism is well summed up in the Apostle Paul's great indictment of the natural man at the beginning of Romans. Communism is the product of man's heart when he refuses all knowledge of God, and trusts to his natural wisdom. So they "became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened: professing themselves to be wise, they became fools". Inevitably, "as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge" they filled up the list of evil, ending by becoming "full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful. Ro. 1:21-31. It is amazing how accurately and in detail they are here described!
Communism is a tragedy because many of its adherents earnestly and unselfishly seek to serve their fellowmen, and yet there is destruction and misery in their ways. Many of the Communists truly believe that they are bringing good to the country, they look upon themselves as the liberators and benefactors of mankind, and they practice their beliefs with a fanatic zeal and earnestness only to be equaled by the zeal inspired by religion. But because they refuse to admit a belief in God, they have no standard and no check outside themselves, and the very good that they do becomes perverted into evil. "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God" as a result "they have done abominable works" Ps. 14:1.
Communism is an answer to those who say, Why does God allow evil? Why does He not compel us to be good? One of God's most precious gifts to man is freewill. This does not prevent the fact of God's absolute sovereignty; it is a paradox, which we cannot explain now, because here we see only "the imperfect arc". God says "I have set before you life and death...: therefore choose life" Deut. 30:19. We may choose; God does not compel man to be good, does not compel man to obey Him, because it is only free-will that makes love and joy and development of character possible. Communism uses the language of freedom, and is always talking about liberty; but you are compelled to be diligent, and clean, and chaste, and loyal. So all the goodness and joy is gone out of it. They even understand that it must not be only an outward thing, but must come from the heart; so they have their campaign of Hand over your heart. But they cannot give man a new heart. So the Rectification campaigns are followed by the terrible purges, and the labor camps are filled with those who cannot be forced into diligence and chastity and a loyalty to the Party, which means the over-riding of any independent thinking. And as it is control by failing man, it not only allows, but compels, evil; compels hatred, and produces deceit, and is slavery.
There are three things of which the Communists are always boasting-Truth, Peace and Liberty. By Truth they mean deception, as may be seen everywhere in their propaganda. It is clever enough to have just that half or quarter of a truth in it which makes a lie more effective. But their lies are often very clumsy and obvious. I suppose it is because "their foolish heart being darkened", they simply cannot see the difference between Truth and falsehood. By Peace they mean hatred, and this is only too apparent in their propaganda inside the country. At the beginning of their regime there was a tremendous campaign for "world peace". Everywhere there were tables set up collecting signatures to "world peace". Everyone must sign, millions, tens of millions of signatures. At the same time they were equally vigorously preaching war in Korea, hatred against America; and in a few months the campaign had switched to collections for airplanes. Their third slogan, Liberty, is where there is the most bitter contradiction. Their arrival anywhere is known as the "liberation", but actually is the enslavement. It is this universal subjection of spirit, mind and body which has vitiated all that they have accomplished. For it is true that they have accomplished much; but because there is no liberty, and no love to God or to man, no Charity, it becomes "as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal", calling great attention to itself, but "profiteth nothing". 1 Cor. 13:1-3.
In this chapter I would like to tell you something of the background of the life in China, so that you may picture it to yourselves, and realize something of the conditions of those for whom you are praying. The subject is too great, and the conditions vary too much according to place and time, for this to be more than fragmentary notes of things I encountered, and some of the principles which seemed to be working behind them.
Let us begin with the rulers; and let us remember that definite command, "First of all" pray "for all that are in authority" 1 Tim. 2:1, 2. Communist rule is an oligarchy, rule of the few. It is imposed from without, and does not even pretend to represent popular opinion. Its business is to force popular opinion into the mold of Communism. It cuts across the traditions and customs of the nation. The most flagrant example of this is the destruction in the communes of family life, the very foundation of Chinese life. It was guaranteed in the constitution that there should be no interference with family life, but of course that is a matter of indifference to "covenant breakers", "without natural affection". They say that the Party is only two percent of the entire population; and probably a very small proportion of the Party controls its policy. There is a semblance of constitutional government; there are elections at which every one is compelled to vote. I remember one such election: I think there were eleven positions to be filled, and eleven candidates, arranged by the Government. If any voter did not approve, he might suggest some one else; but the voter must give his name and address, and of course no one dared to do that in opposition to the State.
This handful of men and women control the country by fear. This was the first thing inculcated by the Communists when they arrived-by the public trials, by the truckloads of victims driven through the streets, by the terror stories circulated. And they brought with them a reputation for ruthless cruelty. Shanghai was not so bad as the rest of China. There were still numbers of foreigners there of all nationalities when the Communists entered, and they probably did not want accounts spread abroad of the mass executions, of the torture of suspected anti-revolutionaries, of the endless suicides. People were impressed by the good behavior and discipline of the red army. But it is disciplined into a heartless weapon for carrying out the wishes of the Party. And it is still the same.
When there was revolt among the students in central China in the spring of 1960, the army was turned on them, and thousands were machine gunned. In the Chinese papers in Hong Kong were pictures of the piles of dead bodies. There may be some disaffection even in the army. The week before I visited Macao in 1959, six soldiers had attempted to swim across to liberty; four were shot on the way, two escaped. But the following night others made the attempt. More effective than the army is the fear of everybody. Everyone is expected to inform on everyone else: children on parents, friend on friend. One of the charges against me was that I had not informed on a man living in my house. If you do not inform, then some one else may inform on you. The sorrow and disunity and suspicion thus created is unspeakable. Everywhere there are police. This of course has its advantages: the old robbery and kidnapping have been almost abolished. On the whole the regular police are friendly and helpful; but they may interfere in anything; if a father punishes his son the boy may appeal to the police. Much more dreaded are the secret police. They may be anywhere; anyone may be watching to pick up a chance word; before speaking to a friend, you give a quick look round, and over your shoulder, that no one is eavesdropping-a complaint about taxes, about food, about overwork, might land you in jail.
Everything in China is organized. I do not know about the higher departments of Government; but no one can avoid contact with the organization of the common people. In the country were the co-operatives, which seem to have swallowed up the individual farmer even before the communes were introduced. In Shanghai the city was divided into "Lanes": all the houses along each short street which branched off the main streets, constituted a Lane. It is a little organization with a managing committee, often with a woman at its head. All privacy and individuality and liberty are being pressed out. The Lane complained and scolded when we put matting along our fence, so the neighhours could not all gaze in, and the children shout at my housekeeper as she worked in the garden. They said she must be doing something wrong if she did not want to be watched. The Lane committee holds constant inspections, ostensibly looking for dirt and untidyness, and seeking for anything suspicious. So they have access at all times to every house.
The special means of control over the people is by meetings. Everything is managed by or through them. In government offices or business firms the better part of a day may be devoted to discussing some point of policy, which should have been decided by the manager in five minutes. One difficulty is that in many businesses the manager and the experts have been dismissed, or reduced to doing coolie work, and the office boy has been made manager. Everything is managed by the young, and the test of efficiency is not knowledge of the business, but loyalty to the communist ideal. It is a sign of their "liberty", that in these meetings all the employees may criticize the manager, especially if the manager is still one of the bourgeoisie. The meetings are supposed to be free discussions, in which all share in forming the policy. Actually, the Government has decided on the decision to be made, but the political representative who is put into every organization must talk the people into doing it so as to give a semblance of freedom. They say there were 300 meetings before the Shanghai Bureau of Commerce decided on the method of levying income tax. This glorification of the working man has resulted in a certain glorification of ignorance, and a tremendous self-conceit. They are of course very ignorant, and are determined not to learn from the West, or from History. When the Communists entered Shanghai we were all sent an English copy of a book by Mao Tzu Tung called "Practice". This was really a glorification of a trial by error system.
There are meetings in the Lanes, meetings in the factories, meetings in the Churches, every one is expected to attend several meetings a week, for political instruction and discussion, for criticism of yourself and of others, for arranging business. No one may be silent, and what is said is criticized by every one else. No one dares to express an independent opinion, so the criticisms and confessions are mostly parrotlike repetition of political teaching. Those who do not agree with the political teaching may pass through torment in these meetings. And everyone must—speak. Sometimes they are held in working hours; several times when I have gone to some public office about something it was impossible to see anyone, "They are holding a meeting". Very often they are after or before working hours. The weary worker finishes his eight or ten hour day; then, snatching a hasty meal in the public dining room, he goes on to attend a meeting until ten or eleven at night. What chance is there for home life? or for spiritual, or mental, or physical refreshment? or for any private thought? That is just what Communism wishes to suppress.
Indoctrination is perhaps the greatest activity of the professional Communist, both in and out of his own country. Thousands of young people, "Cadres" are trained as specialists in it. They attend many of the meetings, there is one or more in every organization, they are active in schools and colleges, and wherever people gather.
Another method of whipping up enthusiasm at first was by processions. The first two or three years there were a good many holidays, and they gave two days, one day for a procession, and the other to rest after it. But in that first summer there were processions any time: every group, including the Christians, organized a procession to protest their loyalty. Hundreds, thousands, would march through the streets, shouting carefully prepared slogans, all exalting the Party and Mao Tzu Tung, and crying Down with imperialism; all carried paper flags, and huge red banners, and generally a portrait of Mao Tzu Tung; often they were accompanied with dancing, always with beating of drums. That first year one seemed never free from the beat of drums. These processions could not be publicly advertised beforehand, for they were afraid of air raids. Suddenly I would find myself six miles from home and all transport cut off, to leave the streets free for the procession. Only once I had to walk all the way home; that day it was pouring with rain as it usually was, when there was a procession. The processions and street dancing ceased later. They had never been spontaneous; the people did not want them; and the Government later looked on them as a waste of time. Holidays became fewer and fewer; people were required to volunteer for work, instead of holidaying. In 1957 many did not even have the new year holiday.
Another important instrument of indoctrination are the newspapers. There is no real news in them, they are discussions of communist principles, occasionally illustrated by current events, dressed up to reflect glory on Communism. Everyone must read the newspaper: shelters are prepared at bus stops and other places along the road, where they are posted up for people to read. Schools, shops, business firms, have a blackboard at the entrance where one of the members has the duty of writing up a summary of the most important articles. Everyone is expected to be familiar with them, and ready to report on them at the meetings. Someone in the Lane reads them aloud to those who cannot read. Any western news that is given is twisted to show the excellence of Communism, and the wickedness of Imperialism. South Korea, Hungary, the State of Israel were held up as examples of wickedness; Egypt and Iraq were glorified. Of all the imperialists, the archenemy of communism is the United States. All along the streets, painted on the walls, in the shop windows, on the hoardings, are cartoons, caricaturing Uncle Sam. John Bull is often with him. Occasionally these will be painted over, when some delegation is expected that might be unfavorably impressed, and moral maxims are painted up or illustrated. But the hate cartoons are soon back.
In spite of all their indoctrination against Imperialism, and their anti-foreign propaganda, the common people are not anti-foreign, certainly not those in Shanghai. Again and again I was offered a seat in the bus, or the conductor would turn some young man out and give me his place. When there was some extra fierce anti-foreign campaign, the greater was the courtesy I met. In shops they would bring out some secret supply of milk powder, or peanut butter, for my benefit, or give me preference in the queue. I never encountered rudeness in the shops or streets. But there are many anti-communists. What fierce growls against them I have heard in the market from little stall holders whose business was ruined by them-Mao Tzu Tung, very bad man. There was the well-known case of the tax collector who was murdered in a sudden fury at a meat stall. The butcher killed himself at once, knowing what the retribution would be. But his act was wildly applauded by all in the market.
Now let us consider some of the things which they have accomplished. Increased production is the great demand of the authorities. This is the object of the Five-Year Plan, the Seven Year Plan, the Great Leap Forward, with its motto displayed everywhere, "Faster, Better, More, and More Economically". For this, men are compelled to volunteer to work seven days a week, ten or more hours a day. There are constant "Labor competitions", between factory and factory, between man and man; who can produce the most in the shortest time? Who will be a "labor hero"?
Just before I left there was the great campaign for production of steel, when they were going to surpass Great Britain in a few years. Everywhere were cartoons of China whizzing past in a motor car, and John Bull panting behind. Everyone had to collect iron and steel and brass and hand it in. In the country women had to bring their cooking pots, and even their brass earrings. Shanghai was denuded of its beautiful wrought iron gates, such an ornament to its streets, and even of the iron gratings in front of shops: there was supposed no longer to be fear of robbers. Little blast furnaces were set up in every vacant lot, and every one, down to primary school children were working at them. I do not know if any good steel was produced; when I left, most of it seemed to be rusting away in great piles of pig iron.
There were also many schemes for increased production of food. There were tremendous irrigation flood control schemes. The wonderful irrigation projects of which they boast are carried out, not by bulldozers and steam shovels, but by pick and shovel in the hands of men, the slave labor recruited from the prisons. These men have been sent to these labor camps for some crime against the state, perhaps the crime of putting God first, of venturing to differ from the beliefs of the Communists. There have been times when the rivers rose, that the farmers were driven to form a living dyke, to hold the flood waters with their bodies. The individual does not matter.
Much has been done in reclaiming waste land, but it has involved terrible hardships on those sent out to occupy it. Children in orphanages, who had no other home, people out of work, anyone who had been in prison, or out of favor with the Government, students who failed in Higher Middle School or University examinations, all were apt to be sent out to those desolate lands in the far northwest near Siberia and the Gobi desert, with freezing winds in winter, and intense heat in summer. In places they were without water, so that sometimes one thermos flask of water a day was the ration for all use, drinking, cooking, washing. There they must develop farm lands, search for oil and minerals, cut wood. There were many Christians among them, many girls and boys from Christian orphanages, many Christian students who could not make satisfactory answers to the political examination papers, many true men and women who put God first, and refused to submit their consciences to the authority of the Three-self. No doubt this scattering may be turned to good by our God, just as the persecution at the time of Stephen's death carried the Gospel to distant parts.
Another way of getting the people out to the country, and relieving the overcrowding of the big cities, especially Shanghai, was by the slogan "Up to the mountains, down to the valleys". Employees of business firms had to volunteer to go out to work in the mines or farms. One large firm sent out over a thousand of its employees, some for a few months, some for two years, some for life. They say that one third of the employees of most business firms had to volunteer to go. Of course, another reason for this was that business in Shanghai was almost dead, when most trade with the Western world, and all tourist trade was killed. All along the streets of Shanghai were empty shops.
With this great drive for increased food production, how is it there is such a terrible famine and food shortage in China? There are at least three reasons. In the first place, they are exporting quantities of food. For at least a year before I left no eggs could be bought. We always looked forward to the delicious strawberries which flooded the markets in May and June; for the last two or three years none could be bought, all were being made into jam for export. Peanuts had been a staple food, eaten at meals, and all day long; all had disappeared. And they say that while her people starve, China is one of the greatest exporters of rice.
In the second place, agriculture has been sacrificed in the effort to convert China into an industrial state. I have been told that at any time there was a shortage of labor in a factory, farmers might be called in. They would be promised free time to harvest their crops, but if the crops ripened in September, and their free time was given in August, it was not much use. I know that at the time of the great drive to make steel, it was almost impossible to get vegetables. They said the cabbages were rotting in the fields, but no one was free to gather them, or bring them to the city, they were all busy at the blast furnaces. This of course is all part of their silly idea that every one should do everything.
And thirdly, God is not mocked. Blasphemous denials of His existence, and mockery of His Name; arrogant claims that man has subdued the powers of nature, must bring an answer "to the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men." Dan. 4:17. And so the Lord "called for a drought upon the land... and upon all the labors of the hands" Hag. 1:11. And He smote them with floods and with insects. Yet still they have not turned unto Him.
They have accomplished wonders in hygiene and sanitation. Flies and mosquitoes were destroyed; the streets were cleaned up, garbage disposed of. The lane by our house, which had always been a quagmire, was paved, and the garbage dump at its entrance was removed. It is true they set up another dump exactly opposite our gate, but it was cleared two or three times a day. The last year I was there no garbage was allowed to be dumped in the city; a man went round with a pushcart several times a day, ringing a bell, and the housewives brought out their garbage and emptied it into the cart.
Enlarged drains were put in along many streets and there was a definite relief of the flooding in the Western area, though it was not eliminated; I have waded home a good many times through flooded streets after a violent rain. The floods in the city, near the river, were continually worse, perhaps due to the lack of dredging of the river. One did not care for some of their methods. Girls in their teens from the middle schools were digging drains; and children from primary schools at one time spent their holidays sweeping the gutters. There was a tremendous campaign to stop spitting. At all the bus stops were groups of children about ten years old with megaphones, chanting choruses about cleanliness on the streets; and armed with brooms and pails to clean up after any one who spat. As you got off the bus, the conductor wished you a polite goodbye, Have a good walk, and be sure not to spit!
They made a great effort to produce more doctors, and at first had a two year course to turn them out in quantity. But they found it did not work, and they went back to a five year course. One young doctor said to me bitterly, It is no use being a doctor; the Communists do not really care whether the people live or die. If you want to get on, be a scientist. There certainly was an improvement in health. After the first four or five years people were no longer required to take injections against cholera and typhoid, for they said those diseases had been eliminated. Students were not allowed to use mosquito nets, but I am afraid there were still mosquitoes. There was a great reduction in infant mortality; this of course brought its problems, population increased too quickly, especially in the cities. They tried birth control, but abandoned it again; it brought evil in its train. They say Shanghai was increasing a million a year, and they were always trying devices to reduce its population.
There was a great deal of talk of raising the standard of living, and bringing in equality, and many of their projects stemmed from this. There is no doubt there was a leveling down. This began in the country parts with the murder of the landlords, and the distribution of their land among the peasants. I am thankful to say I had no personal knowledge of that. It must have been unspeakably horrible when these men were dragged out and executed before the mob howling for their destruction. No doubt many of them had been wickedly oppressive; but the callousness induced in those who witnessed it was a grievous evil. And everyone was forced to witness it, even the families of the victims must be present and applaud. And moving pictures were made of these executions which people in the towns were expected, almost compelled, to view.
In the cities, the change came more slowly. Salaries were reduced, again and again. Then business was taken over by the State. There were no mass murders, but people who were considered "parasites", those who, we would say, were living on a private income, were sure to suffer. I know of those who were condemned by their Lane, and had to leave their big house and valuables, and go out with what they could carry to find a home elsewhere; and very hard it would be to find, for who would give work or asylum to a "parasite", and so make himself a suspect in the eyes of the Government? I heard of one young man, the son of rich people, who wanted to work; for a time, he was allowed to teach, but then objections were raised, he was one of the despised bourgeoisie. I do not know how it was settled.
For a time, while the peasants were reveling in the riches looted from the landlords, there was a period of prosperity among them. But that soon passed; and I doubt very much whether the poor are very much better off. I had letters at the Book Room speaking of the great things promised after the next Five-year plan, but saying that for the time being they were worse off than ever-no money, no leisure. The peasants were delighted to have each his own land; but that has been taken from him again by the cooperatives and then by the communes. Everyone said that country people were far worse off than in Shanghai, and that was proved by the constant drift into the big cities. Present reports are that everyone is thin and hungry. After the last reduction in the rice ration a mother wrote sadly that now it was not possible to give the children breakfast. And there is no rich relation now to whom the poor man can turn for an occasional good meal. The old clans were very closely knit, and many benefits trickled down to the poor. That is all gone now.
There was a great campaign against beggars, Shanghai had always had its supply of professional beggars, many of them children, under the direction of some woman. Others exploited their wounds and bruises and putrefying sores. Some appalling creatures would run along by a rickshaw threatening to spit on the occupant if money was not given. Others were truly pitiable starving people from the country. And as the great dumping ground of refugees from all nations, there were foreign beggars of all kinds, mostly doing it on a grand scale. For a time they all disappeared from the streets, both Chinese and foreign. The foreign beggars had been collected into an internment camp, and set to work, but in 1958 they were suddenly again dumped on the Shanghai streets. There were almost no foreigners left to help them, and it was a pretty desperate situation. A Christian Book Room was considered fair prey, and I had constant visits from them. Some were very pathetic; most were very bad. The Government helped many to get down to Macao, but they were certainly no asset there, and finally no more could go. Chinese beggars were also returning to the streets when I left. Conditions in the country were so bad, that they risked imprisonment in Shanghai, rather than starvation in the country: even though, the prison was Hell, as one beggar vividly described it to me.
Prostitutes were also collected, and trained to do profitable work. The innumerable nightclubs and brothels of Shanghai were abolished. Morals were very strictly controlled. A young man who had a baby five months after marriage was condemned to two years in a labor camp. She was not a good Communist; I do not know if all would have been treated so strictly. One heard of terrible immorality in the schools; but measures were taken, and they say there was improvement. Stringent measures were taken against corruption, first among Government employees, and then in all business. One heard of merciless condemnation of any corruption found in Party members but apparently it persisted.
In the field of education, the Communists have done a great deal. When they took control everyone was to be educated, especially the poor and the working class. Everywhere nightschools were set up for teaching adults to read. For a short time the national phonetic was to be taught everywhere. Then simplified characters were introduced and used in all newspapers, and by progressive publishers, and very awkward it was for those who knew only the old forms. Then Romanized was being introduced, the "Latinhwa", and it was being taught when I left. But I was told it was not satisfactory; Chinese is a monosyllabic language, and fifty words may have the same sound, and have to be spelled the same way; so nothing seems to suit it except its own beautiful characters. There is a great political motive under this use of Romanized. In one way the characters unite China; there are endless dialects, thirty two or more in the province of Kwangtung alone. Along the coast, every river valley has its own dialect; we could not travel in our district in south China twenty miles without coming to villages which spoke a dialect unintelligible even to our Chinese helpers. But every one who can read understands the characters. It does not matter how they are pronounced, they still mean the same, just as 1, 2, 3, 4, are still the same whether named in English, French, or German. In this way the characters also divided the country, for there is nothing in them to draw their readers into a common speech; so the dialects persist. But if a phonetic language is taught in all the schools, then all must learn to speak the Peking language which is the standard set up for the country. If the characters are no longer taught, there would be a great break with the Literature of the past, almost as effective as the notorious "burning of the books" by Shih Huang Ti in 213 B.C. Another serious consideration is how it would affect the reading of the Bible. Already the problem has arisen with the Miao and Lisu, who have New Testaments in, their own phonetic scripts, which are no longer being taught.—The Bible Society is under the heel of the Three-self; would they allow funds to print a Romanized Bible? Or, if they did, would it be the "Bible" already threatened, with everything omitted which the Communists do not like? So far the danger has not arisen, no phonetic script has been successful. But we need to pray that there may be no famine of the Word of the Lord in China.
