The Rich Lady Made Rich

 •  3 min. read  •  grade level: 7
 
IN one of the beautiful old baronial castles among the mountains and lakes of Switzerland, there lived some years ago a lady whose history was told me in respectful terms by one of her faithful old servants.
It appears that the Baron de P., not content with the old family chateau, had built a modern mansion, in which he surrounded himself and his wife with all that the lust of the eye and the pride of life could furnish. But he died, and his childless widow was left alone to enjoy the fruit of his labor, and still to use for others that which she possessed. It was the testimony of all around her that her one desire was to make others happy. The poor, friends, servants, all shared her thoughtful care. She might have said with Job (ch. 29:11-12), "When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me: because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him." And yet if this dear lady could now speak to us from the presence of her Saviour, she would say, "I may have thought of others, but I myself was a Christless soul. I had not that faith without which it is impossible to please God. I was but pleasing myself; I had no other motive or object.”
But days of broken health came. A paralytic seizure laid this amiable lady low. She did not know the God of all grace whose hand was thus preparing her for blessing. Still not a murmur escaped her lips. Servants and friends vied with one another in efforts for her ease and comfort, but in vain.
Title, fortune, favor, all were worthless now. Her mind became enfeebled; she thought that she had lost her fortune, and in the most touching way would thank her servants for ministering to her need, fancying that to them she was indebted for everything. In days of health she had been known as having a very keen appreciation of good things to eat and drink. But in the progress of her malady all sense of taste was entirely removed. This added infirmity only drew forth the quiet remark, "God has taken everything from me now.”
The servant who told the story, her own special attendant, had long been a happy child of God, and was earnestly looking to the Lord to reveal Himself to this precious soul. And His time came. One day, watching by the couch of her mistress, how rejoiced she was to hear the request to be told a verse in the Bible which speaks of being saved by faith in Christ alone. The Holy Spirit had surely been working in her soul a sense of her need. Gladly her faithful maid repeated, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”
“Oh," she replied, "that is enough; I am the sinner, and Jesus is my Saviour.”
Three weeks more of weakness and suffering, but of unclouded peace and joy, and she passed away to be forever with Him who had loved her and given Himself for her, and who had sought her to be, if not long for a witness to Him here on earth, a witness throughout the ages to come, to the exceeding riches of the grace of God, in His kindness towards us through Christ Jesus.
“Wisdom is a defense (or 'shadow,' marginal reading), and money is a defense; but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.”
(Eccl. 7:12.) S. C.
BE content to wade through the waters betwixt you and glory with Christ, holding His hand fast, for He knoweth all the fords you may sink under; you cannot drown being in His company.—Extracted.