ONE peculiar excellency of the goſpel revelation is, that it opens a glorious proſpect beyond the grave, where nature can ſee nothing but darkneſs. In thoſe gloomy regions where the light of nature (that is cried up by many) can ſee nothing but perpetual night, the goſpel opens a morning which ſhall never have an evening.

Many of the heathen had ſome confuſed notions of the future exiſtence of the ſoul, but they never dreampt of the reſurrection of the body: Hence when the Apoſtle Paul was at Athens, that noted ſeat of learning in the heathen world, though the Epicurean and Stoic philoſophers could hear him upon other points, yet when he came to the doctrine of the reſurrection, they mocked at it, as a matter too abſurd to deſerve a hearing. Such a miſerable guide is fleſhly wiſdom! And ſince many of the Theſſalonians had been lately turned from thoſe dark ways, the Apoſtle takes care, among other important articles, to inſtruct them in this great point, that they might not ſorrow for their Chriſtian friends, as others which have no hope. No hope of ever ſeeing or enjoying them again, as if they were loſt in the grave. He does not forbid all ſorrow; no, it is given as a mark of an abandoned people, when the righteous were taken away, and no man laid it to heart. Iſa. lvii. 1. Jeſus himſelf wept over his friend Lazarus, yet an immoderate ſorrow is to be guarded againſt; for if we believe that Jeſus died, and roſe again, even ſo them alſo which ſleep in Jeſus, will God bring with him.

The particular occaſion of my reading theſe words to you at this time, is the tidings I have juſt received of the death of my dear godly mother Mrs. Elizabeth Backus, of Norwich, who died January 26, 1769, in the 71ſt year of her age., though they afford many important inſtructions which deſerve the conſtant notice of every ſoul. They may naturally lead us to conſider what it is to be in Jeſus; that death is but a ſleep to ſuch, and that God will wake them up, and bring them with him in the great day.

1. What is it to be in Jeſus? For if we are not firſt in him, we cannot ſleep in him. Anſwer, 1. It is by faith to take him as our refuge from all evil. In our fallen ſtate we like the ſlayer are expoſed to the avenger's ſtroke continually, from which no natural nor Chriſtian friends can ſecure us; our houſes are no defence, neither are the ſtrongeſt holds that nature or art can afford: Nothing but the refuge which God has provided can ſecure us. The city of refuge was an eminent type of our glorious Saviour, who by his obedience and ſatisfaction has brought in an everlaſting righteouſneſs, which is unto all, and upon all them that believe; which ſecures them from the dreadful ſentence of the law: For there is no condemnation to them which are in Chriſt Jeſus; yea his own mouth has declared, that they ſhall not come into condemnation, but are paſſed from death unto life. Rom. iii. 22. and viii. 1. John v. 24. Souls will not fly to this refuge till they ſee their danger; hence appears the neceſſity of the law, as a ſchool-maſter to bring us to Chriſt. When Iſrael heard its thunderings from Mount Sinai, they ſaw that they ſhould die if they had not one to ſtand between God and them; and when any ſoul effectually hears the law, it is alarmed to fly for refuge to lay hold upon the hope ſet before us. Heb. vi. 18. A view of which hope will make the ſoul gladly quit all its own ſtuff, that it may win Chriſt, and be found in him. Phil. iii. 8, 9. Who is alſo a refuge from every enemy.

The ſtrong man armed would fain drag us to ruin, but Jeſus has conquered him, and taken away all his armour, ſo that he can't hurt any ſaint. Indeed the ſerpent will ſhew his venom at their heel; but the God of peace ſhall bruiſe him under their feet ſhortly. Rom. xvi. 20. Perſecutors often take crafty counſel againſt them, but 'tis in vain, for they are hidden ones: Their life is hid with Chriſt in God. Pſa. lxxxiii. 3. Col. iii. 3. Believers are in the midſt of a world of troubles, yet God is their refuge and ſtrength, and ſuch a preſent help therein, that he makes all to work together for their good. He is a wall of ſire round about them, and the glory in the midſt of them: Which leads me to obſerve,

