world, make me rich in faith, an heir of the kingdom,' and I have enough." At another time she writes thus: "In the evening several of our friends came, especially Mr. King, who was our good helper. He preached excellently next day (Sabbath) from Luke xviii, 22. Yet lackest thou one thing; but he rather insisted on the parallel scripture, What lack I yet? There is much lacking in the best. Alas! I lack muchmuch wisdom, much knowledge, much grace. Surely it is a proper, a very proper question for me to put to myself frequently, and especially some times-when going to prayer. I should then be reflecting-what lack 12 What is it most needful to pray for? When going to the Lord's Supper I should askWhat is it I now especially want?-Lord, that my eyes may be opened-that my heart may be softened. This evening we had a long-desired opportunity. All things ready. But my poor heart was not prepared. I was cold and dull. Lord, pity and pardon, and help me in after reflection. I need not long consider to answer this-What lack I yet?” Noticing an unpleasant dispute between Mr. Savage and a neighbor, she writes, "I heartily desire to forgive him all his hard thoughts and speeches. If we can approve ourselves to God in our integrity, we must be content to pass through evil report, as well as good report. It comforts me much that my husband has so satisfied Mr. Law rence, Mr. Illidge, and others of the chief of the society, that he has not deserved those aspersions which he has cast upon him. I hope God will, in time, bring good out of this evil. I have earnestly desired it of God, but I am concerned that I do not pray so much and earnestly for him as I should. I think of Mr. Baxter's saying-other's unkindnesses to us are but a check to us for our unkindness to God.' The concluding sentence of one of the volumes of her Diary is strikingly characteristic of her prevailing disposition. "It is now almost seven years since I began this little book. If there have been the workings of any grace, it is owing to the God of Grace, for I am nothing." SECTION V. HER PATIENCE AND RESIGNATION UNDER AFFLICTION. It was in tribulation that Mrs. Savage most evidently manifested, by a heavenly dignity and composure, the influence of piety. In her afflictions we see the keenest sensibility regulated by faith, and in the deepest sorrow behold her yielding, by sincere resignation and fervent prayer, to the divine will. Her patience and humility, with a constellation of celestial graces, shone, in every mel ancholy gloom, with peculiar lustre. The brilliancy of the stars is best seen when the night is dark. "Oh that we could learn," she remarks, "these four good lessons, which sickness should teach us-What a vain thing the world is-What a vile thing sin isWhat a poor thing man is-What a precious thing an interest in Christ is. If we could thus make the house of affliction a school of instruction, how well were it." --- She thus notices the sudden illness of her beloved father, at a time when he was expected to preach at Wrenbury Wood: "Monday, Dec. 26, 1687. I went at night with my husband to Broad Oak, on foot, with a sad heart. Sometimes I could resign my father up to God-then bye-and-bye natural affection prevailed-then, grace again. I well remembered that when, at first, I entered into covenant with God (as well as often since,) I gave my all to him, without excepting any of my dearest comforts, and now shall I draw back? No. I did heartily, as my tender affection would suffer, resign him up to God. We found him not so ill as I feared. Wednesday and Thursday his pain continued, yet still supported. Everlasting arms are under. An unseen hand making all his bed easy to him, and, in some degree profitable to us. Three things, he told us, are comfortable in affliction-"An affliction borne patiently-an enemy forgiven heartily-and a Sabbath sanctified uprightly." Further, "Six things are a slave for every sore-Christ—a good conscience—the promises-patience-prayer-foretastes of heaven." He had many more sweet expressions. Grace will appear in any condition. On Friday he began to amend. Let God have all the glory." It pleased God frequently to exercise her with sharp and long-continued trials of a more personal nature. "Many are the afflictions of the righteous." "God had one son,' said Augustin, without sin, but none without affliction.' A few days after the birth of her first child she was called to the painful task of surrendering him to the tomb. The whole of her account, of the affecting event, is so interesting, as to render any apology for its length unnecessary. "1688. About 5 at night, December 18th, he died: seemingly in little extremitywherein God answered my prayers. Now I could not keep my passions in bounds. Strength of natural affection works, yet my judgment is quiet. I had not one repining thought against God, as if he dealt hardly with me. It is the Lord, let him do as seemeth him good. Shall I refuse to drink of the cup that my Father puts into my hand? If he had seen it good for me I should have had this comfort spared; but, perhaps, he saw that my heart would too much have gone out after it. Therefore hath he dried up the cistern to bring me nearer to the fountain. Oh that it may have that blessed effect! As to the everlasting state of the child, I bave good hope concerning it; 'tis a very comfortable thing on this account to have an interest in God, because he hath said, 'I will be a God to thee, and to thy seed.' It should seem that David had some hope of the eternal salvation of his child that died in infancy, because he says-I shall go to him. I am satisfied that it was taken into covenant with God. What though my house be not so with God, he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, and this is all my salvation and all my desire. My good God hath been with me in six troubles, and in seven. Thrice this year in peril. What another year may bring forth I know not, neither am I solicitous to know, for this I know--All is working for my good. God is teaching me by his rod. Upon this rod I have found honey. How hath my soul sometimes gone out after God! I have had sweet communion with him, and communications from him upon my bed; particularly, on Sabbath-day, Dec. 16th, when my dear mother read to me 1 Tim. i. Oh! how did my soul catch at that passage in the beginning-The Lord Jesus Christ, who is our hope. Who is my hope. As one said, This me, and my, and mine, is the life of religion. It is the life of my comfort, when I read Romans viii, 1, to be able to say, there is no condemnation to me. Who would be without an interest in Christ? "Tis |