Gathering Jewels: The Secret of a Beautiful Life: In Memoriam of Mr. & Mrs. James Knowles. Selected from Their Diaries.Knowles, James
Religion
Gathering Jewels: The Secret of a Beautiful Life: In Memoriam of Mr. & Mrs. James Knowles. Selected from Their Diaries.
Knowles, James
Allen Street Presbyterian Church (New York, N.Y.); Knowles, James, 1811-1886; Knowles, Matilda Darroch, 1811-1886
_Brought to rejoice in Christ as her Saviour._--The term "brought," is a
very emphatic Scriptural one. It ascribes the glory, and honor, and
power of man's deliverance to the free, sovereign, unmerited favor of
God. David sings:
"I waited patiently for the Lord. And He inclined unto me, and heard my
cry.
"He _brought_ me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay:
"And He set my feet upon a rock, and stablished my goings.
"And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praises unto our God; many
shall see _it_, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord."
A judicious acknowledgment of the sovereignty of God as the author of
salvation is essential to Christian calmness and courage, and
continuance in the path of duty. Man may break his promise, but God
never. Man's objection to God's methods of salvation arise from a
desire to take the glory to self, and the disposition to discontentment
on the one hand, and a feeling of distrust on the other. Let us learn,
from the foregoing account of the conversion of this woman, to isolate
ourselves from man's ways of working, and accept God's communications
regarding His approaches to the avenues of the heart; knowing that He
will ultimately send the converting power of the Holy Spirit to the
soul of the most hardened and obdurate sinner.
We must go back once more to Mrs. Knowles' narrative, and observe that
among the principal causes of her success with the poor and fallen, was
not only her intimate acquaintance with God's dealings with both saint
and sinner, but her marvellous and confirmed habit of always offering a
short prayer at the bedside of the sick and suffering and dying. There
was, therefore, elicited the pungent request, "Oh, pray for me,"
corroborated by the impressive ejaculation of confidence in her
fidelity to the divine command, "Call upon me in the day of trouble, I
will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." How inexpressibly
encouraging it must have been on this occasion to hear the remark, "I
know you will pray for me," accompanied with the look of earnestness
and helplessness, realizing that God alone could restore her to her
accustomed health and strength.
Who can tell of the gratitude and gladness that sprang up in this
woman's heart in answer to earnest prayer on her behalf, for her
recovery which God was graciously pleased to bestow? The donation of
the dollar to the other poor woman recently returned from the hospital,
was conclusive evidence that she joyfully appreciated what great things
God had done, not only for her soul, but for her frail body. Let us
learn, dear reader, from the foregoing account of God's dealings with
His dear departed saints that, in the first place, we must not be weary
in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not, for,
as Mrs. Knowles says, "Our work may seem at the time fruitless, yet we
may safely leave the seed in His hands, who maketh it grow and bud and
blossom in His own good time."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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