"Smitten friends Are angels, sent on errands full of love; For us they ianguish,and for us they die; And shall they languish, shall they die in vain 25

YOUNG.

Miss SALLY HURD, late the only surviving daughter of Dr. ISAAC HURD of Concord, early made a public profession of religion, and became a member of the church in that place. Placid serenity, charity, and submission were characteristics, which habitually beautified her life; and she ever displayed an uncommon degree of filial affection.

In the month of June last she questioned her father respecting her sickness, which was a gradual decline, saying, I view this my important and last sickness; adding that for three years she had expected complaints of this kind would soon terminate her life; and with the greatest composure said, God's will be done!

About two months before her death, she settled all herworldly affairs, saying she wished to have no earthly concerns interrupt her devotion; after which she was wholly devoted to God, declining seeing any one, excepting her family, connexions, her minister, and watchers.

She was reserved in conversation, but treasured every thing, which led to the great end she had to accomplish. She observed to a friend, I have been confined in this chamber six months, during which time I have enjoyed five of the happiest months, Iever knew."

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During the last three months of her confinement," writes her father to a friend, "she suffered the most exquisite pain, I ever knew in sickness of a chronic nature; but scarcely did we ever hear a groan pass her lips. She appeared several times, as though she would soon depart. After her revival she thus expressed herself, 0, my dear father! I hoped to have been with my heavenly Father before this time. But he thought otherwise; therefore it is best. I desire to wait patiently his holy will." Through the whole of her sickness her patience was uncommon. If any thing like a groan escaped her, she immediately reproved herself by saying, I was wrong. I could have borne it.

Why

should I complain, when my Savior suf fered so much for me.

Rarely does an instance occur,of a person so much blessed with the light of God's reconciled countenance, as she was, particularly near the close of her life; for her views appeared continually brightening. As her body decayed, her intellects were more invigorated; and she appeared to enjoy constant communion with God. She said, that during her life and sickness, she had experienced a gloom, which gloom sue would not have parted with for all this world. She was asked,if she meant by that gloom,that uncertainty of future happiness, which made her fear to die? 0, no; but a gloom, which had a tendency to make my devo tion more humble and sincere.

Early in the morning of her last day, Nov. 29th, she expressed herself with great energy, This day, this glorious day, I have long looked for. I have been anticipating it ever since I was twelve years old. Upon her asking her father, if he thought she could continue till noon, he told her, he thought she might possibly until toward night. She with a sigh replied, Oh! I was in hopesI am sorry. I do wrong. It looks like impatience. I desire to wait God's time.

About eleven o'clock, she with the greatest ecstacy exclaimed, Oh, my God! I love thee. I adore and bless thee. My dear Savior has plead for me: and all my sins are forgiven. I am sure of it. On this day, his glorious day, an gels will waft me to my dear Savior. He will present me to my God, who will receive me to endless bliss. About two, she, with a countenance animated with heavenly joy, again exclaimed, My God, I love thee! I adore, I bless thee. My Savior has plead for me. My sins are all forgiven, I am sure of it. Angels will waft me to my Savior; my Savior present me to my God. Yes, I am sure of it. Oh, what a glorious day will this be to me!

Soon after this, exchanging with her parents and brother the tenderest token of affection, she again took leave of them; and, about a quarter before three, in broken accents breathing, Christ Jesus receive me! died without a struggle or a groan, aged twenty-eight years.

Ir appears that, after this, when conversing with his friends he expressed some uneasy apprehensions, as he could not date his conversion at any particular period, or trace that regular progress of the divine work on his heart which some authors and other Christians have described; and hence he was ready to fear that his former hopes would be found delusive. He said, that he had ever been sensible of the importance of religion; but that, when there is a considerable knowledge of the truths of the gospel, it was difficult to distin. guish between that and the work of the Spirit; 'but,' he added, that, utterly disclaiming all hope on the ground of personal merit, we must all, as sinners, whether greater or less, be saved in the same way, through the righteousness of Christ.' But, whatever uncertainty he might have felt on this occasion, at another time he told his father, That he had that day had such a view of the love of Christ in dying for VOL. II. New Series.

sinners, and such a belief of his interest in it, as was almost too much for him. He thought that he could not have borne more.

