Thy body moulders in the tomb, Until the last great day of doom; Then all the dead in Christ shall rise, To sing hosannas in the skies.

The wicked too must rise and stand,
And hear the just and dread command,—
Depart ye cursed, go from me
To endless woe and misery.

Death has a voice, it speaks to all,
It soon may give another call;
Four sisters now are left to weep,
While Jane is blest, and gone to sleep,

To sleep in Jesus! blessed state,
Oh! may your souls on Jesus wait;
Wait on the Lord, and you shall prove
That all your trials spring from love.

Methinks I hear her father say-
Lord, take my idols all away;
Farewell my wife and children dear,
Thy grave alone my soul can cheer.

Enthrone thyself within my heart,
Then cheerful I with all can part;
My Saviour 's all in all to me,
I long from sin to be set free.

Farewell, dear girl, we 're hastening on
To realms of peace where thou art gone;
Oh! may thy father with thee soar,
To dwell where sorrow is no more.

SAFETY.

E. B.

CAN harm befal the church of God,
The purchase of Immanuel's blood,
His members, flesh and bone?
Oh no, for oft their God hath said-
"Fear not, my saints, be not dismayed,
Look unto me alone."

What if distress surround thy tent,
Can that my goodness e'er prevent,
Or curb my mighty power?
Cannot I comfort, peace impart,
And soothe thy aching, throbbing heart,
In every painful hour?

I'm with thee wheresoe'er thou art,
I bear thee always on my heart,

Thou 'rt graven on my hands;
I. as the apple of mine eye,
Do keep thee, and thy every sigh
In my appointment stands.

I am thy God, and know no change,
Nought can my purposes derange,
I will thee safely keep;

who invited all that laboured under sin and were heavy laden with the

WICH KENT:

Who died May 6th, 1840.

BY

WM M-TT-WS.

fire?" Zech. iii. 2.

I was sent for to see him on Friday night, 1st May, and immediately went. I found him very ill in body and in deep despair of mind: he said he had not slept for the last three nights; that he was sure he should die, and as sure he should go to hell if he did; that his sins were no common sins, but sins against light and knowledge; against the counsel, advice and example of the best of fathers; pray, he could not, and it would be of no use if he could, as the prayer of the wicked is sin, therefore it would be only adding sin to sin; but wished me, if I could, to pray for him, and with him. I

shewed him, that his was not a hopeless case; that the word of God gave him sure grounds to hope for mercy in Christ Jesus: who was not only "mighty to save," but " Almighty" -able to save to the uttermost all that came to him, Heb. vii. 26. And June 1843.]

"He

that believeth shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned."

Mark xvi. 16. If he rejected the blood and righteousness of Christ as not sufficient to cleanse him from his sin and to justify him before God, he, by so doing, committed a greater sin than all his others put together, and that would seal his damnation past all hope. At the mention of this he shuddered and looked aghast. God forbid, said he, that I should contemn Christ; but would it not be presumption in such a sinner as I am to hope in his mercy; to believe that he died for such a wretch as me? I replied, by no means. For the promise of God, who cannot lie, was, "Whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved." Rom. x. 13. That it was God's command to trust in his Son for salvation, and he blessed them that did so, as much as it was his command to Adam not to eat the forbidden fruit, or death should

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be the consequence. As it is written, Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him." Ps. ii. 12. "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him." Matt. xvii. 5. This was God's command to fallen sinners; and he not only commanded them to return to him, but put the words into their mouths what to say when they did return to him. O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously, so will we render the calves of our lips." Hosea xiv. 1, 2. • Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isa. i. 18. And God says, "I will heal their backslidings: I will love them freely ; for mine anger is turned away from him." Hosea xiv. 4. I shewed him that God took the motive from himself to pardon a sinner; that he did it for his Name's sake, or his Son's sake, or his Christ's sake, which is all one and the same thing; and of this he told us to put him in remembrance, to plead it with him, and to declare it before him, that we might be justified. As it is written, I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Put me in remembrance, let us plead together, declare thou that thou mayest be justified." Isa. xliii. 25, 26. "I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine own holy Name's sake." Ezek. xxxvi. 22. “Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you; be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel." Ezek. xxxvi. 32. I also showed him that the Psalmist felt the same sense and

burden of his sins, and the anger of God against them; as well as the terrors of death and pains of hell, as he now trembled at; but yet he prayed to God under it. As it is written,

My heart is sore pained within me, and the terrors of death are fallen upon me; fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me. And I said, O that I had wings like a dove, for then would I fly away and be at rest.” Ps. lv. 4. "There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger, neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin. For mine iniquities are gone over mine head; as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me." Ps. xxxviii. 3. "We are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance." Ps. xc. 7, 8. "The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell got hold upon me; I found trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the Name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul." Ps. cxvi. 3. And he makes the greatness of his sin a plea with God why he should pardon it. For thy Name's sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity, for it is great. Ps. xxv. 11. This appeared to give him a little hope, and he began to pray like the publican, "God be merciful to me a sinner," Luke xviii. 13. I went to prayer with him before I left him, in which I found liberty and peace.

