Chapter VII

He following letter, addressed to a young friend who was deliberating the question of joining the army of the United States to crush the Southern rebellion, is a very clear statement of Alice’s views in regard to war. In enclosing it, and other letters from the same hand, the receiver writes thus: —

“What a world of consolation and instruction these precious letters contain. I shall never know all that her affectionate counsels saved me from, in the way of yielding to temptation to sin; but this I know, that she has done more toward teaching me of that ’ truth that will set us free ’ than any other creature.”

“Millville, May 13, 1861.

“My Dear Friend, —

“You asked the other day, when we pray to God to show us what His will is, and do not receive any answer, what we are to think is the cause. I think there may be many causes. The most common, I believe, is this, that we are not really willing to know His will, that is, we are not willing to know it, if it should be opposed to our will. In other words, we ask with the hope that His will may be like ours, and a secret half-formed determination (not fully allowed, perhaps, even to ourselves) not to be convinced if it be opposite to it. I do not say that this is your case, but it is far more often the case with us than we have any idea of; for the human heart is ‘deceitful above all things.’ I have been deeply humbled and utterly astonished at finding something of the kind to have been working in my own heart, when I thought I had long and earnestly been seeking to know the mind of the Lord, and was just beginning to doubt His faithfulness because He had not answered my prayers.

“You see it is necessary we should be willing to receive before He can give us either the knowledge to understand His will or strength to do it. If you cannot with an honest heart look up to Him and cry, ‘Lord, my one desire is to know and to do Thy will, whatever it may be,’ you cannot expect to be enlightened — at least not until your heart has been changed in that respect; for the promise is, ‘He that will do my will,’ or he that willeth to do my will, he shall know of my doctrine.

“It could not do any harm to examine your heart with regard to this. If you should be obliged to confess that in this sense and to this extent your eye is not single, do not be discouraged, but cease not to pray for it, until the Lord himself has made it your only wish or concern in the matter to know and to do His will: for He can change even our rebellious human wills and wishes, and, thanks be unto Him, He is willing to do it.

“Another reason why we do not always get an

J?4 ON THE ROCK: jet. 21.

answer to our prayers I think is contained in the first chapter of James: ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him; but let him ask in faith, nothing wavering,” Now do you really believe that it is your privilege to be given wisdom of God to know what His will is concerning you in this matter? Or have you admitted the thought that you are too young and inexperienced a Christian to expect to come to any real knowledge, from the study of the Scriptures, of what His will is, and so have not studied it with the expectation of doing so? If so, you must see that, in asking God to give you wisdom, you have not asked in faith, not expecting to receive the very thing you have asked for.

“That it is the absolute duty, as well as the privilege, of every Christian to be ’ fully persuaded in his own mind’ from the Word of God what His will is, is clearly taught in the Bible. In the fourteenth chapter of the Epistle of Paul to the Romans, where he speaks concerning a difference of opinion which had arisen among them about the observance of days, he says, ‘Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind,’ or perfectly assured as to the right, and then goes on to say, let him that believeth one thing, and him who believeth another, each do what he doeth 1 unto the Lord.’

“The case is in point, excepting one great difference, which is, that the question whether it is right for a Christian to fight is a matter of much more serious importance; but Christians differ in their ideas of right about it, and just in the same way every one must do as he feels assured the Bible teaches him he ought to. None can avoid the necessity of judging for himself what the Bible teaches on every question of duty, by thinking that what so many Christians think it teaches must be right. No; every one individually must ‘search the Scriptures, for they are indeed able to ’ make wise.’ They are alone infallible, and by them we shall be judged; and the Holy Spirit to enlighten us, and show us what it means, is promised to all God’s children. (See John xiv. 16, 17, 26; xvi. 13; 1 Cor. i. 30; ii. 12; vi. 19: Psalm xxv. 8, 9.)

“If we had a child who wished to do our will, would we refuse to make known that will unto him? And will God do less for us? He has said that He 1 will teach sinners in the way,’ for the meek will He guide in judgment, and the meek will He teach His way.’

