ABOUT, a hundred years ago a little girl was born in Bedford Square, London. The world lived a life not more godless than now, but far less observant of religious usage. Family prayer was almost unknown, and, except to be married, few persons entered a church. Baptisms were celebrated for the most part in. drawing-rooms, and were the prelude to revelry and merriment of all kinds. Into just such a home was little Sylvia born. No early religious instruction was given to her infant mind, no scripture was taught her. When she was eight years old, she was sent to a fashionable school in a neighboring square, and while there she regularly attended church; and when her education was finished she returned to her godless home. Her brothers gambled and drank, though they consorted with dukes and even princes. Sylvia had a loving heart, and when her father died, she gave it all to her wild dissipated brothers. She was too ignorant to understand the moral evil of their lives; but she saw them restless and miserable, and she pitied and tried to sympathize with them in their losses at cards, and in similar troubles.
Sylvia married while yet very young. The young couple were still ungodly. They asked no blessing, yet God watched over His own, though she knew Him not.
When the eldest girl was six years old, Sylvia engaged a daily governess for her instruction. Miss D. was an earnest humble-minded Christian, and Sylvia soon discovered that the governess was in some way different from herself. She had a peace, a restfulness of which Sylvia knew nothing. This discovery led to questions, and the answers brought about arguments sustained warmly on both sides.
Sylvia was prejudiced against methodistic cant. “Go,” said the governess, “only once, to hear Basil Wood.”
Hitherto Sylvia’s Sunday observances were restricted to reading a chapter of the Bible in her bedroom, and some of the church prayers, for she said going to church did not suit her, for she had never felt any better for going. Now for the first time in her life she heard the gospel faithfully preached. She believed at once in the blessed truths simply set before her. But it was not till long after that the convert entered into the full privileges of a believer.
Trials awaited her of the most crushing nature. She lost the brothers she so loved, and in a manner which left no hope in their deaths. Soon after Sylvia had been brought to the knowledge of Christ, her husband left London, and bought a place in the country. She was wretched in leaving the gospel ministry she attended, for she could not fully trust God yet.
To find a church where the gospel was faithfully preached was now her first object. Sunday after Sunday she went to one church after another. Nothing but dry moral essays were preached in any of them. No food for Sylvia’s hungry soul. At length during conversation she held with her nurse, who was a professing Christian, the latter exclaimed, “Well, ma’am, if you can’t hear the truth in a church, would you mind going to chapel? There is a faithful preacher in a dissenting chapel not far off.”
In those days dissenters were utterly despised by the upper classes. They were considered low and vulgar, and to become a dissenter was at once to lose caste. Sylvia was a woman of candid mind, and great intelligence. Her soul was of more consequence to her than her position in society, so she went.
When the preacher ascended the pulpit, Sylvia saw a plain man with a dark heavy countenance, but deep penetrating eyes after he had prayed for some time with great earnestness, he gave out his text, and commenced his sermon. It was a long, long sermon indeed, divided into many heads; Sylvia did not find it long. She needed instruction, for she was very ignorant, so she listened with willing ears. Each sentence seemed designed for her special benefit; each word went straight to her heart.
Sunday after Sunday saw Sylvia crossing the fields in her white dress to seek the wayside chapel. Soon her eldest girl went with her mother, leaving her father to go to church alone. After some time he, too, went to hear this preacher, and he too was convinced that he now heard the truth for the first time in his life. He accepted the gospel, convinced by his reason; but Sylvia had it hid in her heart by the Holy Ghost. What did the opinion of the world matter to her now she had Christ. Her feet were on a rock; she could not be moved. Contempt she knew she must incur, and she bore it bravely.
Thus did Sylvia become a Christian. Her influence was great, and widely spread. She had many children and many servants. More than one giddy young girl blessed the day she entered that household, and is rejoicing now with her before the Lord. How she prayed with and for her children, none can forget who heard her. The most marvelous thing about her was that in her busy life, full of household care and many great responsibilities, she was able to devote so many hours in the day to prayer, and the reading of the word. She rose betimes and retired late to rest. Morning and evening hours were alike consecrated to God. She passed much time in her closet, praying to the Lord for strength to fulfill her duties; and on one occasion, when it was suggested to her that she spent too much time in solitary prayer, she replied that without constant communion with her Lord, she could never have got through the difficulties and perplexities of her life.
She died at last after much suffering, trusting, as she had long trusted, in the finished work of Christ. Her sense of her own peculiar sinfulness deepened as she approached her end, but so much the more did she praise the goodness which brought her out of the miry clay to the Rock of her salvation. Numbers of her children’s children are preaching the pure gospel as Sylvia bequeathed it to their parents: some in churches, some in chapels and mission rooms, and in house to house visitation. Her descendants bless her memory, and remember her words received from oral tradition, as the Israelites of old heard from their fathers the counsels of God.
Of the children Silvia left behind her, it may be said of those who have followed her, that they were saved beyond a doubt, so that her prayers for them were answered, as she believed they would be.
This is a true history, and as such may be interesting to those who like to hear of a real experience.
m.