2. That to be in Jeſus is to have a living union with him, as the branch hath with the vine. As natural life is loſt when the union between ſoul and body is diſſolved; ſo our ſpiritual life was loſt by revolting from God, and is recovered only by reconciliation and union with him. By the divine ſpirit the ſoul is cut off from nature's ſtock, and grafted into Chriſt, the true vine, whereby they have ſuch a vital union with him as to receive ſtrength and nouriſhment from him, to bring forth fruit to the Father's glory; without which union and communion, they wither, and can do nothing. Rom. xi. 24. John xv.—The great Apoſtle of the Gentiles ſays, I am crucified with Chriſt, nevertheleſs I live; yet not I, but Chriſt liveth in me. And again, I alſo labour, ſtriving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily. Thoſe who thus walk in Chriſt as they have received him, are truly happy in life, as no others are, and death is far from putting a period to their felicity; ſo far from it, that it puts an end to all their toils and troubles, and brings them to their reſt. Hence obſerve,

2. That death is but a ſleep to thoſe who are in Jeſus. This metaphor is often uſed to deſcribe the ſaints departure. Chriſt himſelf ſaid, our friend Lazarus ſleepeth. The aptneſs of the ſimilitude may be ſeen in theſe particulars:

1. Sleep is peculiarly for the body. While that is aſleep, the thoughts often rove far and wide, and ſometimes God has appeared to and converſed with the ſoul while the body ſlept; ſo in this caſe, when the body returns to the earth, the ſpirit returns unto God who gave it. Eccl. xii. 7. Some have advanced a conceit of the ſoul's ſleeping with the body till the reſurrection, but that is a moſt ſtupid notion, contrary to the whole book of God. Our Saviour ſhewed to the Sadduces, that God's ſaying I am the God of Abraham, of Iſaac and of Jacob, clearly proved that they then had a living exiſtence, as well as ſhould hereafter have their bodies raiſed. Luke xx. 38. And he ſaid to the penitent thief, to-day ſhalt thou be with me in Paradiſe. Alſo in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, he is ſo far from countenancing this notion, that he ſhews how hell-flames will wake up the ſoul which was ſtupid before, and give it a keen ſenſe of its own torments, and apprehenſion of the ſaints happineſs, even while his brethren remained in this world, and needed to take warning of their danger.

2. Sleep is for the night, after the ſeaſon for labour is cloſed. This life is often compared to a day, in which important labour and buſineſs is to be done, and it diſcovers great ſtupidity not to attend thereto in its ſeaſon. Hence that ſharp reprimand, "why ſtand ye here all the day idle?" Matt. xx. 6. Jeſus ſpake and acted as a pattern for his people, when he ſaid, I muſt work the works of him that ſent me while it is day; the night cometh, wherein no man can work. Tho' we have not the ſame works in many reſpects to do that he had, yet each one has a work aſſigned him, by him who ſent us into the world, and whatſoever our hand findeth to do, we ought to do with our might, ſince there is no device, work or knowledge in the grave, whither we are going.

3. The ſleep of a labouring man is ſweet. It is emphatically ſo with thoſe who have laboured for God, and have ſpent their time and ſtrength in his ſervice. It is ſaid of David, that, after he had ſerved his own generation by the will of God, he fell aſleep. And he ſays or himſelf, thou art my hope, O Lord God; thou art my truſt from my youth; I will hope continually, and will praiſe thee more and more. I will go in the ſtrength of the Lord God: I will make mention of thy righteouſneſs, even of thine only. O God, thou haſt taught me from my youth; and hitherto I have declared thy wondrous works: Now alſo when I am old and grey-headed, O God, forſake me not, until I have ſhewed thy ſtrength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come. Pſa. lxxi. 5, 14, 16—18. Thus he aſcribes all the honour to God in the fulleſt manner, while he enjoys great comfort in his own ſoul, on a review of the part he had been enabled to act in life, and with a proſpect of the glorious morning when he ſhall be "brought up again from the depths of the earth." Verſe 20. A like view made Paul ſay, I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 2 Tim. iv. 6—8.

I am far from thinking that rich grace may not now as well as formerly be diſplayed, if God will, at the laſt hour, to ſuch as have ſpent their life in ſin, ſo as to give a joyful proſpect of glory; yet for ſouls to neglect the great ſalvation, with a notion of obtaining ſuch mercy hereafter, is an evil which we have as great warnings againſt, as any one that is mentioned in 〈…〉 How full to this purpoſe is Prov. i. 22 to the end, and v. 11—14? O what diſtreſs can be like mourning at the laſt, with this keen reflection, how have I hated inſtruction and my heart deſpiſed reproof! Hence we have that call often inculcated, to-day if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. On the other hand, Peter enforceth his exhortation to the ſaints, to give all diligence to add to their faith virtue, &c. by this motive, that ſo an entrance ſhall be miniſtred unto you abundantly into the everlaſting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt. And he thought it meet, as long as he was in this tabernacle, to ſtir them up, by putting them always in remembrance of theſe things. 2 Peter, i. 5—13. Again,

