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stances to embrace the present opportunity of writing, trusting this will find you and your dear family all well.

It has pleased Almighty God, for some wise end, again to lay me on a bed of affliction. I am suffering from the other breast, as well as the part which was affected previous to my going into the Infirmary. The cancer has appeared a second time, and pronounced incurable; and the pain is indeed excruciating night and day. Yet I hope I do not murmur, God's grace preventing me. I rejoice to be enabled to exclaim, "Cast down, but not destroyed; persecuted, but not forsaken." Christ is indeed precious to me; I can by faith look up to him as my Saviour. I know he will support me under all my trials. He has promised he will "lay no more upon his people than he will enable them to bear," and his promise is sure.

I have been obliged to leave my place, being unable to do my work. Now that I am at home, I am attended by Mr. B, the curate of St. J's church. He often calls to see me, and I find his visits very sweet and profitable. They remind me of Mr. Grey. Amidst all my trials I have great cause for thankfulness and rejoicing. "God is my refuge and strength; a very pleasant help in time of trouble." He has hitherto led me by his kind providence, and I trust will yet lead me "through the dark valley of the shadow of death," when I shall fear no evil, for his rod and his staff they shall comfort me. He has promised he will never leave nor forsake those who put their trust in him. I cannot expect my time in this life to be long, but I am willing to leave my. self in the hands of a kind and heavenly Father, who knows what is best for me, and say, "not my will, but thine, be done."

What a mercy we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, who is gone to glory, and pleads our cause! May I, through his merits and death, be enabled to bear the cross, so that I may wear the crown, looking forward to that heavenly mansion whose builder and maker is God.

Please remember my love and duty to your dear mother, sister, brother, and aunt; and should it be determined by an all-wise Providence that we are not to meet again in the flesh, my prayer is, that we may all meet in heaven, where there will be no more sorrow or parting, but where we shall be singing the praises of Him who died for us, that we might live, and reign with him for ever. I remain, my dear Miss L., your grateful friend,

RACHEL S.

Latchford, April 20, 1836.

MY DEAR MADAM,-Your kindness to me I can never forget; it is more than I am deserving of: I feel that I am unable to express my gratitude. My prayer is, that He who knows the hearts of all, will reward you seven-fold into your own bosom. Will you please give my Christian remembrance to the Misses T., and say how grateful I am for their kind attentions. It was Christmas when I was obliged to leave my place, and the last two months I have almost been altogether confined to my bed. I am living with my two sisters in Latchford, on the little I have saved. Previous to my leaving my place, I had the attendance of Dr. K. and Mr. S. Dr. K. told Mrs. G. it would be in vain to attempt to operate on the breast, for likely it would be immediate death. Since I came home, Mr. B. was so good as to give me a ticket for the dispensary, for my cough is so violent, besides pain of body, that he thought, perhaps I might get some little relief by having something given me to allay the pain; consequently, Dr. R., the surgeon from the dispensary, attends me for my cough; but he also says that nothing can be done for my breast.

I trust I can see the hand of Providence in all my affliction, and that this scourge will be blessed to my soul. I know he does not afflict willingly-it is for some wise end: "what we know not now we shall know hereafter." God's promises are my great support. I have great reason to rejoice and bless his holy name that he has left them on record. He will be with his people at all times. He has proclaimed himself the God of salvation. "Look unto me, and

be

ye

saved." "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he will sustain thee." With these and many more such precious promises, how can I fear? His word is true. I pray that my heavenly Father will still strengthen my faith; and, like Paul, I shall be able to count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. Will you please to give my love to Mrs. D., also the other maids. With my best regards to yourself, dear mother, and family, I remain Your obliged and humble servant,

RACHEL L.

LETTERS FROM SAMUEL DALE.*

Framlingham, March 5, 1839. MY VERY DEAR CHILDREN,―The dear Lord has been pleased to spare my life beyond expectation. What he intends doing with me I know not; but this we know" He doeth all things well." What but a Divine power could have supported me, and given me patience, under my excruciating pains and restless nights? But, blessed be his holy name, I have been exempt from pain upwards of three weeks, and now, through mercy, sleep three or four hours in a night—have sat up four hours a-day last week, and yesterday about seven hours. If I am raised up again, it can not be but for a little time at my age. My prayer is, that I may be so weaned from this world-so interested in Christ, and all he came to bestow upon such rebels, and so meet for the inheritance of the saints in light-that I may not only look for his coming, but may love his appearance also.

We have enclosed two silver groats-one for James, the other for Benjamin, if they please to accept them. My poor prayers are, that you may have a safe and prosperous voyage, and be a blessing to your children, whilst at Margate, and they to you, both in temporal and spiritual things, and be returned again in safety, bodily health, and spiritual prosperity. But, O my dears, consider we have a wicked heart, a tempting devil, and a fascinating world to oppose us internally and externally. But oh what mercy! "Greater is He that is for us than they that are against us." Jesus Christ is able to save to the uttermost, and our heavenly Father has provided us armour, which you will find in the sixth chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians, the latter part of which is always suitable, "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit."

