ways, lie humble at thy feet, 'till I am perfectly reflored to thine image! "Inward I blufh with facred fhame, And weep and love and bless his name; Aftonishing grace! "I hear the glorious fufferer tell, How on the cross he vanquifhed hell, And all the powers beneath;" O Saviour! why so lavish of thy blood! why fo profufe in thy favours! "'Twas thine own love that made thee bleed! That nailed thee to the curfed tree :" O how happily did I move along the road! I found my heart loofed from every creature-good, and wholly fixed on God. Lord, whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none on all the earth, that I defire befides thee. Thou art the health of my countenance, and my God. About this time I joined the Society at Cumberland, and had many a bleffed meeting amongst the people there. How empty now did all things appear to me, that did not tend to the glory of God, and the good of my foul! I loathed, I abhorred them! At this time I knew little, very little, about temptations: and it often surprized me, to hear the Chriftians tell of being tempted and tried fo; for I was a stranger to all these things. I felt nothing but defire, peace, love, and joy. It feemed as if I was to know war no more: the word of God and all the ordinances were indeed delightful to me. Mr. S. was very helpful to me; and I fat under his word with much profit. The first time I heard Mr. W. my foul was exceeding joyful in the Lord. That day he spoke on the birth of our Saviour in Bethlehem my foul was ravifhed, with inexpreffible joy, to think, that he should come into the world to redeem a loft worm like me. But it was not long after this, before the enemy of fouls fought to wreft the fhield from my hand, by infusing horrid and blafphemous thoughts into my mind. One night going to Clafs-meeting, it was violently suggested, "There is no God." On which I began to reafon. I thought I ought not to go to thefe meetings: I am too vile, too wicked, when I have fuch thoughts as thefe. I was aftonished, and durft not proceed any further: I turned round and was going home again; but just before I got home, these words were applied to my mind, as powerfully as if somebody had spoken them to my outward ears, "Believe not the enemy of thy foul." I turned about and made what hafte I could to the meeting, which was almost done before I got there. I felt humbled, and much afhamed, that I fhould let the enemy of my fou! get fo much advantage over me, as to make me mifs fo much of one of those precious ordinances. However, the Lord gave me free accefs at the throne of grace. As we came home, I related to brother L. what had passed in my mind. He faid it was nothing but the temptation of the devil, who was feeking to deftroy. But bleifed be the Lord, who hath delivered me! O how ought I to praife and adore him! To him then be afcribed the kingdom, for he is Lord of all! The power who orders, manages, and difpoles al!, and for whose fake and pleasure all things are and were created. Soon after this, my husband left me (in very low circumflances) and went to Halifax, in a very difagreeable time of the year. It was a great trial to me: the enemy made use of it often, to draw away my mind at the time of prayer, infinuating that that he would furely be loft in the woods. However, the Lord fupported me in temporals, by inclining the hearts of the people to help me; and in fpirituals, by fupplying my foul with uncommon comforts. Juft before I left Cumberland to go to Halifax, I had a very wonderful manifeflation of the goodness of God to me. O how my foul rejoiced in the Lord! I then concluded, my mount is fo ftrong, it can never be moved: I fhall never doubt his love again. God gave me this to fupport me in the trials that were to follow on my coming to Halifax. P. B. An Account of Mrs. EL1ZABETH MATHER. [By Mr. D. Jackson.] LIZABETH MATHER was many years without the ELIZ knowledge of God, being led aftray by the lying vanities and vain allurements of the world. At length, he, who came to feek and to fave that which was loft, fent his word with power to her foul, whilft Mr. B. was preaching in the cornmarket in Warrington. The word pierced her conscience, and being convinced the had no righteoufnefs of her own, fe carneftly applied to the finner's friend, and in a little time found him whom the ever after loved. I have been acquainted with her about eight months, during which time he has been under heavy afflictions, but always happy, yea, always rejoicing in the great falvation. About fix years ago, being told there was a greater falvation to be attained, than what she had hitherto experienced, the believed the report; and to the joy of her foul, foon found the efficacy of the allcleanfing blood of Jefus Chrift. From that time until the was removed to glory, the walked in the light of the Lord, and enjoyed the kingdom of an inward heaven. She had many and great trials through afflictions, poverty, and perfecution; but her her tempers, language, and calm refignation to the will of God, and her exceeding great joy in the Lord, always teftified that fhe walked as feeing him who is invifible. While fhe had ftrength, the boldly, yet calmly, reproved fin. Her word was as precious balm to the mourner and the tempted; nor did fhe fail to excite believers to press into all the proinifed fullness of love. And in her laft ficknefs, which was long and heavy, her full heart was continually breathing forth prayer, praife, and love. When drawing near her end, the faid to a friend," We fhall meet above: O what a meeting will that be! That word of our Lord fhould be founding in every breath; Be ye holy, for I am holy. O my Jefus, nothing but thee to me be given! O put thine everlasting arms underneath me! O my husband, my love, my fpoufe, my all in all! Glory, glory! He feeds me amidst the lillies of the vallies !" She then recapitulated the fufferings of her Lord. Whilft The lay fill one went to her bed fide, when she said, “Do not, do not disturb me: I was feeding richly on my precious Jefus: oh my love! But I cannot defcribe the love of God! Oh! What fhall I do! Let him do with me as feemeth beft to him. O what a fight will it be to fee the patriarchs, apoftles, the forty and four thousand, and all the dear children that are gone before! But I fhall fee them foon.. Here her fpeech failing, after a little, fhe broke out again, "Thefe are they that come out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. I fhall dwell among them." She asked one, who was taking down what she said, "What precious thing have you got there?" When the perfon anfwered, "Writing a little;" the replied, "If you want any dying words to be impreffed on your mind, remember my dear Lord's dying words were, "My "My God, my God, why haft thou forfaken me." At another time the faid, "I'll praise my Maker while I've breath, Praise fhall employ my nobler powers: All glory to my God, he has enabled me to cry out, "I long to be diffolved and to be with Chrift." On taking a little drink fhe faid, "O my fweet Jefus, let thy bleffing attend it." Several young people being prefent, fhe exhorted them with a loud voice to love God with an undivided heart; befeeching them to live in the continual practice of private prayer, and to let no rival draw their affections from Jefus, who is altogether lovely. She then ftretched out her hand and faid, “For these nineteen days, no kind of food has come into my body; but my God, the rock of ages, has fed me richly with his grace, and has given me to drink of the water that flows from his right hand. O Sirs, get your hearts filled with the love of God, and you will need nothing elfe. I have a fountain open to fupply all my wants. Out of the riches of his fullnefs, I am the richest woman living. I am what I am not worthy or able to express, through his goodness," Being afked if the found a momentary fupply? She answered, "I have had a momentary fupply for almoft fix years. He is my Alpha and Omega! If the tafte be fo fweet, what will the fullness be! Jefus gave me only a little of his bitter cup: he drank the dregs himself. When I look to that great being, that was offered up a facrifice for me, it is beyond the defcription of men or angels! Thine appointed time, O Lord, will I wait, till my Jefus come: this is but a moment to fuffer with my Lord, and then to reign with him for ever." |