From him, who loves me now so well, What power my love can sever?
Shall life, or death, or earth, or h.e.l.l?
No, I am his forever.
The following resolutions and letters furnish, in a pre-eminent degree, conclusive evidence of the high estimation in which His servant and handmaiden were held by ministers, elders, and Sabbath-school workers generally:
NEW YORK, January 12, 1869.
MRS. JAMES KNOWLES:
MY DEAR FRIEND--At the Annual Meeting of the Teachers" a.s.sociation of the Sabbath-school of the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, held last evening, the following action was taken:
"On motion, the cordial thanks of this a.s.sociation are voted to Mrs. James Knowles for her faithful labors in behalf of our School during the past year."
The following extract from the Annual Report was also ordered to be forwarded with the foregoing:
"Mention must be made of one of our own church members, Mrs.
Knowles, who has labored most devotedly for our School. In behalf of the School, the Superintendent would take this way of expressing our grat.i.tude for her cheerful, earnest, and persevering labor. She has taken a deep interest in our School, and has shown it by hard work in its behalf."
I am very glad that the pleasant duty of making you acquainted with this action has been imposed upon me. Without your help I would oftentimes during the past year have been very much discouraged.
Your readiness for Christian work, and your thoroughness in it, have both cheered and satisfied me. May you fully realize the promise given to those who are always abounding in the work of the Lord. (1 Cor. xv. 58.) And may the present year show us a continuance of your willing labors and be marked by a stronger faith in expectation and more new-born souls, as your joy and crown in realization. (Psalm cxxvi. 5-6.)
Respectfully yours in the Master,
SAMUEL B. W. MCKEE, _Superintendent_.
When we take into consideration the time that elapsed between the penning of the foregoing resolutions as no vain and unmeaning compliment, and the departure of her concerning whom they were voted upon, we are led to see the importance of those words in the Apocalypse: "He that is faithful unto death shall receive a crown of eternal life."
How significant are the words employed to denote their hearty appreciation of her worth. "We express our grat.i.tude for her _cheerful_, _earnest_, and _persevering labor_. She has taken a _deep interest_ in our School and has shown it by _hard work_," etc.
We trust that our Sunday-school workers may be greatly encouraged to go and do likewise through a careful and prayerful examination of the above communication.
The following additional affectionate and deeply instructive tribute to her worth to the church and Sabbath-school is from one who was her beloved pastor for seven years--years of pure and uninterrupted Christian fellowship and disinterested devotedness to the cause of Christ.
UTICA, N.Y., November 8, 1886.
REV. DUNCAN M. YOUNG:
DEAR BROTHER--In the removal of Mr. and Mrs. James Knowles _we_ sustain a personal loss. The fact was unknown to us previous to your letter. To enjoy such friendship as they admitted us into from our first acquaintance, was not unlike a continuous salutation with the impressiveness of an unqualified _good-will_. Heaven is indeed richer for their entrance, and by so much is increasingly endeared unto us.
They were not time-servers, but, in no mere sentimental sense, G.o.d-servers. The feverish world, greedy and rushing, will know little of their value, nor miss their humble crafts so quickly trackless, and yet they really laid the world under obligation. If its life, and aim, and effort were not purer and higher, it was in spite of their actual G.o.dliness, at all times apparent.
My first introduction to Mrs. Knowles was on the first Sabbath in February, 1874; also, my first acquaintance with the Allen Street Church. Mrs. Knowles was then teaching in the Ludlow Street Mission.
As a teacher, she was _simple_, _fearless_, and _Scriptural_. Her ruling pa.s.sion, perhaps, was a desire to be useful in some way, adjusting herself with good grace to the requirements of advancing years. If just a little disturbed at the thought that she must contract her labors, or "hold up" at some point, the spirit was ever the same, perhaps too exacting of a body not excessively vigorous.
