A Mother's Faith! earth cannot let it,
That precious faith, nor heaven forget it;
Oh, happy child! who first hears what God saith,
Through the sweet whispers of a Mother's Faith.
2 Kings 4:8-378And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. 9And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. 10Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither. 11And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there. 12And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him. 13And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people. 14And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old. 15And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door. 16And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid. 17And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life. 18And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers. 19And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother. 20And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. 21And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out. 22And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again. 23And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well. 24Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee. 25So she went and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite: 26Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well. 27And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me. 28Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me? 29Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child. 30And the mother of the child said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her. 31And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked. 32And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. 33He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the Lord. 34And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. 35Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. 36And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son. 37Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out. (2 Kings 4:8‑37).
2KI 4:8-378And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. 9And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. 10Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither. 11And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there. 12And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him. 13And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people. 14And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old. 15And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door. 16And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid. 17And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life. 18And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers. 19And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother. 20And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. 21And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out. 22And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again. 23And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well. 24Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee. 25So she went and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite: 26Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well. 27And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me. 28Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me? 29Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child. 30And the mother of the child said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her. 31And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked. 32And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. 33He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the Lord. 34And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. 35Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. 36And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son. 37Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out. (2 Kings 4:8‑37)THE home of the Shunammite's child was, like little Samuel's, in a very beautiful part of the beautiful land of Israel; it was in the plain of Esdraelon or Jezreel. All the loveliest flowers of the land grew there in abundance: the rich crimson lily, the ever-welcome rose, the delicate, trailing hyssop, and numbers of little flowers, whose names I cannot tell you, brightened and beautified the soft grass of the plain; and perhaps this little Shunem child loved the flowers around his home, just as you delight in the daisies, the primroses, and the violets of your own lanes and woods. Towering far above the flowers, were the beautiful trees of the land; the orange, with its sweet-scented, wax-like blossoms, its dark, shining leaves and golden fruit; the tree of soft rounded masses of foliage and little green olives, a well-known tree, even in countries where it has not been seen. For what child has not read of the olive-tree in scripture? The wholesome lime; the lemon-tree, with its pale yellow fruit; the pomegranate, so well known to Israelites; the sycamore, that tree that loves the heat of an eastern sun, yet spreads giant branches to shelter the traveler, and feeds him, too, with its plentiful crops of figs—all these, and perhaps many more, were daily sights to the child of Shunem.
No wonder that, possessed of land in so fruitful a spot, the father had grown rich and the mother was reckoned "a great woman;" yet, at one time, before the little son was born, she had been a lonely woman; for you know that no number of brilliant flowers or quantity of sweet fruit would do instead of love for your heart; and while the father was busy among his crops and his gardens, she wanted some one to talk to her and keep her company at home. Sometimes she had a visitor, an honored visitor: it was Elisha. The man of grace and power went into the Shunammite's house to eat bread as often as he passed by; he could well understand the need of the great woman's heart, for it was about a year since Elijah's wonderful ascent to heaven, and Elisha must have known what it was to feel lonely many times during that year, for his servant Gehazi was not one with whom he could talk as Elijah had talked with him.
Elisha's visits were blessed times for the great woman; she was giving the traveler a welcome and some food, and she was getting something for her heart. The traveler did not tell who he was, but his ways showed it; this is the right thing always. "Let another man praise thee and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips." It is not one who tells us that he is better or wiser than others that we shall think most of, but one whose ways show wisdom and goodness. "Even a child is known by his doings." The Shunammite does not say, "The stranger has told me;" she says, “Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God which passeth by us continually." "I perceive" means, I have found out. Elisha's words, while he partook of the food provided for him, and all his behavior gave this beautiful testimony, “A holy man of God."
Something beautiful is seen in the woman too. When she finds out that her visitor is a holy man of God, she wants to do more for him. Ah! Elisha was not treated everywhere as at Bethel; at Shunem, a little room was made for the man of God, and furniture was put into it—a bed and a table, and a stool and a candlestick. Elisha was pleased when he saw the room which had been made ready for him. The Shunammite was “a great woman," and she could do all this for Elisha, but Elisha was greater than the woman, because he was the man of God, and so he could do something for her. He sent Gehazi, his servant, to ask her what she would like, what she wanted. What could this woman want? She had a rich husband, plenty of friends, abundance of good things from fields and gardens and vineyards and oliveyards; what could she ask for? She did not ask for anything. But God knew what was wanted to make that rich home much richer; what precious gift would repay the woman for her care of Elisha: God gave her a little son.
