good God will bring down his just judgment upon my head. Oh, what a long suffering God is our God. Wednesday, March 26.-He said to me, I certainly have had a good time, a great falling in spirit, and confessed my wretched hardness to the Lord. Thursday. At night he spake to me about his profession, and held fast his integrity in God's truth, and had a sweet time again in the morning for a little while. I should have mentioned a joyful time he had on Friday, Feb. 14th, at night in family prayer, which lasted he said from nine o'clock till past one. He said, 'I have had sweet fellowship and communion with the Lord, truly, I have had a heaven in my soul, yet coughing all night, which drags me to pieces but I was highly favoured, indeed I thought it might be a prelude to death, or the latter reign: I sung at different times, in my whispering way, the following hymns : and my heart was in it.' Another time he said, 'Blessed be God, I do feel a good hope.' Then again he said, 'I do feel on the full stretch for heavenly things; oh that I had voice and strength to tell what the Lord has done for me. I do believe I trust in the true Almighty God, the God of Abraham, Isaat, and Jacob, that he is my eternal portion.' Atter this he got rather dull, but said, 'I do not feel condemnation, but peace, quietness, and rest, as it respects my eternal state.' I wish I could have put things down at the time, but he continued noting things down himself in his daily experience book as long as he was able. continued gradually getting worse He every day, which I could clearly see, and mentioned it, but no one else believed it as I did. Thursday, April, 10.-He got up about noon, and was seized with a trembling all over, and was forced to go to bed again as soon as possible. While he was in that state those words were in his mind, "let death seize on them." Oh, how he sunk, afraid they came from God. After a while the trembling abated, but he kept very low in soul, full of fear; he never got up but once more, which was on Saturday, and then he was very ill, and cast down in soul. Sunday morning very early he said to me, Oh, I have had a blessed time in blessing and praising the dear Saviour for his condescending love to me a poor, vile sinner. I cannot describe how I see and feel myself, an incarnate devil; never was such a wretch as I. Oh, the love of Christ to me, to think he should lay down his life for me. Yes, I do love him with all my heart, but he first loved me. Oh, the wonders of sovereign grace. I shall soon be with him, and see him as he is, and bless and praise him for his unspeakable love to me to all eternity. Christ is the eternal Rock, and I am fixed on the foundation, the rock of eternal ages." He then blessed and praised God in Three persons, Father, Son, and blessed Spirit distinctly, till he was quite spent. After this his appetite failed, he could take very little for fear of being choked; but now he had no desire for food, he longed to be gone, but at times was much distressed. I read to him while he could bear it, but he got so weak he could not bear me to read much. I read part of Tanner's Contemplations in his Life, and his own experience-book about his deliverance, by his own desire. On the Lord's day before his death, he was so low I did not read to him. He said to me in the afternoon, I do feel much brokenness of of Spirit, and falling before the Lord, blessed be his precious name.' He was very low and in great pain with his throat, the fever also very high, and in danger of being choked. Monday. He was very bad, could not bear to hear me read or speak to him. Tuesday, April 22.-After he had taken a little arrowroot, I said, could you bear me to read a chapter? he said, Yes.' I said is there any particular place I shall read? he said, · Awake, awake.' I read the 52nd chap. of Isaiah, then asked him if be heard it, he said, 'Yes, that will do; oh, I have no breath.' He lay still awhile, and when I raised him a little higher, I perceived a change in his countenance; I asked him if he could take anything, he said, Yes, and took some sago with a little wine, which was the last he took. This was about 11 o'clock, he breathed short and hard, seemed pervery fectly sensible, but not able to speak, his sufferings were very great, and he was much convulsed inwardly. About two o'clock the rattles came in his throat, Jane and I never left the bedside from the time he changed till he died. He had not power to speak; but when I asked him if he found peace, rest, and quietness, he nodded more than once. He seemed very much in prayer all day, we could see his lips move, but not hear what he said, except Blessed Lord, Blessed Spirit.' Jane, in great agony, took hold of his hand, and said, ' Father, are you happy?' He squeezed her hand, and said, 'Yes.' Oh, it was truly afflicting to see him in that agony so many hours. We both earnestly prayed to the Lord to receive his spirit and release him. I was almost overcome, I do not think I could have stood it much longer; I was nearly fainting, but the Lord supported me, for I felt persuded it was the last struggle, and he was entering into bliss. His breath got lower and lower, and just as he I hope you are quite well. I am sure you will be sorry to hear I am much worse, "the outward man perishes daily," oh that the "inward man may be renewed day by day." Bless the Lord he hath granted me life and favour, and his visitation hath preserved my spirit. O Jane, seek after a knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of your sins; the Lord hath promised they shall not be ashamed that wait for him, Isaiah xlix. 23, "Blessed is the soul that heareth me. watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors; for whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord," Proverbs viii. 34, 