The Communists realize that their opportunity and hopes are with the young, and everything is done for the children. School children had such special consideration that they became absolutely insufferable, rude, lazy, immoral. Teachers told me that it was almost impossible to do anything with them, and respectable parents hated to have their children associate with the "progressive" child. At last the authorities took notice, there was a great campaign to teach them manners, and there was an improvement. The Communists begin young. There are no end of nursery schools; everywhere along the streets one met processions of tines, just able to toddle, each in white pinafore, with embroidered symbol, conducted along by young teachers. The mothers were at work, servants forbidden as "imperialistic", and the babies must be entrusted to the State to bring up and instruct.
Consider what this means to Christian parents. Their children from their babyhood have to attend these atheistical schools, where they are taught there is no God, taught to worship the State, and the doctrines of Communism. If the parents teach them the truth, and the children stand by it, it will draw mockery upon themselves from teachers and students, they will probably be discriminated against in exams, and it may bring persecution on the parents. But almost the only hope for the continuance of Christianity in China is that children of Christians hold fast the faith of their fathers. This of course depends on the parents, depends on their being so persuaded in their own mind of the value of Christianity, that they are willing to take the risk for their children.
In the effort to promote the education of the working classes everything was free for them at first, even food and room at the Universities. Even those who could not pass the examinations-except in politics-were pushed on. The Communists believe in good stock and heredity in animals; it was strange they could not see that there was also a heredity of mental excellence among those who had been trained for generations. But they found they could not make silk purses out of pigs' ears. Another very practical difficulty was that there were not enough either of teachers or buildings. So they became more selective. Except in special cases, and after a means test, everyone had to pay for food, and I think a small fee. Whatever course was studied, political indoctrination took precedence. The first thing when the Communists entered Shanghai they appointed political teachers, one of the young cadres, in every school. In all schools and colleges it is essential to pass the political papers: other subjects are of comparatively slight importance. In 1951 schools began with three months of intensive training in the tenets of the new democracy. Medical students have twelve hours a week political studies. In one university instead of midyear exams and holidays there was intensive political training. The next year they asked not to have holidays. In every study communist principles are dragged in. All school books of course were rewritten. Besides studying Communism the students must practice it. All must take a turn at manual work; all go for a week to work in factories, or on farms. In the holidays, all must do several weeks on the farms, both teachers and pupils.
Those taking the exams to enter the university were supposed to put down first, second, and third choice as to what they wanted to study, and where they wanted to be. The better their standing, the more likely they were to be allowed to do what they wished. But their wishes might be entirely disregarded; even before they tried the exam it might be decided what would be done with them. When they graduated the Government assigned them a job. They could express a preference, but again it was by no means certain that it would be regarded. Whatever their qualification they must first do a year of manual work. It was great waste of time: a girl who had graduated as a doctor must first do several months as wardmaid, then as assistant nurse; finally she would be allowed to use her medical training if she had not forgotten it. Or she might just be sent for a year to work on a farm, to dig drains, or work in a factory.
Before leaving the subject of education consider the Christian students. There were many Christians in the universities, and they made a splendid stand, especially in the medical schools. For a time, though meetings were not allowed, they were winked at. In one university the students gathered in the home of an old woman near by. In another, they went out under the street lamps to read, and then gathered for prayer in a dark classroom. In another, the Christians gathered in a dormitory, and had their quiet time while the other students were at breakfast. "I have esteemed the Words of His mouth more than my necessary food." Job 23:12. At another, sometimes two or three Christians went out into a field and sang hymns. And if they were not allowed to have Bibles, they carried the tiny S.G.M. daily readings, Words of Comfort, in their pockets. Restrictions grew tighter and tighter; all meetings became impossible. And as time goes on there are fewer Christians. In the spring of 1958
special indoctrination meetings were held for the Christian students in various universities. In Shanghai there were just over 300 students, and the meetings lasted three weeks. They were held by the Three-self Committee, with communist observers. The students were called on to criticize themselves, each other, some Pastors who had worked amongst them, and others. All had to express their opinions, and it went hard with those who dared to confess their beliefs in separation from the world, that God must come first, or if they refused to inform against others when questioned. It was an anxious time too for their parents. One courageous young man who held to his faith was told to be ready at the station at a certain time. He was given a ticket, and sent off to labor in the far West. One girl, a very brilliant student, made a point of strengthening the faith of her companions, reminding them, God must be first. It was said that she was distributing too much poison and she was degraded from being a student, to be a servant in the university. She said it made no difference to her, if that was the work the Lord had for her, she was satisfied. And if by her sufferings she could hasten the day of His coming, she would gladly die. I met her soon after on a tram; she looked well and happy.
Not all have such faith. And it takes strong faith to resist the unceasing pressure of materialism all round. We must give thanks for those who do hold fast, but our prayers are more needed by those whose faith is ready to fail. There are many young people, brought up in Christian homes, or Christian schools, who want to believe, who at bottom probably do believe. But the pressure is so great, they cry in agony, I cannot believe there is a God. Satan desires to have them; and one remembers Peter. It was for him his Lord prayed "that his faith fail not" Lu. 22:31, 32. Even if in their temptation they have denied their Lord, they can still be restored if only they will look to the Lord Jesus, so as to see Him looking at them.
Conditions have changed now, since the communes have been fully introduced. They were preparing for them in the whiter of 1958. Even in Shanghai new blocks of flats were being built without kitchens, and lanes were preparing communal kitchens, nursery schools and factories. In the country, I believe it has been more extreme. Chinese in Borneo have told me of letters from their relations telling of villages being burned, and the villagers moved into barracks, separate dormitories for men and for women, and the children in nurseries and schools. Little boys are often taken away at nine years old to grow up knowing no parent but the State. While I was in Hong Kong two little boys of nine swam across to freedom to escape. Old people are put out of the way in their "Happy Homes". So much for the promise in the constitution that the family would not be interfered with. Women must bring in their metal pots to melt down to make machines or munitions. And as they spend their days toiling ten or fifteen hours in fields or factories they are comforted with the grand idea that they have been delivered from the bondage of being housewives! In the cities perhaps it is not so extreme. I was told that in Shanghai all Chinese must take the communal meals, and it was so difficult to get food, that perhaps they were thankful. It seems that they may take the little portion of rice and vegetable home with them, and eat it there. So perhaps a little family life still remains. But food is so scarce, life is so hard, I was told that in Canton they say, "Better to be a beggar or a dog in the streets of Hong Kong than to be anything in red China.”
In the British Empire, in the free world, the State exists for the individual. Individual opinion is encouraged, even that of the minority in opposition. In Communism, the individual exists for the State. As long as the State goes on it does not matter how many individuals perish, how unhappy and uncomfortable they may be; but they must not feel discontented, for they should find perfect satisfaction in the service of the state. Nobody's opinion is encouraged; there must be no opposition; if such should arise it will at once be liquidated; all must accept, not only acquiesce in, but enthusiastically support the opinions of the Party. Remember that for them there is no soul, therefore no continuance of life for the individual; the only thing that lasts is the State. If man has no soul, at once his value falls to that of a machine. That is all the Communists want, efficient machines which will make their state greater than other states. One of their favorite expressions for a right frame of mind is that the individual wishes to be "a little screw" in the mighty machine of Communism.
Chapter 8: The Field of Lentiles
"And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles; and the people fled from the Philistines. But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it... and the Lord wrought a great victory." 2 Sam 23:11, 12.
These verses I always felt described my work in the Christian Book Room. It was a very small, insignificant place. Most of our furniture had been lost during the Japanese occupation, and we had opened shop again with a collection of cases from the Red Cross; and with conditions always uncertain we had never replaced them. But the shop contained food for the people of God, and so must be defended against the enemies of God's people. There was nothing much I could do, but for ten years God enabled me to stand in the midst of that piece of ground, and I wish to record what the Lord wrought. The special Scripture the Lord gave me was "Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it". Rev. 3:8. When people said, You will never be able to carry on; when my own heart said the same; when formidable obstacles arose; again and again I fell back on my promise, the promise given by the One "That openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth". Rev. 3:7. And so, when at last the door was closed, I knew it was He Who had done it, and He gave grace to accept it.
That first summer there was very little business. Everything and everyone was so unsettled, one hardly expected to do business, and a customer was a pleasant surprise. I was fairly busy, getting reacquainted with our stock, both at the shop and at the godown, and unraveling accounts. Next door was the Alliance Press, and we had always worked together. It was now being carried on by a competent Chinese woman; we used to discuss what the Communists might do, and wondered how we might be able to continue. We had no idea of the amount of interference and red tape they would introduce, but our worst fears were not realized, not then, anyway.
There were several other Christian book stores still functioning and there were still missionaries who came in to visit, and we had dealings with the Publishers Association. We were not members, and it may have been a mistake to have anything to do with them, even though it was only for advertising. They were feeling the difficulties also. At one of their meetings some one summed up the situation somewhat to this effect: All Chinese things are good, all foreign things are bad-Protestantism, the Bible and most religious books are foreign: so how about it? One is reminded of "Animal Farm", and how the sheep were taught to bleat "Four legs good, two legs bad.”
In the autumn conditions improved. Communications were reestablished with the outside world, and it was a great comfort to receive letters once more, especially the regular letters from my sister. She and her husband and their fellow worker had been obliged to come out from their work in South China, and were finding various openings in Hong Kong. They did much for me there; my brother-in-law looked after all my complicated money matters, and constantly helped with the import and export of books, as long as this was possible. I could never have carried on in Shanghai without their help in Hong Kong.
Business improved in. the Book Room. We were not yet able to get possession of the shop on the ground floor which we had occupied before we were interned; but I was allowed to use the window for display. I set up our big Dispensational chart-about 15 feet long and five feet high-all around the back of the window. There was much interest, and a big demand for the small one like it, 31 inches long, and I had it reprinted. I must explain this chart, for it caused trouble later. One line on it represented Chinese history, so it might be compared with the periods in Biblical history. This line of course had ended with the People's Republic. At the end of this I squeezed in the communist regime, thinking they would be pleased to be recognized. By no means! The space allotted to them was small, and their opinion of themselves is enormous; also it came of course just at the end, before the symbols representing the end of the world, the Resurrection and the judgment. It is always a mistake to try to propitiate the ministers of evil.
I did a lot of other printing. The Lord provided me abundantly with money. I did not know how long there would be liberty to print, and I felt that even if I were not allowed to remain, the books might still be used. At that time, I had the most vivid sense of the immanence of the Lord's return; it seemed that it must be within the year, and I hoped that when all His people had been caught away, these books might still witness for Him, to those who had never had a chance to hear. That was not His way, but perhaps even now the books are being used in some way. Of course, I was very thankful to have those full stocks on which to draw during the ten years that the Lord held open the door. The "blessed Hope" of the Lord's return was a very great comfort during those dark days. How often sad faces would brighten as we spoke of the coming of our Savior. The Communists hated the subject, and in some places the Christians were forbidden to mention it. They studied Revelation behind locked doors. Several times I was asked how I dared to sell expositions of Revelation, and books on the Lord's Coming. But it was most important for us to sell them, as no one else would; we sold a great many, and I reprinted our big exposition of Revelation.
There was one dear old gentleman, a business man, who was especially interested in Prophecy. He bought or borrowed all the books we had on the subject, in both Chinese and English. He was quite sure each year that the Lord was coming at the Feast of Trumpets. Early in October he would come in to tell me the date on which the Lord would come. Later, when He had not come, he would come in to explain the mistake he had made in his calculations, and that He would certainly come the next year. One does not want date-setting but it is very good to live in this constant expectation, not only in October, but every day of the year.
I was very busy that year. I have a record of the Income Tax report for 1950, and it gives some idea of what we were doing. Our sales were 182 million, increasing from 4,300,000 in January, to twenty million each month in October, November and December. Our printing expenditure was just under 148 million, and included half a million sheet tracts, 12,000 big Gospel posters, the reprinting of about 2000 each of twenty-three books (mostly small), and three new ones, one of them a translation of "Ben and Kit". That was the last printing we did except for some sheet tracts in 1957. Money changed value that year: in January $1.00 U.S. equaled 21,000. In April, it equaled 42,000. Then it went down to 31,000, at which it remained for some months. The next year it dropped again to 22,000, at which it remained. So a million Chinese dollars then was equal to about $45.00 U.S.
I was very happy that year, but there were many perplexities; and no sooner was one difficulty surmounted, than another would arise. I used to feel that I was being dragged from one mountain peak to another; but it was very exhilarating, and there was generally some fun to be got out of it. The Communists were so frightfully self-important, and many of their arrangements were so silly! I used to long for some one to consult. Most of the problems I dared not mention in letters which almost certainly would be censored; and there was no one in Shanghai who knew or cared enough to be able to give advice. But I have the date April, 1950 against Luke 21:15, "I will give you a mouth and wisdom". Sometimes as I waited in the magnificent building of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, or looked across at the beautiful grounds of the British Consulate, opposite the shop, I am afraid that I envied them, and longed for an arm of flesh on which to lean. But my very loneliness made me turn to the Lord. The special promise He gave me for 1950 was "My Presence shall go with thee". Ex. 33:14. Then in April He gave me the further word "Now shalt thou see what I shall do." There was also a warning, They "asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord". Josh. 9:14. I pinned this sentence up over my desk, but too often I spoke or acted first, and asked His counsel afterward. My very weakness was an asset, for "He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness" 2 Cor. 12:9. I once lamented to a very knowledgeable Chinese friend how much better it would have been if my brother had stayed, he could have done so much more. No, he said, your brother would probably not have been allowed to stay. And though he did not put it so bluntly, he implied that they thought an old woman could not do much harm with a book room which was connected with no big organization. Our lack of organization, our shabbiness and poverty, all stood us in good stead. Even my inability to speak the language was an advantage; for after the police had questioned me a little, they certainly knew it was not possible for me to do propaganda in Chinese. And they had no idea of the power of the Word of God in those books.
Besides increasing business in Shanghai, and some shipments inland, I was still able to send a good many shipments abroad. Big orders came in from Hong Kong for Chinese books; and my brother could use the English books in Canada, for which there was no demand in China. It became increasingly difficult to send parcels. For every shipment there were endless forms to be filled in; every time there was some new regulation, and I went back and forth from one office to another; most of them seemed to be on the eighth floor, and no elevator! Then there were import licenses to get for the books coming in. But I was glad to get them, for I was the only one able to bring in Christian books, and there was an eager demand for them, especially for books on the study of the Bible, and Greek grammars and dictionaries.
One thing from which I was delivered as a foreigner: I did not have to attend meetings, as most of the Chinese have to do. But I could not escape filling in forms. There was long anxious consideration about joining a guild, as all shops and workers were compelled to do. I finally decided I could not be so yoked together; it would be better to close the Book Room. The Lord gave the verse, "Say ye not a confederacy to all them to whom this people shall say a confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid." Is 8:12. And then we were told that being foreign the Book Room could not join a guild. So that was that.
But there were endless forms to fill in, for registration and reports. Night after night I spent over it; first, it must all be translated from Chinese into English, and very hard it was to understand. Then I looked up the required information, and prepared an English version. This was translated into Chinese, and carefully studied to be sure my not very efficient translator had grasped the meaning. Then it had to be copied out, several copies to hand in, and one to keep for future reference, so we might always give the same answer to the same question.
We were so ignorant and inefficient; and yet I do not remember that I ever had any serious trouble because of making mistakes. The Lord "held my right hand".
Complications of the business continually increased. First, we had to pay business tax monthly. Then we had to pay income tax twice a year, with a report on the whole year's business. The accounts were a perfect nightmare. I had never had any training in book-keeping. My Father had arranged a very simple system of accounts for the Book Room, which was quite sufficient when there was no income tax report, and we were not responsible to anyone. But this was not enough, when we had to fill in pages and pages of reports. At the head of my account book I pasted the text "Be not afraid: remember the Lord" Neh. 4:14. I used to feel quite sick with fear when the inspector arrived, about twice a year, and went through the account books, checking and comparing. They always found a few mistakes, but never anything serious. I used to remind my Lord of His promise, repeated so many times, "They shall not be ashamed that wait for Me". Is. 49:23. And He did keep me from ever being ashamed before those inspectors. It certainly was only His keeping, for I had no skill or knowledge in those accounts.
Income tax was charged, quite regardless of whether there was a profit or a loss. There were a great many taxes-house tax, land tax, shop tax, stamp tax, business tax, sales tax, income tax, etc. There was a Chinese joke about it: the words of the greeting Long live Mao Tzu Tung, literally, Mao Tzu Tung ten thousand years, could also be understood Mao Tzu Tung of the ten thousand taxes, by reading the same sounds but different characters. I had been troubled about these taxes, for the house and land tax were particularly high; but I found that the only time we read of our Lord providing money to fill a need was when He was called upon to pay the Temple tax. Matt. 17:24-27. He was just as able to provide a "fish” for me in Shanghai, as for Peter in Galilee, and so He delivered me from any worry about those taxes. It is a wonderful thing to be delivered, not only from our "troubles", but even from our "fears". Ps. 34:4-6.
In August 1950 at last we were given back our shop on the ground floor. The boys dragged the books and furnishings down from the fourth floor, while I arranged them in place. It was a tremendous job, and of course came at the hottest season of the year; but it was a great convenience to be downstairs, and we had more customers, people dropping in who did not know we were there, when we were on the fourth floor, or who would not climb the stairs. But there were disadvantages: the greatest was the danger of flood. We were just one block from the Bund, the broad street along the Whangpoo river; and we were only a half block from the Soochow creek. During the summer months, especially August and September, there was danger of flood with every high tide at new moon or full moon. If there were a north wind, especially if there were a typhoon, at these times, there was certain to be a flood.
There had been a bad flood in the summer of 1949, and much damage done. But we were then safely upstairs. In 1951, just after we had moved downstairs, there was again danger of flood. Our shop was very small; every corner was filled from floor to ceiling. We moved books and paper, etc. off the floor, and from the lower shelves, a great labor! But alas! we stopped too soon. I came down the next morning to find the floor awash, with nearly a foot of water, many books and posters, and about two reams of our precious paper were soaking. The room we had just moved out of upstairs was still empty, and they allowed us to spread out our posters and paper there to dry but of course much was destroyed.
Before the next flood season we had boards prepared to fit into sockets at our door, and the cracks could be filled up with putty. Practically every building in the lower part of the city was thus equipped. This barricade proved its worth in the next flood. It was a very exciting experience. At noon the flood was over the road, and lapping at our door. Then the tide retreated, but we knew it would rise again at midnight. I quote from a letter describing it, written to my sister August 18, 1954.
"I went home and had dinner and a bath, collected a thermos of coffee, an old dress, a rug and a pillow, and came back to spend the night. No buses or trams run between ten and five thirty so one cannot come and go as one likes. I tried to get some sleep, but the young people were making a regular frolic of it, and there was a great row. About twelve thirty the waters began to rise, and soon there was a raging torrent rushing along the road, getting higher every minute. There was bright moonlight and the street lights, so it was almost as light as day, and the young people were prancing around in the water having a great time. Our boy was out with them, and said that on some streets the water was up to his chest, but on our street, only a little above the knees. I kept putting in more putty, wherever a trickle of water came through; but when it got up to the show window, there were trickles everywhere. Next door their barricade was not high enough, and the whole stream came pouring over into their shop, and soon the water inside was the same as outside; and from them it leaked through to us. Soon we had to take to bailing, and pail after pail we emptied out. All the stock had been moved up, so no harm was done. At last it stopped rising, about three inches below the top of our boards. By that time, it was four A.M., the moon was gone, the stars were shining, and there was a glimmer of dawn coming up. At last the water fell below the level of the shop window, so we knew we were all right. The boy went off to his bed, and I spread my rug in the shop window, which was fairly dry, and slept till the noises were too loud outside.”
Worse was expected the next night, and again I kept watch. The water swept up, rising an inch a minute, but it stopped a good deal short of where it had been the night before. Ten days later, at the new moon, again there was a typhoon. Friday night there was a wild wind, and the waters were rising all Saturday. Suddenly the wind changed and all danger was over. The verse on the calendar that Saturday was "He rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm". Mat. 8:26. The verse the day of the flood had been "He took me, He drew me out of great waters". Ps. 18:16 N.T. There were other floods, and threats of flood, and fear of them every summer, but we did not have another really bad one till 1958, and that is another story.
With the outbreak of the war in Korea, at the end of 1950 everything became infinitely worse. There must be no more foreign aid to Christian work. It seemed it must be only a matter of time,-and a pretty short time-till the shop must close up for lack of funds. The Book Room had a few million in the Bank, but never had it existed on its own resources, even when business had been at its best. It certainly was the Lord's doing, and marvelous in our eyes, that it carried on, and still had a surplus, when it was taken over.
In May of 1951 all book stores had to examine their books; every book they published or sold must be gone over to make sure there was nothing unsuited to the new regime. We had always avoided anything to do with politics, and I knew pretty well what was in our books, but I had various people read all the books. Two small Chinese booklets we destroyed, and one English book on prophecy, that said too much about atrocities in Russia. Quite a few English books I sent away, or concealed in the attic. One Chinese book, the translation of "Things which Must Shortly Come to Pass", we did not sell, though I sometimes gave away copies. Some of the secular book shops destroyed as much as 85% of their stock; and I think most of the Christian bookshops destroyed, or sealed up, nearly 50%. We had to send samples of all our books to the Christian Publishers Association, and to the Three-self, and to several other places. We were told that someone had criticized five of our books-The Scripture of Truth, The Bible and Science series, etc. But some of these had been passed by the Government Censor, when we had been getting them approved for export, so I continued to sell them. No one else was selling books proving the truth of the Bible, and the existence of God, so I felt it was essential I should do so. It was much less dangerous for me than for the Chinese bookstores.
Another doctrine hated by the Government was the "universal Church", as they expressed it. The Chinese Church must be separate, cut off from the Church of western lands, which is "controlled by Imperialism". What could a Board of Religion, controlled by atheists, know of the unity, the Mystery of the Body of Christ? It was a great comfort to the true Christians that they were still one with their brethren in other lands, and upheld by their prayers. We did not sell many of our Chinese books on the Church. But there were a good many young men, students, who were, keenly interested in the subject. There was a steady demand for books by Mr. Darby; the Christian Book Room supply soon came to an end, but I sold a good many of our personal books, and lent a good many.
