
to 



pbrarg 

of iije 

of Toronto 



THE ESTATE OF THE LATE 
EFFIE M.K. GLASS 



THE 




POER OF FAITH, 



EXEMPLIFIED 



IN THE 



LIFE AND WRITINGS 



OF THE LATE 



MRS. ISABELLA GRAHAM. 



NEW EDITION, 



ENRICHED BY HER NARRATIVE OF HER HUSBAND S DEATU, AND OTHER SELECT 
CORRESPONDENCE. 



The fear of the Lord is the Instruction of wisdom ; and before honoris humility. 
The Lord will destroy the house of the proud ; but he will establish the border of 
the widow. PROV. 15 : 25, 33. 



PUBLISHED BY THE 

AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY, 

150 NASSAU-STREET, NEW YORK. 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1843, by JOANNA 
BETHUNE, in the Clerk s Office of tne District Court of the Southern 
District of New- York. 

(Copyright transferred to the American Tract Society.] 





SEP 14 19R? 

OF 
S09534 






G 



CO JTTEJV TS. 



CHAPTER j. 

Page. 

EARLY L J-E RESIDENCE IN CANADA. Foundation of the 
excellence of her character birth education con 
version marriage voyage to Quebec Doddridge s 
Rise and Progress residence at Montreal and Fort 
Niagara sails for Antigua 1742-1772, 7 

CHAPTER II. 

RESIDENCE AT .ANTIGUA DR. GRAHAM S DEATH. Dr. 
Graham called to St. Vincents his safe return state 
of his mind death of Mrs. Graham s mother letter 
describing the death of Dr. Graham kindness of Dr. 
IL Reflections Letters to Mrs. Grandidier and to 
her father departure for Scotland 1773-1775, 21 

CHAPTER III. 

RETURN TO SCOTLAND SCHOOL AT EDINBURGH. Perilous 
voyage trust in God return to Cartside care of her 
father residence at Paisley depressed circumstan 
ces peace in God singular investment and result 
school in Edinburgh friends benevolence to poor 
tradesmen dancing letter of lady Glenorchy origin 
of the Society for the Relief of the Destitute Sick 
death and character of lady Glenorchy letter to a 
daughter visit to Cartside and Paisley reposes all 
upon Christ removal to New- York devotional exer 
cises 1776-1789, 53 



4, CONTENTS. 

Page. 

CHAPTER IV. 

SCHOOL IN NEW- YORK DEATH OF HER PASTOR, DR. JOHN 
MASON LAST NEWS OF HER SON. Voyage and reception 
at New-York marriage of Mrs. Stevenson anxiety 
for her son he escapes a press-gang confidence in 
God sickness and death of her pastor, Dr. John Mason 
his character Dr. John M. Mason installed pastor- 
devotional exercises letter to A. D. letter to her son 
last intelligence of him reflections 1789-1794, 81 

CHAPTER V. 

DEATH OF HER DAUGHTER FIRST MISSIONARY SOCIETY IN 
NEW- YORK. Marriage of Mrs. Bethune death of Mrs. 
Stevenson strong consolation singular receipts and 
liberality devotional exercises anniversary of her 
daughter s birth and death first Missionary Society in 
New-York Reflections acquaintance with Mrs. C. 
near Boston letter and devotional exercises 1795- 
1797, 114 

CHAPTER VI. 

FORMATION OF THE WIDOWS SOCIETY CLOSE OF HER. 
SCHOOL. Rise of the Widows Society first monthly 
missionary prayer-meeting letter to a young man on 
joining the church the Essay on Man marriage of 
Mrs. Smith close of her school labors for widows and 
the poor letters to Mrs. C. the yellow fever death 
of Washington devotional exercises 1797-1800, 143 

CHAPTER VII. 

BENEVOLENT LABORS MRS. HOFFMAN CORRESPONDENCE. 
Schools and labors connected with the Widows So 
ciety her friend Mrs. Hoffman anniversary of the 
Widows Society visit to Boston want of evangeli- 



CONTENTS. 5 

Page. 

cal preaching letters to Miss M. of Boston letters to 
Mr. and Mrs. Bethune in Britain anxiety for them 
confidence in God church discipline Dr. Mason sails 
for Britain 1800-1801, 166 

CHAPTER VIII. 

JOURNAL AND LETTERS LADIES SCHOOL FOE, POOR CHIL 
DREN. Death of a grandchild letters to Mr. and Mrs. 
Bethune in Britain Death of B. of another grand 
child of Pero, a colored man return of Mr. and Mrs. 
Bethune takes up her ahode with them devotional 
exercises ladies school for poor children address on 
its formation supplications for a revival of God s work 
labors for the suffering poor letters to Mrs. C. 
letter to the widow of her brother 1801-1805, 198 

CHAPTER IX. 

ORPHAN ASYLUM SOCIETY FOREIGN MISSIONARIES. Let 
tersformation and success of the Orphan Asylum 
inscription for Mrs. G raham and Mrs. Hoffman Labors 
in the New- York Hospital and among female convicts 
Miss Farquharson, first American missionary to 
foreign lands visit of Rev. Dr. Morrison and others 
letter to her children at the Springs letter to Mrs. 
Juliet S. visits Rockaway Reminiscence of Elderslie 
1806-1S09, 249 

CHAPTER X. 

NEW- YORK BIBLE SOCIETY ASSOCIATIONS FOR PRAYER 
HAPPY OLD AGE. Letters Bible Society organized 
efforts for the revival and extension of religion ad 
missions to the communion narrow escape from 
drowning at Rockaway barrenness of preaching with 
out Christ devotional exercises letters to Miss Van 



6 CONTENTS. 

page. 

Wyck and James Todd happy old age letter to Mrs. 
C. in affliction letter to Mrs. G. Y. prayer for min 
isters Magdalen Society Lancasterian School 1809 
-1811, 269 

CHAPTER XL 

DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES AND LETTERS. Indwelling sin la 
mentedday of fasting happiness of the aged Chris 
tian sermon in the state prison happy reminiscences 
two grandchildren unite with the church unfaith 
fulness to people of the world lamented rich tempo 
ral blessings letter to Mrs. J. W. day of fasting 
1812-1814, 307 

CHAPTER XII. 

CLOSING LABORS FOR THE POOR SICKNESS AND DEATH. - 
Society for the promotion of industry among the poor 
Sunday-school of eighty children love of evangelical 
books last two weeks communion last sickness 
peaceful death character by Dr. Mason epitaph 
1814, 346 

PROVISION FOR PASSING OVER JORDAN. Poetic 

effusions, 377 



LIFE OF 
MRS. ISABELLA GRAHAM. 

^/ VV &gt;/X/%/N/^&gt;/N \yVVXNXV^-W \.r\&lt; 

CHAPTER I. 

EARLY LIFE RESIDENCE IN CANADA. 

Mankind take an interest in the history of those who, 
like themselves, have encountered the trials and dis 
charged the duties of life. Too often, however, publi 
city is given to the lives of men splendid in acts of 
mighty mischief, in whom the secret exercises of the 
heart would not bear a scrutiny. The memoirs are com 
paratively few of those engaged in the humble and use 
ful walks of active benevolence, where the breathings 
of the soul would display a character much to be ad 
mired, and more to be imitated. 

As the celebrated Dr. Buchanan has observed, that if 
you were to ask certain persons, in Christian countries, 
if they had any acquaintance with the religious world, 
they would say, " they had never heard there was such 
a world ;" so, whilst the external conduct of individuals 
is made the subject of much critical remark, the reli 
gion of the heart, the secret source of action, too fre 
quently escapes unnoticed and unexplored. 

It is only when the career of life is closed that the 
character is completely established. On this account, 
memoirs of the living are, in few instances, read with 



LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

much interest j but when the soul has departed, and the 
body sleeps in dust, it may prove useful to survivors to 
examine the principles which led their departed friend 
to a life of honorable benevolence, and to a peaceful end. 
Such considerations as these, and the urgent request 
of many respectable individuals, have induced the pre 
paration of the following sketch of the life and writings 
of Mrs. ISABELLA GRAHAM, whose character was so es 
teemed, and whose memory is so venerated by all who 
knew her. The evident purity of motive which impelled 
her to activity in deeds of benevolence, at once com 
manded love and respect ; which, in her case peculiarly, 
was unalloyed with any risings of jealousy, envy, or 
distrust. 

Blessed with a spirit of philanthropy, with an ardent 
and generous mind, a sound judgment, and an excess 
of that sensibility which moulds the soul for friendship, 
a cultivated intellect and rich experience, her company 
was eagerly sought and highly valued by old and young. 
Though happily qualified to shine in the drawing-room, 
her time was seldom wasted there ; for such a disposi 
tion of it would have been waste, contrasted with her 
usual employments. Her steps were not seen ascending 
the hill of ambition nor tracing the mazes of popular 
applause. Where the widow and the orphan wept, where 
the sick and the dying moaned, thither her footsteps 
hastened : and there, seen only by her heavenly Father, 
she administered to their temporal wants, breathed the 
voice of consolation on their ear, shed the tear of sym 
pathy, exhibited the truths of the Gospel from the sa 
cred volume, and poured out her soul for them in prayer 
to her Savior and her God. 



EARLY LIFE. 9 

In a few such deeds she rested not ; nor was the story 
of them obtruded upon others, or recorded by herself 
The recollection of past exertions was lost in her zeal 
to accomplish greater purposes and greater good : her 
heart expanded with her experience, and her means were 
too limited, the active powers of her vigorous mind too 
feeble to fulfil the abounding desires of her soul in alle 
viating the miseries and increasing the comforts of the 
poor, the destitute, and afflicted. To learn the latent 
springs of such excellence is worthy of research : they 
may be all summed up in this, The Religion of the Heart. 

The extracts from Mrs. Graham s letters and devo 
tional exercises, which constitute so large a part of the 
following pages, will furnish the best development of 
her principles ; and may, with the blessing of God, prove 
useful to those who read them. In all her writings wil 1 
be manifested the power of faith, the efficiency of grace, 
and in them, as in her own uniform confession, Jesus 
will be magnified and self will be humbled. Her life 
was chiefly distinguished by her continual dependence 
on God, and his unceasing faithfulness and mercy to 
wards her. 

ISABELLA MARSHALL, afterwards Mrs. Graham, was 
born July 29, 1742, in the shire of Lanark, in Scotland. 
Her grandfather was one of the elders who quitted the 
established church with the Rev. Messrs. Ralph and 
Ebenezer Erskine. She was educated in the principles 
of the church of Scotland. Her father and mother were 
both pious : indeed her mother, whose maiden name was 
Janet Hamilton, appears, from her letters yet extant, to 
have possessed a mind of the same character as her 
daughter afterwards exhibited. 

1* 



10 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

Isabella was trained to an active life, as well as fa 
vored with a superior education. Her grandfather, whose 
dying-bed she assiduously attended, bequeathed her a 
legacy of some hundred pounds. In the use to which 
she applied this money, the soundness of her judgment 
was thus early manifested. She requested it might be 
appropriated to the purpose of procuring a thorough 
education. When ten years of age, she was sent to a 
boarding-school taught by a lady of distinguished talents 
and piety. Often has Mrs. Graham repeated to her chil 
dren the maxims of Mrs. Betty Morehead. With ardent 
and unwearied endeavors to attain mental endowments, 
and especially moral and religious knowledge, she at 
tended the instructions of Mrs. Morehead for seven suc 
cessive winters. How valuable is early instruction ! 
With the blessing of God, it is probable that this instruc 
tress laid the foundation of the exertions and usefulness 
of her pupil in after-life. How wise and how gracious 
are the ways of the Lord! Knowing the path in which 
he was afterwards to lead Isabella Marshall, her God 
was pleased to provide her an education of a much 
higher kind than was usual in those days. Who would 
not trust that God, who alone can be the guide of our 
youth ? 

Her father, John Marshall, farmed a paternal estate, 
called the Heads, near Hamilton. This estate he sold, 
and rented the estate of Elderslie, once the habitation 
of Sir William Wallace. There Isabella passed her child 
hood and her youth. 

She had no definite recollection of the period at which 
her heart first tasted that the Lord is gracious. As long 
as she could remember she took delight in pouring out 



EAKLY LIFE. 11 

her soul to God. In the woods of Elderslie she selected 
a bush, to which she resorted in seasons of devotion, 
Under this bush she believed she was enabled to devote 
herself to God, through faith in her Redeemer, before 
she had entered on her tenth year. To this favorite, 
and, to her, sacred spot, she would repair, when ex 
posed to temptation or perplexed with childish trou 
bles. From thence she caused her prayers to ascend, 
and there she found peace and consolation. 

Children cannot at too early a period seek the favor 
of the God of heaven. How blessed to be reared and 
fed by his hand, taught by his Spirit, and strengthened 
by his grace ! 

The late Rev. Dr. Witherspoon, afterwards president 
of Princeton college, was at this time one of the minis 
ters of the town of Paisley. Isabella sat under his minis 
try, and at the age of seventeen publicly professed her 
faith in Christ. In the year 1765 she was married to 
Dr. John Graham, then a practising physician in Pais 
ley, a gentleman of liberal education and of respectable 
standing. 

About a year after their marriage Dr. Graham, having 
been appointed surgeon to the 60th or Royal American 
regiment, was ordered to Canada, where that corps was 
stationed. Mrs. Graham accompanied him, and a plan 
was digested (with how limited a knowledge of the fu 
ture will appear) for their permanent residence in Ame 
rica. Dr. Graham calculated on disposing of his com 
mission, and purchasing a tract of land on the Mohawk 
river, where his father-in-law, Mr. Marshall, was to fol 
low him. The letter subjoined gives the interesting in 
cidents of their voyage, and forms a pleasant introduc- 



12 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

tion to the character of Mrs. Graham at this period of 
her life. 

" QUEBEC, August 29, 1767. 

" My DEAREST PARENTS, This is the fifth letter I have 
written to you, although 1 know it is the first that can 
reach you. All the time I was at sea I kept a letter lying 
by me; in hope of getting it put on board some vessel 
bound for Britain ; but I have met with many disappoint 
ments. We spoke several ships, but I never could get 
a letter put on board. At one time I was told the wind 
was too high, at another that the ship was at too great 
a distance, and so was put off till I began to understand 
a more substantial reason, viz. that it would cost the 
captain rather too much trouble. 

" We have now, however, got safe here, after a tedious 
voyage of nine weeks, and I will give you a short ac 
count of what happened during that time. 

" We sailed, as you know, from Greenock, June 10. 
For the first five or six days we had fine weather and 
fair winds, and got quite clear of land ; after this, we had 
nearly six weeks of most tempestuous weather, and the 
wind, except for about two days, directly against us. 
The gentlemen after some time began to be very impa 
tient j for my part I should not have cared although it 
had lasted twelve months. I had left all that was dear 
to me behind except one dear friend that one was con 
stantly with me and although the rest of the company 
in the ship was very agreeable, yet I was the great ob 
ject of his attention, and his invention was ever on the 
stretch to find amusement for me. It is not possible for 
me to say with what indulgent tenderness I was treated ; 



RESIDENCE IN CANADA. 13 

but though I love my hushand even to extravagance, yet 
my dear friends whom I left behind have a large share 
of my heart. They dwell on my mind in the day-time ; 
and at night, when sleep lays the body aside and leaves 
the soul at liberty, she on the wings of imagination makes 
one skip over whole seas, and is immediately with those 
dear friends whose absence she so much lamented dur 
ing the day, and in an imaginary body as -truly enjoys 
you for the time as if really present with you. 

" The gentlemen on board soon found reason to be 
thankful for the preservation of life, and got something 
very different to think of than fret at the contrary winds. 
A leak sprung in the ship, which alarmed them all so 
much that a consultation was held among them whether 
if any ship came near they should hail it and go on 
board wherever she was bound. I was perfectly uncon 
cerned about the whole matter, not being aware of the 
danger, which was kept secret from me till we came on 
shore. I saw the men constantly pumping, but thought 
it was what they were obliged to do in every ship. 
After coming to land, on examining the ship, they found 
the leak to be so large that one might put his five 
fingers into it ; indeed, it seemed next to a miracle that 
she kept above water ; but every day of our lives may 
convince us what dependent creatures we are. While 
God s merciful providence protects us we are safe, 
though in the midst of apparent danger ; should he with 
draw that protection but for a moment, inevitable evils 
surround us, even when we think ourselves in perfect 
safety. 

" A proof of this we had in a most distressing event, 
which took place about six weeks after we left Green 



14- LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

ock. The wind was in our favor, the day was fine, 
and we were all amusing" ourselves on deck in various 
ways, when Captain Kerr, who was standing close by 
us, stumbling- backwards fell overboard. He got above 
water before the ship passed him, and called to throw 
him a rope, but, alas! no rope was at hand, and before 
one was got the ship was out of his reach. Immediately 
they threw over a large hen-coop, but, poor man ! he 
could not swim, so he soon disappeared. The boats 
were put out with great expedition, and in less than a 
quarter of an hour he was found. You may believe no 
means were left unemployed to restore animation ; but, 
alas ! the spirit had taken its final leave ; it was no longer 
an inhabitant of earth, not the least signs of life appear 
ed. The day after, being Sunday, his body was com 
mitted to the deep, from whence it had been rescued 
the day before. Dr. Graham read in public the Church 
of England burial service. Every one on board seemed 
much affected ; I cannot tell you how much I was. 

" About eight days after, we got to the Banks of New 
foundland ; while there the fog was so dense we could 
not see forty yards in any direction, and the cold was 
excessive, notwithstanding the season of the year 
There were a great many islands of ice floating on the 
water ; I saw three within twenty yards of us, much 
larger than the ship. The captain said if the ship ran 
against any one of them she would be dashed to pieces 
And here, again, my former observation holds good, for 
sure it could not be the art of man, either in the dark 
night or in the dense fog, which could protect the ship 
flying before the wind, through dangers so thick on 
every side of us. For several days and nights we saw 



RESIDENCE IN CANADA. 15 

neither sun nor stars, which distressed the captain much, 
for he knew not where we were, and apprehending we 
were near land, was afraid of running upon some rock ; 
so we were obliged to cruise about till the atmosphere 
cleared. 

" The sail up the river St. Lawrence is extremely 
pleasant. You know how fond I have ever been of wood 
and water. This country, in this respect, is quite to my 
taste, and could I only get half a dozen of those friends 
I could name settled down on either side of us, with 
five hundred pounds worth of land to give to each, I 
should ask no more in this world. 

" When we arrived the Doctor s friend Mr. Findley 
came on board, took us on shore, and brought us to his 
elegant mansion. He begged we would look on him as 
an old friend, feel perfectly at home, and remain with 
him as long as we could. Give my love to my dear 
boys ;* you see them often, I have no doubt. Do, my 
dearest mamma, write me soon, and tell me all about 
them and yourself; and ever believe me, my dear pa 
rents, with the greatest affection, your 

" Dutiful daughter, I GRAHAM." 

In a letter a month later, Mrs. Graham refers to the 
gay and fashionable circles to which they were intro 
duced in Quebec, and mentions her visiting the beauti 
ful Falls of Montmorency; but mourns over the low 
state of religion and the prevailing desecration of the 
Sabbath. She adds : 

* Dr. Graham s two sons by a former marriage, who were left 
under the care of Mr. Davidson, Rector of the Grammar-school 
of Paisley. 



iQ LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

" I have read Doddridge s Rise and Progress. / little 
knew what a treasure Mr. Ellis put into my hand when 
he gave me that book. I cannot say it is my daily com 
panion, but I can with truth say, it is often so. Let my 
mind be in ever so giddy and thoughtless a frame, or 
ever so much busied in those amusements I am engaged 
in, it makes me serious, and gives my thoughts a dif 
ferent turn; there is scarce any situation the mind can 
be in but it will find something suitable there. I must 
not, however, make remarks on the particular contents 
of it ; it would occupy more paper than I have to spare. 
I would have you purchase the book ; I am sure you 
would like it; and when you have read it, it will be mat 
ter of great satisfaction to you that John and I have 
such a treasure in our possession. In it are contained 
every advice you could give us, and cautions against 
the temptations which, on account of youth, company 
and the country we are in, we are exposed to." 

They were expecting to spend the winter in Quebec, 
but were ordered to J\Iontreal, where Jessie, her eldest 
daughter, was born, and where Mrs. Graham received 
intelligence of the death of her infant son, who had 
been left with her mother in Scotland. Further orders 
were soon received for the Doctor to join the second 
battalion of his regiment at Fort Niagara, on Lake On 
tario ; Mrs. Graham followed him, and they continued 
here in garrison for four years, during which her second 
and third daughters, Joanna and Isabella, were added 
to her charge. 

Under date of February 3, 1771, we find, from her 
own pen, the following description of her occupations 



RESIDENCE IN CANADA. 1? 

and enjoyments, in a letter addressed to her beloved 
mother : 

" My two Indian girls come on very well indeed. 
The eldest milked the cows all summer; she washes and 
irons all the clothes for the family, scrubs the floors, 
and does the most part of the kitchen work. The 
young one s charge is the children, and some other 
little turns when the infant is asleep. I teach them to 
read and to sew when they have any spare time. As for 
me, I find I have enough to do to superintend. You 
may be sure I help a little too now and then. I make 
and mend what is necessary for the family, for I must 
be tailor, mantua-maker, and milliner. 

" In the forenoon the Doctor makes his rounds as 
usual, I generally trot about till two o clock, dress the 
children, order dinner, dress myself, and twenty other 
things, which you know are necessary to be looked af 
ter by the mistress of a family. After dinner I sit down 
to my work, and we have always a book, which the 
Doctor reads when I can attend : when I cannot, he 
reads something else. 

" As I am at present the only wife in the place, we 
have a regular tea-table, and now and then a little frugal 
supper ; for the Doctor has come more into my way of 
thinking, and does not insist upon cutting a figure as 
much as some time ago. When alone, he reads and I 
work, as usual. He is seldom out, and never but when 
I am with him. We are easy in our circumstances, and 
want for nothing that is necessary ; in short, my ever 
dear parents, my life is easy and pleasant. The Lord 
my God make it pious and useful. 

" Could 1 place myself and family in the same cn&gt; 



18 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

curnstances, and every thing go on in the same man 
ner, within a few miles of you, I should be happy for 
life j and were it not for this hope, which my heart is 
set upon, I could not be so, with all I have told you. 

" We find the newspapers full of preparations for 
war; may the Lord dispose all hearts to peace, for I 
hate the sound, though it is the wish of the greatest 
number about me. There is no prospect of our leaving 
this place for a year yet. For my part I have only two 
reasons for wishing it. The first is, I should like to be 
in some Christian society ; the other, that I might do 
something towards getting home. To return to the gay 
world again I have no ambition. My family here, and 
my friends at home, engross all my attention ; and when 
I see the one, and hear of the other being well, I am 
happy. Time never hangs heavy on my hand; I can al 
ways find employment, and amusement too, without the 
assistance of what go under the name of diversions. 

" We have lately had several visits from a great fa 
mily. The Chief of the Seneca nation having a daughter 
not well, brought her to the Doctor to see what could 
be done for her : he, his squaw or lady, and daughters 
breakfasted with us several times. I was kind, and made 
all the court to them I could, though we could not con 
verse but by an interpreter. I made the daughters some 
little presents, and the Doctor would not be fee d. Who 
knows but these little services may one day save our 
scalps. There have been several threatenings of an In 
dian war ; thank God, it seems to be quite hushed again 

" War with civilized nations is nothing to war with 
Indians. They have no mercy, nor give any quarter to 
man, woman, or child ; all meet the same fate, except 



RESIDENCE IN CANADA. 19 

where they take a liking to particular persons, those 
they adopt as their children, and use them as such. 

" The Doctor joins in affectionate respects to my 
dear father, and you, the boys, and all our dear friends 
I am as much as ever, and will be to my latest breath, 
my dear mamma, your affectionate daughter, 

" I. GRAHAM." 

Mrs. Graham always considered the time she passed 
at Niagara as the happiest of her days, considered in a 
temporal view. The officers of the regiment were ami 
able men, attached to each other, and the ladies were 
united in the ties of friendship. The society there, se 
eluded from the world, exempt from the collision of in 
dividual and separate interests, which often create so 
much discord in large communities, and studious to 
promote the happiness of each other, enjoyed that tran 
quillity and contentment which ever accompany a dis 
interested interchange of friendly offices. But this fort 
being detached from other settlements, the garrison 
were deprived of ordinances and the public means of 
grace, and the life of religion in the soul of Mrs. Gra 
ham sunk to a low ebb. A conscientious observance of 
the Sabbath, which throughout life she maintained, 
proved to her at Niagara as a remembrance and revival 
of devotional exercises. She wandered on those sacred 
days into the woods around Niagara, searched her Bible, 
communed with God and herself, and poured out her 
soul in prayer to her covenant Lord. Throughout the 
week, the attention of her friends, her domestic com 
fort and employments, and the amusements pursued in 
the garrison, she used to confess, occupied too much 
of her time and of her affections. 



20 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

Here we behold a little society enjoying much com 
fort and happiness in each other, yet falling short of 
that pre-eminent duty and superior blessedness of glo 
rifying, as they ought to have done, the God of heaven, 
who fed them by his bounty, and offered them a full and 
free salvation in the Gospel of his Son. No enjoyments 
nor possessions, however ample and acceptable, can 
crown the soul with peace and true felicity, unless ac 
companied with the fear and favor of Him who can 
speak pardon to the transgressor, and sJied abroad his 
love in the hearts of his children : thus giving an earnest 
of spiritual and eternal blessedness along with tempo 
ral good. 

The commencement of the revolutionary struggle in 
America rendered it necessary, in the estimation of the 
British government, to order to another and very di 
verse scene of action the sixtieth regiment, composed 
in a great measure of Americans. 

Their destination was the Island of Jlntigua ; Dr. and 
Mrs. Graham, and their family, consisting of three in 
fant daughters and two young Indian girls, sailed from 
Niagara to Oswego, and from thence, by a path through 
the woods, reached the Mohawk, which river they 
descended in batteaux to Schenectady. Here Dr. 
Graham left his family, and went to New-York to com 
plete a negotiation he had entered into for disposing 
of his commission, to enable him to settle, as he orio-i- 
nally intended, on a tract of land which it was in his 
power to purchase on the banks of the river they had 
just descended. The gentleman proposing to purchase 
his commission, not being able to perfect the arrange 
ment in time, Dr. Graham found himself under the 



RESIDENCE IN CANADA. 21 

necessity of proceeding to Antigua with the regiment. 
Mrs. Graham, on learning this, hurried down with her 
family to accompany him, although he had left it op 
tional with her to remain till he should have ascertain 
ed the nature of the climate, and the probability of hifl 
continuing in the West Indies. 

At New- York they were treated with much kind 
ness by the late Rev. Dr. John Rodgers, and others 
especially by the family of Mr. Vanbrugh Livingston 
With Mr. Livingston s daughter, the wife of Major 
Brown, of the sixtieth regiment, Mrs. Graham formed 
a very intimate friendship, which continued during the 
life of Mrs. Brown. 

They embarked with the regiment, November 5, 
1772, for Antigua. 



CHAPTER II. 



RESIDENCE AT ANTIGUA DR. GRAHABl s DEATH. 



Within three weeks after their arrival at Antigua, 
six companies were ordered to the Island of St. Vin 
cents to quell an insurrection of the Caribs. The Doc 
tor accompanied them, and Mrs. Graham was called to 
the pain of separation under circumstances more trying 
than she had as yet experienced, as the war with sa 
vages might expose him to the most cruel death. In 
these circumstances she wrote him as follows: 



22 LIFE OF MHS. GRAHAM. 

"ANTIGUA, January 16, 1773. 

"My DEAREST DOCTOR, This goes by Mr. W , who 

sails to-morrow $ also a letter to Captain G . Mr. 

M begs to be remembered to you : he has been 

foot and hand to me since you left. My dearest Doc 
tor, suffer me to put you in remembrance of what you 
put in the end of your trunk the morning you left me,* 
and let it not lie idle. Read it as the voice of God to 
your soul. My dearest love, I have been greatly dis 
tressed for fear of your dear life j but the love I bear 
to your soul is as superior to that of your body, as 
the value of one surpasses the other $ consequently my 
anxiety for its interest is proportioned. May Heaven 
preserve my dearest love lead you, guide you, direct 
you, so can you never go wrong protect and defend 
you, so shall you ever be safe, is the daily prayer of 
your affectionate wife, I. GRAHAM. 

"P. S. I am told that you have taken a number of 
prisoners. I know not if you have any right to entail 
slavery on these poor creatures. If any fall to your 
share, do set them at liberty." 

On the 8th of June Mrs. Graham wrote to her mo 
ther, expressing her gratitude for her husband s safe 
return, and noticing some gratifying indications of the 
calm and peaceful state of his mind : 

rt You would be surprised to hear the Doctor preach. 
He says we ought to be thankful j we have hitherto 

* Doddridge s Rise and Pi ogress of Religion in the Soul. 



RESIDENCE AT ANTIGUA 23 

been richly and bountifully provided for ; we ought not 
to repine, nor doubt, seeing we have the same Provi 
dence to depend upon ; that we ought not to set our 
hearts upon any thing in this world j being very short 
sighted we cannot know what is proper for us. Having 
done for the best, when we are disappointed, we ought 
to rest satisfied that either what we wish is not for our 
good, or it will in some future dispensation of Pro 
vidence be brought about another way and in a fitter 
time. Indeed, my dear mamma, in some things he is a 
better Christian than I am. May God make him so in 
every thing" 

Thus was the Lord preparing his servant for what 
was so soon to follow, not his dismission from the re 
giment, which he so ardently desired, but from this 
world and its temptations and snares. Mrs. Graham s 
prayers were answered, but " by terrible things in righ 
teousness." 

She added a request that her mother would receive 
her eldest daughter, who, though at the early age of 
five years, she feared would receive injurious influences 
from the corrupt state of society around her, and ac 
cordingly, not long after, sent her to Scotland j but be 
fore her arrival her grandmother had been called to a 
better world In reference to this event Mrs. Graham 
wrote to her bereaved father as follows : 

" ANTIGUA, August 21, 1773. 

" MY DEAREST PAPA, The heart-rending tidings of 
my dear, my tender, my affectionate mother s death 
reached me yesterday. I am so distressed that I can 



LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

scarcely write, and no wonder, for never was there such 
a mother ! My loss is indeed great ; but O ! my dear, 
my afflicted father, how my heart bleeds for you. Fa 
ther of mercies, support my aged parent, and enable 
him to place his hopes of happiness beyond this transi 
tory world, and to follow the footsteps of the dear de 
parted saint till he joins her in glory, never, never 
more to be separated. 

My dearest father, we may indeed mourn for our 
selves j but she is happy that is beyond all doubt. Her 
delight was with God while she was here ; her closet 
was a Bethel j her Bible was her heart s treasure, and 
His people were her loved companions. She has now 
joined the innumerable company above, where she 
continues the same services without human frailty, 
and the enjoyment heightened beyond our highest 
conceptions. 

" then, my dear father, be comforted; let us now 
try to follow her ; let her Savior now be ours, and then 
shall we be blest \vith like consolations. 

" My dearest father, I cannot tell you how much I feel 
for you ; my tears will not allow me, they flow so fast 
that I cannot write ; w r hat would I give to be with you ! 
But these are vain words. 

" The Doctor, however, fully expects that next sum 
mer will bring him leave to go home ; then, I trust, we 
shall be in some fixed place of abode, and my dear papa, 
you will come and live with us. I shall feel it to be a 
privilege beyond what I can tell, to perform every ser 
vice you stand in need of, soothe your pains and com 
fort you under the infirmities of old age. 

" My dear, my worthy brother how has that tender 



RESIDENCE AT ANTIGUA. 25 

letter, and the noble resolution he has taken, endeared 
him to me ! It is certainly his indispensable duty to 
stay with you in your present solitary situation; such a 
dutiful, affectionate son must be a great comfort to 
you, and he will not lose his reward. 

