God’s Dealings with Dora Yü

During my first visit to South China in the spring of 1909, the beautiful flowers in the mission compound seemed like a private conservatory to me. As I was walking with a friend in the garden, I noticed that the ground was covered with fresh leaves while the trees above were beautifully green, so I asked my friend what time the trees in South China shed their leaves. She said that she had not noticed it particularly, but that the leaves seem to fall off in the spring as the new ones are coming in, It was such an object lesson to me of God’s wonderful and perfect salvation. We, the wild vines, have been grafted into the real Vine, which was done by God through our faith in Jesus Christ, the moment we were willing to have it done. But there must be the prunings in order to bring forth abundant fruitage, So it is absolutely necessary for us to subject ourselves to the power of the Divine Life now in us, to put off “the old man’ and his doings in order to let Christ’s life manifest itself through us. ‘‘By the Spirit if ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live.’’ As the sap of the tree arises with its mighty power but in perfect silence, bringing the new life, the old must give place to it, and so “though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man in renewed day by day.”

While God has been so graciously allowing me the privilege of seeing His mighty power for the last few years, He never leaves me unpunished when I disobey Him. Such is His love and faithfulness toward us, that He will not permit us to continue in any way that robs Him of His glory and us of present joy and peace; hence it is He who woos us into closer communion with Himself by means of discipline meted out to us by His pierced hand. Many keen testings have I borne (yet “not 1’’) for the discipline of life; of these I do not write, but with a grateful heart to God ‘‘ Who comforteth us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort them that are in any affliction, through the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”

It is with gratitude and joy that I review all God’s tender mercies to one so unworthy as I; and His wonderful condescension in taking such pains to teach me, until He has brought me to the place where I am enabled to say through Christ, that I truly ‘‘ rejoice in tribulation.’’ In His tender preparation for my future service He allowed me to suffer hunger for four years and a half, during which time there were but a few nights that I did not go to bed actually feeling hungry; thus I can easily understand the temptation of those in starvation. It was not that I lacked money, but it was a peculiar position in which God placed me, and I did not take it patiently at the time, therefore the years of training were prolonged.

Then in my work I used to think it necessary to make long prayers, and that a special attitude was to be taken before going to a meeting; while this is not wrong—for God does at times give special burden and agony in prayer—yet He told me that I needed to live my private life even as my public life, to have my thoughts purified as well as my words, and to accustom myself to living in the presence of the King all the time, so that there would be no fear in facing people. Power for service could then come when these conditions were fulfilled.

Another thing which I asked God to grant me was the spirit of discernment which is necessary iu service, and is one of the thi

5 lacking in my nature; but God said that He was not willing to give it unless it could be dominated by His love, as it would drive me away from the people and lead me into a spirit of judging rather than into a spirit of sympathy. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are necessary in His service but may be dangerous if not controlled by the life and love of Jesus Christ. Many have shipwrecked their usefulness by laying too much stress on gifts only.

My continual prayer to God has been to keep me living and hidden in Christ ‘‘in the heavenly places’’ (for it is only in proportion to my height in the heavenly places that I am able to come down low enough for God to use me). May He enable me continually to reckon myself to be dead unto sin and alive unto God. May He give me a childlike spirit of obedience to His will, and keep me from being distressed when I do not understand the attitude of others toward me, enable me to give them credit for their motive, and to be so constantly occupied with Him that I may constantly consider the needs of others. May He so permeate me with His love that I may love as He loves, and then nothing will seem too hard to endure. May He keep me looking at the things of this world from His standpoint, watching and waiting for His return, and willing to fill any vacancy here F below, while thus waiting for that glorious ‘‘ Coming.”

After thirteen months’ travel around the world, the Lord brought me back to China in December, 1914. I thank God for giving me this trip, and I deeply appreciate the fellowship of God’s children, which will continue through eternity. It was a great blessing to see how these dear people were giving themselves unreservedly to God's working in fashioning their lives into the image of His dear Son, so that the world may, in its midnight hour, have a glimpse of this beautiful Life, which creates a deeper hunger and longing in those who come in contact with them, to live a higher life. But on the other hand my heart has been greatly grieved over the general Christian atmosphere. It may be different in other parts of these countries, but as far as I have seen and learned during the year it was even below my expectation. ‘‘ Higher Criticism’’ is indeed permeating the ‘‘lump’’; it will all soon be “leavened.” And as the natural use of the leaven is supposed to help the digestion, so Satan tries to make the Word of God, which cuts like a two-edged sword when it enters anyone, so palatable and soothing in its effect that many are being led astray. But what will be the consummation of it when fully ‘‘leavened’?? We know that no leaven is allowed to continue to work forever, so it also will need to be stopped in its working, by the fire, one day.

