164 A STRANGER ON THE EARTH. date his feelings to the varying dispensations of heaven. We have often contemplated Mr. Stanford with admiration, as "a stranger on the earth," not only with respect to his transient condition, but in the disposition of his mind. As to the vanities of this world, and all unfounded hopes of changeless bliss below the skies, he appeared to us like the royal David, whose soul was 66 ' even as a weaned child." Did the Almighty, in his inscrutable providence, tear from him the wife of his youth? Have his children fallen one after another, by the stroke of death? Like Aaron, he "held his peace." "I was dumb," says the psalmist," and opened not my mouth, because thou didst it." Yes, he has been seen, like Job, standing upon the ruins of temporal prosperity, and exclaiming"The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” "My times of sorrow and of joy My choicest comforts come from thee, "If thou shouldst take them all away, Yet would I not repine; Before they were possess'd by me, They were entirely thine. "Nor would I drop a murm'ring word, In Thee, and Thee alone!" O how necessary to the enjoyment of true happiness is a humble spirit of submission to the will of God! In the ignorance and pride of our hearts we are prone to misjudge the mysterious dispensations of heaven. "A Providence occurs," says an able writer, "it strikes us, we endeavour to explain it—but are we certain that we have seized the true meaning? Per ZENO AND SENECA. 165 haps what we take as an end, may be only the way; what we take as the whole, may be only a part; what we deprecate, may be a blessing; and what we most earnestly pray for, may prove to be a curse; what appears confusion, may be the tendencies of order; what looks like the disasters of Providence, may be the preparation of its triumph." It is related of Zeno, that when, by a shipwreck, he was deprived of all his wealth, he openly declared, that he considered it to be the best voyage he had ever made, because the loss of his money had driven him to "the study of virtue and philosophy." What then must be the advantage of those temporary losses and afflictions, the tendency of which is, to wean the Christian from the love of this present evil world, and compel him to "seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God." "I only want to know your will," said Seneca, when speaking to God, "as soon as I know what that is, I am always of the same mind. I do not say you have taken from me, that looks as if I were unwilling; but that you have accepted from me, that which I am ready to offer." As Christians, let us not only emulate, but endeavour to excel these noble-minded heathen, under the ordinary changes and calamities of life. CHAPTER IX. HE COMMENCES HIS CHAPLAINCY IN THE CITY-HOSPITALLABOURS IN THE UNITED STATES MILITARY-HOSPITALPUBLISHES A CATECHISM-VARIOUS SERVICES TO THE END OF 1814. JULY 1st. Lord's day. At eight o'clock this morning, Mr. Stanford preached his first sermon, as the regularly appointed chaplain, in the City-Hospital, from Psalm xli. 3-" The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness." Blind George, from the Alms-House, conducted the singing with his accustomed animation. On the morning of the Tuesday following, he visited the institution, conversing and praying with the patients in twelve of the wards, as their cases appeared to require. After returning home, he made this note in his diary:-"O my Heavenly Father, how great the tenderness, compassion, and faithfulness, which will be required to perform such visits with propriety and success: all my hope is in the Lord!" The following quotation from his diary, presents another instance of the laborious services of Mr. Stanford as a minister of the gospel, worthy of that good cause to which he had devoted the energies of his useful life. It is due to his memory to say, that this is not selected as an uncommon instance of his untiring zeal, but rather as a specimen of what frequently occurred in the discharge of his ministerial duties. "Lord's day. Morning, at half past eight, preached in the City-Hospital, and afterwards prayed with a sick patient. Preached in the State-Prison chapel at MILITARY HOSPITAL. 167 ten o'clock, and visited the sick in the prison hospital at noon. Preached again to the prisoners in the afternoon, and immediately walked to the MagdalenHouse, and preached another sermon, and in the evening preached in the Alms-House. The Lord graciously assisted me this day in these five sermons, and other duties; and as the heat was at eighty-seven, I am the more thankful for his aid, and hope a blessing will succeed my feeble efforts." On the following Thursday, after performing an equal amount of ministerial labour, he walked to the United States Military-Hospital, about half a mile from the prison, where he was kindly received by Mr. Jones, the superintendent, and spent some time in conversing and praying with the sick and dying. Mr. Jones informed him that no minister had ever visited the patients before, and earnestly entreated him to become their spiritual guide. With this request he promised to comply as far as practicable. After leaving the Military Hospital, he closed the day by performing divine service in the Magdalen-House. Friday, the 12th of July, Mr. Stanford again visited the City-Hospital, where he found a poor sufferer who had been shot through the body, and had several pieces of his ribs extracted through the orifice of the wound. His mind, however, was very tranquil, and looking for the mercy of the Lord Jesus. In another ward lay a man who had fallen from the top of a main-mast to the deck; his arms were both broken, and his eye and jaw most dreadfully injured. With this man, Mr. Stanford had an interesting conversation, as also with two of his shipmates then present, who had witnessed the accident, and recited to him the attending circumstances. While he was speaking to the patient of the sparing mercy of God to him, and showing how great was that love which prevented his being dashed into an awful eternity, his companions appeared much affected, even unto tears. 168 GRATEFUL SAILORS. There is perhaps no other spectacle upon the earth more interesting thau to see the hardy sons of the ocean melting and weeping under the sound of a preached gospel. They have heard, unmoved, the foaming billows roar, and the maddening battle thunder has failed to alarm them. But the voice of mercy possesses an energy, which mere human bravery has no ability to resist. To these men, as well as to the sick, Mr. Stanford stated the necessity of an interest in the pardoning blood, and renewing grace of the Lord Jesus, to prepare them for death and eternity. When it was proposed to return thanks to God for preserving the life of their friend, they expressed their approbation in a singularly pleasing manner; after which, with all the frankness of warm-hearted sailors, they gave him a hearty shake of the hand, and returned him their thanks. After this interview, he accompanied the matron, for the first time, to the ward appropriated for unfortunate females. One young woman was in a very deplorable situation, and it was with great difficulty he could understand what she said, as her criminal course had nearly destroyed the power of speech. During the conversation, in which Mr. Stanford faithfully described the dreadful condition of her soul, he discovered the names of her parents, and knew them to be people of great respectability. This unhappy young woman had been seduced into the paths of vice, by one of those monsters in human shape, who, under the guise of affection and flattering promises, too frequently, alas! in an unguarded moment, succeed in destroying for ever the virtue and the peace of their unsuspecting and too confiding female victim. Thursday, the 18th, Mr. Stanford visited eleven wards in the Alms-House, and conversed with a number of very sick and aged people. Nearly all of them were desirous to have worship performed in their respective rooms. As far as possible to gratify this |