" I am anxious, my dearest father, to know the parti 
culars of my mother s death 1 who attended her in her 
illness 1 was the nurse who was with her a good woman 1 
was she sensible! did she expect death? and did she 
mention me, and leave me her blessing 1 my dear, dear 
father, tell me all. 

" Farewell, my beloved father, may your God and 
Redeemer be your support and final portion, is the 
prayer of your affectionate daughter, I. GRAHAM." 

In her grief for the loss of her inestimable mother, 
Dr. Graham had said to her that " God might perhaps 
call her to a severer trial by taking her husband also," 
and the warning appeared prophetic ; but her own 
words best describe the emotions of her bleeding heart. 

To Miss Margaret Graham, Glasgow. 

" MY DEAR SISTER, Prepare yourself for a severe 
shock from an event that has robbed rne of every earth 
ly joy. Your amiable brother is no longer an inhabitant 
of this lower world. On the seventeenth of November 
he was seized with a putrid fever, which, on the twenty- 
second, numbered him with the dead, and left me a thing 
not to be envied by the most abject beggar that crawls 
from door to door. Expect not consolation from me : I 
neither can give nor take it. But why say I so 1 Yes, 
I can. He died as a Christian, sensible to the last, and 

Mrs. firaham. f) 



2G LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

in full expectation of his approaching end. O, yon 
knew not your brother s worth ; you knew him not as 
a husband : he was not the same as when you knew 
him in his giddy years : he was to me all love, all af 
fection, and partial to my every fault ; prudent too in 
providing for his family. I had gained such an entire 
ascendancy over his heart as I would not have given 
for the crown of Britain. 

" On W ednesday, at one o clock, the seventeenth 
day of November, 1773, my dear Doctor was seized 
with a violent fever. I sent for his assistant, Dr. 
Bowie : he not being at home. Doctor Muir came, who 
prescribed an emetic in the evening, and his fever ha 
ving greatly abated, it was accordingly given. In the 
morning Dr. Bowie thought him so well I did not ask 
for any other assistance. At ten o clock his fever 
greatly increased, though not so violent as it had been 
the day before. He was advised to lose a little blood, 
which he did ; and towards evening it again abated. 

" I found he was not quite satisfied with what had 
been done for him ; at the same time he would do no 
thing for himself. Thursday evening I begged Dr. 
Bowie to call in Dr. Warner s assistance, notwithstand 
ing he assured me there was not one dangerous symp 
tom. Friday morning they both attended, and both 
pronounced him in a fair way of recovery. 

" About three o clock Dr. Eird came, who seemed 
surprised the thing had not been done which Dr. Graham 
himself had been dissatisfied for the want of the day 
before. Soon after the medicine was sent ; but, oh, 
my dear Doctor said it was then too late. In the even 
ing they all again attended, and insisted there was no 



RESIDENCE AT ANTIGUA. 27 

danger. Saturday morning he seemed very easy, and 
the physicians said he was in a fine way. The fever 
was gone j the decoction of bark prescribed j and they 
said he would be able to-morrow to take it in substance. 
I was not now the least apprehensive of danger, and 
was very earnest in prayer that the Lord would sancti 
fy his affliction, and not suffer it to go off without 
leaving a sensible effect on his mind. Nay, I even 
said in my heart, the rod is too soon removed, it will 
do him no good. Oh, that fools will still persist to 
prescribe to infinite wisdom and goodness. I was soon 
severely punished. 

" About eleven he took the hiccup. I did not like it, 
but little knew it was so dangerous a symptom as I af 
terwards understood. I sent for Dr. Bowie, who assured 
me that, though it was a disagreeable symptom with 
other attendants, in his case it was of no more conse 
quence than if he or I were to take it. All that day it 
was so moderate that a mouthful of any liquid stopped 
it, though it always returned again : he often said it 
would be his death ; but I imagined the pain it gave 
him extorted these words from him rather than a sense 
of danger, and was much pleased to hear him often 
pray that the Lord would give him patience and resig 
nation to his blessed will, and still more to observe that 
he bore it with a patience beyond what was natural 
to him. He was of a quick temper, and being of a 
healthy constitution, was but little accustomed to pain ; 
but, during the whole of his severe and trying afflic 
tion, I do not remember to have heard a murmuring 
word escape his lips ; so that I cannot doubt but his 
prayers were heard, and the grace prayed for bestow 



2S LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

ed. In the evening the hiccup increased, and all that 
night it was very severe, so that he could not bear 
to be any way disturbed, nor could I possibly pre 
vail upon him to take his medicine, from two in the 
morning until ten o clock, when the physicians again 
attended and persuaded him to comply. This was 
Sunday. About mid-day Doctor Warner sent some old 
hock, with orders that he should take some in his 
drink, and now and then a little plain. When the wine 
was brought in and put on the table, he asked me what 
it was. I told him. He said, Yes, they are now come 
to the last shift. 

" Mr. Frank Gilbert, a good man, and, I believe, a 
real Christian, having come to town to preach, for he 
is a Methodist minister, sent a note, kindly inquiring 
after him, and intimating, if it would be agreeable to 
him, he would visit him in the morning. He said, by 
all means, he should be very glad to see him. I said, 
My love, you know I have great faith in the prayers 
of God s people ; suppose you should beg an interest 
in them this afternoon V He answered, My dear, do 
you think they will forget me V I said, I hope, my 
love, you are not ashamed to desire the prayers of 
the people of God ; it is not now a time to mind the 
ridicule of the world. He said, No, Bell, I care not 
a farthing for the whole world, and you may make it 
in my own request. 

" His disorder gained ground very fast that day, 
and I began to be much alarmed ; yet still I thought it 
would not end in death, but though severe and dan 
gerous, was sent in answer to my repeated, earnest 
prayers to awaken in him a real concern about hi? 



RESIDENCE AT ANTIGUA. 29 

eternal interest, to set the world and its vanities in 
their true light, and bring about that entire change of 
heart which our blessed Lord styles the new birth, and 
without which, he says, we cannot enter the kingdom 
of heaven. 

" It was now become very difficult for him to speak; 
but by the motion of his hands and eyes, which were 
continually lifted up when he had the smallest respite, 
I could easily see his thoughts were fixed on the im 
portance of his situation j besides, many sentences and 
half sentences broke from his lips at different times, 
which left me without a doubt. Farewell, said he, 
r vain world ; an idle world it is, nothing but shadows, 
and we keep chasing them as children do bubbles 
of water, till they break, and we find them nothing 
but air. 

"Observing this inward recollection, I seldom dis 
turbed him. He was perfectly acquainted with the truth, 
and believed it. The doctrines of religion were often 
the subject of our conversation, and in every point of 
faith we entirely agreed : they only wanted to be felt 
and applied to the heart. I remained in silence to my 
dear husband, but not to my God : I was incessant in 
prayer, begging and beseeching that the Lord himself 
would carry on what he had so graciously begun ; that he 
would every way suit himself to his necessities, and give 
conviction or consolation, as he saw needful ; but when 
he spoke I endeavored to answer him from God s own 
word, as I was able or assisted. Once he exclaimed, 

* Draw me, and I will run after thee ; at another time, 

* Surely thou wilt not allow thy blessed Son to plead in 
vain for me, an obstinate sinner. This was a degree of 



30 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

faith and I endeavored to strengthen it. I said, My 
love, you know the way to the Father, through Christ, 
the only Mediator. You say right, he cannot plead in 
vain; fly to him ; cast yourself at his feet ; trust in him j 
hear his own invitation, f Come unto me, all ye that are 
weary and heavy laden, and 1 will give you rest ; who 
soever comet h unto me I will in no wise cast out. At 
another time these words hroke from his lips, Form 
me, train me, prepare me for thyself. Here was a 
breathing after sanctification ; might not the promise 
be applied, I will create a clean heart, and renew a 
right spirit within thee. 

tf In the evening the physicians again attended, but 
could hardly get a word from him. While they sat by 
the bedside I went out to the gallery with Mrs. Grandi- 
dier ; the apparent struggle she had to conceal her dis 
tress, the compassion and sympathy in her counte 
nance struck me. I easily perceived she gave up hope, 
and, I began to suspect, not from her own judgment 
alone ; she advised me to send away my children to a 
friend s house, and to send for a person who was capa 
ble of assisting me, it being no longer proper for me to 
be alone. Thus far I had not allowed any person to do 
the least thing about him but myself, nor stirred from 
his bed-side, except for a few minutes, to pour out my 
soul into the bosom of my God. I hardly, if ever, pray 
ed for his recovery, being willing the rod should re 
main till it effected the purpose for which it was sent, 
and then I believed it would be removed as if the 
Lord was to follow exactly the rules prescribed by my 
weak, foolish, ignorant heart. 

" Hitherto I had suffered little, believing all to be the 



RESIDENCE AT ANTIGUA. 31 

answer to my prayers j but I had not seriously thought 
of parting with him. I was now truly alarmed, and de 
termined to know, as far as appearances went, the 
worst. Accordingly I stopped Doctor Bowie on the gal 
lery: Tell me, Doctor, said I, T what have I to expect 1 
It is cruel to flatter me : if you give me some warning, 
and prepare me, I may, perhaps, be able to support it ; 
but, if you suffer it to come upon me all at once, I 
shall certainly sink under the shock. He was silent 
for some time, and then replied, I am really at a loss 
how to answer you. I said, f I will answer for you, 
there is no hope. He said, * God forbid he is in great 
danger ; but still there is hope ; and, if you value his 
life, be calm. I was composed. Strange composure ; 
I neither cried nor complained ; tears were denied a 
passage ; I was fixed and dumb like a statue. Can I, 
or any one else, describe my situation, or what I felt at 
that moment 1 It was urged of what consequence it 
was that I should be composed, that I might be able to 
do my duty to him, as no one could supply my place to 
his satisfaction, and perhaps even now he might be in 
want of me. I returned to my post, which was, except 
when doing some necessary office about him, generally 
on my knees by his bed-side, partly that I might not 
lose the least whisper that came from his lips, and part 
ly because it is my favorite posture for prayer, from 
which I could not cease, no not for one minute. 

There were different medicines prescribed for that 
night, some in case that others proved too strong for 
his stomach, others in case of the increase of the hic 
cup. I found my head confused and my memory in 
capable of retaining the variety of directions given: I 



32 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

therefore accepted of the offer of a friend of his to sit 
up with us that night, whom I begged to pay particular 
attention to the directions, and to watch the proper 
times the medicines were to be given. This he did with 
great care, and my dear Doctor was very pliable in 
taking them as they were offered. As for me, I was so 
deeply engaged with the concerns of his soul, I was 
unfit for any thing else. 

" After Dr. Bowie let me know the danger he was in, 
I sent a letter to Mr. Gilbert, begging he would not de 
lay his visit till morning, as perhaps, by that time, he 
might not be able to speak to him. Accordingly he 
came ; he asked him how he did ; he answered, Very ill j 1 
he asked him the situation of his mind ; he answered, 
Entirely resigned to the Divine will ; he asked him what 
hopes he had ; he said, * his hope was in the mercy of 
God, through Christ $ Mr. Gilbert said, You have no 
dependence on any thing besides V he said, No, no, I 
have nothing else to depend upon. Then the Doctor 
desired him to pray, but at the same time to be short, 
as he had but short intervals from the hiccup. After 
prayer Mr. Gilbert told me it seemed difficult for him to 
speak, and he did not think it would be prudent to say 
more ; that he would call again in the morning. 

" Monday morning he was greatly weakened, having 
had little rest all night from the severity of the hiccup. 
At ten o clock the physicians again attended ; but 1 
could easily perceive they had but small hopes. My 
Doctor asked Doctor Warner if he thought it would be 

O 

long before he would be at rest, who said his pulse was 
still strong. He said, It is a hard thing to die ! Mrs. 
Brannan came to spend the day with us, one of the 



RESIDENCE AT AIXTIGUA. 33 

Methodist society, and Mr. McNab, whom my Doctor 
desired to pray with him, which he did. All this day 
he said little, but still continued in inward prayer, as 
was visible by the motions of his hands and eyes : he 
had many agonizing struggles, and often exclaimed, 
Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Blessed Jesus, come 
and receive me to thyself come come blessed Jesus, 
come ! Once, after a long struggle, he exclaimed, Re 
lease rne, O release me, and let me fly to the bosom of 
my Father ! All this time I never parted from his bed 
side but a few minutes to give my soul a freer vent at the 
throne of grace. I never prayed for life, but that he 
might be washed, sanctified, and have all God s salva 
tion completed in his soul, and be received into the 
arms of his mercy. I also had been, and still was, very 
importunate that God would give me some token, some 
assurance that he would save his soul, and give him an 
abundant entrance into the kingdom of his glory ; and, 
by all that I had heard, seen, and felt, I was now satis 
fied that the most merciful God had sealed his pardon 
for Jesus sake ; and I found myself ready, dearly as I 
loved him, to resign him into the hands of divine mer 
cy ; but still I breathed after some further manifestation. 
" In the evening Dr. Galloway, an old acquaintance, 
arrived from the island of Dominico, and hearino- of his 

O 

friend s illness, came immediately to visit him. When 
my Doctor heard his voice only whisper how he was, 
he said, * I hear Galloway s voice, and stretched out his 
hand ; so fully had he his senses to the last. Upon his 
feeling his pulse, he asked them if they thought he 
would be long. Doctor Eird replied, You must not 
talk of dying, but of living; you are stronger than when 



34? LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

I was here this morning, and I have seen many worse 
recover. Do, do be advised, take your medicine, and 
try for life. These words brought a gleam of hope to 
my despairing sou], and what had been denied me for 
twenty-four hours, a flood of tears, and I was greatly 
relieved. I went out to the gallery and gave a free 
vent to my bursting heart. I now also begged the Lord 
for his life, and said in my heart, should he now be re 
stored, how doublj- blessed would he be, healed in soul 
and body. I returned to his bed-side and thus addressed 
my beloved : My dearest life, the doctors have still 
hopes, and we know nothing is impossible with God. 
Who knows what further service he may yet have for 
you in this world I or whether he may not give you to 
my prayers, and restore you to your Bell and family. 
God works by means; be persuaded to take every 
thing prescribed, and pray to God for the blessing j de 
vote your future life to his service, and, for poor Bell s 
sake, offer up a petition for life. He did not interrupt 
me, but answered, Disengage yourself, Bell, disengage 
yourself from me. I want to lift up my soul to God, and 
bless him for Jesus Christ. 

" Dr. Galloway was determined to stay with him all 
night, and see him take his medicine. Some time after, 
he had a severe attack of hiccup, and said to Dr. G., 
I hope you are now convinced! He said, f Of what V 
My Doctor said, * That dissolution is near. A little after 
he said, Who died for all V and again repeated, Who 
died for all V I was forbid to speak to him as rest was 
so much wanted, so I answered, * Christ, my love ; but 
give up your soul to God, and try to shut your weary 
eyes, and get a little rest for your body; and so he 



RESIDENCE AT ANTIGUA. 35 

did, and got a little sleep. All that night he did every 
thing he was desired, but would drink nothing hut cold 
water, which had been allowed him : the wine he would 
not touch. His disorder increased so fast that Dr. Gal 
loway, about five in the morning, said to me, I may go 
home I can be of no service, and I cannot stand it. I 
said, I suppose I need not disturb him any more with 
medicine. He said, No, you may give him what he 
calls for. Now, my God, all is over! I resign him up 
to thee ! Only one parting word; something yet I re 
quire to assure my heart that thou wilt receive his soul. 
Some time after he laid his hand upon Mrs. Brannan s 
lap and made a sign to her ; afterwards he made a sign 
to me, who was at the back of the bed, to come round 
Mrs. B. thought he wanted her to retire, which she 
did. He looked after her. I said, My love, she thinks 
you want to say something to me ; can you speak V He 
said, Join pray, which we did. He spoke no more 
for some time, only Come, sweet Jesus, and frequent 
ly, Receive my spirit. These words were given for my 
sake. I cried, I am satisfied, Lord, and I yield him up 
to thee, with all my heart; thou hast given me all my 
asking. I will not be longer faithless, but believing. 
Continue to support his departing soul, and let the ene 
my find nothing in him. 

The next attack of hiccup laid him back speechless, 
and I believe senseless in the last parting work: he had 
no further struggle, nor need of any person to support 
him. I therefore again placed myself on my knees by 
his bed-side, determined not to quit the posture till his 
soul had entered its rest ; but nature was worn out, and 
though I swallowed hartshorn and water in great quan- 



36 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

titles, I was so overcome that I was obliged to lie down 
at the back of the bed to save me from fainting. Three 
hours did he continue in this last work of the heart. 
I watched his last, and delivered him up with a hearty 
prayer and a full assurance ; but Oh, how earnestly I 
wished to go with him! I was, for the time, entirely in 
sensible to my own loss ; my soul pursued him into the 
invisible world, and for the time cordially rejoiced with 
the Spirit. I thought I saw the angel band ready to re 
ceive him, among whom stood my dear mother, the first 
to bid him welcome to the regions of bliss. 

" I was then desired to leave the room, which I did, 
saying, My Doctor is gone. I have accompanied him 
to the gates of heaven : he is safely landed ; that is 
now not him that lies there. You, nurse, will see it de 
cently dressed ; then I may again be permitted to take 
another parting kiss. So, embracing the precious clay, 
I went into the parlor. Some friends came in to see 
me. My composure they could not account for : our 
sincere and tender regard for each other was too well 
known to allow them to impute it to indifference. My 
distress at parting with him, even for a couple of 
months, when he went to St. Vincents, and dejection 
of spirit the whole time till his return, left them 
as little room to impute it to want of sensibility: 
at bst they imagined that I was stupified with grief 
and fatigue ; but they little knew that at that hour I 
rejoiced ; indeed I told them, but I suppose was not be 
lieved. I was asked if I had any thing particular to 
say respecting the funeral. I said, nothing my charge 
is gone to rest ; I would leave it to them. It was then 
proposed to bury next day at ten o clock. I said that 



RESIDENCE AT ANTIGUA. 37 

was very early ; they answered, by that time I would 
be satisfied it was not too early. 

" In the evening- I returned to our bed-chamber to 
take a last farewell of the dear remains. The counte 
nance was so very pleasant I thought there was even 
something heavenly, and could not help saying, You 
smile upon me, my love ; surely the delightful pros 
pect, opening on the parting soul, left that benign smile 
on its companion, the body. I thought I could have 
stood and gazed for ever ; but, for fear of relapsing in 
to immoderate grief, I withdrew after a parting em 
brace, and with an intention not to ask for another, lest 
a change in his countenance might shake my peace j for 
oh, we are weak, and at certain times riot subject to 
reason. I went to bed purely to get alone, for I had 
little expectation of sleep ; but I was mistaken ; nature 
was fairly overcome with watching and fatigue. I 
dropped asleep, and for a few hours forgot my woes ; 
but oh, the pangs I felt on my first awaking. I could 
not for some time believe it true that I was indeed a wi 
dow, and that I had lost my heart s treasure my all I 
held dear on earth. It was long before day. I was in no 
danger of closing my eyes again, for I was at that time 
abandoned to despair, till recollection and the same 
considerations which at first supported me brought me 
a little to myself. I considered, I wept for one that 
wept no more ; that all my fears for his eternal happi 
ness were now over, and he beyond the reach of being 
lost; neither was he lost to me, but added to my hea 
venly treasure, more securely mine than ever. Those 
snares and temptations arising from the corrupt cus 
toms of a degenerate age, which had so often caused my 



38 LIFE OF MRS. GRAIJAM. 

fears, could never reach him there. The better, dearer 
half of myself was now secure beyond the possibility 
of falling, and waiting my arrival to complete his bliss. 

happy hour, which shall also set my soul at liberty, 
and unite us, never to part more. 

" In the morning I asked the nurse if there was any 
alteration ; she said, no. I again returned to take 
another view, and was surprised to find his color and 
countenance unchanged. I began to be extremely un 
easy at having consented to so early a burial. I return 
ed again, and again ; Oh, how I wished to have kept 
him for ever! Ten o clock came; the company assem 
bled ; I became very uneasy; at last I discovered it to 
Dr. Bowie, begged he would only view him ; how 
fresh the color ; how every way like life ! He assured 
me there was not the smallest doubt but that he was 
gone. I was not satisfied with this, but made them all 
inspect him. All agreed in the same thing, and I was 
obliged to yield, and the dear remains were ravished 
from my sight. What a night I passed the night after 
the funeral ! I had ordered our own bed to be made up, 
and at the usual time retired ; but in vain did I try to 
sleep ; the moment my senses began to lose sensibility, 

1 was in a kind of dream. Finding myself alone, I ima 
gined he was out at supper, though he seldom was 
without me ; now I thought I heard his foot on the 
stairs, and started up to listen if it were he, and to bid 
him welcome, when my roused senses told me what I 
could still hardly credit, that I had no husband to ex 
pect, and threw me into a fresh agony, which kept me 
awake till I had in some measure again reconciled my 
self to my solitary situation. But, having only slept a 



RESIDENCE AT ANTIGUA. 39 

few hours since my dear Doctor was taken ill, I no 
sooner got my mind a little composed, than sleep again 
began to overpower my senses, when the same, or a si 
milar imagination roused me. 

" The morning came. When I was called down to 
breakfast, the sight of his empty seat distracted me. 
I returned to my room, though I thought it my duty to 
take some nourishment. I had it brought to me. Alas, 
I could no where turn my eyes but the sight was 
connected with this dear idea, and recalled past de 
lights, never more to return. Our back windows looked 
into the garden, on which he had bestowed so much 
labor and pains, and which he was just bringing to per 
fection. Here we had spent many pleasant hours to 
gether, and indulged that freedom of conversation, the 
natural consequence of an unbounded confidence. The 
double arbor he had reared, and so contrived as to 
screen from both the south and the western sun, bid 
fair, in a short time, to screen us also from every eye. 
Hitherto we had been confined to morning hours, or 
afternoon, when it was shaded by the house ; but had 
often pleased ourselves with the hours we should spend 
in this cool retreat, even at noon-day, while, screened 
from the sun s scorching rays, we might enjoy the re 
freshing breeze through its leafy openings } but these 
delightful prospects were now for ever at an end ! I 
might, indeed, there take my seat ; but the tongue 
which every where charmed, was buried in deepest si 
lence ! The company, which rendered every scene 
pleasant, was gone, never to return : his sheep, his 
goats, nay, even the poultry, were often fed from his 
hand : every thing served to distract. As for my chil- 



40 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

drcii, they were by kind friends kept for some time out 
of my sight ; for not only to view them fatherless dis 
tressed me, but their thoughtless mirth and play was 
altogether insupportable. 

" I accepted an invitation from Mr. Gilbert s family 
to spend some time in the country with them ; for 
though it was impossible for me to forget for one mo 
ment, yet, when these objects were removed from my 
sight, I was more able to turn my thoughts upward, to 
where my heart s treasure now is, and where I myself 
expect to be. We had two men-servants, and my two 
Indian girls ; one of the men I dismissed, the other I 
left to take care of the 1 living creatures about the place. 
One of my girls I boarded where she would be in good 
company, and with my children and their maid I aban 
doned my solitary dwelling. I met with a very tender 
reception from that worthy family. My situation here 
was such as I both expected and wished, and attended 
with many outward circumstances which had the pro 
bability of making it supportable. I was allowed to be 
as much by myself as I chose. No one intruded on my 
privacy without my consent ; but one or other of the 
Mrs. Gilberts often visited me in my own room, and 
drew from my bursting heart all its griefs, sympathi 
zing, soothing, and advising at the same time. They 
are both women of great piety, having for many years 
devoted their hearts, time, talents, and fortune to the 
service of God; and their two husbands likewise, whose 
business it has been to instruct the ignorant negroes 
without fee or reward. Had it not been for this family, 
I know not where the distraction of my mind might 
have ended." ****** 



RESIDENCE AT ANTIGUA. 41 

Thus was Mrs. Graham, at the early age of thirty- 
one, left a widow in a land of strangers. Her husband, 
companion, protector, was gone : a man of superior 
mind, great taste, warm affection, and domestic habits. 
She was left with three daughters, the eldest of whom 
was not over five years of age, and expecting an in 
crease of her infant charge. Of temporal property she 
possessed very little : she was at a distance from her 
father s house : the widow and the fatherless were in a 
foreign land. The change in her circumstances was as 
sudden as it was great. 

That sympathizing heart, with which she was ac 
customed to receive and return the confidence of un 
bounded friendship, and thus, by reciprocal communion, 
to alleviate the trials and enrich the enjoyments of 
life, was chilled in death. All the pleasing plans, all 
the cherished prospects of future settlement in life 
were cut off in a moment. Whilst sinking into a soft 
ened indifference to the world, in the contemplation of 
her severe loss, she was, on the other hand, roused in 
to exertion for the sustenance and support of her 
young family, whose earthly dependence was now ne 
cessarily upon her. 

Not satisfied with the custom of the island, in bu 
rying so soon after life is extinct, her uneasiness be 
came so great that her friends judged it prudent to 
have her husband s grave opened, to convince her that 
no symptoms of returning life had been exhibited there. 
The fidelity of her heart was now as strongly marked 
as her tenderness. She dressed herself in the habili 
ments of a widow, and determined never to lay them 
aside. This she strictly adhered to, and rejected every 



^ LIFE OF MttS. GRAHAM. 

overture afterwards made to her of again entering into 
the married state. She breathed the feelings of her 
heart in a little poem, in which she dedicated herself 
to her God as a widow indeed. 

On examining into the state of her husband s affairs, 
she discovered that there remained not quite two hun 
dred pounds sterling in his agent s hands. 

These circumstances afforded an opportunity for the 
display of the purity of Mrs. Graham s principles, and 
her rigid adherence to the commandments of her God 
in every situation. 

It was proposed to her, and urged with much argu 
ment, to sell the two Indian girls, her late husband s 
property; but no considerations of interest or necessity 
could prevail upon her thus to dispose of immortal 
beings, the work of her heavenly Father s hand. One 
of these girls accompanied her to Scotland, where she 
was married j and the other died in Antigua, leaving 
an affectionate testimony to the kindness of her dear 
master and mistress. 

The surgeon s mate of the regiment was a young 
man whom Dr. Graham had early taken under his pa 
tronage. The kindness of his patron had so far favored 
him with a medical education that he was enabled to 
succeed him as surgeon to the regiment. 

Notwithstanding the slender finances of Mrs. Graham, 

feeling for the situation of Dr. H , she presented to 

him her husband s medical library and his sword : a 
rare instance of disinterested regard for the welfare of 
another. 

This was an effort towards observing the second table 
of the law, in doing which she was .actuated likewise 



RESIDENCE Al ANTIGUA 43 

by that principle which flows from keeping the first table 
also. Nor was the friendship of Dr. and Mrs. Graham 
misplaced. The seeds of gratitude were sown in an tip- 
right heart. Dr. H , from year to year, manifested 

his sense of obligation, by remitting to the widow such 
sums of money as he could afford. This was a recipro 
city of kind offices, equally honorable to the benefactors 
and to them who received the benefit : an instance, alas ! 
too rarely met with in a selfish world 

It may here be remarked, in order to show how much 
temporal supplies are under the direction of a special 

providence, that Dr. H s remittances and friendly 

letters were occasionally received by Mrs. Graham until 
the year 1795; after this period her circumstances were 
so favorably altered as to render such aid unnecessary j 

and from that time she heard no more from Dr. H , 

neither could she learn what was his subsequent history. 

It may be profitable here to look at Mrs. Graham, con 
trasted with those around her whose condition in the 
world was prosperous. Many persons then in Antigua 
were busy and successful in the accumulation of wealth, 
to the exclusion of every thought tending to holiness, to 
God, and to heaven. The portion which they desired 
they possessed. What then 1 They are since gone to 
another world. The magic of the words, " my property," 
" an independent fortune," has been dispelled ; and that 
for which they toiled, and in which they gloried, has 
since passed into a hundred hands; the illusion is va 
nished, and unless they made their peace with God 
through the blood of the cross, they left this world, and 
ulas ! found no heaven before them. But amidst appa 
rent affliction and outward distress, God was preparing 



44 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

the heart of this widow, by the discipline of his cove 
nant, for future usefulness to be a blessing, probably 
to thousands of her race, and to enter fmal\y on that 
" rest which remaineth for the people of God. 

Her temporal support was not, in her esteem, fr an 
independent fortune," but a life of dependence on the 
care of her heavenly Father : she had more delight in 
suffering and doing his will than in all riches. " The se 
cret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will 
show them his covenant." To those who walk with God, 
he will show the way in which they should go, and their 
experience will assure them that he directs their paths. 
" Bread shall be given them, and their water shall be 
sure." She passed through many trials of a temporal na 
ture, but she was comforted of her God through them 
all ; and at last was put in possession of an eternal trea 
sure in heaven, " where neither moth nor rust doth cor 
rupt, nor thieves break through and steal." May this 
contrast be solemnly examined, and the example of this 
child of God made a blessing to many ! 

In anticipation of her approaching trial, with which 
her own life might be suddenly terminated, Mrs. Gra 
ham set her house in order, and wrote the two follow 
ing letters : one to her friend Mrs. Grandidier, to whom 
and her husband Capt. G. she committed the charge of 
hel family and affairs ; the other to her father in Scot 
land, commending her children to his protection. Her 
tender and affectionate appeals to each of them in re 
spect to their own eternal welfare, are a beautiful spe 
cimen of that Christian fidelity and love of the souls of 
men which so strongly characterized her future life. 



RESIDENCE AT ANTIGUA. 45 

" ST. JOHNS, Antigua, 1774. 

"My DEAR MRS. G , The long and steady friend 
ship which has subsisted between us, in sickness and in 
health, in prosperity and adversity, ever the same, with 
out change or diminution, leaves me no room to doubl 
that it will extend to my little family, and that you 
will be as ready, to the utmost of your power, to be 
friend them, as you have been to the dear father already 
gone, and, your friend, who is, perhaps, about to follow. 

" If it should please God to take me away in my ap 
proaching confinement, I leave you and Capt. G. full 
power to dispose of every thing in this house, and be 
longing to me in this island, as you shall think most 
for the advantage of my little family. You know my 
extreme tenderness for their dear father made me un 
able to part with any of his clothes, but these can be of 
no consequence to me when I shall again have joined 
him for whose sake I kept them ; you may therefore 
dispose of them, and also of my own, if you think the 
avails will be of more service to the children. But I 
do not choose to leave any particular directions about 
my trifling effects; you will consult with other friends, 
and I am certain you will act for them to the best of 
your judgment. It is a great relief to my mind that I 
have such steady and tried friends to leave the charge 
of them upon. Miss G B. has promised to take J , 
and it is my desire that the others, arid the infant yet 
unborn, if it survive, be sent to my father, where I will 
leave them to be disposed of and provided for by that 
God Avho has fed me all my life, by their heavenly 
Father, who has commanded me to leave my fatherless 



&gt; LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

children upon him, that he will preserve them alive, 
and whose promise I have, that he will never leave them 
nor forsake them. 

r Mr. Reid will not be less kind to the offspring of 
his friend when they have lost, than when they were 
under a mother s protection. May the blessing of the 
widow and the fatherless follow him wherever he goes, 
and may God recompense him a thousandfold in bless 
ings spiritual and temporal. Let Diana* be sent with 
my children ; if there be an infant, you know a nurse 
must be found for it, whatever it cost. As for Susan,* 
I am at a loss what to do with her ; my heart tells me I 
have no right to entail slavery upon her and her off 
spring ; I know I shall be blamed, but I am about to be 
called to account by a higher power than any in this 
world for my conduct, and I dare not allow her to be 
sold. I therefore leave it to herself either to remain 
here, or if it be her desire, to accompany the children. 
I beg Mr. Reid will be kind enough to allow her a pas 
sage with the rest. 

