B―, that all was well: and when she could rouse herself only to say one word at a time, that one word, accompanied with a smile, was "Peace." From her, there was a peculiar emphasis in this expression of the state of her mind; Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you,' had been a favorite portion of scripture with her, and a promise, the fulfilment of which was her ear nest prayer to the God who made it. She also occasionally asked Mr. B-to pray with her, even when she could only articulate, as she looked a* him, "Pray." She was now surrounded by many of her dear Christian friends, who watched her dying-bed with affection and solicitude. On Tuesday afternoon she slept with little intermission. This, said Dr. Mason, may be truly called 'falling asleep in Jesus." It was remarked by those who attended her, that all terror was taken away, and that death seemed here as an entrance into life. Her countenance was placid, and looked younger than before her illness At a quarter past twelve o'clock, being the morning of the 27th of July, 1814, without a struggle or a groan, her spirit winged its flight from a mansion of clay to the realms of glory, whilst around the precious remnant of earth, her family and friends stood weeping, yet elevated by the scene they were witnessing. After a silence of many minutes, they kneeled by her bed, adored the goodness and the grace of God towards his departed child, and implored the divine blessing on both the branches of her family, as well as on all the Israel of God. Thus she departed in peace, not trusting in her wisdom or virtue, like the philosophers of Greece and Rome; not even like Addison, calling on the profligate to see a good man die; but like Howard, afraid that her good works might have a wrong place in the estimate of her hope, her chief glory was that of " a sinner saved by grace."* Afer such examples, who will dare to charge the doctrines of the cross of Christ with licentiousness? Here were too instances of persons, to whose good works the world have cheerfully borne testimony, who lived and died in the profession of these doctrines. It was faith that first purified their hearts, and so the stream of action from these fountains became pure also. Had not Christ died, and risen again, all the powers of man could never have produced such lives of benevolence, nor a death so full of contrition, yet so embalmed with hope. 'Hallelujah: unto Him who loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." : Mrs. Graham's death created a strong sensation in the public mind. Several clergymen of New York made this event the subject of their discourses; and in the annual reports of many charitable institutions, an affectionate tribute of respect was *This was Howard's epitaph, dictated by himself. paid to her memory. Two of the chief magistrates of the city, said to Mr. B—, that they considered the death of Mrs. Graham as a public loss. The Rev. Dr. Mason was requested to preach a sermon on this occasion. How ably he executed this trust, is well known to the public. The hymn she quoted to him was sung after the sermon.* At the weekly prayer meeting which she usually attended, the circumstances of her death were made subjects of improvement. On the 16th of July she was a worshipper with her brethren and sisters there, and on the evening of the 30th, they were called to consider her by faith as in the im mediate presence of her God, among the spirits of the just made perfect.' The services of that evening were closed with a hymn from Dobell's collection, which being de scriptive of her happy change, shall be given here at length, as a proper conclusion of this imperfect sketch of her life. "Tis finish'd! the conflict is past, The heav'n born spirit is fled; Her wish is accomplish'd at last, And now she's entomb'd with the dead. The months of affliction are o'er, The days and the nights of distress, We see her in anguish no more She's gained her happy release. * The perusal of this sermon has already led to the establishment of two respectable Orphan Societies, and of one Adult School in the United States. 82 THE LIFE OF MRS. ISABELLA GRAHAM. No sickness, or sorrow, or pain, Since Christ was her life when below. Her soul has now taken its flight The victory now is obtain’d; She's gone her dear Saviour to see; Her soul was with confidence stay'd. Then let us forbear to complain, That she is now gone from our sight; We soon shall behold her again, With new and redoubled delight, DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. Edinburgh, March, 1789. JEREMIAH xlix. 11. THE Lord's promise, which he made to me in the days of my widowhood, and which I have made the subject of my prayers from day to day, taking the words in a spiritual sense; the Lord has done wonders for me and mine, since the day I was left a widow with three orphans, and the fourth not born, in a strange land, without money, at a distance from friends; or rather, without friends. Hitherto he has supplied all my wants, and laid to hand every necessary, and many comforts; supporting character and credit; making way for me through the wilderness, pointing out my path, and settling the bounds of my habitation. For all these blessings, I desire to be thankful and grateful to the God of providence, whose is the earth, and the fulness thereof: but these I cannot take as the substance of the promise; neither have they been the matter of my prayers. The salvation and the life I have wrestled for, is that which Christ died to purchase, and lives to bestow; even spiritual life, and salvation from sin. My God knows I have held fast this view of the words, seeking first the kingdom of God for my children, leaving temporals to be given or withheld, as may best suit with the conversion and sanc |