4. Sleep gives relief from the toils and troubles of the day; ſo thoſe who die in the Lord, from henceforth reſt from their labours. Rev. xiv. 13. Indeed here the antetype goes far beyond the type, for common labourers have only a ſhort reſpite, and then return to their taſk again; but thoſe who ſleep in Jeſus, from henceforth reſt for ever from their labours, yea, and from every thing diſagreeable; for they go where the wicked ceaſe from troubling, and where the weary are at reſt. Yet 'tis far from the ſluggard's paradiſe, for while the Prophet ſhews, that, in oppoſition to all unhappineſs, the righteous are taken away from the evil to come, and enter into peace and reſt in their beds, he ſhews at the ſame time, that in diſtinction from all ſtupidity, each one is walking in his uprightneſs. Iſa. lvii. 2. The ſoul is joining with angels, and the ſpirits of juſt men made perfect, while the body ſleeps in the duſt. And,

5. Sleep is but for a night, to wake in the morning with freſh vigour: So ſhall it truly be with the ſaints. Though in this world they are often neglected or abuſed by ſuch as truſt in their wealth, and boaſt themſelves in the multitude of their riches; yet Death ſhall feed upon them, and the upright ſhall have dominion over them, in the morning. Pſa. xlix. 14. O glorious morning! Then will the righteous be ſatisfied, when they awake in the divine likeneſs. Pſa. xvii. 15. Which leads us to conſider,

3. That God will wake up thoſe who ſleep in Jeſus, and bring them with him in the great day. This is the certain conſequence of Chriſt's death and reſurrection, which is the foundation of all our hopes. The reſurrection is not a doctrine of natural, but of revealed religion, and is built upon God's promiſe through his Son, who therefore reſolved the error of thoſe who formerly denied this doctrine into two points; their not knowing the ſcriptures, nor the power of God. Matt. xxii. 29. Not knowing the ſcriptures, which reveal it, nor the power of God, which will perform it. And thoſe who deny the reſurrection of the body in our day, err in the ſame points; but let infidels ſet up reaſon againſt revelation ever ſo much, and ſay, how can this fleſh, which moulders in the duſt, or is ſcattered in the air or water, ever be raiſed again? Yet if we believe that Jeſus died and roſe again, even ſo them alſo which ſleep in Jeſus will God bring with him. He that gives up this doctrine forfeits the name of a Chriſtian, for if the dead riſe not, then is not Chriſt raiſed; and if Chriſt be not raiſed, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your ſins. But now is Chriſt riſen from the dead, and become the firſt fruits of them that ſlept. 1 Cor. xv. 16, 17, 20. And as ſurely as he aroſe and aſcended to heaven, ſo ſurely will he come again with power and great glory, and will ſpeak with ſuch authority, that all who are in their graves ſhall hear his voice, and come forth. John v. 28, 29. That morning will be as joyful to the righteous, as it will terrible to the wicked.

But how will the ſaints then appear? Our ideas thereof are very imperfect. The beloved diſciple ſays, it doth not appear what we ſhall be, but we know that when he ſhall appear we ſhall be like him. Well that is enough for the heaven-born ſoul, whoſe language is, then ſhall I be ſatisfied, when I awake in thy likeneſs! Yet the Apoſtle Paul has given ſome lively deſcriptions of this affair, in 1. Cor. xv. 42—44. Alluding to the quickning of ſeed that is ſown, he ſays, it is ſown in corruption, it is raiſed in incorruption; it is ſown in diſhonour, it is raiſed in glory; it is ſown in weakneſs, it is raiſed in power; it is ſown a natural body, it is raiſed a ſpiritual body. 'Tis the ſame body, though gloriouſly changed; therefore he adds, that this corruptible muſt put on incorruption, and this mortal muſt put on immortality. And elſewhere he tells us, that the Saviour ſhall change our vile body, that it may be faſhioned like unto his glorious body. Phil. iii. 21. Then ſhall the ſaints be ſatisfied with likeneſs to him, both in body and ſoul, and he will bring them with him: None will be left behind, but all ſhall be caught up together in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and ſhall be openly acquitted and bleſſed by the great Judge; and to crown the whole, ſhall be EVER WITH THE LORD.

