THE aged saint, to whom our title refers, had been for many years serving, with quiet faithfulness, the Lord whom she loved so well. Though gaining her own livelihood, she had always sought out others to whom she could minister, thus drawing down upon herself from many around the reward of happy, willing service when her own need came. She had been only for a few weeks thus dependent on the help of others when the Lord saw fit to take her to be forever with Himself. When she became aware that her malady was an incurable one, she begged to know what it might be, as no one had liked to tell her it was cancer. The doctor reluctantly, after a few days, mentioned the fact, as she still assured him that nothing could agitate her mind as regards what God had arranged for her.
“Oh," she said, " I am not surprised, but quite satisfied."
On visiting this dear saint of God the following week I found her full of the brightness of Christ's presence. In answer to a remark of mine as to the comfort of knowing the Lord to be sitting by her, she looked round at her other side as, with a beaming smile, she responded, “Yes; what should I do without Him there?”
To another friend, at about the same time, she said, when he was talking to her of the joy of being 'ere long with the Lord, " Blessed Jesus, soon I shall see you face to face precious, precious Jesus."
She had a great knowledge of and love for Scripture, and on one occasion when sitting with her she said, “We have had such a feast on the five barley loaves during our reading this morning. Oh, now they have been increased tenfold to me, and I who deserve nothing." Then after a little she continued, “And, oh, how He suffered for us! I have only just realized the fact that it was Satan in the garden of Gethsemane who came to prove and tempt that perfect Man, as at the beginning of His ministry; but, no, nothing could turn Him from that work which He came to do. Oh, my precious Redeemer!"
A few hours before her death she seemed to fall asleep, but was restless and muttering, as if in a dream. After a time her sister asked what had been troubling her. “Why," she sweetly replied, " I have been singing-singing hallelujahs with the saints that have gone before."
Just after this I called, and found her greatly altered, and looking hardly conscious, but with a bright smile she looked up when I greeted her. In answer to an enquiry as to whether she was not in pain, she said, " Oh no, only extreme weakness," and after a few minutes, when I told her we should not meet again here, but above, she slowly and almost inaudibly added, " Yes—in—the—full—joy—of—His— presence," and these were her last words. What a halo of glory seemed to be around that bed, from which in a few minutes afterwards the Lord came and took to Himself that happy and satisfied spirit.
May the perusal of these few lines lead some of the Lord's sorrowing ones to rest in the assurance that all is so planned for them that, no matter what the trial, they may experience I what it is to be "quite satisfied." E. W.