long train of reasoning, to persuade us to their opinions, but very little in italics.' This remark of her's has great force, and deserves the serious attention of those who write, and those who read, on theological subjects. On the two Sabbath days preceding her illness, she partook of the communion, and was, consequently much engaged in religious exercises. The last meditation she ever wrote, was on Sabbath afternoon, the 17th of July, 1814 it closes with the following lines: 'I ate the bread, ' and drank the wine, in the faith that I ate the flesh, and ' drank the blood of the Son of Man, and dwelt in him, and 'he in me; took a close view of my familiar friend, death, 'accompanied with the presence of my Saviour; his sen'sible presence, I cannot look at it without this. It is my only petition concerning it. I have had desires relative 'to certain circumstances, but they are nearly gone. It is 'my sincere desire that God may be glorified: and He 'knows best how, and by what circumstances. I retain 'my one petition: 'Only to me thy count'nance shew, I ask no more the Jordan through.' Thus she arose from her Master's table, was called to gird on her armour for a combat with the King of Terrors, and came off more than conqueror through Him who loved her. On Tuesday the 19th of July, she complained of not feeling well, and kept her room; on Thursday her disorder proved to be a cholera-morbus, and her children sent for a physician. She thought this attack was slighter than in former seasons. On Saturday, however, she requested that Mrs. Chrystie might be sent for; this alarmed Mrs. B―, knowing there existed an understanding between B 66 those two friends, that one should attend the dying-bed of the other; Mrs. Chrystie was a very dear friend of Mrs. Graham. For upwards of twenty-four years they had loved each other, feeling reciprocal sympathy in their joys and their sorrows: the hope of faith was the consolation of both, and oftentimes it had been their delightful employment to interchange their expressions of affection towards Him, whom, having not seen, they loved; and in whom though they saw him not, yet believing on him, they rejoiced with joy unspeakable, and full of glory." On Mrs. Chrystie's entering the chamber of her friend, Mrs. Graham welcomed her with a sweet expressive smile, seeming to say, 'I am going to get the start of you, I am called home before you; it will be your office to fulfil our engagement.' When she sat by her bed-side Mrs. Graham said, 'Your face is very pleasant to me, my friend.' During Saturday night a lethargy appeared to be overpowering her frame. On Sabbath morning she was disposed to constant slumber; observing Mr. Blooking at her with agitation, she was roused from her heaviness, and stretching her arms towards him, and embracing him, she said, My dear, dear son, I am going to leave you, I am going to my Saviour.' 'I know,' he replied, that when you do go from us, it will be to the Saviour; but, my dear mother, it may not be the Lord's time yet to call you to himself.' 'Yes,' said she, 'now is the time; and, oh! I could weep for sin.' Her words were accompanied with her tears. 'Have you any doubts, then, my dear friend?' asked Mrs. Chrystie. Oh no,' replied Mrs. Graham; and, looking at Mr. and Mrs. B- as they wept: 'My dear children, I have no more doubt of going to my Saviour, than if I were already in his arms: my guilt is all transferred; he has cancelled all 6 I owed. Yet I could weep for sins against so good a God: it seems to me as if there must be weeping even in heaven for sin.' After this she entered into conversation with her friends, mentioning portions of scripture, and favourite hymns which had been subjects of much comfortable exercise of mind to her. Some of these she had transcribed into a little book, calling them her victuals prepared for crossing over Jordan: she committed them to memory, and often called them to remembrance as her songs in the night, when sleep had deserted her. She then got Mr. B to read to her some of these portions, especially the eighty-second hymn of the third book of Newton's hymns, beginning thus: Let us love, and sing, and wonder; He has brought us nigh to God. Mrs. Graham then fell asleep, nor did she awaken until the voice of the Rev. Dr. Mason aroused her. They had a very affectionate interview, which he has partly described in the excellent sermon he delivered after her decease. She expressed to him her hope, as founded altogether on the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. Were she left to depend on the merits of the best action she had ever performed, that would be only a source of despair. She repeated to him, as her view of salvation, the fourth verse of the hymn already quoted : Let us wonder, grace and justice Join, and point at mercy's store; He who wash'd us with his blood, Having asked Dr. Mason to pray with her, he inquired if there was any particular request she had to make of God, by him; she replied, that God will direct: then, as he kneeled, she put up her hand and, raising her eyes towards heaven, breathed this short, but expressive petition, Lord, lead thy servant in prayer.' After Doctor Mason had taken his leave, she again fell into a deep sleep. Her physicians still expressed a hope of her recovery, as her pulse was regular, and the violence of her disease had abated. One of them, however, declared his opinion, that his poor drugs would prove of little avail against her own ardent prayers to depart and be with Christ, which was far better for her than a return to a dying world. On Monday the Rev. Mr. Rowen prayed with her, and to him she expressed also the tranquillity of her mind, and the steadfastness of her hope through Christ, of eternal felicity. Her lethargy increased; at intervals from sleep, she would occasionally assure her daughter, Mrs. B——, that all was well; and when she could rouse herself only to say one word at a time, that one word, accompanied with a smile, was' Peace.' From her, there was a peculiar emphasis in this expression of the state of her mind: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you," had been a favourite portion of Scripture with her, and a promise, the fulfilment of which was her earnest prayer to the God who made it. She also occasionally asked Mr. B―― to pray with her, even when she could only. articulate, as she looked at him, 'Pray.' She was now surrounded by many of her dear Christian friends, who On watched her dying-bed with affection and solicitude. Tuesday afternoon she slept with little intermission. This,' said Doctor Mason, may be truly called "falling asleep in Jesus." It was remarked, by those who attended her, that all terror was taken away, and that death seemed here as an entrance into life. Her countenance was placid, and looked younger than before her illness. At a quarter past twelve o'clock, being the morning of the 17th of July, 1814, without a struggle or a groan, her spirit winged its flight from a mansion of clay to the realms of glory, while around the precious remnant of earth, her family and friends stood weeping, yet elevated by the scene they were witnessing. After a silence of many minutes, they kneeled by her bed, adored the goodness and grace of God towards his departed child, and implored the Divine blessing on both the branches of her family, as well as on all the Israel of God. Thus she departed in peace, not trusting in her wisdom or virtue, like the philosophers of Greece and Rome; not even, like Addison, calling on the profligate to see a good man die: but, like Howard, afraid that her good works might have a wrong place in the estimate of her hope, her chief glory was that of a sinner saved by grace."* After such examples, who will dare to charge the doctrines of the cross of Christ with licentiousness? Here were two instances of persons, to whose good works the world have cheerfully borne testimony, who lived and died in the profession of these doctrines. It was faith that first purified their hearts, and the stream of action from these fountains became pure also. Had not Christ * This was Howard's epitaph, dictated by himself. |