{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_61131/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_61131","id":"gutenberg_61131","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/61131","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Children & Young Adult Reading","Category: Novels","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Children -- Death -- Juvenile literature","Children's poetry","Christian life -- Juvenile literature","Missionaries -- Juvenile literature"],"text":"[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n                             CHARLES DWIGHT;\n                                   OR,\n                          The Missionary\u2019s Son.\n\n                        RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY;\n                  56, Paternoster-row; 164, Piccadilly,\n                                 LONDON.\n\n\n\n\nCHARLES DWIGHT; OR, THE MISSIONARY\u2019S SON.\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCharles Dwight was the son of a Christian missionary, and was born in\nConstantinople, February 16th, 1837. When he was only four months old,\nhe lost his mother by the plague. She was a good mother, and desired\nabove all things for her children that they might become the disciples of\nChrist.\n\nCharles, though a pleasant child, needed a new heart, as all children do,\nhowever lovely they may be. While yet young, he was made to feel this.\nWhen he was about seven years old a child of a mission family died. This\nled him to think of death. A sermon which he now heard made him pray\nvery much for his sins to be forgiven. The Holy Spirit was striving with\nhim. He soon yielded to His power, and put his trust in the Saviour. He\nnow entered upon a new life. Prayer was his delight. The Bible was a\nprecious book. He aimed to do right and to make everybody happy.\n\nCharles\u2019s companions could not help loving him, for he was always kind in\nhis ways. Some of these, like himself, were pious youths. They never came\ntogether to spend any time in each other\u2019s society without praying before\nthey parted. As one of these loved friends was about to leave on one\noccasion, Charles said, \u201cLet us not part till we have prayed together;\u201d\nso they went into a room by themselves, and he read a chapter in the\nBible, and they knelt down and prayed.\n\nThat very night\u2014it was Saturday, February 5th, 1853\u2014he was seized with a\nheadache. The most skilful aid was called in, but it could not help him.\nHis pains at times were very great, but he never lost his patience, nor\nhis sweet hope in God. A part of the time his mind wandered, and then\nhe kept talking, now in English, now in Greek, now in French, now in\nTurkish,\u2014but it was about Christ and his cause. Once, when a dear friend\nwho was siting by him asked him if he felt ready for whatever might be\nthe result of his sickness, he said, \u201cMy head is in such pain that I\ncannot collect my thoughts; but sometimes I am able to do so, and then\nmy mind is in perfect peace. But if I had not been led to make my peace\nwith God before this disease came upon me, I am sure I never could have\ndone it now.\u201d\n\nAt another time, in reply to a question from his father, he said with\ngreat feeling, \u201cI cannot yet say that I _want_ to die now; but I desire\nthe will of the Lord to be done. If He wills that I die now, _I am\nready_.\u201d\n\nBut why, do you suppose, did he not _want_ to die then? It was not\nbecause it is so happy to live. His life was indeed a happy one, but\nhe knew it is far better to be with Christ. The reason why he seems to\nhave wished to live rather than to die, was, that he might do good. His\nheart was set on being a missionary. He hoped soon to visit his father\u2019s\ncountry for his education, and then to return, and preach the gospel. It\nwas this that seemed to him even more desirable than to go at once and be\nwith Christ.\n\nPrayer was very sweet to him. Once, after his father had prayed with him,\nhe said, \u201cIt is such a comfort to have you pray with me!\u201d He also prayed\nhimself. He asked of God that all the members of the church might \u201clead\nholy lives,\u201d and that those who are in their sins, and the children,\nmight be converted. He ended as follows:\u2014\u201cO Lord, thou knowest how much\ngreater than our words are our desires and necessities; and do thou hear\nus and bless us as thou seest we need, for the sake of Jesus Christ, to\nwhom be glory for ever. Amen.\u201d\n\nHe also found great comfort in the Bible. As his father repeated passages\nto him, such as \u201cIn my Father\u2019s house are many mansions,\u201d \u201cThis is a\nfaithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came\ninto the world to save sinners,\u201d he would say, \u201cOh, how sweet! how\nprecious!\u201d\n\nFor twelve days he had been getting worse, and it was now plain that the\nconflict was nearly over. A little before the end, his father bent over\nhim, and said, \u201cCharles, can you now commit your soul into the hands of\nChrist, as your gracious Saviour?\u201d He replied, slowly, and with deep\nfeeling, \u201cI have done that _long ago_, papa.\u201d\n\nHis father, having heard these sweet words, threw himself on a sofa, and\nbeing very tired, quickly fell asleep. A loud call from a servant soon\nawoke him. He sprang to the bed, and found the poor sufferer in great\npain, and in a few minutes his spirit was with Christ in heaven.\n\nWould you join him there? Then \u201ccommit your soul into the hands of\nChrist, as your Saviour,\u201d that you too may be able to say, at the end of\nlife, \u201cI have done that _long ago_.\u201d\n\n               Benjamin Pardon, Printer, Paternoster Row.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n    God loves the child that humbly prays,\n      And truly seeks his face;\n    That walks in all his holy ways,\n      Depending on his grace.\n\n    God loves the child whose earliest youth\n      Is given to the Lord;\n    Who fears his name, and speaks the truth,\n      And trembles at his word.\n\n    God loves all those who prize his love;\n      And, till this life be past,\n    Will shine upon them from above,\n      And save them to the last.\n\n    O heavenly Father! shine on me,\n      And all my heart unite\n    To love, and serve, and honour thee,\n      And make thee my delight.","title":"Charles Dwight; or, the missionary's son","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":995}