“By what I have said I do not mean to infer that the views held by a majority of Christians are not entitled to our serious consideration from that fact, for I think they are; but we should examine them by the Bible, depending on the Spirit of God to show us the truth. If we are convinced they are scriptural, then we can safely adopt them as our own, not because they are the views of most Christians, but because we believe them to be the very thing the Bible teaches.

“There is, however, one thing I would remind you of while speaking of the view upon war commonly held by Christians of the present time. It is, that far more Christians of all ages have thought it wrong for them to fight than you at first would have any idea of. During a considerable period after the c crucifixion of Christ, His followers believed that He had forbidden war, and consequently refused to bear arms. This fact is established by all writers of that time. Their being Christians seemed to them sufficient reason why they could not fight; as in the case of Maximilian, who, as it is related in the ‘Acts of Ruinart,’ when he was brought before the tribunal to be enrolled as a soldier, replied, ‘I am a Christian, and cannot fight,’ and was consequently consigned to the executioner. Marcellus, who had already enlisted, abandoned his office, and the reason he gave was similar, ‘It is not lawful for a Christian to fight for any earthly consideration.’

“That these were not merely the views of a few individuals, but the settled principles of the whole body, up to as late as the middle of the third century, there is abundant proof. I think a strong evidence of what the primitive belief was, is to be found in the fact that some authors of the second century declared that the refusal of Christians to bear arms was a fulfilment of prophecy, treating the fact as notorious and unquestioned.

“Justin Martyr writes, ‘That the prophecy in Isaiah ii. 4, and Micah iv. 3, is fulfilled, you have good reason to believe, for we, who in times past killed one another, do not now fight our enemies.’

“Christ and His apostles delivered general precepts for the regulation of our conduct. The Christians who lived nearest to His time applied His pacific precepts to war, and believed that they absolutely forbade it, and with undoubting confidence they openly avowed this belief; and in support of it they sacrificed their fortunes and their lives.

“Afterward Christians became soldiers, but when? When their general fidelity became relaxed. It was at a time when corruption and infidelity came into the Church, and so obscured the light of truth that even the fundamental doctrine of justification by faith in Christ was almost lost. But ever since that time there have been not a few Christians in all parts of the world to lift up their voices against Christians fighting.

“I mention these things simply as a reason why we should not think that what the churches generally hold in our time must therefore necessarily be true. Had we lived in the fifteenth century instead of the nineteenth, and reasoned in that way, we should have had to believe for the same reason that we are to be saved by our own works, as that was the current belief in the Christian world at that time, and only a very few scattered individuals dared openly to avow that we are saved by faith in Christ.

11 The little conversation we had the other evening on this subject was not altogether satisfactory to me, from the fact that we argued about the expediency of Christians supporting their government by taking up arms. The question to be settled is whether it is right for a Christian to slay his fellow-men for any reason. If it is wrong, then there can be no necessity or expediency for him to fight in the sight of God, no matter if there seem to be thousands of earthly reasons why he should.

“Neither did I feel prepared to argue with you about the ways and means by which a government could support itself without war, as that does not bear on the point in question. I did, however, wish very much to call your attention to some little of the evidence which I think I see so clearly in the New Testament, that it is very inconsistent and very wrong in a Christian to fight.

“This letter is already beyond all common bounds of letter-writing, but I must just give you a few of my reasons for believing as I do, in order that in taking the subject into serious consideration, as I hope you are doing, you may look a little on both sides of the question.

“In the first place, I think it is forbidden by the whole spirit of Christianity, which most emphatically teaches us to let love ’ increase and abound ’ in our hearts ‘toward all men’ (1 Thess. hi. 12, 13). The Scriptures tell us to love our neighbour as ourselves, and that ’ love worketh no ill to his neighbour ’ (Rom. xiii. 9, 10); and again, to ‘do good unto all men’ (Gal. vi. 10; Heb. xii. 14). When we go out to fight our neighbour with the intent of taking away that life which is of more value to him than any other earthly thing, are we fulfilling either the spirit or the letter of Christianity? When we lay low in death the husband or the son, leaving the wife and mother desolate and afflicted, are we * working no ill to our neighbour? ‘I cannot but answer that such acts are a direct disobedience of these precepts, which nothing but a direct command from God could justify. I have searched in vain through the New Testament to find any command that could possibly convey the meaning that the Christian must kill his fellow-men in support of his government.

