soever He goeth; for, "He leadeth them forth by the right way, that they may go to a city of habitation ;" yea, He leadeth them in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble, though it lies through many crooked circumstances. How true the language of the Church: "Thou hast brought us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins: Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads: we went through fire and through water; but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place." Our precious Ishi is our wealthy place, where we forget our poverty in the first Adam, and remember our misery no more. Although at times He does, both experimentally and providentially, lead us through fire and through water, yet in it all He is our Brother and Companion in tribulation, for in all their afflictions He is afflicted. I much like these words in the Psalms: "Our," "us," and "usward;" they tell upon my heart, as often setting forth the Head and membersthe Ishi and His Hephzibah; showing that wherever she is there He will be; and that wherever He has been in life or death, there was she in Him, He covering her in the day of battle, and hiding her from the terrible storm of divine wrath, when the Father poured upon Him the fury of battle, called the sword of justice to awake against His Shepherd, bathed it in heaven, and made it fat with His fatness, who is thus a feast of marrow and fatness both to His Father and to His Church. 0, our Beloved! how many are the Father's wonderful works and thoughts to usward in all this! They cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee. "If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered." It pleased Him to bruise Thee, that Thy bruised reeds might be bound up and healed with the balsam of Thy precious blood. It pleased Him that Thou shouldst be stricken and smitten, that with Thy stripes we might be healed. It pleased Him to number Thee with transgressors, that we beggars might be raised from the dust and set among His princes. It pleased Him to give Thy Bride to Thee perfect in beauty through Thine own comeliness. It pleased Thee, O Beloved! to accept her in unchangeable, unquenchable love, though knowing how dear she would cost Thee; for it pleased eternal love and wisdom to permit her to share in the Adam-fall transgression, that Thy matchless love might be shewn out, and Thy precious heart laid open, in bringing her up and out of it. Surely Thou didst say, "I will be surety for her; if I bring her not back, and set her before Thee (all fair), then let me bear the blame for ever." Hence it surely pleased "our Father" to give Thee for us that Thou mightest pay Thy vows, and (being of one mind with Him) give Thyself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour; and the Father's numberless thoughts of love to usward led Him also to give Thee to us, that we might dwell together in love; “He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, for God is love." Thy love, O our Beloved! constraineth us, and thy Spirit enableth us to give ourselves to Thee; that we should not henceforth live unto ourselves, but unto Thee who died for us and rose again; and that we should not live our own life, but hate it for Thy sake; for, "I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." We cannot live on ourselves, but on Thee, the bread of heaven; the hidden life being fed by hidden manna. "He that eateth me, even he shall live by me." "O precious, precious Beloved! all that forsake Thee shall be ashamed." "Bruised Bridegroom, take us wholly; Keep us cleaving to Thee with full purpose of heart. May we dwell in Thee while we daily feel that in our flesh dwelleth no good thing, and that in the world we must have tribulation; and so give thanks unto God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. In all these things we are more than conquerors through Thee who hath loved us unto the death; for Thy soul did "cleave to the dust" of Thy Church, and Thou didst say, "Thou hast brought me into the dust of death; but Thou who hast shewed me great and sore troubles shalt quicken me again from the depths of the earth: Thou shalt increase my greatness and comfort me on every side." He has quickened Thee again, and raised Thee up, and Thou art at His own right hand in the heavenlies, far above all principality and power. He also hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenlies in Thee. Oh! what a Father! Oh! what Fatherly thoughts to usward! Who can sound the blissful depths! Who can reach the topless heights! Ah, none of finite mind! For ever shall we behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us while we behold His Elect in whom His soul delighted,— His Beloved, and ours; His beloved Son, our beloved Brother. We, therefore, are the children of one Father, who says to the blessed Spirit, "Go to my kindred, and take a wife to my Son from thence;" And the Son calls her, "My Sister, my Spouse." The promise is, "Thy people shall be willing in the day of Thy power." Her joyful answer to the question, "Wilt thou go with this man?" is, "I will go;" wherefore, "forget, O daughter, thine own people, and thy father's house (the first Adam), so shall the King greatly desire thy beauty; for He is thy Lord, and worship thou Him." Ah, my dear brother! we may well forget all beside; for this is our place of blessing, and I know our one heart unites in saying, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love." When God created Adam, "He blessed them." Eve got the blessing while in her husband's side, and not in