66 "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. The law of thy mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver. Unless thy law had been my delight, I should then have perished in my affliction. I will never forget thy precepts; for with them thou hast quickened me.” would be secured. She retired to rest composed and satisfied, and ever after entertained a great aversion to cards, and reproved those whom she saw playing with them. Here parents are taught the immense importance of Christian influence. What opportunities they have of doing good or evil to their children! They are sowers, and they sow for eternity! Children naturally look to them for counsel, and how important that it should be wise counsel! God says to parents, as Pharaoh's daughter said to the mother of Moses, "Take this child, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages." This is the great work which all parents have to do. They are required to educate their children for God. Let us see in the conduct of the mother of Miss Hardstaff an illustration of the words of Solomon, " A word spoken in due season, how good it is." Suppose cards had been encouraged, how different would have been the influence on the mind of our young friend! And here we see, too, the importance of the early religious training of children, that their consciences may be rendered tender by the light and power of truth. When Miss Hardstaff was about ten years of age, she was much impressed with an anecdote read to her respecting a neglected Bible, and solemnly resolved, in the strength of Divine grace, never herself to merit such a reproof. She kept her resolution, and daily spent a portion of her time in the profitable and delightful exercise of reading the Holy Scriptures, which made her wise unto salvation; and there is no doubt that the advantages thus derived yielded her great comfort during her long, and very trying affliction. She could say with the Psalmist, of the Rev. W. B. Hayne and the Rev. After the death of her father, to whom she was fondly attached, she was always delicate, and expecting an early death, she was extremely anxious to secure her peace with God, to know that she was born again, and to read her "title clear to mansions in the skies." She greatly regretted that her privileges had not been better improved. She felt that where much is given, much will be required. The consideration of her slow progress in religion humbled her soul before God. She felt her need of the Fountain opened for sin and uncleanness. But it was not until she was laid upon a bed of affliction that she attained a cheerful hope of her acceptance in the beloved. She retained this sweet hope of her sins being forgiven until her removal from this vale of tears, and often celebrated with grateful praise the anniversary of her spiritual birth. When able she took great delight in Sabbath-school teaching, and evinced great concern for the salvation of the children committed to her charge. She was much attached to the Bible, Missionary, and Tract Societies, and as long as she was able, aided their funds by contributions of fancy-work, in which she was often employed; and a box was always kept in her sick-room to receive any donation her visitors were disposed to deposit. The ministry J. R. Starey was very profitable to her. She entertained a sincere and warm attachment to these excellent clergymen. She always looked upon the Rev. W. B. Hayne as her spiritual father, and said on his leaving Ashbourn, "I have known the loss of a temporal, but never before the loss of a spiritual father." During her affliction, Miss Hardstaff occasionally wrote a few thoughts in pencil on a slip of paper, either to retain ideas dropped into her mind by Christian friends who visited her, or to record her own state of soul, and to quicken it in the Divine life. The following is a specimen:-"It is two years to-day since I had the first attack, and bless the Lord, he doth still spare me, though it is trying to be afflicted so long. Sometimes, when I can collect my thoughts, I have sweet thoughts about heaven and Jesus, and of those that are clothed in white robes, and palms in their hands, who are continually praising God, so that I have cause to bless the Lord. O Lord! do thou pardon all my sins. O, I feel so cold, and lifeless, and wandering in prayer. Oh, do thou help my infirmities and teach me how to pray, and feel more of my own weakness and sinfulness. Lord, do thou bless me, and my dear mother, and sanctify all these afflictions to the good of our souls, and may we and all our dear friends meet at thy right hand in glory. Oh, may I sooner be in the furnace of affliction, than suffer sin to lie quietly in my heart, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen." The week before her death, she put her arms around her mother, and said, "My dear mother, I do love you dearly; I hope I do not love you too much. I hope the Lord will pardon me if I do, but Jesus was made up of love. I am loth to leave you, knowing how lost you will be without me, but unto the Lord I commit you. As your day has been hitherto, so has been your strength. The Lord will give you strength." She frequently said how kind the Lord had been to her. He had led her so kindly and quietly. He had led her by a way that she thought not of. First, he deprived her of being able to work; then of writing; then of reading; but it was of his infinite mercy that she had not felt more the loss of them, and to him be all the praise and glory. On the night before her death, keeping awake, anxious to hear the Christmas Anthem sung in the street, her mother was reading to her about three o'clock in the morning, respecting the coming of the Lord of Glory, and who would be among the happy number. said, as loudly as she possibly could, "I shall be there!" She On a She was anxious to give as many as she could of a little book called "Come to Jesus." She kept one always lying on the pillow by her side, saying "Those who come to see me may see what I wish them to do, though I cannot speak to them." Her love to Christ constrained her to desire and seek the salvation of others. person remarking, she must be weary of laying so long, she replied, "Oh, no; how can I? Jesus is with me always, and I have a glorious prospect before me." On the Friday preceding her death, a visible change took place, and she was not expected to live through the day. When her medical attendant came to see her, she very calmly inquired whether he thought she should go soon. After recovering a little, she said, "Satan cannot let me alone, even in my weakest moments, but tempts me, saying, 'Can you still trust the Lord, now that he so severely afflicts you?"" She said, "Yes, I will trust in the Lord for ever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength." After this she never referred again to his attacks. She would frequently say on Sabbath morning, after being washed, "Thank you, mother, I now only want to be washed in the blood of my Redeemer, and clothed with the robe of his righteousness." She