A Memoir of Miss Mary Jane Graham

The writer did not enjoy the privilege of personal acquaintance with the subject of this Memoir. But when the materials, both of incident and manuscripts, were placed in his hands, he could not but feel that many subjects of valuable interest and importance might be brought out with advantage to the church. He has been constrained to compensate for the paucity of incident by the introduction of large extracts from her writings and correspondence, which, however, will be often found to afford instructive developments of the character of her mind, and the principles of her profession. If he should be thought, by the extension of his own remarks, to have occasionally transgressed the bounds of a biographer, he can only cast himself upon the indulgence of his readers, in the exercise of his important responsibility, in availing himself of this opportunity to offer a few suggestions of Christian love upon subjects of present and most anxious interest in the church of God.

Such as his work is, the writer desires to commend it to the blessing of the Great Head of the church, trusting that the example of highly-gifted and consecrated character here set forth, may reflect the glory of His adorable name, and quicken the energies of those who bear that name upon their profession, to aspire to a more elevated standard of Christian devotedness and privilege.

Old Newton Vicarage, July 16, 1832.

“The works of the Lord are great; sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.” Elevated, indeed, is the Christian’s pleasure in “seeking out the great works” of creation. But it is the work of “Redemption,” which mainly attracts his delighted contemplation; as the mirror in which the glory of his God and Saviour is most fully unveiled before him. The “new creation” on the heart of man is one grand division of this perfect work of God; and often does its display of “the beauties of holiness” constrain the world to a reluctant acknowledgment, and excite the Church to joyful adoration — “What hath God wrought!” For not only will the Redeemer’s glory be manifested in his saints at the blissful era of his coming; not only will they then be seen as the “jewels” of his everlasting crown; but even now are they “the glory of his inheritance,” set forth for the conviction of the world, “that they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and that the Holy One of Israel has created it.” It is the object of the following sketch to bring forth to view one of these striking manifestations of Divine power and grace, and to illustrate, in connexion with this memorial, some of those edifying and instructive lessons which it will be seen to present before us. B

Mary Jane Graham was born in London, April 11, 1803. Her father was engaged in a respectable business, from which he retired a few years before his daughter’s death (and chiefly from regard to her delicate health,) to the village of Stoke Fleming, near Dartmouth, Devon. She appears to have been the subject of early religious convictions. At the age of seven she had acquired those habits of secret prayer, which may be considered a favourable mark of Divine influence upon her soul. But we will give the history of this era of her life in her own words. To a friend, who had evinced some incredulity of the genuineness or permanency of early impressions of religion, she thus writes:

March 20, 1827. 1 You appear, my dear friend, to think very early piety too wonderful a thing to be true. It is wonderful, so wonderful that, when David was contemplating the starry firmament, he was drawn for a moment from his meditation on the wonders he there beheld, by the still greater wonder of “God’s ordaining strength out of the mouths of babes and sucklings.” But David’s wonder and yours were of a very different nature; he wondered and adored. Jesus, too, that “man of sorrows,” once “rejoiced in spirit,” because God “had hid these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father; for it seemed good in thy sight.” * Even so, Lord Jesus; in thy rejoicing will I too rejoice; let the world think me a fool or an enthusiast, or beside myself, as they thought Thee.’ The story of ‘Little Henry and his Bearer,’ to which I believe you allude, I have been assured by

Miss, is every word of it true. Do not then bring upon

yourself the dreadful sin of limiting the power of the Holy One of Israel. Jesus has said, Suffer little children to come;” and they will come, if He calls them. As facts are the strongest of all proofs, bear with me a little longer, while I tell you briefly the history of a child, for the truth of which I can vouch. I knew a little girl, about sixteen years and a half ago. She was much like other children, as full of sin and vanity as ever she could hold; and her parents had not as yet taken much pains to talk to her about religion. So she went on in the way of her own evil heart, and thought herself a very good little girl, because she said her prayers every night and morning, and was not more passionate, wilful, and perverse, than most of her young companions. The God of love did not think this sinful child too’young to learn of Jesus. He so ordered it about the time I am speaking of, when she was just seven years old, that she was led by a pious servant into some almshouses belonging to Rowland Hill, who had just been preaching at them. The servant and an aged woman entered into a long conversation together, to which the little girl listened, and wondered what could make them like to talk about such things. But at the close of it, the old woman took the child affectionately by the hand, and said to her, ‘My dear child, make the Lord Jesus your friend now that you are so young; and when you come to be as old as I am, He’ll never leave you nor forsake you.’ God the Spirit sent these simple words to the poor sinful child’s heart. She walked home in silence by her nurse’s side, thinking how she could get Jesus to be her friend. Then she remembered how often she had slighted this dear Saviour; how she had read of Him in the Bible, and been wearied of the subject; how she had heard the minister preach Jesus, and wished the long dry sermon over; how she had said prayers to Him without minding what she said; how she had passed days, weeks, and months, without thinking of Him; how she had loved her play, her books, and her toys, and her play-fellows — all, all better than Jesus. Then the Holy Spirit convinced her of sin. She saw that no one good thing dwelt in her, and that she deserved to be cast away from God for ever. Would Jesus love her now 1 Would he ever forgive her 1 She feared not; but she would try. She would make herself very good, and then, perhaps, Jesus would be her friend. But the more this little girl tried to be good, the more her naughty heart got the better of her; for she was trying in her own strength. She was led to give up trying in that way; and many long nights did she spend in praying “with strong crying and tears” to Jesus, that He would teach her how to get her sins pardoned, and make her fit to have Him for her friend. Let me mention it for the encouragement of those who seek Jesus, that He did not disdain to listen to the prayers of this little child. He put it into her heart to read the Bible, of which, though she understood not all, yet she gathered enough to give her some comfort. One day her attention was fixed on these words, “The Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” Now something that could take away sin was just what this little girl wanted; and she asked her father to tell her who this Lamb of God was. He explained the precious verse. But who can describe the raptures which filled the bosom of this little child, when made to comprehend that the “blood of Jesus cleanseth from all sin.” Now she fled to Jesus indeed. Now she knew that He had loved her, and given himself for her; now the Spirit of God. who often “chooseth the weak and foolish things of the world, to confound the wise and mighty,” “shed abroad the love of God in the heart” of a weak and foolish child, and”

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