Does not this show us what God means a child to be in his home and to his mother? Such a comfort, such a bright sunbeam, such a joy to her heart!
I am sure the Shunammite's child got a great deal of love, and a great deal of care must have been spent on him before the day came when he was grown and able to go out, as a little son would so delight to do, to his father and the reapers.
How old are you? I do not know, but you know. If you are only as much as five years old somebody has had to love you and dress you and feed you and care for you, in all sorts of ways, for one thousand eight hundred and twenty-six days. Just think of that! How ready you ought to be to do whatever little things you can for others in return!
I think the mother was learning a lesson as well as getting a gift; this gift made her a needy woman instead of a great woman. Perhaps that surprises you. All the care and love she gave her little son taught her that she had something now so very precious and tender and wonderful that she could not take care of it all by herself, but must trust it to God, and so she learned, a trust and dependence on God which she had never felt before. This story, as you will guess by the title, tells more about what the mother felt than what the child felt, yet I have always found children love this story of the little boy among the reapers, so I would not finish my book without it, and if you got a letter or a book which spoke about your mother, I am sure you would all like to read about her, so I think you will like to read about the Shunammite mother, and may learn, while reading about a mother, something which you could not learn from reading only about a child.
How lovely the corn fields must have looked in the brilliant light of that warm land of Israel! Harvest was a very joyful time there, as it is in all countries where the produce of the earth is the chief wealth of the inhabitants. What a bright, busy, pleasant day the master and the reapers expected in that field of Shunem! Very likely, too, the child was as happy and, in his way, as busy as any of them, but “the grass withereth, the flower fadeth."
“Our life is like the grass,
Or like the morning flower:
If one sharp blast sweep o'er the field,
It withers in an hour."
This little verse speaks about a sharp blast; it is the sharp blast, the cold wind, the "chilly autumn hours” that wither our little English blossoms, but in the land of Israel, the hot, dry wind from the east was much more to be dreaded than any cold wind; under its burning touch flowers and corn soon bowed their dying heads, and no little child could have resisted it in its force; so we read in Psa. 103:15, 1615As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. 16For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. (Psalm 103:15‑16), "As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth, for the wind passeth over it and it is gone, and the place thereof shall know it no more."
The child stood with his father among the reapers and the corn and the flowers, and perhaps, in the midst of his busy work, the father little thought how soon the most precious among his good things was to droop its head, like the tenderest little flower when touched by the reaper's sickle; but so it was.
Suddenly, the child called to his father; he was in pain, all he could say was, “My head, my head." The heat of the sun had most likely struck upon his head.
Such things will happen now, and in other countries besides the land of Israel. I knew a little girl once; such a precious child little Mabel was, so many to love her and care for her, so full of life she seemed, with such bright eyes and shining curls and round rosy cheeks; limbs so full of vigor. Could she be cut down in a moment, like the Shunammite's child? Yes; there came a bright hot day, one of those days that do so delight the hearts of children and grown people, and Mabel was out, as children love to be, in the bright sunshine; but the fierce heat struck her, and before night she lay like a little faded flower, and she never went out again, for before the next bright day came, she was dead. Oh, how soon a child is gone! Gone, from its father and mother, its brothers and sisters; pile from its happy home, gone from those lanes and fields where it gathered sweet flowers, gone from the shining of the sun and the bright blue sky! What would become of the child thus gone, but that—
"There's a Friend for little children
Above the bright blue sky:
A Friend who never changeth,
Whose love can never die.
There's a Home for little children
Above the bright blue sky,
Where Jesus reigns in glory,
A home of peace and joy."
Do you know this Friend? Have you learned the heart of Jesus? If not, you are not ready to see the face of Jesus. You could not love the home of Jesus. We must know Jesus as our Savior, our own Savior, who has put away our sins, before we can go to the home above the sky. Before we read, in Psa. 103, the sad verses about the flowers, we read what has been done for all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." Peter tells us how it was done. Speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ he says, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree. By whose stripes ye were healed."