“We are told to be subject unto it, and not to resist it, for it is ordained of God, who has given to it its power. That, however, is not telling us to do what is wrong in its service; for just so we are told to obey our parents, but we do not think that would justify us in doing anything which we believe to be wrong because they tell us to. We must obey God and serve Him rather than man or any human power.

“What is right and what is wrong is to be determined by God’s commands and Christ’s example; therefore if from these we find it to be wrong to slay our fellow-men, we are fully justified in saying that we are not under any obligation to our country, even if she were to lay her absolute commands on us, to do so in her service. (See Acts iv. 19; v. 28, 29.)

“Secondly. — We are told to follow the example of Christ (1 Pet. ii. 21-23). He avenged not the wrongs He saw in the world, nor those done unto Himself, but went about doing good to all who came near Him, healing diseases, giving life to the dead; and finally set us an example of so loving men that He laid down His own life, in order that they might live. Can we persuade ourselves that we are in His spirit, and ‘following in His footsteps,’ when we ruthlessly contribute to bring desolation and want to many a fireside, and to hurry many a poor impenitent sinner into eternity, to be an everlasting witness of how we loved his soul? Christ is the Prince of Peace, and we are His lights in a world lying in darkness.

“It is the glorious mission of the Christian to carry, not death, but the light of life, even life eternal, to his fellow-men. (See Phil. ii. 15, 16; Matt v.

14-16; 1 Pet. ii. 9.)

“Thirdly. — We are commanded not to have any fellowship with, nor take any part in, works of darkness (Eph. v. 8-1 1). That war in itself is a work of iniquity, every one agrees. The Bible says that all warrings and contentions arise from the sinful lusts and passions of men (James iv. i). Therefore the only question is — Is a Christian ever justified, on any pretence, in entering into a work of iniquity? The Bible answer is very plain, ‘Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity’ (2 Tim. ii. 19; Tit. ii. 14). ‘Abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good’ (Rom. xxi. 9; 3 John ii.) If there is any doctrine strongly laid down in these pages, it is that we must take no part or lot in anything we believe to be wrong (2 Cor. vi. 14-18). Neither by any means ‘do evil that good may come ’ (Rom. hi. 8).

“Lastly, we are told to deal with our fellow-men as Christ has dealt with us (Eph. iv. 32; v. 2). Christ deals with us in grace, and we ought also to deal with men in grace. This is not always a pleasing doctrine to the flesh, but it is Bible doctrine. We must forgive other men, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven us. It is not the place of a Christian to avenge the wrongs done to himself, for it is written, ‘avenge not yourselves’ (Rom. xii. 19), and * recompense to no man evil for evil ’ (Rom. xii. 17; 1 Peter iii. 9; 1 Thess. v. 15). If the commands not to avenge the wrongs done to himself are so stringent, the Christian ought to think well before he takes it for granted that it is his place to avenge those done to another, or to his government.

“If you go back to the Old Testament, you will find that to the Israelites, war of their own will, or by their own counsel, was not lawful, for they were obliged at all times to go to the oracles of God, and get a direct command from God to go, which none do, or can do now. Nor can we make their example by itself a guide to our actions, as many things were allowable to them, ‘because, Christ says, ‘of the hardness of their hearts’ (Matt. xix. 8), that are not allowable to Christians. And in the fifth chapter of Matthew, He says, ‘It hath been said, an eye for an eye; but I say unto you that ye resist not evil, for whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.’ We thus learn that those who were under the law of Moses might indeed act toward their fellow-men in simple justice, while Christians are called, by the more full and perfect law of Christ, to the exercise of that forbearance and patience and love which Moses did not command; to suffer wrong, to love their enemies, to pray for them who despitefully use them, and to seek in all ways the best and highest good for all men, even as they seek their own. “The Bible always contemplates a Christian as called to a spiritual, not a carnal warfare. Our Lord himself says, ‘My kingdom is not of this world, else would my servants fight.’ And in 2 Cor. x. 3, 4, Paul says, ‘Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal,’ &c.; and these weapons are described in Eph. vi. 11-17, Our feet are to be ‘shod with the gospel of peace.’ We are told to ’ walk in the Spirit,’ and we ’ shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh’ (Gal. v. 16). And what is ‘the fruit of the Spirit?’ ‘Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness’ (Gal. v. 22, 23). Contrast these with ’ the works of the flesh,” wrath, strife, envyings, murders, variance, emulations, and such like’ (Eph. v. 19, 20).