35. I was kept waiting nearly nineteen years, many times thought I should never obtain what I had so earnestly sought after; but when my strength was all gone, and none shut up or left, the Lord appeared, and truly his reward was with him, the Lord Jesus opened the door of faith to my soul, and entered with all his saving benefits, and such love, joy and peace flowed in as I never knew before. I could take all the unconditional promises in the Bible to myself; I found the work of righteousness to be peace, and the effect, quietness and assurance for ever. Perfect love casts out all slavish fear and torment : "the Lord hath put a new song into my mouth, even a praise to our God," a new song indeed. It is fifteen years ago, next March, but I can never forget it, "bless the Lord, oh my soul, and forget not al lhis benefits." Dear Jane, I am very ill, not able to do any thing: John is very kind; but my breath is very bad, my head is also very bad and light; I am so very nervous every thing terrifies me, I am not able to walk in the street, my legs tremble: but thank God, with all my complaints, the cough is gone, indeed I could not bear it now; I should be glad to see you as soon as you can come, sometimes I think I shall not be long, and then again, I may be some weeks, but the Lord does all things well. There is a necessity for being pulled down and kept down. Dear Jane, God bless you, I remain your affectionate mother, MARY ANN RUSK. My dear Father departed this mortal life, on the 22nd. of April, 1834; and my dear Mother survived him 12 months, and died in April, 1835. They have entered into that rest that remaineth for the people of God. Their life was one continued scene of trouble and affliction. But that God who hears and answers prayer, has relieved them; to him be glory, for ever and ever, Amen. Chiswick. JANE RUSK. EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM REV. leys, as it is rendered in the margin. By valleys in scripture, are meant rich parts of the earth, where rivers run among the hills; figuratively speak. ing are meant rich, wealthy, numerous, populous places. The Lord did not bid his apostles and disciples to go to straggling houses, cottages or villages, but to great cities, where he had much people, Wisdom crieth in the highest places of the city, in the chief place of concourse, in the opening of the gate." The Lord is not ashamed to shew his face, nor are his servânts ashamed, though many are ashamed to own him, of whom the Son of man shall one day be ashamed before his Father, and the holy angels. Paul was to bear his name before kings. The daughter of Tyre was to be there with a gift. As a specimen of these valleys, take Jerusalem, princess among the provinces, Lam. i. 1. the perfection of beauty; Samaria extremely populous; Cæsarea, a most magnificent city; Damascus, a noble place; Antioch, richest place in the east; Ephesus renowned; Sardis; Phillipi, Smyrna; Athens and Corinth, the two eyes of Greece; Rome, the mistress of the world; Tarshish in Spain the most commercial city in the known world. The shaking of the olive tree, were the apostles who lifted up the voice, sung of the ma HENRY BIRCH OF CRANBROOK, TO A jesty of the Lord, cried aloud from FRIEND. -Mr. Huntington's words to Henry Booker seem to be fulfilling. Popery may find a basis here, when it is razed to the foundation there (in France) and while their paths are occupied with the feet of saints, our's may be swarming alive with mumping friars.' But at present popery is gaining ground there, as well as here. These things make me look well to my ways, and I desire to stand in the counsel of God, and to declare the whole of his will. I yesterday had this text from Isaiah xxiv. 15, 16. The fires, should be translated val the sea, or the western parts of the world, glorified the Lord by preaching his glory by Jesus Christ, and declared his name, "gracious and merciful," and the fruit was songs, glory, or beauty to the righteous; Christ Jesus the Just One, and to believers justified, or clothed in white raiment. Yours in truth, 66 to the world? namely, that whatever we do, is done, not by virtue of our own free will, but in a way of necessity, &c. what wicked person will reform his life; who will dare to believe himself a favorite of heaven; where is the use of spreading these notions, from whence so many evils seem to flow. To this Luther replies, If my Erasmus, you consider these paradoxes (as you term,them) to be no more than the inventions of men; why are you so extraordinarily heated on the occasion? in this case your arguments affect not me; for there is no person now living in the world, who is a more avowed enemy to the doctrines of men, than myself; but if you believe the doctrines in debate between us to be, as indeed they are, the doctrines of God, you must have bid adieu to all sense of shame and decency, thus to oppose them; I will not ask whither is the modesty of Erasmus fled; but which is much more important, where, alas, are your fear and reverence of the Deity, when you roundly declare, that this branch of truth, which he has revealed from heaven, is at best useless, and unnecessary to be known. What, shall the glorious Creator be taught by you his creature, what is fit to be preached, and what is to be suppressed; is the adorable God so very defective in wisdom and prudence, as not to know, till you instruct him, what would be useful and what pernicious or could not He, whose understanding is infinite, foresee previous to his revelation of this doctrine, what would be the consequences of his revealing it, till those consequences were pointed out by you? you cannot, you dare not say this; if then it was the divine pleasure, to make known these things in his word, and to bid his messengers publish them abroad, and to