In May of 1951 a young man came to the shop, who I am sure was a spy. He came every morning for a month, professing to be an inquirer, anxious to learn the truths of Christianity. He read almost all the books in the shop, made friends with my shopboy, and went with him to pay the taxes etc. I would find him looking over my shoulder when I was doing accounts: that was easily settled, for I did not do accounts when he was there. I got a Christian man to meet him there, partly because my Chinese was poor, partly because a foreigner was not supposed to make proselytes. But I noticed that after one morning's talk, he slipped out of the shop when he saw the Christian entering. He talked to me about many things, and I made no effort to conceal things from him, and urged him to read our books. The only one he criticized was a story in a magazine about the conversion of some Russian prisoners. One interesting thing he said was that the Chinese did not really like the Russians. This I am sure is true. At the end of the month he suddenly stopped coming, and I never heard anything more of it.
In 1949 and 1950, I had printed the Light and Love twelve-page Gospel picture calendar which we had printed yearly for nearly twenty five years; and which had been the basis of our picture tracts and posters. In 1951 I prepared the twelve designs, and had them drawn by an artist. We still had enough paper, and there were printers willing to do the work. Another Christian publisher, an old friend, came in one day asking about our calendar. I showed him the designs, and told him our plans. Not long after we were told we must send the designs of the calendar to the Three-self Committee for approval. Word came back that they could not be published unless there were some political slogan on every page; so of course that was the end of the calendar in Shanghai. Other Christian book shops put out calendars, one with a Bible picture, and a patriotic slogan. There was a sheet calendar with a picture of a Church; it had quotations from patriotic resolutions of the Three-self committee, but not one word from Scripture, or one reference to God. The Light and Love calendar was published in Hong Kong, but of course it could not be sold in China. It was a bitter disappointment. I do not know that I was betrayed by that Publisher, but it was what happened again and again. The Christians shared our Lord's heartbreak many times: "It was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it... but it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide and mine acquaintance." Ps. 55:12-13.
Another sorrow in 1951 was that our import of books was forbidden. Since the beginning of 1950, we had to get import licenses, and submit samples of all books imported. But the officials had been polite, and made no more trouble than necessary. In 1951 a shipment of Mr. Darby's translation of the Bible came in, perhaps a dozen copies. Our tenure was too uncertain to order large quantities, but this translation was always in demand. among the Chinese who wanted the most accurate translation of the Bible. This time I had to interview a new man at the import office, and he was one of the few officials who was not polite. Of course, he knew nothing about the Bible, and could not understand when I explained why this particular translation was wanted. But at last he came out into the open, and said bluntly, We do not want that kind of thing. So I had the Bibles redirected to Hong Kong. We had permission to bring in single copies, so my brother-in-law sent them in one by one, a slow business, but anything was worthwhile to get the Scriptures in. We continued to bring in single copies of books for another couple of years, and a good many needs were filled. Then the Customs made trouble about this. Of course, my permission was not in writing: the Communists never gave a promise in writing. The only way was to write out what had been agreed upon, and send a copy by double registered post to the office, saying that this is what we understood had been arranged. This was done by large firms, who had just the same difficulty. However, I had no proof of my permission to import single books, and they said it had never been given, it had been altered, and anyway I must not do it any more. I had to make out a report of all the books imported in the last two years, and had to pay a fine. So that was the end of importing books. They also refused export licenses. But it was very important to get out the stock piled up in the godown; there were hundreds of English books, and tens of thousands of English tracts. These tracts had been prepared before the war, when there was opportunity to go every week to the barracks of the British troops, and give each man a copy of the Gospel paper "the Trumpeter", a sheet printed weekly for them, and a tract. I was also very anxious to get more money into the Book Room and I was not allowed to give money to it. I found that a two pound parcel of books was just small enough to slip into the post box without troubling the parcel office. Money was pretty short at that time when all supplies were cut off from home; but many friends sent Post office coupons, which could be exchanged for stamps. I bought the English books from the Book Room, and sent out two pound parcels of books and tracts to any one who could use them. I had to be careful not to send too many at once, but I continued to do this for several years, till this too was stopped one Christmas season, when I had sent more parcels than they liked. But several hundred pounds of books must have gone out, and it was a great help to the Book Room finances.
We also sent out parcels of books inside China. We could send ten pound parcels generally without difficulty, and many doors were opened for them, and when one closed, another would open. We had Tibetan picture tracts, and Arabic-and-Chinese tracts and Travelers' Guide. Some of these went out to the far west and we heard of blessing on them. Different ones gave us addresses of church workers, especially those in distant parts, and we sent parcel of shopworn and other books. Some of the letters back were very interesting. One Bible woman wrote, very grateful for the books for her own use, but she said that those who came to her meetings were mostly country women who could not read; that those who could read had mostly fallen away; but she said that an average of three new people a night came to the meetings and now there were about 600 Christians in the district, with an average attendance of 140. Not far from this there was a work among the tribes people. After their own meeting, Sunday morning, the Christians would go into the mountains, and visit in the villages, and every week there were souls saved. In another place a brother and his sister had gone to open up work. They told us that sometimes 100 or 200 came to the meeting, 80% strangers, mostly young people and students. This was in 1954. Later this brother and sister suffered for their courage.
I was especially interested in a work among the Miao Christians in a mountain district of central China. Within a radius of 52 li (a li is one third of a mile) were 5 Miao tribe churches, each with 300 or more members, and at least 200 present each Sunday. We sent thousands of books, which were distributed among them. We had some Miao picture tracts, stories of the Parables, printed for the S.G.M. And we had a few Miao Old Testament stories; they loved these, and said they could use ten thousand, but we had only a few. One morning I went over to search for them in our godown, and as I went I prayed that I might find some, for I had not even a sample copy left. I searched thoroughly, but could not find even one on the high shelf where they had been, so I turned to get some other books from a lower shelf; I heard something fall, and there on the floor were six copies of the Miao Old Testament stories. I might have thought that they had fallen straight from Heaven, but two of them were rat eaten. The Miao Christians wanted only books true to the Scriptures, and they especially asked for Bibles. We sent a lot of Miao New Testaments, which were eagerly received, for theirs were worn out with much study. But there was no Miao Old Testament, and they wanted the whole Bible, so they asked for Chinese Bibles. They were very poor, money was almost non-existent, and they would bring a bowl of lard, some flour or pork, and exchange it for posters and books. But somehow they would get hold of money to buy a Bible, and they wanted reference Bibles, so they could really search the Scriptures. The old colporteur who handled it said that on Sunday he had not time to eat his meals, he was so thronged with people wanting Bibles and books. I do not know what has happened to them. The worker with whom I corresponded was indoctrinated by the Three-self. I sent him as a great treasure a book I had received from Hong Kong. He wrote back indignantly, asking, where was my political training, that I should deal in such stuff? (Of course, he did not know I was a foreigner) He would have no more to do with me, and denounced me to the Three-self.
About this time, I heard rumors of a wonderful work among the Lisu. We know something of the tragedy and persecution in which that has gone down; perhaps it is the same with these Miao. But all are in the Lord's hands, and He has His good purpose.
It was in the summer of 1951 That the Government held their two great reform movements-the San-fan, and the Wu-fan. The first, meaning Three opposings, was an effort to stamp out corruption, bribery, etc. in Government offices. The second, the five opposings, was to do away with cheating, false returns, unpaid taxes, etc. in all business. There were huge posters everywhere, calling upon people to repent and confess. It was said that those who confessed would be forgiven, and people were harried to confess. It was a terrible time. The victim, nicknamed the "Tiger", would be placed at a table round which all his fellow workers were seated. All would point at him and shout, Confess. No definite charges were made, but he would be told, We know you have committed a crime; confess, and you will be pardoned. This would go on and on until he had confessed everything his accusers knew, and probably much more. Sometimes they would make up charges against themselves when they were innocent, so as to escape. These might be forgiven at the time, but were brought up against them later. It was a wonderful opportunity for anyone who had a grudge, and many false accusations were brought. The tension in the city was terrible; business was paralyzed for months; many businesses failed. There were endless suicides; the favorite way was to jump off a high building, till people were almost afraid to walk along the streets. I think it was forty suicides a day were taken to one hospital alone, and there are dozens of hospitals in Shanghai; and many more were taken straight to the morgue. Finally, the Government had to stop the inquiries. The idea was good, and much corruption was cleared up, but the methods were terrible.
One of the Christians pointed out that we too must have our "san fan", oppose the world, the flesh, and the devil. The verse given to me was "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?" Ro. 8:33. "The accuser of the brethren" is always ready to bring charges against us, but we have the Christ, the Man ordained to judge the world, at the right hand of God, making intercession for us.
Towards the end of the inquiry some one came to inspect our accounts. I think our shopboy had informed against me about a lot of books we had got from some one in exchange for our books; for when the inspector came to my entries about them, which proved I had paid the full tax, he exclaimed, That is the way to keep accounts; and he called the boy over to see. At the bottom of another page I had written "This is the Lord's doing and marvelous in our eyes". Ps. 118:23. That month the Lord had provided in a marvelous way, when it had seemed impossible that we could clear expenses. When the inspector came to that page he said, "Well, you foreigners are honest", shut up the books, and went away. I always thought there was an angel sitting on that page, in fact, watching over all my accounts. "And the Angel did wondrously" and the woman "looked on" Jud. 13:19.
Business was very small in 1951, but we still had enough in the Bank to carry us safely through, and the Lord sent special help as needed. For example, in August our sales were only two million, and our expenses were five million; but some old accounts we had never expected to see were paid up, so we had more at the end of the month than at the beginning. In 1952 it was a little better; our sales for the year were 33 million, about $1500 gold. In 1953 the sales doubled; we did a total of 63 million. And in 1954 they were 70 million. It was essential that we should cover Our expenses each year; if there had been a shortage there certainly would have been trouble, probably we would have been accused of depending on Imperialist support, and have had to close. One year we cleared with just $2.00, but it was a credit. The bank account had long ago vanished.
At the end of 1952 Things looked very dark. I have a letter about it, dated Jan. 1, 1953, and I will quote. "Now I must tell you how wonderfully the Lord has brought us over the year ending. Business has been very small from the beginning of November, and at the end of November we were short for the first time. December was not much better. On the twentieth I reckoned things up, and found that we must have two million before the end of the year if we were to clear. And if we did not clear, I could only feel that the Lord no longer wanted us here. We seldom take in as much as 100,000 a day, and there were only eight business days left; and in that time last year we took in only 1,065,000. So I spread it all out before the Lord, that it was a real need, and He promised to supply all need. It has been most exciting to watch how He has provided. We have been so busy, and such a variety of customers, some who had never been in before. Tuesday night I added up, for I wanted to pay the wages and the bonuses, and already, at the end of seven days, there was more than two million. So I have had a very happy year ending, and can enter on this year quite sure that the Lord wants us here; and so He will provide all that is needed. In the eight days we took in 2,749,400." (This is about $125.00 gold).
When one source of supply failed, the Lord always had another ready. At the end of 1950, just before the outbreak of the Korean war, a Chinese Christian bought a very large proportion of our English stock-about 800 books-to form a library in his church. The several million he paid formed the backbone of our surplus to start with. Soon after that no one dared to buy English books. When our sales of English books failed, and we were no longer allowed to import from abroad, then there was the demand for Greek books, and in February 1954 we sold the Greek Grammars mimeographed for the students, and the Analytical dictionaries, printed by offset. That did not last very long, but it established contacts with students and Bible schools. In November 1954 I had a new catalog printed, and sent out to all the Pastors in Shanghai, with a tract enclosed, and to various other places. This brought in some good orders (not from the Pastors) especially from Bible school students, to whom I offered any of our books at half price. They ordered especially Bible commentaries. There was a great demand for Church histories, but our stock was finished. We had these books all in stock, so any sales were clear gain, and I was very thankful to see them go out, as I never knew when all sales might be stopped, and the stock seized. Later we were asked to sell a very popular old hymnbook which was reprinted. We sold thousands of them, and it was a great help in our expenses. It was hard to get hymn books. The old popular ones were out of print, and the Three-self did not want to reprint any of the hymns with old fashioned ideas, such as sin and judgment, salvation through the blood of Christ, the sorrows of earth, or the hopes of Heaven, and of the Lord's return.
The end of 1954 and the beginning of 1955 there was a great falling off of business, due to the attacks being made on Wang Ming Tao. The first nine months of 1954 we took in 58,494,900, and only about twelve million in the last three months. I was told that it was said that our shop was distributing poison-a favorite description of teaching which did not suit Communist ideas; but that they did not dare to get rid of it. I do not know what they feared, but of course they could not shut the door so long as it was held open by the Lord of Hosts.
We had many interesting visitors at the shop. They came especially at noon, when they knew that I would be alone; but sometimes I would be occupied with visitors all day long. There was an old gentleman who was preparing a book on Heresies. He borrowed books, and got me to read over and correct his English. He was a very true and courageous Christian. He handed over his business to his sons, so that he might devote his whole time to the Lord's work. One morning he came in, and greeted me in the usual way, "How is your business?" I responded with, "How is your business?" "Oh," he replied, "I am only doing the Lord's business now, so it is always good." He was a friend of Wang Ming Tao, and went up to Peking to see him when he was released, but he saw only his wife, as Mr. Wang was not well enough at that time to see visitors. Fortunately this old gentleman died before the outburst of persecution in 1958, for he was one of those blacklisted by the evil powers.
There was another business man, a middle-aged man who had a very large business. For more than ten years he had met every morning from seven to eight for Bible study with a group of business men. They used John Sung's Bible study course and went methodically through the Bible. He told me at this time that business was so bad he had almost nothing to do; he went on, "This is just the Lord's goodness to me; I spend all my time studying the Bible." He
borrowed almost all our English commentaries on the Bible, and was anxious to translate some of Bishop Moule's books into Chinese. Later he was taken over by the Communists, and educated, and kept very busy in Government business. I seldom saw him, but I trust he has held fast his faith. He told me that in his "education" they said that as he was a Christian he need not subscribe to the truth of evolution-one of the doctrines especially pressed by them.
Another visitor who came in periodically was the young policeman who seemed to be responsible for foreigners. He spoke a sort of English, and we used to have long conversations. He did his best to convert me to Communism; and enlarged upon the wonderful things accomplished by it. And I tried to make him realize that death must be considered and prepared for as well as life. That was always my answer to the people who questioned why I wanted to stay: the Communists were doing much to improve this life, but death comes to everyone, and they made no preparation for that; they provided for the body, but I provided for the soul.
The most interesting of all my visitors was an elderly man who had been an extremely wealthy stock broker. He had been sent to the States as a boy, and educated there, so he spoke and wrote English more fluently than Chinese, but not always correctly. He had been a professing Christian from the time he was a boy, but he was truly converted in middle age by contact with the Oxford Group. He then devoted himself and his great talents and his great wealth to the service of Christ. He supported a missionary to work in his native village in Kwang Tung; he started an evening Bible school for business men, because he wanted more instruction in the Scriptures for himself. His great vision was to have Christian broadcasting stations all over China. The war interfered with this, but he maintained one in Shanghai for years. With the coming of the Communists of course his activities were cut short. The Christian broadcasting station was closed, and he had to pay a heavy fine. He did not grudge suffering for Christ, but he did grieve over the silence imposed on him, and the destruction of the plant he had so carefully built up. But it was not all destroyed; for in 1957 with great delight he heard some of his records being used to broadcast Christmas carols.
For a time, he settled down to inactivity. He still used his wealth to support many Christians who were suffering for the Truth, but his time he devoted to raising canaries. Then a Pastor whom he had helped stirred him up to fresh exertions. He could no longer broadcast over the air, but he could still use books. He broadcast Wang Ming Tao's books; then he found a book in my shop on the existence of God. He not only broadcast that himself, but he compelled his Christian friends to do the same. Over four hundred copies went out in a very short time, and they were so eagerly demanding more, that in 1957 we tried to reprint it. But when the book was half ready that brief season of freedom closed, and no more could be done.
He also prepared books himself. One of his friends was working on a translation of the Bible into Chinese from Hebrew and Greek. This scholar believed that the Wise men who came to worship our Lord were really from China. My friend took this up with the greatest enthusiasm, and wrote a book about it. Almost every day he brought me what he had written for help with the English construction. It was extremely interesting, for he had most ingenious arguments, and he found several references in ancient Chinese history to a remarkable star just at the time of the birth of our Lord. His object was to establish a special claim on Christianity for the Chinese people. He concluded his book with a very beautiful prayer that the Light of Christ might arise upon the darkness of the people. After finishing this bock, he worked on a book on the wonders of science as proving the existence of God. Then he revised an autobiography which he had written, a fascinating story telling of the wonderful deliverances and guidance of God. His almost daily visits were a very great pleasure: he was always interesting, had a delightful sense of humor, was charmingly courteous. He would bring me an exquisite rose from his garden, or strawberries, beautifully prepared.
When the autobiography was almost finished he stopped coming. A doctor friend told me he was ill, very ill with swiftly developing cancer of the lung. It was August, and unusually hot, even for Shanghai, and an operation was not possible. They would have arranged radium treatment, but he said, No, he felt the Lord had sent this, and he would not take himself out of the hand of the Lord. For a time, he seemed to improve, and he even visited me once more at the shop. But his condition worsened, and he was confined to bed. His book on the Wise Men could not be published in Shanghai, but it had been sent to Hong Kong, and published there in Chinese and in English. Now copies of it began to arrive, and he took great delight in distributing them. But the authorities were not pleased. Of course, a rich man was always under suspicion; especially a rich man who had arranged to have his wealth safely outside China; so they were delighted to have a handle against him. Why had he published the book in Hong Kong? and how did he dare to suggest that China was in darkness, when it was basking in the light of Communism? If he had not been ill in bed he would certainly have been brought to trial. Feeling against him increased; no matter if he were ill, he must be brought in his bed to prison, and his wife could come with him to nurse him. And just then he died. With Samuel Rutherford he might have said, "I am summoned before a higher Judge and judicatory: that first summons I behoove to answer; and, ere a few days arrive, I shall be where few kings and great folks come.”
I had formed my most valuable remaining English books into a little library; quite a few Pastors and students came in to borrow books. There was a young teacher of Mathematics in a Teachers' College in another town, who always chose a few good books to take with him, as he passed through Shanghai. And there was a splendid young man, a teacher of science, who borrowed many books on the truths of the Bible, and spoke boldly on the subject. The last books he borrowed were returned to me by his Father, who said it was not safe for him to come any more. There was an older man, who had been five years in prison. He said it was not so bad, except for the questioning; he told me how he divided up his time, so much repeating hymns, so much meditation, and trying to recall Scripture; so much exercise. He wanted books to translate, and took several. The last time he came in he was having visits again from the police. Another young man, a teacher in an engineering college did not know much English, but wanted the deepest books, and had long discussions. He was living in great fear, but holding fast the truth. There was a middle-aged man, very highly educated, in a good position; he was accused of being a "rightist", and was degraded from manager to do menial work, and his salary more than halved. But he was busy translating the Psalms from Hebrew, and finding great comfort in "Jehovah the gladness of my joy". And many others I remember, thirsting for the good teaching which is so plentiful in these favored lands. Several little groups came for English Bible study, but none of them continued long, I think it was not safe to come to the foreigner. There were some very interesting medical students who used to come in to talk about the Church. Many were seeking for some group which would truly follow the teachings of the Scriptures. One young man came in to buy hymn books. He told me that several met together every Sunday evening to take the Lord's Supper, and he was trying to get hymns suitable for that. One young man in his search was turning to the Roman Catholic Church, and he often came in to talk to me about it. I believe he finally saw that he could not worship a woman, and could not accept the teaching of the mass-that man can make God. None of these felt that they could conform to the state-controlled church. I do not know what became of them. One does not know the Lord's plan: some evidently need suffering, perhaps because they are capable of higher training; others not. Some "through faith subdued kingdoms... obtained promises... turned to flight the armies of the aliens... and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea moreover of bonds and imprisonment" Heb. 11:33-36. The mockings and "the scourge of the tongue" were perhaps the hardest to bear, and I suppose almost all the Christians had to bear them. I do not know why some were chosen for bonds and imprisonment. I know that many so chosen rejoiced to be "counted worthy to suffer shame for His Name". And I have heard others, who were spared, say that it was because they were not worthy: but I hardly think so.
Business in 1954 was quite good. I have a list of our sales: 835 Bibles; nearly ten thousand of our own books and booklets; about seven thousand from other publishers; over four thousand posters; and two hundred and fifteen pounds of sheet tracts-this would be about 86,000 sheets. Besides these, there would be a few English books, wall texts, etc. and many books had been lent. Other book shops also had good sales, and three sound Christian publishers printed a number of good books. Wang Ming Tao put out several books, besides his quarterly magazine, and they sold very quickly. This good business continued into 1955. We sold over 14,000 of our own publications, but about eight thousand of these were booklets of five cents or under, such as Safety, Certainty and Enjoyment, the Lord's Coming, by C.S., little Gospel primers, etc.; over six thousand books from other publishers, all books of a fair size, 175 pounds of tracts, several thousand Gospel posters. Then came Wang Ming Tao's arrest, and all the trouble connected with that, and sales dropped to one half. Another reason for the drop was that people were feeling poor, as all salaries were to be reduced in November.
On March 1, 1955, money was changed from millions to dollars and cents, and new currency notes issued. Everything was divided by ten thousand, so a book that had sold for a thousand, was now priced at ten cents. An American dollar was valued at $2.20 in the new money, where it had been 22,000. There was not any change in value. It was very much easier to reckon, and it was very pleasant to have clean new money to handle. The old money had been falling to pieces, and almost every note had to be patched with a strip across the middle. I had a little woodblock carved, just the size to fit the patch, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved" Acts 16:31, just seven characters in Chinese, and stamped each note that I mended. After a time the Bank objected, but I still used the stamp on my letters.