“I might go on and take up every argument which I have heard urged in favour of war, and tell you how and why I have concluded them all unscriptural, but 1 have not the time, and I am sure if you compare them prayerfully with the Scriptures, you will come to the right conclusion. And now, with the prayer which is in my heart for you, that you may ever be kept and guided by your Father’s hand, I am, as ever, your friend.”

“Tswedelle, June 15, 1861.

“My Dear B. C , —

“I am kept at home from my usual Sabbath afternoon duties by a toothache, which makes me feel unfit for almost everything, but I want so much to exchange a few words with you, that I am going to try and forget the pain; for on Wednesday we expect my sister Annie and her family, and with a houseful I do not generally find more quiet time to myself than I need for devotion and the study of the Bible.

... “I want to tell you how my visits to you have comforted and strengthened me; they seemed to be just what I needed, first in showing me very strikingly that it is the privilege of the Christian to rejoice always in the Lord, and not only so, but his absolute duty to do so. Secondly, they showed me by contrast where I have so often failed in glorifying God hitherto; and thirdly, and best of all, they showed me the way by which even 1 can always rejoice in God. If I could only say that I have learned these three lessons perfectly, you would indeed have given me a rich legacy, but even on the first I am sometimes tempted to doubt.

“I want to ask you a question which was put to me the other day. I was saying that I thought we often dishonour God by not rejoicing and praising Him all the time as you do, when it was remarked, ‘Don’t you think God ever hides His face from us, so that we cannot rejoice?’ I think I hear you say, ‘Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice; ’ and we are not commanded to do anything we cannot do. Certainly it is written, ‘God tempteth no man; ’ and what greater temptation to despair, unbelief, and sin can be imagined than a withdrawal of the source of all our strength and joy and blessing would be!

“However this may be, I will try the way you directed me, and that is to ask and trust Jesus to make me praise Him and rejoice in Him. So far He has answered my prayer most graciously, and I do enjoy a more complete rest, and joy, and rejoicing in Him than I can express; but I would like to be more sure that I have a right to ask to be kept so always.

“The verse you gave me rings in my ears so sweetly and reassuringly: ‘Have I not commanded thee, be strong and of a good courage, be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest,’ and I do not know exactly why the words always seem to be added, ’ and my banner over thee shall be peace.’ I believe these exact words are not in the Bible, but they have greatly comforted me, and I can look forward to the future with so much more joy, now that I think of such a banner waving over my head.

“I send you these few disconnected thoughts, as they will at any rate prove to you that I think of you, and may serve as some slight clue to what is passing in my mind.

“And now may the very God of peace bless you richly in blessing others, and make me more like you, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.”

“MlLLVILLE, 7th mo. 23, l86l.

“My Darling Mother, —

.. “We get along very quietly down here, and have nice times sewing and reading. I nearly ruined one of my dresses, and have been busy keeping Miss Flora McFlimsey in something to wear. We rode out on seventh day afternoon to see old Mr Loder. To my astonishment we found him so well that he was sitting under the shade of the trees in front of the cottage, his wife and daughter both away, leaving him alone. He seemed very bright, and delighted to see us. He is very old — over eighty, I think; but his eyes light up, and he looks the picture of happiness when he speaks of some of Christ’s promises. “We asked him if he was not afraid to be left so entirely alone, being so helpless. It was blowing very hard, and I asked him if he was not afraid of a loose board from the roof falling on his head, for some of them looked very like it. He shook his head, and looked up brightly and said, ‘No, it might fall and kill this poor body, but it could not hurt me.’ I asked him, ‘Why, what gives you this confidence that it could not hurt you? ‘He replied, ‘Jesus, Jesus will take care of me.’ I thought this poor old man had learned the same secret that David knew, when he said, ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.’”