Theſe things may teach us,

1. The importance of looking each one to his own caſe: Are we in Jeſus or not? No queſtion can be of greater weight to us, therefore my friends paſs it not over ſlightly. Have you been made to know the dreadfulneſs of being without Chriſt, without God in the world? And have you been driven out of every other refuge, ſo as to take ſanctuary in Chriſt alone? One peculiar excellency of the knowledge of him is, that it transforms the ſoul into his likeneſs: Hence John gives this as the reaſon why the ſaints know that when he ſhall appear they ſhall be like him, namely becauſe they ſhall ſee him as he is. i. John, 3.2. The views they have of him now, through a glaſs darkly, cauſe a ſelf-loathing for their former actings againſt him, and a longing after conformity to him in heart and life: Hence they juſtly conclude, that when their views of him come to be perfect, their likeneſs will be ſo alſo; and this is the mark they ſteer for, and the prize they preſs after: Therefore the apoſtle aſſerts in the next words, that, every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himſelf even as HE is pure. Have we truly this hope or not?

2. This doctrine may afford much ſupport and encouragement to the faithful, in all their labours and ſorrows here. Theſe are but for a day, which is ſwiftly paſſing, and though ye may bear the burthen and heat of it, yet the ſhadows of the evening draw on apace, when you ſhall reſt from your labours, and reap the happy fruits of them for ever. James's exhortation is full to this purpoſe: Having ſpoken of the ſuffering which the juſt are expoſed to in this world, he turns to them and ſays, be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord: Behold the huſbandman waiteth for the precious fruits of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and the latter rain. Be ye alſo patient; ſtabliſh your hearts; for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Jam. v. 7, 8. Doth the huſbandman purſue his labours, and patiently go through the toils of ſummer with the hope of a future harveſt, and ſhall not the believer ſhew equal diligence and conſtancy in his father's vineyard? Did I ſay equal? Yea much greater; for the one labours for the meat that periſheth, while the other's labours are for that meat which endureth unto everlaſting life, which the Son of Man ſhall give unto them. John 6.27. The huſbandman has no certain ſecurity but that all his labours may prove fruitleſs; but the exhortation to the ſaints to be ſtedfaſt and unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, is enforced with this motive, that ye know your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Cor. xv. 58.

3. What reproof may theſe things adminiſter, to thoſe who are waſting the hours of life in idleneſs or miſchief, inſtead of regarding the great things which concern their peace? Many behave as if they had nothing to do but to live at eaſe, and gratify the fleſh upon the fruits of others labours: But this is as contrary to the end of our being, as death is to life; for thoſe who live in pleaſure, are dead while they live. They invert the true order of things, and ſleep away the day, till ere they are aware the night cometh, when no man can work. And alas! how doleful will that night be to them! An eternal night, without the leaſt reſt! They had been dreaming of many years of eaſe and merriment, till they ſlipt into deſtruction as in a moment, and are utterly conſumed with terrors. Pſa. lxxiii. 18, 19. Once they had no ears to hear the cries of the poor or of the oppreſſed, but now they will find that thoſe cries have entered into the ears of the Lord of hoſts, who will avenge their cauſe. Then thoſe who have laid up treaſure for themſelves, and have not been rich towards God, will find that the good creatures which they have abuſed ſhall be witneſs againſt them, and ſhall eat their fleſh as it were fire. Luke xii. 21. Jam. v. Ah woful caſe! Now therefore awake thou that ſleepeſt, and ariſe from the dead, and Chriſt ſhall give thee life.

Perhaps ſome may think they are not waſting the day in idleneſs, becauſe they are buſily engaged; but what is it about? Why they are careful and troubled about many things, and yet neglect the one thing needful. Jeſus ſays, ſeek FIRST the kingdom of God, and his righteouſneſs, and all theſe things ſhall be added unto you. And what a wretched plea would it be before his bar, for the ſoul to ſay, I had ſo many concerns of my own, that I had no time to attend to the one thing needful! A man of great note in the world, once cried out on the views of eternity, alas! I have ſpent all my life in laboriouſly doing nothing!

