"It has been a great privilege, during the summer months, to be able to make so many poor mother"s happy, by taking them and their children to the sea-side for bathing and country air. There has been much sickness in the tenement-houses. It is, indeed, distressing often to see two sick in one bed, the others nearly ready to be there, and the poor mothers, with but little means, scarcely able to do their work and take care of the sick ones.
"It is then a happiness to obtain for them a little nourishment, and to give them words of sympathy and encouragement. Many are Roman Catholics, who seem surprised that I should take any interest in them, as they said it was more than their own people will do.
"A poor woman whom I visited, said: "I will never again think that Protestants cannot be saved, as I have been taught; and since I have read the Bible, I intend to go to a Protestant church and hear for myself."
"The Catholics say to me, "How different your prayers are from ours. Why do you not pray to the Blessed Virgin?" I tell them that we only pray to the Lord Jesus Christ, as He is the only Saviour.
While visiting lately in some wretched houses of infamy and talking to the poor women, they would shed tears, and say that they would like to live different lives, but it is so hard to begin to do better. It is surprising to see with what attention they listen to the words of Scripture and promise to read the Bible themselves."
A WONDERFUL WORK.
Still continuing the record of her work, she writes: "During last month I made two hundred and fifty visits, read the Scriptures as often as I had the opportunity; have given two Bibles to persons who were too poor to pay for them, and sold one.
"Several Roman Catholic women have asked for Bibles, and are reading them with pleasure. One woman, whose husband called her a "turn-coat,"
said she did not care for that, but that nothing should persuade her to give up her Bible.
"I have induced several persons to attend church, and have taken children to the Sabbath-school, thus trying to sow the seed, and looking to G.o.d for His blessing.
"A poor man, ill with consumption, is one whom I visit often. I have aided his family with coal, and also in buying food and nourishment for himself. He reads a Bible that I gave him every day, and when his children come from school he gets them to read to him. He says: "If I had been a better man; had read my Bible and taken care of my health, I might have been different, but now I am trusting in the Lord that He will forgive and accept me, and that is my only hope. I tell my wife that when I am gone she must never give up the Bible, but read it every day with her children.""
We must ever remember, dear reader, that the unfolding of the _Gospel of Christ_ is the _power of G.o.d unto salvation to everyone who believeth_.
What a tremendous power was manifested by the preaching of the Gospel to the savages of North America, in 1743. Mr. Brainerd, in his journal, gives an instance of the effects which followed the preaching of the Word of G.o.d. "There was much concern," says he, "among them while I was discoursing publicly; but afterward, when I spoke to one and another whom I perceived more particularly under concern, the power of G.o.d seemed to descend upon the a.s.sembly, "like a mighty rushing wind," and with an astonishing energy bore down all before it.
"I stood amazed at the influence that seized upon the audience almost universally. Almost all persons of all ages, were bowed down together.
Old men and women, who had been drunken wretches for many years, and some little children, not more than six or seven years of age, appeared in distress for their souls, as well as persons of middle age. These were almost universally praying and crying for mercy in every part of the house, and many out of doors, and numbers could neither go nor stand; their concern was so great, each for himself, that none seemed to take any notice of those about them, but each prayed for himself.
Methought this had a near resemblance to the day of G.o.d"s power, mentioned Josh. x. 14; for I must say, I never saw any day like it in all respects; it was a day wherein the Lord did much to destroy the kingdom of darkness among this people." A church was soon afterward gathered among these poor pagans; and such was the change effected among them, that many exclaimed with astonishment, "What hath G.o.d wrought?"
He spent whole days in fasting and prayer, that G.o.d would prepare him for his great work; and, indeed, throughout his whole life he was truly a "man of prayer," lifting up his heart to G.o.d on all occasions, frequently spending whole days in prayer and meditation in the fields and woods desiring holiness of heart far above every other object.
Mr. Brainerd was sent by the Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge to the Indians at Kaunaumeek, a place in the woods between Stockbridge and Albany. In this lonely place he continued and endured many hardships and privations.
CHAPTER x.x.xII.
THE INTEMPERATE WIFE.
If you cannot cross the ocean, And the heathen lands explore, You can find the heathen nearer, You can help them at your door.
If you cannot give your thousands, You can give the widow"s mite, And the least you give for Jesus Will be precious in His sight.