After that one sad cry, "My head, my head," the little child of Shunem could not enjoy the field or the reapers, he could not look at anything, he could not say anything, he could not run about, he could not even run home to his mother, where a sick child needs so much to be. The father said to a lad, “Carry him to his mother."
Oh, what a sad surprise for the poor mother! while she was busy indoors; perhaps, like Hannah, making a little coat for her son—for every little child wants his own mother to make his own little coats—and certainly, like Hannah, and like many a mother since, thinking about the little child who was away. What a sad surprise to see him carried back by the lad! She had thought of him as running by his father's side, or perhaps following close upon the reapers and gathering out some bright flowers that had no business among the corn, but now she saw him lying in the lad's arms, so sick, almost dying. The rest is all told in one little half verse, but what a change that half verse made to the house and the mother! “he sat on her knees till noon, and then died."
Then came out the lesson which the mother had learned: God gave me this little son, I have done what I could for him, but not for one of all the hundreds of days he has been with me could I keep him alive, and now I cannot do anything at all more for him; I cannot do even a little part, as I have done, I must give him quite up to the care of God, and leave him and go and find the man of God. So she went up to that little chamber which had been made for Elisha, and there on the bed which she had prepared for the man of God she laid the little dead child.
It was of no use for her to stay there; she had done all she could for him while he sat on her knees, but after he was dead she could do nothing more, so she shut the door upon him and went out.
Then one of the men had to be called away from his busy work in the field, and the ass had to be saddled, and the father, who did not know what had happened at "noon," wondered very much what it was all about, but the mother did not tell all then, she only said, "It shall be well." Perhaps she knew that the father could not have attended to his work among the reapers, if he had known how the little son lay upon the prophet's bed; perhaps also her heart was too much set upon telling the man of God to tell any one else first. She had several miles to go from Shunem to Carmel, a journey that might take her, even on a swift eastern donkey, about two hours; it would seem a long time to leave the child upon that lonely bed in the little chamber; so she said to the servant, "Drive and go forward, slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee."
She had to ride all across the beautiful plain of Jezreel before she came under the shadow of mount Carmel, and before she had quite reached the end of her journey Elisha saw her. He sent Gehazi to ask, “Is it well with thee? Is it well with thy husband? Is it well with the child? "
Is it not wonderful, when we know that the little son was already lying dead upon the prophet's bed, that she could answer to all the three questions, “It is well." At last she reached Elisha; only he could help her, so she says, "I will not leave thee."
Elisha was not going to send her away. Grace never sends away the needy. We may remember how Jesus, who was far beyond Elisha, God's Messenger of grace and power, said, “Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out."
Gehazi was sent on in front; he made haste and arrived first at Shunem, but when he went into the prophet's chamber, though he laid the prophet's staff, as he had been told to do, upon the face of the child, "there was neither voice nor hearing," so he went back and met the prophet and the mother and said, "The child is not awaked."
Elisha did not know yet what had happened to the child, he only knew that the mother's heart was in grief about her little son; but as soon as he got into the house, "behold the child was dead and laid upon his bed; he went in therefore and shut the door upon them twain and prayed unto the Lord. And he went up and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm."
Elisha prayed and labored and waited God's time; after he had reached the place where the dead child was we are told of nine things that he did, before the flesh of the child waxed warm. If you look at the story of the little girl in Luke 8:49-5649While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master. 50But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole. 51And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden. 52And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. 53And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. 54And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. 55And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat. 56And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done. (Luke 8:49‑56), or of the widow's son in Luke 7:11-1511And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. 12Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. 13And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. 14And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. 15And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. (Luke 7:11‑15), or of Lazarus in John 11, you will see how immediately the Lord Jesus raised the dead, for He was God, but Elisha was only a man of God.
A person who is dead is quite, quite cold; how very glad the kind prophet must have been when he felt the flesh of that mother's dear little-child getting warm; still, he could not take him up or give him back to his mother until God made known to him that the right time was come. Just when the child's flesh was getting warm, Elisha had to leave him and walk to and fro in the house, for it was not the power of Elisha, but only the power of God which could send the child's spirit back into him again. I dare say much prayer and desire was in the prophet's heart then, and faith and hope too; and all these things were, no doubt, in the mother's heart. At last, the second time, Elisha saw what made him very glad, “The child opened his eyes." Then Elisha told Gehazi to call the Shunammite; I am sure she was waiting and ready to come, and when she was come Elisha said, “Take up thy son."
“Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out."
The little son lived many years after that. It was about two years later that Elisha again visited Shunem, and however welcome he may have been before, he must have been far more so now, and perhaps, during the two years, he may have paid many visits to that mother and her child of which we are not told; this time he had bad news for her. A famine was coming upon the land, even the fruitful plain of Jezreel was to be for a time barren; there was to be no more reaping or gathering of summer fruits, and the Shunammite was to go and live wherever she could. So she went a great journey, of about seventy miles, until she reached the land of the Philistines, and there she lived for seven years. Of course she took the little son with her; and if ever the need of that famine time seemed to shut out all hope of food, she could take comfort by looking at the child, now growing in strength of boyhood, though once so still in death, and she could teach him to trust that God who had given him life, and life back again from death, could also give the food which that life needed, for "Is not the life more than meat I"
How much this child of the Shunammite owed to his mother's faith! What grief, what labors on his behalf, her faith carried her through! Children often little know how much they owe to a mother's faith; what dangers they have been kept from or perhaps saved out of in answer to her prayers; what lessons of faith they have learned from seeing hers; what earnest words the mother has spoken too, how carefully she has stored the mind of the little one with the words of holy scripture. Many, who have grown up to be useful Christian men can remember a mother's first lessons.
There was once a little boy who, like many other little boys, was fond of sitting with his mother by the fireside, during the long winter evenings. Sometimes, if you were sitting beside the fire you would have nothing to look at but the bright red coals; this little boy had wonderful pictures in front of him, for the chimney piece was covered with tiles, and on each tile was a picture from some Bible story; so, as he sat there, looking at the tiles, his mother taught him many of the most beautiful Stories from the Old and New Testaments. I think though, that a man's drawing on a tile must have been but a poor representation of the Garden of Eden, or of Joseph and his brethren, or of King "Solomon in all his glory;" and it must have needed a great many of the mother's words as well, to give the child any right idea of these things; but he much enjoyed his fireside lessons, and perhaps it was the remembrance of them, and of the love he had learned when a little boy that made him, after he grew up to be a man (well known as Dr. Doddridge), write sweet hymns about the Lord's love to the children. I have put one here for you, and though you may have read it before, you will like to read it again, now that you have heard about the little boy by the fireside.
“See Israel's gentle Shepherd stands,
With all engaging charms;
Hark! how He calls the tender lambs,
And folds them in His arms.
Permit them to approach, He cries,
Nor scorn their humble name;
For 'twas to bless such souls as these,
The Lord of glory came."
Some of you have, I dare say, heard of Alfred the Great, who reigned over England a thousand years ago. He also owed much to a mother's first lessons. At that time, very few English people could read, and though they sometimes came together to hear a part of the scriptures read, the reading was perfectly useless to them, for it was in Latin, a language which very few of them understood. Very likely, you would not learn much from a chapter read to you in Latin. King Alfred earnestly desired the good of his people, and he knew that what they most needed to make them wise and happy was the word of God, so, whenever he heard a very sweet verse read, he translated it into English, and wrote it into a book which he called his “Enchiridion." This seems a very strange name, but it means “hand book," and King Alfred called his book of Bible verses by that name because he always kept it at hand, and he never missed an opportunity of reading a part of this precious book to any one who came to speak to him. He was a truly useful king, for he made the people of England know a tittle, and desire to know more, of the holy scriptures; and the beginning of all the love for the word of God which was in his own heart was the lessons of his mother, who used, when he was a little boy, to read to him from a "hand book" of her own, written in Latin. This queen had three other sons, and she promised to give the beautiful "hand book" to whichever of them first learned Latin enough to read it himself. Alfred made haste to get on and gained the prize.
Many of you are still blessed with a mother's love, and the teachings of a mother's faith, but there may be a child who cannot see and hear, who can only remember, its mother; perhaps the dear mother has gone to be " ever with the Lord," and you remember a time, not so very long ago, when she spoke her last words to you. But a mother's faith can wonderfully surround a child, even after her arms can no longer encircle you, as they have so often done when, (like the little Shunammite child), you have sat upon her knees; though her words can no longer be heard by your ears they may be kept, like treasures, in your memory, and may sink deep into your heart and draw you to Him whose love is beyond a mother's, who will never leave you, never forget you.
