Chapter 29

PEACE THROUGH BELIEVING.

Oh, the unsearchable riches of Christ! Wealth that can never be told;-- Riches exhaustless of mercy and grace, Precious, more precious than gold!

At the sixty-eighth annual meeting of the New York Female Auxiliary Bible Society, the Rev. Dr. William M. Taylor, in his earnest masterly address on the occasion, happily said:

"In the prosecution of the excavations at Pompeii, the workmen laid bare an ancient spring, the water of which, as soon as it was set free, flowed forth as copiously as ever, and carried refreshment with it wherever it went. For centuries it had been buried beneath the ashes of the volcano, but the moment it was again uncovered, it sent out its stream of blessing with all its pristine fulness and wholesome influence.

"Something like that was the work which Martin Luther did for the fountain of truth in the Sacred Scriptures. For many generations that had been virtually stopped up by the rubbish of tradition and entombed beneath the weight of authority, but by his sturdy strength, his steady persistence and his dauntless courage, he dug it clear again; and it became once more, as at the first, the well-head of the river of progress among the nations."

What was said of the great German Reformer can be truthfully applied to this humble mother in Israel.

At the above meeting it was stated that this Missionary woman in her advanced age made four hundred and forty visits in two months, she had read the Scriptures in many homes, prayed with a large number, comforted dying believers with Christian song, administered first aid to the injured; thus bringing into practical use the instructions _she_ had received, and receiving the commendations of physicians, distributed religious reading, and suspended the "Words of Life" in the rooms of the sick. Streams from this uncovered fountain of truth are turned by the cheerful, willing, working hands, heads, and hearts of our Bible women into human habitations in this city, where degradation, poverty, drunkenness, vice, and squalor sink the inmates to the level of brutes. The cleansing waters, as if by magic, convert these dark places into homes of joy and brightness, sobriety, industry, cleanliness, and godliness.

The effulgence born of the lustre of Christ drives out the darkness of sin and sorrow, and the thoughts of regenerated souls are indeed carried upward to the throne of God. All sorts and conditions of men, all varieties of human life, find their adaptation in the religion of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Later on she writes: "During the month of January, 1876, I have been greatly encouraged in various ways. Knowing how many were the wants, and how small the means for supplying them during the present winter, I called on my old friend, Mr. M., at his place of business, and telling him how low our funds were, as he always took an interest in our work, he gave me twenty dollars for the Society. Much encouragement has also been afforded me by seeing some, among whom I have been laboring for years, brought to Christ, and those of whom I had the least hope, now testifying their love for the Saviour. It is not more than three or four weeks since they began to attend church, and since then it is surprising to witness the change. They have risen in the prayer-meeting and told what the Lord had done for their souls.

"One of those women, when I visited her, told me when I asked her to attend church, that the devil was her best friend; he helped her out of all her difficulties, by lying and cheating, and she intended to give herself entirely to him. Such an expression falling from the lips of any one, but especially from one for whom I have been watching and praying for years, rendered me almost speechless; but I kissed her, and saying there would be no use in my calling on her again, as she had settled in indifference, I left her. In a few days she sent for me, and I had another interview with her, which resulted in a promise, on her part, to attend church. She did not do so for some weeks. A noon-day prayer-meeting was then established in our church, and I invited her there. In a few days she came, and since then has been attending both noon and evening meetings, and coming to church. She has risen to ask prayers for herself, her husband, and children, and a dear old mother, nearly eighty years of age, still out of the ark of safety.

"Last Sabbath morning, upon entering the church, and seeing a stranger in my pew, I could not express the feeling of joy that filled my soul, upon discovering this was the same woman, now come to the house of God, having exchanged masters, and forsaken the territory of Satan, anxious to become the servant of Christ, and receive the gift of God which is eternal life, instead of the wages of sin, which is death; and which, a short time since, she avowed herself determined to secure.

"Another woman with whom I had talked about the sin of her encouraging a love for dress and pleasure in her young daughter, acknowledged the truth of what I said, and has since attended church, and undoubtedly been brought to Christ. Her husband, also, who had not set his foot in a church for fifteen years, but spent all his leisure time in a liquor store, and associated with a rough class of men, according to his own statements concerning himself, believes he has found the Saviour, and attends the meetings regularly. A few evenings since he told me he had to watch himself very closely, as he had become habituated to profane swearing. The change that has been made in him is remarkable. It appears clear to my mind that nothing but a Divine power could have effected it.

"Another case is that of a young girl who was brought to the meeting by her mother. She is so impressed herself, that her great concern is for others with whom she has been associated, to induce them to attend, the language of her heart being, 'Come with us, and we will do thee good, for the Lord has spoken good concerning Israel.'

"There is a great outpouring of the Spirit in our midst; we have unmistakable evidence of it. We have but to 'open our mouths wide that we may be filled with it.' All are ready to hear and learn, and we are in every way encouraged to labor on with our whole hearts, knowing that if we are strong, and of good courage, God will not fail in the performance of His promises.

"Our sewing-school is also improving; the children in good behavior; the mothers are asking, in many cases, for Bibles, while the Sunday-school is filling up so fast, we cannot get a sufficient number of teachers.

"There are many cases of sickness in my district, and a great deal of distress, occasioned by want of work.

"I made about one hundred and sixty visits during the month, and sold but one Bible."

* * * * * *

Her gratitude, when any kind-hearted friend like the above gave of their substance, to carry on the Lord's work, was unbounded. Also, when those among whom she labored for years were brought to confess Christ, by testifying at the meetings. Oh! how true are the words of Malachi: "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another; and the Lord hearkened, and heard it: and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels."

No spot on earth was so dear to her heart as the house of God, hence the expression: "_I could not express the feeling_ of joy that filled my soul upon discovering this was the same woman, now come to the house of God, having exchanged masters." She evidently entered into the feelings of David when he said of the Church, as the recognized holy spouse of God: "How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth, for the courts of the Lord, my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God."

Her practical piety is continually manifested, not only by her strenuous exertions to save souls, but in the recognition of Divine power in the execution. She says, "The change is remarkable. It appears clear to my mind that nothing but Divine power could have effected it."

The doctrine of the personality of the Holy Spirit is here brought to our view, strongly reminding us that it is not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.