" And now, my dear friend, as the greatest happiness 
I can wish you, may that God whom I have chosen as 
my own portion, be yours also; may he, by his outward 
providence and by the inward operations of his Spirit 
on your heart, lead you to himself and convince you of 
the truth. But O ! my dear friend, shut not your eyes 
and ears against conviction : You are not satisfied 
that the Bible is indeed the word of God. Is it not 
worth inquiring into 1 What would you think of a 
man who had a large fortune, and the whole depending 
on proving some certain facts, and yet would not be at 
* The two Indian girls. 



RESIDENCE AT ANTIGUA. 47 

the pains to inform himselfl Are the interests of this 
world of such importance, which, in a few fleeting years, 
we must leave, and have done with for ever 1 and our 
final state in the next, which is to fix us in happiness or 
misery through the endless days of eternity, not worth 
a thought 1 Think then, and seriously ask, What if it 
be so 1 What if this be indeed the word of God given 
by inspiration, for the rule of both our faith and man 
ners, and by which we are to be judged 1 What if this 
same God, who so kindly reveals his will to men, has 
with it given the clearest evidences and strongest proofs 
that it is his own word I 1 Think, I say, my dear friend, 
if it should be so, what they deserve, who either reject 
or neglect it without taking the trouble to inform them 
selves, or be convinced that it either is or is not of di 
vine authority ! 

" How many great, learned, and wise men have sift 
ed these evidences with the greatest care, and the 
deeper they entered into the search, the more clear 
they appeared; even those whose lives are entirely con 
trary to it, and whose interest it is to wish it false, can 
not deny. As to the various explanations of it it is 
every one s duty to read for himself, and although there 
may be some parts of it too deep for every capacity, 
and which may perhaps require a knowledge of the 
history of the times to understand, yet the simple truths 
of the Gospel, what we are to believe concerning God, 
and what duties he requires of us, and what he forbids, 
are equally plain and easy. If we can only once be 
satisfied that it is indeed the word of God, set our 
selves to study it with an unprejudiced mind, with a 
sincere desire to know the truth and be led by it, with 



48 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

earnest prayer, that the same Spirit which inspired the 
writers, would make it plain to our hearts and under 
standings, that God himself would teach us its true 
meaning, and save us from error, we shall, I venture to 
say, be taught all necessary knowledge, and be led in the 
v ay to eternal life, and not suffered to err j we have God s 
promise that it shall be so. If any man will do His will 
he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God. 
u Forgive me, my dear friend ; the subject appears to 
me so important that I know not how to have done. I 
love you with a true and sincere friendship : I love your 
soul, and am deeply interested in its eternal happiness. 
Once more I commit you to that God, who only can 
lead you to himself and to true happiness ; and that you 
may know the truth of this from deep experience, to the 
eternal joy, peace and safety of your immortal soul, is 
the last prayer of your affectionate friend, who hopes 
to meet and rejoice with you in our Redeemer s king 
dom. ISABELLA GRAHAM. 

Mrs. Graham to her Father. 

" ANTIGUA, May, 1774. 

" MY EVER-DEAR FATHER, If this ever reach you, it 
will be when I have taken my final leave of this world, 
and received my portion for eternity in the next, when 
I hope I shall have gained the summit of my wishes, 
and be happy in the society of my dear husband and 
much-loved mother, in the kingdom of our Redeemer. 

" My truly orphan children I have desired to be sent 
to you ; though I see no visible way you have to pro 
vide for them, yet I am perfectly easy concerning 



RESIDENCE AT ANTIGUA. 49 

them. I leave them upon that God who has fed me all 
my life, and whose tender care I have experienced in a 
thousand dangers ; upon their, and my Heavenly Fa 
ther, who has commanded me to leave my fatherless 
children upon him, and he will preserve them alive. 
The God of providence will prepare for them a home, 
and raise up friends, perhaps from a quarter neither 
you nor I could expect. 

" My only concern and prayer to God for them is, 
that they may be early taught to love God and serve 
him ; that they may fall into such hands as will care 
fully instruct them in the principles of morality and re 
ligion, and teach them the great, but too little thought 
of truth, that our chief business in life is to prepare for 
death. As to the polite parts of education, I look upon 
them as of no consequence ; they may be as good 
Christians, perhaps better, without than with them j the 
perfection of their nature no way depends upon them. 
I am equally indifferent what station of life they may 
occupy, whether they swim in affluence or earn their 
daily bread, if they only act their part properly, and ob 
tain the approbation of their God, in that station where 
in he, in his infinite wisdom, sees fit to place them. 

" Remember to give my love to all my dear children. 
I reckon all that sprung from my dear Doctor mine ; 
and though I did not suffer a mother s pangs for them, 
Heaven knows how equally I love them with those who 
cost me dearer. Tell them I leave them a mother s 
blessing, and my last prayers, if it please God to con 
tinue my senses, shall be for their best interests. 

" And now, my dear father, suffer one parting word, 
though from one no way entitled to advise : this is the 

Mrs. Graham. " 



50 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

third loud call for you to be also ready j according to 
the course of nature you must very shortly follow j 
you can have very little more to do in this world, and 
therefore the smallest share of your attention is due to 
it. The young, the gay, the giddy and thoughtless 
hold it a wise maxim to forget their departed friends 
as soon as possible ; this may be worldly, but it cannot 
be heavenly wisdom. To be fully and entirely resigned 
to the will of God in all things is certainly the charac 
teristic of a Christian ; but this is perfectly consistent 
with the most tender remembrance. That resignation 
(but indeed it deserves not the name) which consists 
in forgetfulness, in banishing thought and drowning 
reflection in worldly cares and amusements, can be no 
grateful offering to Him who has commanded us to have 
our loins girt and our lamps trimmed, and to be always 
ready, for in such an hour as we think not * the Son of 
man Cometh. How often are we commanded to watch, 
to set our affections on things above, to be dead to 
the world, to lay up treasure for ourselves in heaven. 
These injunctions are inconsistent with forgetfulness j 
and if it be our duty to meditate on death and eternity, 
nothing more naturally leads our minds to that subject 
than the recollection of departed friends, who, if pious, 
are not lost, but only gone a little while before, taken 
from our earthly and added to our heavenly treasure. 

" Believe me, my dear father, to a mind abstracted 
from the world and devoted to God, death, though so 
lemn, has nothing dreadful in it ; on the contrary, to a 
mind rightly disposed it is rather a desirable object. 
Just conceptions of God, and converse with him, will 
very soon change the aspect of the king of terrors to a 



RESIDENCE AT ANTIGUA. 51 

welcome messenger, who comes to set open the gates 
of immortality, and to usher us into the kingdom of 
our heavenly Father. And now may our most gracious 
God grant you, through your few remaining days, his 
direction and consolation ; may he bestow upon you 
that peace which the world can neither give nor take 
away ; and when the appointed time of your change 
shall come, may the comforts of his Holy Spirit so 
cheer and refresh your soul, that you may be able, 
without a doubt or a fear, to resign it into the hands 
of your Redeemer. 

"Give my love to Hugh. The sentiments expressed 
in his letters bespeak him a worthy brother, and deserv 
ing of my highest esteem. I would have written to 
him, but I have still some directions to commit to writ 
ing concerning my little family, and my hour is at hand ; 
but tell him I will remember him in my last prayers. I 
charge him not to banish the idea of his worthy and 
now glorified mother, lest with that he also forget her 
precepts ; but prepare to meet us who are gone before ; 
and Oh ! that our meeting may be with joy on both 
sides. It is hard for youth, in the present age, to follow 
our Christian pattern. Every real Christian, every Bible 
Christian, must lay his account with being branded with 
the name of enthusiast ; but tell him to remember that 
the opinion of the world cannot alter the nature of holi 
ness nor the maxims of Christ. Let him read, think, 
and judge for himself with an unprejudiced mind; with 
a hearty desire to know and be led by the truth ; to be 
taught of God, and conformed to his will in all things, 
and I venture to promise he will not be suffered to err. 
But let him avoid disputes about religion, they are sel- 



52 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

dom productive of any good; let him fortify his mind 
against banter and ridicule, it is no small degree of per 
secution. Yet, if he be determined to follow his Lord, 
lie must expect to meet with it, and I know from expe 
rience it is hard to bear. I have found the safest way 
is to receive it in silence; for those who are disposed to 
ridicule the appearance of religion in another, are not 
in a fit disposition to be convinced by any argument, at 
least at that time, and few can dispute without heat, 
which is a transgression against the virtue of meekness, 
and very apt to lessen our love to the person who oppo 
ses us. We lose the spirit of brotherly love in hot- 
neaded zeal ; which perhaps deserves a harder name, 
but conceals itself under that appearance, and it is no 
small victory gained over ourselves if we are able to 
love, wish well to and be ready to serve those whose 
sentiments differ from ours. 

" I leave you and yours, and mine, upon the Fountain 
of all goodness, and may the peace of God, which pass- 
eth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in 
the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus 
Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God Almighty, the 
Father, Son and Holy Ghost, be amongst you, and re 
main with you always. Amen. 

" Your ever dutiful and affectionate daughter, 

"ISABELLA GRAHAM." 

It pleased God to preserve the life of Mrs. Graham, 
and to make her the grateful mother of a son, whom she 
called after the name of his father, and endeavored, in 
bumble trust, to consecrate to the Author of his being. 

Having now no object to induce h^r to stay longer at 



RETURN TO SCOTLAND. 53 

Antigua, she disposed of her slender property, and plac 
ing her money in the hands of Major Brown, request 
ed him to take a passage for herself and family, and to 
lay in their sea-stores. After seeing a railing placed 
around the grave of her beloved husband, that his re 
mains might not be disturbed until mingled with their 
kindred dust, she bade adieu to her kind friends, and 
with a sorrowful heart turned her face towards her na 
tive land. 



CHAPTER III. 

RETURN TO SCOTLAND SCHOOL IN EDINBURGH. 

No ship offering at this time from Antigua for Scot 
land, Mrs. Graham embarked with her family in one 
bound to Belfast, Ireland. Major Brown and his brother- 
officers saw her safely out to sea ; and he gave her a 
letter to a gentleman in Belfast, containing, as he said, a 
bill for the balance of the money she had deposited with 
Jiim. After a stormy and trying voyage she arrived in 
safety at her destined port. The correspondent in Ire 
land of Major Brown delivered her a letter from that of 
ficer expressive of esteem and affection, and stating that 
as a proof of respect for the memory of their deceased 
friend, he and his brother-officers had taken the liberty 
of defraying the expenses of her voyage. 

Consequently the bill he had given was for the full 
amount of her original deposit ; and thus, like the breth- 



54 LIFE OF MRS GRAHAM. 

rer o: Joseph, she found all her money in the sack s 
mouth. Being a stranger in Ireland, without a friend to 
look out for a proper vessel in which to embark for Scot 
land, she and her children went passengers in a packet j 
on board of which, as she afterwards learned, there was 
not even a compass. A storm arose and they were 
tossed to and fro for nine hours in imminent danger. 
The rudder and the mast were carried away ; every thing 
on deck thrown overboard j and at length the vesse 
struck in the night upon a rock, on the coast of Ayr, ir 
Scotland. The greatest confusion pervaded the passen 
gers and crew. Amongst a number of young students, 
going to the University at Edinburgh, some were swear 
ing, some praying, and all were in despair. The widow 
only remained composed. With her babe in her arms 
she hushed her weeping family, and told them that in a 
few minutes they should all go to join their father in a 
better world. The passengers wrote their names in 
their pocket-books, that their bodies might be recog 
nized and reported for the information of their friends 
One young man came into the cabin, asking, "Is there 
any peace here 1 " He was surprised to find a female so 
tranquil j a short conversation soon evinced that religion 
was the source of comfort and hope to them both in this 
perilous hour. He engaged in prayer and then read the 
107th Psalm. Whilst repeating these words, " he maketh 
the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof arc still," 
the vessel swung off the rock by the rising of the tide. 
She had been dashing against it for an hour and a half, 
the sea making a breach over her, so that the hold was 
now nearly filled with water. Towards morning the 
storm subsided, and the vessel floated until she rested 



RESIDENCE AT CARTSIDE. 55 

on a sand-bank. Assistance was afforded from the 
shore, and the shipwrecked company took shelter in a 
small inn, where the men seemed anxious to drown the 
remembrance of danger in a bowl of punch. How faith 
ful a monitor is conscience ! This voice is listened to 
in extreme peril ; but, oh, infatuated man ! how anxious 
art thou to stifle the warnings of wisdom in the hour of 
prosperity! Thousands of our race, no doubt, delay 
their preparation for eternity, until, by sudden death, 
they have scarcely a moment left to perform this solemn 
work. 

Mrs. Graham retired to a private room, to offer up 
thanksgiving to God for his goodness, and to commend 
herself and her orphans to his future care. 

A gentleman from Ayr, hearing of the shipwreck, 
came down to offer assistance ; and in him Mrs. Gra 
ham was happy to recognise an old friend. This gen 
tleman paid her and her family much attention, carrying 
them to his own house and treating them with kindness 
and hospitality. 

In a day or two after this she reached Cartside, and 
entered her father s dwelling ; not the large ancient 
mansion in which she had left him, but a thatched cot 
tage, consisting of three apartments. Possessed of a 
too easy temper and unsuspecting disposition, Mr. Mar 
shall had been induced to become security for some of 
his friends whose failure in business had reduced him 
to poverty. He now acted as factor of a gentleman s es 
tate in this neighborhood, of whose father he had been 
the intimate friend, with a salary of twenty pounds ster 
ling per annum and the use of a small farm. 

In a short time, however, his health failed, and he was 



56 LIFE OF MRS. GKAHAM. 

deprived of this scanty pittance, being incapable, as the 
proprietor was pleased to think, of fulfilling the duties 
of factor. 

Alive to every call of duty, Mrs. Graham now consid 
ered her father as added, with her children, to the num 
ber of dependents on her industry. She proved indeed 
a good daughter j faithful, affectionate, and dutiful, she 
supported her father through his declining years ; and 
he died at her house, Feb. 13, 1783, aged 75, during 
her residence in Edinburgh, surrounded by his daughter 
and her children, who tenderly watched him during his 
last illness. 

Having resided two years at Cartside, she removed 
to Paisley in 1778, where she taught a small school. 
The slender profits of such an establishment, with a 
widow s pension of sixteen pounds sterling, were the 
means of subsistence for herself and her family. When 
she first returned to Cartside a few religious friendi 
called to welcome her home. The gay and wealthy 
part of her former acquaintances, who, like the butter 
fly, spread their silken wings only to bask in the 
warmth of a summer sun, found not their way to the 
lonely cottage of an afflicted widow. Her worth, though 
in after-life rendered splendid by its own fruits, was at 
this time hidden, excepting to those whose reflection 
and wisdom had taught them to discern it more in the 
faith and submission of the soul, than in the selfish and 
extravagant exhibitions of that wealth bestowed by the 
bounty of Providence, but expended too often for the 
purposes of vanity and dissipation. 

In such circumstances, the Christian character of Mrs 
Graham was strongly marked. Sensible that her hea- 



RESIDENCE AT PAISLEY. 57 

venly Father saw it good, at this time, to depress her 
outward condition, full of filial tenderness, and like a 
real child of God resigned to whatever should appear 
to be his will, her conduct conformed to his dispensa 
tions. With a cheerful heart, and in the hope of faith, 
she set herself to walk down into the valley of humilia 
tion, " leaning upon Jesus," as the beloved of her soul. 
" I delight to do thy will, Oh my God, yea, thy law is 
within my heart," was the spontaneous effusion of her 
genuine faith. She received, with affection, the scrip 
tural admonition, " Humble yourselves therefore under 
the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due 
time, casting all your care upon him, for he careth 
for you." 

She laid aside her children s fine frocks, and clothed 
them in homespun. At Cartside she sold the butter she 
made, and her children were fed on the milk. It was 
her wish to eat her own bread, however coarse, and 
" to owe no person any thing but love." At Paisley, for 
a season, her breakfast and supper Avas porridge, and 
her dinner potatoes and salt. Peace with God and a 
contented mind supplied the lack of earthly prosperity, 
and she adverted to this her humble fare, to comfort 
the hearts of suffering sisters, with whom she corres 
ponded at a later period of life, when in comfortable 
circumstances. 

Meantime the Lord was not unmindful of his believing 
child : but was preparing the minds of her friends for in 
troducing her to a more enlarged sphere of usefulness. 

Her pious and attached friend, Mrs. Major Brown, 
had accompanied her husband to Scotland, and they 
now resided on their estate in Ayrshire. Mr. Peter 

3* 



58 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

Reid, a kind friend when in Antigua, was now a mer 
chant in London. This gentleman advised her to invest 
the little money she had brought home, (and which she 
had still preserved,) in muslins ; which she could work 
into finer articles of dress, and he would ship them in 
a vessel of his own, freight free, to be sold in the West 
Indies. His object was partly to increase her little ca 
pital, and partly to divert her mind from meditating so 
deeply on the loss of her lamented husband. The plan 
so kindly proposed was soon adopted; the muslin dress 
es were shipped; but she soon afterwards learned that 
the ship was captured by the French. This was a se 
vere loss, and more deeply felt, as it was received at 
the time when her father was deprived of his office. 

Mrs. Brown, after consulting with the Rev. Mr. Ran 
dall of Glasgow, the Rev. Mr v Ellis of Paisley, Lady 
Glenorchy and Mrs. Walker of Edinburgh, proposed 
to Mrs. Graham to take charge of a boarding-school in 
that metropolis. 

The friends of religion were of opinion that such an 
establishment, under the direction of one possessing 
the qualifications of Mrs. Graham, would be of singular 
benefit to young ladies destined for important stations 
in society. Her liberal education, her acquaintance 
with life, and her humble yet ardent piety, were consi 
dered peculiarly calculated to qualify her for so im 
portant a trust. 

Another friend had suggested to Mrs. Graham the 
propriety of opening a boarding-house in Edinburgh, 
which he thought could, through his influence, be easi 
ly filled by students. 

She saw obstacles to both; a boarding-house did not 



RESIDENCE AT PAISLEY. 59 

appear suitable, as her daughters would not be so likely 
to have the same advantages of education as from a 
boarding-school ; and to engage as an instructress of 
youth on so large a scale, with so many competitors, 
appeared for her an arduous undertaking. 

In this perplexity, as in former trials, she fled to her 
unerring counsellor, the Lord, her covenant God. She 
set apart a day for fasting and prayer. She spread her 
case before the Lord, earnestly beseeching him to make 
his word "a light to her feet and a lamp to her path ;" 
and " to lead her in the way in which she should go ;" 
especially that she might be directed to choose the 
path in which she could best promote his glory and 
the highest interests of herself and her children. On 
searching the Scriptures her mind fastened on these 
words, in John 21 : 15, " Simon, son of Jonas, lovest 
thou me more than these 1 He saith unto him, Yea, 
Lord ; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto 
him, Feed rny lambs." 

Never, perhaps, was this commandment applied with 
more filial confidence, or accompanied with a richer 
blessing since the days of the Apostle, than in the pre 
sent instance. 

Her determination was accordingly made. She re 
solved to undertake the education of youth, trusting 
that her Lord would make her an humble instrument of 
training some for his service on earth, and his praises 
in heaven. Here was exhibited an instance of simple 
yet powerful faith in a believer surrounded by tempo 
ral perplexities, and of condescension and mercy on 
the part of a compassionate God. Light unseen by 
mortal eyes descended on her path. 



60 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

How weak, perhaps enthusiastic, would this have 
appeared to the busy crowd, blind to the special provi 
dence exercised by the God of Heaven towards all his 
creatures. She felt the pressure of her affliction; but, 
like the Psalmist, gave herself unto prayer : 

" Prayer ardent opens heav n, lets down a stream 
Of glory on the consecrated hour 
Of man in audience with the Deity." 

Though her faith was strong, yet her mind was un 
der such agitation, from her total want of funds to carry 
her plan into effect, and from other conflicting exerci 
ses, as to throw her into a nervous fever, which kept 
her confined to her bed for some weeks. On her reco 
very, she felt it her duty to go forward, trusting that 
He, who had directed her path, would provide the 
means that were necessary to enable her to walk in it : 
she sold her heavy furniture, packed up all her remain 
ing effects, and prepared to set out from Paisley for 
Edinburgh, on a Monday, in the year 1779. 

On the Saturday previous she sat by her fire musing 
and wondering in what manner the Lord would appear 
for her at this time, when a letter was brought to her 
from Mr. Peter Eeid, enclosing a sum of money which 
he had recovered from the underwriters, on account of 
Mrs. Graham s muslins captured on their passage to the 
West Indies. Mrs. Graham had considered them as to 
tally lost, but her friend had taken the precaution to 
have them insured. 

With this supply she was enabled to accomplish hei 
object, and arrived in Edinburgh with her family. Her 
friend Mrs. Brown met her there, and stayed with her 



RESIDENCE IN EDINBURGH. 61 

a few days, to comfort and patronise her in her new 
undertaking. Mrs. Brown was her warm and constant 
friend until her death, which occurred at Paisley in 
1782, when she was attending the communion. She be 
queathed her daughter Mary to Mrs. Graham s care. But 
in 1785 the daughter followed the mother, being cut off 
by a fever in the twelfth year of her age. 

It may be proper here to introduce the name of Mr. 
George Anderson, a merchant in Glasgow, who had 
been an early and particular friend of Dr. Graham. He 
kindly offered his friendly services, and the use of his 
purse, to promote the welfare of the bereaved family 
of his friend. Mrs. Graham occasionally drew upon both. 
The money she borrowed she had the satisfaction of re 
paying with interest. A correspondence was carried on 
between them after Mrs. Graham s removal to America, 
until the death of Mr. Anderson, in 1802. 

During her residence in Edinburgh she was honored 
with the friendship and counsel of many persons of dis 
tinction and piety. The viscountess Glenorchy ; lady 
Eoss Baillie ; lady Jane Belches ; Mrs. Walter Scott, 
(mother of the poet ;) Mrs. Dr. Davidson ; and Mrs. 
Baillie Walker, were amongst her warm personal 
friends. The Rev. Dr. Erskine, and Dr. Davidson, (for 
merly the Rev. Mr. Randall of Glasgow,) and many re 
spectable clergymen, were also her friends. She and 
her family attended on the ministry of Dr. Davidson, an 
able, evangelical, useful pastor. 

Her school soon became respectable in numbers and 
character. Her early and superior education now proved 
of essential service to her. She was indefatigable in her 
attention to the instruction of her pupils. While she 



62 ^JFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

was faithful in giving them those accomplishments which 
were to qualify them for acting a distinguished part in 
this world, she was also zealous in directing their atten 
tion to that Gospel by which they were instructed to 
obtain an inheritance in that to come. She felt a high 
responsibility and took a deep interest in their tempo 
ral and spiritual welfare. As ft a mother in Israel," she 
wished to train them up in the ways of the Lord. 

She prayed with them morning and evening; and on 
the Sabbath, which she was careful to devote to its 
proper use, she took great pains to imbue their minds 
with the truths of religion. Nor did she labor in vain. 
Although she was often heard to lament of how little 
use she had been compared with her opportunities of 
doing good, yet when her children, Mr. and Mrs. B. 
visited Scotland in 1801, they heard of many individu 
als, then pious and exemplary, who dated their first 
religious impressions from those seasons of early in 
struction which they enjoyed under Mrs. Graham 
while in Edinburgh. 

Mrs. Graham s manner in the management of youth 
was peculiarly happy. Whilst she kept them diligent 
in their studies, and strictly obedient to the laws she 
had established, she was endeared to them by her ten 
derness; and the young ladies instructed in her school 
retained for her in after-life a degree of filial affection 
which was expressed on many affecting occasions 
This was afterwards remarkably the case with her pu 
pils in America. Her little republic was completely 
governed by a system of equitable laws. On every al 
leged offence, a court martial, as they termed it, was 
held, and the accused tried by her peers. There were 



RESIDENCE IN EDINBURGH. 63 

no arbitrary punishments, no sallies of capricious pas 
sion. The laws were promulgated, and obedience was in 
dispensable j the sentences of the courts martial were al 
ways approved, and had a salutary effect. In short, there 
was a combination of authority, decision and tenderness 
in Mrs. Graham s government that rendered its subjects 
industrious, intelligent, circumspect and happy. She en 
joyed their happiness ; and in cases of sickness, she 
watched over them with unremitting solicitude and care, 
sparing no expense to promote their restoration to health. 
A strong trait in her character was distinctly marked 
by her educating the daughters of pious ministers at 
half price. This was setting an example worthy of imi 
tation. It was a conduct conformable to scriptural pre 
cept. Said Paul, " If we have sown unto you spiritual 
things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal 
things 1 Do ye not know that they which minister about 
holy things live of the things of the temple 1 Even so 
hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gos 
pel should live by the Gospel." 

Always conscientious in obeying the commandments 
of her God, she observed them in this matter, giving, in 
her proportion, at least the widow s mite. 

By another plan (for she w r as ingenious in contrivances 
to do good) she greatly assisted those in slender cir 
cumstances, especially such as were of the household 
of faith. Believing that the use of sums of ten, fifteen, 
or twenty pounds in hand would be serviceable by way 
of capital to persons in a moderate business, she was in 
the habit of making such advances, and taking back the 
value in articles they had for sale. She charged no in 
terest, being amply repaid in the luxury of her own feel- 



64 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

ings, when she beheld the benefit it produced to hei 
humble friends. The board of her pupils being paid in 
advance, she was enabled to adopt this plan with more 
facility. Were her spirit more prevalent in the world, 
what good might be done ! The heart would be ex 
panded, reciprocal confidence and affection cherished j 
and instead of beholding worms of the dust fighting for 
particles of yellow sand, we should behold a company 
of affectionate brethren, leaning upon and assisting each 
other through the wilderness of this world. " Look not 
every man on his own things," said Paul, " but every 
man also on the things of others. Bear ye one another s 
burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." 

On the subject of promoting the external accomplish 
ments of her scholars, it became a question how far Mrs. 
Graham was to countenance them in their attendance 
on public balls to what length it was proper for her to 
go so as to meet the received opinions of the world in 
these concerns. She consulted with her pious friends, 
and wrote to Lady Glenorchy on the subject. Her lady 
ship s letter in reply is so excellent that the serious 
reader will be gratified with its insertion. 

" BARNTON, December 27, 1781. 

" DEAR MADAM, I received your letter last week, and 
also one some time ago from Mrs. Walker, in which 
she desired me to send you my sentiments upon the 
alteration you had made, and still thought of making, 
upon your plan. 

" I have since endeavored to consider, with all the 
attention of which I am at present capable, the argu 
ments that may be brought on both sides of the ques- 



RESIDENCE IN EDINBURGH. 65 

tion ; and with regard to the first point the practisingt t 
I will frankly own that, could you send your young 
ladies to one where girls only are admitted, I should 
more readily yield my opinion of the matter to those 
Christians who have advised you to it. But, as I learn 
that it is a promiscuous dance of boys and girls, I must 
in conscience say that I look upon such a meeting to 
be as pernicious in its effects upon the minds of young 
people, as balls and public assemblies on persons of 
riper years. When you mentioned the subject to me 
first, I thought it had been a practising of girls o?ily, 
else I should then have given you my sentiments fully 
upon that head. 

" As to the reading of plays, or any part of them, to 
your young people, I must own, it does not appear to 
me to be expedient: it may be productive of bad con 
sequences, and the good arising from it is, at most, 
uncertain. It is, no doubt, very desirable to^enlarge 
young people s minds and improve their taste as well 
as their persons ; but such is the state of things in this 
world, that to attain this to the degree wished for by 
every person of refined taste, some things must be sac 
rificed of much greater value for example, a girl can 
not acquire the smart, polished air of a person of fash 
ion, without imbibing too much of the spirit of the 
world. Vanity and emulation must be awakened and 
cultivated in the heart, before she will apply herself 
with diligence to outward accomplishments; nor can 
her mind and taste be much improved m polite litera 
ture without losing its relish for simple truth. I grant 
you, there are a few Christians in the world who have 
acquired the outward accomplishments of it, and have, 



6G 



LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 



by grace, been enabled to turn these to good account ; 
who, like the Israelites, having spoiled the Egyptians, 
have made use of their jewels in adorning the taber 
nacle : but this can never serve as an argument on your 
side of the question. If the Lord sees fit to manifest 
his power and grace by plucking a brand from the 
burning, this is no reason why children should be initi 
ated into the ways of sin and folly, in hopes that some 
time or other He will bring them out. We are never 
to do evil that good may come : and this brings the 
question to a short issue. 

" Do you think it lawful for Christians to attend pub 
lic places, or to spend their time in reading play si Do 
you think these things tend, either immediately or re 
motely, to promote the glory of God! If you do 
not, I cannot see how you, as a Christian, can have any 
hand in introducing young ladies to the one or in 
giving them a taste for the other. 

"This, dear madam, is my view of the matter: 
but I do not wish you to walk by my light. I believe all 
the children of God are taught by him, and ought to 
follow the dictates of their own consciences : I there 
fore pretend not to advise you, but shall endeavor to 
pray that the great unerring Counsellor may give you 
divine wisdom to be your teacher, to lead you into all 
truth, and to keep you from every thing inconsistent 
with his holy will. 

"I have met with so many interruptions since I be 
gan this letter, that I fear that it is hardly intelligible. 
I shall be sorry if I have said any thing that gives you 
uneasiness ; your spirits seem low, and your business 
does not succeed so well as could be wished : perhaps 



RESIDENCE IN EDINBURGH. 67 

f ought rather to have employed my pen in the way of 
consolation and encouragement, than by throwing in 
fresh matter of perplexity. Sure I am, I do not mean 
to add affliction to the afflicted $ but rather have been 
impelled, from a regard to truth, to write my real sen 
timents, as you desired. Your friend and humble ser 
vant, W. GLENORCHY " 

In after-life, Mrs. Graham was of opinion that she 
and her scholars had gone too far in conformity with 
the opinions and manners of the world. A reference to 
this deviation from what she considered a close Christian 
walk in life, will be frequently found in her subsequent 
exercises. 

Lady Glenorchy being in a delicate state of health, 
made frequent use of Mrs. Graham as her almoner to 
the poor. On one of these visits Mrs. Graham call 
ed on a poor woman with a present of a new gown. 
"I am obliged to you and her ladyship for your kind 
ness," said the poor woman rich in faith ; " but I maun 
gang to the right airth first ; ye wad na hae come, gin 
ye had na been sent ; the Lord hath left me lately wi 
but ae goon for week day and Sabbath, but now he has 
sent you wi a Sabbath-day s goon." Meaning, in plain 
English, that her thankfulness was first due to the God 
of providence, who had put it into the hearts of his 
children to supply the wants of this poor disciple. 

Mrs. Graham used to repeat with pleasure an anec 
dote of her friends Mr. and Mrs. Douglas. Mr. Douglas 
was a tallow-chandler, and furnished candles for lady 
Glenorchy s chapel. The excise-tax was very high on 
making those articles, and many persons of the trade 



LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

were accustomed to defraud the revenue by one strata- 
gem or another. Religious principle would not permit 
Air. Douglas to do so. Mrs. Graham one evening was 
remarking how handsomely the chapel was lighted. 
" Ay, Mrs. Graham," said Mrs. Douglas, " and it is all 
pure the light is all pure, it burns bright." It would be 
well if Christians of every trade and profession were to 
act in like manner ; that the merchant should have no 
hand in unlawfully secreting property, or encouraging 
perjury to accumulate gains j that the man of great 
wealth should have neither usury nor the shedding of 
blood by privateering to corrode his treasures j that all 
should observe a just weight and a just measure in their 
dealings, as in the presence of God. Let every Christian 
seek after the consolation of Mrs. Douglas, that the 
light which refreshes him may be pure. 