To an Invalid, who was always confined to her

Room.

“Tswedelle, Oct. 1 86 1.” You will probably wonder at receiving a letter

from a stranger, but the other day Mr L gave me

one of your letters to read. It was an account of your Christian life, which interested me so much that I cannot refrain from writing you a few words of Christian love and sympathy. Although the Lord has seen fit to lead us in very different ways, still I feel that it is the same loving hand that has portioned out for both of us what His loving-kindness and tender mercy sees best, and that it is the realisation of the same glorious truth, of the love of Jesus for sinners, that has made us both happy. We are both sheep of the same good Shepherd, and I know full well that we are poor, weak, foolish sheep; but have we not occasion indeed to rejoice in that we have such a good Shepherd? He himself tells us how a good shepherd cares for his sheep. Have you ever thought that the very reason why He calls us sheep is because they are such silly, helpless creatures, and are more dependent on their keeper than any other animal? It is a known fact that a horse, a cow, or even swine, can find their way home if they are lost a few miles distant; but a sheep cannot: he must be followed and brought back.

“You said in your letter that the thought that you might ever stray from Him and be lost was one which troubled you; that you knew He was faithful, but you doubted yourself. I too have often thought of that, for well I know that my natural heart is so sinful that it is capable of anything j but I have no such fear now, for I know that a good earthly shepherd does not let his sheep stray entirely away, because he knows their weakness and foolishness; and is it to be supposed that the great Heavenly Shepherd is less faithful, or will do less for His sheep than an earthly one! So now I trust Him not to let me wander, for I am far more weak than a sheep. We have His promise, ‘My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give (in the present tense) unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand; ’ and as if He thought some might doubt His power to keep, He adds, ‘My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand; I and my Father are one.’ So I think from the Bible we may trust Jesus for this as well as for everything else.

“I often find myself as a foolish sheep, having become entangled in the briers of temptation, where I lie all torn and bleeding, until my good Shepherd comes and lifts me up in His arms, and carries me back on His bosom.

“Oh, is not this wonderful, wonderful mercy!

Nothing but sin have I to give, Nothing but grace shall I receive.’ “I did not intend making this letter so long, for my time is much occupied, and my health at present does not allow me to write much at a time. But as God has given you the privilege, among many which He has denied you, of being able to write, I would like to hear from you. I am, as a Christian, very much interested in all that interests you.”

We give a portion of the answer to this letter: —

“Your kind Christian letter was received by me with a glad heart. You do not seem to me to be a stranger, although I never heard your name till I met with it in your letter. There is a pleasant familiarity among the children of God; and why should there not be, when we are adopted into the same family?

“I was doubly glad on receiving your letter, first for your Christian sympathy, next because you showed me plainly a fault in myself that I was not aware of — the sin of unbelief. You may wonder that I never discovered it in myself, but I never did, and in your letter I could see it as plainly as if I had been looking at my face in a glass. I was at the same time glad and sorry — glad that you had written to me so kindly and faithfully, and sorry that I had been doubting God’s word. I thought I was only doubting my own sinful self in being afraid that I might wander from my Heavenly Shepherd, but in your letter I could see at once that it is God’s faithfulness that I have been doubting. How blind I have been! And Christ has given us such assurances of security and tranquillity. ... In Isaiah xxvii. 3, in speaking of His care of His vineyard, He says, ‘I the

Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment; lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day.

;

The following letter was written by Alice, at the request of this young girl, to a friend of hers, who, though many years a great sufferer, had never found joy and peace in believing in Jesus. Indeed her distress of mind only increased as her disease seemed drawing toward a fatal termination, from the fear that her sufferings here were but a foretaste of what she would have to endure through eternity. This letter was copied before it was sent, and as no answer has been found, we can only hope that the receiver learned to say, in the confidence of faith, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain:” —

“Tswedelle, December 1861.