At the beginning of 1956 all shops and business firms, not already taken over, entered into joint ownership with the Government. This was accomplished with endless parades, with drums and bands and Yangko dances, with red silk banners, and tissue paper flags, and everywhere the "double happiness" sign used in weddings, all to show the joy of the shops in being married to the Government. For prosperous shops it was a very bitter pill; it often meant being reduced from a comfortable living, to trying to exist on a wage of about $85.00 (Chinese) a month. But business had become so difficult for many under Government regulations and restrictions and taxes, that some had really asked to be taken over. It was not only the city shops that were taken into joint ownership; farms also were affected, but I do not know just how. The owners of large shops were to receive a certain percentage for five years, but later they were asked to forego this.
Among the other shops was one of the Christian publishers which specialized in printing for Christian hospitals and Medical schools. They were now giving up all retail business, and joining the group of Medical publishers. They asked me to take over their stocks of Christian books. This was a big undertaking, and I had to arrange with the Bank of China permission to make a loan from my personal funds to the Book Room. There were some excellent books, including a Chinese translation of the notes in the Scofield Bible, quite a large book, and not very acceptable to the Communist regime because of its teaching on Prophecy. There were some very good and popular Gospel primers in Chinese, and many beautiful English Bibles, English concordances and Bible dictionaries. I could not bear to think of their all being destroyed as scrap paper. They were offered to me at about one quarter of their sale value, and I was able to arrange to take them. At the last moment there was a difficulty; some of their committee thought that the good old-fashioned catechisms and books against idolatry were unsuited to the Communist regime, and should be destroyed. Although articles were allowed to be published against Christianity, trouble was made if Christianity attacked idolatry. We were warned against a tract we had on the falseness of Buddhism; they said it offended against the constitutional rights of "freedom of religion". Even the Heavenly Wind objected to this discrimination. So I was allowed to buy only a limited number of these books, but it was a good many hundred. These books brought me in more business; they more than paid for themselves, and I was finally able to clear off the debt, though it was rather an anxiety for a time.
It was in 1956 about this time that the Nanyang Road Book Room was closed, after the trouble in the "Little Flock". The alarm caused by this brought a falling off in our sales; in June our sales were $490 and expenses were $486. August was the smallest business for years, but we just covered expenses, by the Lord's goodness.
Another change in 1956 was that my shop boy left. His heart had long been entirely occupied with the "youth group", one of the preliminary branches of the Communist party, so he was not much use. I was pretty sure that he spied on me and my customers, and some were afraid to come to the shop because of him. It was impossible to dismiss him-against the law-so I felt very thankful when he left of his own accord to become an apprentice in engineering. In his place I got a Christian boy who came only half day. There was not enough work to occupy an assistant for even half a day, but I needed some one who could take the numerous Government taxes and reports to the various offices, and so that I could get out to the Post office, etc. This boy was much more use, kept the shop clean, and was very acceptable to the customers. He had T.B. which was keeping him out of school; later he had a hemorrhage, and had to give up work, and his Father took his place.
In May of 1956 the Christian Literature Society, the Y.M.C.A. book shop, the Sunday School Union and the Baptist bookroom were united in one under the Three-self. The first two were strongly modernist, the others soundly fundamental. The founder of the Sunday School Union had made great sacrifices to keep it true. But now all was swept into one; the old books were mostly destroyed, and modernism triumphed. The Bible Society did not join. But the Three-self got control of it. I heard that they came in and locked the safe, so that there was no money for salaries, or to carry on; when they were asked to release the funds, they claimed that this was an invitation to take over, and promptly took control.
When making these changes, they said that they needed my shop, which was in the same building as the Baptist Book Store and the C.L.S. I pointed out that there were other shops empty in the building, and I thought it was not necessary for me to move. The end of 1956 I received notice again from the landlords, now under the Three-self, that I should leave my shop. It was a great blow when it arrived; but the Lord said, "Be not afraid nor dismayed... for the battle is not yours but God's." 2 Chron. 20:15. So again I wrote back that it was not convenient for me to move, and I hoped they would be able to expand into some of the other empty rooms in the building. It was illegal to turn anyone out, as I knew to my cost, for I would only too gladly have turned out the tenants at my house who paid no rent. So I heard no more of it then. A few months later I received notice again. At the same time I received a summons to the Board of Trade. Then I was really troubled, for I thought the Government was turning me out. With great anxiety, I went to the Board of Trade at the appointed time. I waited more than an hour. At last I was called in, I showed the figures of my business, that we were able to carry on, and in ten minutes I was out again with the assurance that they were satisfied. And again I cheerfully wrote, refusing to move. It would have been impossible to rent another shop; no shop could be rented to those who were not in joint ownership with the Government, and of course we could not do this.
I have my income tax figures for 1956. We sold 695 Chinese Bibles, and 113 English, Russian and other Bibles. In Chinese we sold 12,610 of our own publications, and 2,131 from other publishers; 2997 Gospel posters, 181% pounds of sheet tracts (about 350 tracts to a pound) 1020 Scripture texts; in English 275 books published by ourselves, 75 imported books, 269 cards, etc., and 3'73 booklets, a total of $4,608.48. I reckoned that we still had 197,000 books in the godown; and we had endless Chinese sheet tracts, and English booklets.
1957 was another good year. A change had already come at the end of 1956 when Wang Ming Tao was released, and several others. The Nanyang Road Bookshop was allowed to open again in January. One significant change was that the tax inspector conversed with me in English. As a Chinese doctor had told me, Russian had been found very difficult to learn, and very little use when it was learned; so the study of English was reintroduced. The doctrine of "Let a thousand flowers blossom, and different schools of thought contend" was tried out for a few months. As a result, printed matter came in more easily. Samples of the new Gospel magazine, The Lighthouse, published by the Christian Witness Press, came in, and were eagerly read. I received several copies each month, and each one was passed round, and read by several hundred, I think. The Christian Witness Press and the Alliance Press also sent me a lot of the new books they were publishing, and these were enthusiastically welcomed, especially biographies and Church history. They also wanted books for children; the Communists were bringing out quantities of beautiful stories and picture books for children, all propaganda, of course. No new Christian books had been published in China for about two years. One man wrote asking for books, "to take away my spiritual starving".
I tried hard to get a permit to import these books for sale; I went from office to office, making applications and filling in forms. The answer at last was that that there were already such books in China, and no more were needed; but I might receive them for my own use. So I gladly received what were sent, and used them to lend to Christians.
Everywhere there was a feeling of relaxation. Letters came in from the country ordering tracts and posters. We sold hundreds of posters to various districts that year. We were even able to do some printing, twice we printed tracts, 32,000 each time. We arranged for a reprint of the book on the existence of God which had been selling so widely. Our sales increased. In May 1957, we had the best month’s business for years, $800.00 and much of this was orders from up country; and in July we sold over $1200.00. At the end of the year a daily text block calendar was printed, which we sold. It was an edition of 5000, and was a great venture. At first there promised to be a good demand, but already there was a change. The Conference of Christian leaders was called in Peking, and people were warned against both the calendar and the Christian Book Room. All the calendars were distributed, but a good many were given away. The business for 1957 was about $9000.00 almost exactly double that of 1956, and there were twice as many orders from up country.
1958 was the beginning of the end. The criticism meetings were being held, and Churches being closed. Everywhere troubles were pressing on the Christians. My business dropped steadily, and I was very thankful for the surplus the Lord had provided the previous year. We were not allowed to print the book on the existence of God. The sale of tracts and posters stopped. We had one order from the north for a hundred posters, but two days later an urgent letter telling us to cancel the order. We were told that in the meetings for Church workers accusations were being brought against us, against some of our publications, against our connection with Wang Ming Tao, and especially against our dispensational chart. Many were afraid to come to the shop, afraid to borrow the books.
The beginning of September I had to apply for the renewal of my residence permit. This was granted very promptly, without any difficulty. Then the middle of September I was summoned to appear before the Board of Commerce. This was again an anxious time, but all passed smoothly. I showed my figures, that we had sufficient to carry on our business. They said all was well, and since there was liberty of religion there was no reason why I should not continue to sell Christian books. I felt greatly encouraged. There had been so much criticism and fear, but now it seemed as though all was well.
The next trouble was another flood, the worst flood in the history of the business section of Shanghai. It swept up one night in the second half of September, unexpected, and unprepared for. Our stock had been moved from the lower shelves, as we did each summer. But the water was several feet deep, and quantities of books were submerged. For days we worked over it. The water had entered the safe, and our documents and money were soaked; it had entered the drawers of the desk, and our papers and accounts were soaked. Several reams of paper, the posters, and a good many books we took out to my house, and spread out to dry in the big room. In the Book Room, we put up a spider web of lines and hung the books up to dry. Along the street in front of the shop, and along the British Consulate wall opposite, we set up our window shutters each morning and spread out books to dry in the sun. Almost every shop in downtown Shanghai was doing the same. We were still in this confusion when the blow fell. October 14 I was called up by the police, and the Book Rooms were sealed.
Chapter 9: The Questioning
"Thou art the Lord that slept upon the pillow,
Thou art the Lord Who soothed the furious sea.
What matter beating waves and tossing billow,
If only we are in the boat with Thee?
"Hold us in quiet through the age long minute
While Thou art silent, and the wave is shrill;
Can the boat sink, while Thou, dear Lord, art in it?
Can the heart faint that waiteth on Thy will?”
Tuesday, October 14, 1959. This day was the end. The morning passed quietly, like any other morning; at noon, a Chinese friend came in to tell me that the "Jehovah's Witnesses", two Englishmen, had been taken by the police. Later in the afternoon I was shown in the Chinese newspaper the account of their arrest. It never crossed my mind that this might be a casting of the net which would enclose me also. I was only concerned about our dear old friend in whose house the Jehovah's Witnesses rented the ground floor. It had been an unusually warm day, but when I closed the Book Room at five o'clock it was pouring with rain, and I was well drenched by the time I reached my friend's house. I found her much distressed, and it was a relief to her to pour out the story. There was certainly something peculiar, for they were not taken away until noon, but the story of their arrest was in the morning paper. I went home, and went to bed early.
At perhaps ten thirty I was awakened by my housekeeper coming to my bed, saying, "There are many people at the door". Immediately the room, and the verandah where I slept, were filled with a crowd of young men and women. A young woman told me I must come with them to the police station, as there was a certain matter they wanted me to make clear. I quickly dressed, getting into fresh warm clothes, as I realized how cold it had turned, and that very possibly I might be taken straight to prison. These young people were not the ordinary police; one I recognized as the girl from the desk in the Passport office. They were Communist trained cadres, government agents, secret police. I had to sign a warrant of arrest, and a warrant for searching the house. Most of them, perhaps ten, stayed to search the house; they called in an old man and woman from the Lane committee as witnesses; and my housekeeper, and the Christian woman who had a room in the house were there.
I went downstairs with a young man and the young woman, who spoke fluent English, to a waiting motor, and in a few minutes, we were at the Bubbling Well Police Station. I was led through several dark passages to a small room where I was seated at a desk. The man went away to telephone, and the girl brought me a glass of hot water, and glasses of tea for themselves. She asked if I spoke Chinese? I said "A little", and she said that they would use Chinese for my questioning. The young man spoke very slowly and simply in the standard 'Kwo Yu', the northern dialect, so I generally understood without difficulty; and he was very clever at understanding my poor Chinese. They began by asking about my time in the Japanese internment camp, and had me write down the names of those who had been there with me. I cannot imagine what they wanted it for. They went on to ask about the Chinese friend who had been very helpful to us at that time; then to questions about the Russian Christians from Sinkiang, and the Chinese Pastor who had worked among them. Then about Wang Ming Tao: and why after he was imprisoned I had continued to sell his books? Then they asked about our dispensational chart, of which I have spoken. They were much annoyed about it, and went back to it again and again. They said I had insulted them, and put a curse on their Government. I apologized, and assured them my only thought was that it would be insulting to leave them out. But they would not hear of any excuse. It was most revealing, showing how very sensitive they were, and ready to take offense-always a sign of weakness and a sense of insecurity-and also how superstitious! They evidently felt it was a magic formula against them. Then they asked about an old man who used to preach on the street, and distribute tracts; I had provided him with tracts, especially the Arabic and Chinese Travelers' Guide, for Moslems. And they asked about the young man who had lived in my house, and had been arrested. The Communists knew all about him, they had in fact employed him; but he had once worked for the Kuomintang, and it was an offense that I had not denounced him, as he was living in my house.
The Lord was very near to me all that long night. I was afraid, and I could feel myself trembling, but I do not think that they could see it, and I could face them and answer them quite calmly. The Lord had taken away that unreasoning fear I had once had. I really had no fear for myself, or very little, for I had long known that this might come, and that I might have to be imprisoned. What I greatly feared was that I might harm some of the Chinese Christians. I refused to answer most questions about them, but sometimes the questions were so put that it would compromise them more to be silent than to answer.
There was vividly present with me the thought of my Lord's sufferings, His trial and questioning; as though He said, I know all about it; I have been through the same. Only His was so far worse! Especially the words came to me, "He answered them never a word", and I wondered if I ought to refuse to speak. But I think not; I think I was right to say what I could, for we are commanded to "be subject unto the higher powers" Ro. 13:1. Also there is the promise "It shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak". Matt. 20:19. So I told them I would answer any questions about myself, but not about others. Those words came as a warning to say no more than was absolutely necessary. Once or twice, perhaps with the foolish thought of propitiating them, I volunteered information, which I thought harmless. But each time it brought trouble.
About four A.M., after a lot of telephoning, I was taken back to my house. It looked as though an earthquake had struck it. Every box and trunk and drawer had been turned out, and the things they had put back were a worse confusion than what they had left out. There was one rude young man who attacked me about some empty envelopes, and wanted to know where the letters were; and about some old paper currency of the Kuomintang. They had collected a number of things to take away, a big bundle of papers and letters, a roll of Gospel posters, an old box of Homeopathic medicines, etc. They gave me a receipt for them, which the people from the lane signed, but I never received them back: not that they mattered! At last they went away, first one motor load, then another. I could see no sign of my dear housekeeper, and was very anxious lest they had taken her; but when all were gone, she slipped out of her darkened room, and we thanked God for His care. Later I heard something of what had happened, how they had chattered, talking about the things they found, and the texts on the walls. Finally, they had telephoned, If she has confessed, bring her back. This meant that I had acknowledged the various charges, selling Wang Ming Tao's books, giving tracts, not denouncing the young man in my house. I had to make a formal confession of these "crimes" several times.
I put away a few valuables, and made up my bed, which had been thoroughly searched. It was then nearly five, but I could not sleep. All morning I sat waiting for a call. The policeman on our road came to inquire if I were at home. The secret police seemed rather annoyed when they heard of that. The police at the police station did not seem to have anything to do with the secret police, and I thought they did not seem too fond of them. About two the girl came for me. I was wondering if I might be taken to prison, and whether I should make any preparation, so I asked her how long I might be away. She said that they only wanted to get some information, but I had been "very uncooperative". This pleased me very much, for it meant I had not given away any information. I gathered that I would not be "inside" that day. She took me in a pedicab to the police station, but I was thankful to be allowed to return alone on the bus. The next day I was there morning and afternoon. There was the bitter order to hand over the keys of the Book Room; and they said they had the keys of the branch shop from our helper there, so I knew he was being questioned. He evidently was warned to have nothing to do with me, for we never spoke to each other again. I saw him once in the bus, looking very thin and worn. He was still on my compound when I left, and I think was not then being troubled by them, though he lived in constant fear of being deported to the far north west.
For the next six months I was practically under house arrest. I was told that I must remain at home, so that I would be ready whenever they might call me.
I was very careful not to see any one, for the first question they always asked was, Who has been to see you? The British Consul sent to inquire as soon as he knew something was wrong, and later the vice-consul came to see me. At least three times they questioned me as to what was said in the visit; and the only time the questioner lost his temper was after hearing that the Consul had telephoned to tell me the Canadian Government was making inquiries about me. I had refused to answer some question, and he said, You think your Government can help you; you despise the Chinese Government; but we do not care for anyone, Generally they spoke quietly and politely. Once the same man who had been rude at the house came in when I had refused to answer some question, and shouted at me, Christians don't tell lies, so you must answer our questions. But I just did not answer him, and he soon went away, and I never saw him again. The Lord restrained them from anything more; He delivered me from the terrible shoutings and mass questionings that so many of the Chinese have undergone. They never tried to indoctrinate me with Communism. Sometimes they asked me what I thought of things; for example they asked me about the "Hand over your heart" campaign. I said that no one should hand over his heart to anyone but to God. All they said was, That is your belief. And they said the same when I said that the Three-self movement was wrong, because they did not put God first. But one of the charges at my trial was that I had worked against the Three-self movement, which taught Love your country and resist Imperialism. They conveniently dropped the second statement, Love your church.
The interviews were mostly held in the library of the Police station, a large room with a few bookcases, some armchairs, a long table in the middle covered with dirty blue cotton. At one end were magazines; I sat at the side, the young man opposite me, and the girl at the end. The questioning was in Chinese, and the girl wrote down in Chinese what was said. At the end of each interview she read it over to me, and I had to sign it, stating that it was correct. She was always ready to interpret if there was anything I did not understand. It was a great strain, listening closely for an hour or more at a time, for I was not accustomed to speaking Kuo Yu: I had learned a southern dialect, and always spoke it to my housekeeper. But I am sure this was of the Lord's ordering, and saved me from making statements, and saying more than was barely necessary, as I might easily have done in English. Also, when my answers vexed him, or I refused to answer, and he scolded me, I could not understand a word he said. I listened politely, and the girl would say, Do you understand? Not at all. Then she would give a brief summary of the scolding, but it had rather lost its flavor by that time. Generally, it was to the effect that it would be much kinder to my Chinese friends to tell about them-Such an obvious lie!
For some time, I went every day. After ten days, we were again allowed to use the telephone, and they would telephone telling me what time to be there. They brought a lot of letters they had found in the house and the Book Room, especially some that they had found torn up in a waste paper basket at the Book Room and which they had carefully pasted together. They questioned me about these, especially about the people mentioned in them, but this was not hard, for there were no Chinese names, and I was happy to tell them anything they wanted about the people safely out of China. In one letter, there was a reference to the "Bamboo curtain". The questioner indignantly insisted, There is no such thing; we are glad for people to know all about China. And in the next breath he was blaming me for sending out information.
There was a lot of questioning about money. They had found a great deal put away in my trunk; they had not taken it away, but they were very suspicious of it, and I was especially anxious they should not know who gave it to me. As a matter of fact, it was only the Lord's goodness this money was not all sealed up in the Book Room. When it was soaked by the flood, I had brought it out to the house to dry. They would keep coming back to the same subject, ask the same questions, and would go on and on, probing, and ferreting out information, till I felt I could not bear any more. As the girl wrote down what was said, there was often a pause, and I would repeat to myself, "I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. Fear not, thou worm Jacob." Is. 41:10-14. And I would close my right hand, and almost feel His answering pressure.
There was one matter I was especially anxious to keep from them. At last they began to ask me about the person concerned. On and on they questioned, just one more question, and I would have had to tell them, or else tell a direct lie. In my heart, I screamed, "Lord, you must help me now, I cannot betray my friend". And I was heard "because of (my) shamelessness". Lu. 11:8 N.T. The questioning stopped, and though they went back to it again and again, I never had to reveal that matter.
When I came home after an hour or two of questioning my whole mind seemed whirling round; I was exhausted but could not rest. And I well understood how the minds of so many have given way. For many of the Chinese the questioning goes on without stopping, day and night, for days on end. Sometimes a blazing light is focused right on the victim's eyes; if he closes them, he is given a blow across them. The police admitted to me that Wang Ming Tao's brain had given way, though they said that his body was all right. Of course, the devil took advantage of these times. As my mind went over and over the questions and my answers, he pointed out all the times I had failed, failed in the exact truth, failed by saying something that might bring trouble on some one. Though most of the accusations against me were not sins in the sight of God, yet I had plenty of failures which might justly be condemned. He also brought forward all kinds of lies to trouble me. I am ashamed that I did not know the Shepherd's voice well enough to recognize that it was the "accuser of the brethren” stirring up his fog of trouble, not the Holy Spirit admonishing. There was one time, the questioner had shown me a letter they had found acknowledging some books I had sent to distribute in the prison, and asking for money. I thought I had destroyed the letter, and of course I should have done so. The devil was quite right in telling me how foolish and wrong I had been in having kept that letter. But he was not right in telling me that the Lord would hold it against me, and how could I expect to be forgiven? As usual I turned to the Psalms for comfort. The hundred and seventh had often helped, and I read of the stormy wind when one's soul is melted because of trouble. But the sword which defeated the devil that time was the seventeenth verse: "Fools, because of their transgressions, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted." That just described me, and so I could take the promise belonging to it: "They cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and He saveth them out of their distresses. He sent His Word and healed them". That is what He did for me: He is ready with His healing Word for every one, fool or sinner.
Looking back now, I cannot understand how I so dropped the shield of faith that the devil could shoot in his fiery dart that the Lord would not forgive unless I were ready to tell the truth even at the cost of betraying my friends. At the time, it was torture. If any of my readers are so tortured, recognize the voice of the devil; it is the accusing wolf, not the Good Shepherd, who can suggest He will not forgive. "To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses". Dan. 9:9. "He will abundantly pardon". Is. 55:7. Our God never discourages. "Happy is the man whom God correcteth... He maketh sore, and bindeth up; He woundeth, and His hands make whole". Job 5:17,18. As I have said, the very same word in Greek means exhorting, and also encouraging or comforting. The devil is the god of discouragement; it is the devil who tells you you are a failure, and no more use to God.
And perhaps it is partly pride; we do not like to own that we are all failures; and we are not much use to God. But how kind of Him to deign to use us.
