CHAPTER XXVI.

[1840.]

WOLVERHAMPTON-DEATH OF DAUGHTER ELIZABETH-LETTERS FROM BOTH PARENTS TO FRIENDS, ON HER ILLNESS AND LAST DAYS.

A FEW weeks before our removal from Wolverhampton my dear daughter Elizabeth, after receiving a most precious manifestation of the Lord's lovingkindness to her soul, had departed this life when nearly twenty years of age.

Thus, my gracious Lord was still blasting my gourds and laying me low, for I felt the loss of her exceedingly! Her remains lie in St. George's churchyard, Wolverhampton.

MR. BLACKSTOCK, to a Friend, on the Death of his Daughter Elizabeth.

1840.

ACCORDING to my promise I will now try to give you some account of the last days of my dearly beloved and much lamented Elizabeth. Your kindness will overlook all faults in the narration.

I think she had been much concerned about her soul for at least three years before her decease; that concern was deeper and heavier at one time than another, but her general carriage then appeared unusually sedate. We never knew her to have an intimate friend, or companion, excepting her brother Henry, for whom she showed a great regard.

When she appeared in good health, I often thought she was not fitted for a long life in this world. Some years before she was taken away, I had these words laid upon my mind-" I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring; and they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses. One shall say, I am the Lord's, and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob, and surname himself by the name of Israel." For many years past, when at a throne of grace, my children have lain very near me.

About three years before my dear Elizabeth's departure, she was taken alarmingly ill; I was then much concerned about her soul, and was led to betake myself to God in prayer for her, and had a time of such life, enlargement, power, and sweetness, as raised in me a confident hope that the Lord would call her by his grace, and prove her to be one of his. That evening, when about to retire to rest, she as usual took her leave of me: my feelings being much excited, I could not forbear stating what I believed concerning her. She burst into tears, and appeared so much affected, that I was convinced she was under no small anxiety about her soul. After this she had several fits of illness, and finally an attack of influenza, from the effects of which she never quite recovered. I then began to look upon her as a very delicate plant.

A few weeks after we had all arrived at Lakenheath, she was one evening suddenly seized with palpitation of the heart, &c. Her distress about her soul was then very great, and as she was led to cry to God in prayer for mercy and salvation, these words suddenly fell upon her mind"Though it tarry, wait for it." She at first thought the words were not in the Bible (Hab. ii. 3), and immediately sunk in despondency and fears. But this scripture came- "Be not faithless, but believing," John xx. 27, at which she wondered! Soon after she had these words"As a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence," Ps. lxii. 3.

From that period, she considered her days in this world were numbered! At another time-when in great afflic

tion of body and soul, and being inclined to a murmuring spirit-these words were applied: "Despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him," Heb. xii. 1. Also-"I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not," Jer. xxxiii. 3. And again, when in great trouble about her soul, this scripture was sent-" Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river," Isa. lxvi. 12. And about three or four weeks before her death, she was favoured with these words "My salvation is near to come, and my glory to be revealed," Isa. lvi. 1. (The scripture readsMy righteousness to be revealed, but she told me she had them as I have set them down.)

For many months before she died, I was under the deepest concern about her soul, and suffered more than pen can express, or tongue utter. These words were laid upon my mind very weightily-" Travail as in birth." The soul pangs I have endured for her are unutterable! known to God, and to Him alone.

I used to spend most of my time with her, reading and expounding and praying with, or for her. Times that I cannot number, I have examined her with the greatest care, as to the state of her mind, her prospects, her feelings, her fears, and her hopes; I always left off with this conclusion, that the good work was certainly begun.

She was contrary to her natural disposition-very free to tell me the secrets of her soul; yet, to the best of my knowledge, I never saw one more cautious or careful to speak the truth, and to utter no more than she had felt. Though she knew and believed the doctrines of grace, she was remarkably suspicious of head-knowledge, and was exceedingly anxious for a feeling religion, often declaring that she could believe no more for herself than she had felt.

She appeared to have passed under a severe cutting lawwork, and to have a surprisingly deep acquaintance with the badness of her own heart. I never saw any one wade through greater sorrow, or more distressing fears from the apprehension which she at times entertained of having

committed the sin unpardonable; it often drove her on the borders of despair. There appeared to be in her a thorough renunciation of creature-righteousness, creatureholiness, duty-faith, duty-works, and duty-repentance. I think I never saw a sinner more completely broken down than she seemed.

When I have questioned her as to the matter of her prayers-as I sometimes did-her answers have astonished me; I could not have told her how to ask for anything better than she was led to ask for herself. I have heard her cry to the Lord in a manner truly affecting-"God be merciful to me a sinner,"-" O, bid a poor expiring Gentile live!" &c. And then she would ejaculate " Assure my conscience of her part in the Redeemer's blood, and bear thy witness with my heart that I am born of God."

For some months before she died, she solemnly declared that all her trust was in Christ, and she at times would say, that she had some hope in Him. This hope she prized, but she longed to be assured of her interest in Him. When her fears increased much, she said she did not doubt Christ's ability, but feared that He might be unwilling to save her, yet she endeavoured to cast herself at his feet.

Many of Dr. Watts's and the Olney Hymns were much esteemed by her, they described her desires, longings, and feelings. I tried her with several of them, and she would tell me exactly how far she would go with them. These two Olney hymns I remember particularly—“ O Lord, how vile am I,”-and-"Does the Gospel word proclaim?" To these she would set her seal. She frequently said she longed for holiness, as well as for pardon, and that heaven would be no heaven to her, without she were made holy.

To the best of my knowledge she was raised to hope in Christ some months previous to her death; and appeared to be not without life, light, comfort and peace, though occasionally sunk in fears and sorrows.

I thought that God did make several of his graces shine upon her. She only wanted one manifestation of the love of Christ, declaring that if she had that, she was ready

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to bid the world adieu! Like Simeon, she waited for the consolation of Israel.

In this state of mind, and in dying circumstances, I had to leave her to come to Leicester; no one can imagine what I suffered. Parting with my dying child-it was the greatest trial in my life's history. And sure I am that her feelings were not less acute than mine; love and sorrow had riveted us together, and we mutually feared we should see each other no more in this world.

On the Monday following I received a letter from my wife, of which I send you an extract. Speaking of our dear Elizabeth, she says "This morning she broke out into a rapture of soul, threw her arms out of bed, and exclaimed, 'Yes, I trust to Jesus Christ-I trust to Jesus Christ! I know I shall be happy--I am happy! Mother--0, tell my father I have a good hope; and I know I am not deceiving you--yes-I have a good hope. O how precious Christ is to me!--Come, Lord Jesus, now-now receive my spirit !'"

Her mother says, "I endeavoured to pour out my spirit in prayer and thanksgiving to God. When I had ended, with great energy she said 'Amen! amen! Now, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.'

"Then she would have all the children brought up to her, and affectionately and faithfully warned them of their danger, and charged them to read their Bible. She kissed them, and took her leave of them; then again repeated, 'Be sure, mother, you tell my father I have got a good hope.- -Yes-I shall see Jesus as He is-yes-I-shall soon launch away, and be with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob -and my dear brother Henry!

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"O what a wonder-O what a wonder!-I shall see Him (Jesus) as He is -I seem as if I were in heaven now-O how soft my dying-bed is!0, for ten thousand tongues!' (To her mother and the friends present she said) All praise Him-all praise Him!'

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Many such expressions as these she uttered whilst the joys of heaven appeared on her countenance."

In this way, says her mother, she lay for hours, and