Part 23 (2/2)

What a lovely group presses upon my memory at this moment, united to Jesus and to one another on earth, and the union is now perfected in heaven. Your dear mother, Mrs. Brown, dear Mrs. Randall, and Lady Glenorchy, all zealous for the welfare of the widow and orphans, whose way lay peculiarly through Vanity Fair, and whose spirits were too much a.s.similated to the wares there exhibited, and most unworthy of all the care and pains they bestowed upon her. Tell my then dear pastor the pilgrim is not lost; he will find her in the 18th chapter of Ezekiel: he may remember that he and dear Doctor Erskine gave me over to the Lord when leaving Edinburgh. Well has he kept the charge, though I have not my part, after all the chastis.e.m.e.nts and charges received. But he is 'the Lord, the Lord G.o.d, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin.'

”I am now a happy Mary, enjoying the full sense of pardon and the light of his countenance in the meantime, and the full prospect of being soon with him, made like him, and capacitated to praise him.

”I. GRAHAM.”

”SABBATH, January 18.

”Dr. R----. 'By grace ye are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of G.o.d.'

”All is of grace, all is free gift, or we wicked, wretched sinners, could have no interest in it. Thanks be unto G.o.d for his unspeakable gift of Jesus Christ, given for a covenant of the people.

Thanks be unto G.o.d for the gift of faith, by which we apprehend this covenant, and become interested in him, as the salvation of our souls.

Thanks be unto G.o.d for life to work; for new principles and new motives, new desires, new hopes, new fears, and, in some measure, new conduct. All of grace, and to the G.o.d of grace be all the glory.

”Afternoon. 'Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might; let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me; that I am the Lord which exercise righteousness, loving-kindness, and judgment in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.' Jer. 9:23.

”O Lord, hast thou not taught me by thy word, by observation, and by experience, that 'all flesh is gra.s.s, and all the glory of man as the flower of gra.s.s?' Alas, how much have I gloried in even more worthless and transient things; but thou hast put a worm in them, which I hope has cut the roots, and they are in a dying state. O let grace supplant them; let me now glory only in thee and thy blessed, gracious, and well-ordered covenant. Do I understand and know thee, that thou art the Lord which exerciseth righteousness, loving-kindness, and judgment in the earth? Dare I say that I, worm as I am, and a sinful worm, am the subject of this loving-kindness, through the righteousness of Christ? Yes, I dare, by the const.i.tution of thine own covenant--the Covenant of the people, the Mediator, the guarantee of the covenant of grace, which is all summed up in him.

”When thou givest Christ, thou givest freely all the blessings of the new covenant.

”'And this is the record, That G.o.d hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.'

”I believe the record, and do understand and know that thou art the Lord, etc.”

”FEBRUARY 4, 1813.

”My dear grandchildren J. and I. B---- waited on their beloved pastor Dr. Romeyn, and professed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Saviour of sinners and their Saviour, their desire to give themselves to the Lord and to his church, and to be in all things governed by it; to receive the seal of the covenant of grace, commemorate the dying love of their Redeemer the next opportunity, and swear allegiance to him over the symbols of his body and blood.

”Glory to G.o.d for this fresh manifestation of his mercy and grace to sinners. Not unto us, O Lord G.o.d, but to thy name be the glory.

Thou hast made a covenant with thy chosen, and with believers in him; and thou hast, by thy Holy Spirit, drawn them to take hold of this thy own covenant, and to give themselves to thee to be made the subjects of it. And now, O Lord, remember thy own covenant, and do as thou hast said: Put thy laws in their minds, and write them in their hearts, and be unto them a G.o.d, and they shall be unto thee a people; be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities remember no more. Give them understanding to know and believe thy laws, memories to retain them, hearts to love them, consciences to recognize them, courage to profess and power to put in practice. O, grant that the whole habit and frame of their souls may be a table and transcript of thy law. Blessed Redeemer, gather these lambs in thy arms and carry them in thy bosom. O, seal them with the Holy Spirit of promise. They look forward to that feast of love which thou didst inst.i.tute in that same night in which thou wast betrayed into the hands of sinners. If it may please thee, manifest thyself to them as thou dost not unto the world. Blessed Shepherd, call these lambs by name; may they know thy voice, rejoice to hear it, and follow thee. In all the preparatory exercises speak to their hearts and commune with them in secret. O give them some love-tokens, which they may never forget; and make thyself known to them in the breaking of bread. Exercise their parents with thankfulness and grat.i.tude, and thine aged servant, to whom, in an especial manner, belong 'shame and confusion of face,' while she stands amazed at the stately steps of thy free, sovereign mercy and grace to her, and to her children according to the flesh. Husband of the widow, Father of the fatherless, s.h.i.+eld of the stranger, glorify thy name, magnify thy grace: all these thou hast been to me; give these parents deep humility, if they have received grace to be more faithful than I; yet thy holy eye has seen much shortcoming in them also. Glory to thy name for the grace in which they stand, and that thou hast enabled them to train up these children for thee. Oh, let this be a heart-searching time with us all; humble us, and exalt thy name, and magnify thy grace.

”O Lord, my covenant G.o.d, all my desire is before thee; is it not that thou magnify thy grace in me and in my family? There are others, Lord, and the residue of the Spirit is with thee. Put forth thy power in the heart of I.G. S----, and compel him to come in. And Oh, my dear I. S---- and her family; thou biddest me open my mouth wide. Lord, see, there is much for thee to do. I praise thy name for what thou hast done, and lay me at thy feet waiting for further manifestations of thy mercy, thy sovereign mercy: I have no other plea.

”Work with us, for thy name's sake, and with J. M----, for whom my worthless prayers have been presented to thee, as also a member of this family. O Lord, he is now gone out into the world; he is no longer under the control of man; bring him under thy gracious control; call him into thy kingdom of grace, and make him a willing subject in the day of thy power. Father, glorify thy name.”

”APRIL, Sabbath, 1813.

”'Wherefore, laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envyings, and all evil speaking, as new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.' 2 Peter, 2:1, 2.

”Blessed Spirit, thou hast convinced me of the indwelling of every one of these, and also of my helplessness of myself to make successful war against them. But Oh, hast thou not led me to the Captain of salvation for armor, for strength, for wisdom, for power; and is not my dependence for success on thy promise that sin shall not have dominion over me; that thy grace is sufficient for me; that as my day, so shall my strength be?”

”MAY 5.

”'Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with G.o.d, through our Lord Jesus Christ.' Rom. 5:1.

”Blessed, blessed, blessed doctrine; by no other doctrine can I be justified and saved. Christ the gift of G.o.d, and faith the gift of G.o.d. All, all is of grace.

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