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 Randolph, 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 Savior 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 happy.
"Come up the garden, and I'll tell you," he said. So Miss Randolph 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 nice 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 you 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 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 cross and angry.”
"You can only overcome him by the Savior'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 forever' (Heb. 13:88Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. (Hebrews 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 'forever' 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. 2:77He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. (Revelation 2:7).)
Ben was very pleased with the texts, and said he would pin them up over his bed.