As a "Bible reader" she did some of her best work, and made her greatest sacrifices. Faithfulness characterized her covenant relation--seldom absent from the scenes of public worship; and the more remarkable in view of her untiring zeal and devotion in her specially G.o.d-given calling. Many will rise up and call her blessed, because, so true of her, "she went about doing good." My own indebtedness to her, as a pastor, was great. Her sympathy with the ministry seemed innate. Full of faith, and rich in peculiar experience, she was the one "to step in" at the minister"s for a half-hour; and here, incidentally, I may say, that her practical views of life and knowledge of human ways turned to my advantage on repeated occasions, whenever she reported a case as worthy or unworthy. When an application for aid or comfort required investigation--that is, ultimate cases requiring delicate, careful treatment, often impossible for the pastor to do--her feminine instinct and sagacity of experience took it in hand with a readiness that was surprising, in view of her always full hands. A gentle, trustful soul, a frank, unwavering friend, a pious, useful woman, and a faithful wife and mother, her rest will be sweet.
If the beginning of my acquaintance with her companion dates somewhat later, it ripened early, I suppose mutually so, into a strong attachment. Integrity of character was my first impression of the man; whether an instinct or a judgment, there never was a doubt as to its correctness. Strong in faith, also--_the old-time faith_, of apostolic color, for he took no pleasure in "new departures."
Sound in doctrine, fervent in spirit, wise in council, stable in action, he was truly a strong "pillar in the house of the Lord." If he wrought obscurely, as the world moves, my impression is that he did some excellent work for eternity in the most quiet sort of way.
I do not think Heaven could be a surprise to one of his habits and trend of life. He could a.s.similate the good easily. Though positive in his feelings, and sensitive of attachment, he was no mere man-worshipper, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, so long as it was the _Word of Christ_, faithfully, earnestly preached; he was a responsive hearer. The chief desire was that the _word_ should be successful. Perhaps simplicity was as characteristic as any other distinct trait. If he did not choose the uppermost seats he occupied them becomingly when once bidden to take them.
I remember him not so much by means of incidents--his life was not formed on that plan; but by the deep impression of genuine, unpretentious G.o.dliness.
If I have written at too great length, my heart is full. In deep sympathy with those who will so surely mourn their loss, and grateful for the privilege of a tribute, I am,
Sincerely yours,
GEORGE O. PHELPS, _An Ex-Pastor_.
The more I read and study the phraseology of this letter, welling up out of a full heart, the more I am convinced of its adaptedness to impart encouragement to others the same in kind and degree as was doubtless reciprocally experienced in days of yore, "for as iron sharpeneth iron, so does the countenance of man his friend."
Here is another tender and terse tribute from the same source to their only son--the request for particulars regarding their last illness, which produced the leaflet ent.i.tled "A Short Account of the Last Hours"--that has been already a rich spiritual blessing to many souls.
UTICA, N.Y., November, 1886.
MR. WM. KNOWLES:
DEAR BROTHER--We have just learned of the departure of your dear parents. Our attachment to them was exceptionally strong, even as our a.s.sociation in the Master"s work was intimate.
I have been looking over your father"s letters, too few in numbers; how full of human kindness, how intensely G.o.dly.
Be a.s.sured of our sincere regard for you and others in this great bereavement.
May we not receive, at your convenience, particulars of their last illness and going? We have no knowledge of either case.
Very sincerely yours,
GEORGE O. PHELPS.
The subjoined is the answer to the reception of the account of their last hours on earth.
UTICA N.Y., November 30, 1886.
MR. WM. KNOWLES:
MY DEAR SIR AND BROTHER--You have laid us under great obligation by your lengthy and painstaking statement respecting your lamented parents. Seldom have we been affected so deeply as in the reading of it, which came so appropriately as to time and feeling, just as we were closing one of the sweetest meetings of our little "_Gospel Band_." Yes, truly, those dear, true friends of ours were as "little children" in "the Kingdom of Heaven."
Nothing would afford me greater satisfaction than to be able to add further by word or incident what you desire to gather up by way of a grateful memorial. As I stated in my letter to Mr. Young, my impressions were made by their uniform consistency of character, and not by any particular event or circ.u.mstance. Perhaps the enclosed letters will afford characteristic ill.u.s.tration of your father"s habitual G.o.dliness or tenor of life. As to your mother, why, she was always "going about doing good," seemingly never tiring.
What death-bed scenes! If those faithful words of hers are ever forgotten, somebody will have a hard witness against them at last.
Their memory is indeed blessed. We will all try to profit by their examples of G.o.dly fidelity, and faithful admonitions. With the sincerest sympathy, I am,
Gratefully yours,