The Lord brought me encouragement through many Scriptures during those months. The first one, that 15th of October was Job 5:8-21. Verse 8, "I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause" gave me a very comforting assurance as to Who would bear the responsibility for me. The following promises were gratifying-"He disappointeth the devices of the crafty... but He saveth the poor... from the hand of the mighty. So the poor hath hope". But I realized that what really more concerned me was verse 17: "Happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty"; and I made my prayer. "That which I see not, teach Thou me" Job 34:31, 32. The Psalms were specially written for me at such a time. Day after day they brought comfort. My special Psalm was the thirty first: each time I was called up I read it over, and always found fresh comfort. In the 4th verse was the "net they laid privily for me"; the eleventh verse was true in each detail: the enemies who reproached me; many of our neighbors in the Lane were delighted at this opportunity against the foreigner; my friends feared evil might come to them through me, and avoided me, and I them. Equally true was the thirteenth verse-the questionings were full of slander, and the wresting of my words, and "fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me". But the fourteenth and fifteenth verses were equally true: "I trusted in Thee, O Lord... my times are in Thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies". And at last I could join in the triumphant conclusion "Oh how great is Thy goodness... which Thou hast wrought for them that trust in Thee... Blessed be the Lord; for He hath shewed me His marvelous kindness in a strong city". I found that the 71St is a pair to the 31St: compare the beginning of the two, especially in the New Translation. In the 31St there was "fear on every side"; in the 71St comes the answer of "comfort on every side". In this Psalm was the verse which had been my first promise when I came to China forty years before: "I will go in the strength of the Lord God", and it still holds true. But the special encouragement I found in this Psalm is God's Righteousness: verse 2, Deliver me in Thy Righteousness; 15, My mouth shall show forth Thy Righteousness and Thy Salvation all the day; 16, I will make mention of Thy Righteousness, even of Thine only. 19, Thy Righteousness, 0 God, is very high; 24, my tongue shall talk of Thy Righteousness all the day long. That was just what I needed. I had still been trusting in some rag of my own righteousness, and I can thank the devil that I found it was useless. When I remembered that "He hath covered me with the robe of His Righteousness" Is. 61:10, then the fiery darts could no longer burn me.
The time will come, when "we must all be manifested before the judgment seat of the Christ, that each may receive the things done in the body, according to those he has done, whether it be good or evil". 2 Cor. 5:10. NT. As I sat before those questioners they tried to search out everything in my life. But I could answer, and often did answer, "I do not know", "I forget", "I will not tell you". But we shall not be able to escape in that way at the judgment seat of Christ, or before the great white Throne. He sees into the heart. In the day of judgment we must give account of "every idle word". Matt. 12:36. "Who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts". 1 Cor. 4:5. Our own righteousness is useless then. We must be clothed in His robe of righteousness; and that Righteousness is Christ Himself-"Christ Jesus, Who of God is made unto us... Righteousness". 1 Cor. 1:30f "For he hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the Righteousness of God in Him." 2 Cor. 5:21. That is the only Righteousness that can stand the blazing light of God's inquiry. If there is any one of my readers who is trusting to anything else, take warning: I found it terrible before that human tribunal; it will be far worse before the judgment seat of Christ, before the great white Throne. Avail yourself now of the Righteousness of God, freely given to us in Christ. And if any soul who has trusted Christ trembles at the thought of that judgment seat, remember that it does not depend on you. We are covered with His Righteousness, and it is inviolable. I trusted in His Righteousness alone, and with that came His Peace, filling and surrounding me.
"Jesus, the Lord, our Righteousness!
Our beauty Thou, our glorious dress!
Before the Throne, in this arrayed,
With joy shall we lift up the head.
Bold shall we stand in that great day,
For who aught to our charge shall lay,
While by Thy Blood absolved we are
From sin and guilt, from shame and fear?”
Zinzendorf.
I had a final message from that seventy first Psalm. It had been an especially trying session. There had been questions about many Chinese, some I knew, some I did not; and about a foreign friend who had given me money in exchange for foreign funds. They did not ask about the money, but they sent me home with the threatening message, You go home and think about it-a favorite device of theirs. All the rest of the day I was weighed down with fear for this friend, and what they might ask me about her. Actually, she had left Shanghai, but I did not know, for the letter she had sent me never reached me; but a few weeks later I heard that my sister had seen her in Hong Kong. But before that the words came to me, "Thou hast given commandment to save me".
I could not place it at once, but I hunted it out, and there it was at the beginning of my seventy first Psalm. It gave me great confidence, for I recognized my Shepherd's voice that time. That was the last regular questioning. As time went on, I had been called only once a week. Finally, November 20 I was called one Thursday morning. I had already gone to town, but I was told to come over at twelve thirty. I was taken into a little inner room, and there the young man went over the whole matter; then I was told to write it all down in English. I said I could not possibly remember; so he more or less dictated to me and I wrote down all my "crimes", seven and a half pages. Then as I had made some erasures and changes, I had to copy it all out. I wished I could have kept a copy! This was my sort of general confession, on which my trial was to be based, though I did not realize it then; I only knew how tired I was! Just after that the Lord gave me the Word, Those "whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever". Ex. 14:13. I could hardly believe it, but it really was true: that was the end of the questioning.
Chapter 10: Six Months of Waiting
The Police summons on October 14 brought my activities to an abrupt end. For nine and a half years I had spent my days in the Book Room. Apart from the Book Room, almost my only interest had been the Wednesday Bible Class. From both of these I was suddenly cut off, and I had to build up a new life and occupation.
It was a great comfort that I was still allowed to send and receive letters. I suppose they were censored, and we were very careful in what we said, but so far as I know, all the letters at that time got through, both going out and coming in. When they first gave me permission to send a letter, the translator saw me with it in my hand as I was waiting to cross the road to the Post Office, opposite the Police station. She asked me what I said in it, and I told her I had said that I was being questioned, and the Book Room was closed, but that they need not worry, for I knew it was allowed by God, so is all right. "I understand", she said, "I was educated in a Christian school, and they always said everything was all right that God allowed". From things she said, and terms she used, I gathered that she had been at a convent school. One longs that something said in those sessions might have helped her; I felt much drawn to her, and a sense of responsibility for both those young people, with whom I had so much to do. Later she was replaced by another young woman who was very non-committal, and I did not see the first translator again until she translated for me at my trial.
I wrote to my sister, and she wrote to me almost daily, as soon as she knew what was happening. The first few days I had a letter almost every day from my brother, though of course he had no idea of the trouble till nearly two weeks later. It was a great comfort to receive those letters; and every letter that came in told of how many were praying for me. How I valued those prayers, and what a strength they were to me! Once, the British Consul remarked on what an extraordinary thing it was that I was left in such peace. He knew well the troubles of other foreigners taken by the police, and at that very time was trying in vain to do something for the two British Jehovah's Witnesses and the American Roman Catholic Bishop. I am sure the many prayers were the explanation. "For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure... but God delivered us... ye also helping together by prayer for us." 2 Cor. 1:8-11.
Just at the time I was taken by the police there was a great Hygiene drive. Every one was ordered to clean house, and to get rid of the "five pests"-mosquitoes, flies, rats, cockroaches and sparrows. Then the Lane Leaders would come in to inspect, pull out drawers, look behind boxes, under beds, wherever dirt or vermin might collect. My housekeeper and I worked hard, thoroughly housecleaning the whole place. I was glad to have this occupation when I could not settle to anything else. The house was old, and terribly full of things, for my brother's family had lived there since 1930, and each one had left things behind, and there was much belonging to the Book Room. I sorted and cleaned and destroyed, always remembering I might have to leave at any time.
Poison was distributed by the Lane committee for rats and cockroaches, and it was very effective, and we were very thankful to be rid of them. But when it came to destroying the sparrows I felt very sad. It was a great performance. A day was set apart for exterminating sparrows: schools were closed for the day, and school children and workers from factories were sent out to keep the sparrows constantly on the move so that they might die of exhaustion. The day before, scarecrows had been put up on rooftops and in trees. Before dawn people came with long ladders to climb to the roof to destroy nests. All day long young men were rushing round with long poles, banging tin pans, climbing over our roof, shouting and letting off crackers. When they saw a sparrow such a roar went up, one might think they were chasing a lion. They did more harm to our garden than a thousand sparrows, and we had to have more than forty tiles replaced on the roof. Every little while it was announced over loudspeakers how many thousands of sparrows had been destroyed. Of course, this was merely propaganda, I do not think very many perished. In Peking, the students complained that they could not catch the sparrows because they took refuge in the grounds of the British Embassy-political refugees! In Shanghai about a hundred students patrolled the big gardens of the British Consulate, but I was told they caught only one sparrow, or perhaps two. In our garden, after it was all over, there were still five sparrows constantly flying round, and perching opposite my window. I counted them again and again, but I was so stupid, it was not till my brother remarked on it in a letter that I realized those five sparrows were a message from our Father in Heaven. I was grieved for the little birds, but I, and the Christians for whom I was so grieved, were to Him "of more value than many sparrows". Lu. 12:6, 7.
Food had been becoming increasingly scarce for over a year, so much was being exported. It was most irritating to look into the windows of the former Cathay Hotel on the corner of the Bund, and see the display of red tea, jam, tinned meats, milk, fruits and vegetables which were being prepared for export, and to be able to buy none in the shops or market. For a short time, as a foreigner, I was allowed to buy these goods for export in the "Friendship shop", the big store on Nanking Road prepared for tourists, and where only foreigners were allowed upstairs. But soon that was stopped, and the goods could be sold only to those with landing permits, proving they really were tourists; or to "specialists", the advisers, mostly Russian, who were sent in to help in developing the country. It now became very difficult to get almost all kinds of food. The ration was four ounces of pork once in ten days; just before I left it was reduced to two ounces. To get the ration often my housekeeper would have to get up at four in the morning and stand in line for two or three hours, and then perhaps be told that the supply was finished, and she must go back again the next day. Sugar was four or five ounces a month, and one could get it only at certain shops. Oil was twelve ounces a month. There were no eggs, no peanuts, no butter or peanut butter, very seldom milk powder, we could get very nice soya bean milk powder, though we could not buy the beans. There was no beef or mutton to be bought, any there was, was reserved for Moslems, who do not eat pork. We got fish occasionally; later it was rationed, a half catty every ten days. Vegetables were very scarce, but fortunately we had greens growing in our garden. How anxiously we watched them when the frost was coming, and carefully covered them over with old sacking and paper. There was really sufficient rice at that time, though some people found themselves short, and the country people fared much worse than we in Shanghai. They would bring in their sugar ration tickets, and beg people to change them for rice tickets.
After the first few weeks, when I was no longer being called daily by the police, they agreed that they would notify me the day before if they wanted me, so that I might go out early to get bread. Twice a week I went to town, leaving the house soon after seven. The difficulty was to find a shop selling bread, for it changed almost every week. When I 'found a place, I would stand in line for a longer or shorter period.
The bread got worse and worse, made of various flour substitutes, which made it gray and hard. Often, I would find a shop selling fruit, and I would attach myself to the line, and after perhaps half an hour get a pound of oranges or bananas, or apples which were too bruised to be exported. At last there was no fruit but Arabian dates, all the shops were full of them, and every one was sick of them.
I was never short of food, the Chinese Christians were so good to me. One old brother often waited all night at the market to be well up in the line to buy eggs-he would get ten eggs, and bring them to me. Later, when there were no eggs to be had, he would often share with me cabbage or greens for which he had waited all night. Again and again my housekeeper would come to me and say, "God has sent you six eggs", or "God has sent you oranges", or some other food impossible to buy. I knew very well who the messengers from God were, but it had to be kept very secret, for not only did they deny themselves, but they also ran considerable risk in helping an "anti-revolutionary". But in that day their Lord will say to them, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me". Matt. 25:40.
Food was cheap enough, if one were able to get it. In Canadian money, pork and beef were about forty cents a pound; eggs about three cents each, carrots two pounds for five cents, cabbage about five cents each, fruit about fifteen to twenty cents a pound. The trouble was there was none to be bought. I am afraid I have said a great deal about food, but people always seem interested; and it is a very interesting subject when you have not enough.
The Lord gave me some very delicious spiritual food at this time. Almost every day I received a special message of encouragement from the Scriptures; I kept a record of them in a little book which I have here before me. But each must receive his own message from the Lord, they would not speak to you as they did to me. The verses on the "Christian" calendar often spoke to me. One of the first was "When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him." Is. 59:19, or, as the margin reads, "shall put him to flight" Then there was the lovely promise that I lived on for days, "Thou art my Hiding place; Thou shalt preserve me from trouble; Thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance" Ps. 32:7. I found that when the Holy Spirit brought a Scripture to mind, it was best to look it up, and find the context, and this might correct or enlarge my first impression. The promise "A bruised reed shall He not break, and smoking wax shall He not quench till He send forth judgment unto victory". Matt. 12:20 was a great comfort as I thought of the Christians who had broken under the fierce pressure of materialism, unable to maintain the bright flame of testimony. Sometimes a whole line of thought would develop. I have collected some of the larger fragments into the next chapter.
Each month I went down to the Bank to receive my remittance from Hong Kong. This was always a red letter day. I walked down Hong Kong Road, past the China Bible House. It was still straightly shut up; all the employees had been called to receive indoctrination at the Moore Memorial Church with the second group of Church workers. There was a notice on the door that the shop would be open for an hour twice a week. Bibles could be bought at the United Christian Bookshops, but I was told that all who bought must register their names. People were afraid to do this, but Bibles could be bought at second hand shops. Then I looked at my shop, on the north corner of Hong Kong Road. There was a terrible muddle inside, where the Police had searched it. They had torn down some of the posters in the window, especially those with the Cross; but there were still several there, quite enough to bring news of salvation to the passer-by. The text "God is our Refuge and Strength, a very Present Help in trouble" had been torn down, and lay across the window shelf. Each month another coating of dust had settled on it, until it was quite illegible. But it was still true!
The Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank had moved into the top floor of the building on the South corner of Hong Kong Road. There I entered quite another world: order, warmth, friendship, liberty-though they were not without their troubles! While I waited, I looked over Punch, or "Country Life". While the forms were being made out, the Bank Secretary would bring me a cup of tea, and a collection of English newspapers. We had a little chat, and I felt once again in touch with the free world.
I longed to know something of what was happening in the great world outside. For a time, I had received the little English paper published five times a week in Peking. It was all propaganda, but one could glean a little news from it; and the articles were mostly translated from the Chinese papers, so it gave one a little idea of what the Chinese were hearing and thinking. That had stopped a year or more before. There were other English papers, mostly luridly propagandist, for consumption abroad. Others were more for home consumption, since English had become an approved study. These were rather theoretically and philosophically propagandist. But all were sickeningly false in outlook and teaching, and probably in facts. The only newspaper allowed from England was the Daily Worker. I sometimes got a copy, but the news was two months old or more. I sometimes got these papers published in China, and sometimes gleaned a little information from them. But I felt defiled by reading them; and even though I knew they were false, I sometimes felt the influence of their propaganda creeping over me. It made me realize how hard it was for my brethren to stand, who were compelled to read the papers daily, compelled constantly to bear the pressure of that propaganda.
I had often dreamed of how lovely it would be to have unlimited leisure, and how much I would do.. But when I had it thus forced on me, I found it hard to settle to work. No doubt it was good to be set aside for a time. The years had been very full, and now there was a keeping of the sabbaths, which perhaps had been neglected. I had time as never before to read, and pray, and meditate. Every day I tried to read a chapter in the Chinese Bible; and to translate a chapter from Dr. Rossier's commentary on second Chronicles. I read through a number of Bible commentaries, and some biographies; I especially enjoyed the life of A.L.O.E., the writer of children's books, who went as a missionary to India when she was nearly sixty; and of Mrs. Sewell, who wrote about poor children in London, and who was the mother of the author of Black Beauty.
I found it easier to work with my hands, than with my head, and did a good bit of sewing. I made a wonderful patchwork petticoat of old scraps of black woolen cloth; I made a whole collection of old woolies into a warm thick blanket by sewing them on cheesecloth, which was not rationed; and I took the beautiful brocade cover off my silk wadding jacket, and put on a plain cover and relined the brocade: and only those who have tried to make a Chinese coat will know how big a job that was. One thing fretted me very much, and I fear showed how small my mind was. During the summer, I had unraveled my old Canadian homespun skirt, and the knitted jacket to match. I had then had the wool spun up into fresh yarn. Shanghai was full of shops making old wool into new. There was just enough to knit a heavy cardigan. One third of the wool was at the Book Room, and of course was locked in there. The other two thirds I had knitted up, but there was not enough to finish, and I was sure I would never again see the other third.
I spent most of the time in the little upstairs sunroom. These six months were the cold months of the year, and very cold they could be when there was no way of heating, and the thermometer below freezing. But when the sun shone, the sunroom was pleasantly warm, and in my wadded coat and patchwork petticoat, and eight or ten other garments, I was very comfortable. I took great pleasure in the plants I tried to grow. When I see the glowing masses of petunias everywhere in Canada, I recall the petunias I tried to grow, and my intense satisfaction when they produced one scrawny flower. From its windows, I could see the grounds of what had once been the Children's Refuge of the Door of Hope. Now it was a Middle School, and I watched the students with great interest, drilling, singing patriotic songs, learning to shoot and to throw hand grenades. Every one must drill, for a time even the old women were called out to the lane for drill between seven and eight A.M.
I had not been called for questioning since November 20, and I thought that at Christmas I would venture again to visit my friends, perhaps even go to the English Bible class. As it proved afterward, this would have been very unwise, and the Lord prevented it by sending me a boil on my lip, which kept me in the house for some days. It was painful, and made me feel rather miserable, but I knew this had come from the Lord, and I learned how much better it is "to fall into the hand of the Lord" 2 Sam. 24:14 than into the hand of man. In this suffering from the hand of God there was no fear, or anguish of heart; and it was a comfort to feel His rod guiding, and restoring me from my own way to His path. It was also a time of experiencing continued kindness from the dear Chinese Christians. I did not dare to endanger Doctor friends by calling them in; but one whom I had scarcely seen before prescribed for me by telephone, and provided me with all necessary medicine. I was much disappointed not to be able to go to the Post Office; but when Christmas came, a friend brought me my mail, letters, and many cards, which were very welcome. There were gifts too from many in Shanghai: very acceptable was a pound of real Indian tea from the Consul; and there were flowers and cakes, very precious, for they were sent with some risk to the sender, and assured me of the remembrance of those I had not seen for long. The special celebration for Christmas dinner was a dish of Irish potatoes, which we had not been able to get for over a year; but they were rather nasty.
Christmas is a wonderful time. We know it probably is not the day on which the Savior was born. The early Christians were mostly slaves, and if they wanted to keep a festival of remembrance they must choose one of the public holidays, just as we do for our conferences. And what more suitable festival could they have chosen to celebrate the birth of the Savior than the Winter Solstice? the celebration of the victory of Light over darkness, when the first brief increase of day over night may be observed, that was the time chosen by those early Christians to celebrate the birth of the Son of God, "the true Light... Which, coming into the world, lightens every man. John 1:9. NT. They were men living under the shadow of that darkness, which was always ready to blot out their earthly life. We who live in the Light of Christian lands can scarcely realize the oppressive weight of darkness in heathen lands, or worse still, the godless, God-hating lands of Communism. But there is enough spiritual darkness everywhere for us to join in the rejoicing at the turn of the year that "the darkness is passing away and the true Light already shines" 1 John 2:8 NT.
The verse with which I awoke on Christmas morning was "great joy... to all people". Lu. 2:10. What a wonderful thing that Heaven could rejoice on that first Christmas! The Son had emptied Himself of His glory, "humbled Himself" to enter upon a toilsome, lonely life as the Man of Sorrows for thirty three years, a life ending in unspeakable suffering. The Father had given Him, and was left lonely in Heaven. And yet all Heaven blazed with joy! Joy, because man was to be reconciled. What value it gives to the human soul! And what could they see in man to make it all worth while? Angels were praising and rejoicing, though they had no share in it, "for He does not indeed take hold of angels (to help them) Heb. 2:16 NT. Their message is "Unto you is born a Savior". Lu. 2:11. And the Prophet has the same message "Unto us a Child is born, unto us, a Son is given" Is. 9:6. The "Child is born", a Man, Who perfectly understands the weakness of our humanity, "able to sympathize with our infirmities, tempted in all things in like manner, sin apart". Heb. 4:15 NT. The "Son is given", the Son of God, "the Mighty God", "Mighty to save" Is. 63:1. He is sent to you. Have you accepted Him, dying as your Savior? Living and ruling, as your Lord and your God?
In the new year, I went out, visited friends, even went to the Bible class. There were occasional excitements. Once I was invited to lunch at the Consulate to meet a Canadian couple, tourists who were passing through. It was in January, and very cold and uninteresting they found it, shepherded round by a guide, who wished even to breakfast with them in their room, and to show them endless industrial projects, in which they were not interested. I enjoyed that luncheon immensely. It was like getting right out of China, to meet people from Toronto, who talked about summer on the Georgian Bay, instead of about politics and food. And the food was so good-real roast beef, and delicious apple pie. Another time I met a business man whom I knew slightly, and he invited me in to have coffee, and we had a long talk, in English! Less pleasant, I was called up by the police: 1 had been going out too much, and was warned to stay at home.
Chinese New Year fell on February the eighth. It was very different from the old days-there were no firecrackers; a few had new clothes, but there were none of the beautiful silks and brocades that used to make the streets so gay; many did not even have a holiday; and I fear there were almost no special evangelistic services. But there were special rations of food, and this was absorbingly interesting-one and a half cattier of peanuts, half a catty of eggs, a catty of melon seed, red dates, a quarter catty of honey dates, and of 'golden needles' (the bud of a sort of tiger lily) fresh and salted pork, and Meat. The great question was whether to have quality, or quantity? One could choose a half chicken, or a pound of pork, or a pound and a half of beef, or two pounds and a half of mutton. Mutton is generally despised by the Chinese, but now everyone was so hungry, every one chose mutton, so there was not enough to go round. Rather unfairly it was apportioned according to households. So, I, as a household of one, had the full allowance for myself; while a family of six must divide it between them. Finally, the meat was given to the Lane Committee to divide, and in my house, the housekeeper with a family of three had mutton; the lodger had chicken, and I had beef, which is supposed to be the natural food of the British. The weather was cold, as usual at Chinese New Year which theoretically is the beginning of spring, so the food kept, and we lived on abundance for days.
Time went on, each day much like the last. I sometimes wondered if it would last forever. I knew how many Chinese had been held indefinitely without trial. But suddenly and finally the end came.
Chapter 11: Some Fragments of Spiritual Food
"The Word of the Lord came... while he was yet shut up... saying, Thus saith. the Lord... I will show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." Jer. 33:1. A friend in Canada sent me these words. In this chapter I would like to gather up some of the things-not very great and mighty-but very precious to me, which the Lord shewed to me while I was "shut up".
