Chapter 17

THE POWER OF INFLUENCE.

I cannot do great things for Him Who did so much for me; But I would like to show my love, Lord Jesus, unto Thee; Faithful in very little things, O Saviour! may I be.

In the course of her daily missionary work Mrs. Knowles met with the following interesting case which she herself records:

"Calling on a poor afflicted widow, I found her in great want, much discouraged, and very sad; she said she did not feel much _desire to live_.

"'Can you not trust God?' I said. 'Have you not always been cared for?'

"Her little boy, a child of six years, was sitting by her side scribbling on a slate. He looked up and said:

"'Mamma, do you know what God says?'

"'What?' said she.

"'He that believeth in me hath everlasting life; and God don't want our money. He don't want us to pay the debt with money.'

"'What does He want?' said she.

"'He wants our hearts, and won't you trust Him, mamma?'

"This roused the mother at once.

"'Oh, how wicked I have been!' she exclaimed, 'to murmur against the will of the Almighty. I will trust Him, for He has always cared for me in the past, and I will trust Him for the future.'"

I cannot refrain from making a few comments on this case, and drawing a lesson therefrom.

Trust in the Lord, and do good, so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.--Ps. xxxvii. 3.

He hath given meat unto them that fear Him; He will ever be mindful of His covenant.--Ps. cxi. 5.

I will abundantly bless her provision, I will satisfy her poor with bread.--Ps. cxxxii. 15.

He filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.--Ps. cxlvii. 14.

The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul.--Proverbs xiii. 25.

Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them: Are ye not much better than they?--Matt. vi. 26.

And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied.--Joel ii. 26.

Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: Behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty.--Isaiah lxv. 13.

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SUGGESTIVE OBSERVATIONS FOR CHRISTIAN WORKERS.

What a deeply interesting and instructive picture is here presented to our view. Notice the synopsis:

_Destitution._--"_In great want._"--This missionary was sent by God to this house--sent like the raven to Elijah. Man's extremity is God's opportunity. He frequently overrules poverty, and it contributes to the good of His children.

_Discouragement._--Confidence in God's promises, the great panacea for all the difficulties of life. "_Won't you trust Him?_" the child asked.

_Despondency._--This widow was "_very sad_." When there is no bread in the house and the children are clamorous for food, it is enough to produce despondency. But afflicted women should remember that God has promised to be a husband to the widow and a father to the fatherless.

_Despair._--"_No desire to live._"--A sad, very sad condition! When God sends affliction it is our duty _to pray_ and not despair. Amid the gloom of earth's trials, the Holy Spirit alone can cheer; sorrow and despair can be changed, by God's matchless grace, into gratitude and gladness. Newton used to say, when inclined to dark, foreboding feelings:

Begone, unbelief, for my Saviour is near, And for my relief will surely appear; By prayer let me wrestle and he will perform; With Christ in the vessel, I can smile at the storm.

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LIGHT AMID DARKNESS.

_God's Word assures us that a little child shall lead them._--"Mamma, do you know what God says? He that believeth in me hath everlasting life." To behold Christ the light of the world is everlasting life.

_Strong devotion to children will lead us to notice their sayings and doings._--What a beautiful and forcible illustration is this incident recorded by her, the sayings of Christ, "out of the mouth of babes and sucklings he hath perfected praise." God is always doing wonders. He confounds the mighty.

_Children are Christ's best representatives._--To teach the disciples humility he set the child in their midst and said, "Except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven." The day spring from on high visited this family.

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LOVE REMEMBERED BEGETS CONFIDENCE IN GOD.

_I will trust Him for He has always cared for me in the past._--How beautifully appropriate in this connection is the twenty-third Psalm, that we used to sing among the purple heather in the sunny days of childhood with those who have gone home to yonder land of light and love.

The Lord's my shepherd, I'll not want. He makes me down to lie In pasture's green; he leadeth me The quiet waters by. My soul he doth restore again And me to walk doth make Within the paths of righteousness Ev'n for his own name's sake. Yea, though I walk in death's dark vale, Yet will I fear none ill, For thou art with me; and thy rod And staff me comfort still. My table thou hast furnished In presence of my foes; My head thou dost with oil anoint, And my cup overflows. Goodness and mercy all my life Shall surely follow me; And in God's house for evermore My dwelling place shall be.

Said an old Christian (a member of my church) seventy-eight years of age, whose dear partner of his joys and sorrows whom I called to see in her deep affliction (for she had fallen and broken a limb), as I read the above psalm to them before engaging in prayer, "I remember when a boy at home of hearing my dear kind mother rocking the children to sleep singing that good old psalm of the Hebrew bard."

I received a telegram recently to call and see a wealthy manufacturer's mother from Ayrshire, who was stricken with paralysis. As I entered the room and took her hand, I said:

"I suppose you feel now in your sickness that the Lord is your shepherd."

"Yes," said she, "and He leadeth me beside the still waters." Shortly afterward she peacefully fell asleep in Jesus.