HOW GOD REACHED A NUN IN A CONVENT.

The incident that follows was related to me lately by the brother whose initials appear in the story. For obvious reasons full names of persons and places are omitted, but the reader may rely upon the trustworthiness of the narrative.

In the last decade of the century recently closed, there dwelt in the Convent, of –, in Eastern Washington, a sweet-faced nun, of quiet and gentle demeanor, known as Sister Mildred. Who she really was, and whence she came, were secrets to all but her most intimate associates that will never be unraveled now until the judgment-seat of Christ is set up.

She manifested unmistakable signs of culture and innate refinement, and gave good evidence of having come from a home where the kindlier feelings were uppermost, and tenderness and affection had surrounded her. Warm-hearted, and solicitous for others' good, she seemed to delight in ministering to the welfare of any who required her simple services.

In the convent school, or girl's academy, she was employed in teaching stenography and typewriting. Her duties were discharged with conscientious faithfulness, and any who knew her might have supposed that hers was a peaceful, happy and contented life.

But Sister Mildred had a secret sorrow gnawing at her heart, that often filled her with fear and anxiety. She felt the burden of her sins, and longed to know how she might find true peace with God. In vain had she sought to obtain this through confession, penance, mortification and the daily (and even nightly) round of religious exercises. Tears, prayers and austerities were all in vain. There were memories that would not down; an anxiety that would not be appeased; and soul trouble that neither sacraments nor indulgences, granted by the church, could allay.

So far as I am aware, Sister Mildred had never dared to open her heart to anyone as to her true condition of soul, until an event occurred which I will now relate.

In the same city there dwelt an earnest Christian, Mr. F– S–, who had, for several years, been rejoicing in the knowledge of sins forgiven and a conscience purged from every guilty stain, through the precious atoning blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Taught of the Holy Spirit, through the sacred Scriptures, he had learned that all human efforts to attain to righteousness could but end in failure; yea, that "all our righteousnesses are as filthy (polluted) rags" in God's sight, because of the incurable evil of the heart of man, which is described as "deceitful above all things and desperately wicked."

Such a heart had F– S– (and such is the natural heart of every reader of these lines!), but he had been "born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever." Through that Word he had been led to personal faith in the gospel message, revealing Christ to his soul as the all-sufficient Saviour for the confessedly lost and guilty. Thus he was the happy possessor of a new life, even life eternal, having been born of the Word and Spirit.

This man was an expert mechanic whose special work had to do with the setting up and repairing of safes and vaults, and the regulation of time-locks and intricate combinations. While engaged in this business, he was frequently called for to repair the typewriters used by Sister Mildred at the convent-school; and thus had opportunity of becoming somewhat acquainted with the quiet nun who presided over this part of the academy. She spoke freely to him on various subjects, and on one occasion voluntarily offered to do some copying for him, if there should be any thing of that nature he wished done.

Now it so happened that he was carrying a letter in his pocket at that very time, of which he had been very desirous to have a number of duplicates, for distribution among several of his brethren.

But in order to show the remarkable actings of God's Providence, and the wonderful way in which He was about to bring good out of a grave evil, by overruling a serious wrong for this soul-weary nun's blessing, I must go back and explain both the reason for, and the nature of this letter.

Some years before, there had been a sad and much-to-be-regretted breach of fellowship among the Christians, with a part of whom Mr. S— had become associated later on. Through an unhappy combination of pride, self-will and misunderstanding, (of which many now feel heartily ashamed) a division had been perpetrated and saints once rejoicing in each other's love and confidence had been parted into almost hostile sections, and learned to look upon each other with coldness and suspicion. No doubt there were many who honestly differed in judgment who were superior to these petty feelings; but, alas, in many places they were only too much in evidence.

The unhappy consequences of that separation exist to this day, and are often a source of grave concern and perplexity to simple-minded believers desiring to know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Mr. S— was numbered among these. In distress of mind, over what he feared was the countenancing of a serious wrong done to many saints of God, he felt led of the Lord to apply to a brother, well-reputed of as a help and a teacher (albeit on the opposite side in the controversy), who was known to be a man of sober judgment, and well acquainted with the facts. In reply he received a somewhat lengthy letter, in which the questions really at issue were set forth in a clear and succinct, but godly and kindly manner. In order to do this satisfactorily, the writer referred repeatedly to the Scriptures, thus directing his correspondent's attention to many important passages that brought out, in a lucid way, the true condition of all men by nature, as having "no life" until they have been born again by the Word and Spirit of God; and the privileges and responsibilities of those who have become " sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus,"-who are saved through His precious blood, and who, from the moment they trust in Him, are "sealed with the Holy Spirit," and that "to the day of redemption." Following this out a little, he developed the teaching of God's word as to the present standing and future portion of these sealed ones, possessors, in common with all saints, of life eternal, communicated through the Son of God. Other things were touched on which I need not dwell on here.