It being stated as matter of regret, that poor people 
when sick suffered greatly, although while in health 
their daily labor supported them, Mrs. Graham sug 
gested the idea of every poor person in the neighbor 
hood laying aside one penny a week to form a fund for 
relieving the contributors when in sickness. Mr. Doug- 
las undertook the formation of such an institution. It 
went for a long time under the name of " The Penny 
Society." It afterwards received a more liberal patron 
age, 1ms now a handsome capital, and is called " The 
Society for the Relief of the Destitute Sick." 

In July, 1786, Mrs. Graham attended the dying bed 
of her friend and patroness, Lady Glenorchy: this lady 
had shown her friendship in a variety of ways during 
her valuable life; she had one of Mrs. Graham s daugh 
ters for some time in her family condescended herself 



RESIDENCE IN EDINBURGH. 69 

to instruct her, and sent her for a year to a French 
boarding-school in Rotterdam. She defrayed all her ex 
penses while there, and furnished her with a liberal 
supply of pocket money, that she might not see distress 
without the power of relieving it. So much does a per 
son s conduct in maturer years depend upon the habits 
of early life, that it is wise to accustom young people 
to feel for and to contribute in their degree to the re 
lief of the afflicted and the needy. 

Lady Glenorchy was a character in whom was emi 
nently displayed the power of religion. Descended from 
an ancient family, married to the eldest son of the Earl 
of Broadalbaine, beautiful and accomplished, she was 
received into the first circles of society. With her hus 
band she made the tour of Europe, visiting the several 
courts on that continent. Yet all. these things she 
" counted but loss for the excellency of the knowledge 
of Christ Jesus her Lord." She became a widow while 
yet in the bloom of youth. She devoted herself to the 
service of the Lord, and was made singularly useful. 
She kept a regular account of her income, and of the 
different objects to which it was applied. She built and 
supported several chapels in England, and erected one 
in Edinburgh, in which pious ministers of different de 
nominations should be admitted to preach. 

She also built a manufactory for the employment of 
the poor, where the education of children was strictly 
attended to : even the porters lodges on each side of 
her gate were occupied as schools for the neighboring 
poor. Her pleasure-grounds were thrown open for the 
accommodation of the numbers who usually come from 
a distance to attend a communion season in Scotland. 



70 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

In a year of scarcity the same grounds were planted 
with potatoes for the supply of "the poor. She distributed 
with great judgment various sums of money in aid of 
families who were poor, yet deserving. She never en 
couraged idleness or pride, and often remarked that it 
was better to assist people to do well in the sphere 
which Providence had assigned them, than to attempt to 
raise them beyond it. There was so much wisdom in 
the active application of her charities, as to render them 
both efficient and extensive. She seldom was seen in 
these works of beneficence ; her object was to do good : 
the gratitude of those on whom she bestowed benefits 
was no part of her motive, or even of her calculation. 
What she did she did unto God, and in obedience to 
his commands : her faith and hope were in God. 

She contributed largely to the public institutions es 
tablished at Edinburgh in her day. Of one or two of the 
most useful she was the first to suggest the idea, always 
accompanying her recommendation with a handsome 
donation to encourage the work. 

The venerable Society for the Promotion of Christian 
Knowledge and Piety shared largely her patronage j 
and, at her death, she bequeathed them five thousand 
pounds. 

She indulged the hope of seeing a union of exertion, 
amongst all Christian denominations, for sending the 
Gospel to the heathen. How delighted would she have 
been with the Missionary Societies of London and else 
where, had her life been spared to behold their exten 
sive operations! 

She sold her estate of Barnton that she might apply 
the money to a more disinterested object than her per- 



RESIDENCE IN EDINBURGH. 71 

sonal accommodation, and that her fortune might be ex 
pended with her life. " I recollect here," said Saurin 
in one of his sermons, " an epitaph said to be engraven 
on the tomb of Atolus of Rheims : He exported his for 
tune before him into heaven by his charities he is gone 
thither to enjoy i7." 

This might be truly said of Lady Glenorchy. In her 
manner she discovered great dignity of character tem 
pered with the meekness and benevolence of the Gospel. 
Her family was arranged with much economy, and a 
strict regard to moral and religious habits. She usually 
supported some promising and pious young minister as 
her chaplain, which served him as an introduction to 
respectability in the church. With very few exceptions, 
all those who entered her family as servants were in 
process of time brought under religious impressions. 
So far it pleased the Lord to honor her pious endeavors 
to render her family one of the dwellings of the God 
of Jacob. 

Mrs. Graham had the honor of attending the death 
bed, and of closing the eyes of this distinguished child 
of God. It had been Lady Glenorchy s express desire 
that Mrs. Graham should be sent for if within twenty 
miles of her when such attendance should be necessary. 

The following letter to a daughter, two months later, 
gives us another illustration of the self-denial and anx 
iety for the salvation of the soul, with which Mrs. Graham 
personally ministered to the needy and the suffering, 
ar.d how skilfully she improved these scenes for the 
benefit of others. 



72 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

"EDINBURGH, September, 1786. 

"My DEAR DAUGHTER, Such a scene as I have been 

witness to! poor M. B is gone to her last 

abode her state is fixed for ever. I attended her sick 
bed for eisfht successive days and nights, except per 
haps for an hour that I lay down in the same room. I 
held by life to the very last, because I feared she was 
not in a fit state to die. 

"She took every medicine that was prescribed for 
her, which I administered with my own hand ; but the 
time appointed to end her mortal state had arrived, and 
go she must. She lived four days after the physicians 
had lost all hope, and I think I never witnessed greater 
distress. I watched every word with anxious care to 
find if any breath of prayer was to be heard ; but, alas ! 
I had no such satisfaction. As she was insensible after 
the first few days, it was not to be expected she could 
either think or pray. 

" Oh ! why will sinners resist the grace of God and 
spend the precious time given to seek and find it in 
thoughtless folly 1 What can they do, on such a bed 
of distress, who have no God! Time misspent and 
gone opportunities unimproved and gone calls re 
sisted never to be repeated death hunting the soul 
through every avenue of life a dreadful, unknown, un- 
thought of eternity at hand an awful Judge, and no 
Advocate secured to plead. A time was when a kind 
Savior was expostulating with them, Why will you die V 
Hear, and your soul shall live ; Ask and you shall 
receive ; Seek and you shall find ; Knock and it 
shall be opened unto you ; f Look unto me, all ye ends 
of the earth, and be ye saved f Let the wicked for- 



RESIDENCE IN EDINBURGH. 73 

*ake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, 
and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have 
mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundant 
ly pardon, Ho! every one that thirsteth, come ye 
to the waters. (Blessings purchased by Christ: par 
don of sin, reconciliation with God, new heart and spirit, 
all that is necessary for time and eternity.) He that 
hath no money, (no merit, no good about him, no claim 
upon any account whatever,) Come, buy and eat, with 
out money and without price j Why spend ye your 
money, (time, talents, affections, desires,) for that 
which is not bread, (and cannot satisfy j) incline your 
ear and come unto me; hear, and your soul shall live, 
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant. 
Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation ; 
to-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart. 

u Such is the language of the dear Redeemer to sin 
ners every day, in his written word, from the pulpit, 
and in the dispensations of his providence ; but oh! the 
madness of sinners who will not think, who will not at 
tend, will not apply to this Savior, whose sole errand into 
this world was to seek and to save sinners, yea, the very 
chief ; but they will not put their souls into his hands nor 
give him any service. A time will come, and we are fore 
warned of it, w r hen this same inviting Savior will say : 
Because I have called and ye refused, stretched out 
my hand and no man regarded, I also will laugh at your 
calamity, and will mock when your fear cometh. 

" Improve this dispensation, my dear child, beg of 
the Lord to search you and try you, and see that your 
hopes be well grounded. Your affectionate mother, 

I GRAHAM." 

3Tr. Grnliam 4 



74 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

The following to her beloved friend Mrs. Walker, 
shows the impressions made on the mind of Mrs. 
Graham by visiting the place of her nativity and the scene 
of her struggles with this world s adversity, when the 
hand of God was heavy upon her. 

" EDINBURGH, September. 1787. 

ct MY DEAR MADAM, I have been on a jaunt for nearly 
three weeks; my school mostly dismissed, the remain 
der I left with Miss S Goodness and mercy have 

followed me, and the Lord has taken care of my house 
also in my absence. Yours was put into my hand on my 
return, and brought fresh cause of thankfulness ; your 
observation, that we were mutually feeding on the same 
allowance, continues to hold. I too have been con 
sidering the works and doings of the Lord, and many of 
them have been renewed in my memory by the scenes 
[ have passed through. 

" I visited the seat of my juvenile years with my 
dear and only brother. There I recollected the days of 
my vanity, and the Lord s patience and long-suffering, 
my repenting, my returning, his pardoning, his blessing ; 
my backslidings, his stripes and chastisements, his re 
storing and recovering, yea, many and many times. 
There, too, I found my old acquaintances no more } 
most of them had finished their course under the sun ; 
some I could still clasp in the arms of faith) as united 
to the glorious Head, and now singing the song of 
Moses and the Lamb. From the idea of others, I was 
obliged to turn aw r ay and say, * The Judge of all the 
earth shall do right. 

" I recollected a lowly cottage, w r here lived a pious 
father, mother, two daughters, and a SOB ; where the 



RESIDENCE IN EDINBURGH. 75 

voice of prayer seldom ceased, the voice of complaint 
was seldom heard ; not one stone remained upon 
another ; only the bushes which surrounded it, and 
the ruins of a little garden, the seat of secret com 
munion of each with their God in turn ; for one litlie 
earth-floored place was all their house-convenience, and 
in the winter s storm their little cow-house, built un- 
dor the same humble roof, was their secret temple. I 
found three had gone to glory : of the other two I could 
learn no tidings ; but I shall see them one day in very 
different mansions. I saw others spreading like a green 
bay tree, adding field to field, and dwelling alone, ser 
vants and dependants excepted. 

"I saw my father s cottage, in the day when the 
Lord pressed him down, and the place where my dear 
glorified mother poured out many prayers for me and 
mine ; my own retirement too, after the vanity I had 
seen of human life, and when tired and sick of it, I 
sought to end my days in solitude, saying, it is enough ; 
here let thy servant depart in peace, and let my chil 
dren be reared in obscurity. Then I returned to the 
town where my husband had practised as a physician, 
where I had been respected and tasted largely of life s 
comfort. I saw the house we had lived in, and many ten 
der scenes passed j to this same town I had returned a 
widow, helpless and poor, neglected and forgotten. I 
saw the house where I had taught my little school, and 
earned my porridge, potatoes, and salt ; when I found 
myself totally neglected by some who once thought 
themselves honored by my acquaintance ; while others, 
once shining in affluence, were now reduced to humble 
dwellings. 



76 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

" The Lord has been saying, Know and consider all 
the way by which I have led thee, to prove thee, and 
try thee, to show thee what was in thine heart, that he 
might do thee good in thy latter end. He is now say 
ing, Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it witli thy 
might ; Occupy till I come. Oh, for a thankful heart, 
a loving, a zealous heart, a meek and humble heart ! 
Oh, for diligence and steadiness in the path of duty, a 
due sense of our own weakness and inability, of the 
Lord s power and all-sufficiency, and firm faith in the 

same ! Give my love to , she is the Lord s: her 

Heavenly Father mingles her cup j not one unnecessa 
ry bitter drop shall be put into it ; bid her trust in the 
Lord ; the time, the set time for deliverance shall come. 
I can witness, with many thousands on earth, and an 
innumerable company in heaven, that he is the best 
of masters. I have suffered much, yet not one word of 
all that he has said has failed. I expect to suffer more; 
but whatever bitter draughts may yet await me, 1 would 
not give one drop of my Heavenly Father s mixing for 
oceans of what the world styles felicity. I. GRAHAM." 

Under another date she adds: 

" When we trace the tenderness of our Daysman s 
conduct through the whole of his tabernacling here be 
low, and add to this the many gracious words which 
he spake, and to these again what were spoken by the 
disciples by his authority, can we refuse to cast all our 
mirdens on Him, and to trust Him with ourselves and 
them 1 You know how sweet it is, in the time of tu 
multuous distress, when the spirit is overwhelmed, 
when God s mercy seems clean gone for ever, and his 



RESIDENCE IN EDINBURGH. 77 

promise to fail, how sweet to get even a lean upon the 
Savior j but when he, as he does at times, takes the 
soul out of itself, and away from forebodings, reason 
ings and suppositions, to his own divine attributes, 
and gives it a believing view of its interest in theni 
all, in his wisdom as unerring, his power as almigh 
ty, his goodness as boundless, his faithfulness un 
changing ; when we add to these his humanity, and 
consider that our High Priest was in all points tempted 
as we are, yet without sin, and that he has a feeling for 
our infirmities ; when we find him listening to every 
petition a widowed mother for her son the centurion 
for his servant weeping with two sisters over a bro 
ther s grave embracing and blessing the little chil 
dren whom mothers, like you and me, pressed through 
the crowd, in spite of the reprehensions of disciples, 
to present to him accepting the effusions of Magda 
lene s penitent heart with tender consolation ; oh, how 
near does this bring the Divinity to us, and how sweet 
ly may we confide in such tenderness ! Oh, my friend, 
He rests in his love ! Let us rest in our confidence. 
All shall be well." 

When Dr. Witherspoon visited Scotland in the year 
1785 he had frequent conversations with Mrs. Graham 
on the subject of her removal to America. She gave 
him at this time some reason to calculate on her going 
thither as soon as her children should have completed 
the course of education she had proposed for them 
She had entertained a strong partiality for America 
ever since her former residence there, and had indulged 
a secret expectation of returning. It was her opinion, 



78 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

and that of many pious people, that America was the 
country where the Church of Christ would pre-emi 
nently flourish. She was therefore desirous to leave 
her offspring there. 

After some correspondence with Dr. Witherspoon, 
and consultation with pious friends, her plan received 
the approbation of the latter ; and having had an invi 
tation from many respectable characters in the city of 
New-York, with assurances of patronage and support, 
she arranged her affairs for quitting Edinburgh. The 
Algerines being then at war with the United States, 
her friends insisted on her chartering a small British 
vessel to carry herself and family to the port of New- 
York. This increased her expenses; but Providence, 
in faithfulness and mercy, sent her at this time a remit 
tance from Dr. Henderson, the young friend of Dr. Gra 
ham, who succeeded him as surgeon of the regiment ; 
and a legacy of two hundred pounds bequeathed her by 
Lady Glenorchy, as a mark of her regard, was now of 
great use to her. 

Thus in the month of July, 1789, Mrs. Graham once 
more prepared to go info a land which the Lord seemed 
to tell her of. 

The two following extracts from her private journal 
indicate the state of her mind and heart previous to 
leaving Edinburgh. 

" EDINBURGH, March, 1789. 

" Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them 
dive ; and let thy widows trust in me ;" Jer. 4-9 : 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 



RESIDENCE 12s EDINBURGH. 79 

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 mo 
ney, 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 ; support 
ing character and credit, making a 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 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 chief matter of my 
prayers. The salvation and the life I have wrestled for 
is that which Christ died to purchase, and lives to be 
stow even spiritual life, and salvation from sin. My 
God knows I have held fast this view of the words, seek 
ing first the kingdom of God for my children, leaving 
temporals to be given or withheld, as may best suit with 
the conversion and sanctification of their souls. I have 
not asked for them health, beauty, riches, honor, or 
temporal life ; God knows what share of these consists 
with their better interests ; let him give or withhold 
accordingly. One thing I have asked of the Lord, one 
thing only, and will persist in asking, trust in him for, 
and for which I think I have his promise even the life 
of their and my soul. 1 Thess. 5 : 23, is my petition for 
me and mine ; verse 24, my anchor of hope, preceded 
by Jeremiah 49 : 11." 



80 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

"EDINBURGH, March 17, 1789. 

" This day from the head of his own table did the 

Lord, by his servant Mr. R , proclaim his name the 

I AM, and called on me to write under what I would, 
for time and eternity. My soul rejoices that God is, 
and that he is what he isj nothing less than himself can 
content me, nothing more do I desire. 

" This great I AM is my portion what can I ask be 
side 1 He hath opened my eyes to see his excellency; 
he hath determined my will, to choose him for my por 
tion. He hath arranged and set in order a rich testa 
ment sealed by the blood of his own Son, containing 
every blessing for time and for eternity. All my heart s 
desire is there promised, and faith given to believe there 
shall be a full performance. What have I to say then, 
but Amen, do as thou hast said] Father, glorify thy 
name. Thou hast said, then will I sprinkle clean wa 
ter upon you, and ye shall be clean ; from all your filthi- 
ness and from all your idols will I cleanse you. A new 
heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put 
within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of 
your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh ; and I 
will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in 
my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do 
them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to 
your fathers ; and ye shall be my people, and I will be 
your God. Amen ; Lord, do as thou hast said. Behold, 
I take hold of thy covenant for myself and for my chil 
dren. It is well ordered in all things, and it is sure. 
My heart accords to every part of it. Wilt thou guide 
us by thy counsel while we live, and afterwards receive 
us to thy glory 1 Amen and Amen do as thou hast said. 



RESIDENCE IN NEW-YORK. 81 

" If we forsake thy laws, and go astray j if we depart 
from thee and break thy commandments, wilt thou visit 
our faults with rods, and our sins with chastisements. 
Blessed promise, Amen, Lord, do as thou hast said: 
seeing thy loving-kindness is secured to us, and thou 
wilt not cast us off from being thy people, nor alter that 
which thou hast spoken ; wilt thou keep us as the apple 
of thine eye ! wilt thou cover us with the shadow of thy 
wingl Art thou my Husband! art thou the Father of 
rny fatherless children 1 wilt thou be the stay of these 
orphans, and their and my shield in a strange land 1 wilt 
thou perfect what concerns us! wilt thou care for us! 
wilt thou never leave us, never forsake us ? in the valley 
of the shadow of death shall thy rod and staff support 
us ! What can thy servant say but Amen, do as thou 
hast said !" 



CHAPTER IV. 

SCHOOL IN NEW-YORK DEATH OF HER PASTOR DR. JOHN 
MASON LAST NEWS OF HER SON. 

Mrs. Graham, after a pleasant though tedious voyage, 
landed in New-York on the 8th day of September, 1789, 
where she and her family were received with the great 
est cordiality and confidence. The late Rev. Dr. Rod- 
gers and Rev. Dr. John Mason were especially kind to 
her. She came eminently prepared to instruct her pupils 
in all the higher branches of female education ; and the 

4* 



1 Z LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

favorable change effected by her exertions was soon 
visible in the minds, manners, and accomplishments of 
the young ladies committed to her care. She opened 
her school on the 5th of October, 1789, with five scho 
lars, and before the end of the same month the number 
increased to fifty. She not only imparted knowledge to 
her pupils, but also, by her conversation and example, 
prepared their minds to receive it in such a manner as 
to apply it to practical advantage. While she taught 
them to regard external accomplishments as ornaments 
to the female character, she was careful to recommend 
the practice of virtue as the highest accomplishment of 
all, and to inculcate the principles of religion as the 
only solid foundation for morality and virtue. The an 
nual examinations of her scholars were always well at 
tended, and gave great satisfaction. General Washing 
ton while at New-York honored her with his patronage. 
The venerable and amiable Bishop of the Episcopal 
Church in the state of New-York, then the Kev. Dr. 
Benjamin Moore, was never once absent from those ex 
aminations. She was sensible of his friendship, and al 
ways spoke of him in terms of great esteem and respect. 
She united in communion with the church under the 
pastoral care of the Rev. Dr. Mason. This excellent 
man was her faithful friend and wise counsellor. Under 
his ministry her two daughters, Joanna and Isabella, 
joined the church in the year 1791. Her eldest daugh 
ter Jessie, who had made a profession of religion in 
Scotland, was married in July, 1790, to Mr. Hay Steven 
son, merchant of New-York, and she became a member 
of the church under the care of Dr. Rodgers, where her 
husband attended. 



RESIDENCE IN SEW-fORK. 83 

In the year 1791 her son, who had been left in Scot 
land to complete his education, paid his mother a visit. 
Mrs. Graham, considering herself as inadequate to the 
proper management of a son, had at an early period of 
his life sent him to the care of a friend, who had pro 
mised to pay due attention to his morals and education. 
The boy had a w 7 arni affectionate heart, but possessed, 
at the same time, a bold and fearless spirit. Such a 
disposition, under proper management, might have been 
formed into a noble character ; but he was neglected, 
arid left in a great measure to himself by his first 
preceptor. 

For two years of his life he v/as under the care of 
Mr. Murray, teacher of an academy at Abercorn. He 
was a man truly qualified for his station. He instructed 
his pupils with zeal ; led even their amusements ; and 
to an exemplary piety added the faithful counsel of a 
friend. He loved, and was therefore beloved. Under 
his superintendence John Graham improved rapidly, 
and gained the affections of his teacher and companions. 
Happy for him had he continued in such a suitable situa 
tion. He was removed to Edinburgh to receive a more 
classical education. Being left there by his mother and 
sisters, the impetuosity of his temper and a propensity 
for a sea-faring life induced his friends to place him as 
an apprentice in the merchant-service. He was ship 
wrecked on the coast of Holland, and Mr. Gibson, of 
Rotterdam, a friend of Mrs. Graham took him to his 
house, and enabled him to come to the United States. 
He remained at New-York for some months. His mo 
ther deemed it his duty to return to Scotland to com 
plete his time of service. He evidently inclined io 



84 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

the profession of a sailor ; she therefore fitted him out 
handsomely, and he embarked for Greenock in the 
same ship with Mr. John M. Mason, the only son of Dr. 
John Mason, who went to attend the theological lec 
tures at the Divinity Hall in Edinburgh. 

The following extract shows the anguish of Mrs. 
Graham s mind in parting with her son, and how she 
cast him upon the covenant mercy of her God, placing 
a blank, as to temporal things, in her Lord s hand, but 
holding on with a fervent faith and hope to the promise 
of spiritual life. 

"NEW-YORK, May 20, 1791. 

44 This day my only son left me in bitter wringings 
of heart : he is again launched on the ocean, God s 
ocean. The Lord saved him from shipwreck, brought 
him to my home, and allowed me once more to indulge 
the yearning of my heart over him. Short has been the 
time he has been with me, and ill .have I improved it : 
he is gone from my sight, and my heart bursts with 
tumultuous grief. Lord, have mercy on the widow s 
son the only son of his mother, and she a widow! 

" I ask nothing in all this world for him : I repeat 
my petition save his soul alive ; give him salvation 
from sin. It is not the danger of the seas that distress 
es me j it is not the hardships he must undergo j it 
is not the dread of never smeing him more in this world : 
it is because I cannot discern the fulfilment of the pro 
mise in him. I discern not the new birth nor its fruits, 
but every symptom of captivity to Satan, the world, and 
self-will. This, O this is what distresses me : and in 
connection with this, his being shut out from ordinan- 



RESIDENCE IN NEW-YORK. 85 

ces. at a distance from Christians ; and shut up with 
those who forget God, profane his name, and break 
his Sabbaths. 

" Lord, many wonders hast thou shown me ; thy 
ways of dealing with me and mine have not been com 
mon ; add this wonder to the rest : call, convert, regen 
erate, and establish a sailor in the faith. Lord, all things 
are possible with thee : glorify thy Son, and extend 
his kingdom by sea and land ; take the prey from the 
strong. I roll him over upon thee. Many friends try to 
comfort me ; miserable comforters are they all. Thou 
art the G od of consolation ; only confirm to me thy 
gracious word, on which thou causedst me to hope in 
the day when thou saidst to me, Leave thy fatherless 
children, I will preserve them alive. Only let this life 
be a spiritual life, and I put a blank in thy hand as to 
all temporal things. I wait for thy salvation. Amen." 

Three months afterwards she learned that a press- 
gang had boarded the ship in which her son was, and 
although he was saved from their grasp by a stratagem 
of the passengers, yet all his effects were taken away 
from him. In the following reflections on this event, the 
anxious mother shows that she would not withdraw the 
blank she had put into her Redeemer s hands. 

"NEW-YORK, August 18, 1791. 

" Thus far the Lord hath tried me, and kept me 
to my choice. This night I have tidings, through a 
letter to Dr. M. that my son has been seized by the 
press-gang. Through God s help he escaped ; but all 
his assortment of necessaries that his sisters and I made 



86 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

up with so much care, labor, and expense, they have 
carried off, and he is once more left naked. Satan 
and a corrupt heart unite in tempting me to complain. 
Dare I utter a word or harbor a murmuring thought 1 
Would I withdraw the blank I have put into the Re 
deemer s hand 1 Has he not hitherto done all things 

C&gt; 

well ! Have not my own afflictions been my greatest 
blessings I Have not I asked for my children their 
mother s portion 1 Has not God chiefly made use of 
afflictions as means of hedging me in, and shutting me 
up to my choice of this portion, as well as showing me 
that He is a sufficient portion without any other ! 
When matters have been at the worst with me as to 
this world, my triumphs in God have been highest, and 
prospects for eternity brightest. 

"Has the Lord given me in some measure victory 
over the world ! Do its honors, riches, and gaudy 
splendor appear to me empty and vain, and not worth 
an anxious thought 1 Does provision of food and rai 
ment by the way through this wilderness seem all that 
is necessary 1 and is it my wish, as well as form of 
prayer, that the Lord may give that in kind and degree 
which he sees fittest for me ! And shall I covet that 
for my child which I despise for myself! Alas ! Lord, 
it is because he feeds not on better things, and some 
times I fear he has no better portion. Still, still foolish. 
Was it when I was full, or when in want, that I returned 
to my heavenly Father 1 Do I desire, have I asked and 
persisted in asking for my children, salvation from 
sin and self I Do I anxiously wish them to reach and 
to surpass my present measure of submission and resig 
nation to thy will to enjoy God in all things, and no- 



RESIDENCE IJS T NEW-YORK. 87 

thing without him 1 And shall I, dare I complain when 
I see the Lord making use of the same means which 
first brought me to myself, and recovered me also from 
numberless backslidings since I first tasted the blessed 
ness of his chosen 1 

" Lord, I renew my blank. I afresh roll them all over 
upon thee. I will try to look on, in the faith that all 
things shall work together for good to their souls, and 
that I shall yet see the day, or if I see it not, that it will 
come, when they shall bow at thy footstool, sink into 
the open arms of thy mercy in Christ, melted down in 
holy, humble, acquiescing, cordial submission to thy se 
verest dealings with them ; when thou shalt put a new 
song into their mouths, and they shall sing as I do now, 
It hath been very good for me that I have been afflict 
ed. l l wait for thy salvation. Amen." 

Again we mark her trust in God in the more com 
mon events of life, and her gratitude in the reception of 
blessings from his hand. 

11 NEW- YORK, September, 1791. 

11 Many have been my burdens of late ; strangers laid 
upon me to provide for, even when I thought I had not 
sufficient to give to all their due and provide for my 
own family. But what is that to me ; the Lord increases 
business, lays more largely to hand, bears me and my 
burdens, provides for me and strangers. Lord, it is al. 
well : give when thou wilt, and call for it again when 
and for what purpose thou wilt ; it is thine own. 1 am 
thine, and all that thou givest me is thine ; the world 
calls it mine, but I call it thine. If it be thy will, lead 



88 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

me in a plain path, or if thou lead me by a way which 
I know not, hold up my goings, so shall I be in peace 
and safety still. Amen." 

" NEW-YORK, October 10, 1791. 

" This day did the Lord s sent servant, in a solemn 
manner, take us all to witness, and call in the witness 
of angels, that \ve had once more avouched ourselves 
to be the Lord s, and that once more Christ and his sal 
vation had been offered to all within the walls. This 
same day, for the second time, have my two daughters 
sat down at the Redeemer s table among his professing 
people, and, I have reason to think, given their hearty 
assent to his covenant. 

" Glory ! glory ! glory ! to the hearer of prayer. I 
have cast my fatherless children on the Lord, and he 
has begun to make good my confidence. One thing, one 
only thing have I asked for them, leaving every thing 
else to be bestowed or withheld as consisting with that : 
I seek for my four children and myself, first of all, the 
kingdom of God. 

" My God from day to day adds many other comforts, 
and strengthens my hopes by promising appearances, 
that the grain of mustard seed is sown in the hearts of 
my three daughters. They have joined themselves to 
the people of God, and I have reason to think the Lord 
has ratified their surrender of themselves to him ; he 
has made them willing for the time, and he will hedge 
them in to the choice they have made. 

"Saturday, September, 1791, the Lord made me a 
grandmother, assisted my poor weakly girl, and gave a 
son to her and my arms. There was joy that a man 



RESIDENCE IN NEW-YORK. 8$ 

child was born into the world, and according to thy 
word * she remembered no more the anguish. 

" Thanks be to God for this salvation j but, Lord, this 
is but a small thing with thee. Look, look on this 
twig from a guilty stock; poor, helpless, feeble crea 
ture, it can do nothing for its body, and still less for its 
soul. O God of the spirits of all flesh, give it a plunge 
in the blood of Jesus cleanse, O cleanse him from ori 
ginal sin, and now, even now, in thy own sovereign 
and mysterious way, sow the grain of mustard seed in 
his soul." 

In the spring of 1792 Mrs. Graham and her family 
were called to a severe trial by the translation of their 
beloved pastor, Dr. Mason, to a better world. A few 
months before his decease, whilst preaching to his peo 
pie, his recollection failed, his sermon was gone from 
his mind, and he sat down in his pulpit unable to pro 
ceed. After a short pause he arose and addressed his 
people in a pious and affectionate strain; he considered 
this event as a call from his heavenly Master to expect 
a speedy dismission from the earth, and solemnly ad 
monished them also to be prepared for the will of God. 
His people, who loved him, were affected to tears. An 
illness soon followed, which terminated in the death of 
the body. He departed on the night when Mrs. Graham 
took her turn of watching with him, and she closed his 
eyes, which she always accounted a privilege and honor 
bestowed upon her by her Divine Master. But this 
tender and affecting scene is best described in a letter 
which she wrote to her sympathizing friend Mrs. 
Walker, of Edinburgh. 



90 LIFE OF MKS. GRAHAM. 

" NEW-YORK, April, 1792, Sabbath noo^ 
tf MY DEAR MADAM, It is not my custom to take my 
pen on this day even to write to a Christian friend, 
having occasion for the whole time with my family or 
in secret with my God; but I cannot go to dinner, I 
cannot eat, I cannot talk to my girls ; my heart must 
bleed afresh on the same altar upon which it has often 
been pierced. O, madam, my dear Dr. Mason goes, and 
leaves me here alone : in all probability his course is 
nearly finished, and his crown awaits him. Five physi 
cians now attend him closely. I have seen him often, 
and he says, All is well, all will be well. Of the phy 
sicians he said, * Yes, yes, it is very well they are use 
ful men in God s hand they may be instrumental in 
patching up the tabernacle a little. If it be raised to 
usefulness I am content ; if not to usefulness, I do not 
desire it. I feel no concern about the issue of this; the 
will of the Lord be done. 

" I say Amen ; but, Oh, I feel alone. I should need 
large communications from his Master to fill up this 
blank. I cannot write for w r eeping ; now my face is so 
swelled I cannot go to church. I called at his house 
this morning, found the doctors in the parlor, and 
learned from them the worst. The bell was ringing for 
church. I stifled as much as possible my grief; would 
fain have come home to give it vent, but durst not be 
absent from the house of God. I heard a stranger in 
Doctor Rodger s church; our doors are closed; his 
text was, r Henceforth I call you not servants but 
friends * he ran the parallel between human friend 
ship and that subsisting between Christ and his disci 
ples. I ought to be comforted, nay, I am comforted. 