any separatedness from him; and so, if we ever expect to inherit the blessing, except in our glorious second Adam, we shall meet with disappointment; but in Him we can never expect too much, can we? "Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord, if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it; and I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall no more devour the fruits of your land." There is no death or barren land in Him. "He hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us." He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him;" and, "What God doeth, it shall be for ever, nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it;" "Ye are complete in Him;" "therefore my soul shall make her boast in the Lord, the humble shall hear thereof and be glad." "O come and magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together." Yea, you do come in Spirit, and, "the King is held in the galleries.' He makes our communication sweet, causing our heart to burn with love; so that we cry out again and again, "Thou art the chieftest among ten thousand; Thou art altogether lovely; far more excellent and glorious than the mountains of prey; all the things that can be desired are not to be compared unto Thee. Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is none upon earth I desire beside Thee." Ah! He is indeed " Our everlasting light, our God, our glory." "I, saith the Lord, will be a wall of دو 66 fire around her, and the glory in the midst of her." Only those within the wall of fire behold the glory! It is like that pillar of fire of old, which was a cloud and darkness to the enemy, but gave light by night to the chosen band. Your precious letter is sweet to my soul, because the savour of our Beloved's good ointments is folded up in it; and the blessed Spirit has poured that ointment forth for my refreshment, so that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. I thank our Father for telling you to write, and I thank you too, beloved, and hope to hear again, though perhaps it is selfish and unkind of me to say so, when I know that your head and hands and heart are so full of employment. But, however, I know also that my heavenly banker can repay you an hundred fold in your own soul, which I often ask Him to do, and to enlarge your coast and bless you indeed. He will, there is no doubt, for He says: The mouth of the ox which treadeth out the corn is not to be muzzled;" and, "The husbandman must first be a partaker of the fruits." You serve a bountiful master, whose service is perfect freedom, and who will not suffer you to be a loser by ministering to His own poor gleaner. .. The "little Sister" is amused by the signature of the "younger Brother; it reminds her of the naughtiness of her heart when she first saw him in the pulpit, and, judging from outward appearance, expected a ministration more in the letter than the spirit. Ah! she little thought what a blessing was to follow! again proving, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, saith the Lord." It was strange I should feel so, beloved; for, before you came, I was of contrary mind to those who objected to your youth, and thought it quite carnal, because we find in scripture young David, Elihu, and others who were sent by the Lord. But, however, it is true that those foolish feelings did arise; and it is not the first time I have felt a drawback when afterwards there has been an enjoyment of the sweetest communion. How all externals vanish away, "When nothing in ourselves we see, And Christ is all in all." 66 rest in the I too should much rejoice if we were within reach of speaking face-to-face of the things touching the King; but it is sweet to know our times are in His hand. His purpose shall stand; He will do all His pleasure; Lord and wait patiently for Him;" "He hath been mindful of us, He will bless us" in His own way, and we shall say, "He hath done all things well; even as He said to you previous to coming here to speak in His name: "It shall be well." We are of one heart and mind in Him, and what a treat it is to commune with one who is brought to be content with "Jesus only." May the Lord increase the number of such, and bring us more into the simplicity which is in Christ. My soul longs intensely to grow in the knowledge of Him, for whom I count all things but loss; yea, those things which were gain to me I count loss for Christ, that I may be found in Him, and "know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death." You say, we "dwell together in unity;" we do, and ever shall in our one Pavillion, the dear heart of our Beloved, where we are hidden from the strife of tongues, and where there is no condemnation and no separation. "And if in tents of flesh below, What heights of rapture shall we know When round His throne we meet !" The earnest ensures the whole of the inheritance. Your welcome letter arrived full of sweet spices, to which I feel this to be a very poor response. O, that I could speak of Him more suitably! May He graciously warm your heart, dear brother, while reading this, as He did mine by what you wrote of Him. The Lord bless thee and keep thee (Isaiah xxvi. 3, 4) and make His face to shine upon thee; He who delivered thee from the paw of the Lion and of the Bear, will deliver thee from the uncircumcised Philistine. In our adorable Emmanuel I rest affectionately Your little Sister, Isaiah xli. 14-20. RUTH. A FEW REMINISCENCES OF FANNY SADLER, Late scholar in Grove Chapel Sunday School, who fell asleep in Jesus, March 9th 1857. Aged ten