“A fews days since I received a letter from Miss S, in which she spoke of your great bodily suffering, and also told me something of your distress of mind. I have sympathised with you so much that I have concluded to write to you, hoping that a few words from one who has found the gospel of Jesus to be indeed ’ glad tidings ’ to her sin-burdened soul, and longs that you too may rejoice in them, may not be unwelcome.

“You say that your greatest trouble is the feeling that you are a sinner, and the fear that your sins are not forgiven, and that you are not prepared to die. Then, dear friend, the Bible message to you will be good tidings, for it says, that ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’ (1 Timothy i. 15). That is, bad people; not good people, but sinners — those who have whole years of sins on their shoulders. And now, what does the Bible say that Jesus has done for such? ‘He died to save them.’ Yes! in order to save them from the punishment of their sins, which is eternal death, He came down from His bright heavenly home, and Himself died instead. Is it a reality that Jesus has died for me? That He has stooped to take my sins on Himself, and that He has already put them away for ever? Ah, if so, if this be the glad tidings, then happy am I, for the sins cannot still rest on my head which Jesus has atoned for with His precious blood. Is not this really the message of God concerning His Son? (1 John v. 9-13). And is it not His message to you? He says, ‘The gift of God is eternal life ’ (Rom. vi. 23), and that this ‘free gift’ (Rom. v. 15, 16) He bestows upon sinners (Matt. ix. 12, 13). That all who will may take it ‘without money and without price.’ ‘Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely ’ (Rev. xxii. 17). And now is it not for you? Are you not a sinner? For such Christ died. Do you not feel your need of it? Jesus said, ‘If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.’ And lastly, are you not willing to receive it? ‘Whosoever will; ’ does not that mean you? Yes; Jesus has done all for you, and all he wishes you to do is to accept the salvation He has wrought out for you. Certainly if I brought you a rich gift, which it had cost me much to procure for you, you would not be too weak or powerless to accept it, for that would not require any skill or great exertion on your part. There would be no difficulty about it, if you had a willingness to receive it, and believed that I was in earnest in giving it to you. In God’s great mercy, He has made the reception of His salvation just as simple a thing. He tells you what He has done for you, and He wishes you to believe what He tells you, and trust Him to do what He says. You are nothing but a receiver; He sees that you are too weak and sinful to do one thing aright, so in His mercy He takes it all out of your hands. He gives all — pardon, the robe of righteousness to cover your nakedness, an eternity of bless with Him — in short, all things you need; and you but receive, wonder, and praise. Take God at His word; honour Him by believing that He means what He says, ‘For through His name, whosoever believeth in Him (Jesus) shall receive the remission of sins ’ (Acts x. 43).

“You say you fear that it is too late, that your day is past. No; your very distress about your sins is a sure sign that God’s Spirit is still working in your heart. Remember the thief on the cross; he was saved at the last hour. And Jesus is not less merciful now. Do not let Satan tempt you to think your great sinfulness is a reason for believing the gospel message is not for you. Your sinfulness and great need of a Saviour is the very reason that He died for you.

“It is the sick, the very sick, who send for the physician, and he comes quickly, just because they are so ill. If he hears they are not much sick, he will delay his coming. You know yourself that it would be but folly to wait until you are better before you send for your physician; and just so Jesus came to save those who had need, great need of Him.

“If you are able, I wish you would write to me.

and tell me all, but at all events go and tell Jesus, for He is ’ able to save to the uttermost all those who come unto God by Him.’ Committing you to your tender Father’s care, I am yours in Christ,”

“Tswedelle, Dec. 19, 1861.
” My Dear Carrie, —

...” I was so sorry, darling, that I did not think of thee on thy birthday; I thought of it the next day, and have indeed wished many good wishes for thee, and kissed thee many times in spirit. May God bless thee, darling, and make thee to walk nearer and nearer to him each year!