RESIDENCE IN NEW-YORK. 91 

" The Bible lies open before me ; it is full of conso 
lation ; but all is in prospect. I look at God, what he is 
in himself, what he is to his people now, and what 
he will be to eternity ; the consolations of hope are 
mine ; but, for the present, I feel like the sparrow on 
the house-top, or like a pelican in the wilderness ; and 
when I think on my years and the robustness of my 
constitution, and that I may have a long journey before 
me, I am not able to look at it. At the same time, 
when I consider my children, who, having lost their 
pastor, who bore them on his heart to the throne of 
grace, have double need of a mother, I dare not in 
dulge a wish, far less put up a petition for release. Oh, 
that I could get under the influence of that spirit which 
I have witnessed in my dear pastor, that entire confi 
dence in God, that perfect resignation to his will, 
that complacency in all he has done, is doing, or will 
do, that rest in God, of which he seems to be put in 
possession even now, while his breast is laboring and 
heaving like a broken bellows, and he cannot fetch one 
full breath. Oh, what cannot God effect ! 

" Sunday Evening. I have again seen my dear pas 
tor, and discern the clay dissolving fast. The words of 
dying saints are precious, and his are few. He thus ac 
costed me: "I am just waiting the will of God ; for 
the present I seem a useless blank in his hand ; I can 
say very little; be not too anxious for my life, but 
transfer your care to the church ; my life or death is 
but a trifle ; if the Lord have any use for me, it is easy 
for him to raise me up still; and if he do, it will be 
agreeable to observe his hand distinct from men; if he 
should not, you will all be cared for ; leave all to him 



LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 



and seek his glory." He could say no more, nor will I 
to-night, but address myself to our Lord on his behalf, 
yours, my own, and our dear concerns. 

" Several days have elapsed since I last wrote ; our 
dear Doctor still lives, often recruits, and again is re 
dticedj but man can do no more ; my last page, before 
the vessel sails, shall be of him. 

"As to myself and family, we are as the Lord would 
have it with us, and, I make no doubt, as we need. Bu 
siness very full ; a house full of boarders, and about 
sixty scholars. I begin to feel the effects of fatigue or 
age, I know not which. The almond-tree flourishes ; 
those that look out at the windows begin to be darken 
ed; but the keepers of the house stand firm, and all the 
wheels and springs discharge their office, though more 
heavily ; there is no judging of my days by present ap 
pearances. Well, let me once more return to my rest 
God ; commit my way to him, who shall bring to pass 
what is best, and in the end shall complete my happi 
ness. 

" Jlpril 23, Monday. it is finished. My dear Minis 
ter s bitter draught is over. On Thursday, the 19th of 
this month, a quarter before ten o clock A. M. the Lord 
received his spirit and laid his weary flesh to rest. He 
had a sore conflict with the king of terrors, who seemed 
allowed to revel through every part of his mortal frame : 
his legs were mortified to his knees ; he had not been 
able to lie down for four weeks, and died in his chair 
Like his Master, he groaned, but never complained : 
he had a draught of his Master s cup, but the bitter in 
gredient, desertion, made no part of it. I had the honor 
to close his dear eyes, and to shut those dear lips from 



RESIDENCE IN NEW-YORK. 93 

whence so many precious truths have proceeded, and 
to mix with the ministering spirits who attended to hail 
the released. This honor I had desired, but did not 
reckon myself worthy, and hardly hoped for it ; but the 
Lord saw the wish, though never formed into a petition, 
and indulged me. I bless him for it. And now farewell, 
human friendships, let me gird up the loins of my mind, 
&nd run with patience the little further, looking unto Je 
sus, and following also him, my pastor, * who, through 
faith and patience, now inherits the promises. 

" This is a great work finished. Dr. Mason was a 
city set on a hill. He was with the army during all 
the war after the evacuation of New- York ; had great 
influence over the soldiers ; preached the Gospel of 
peace uniformly, but never meddled with politics, 
though he was fully capable. In every situation the 
Lord supported him in uniformity and consistency of 
character, and carried him through without a single 
spot or stain. Glory to God in the highest for this re 
peated proof of his faithfulness. * Mark the perfect 
man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is 
peace. I. GRAHAM." 

Great was the grief of Dr. Mason s congregation on 
his removal. In him, to great learning were united 
meekness, prudence, diligence, and knowledge of the 
world, and an affectionate superintendance of the in 
terests, spiritual and temporal, of his flock. He so ar 
ranged his avocations and studies in regard to time, 
that he had always a few hours in the afternoon to de 
vote to visiting the families of his congregation. So 
regular was the order he observed, that Mrs. Graham 



9i LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

and her family knew when to calculate on seeing him, 
and always expected him with the anticipation of profit 
and pleasure. Once every week they were sure of seeing 
him, if in health. His visits were short, his conversa 
tion serious, awakening, instructive, and affectionate. 
He inquired about their temporal affairs, and in cases 
of difficulty gave them his best advice. His counsels 
were salutary ; his knowledge of the world and his 
discrimination of character rendered him well qualified 
to advise. In one of his visits to Mrs. Graham she 
mentioned to him the want of good servants as one of 
her trials. "Mrs. Graham," said he, "have you ever 
prayed to the Lord to provide good servants for you 1 
Nothing which interests our comfort is too minute for 
the care of our Heavenly Father." 

To one of her daughters, who felt a strong inclina 
tion to profess her faith in Christ by joining the com 
munion of his church, but yet was afraid that her heart 
was not sufficiently engaged for the service of God, Dr. 
Mason proposed the following question: "If," said he, 
"the world, with all its wealth, pleasures, and power, 
were placed in one scale, and Christ alone in the other, 
which would your heart freely choose as a portion 1" 
On her replying there would be no hesitation as to her 
choice of Christ, he gave her encouragement to profess 
her faith, although it might not at present amount to 
the full assurance of hope. 

He was indeed a faithful shepherd of his flock, and 
his people mourned for him as for an affectionate father. 
It is much to be desired that his example were more fol 
lowed by Christian pastors. To preach with eloquence 
and acceptance is a talent of great value in a minister 



RESIDENCE IN MEW-YORK. 95 

of the Gospel ; this makes him respected, and his con 
gregation admire him, because, for one reason, they are 
proud of him; but to gain their affections, to make a 
congregation the children of an aged pastor, or the 
friends and brethren of a younger one, let the minister 
visit the families of his people ; this will seal on their 
hearts the regard which their understandings had al 
ready dictated. 

Very few ministers have been more remarkable for a 
strict attention to this duty, than the late Dr. John Ma 
son and his venerable and attached friend Dr. Rodgers. 
When the former died, the latter exclaimed, " I feel as 
if I had lost a right arm !" 

The congregation, bereaved of their pastor, wrote im 
mediately to his son, the late Rev. Dr. John Mitchell 
Mason, to hasten his return from Edinburgh to New- 
York ; and after preaching to them with great accept 
ance for several months, he was ordained and installed 
pastor of the church in April, 1792. Mrs. Graham en 
tertained for him the most affectionate attachment, and 
this attachment was reciprocal. 

At this date we find some of Mrs. Graham s delight 
ful devotional exercises. 

"New- York, 1793. 

"Blessed Lord, thou hast, to the praise of thy grace, 
given me the heritage of them that fear thy name ; thou 
hast prepared my heart to pray and inclined thy ear to 
hear; thou hast drawn me into thy fold, and hast fed me 
in thy green pastures. I rejoice in Israel s Shepherd; 
not one of his flock shall be lost. Often have I wander- 
ed from his presence and sought pasture among the 



i) LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

swine, but my Shepherd has ever drawn or driven me 
back. He has a rod and I have felt it ; but I bless the 
hand and kiss the rod. 

" Oh, how wonderful to look back and see all the way 
by which he has led me, to prove me, to try me, to show 
me what was in my heart, that he might do me good at 
my latter end. Amen, my God, I leave myself in thy 
hands. I should lose myself; but thou wilt keep me 
from foes without and foes within. What then have I 
to care for 1 My Shepherd careth for all ; he slumbers 
not nor sleeps, and he will perfect what concerns me j 
of this I am as sure as that I now u rite it. 

" The law of thy mouth is better unto me than gold 
and silver. how I love thy law, it is my meditation 
all the day. Thou, through thy commandments, (or the 
whole of thy truth,) hast made me wiser than my teach 
ers. The law of God makes the simple wise. How 
sweet are thy words unto my taste, yea, sweeter than 
honey to my mouth. Through thy precepts I get under 
standing, therefore I hate every false way. Thy word 
is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. How 
safe, how happy are they who are taught by the word of 
God ! f Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and 
blood hath not taught thee this, but my Father who is 
in heaven. 

tf O my children ! enrich your minds with a full ac 
quaintance w r ith the word of God ! lay it up in your me 
mories, when you can do nothing more j be assured, if 
ever you are made wise unto salvation, it must be by 
this Avord ; if ever you are taught of God, he will teach 
you by the words contained in the Bible. Search the 
Scriptures, for they are they which testify of me j search 



RESIDENCE IN NEW-YORK. 97 

the Scriptures, for in them are contained the words of 
eternal life. f Be followers of them who, through faith 
and patience, now inherit the promises. 

" Holy David went forward, heavenward, improving 
in the knowledge of God, of himself, and of God s plan 
of salvation for ruined sinners, by studying" the word, 
the works, and the providences of God, but chiefly the 
word of God ; praying for, watching for the influences 
of God s Spirit on his judgment and thinking powers : 
it was by this that he became wiser than his teachers. 
He was a king, and had the cares of the nation to occu 
py his mind ; he was a man of war, and had that art to 
study. But, O the privilege of the Christian! he goes 
through every part, even of his earthly way, leaning 
upon God. David could say, even of war, The Lord 
teaches my hands to war, and my fingers to fight. 
r The Lord subdues the people under me. In temporals 
and in spirituals, he is my shield, my strength, my buck 
ler, my strong tower. * I shall not fear what man can 
do unto me. In Judah s land God is well known j there 
he brake the spear, the bow, and the battle. He as 
cribes all to God. We hear nothing of his own wisdom, 
his disciplined armies, his order of battle and warlike 
powers, though attention to all these was his duty, and 
not neglected by him. He devoted all his natural talents 
to God ; he exercised them diligently, but still he knew 
and acted under the influence of that knowledge, that 
* unless the Lord build the house, the builders lose their 
pains ; unless the Lord keep the city, the watchmen 
watch in vain. He, as well as worldly men, chose the 
means best adapted to the end proposed. Let natural 
men assert, and let it be admitted, that David knew bet- 
Mrs. Graham. 5 



98 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

ter how to use a sling and a stone, than mail, helmet, 
and sword ; therefore he chose them. But follow David 
until he meets the hostile foe. Do we hear a word of 
his art as a slinger, as a marksman ? though we may 
suppose he was expert at both. Thou comest to me 
with a sword, a spear, and a shield; but I come in the 
name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of 
Israel whom thou hast defied ; and this assembly shall 
know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear, 
(these are not essential,) for the battle is the Lord s, 
and he will give you into our hands. 

" How comfortably might Christians go through life 
did they walk with God in their daily business and oc 
cupations, carefully observing the leadings of provi 
dence, cautiously avoiding either running before or lag 
ging behind; but in all things making their requests 
known to God; at all times committing their way to 
him, being careful about nothing, but to use with dili 
gence the means of grace, and also the means of ac 
quiring the good things of life, leaving the issues of both 
to God, in the full assurance that what is good the Lord 
will give. Trust in the Lord, and do good ; so shalt 
thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. In 
spirituals and in temporals, the hand of the diligent 
maketh rich. Be not slothful in business, fervent in 
spirit, serving the Lord. 

" Lord, teach me thy law graciously, in all its perfec 
tion, its extent, order, beauty and harmony, and grant 
me all the assistance provided to enable a lost, depraved, 
corrupted child of Adam, to set out in thy good ways, to 
go forward, and to finish in the same course ; and all the 
consolation, joy, and peace which thou hast provided 



RESIDENCE IN NEW-YORK. 99 

to be enjoyed in a measure even here, and to be per 
fected in the world to come. Amen." 

" Hosea, 14. Israel, return unto the Lord, for thou 
hast fallen by thine iniquity. Yes, fallen, how fallen 
from God the only good, the fountain of happiness ! 
Lost his image, which was the glory of man in para 
dise ! Lost that sweet complacency and delight in his 
perfections and attributes which innocence enjoyed! 
Lost rectitude of reason and judgment ! No longer can 
we judge of excellence, no longer love what God loves. 
Our wills no longer straight with his will, but crooked, 
opposing God, and choosing evil instead of good. f Oh 
Israel ! thou hast destroyed thyself, but in me is thy 
help. Amen, says my soul, in thee is my help." 

" NEW-YORK, October 3, 1793. 

" Isaiah, 44 : 5. * One shall say, I am the Lord s, and 
another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and 
another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and 
surname himself by the name of Israel. 

" I, as one, subscribe to the truth of all that God has 
said : I, as one, subscribe my assent to all he has done 
I set my Amen to his well-ordered covenant, well ordered 
in all things and sure. And this is the covenant, even 
Christ, the sum and substance, for he hath given him to 
be a covenant of the people. The whole and every part 
of it is God s covenant. To me it must be a testament, 
the New Testament in Christ s blood. To me it must 
be a covenant of gifts and promises. I can be no party, 
having nothing to give ; nothing with which to cove 
nant. He hath said, * Thou hast destroyed thyself, but 
in me is thy help. Amen. Be my help, my deliverer! 



100 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

" Look unto me, all ye ends of the earth, and be 
saved ; for I am God, and there is none else. I do look 
unto thee alone for salvation. Thou art God; there is 
none else : besides thee there is no Savior. 

" I will pour water on the thirsty, and floods on the 
parched ground. I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, 
and my blessing upon thy offspring. Amen. I yield 
my soul into thy hand, dry and parched, to receive thy 
showers of reviving, quickening, fructifying grace." 

Writing about this date to her beloved friend Mrs 

O , of Edinburgh, Mrs. Graham, for the encourage 

ment of her friend, gives her, in confidence, the follow 
ing record of her own Christian experience : 

" It is now, I think, thirty-five years since I simply, 
but solemnly, accepted of the Lord s Christ, as God s 
gift to a lost world. I rolled my condemned, perishing, 
corrupted soul upon this Jesus, exhibited in the Gospel 
as a Savior from sin. My views then were dark com 
pared with what they now are : but this I remember, 
that at the time I felt heart-satisfying trust in the mercy 
of God, as the purchase of Christ ; and for a time re 
joiced with joy scarce supportable, singing almost con 
tinually the 103d Psalm. 

" I took a view of the promises of God, and wrote 
out many of them, and called them mine ; and among 
the foremost was that in Psalm 89 : 30-33 ; and well 
has the Lord kept me to it, and made it good : for, my 
dear friend, never was there a more unsteady, unwatch- 
ful Christian; never did the children of Israel s conduct 
in the wilderness depict any Christian s heart and con- 



RESIDENCE IN NEW-YORK. 101 

duct in the Gospel-times better than mine; and just so 
has the Lord dealt with me. When he slew me, then I 
trusted in him ; when he gave me carnal ease and com 
fort, I forgot my Rock and rebelled. Often did I stumble 
too from legality, instead of looking at my own weak 
ness and impotence, and trusting wholly in my Re 
deemer s strength. I was wroth with myself, wondered 
at myself, and thought it impossible I could be as I had 
been. I made strong resolutions, yea, vows, and became 
a slave in means to hedge in this wandering, worldly, 
vain, flighty heart ; but, alas ! a few months found me 
where I was, with scarce a thought of God from morn 
ing to night; prayer huddled over in words that had no 
effect on my heart ; and the fear of hell the chief re 
straint from sin or spur to duty. Then, in general, the 
Lord had some affliction for me, which laid me afresh 
at his feet, and made me take a fresh grasp of Christ, 
and a fresh view of his covenant : then again I felt safe 
ty, joy, peace and happiness. 

" Thus, by line upon line, by precept upon precept, ay, 
and by stripe upon stripe, he taught me that I could not 
walk a moment alone. This is now my fixed faith; and 
in proportion as I keep it in sight, I walk safely ; but 1 
still forget, and still stumble and still fall ; but I am lift 
ed up and taught lesson after lesson ; and I shall stum 
ble and shall fall while sin is in me ; but the last stum 
ble shall come, and the last stripe shall be laid on, and 
the last lesson taught, and that which concerns me shall 
be perfected. O ! then shall I look back, and see all 
the way by which he has led me, to prove me and try 
me, and show me what was in my heart, that he might 
do me good in my latter end. 



102 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

" I am often, even in this valley of darkness and igno 
rance, allowed this retrospective view; and am led to 
say not one word of all that he promised has failed. Hith 
erto the Lord hath helped, he hath been the guide of my 
youth, and even unto hoar hairs will he lead me ; and 
when he calls me to pass through the valley of the sha 
dow of death, I shall even then fear no evil, for his rod 
and staff shall support me ; and I shall enter into the 
presence of my Redeemer, white and clean drest in his 
most perfect righteousness ; angels and saints shall 
know me in this glorious robe ; my Redeemer will ac 
knowledge me as his ransomed, and I shall be for ever 
with the Lord." 

To Mr. A, D., Edinburgh. 

" NEW-YORK, 1793. 

"1 have just been reading over my dear friend s pre 
cious letters, and am refreshed anew by the same truths 
and uniform experience of every Christian; which all 
amounts to this, that the Lord is the portion of his peo 
pie, and that whom he loves, he loves to the end. My 
soul melts with tenderness when I recollect my fellow- 
travellers in the wilderness ; those dear associates with 
whom I have so often taken sweet counsel ; who so of 
ten comforted me with the same comforts with which 
they themselves were comforted. I am also led to re 
collect some who have finished their warfare ; some 
whose trials were sharp and long ; but who, through the 
same grace in which we trust, were steadfast to the 
end ; and now inherit a crown of life the reward of 
grace, not of debt. 

" I rejoice to hear that your children are promising ; I 



RESIDENCE IN NEW-YORK. 103 

think it is the greatest comfort a parent can enjoy in 
this world. I have a large share of it in my three 
daughters j but my prodigal is not come to himself j he 
still feeds on husks, nor thinks of the plenty in his Fath 
er s house. I had great hopes last winter ; I heard he had 
been very ill in consequence of very severe treatment 
from his captain. The Lord has been emptying him 
from vessel to vessel, and I have been waiting the issue ; 
but mine eyes almost fail. I have great hopes that God s 
time of mercy will come. I am also satisfied that it will 
be the best time ; but still I cry, how long ! My dear 
friends, I think I would recommend it to you to keep 
your children about you. No other had ever the influence 
over him that I had ; and I regret that I did not bring 
him with me. 

" Our young Timothy, J. M. is a perfect champion for 
the frospel of Jesus ; the Lord has well girded him and 
largely endowed him ; he walks closely with God, and 
speaks and preaches like a Christian of long experience : 
he was ordained about two months ago in his father s 
church, and a few weeks after married a lady of emi 
nent piety, and preached all the day, both the Sabbath 
before and after: no levity, no novelty appeared in word 
or gesture, which is not always the case with the best 
at such times. There is probably no church in New- 
York whose discipline is as strict, nor one which has so 
many communicants. He is reckoned a man of great 
talents and an orator ; and many of even the idle and 
careless go to hear him. 

" A few Sabbaths ago he preached from these words, 
* I am determined to know nothing among you, save Je 
sus Christ, and him crucified. After proving that all the 



104 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

Scriptures, from the beginning of Genesis to the end of 
Revelation, pointed to Christ and his great work of re 
demption ; and, asserting that that sermon could not be 
called the Gospel of which he was not the subject, he 
spoke home to his audience, and told them that this, 
through the aid of Divine Grace, was his firm purpose, 
to dwell on redeeming love. He was sure no subject 
would be welcome to any Christian, where Christ 
was not to be found j nor would any such subject ever 
convert a sinner j and therefore, if any were about to 
take their place there, expecting to hear any new or 
strange thing, let them not disappoint themselves. Oh ! 
for a thankful heart ! the Lord has indeed done won 
ders for me and mine ; and blessed be his name for this 
mercy also, that in a remarkable manner, by a strange 
concurrence of circumstances, he hedged me in to 
become a member of this congregation, where I am 
led and fed with the same truths which nourished my 
soul in Zion s gates, at Edinburgh j and I am helped 
to sing the Lord s song in a foreign land. Often have 
I been tempted to hang my harp upon the willow, 
when Zion I thought on; 1 but this was, and some 
times still is my sin and ingratitude ; for I ought to build 
houses, and plant vineyards, and seek the good of the 
land ; for he has a small vineyard here, which he waters 
and cultivates, and I ought to labor therein, and do 
whatsoever my hand findeth to do with diligence, and 
say, the earth is the Lord s and the fulness thereof; 
heaven is his throne, the earth his footstool, and he fills 
all things and all places. 

"What aileth thee, HagarV O what a God of mercy 
is our God! Often has he hailed me in some such Ian 



RESIDENCE IN NEW-YORK. 105 

guage : What aileth thee V why is thy countenance 
sad 1 am I not better to thee than ten friends 1 Then has 
he turned my heart to him, made me feel myself close 
to him j he has suffered me to lean on his bosom, hang 
on his arm and lisp out, Jibba. At such blest moments 
I have thought the whole earth but one point, and from 
that to heaven but one step, and the time between but 
as one moment j and my company here sufficient to sa 
tisfy me by the way. At such blest moments I felt per 
fect, full, entire satisfaction with all that God is, ail that 
he does; and could trust him fully with all my con 
cerns, spiritual, temporal, arid eternal. But, alas! by and 
by, like a peevish child, I began to fret, wish this, wish 
that j grieve for this, grieve for that j fear this, fear that j 
stagger, stumble, fall. what a God of patience and 
long-suffering! And how rich that well-ordered cove 
nant, that provides suitable grace for all these unsteady 
seasons! It is my greatest consolation that the Lord 
knows it all. There are times when I cannot see him, 
but every moment he sees me. I should fall off and 
leave him, but he holds me fast and never leaves me. O 
blessed plan, where God secures us in safety, even from 
ourselves! We have not only destroyed ourselves, and 
he has been our help ; but we are ever destroying our 
selves, and still he renews this help. 

" Well, what shall we say 1 Father, glorify thy name, 
and let us lie in thy hand as clay in the potter s, till 
thou finish thy workmanship, and fit us vessels of mer 
cy, to be filled with happiness, when thou shalt have 
done thy good pleasure in us, and by us, in this world, 
through the grace that is in Christ Jesus, who loved us, 
ind gave himself for usj to whom be glory, honor and 

5* 



106 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

praise in the church below, and in the general assembly 
above, now and ever. Amen. 

" My love, my heart s love, to my dear Mrs. D 

I am ever your affectionate friend in the bonds of the 
Gospel, ISABELLA GRAHAM." 

Early in 1793 Mrs. Graham heard from a worthy 
clergyman at Greenock, who, at her request, paid at 
tention to her son, that he had been very ill of a fever, 
and subsequently subject to epileptic fits. In one of 
these he had fallen from the mast-head, and was ren 
dered unfit for service for many months. The gentle 
man to whom he was apprenticed permitted him to 
leave. In these circumstances Mrs. Graham addressed 
to him the following letter : 

" MY LONG-LOST BUT STILL-DEAR SoN, If this CVCf 

reach you, hearken to the voice of your mother, your 
only parent, and to the voice of God by her. Oh, my 
son, you have had a long race in the service of Satan : 
he has kept you in bondage and made you his drudge. 
You are far advanced in the broad way that leads to 
destruction to that place of endless torment prepared 
for the devil and his angels, to which Satan is dragging 
you. He has even been seeking the destruction of your 
body, that he might have you secure. 

" Oh, my son, think. Has he proved a good master 1 
What have you found in his service! and has he not 
disappointed all your gayest hopes, and fed you with 
husks 1 Have you, my son, been happy 1 Are you not 
obliged to drive away your own reflections ? I know 
you are. Dare you, my son, sit down and think over 



RESIDENCE IN NEW-YORK. 107 

all the past, all the present, and look forward to the fu 
ture with any degree of comfort 1 My son, you cannot 
Hear then the word of the Lord ; that Lord, that mer 
ciful Lord, who has seen you in all your rebellion, 
heard every profane oath you may have uttered, seen 
your rioting among the sons of Belial ; yet what is his 
voice to you! Oh, my son, it is not, Bind him hand 
and foot and cast him into the lake that burns with fire 
and brimstone; where there is weeping, and wailing, 
and gnashing of teeth, where the worm dieth not, and 
the fire is not quenched. No, my son, the door of mer 
cy is still open to you ; the Lord calls, O sinner, thou 
hast destroyed thyself, but in me is thy help. Only 
repent, so iniquity shall not prove your ruin. * Heark 
en unto me, ye stout-hearted, that are far from right 
eousness : I bring near my righteousness ; it shall not be 
far off, and my salvation shall not tarry. Hear, and 
your soul shall live. * Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ 
and thou shalt be saved saved from hell ; saved from 
Satan and his snare ; saved from the force of corruption 
in your heart. 

"I do not call upon you, my poor corrupt boy, to 
turn from sin and work righteousness in your own 
strength; this you can no more do than the Ethiopian 
can change his skin; but I do call upon you to receive 
the whole of God s salvation, and power to resist sin 
is a principal part of it. In God s word it is said, that 
the Lord gave Christ to be a covenant to the people : 
we have to covenant with him on our part ; we are all 
poor, lost, miserable creatures, I as well as you, by na 
ture ; but the Lord Christ is God s gift to sinners. All 
the other promises are made to those who have receiv- 



108 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

ed and accepted of this gift ; but Christ himself is 
God s gift to sinners to the chief of sinners to you y 
John Graham, by name and the Bible says, to as many 
as receive him, to them gives he power to become the 
sons of God. God gave Christ to become the price in 
our hand j we take this gift, and offer back, as the 
price of our redemption, his atoning sacrifice, his all- 
perfect righteousness} and on this ground we are enti 
tled, by his own plan, which he prepared from first to 
last, to plead for the full accomplishment of all the 
promises in the Bible: for the pardon of sin; yea, for 
an entire new nature. 

" Oh, my son, open your Bible, go to your knees, 
look out words there fit for your case ; present them 
humbly before God, turn all the promises you find 
there, all the offers, all the calls, all the commands, all 
the threatenings into prayer, for you of yourself can do 
nothing, and ask that God, for Christ s sake, may pour 
out on you the spirit of prayer. I know not how to 
have done, yet I well know, unless the Lord soften 
your poor obdurate heart, it will still remain hard. Oh, 
my son, be willing to put it in his hand, to receive his 
salvation, and give yourself up to his guiding. I beg you 
will read with care the 15th chapter of the gospel of 
Luke. The Lord spoke these parables to show how 
very willing he is to receive returning sinners. Your 
mother and all your sisters are willing to follow his ex 
ample ; return to us, my son. We will watch over you, 
we will pray over you, and we Avill try, by every endear 
ing method, to restore you not only to health but to com 
fort. Your sisters wish you to come ; all your friends are 
willing to receive youj we will not upbraid you. 



RESIDENCE IN NEW-YORK. 109 

"Do, my dear, leave Greenockj come out to us by 
any way you can find, I will pay your passage here ; or 
if you can get to any port in America, you can write 
me from that, and I will get you forwarded here; and, 
after you are here, if you still wish to follow the sea, 
we can get you a berth in some trading vessel from 
this. All your friends here send best wishes. And now, 
my son, I commend you to the Lord. Oh, that he may 
bless this to you. 

" Your affectionate mother, I. GRAHAM." 

The last intelligence that Mrs. Graham received of 
her unfortunate son was in a letter from himself, dated 
Demarara, 1794-, in which he states that he had sailed 
from Amsterdam in a Dutch vessel ; was taken by the 
French, and re-taken by the English; had arrived at 
Demarara in the ship Hope ; and should he not soon 
hear from his mother, would return to Europe with a 
fleet which was shortly to sail under convoy. Mis. 
Graham notices this event as follows : 

" NEW-YORK, February 20, 1794. 

" This day I have a letter from my poor wanderer. It 
is more than a year since I heard of him. Accept of my 
thanks, good and gracious Lord. I feared his cup had 
been full, and he called out of the world with all his 
sins on his own head ; for I have no tidings of his turn 
ing from his sinful courses, or fleeing from the wrath 
to come, by taking hold of the hope set before him. 

" I bless thee, I bless thee, for thy sparing- me.i y, 
thy long-suffering, thy patience, thy forbearance. Vea, 
even to him, thou hast been more than all this. Thou 



110 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

hast been his preserver, his provider ; thou hast watched 
over him in many imminent dangers, in the great deeps, 
in burning and in frozen climes. 

" Thou hast followed him with thy preserving mercy 
and temporal bounty. He is still in the land of the 
Jiving, and among those who are called to look unto 
thee and live. Still thou feedest my hopes of better 
things for him. Thou sufFerest my prayers to lie on the 
table of thy covenant. I will trust, I will hope, I will 
believe, that in an accepted time thou wilt hear me, and 
in a day of thy power thou wilt bow his stubborn will, 
and lay him an humble suppliant at thy feet. O, I trust 
thou wilt bring this poor prodigal to himself, and turn 
his steps towards his Father s house. See how he feeds 
with the swine upon husks, and even these not his own. 
turn his thoughts to his * Father s house, where there 
is bread enough, and to spare. 

Lord, remember thy gracious word, on which thou 
hast caused me to hope, and which has ever been my 
comfort in the time of my affliction, and in my straits 
my only relief. 

" He is again launched into thy great ocean. Lord, 
he is far from every friend and from every means of 
grace, and for any thing I know, far from thee by wicked 
works under thy curse and hateful in thy sight ; but 
thou, God, seest him. Means are not necessary, if thou 
wiliest to work without. Thou canst find an avenue to 
his heart at once. Dead as he is, vile as he is, guilty as 
he is, far from help of man, and in the most unlikely 
situation to receive the help of God, yet I know all 
these hinderances, all these mountains shall melt as 
wax at thy presence. 



RESIDENCE IN NEW-YOHK. Ill 

" Lord, I believe, thou knowest I believe, that if thou 
but speak the word, this dead soul shall live; this vile, 
this guilty soul shall be cleansed, shall be renewed, and 
my son be changed to a humble, thankful, genuine child 
of God, through the cleansing blood of atonement, 
through the imputation of the Redeemer s righteous 
ness and the implantation of thy Spirit. I can do no 
thing for him, but thou canst do all this. I wait for it, 
Lord, I wait for thy salvation. Lord, let there be joy 
in heaven over this one sinner repenting. I roll him on 
thee. I trust in thy sovereign, free, unmerited mercy 
in Christ. Amen." 

All inquiries instituted by kind friends respecting this 
son proved fruitless; and as a vessel named the Hope 
was some months after reported as having been taken 
by the French, it is perhaps probable that he died in a 
French prison. 

Thus again had his afflicted mother to exercise faith 
and submission, not without hope toward God that the 
great Redeemer had taken care of, and would finally 
save this prodigal son. She had known a case in her 
father s family which excited their solicitude and en 
couraged her hope. Her younger brother, Archibald 
Marshall, a lad of high temper, though possessed of an 
affectionate heart, had gone to sea, and was not heard 
of at all for several years. A pious woman, who kept a 
boarding-house in Paisley, found one of her boarders 
one day reading Doddridge s Rise and Progress of Re 
ligion in the Soul, with Archibald Marshall s name writ 
ten on the blank leaf. On inquiry, the stranger told her 
that he got that book from a young man on his death- 



112 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

bed as a token of regard. That young man was Archi 
bald Marshall he was an exemplary Christian j "and 
I have reason," added he, " to bless God that he ever 
was my messmate." The woman who heard this ac 
count, transmitted it to Mr. Marshall s family, who were 
known to her. Mrs. Graham had no such consolatory 
account afforded to her; but under much yearning of 
heart she left this concern, as well as every other, to 
the disposal of that God " who doeth all things well." 
Again she sings of mercy in a sweet meditation. 

"NEW-YORK, October 1, 1794. 

"Return unto thy rest, O my soul, for the Lord hath 
dealt bountifully with thee. 

" Blessed be the Lord, for he hath showed me his 
marvellous loving-kindness in a strong city Christ, the 
city of refuge. 