I will tell you the story of a little boy who was left fatherless and motherless, but, it is written “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up."
Little James was born in a pleasant farm-house in America, a little brother was born at the same time as James, and the father of these two poor little boys died almost before they were old enough to know him; thus the poor mother was left a widow in a lonely place, with her infant twins. Oh, how much the poor widow needed comfort! a comfort which none among the few friends near her could give, for not one of them knew Him who is "the God of all comfort." The widow herself was as ignorant of the love of God as her poor neighbors; but God is the God of the widow and the Father of the fatherless; He, in great mercy, inclined this poor woman's heart, when she could get nothing from her neighbors, to turn to her Bible, and He who inclined her to turn to this precious book, also opened her heart, as once He opened Lydia's, so that she received the truth which she read.
She had a new desire now for her two dear little sons; it was not only that they might get, while in this world, all that a kind father's love would have provided for them had he lived, but that they might learn, from their childhood, to know Him, whom to know is life eternal, that they might from their hearts cry unto Him, " My Father, thou art the guide of my youth." She had nothing outward, except the precious book, to help her; there was no preaching of the gospel in that lonely place, and there did not appear to be, among the few people scattered around, a single one who cared to hear or to speak the precious name of Jesus.
Oh, what a dark place it must have been! How very good it was of God to let His own light shine down into the heart of this poor widow, that she might be comforted herself, and might teach her poor little sons But for that goodness, what would have become of the orphans who were soon to be motherless as well as fatherless?
While the mother read, she remembered something that she had long forgotten; it was sad indeed that she should have so long forgotten it; perhaps, had she not so long-forgotten it, she would not have been in such lonely sorrow.
What was it that this mother remembered?
She remembered the time when, herself a little child, she had learned at her mother's side the precious words which were now comforting her heart. Perhaps this widowed mother herself owed much to a mother's faith, and that made her specially anxious to instruct her own little boys.
As soon as they were at all old enough to understand, she taught them the texts which she herself had learned; she talked to them of Jesus, who loved the little children and took them up in His arms. Many, many times, too, she wept while she taught them, for a sad illness was coming quickly upon her, all she felt that her little boys must soon be left without her in that lonely place. They were then only five years old, and no wonder the mother wept when she thought of leaving them.
Soon, she became unable to teach them or to do anything for them, and a neighbor had to be called in to nurse her, and to take care of the house and the children. At last, that last day which some children know of, came to these poor little boys; they were lifted on to their mother's bed; she kissed them each, spoke her last few words of love to them, and then a few words of prayer for them to the Father of the fatherless. The children cried bitterly, as they were taken away from their mother's room, although they understood but little the greatness of their loss.
The mother then turned to the neighbor who had come to take care of her. "It is difficult," she said, "for a mother to be happy in leaving two such helpless babes without friends, in this lonely place, but I leave them in the hands of God, and I do believe He will take care of them, for He has said, ‘Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive, and let thy widows trust in me.'"
Very soon after this, the mother died; the pleasant farm was sold, and a poor widow who lived near took the children into her little house. I think the widow meant to be kind to the orphan children, but she could not speak to them, as their mother had done, of the love of Jesus, for she knew it not herself. One of the twins died soon after his mother, and little James was left quite alone; very lonely he was, he had nothing to do, no one to teach him, no one to remind him of his dear mother's loving words. A year passed away, and he seemed to be fast forgetting all her lessons and prayers, but God did not forget the mother's faith and the mother's prayers.
"Though all things change He changes not,
Nor e'er forgets though oft forgot;
His love's eternally the same,
And as unchanging as His name."
Just when the year had passed away, and little James was so sadly in need of a Christian friend, a young lady who was a child of God by faith in Christ Jesus, came to the place where the orphan boy lived. I cannot tell you what reason this young lady had for coming to that lonely place, but I think she was sent there of God in answer to the mother's faith. One afternoon, soon after her arrival, while out walking, she met a little boy sauntering along, looking very forlorn; his clothes were ragged, yet there was something in his appearance which at once drew the heart of this lady to him. “What is your name, little boy?" she said gently, as he came up to where she was.
“James," said the child.
“And where do you live?"