In March, 1880, she writes: "I have had much encouragement in my work during the past month. In a family where I had visited a long time, the mother was much addicted to intemperance. On calling one day, I saw the husband, who said he was glad I had come in, for he had resolved to leave his wife; he said he could endure his life with her no longer--he would go his way, and she must go hers. She was much distressed, and I once more entreated her to give up the intoxicating cup and be a good wife and mother. I then engaged in prayer, beseeching the Lord to enable her to resist this dreadful appet.i.te. Her husband stood by and said:
""Now, Mary, you have your choice: either to follow the advice of this kind friend, or to separate from me forever."
"She then and there made her decision, and, laying her hand on the Bible, pledged herself not to touch or taste the poison, and signed a paper to that effect. Since then, she has attended our meetings, and says she is happier than she has ever been.
"Some persons to whom I have given the Bible did not seem to care to read it, but have now begun to do so, and encourage their children to read to them. One man tells me:
""I am scarce five minutes in the house before my little girl begins to read to me, and it does me good."
"A man and his wife who have attended church this winter, will soon confess Christ. They have suffered much this season, as the father has had but little work; but I have been able to give them some a.s.sistance.
The mother said she was thankful to the Lord for all that had been done for them, to bring them through their difficulties--but, above all, that she and her husband had found rest in Jesus as their Saviour and their friend."
WARMLY WELCOMED BY ALL DENOMINATIONS.
"_March, 1881._--During this month I have made many visits among Jews and Romanists. Some who formerly opposed me are now anxious to hear me read and pray, and urge me to come to see them often.
Several Roman Catholic families have asked for the Bible; and I have given several copies of the New Testament, which they value very highly, as well for themselves as for their children, whom they are anxious should read and learn its sacred truths. One woman, whose children had been taught verses from the New Testament, gave me twenty-five cents to get her a Bible, saying she wondered why their clergy forbid them reading it.
"The woman mentioned before as being intemperate seems now truly reformed. She attends our meetings with her boy, and she and her husband once more live happily together.
"My meeting for young girls continues with much encouragement. They seem to take delight in reading the Scriptures, and in singing hymns of praise. They spend the hour in sewing and reading aloud, and they are greatly improved in deportment and character. The little Jewish girl, to whom I gave a Testament, is never absent from this meeting or from the Sunday-school."
What a deplorable sight--an intemperate mother! What a soul-ruinous example to a daughter! When we consider the relation between the mother and the child, how great are the maternal responsibilities. The mother ought to attract the attention of the child by her love. Chilled by the sin of intemperance, how many, alas! drag down their daughters to infamy and a life of shame.
But, oh, what a change is wrought in this household after the dramatic interview, when the husband threatens to leave his wife forever unless she abandons her cups. What joy enters that family circle after the mother"s transformation. Surely this revolution in her character was not the work either of the missionary or the person herself. It is not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according _to His mercy_ He saves us.
How sweetly Dr. Horace Bonar sings in this connection:
Thy works, not mine, O Christ, Speak gladness to this heart; They tell me all is done; They bid my fear depart.
To whom, save thee, Who can alone For sin atone, Lord, shall I flee?
When we contrast the previous picture with the closing paragraph of this last account in her diary, we behold the sudden change from sadness to sunshine.
She says, "_The young girls seem to take delight in reading the Scriptures, and in singing hymns of praise._" This is the new song put into the mouth of the Christian at the hour of conversion: "Happy day, when Jesus washed my sins away."
CHAPTER x.x.xIII.
HER LOVE OF CHILDREN AND OF PRAYING.
He loves me now, oh, blessed thought, He loved me when I knew Him not, And with His blood my pardon bought, On Calvary He died for me; Then with such love my heart to cheer, How can I doubt or have one fear, Or ever think the days are drear, With Jesus near, with Jesus near.
In 1884 she writes: "Ninety-six visits during the last month, and seven children taken to the Sunday-school. I am everywhere received with kindness, and especially by the children, through whom I hope to reach the parents" hearts. I have disposed of several Bibles, for which I have been paid; and I find there is nothing like reading some verses of Scripture to excite the desire to possess the Book of G.o.d. I have an interesting cla.s.s of girls in my own house who study pa.s.sages of Scripture every week, and by their example and influence their parents have been led to attend church and give their hearts to G.o.d."
Oh, how few there are who would be so kind-hearted as this woman to open their own house to impart spiritual instruction to others. We are forcibly reminded by this gathering of girls to study G.o.d"s Word, of a graphic scene in the Acts of the Apostles: We read that, "On the Sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped G.o.d, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us."--Acts xvi. 13-15.
We see from the above account of her work the multiplicity of her avocations: Tract-distribution, visiting and caring for the sick, teaching the young, not only out of G.o.d"s Book, but instructing them how to discharge domestic duties.