"Thou hast given me my heart s desire, and hast not 
withholden the request of my lips. * One thing have I 
desired of the Lord, and through life sought after for 
myself and the children whom thou hast given me ; 
that all the days of our lives we might dwell in the 
house of the Lord, behold his beauty, and inquire in 
his holy temple j that in the time of trouble he would 
hide us in his pavilion, in the secret of his tabernacle, 
and set our feet upon a rock. 

"0 thou incarnate God! Thou blessed temple not 
made with hands! Thou blessed pavilion, in which 
thy people hide in the time of trouble, and are safe ! 
Thou Rock of Ages, on which we build our hopes for 
time and eternity, and defy the assaults of sin, Satan, 
and the world ! Thou Jehovah-Jesus art all these to 



RESIDENCE 7N NEW-YORK. 113 

thy people. Thou broughtest them f from a fearful pit 
and from the miry clay ; thou settest their feet upon 
this spiritual rock, and establishest their goings j thou 
puttest a new song in their mouths, even praise unto 
their God. Many have seen it and sung it ; many now 
see and sing it ; many shall see and sing it, and trust in 
the Lord. They find in thee all that is expressive of 
life ; all that is expressive of safety ; all that is ex 
pressive of comfort ; all that is expressive of happiness. 

" O how many are thy wonderful works which thou 
hast done! and thy thoughts which are to us-ward ! 
they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee : if I 
would declare and speak of them, they are more than 
can be numbered. Thou, thy blessed self, art the sum 
and substance of every good to man. All this I know ; 
all this have I at different times experienced ; and yet 
my heart is heavy, my spirits depressed. There is no 
cause, no! Thy very afflictive providences have met 
my wishes, and been so many answers to my prayers. 

" Thou Husband of the widow, thou Father of the 
fatherless ! O how fully, how manifestly hast thou ful 
filled these relations to thy worthless servant ! Thou, 
in my early widowhood, didst call me to leave my 
fatherless children on ihee, annexing the promise that 
thou wouldst preserve them alive. 

fr Thou didst put it into my heart to plead the pro 
mise in a spiritual sense ; to ask, to hope, to wait for 
the new birth, the life which Christ died to purchase, 
and lives to bestow. 

" In three of these fatherless I have seen thy work. 
Long did the grain of mustard-seed lie buried among 
the weeds of worldly-mindedness j long were my hopes 



1 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

and fears alternate ; but now the blessed discipline ot 
the covenant has been exercised ; I have witnessed it, I 
have felt it suffered the rod with them and for them, 
but waited for the fruits in hope ; and glory to thee- 
dear Husband and Father, I have not waited in vain. 
Thou hast written vanity, and opened our eyes to read 
vanity written on every earthly enjoyment, except so 
far as thou art enjoyed in them. Thou hast enabled 
not only thine aged servant, but her children, to put 
a blank into thy hand, and to say, Choose thou for us. 
We take hold of thy covenant, and choose it for our 
portion. Is not this, Lord, the full amount of my de 
sires 1 Thou wilt finish the work in thy own time, and 
by means of thy appointing. Amen. Lord, do as thou 
hast said." 



CHAPTER V. 

DEATH OF HER DAUGHTER FIRST MISSIONARY SOCIETY 

IN NEW-YORK. 

In July, 1795, Mrs. Graham s second daughter, Joan 
na, was married to Mr. Divie Bethune, merchant in New- 
York. In the following month her eldest daughter, 
Mrs. Stevenson, was seized with a fatal illness. Pos 
sessing a most amiable disposition and genuine piety, 
she viewed the approach of death with the composure 
of a Christian and the intrepidity of faith. 

She had been in delicate health for some years, and 
now a complication of disorders denied all hope of re- 



RESIDENCE IN NEW- YORK. 115 

covery. She sung a hymn of triumph until the strug 
gles of death interrupted her. Mrs. Graham displayed 
great firmness of mind during the last trying scene, and 
when the spirit of her daughter fled, the mother raised 
her hands, and looking towards heaven, exclaimed, / 
wish you joy, my darling. 1 She then washed her face, 
took some refreshment, and retired to rest. 

Such was her joy of faith at the full salvation of her 
child ; but when the loss of her company was felt, the 
tenderness of a mother s heart afterwards gave vent to 
feelings of affectionate sorrow : nature will feel, even 
when faith triumphs. In her devout meditations before 
God, Mrs. Graham improves this event as follows : 

" October 4, 1795. 

" Why, O why is my spirit still depressed 1 Why 
these sobs 1 Father, forgive. Jesus wept. I weep, 
but acquiesce. This day two months the Lord de 
livered my Jessie, his Jessie, from a body of sin and 
death, finished the good work he had begun, perfected 
what concerned her, trimmed her lamp, and carried 
her triumphing through the valley of the shadow of death. 
She overcame through the blood of the Lamb. 

" I rejoiced in the Lord s work, and was thankful 
that the one, the only thing I had asked for her, was 
now completed. I saw her delivered from much cor 
ruption within, from strong and peculiar temptation 
without. I had seen her often staggering, sometimes 
falling under the rod ; I had heard her earnestly wish 
for deliverance from sin, and when death approached 
she was more than satisfied ; said she had been a great 
sinner, but she had a great Savior ; praised him and 



116 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

thanked him for all his dealings with her ; for hedging 
her in, for chastising her 5 and even prayed that sin and 
corruption might be destroyed if the body should be 
dissolved to effect it. The Lord fulfilled her desire, 
and, I may add, mine. He lifted upon her the light of 
his countenance ; revived her languid graces ; increased 
her faith and hope ; loosed her from earthly concerns, 
and made her rejoice in the stability of his covenant, 
and to sing, All is well, all is well j good is the will of 
the Lord. I did rejoice, I do rejoice ; but, O Lord, 
thou knowest my frame ; she was my pleasant compan 
ion, my affectionate child: my soul feels a want. 
fill it up with more of thy presence j give yet more 
communications of thyself. 

" We are yet one in Christ our head united in him : 
and though she shall not return unto me, I shall go to 
her, and then our communion will be more full, more 
delightful, as it will be perfectly free from sin. Christ 
shall be our bond of union, and we shall be fully under 
the influence of it. 

" Let me then gird up the loins of my mind, and set 
forward to serve my day and generation, to finish my 
course. The Lord will perfect what concerns me ; and 
when it shall please him, he will unclothe me, break 
down these prison-walls, and admit me into the happy 
society of his redeemed and glorified members : then 
T shall he wipe away all tears from my eyes/ and I shall 
taste the joys which are at his right hand, and be satis 
fied for evermore." 

Mrs. Graham made it a rule to appropriate a tenth part 
of her earnings to be expended for pious and charitable 



RESIDENCE IN NEW-YOBK. 117 

purposes. She had taken a lease of two lots of ground 
on Greenwich-street from the corporation of Trinity 
Church, with a view of building a house on them for 
her own accommodation; the building, however, she ne 
ver commenced. By a sale which her son, Mr. Bethune, 
made of the lease in 1795 for her, she got an advance 
of one thousand pounds. So large a profit was new to 
her. " Quick, quick," said she, " let me appropriate 
the tenth before my heart grows hard." What fidelity 
in duty! what distrust of herself! Fifty pounds of this 
money she sent to Mr. Mason in aid of the funds he was 
collecting for the establishment of a Theological Semi 
nary. Her own version of this matter we have in a let 
ter to her familiar friend Mrs. Walker, of Edinburgh : 

" 1795. 

" MY DEAR MRS. W , My last informed you that 

we had been made to taste of the Lord s visitation, (the 
yellow-fever,) but in great mercy had been spared in 
the midst of much apparent danger. I have now in my 
house a girl who lost both father and mother, and many 
whole families were cut ofT; my house was emptied; 
my school broken up; we confined to town, and heavy 
duty laid upon us at the same time. I trembled again for 
fear of debt ; but the Lord brought meat out of the eater. 

" Three years ago, when tried by having one house 
taken over my head, another bought, and obliged to 
move three times in as many years, some speculating 
genius brought me under the influence of the madness 
of the times, and persuaded me I might build without 
money. It is quite common here to build by contract. 
I could not purchase ground, but I leased two lots of 



118 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

church land, got a plan made out, and worried myself 
for six months, trying to hatch chickens without eggs 
I had asked the Lord to build me a house, to give sue 
cess to the means, still keeping in view covenant pro 
vision, " what is good the Lord will give." After many 
disappointments I said, Well ! I have asked I am re 
fused it is not good the Lord will not give it: he will 
provide, but in his own way, not mine. 

" Of course I had to pay ground-rent, which in three 
years amounted to two hundred and twenty dollars. I 
think I hear you say, I never could have believed that 
Mrs. Graham could be guilty of such folly nor I ; but 
seeing and hearing of many such things, I fancied my 
self very clever. Last year a basin was formed, and 
wharves around it opposite to the said lots 5 the epidemic 
raging on the other side of the city brought all the ves 
sels that came in round to them, and great expectations 
were formed for this new basin ; houses and stores 

sprung up like mushrooms, and Mr. B sold my lease 

for one thousand pounds. Lo ! and behold, part of it is 
already spent. All my provision through this wilder 
ness has been so strongly marked by peculiar provi 
dences, my mind seems habituated to a sense of cer 
tainty. I feel my position of earthly good safer and 
better in my Lord s hand than in my own." 

In the ensuing year we find the following outbreath- 
ings of her rich Christian experience : 

" January 3, 179G. 

" Philippians, 4 : 4-7. Rejoice in the Lord alway, and 
again I say, rejoice. Let your moderation be known 
unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 119 

ft Be careful for nothing ; but in every thing by pray 
er and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests 
be made known unto God. And the peace of God, 
which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts 
and minds, through Christ Jesus. 

" Christ Jesus ! What does not this name compre 
hend ! He is mine, and all is mine. I do rejoice in the 
Lord, yea, more or less, I rejoice always. This heart of 
mine is sensible to every human affliction ; my tears 
flow often and fast : I weep for myself, and still more 
for others : but in these very moments of heart-wring 
ing bitterness there is a secret joy that Jesus is near ; 
that he sees, knows and pities. He is Jehovah as well 
as Jesus, and could have prevented the affliction under 
which I groan ; but for my good, and the good of those 
near and dear to me, he suffered it, or prepared it. The 
good of his people is connected with his glory ; they 
cannot be separated : therefore, Father, glorify thy 
name ; I rejoice, and will rejoice. The Lord can re 
move, and will remove the affliction the moment it has 
answered the gracious purpose for which it was sent. 
I would not wish it one moment sooner. While it lies 
heavy, he is my Almighty Friend, my rest, my staff of 
support. 

In time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion j 
in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me j he 
shall set me up upon a rock. Psalm 27 : 5. 

f The Lord is my strength and my shield ; my heart 
trusted in him, and I am helped, therefore my heart 
greatly rejoiceth ; with my song I will praise him, and 
in his strength and by his grace, let my moderation 
be known unto all men . My Lord is at hand ; at hand 



120 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

to support, at hand to overrule, at hand to deliver. 
Therefore I rejoice always. 

" Blessed be God for the heart-easing, heart-soothing 
privilege of casting all my cares upon him, and for the 
hlessed assurance that he caret/) for me and mine : that 
he allows, invites, yea, commands me to be careful for 
nothing, but in all things, by prayer and supplication, 
with thanksgiving, to let my requests be made known 
unto him, who is man, and touched with the feeling of 
our infirmities (Jesus wept,) and God, the Almighty 
God, to support, overrule, deliver. Therefore my heart 
rejoiceth always." 

" May 16, 1796. 

" Psalm 89 : 30. If his children forsake my law, 
and walk not in my judgments, if they break my sta 
tutes and keep not my commandments, then will I visit 
their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with 
stripes: nevertheless, my loving-kindness will I not 
utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to 
fail ; my covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing 
that is gone out of my lips. Amen. Blessed promise ! 
Oh, it is a well ordered covenant, and it is sure. Of all 
the provisions of the covenant, this has been to my 
soul among the most comfortable. Thanks be to God 
for the discipline of the covenant 5 often has it been ad 
ministered : thou knowest, and I know in part, how ne 
cessarily, although I shall not know nor understand all, 
until that blessed rod shall have perfected its correction, 
and shall never more be lifted up. 

" Many ups and downs has thy servant experienced 
in this vale of tears j many tears have watered these 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 121 

now aged cheeks ; in a variety of ways hast thou strick 
en, and at times stripe has followed stripe, but mercy 
and love accompanied every one of them. I bless thee j 
Oh, I praise thee, that I have seldom received a stripe 
but I had with it a token of love. Sin was embittered, 
a Savior endeared, and grace given to kiss the rod, 
and cleave to him that had appointed it. And now I can 
read in legible characters, where in many instances thy 
check met my wandering steps, stopt me short of huge 
precipices, and preserved me from destroying even my 
worldly comfort. In some instances (I thank thee they 
have not been many) thou hast been pleased to let me 
alone, to let me pursue my own way, ways so wise in 
my own eyes that I have either not sought counsel at 
all, or sought it as Balaam did, with my heart set on 
my own will. 

" In some cases thou hast let me eat of the fruit of 
my own doings, and let me weary myself in my own 
way, until I found it not only vanity and vexation of 
spirit, but sometimes a labyrinth from which I could 
find no escape : then did I cry unto the Lord; then did 
I remember my backslidings ; then did I seek unto the 
cleansing fountain and to thi appointed Mediator, the 
maker up of the breach : then did I experience afresh 
the Lord s power to save. 

"In how many instances has he given a sudden turn 
to providences which have been made means of my de 
liverance; not only so, but brought good out of my evil, 
so that I have been made to wonder, and to say, Surely 
this is the finger of God. 

" I destroy myself, but in thee is my help found. O 
let these wanderings end: fix it deep on my mind, that 

Mrs. Graham. 6 



122 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

in the Lord only have I wisdom as well as strength : 
that it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. 
When shall I learn to live simply on Christ, by the light 
of his pure unerring word, and the Spirit coinciding ; 
and have done with these carnal reasonings, the wis 
dom of men ! Search me, O Lord, and know my heart ; 
try me, and know my thoughts, and see if there be any 
wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. 
Amen. " 

11 May 28, 1796. 

" This is the anniversary of my dear Jessie s birth, no 
more to call us together here ; but I yet remember it 
as a day in which our God was merciful to me, and 
made me the mother of an heir of salvation. I bless, 
I praise my covenant God, who enabled me to dedicate 
her to him before she was born, and to ask only one 
thing for her as for myself, even an interest in his great 
salvation, leaving it to him to order the means, time 
and manner as of her natural birth and ripening age, 
so of her spiritual birth and ripening for glory; he ac 
cepted the charge, and he has finished the work, to his 
own glory, to her eternal happiness, and my joy and 
comfort. I have witnessed remaining corruption fight 
ing hard against her, and bringing her again and again 
into captivity to the law of sin and death warring 
against her. I have seen the rod of God lie heavy upon 
her, according to the tenor of the covenant, when she 
forsook his laws and went astray : when she walked 
not in his judgments, but wandered from his way, he 
visited her faults with rods and her sins with chastise 
ments, but his loving-kindness he never took from her, 
(though he often hid it,) nor altered the word which he 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 123 

had spoken, that he would never leave her, never forsake 
htr; that in due time he would deliver her from all her 
enemies. I perceived her desires to be delivered from 
the world and the body, and taken home to the bosom 
of her God, since that appeared at times the only way 
she could be delivered from sin. I heard her lament 
her unfruitfulness, her unsteadiness : I heard her ex 
claim, Oh, what a sinner ! what a great sinner ! and, 
Oh, what a Savior ! Oh the goodness of God in hedg 
ing me in, and saving me from myself; his covenant 
stands fast, it is established, it is sure. I witnessed a 
God pardoning sin, yet taking vengeance on inventions. 
I witnessed the sinner, after being sixteen years in the 
school of Christ, (taught by his ministers, and most ef 
fectually by his rod,) taking shelter in r the city of re 
fuge, in the atonement of God s providing, and in a 
surety righteousness, and finishing her struggles with, 
All is well! My heart echoed, and does echo, and will 
to all eternity, All is well ! Glory to God ; sing, not 
unto her, not unto me, not unto any creature, but to 
God be the glory, that she is now delivered from a 
body of sin and death, and made meet to be a partaker 
with the saints in light. HALLELUJAH. 

" Jane, 1796 

"Psalm 122. I was glad when they said unto me, 
Let us go into the house of the Lord. 

The house of the Lord whither the tribes go up, 
the tribes of the Lord unto the testimony of Israel, to 
give thanks unto the name of the Lord, to seek his 
face, to learn his will, to taste his love, to behold nis 
glory, to enjoy God as their own God and reconciled 
Father. 



124 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

"Lord! let my heart be warmed more towards thy 
house ; I have sought and found thee in thy sanctuary, 
read thy providences, and been taught thy will; I have 
tasted thy love and beheld thy glory j I have enjoyed 
thy presence as my own reconciled Father in Christ 
Jesus; I have been satisfied with thy goodness, as with 
marrow and fatness; and yet how cold and languid at 
times, how little desire to return, how small my expecta 
tions, how wandering my imagination! How do I sit be 
fore thee as thy people, and my heart with the fool s eyes 
at the ends of the earth ! Lord, I should blush and be 
ashamed were a fellow-mortal to see my heart at times. 
I may hide my eyes from viewing vanity, but the evil 
lies within. O Lord, thou knowest the cause. After all 
I have heard, seen, tasted and handled of the word of 
life, I am still of myself an empty vessel, unable to 
speak a good word or think a good thought. Great are 
thy tender mercies, Lord. Quicken me according 
to thy word ; turn thou away my eyes from beholding 
vanity, and quicken me in thy way: then shall I run in 
the way of thy commandments when thou hast enlarg 
ed my heart. 

" The house of God the owner, the builder and ma 
ker is God, and it is his peculiar .treasure. Christ is the 
foundation and chief corner-stone, and his house are we, 
built upon him, cemented together, a spiritual building; 
the foundation cannot fail, the corner-stone can never 
give way; neither can we fall to pieces or be separated 
from him. 

" The house of God Jerusalem, Zion, the rest of 
God, where he delights to dwell, where he will for 
ever stay ; the house of God, the Church, yea, the body 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 125 

of Christ : Christ the head, his people the Church, his 
members whose life is in him, and derived from him ; 
and because he lives we shall live also. Lord, enlarge 
my understanding to comprehend more and more of 
the height and depth, length and breadth of the love of 
Christ, which passeth all understanding. Open my eyes 
to behold wondrous things in thy law and Gospel. I 
am as yet but a babe : Glory to God that I am what I 
am, a babe in Christ. I shall be nourished with life and 
strength from my divine Head ; educated and nurtured 
by the blessings of the new covenant. I shall arrive at 
the perfection of stature appointed, and stand in my lot 
at the latter day. Amen." 

" August 4, 179G. 
"A day to be remembered." 

" Rose at four, not to mourn no, but to repeat my 
grateful thanks to my covenant God for the work he fi 
nished this day last year, in delivering my weak, feeble, 
tossed and tried Jessie from a body of sin and death, and 
giving her the victory through Jesus Christ, who loved 
her and gave himself for her. To thee she was dedi 
cated ere she saw the light ; to thee a thousand times I 
repeated the dedication, begging that thou mightest 
bring her within the bond of thy covenant ; this was the 
sum and substance of all my askings for her. I witness 
ed the time of her second birth, saw the tears of convic 
tion and remorse. I witnessed thy loosing her bonds, and 
tuning her heart and tongue to praise redeeming love. 
I witnessed the teaching of thy Spirit, and the enlighten 
ing of her eyes, and the taste thou gavest her of thy sal 
vation ; I thought her mountain stood strong, and she 
would not be easily moved; but who can tell the deceit- 



125 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

fulness of the human heart 1 Too soon did we all turn 
aside like a deceitful bow, forsook the fountain of living 
waters, and hewed out broken cisterns that could hold no 
water. Glory to God for the discipline of the covenant, 
that he did not cast us off, but chastened and corrected 
He repeated the discipline stripe upon stripe: I stood by 
and saw it, and though my heart melted at times, I said, 
* She is in her Father s hand, let him do his pleasure 

" I too was unfaithful to her, thou knowest, and often 
entered into the same vanity of mind, which stifled the 
love of God in our hearts, instead of guarding her and 
warning her; still, still the Shepherd of Israel followed 
after both, and with the precious rod restored both, time 
after time, till it pleased thee to finish her warfare, and 
deliver her from both body and sin. Lord, I thank thee 
for all the circumstances, for the privilege of attending 
her in her warfare, for the cheerfulness of her spirits, 
for the rich support we all experienced, for the view we 
all had of thy faithfulness and fatherly dealing, and for 
her last words, "All is well." yes ! every thing thou 
doest is well, and this was peculiarly well. I resigned 
her to thee with joy and thankfulness, and I still acqui 
esce. Her thou hast taken, me thou hast left, to be yet 
exercised with further discipline. It is well thy will be 
done. O help me to profit by every pang ! Let sin be 
mortified and my soul be purified ; enlarge my heart to 
run the ways of thy commandments. Now may / lay 
aside every weight, and that vanity of mind which doth 
so easily beset me, and hath been the secret spring of 
much backsliding both to myself and to my children. 
Lord, destroy it. let me now live to God, closely and 
consistently; down with my will, with self in every 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 127 

form ! O purify my motives, and let my whole heart, 
soul, body, substance and influence in the world be de 
voted to thee ! Empty me of every thing that is my own, 
and let Christ live in me the hope of glory, and let 
the glory of thy workmanship in my soul redound to 
thee, and thee alone ! Amen." 

August 13, 179G. 

"Colossians, 2 : 6. As ye have received Christ Jesus 
the Lord, so walk ye in him, rooted and built up in him, 
and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, 
abounding therein with thanksgiving. 

" Lord, this is what I pant after ! I would fain have 
done with wandering. Lord, thou knowest, for the work 
is thine. I have received the Lord Jesus as thy gift to 
a lost world, as thy gift to me an individual of that 
world, as having made peace by the blood of the cross. 
I account it a faithful saying, worthy of all acceptation, 
that Christ came into the world to save sinners, of 
whom I am chief. I have received thee as the Lord 
my righteousness, crediting thy own word, that Christ 
is the end of the law for righteousness, and that there 
is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. I 
have received thee as the covenant given of the peo 
ple. In all the relations by which thou art held out to 
me in this Bible, so far as I know or understand, I have 
received thee. I have no hope in myself, no trust in 
myself, nor any views of communication from God of 
any kind, bat through the one mediator between God 
and man, the man Christ Jesus. 

" O my God, what is my life, what is my happiness 
but a continual receiving ! Thou art the bread of life 
that must keep alive the living principle in my soul. In 



128 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

thee f dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 
Thy people are complete in thee j thou art their head 
they are thy body, and by joints and bands have nou 
rishment ministered to them, and are knit together, and 
increase with the increase of God. 

" This, oh this is what my soul pants after, closer and 
more intimate union and communion. I would be trans 
formed into thine image ; I would be thy temple ; I 
would have thee live in me, walk in me, make me one 
with thee j I would be delivered from self-will, self-wis 
dom, self-seeking; I would be delivered from that phi 
losophy and vain deceit which spoils souls and leads 
them off from their head : then, and not till then, shall 
I cease to wander, shall run and not be weary, walk 
and not faint. Then shall I run in the way of thy com 
mandments, and no longer turn aside to crooked ways. 
Then shall 1 eat and drink, work and recreate, all to thy 
glory. Lord, send thy Spirit into my heart, that he may 
continually * take of the things of Christ and show them 
unto me j that I may grow and be no longer a babe, but 
arrive at the T fulness of stature in Christ Jesus, and more 
steadily, and more purely, and more zealously, and, 
0! more humbly live to God, and glorify him in the 
world. Amen." 

The following extracts of letters to her friend Mrs. 
Walker, show how ardently the true missionary spirit 
burned in the heart of Mrs. Graham, and how efficient 
ly it was exemplified, not only in her pecuniary dona 
tions but her active and self-denying efforts to diffuse 
information and enlist others in so worthy a cause. The 
efforts alluded to in the first extract evidently gave rise 



CORRESPONDENCE. 129 

to the event recorded in the second, the formation of the 
first Missionary Society in New-York. It is delightful 
also to notice her attachment to Christians of other de 
nominations, and the gratitude with which she remem 
bered kindness received by herself when Providence 
had cast her lot on what was truly missionary ground. 

" Do you remember how much I used to say about our 
dear Methodist Society in Antigua 1 and the three holy, 
harmless, zealous Moravian brethren! and how the 
preachers gave each other the right hand of fellowship, 
forgetting their differences, in that land of open hostili 
ties, on the kingdom of their common Lord. Thither 
the Lord brought me from a land of entire barrenness, 
where, as far as I know, a Gospel sermon was never 
preached. Here I was brought into great affliction, and 
to pass through the severest trial that I ever experienced 
before or since. 

" The Lord brought me into this fold, a poor strag 
gling lamb, who had for five years herded among the 
goats 5 and little difference was there between them and 
me, except that my soul longed after green pastures and 
rejoiced to hear the shepherd s voice, and when I heard 
it I knew it, though from one who did not belong to my 
original fold ; these good people nourished me with ten 
derness, bore with patience my carnality. When my 
dear husband was taken ill they wrestled for him in 
prayer; Mr. Gilbert was every day with him; the Lord 
heard and gave a joyful parting; yes, joyful, never did 
I experience such joy; then they sympathized with and 
soothed the widowed heart, fed her with promises, and 
in a measure established her ; thus they wrought with 
6* 



130 LIFE OF MKS. GRAHAM. 

God in calling in one, and restoring another ; never, 
never shall I forget the labors of love of that dear little 
society. 

" How many such stragglers as I may be wandering in 
both East and West Indies, and may be restored by 
these precious missionaries. I owe them, of my labors, 
more than others. I send you a bill for Jiffy pounds. I 
have received eighteen copies of the Missionary Maga 
zine, as far as No. 9. I have got subscribers for them 
all, who will continue ; pay these, and send me what 
more numbers have been published by the return of the 
Edinburgh packet, also eighteen complete sets from 
the beginning. I hope to be successful in disposing of 
them also. I suppose the sermons go to the same fund; 
send me a hundred sermons, I will see to get them dis 
posed of; send them single, not bound, and of the best; 
perhaps they may pave the way for more to follow ; 
every little helps; drops make up the ocean. We can 
not yet produce any thing ; we are gathering intelli 
gence, and endeavoring to collect money; but I grudge 
that what we can spare should be idle in the meantime; 
the cause is one ; pay the magazines at once, and the 
sermons if you have enough of my money. I hope to re 
mit again in September. I have a great wish to have a 
finger in your pie in some way ; if I must not subscribe 
past our own society, I may sell books for yours. Ever, 
my dear friend, yours, I. GRAHAM." 

To the same. 

" 1796-7. 

" I thank my friend for her letter. I rejoice with you, 
and bless the widow s God. He has indeed been so to 
us, to the full amount of the promise. I have now much 



CORRESPONDENCE. 131 

to sing of, little to complain of; my dear girls and Mr 

B go forward steadily, having laid aside the weights 

of amusements and gayety, and seem determined to fol 
low the Lord fully through good and through evil re 
port. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his 
benefits. We have a full school, and a very comfortable 
set of girls. The Lord has delivered from all heavy 
burthens. 

" Last week a considerable number of ministers and 
lay Christians met for the third time, and established a 
Society for sending missionaries among the Indians, and 
also among the poor scattered settlers on the frontiers. 
A sermon was preached in the evening in one of the 
Dutch churches, The liberal deviseth liberal things, 
&c. after which an address was read by the Secre 
tary, (our dear Mr. Mason,) which, when printed, I will 
send you. 

" The society is to keep up a correspondence with 
your and the other societies. If they can effect any 
thing themselves, apart here in America, well j if not, 
they will throw their subscriptions into the common 
funds and get help from you. This view is very plea 
sant to us. There is great need of itinerant preachers 
in our back settlements ; they are scattered, and no 
churches of any kind ; even in some thick settled coun 
tries they will not pay a minister. These are the high 
ways and hedges j that the Lord may compel them 
to come in. I. GRAHAM." 

" f l /!&gt; ff-Y .. v.&gt;d fe/fl* i 3!&gt;8*&gt;fJ flj J iStj^i) Wft t&gt;J* (. /. ,i. 

We next find Mrs. Graham administering consolation 
and imparting instruction to a lady residing near Bos 
ton, (Mrs. C .) With this lady Mrs. Graham formed 



132 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

an acquaintance in New-York shortly after her arrival 
in America. She was then a gay young widow ; but 
having a strong and cultivated mind, was delighted with 
Mrs. Graham and family ; and a friendship was formed 
between them, which ceased only with their lives. 

As a proof of her friendship, Mrs. C wished to in 
troduce her young female friends into gay fashionable 
society This Mrs. Graham opposed j and while she 
stated her reasons she endeavored to persuade her 
young friend to come out from the world and cast in 
her lot with the people of God. 

" A word spoken in due season, how good it is." This 

was verified in the case of Mrs. C , who, like her 

friend, was destined to enter the heavenly kingdom 
n through much tribulation." She afterwards entered 
the marriage state, and became a second time a widow 
while her children were still young ; and though not des 
titute, her income was considerably reduced j which cir 
cumstances may throw light on parts of Mrs. Graham s 
letters. Unhappily there was no evangelical minister 
near her place of residence, which, with the want of 
early religious training, may account for so much dark 
ness as to her spiritual state. Mrs. Graham often visited 
her, and it pleased God in due time to scatter the dark 
ness. Mrs. C for many years fully enjoyed the con 
solations of religion. She trained up her children ac 
cording to the maxims of her friend, and had the hap 
piness of seeing them following in her steps. One (Mrs. 
J. W.) she saw depart in peace ; and her own dying- 
bed was soothed by the prayers and attentions of her 
son, an esteemed and highly useful clergyman in one 
of our populous cities. As Mrs. C adopted the sig- 






CORRESPONDENCE. 133 

nature of Pilgrim, the letters to her inserted in the 
former editions of this memoir, are noticed as addressed 
toP . 

To Mrs. C., a Lady near Boston. 

February 10, 1797. 

" MY EVER-DEAR FRIEND, The desire of writing you 
a long letter has occasioned too much delay on my 
part. One thing I can assure you of, you have been 
much on my mind, and the subject of all our prayers. 

" Tears of joy ran down my cheeks when J told 

me the state of your mind, and I thank our good and 
gracious God for opening your eyes to see the vanity 
of this world, the corruption of your own heart, your 
need of atoning blood, and of a better righteousness 
than your own. Hail, my sister in Jesus ! flesh and 
blood hath not taught you this, but your Father who is 
in heaven; the work is his, evidently his; and being 
begun, he will carry it on, and finish it too. Commit 
your soul then into his hand ; he f came not to call the 
righteous, but sinners to repentance ; his errand to our 
world was to seek and to save the lost. Trusting in his 
mercy, through Christ, your soul is as safe as his word 
is true; for none perish that trust in him. 

Trust in the Lord with all thy heart, and lean 
not to thine own understanding; be not discouraged 
because of deadness, darkness, wandering, want of love, 
want of spirituality, want of any kind. Who told you 
of these evils and wants ? the Sun of righteousness 
shining into your soul has shown you many of the evils 
there but the half you know not yet. The more you 
learit uf the holiness and purity of the Divine nature 



134 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

and the spirituality of his law, the more you will be 
dissatisfied with every thing yours. Even a holy apos 
tle said, In me, that is, in my flesh (or natural mind) 
dwelleth no good thing. The flesh lusteth against the 
Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; so that the 
things that I would, I do not ; and the things that I would 
not, those I do. Yet it is not I, (not my new nature,) but 
sin that dwelleth in me j for to will is present with me, 
but how to perform that which is good I find not. 