"Just on the edge of the wood; there, in that little log-house," replied James. “Can you see it? I live with Widow Parker."
"Yes," said the lady, “I see the little house, but is Widow Parker your Mother?"
“No," said the child; then, with a look of confiding love, he continued, "I had a mother last year, and she loved me, she used to love me and my brother John; she made us clothes, and taught us texts and hymns and pretty stories."
“But where is she now?" said the lady, very gently.
“Oh, ma'am," said poor little James, "do you see that graveyard, yonder?"
“Yes," said the lady.
“And the great maple-tree in the corner?"
“Yes; I see it."
“Well," continued little James, "my mother is dead, and now she lies under that tree, and so does my brother John. They were both put deep in the ground; they dug my mother's grave so deep, and I shall never see them again, never as long as I live. Would you like to come and see the graves, ma'am? "
The lady would not go then to see the graves, but she took the poor little boy by the hand and talked more with him. She found that he had forgotten nearly all his mother's lessons, but he still remembered how she had taught him and loved him. Before the walk was ended, the kind lady had invited little James to visit her at the house where she was staying, and he was glad enough to go. Many visits he paid to the kind young lady there; she gave him a little Testament, she taught him to read, and as she remained for more than a year in the place, she became a very dear friend to the orphan child; indeed, the lady never left little James; it was James himself who left that lonely place, as you will hear.
One whole summer James had received those lessons of love from his new friend, and in the winter that followed he began to fall ill, as his mother and his little brother had done. By the time the second summer came, he was quite a sick little boy; yet, in the fine warm weather, he was still glad to leave the little log-house and sit on some green bank near. He was now nearly eight years old, his friend used often to take him out, and one pleasant afternoon he begged that she would go with him to his mother's grave. For a little while he sat in silence under the shadow of the great maple-tree, presently he cut a small stick, then, going to little John's grave, he carefully measured its length; then, still without speaking, he returned, and sitting down beside the lady, put his thin little hand into hers. “Dear Miss S.," he said, “my grave will be only a little longer than John's. You cannot know," he continued, "how much I love you, and how much I thank you. Before you came here I knew nothing about heaven, or about dying, or about God, or the Savior Jesus; I love you very much. I feel sure that I shall not live long, but, dear Miss S., I am not afraid to die; I have learned that Jesus suffers little children to come to Him, and though I am such a sinful little boy, I know the Savior Jesus has loved me and saved me; and please, when I am gone, tell the other children to come and see the little graves, little John's and mine, and see how short they are, and tell, them I loved them, but that the Savior loves them much more."
Little James lived a few months after that; he had many sweet talks with the lady about the Savior, with whom he was so soon to be, and his kind friend was by his bedside when he died. Does not this little story show how God remembers the sad and the helpless? What love it was to send a friend to the child in that lonely place and what love to make known to him the love of Jesus the Savior, and to take the homeless orphan away from this dangerous world to His own blessed presence where is fullness of joy.
How rich were the corn-fields of Shunem that day!
How brilliant the beams of the sun!
How precious the fruit to be stored away!
And blithely the work must be done.
Oh! could there be aught 'mid those full golden ears,
More precious, more passing than they?
Must the joy of that harvest be mingled with tears?
Must clouds chase its brightness away?
The God who bestow'd the rich harvest that day
Has treasures unseen 'neath the sun,
And a light which He only 'mid clouds can display,
And surely His work must be done.
All silent, a touch of the bright summer ray
But lights on the child's fair young head;
And like flower of the field he lies fading away,
And his mother must watch till he's dead.
Cold, he lies stretch'd on the prophet's lone bed,
While she hastes her sad story to tell;
The cloud that scarce threaten'd has burst on her head,
And what can she say?-Is it well?
Is it well with thee, mother? and well with the child?
And well with the father?—Ah yes!
The flower lies faded and clouds may look wild,
But faith sees the light there to bless.
It is well with the mother; for while she has wept
Her heart has grown strong to endure;
It is well with the child; for the treasure love kept,
Faith yields to a care more secure.
Resurrection shall surely display in the light
What here amid clouds was begun,
And treasures eternal reveal to our sight
How blessed the work He has done.
The fields around Carmel are fruitful and sweet,
But Shunem a story can tell,
Far sweeter, of her who when childless could meet
The prophet and say, "It is well."