They "Asked not Counsel at the Mouth of the Lord.” When Joshua had brought the people into the land, and the "reproach of Egypt" had been rolled away by circumcision, he saw "a Man... with His sword drawn in His hand... And He said, As Captain of the host of the Lord am I now come". Josh. 5:13, 14. All should be under the direction of the Captain of the host; but when the Gibeonites came, Joshua made a league with them, but "asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord". We too have "the Captain of our Salvation". Heb. 2:10. And in everything we should seek counsel from Him, before we speak or act. We are elected unto the "obedience... of Jesus Christ". 1 Pe. 1:2, that perfect obedience which allows no exercise of will: "I can of Mine own self do nothing... because I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father". John 5:30. This "obedience of faith" Ro. 1:5; 16:26. NT. for every act, every word, every thought, every minute of the day, is the hardest thing, and yet it is the only way to avoid sin; for "whatsoever is not of faith is sin" Ro. 14:23. And we are furnished with means to overcome, for "The weapons of our warfare are... mighty through God... and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." 2 Cor. 10:4,5.
When we were studying the life of Saul and David I found the reason the Lord gives for Saul's downfall: "So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the Lord, even against the Word of the Lord, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to inquire of it: and inquired not of the Lord: therefore He slew him" 1 Chron. 10:13, 14. How few of us would survive, if we were slain for doing our own way, instead of inquiring of the Lord!
The Valley of Achor "I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. (or, speak to her heart) And I will give her vineyards from thence, and the Valley of Achor for a door of Hope: and she shall sing there". He. 2:14, 15, 16. The wilderness has been a part of the history of the Church in every land, and it is as true of the individual life, as it is of the Church. It is the Love of God that brings us, "allures us" into the wilderness. It is a necessary part of our Christian life. The Apostle Paul "went into Arabia" Gal. 1:17. Even our Lord was "led by the Spirit into the wilderness". Lu. 4:1. How many blessings are to be found there! There we learn the "way". Is. 43:19; there we find "springs of water" Is. 41:18. It is "coming up from the wilderness," where she has learned her own insufficiency that the bride is "leaning upon her Beloved". S. of S. 8:5.
"In the desert God will teach thee
What the God that thou halt found,
Patient, gracious, powerful, holy,
All His grace shall there abound."
J.N.D.
But the Valley of Achor is worse than the wilderness. The name means 'trouble', and it is the trouble not only of sorrow, but of sin. There a man destroyed himself, his family, and all that he had by "a trespass in the accursed thing"; led astray by coveting the forbidden treasures of Jericho, the "goodly Babylonish garment", Josh. 7, the desirable things of this world. Can there be deliverance in such a place? Yes, the Valley of Achor becomes "a door of Hope". God can work all things, even the sins, together for good for those called according to His purpose. "And He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord". Is. 51:3. The Church in China is now in a waste howling wilderness, and no doubt sin had something to do with it. But we must not despair. It is far more dear to its Lord than it is to us; all Power is given unto Him, and He has all wisdom and all love. As the Chinese Christians constantly say, "God has His good purpose", and they still wait for their present desert to become "the Garden of the Lord".
"For He Commandeth, and Raiseth the Stormy Wind." Ps. 107:25.
I have the date 'May 1953' against these words. I cannot remember now just what "stormy wind" that was; but I remember very well the teaching my Lord shewed me in it. "They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters, these see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep". Ps. 107:23, 24. These "great waters" had been to us the "people, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues" Rev. 17:15 of heathenism, and those doing business in them, the missionaries; and perhaps we had been rather smug in claiming that we saw special wonders; though I am sure He does shew His works and wonders in a special way there. But now I saw why, or how, they can see those wonders. There is the little word `for'-"For He commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind", and troubles overwhelm them, "up to the heaven" in the time of ecstasy; "down to the depths" again, in the time of despair, until they "are at their wits end", or, as the margin has it, "All their wisdom is swallowed up". And when we have thrown our own wisdom overboard, "then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and He bringeth them out of their distresses" and "so He bringeth them unto their desired haven". But if we want to see "His wonders in the-deep", we must expect the stormy winds. And when they come, we must remember that "He commandeth and raiseth them up". In the end it is by the power of those very winds that we are brought to our desired haven. There was no steam in David's day; and the journey to Heaven is not a pleasure cruise.
"All thy Estimations shall be according to the Shekel of the Sanctuary" Lev. 27:25
This means that we must learn a readjustment of values. We measure with the natural measure, and so are apt to count ease and pleasure and riches, as the best blessings, and value this life, and "things seen", above the "eternal" things. It is interesting to see what things the shekel of the sanctuary is used to measure, and some possible meanings of them. The first is the Ransom of souls, Ex. 30:13, and this gives us some idea of the value of the shekel-"for ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold,... but with the precious blood of Christ". 1 Pe. 1:18. It includes the holy ointment, Ex. 30:24, our worship; Gold, Ex. 38:24, divine righteousness; the silver sockets of the tabernacle, Ex. 38:25, 26, the foundation, that redemption on which all rests; the trespass offering, Lev. 5:15 perhaps the Cross itself; the value of a man in a vow, Lev. 5:15, what we are worth to God; the value of fields returned at the Jubilee, Lev. 27:25, our property; the value of the Levite and of the firstborn, Num. 3:47, 50, our service to God; the offerings of the princes, Num. 7:13 our gifts to God; the Redemption of the firstborn, Num. 18:16, our children. So it begins and ends with redemption. All are to be valued according to the measure of the Sanctuary. Until we learn the true values life is hard to understand. David (or Asaph) found things too painful, until he "went into the Sanctuary of God". Ps. 73:17. Then he "understood", for "Thy way, 0 God, is in the Sanctuary". Ps. 77:13. There David saw His "Power and His Glory" Ps. 63:2. There he saw His "goings", Ps. 68:24. There we find "help" Ps. 20:2, "Strength and Beauty" Ps. 96:6.
When we go into the Sanctuary, it is "the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched and not man"; there we meet the "Minister of the Sanctuary", our Great High Priest. Heb. 8:1, 2, and we learn from Him and from His example that the best blessings are often pain and sorrow; and work for God and for one's fellows is far more to be desired than ease; suffering is often only that "straitness" which presses us nearer to our Guide; Death is the blessed Angel of release who leads us into the presence of Christ-"Ay, of good heart are we, and are right glad to be exiled from the body, and to come to the homeland, to the presence of our Lord." 2 Cor. 5:8 (Way's paraphrase.) The Sanctuary is the Lord of Hosts Himself. Is. 8:13,14. It is interesting that where this is quoted in the New Testament the correct reading almost certainly is "the Lord the Christ" 1 Pe. 3:15. NT.
"A glorious High Throne from the beginning is the place of our Sanctuary" Jer. 17:12. This verse was sent to me at the end of 1949, and I kept it pinned by the telephone so I might constantly be reminded of our magnificent Refuge. The waters of the Sanctuary bring healing: "Everything shall live whither the river cometh.. because their waters they issued out of the Sanctuary". Ez. 47:9,12. We must constantly resort to that strong habitation, that "glorious Throne", if we want to bring the healing water of Life to dying souls.
Some one suggested that "the Secret Place of the Most High" Ps. 91:1, where one is kept in such perfect safety, is this Sanctuary, where one draws near to God. The Psalms are full of the delights of dwelling in God's House. Ps. 84. There we behold His beauty and find His guidance. Ps. 27:4. There we are abundantly satisfied with His goodness. Ps. 36:8. David did not yet know it as the "Father's House", but the final blessing he looked for was to "dwell in the House of the Lord forever". Ps. 23:6.
"He will Subdue our Iniquities". Micah 7:19.
You could scarcely find a passage that dwells with more delight on God's forgiveness than the last three verses of Micah. He pardons, He passes by, He retaineth not His anger, He turns again, He has compassion, He subdues our iniquities, He casts our sins into the depths of the sea. This is all because of the kind of God He is: One Who delights in mercy, on Whom one can depend to perform His Truth and His Mercy. This is the more remarkable, because the book is a long cry against sin. The office of the Prophet, "by the Spirit of the Lord" is "to declare unto Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin", doing "evil with both hands earnestly". Mi. 3:8 and 7:3. At the beginning of the book he calls the Lord God to be a witness against them, "for her wound is incurable". 1:9. But then in the fifth chapter comes Israel's final sin, which is turned by God into the foundation of their blessing, "They shall smite the Judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek". 5:1. There we read of the Coming of the Eternal One to Bethlehem, His sufferings, the feeding of His flock, and His glory. So we have God's cure for an incurable wound.
My Scripture here was the promise "He will subdue our iniquities". He not only has compassion and pardons. He has overcome "the sin which cloth so easily beset us". That is why the One "Whose goings forth were from everlasting" came to Bethlehem: it was to "save His people from their sins"-not only from the penalty, but also from the sins themselves. He subdues them, they need have no power over us. For the Gospel of Christ "is the Power of God unto salvation" Rom. 1:16, that "divine Power" which "hath given unto us all things that pertain unto Life and Godliness", and enables us "through the knowledge of Him Who has called us by glory and virtue" to climb the rungs of that ladder which leads to the abundant entrance into His Kingdom-Faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, love. 2 Pe. 1:3-11.
"Thou shalt see Me from behind". Exodus 33:23 NT.
In this chapter, Moses draws very near to God. He had offered to be blotted out of God's Book in place of the sinful people; though God could not accept this, for "none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him" Ps. 49:7, yet this love, a love resembling His own, must have been very pleasing in God's sight; and so we find the Lord speaking unto Moses "as a man speaketh unto his friend" 33:11. And Moses, having tasted, wants more and more. First, he asks, "Show me Thy way", and this is granted: "He made known His ways unto Moses" Ps. 103:7. Further, God promised that His Presence should go with him. But Moses wanted more still: "Show me Thy Glory". God cannot show him His Glory, but He promises "I will make all My Goodness pass before thee", for "thou canst not see My Face". The Hebrew word here translated 'face', is the one translated 'presence' in verse 14. God put Moses in the cleft of the Rock, and He promised that there "thou shalt see Me from behind".
That is how we still see God. He passes by, and we see His Goodness in His acts-in the sunshine and the rain and abundant harvests, the beauties of the seasons, in awakening life, in flower and colored leaf, and sparkling snow; we see His Power in hurricane and earthquake! We see His wisdom and goodness in our own life, as we look back, and we trace God's ways "from behind", that we could not see nor understand at the time; and we see them in History, and in His ways revealed in the Scriptures; and most of all we see how He passed by in Redemption. We see more than Moses. We cannot yet see the One "dwelling in the Light which no man can approach unto; Whom no man hath seen, nor can see". 1 Tim. 6:16. But "the Only begotten Son, Which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him". John 1:12, and we see "the Light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ". 2 Cor. 4:6.
The Hand of the Lord In one of her first letters after I was taken by the Police my sister sent me the verse, "Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is Thy Hand, and high is Thy right Hand. Ps. 89:13. "The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly" Ps. 118:15,16 in overcoming our enemies. "My times are in Thy Hand"; it was looking for this verse brought me to the thirty first Psalm, which was my standby during the first weeks of the questioning; and how safe our times are in that Hand which has never done us anything but good. "All His saints are in Thy hand" Deut. 33:3. This was the verse given to us when we first left for China; how close we are to all our dear ones, to every child of God, all in that one Hand, all united in Him. "I will uphold thee with the right Hand of My Righteousness" "I the Lord will hold thy right hand" Is. 41:10 and 13. We have a lovely picture here: our God holds us with His right hand, and He holds us by our right hand-that means, that as He stands beside us in the time of trouble His arm is round us to grasp our right hand, "saying, Fear not; I will help thee." The Lord Jesus said, "Neither shall any man pluck them out of My Hand", that Hand on which our names have been engraved by the nails at Calvary. It is true that "the wolf seizes them and scatters the sheep" but "no one shall seize them out of My Hand" John 10:12 and 28 NT. Even though the wolf is allowed to worry and scatter the sheep, as we know only too well, he cannot get them out of the Hands of the Son and of the Father.
"The Lord Reigns forever and Ever and Ever" Exodus 15:18. Septuagint.
I would like to pass on to you one of the thoughts in Dr. Rossier's book on first Chronicles. I have not the book with me, but this is how I remember it. The brazen altar made in the wilderness by Bezaleel had been taken to Gibeon, and placed before the Tabernacle there. 2 Chron. 1:5.
When the temple is built no mention is made of the brazen altar, neither in Kings nor in Chronicles. But in 2 Chron. 6:13 we read of Solomon's "brazen scaffold, of five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high", set in the midst of the court. Now these are exactly the dimensions of the brazen altar. Ex. 27:1. In Chronicles Solomon is the type of Christ in His millennial glory. In the Millennium there is no longer need of atonement, but there is the remembrance of it. So we have Solomon, type of Christ, the Victim of the altar, kneeling on the platform, with his hands spread forth in intercession. The One "lifted up" as Victim on the altar, now "exalted" as Intercessor on the Throne.
There is no greater encouragement to His people in all time of trouble than the certainty that our Lord is on the Throne. Over my bookcase, I had the text which had been over my bed all through the time in the Japanese internment camp: "The Lord Reigneth".
In Revelation, our Lord is eleven times called "The One sitting on the Throne". Those words are not always used in the English, but they are all the same, or nearly the same, in the Greek. Then at last we read of "The great white Throne, and the One sitting on it". That makes twelve, the number, they say, of perfect administration. The Throne is His, though He has not yet taken unto Him His great power to reign, when He will break the nations with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Ps. 2.9. His is now the Throne of Grace to which we may come boldly to obtain mercy. Heb. 4:16.
References in Revelation: chapter 4:2, 9, 10; 5:1, 7,13; 6:13; 7:10, 15; 19:4; 21:5; and 20:11.
Perfect Trust
"There was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the Mother of Jesus was there: and both Jesus was called, and His disciples, to the marriage." John 2:1, 2.
It would seem from her concern about the wine, and from what she says to the servants, that the Mother of Jesus had a certain responsibility at this marriage. During the feast she discovered that the wine had run out. Now it is not usual for the hostess to confide her embarrassment or shortage to the guests; but immediately she turns to her Son, Who had been invited with His disciples to the marriage, with the words "They have no wine".
These words speak volumes to me of what Jesus had been in that little home in Nazareth. It is generally thought that Joseph was much older than Mary, and died while Jesus was still young. If so, the responsibility would fall on Jesus, the eldest son. And He was always ready to meet every emergency. Was it some one complaining about work received from the shop? Was it a quarrelsome neighbor? Was one of the younger brothers unmanageable? Did things go wrong in the house? Was money needed? Always Mary had the same resource: "Tell Jesus". And He never failed her. One knows how tactfully, wisely and kindly He would have settled every problem! We have the same resource, and He never fails us. So she had learned to trust Him absolutely. He had never wrought a miracle for her before; perhaps He had sometimes kept her waiting. But she was so perfectly certain that He would fix things, she did not worry or tease Him, "praying through", or wearying Him with "much speaking". He did not give her at all an encouraging answer. But she knew there was a real need, so she just trusted it to Him, and said to the servants, what she no doubt often before had said to His brothers, "You just do what He says". Probably she thought He would send out and buy some, as no doubt He had often done before to fill a deficiency. But now He had left the Carpenter's shop; He had no money. Jesus did not really want to work that miracle; the time had not yet come to manifest forth His glory; but He would not fail His Mother. I do think it is lovely that the very first miracle our Lord wrought was for His Mother, because He would not let her down when she appealed to Him.
There are so many lessons to learn from the story. First, each one of us needs the kind of faith that Mary had, a faith born of knowledge and love. It trusts Him utterly in spite of all discouragements, because we know Him, know His Power, His wisdom, and His Love. The first fruit of that knowledge is "Life Eternal" John 17:3; then it gives us "Grace and Peace" and "all things that pertain unto Life and Godliness" 2 Pe. 1:2, 3. We never come to the end of it. Paul in his last days still longed "That I might know Him". Phil. 3:10. When at last we "know even as we are known" then we shall be conformed to His image, "like Him, for we shall see Him as He is". 1 John 3:2.
Even down here how good is the wine of joy which He provides. Of how many we must sadly say "they have no wine". But "the God of the Spirits of all flesh" gave them all "waterpots"; even the poor woman at the well of Samaria had one, but she left it behind when she got the "living water". John 4:28. In every man there is some time an emptiness and thirst which only their Creator can satisfy. But He leaves it to us to fill the waterpots with the water of His Word. Then He will work the miracle.
Each of us must hear the word, "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it". This obedience brings us into the same relationship as Mary: "My Mother and My brethren are these which hear the Word of God, and do it". Lu. 8:21. Then the water of purification is changed into the wine of joy. "Our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water", Heb. 10:22, we can draw near; sanctified and cleansed by "the washing of water by the Word" Eph. 5:26 we are brought into even greater intimacy, the bride of Christ, made "members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones". Eph. 5:30.
"They that Know Thy Name will put their Trust in Thee". Psalm 9:10
Perhaps what I enjoyed most those six months was searching out the Names of God. I had been collecting them for some time, hoping to find 365. Now I arranged them in a card index, and found that there are far more than 365. Of course, that depends partly on what you include as a Name and Title. It is a most interesting and profitable study, which I would recommend to any of my readers who wish to know their God more fully. Our God is infinite, human language is insufficient to reveal Him; but He has been pleased to give Names and Titles and descriptions in His Word, each revealing another facet of our unsearchable God, and of our relationship to Him. One after another of the Names come before us: we press out the meanings of the Names Savior, Redeemer, Shepherd, Priest, as they meet our need. I love the title "My Master":
"How sweetly doth 'my Master' sound!
`My Master!'
An oriental fragrancy, 'my Master'.”
George Herbert.
The bondservant of Jesus Christ! What a safe and privileged position, and it lasts to eternity, for in the Holy Jerusalem "His servants shall serve Him, and they shall see His face; and His Name shall be in their foreheads. Rev. 22:3, 4.-the most lovely description there is of Heaven, service under the eye of the Master, and likeness to Him. Some of the names will not last into eternity. We shall not need Him then as Savior and Advocate, when sin is no more, though they will always be most precious to us. But when we get to Heaven He will reveal to us His "New Name". Rev. 3:12. What will that be? Into what marvelous new relationship shall we enter then?
The first Name we meet is God, Elohim. This is the plural, though used with a singular verb. Two explanations have been given of this, probably both true. One is, that God is so great, and His character so manifold, that the singular is not sufficient to express it. It is the plural of Majesty. We have the same thought in English when our Sovereign uses the royal 'we'. But we may find a deeper meaning also. Here we may find the mystery of the Trinity, plurality in unity, three Persons, one God, in the very first sentence in the Bible. This plurality is necessary to His nature, "God is Love", for love is not possible without an object. We have the plural again in this first chapter, "Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness". So we have the hint that the love is to extend to mankind. The Son was there with the Father, the One Whom He loved "before the foundation of the world". John 17:24, "the Nursling of His love". Prov. 8:30 NT. note. And the delights of the Son "were with the sons of men". The plural is again used of God as Creator: "Let Israel rejoice in his Maker (plural) Ps. 149:2 NT. note, and "Remember now thy Creator (plural) in the days of thy youth". Eccl. 12:1. Although it is thus implied that creation is the act of all persons of the Trinity, yet the universe seems especially to be the portion of the Son-"By Him were all things created... through Him, and for Him" Col. 1:16 (see notes in NT.) "Of Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things" Ro. 11:36. What depths of love are revealed to us when we think of the Son by His Name of Creator. He is the Lamb "Foreordained before the foundation, of the world"; when creating the world, creating man, He knew that those sons of men would sin; that He would have to die for them on the cross; that they would reject and neglect Him. And yet He wanted us so much that He went through with it all. He did not just pity us: He loves us, and wants our love: "I am my Beloved's, and His desire is toward me". S. of S. 7:10.
At one time, special encouragement came from the Name "the God of the spirits of all flesh". Num. 16:22; 27:16; Jer. 32:27. I was so burdened for the Christians, struggling, suffering, failing. But they are all His; the responsibility is His, the Government is on His shoulder, and it is strong enough for any burden, even for the burden of the 650 million in the darkness in China; not to mention those in Russia, in Africa, in South America, and the islands of the sea. They are all His, He is the God of their spirits, even if they do not know Him. And haply some of them "might feel after Him and find Him", for He is "not far from every one of us" Acts 17:27; But the burden that weighs on our Savior's heart should also weigh on ours, for we have been put in trust with the Gospel.
"Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation". Rev. 5:9.
As I tried to pray, as we are directed, "first of all for ALL men" this verse weighed upon me as a burden of souls. He redeemed by His blood from every tongue: there are 4000 or more "tongues" in this world, and only 1500 of them have any part of the Word of God; still 2000 or more "peoples" with not even one representative to fall down in worship before the Lamb. The Redemption price has been paid "with the precious blood of Christ", shed on the Cross at Golgotha. It is sufficient to redeem every soul that is born, and sins, and dies. God the Father and God the Son have done their utmost. To us, His body, His members, His feet, His lips, His hands, He entrusted the spread of the glad tidings of that Redemption. And probably the greater number of mankind has never even heard of it. The value of that precious blood-I say it reverently-is being wasted. The worship due to Him is being paid to false gods, false ideas. The "salvation" was ready in Peter's day; and the judgment was also ready. 1 Pe. 1:5; 4:5. But "every kindred and nation" is not yet ready. No wonder our Lord waits, waits "that He may be gracious" Is. 30:18; waits to leave the Throne of Grace, and ascend the Throne of judgment.
God so loved the world. John 3:16; Jesus Christ the Righteous... He is the Propitiation... for the whole world. 1 John 2:2; The Lamb of God Which taketh away the sin of the world. John 1:29; God our Savior will have ALL men to be saved. 1 Tim. 2:3, 4; The grace of God which carries with it salvation for ALL men has appeared." Tit. 2:11 NT.; The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance. 2 Pe. 3:9; Christ Jesus gave Himself a Ransom for ALL. 1 Tim. 2:6; He died for ALL, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him Which died for them, and rose again. 2 Cor. 5:15.
"Joy in God". Ro. 5:11.