* If this was the case with the apostle, who sealed 
his testimony with his life, is it strange that you and 
I should have hearts full of all abominable things 1 
These realities are cause of deep humility before God, 
but none of despair or doubt. All are alike guilty and 
vile, the whole head is sick, and the whole heart un 
sound j therefore we need a whole Christ to atone for 
our sin, to cover our naked souls with his imputed 
righteousness, and to be surety for us; to sanctify us 
by his Spirit, and prepare us for the purchased inherit 
ance. O try to rest in him : believe it, you are com 
plete in him j give over, my dear friend, poring and di 
ving into your own heart and frames, and try to trust 
in an almighty Savior to save you from foes without 
and foes within. Read Romaine s Walk and Life of 
Faith : he himself attained to a high degree of holiness 
by getting out of himself, and trusting, resting, believ 
ing from day to day, for grace, for every duty, as it 
occurred. The promise runs, as thy day so shall thy 
strength be. 

" I cannot at this distance, and knowing nothing of 
characters, offer you any advice with respect to outward 
means ; but if you know any truly pious, spiritual mi- 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 135 

nister, I should think it your duty to lay open your 
mind to him. You may find in hooks matter as good as 
any man living can speak ; but it is the Lord s appoint 
ed way, and he often honors his servants, his ministers, 
by making them messengers of peace and comfort to 
his children. ? Are any sick, let them call for the elders 
of the church, and let them pray over them. See how 
the Christians of old associated with one another ! I am 
now doubly yours, &c. I. G." 

" April 14, 1797. 

" ETERNITY seems very near. I have often thought 
so without any visible cause. Well, it will come ; a few 
more rolling years, months, weeks or days will assu 
redly land me on Canaan s happy shore. Then shall 1 
know and enjoy what ear hath not heard, eye seen, nor 
heart conceived, even the blessedness that is at God s 
right hand. I have desired, though I know not that I 
have asked, to glorify God on my death-bed, and to 
leave my testimony at the threshold of eternity, that 
not one word of all that my God has promised has fail 
ed. He has been O what has he not been ! In all my 
trials, all my afflictions, all my temptations, all my 
wanderings, all my backslidings, he has been all that 
the well-ordered covenant has said. Let this Bible tell 
what God in Christ, by his Spirit and his providence, 
has been to me ; and let the same Bible say what he 
will be to me * when flesh and heart fails ; yea, when 
the place that now knows me shall know me no more. 
Perhaps when the messenger does come I shall not 
know him, but depart in silence. Well, as the Lord 
wills, he knows best how to glorify himself. Jesus shall 



136 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

trim my lamp and perfect his image on my soul, sensi 
ble or insensible. I shall enter into his presence, wash 
ed in his blood, clothed in his righteousness, and my 
sanctification perfected. I shall r see him as he is, and 
be like him. 

" Mourn not, my children, but rejoice ; gird up the 
loins of your mind and set forward on your heavenly 
journey through this wilderness. So far as I have fol 
lowed Christ, so far follow my example; still living on 
Christ, depending on him for all that is promised in the 
well-ordered covenant. stumble not into the world 
except when duty calls ; at best it is a deadly weight, 
a great hinderance to spiritual-mindedness, and in as far 
as it gets a footing in your heart, it will not only mar 
your progress but your comfort. Lord, feed my chil 
dren constantly with thy flesh and thy blood, that 
they may never hunger nor thirst for this world, but 
grow in the divine life, and in the joy and comfort of 
the Holy Ghost. Amen." 

" October 20, 1797. 

"How condescending is our covenant God! All we 
have or enjoy is from his hand ; he gave us our being ; our 
lives, although forfeited a thousand times, have been pre 
served. Our bread has been given us, and our water sure ; 
and not only these necessaries, but many comforts and 
good temporal things have fallen to our lot ; thou hast fur 
nished our table hast provided medicines and cordials 
when sick. Lord, I thank thee for all these mercies, but 
above all, that we can call thee our reconciled Father: 
that we have them not as the world have them, who are 
far from thee, and have no portion among thy children, nor 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 137 

interest in thy well-ordered covenant ; but that we have 
them as thy redeemed, as part of covenant provision, and 
with a covenant blessing, and among the all things that 
work together for our good. Lord, enable us to be rich 
in good works. How condescending, that thou accept- 
est a part of thine own as free-will offerings, and hast an 
nexed promised blessings to those who consider the poor; 
hast said, he who giveth to the poor, lendeth to the Lord. 

" I thank thee that thou hast laid to hand a sufficiency 
10 enable me and mine to eat our own bread; even that 
which, according to the regulations of society, men call 
our own. Thou only hast a right to call it not so, for 
we are thine, and all that thou hast given us ; but of thy 
free bounty and kind providence 4 thou hast enabled us 
to provide things honest and of good report in the sight 
of all men, and to give a portion to them who need. 

" I trust thy Spirit has directed my judgment in the de 
termination I have taken to set apart, from time to time, 
this portion, according as thou prosperest us in business, 
and preservest us in health and atility to pursue it. I 
bless thee for indulgent, encouraging appearances, that 
since I began the practice thou hast added to my stock, 
and that which I have given has never straitened, but 
thou hast prospered me more and more. My poor s purse 
has never been empty when called for, neither has my 
family purse. Of thine own I give thee, and bless thy 
name for the privilege. 

f f Grant direction with respect to whom, and how much 
to give " 

The following meditations will afford refreshment to 
every Christian heart 



138 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

" 1797. 

" As ye have received the Lord Jesus, so walk in him, 
rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, 
as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanks 
giving. 7 

" Yes, just so, and no other way shall any poor cor 
rupted creature attain holiness, in the very same man 
ner that he received the Lord Jesus at first. He is the 
Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning 
and the end. 

" Lord, my Savior, my complete Savior, and in 
whom I am complete ! I received thee as my expiatory 
sacrifice, by whom atonement was made for my sins ; 
by whom reconciliation was made ; I reconciled to God, 
and God to me. I was then delivered from the power 
of darkness and translated into the kingdom of God s 
dear Son, and have redemption through his blood, even 
the forgiveness of sins. This same blood must cleanse 
my daily spots, must cleanse my very best services; this 
same blood must cleanse my conscience daily, and give 
me confidence in God, as my reconciled Father. By this 
same peace-speaking blood I daily present myself in his 
presence, and know that he sees no iniquity in me so 
as to condemn me. 

" O Lord, I receive thee as my justifying righteous 
ness, disclaiming all confidence in my own works, throw 
ing them aside as filthy rags. I place my sole depend 
ence upon an imputed righteousness ; that righteous 
ness, wrought out by thee as my surety, in thy holy, 
meritorious life and death ; believing thy testimony, 
that r the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is 
eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Just so 






DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 139 

must I go on, trusting in, resting upon, rejoicing in the 
Lord my righteousness. f By one man s offence many 
were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall 
many (and I among others) be made righteous. Christ 
is the end of the law for righteousness, therefore I 
walk at liberty, free from all dread of condemnation. 
Not as a slave, not as a servant, not as an hireling, not 
is a probationer ; but as a son and heir of God, to 
whom the inheritance is made sure. I have received 
the seal of the testament, ratified and made sure by the 
death of the testator. All the blessings contained in 
this Bible, the records of the well-ordered covenant, are 
mine ; and, O glorious truth ! the testator died to ratify 
and insure this testament ; but he lives again, the glo 
rious executor. 

" Lord, I received thee as my king : depending up 
on promised strength, I swore allegiance to thee, and to 
thy government. Just so, my dear sovereign Master, 
must I go on : rejoicing in its privileges, subjecting 
myself cheerfully to its restrictions : studying with 
care its positive commands, and setting myself to obey 
submitting with meekness to its discipline : claiming thy 
kingly power to subdue the corruptions of my heart, to 
defend from foes within and foes without : and when 
thou callest me to fight, to arm me for battle, and lead 
me on to victory. 

"I received thee as my divine Savior, as the cove 
nant of the people ; the covenant arranged, ratified, and 
fulfilled ; to me a covenant of free gift. Receiving thee, 
I received all the promises in their fullest extent, as le 
gally made over and confirmed to me by the irrevocable 
gift of Deity : arid in thee, as my Savior, dwelleth all 



140 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

the fulness of the Godhead bodily ; yes, dwelleth in 
him for his people, his ransomed ; dwelleth in him 
as our head ; we are united to him, one with him, as he 
and the Father are one, and being one with him, we are 
complete in him. He is the head, we the members ; he 
is the vine, we the branches ; he is the foundation and 
chief corner-stone, we the building. Thus let us walk in 
him ; rooted and built up in him ; filled with the 
knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual under 
standing ; walking worthy of the Lord, unto all pleasing 
being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in 
the knowledge of God ; strengthened with all might, ac 
cording to his glorious power; unto all patience and 
long-suffering, with joyfulness ; for it is he who work- 
eth in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure; 
and although of ourselves we can do nothing, yet we 
can do all things through Christ strengthening us; 
and he has promised, that as our day so shall our 
strength be. 

It is well, Lord, it is well. Thou art mine and I am 
thine : thou art mine with all thy fulness, what can I 
want besides! Nothing, Lord. Thou hast given me 
the heritage of those that fear thy name ; I am satis 
fied with my portion. Amen. Be my God and the God 
of my seed, and glorify thy name in us." 

" October, 1797. 

" Psalm 119. f Remove far from me vanity and lies 
Every deviation from rectitude and truth is sin. Who 
that knows any thing of the corruption of the human 
heart, and its strange tendency to stray, to err, yea, 
even to pervert the plainest, simplest and most obvious 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 141 

truths, but must see the propriety of his joining the 
Psalmist, and crying out, Lord, remove far from me 
the way of lies. 

" The way of lies, as it respects our judgment and 
sentiments ; as it respects our motives of action, and as 
it respects our conduct. 

"As it respects our judgment: how does every 
species of error abound ; even the serious and earnest 
seekers of truth differ in many things, which, although 
they may not prevent their final salvation, mar their 
progress in knowledge, in holiness, and in comfort. 
Lord, remove far from us the way of lies. Lead us to 
the pure, unmixed, unerring word of truth, as it respects 
our sentiments, and as it respects our conduct. how 
many deceive themselves by resting on a speculative 
knowledge of the truth, or what they esteem such, 
while their hearts remain unaffected, their tempers un- 
sanctified, and their lives unfruitful. Passionate, stub 
born, relentless, unmerciful, implacable tempers indulg 
ed and unmortified, must be a way of lies. Learn of 
me, says the Savior, for I am meek and lowly, and 
ye shall find rest to your souls. * The meek will he 
teach his way, the meek will he guide in judgment. 

* Remove far from me the way of lies, and teach me 
thy law graciously. 

: Teach me thy law graciously, not the ceremonial 
and the moral law alone, but the whole of God s revealed 
will. The Psalmist knew the law ceremonial and 
moral, but he wants more and more of the teaching 
of the Spirit of God. He, the Spirit of truth, shall 
take of mine, and show it unto you. The word of God 
is ever the same j it contains the whole truth, and no- 



14-2 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

thing but the truth ; every thing necessary to safety, to 
holiness and happiness : but O the difference between 
him who reads with a mind enlightened by the Spirit of 
God, and him who reads with no other assistance than 
his own poor blinded, darkened reason. Teach me 
then thy law graciously. I will praise thee with upright 
ness of heart, when I shall have learned thy judgments. 
Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous 
things out of thy law. The Psalmist thirsted after 
more and more extensive views of the word of God, 
and still as his views were enlarged he desired more. 
Verse 64. * The earth is full of thy mercy ; this was 
one lesson, but still he cries, Teach me thy statutes ; 
thou hast dealt bountifully with me, Lord, according 
to thy word: still he cries, r Teach me good judgment 
and knowledge. It is good for me that I have been 
afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes. " 

" October, 1797. 

"I love to feel the kindlings of repentance, self-loath 
ing under a sense of ingratitude, heart-melting with 
the view of pardoning grace. I love to feel the sprink 
ling of my Redeemer s blood on my conscience, draw 
ing forth the tears of joy and gratitude in the view of a 
free pardon. I love to dwell on the seal of reconcilia 
tion, while my heart, glowing with gratitude, sinks into 
the arms of my adeeming Lord, in full confidence of his 
love and my safety for ever. I love to feel longings 
after closer communion, after more conformity to his 
image, more usefulness to my fellow-members of the 
body of Christ, and to all his creatures. I love to feel 
deeply interested in the success of the Gospel, in the 



143 

declarative glory of Jehovah, as manifested in his works 
of creation and providence, but chiefly in the super-ex- 
cellent work of redemption : for thou hast magnified 
thy Word above all thy great name, y 



CHAPTER VI. 

&gt;&lt;&gt; f \ \\&lt;{lf f&gt;* Wj-vWo ldT Iff t-&lt;T &gt; t rj*&gt;i? 

FORMATION OF THE WIDOWS 7 SOCIETY CLOSE OF HER 

SCHOOL. 

In November, 1797, the " Society for the Relief of 
Poor Widows with small Children" was instituted at 
New-York; a society which has risen into great respec 
tability, and has been productive of very beneficent ef 
fects. The Lord, in his merciful providence, prepared 
this institution, to grant relief to the many bereaved fa 
milies who were left widows and orphans by the ravages 
of the yellow fever in the years 1798 and 1799. 

It took its rise from an apparently adventitious cir 
cumstance. Mr. B , in the year 1796, was one of the 

distributing managers of the St. Andrew s Society. The 
distribution of this charity was of course limited to a 

certain description of applicants. Mrs. B , interested 

for widows not entitled to share in the bounty of the 
St. Andrew s Society, frequently collected small sums 
for their relief. She consulted with a few friends on the 
propriety of establishing a Female Society for the relief 
of poor widows with small children, without limitation 
Invitations, in the form of circular letters, were sent to 
the ladies of New- York, and a very respectable number 



144 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

assembled at the house of Mrs. Graham. The proposed 
plan was approved, and a society organized. Mrs. Gra 
ham was elected first Directress, which office she held 
for ten years. 

At the semi-annual meeting in March, 1798, Mrs. 
Graham made a very pleasing report of the proceedings 
of the Managers, and of the amount of relief afforded to 
the poor. The ladies of New-York truly honored them 
selves and religion by their zeal in this benevolent un 
dertaking, in reference to which Mrs. Graham says, in 
a letter to her friend Mrs. Walker : 

" I mentioned in my last that we had planned a so 
ciety for the relief of poor widows with small children : 
the success has been beyond our most sanguine expec 
tations. We have now a hundred and ninety subscribers, 
at three dollars a year, and nearly a thousand dollars in 
donations. We have spent three hundred dollars this 
winter, and nearly all upon worthy objects. The poor 
increase fast : emigrants from all quarters flock to us, 
and when they come they must not be allowed to die 
for want. There are eight hundred in the alms-house, 
and our society have helped along many, with their own 
industry, that must otherwise have been there. The 
French, poor things, are also starving among us j it 
would need a stout heart to lay up in these times" 

In the same letter she informs her of the first month 
ly missionary prayer-meeting known to have been held 
m the city of New-York. 

" The second Wednesday in February we commenced 



MONTHLY PRAYER-MEETING. 145 

our first monthly meeting for prayer for the Lord s bless 
ing on ours, and all the missionary societies. It was 
far from full ; but we must be thankful for the day oi 
small things, and pray, and wait, and hope. The Dutch 
churches, the Baptist and Presbyterian have united so 
far as to officiate in each other s churches ; they have 
collected about seventeen hundred dollars, and are look 
ing out for two missionaries to send among the Indians, 
or to the frontiers." 

A few months later we find the following letter to a 
young man on his joining the church : 

" September, 1798. 

" MY DEAR YOUNG FRIEND, You have now ratified in 
a public manner that transaction which, no doubt, passed 
previously in private between you and your God. You 
have declared your belief of the Gospel, and have taken 
hold of God s covenant of promise. You have fallen in 
with his own plan, which he has appointed for the sal 
vation of guilty sinners j and rested your soul upon his 
word of promise that you shall be saved. You have, at 
the same time, dedicated and devoted your soul, your 
body, your time, your talents, your substance, your in 
fluence, all that you are and have, to be disposed of at 
his pleasure, and for his glory, in the world. You are 
no longer your own. You are bought with a price, 
adopted into the family of God, numbered with and en 
titled to all the privileges of his children. Your motives 
of action, your views, your interests, are all different 
from those of the worldling. Whether you eat or drink, 
or whatever you do, your aim must be, and will be, to 

Mrs. Grnhnm, 7 



14-6 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

do all to his glory. This must go with you, and be your 
ruling principle in all the walks of life. By your integ 
rity, uprightness, diligence, and disinterested attention 
to the interest of your employers, you will glorify God 
and have his presence with you in business. By a duo 
and marked observance of the Sabbath, and attendance 
on the ordinances, you will glorify him. By regularity, 
order, and temperance, crowned with an open acknow 
ledgment of God before all who may surround your 
board, you will glorify him in an especial manner in 
these days of degeneracy, and, crowned with family 
worship, you will glorify him, and his presence will be 
with you, and great will be your comfort. God s inte 
rest in the world must also be yours. The good of his 
church in general, and that of your own family in parti 
cular ; and Oh, my son, if you would be rich in comfort, 
follow the Lord fully, and follow him openly ; and if you 
would do it so as to suffer the least from the sneer of 
the world, do it at once. 

" Already you have received congratulations on your 
joining the church, by those belonging to it ; soon will 
it be known to those who will scoff at it. But Christians 
and worldlings will look for consistency ; and, if it be 
wanting, the last will be the first to mark it. A decided 
character will soon deliver you from all solicitations to 
what may be even unseemly, and dignified consistent 
conduct will command respect. Not but the Lord may 
let loose upon you the persecuting sneer and banter of 
the wise of this world, whose esteem you wish to pre 
serve ; but, if he do, the trial will be particular, and he 
will support you under it, and bring his glory and your 
good out of it. 



MONTHLY PRAYEK-MEETING. 147 

" And now, my son, suffer the word of exhortation. 
You have entered the school of Christ, and have much 
to learn, far beyond what men or books can of them 
selves teach, and you have much to receive on divine 
credit, beyond what human reason can comprehend 

" I would recommend to you to read carefully, and 
pause as you read, and pray as you read for the teach 
ing of the Spirit the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians. 
Read it first without any commentary, and read it as ad 
dressed to you, S A . You will there find what 

may in part stagger your reason ; you will find what far 
surpasses your comprehension ; but yet read on, with 
conscious weakness, and ignorance, and absolute de- 
pendance on divine teaching. When you have read it 
through, then take Brown s or Henry s exposition of it. 

"A degree of mystery, my son, runs through the 
whole of God s revealed word ; but it is Az s, and to be 
received with reverence, and believed with confidence, 
because it is his. It is to be searched with diligence, 
and compared; and, by God s teaching and the assist 
ance of his sent servants, the child of God becomes 
mighty in the Scriptures. Let not mystery stagger 
you: we are surrounded with mysteries; we, our 
selves, are mysteries inexplicable : nor let the doctrine 
of election stagger you ; how small a part of God s 
ways do we know, or can comprehend ! rejoice that he 
has given you the heritage of his people leave the rest 
to him ; r Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right V 

" Jesus took once a little child and set him in the midst 
of the people, and said, * Except ye be converted, and 
become as little children, ye cannot enter the kingdom 
of heaven, intimating with what simplicity and docility 



148 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

men ought to receive the Gospel ; and the following 
text also alludes to this : Suffer little children to come 
unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the king 
dom of heaven. There are many promises made to 
the diligent searchers after truth, then shall we know 
if we follow on to know the Lord. The secret of the 
Lord is with them that fear him ; and he will show 
them his covenant. Yet the highly enlightened Paul 
calls the Gospel a mystery, and godliness a mystery ; 
for now we see through a glass darkly ; but then face to 
face: now I know in part; but then (in heaven) shall I 
know even as also I am known. Therefore, while you 
use all diligence, accompanied with prayer and the ex 
positions of God s faithful ministers, to understand 
every part of divine revelation, be neither surprised nor 
disheartened at the want of comprehension, far less at 
tempt to reduce it to human reason, as many have done 
to their ruin. The Scripture says, Vain man would be 
wise, though born like the wild ass s colt. * The wis 
dom of this world is foolishness with God. 

I. GRAHAM." 

Again we have the following merited strictures by 
one taught from above, on a passage in Pope s Essay on 
Man. 

" 1798. 
f Glows in the stars and blossoms in the trees. 

" There the poet must stop : thus far the natural 
mind, richly endowed with human powers, can go and 
trace a God of power, wisdom, and beneficence : O that 
thou hadst had eyes to see, and discern what flesh and 
blood could never reach ; that all these glories dwindle 



CLOSE OF HER SCHOOL. 149 

into tapers, when compared with Jehovah manifested in 
the face of Jesus Christ. Every star, every tree, all 
vegetating, bursting, blooming life, answer the end of 
their creation, manifesting his glory as thou sayest ; 
but can they tell thee how this God can be just, and 
yet justify those who have rebelled against all his attri 
butes; torturing even his fair and beautiful creation, 
and bringing it into subjection to their lusts, as thou 
hast well sung : murmuring at, and rebelling against 
his dispensations in providence ; hardening themselves 
against his government ; perverting every good to their 
own misery, and imbibing wretchedness from means of 
blessedness: can all that thou hast sung bring into con 
geniality perfection of wickedness and perfection of 
holiness, perfection of wretchedness and perfection of 
happiness, perfect opposition in nature and principle ! 
Here thy song stops short. Thou seest the evils and 
the misery ; thou hast a glimpse of an opposite good, 
but all means proposed by thee, ever have proved, and 
ever will prove inadequate to the attainment of it : the 
very attributes of a just and holy God oppose it : 
heaven and earth must stand amazed at the declaration 
that God would justify the ungodly !" 

In the month of September, 1798, Mrs. Graham s 
daughter Isabella was married to Mr. Andrew Smith, 
merchant, then of New-York. Her family being thus 
settled to her satisfaction, and her health not good, she 
was prevailed upon to retire from her school, and to 
live with her children. 

During the prevalence of the yellow fever in 1798, it 
WRS with much difficulty Mrs. Graham was dissuaded 



150 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

from going into the city to attend on the sick : the fear 
of involving her children in the same calamity, in the 
event of her being attacked by the fever, was the chief 
reason of her acquiescing in their wish to prevent so 
hazardous an undertaking. During the subsequent win 
ter she was indefatigable in her attentions to the poor 
she exerted herself to procure work for her widows, 
and occupied much of her time in cutting it out and 
preparing it for them. The managers of the Widows 
Society had each a separate district ; and Mrs. Graham, 
as first Directress, had a general superintendence of the 
whole. She was so happy in the execution of her trust, 
as to acquire the respect and confidence of the ladies 
who acted with her, as well as the affections of the poor. 
Her whole time was now at her command, and she 
devoted it very faithfully to promote the benevolent ob 
ject of the institution over which she presided. The 
extent of her exertions, however, became known, not 
from the information given by herself, but from the ob 
servations of her fellow-laborers, and especially from 
the testimony of the poor themselves. When she had 
been absent for some weeks, on a visit to her friends 
in Boston, in the summer of 1800, her daughter, Mrs. 

B , was surprised at the frequent inquiries made 

after her by persons with whom she was unacquainted: 
at length she asked some of those inquirers what they 
knew about Mrs. Graham 1 They replied, " We live in 
the suburbs of the city, where she used to visit, re 
lieve and comfort the poor. We had missed her so 
long that we were afraid she had been sick ; when she 
walked in our streets, it was customary with us to come 
to the door and receive her blessing as she passed." 



CORRESPONDENCE. 151 

We next find letters to her female friend near Bos 
ton, who was still in much spiritual darkness and des 
pondency. 

To Mrs. C , near Boston, 

" March, 1799. 

" MY EVER DEAR FRIEND, I have just read your letter, 
painful to you to write, but to me as the mother s an 
guish which precedes her joy. The day will soon break, 
and the shadows flee away; and the dear Savior, whom 
you seek, will again comfort his returning prodigal. 

rf I will do what you desire me, and though I have 
the highest opinion of our young Timothy J. M., I will 
pass by him in this case, and lay it before one of the 

aged Christians, Dr. R rs or Dr. L n ; at the same 

time, my friend, I am as sure of their answer as if I 
were already in possession of it. Who told my friend 
that she was blind, and miserable, and wretched, and 
naked I Flesh and blood never yet taught proud man 
or woman this lesson. 

"My dear friend, there is nothing new nor strange 
in all you have told me : there is scarce a heaven-taught 
soul, who has made any advances in the spiritual war 
fare, but could sympathize with you from experience. 
What have you experienced more than the Scriptures 
;ell us 1 that * the heart is deceitful above all things, 
and desperately wicked. Only the Lord can search it, 
only he can cleanse it. He takes the prerogative to 
himself, and he calls it his Covenant that he will make 
with sinners in Gospel times. You may strive and fight, 
and resolve and vow all will not do: you lie at his 
mercy for holiness as well as pardon. He is exalted 



152 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

as a Prince to give repentance, and he is the Author and 
Finisher of faith. He works all our works in us, and 
without him we are not equal to one good thought. 
We are his workmanship, created anew in Chrisf 
Jesus. My dear friend, put the work into his hand 
and try to wait on him in hope hope in every situa 
tion ; do more, trust. 

" You entirely mistake the situation of others ; none 
of us have our heaven here : no, sin dwelleth in us ; 
the very best have their ups and downs. Do you think 
your friend is always on the mount] very far from 
it. I am at times so cold, so dead, so stupid, that I can 
neither pray, read, nor hear. I have begun the same 
chapter over and over, still trying to fix my thoughts, 
and as often they wander on every trifle j but my peace 
lies where you will soon learn to place yours, in the 
merits of my almighty Savior. My safety depends not on 
my frames, but his promise : and when tossed and tempt 
ed, dead and lifeless, emptied of every good, perhaps 
buffeted like you with abominable thoughts, the fiery 
darts of Satan, casting all on Him, I am safe as when 
basking in the sunshine of his love, and tasting what 
you have tasted : for you have tasted, and you shall yet 
taste the joys of his salvation. I too have proved false 
to his covenant, have gone off with the world, and been 
intoxicated with its vanities and empty delights, and 
have laid up for myself seasons of deep remorse ; my 
sins have often separated between my God and me, es 
pecially in my younger days ; the Lord calls to watch 
fulness and diligence in the use of means, and he gene 
rally honors these means, of his own appointing, with 
nis blessing. When we either trust to these means, 



CORRESPONDENCE 153 

and fancy merit in them, or neglect to use them as 
his appointment, he generally makes us feel our error, 
but he does not cast us out of his family ; he chastens 
us, and restores us. 

I write hastily, just to say that you have my sym 
pathy and my love j for well I know, the almighty 
Lord alone can loose your bonds, and give you joy 
and peace in believing. All my advice may be summed 
up in this trust in the Lord with all your heart 5 at 
least aim at this ; I say aim at it, for this too must be 
given you. .Roll yourself, your doubts, your fears, your 
sins, your duties, all on him : say, * Lord, I believe, 
help my unbelief. He is an almighty Savior to de 
liver sinners from sin as well as from punishment. 1 
leave you on the Father of mercies, and will, when the 
Lord enables, pray for you. Yours, &c." 

To the Same. 

" At last, my dear friend, the Lord appears ; ap 
pears the bible God the Lord God, merciful and gra 
cious, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, 
keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, trans 
gression and sin. 

"When was it that the Lord proclaimed this, and 
took unto himself this name \ After Israel, his chosen, 
had been guilty of that awful sin in the wilderness, of 
making the golden calf, and proclaiming These be thy 
gods, O Israel ; David takes it up in the 103d Psalm, 
The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and 
plenteous in mercy. Read on, my dear, then turn to the 
130th. This God is your God, and has long been your 
7* 



154- LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

God ; his work was upon your heart, though you could 
not discern it. In bondage you have long been, but not 
a willing captive; unbelief kept you in bondage, long, 
long after your eyes were opened to see your bondage ; 
and even to discern, in some feeble measure, your 
remedy. 

ft The Lord has wise reasons for all you have suf 
fered : if not now, you shall in some after-time know 
and consider all the way by which he has led you, 
to prove you, to try you, and show you what was 
in your heart, that he might do you good in your latter 
end. You did not wait patiently for the Lord your 
God ; you did not in general say, Though he slay me, 
I will trust in him ; No, my friend has been a great 
unbeliever, yet hath the Lord, the sovereign Lord, 
whose ways are not as our ways, nor his thoughts as 
our thoughts, brought you out of a fearful pit, and 
out of the miry clay ; set your feet upon a rock, and 
established your goings ; put a new song into your 
mouth, even praise unto our God. Now you sing the 
34th Psalm. I do rejoice with my friend j I bless the 
Lord with her ; let us exalt his name together. It is 
establishing to my own soul. T have long prayed, and 
long looked for this : I lived in the faith of it, assured 
that He who had begun the good work, w r ould perfect 
it in his own time. 

" I cannot but regret your want of pastoral food ; 
yet ought I to regret any thing 1 The Lord himself is 
your Shepherd. My Bible lies on my lap, and I had 
turned to the 34th Psalm to know if it contained what I 
would point out to you ; on finishing the last verse, I 
unconsciously turned my eye on the Bible ; the words 



CORRESPONDENCE 155 

that met it were, Psalm 32 : 8, I will instruct thee, 
and teach thee in the way that thou shalt go : I will 
guide thee with mine eye. And so it shall be. Amen, 
my God, Amen. Do as thou hast said. 

" Perhaps, my friend, by this time your notes are 
lowered. It has pleased the Lord to give you a strange 
sight : Mary Magdalene, a great sinner at the feet of 
Jesus, pardoned, comforted, and highly honored in 
after-life. 

" This history, accompanied by the Spirit of God, has 
consoled, strengthened and raised up many bowed-down 
since that day, many now around the throne, who sing 
of pardoning love. 

" I now wish to say, hold fast the beginning of your 
confidence. Your experience is that of God s people 
To rejoice in the Lord at all times is your privilege, but 
will not be always your attainment. The Lord has 
done great things for you, whereof I am glad : but, my 
dear friend, the warfare is not over : you must endure 
trials as others ; engage with principalities and powers, 
and spiritual wickedness in high places, and, worst of 
all, a treacherous heart within j which, for all that it 
has seen and tasted, is yet corrupt and deceitful: the 
new life which Christ gives to the soul, evidences it 
self in the desires of the heart and affections. As cer 
tainly as the new-born babe desires the breast, as cer 
tainly and as evidently does the new-born soul desire 
union to God, communion with him, and conformity to 
him in heart, life and conversation. This principle is 
in its own nature perfectly pure, but the old nature, the 
law in the spiritual members, is as perfectly corrupt ; 
T in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. 



156 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

" In the order of God s covenant it has not pleased 
him to deliver even believers, all at once, from sinful 
inclinations and passions ; he has provided for their fi 
nal complete deliverance, and sin shall not have domi 
nion over them even here j but it is still in them while 
in the body, and a dying body; and the remains of sin 
in the soul make the believer s life a warfare, and this 
world a wilderness ; soul and body are diseased ; both are 
redeemed, and provision made for the entire deliverance 
of both for the soul at death, for the body at the resur 
rection ; but while in the body, 1 John, 1 : 8, * If any man 
say he has no sin, he deceiveth himself and the truth is 
not in him. Look at Paul s experience what does he 
say of the believer s state 1 He calls it a warfare, a 
fight, a captivity for a time: see 1 Timothy, G: 12; 1 
Corinthians, 9 : 26. 

" I write not thus to dishearten you, but as a friend I 
warn you, lest you fall again into unbelief. Look not 
within for comfort, for consolation, for confidence. 
Christ is the end of the law for righteousness, his blood 
the atonement, and you are complete in him, his grace 
is sufficient for you, his strength shall be perfected in 
your weakness, and you shall go on. Grieve for sin 
you will, grieve you ought; but keep ever in your re 
membrance 1 John 2 : 1 and 5:11. Yours, &c." 

