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By Brenda Bernier "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy….Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter" (1 Peter 4: 12-13,16). Elizabeth Prentiss was greatly acquainted with these verses, for hers was a life of suffering. Though at times quite weighed down with the grief that often accompanies loss and illness, Elizabeth bore her sufferings well and sought to bring honor and glory to God in the midst of her trials. Born in Portland Maine, on October 26, 1818 to Edward and Ann (Shipman) Payson, Elizabeth was the fifth of eight children. Her father was a third generation congregational minister who died when she was but nine years old. A man of great piety and devotion in the truest sense, it was he who left the greatest spiritual influence upon his young daughter. Like her father, Elizabeth was often taken ill. She suffered from headaches, pains in her side, and fainting spells. These plagued her for most of her life, often causing her to be bed-ridden for weeks at a time, however, the inner joy so admired by those who loved her proved that she had learned to be content in all circumstances. In 1834, at the age of 16, Miss Payson had her first literary work published in “The Youth's Companion.” She began teaching in 1838 in her mother's home and then in a girl's school in Richmond, VA. Ill health brought her back to Portland again, but once recuperated she continued to teach in Richmond until the school closed in 1843. Her marriage to George Lewis Prentiss took place on April 16, 1845, one week after George had been ordained as a Presbyterian pastor of the South Trinitarian church in New Bedford, Massachusetts. While residing there, the Lord blessed the Prentiss household with two children — Anna, (born in 1846) and Eddy (born in 1848). Three weeks after Eddy was born, Elizabeth's dear mother passed away. It was a very great loss, which was deeply magnified by an illness baby Eddy took on. He suffered from a severe case of colic, which continued to be a problem for almost 8 months. Another illness nearly took his life before his first birthday. In January of 1852, little Eddy, then four years old, became ill once again and did not recover. His death on January 16th was almost too much for Elizabeth to bear. She was wrought with a depth of grief that only a parent who loses a child could know. These were the times that tried the soul and in the midst of physical suffering, depression, and sorrow Elizabeth's views of life had changed and her faith in the Lord grew stronger. In a letter to her brother she wrote, "I see now that to live for God, whether one is allowed ability to be actively useful or not, is a great thing, and that it is a wonderful mercy to be allowed to live and suffer even, if thereby one can glorify Him." These thoughts were also articulated in her novel, Stepping Heavenward, when she wrote, “But I have given my child to God, I would not recall him if I could. I am thankful He has counted me worthy to present Him so costly a gift.” The arrival of a second daughter, Bessie, came on April 17th. Although Bessie was the picture of health, she lived only one short month. Immediately after the birth, Elizabeth, bed-ridden with a hip-joint abscess that nearly took her own life, was unable to care for the child. Her journal read, "I was too feeble to have any care of her. Never had her in my arms but twice; once the day before she died and once while she was dying." Of her loss she wrote: I thought that prattling boys and girls would fill this empty room; That my rich heart would gather flowers from childhood's opening bloom. One child and two green graves are mine; This is God's gift to me; A bleeding, fainting, broken heart— This is my gift to Thee. During these dark hours of grief, Elizabeth began to read Scripture and meditate upon the story of Jacob. The impact of Jacob's life, coupled with the words to the hymn "Nearer My God To Thee," was the catalyst that moved Elizabeth to write her own hymn titled "More Love to Thee." The third stanza best describes her understanding of suffering. "Let sorrow do its work, Send grief and pain; Sweet are Thy messengers, Sweet their refrain, When they can sing with me, More love, O Christ, to Thee, More love to Thee." Eighteen fifty-four brought the joy of new life back into the Prentiss' home with the birth of baby Mary. At the age of two, Mary became ill almost to the point of death, but was blessed with a full recovery. Elizabeth's journal entry on February 6th speaks clearly to man's lack of control over his circumstances as well as to his need to submit to God's sovereignty for our good and His glory: "She still lives. I know not what to think. One moment I think one thing and the next another. It is harder to submit to this suspense than to a real, decided blow. But I desire to leave it to God. He knows all her history and all mine. He orders all these aggravating circumstances and I would not change them. My darling has not lived in vain. For 18 months she had been the little rod used by my Father for my chastisement and not, I think, in vain. Oh my God! Stay not Thy hand till Thou hast perfected that which concerneth me. Send anything rather than unsanctified prosperity." It was at this time in 1856 that Elizabeth set out to write the Little Susy series. The preface of Little Susy's Six Birthdays alludes to childhood death: "Sometimes little children don't live to spend six birthdays in this world. They go to Heaven and spend them there; they are better and happier days than little Susy ever knew." Eddy is depicted as the younger brother of the main character in the series. The next two volumes depict much of Elizabeth's life as a mother. Elizabeth decided to write another book, in her words, "to help divert my mind from incessant brooding over my sorrows." Little Susy's Six Teachers was a bit different from her other work in that it was written in the form of an allegory. The instructors were titled Mrs. Love, Miss Joy, Aunt Patience, Mr. Ought, Faith — and Mr. Pain to express the character qualities Susy would develop in the school of life. These tales were quite popular in their time and even appeared in British and French editions. They were truly a reflection of life's lessons learned along the path of suffering. Thus were the first eleven years of the Prentiss marriage — many hardships, but always a deep abiding trust in the Saviour. Elizabeth spent the next twenty-two years loving and supporting her husband, raising her four surviving children (two boys were born in 1857 and '59), counseling, aiding friends and the needy alike, living in various places such as Switzerland, New York, Chicago and Vermont, and weaving the tapestry of her life into the writings that would become her books. Determined never to be one who craved recognition, Elizabeth once wrote: "Dare to be little and unknown, seen and loved by God alone." She believed her talent for writing to be a gift from God and one that should not be squandered. She wrote out of a sense of duty to use that gift for the telling of His truth. Her books conveyed the many facets of the human experience while walking through the sanctification process. Her characters were real men and women individualized to show, through their very peculiarities, the presence and work of the Holy Spirit. She wrote many children's books between 1856 and 1876. In 1869, Stepping Heavenward was published and became Elizabeth's most widely spread novel. It sold approximately 150,000 copies in America alone and was translated into numerous languages. Semi-autobiographical, Stepping Heavenward touched the hearts of many a reader who often thought they "could have written it [themselves]" so true was it of the Christian's walk. Its personal effect was due, in part, to Elizabeth's ability to include the many aspects of her own spiritual journey into her work. Elizabeth Prentiss lived her life to the fullest, savoring sweet communion with the Lord; trusting Him to fill her up so that she could be poured out in His service. On August 13, 1878, the Lord saw fit to take her home where there is no more sorrow, no more pain. On the topic of death there was found a passage marked in one of Elizabeth's books: "A true Christian is neither fond of life nor weary of it." She understood that our sole purpose in life is to honor God and to bring Him glory in all we think, say and do. As it was Elizabeth's heart's desire to love and serve her Lord in every aspect of her life may it be so of our own hearts as we continue to be made pure by the Refiner's fire — "More love to Thee, O Christ, More love to Thee!" Quotes taken from More Love to Thee: The Life and Letters of Elizabeth Prentiss. |