My paffions forged impreffions that she ⚫ would live; but I now plainly perceive I am called to regard God, and not impref'fions.'

I have been long like one in a fever, ⚫ attended at times with a strong delirium :

I begged hard that I might not be bled, but he meant a cure, and pierced my ' heart.'

O how flender, how brittle the thread on ⚫ which hang all my earthly joys!'

* or

I ever wish to be afking am I ready, 'fhould he fend again, and take ***, • ***, or myself?'—Setting my house in order, ' will not make death approach sooner; but • that it will render his coming much easier,. I feel by fad experience.'

• When I pass the blaze of dissipation and intemperance, I feel a moment's relief.-I

fay to my heart, be ftill;-at least she is not left to follow these ignes fatui :-how ⚫ much better is even the grave for my T • than the end of these things2 ?'

It is vain for me to wish, as I have done, to leave the world and go to my father that I might enquire into the whole of the cafe ;-the reafons, the steps, the iffue, &c.-in a fhort time I fhall;-but he fays enough now, if I have ears to • hear.'

In the mean time, help me, O my God and Father, to recollect that I received this drop of earthly comfort from a spring

⚫ which still remains !-help me to feel that

nothing effential is altered! for with thee is

the fountain of life:- part of myself is

already gone to thee, help what remains to 'follow.'

****************

If this humble attempt to improve your affliction has been attended with any fuccess, you will readily admit a few concluding hints with respect to

OUR DUTY in fuch circumstances. And one of the first, and principal duties of the state, is, as hath been expreffed, to ACKNOWLEDGE GOD in it.-It was charged upon fome, that they returned not to him that Smote them, nor fought the Lord in their diftrefs. On the contrary, the clear apprehenfion Job had of a divine hand in his afflictions, is as inftructive as his patience under them. While grief rent his mantle, faith fell down and worshipped,- The Lord gave, the • Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the

Lord. Let us learn from him, never to lofe fight of the Author, by an undue regard to the mere circumftances of our lofs.-We may think and speak of the symptoms and ftages of the late removal ;-of the physicians, of the remedies, &c. in their supposed right

or wrong application; but not fo as to forget that an unerring Providence prefided over the whole; yea actually conducted every part on reasons as righteous, as infcrutable.--Whatever may appear to us peculiar in the fick chamber, the whole was but God's intended method of removing one, who had lived his full (i. e. his appointed) time. Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee: thou haft appointed him his bounds which he cannot pass. Instead of fixing our attention upon means and creatures of which we know fo very little, let us turn to him who wrought by these inftruments, and merely effected his own determinations by them. Ceafe from man, for wherein is he to be accounted of-let not the creature hide the Creator, nor present things remain the fatal screen of the future, but, in every occurrence, mark the great cause, of whom, and through whom, and to whom are all things :—who numbereth the

d Job xxiv. 5, 6.

e Ifa. ii. 22. f Rom. xi. 36.

very

very hairs of our head, and, without whom, even a fparrow falls not to the ground.

While others, therefore, are wandering without an object, and bereaved without a comforter, yea, are going to their worst enemy for relief; let us endeavour to say with Peter, Lord, to whom shall we goh but to

THEE?'-Confider your Physician as now proposing a most serious question to your confcience, wilt thou be made whole?' may the language of your heart be that of the apostle's,

if by any means:' then, though seemingly fwallowed up of this grief, like Jonah, you shall find a refource in it, and finally be preserved by it.'-This dart, like that which once pierced an impofthume in battle, shall bring health with its wound:-and you fhall be enabled, with many that are gone before you, to fay • the Lord hath chaftened me fore: but he hath • not given me over unto death".

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