Is not this the solemn time ‘‘ when they will not endure the sound doctrine, but having itching ears will heap up to themselves teachers of their own lust and will turn their ears from the truth, and turn unto fables.” And to the great calamity of the Church this destructive teaching has reached China, and is shaking and destroying the faith of many. The number of those who introduce this teaching is increasing all the time. O how one’s heart is stirred to cry to God at the thought of it, to save His people from being deceived.

The war in Europe is awful, but this war of deception is worse. What is our commission as missionaries and witnesses of the Cross? Is it not to preach and exalt God’s Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, the only Saviour of the world? But to say that Christ is not divine, and parts of the Bible are not inspired, would leave us absolutely no hope of salvation, ‘Therefore it would be far better for us to either stay at home or to enter into some other business than to be engaged in preaching a Christless Gospel. Tet us ask God to lay these solemn words to” our hearts ‘that though we, or an angel from heaven should preach unto you any other Gospel than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” May God raise up many more true witnesses who shall be fearless in declaring the whole counsel ef God, and be willing not only to lose their reputation, worldly gains, and influence, but even their lives in order to stand true to God, Who gave His only Son to redeem us from the power of Satan, and dare to expose this subtle teaching of his, though it may have come through our dear ones in the flesh.

A few weeks before leaving the U. S. A., one Sunday morning while listening to a God-given message by one of His children, the conviction came to me that it was time for me to return to China, and that I should remain no longer in Shanghai but go out to Chiangwan (a small town about three miles from Shanghai, easily reached by train or any other vehicle), to build a small house and gather the hungry ones among His people to be taught of the Holy Spirit, not only to learn how to ‘‘search the Scriptures,’’ but also to learn how to live it, and thus be living witnesses of their Lord. So I soon started for China, and He has so wonderfully fulfilled His word in giving a piece of land in an unusually short time, soon after my return,

The Lord gave me the main plan of the house on my way back to China, so the building was commenced jn the latter part of March and finished in August. With the exception of three thousand dollars Mexican (which was promised by an American friend before I went on my trip) and small gifts from afew missionaries, the money for the house was contributed by the Chinese Christians who offered willingly unto the Lord (quite unasked), some having sold their jewelry to forward this work. I praise God for having thus constrained His children to take part in His work.

God showed that I was to take a trip to the north of China during the winter of 1915, to visit some of his children whom I had never met in the flesh, thus enabling us to pray more intelligently for one another, as I shall not be as free to go out after the school work has once started, though I still hope to travel somewhat between the terms.

So I took a six weeks’ journey, and God gave us a very blessed time whenever we met together in His Name. It is a great joy to find out, as one goes on in this brief journey before His coming, that He has His own chosen ones in different places, and it was my privilege to meet some Chinese Christian women who truly serve their Lord out of a heart of love for the Lord, their only support being His strength and presence, for they are being sent by God and not by any human society.

The Dedication Service took place on the fifth of February; there were over a hundred friends present, and God gave us a very blessed time together.

The Bible School was opened on the third of March. As the House is small, at present there is accommodation for only twelve people at most. My prayer has been that we may all give God His own rightful place’ in this little work and thus enable Him to prove Himself the Almighty God as well as a faithful and lovin; Father. O how He has been restrained from working because of our unbelief and disobedience, and not unfrequently even through our zeal for His Kingdom, becat it is not ‘‘ according to knowledge.’’

The object of this school is to help those who a already the Lord’s and have some knowledge of His Word but need a deeper work of the Holy Spirit to 1 to practical living out of the Truth, so as to equip them more fully for the great service of leading others Christ.

The object is not to take the women out of thei Church, but to render such service as shall enable tl to become better prepared workers in the missions that have nurtured them.

May I ask you, who read this little account of His faithful dealings with His unworthy handmaiden, to pray that His purpose may be fully wrought through this place and through me, helping to hasten the completion of the Body of Christ, the Bride of the Lamb, and thus hastening the coming of our Beloved Lord Jesus Christ. O Lord, come quickly. Amen.