"What the Grace of God can do."

SHE was the mother of ten children, living in a small five-roomed cottage on a quarter-acre section. The furniture was of the plainest, the floor being covered with plain sacks. In the center of the kitchen was a Dover stove, which stood out from the wall about four feet, and alongside of a kitchen table stood a sewing machine. Her husband had a small business about forty miles away; but unfortunately was not able to give her enough to support her family. He was a free thinker, and brought up his eldest son in the same way.
This son at this time was a pupil-teacher, and the eldest girl was out at service, so this dear saint had eight children to support. She was a tailoress, and had to work all hours. If you had called in any week-night, you would have entered quite a busy hive; some learning their lessons, and you would have noticed two of the younger boys down on their knees working the treadle of the sewing machine for their mother, and helping her to sing:
“Safe in the arms of Jesus.”
This was the atmosphere that these children were brought up in. The mother had to finish those suits, take them some three miles by train, get some more, and be back in time to get lunch for the children. Now imagine this dear saint keeping this up for years, till she was able to pay this property off, and yet able to sing:
“Safe in the arms of Jesus,
Safe on His gentle breast,
There by His love o’ershaded,
Sweetly my soul shall rest.”
After the day’s work was over, and the children in bed, she would lift up her heart to her Father above, unburden her needs and troubles, and receive grace to help. This is how the Lord was preparing her for further lessons that He might bestow “grace on grace.”
About this time a neighbor, who was on friendly terms with her — a widow with four grown-up sons, living about thirty yards away — was likely to get into serious trouble owing to the conduct of her eldest son. The dear saint thought she would warn her, so that the trouble might he nipped in the bud. To her dismay she received quite a tirade of abuse, and was told to mind her own business in the future. This faithful saint, however, remembered the Lord’s warning, “Pray that ye enter not into temptation” and spread all before the throne of grace.
Now we shall see how she received “grace on grace.” She would sometimes meet this neighbor and say, “Good morning,” to her, just to show that she bore no ill-feelings. This was the occasion for another tirade of abuse. But the Lord gave her strength in her weakness. She was kept by the power of God through faith in Christ Jesus. She was kept from sinning when the trial came, for she had prepared her heart before the Lord. This happened several times, but she was still kept.
While all this trouble was going on it was evident that her friend had allowed a root of bitterness to spring up, but the dear saint was being-rooted and grounded in love. She had been drinking of the water that the Lord Jesus gives, with the result seen in Jeremiah 17:88For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. (Jeremiah 17:8)― “a tree planted by the waters...”
Some time afterward her friend had a niece to spend a holiday with her. This niece was subject to a complaint which made it necessary to place her in a hot bath to bring her round. This meant that a big fire had to be made out of bushwood, half-green, and a large oval washing boiler filled with water and heated. There were no Doulton baths in those days, and an old wooden tub had to be used. This was a job that required someone to help her, so she went to call this dear saint, who had been in bed some two hours—tired, too, after a hard day’s work. Up she got, however, and helped her neighbor, saw the child comfortable in bed, and returned home to get a little more rest. Here, indeed, was growth in grace. Surely her friend would now be ashamed of herself! So, the next time they met she was abused as before; but was still sustained. Again and again this occurred, but the dear saint was able to say, “I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me.” How true, too, the Word, “When a man’s ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemy to be at peace with him.” Even so it was here.
One evening this enemy came, ashamed of herself, and owned that she had tried all she could think of to make her retaliate so that she would have cause to find fault; but could not. She asked the dear saint’s forgiveness, and we may be sure, got it.
Twice this dear one had to pay off her property that her husband had re-mortgaged, but her faith wavered not.
The Lord never forgets the prayers of His children. All but one of this family He brought to Himself. The Lord knew the atmosphere they were brought up in. The last one, I have heard recently, is now anxious. I was personally interested with all mentioned in this narrative. It happened in New Zealand in 1883, and I believe that the Lord used this display of what the grace of God can do to bring me to Himself.
“God moves in a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform.”
A.M.D. (Christchurch).