Once more,

4. Theſe great truths may afford much ſupport under the loſs of Chriſtian friends. Did I ſay loſs? Muſt I not retract the expreſſion? For we are not wont to call our weary friends loſt, when they are got to reſt in a quiet ſleep; and none ſleep ſo quietly as thoſe who ſleep in Jeſus. They are beyond all danger of having their repoſe diſturbed for ever. They have done their work, and are receiving their reward; have fought the good fight, and are ſhouting the glorious victory; and ſhall we begrudge them their happineſs! Rather let us congratulate their ſafe arrival to the realms of peace. Yet what will become of us who are left behind? The righteous are taken away from the evil to come. The ſame day that righteous Lot went out of Sodom, fire and brimſtone deſtroyed them all; and the prophet ſays, except the Lord of hoſts had left unto us a very ſmall remnant, we ſhould have been as Sodom. Surely then 'tis a loud call to us when any of this remnant are taken away; and he is a ſtupid creature who does not lay it to heart. But what ſhall we lay to heart?

1. We ſhould lay to heart the evil of ſin. Had we never known ſin, we ſhould not have known death. Sin is the cruel murderer that deſtroys families and nations, and lays our deareſt friends in the duſt; and can we mourn their departure, and yet harbour the murderer! Can we take this viper into our boſoms! All our ſorrows in life, and all the terrors of death, are but ſo many diſcoveries of what this monſter has done; and ſtill we ſee but a little part of his miſchiefs. Look to Calvery, and behold the Prince of life in the agonies of death; a ſcene which made the ſun hide its face, the earth to quake, and the rocks to rend aſunder; and ſhall not this rend our rocky hearts! For he endured all this becauſe he was made ſin for us.

2. Let us lay to heart that time is ſhort. Our fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live for ever? How many are already gone? We find they are daily going, and every one muſt draw after them, as there are innumerable before them. We are all but tranſient perſons here, and are haſtening to another world, as faſt as time can carry us; O therefore let us uſe the world as not abuſing of it, for the faſhion thereof paſſeth away.

3. Let us lay to heart the vaſt importance of being always ready. The ſhortneſs of time, the uncertainty of life, the terrors of death, with many other conſiderations, loudly inculcate this leſſon; but nothing can enforce it more than the glorious bleſſings which are to be enjoyed therein. What bleſſings does our Lord pronounce on thoſe who are found watching? And James ſays, behold we count them happy which endure. Them who have endured the rage of earth and hell, and have ended their race with peace or with triumph, we count them happy: Well, ſays he, my brethren, take them for an example of ſuffering affliction and of patience. Jam. v. 10, 11. Balaam wiſhed to die the death of the righteous, but his deſires were vain, while he ſtill loved the wages of unrighteouſneſs. True deſires to die their death, will engage us to live their life.

Theſe things deſerve the conſtant regard of every one, and they call for our ſpecial and particular notice, who have been lately bereaved of a godly relative. Paul ſpeaks of ſome who were in Chriſt before him: And I have abundant reaſon to think that my dear Mother was in Chriſt before I was born; and when he granted a glorious viſitation of his ſpiritual preſence to this land, in the year 1741, is was as welcome and joyful a ſeaſon to her as his perſonal coming was to Elizabeth of old. O how freely did ſhe ſpeak of the wonders of redeeming grace, to her children and others round! And I believe very few have lived with more conſtant devotedneſs to God than ſhe has done ever ſince. Many may doubtleſs be apt to attribute this to the power of natural affection; and I am not inſenſible that the dead are often extalled extravagantly; but ſhall others lies make us afraid to ſpeak the truth, and cauſe us to cover with obſcurity thoſe whom God ſays ſhall be in everlaſting remembrance? Pſa. cxii. 6. Yet I am not going to advance any encomiums of my own, only ſhall beg leave preſently to annex a few of her own teſtimonies to vital religion, which I truſt will juſtify what I have now ſaid. In the mean time, my brethren, may all your prayers be unto God for us who are bereaved, that we may rightly improve this providence; that we may neither deſpiſe his chaſtnings, nor faint under his rebukes.

The ſtroke is aggravated by our diſtance, which prevented our knowing any thing of Death's approach till ſhe is gone. O affecting thought! Gone ſo that we ſhall ſee her face no more; no more enjoy her delightful and inſtructive converſation. But ſtay; is ſhe gone from our world of ſin and ſnares? gone from our grovelling converſe, to join the general aſſembly above, and can we wiſh her back again!

Yet ſurely we have cauſe to be humbled under God's mighty hand, which has given this ſtroke; and oh that the bitterneſs of this ſtroke might imbitter ſin to our ſouls! May it bring eternal things in nearer view, and rouze us all from our ſtupidity, ſo that we may no more be ſlothful, but followers of them, who through faith and patience inherit the promiſes.

