to your sorrowing family-praying that He may uphold you in this trying hour, I am, your much afflicted," &c. "Hear what God the Lord hath spoken, O my people; "God shall rise, and shining o'er you, The following was written in July 1851, from Stirling, when one of the children who were taken from us there was near her end. She was a child of about two and a half years old, very dear to our hearts, and had been ill for some months. I had gone from home, but was on my way back. The letter was addressed to one of her sons: "As I have not heard from your father this morning, I have some hope he is on his way home. My little darling has been very deathlike all day, but I trust, if it be the will of the Lord, that her poor father may be here before she is taken to her rest. Yesterday she desired Kate to sing,— 'Around the throne of God in heaven Ten thousand children stand, Whose sins are all through Christ forgiven, A holy, happy band;' &c. and, sweet lamb, she tried to join her! I believe she will soon be in the midst of them, 'Singing glory, glory, glory!' "I feel very sad. Nature weeps whilst faith rejoices. I am poor and needy, yet the Lord thinketh on me, and hath not cast me off. "I will expect you all, God willing, on Wednesday. I would give much to have dear papa; but I must cease from man, and look to Him in whom I desire to trust." The servant, Nanny, referred to in the Narrative, page 110, had come to reside at Stirling, a widow, with her family, some years after we had removed there. She was, of course, much about us; and when, two years ago, she died, we laid her in our own burying-ground. Mrs. Beith, writing to one of her sons on the occasion of this death, said: "I have been very sad. Poor Nanny's death has told on me. But I trust all her sorrows are past, and that she sleeps in Jesus. She is laid in the grave beside my three wee bairns. I have a sort of happy contented feeling that she is beside them; and I rejoice to anticipate that, in the great day, they will come forth together to meet the Lord-raised up fashioned like unto Him, to reign with Him for ever and ever. Amen. What more can I desire !" CHAPTER VI. [THE Extracts that follow are from letters which, in the fulness of their hearts, ministers of the first eminence among us, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches, wrote to me on the occasion of my loss. They are the spontaneous expression of what they knew from personal acquaintance, and from intercourse-in some of the cases long intercourse with our family. I need say no more.] "How can I write to you? I cannot be silent, and I know not how to write. We are stunned by the tidings of your bereavement. With unutterable sorrow we have learned the death of dear Mrs. Beith, in whose removal you mourn an irreparable loss; but which to her is an infinite gain. The Lord has done it in love to her (now with Himself), and in love to you, still in the wilderness, and a desolate pilgrim in it. I dare not trust myself to say more. Never have I known one in all things more a living epistle of Christ, full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, than your beloved wife. And her blessedness is now perfect, in the unclouded sunshine of his love. Soon you will rejoin her. The Master's word to you is: Behold, I come quickly.' 'May He fill you with the Holy Ghost; the only, the Almighty Comforter." "The mournful news has just reached us. I write not to seek to comfort you-there is but one who can do that-but simply to say how profoundly we sympathize with you under this terrible stroke, and how earnestly we commend you and the dear ones beside you to the infinite love and compassion of our heavenly Father. Vain, indeed, is any help which man can give ! 'Be not far from me, for there is none to help.' 'I shall yet praise Him for the help of his countenance.' 'He maketh the day dark with night,' but 'He turneth the shadow of death into the morning.' Help, Lord! "I feel as if myself bereaved of a mother, and as if nothing were possible to me but tears and prayers. It is hard to believe that such a blow has fallen, and that I shall never look on that dear face again. A mother in Israel if there was one on earth—so loving, so faithful, so gentle, so prudent, so guileless, so true! Truly one of the 'honourable women!' "So shall THE KING greatly desire thy beauty... She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto Thee. With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter the King's palace.' "Be glad with her, all ye that love her; rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her.' "This is the other side. Alas! that, walking so much 'by sight' as we do, we should often find it so difficult to look at it. 'Lord, increase our faith!' 'A little while and ye shall not see me, and again a little while and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.'" "Need I say how deeply and affectionately I sympathize with you and your afflicted house under this sore and heavy trial, with which it has pleased our heavenly Father to visit you? But what shall we say! It is the Lord. He hath done what seemed good in his sight: and nothing seems good to Him which is not also good to his people. Even in sending an affliction so grievous, may we not see his wise and tender care, in not suffering it to fall out till He had raised you up to a measure of health and strength which may better, by his blessing, enable you to bear up |