He was concerned that, in consequence of being exceedingly nervous, he was prevented from always discovering that exemplary patience and composure, for which he had generally been so remarkable. This he would frequently lament, as he thought it might have an appear. ance of tacit murmuring against God, which grieved him exceedingly.

A few weeks previous to his death, he said, That, on looking back on his past life, he wonder. ed that his ardor had been directed towards objects so comparatively trifling, and that his mind had not been more fixed upon the cause of Christ, the promoting of which he now considered as the grand object of life. Headded, that, if he felt a wish to live, it was that he might devote himself more entirely to God, and testify his love to that Savior

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who had shewn such love to him. At the same time, he repeated this verse of Dr. Dod. dridge :

'Tis to my Savior I would live,

To him who for my ransom died;
Nor could untainted Eden give
Such bliss as blossoms at his side.'

the

My views,' said he,' upon subject of redemption, are very different now from what they once were. I once thought too much stress was laid on it by many; but now I find it to be the grand pillar of christianity. What a mercy it is,' he added, 'that all is done for us, and that we have nothing to do but to accept of salvation ! When we are enabled to rely entirely on Christ, then it is that we taste the comforts of religion.'

When some person had been speaking of the blessing of health, I do not think,' said he, a state of affliction the most undesirable for a Christian. Far from it. I trust I shall ever have reason to bless God for this affliction, and for all his myste. rious dealings with me, by which he has brought me to a much greater knowledge of himself.

On its being suggested to him, that it was a mercy he was not in great pain, and still more that his mind was so supported, he said, Yes; but I have been much distressed the past night; yet I was enabled again to cast myself on my Savior; and I trust that he has accepted me. I have given myself up to him before; and, I trust, he will not now forsake me. I have at times felt my faith so strong, that I have thought that, if an angel from Heaven had come to me, with an assurance of my salvation, I

could not have more firmly believed it.' He then repeated, with peculiar animation, the following verse from Dr. Dod. dridge :

On thy dear cross I fix mine eyes,
Then raise them to thy seat,
Till love dissolve my inmost soul
At my Redeemer's feet.'

'Such,' added he, has been my experience.'

When his friends said that they had hoped it would have been the will of God to lengthen his life, but that it would be selfish to detain him here with such happiness in view, 'Yes,' he replied,

I have no wish to live. Heaven is a glorious place! My prayer is, That I may possess, not mere. ly a firm reliance, but a triumph. ant hope in the prospect of death!

this, I trust, my heavenly Fa ther will grant me!

On his being informed by his father, that his medical attendants had pronounced his case to be hopeless, he expressed surprise; but without any change of countenance. He said that, though he had, for several days, believ ed himself to be in a very criti cal state, he had looked forward to weeks, or, perhaps, months of longer life; but I have a bright prospect,' he added, beyond the grave! and, though I feel myself a vile, unworthy sinner, yet I trust that God has accepted me, through my blessed Redeemer. I have felt the sweet drawings of his Spirit, and the assurances of his love. Yes; Jesus is mine, and I am his!-I know that he has loved me!-I regret that I have done so little for him in life: and had hoped to be raised up, that I might honor him by some emi

nent services. I have no wish to live but for this end,-that I may glorify that God who has done so much for me." He then spoke again of the delightful view that he had of the love of the Savior in dying for him; to which we have alluded in the former part of this narrative. After supplicating the divine mercy,' said he, with particular importunity, going through the whole work of redemption and applying it to myself, then it was that, in a most remarkable I felt the Spirit bearing manner, witness with my spirit, that I was one of the children of God; and so overpowering was it, that I could not but weep for joy. Though I trust that, long before I had yielded myself up to God, and had experienced at times his love shed abroad in my heart, yet it was not constant ;-but, since that time, I do not know that I have entertained one doubt; and I trust that my Redeemer will grant me his grace, to hold on to the end, He will never break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax,'

When one of his sisters said that his friends only had reason for sorrow, he replied, And why you, my dear? Follow on, and you shall attain.' He then took each of them by the hand, saying that this affliction had greatly endeared them all to him: and expressed his earnest hope that they might all meet around the throne, and join in praising Him who sits on the throne, and the Lamb for ever and ever. "There,' said he, I shall meet my dear mother and brother, and all our relations, who are now in glory.' He then repeated the 280th Hymn of Dr. Doddridge,

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with a lively emotion, and par. ticularly the following verse :

"Yes; thou hast lov'd this sinful worm,
Hast given thyself for me;
Hast brought me from eternal death,
Nail'd to the bloody tree.'