leave the consequences of their so doing, to the wisdom and providence of him in whose name they speak, and whose message they declare; who art thou, O Erasmus, that thou shouldest reply : against God, and say to the Almighty, what dost thou? St Paul discoursing of God declareth peremptorily, "whom he will, he hardeneth;" and again, "God willing to show his wrath, &c." And the apostle did not write this to have it stifled among a few persons and buried in a corner; but he wrote it to the christians at Rome, which was, in effect, bringing this doctrine upon the stage of the whole world; stamping an universal imprimatur upon it; and publishing it to believers at large throughout the earth. What can sound harsher in the uncircumcised ears of carnal men, than those words of Christ, "many are called but few are chosen ;" and elsewhere, "I know whom I have chosen." Now these and similar assertions of Christ and his apostles, are the very portions which you, O Erasmus, brand as useless and hurtful. You object, if these things are so, who will amend his life? I answer, without the Holy Ghost no man can amend his life to purpose. Reformation is but varnished hypocrisy, unless it proceeds from grace. The elect and truly pious are amended by the Spirit of God, and those of mankind who are not amended by him will perish. You ask moreover, who will dare to believe himself a tavorite of heaven? I answer, it is not in a man's own power to believe himself such upon just grounds, till he is enabled from above. But the elect shall be so enabled; they shall be enabled to believe themselves to be what indeed they are; as for the rest who are not endued with faith, they shall perish, raging and blaspheming as you do now. But, say you, these doctrines open a door to ungodliness? I answer, whatever door they open to the impious and profane, yet they open a door of righteousness to the elect and holy, and shew them the way to heaven, and the path of access unto God. Yet you would have us abstain from the mention of these grand doctrines, and leave our people in the dark, as to their election of God. The consequence of which would be, that every man would bolster himself up with a delusive hope of a share in that salvation, which is supposed to be open to all; and thus genuine humility, and the practical fear of God, would be kept out of doors. This would be a pretty way indeed of stopping up the gap Erasmus complains of. Instead of closing up the door of licentiousness, as is falsely pretended, it would be in fact opening a gulph into the nethermost hell. Still you urge, where is either the necessity or utility in preaching predestination? God himself teaches it, and commands us to teach it, and that is answer enough. We are not to arraign the Deity, and bring the motives of his will to the test of human scrutiny, but simply to revere both him and it. He, who alone is all-wise and all-just, can in reality, however things appear to us, do wrong to no man; neither can he do anything unwisely or rashly. And this consideration will suffice to silence all the objections of truly religious persons. However, let us, for argument's sake go a step farther. I will venture to assign over and above two very important reasons, why these doctrines should be publicly taught. 1st. For the humiliation of our pride, and the manifestation of divine grace. God hath assuredly promised his favours to the truly humble. By the truly humble, I mean those who are endued with repentance, and despair of saving themselves; for a man can never be said to be truly penitent and humble, until he is made to know that his salvation is not suspended in any mea sure whatever on his own strength, machinations, endeavours, free will or works; but entirely depends on the free pleasure, purpose, determination and efficiency of another, even of God alone. Whilst a man is persuaded that he has it in his power to contribute anything, be it ever so little, to his own salvation, he remains in carnal confidence, he is not a self despairer, and therefore he is not duly humbled before God, so far from it that he hopes some favourable juncture or opportunity will offer, when he may be able to lend a helping hand to the business of his salvation. On the contrary whoever is truly convinced that the whole work depends singly and absolutely on the will of God, who alone is the author and fi nisher of salvation: such a person despairs of self assistance, he renounces his own will and his own strength; he waits and prays for the operation of God, nor waits and prays in vain. For the elect's sake therefore these doctrines are to be preached, that the chosen of God being humbled by the knowledge of his truth, self-emptied and sunk into nothing as it were in his presence, may be saved in Christ with eternal glory. This then is one inducement to the publication of the doctrine; that the penitent may be made acquainted with the promise of peace, and plead it in prayer to God, and receive it as their own. 2nd. The nature of the christian faith requires it. Faith has to do with things not seen. And this is one of the highest degrees of faith. stedfastly to believe that God is infinitely merciful, though he saves comparatively but few, and condemns so many, and that he is truly just, though of his own will he makes such numbers of mankind necessarily liable to damnation. Now these are some of the unseen things, whereof faith is the evidence, whereas was it in my power to comprehend them, or clearly make out, how God is both inviolably just, and infinitely merciful, notwithstanding this display of wrath and seeming inequality in his dispensations respecting the reprobate, faith would have but little or nothing to do; but now since these matters cannot be adequately comprehended by us, in the present state of imper |