“I often think how different our birthdays are to us now from what they used to be when we were children. Then they were all joyous; now, how solemnising! They make us think that it is a solemn thing to live as well as to die....

“To-day will, I suppose, bring us decided news with regard to a war with England. I hope it may be averted, but time alone can and will prove. Were it not for Luther’s comfort, ‘God reigns,’ I do not know what we should do. It all seems wonderfully like the description in the Bible of the last days.”

“To M. M. J.

“Tswedelle, Dec. 29, 1861.” I have only time to say good evening to you, my

dear M, for in about fifteen minutes we are going

down to sit with father in the library, and sew, while he reads aloud to us. We spend almost every evening with him, and you don’t know how pleasant it is.

He generally reads in the ‘Living Age,’ or ‘Eclectic Magazine,’ and they are so interesting, containing so much general information, that the hours pass almost before we notice them....

“You will be glad to hear that we had a very sweet Bible-class last week, almost the sweetest one we have ever had. It was the seventeenth chapter of John.

“I have not been regularly down to the cottages for a good while; I have been so hoarse that it is impossible for me to read or talk much at a time, even at Bible-class. I went down yesterday just to see how they were; they seemed very glad to see me.

“I am anxious to hear all about your Sabbaths in your next letter. I want to hear also about the Christmas tree, and the children, and about your skating; but most of all, I want to hear about the ‘inner life,’ and how it prospers in all the hurry of your busy life. Not ’ pushed into a corner ‘I trust.

1 Oh, for a heart to blend with outward life, While keeping at Thy side! ’

“May God bless you and keep you from every temptation of Satan, who, be assured, is as busy as you, seeking by what means he may spoil your work, and draw your heart away from close communion with the blessed Lord. That we may both live on the ‘watch tower,’ is, my darling, the heart’s desire of your loving friend, Alice.”

“Tswedelle, Jan. 5, 1S62.
u Dearest Annie, —

u It is first day afternoon — lovely, clear, and cold. I walked down to I ’s for the first time for some weeks. I did not stay long, as I am hoarse yet, but spoke a little to them about Jesus, which was a comfort, as it has been so long since I have been able.

“I always now have the two girls come up and study a chapter in the Bible with me on their Sunday

in. A evidently don’t care much for the subject

of religion; but she sometimes cries when I talk to her, which encourages me to go on trying, although she don’t evince interest in any other way, and often gets off from her lesson by very trivial excuses. I feel much better satisfied to know that she hears the

gospel at any rate. I is always interested, and

likes to have me talk to her, but, alas! I fear her life is not altogether encouraging.

“I see mother has told thee something of the sad event which ushered in our new year [the death

of H. H. L .] It seemed very sudden to us. Carrie

said it was a very solemn time. ... I think I shall go down to see her pretty soon; the house will necessarily feel sad for a while. May we learn by this sudden removal from time to eternity to keep more before us the reality of eternal things, and the nothingness of the things of this life in comparison. Blessed be God, ’ we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved, we have an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.’

“I have been enjoying so much this afternoon Mackintosh’s ‘Notes on Leviticus,’ about the burnt-offering. How I wish thou could have these books, they give you such precious views of Christ’s work in its different aspects.”

After giving some quotations, she says —

“I cannot give thee much idea of how beautifully he sets forth the self-emptied devotedness of Christ to His Father, and the perfect pleasure and infinite satisfaction of the Father in the Son. It seems to give me a deeper realisation of what Christ meant when He said, ‘As thou, Father, hast sent me into the world, even so have I sent them into the world.’ As Christ was not sent into the world to enjoy ease or His own rest, neither are we. As His was to be a life of pain and trial, and self-denying exertion, so is ours. He has not sent us into the world to bear the sins of the world, but as He came to do His Father’s will, even so are we sent to do His will. Oh, what a picture this presents of what we ought to be to Christ! And, dear Annie, as we know we have the power to do that for which we are sent, we are reanimated; for as the life of Jesus was crowned by an eternity of glory and honour, and matchless joy in the bosom of His Father, even so on His bosom shall we rest for ever.”