He regretted that he had not been earlier apprized of his situation, as, he said, it had prevented his enjoying the company of his christian friends, and many delightful seasons of communion with God; that it had led him to spend those hours in attention to his health, which should have been devoted to the service of his Redeemer; but I bless God,' he added, 'the great work is not now to be done! I can call God my Father, Christ my Redeemer. I have often thought of the last memorandum in George's Diary, in which he speaks of the love of the Savior as expressive of my own feelings.' He then quoted the following extract from it :-'I had to-day, in the house of God, so clear a view of the love of Christ in dy ing for sinners, that I could truly say with the apostle, "The love of Christ constraineth me."

A few hours after, he conversed with his brother in the language of joyful expectation. 'No one,' says he, who has tasted of the joys of Heaven, would wish to come back again to earth,' adopting, as expressive of his own experience, these animated lines in Dr. Watts' Miscella nies:

'Weak as my zeal is, yet my zeal is

pure;

It bears the trying furnace. Love divine Constrains me: I am thine. Incarnate

love

Has seiz❜d, and holds me in Almighty

arms.

Here's my salvation, my eternal hope,-

I am the Lord's, and he for ever mine!'

During the remainder of the day, though he suffered much from a fresh hemorrhage, he discovered singular patience, not uttering a murmur or complaint, but calmly acquiescing in the sovereign pleasure of God.

Complaining one morning to his friends that his communion with God had, during the past night, been suspended, they en. deavored to comfort him, by ascribing it to the effect of his disorder. "Ah!' said he, 6 do not talk so. Is not that an evil to be lamented, which has occasioned my heavenly Father to withdraw the sensible assurances of his love? Is not that an evil, to remain without communion with my God?—but' added he, though he may have withdrawn the full assurance of his love for a time, my Savior will return a gain! I know that he will return; and though weeping may endure for a night, joy will come in the morning.' Then, lifting up his eyes, he said, 'O, my heavenly Father! can such an unworthy sinner as I, hope for thy favor? Never, but for thy unchangeable love!-never, but for thy boundless mercy! Though our feelings vary, thou changest not! Thou wilt never leave those who have felt so much of thy gracious presence!' Throughout this day he continued in a very devotional temper; and finding that it was the Sabbath, he said, If this be my last Sabbath on earth, I shall spend an eternal Sabbath in Heaven.' When his father and sister were moving the bed-chair for him, he said, These bones, which are

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now moved in this chair, will shortly be mouldering in the tomb.' He then enlarged on the superior happiness which the soul would experience when dismissed from this state of infirmity, and repeated an expression similar to what he had before uttered, that he had wished to hon. or God by some signal service in life; but if he choose,' he added, 'to take me from this state of pain and sickness, to serve him in perfection above, it will be infinitely better, and I am sure I shall not repine.'

He frequently spoke, in the course of the day, in the same pleasing manner; but when he awoke, about 11 at night, he expressed, with perfect composure and clearness, such emotions of joy for more than an hour, that he appeared to be like one on the confines of glory; and it is to be regretted, that the feel. ings of his friends were so overpowered, as to prevent their re taining his rapturous expressions. No part of his dying testimony was more impressive. His appeals to Heaven, as a test of his past experience, were particularly solemn and affecting. In the full and triumphant hope of future blessedness, he repeated, with a small alteration, the following verses from a hymn of Dr. Doddridge

'Jesus, my soul's eternal theme,
My transport and my trust;
Jewels to thee are gaudy toys,
And gold is sordid dust.

I'll speak the honors of thy name With my last lab'ring breath; Then,speechless, clasp thee in my arms, The Antidote of death."

While uttering these words, he clasped his hands and raised his