expressed a desire to spend another Christmas-day with her friends on earth, believing it would be the happiest, as she felt the blood of Christ increasingly precious in the near approach of that day when she would see him as he is. On the morning of her death, one of her first questions was, "Mother, do you think the Lord will give me a foretaste of glory before I enter?' The reply was, "If he thinks best, he will." She said, "I trust I am meet for glory; I want to praise him more, but feel so weak. He knows I am but dust. Yet," she said "I'll praise my Maker with my breath; And when my voice is lost in death, Praiseshall employ my nobler powers; My days of praise shall ne'er be past, While life, and thought, and being last, Or immortality endures."" During the day she continued very feeble, and appeared to be calmly and patiently waiting the moment when she would, depart, and be for ever with the Lord. Observing her lips move, her mother stooped to catch what proved to be nearly her last words, which were, 'Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, receive my soul!" At twenty minutes past eight o'clock the same evening, she sweetly fell asleep in Jesus, aged twenty years. On the Christmas Eve she wished a hymn to be sung, in which she seemed to join with all her power, raising her hand and eyes towards heaven. The hymn was My God and Father, while I stray," &c. She said she believed that it was in answer to prayer that she was spared to see Christmas-day. On the morning of that day, on hearing the following passage read to her, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace," &c., she said, "I can say, He is my Father." "Oh for a heart to praise my God," &c. ; Jesus, lover of my soul," &c.; and "How sweet the name of Jesus sounds," &c., were very favourite hymns with her. She said she never awoke in the night but her mind was filled with passages of Scripture, or the verse of a hymn. The Rev. H. Hollis improved her death to a large and attentive congregation, in Sion Chapel, Ashbourn, on January 4, 1852. The sermon was founded on the following text, chosen by herself, and which was very expressive of her own experience, and of her sincere desire to encourage others"The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace," Psa. xxix. 11. The happy experience of Miss Hardstaff teaches us the immense value of a knowledge of the Scriptures in seasons of affliction. There were many hours during her affliction when she was not able to read or to work, for she suffered from a constant pain in strengthened her by his word. This Miss Hardstaff was a bright example of patience in tribulation. Never was an affliction borne with greater fortitude, meekness, and cheerfulness. She was never known to murmur. She believed amidst all her sufferings, that "God is love." She was visited by many friends, who were deeply impressed with her calm resignation to the will of God. They felt that here was moral sublimity. The strength of God was made perfect i her wealness. She endured as seeing Him who is invisible. Underneath her were the everlasting arms. She glorified God in the fires. God was her refuge and strength. She had clear views of the Gospel plan of salvation. Miss Hardstaff did not rely upon her repentance, or prayers, or baptism, or patience, or any other good work for her salvation, but upon Christ, and Christ alone. The Gospel was the food, the light, the support, the comfort, the joy of her soul. She entertained the Saviour. She fled to this refuge. She lived looking to Jesus. She suffered looking to Jesus. She died looking to Jesus. She lived There is another point in the Christian character of Miss Hardstaf worthy of notice, viz., her desire to be useful to others. She wrote several letters to persons, urging upon them the duty and importance of seeking their salvation. She says, in one The Lord of her letters, "The soul ought to be that they may be the salt of the earth, and hold forth the word of life. The period of labour is short-our responsibility is great-eternity is near. What we can do must be done soon, or it never will be done at all. Time flies. Souls are perishing. Now is the day of salvation. "But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." our chief concern, that it may be fit for the skies. Do let me beg of you not to neglect it. . . . I long to love Jesus more, and to feel him more and more precious. Oh, come to Jesus now. Dear A-, you have had many privileges which others have not. Have you prized them? .... If it should be the Lord's will, that you should go to a house of your own, be sure the first thing you do is to begin with family prayer. You will lose nothing by it,-neither time nor any thing else. See what the Lord has promised: In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy path.' Oh, do be determined to say with one of old-'As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,' for you will always need a Saviour to look to, and go to; for as the poet says, 'Pass through this world as best they may, strong wind and tempest. The port 'Tis full of anxious care.' "I hope you will accept of the enelosed book as a token of love. I pray the Lord may bless the reading of it to your soul; and let me once more beg and beseech of you to accept this invitation-Come to Jesus now. You will find what it says of the backslider suited to you. I trust that you will do as the latter part directs-return as the prodigal, for you know Christ has promised, Him that cometh unto me, I will in nowise cast out.' May the Lord bless these few lines to the good of your soul, for Christ's sake, is the prayer of one who loves your immortal soul, and longs to see you living for Christ, who died for all." The example of our young friend in her efforts to do good to others is worthy of our imitation. Christians are continued in this world that they may diffuse the light of the Gospel ... Let us follow our young friend in thought, in desire, and in affection to that pure, bright, happy, glorious, eternal world to which she is gone. The storm is over. The pilgrimage is ended. The battle is fought, and the victory is won. Happy spirit! Thou hast shed thy last tear. Thou hast felt the last pang. Thou hast for ever done with sin, temptation, and sorrow. Happy spirit! Thou has escaped the is entered. Danger is past. Home is enjoyed. Happy spirit! Methinks I see thee before the throne of the incarnate God. There thou art clothed in a white robe. There thou dost see the King in his beauty. Hope is exchanged for fruition, faith for sight, earth for heaven. Oh! what a fulness of joy dost thou realize! How deep thy humility, and fervent thy gratitude, intense thy love! What are thy thoughts of the ways of God towards thee in the wilderness? Now thou dost see, in the light of eternity, that they were just, wise, and kind. Let us all think of the bright world to which thou art gone, and diligently, daily, increasingly prepare to meet our God. The voice of our sainted young friend invites us all to follow her. "With Christ, which is far better." H. H. |