I think that the most precious thing that I have learned in these ten years is the all sufficiency of God-the preciousness of Himself, quite apart from what He has done for us or given to us. The Bible is full of this, but I had been blind to it. This is what Paul pressed on his converts, "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord" Phil. 3:1 & 4:4; not in His salvation, not in His great gifts-those are subjects of rejoicing, but not what Paul is speaking of here. We may even have to do without His gifts, or His temporal salvations (thank God our eternal salvation can never change) But God Himself is always there, always the Same. The Same, that is one of His Names. Ps. 102:27. We find both sources of joy in the last Psalm, "Praise Him for His mighty acts: Praise Him according to His excellent greatness". "His mighty acts"- the creation, salvation and preservation of mankind-how wonderful they are! But "His excellent greatness" is even more, for that is the spring of the mighty acts, and is greater than them all. It is something entirely objective, quite outside myself, outside all this creation, outside of everything done-always there is, and has been, and will be, this wonderful God; and I may rejoice in Him, His Power, His Wisdom, His Love, His Righteousness, His nobility, just as I can enjoy a beautiful sunset, a splendid picture, a noble deed, quite apart from any share I have in them. And all beauty, all splendor, all nobility, is to be found in God, always there, a source of joy in any surroundings. This realization of God as He is in Himself, David longed for: "My soul thirsteth for God, for the Living God" Ps. 42:2; and when he had been brought by the Light and Truth of God his Strength to His "Holy Hill", to His "Tabernacle", right inside "unto the altar of God", then he found God his "Exceeding Joy", or rather "the gladness of his joy" Ps. 43:3, 4 (margin). This joy in God adds a sparkle to every other true joy.
Perhaps this all sufficiency of God which raises us above circumstances is most clearly expressed by the Prophet Habakkuk. In his prayer, in chapter three, he tells how he saw the glory, the terror and the salvation of God. And then he concludes triumphantly, "Although the figtree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: YET I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my Salvation".
Our brethren in China, even in communes and prison camps, can have this joy, and I am sure that many of them have it. God has not seen fit to show "His mighty acts" in deliverance for many of them. But He can give the joy in Himself without that. Let us pray that "He will make (their) feet like hinds' feet, and make (them) to walk upon (their) high places". Hab. 3:19.
Sunday Morning Meditation Num. 14.14
Observe-
The Lord in the midst of His people.
The Lord seen by His people.
The Lord over His people.
The Lord going before His people.
"In the midst" as our great High Priest-
Atoning
Pardoning
Blessing.
As our Prophet-
Teaching
Training.
As our King-
Ruling
Controlling
Commanding.
"In the midst",
Leading our praises.-Heb. 2:12
Inspiring our prayers.-Matt. 18:20
Speaking peace.-John 20:19-26
Of our troubles.-Dan. 3:25
Giving us light.-Rev. 2:1
Our mighty One.-Zeph. 3:17
Our supplying One.-Phil. 4:19
Our pleading One.-Rev. 8:3
Is the Lord Jesus "in the midst"-
The center of my spiritual life, of my worship,
of my home-my table,
of my business-property, of my Christian work?
Are all my springs of being-of doing-in Him? -Psalm 87:7,
Monday—Morning
Prayer
Adoration of God's Glorious Character.
Praise for the treasure house of blessing in Christ Jesus:
All grace-all power-all need supplied
Riches unsearchable.
Joy unspeakable.
Peace passing understanding.
Love passing knowledge.
"Be Thou their (my) arm every morning.”
-Isa. 33:2.
Prayer
For appropriating faith.
For more personal experience of a living Jesus-reality.
For holy walking in Him.
For earnestness of purpose today.
"Grant me now my spirit's longing,
None of self, and all of Thee.
Praise
For the cleansing blood.
For the justifying righteousness.
For the sanctifying Spirit.
For the promised power to be-to will-to do.
For the keeping love.
Plead
That my influence today may be "all for Jesus".
For mothers' meetings.
For all engaged in worldly commerce.
For masters-employers-servants.
For the great council of the nation assembled is Parliament; and all who bear rule in our land.
For the Queen, Prince of Wales, and all the Royal Family.
For the Evangelization of India.
For all near and dear to me-"my own vineyard." "I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. Ps. 3:5-"The arm of Jehovah was my pillow".-Delitzsch.
C. G. Baskerville.
"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance" Eph. 6:18.
During those six months that I was shut in there was nothing I could do for my Chinese friends except to pray for them. As I was spending more time in prayer than ever before, I thought about it a good deal. Perhaps some of the thoughts may be helpful to others. I longed to learn more intelligence in prayer, for though we are sure that our Father hears even the stupidest prayer, if offered in sincerity, and in the Name of His Son, yet one would like to know how to offer the best. It seems that the prayers of the saints are the fragrance of Heaven, for the four and twenty elders hold "golden bowls full of incenses, which are the prayers of saints". Rev. 5:8. NT. One wonders how much fragrance I may have added to Heaven today. One is thankful for the "much incense given to (the angel) that he might give (efficacy) to the prayers of all saints" Rev. 8:3 NT.-the fragrance of the One "Whose Name is an ointment poured forth" S. of S. 1:3 a "sweet-smelling savor" to God. Eph. 5:2.
Prayer is also a conflict "All Prayer" and "the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God" are the two weapons of attack in the spiritual warfare "against the universal lords of this darkness, against spiritual powers of wickedness in the heavenlies" Eph. 6:12 NT. I do not think we any of us realize how tremendous is the power of Satan, "the Prince of this world" "the Prince of the' power of the air". Satan claimed that the power and the glory of all the kingdoms of the world are delivered unto him, and our Lord did not deny it. Lu. 4:5, 6. God made man to "have dominion" Gen. 1:26, but he let the power fall into the hands of the devil. And though the devil was condemned and defeated at the Cross, the sentence is not yet carried out. Prayer is our weapon against him, and like Epaphras we should be "always combatting earnestly in prayer." Col. 4:12 NT.
There are three Greek words translated `prayer' in the New Testament, and we find them all in the directions for prayer given in 1 Timothy 2:1. The first is `deesis' meaning a request, begging. There is another word, %item& with the same meaning of a request. It is never translated prayer in the Authorized Version, though it has this meaning in Phil. 4:6-`request'—and in 1 John 5:15-`petition'. There is also the word `hiketeeria', supplication, used only in Heb. 5:7. The most usual word is `proseuchee% which is always translated 'prayer'. Its simple form `euchee' is translated prayer in James 5:15, but it is twice translated 'vow' (Acts 18:18 and 21:23), and this is its original meaning. Does this suggest that in prayer there should be a certain giving of oneself? The third word, `enteuxis', is used only here and in 1 Timothy 4:5. It comes from the verb `entungkano' which means 'to meet, hence to call upon, make a petition'. It is used of the intercession for us of the Holy Spirit, Ro. 8:26, 27 and of the Lord Jesus Ro. 8:34 and Heb. 7:25. It may also be a pleading against, as in Romans 11:2, Elijah "maketh intercession to God against Israel", and Acts 25:24, the Jews made intercession (A.V. dealt with) against Paul to Festus. So the noun `enteuxis' must also have the meaning of intercession-prayer for others, as translated in 1 Tim. 2:1. The dictionary gives it the meaning of `approach to a King' which of course might be for others. In the New Translation note here Mr. Darby translates it "personal and confiding intercourse with God on the part of one able to approach Him." This is the most beautiful definition of prayer that we could want. In chapter 4:5 he translates it 'freely addressing', and points out in the note on it that this intercourse with God is possible for those who are faithful (or believing, the same word in the Greek) and know the truth. (verse 3)
The primary requisite of prayer is Faith: "He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek Him" Heb. 11:6. And of course Christian prayer must be in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. John 14:13; 16:23.
I was much helped by a little book, "Abbe Father", by C. G. Baskerville. I suppose it is long out of print, but one might prepare such a book for oneself. It gives suggestions for prayer, and for meditation, for morning, mid-day and evening for the seven days of the week. At the end are blank pages for one's own special subjects of prayer each day, and pages for the names of persons, places and work to be remembered in prayer; and finally a place for record of answers to prayer. There is a great variety in the suggested scheme of prayer in this little book. At the beginning of this 'fragment' I have put the Prayer and Meditation given for Sunday and Monday mornings.
As we betake ourselves to prayer, first there is the approach to God; and everything, within and without, seems to conspire to hinder this. Even in that quiet, shut-in time in Shanghai it was amazing how interruptions came in. There is an old saying, Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees; but I think that is just the time that Satan is most busy-anything to prevent prayer, for that is what he fears most. Our Lord has given us the command, "Enter into thy chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father". Matt. 6:6 NT. It is not always possible to do this literally; but, if possible, the very closing of the door helps to shut the door of our hearts against those terrible wandering thoughts that assail one. And I have found that praying aloud is often a help in keeping one's heart fixed.
Two quotations I found helpful in this approach: "If we would pray aright, the first thing that we should do is to see to it that we really get an audience with God, that we really get into His very presence. Before a word of petition is offered, we should have the definite consciousness that we are talking to God, and should believe that He is listening and is going to grant the thing that we ask of Him". Dr. R. A. Torrey.
"There is nothing out of which we so easily get as the consciousness of the presence of God. So also in our prayers. You may often be sensible that you go on praying after you have lost the consciousness that you are speaking to God". J. N. Darby.
This would be what our Lord prescribes for the worship of the Father: "They that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth". John 4:24. And the apostles say the same-"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit". Eph. 6:18. "Praying in the Holy Ghost". Jude 20. And when we find it difficult, remember "The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought". Ro. 8:26.
We do not want to rush into the presence of God. As some one has said, our attitude should be, "Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth", rather than, "Hear, Lord, for Thy servant speaketh". It has been suggested that there should be a pause after the first word of address, "Our Father"; as we wait before Him, He will often give us a special message by bringing a Scripture to mind: "I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for He will speak peace unto His people." Ps. 85:8.
Prayer should begin with adoration: recall the greatness and goodness of our God, what God is in Himself; consider some of His great Names, as in Psalm 18:1-3, David calls upon "The Lord Who is worthy to be praised". Thus we shall approach with that reverence which is essential. It is a "Throne of Grace", but it is a Throne to which we come; and yet we come with boldness, for our great High Priest is there, and it is a Father to Whom we come. I have read of some one who heard a great saint at prayer. He thought, Now I shall hear some wonderful requests; but all he heard was the repetition of the Name of God in varying tones of awe and love. And there was another old saint, who repeated the first words of John 3:16 again and again, dwelling on each word: God-So -Loved-the World!
It is interesting to see how God is addressed, or referred to in prayer: three times as "the God of Peace" Ro. 15:33; 1 Thess. 5:23; Heb. 13:20; "the Lord of Peace" 2 Thess. 3:13; "the God of Patience and Consolation" Ro. 15:5; "the God of Hope" Ro. 15:13; "the God of all Grace" 1 Pe. 5:10; "the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory" Eph. 1:17. He is referred to as "Lord God Almighty" only in Revelation; it is really an Old Testament title. Our title for Him is Father 1 Pe. 1:17; "Our Father" Lu. 11:2 "Abba Father" Ro. 8:15; Gal. 4:6 "Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba Father".
The next thing is thanksgiving. In this too the Psalms will provide expression-the 103rd, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits"; the 34th, "I will bless the Lord at all times", and many others. It is true that we have many more subjects for thanksgiving than the Psalmist had; but the theme of the Psalms is so often Redemption that they can express our feelings very well. If we want something higher we can read the first chapter of Ephesians and give thanks for "every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies". And then each one has his special thanks for special kindnesses. In the evening before we sleep it is good to acknowledge the mercies of the day, hour by hour. The Lord had been very good to me in His delivering power, and giving protection and peace, and as I began my prayers with thanksgiving, more and more subjects of thanksgiving came to me; I think thanksgiving always grows with use. How many times in the Epistles we are exhorted to give thanks. "Neither were they thankful" is one of the sins in the horrible list in Romans one, one of the causes of the darkening of their hearts.
Another part of prayer must be Confession. We must not defer confession of known sin: as soon as we are conscious of it, confess it, and "He is faithful and just to forgive us"; and communion is restored. But there are many secret sins of which we are not conscious at the time, or we are not conscious of the plague of the heart of which the sin-the hasty word, the ill-advised act-is the symptom. It is very wholesome at the end of the day to go through the nine fruits of the Spirit and consider whether during the day we have offended against "Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, fidelity, meekness, self-control". Gal. 5:22, 23 NT.
Besides confession of failure, we need confession of faith. We need to remind ourselves, and dwell upon, the great facts of both our sin and our salvation. "Many a time the soul that 'cleaveth unto the dust' is more helped up, more enabled to feel its feet and its wings, by a brief but steadfast confession of failure and then confession of faith before the Lord, than by a long supplication which, so to speak, forgets its blessed base and warrant. We sometimes petition when we should rely; and reliance is mightily helped by Scriptural meditation." H. C. G. Moule. It has been said that 'we know' is "a technical expression for the portion of Christians". J.N.D. Synopsis, 2 Cor. 5:1, Note. So, let us reflect on some of the things "we know". To begin with, most precious fact, foundation of all our blessings, "We know that the Son of God has come". 1 John 5:20. There are plenty more. If our adoration and thanksgiving are sluggish, surely this will stir them into action. A daily remembrance and assertion of our faith is the best protection against doubts.
So, we come to Petition for our own needs, and Intercession for the needs of others. In this we should be definite, not just say vaguely, Bless so and so; but take the trouble to think, and state what we want for so and so. I found the prayers of the Apostle Paul a great help in this. Paul's prayers might almost be said to fill the place in the New Testament which the Psalms have in the Old Testament. The principal prayers are Eph. 1:16-23 and 3:14-21; Phil. 1:9-11; Col. 1:9-17, and several in Thessalonians. There are beautiful doxologies, especially in Romans and in Timothy. His prayers are all for spiritual blessings. There is not a very wide range of subjects in them, and the same requests are repeated again and again in different forms in the different prayers. How often he prays for knowledge: that the Christian may know "the Hope of his calling" "the riches of His inheritance", "the exceeding greatness of His power" "the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge" "the knowledge of His will".
In Phil. 1:9-11 I found an outline for prayer for our brethren in China; and no doubt adapted also to many others. "That ye may approve things that are excellent": this is the primary need for all those constantly exposed to indoctrination and brainwashing: that they may see through the propaganda, the falsehoods and the half-truths, and hold fast that which is true. "That ye may be sincere"-how terribly easy it is to go with the stream when there is pressure all around; how hard to say what one really thinks, when such speech may bring you "cruel mocking" or even "bonds and imprisonment. "Filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ" The Christian must be like Daniel-"They could find none occasion or fault; forasmuch as he was faithful", so that his enemies could find no occasion against him except "concerning the Law of his God" Dan. 6:4, 5. And when the Christians are not allowed to speak, the testimony of their lives must speak for them. The prayer in Col. 1:9-17 has much the same thoughts. It ends with a magnificent example of thanksgiving and adoration, and it includes words which we should pray daily for our brethren in prisons and labor camps: That they may be "strengthened with all might" of body, mind and spirit against the physical hardships, against the pressure of false teaching, against the assaults of the evil one, "according to His glorious power", or better "according to the might of His glory, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness", Col. 1:11. One may start out rejoicing to be counted worthy to suffer for the Name; but it is hard to suffer long, through years of hardness and loneliness. These three requests, for knowledge, for wisdom, and for a good walk, perhaps cover the whole range of needs for soul and spirit.
A requisite of prayer is a time of silence and waiting-"I will hear what God the Lord will speak" Ps. 85:8. After we have asked for wisdom, have prayed about some problem, we should pause to receive His counsel, if we really believe the promise that "if any man lack wisdom it shall be given him" Ja. 1:5.
We are to pray "always with all prayer and supplication for all saints". Eph. 6:18. I found help for this in the letters to the Churches in Rev. 2 and 3. There are the things they must "keep", or "hold fast" -"What thou halt", "My Name", "My Word", "My works", "My Faith"; and in return there is the promise, "I will keep thee". There are warnings, "Remember", "Repent", "Watch", "Fear not", "Be faithful". There are the qualities that are praised, and the qualities that are blamed: all of which is full of instruction.
We are to pray "first of all... for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority". 1 Tim. 2:1, 2. This is very important, and often neglected. It is our first duty in praying to pray for all men: not only for all Christians, or all Englishmen, or Americans, but all men, and all that are in authority. How often do we obey that definite command: "First of all prayers for all that are in authority"? Is it our fault that "a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty" is impossible for our brethren in China and Russia, and other Communist lands? We might find words to pray for the rulers of those lands in Psalm 2:10-12. "Be wise now, therefore, 0 ye kings; be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son lest He be angry, and ye perish from the way, for soon His anger burneth" (alternative ending). The judgment of God will come: "For His eyes are upon the ways of man... He shall break in pieces mighty men without number... because they turned back from Him, and would not consider any of His ways: so that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto Him, and He heareth the cry of the afflicted... Whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only." Jab. 34:21-30.
There is so much to pray for, very few have time for everything, but it is a help to make a plan, and pray once a week, or once a month, for the "all men" who are outside our immediate circle. Such a list, with a subject for each day of the month, has been drawn up for China, and may be obtained from the C.I.M. And each can make his own list, as he considers the terrible needs of this world. To pray intelligently we must have knowledge. To pray for "all men" we must keep in touch with what is happening in the world. But the knowledge of which Paul speaks so often may be found in the Scriptures. They will best teach us how to pray.
I do not like to leave this subject without speaking of the outline of prayer which the Lord gave to His disciples. It has very often been a means used by the Spirit to help my infirmities, sometimes just repeating the words, more often trying to sound some of the depth of meaning in each clause. It is a good way to fill in sleepless hours at night, and it will bring sleep.
"Our Father"-it is the prayer of the child, to be used only by those who have "received Him" and so have "the right to be children of God" John 1:12 NT. If we remember this it will do away with many of the difficulties and the objections to the use of the prayer.
"Which art in Heaven", literally "The One in the Heavens". The plural form gives us the range of His power, as controlling each sphere affected by our petitions. We know there are at least three Heavens. 2 Cor. 12:2. Our Lord seems to distinguish three, though this is not so clear in the English as in the Greek. There is the heaven in which the birds fly, translated 'air', Matt. 6:26; 8:20 etc. Then there is the heaven sometimes translated 'sky' Matt. 16:2, where are the clouds and the stars. Matt. 24:30; Mark 13:25. And there is the heaven where the angels live, Mark 13:32, Lu. 2:15, and to which our Lord was taken up. Acts 1:11. So our Father is here beside us in the air, the atmosphere which surrounds us; He controls the elements, regulates sun and cloud which give us our daily bread; and He is the Ruler of the powers in Heaven.
"Hallowed be Thy Name". It is impossible to come to an end of the requests suggested by this heading. This is far more than reverence in the use of the Name of God, though that is of course included in it. All foolish talking and jesting about holy things, all wicked and profane use of the Name of God we must pray against; and in our awn hearts we need to guard it with the "Holy, holy, holy" reverence of the Seraphim. Is. 6:3, and of the Living Creatures. Rev. 4:8. And here I would like to protest against the flippant use of that holy Name as a name for Sunday. It is constantly both spoken and written without the article, I have even seen it written without a capital, which means that there is no realization of the meaning of what is said. This certainly is taking the Name of the Lord in vain-emptying it of its meaning. Even though we are not under the Law, the command holds good, "Thou shalt not idly utter the Name of Jehovah thy God" Ex. 20:7 NT. But there is more than this. `Name' is used in Scripture with the meaning of reputation. We use it in the same way; if you are looking for a lawyer to manage your affairs, you want one "with a good name". Now God has entrusted His Name, His reputation, to us; each Christian is an "epistle of Christ", "known and read of all men" 2 Cor. 3:2, 3. We are baptized into (lit.) "the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit" Matt. 28:30. We are called by that "worthy Name" of Christian. Ja. 2:7. So how much we must pray for help to walk worthy of such a calling. And what a weight of responsibility for the credit of that Name lies upon us when we profess to be "gathered together unto (His) Name". I think we may connect this request with our Lord's own prayer in John 17. There He tells us, "I have manifested Thy Name unto the men which Thou gavest Me out of the world." There is the responsibility and the protection of that Knowledge of the Name: "While I was with them in the world I kept them in Thy Name", and now He prays, "Holy Father, keep through Thine own Name those whom Thou hast given Me". Verses 6, 11, 12. That Name which we must keep holy, it also keeps us. Besides our personal and corporate responsibility to God, there is our responsibility to our fellow men. What are we doing that God's Name may be hallowed among men? How about the places that have never heard His Name? How can His Name be hallowed among them? This brings us to the next request.
"Thy Kingdom come". This has two meanings, corresponding to its double meaning of the present reign over men's hearts, and the future reign of our Lord over all the earth. This is the prayer of the child of God, who longs not only for the Coming, but also for "the Appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ". Tit. 2:13 NT. There is even a crown promised to "all them that love His appearing". 2 Tim. 4:8. One feels ashamed that so often the desire for His coming is prompted by the wish to escape from our troubles, rather than the meeting with our Lord. We should think of His side of it; He longs to come to receive His bride, and also to take His rightful place as King of Israel, and Lord of all things. Psalm 47 describes it; the prayer book version reads, "God is gone up with a merry noise". How delightful to think of our Lord coming laughing down from Heaven in joy at seeing the fruits of the travail of His soul. All Heaven rejoices and the twenty-four elders give thanks "because Thou hast taken to Thee Thy great power and hast reigned", Rev. 11:15-17, when the prince of this world is cast out, and "the Kingdom of our God and the power of His Christ" is come. Rev. 12:10. If our eyes can be raised from our own troubles to dwell on our Lord, not only will we desire Him for the excellence of Himself, but our troubles will be estimated at their right value, "not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed". Ro. 8:18. But we must never forget the other meaning. We must always pray for the extension of His Kingdom upon earth; that His Name may be reverenced, and His power acknowledged, and that the Light of His Gospel may illuminate the dark places of the earth. Do we sometimes neglect the necessary emphasis on the Kingship of Christ, and the extension of His Kingdom? Paul speaks of it often, and it is the last thing we are told about His preaching. Acts 28:31.
"Thy Will be done". This again grows out of the previous request, that His Kingdom may be set up, His authority acknowledged, over the whole earth. In the meantime, I apply this request especially to myself. There are three steps-I must know His will, I must desire His will, and I must do His will. We can thank God that He has provided for all three: He has made known His will in His Word, and "it is God Who works in you, both the willing and the working according to His good pleasure" Phil. 2:13 NT. Then too there is the acceptance of His will; this seems to involve the presentation of our bodies-those members through which we act; and casting aside conformity to this world, we become "transformed by the renewing of the mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God" Ro. 12:1, 2. And so we come, like our Master, to "delight to do Thy will", whatever it is.
