THIS young woman is in a very strange place, is she not? A huge bear has her in his embrace; his great claws could easily sink into her tender flesh, and his strong arms would soon squeeze her to death, if he wished to make a victim of her. But she seems to feel no terror; and the face of this great creature looks kind; one might say, indeed, that he looks good natured, were it not for the determined look in his eye which would seem to say, You will do well not to rouse me!
He has doubtless been tamed and trained thus to hold one in his arms without doing hurt.
But I think none of my little readers would like to be in such a place, even though Mr. Bear would be for a time gentle, and would seem to be kind. And I trust that none of you will ever be in the embrace of such a monster, for it would pretty surely mean quick and dreadful death.
But there is a foe more terrible even than this, who would like to get hold of you if he could. He goes about, not as a bear, but as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. If you become the victim of this foe, you will suffer eternally, unless, through grace, you are delivered from his clutches; while the worst the bear could do would be to destroy your body.
There is, however, a blessed place of safety; there is One in whose arms you would be so secure that this dreadful foe could do you no harm.
You will, perhaps, not need to be told that this great foe is Satan; and that the One who gathers “the lambs in His arm” and carries them “in His bosom”, is the Good Shepherd—Jesus.
If you have not already found this place of refuge, I beseech you to seek it at once, and you will then be made to know how much stronger is He that is for you than he, that is against you.
ML 02/01/1903