We all join in love to you both, and to your dear children at Margate.

Your affectionate father,

S. DALE.

Framlingham, Oct. 24, 1839.

MY DEARS,-What a lovely religion is Christianity! Amidst all the troubles, trials, afflictions, pains, sorrows, disappointments, temptations of Satan, the world, and our wicked hearts, the sin* See his memoir, page 113.

cere Christian has a refuge in Jesus to flee to, amidst all the vicissitudes of life and in all places, by social, family, private, and ejaculatory prayer. O! what a privilege, as well as a duty! We have a Holy Father, a Holy Jesus, the Holy Spirit, a Holy Bible, and Holy Sabbaths for our sanctification and instruction. O! praise the Lord for his transcendent mercies. It was and is for want of holiness that the devil, sin, and hell, and all the miseries of this world afflict the human family. We are called to be holy for our comfort, happiness, and preparation for heaven; for "without holiness (we read, Heb. xii. and xiv.) no man shall see the Lord."

Again, we are not left to our own resources for these blessings; for the dear Lord said, when upon earth, "ask, and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you." What encouragement for rebels to pray for the pardon of our sins, through the precious blood of Christ, for our justification in this righteousness, and for our sanctification by the Holy Spirit's blessed influences!

Joining in love to you both, to Mary, Maria, and two dear boys hoping and praying that Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, may arise on all your souls with healing in his wings, and hoping you do not neglect prayer meetings,

Your affectionate father,

S. DALE.

ANECDOTE OF GEORGE HERBERT.

Walking to Salisbury one day he saw a poor man with a poorer horse, that was fallen under his load; they were both in distress, and needed present help, which Mr. Herbert perceiving, put off his canonical coat and helped the poor man to unload, and after to load his horse. The poor man blessed him for it, and he blessed the poor man; and was so like the good Samaritan, that he gave him money to refresh both himself and his horse, and told him, that “if he loved himself he should be merciful to his beast." Thus he left the poor man; and at his coming to his musical friends at Salisbury, they began to wonder that Mr. George Herbert, who used to be so trim and clean, came into that company so soiled and discomposed; but he told them the occasion. And when one of the company told him "he had disparaged himself by so dirty an employ," his answer was, "that the thought of what he had done, would prove music to him at midnight, and that the omission of it would have upbraided and made discord in his conscience, whenever he should pass by that place; for if I be bound to pray for all that be in dis. tress, I am sure that I am bound, so far as it is in my power, to practise what I pray for. And though I do not wish for the like

occasion every day, yet let me tell you, I would not willingly pass one day of my life without comforting a sad soul, or shewing mercy; and I praise God for this occasion. And now let us tune

our instruments."

BIBLE SOCIETY.- -FROM THE REV. CHARLES PITMAN Raratonga, Gnatangua, June 28, 1843.

I beg leave to mention another instance, which I have no doubt will be as interesting to you as it was gratifying to myself. About three months ago, sitting in my study examining two candidates for baptism, a young man, a cripple, came in and sat down, having all his fingers and toes eaten away by a disease prevalent in these islands. Besides this, he has lost the use of one side, and was obliged to help himself forward by the use of a long pole. "Well, friend," I asked, "what is your business?" "I am come, Teacher," said he, "to make known to you my great desire to be for ever the Lord's, and to be baptized into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." After asking him a few questions relative to the Ordinance, his views of acceptance with God, &c., all of which were answered satisfactorily. I requested him to relate to me what first led him to serious reflection. He then said, "one day, as I was sitting in my house, I took up the New Testament, and read the 22nd chapter of the Gospel by Matthew; and when I came to the 13th verse I could proceed no farther. I reflected on the passage, and the more I thought of it, the more my fears increased. I could not banish from my mind the words, "bind him hand and foot, and take him away. My soul was full of terror: I was sure that I was the man to whom Jesus would say, “bind him hand and foot," &c. By the subsequent reading of the Scriptures, and attendance at the House of God, where the way to obtain pardon of sin was made known, I felt relief to my burdened mind, and determined to give myself to God, and flee to Jesus alone as my only hope. He is the only Saviour: salvation in no other. I then came to you, and expressed a wish to be baptized; and you conversed with me on the subject, as you have since." I proposed various doctrinal subjects; to all of which he replied with such promptness and clearness, as to afford me the greatest pleasure. I asked him his views of Baptism. "It is," he said, "an appointment of Christ, which he enjoined upon his disciples; and all who love the Saviour should be baptized." I asked why water was used in this ordinance? Emphatically,' he auswered; "It is a sign-a sign only. If not baptized inwardly by the Holy Spirit, and cleansed with the blood of Christ, the sign will be of no avail." My soul rejoiced and blessed God at such love and mercy vouchsafed to this poor, afflicted young man; and I thought, while conversing with him, "Can any man forbid water, that he should not be baptized?" The next Lord's day I had the unspeakable pleasure of baptizing him, with twelve others, and twenty-nine children.

In all the islands of this group, it is our happiness to state, a most ardent desire is manifested to obtain possession of the sacred

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