DIFFICULTIES IN THE NARROW PATH.
Three weeks after Ben and Kit entered their new home, Ben's school
life began. He was very proud to make the start, and went with great
confidence, because he was able to say the alphabet correctly, and
had learned to read a few little words.
Miss Randolphe, their old Sunday school teacher, had called at Wood
Cottage and given Mrs. Gray twenty shillings to be used for Ben's
schooling. She was very fond of the two children, and stayed some
time with them, and spoke to them of the Saviour and His home, as she
had done in times gone by. She noticed that Ben looked a little
sorrowful as she spoke, and she asked him if he was quite happy.
"Come up the garden, and I'll tell you," he said.
So Miss Randolphe took his hand and walked up to the garden seat.
"Well, Ben," she asked kindly, "does anything trouble you?"
The tears trickled down Ben's cheeks. "It's jolly here, but when you
spoke it seemed as if I used to love Him better," and Ben nodded
toward the sky. "Is it harder for folks to be good when they've got
nice things?" he asked.
"Do you find it harder to please Jesus here, Ben?"
"Yes, things go wrong inside me," he answered, with a sob. "Perhaps
He doesn't take so much care of me now I've got father and mother.
"That's not it, Ben dear; Jesus is just the same, He never changes.
It is we who change. Do you go to Him as much as you did? Is it not
that you do not feel to need Him so much now?"
"I expect _that's it_," he answered.
"And you must remember, Ben, that Satan is ever on the watch to tempt
you. It is hard to resist him, but you must do it. If you trust in
Jesus, who died for sinners, you are God's little child. You may
fail sometimes and do wrong, and make mistakes, but you are God's
little child all the same. It is far happier to be His obedient
child than to wander from Him. Before coming here you felt that you
needed to ask God for your daily bread and for your clothes. Ask Him
just the same now, Ben. In one day He could take away all these good
things if He chose. It is easier to keep near Him in the dark days,
because we lean more on Him. Do you understand, dear?"
"Yes, I see it!" replied the little fellow, with a smile. "I began
to think perhaps it was Kit loved Jesus and not me!"
"Just think of _His love_ to you, Ben. He went straight to the cross
for you and shed His precious blood to wash away your sin. _His love
never_ grows cold."
"I'll never think He doesn't love me again, and I'll fight against
Satan. Only it's very hard, for there's a boy near here who teases
me and mocks me, and sometimes I feel so cross and angry."
"You can only overcome him by the Saviour's help. Go and tell Jesus
whenever you are tempted. Now I shall give you two little printed
texts to keep, and you must read them over sometimes. The first is
'Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever' (Heb. 13.
8). It is just as if '_yesterday_' was when He died on the cross for
us. 'To-day' is now that He is helping us along the narrow pathway,
and '_for ever_' is when we shall be with Him in glory. The other
text is 'To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of
life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.'" (Rev. 2. 7).
Ben was very pleased with the texts, and said he would pin them up
over his bed.