“More than ever I feel that there are millions who will never get any portion of God’s Word unless it be given to them as a free gilt. The only way of bringing the Gospel to nine out of ten is by the printed page. This must be done by giving ‘without money and without price’ to those who wish to possess.”―From a letter.
Making Hay While the Sun Shines.
The smell of the new made hay is pleasant perfume, and the work of the harvest field in summer weather has a great charm. The farmer is glad when the fields are mown, and the hay is gathered in. When the sun shines and the days are long, the work is soon done; then rest comes, and the quiet content of accomplished labor. And so in God’s work we have our appointed place, and when our day is over, the laborer rests with God. I have just had a letter from a father, speaking of the home-call of his daughter. Frail and weak in body for years, we are told, “she did a good deal of work among young people, corresponding with many of the girls who answered the Bible questions. When she went to be with Christ she had two shillings and sixpence ready to send to me for Testaments to be sent to the troops. She often sent to me sums from her pocket-money for that purpose. A short account of her last hours has been kept to be sent to many who knew her., I felt I should like a wider circle to know how gently the Lord Jesus took Phoebe Houseman home from fields of service to be with Himself. This is part of the short account:—
Phoebe Houseman.
Fell Asleep in Jesus, May 15th, 1918.
“The first intimation we had that the end was drawing near was after she had requested us to read a little earlier; we knew she was getting weaker, but did not expect the end so soon. She did not seem to know―as far as we could tell―that she would not get well, for she was looking forward to getting out again. We thought sometimes she was doubtful about it.
“I read the Twenty-third Psalm; and she seemed to enjoy it, as I heard her respond to it once or twice.
“At 9:45 she cried out ‘Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus.’ I prayed over her, and asked the Lord to remove the pain. Afterward I said, Jesus will help you to bear the pain, She said, ‘He is bearing all the pain.’ To her, mother she said, ‘Jesus has a lot of work to do, and He wants me to help Him, but I feel so tired.’
“We called Stephen downstairs, and I took him to her and said: ‘Stephen is here, have you a word for him?’ She said, ‘Come to Jesus, Stephen. Jesus wants, you. Jess loves you,’ and she repeated the appeal to him to come, and he promised he would. She said: ‘Satan wants to do anything he likes with me, but you won’t let, him, Jesus?’—this with such child-like trust. I said: ‘Is Jesus with you all the time?’ She said, ‘Yes, all the time,’ and kept talking to ‘Him and about Him until the end. I said to her, ‘Can you see Jesus?’ She said, ‘Yes, I see Jesus in glory,’ and then she continued talking to Him. She was completely absorbed in Jesus; her flow of conversation was all Jesus and His love. After she stopped speaking I said: ‘Is Jesus with you?’ She said ‘Yes’ in a faint whisper. In a few moments she was gone, without any struggle, at 10:45 p.m., to be forever with the One she loved and tried to serve. Jesus was with her to the end. She needed Him when the pain was so great. He took it away, and when Satan came to do his worst, He was still there to defend her. Most truly she was ‘Safe in the arms of Jesus.’
“We can praise the Lord for His mercies to her in taking her to Himself from this scene where she had suffered so much and so long.”
So passed away one of our helpers in our work among the soldiers. She was a friend indeed to the soldiers and the sailors.