"

Next morning I saw him again. He had a few hours sleep after I left him over night, which had refreshed him, and although labouring under great fear and doubts as to whether God would have mercy upon him; he was not so shut up in despair as he had been; but nothing would satisfy him, he said, unless he could get an answer from God. I replied, nothing short of that ought to satisfy you; yet it pleases God sometimes to help his people" with a little help."

"In

Dan. xi. 24. "In waiting upon him their strength is renewed." Isa. iv. 31. Although no promise comes into the heart to comfort the soul, they find that in pouring out their trouble to God in prayer, confessing their sins, and begging for mercy, the mind is relieved, their burden is lighter, their despondency less, their heart not so hard, nor their soul shut in such thick darkness; which encourages and strengthens them to keep on in constant prayer: he immediately said, I felt all that last night. Well then, I replied, that is an answer from God: prove it to me, said he, from God's word. I then quoted the Psalmist's words. the day when I cried thou answeredst me, (How?) and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul," Ps. cxxxviii. 3. He calls being strengthened in his soul an answer from God. It is the first step from destruction; and is an earnest foretaste, or first fruit of deliverance 66 from wrath to come." This revived and encouraged him to hope in God's mercy and to keep on in prayer. I went to prayer with him, in which I had great freedom. I was with him about an hour, and alone, which was the only time others were not present; and in the evening I saw him again; also on Sunday. He kept on in prayer day and night, sometimes full of fears and despondency, at others a little hope or I may be," that God would pardon him. His longings after Christ, and his thirst and hungerings to be washed in his blood and covered with his righteousness was most intense: he could with truth say, "As the hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?" Ps. xlii. 1, 2. I shewed him that this appetite was God's gift, the work of his Holy Spirit in his soul, and proved that he was already blessed, though not comforted; and that as sure as God gave

him to hunger and thirst after his mercy and favour; so sure would he be filled with loving kindness and tender mercy; for so says Christ, Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled." Matt. v. 6. The Psalmist had this labour and travail of soul; and the same longings, hunger, and thirst; and was afterwards filled with God's goodness. As it is written, O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men. For he satisfieth the longing soul and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron; because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the Most High. Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bonds asunder." Psa. cvii. 8 to 14. He then said, This is the first real comfort that I have felt, but it appears too much, too great for such a wretch as me; and yet it is so descriptive of my feelings that I cannot help thinking and hoping I shall be saved at last; and should I be restored to health again, will you allow me to come and see you sometimes, for no company will I keep but with God's people: rather let me die than sin any more as I have done, or be again drawn away into the company of the wicked. I replied, If God raises you up again I shall be always glad to see you, and you will find that "Old things are passed away, and all things will become new." 2 Cor. v. 17. You will find new desires, new delights, new enjoyments, and new company; you will find a withering and fading to all that was formerly delightful to you, and you will wonder how you could

find pleasure in it; the relish and enjoyment you formerly had in these things will be taken away, and instead, you will delight yourself in the Almighty. Psa. xxxvii. 4. In reading and meditating on God's word. Psa. i. 2. And in the excellent of the earth. Psa. xvi. 3, "The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy." Psa. cxlvii. 11. And so will you. I read the 12th chapter of Isaiah to him, and told him, I had no particular feeling whether he would die or live, but that I felt fully persuaded, die when he would, his end would be peace, and that he would be able to adopt the language of that chapter as his own, in full assurance of faith.

On Monday he suffered great pain of body, and the devil beset him with sore temptations, so that at times he was overwhelmed with fears and despondency; yet not a murmur escaped his lips, nor the least impatience; but he said the Lord was just in all that he had laid upon him, that he deserved it all and ten thousand times more; and that he cared not what he suffered here so long as the Lord would have mercy upon his soul at last. To allay his burning thirst he was ordered to drink cold water, which he much enjoyed, a mouthful at a time; he said it was the sweetest and most refreshing thing he had ever tasted; and he hoped he should not be like Dives in hell, lifting up his eyes in torments, begging for a drop of water to cool his burning tongue, and not get it. Pray tell me, said he, the worst you think of me; do not deceive me, but cut me to pieces with God's word, if you think I ought to feel more and sink deeper than I have done: I want to know the worst and not to be deceived. I said I would not knowingly deceive you for the whole world. You have been like Ephraim of old: God has smitten you for your sins again and again; but did you return to God, or regard your

father's reproofs or advice? He replied, No. And there is my great condemnation. "For he that being often reproved, and hardeneth his neck; shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." Prov. xxix. 1. I said neither did Ephraim, and yet God had mercy upon him; as it is written, "For the iniquity of his covetousuess was I wroth, and smote him. I hid me and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart. (Does God then say, I will destroy him? No. But) I have seen his ways and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners. I create the fruit of his lips; peace, peace to him that is afar off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him." Isa. lvii. 17-19. I told him these things were written and handed down to us for our hope and encouragement to trust in the Lord in time of trouble, and that we might not despair of God's mercy under a sense of condemnation for our sins; and so Paul tells the Romans, For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." Rom. xv. 4. This very much revived his spirit, and strengthened his heart to keep on in prayer. I explained to him as well as I could, God's way of saving a sinner, as set forth by the apostle Paul, who says, "By grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." Eph. ii. 8, 9. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us; by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost." Tit. iii. 5. And gave in proof of it Manasseh, Paul, and the thief upon the cross. After being with him an hour or two, and going to prayer with him, I left him in quiet and peace.