“TsWEDELLE, Jan. 12, 1862.

“My own Dear Carrie, —

“It is first day evening, and thou wilt find no difficulty in imagining us in our second story sitting-room.

“To-day has not been as refreshing a Sabbath as this day of rest often is to me. Satan has tried a very ingenious method to spoil what I hoped would have been a day of much study and refreshment. Without any reasonable cause, I have been so sleepy that I have not been able to read three words without nodding. I really could not do a thing, and yet I think I never longed more in my life to be fed with the living bread. It is a dreadful feeling, this being so sleepy, and wasting the precious time for prayer or study in trying to keep awake but perhaps it is calculated to make and keep us humble under a sense of our utter inability to worship or to do anything by ourselves. This may be the lesson the Lord is intending to teach me.

“I had such a pleasant day in the city yesterday.

I was most of the time with H; she is as busy

as ever in her Master’s cause, and seems to be just as much blessed in being used as an instrument in the hands of God to bring sinners to the feet of Jesus. Her devotedness and constant fervour in the work are a real rebuke to me.

“Oh, for a closer walk with God! Won’t it be lovely when we get to heaven, and are rid of this body of sin? I do so long to be rid of sin; it is for ever hampering, and drawing down to earth, and hiding from us our great aim in life. Oh, to be able to tell forth our love to Jesus in our lives, even as Jesus told forth the depths of His wondrous love to the Father, in His life and death.

“After dinner I went with H. and S. F. S to

see a wonderful coloured woman (Hannah Carson). I never heard of an instance of greater bodily affliction, and yet she is rejoicing in the Lord. Her limbs are completely paralysed, and she has no power of motion, excepting in her eyes. She suffers great pain all the time; sleeps but very little, and her bones are almost through the flesh. For some years she had a girl to take care of her, who added to her sufferings by the most cruel treatment. It was truly refreshing to turn from this dreadful picture of bodily suffering, to behold a soul at rest, in the midst of all this, on the bosom of Jesus, quietly waiting, and suffering the will of her Father, even in joyfulness of spirit. Speaking of the new year still finding her here, she turned her bright eyes toward me, with almost a heavenly expression, and in answer to my question if she ever grew impatient to leave her poor body and fly away, she said, ‘Oh no, miss, not so long as it is my Father’s will for me to remain here; had it been His will, old Hannah would gladly have greeted the new year in heaven many winters ago; but I have no will but His in the matter; I can feel no wish even, apart from Him.’ Was it not a beautiful answer? H asked her if she was not

troubled by not being able to keep her mind off her suffering and earthly things. She said, ‘No, it used to be so; but God is very good to me, and now I can say, in truth, that my thoughts, like my heart, are in heaven, and seldom wander.’ I wish I could tell thee many things that she said. What a reproach she is to any who would murmur! She seemed so happy and calm in such an extremity of affliction. How wonderful is the grace of God!”

“Millville, Jan. 30, 1862.
” My Darling Annie, —

...” I know that all is right, and that ’ all things work together for good to them that love God.’ Is not this text a comfort? We use it, and take comfort in it over and over again, and still it never grows old or stale. It is just as fresh to me to-day, when I think of it in connection with thee, as if I had never heard it before. All things! That means every, little thing. Oh, it is a comfort!...

“May God bless thee, dear Annie, and give thee a more abundant outpouring of His Spirit! Remember, darling, Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.’”

u Millville, Feb. 6, 1862.

“Dear S —

... “What treasures are there not stored up for us in Jesus, if we would only draw largely enough! Yes, there is indeed wisdom and strength, and sweet comfort treasured up for us in the storehouse of our Heavenly Friend and Comforter. And the key-note of all comfort is found in the thought that all is in the hands of God. We must not let ourselves think of Him as a Great Creator, far away, but as a loving, tender Shepherd, bending over us, very near, hearing every unexpressed wish or longing desire, noticing every smothered sigh, and fully understanding every aggravation of trial, be it great or small; and what is better than all, taking care of everything, and making ‘all things work together for good.’”