MRS. ELIZABETH BACKUS was deſcended from one of the firſt planters of Norwich; and was born there on April 6, 1698. Her father, Mr. JOHN TRACY, was a man eminent for vital and practical religion, who died on March 27, 1726, with ſuch comfortable views of another world, that he charged his friends to give him up, and not hold him any longer with their prayers. He was very ſtrict in the religious education of his family, which this daughter of his was ever thankful for as long as ſhe lived; yet ſhe was fully convinced that none of theſe things would ſtand her in ſtead in the trying day, without a new heart; and ſhe has often mentioned to her children a work of conviction and converſion which ſhe experienced about the year 1721. And though I have not met with any record thereof, yet in an old paper I find ſhe has ſet down ſome hints of her ſoul-exerciſes afterwards, which diſcover an early concern to have her heart as well as life conformed to God. In April 1725 ſhe writes thus; by afflictions of late I have been awakened to ſee I have been aſleep, and I deſire to be humbled for my ſin, and do deſire the Lord would go on ſtill to awaken me, and give me a humble, meek and quiet ſpirit, which is in the ſight of God of great price. And ſhe ſets down this paſſage from Mr. Wilcox: It is well for us that it is ill with us; if it were not bad, it would be worſe. We ought to be thankful to God for croſſing us; for woe be to us if he let us alone; it is ten to one but hearts deſires and lean ſouls would go together. To which ſhe ſubjoins theſe words: Some time ago I met with ſome croſſes, which overcame me with melancholy, and almoſt diſabled me for the doing of any duty: I happened to ſee a paſſage in Mr. Baxter's treatiſe about overmuch ſorrow, which convicted me of my ſin in this matter: It was this; the cauſe, ſays he, is ſinful impatience: Diſcontents and cares proceed from a ſinful love of ſome bodily intereſt, and not taking Heaven for a ſatisfying portion.

She was married to Mr. SAMUEL BACKUS January 18, 1716, with whom ſhe lived in great amity, as well as conſiderable proſperity, till he was taken away on November 24, 1740, when ſhe was left with eleven children, the youngeſt being not ſix weeks old, and ſhe in ſo weakly a ſtate as not to be able to go to meeting till the next ſummer. However ſhe then found the truth of that word, though weeping endureth for a night, joy cometh in the morning. The morning of that glorious day of grace, in 1741, ſhed its kind beams on her family, (as well as through the land) and hopefully brought a great part of her children to the ſaving knowledge of HIM, who is a father of the fatherleſs, as well as a judge of the widows, in his holy habitation. Some brief account of theſe things I find written with her own hand thus; In the fall of the year 1740 we were all taken ſick with the meaſles, and it pleaſed God to afflict me in taking away my huſband. And now in this time of diſtreſs I ſaw ſo much of the evil and wickedneſs of my own heart, that I thought God was juſtly afflicting of me: I ſaw I had been aſleep.—As I was walking in my houſe in great heavineſs, theſe words were caſt into my mind: In the world ye ſhall have tribulation: They turned in my mind an hundred times, and were of great ſupport to me. Again, as I was muſing on my own and family's circumſtances at preſent (being now left a widow, with many ſmall children) and comparing it with what it had been in times paſt, I found diſcontent to ariſe in my heart; but all on a ſudden it darted in my mind, what is required in the tenth commandment? Why ſurely it requireth full contentment with our own condition. Theſe words turned in my mind many times, until I felt a calm within, and I ſaid, ſurely I have reaſon to bleſs God's name for his goodneſs to me.— And now ſome months after this having examined my caſe often, and comparing the caſe of my ſoul now with what it had been in months paſt, I could freely ſay from my heart, I could not be willing to be again in that ſleepy ſtate of ſoul towards God, and the things that concern my everlaſting peace, no not to be in the moſt proſperous condition in temporal things that ever I was in all my life. Now I can ſay, I hunger and thirſt after the word, it is the delight of my ſoul.

Thus our dear mother was taught and upheld by the divine hand, in the midſt of an evil world; and has lived a little beyond threeſcore years and ten. Her poſterity have increaſed to threeſcore, 52 of which are now living. I lived with her, till I was called away to preach the goſpel among the people to whom, after my poor manner, I ſtill miniſter; upon which our correſpondence by letter began, whereof I will give the reader ſome copies and extracts, whereby he may be enabled to form ſome judgment of her manner of living.