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when he returns. I am pleased to see that that arm which is full of power has raised you above the painful pressure caused by your brother's removal. Surely our God delighteth in the happiness of his children. "God is love." How deeply have I proved this, since my last to Miss Ritchie. My soul hath been fed as with marrow and fatness. Brought sensibly nearer to Jehovah, I have had more of his fulness poured into my soul; such deep intimate fellowship with him as no language can express yet no rapturous joy. My experience never runs in this channel. It is all (though exquisite enjoyment) a solemn, sacred awe, that, as it were, arrests all the powers of the mind, and keeps them as still as the grave before Jehovah; it fills the soul with a holy, religious recollection, self-possession, strong inward attraction, and silence. The personality of the sacred Three continues clear, to my mind, as the noonday: views of the whole Godhead become more frequent, and more impressive ;-Jesus condescends to talk with me; telling me that." whatever I ask in his name, it shall be done for me." He gives many powerful renewals of the life, and power, and comfort that attended these precious words when he first spoke them to my wondering soul. Many weeks after that memorable occasion, when I had no immediate expectation of hearing the voice of my heavenly shepherd, though at the time was earnestly requesting a promise respecting an affair I had much at heart, he broke in with sweet surprise, and said, "If I have said, Ask what you will, and it shall be done, what need of a promise!" Much_prayer, since then, has ascended for the church of Christ, and many, yea, numberless individuals; and I must conclude that whatever has been asked agreeably to his will shall be granted. All this goodness of the Lord has not prevented, but rather provoked the malice of the adverse powers, who have done all they were permitted, to harass me; but the name of the Lord is, I prove, a strong tower, to which I fly, and they dare not enter.

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I am pleased to hear that there has been a little revival of the work at Otley. We go on well here, upon the whole. The presence of the Lord prevails sensibly in the prayer meetings, which are numerous; and he bears testimony to his word preached, and also to the dispensation of the sacrament of the supper; but still more remarkably does he appear in our little class here, and in the select band. I am at present obliged, after repeated interruptions, to conclude. With good wishes for still greater prosperity to your soul, and success in all your labours of love, that the name of our God may be glorified from the rising to the setting sun, is the prayer of dear Miss Ritchie's fellow traveller to Zion, D. MAXWELL.

CHAPTER XXXVI.-1801-3.

Lady Maxwell's experience attains a greater uniformity-Diary continued. WE now enter upon the last ten years of Lady Maxwell's life. She continued, nearly to the end, to write in her diary as frequently and as largely as before; nor, till within a few weeks of her discontinuing to write, does there appear any failure, either in her diction, or in the eligibility of her hand. But these years present such a pleasing uniformity of experience as to render it unnecessary to multiply extracts. In the few which have been selected, the editor has endeavoured, as much as possible, to seize every variation of feeling, of exercise, or enjoyment, as recorded by her ladyship. In will be seen that she had eminently attained establishment in grace-that she was rooted, grounded, and settled in love; and happily found the work of righteousness to be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance for ever. In the course of these ten years, she frequently suffered from bodily indisposition; but "patience had its perfect work ;" and as her "outward man decayed, her inward man was renewed day by day." The nearer she approached the heavenly world, she endeavoured to become more and more 66 meet for the inheritance among the saints in light," and was ever found waiting and watching for the coming of her Lord. Her love to God; her zeal for his cause; her compassion for souls; her efforts to serve the best interests of society, remained not only unabated, but, under the solemn impressions of coming eternity, appear to have gradually acquired new energies, until her dismission was signed, and she called to take possession of an eternal reward. To the end of her pilgrimage she acknowledged herself an unprofitable servant-an infinite debtor to free, unmerited grace and her sole trust for final acceptance, and her only hope of eternal salvation, were founded on the atoning blood and all-prevalent intercession of Jesus Christ. His amazing condescension and love-his suitable ness and all-sufficiency-the freeness and fulness of his grace, had for years been the delightful themes of her praise; and when she dropped mortality, it was to unite with the glorified spirits in the eternal anthem, "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father: to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever."

January 2. I bless the Father of mercies, my comforts have rather increased since last date. Had, on last Lord's day, the great privilege of entering the house of my God, and was enabled to attend without any uneasiness, either from the body, or the adversary of souls. My God is good: he often hears and answers my feeble petitions, offered up in his Son's name, though

not always in faith. I had no particular blessing on the last day of the year, not being able to wrestle for it as usual till past twelve o'clock at night. But, in the morning, during secret prayer, my Jesus drew very nigh, and I was comforted; yea, Father, Son, and Spirit felt with me; and I endeavoured to improve the precious visit from on high. In our little meeting I most sensibly enjoyed a plenitude of the presence of the sacred Trinity. It was a most remarkable time; all present felt the presence of Deity. It abode with me all the evening, though the enemy did all he could to prevent it; and this day I still feel a measure of it, though not with so much joy.

April 24. Unspeakably great has been the interposition of the Most High in behalf of Great Britain, according to gazetted accounts since last date. Lord, how wonderful is thy mercy to our guilty land! Thou hast, in the most critical moment, removed by death another potentate perfectly hostile to the interests of Great Britain, and by this stroke weakened the strength of those powers leagued with him and determined upon our destruction. Now their purposes are broken off, thanks to a God of mercy. When, O Lord, we add to this extraordinary exertion of thy goodness the happy consequences of it, which are incalculable; also, the great naval victory thou hast given us, for it is thy doing, over another northern kingdom, whereby they are brought low, and their designs defeated, what can we say, but that, as a people, we are utterly unworthy of all this kindness which thou hast made to pass before us. O, Father of mercies, sanctify it to us, and by thy grace deliver us as a people from our sins! Turn us to thyself, by repentance and faith, that iniquity be not our ruin. Dispose all ranks among us to give thee the glory of all that has been done for us at this time. As an individual, my heart feels grateful to the Lord, and earnestly desirous it may be so, and that multitudes may be converted by mercies that threatened judgments have not reclaimed.