This letter proved so helpful to Mr. S— that he wished to share it with others, and without a thought of the apparent impropriety of his action, he was pleased indeed to accept the nun's kind offer. He handed her the letter, of which she promised to make a certain number of copies.* *I purposely avoid going into details in regard to the unhappy strife briefly referred to. But for the information of those intimately concerned, I merely mention the fact that it was the sorrow of 1884-85 among believers who assembled in the Name of the Lord Jesus, with which the correspondence in question had to do. The writer of the letter, copied by the nun, will be known to many under the familiar initials of T. O. L. I doubt not, this paper will be the first intimation he has ever had of the manner in which his letter was used by the God of all grace.*

Upon his calling for them, a few days later, she handed these to him, and then, visibly moved, asked if she might keep an extra copy which she had ventured to make for herself, saying:" Mr. S—, that letter is the most wonderful thing I have ever read. I do not understand all about the controversy; but I think I understand what he is teaching, and I would like so much to be allowed to keep one for myself that I might often read it over. It explains so many things, and contains what I have longed to know for years, about how to get peace with God, and how one may know he has eternal life and is accepted in Christ."* *It is quite possible this conversation is somewhat " Protestantized."The events occurred, as mentioned before, a number of years ago, but the words are given as nearly as I can recollect them, Mr. S–having related the particulars to me very recently.*

Needless to say, Mr. S— was amazed and rejoiced at this frank confession, and readily gave the requested permission.

The nun went on to speak of the gracious tone of the letter, and to say that she had noticed many of the quotations were from the Bible, a book with which she was very imperfectly acquainted. She spoke wistfully of longing to know more of it, upon which Mr. S— at once offered her a copy of the New Testament, which he carried in his pocket. She was grateful for the kindness, but timid about receiving it; saying, "I am afraid we ought not to read the Bible for ourselves, because we cannot understand it." He overcame her scruples by a few earnest words, and she accepted it thankfully and promised to read it.

Some time elapsed, ere business again called him to the convent; but on the next occasion he noticed that Sister Mildred was nowhere to be seen. The Mother Superior was present while he worked, and he finally ventured to inquire if the sister were well. He was told that she was ill, and in the infirmary. Upon his earnest request, permission was accorded him to see her for a few minutes. She was pale and wasted, but greeted him cordially, and, in the presence of another nun, spoke only of her illness and related topics.

But the other leaving the room for a brief interval, she at once became more free and thanked him with all her heart for the Testament, the letter, and the gospel message he had given her, "It has been the Word of life to me," she declared, " I know the blood of Christ has washed me, and I have peace." More would have been added, but the other sister returned, and Mr. S— left her to see her no more until " the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto Him;"

But my story is not yet ended; for he was not to be left without additional testimony to her salvation and steadfastness, and that from a most unlikely source.

When he next inquired for her, he was told that she had been sent for treatment to a hospital in the western part of the state, also connected with a convent. So he despaired of ever hearing from, or of her again; and could only pray that God would keep her in the joy of what she had learned from His word, " steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord," even though that work for her meant but patient suffering.

However, a change in his own business affairs resulted sometime afterwards in his removing with his family to Portland, Oregon. There he was connected with a large safe and vault firm, by which he was frequently sent to near-by towns' and cities on both sides of the Columbia to do special work. One day he was despatched to the residence of the Romish priests, in the very city to which the sick nun had been taken.

While he was engaged upon the safe, two priests were conversing together in the room, one of whom was clearly the worse for liquor. They happened to mention the convent and the hospital, and Mr. S– took the liberty to ask if they had ever known a Sister Mildred there. The partially inebriated priest replied at once that he believed such a person had been there but she was dead now. The other was evidently much perturbed, and at once called his companion into an adjoining room. There, supposing himself out of earshot, he spoke warningly, saying, "Don't you know that was that heretic sister from—?" The name was that of the city in which Mr. S— had met her. The words were spoken bitterly; but they were sweet indeed to him, for he was now assured that, although "after the way which they called heresy," she worshiped God, she had in reality found the sweet consolations of the gospel, and had doubtless been faithful unto death in maintaining the precious truth revealed to her soul through the letter and the Testament.

Thus had grace triumphed, and God been glorified through what might have seemed a most unlikely channel; namely a letter referring to sorrows among Christians which prudence would have suggested was not proper for a nun's eyes.

I have thought it well to preserve the story for the encouragement of the Lord's servants that they may sow in faith beside ail waters. And I trust it may also speak to any unsaved ones who may read it, bidding them profit by the knowledge given them by our gracious God in His precious life-giving Word. H. A. I.