years. HER Mother remarks that, until about two years since, Fanny was of a very obstinate trying temper; so much so, that her mother thought proper to mention her behaviour to Miss F., a lady who frequently visited her. Miss F. talked seriously to Fanny, telling her to pray to God to give her a new heart; and wished her to learn the Fifty-first Psalm. She did so, and from that time there was a manifest change in her conduct. She told her mother, on her death-bed, "that the Lord had fastened that Psalm on her heart, and she never knelt down at night without praying the Lord to create in her a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within her; and the Lord heard and answered her prayers." A few days before her death, she said that when she used to feel so naughty, she was often tempted to give up prayer. I used to pray very earnestly, but every day I grew worse; but, what a mercy! Jesus would not let me leave off. He still made me pray, and now he has forgiven me. O, I feel so happy, mother!" .. Her health declined very gradually; she suffered for months before she was quite confined to her bed; but, at the beginning of February, it was evident that her days were numbered. On Sunday, February 15th, when her breath appeared nearly gone, she said, "Mother, dear, I could not sing now; but when I get to heaven, then I shall be able to sing. I will praise my Jesus most for looking upon such a poor child as me, and making me to pray to Him and love Him. I have often prayed I might not be like Ignorance-get to the gate, and then be carried away. I don't think it will be so, for Jesus has made me feel that in myself I am nothing but sin; but Jesus is my Saviour, and my all in all. O, what a mercy that He has afflicted me! for I remember the time when I thought I would put off thinking of the Lord till I was older, but my precious Jesus would not let me, and I think that sermon Mr. Jay preached about the Sower was blessed to me. I remember he said, that it was no use to receive the word in the letter of it, and only in the head; it must be received into the heart. As I walked home, I did pray the seed might enter my heart: it seemed to ring in my ears. I wished, if the Lord had spared me, to have been taken into the church as a member; for I think the Lord heard my poor prayers, and has given me grace." She now seemed unable to speak, and her mother, seeing her in pain, said, “O, my child, it is dreadful to bear." She presently revived, and said, "O, mother, . do not say it is dreadful! I do not think so. It is not so very bad; for 1 feel that Jesus is with me. He does give me patience to bear it; and He has said, that' through much tribulation we must enter into the Kingdom.' It is said, the wicked have no bands in their death;' and I often think that the wicked have their pleasures here for a little while, and their troubles for ever; but the children of God have their trials now for a little while, and their pleasures for ever. O, mother, is not that best ?" On another occasion, when a dear friend, Mrs. Jackson, had been praying with her, she put her arms round her mother's neck and said, "O, I feel so happy! for I feel that Jesus is with me, and has forgiven me, and I think I shall soon have the crown, and the harp, and the white robe. O, what love that Jesus should look upon such a poor child as me!" shined On February 20th, she was again scarcely able to speak; but at night revived a little, and said, "I have not been able to talk much to-day, dear mother, but I have got it in my heart-that is the comfort; and Jesus has upon me to day; and I have been thinking what love in Jesus to die for poor sinners like us! and if he had not been God as well as man, it would have been no use His dying, would it mother? I think I need not fear, for I think it really was Jesus who told me the other night my sins were forgiven. I was lying awake; the pain was so bad, I asked the Lord to give me patience to bear it; and I thought I heard some one say, 'Your sins are forgiven you;' and Oh! I felt so happy! I think it was not a human voice, or I should not have felt so happy. I think Mr. Jay would say so, don't you mother? I should like Mr. Jay or my teacher to give my love to the school, and tell them I am very happy, and do not fear death. Tell them I hope they will think of what they learn at school, and what dear Mr. Jay says at chapel. Tell them to read the Bible, for it is the best book; it is worth more than all the treasures of the world; and I hope it will be as great a blessing to them on their death beds as it is to me. O, my dear mother, I did not know I should be called so soon! What a mercy that Jesus has made me pray to him; and I think I used to pray that verse from my heart: On one occasion, when her teacher visited her, she said, "How I long to leave this cumbersome body." Her teacher said, "Why do you long for that, Fanny? is it merely to be free from pain ?" No," she replied, "I want to be with Jesus." On Tuesday evening, the last of her life, when Mr. Jay visited her, she was very restless, and in extreme suffering. She asked him to pray for her; and when he was gone, she said, "Mother, the Lord has heard Mr. Jay's prayer, for I have felt quiet ever since." A little before her death, she asked her mother, if she could say the following verse: 'And can my soul with hopes like these, Be sullen or repine? No, gracious Lord, take what thou wilt, About ten minutes before she died, her mother said, "It is a hard struggle, my child, for the soul to leave the body." She answered, 66 Yes, I never felt |