August 21. Gardiner's-hall. Since the 7th instant, have been in heaviness through manifold temptations. While in Edinburgh my God gave me many precious times in private and public, and helped me through many unusual exertions. My spiritual enjoyments, since I came here, have greatly diminished, and fresh trials have occurred. I prove it a painful contrast. But shall I always receive good at the hand of the Lord, and never see evil? Vain expectation. The latter, by his blessing, is often mercy in disguise. God is rich in goodness to his people; and when, at any time, he afflicts, it is in very faithfulness. But he knows, when I prove him even at a partial distance, all nature wears a gloom: I can enjoy nothing. Come near, then, O holy God and true, and ever keep me near to thyself. O Jesus, where thou art is heaven, and nowhere else! Take full possession of me. O what goodness has the Lord made to pass

before me for many years past! But especially of late years he has greatly disclosed to me the deep things of Deity, and given me a holy intimacy with unseen objects, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He has wrought out numberless deliverances for me; yea, performed all things for me; often exceeding my expectations, though enlarged. O that I could add, I have profited in proportion! have grown up into Christ my living Head in all things. I blush to think how poor my progress. Speak, O my God, and it shall be so no more.

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September 11. Still the Lord condescends to bless with a measure of health, and has, in much mercy, fully and finally delivered me from a protracted and teasing business that has long tried me. It is his own doing, and to him be all the glory. In the course of a kind providence, and under, I trust, divine direction, I have been from home, for a short time, for health; after precious promises given for a blessing by the way, and my God preserved and brought me home in peace, after some feeble attempts to do good on the road. On the day I came home I enjoyed a precious season from the gracious presence of Deity, while conversing with a minister, which has continued, and has been repeated especially on last Lord's day morning in public, when, after much prayer and painful temptation, my God and Saviour felt wonderfully nigh, and my soul was filled with love divine, and holy sacred awe, which continued for some time. On Monday evening, in my way to the prayer meeting, my Jesus met me, and sweetly shed abroad his love in my heart; and in the chapel, the gracious presence of Father and Son abounded, I felt surrounded with Deity; filled with love and wonder; permitted with favoured John, as it were, to lean by faith on the dear Redeemer's breast. O, adorable Jesus, how astonishing thy goodness and condescension to thy people! O that I might prove more of the sanctifying influences of these blessed communications!

December 25. Still the scale of mercy preponderates in my soul. On Sabbath last, in the morning, in public, on entering the house of God I felt the heavenly attraction strong and sweet, especially in praise and prayer, under a discourse from the fourth verse of the third chapter of Ephesians: "When Christ shall appear," &c. I felt much engaged in prayer for both speaker and hearers, and my God heard and comforted me by communion with himself and his dear Son, and by sweet, impressive views of what was included in having Jesus as the life of the soul. And when the sure marks of true love to Christ were given, light from on high shone so clearly that I could easily read these characters within. Lord, make them much more conspicuous! On Thursday, it was a precious season: Deity drew very near -my perception of the sacred Three was very clear-and my soul big with expectation of seeing greater things. Just after,

enjoyed delightful conversation on the deep things of God. Lord help me to press on! The increase of communion bestowed on Lord's day, still remains, and my mind feels stayed on God. Blessed Lord, what shall I say? Thou art good beyond expression yea, far beyond conception.

March 12, 1802. How difficult to write or speak upon the deep things of God. Since the fifth instant, the goodness of my God has been great, beyond my pen to describe.

On last Friday I felt truly in the Spirit; the heavenly attraction was strong. On Saturday, ministering to the Lord's poor was my happy employment. On Sabbath, with peculiar desire, I went to the house of prayer. During a discourse from the latter clause of the thirteenth verse of the first chapter of Ephesians, "In whom also, after that ye believed ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise," I felt much engaged with my God for a particular blessing, not for myself only, but for the speaker and hearers also, and he condescended to be easily entreated, and did literally answer. I had infinite cause to praise him. The sacred Three drew very nigh; but more especially my fellowship was with God the Spirit more than ever formerly. O how much of the power of that divine Agent did I feel! His energies were strong and very peculiar. I looked up, and asked to know what he was bestowing, and seemed to be answered, that he was sealing me as the peculiar property of Jehovah. I was so deeply engaged with the Holy Spirit, so intensely desirous to attend to his wondeful operations upon my mind, that every power and faculty felt upon the stretch. O my God, make me faithful to the many favours bestowed!

July 2. The tender mercies of my God have neither been few nor small since last date. The cry of my heart has daily and hourly been to him for more grace-for all grace. The enemy has opposed and tried; but God is above men and devils. How great the power of prayer! How delightful to prove him the Hearer of it! I cry unto him, and he, in much mercy, answereth, both as to temporal and spiritual mercies. I have been favoured with many sweet proofs of this the last week. How great my obligations! I do feel them. He carries me through every difficulty. When persons, places, or things are necessary, he condescends to provide them; when providential dispensations are rich and pleasing, he prevents me from taking too much complacency in them. I can truly say that the greatest satisfaction I feel in them is, their bearing so evidently the divine signature. As I advance in the good way, my God increases my light, widens my prospects, and calls me to come up higher. Through mercy I do get sweetly near to him by the Lord Jesus, the only way; and I desire no other. I prove him very precious: I dwell under the covert of this Rock, and am secure. O to drink deeper into his Spirit!

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