The Child and the Earthquake at Colchester

 •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 11
 
"'WHEN the children in the nursery heard the rumbling, not knowing what it was, they were quite delighted, thinking it to be simply a matter for fun; and the nurse on entering the room, found them laughing and rolling about on the floor. On the nurse (a Christian woman), however, trembling with fear, explaining to them that there was great danger, one of the little ones listened very attentively, said nothing, but quietly and immediately went into a corner of the room, fell upon his knees, and asked the Lord Jesus to preserve them. Just as he was rising from his knees, the cook entered, her face pale with fear, which on observing, the little boy cheerfully exclaimed, Oh, Cookee, don't be afraid; I've prayed to Jesus, and He will take care of us,' and then proceeded cheerfully to play with the others as usual, as though nothing had happened.”
On reading this interesting incident, received in a letter from a friend who witnessed it, we felt, "Well, here we have an illustration of the blessed fact that ' out of the mouth of babes and sucklings' God perfects His praise; and a faith worthy of Himself, and such as Christ, its Author and Perfecter, can give, illustrating indeed the meaning of His own divine words, 'Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.'”
This faith, however, He promises to bestow, for He says, "Ask, and ye shall receive; seek, and ye shall find," and the Christian should remember that however strong his faith may be, his loving Lord, by His Spirit and word, can make it stronger; so strong, indeed, that whatever sufferings, temptations, trials, or calamities may surround us, we shall be lifted above all fear. Thus in the exercise of a cheerful, peaceful confidence, in the midst of all, and contemplating our risen and great Lord's perfection, and work, and faithfulness to His promises, we shall triumphantly exclaim with the apostle, "If God be for us, who can be against us?”
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
“As it is written, For Thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." W. P. B.