PERSECUTION AND TRIAL
Things did not always go smoothly for Mr. and Mrs. Lü, and the narrow
way was not always easy to tread. As followers of Christ they had to
share in His sufferings, in His being rejected and despised by the
world. They had to learn by practical experience that "the servant is
not above his Lord," that if they had persecuted Him, the Lord of
Glory, they would also persecute His followers. A share in His
rejection must, in greater or smaller measure, fall to the lot of every
true believer, and Mr. and Mrs. Lü were not excepted. Persecutions,
threats, and even cursings were not lacking, but as those who uttered
them received only meek answers and kind treatment in return, some of
them, at least, very soon became ashamed of themselves, and left Mr. Lü
and his wife alone. The Lord was on their side, and did not allow
their persecutors to go a step beyond His control; and His servants
found that it was easier to go all lengths with Christ, than to serve
Him in a half-hearted way, as they saw some others doing.
When the annual theatre was held in Kucheng and every one subscribed to
meet the expenses, the collectors came as usual to Mr. Lü's house. Of
course he and his wife refused, saying they had given up idolatry and
could not subscribe to the theatre in future. The collectors began to
curse, but found Mr. and Mrs. Lü steadfast in their refusal.
"We are quite willing to entertain you," they said, "we are quite ready
to provide dinner for you to-day, to show you that it is not a question
of money, but we cannot and will not give money for idol-worship and
stage-playing."
The people left enraged, but came again next day, and for many days,
but they had always to return empty-handed. In such cases where the
money is refused, those who will not contribute invariably get into
trouble. The collectors, aided by others, take such things as chairs,
tables, etc., by force. Some of these things are used at the play,
others are sold to make up for the money the owners have refused to
give willingly. Day by day Mr. Lü and his wife were threatened by the
collectors, who had gathered in great numbers, and when threats failed
to achieve anything, their tormentors began to curse them, and declared
they would beat them and soon teach them what it meant to turn from
idols to a new religion. But the Lord kept His children calm and
joyful in Himself, and they answered quietly:
"Very well, if you take our chairs and tables and break them to pieces,
as you say you will, we cannot hinder you. And if you beat us, as you
threaten to, we cannot help that either; but we are not going to give
you any money for the play, as it is against our conscience and we will
not sin against God."
Some of the persecutors still threatened, but others listened to the
promptings of their better nature and gave up the quarrel. These,
thoroughly ashamed of themselves, restrained the rest from going any
further. Soon all of them scattered, and Mrs. Lü and her husband were
left in peace, thanking God for the way in which He had undertaken for
them.
The next year the people threatened them worse than ever, and then Mr.
and Mrs. Lü, with some other Christians, almost lost heart. They began
to look at the difficulties. They feared the storm that was
threatening, and like Peter, as soon as they turned their eyes from the
Lord and began to look around at the wind and waves, they lost faith,
and were tempted to look to the missionaries for help. We told them,
however, to cry to their Master. They did so, and soon realized that
He was still the same as in His days on earth, that the hearts of men
were in His hands, and that He turneth them according to His own will.
At a word from Him the tempest ceased, and there was a great calm. The
enemies, evidently restrained by the hand of God, did not even come to
the house of His servants. The Lord was fighting for them, and they
could afford to stand still and see His salvation.