"Give us this day our daily bread". This is the one request for bodily needs. There is no request for luxuries, but we can depend on God for necessities. "Bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure". Is. 33:16. This was our promise for the Internment Camp, and we learned there how precious bread and water are, and how many luxuries are not necessities. This request also includes our daily spiritual food, and we should be sure to look for it every day, not just one meal a week.
"Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us". This of course has nothing to do with our eternal forgiveness. This is the prayer of the child to his Father: "If ye call on the Father, Who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear. 1 Pe. 1:17. Our work has nothing to do with our eternal forgiveness. (Eph. 2:9; Titus 3:5) But after we are forgiven and made sons of God, then our Father judges us according to our works. "If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons" Heb. 12:7; there may be present sorrow, instead of eternal damnation. We see an extreme example of this in 1 Cor. 5:5. "To deliver such an one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." It is an extremely solemn request, and we should take heed to it, for it is the only sentence in the prayer which the Lord emphasizes afterward-"If ye forgive... your heavenly Father will forgive. If ye forgive not... neither will your Father forgive". The confession of sin to obtain the fatherly forgiveness is the condition of fellowship with Him and with one another. 1 John 1:7, 9. If we have an unforgiving spirit, we cannot enjoy that fellowship. We must be like our Heavenly Father in His love; just before this the Lord had been telling them, "Love your enemies... that ye may be the children of your Father". Matt. 5:44-48. The Apostle puts it the other way round: "Forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved". Eph. 4:32; 5:1, 2. The Lord sent me the warning "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me". Ps. 66:18. Our Lord said "If ye abide in Me, and My Words abide in you". John 15:7. This is a condition of answered prayer.
"Lead us not into temptation". This clause is a great comfort. We are thankful for the promise that "God... will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able". 1 Cor. 10:13. James tells us "blessed is the man that endureth temptation" Ja. 1:12. But we naturally shrink from trial, and I am very thankful that we are told to pray for freedom from temptation, both for ourselves and those dear to us. It reminds us of our own weakness, and is a warning against putting ourselves in the way of temptation; but it also reminds us that our Father "Pitieth His children. For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust". Ps. 103:13, 14.
"Deliver us from evil", or, from the evil one. This again is a comfort. It is not cowardly, it is God's will for us to avoid evil, and to avoid encounters with the evil one. If he attacks us, we are to resist him. Ja. 4:7. But we are not to seek him out. He is sure however to attack us, and we need God's constant care to protect us from him. I think this 'evil' includes not only sin, but also bodily harm. These two clauses might well be our daily prayer for those in Communist lands.
"For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory". These words probably should not be there. They are not found in the best manuscripts of the Greek text. But it is true and is a beautiful ending. Perhaps it has been taken from David's prayer in 1
Chronicles 29:11. Or from the Hymn of praise in Revelation 5:12,13. For us, the children of the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, there is no better ending than that to Paul's prayer-"Now unto Him That is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. Eph. 3:20, 21.
Chapter 12: The End
On Friday, April 10, a policeman came to the house with a summons to trial before the People's Middle Court the next day at half past two. In the afternoon, I went down to see the Consul, as he had asked me to keep him informed, and to show him the charges: selling reactionary books, helping anti-revolutionaries, etc. At first I had thought of the trial as if it had been in an English court, with witnesses, and counsel for the defense, etc. I asked if I should call a lawyer, which was simply unintelligible to the policeman. But I realized very quickly that the matter was of course already settled; and I entirely agreed with the Consul when he advised me simply to accept whatever they said. He then offered to be present, if it were a public trial.
Of course, I went to the Post Office, and there was a letter from my brother, and a note from a niece, sending me Psalm 56:3 and 9 "What time I am afraid I will trust in Thee" and "God is for me". And 2 Kings 6:16, 17 "Fear not; for they that be with us are more than they that be with them". I could indeed truly say that Gal had been for me, and with me, all through. I wish I knew how to tell of all His love and care.
On the way back I bought some clothing of which I was in need, in case I was imprisoned. And I spent the evening sorting out and destroying papers. The verse that had come to me before I left Canada kept coming back to mind, "bonds and imprisonment await you." Was the time come for its fulfillment? I thought I had better look up the passage, as I had proved I sometimes did not really get the message from the Holy Spirit till I verified it in the Scriptures. So, I found the place, with which I was very familiar, Acts 20:23. And I found that all those years I had been quoting it wrong. It is "bonds and afflictions abide me". No word of imprisonment at all, and I was not a little comforted. I felt I had already been bound in my house, and had received some few afflictions, so perhaps the prophecy was already fulfilled. Next morning the verse on my French calendar was "Thy hand shall lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me". Ps. 139:10.
That night there was a tremendous gale and floods of rain. I wondered whether the buses would be running, and if not, how I could reach the court? But I knew I must be there, so I set out early, and found the buses still going in spite of the rain. As I went down I kept repeating the ninety-first Psalm, recalling what a stronghold it had been on many occasions, and wondering just where the "Secret Place of the Most High" might be. Wherever it was, I was determined to dwell there that afternoon, and the Lord gave me to "abide under the Shadow of the Almighty." There was a long wait, sheltering from the rain under the doorway of an office building. Then I saw the Consul arrive with his interpreter, and I followed them in. The court was a large room, divided into two by a low paling. It was a public trial, and there were about thirty men, all Chinese of course, sitting in the back half of the room. I was at the dock at the back of the upper part; the Consul was directly behind me, and it was a comfort to feel the British Empire with me. But the Lord Himself was directly with me, "a very present Help", and He delivered me from every feeling of fear. All through the trial my subconscious thought was, Stand up straight, do not let these heathen think that you, a Christian and a British subject, are afraid of them!
Soon the Court arrived. Three judges sat on the platform across the top of the room, a woman and an older man, and a young man in the middle who carried on the proceedings. At the side was the clerk, and the procurator who read out the charges. I had asked for an interpreter, so beside me was the young woman who had translated for me at first. For about an hour they went over the information collected during the questions, and asked me about differing points in my "Confession". Especially they dwelt on the Prophetic chart. Finally, they asked whether I confessed to these crimes, and whether I had anything to say for myself. In everything there was an element of truth, but everything was twisted to an evil meaning. I said that I admitted all the charges, but that nothing had been done with any intention to harm the State; I came to China, and I remained there, only because I wished to help the Chinese people. Their reply was to the effect that if I wanted to help China, it must be in the way they liked; and then the judges withdrew for deliberation. While they were away the translator read me her notes of the proceedings, and I suppose I signed them. After about half an hour the judges came back to sum up the matter and pronounce the verdict. The charges were that I had been carrying on anti-revolutionary activities under the cloak of religion-the charge against all Christians. In particular, so far as I can remember, I was charged with giving assistance to anti-revolutionaries, (gifts I had given to poor Pastors), selling books of an anti-revolutionary character (Wang Ming Tao's books), publishing Literature slandering the Communist State (our prophetic chart), not denouncing anti-revolutionaries, sending out information about China to Imperialist countries, stirring up the minority races and border regions (my contact with the Russians from Sinkiang and with the Border Mission).
Then the verdict was pronounced, that the Book Room was confiscated, and I was expelled from China. In answer to my questions, I was told that I might now go about and visit my friends, that I might keep my own personal property, and they would tell me later when and how I was to go. They said I had ten days to consider the verdict, and to decide whether I wished to appeal to the higher Court.
I had always felt that I simply could not bear it, if I had to give up the Book Room. Yet now, when it was taken from me, The Lord gave me perfect peace, and by His grace, I could say "As for God, His way is perfect". Ps. 18:30. I cannot say that the Lord comforted me, for I did not need it. He did not allow the sorrow even to touch me; I went through it dryshod. The Communists were only His instrument. For some reason the time had come to shut the door, and I knew that it was the "Good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God". Ro. 12:2. Of course we cannot expect grace to be provided for a trial until the trial comes; but we can always depend on our great High Priest to provide "grace for seasonable help" Heb. 4:16 NT. To show something of the mercy of God to me, I must add that the American Roman Catholic Bishop, who was arrested the same time as I was, had his trial almost a year later, and was sentenced to twenty years imprisonment. The two Jehovah's Witnesses did not have their trial until August 1960, nearly two years after being taken, and were sentenced, one to five, and one to seven years imprisonment. The charge against them, according to the newspaper report, was the same as mine, "carrying on anti-revolutionary activities under the cloak of religion".
I had been awaiting this end for the past ten years, especially the last six months, so that when it finally came, it was somewhat of a relief. I had not much time either to repine or to rejoice. Sunday everything was flooded after the rain, but I got out to see some friends, and to the English service. There I heard that the subject for that Sunday's sermons was the wicked foreigner who had been carrying on anti-revolutionary activities under the cloak of religion. Those thirty at the trial were probably all Pastors, summoned for that purpose. I know the Anglican Bishop was there.
On Monday, the written copy of the charges and verdict was brought to me. I am sorry I did not venture to keep this. I was told again that I would have ten days to consider whether to appeal, so I was pretty sure I would not have to leave before ten days. Tuesday evening they telephoned that I must come down to the Court the next day to see the Judge. I went down the next afternoon, praying Nehemiah's prayer, "Prosper, I pray Thee, Thy servant this day, and grant (her) mercy in the sight of this man". Neh. 1:11. He said I must send in an acceptance of the verdict, and dictated a form, to be prepared in four Chinese and four English copies, and delivered at ten A.M. the next day. He then told me that I might take, or dispose of my personal property; might take my own books; he still did not tell me how or when I should go, but repeated that I should hasten my preparations. And he demanded a report on the Book Room to be handed in the next day. He was very courteous, I felt my prayer had been answered, and I proved again that "the Lord is Good, a Stronghold in the time of trouble. Nahum 1:7.
Every day I was called to the court or the Foreign Office for some reason or other, and often I was away the whole day. In the evening, till two or three in the morning, I sat in the little inner room by the fireplace, sorting and burning papers and pictures. Every morning I was awake by five thirty. But I proved again "As thy days (and nights) so shall thy strength be". Deut. 33:25. I could not eat either, though the dear Chinese friends provided me with almost impossible dainties. But my strength did not fail, and my mind was clear and alert: and it needed to be, there was so much to do, so many decisions to make.
On Monday morning, the twentieth, I was called to be at the Book Room by nine fifteen. There I was met by the Judge, the young man who had questioned me, and a translator. The whole place was covered with a thick gray dust. They went over the accounts, and the money in the safe, about $350.00. I pointed out that I had paid the rent of the Book Room out of my personal funds for the last six months, so it owed me about $500.00, since personal and Book Room funds must be kept strictly separate. Of course, I was quite sure they would not part from that money, now it was in their power-and so was I-but I was pleased to be able to make the claim. They could not think of an answer theft, but said they would let me know. A couple of days later, they explained that I had not been authorized by the court to make those payments, so I alone was responsible. And they also so wangled it that I must pay in several hundred more into the Book Room, I forget how much, or on what grounds. It did not really matter, I had plenty of money. I was allowed to take my personal belongings from the Book Room, sweater, dishes, that bag of knitting wool over which I had fretted, and books which had my name in them. I collected sixty-one, some of them very precious, but I was so hurried, I left some that I much regret. I noticed that they had removed from the lending library all the books written by my brother, "I was among the Captives", "To the Parents of my Grandchildren", etc. I hope they were much profited by reading them.
They called me a pedicab, and helped me in with my big bag of books and belongings; and told me to be at the branch book shop at two. When they arrived there, they had forgotten the keys of the door, and had a long search for a locksmith to open it. When it was open, the place was such a stench, shut up and intermittently flooded for six months, that they just looked in, and sealed it up again. Then we came up to the house, looked at the godown, and sealed it. At my house, I had tried to collect everything belonging to the Book Room in the big room downstairs. They looked upstairs, but did not attempt a search, and I promised to leave everything belonging to the Book Room in the downstairs room.
Tuesday morning, April 21St, I was called to the Passport office, and there I was told that I must be out of Shanghai before the 26th. That meant I must leave at latest by the train leaving Shanghai at six Saturday evening-five days and four nights, and so much to arrange and so many hindrances-tickets and permits to be procured, customs passed, personal belongings packed, other people's belongings dealt with, the contents of the house distributed, and the house disposed of. It seemed impossible. But long before the Lord had promised "The God of Israel will gather you up". Is. 52:12 margin, and now of course He did it.
I went at once to the Tourist Bureau to get a packer. This had formerly been almost obligatory for anyone leaving, but now not one was to be had. They said there were only three, one was sick, one had been sent to work in the country, and the third was working for one of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank staff who was leaving. I did not mind the packing, I preferred to do it myself, but it meant arranging transportation, passing customs, and most important, the packer would know what I might or might not take, and the restrictions were very strict, and most perplexing. Just then a Christian friend had a visit from her brother-in-law, a headman in the customs up north; would I like to see him? I certainly would. He was most helpful, answered all my questions, and I found I could take a good many things I had thought I must leave behind; and when the boxes were examined nothing was confiscated by Customs. Two big cases of valuable books, a trunk, and a camphor wood chest of my personal belongings, and a tiny chest of drawers I packed and sent out by sea. Tuesday was the day for customs inspection for sea freight; but the Tourist Bureau made special arrangements for me, and I spent Thursday afternoon at the sheds.
Every book was taken out, and the bottom and sides of the cases tapped; everything taken out of the trunks; two Chinese scrolls and a copper vase were held back for further examination in case they were valuable antiques, but I found them in the trunk when it arrived in Borneo. All freight is supposed to be crated; I asked the Tourist Bureau to do this, but they said it was impossible to get wood. We had plenty of wood at the house, but I found it impossible to buy nails. I could not even buy padlocks, except the most flimsy affairs. All metal was exhausted in the drive to make steel. So, I finally left coils of rope to wind around the boxes; and the Tourist Bureau promised to have them packed in matting. The Tourist Bureau arranged my ticket and exit permits, and the change of trains in Canton. But it meant endless journeys back and forth between house and Tourist office and Passport office.
Another great performance was at the Bank. Formerly one could take out some foreign currency. Now all money must be turned in at the Bank and changed into Chinese currency, and then a small amount of Hong Kong currency might be bought. One could take out twenty ounces of silver, no diamonds or platinum, not even engagement or wedding rings; this came hard on some ladies, but did not affect me. I had a good many Canadian and American notes, and endless bits and pieces of currency picked up all over the world, and all these had to be separately listed and exchange applied for. Then. I was allowed $3.00 Hong Kong (value fifty cents gold), enough to take me third class by train from the Border into the city of Hong Kong. I was allowed to take all my flat silver, and my small amount of jewelry. But several people had left silver with me, and this all had to be taken to the assayer’s office at the Bank and tested. They paid its value by the ounce, quite regardless of workmanship. It might not be sold anywhere else. Much of what I was keeping for others turned out to be electroplate, and had to be sent to the auction.
The disposal of the property was the most perplexing problem. I knew that the buildings were in such poor repair, and it was so difficult to collect rent, that it would not pay any agent to undertake it. I consulted the Consul, and he told me, from his previous experience, that whatever I did, they would find an excuse to get possession of the house within a year. I applied to the housing bureau, but they said that the man with whom I had dealt about it before was away. I prepared letters for him, explaining what I wanted done. Almost the last evening this man came up to the house to see me; I gathered that he had not been away at all, but things were held up till the last minute, till it was impossible to make any other arrangement. He allowed me to hold the English deed of the property, but all the Chinese documents he took possession of. So the house was gone. The Consul had been very sympathetic at our heavy losses, but I knew the Lord never allowed Himself to be any one's debtor. Just that week I received a letter from England telling me of the death of an old cousin. Years before she had told me that she was leaving me some money, as she wanted it used for the Lord's work. Soon after I reached Hong Kong I had the official notice from her executor that this cousin had left £1000 to me and £1000 to my brother. That was almost exactly $3000.00 Canadian money to each of us, exactly what we had put into the house twelve years before.
By Thursday evening all arrangements had been made, but there was still the contents of the house to dispose of. Friday morning the auctioneer came up, looked over the furniture, and promised to remove it. Saturday morning several Christians came in to buy bits and pieces, and I was delighted to let them have them cheap: it would not have been safe for them to accept anything as a gift. Several cases of what could be called rubbish were taken away by the poor Russians. Two big bags of lighter literature I sent to the Consulate library; two cases of valuable religious books went to the English Bible Class. A Christian man helped me clear out the remains, and empty the attic, and sold over three hundred pounds of waste paper. By Saturday noon the poor old house was stripped and empty.
A few friends ventured to come to say good bye. Others sent messages. One girl came asking if I could find some trace of her parents; she had last seen them six years before, and thought they had gone to Formosa, but was not sure where. There are many such sorrowful separations, but what can one do?
The train left at 5.45 P.M. I had been instructed to be at the station an hour beforehand to meet the police escort who was to see me out of the city. Soon after three we telephoned for a taxi: there was not one to be had. Then friends ran out to the road to find a pedicab: none to be seen. It was now almost four, and it was almost an hour by pedicab to the station. I must be there before five. I took hurried farewell of the household, refusing their eager offer to accompany me, or meet me at the station. I did not want any of them to fall into the hands of the police. Almost at once I picked up a pedicab, and started on the long drive, too full of anxiety as to getting there to grieve over the departure. It was a miserable day, with gusts of rain and a wind right against us. The pedicab pushed on in the face of it, and just at 4.45 we entered the station. I was still looking round in bewilderment for the place I was told to meet the police, when the young policeman came up, got a porter for my suitcases, led me over to the baggage department and settled about my trunk, which had been sent earlier, and then conducted me through the barrier to the train, and found me my reserved seat. He then disappeared, and I did not see him again, though I suppose he was standing by the door of the car. I was supposed to be leaving under police escort, but I did not see any further sign of it. I think probably the agents of the Tourist Bureau who met me in Canton and Shumchun, the border town from which we entered British territory, and whom I paid, were really secret police.
One Chinese Christian came down to see me off. bringing a big box of cakes made from Arabian dates. He told me that he no longer dared to attend the English service, but he found that the Gospel was still being preached in the Community Church. His last words to me were, We are still praying for revival. I have since heard indirectly of this man, and believe he did not suffer for his loving courage in coming to see me off. Then the wife of the British Consul came, bringing me sweets and magazines. And that also I very much appreciated.
I had arranged to travel "Soft", that is, in the best accommodation. I was in a four berth compartment, and I had the lower berth facing forward, a comfortable spring bed and mattress, with clean sheet and blanket. By the window was a little table with a pot of flowers, curtains on the window, carpet on the floor, a big thermos of hot water, constantly replenished. Opposite me was a young Hong Kong Chinese, a sailor returning from his boat, a Norwegian freighter that had landed him at Shanghai. He was a Christian, spoke good English, and was very friendly and talkative. The berth over him was occupied later; the man over me came in the night and went in the night, and I hardly saw him.
I had been given quantities of cakes and biscuits as farewell gifts, and was not wanting any supper. The young man was hungry, and went to find the dining car. He came back looking perplexed and annoyed, and said that he could not get a meal. He later got something on a station platform. In the morning, I asked the porter to bring me breakfast; I was soon served with a delicious meal of rice and fried egg, at a very reasonable price. The two men opposite asked for the same, and were told that no meals would be served to Chinese except in the afternoon. About four o'clock we all ordered again, and had an excellent meal of rice and vegetables and as much pork as would be a week's ration. All that Sunday we traveled through beautiful scenery, hills and valleys, many of them rocky and wooded. It was a delight after the fiat overpopulated ugliness of Shanghai, where I had so often longed for a hill. We went mostly through fairly wild country, but passed some little fields, being plowed by water buffalo, or being planted with rice by the patient fingers of women wading through the mud. There was not a sign of the huge cooperative farms, modern machinery, communes, of which so much had been said. All seemed the same as it had been for a thousand or more years.
About 5.30 Monday morning we reached Canton. I was met by the tourist agent, who conducted me across the platform to the train for Shumchun, and charged me not to leave it. The train was perfectly empty, and it seemed a long time till it began to fill up just before nine. Then it was very full. My seat-mate was the official messenger for the Indian Embassy in Peking, a very pleasant young Indian. He told me that many of the passengers were diplomats attending some Conference in Hong Kong. When we arrived about noon in Shumchun the tourist agent was busy with this diplomatic party, and I followed along in their wake. A soldier took me to a bench in the Customs shed, and told me to wait till I was called. There I waited while the Chinese passengers streamed past; I waited until there was no one left; at last I was called to the examining shed. First I was taken to a counter, and handed over all my Chinese money in exchange for a post office order on Shanghai to an old friend. Two officials went through my suitcases and my trunk, everything was opened and examined. Then one of the officials took me into a private room and questioned me about foreign currency concealed on my person. Many people have had a bad time here, and of course many have tried to smuggle out jewels and currency; there were special displays in Shanghai of smugglers tricks. But the official accepted my word, and I escaped without searching. Now the confusion of things had to be put back, and in the middle a man came with a card explaining that he was a baggage agent sent by my sister to bring my boxes. The things were bundled in anyhow, and in a few minutes the officials had disappeared, and I was crossing the little bridge over no-man’s-land into Hong Kong.
Many have asked, What did I feel as I passed out of bondage into liberty? I had a sort of feeling that I ought to be feeling something magnificent and heroic, but actually all I was thinking was, Now I shall see my sister. A minute more, there she was!
I should have been unspeakably disappointed if there had been no one there to meet me. I had no idea what an unusual thing it was to be met at the border; I believe that less than thirty passes had been issued. But "the kindness of God" had arranged even this for me. The Canadian Commissioner had not only arranged a pass, but had lent his own comfortable motor car, so that my sister and her husband might be at the border to receive me. So we had a swift and quiet drive in along the beautiful road winding along the sides of the hills overlooking the sea, instead of a scrambling trip on the little railway, beset by newspaper reporters. I think that some were almost disappointed that I did not have to be carried out on a stretcher, but arrived well and prosperous. That too was the kindness of the Lord my Keeper, Who had preserved my going in and my coming out. Ps. 121.
When I came out, and met so many-so many old friends, and so many strangers, and yet one in Christ Jesus, who had been praying for me; and as I travel through England, and Canada, and the States, and still meet more and more who have been praying for me, I can only give thanks to the Lord Who hears and answers prayer. I have been trying to tell you how those prayers were answered; and I entreat you to continue to pray for our brothers and sisters, and for the millions in the darkness, in that sad land.
"Can we, whose souls are lighted
With wisdom from on high,
Can we. to souls benighted,
The Light of truth deny?”
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