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 God. I have an
interesting class of girls in my own house who study passages of
Scripture every week, and by their example and influence their parents
have been led to attend church and give their hearts to God."
* * * * * *
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 God'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 God, 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 God's Book, but instructing them
how to discharge domestic duties.
Never tired, never weary,
In what she found to do--
Ever winsome, always cheery,
She knew but love for you!
Humble, patient, kindly, sincere,
She loved the Master well;
Always trying, unknown to fear,
She would His story tell!
She continues: "A short time since, on entering a house, the woman who
opened the door asked if I was a missionary. When I said 'Yes,' she
said, 'The Lord has answered my prayer. I prayed that He would send one
to me to read the Bible and pray with me.' Before, when she had been
visited, she would hide away to avoid the visitor, but now she desires
to be a Christian, and wishes some one to read and pray with her often.
She is very poor, but is now seeking the true riches. One who had been
very ill, but had recovered, gladly received a Bible, for which, though
she is very poor, she gave me fifty cents. I have met with much
encouragement in the Sabbath-school and sewing-school. Many mothers
are, through their children, interested in religion, and come gladly to
the mothers' meetings, and my earnest prayer is that the Lord will help
me in the future as He has done in the past."
Her prayerful spirit was marvellous. This was the reason why she was
able to impart such comfort and encouragement to others.
I called recently in the suburbs of the City of Brooklyn to see a
member of the Allen Street Church, and, after reading God's Word and
prayer, our conversation turned to a beautiful portrait that hung over
the mantel-piece. The lady remarked, "That is the picture of my
departed sister, who died in New York. She was faithfully visited
during her sickness by Mrs. Knowles." She continued, "I like to think
of her, because she used to tell me after she was gone, 'I pray for you
by name every day.'" Perhaps that is the reason why she comes now so
many miles through the long, dreary, stormy winter months, to teach a
class in the Allen Street Sabbath-school, and some of the scholars are
Hebrew children. This person for whom she prayed never misses any of
the services at the church.
"Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the
which the Holy Ghost have made you overseers, to feed the church of
God, which he hath purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that
after my departure shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not
sparing the flock."
This is the injunction of the Apostle Paul to the elders at Ephesus,
but it is exceedingly appropriate to all who are engaged in missionary
work of any kind, and it cannot be faithfully complied with unless
there is pastoral work performed from house to house. Who is sufficient
for these things?
During February and March, 1885, she again writes: "During the last two
months I have been engaged as usual in reading the Scriptures from
house to house, and wherever I have visited have been allowed to do so,
with very few exceptions. Visiting lately in a tenement house, a woman
came out, telling me that I would never go to Heaven, and using other
insulting language. I only said, 'Poor woman, I pity you.' A Catholic
woman, who heard her, asked me into her room, took me by the hand, and
with tears in her eyes expressed her sorrow that I should be treated so
ill. I told her it did not harm me as much it did themselves. I then
asked if I might pray with them, and when we arose from prayers several
of those present were in tears. 'How can you pray for one who has
abused you so?' said they. I replied that Jesus prayed for His enemies,
and we must imitate His example. One of these women came to our
mothers' meeting, and asked me for a Bible, and promises to read it."
* * * * * *
Here she complied with the command of Christ: "I say unto you, love
your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you,
and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you."
What a wonderful exhibition we have in the above interview of the
spirit of Him who was suspended on the cross for our sins, for we read:
"That when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there
they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the
other on the left. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know
not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots."
The fearful drama enacted on Golgotha excites our wonder when we behold
the amazing love of Jesus, in thus praying for His persecutors. How
true it is that He was clothed with the mock robes of royalty, that we
might be clad in His justifying righteousness; crowned with the crown
of thorns, that we might wear a crown of glory.
Flow on, thou stream; oh, ceaseless flow,
Till every child of sin and woe
Hath plunged beneath thy cleansing tide,
And found the Saviour precious.
I want to say here, that I visited a family by request a few evenings
since in the upper part of New York City. During our religious
conversation I asked the mother of the family how she was led to Christ.
Her husband, daughters, and sons were all seated around her at the time,
a happy family circle. "Well," she replied, "about twenty-three years
ago, when my children were little, Mrs. Knowles met me on the street,
coming from the store. She said, 'Excuse me, lady, will you accept a
tract?' I answered yes. 'Will you read it,' she inquired, 'if I give you
one?' I promised I would. She further asked me, 'Have you any children?'
'Yes.' 'Do they go to Sabbath-school?' 'No.' 'Will you send them if I
call for them next Lord's Day morning?' 'Yes.' She called the following
Sabbath, and asked if the children were ready. 'They are all ready,' I
said, 'but one, and her shoes are not good enough; but wait and I will
go out and buy a new pair.' 'Oh,' said Mrs. Knowles, 'never mind buying
shoes to-day, I will call next Sabbath for them.' I did not know the
reason _then_ why she would not allow me to get the shoes, but I know
_now_. She did not wish me to break the holy Sabbath day. Then she
persuaded me to attend church, until I found Jesus as my Saviour. I was
in the habit of going to her with all my trouble, and she would say,
'Oh, well, never mind, don't tell anyone but your Heavenly Father about
it.'"