To the Same. 

" January 14, 1800. 

" My dear friend says, that I could have the soci 
ety of some aged, pious clergyman or Christian, who 
had gone through his warfare. O that you could, in the 
Lord s hand ! I hope it might do you good ; yet. after 



CORRESPONDENCE. 157 

all, the Lord himself must loose your bonds ; ay, and he 
will, and also appoint the means. 

" There are two kinds of rest awaiting you, the one in 
this life, the other will not be attained till the mortal 
shall put on immortality. When was it that Paul, the 
great apostle, could say he had fought the good fight ( 
Not till he could also say he had finished his course, 
and was ready to be offered up; till then, he, like others, 
had to continue the warfare between grace and corrup 
tion ; like others, found a law in his members warring 
against the law of his mind, so that the thing that he 
would, he did not, and that which he would not, that 
he did. Notwithstanding this, there is a blessed rest at 
tainable here, rest from the fear of wrath and hell ; a 
rest in Christ as our atonement, our surety, our com 
plete righteousness, our title to eternal life, and all the 
grace necessary to fit us for it. This is the work of 
faith, or rather this is faith itself. The soul established 
in this can rest in all possible circumstances; it depends 
not on its frames; in darkness, when it is tossed, tempt 
ed, wandering, conscious of unhallowed tempers, per 
haps of the actual commission of sin. though at such 
times the warfare between grace and corruption is so 
strong as to make the Christian exclaim, O wretched 
man that I am ! who shall deliver me from this body of 
sin and death V he can still say, The Lord lives, blessed 
be my Rock ; see the 42d and 43d Psalms. The Christian 
can still say, my Lord and my God ; he is sure the con 
flict will end, and that his God will bring good out of 
it ; he enjoys hope ; he feels his state as safe as in the 
most enlarged frame of mind, when he can pray, praise, 
love, rejoice. This is a riddle which only Christians 



i58 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

can understand, and even they require many lessons to 
comprehend it, many more to practise. 

"Have you Newton s letters ? See his 2d letter in 
Cardiphonia. O try to fix your anchor of hope on that 
sure foundation which God has laid in Zion Christ 
himself. Trust him to save you from every evil without 
you and within you. When your own weakness sinks 
you, try to be strong in his strength : when guilt dis 
turbs, wash in the open Fountain. But hold fast the be 
ginning of your confidence unto the end. 

" Be comforted, fight on, aim at trusting, and you 
shall, in the Lord s time, also cease from your own 
works, and rest, with more advanced Christians, on the 
faithfulness of your own God in Christ. See Hebrews 
4:9, also chap. 12 throughout. I finish with chap. 13: 
20, 21 ; my earnest prayer and sure hope for you, my 
precious friend. Yours, etc." 

Writing to her brother Dr. Marshall, she alludes to 
the prevalent neglect of the voice of God in his judg 
ments, and notices the death of Washington. 

" NEW-YORK, March 3. 1800. 

" Here comes a letter of wo from my dear brother, 
on a subject almost already forgotten in New-York, 
the yellow fever. Strange as it may seem, the disease, 
and all that it carried off, seem entirely out of mind. 
No mention made of the past, no apprehensions for the 
future. Country retreats are multiplying around, and 
people appear as if they had made a covenant with 
death. Potter s Field is filled with our principal citi 
zens; the orison and prison limits with many of the 



CORRESPONDENCE. 159 

survivors. The rest are feasting, dancing, and revelling 
or weeping over feigned wo in the theatre a few ex- 
cepted, who have fled for refuge to the hope set before 
them, whose eyes have been opened to discern the dan 
ger and accept the offered Savior: among which num 
ber, I dare, through grace, reckon your sister and her 
children. * Bless the Lord, my soul, and forget not 
all his benefits. 

" The city (indeed the United States) have been swal 
lowed up in the loss of WASHINGTON. The utmost stretch 
of human eloquence has been called forth in panegy 
ric. His eulogium has been sounded in every possible 
mode not excepting our pulpits. The 22d of February, 
his birth-day, was set apart to his memory. Two of our 
ministers were appointed to pronounce an eulogium on 
his character : one of whom was Dr. Mason, the other 
Dr. Linn. The last I admired j it had its due influence 
over me ; but of my own minister I could form no judg 
ment ; the church, the pulpit, the man, the words, seem 
ed so connected with the Lord Jesus Christ, his favorite 
theme, I could not realize the mere orator. 

" Great things were said of Washington, arid they were 
due. 

" The Lord himself called him by name, girded him, 
subdued great armies before him, with handfuls, like 
Gideon. He gave him wisdom in counsel, and prudence 
in executing justice. A nation blessed him while he 
lived, and with all the power of language lamented his 
death. Ah, human depravity! how striking! Bursting 
with gratitude to a creature with enmity to a Saviour 
God; to God, who so loved the world, that he gave 
his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him 



160 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

should not perish, but have everlasting life ; and to as 
many as receive him gives power to become the sons 
of God, by putting his Spirit within them, and causing 
them to love and walk in his statutes. But, alas ! the 
carnal unrenewed mind is enmity against God and his 
Christ. O that men were wise, and could see their dis 
ease, and the remedy ! 

" What misery is in the world at this day ! It is only 
equalled by the wickedness. How does potsherd dash 
against potsherd, mutually destroying each other ! How 
consoling to the Christian that the Lord reigns! The 
Lord sits King among the nations, even our own Jesus, 
Head over all principalities and powers, and dominions, 
and every name that is named in heaven and in earth : 
all these shakings, turnings, and overturnings, shall 
prove subservient to the real prosperity of his church." 

"1800. 

" I have entered into my closet ; I have shut my door ; 
I would pray to my Father who is in secret; I would 
be shut up with my indwelling God : but see the crowds 
that follow ; see my treacherous heart that gives them 
admission ; see my unsanctified imagination going off 
with them, leaving nothing before thee but a lifeless 
lump of clay. Help, Lord ! Hast thou not redeemed me 
from vain imaginations 1 Lord, fill all thy temple : Cast 
out the buyers and sellers : thyself prepare room for 
close, undisturbed, holy conference. Grant that, accord 
ing to the riches of thy glory, I may be strengthened 
with might, by thy Spirit, in the inner man : dwell in 
my heart by faith, that rooted and grounded in love, 
I may be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the 
breadth, and length, and height, and depth, and to know 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 161 

the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, and be 
filled with all the fulness of God. Give unto thy re 
deemed servant the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. 
Reveal thyself more and more in my soul ; enlighten the 
eyes of my understanding. Lord, improve, enlarge the 
powers of the new man. Spirit of the Father and of the 
Son, do thine office; take of the things of Christ and 
show them unto me ; that I may know what is the hope 
of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his 
inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding 
greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, accord 
ing to the working of his mighty power, which he 
wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead, 
and set him at the Father s right hand, in the heavenly 
places, far above all principalities, and powers, and 
might, and dominion, and every name that is named, 
not only in this world, but also in that which is to come ; 
and hath put all things under his feet, and given him to 
be the head over all things to the church, which is his 
body, the fulness of him that filleth a l in all. Filled with 
all the fulness of God! the fulness of him who filleth 
all in all ! O what things are these ! My soul stretches 
to comprehend, but, weak and feeble, cannot climb those 
glorious heights, nor dig into these, to me, unsearchable 
depths. I can only spell after the language of the Holy 
Ghost, lisp out his own words. I dare not trust my powers 
of comprehension to vary even the mode of expression. 
" Well, it may be best for me ; the valley of humility 
may be safest for me. Father, glorify thy name ! Thou 
hast quickened me ; I am not what I was. Thou hast 
wrought in me a measure of faith and love ; thou hast 
sealed me with the Holy Spirit of promise ; thou hast 



162 LIFE OF A1KS. GRAHAM. 

given me the earnest of my inheritance ; the full pos 
session shall come in thy appointed time. Wherefore 1 
will sing unto Him that is able, and will do exceeding- 
abundantly above all I can ask, think, or comprehend, 
according to that same mighty power that worketh in 
us. Unto him be glory in the church, by Christ Jesus, 
throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. 

" My covenant God, and the God of my house ! Thy 
Spirit saith, If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of 
God. Thou knowest the difficulty and danger of the 
present case. We are ignorant of hidden motions and 
principles; of Satan s suggestions; of corresponding or 
discordant circumstances; of future providences and 
events. Lord, give counsel. 

" If information and advice be duty on the part of thy 
servant, determine on the side of duty, be the danger 
what it may ; and ! search, try, and deliver from every 
selfish or hidden impure motive. Give prudence in the 
choice of words, in the time and manner as well as puri 
ty in the matter. Save from injuring any of the indivi 
duals concerned. And, ! prepare the heart of thy other 
servant, to receive this office of friendship with a proper 
degree of confidence. Save from unjust suspicions, that 
it may be taken as meant in love, in Christian love and 
friendship. 

tf thou, who knowest all hearts, all motives, all cir 
cumstances past, present, and future ! overrule for the 
manifestation of truth ; for the safety and good of thy 
servant, and for the closer union of all concerned in 
the bands of Christian love, confidence and affection ; 
and as our covenant God, in whom we trust for guid 
ance in every path of duty, glorify thy name. 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 163 

" I record this prayer in faith, and wait an answer of 
peace from thy inward teaching and manifestation in 
the course of thy providence. Amen." 

" 1800. 

"Psalm 72:17. His name shall endure for ever: 
his name shall continue as long as the sun: and men 
shall be blessed in him ; all nations shall call him 
blessed. Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, 
who alone doeth wondrous things. And blessed be his 
glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be fill 
ed with his glory ; Amen, and amen. 

" Again have I and my children been fed with Christ s 
flesh and his blood at his own table. f Glorious things 
are said of thee, thou city of our God ; and rich the pro 
vision of the house of our God; wonderful the scheme 
that hath made sinful, guilty, rebel sinners the citizens 
of this holy city, inhabitants of this holy house. Mys 
terious truth! The city itself, the house of God; the 
temple of the Lord, in which he delighteth to dwell. 
Closer yet, more mysterious, yet equally true, his bo 
dy, his flesh and his bones ; closer still, one Spirit with 
him. As Mediator Emmanuel, he is the bond of union, 
whereby the guilty sons and daughters of Adam are 
made one with the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost 

c * Wonderfully and fearfully are we made as crea 
tures ; as a rational creature, who can understand and 
comprehend himself? How these members were fash 
ioned 1 How this spark of vital flame was breathed in 
to the lifeless lump or atom 1 Wonder-working Lord ! 
thou only knowest. Wonderful are all the works of 
creation ; but O, what are they to thy work of Redemp 
tion ! To bring worlds out of nothing, to bring light 



164 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

out of darkness was thy easy work; but to bring good 
out of evil, this, this was the wonder ! Thousands and 
ten thousands of worlds were, and may yet be created 
without cost! God says, Let it be, and it is; but Re 
demption! O, who can tell the cost! Blessed Jesus! 
God manifested in the flesh! Christ! Babe of Bethle 
hem ! Man of sorrows ! Victim on the cross ! thou only 
canst tell Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who 
alone doeth wondrous things, and blessed be his glori 
ous name for ever ! Whatever the cost, it is finished. 
He bowed his head and said, It is finished ! This finish 
ed work is the new testament, which he bequeathed 
to his disciples the same night in which he was be 
trayed, when * he took bread, blessed it, brake it, gave 
it to his disciples, and said, Take, eat, this is my body 
broken for you ; and took the cup, and gave thanks, and 
gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it ; for this is 
the new testament in my blood, which is shed for ma 
ny, for the remission of sins. 

" The New Testament ! 0, who can tell the blessings 
and benefits contained in this testament, this dying le 
gacy of our dear Emmanuel, purchased and sealed with 
his blood ! What is the amount of it 1 What the sum of 
blessings contained in itl Behold, God is become our 
salvation. This is the amount. God himself, God in 
Christ reconciling us unto himself: by his mighty pow- 
&lt;r subduing the enmity that is in us ; melting our flin 
ty hearts ; drawing us with the cords of love ; creating 
us anew after his own image, which we had totally 
lost ; uniting us to himself, even us, who were enmity 
itself, but now are become one with God, who is love 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 165 

This is the work we have this day been celebrating : a 
given, a born, a living, a suffering, dying, risen, as 
cended, glorified, reigning Savior ! The Lord of Hosts, 
the King of kings, the Almighty God dwelling with 
men, dwelling in men, and feeding them with his own 
body and blood. Behold, God is become our salvation, 
we will trust and not be afraid, for the Lord Jehovah is 
our strength and our song ; he also is become our salva 
tion, therefore with joy will we draw water out of the 
wells of salvation. His attributes are the never-fail 
ing source j his ordinances the wells of salvation. God 
himself is ours, all that he is is ours, to bless and to 
make us happy. Ten thousand springs issue from this 
blessed source, specified and particularized in his Bible, 
experienced and celebrated by his saints. Let us drink 
and be refreshed, rejoice and praise : for O ! who can 
tell the amount of our riches, in having God for our por 
tion ! All things are ours, we are Christ s, and Christ is 
God s." 

The Widows Society met monthly, when the money in 
the treasury was drvided among the managers, for the 
relief of the widows under their care. Mrs. Graham as di 
rectress thus acknowledges God and asks his counsel : 

" 1800. 

tf my God, I account it an honorable office thou 
hast given me. I have received it from thee. Enable 
me to execute it to thee. 

"Father of the fatherless, Husband of the widow ! 
make me a fit instrument in thy hand of distributing thy 
bounty. Give discernment and judgment, tenderness, 



166 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

gentleness, humility and love; let love to thee be the 
principle of my every action ; lead me in the straight 
path of duty ; on the matter, the manner, the time, let 
Holiness to the Lord be written. I thank thee for this 
sum towards the relief of thy creatures ; be with us this 
evening, and direct our determination as to the division 
of it. Amen. " 



CHAPTER VII. 

BENEVOLENT LABORS MRS. HOFFMAN CORRESPONDENCE. 

The " Society for the relief of Poor Widows with 
small children," having received a charter of incorpo 
ration, and some pecuniary aid from the Legislature of 
the State, the ladies who constituted the Board of Di 
rection were engaged in plans for extending their use 
fulness: Mrs. Graham took an active part in executing 
these plans. The Society purchased a small house, 
where they received work of various kinds for the em 
ployment of their widows. They opened a school for 
the instruction of their orphans, and many of Mrs. Gra 
ham s former pupils volunteered their services, taking 
upon themselves, by rotation, the part of instructers. 
Besides establishing this school, Mrs. Graham selected 
some of the widows best qualified for the task, and en 
gaged them, for a small compensation, to open day 
schools for the instruction of the children of widows in 
distant parts of the city : she also established two Sabbath 
schools, one of which she superintended herself, and the 



BENEVOLENT LABORS. 167 

other she placed under the care of her daughter. Where- 
ever she met with Christians sick and in poverty, she 
visited and comforted them j and in some instances open 
ed small subscription lists to provide for their support 

She attended occasionally for some years at the Alms 
House^ for the instruction of the children there in re 
ligious knowledge: in this work she was much assisted 
by a humble and pious female friend, who was seldom 
absent from it on the Lord s day. In short, her whole 
time was occupied in searching out the distresses of 
the poor, and devising measures to comfort and estab 
lish them to the extent of her influence and means. At 
the same time, far from arrogating any merit to her 
self, she seemed always to feel how much she was de 
ficient in following fully the precepts and the footsteps 
of her beloved Lord and Savior, " who went about doing 
good." 

It was often her custom to leave home after break 
fast, taking with her a few rolls of bread, and return in 
the evening about eight o clock. Her only dinner on 
such days was her bread, and perhaps some soup at the 
Soup House established by the Humane Society for the 
poor, over which one of her widows had been, at her 
recommendation, appointed. She and her venerable 
companion Mrs. SARAH HOFFMAN, second Directress of 
the Widows Society, travelled many a day and many a 
step together in the walks of charity. Mrs. Graham 
was a Presbyterian, Mrs. Hoffman an Episcopalian. 
Those barriers, of which such an unhappy use has been 
made by sectarians to separate the children of God, fell 
down between these two friends at the cry of affliction, 
and were consumed on the altar of Christian love 



J68 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHA.M. 

Arm in arm, and heart to heart, they visited the abodes 
of distress, dispensing temporal aid from the purse 
of charity, and spiritual comfort from the Word of Life. 

At each annual meeting Mrs. Graham usually gave 
an address to the Society, with a report of the proceed 
ings of the managers through the preceding year. 

In April, 1800, she stated that " again the pestilence 
had emptied the city ; again every source of industry 
was dried up ; even the streams of benevolence from 
the country failed. Those store-houses, from which re 
lief was issued to thousands in former calamities, now 
disappointed their hopes ; and those spared by the pes 
tilence were ready to perish by the famine. Such wi 
dows as had no friends in the country under whose roof 
they might for a time seek shelter, were shut up to the 
only relief within their power, even to that Society 
which had formerly saved them in many a strait. They 
came, were received with tenderness, assisted with 
food, advice and medicine. 

" Four of the society s board, at the risk of their lives, 
remained in the city, steady in the exercise of their 
office. One hundred and forty-two widows, with four 
hundred and six children, under twelve years of age, by 
far the greater part under six, have, from time to time, 
during the winter, been visited and relieved. Widow is 
a word of sorrow in the best of circumstances j but a 
widow left poor, destitute, friendless, surrounded with 
a number of small children, shivering with cold, pale 
with want, looking in her face with eyes pleading for 
bread which she has not to give, nor any probable pros 
pect of procuring ; her situation is neither to be de 
scribed nor conceived. Many such scenes were wit- 



CORRESPONDENCE. 169 

iiessed during the last winter ; and though none could 
restore the father and the husband, the hearts of the 
mourners were soothed by the managers, whilst they 
dispensed the relief provided for them by their Father 
and their Husband, GOD." 

In the summer of 1800 Mrs. Graham again visited 
her friends in Boston, whence she wrote her daughter 
Mrs. B as follows: 

" BOSTON, August, 1800. 

"I yesterday received my dear J s letter, which 

gives fresh cause for thankfulness. The more my ab 
sence is lengthened, the less I arn able to support the 
want of intelligence. Let us bless God together for all 
his mercies ; among those which are temporal, health 
is the chief; and I believe to most mothers it is more 
valued in their children than in their own persons. I 
rejoice with you over our restored J y. O that our 
covenant God may give the more important blessing of 
divine life! You had need to be importunate for this, 
after the importunity exercised for natural life. I thank 
God also for the alleviation of your own distress, for 
our dear D s restoration from complaints, less alarm 
ing so far as they existed, but which might have been 
the seeds of serious affliction. 

" I could go on enumerating, for causes of thankful 
ness crowd into my mind ; but all are swallowed up in 
the grand mercy, the distinguishing mercy of redeem 
ing love to our souls. Salvation, not only to me, but to 
my house! Oh! all words fail here. Read over with 
me, sing with me, in your heart, the 103d Psalm. O my 

Mrs Graliam. 



170 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

God, dare T even sigh in thy presence, under any tem 
poral pain, or hurt of body or mind, with such a Father, 
such a Christ, such a Comforter, such a richly-furnished 
well-ordered covenant, such a constitution of grace and 
providence ; such an Jill in er/7, even all the fulness 
of God ! My God and the God of my seed, the God of my 
house; yea, and the God of my prodigal, who shall in 
heaven, if never on earth, join the song, To him that 
loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 
be glory, honor, dominion, power, and praise, for ever 
and ever. Amen. O shall a murmur ever pass these 
lips, shall this unthankful heart indulge even a sigh over 
any object but sin ; shall I shrink from any cross with 
such a crown \ Father, glorify thy name. 

"I have been to church; the subject, Be not weary 
in well doing. Many arguments were adduced for ex 
ertion ; but the Gospel was wanting. O that my friends 
could hear our shepherd ; he would sound his Master s 
voice more in unison with their own hearts experience 
and views of new covenant provision and gospel mo 
tives: except in the Baptist congregations, the Gospel 
is much mutilated here, and kept out of sight even by 
the few who are supposed to build upon it. 

" Sabbath next brings round your I will add, my 
Gospel feast. I will endeavor to meet you to-morrow 
evening, and to have you all on my heart, then and on 
the Sabbath, in that one Lord, one faith, one Spirit, one 
God and Father of all, who is above all, through all, 
and in all redeemed to himself by Jesus Christ, and 
sanctified by that one Spirit uniting all. What subjects ! 
I cannot attain to the comprehension, but I experience 
their truth, and enjoy the comfort of them." 



CORRESPONDENCE. 171 

The two following letters, addressed to a young lady 
whose acquaintance Mrs. Graham-made while at Boston, 
show how tenderly she sympathized with the feelings 
of the young, and how earnestly she sought their good. 

To Miss M , Boston. 

"September 11, 1800. 

" There was, my dear Miss M , something in your 
countenance and manner, at our last interview, which 
has dwelt on my mind ever since. Your former atten 
tions, which I also marked, I attributed to the natural 
benevolence of your heart ; but your following a stran 
ger, an old woman, of whom you know so little, and 
whom you were likely never to see again to solicit 
her friendship and an interest in her prayers, spoke a 
language beyond nature. Either my sweet friend has 
already chosen God in Christ to be her portion, and his 
love in her heart powerfully draws her to every one in 
whom she thinks she discerns his image ; or she con 
ceives that this world cannot give her happiness, even 
in this life ; and impressed with the importance of that 
which is to come, she wishes to cast in her lot among 
God s people, that she may know the good of his 
chosen, and rejoice in their joy, and become a partaker 
of that peace which the Savior bequeathed to his dis 
ciples when about to leave them: Peace I leave with 
you. My peace I give unto you j not as the world 
giveth, give I unto you ; let not your heart be troubled, 
neither let it be afraid. 

" Let me congratulate my friend, which ever of these 
be the case. If the first, you have (or will soon have) 
a peace which the world can neither give nor take 



172 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

away; If the last, the Savior stands at the door of 
your heart and knocks, soliciting that heart which has 
too long been hunting shadows and vanity. If your soul 
is dissatisfied with the things of the world, and tired 
with disappointment, cast a longing eye to the Fountain 
of happiness. This is the claim of that God whose 
name is love, * My son, give me thy heart. Come un 
to me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will 
give you rest. * In the world ye shall have tribula 
tion, but in me ye shall have peace. Be assured, my 
dear friend, if you could obtain all of this world that 
your heart could wish for, you would find vanity writ 
ten on the possession. .Nothing short of God himself 
can give happiness to the soul ; and exactly in propor 
tion as man becomes weaned from the world, and his af 
fections centre in God, is he in possession of happiness. 

" But how is this to be attained I By God s own plan, 
and no other. As many weary themselves in vain, hunt 
ing the shadows of time ; so many great philosophers, 
sensible of this great truth, that God alone can satisfy 
the rational soul, also weary themselves in vain, be 
cause they will not seek the blessing in God s own 
way. When the world, by wisdom, knew not God, it 
pleased him, by the foolishness of preaching (what was 
esteemed so) to save them that believe. * I thank 
thee, O Father, that thou hast hid these things from the 
wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. 

" The Savior said, Ye will not come to me, that ye 
mi flit have life. No man can come to the Father but 

C5 

by me. I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. r Search 
the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal 
life, arid they are they which testify of me. The Scrip- 



CORRESPONDENCE. 173 

ture testifies what our own hearts must assent to, that 
human nature is depraved and corrupt ; broken off from 
God ; at a distance from him by sin ; enmity against 
him in his true character ; opposed to his holy law, in its 
extent and spirituality : we are also helpless, dead in tres 
passes and sins. Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself/ 
(blessed be God for what follow r s) * but in me is thy help/ 
"The same Scripture which testifies the misery of 
man, reveals also his remedy ; a remedy of God s own 
providing, by which man may be restored to the image 
awd favor of God, and to that communion with him 
which is life and bliss. God so loved the world, that 
he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth 
on him might not perish, but have everlasting life : for 
God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the 
world, but that the world, through him, might be saved. 
And this is life eternal, that ye believe on him whom he 
hath sent. When man becomes convinced that he is 
lost, helpless, wretched, lying at mercy, and submits to 
the method of God s own providing; casts himself on 
the mercy of God in Christ, and, coming to him, rests 
on his free promise, f Him that cometh to me, I will in 
no wise cast out; disclaiming all confidence in him 
self, or in his own works, he accepts of God s offered 
Grace, in God s own way, a FREE and FINISHED salva 
tion. This is the record of God, that he giveth unto 
us eternal life, and this life is in his Son : who, of God, 
is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanc- 
tification, and complete redemption. Believing this, 
according to his faith it shall be. Christ shall be in 
him, * a well of water springing up to eternal life. He 
will shed abroad his love in his heart, and, according to 



174? LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

his promise, give him power to become a child of God. 
The Holy Ghost, the Comforter, shall be given unto 
him, to teach him the knowledge of the Scriptures, and 
to become a principle of holiness in his heart. Then 
shall he find that wisdom s ways are ways of pleasant 
ness, and all her paths peace j then shall he experience 
the blessedness of that man whose God is the Lord; 
then is the way open for communion and converse 
with God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 

" If, my dear Miss M , I have made myself under 
stood, you have my view of God s method of making 
his creatures happy ; and I believe he will make us to 
know that he is a sovereign God, and that there is no 
other name, or method, by which men can be saved, 
but the name of Christ Jesus. But, take nothing on my 
word, nor the word of any creature ; search the Scrip 
tures j read the first eight chapters of the Komans, the 
whole of the Ephesians ; stumble not at mysteries 
pass them over, and take the milk for babes ; pray for 
the teaching of the Spirit ; and let me recommend to 
you the advice of Mr. Newton, in his Omicron s Let 
ters, a book well worth your reading. * Lay not too much 
stress on detached texts, but seek for the sense which 
is most agreeable to the general strain of Scripture. 

" My dear Miss M , I am now old, and I hope have 
done with the world ; but I have been young and drunk 
deeply of youth s choicest pleasures. I was blest with 
the best and most indulgent of parents ; I \vas the wife 
of a man of sense, sentiment, and sensibility, who was 
my very first love and lover ; and that love ripened and 
improved with years. My children were good and 
healthy ; love, health, peace and competency blessed 



CORRESPONDENCE. 175 

our dwelling. I had also, in early life, taken hold of 
God s covenant, and tasted his covenant love ; and de 
voted myself to his service, which was in my mind a 
principle of moderation, compared with mere world 
lings; but very far was I from that non-conformity to 
the world which the precept of the Gospel requires. 
Had I kept close to my covenant God, enjoyed his 
bounty with thankfulness, occupied my talents, devoted 
my time to usefulness and communion with him j had I 
prayed against corruption within and temptation with 
out, the Lord would have directed my steps and held 
up my goings, and I should have continued to inherit 
the earth, and should not have been diminished. But 
this was very far from being my conduct j the bent of 
the natural, unrenewed heart, is still opposed to God ; 
and the best are sanctified only in part, while in this 
life ; the law in the members still wars against the law 
of the Spirit of life in the mind. The goodness of God, 
which ought to have been a powerful motive to grati 
tude, love and diligence, was misimprovedj I enjoyed 
the gifts, and forgot the Giver ; hugged my comforts 
to death. Many, many light chastisements, my dear, 
my kind, my indulgent heavenly Father exercised mo 
with ; I had many repenting seasons under his strokes ; 
many manifestations of pardon I received ; and many 
fresh and solemn dedications of my heart, life, and sub 
stance did I make ; but no sooner was ease and comfort 
restored, than my heart turned aside like a deceitful bow; 
my whole life, from fifteen till the thirtieth year of my 
age, was one continued succession of departure and 
backsliding on my part ; of chastening, forgiving, re 
storing, and comforting on the part of my God. 



176 t-IFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

"He did not cast me off, but dealt with me according 
to the constitution of his well-ordered covenant Psalm 
89 : 30. If his children (Christ s) forsake my law and 
walk not in my judgments, if they break my statutes 
and keep not my commandments, then will I visit 
their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with 
stripes. Nevertheless, my loving-kindness will I not 
utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to 
fail ; my covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing 
that is gone out of my lips. This is the Covenant 
(made with Christ as the head of all who believe) of 
which I took hold in early life ; my God kept me to my 
choice, and manifested his own faithfulness and the sta 
bility of his covenant. When lighter afflictions proved 
ineffectual, he at last, at one blow, took from me all that 
made life dear, the very kernel of all my earthly joys, 
my idol, my beloved husband. Then I no longer halted 
between two opinions ; my God became my all. I leave 
it as my testimony, that he has been a father to the 
fatherless, a husband to the widow, the stranger s shield 
arid orphan s stay. Even to hoar hairs and to old age 
he has carried me, and not one good word has failed of 
all that he has promised. He has done all things well, 
and at this day 1 am richer and happier than ever I was 
in my life. Not that I am yet made free from sin, that 
is still my burden ; want of love and gratitude, indolence 
in commanded duty, self-will and nestling in the crea 
ture. But my heart s wish and earnest desire is confor 
mity to the divine will. The bent of my will is for God; 
and if my heart deceive me not, my God is the centre of 
my best affections. It is by grace that I am what I am, 
and the same grace engages to perfect the work begun. 






CORRESPONDENCE. 177 

**This God is my God; he will guide me even unto 
death, through death, and be my portion to eternity. 
This God I recommend to my friend ; and this well-or 
dered covenant, this all-sufficient Savior, for your ac 
ceptance ; the Bible for your guide ; pray to God for 
his Holy Spirit to lead you to the knowledge of the 
very truth as it is in Jesus. Accept this as a testimony 
of friendship, and believe me yours in love, 

"I. GRAHAM" 

To the same. 

November2d, 1800. 

" You have, I find, been the child of affliction : she is 
a stern, rugged nurse ; but blessed often are the lessons 
she teaches. I have, (says God,) chosen thee in the fur 
nace of affliction. It is God s ordinary way of drawing 
sinners to himself, either to dry up or embitter the streams 
of worldly comfort, that he may shut them up to seek 
that comfort that depends not on any transitory source. 

"I have no doubt but you shall yet sing with the 
royal Psalmist, It is good for me that I have been 
afflicted ; for before I was afflicted I went astray, but 
now I have kept thy word. Blessed is the man thou 
chastenest, Lord, and makest to learn thy ways. Many 
are. the texts to the same purport ; take them for your 
consolation as a part of God s well-ordered covenant. 

" You have met with a late bereavement, which has 
entered deep into your soul. We are not called to sto 
icism, but to tenderness of heart and spirit. Jesus wept 
with the two sisters over a brother s grave. But still 
the Christian s spirit must be resigned, and say, and try 
to say with cheerfulness, not my will, but thine be 
S* 



178 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

done. And, my friend, great will be the wisdom 
and happy the acquisition, if every new bereavement 
enlarge the room for divine love in the heart, and be 
filled up with that most noble, most blessed of princi 
ples. Seek not, my friend, to replace friendship with 
any mere worldling; beg of God to fill up the vacuum, 
then will you be a great gainer. 

" Why hesitate to join the church 1 Let not a sense 
of unworthiness keep you back a deep sense of un- 
worthiness is one grand part of due preparation ; and 
no worthiness of yours can give you any title to that 
* New Testament in Christ s blood, which was shed for 
the remission of sins. Worthless, vile, empty, help 
less is every son and daughter of Adam s race : but it 
was for the ungodly that Christ died ; it was while we 
were without strength ; his name was called Jesus, be 
cause he should save his people from their sins. In that 
day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood among a 
mixed multitude, and cried, If any man thirst, let him 
come to me and drink whosoever will, let him come 
and take the water of life freely. 

"If conscious at the time it is the supreme desire of 
your soul to be washed in his blood, clothed with his 
righteousness, sanctified by his Spirit, go and take 
this water of life freely; go as a sinner to a Savior; go 
at his command, put honor on his appointment, and re 
peat the dedication of all that you are, have, or can have, 
over the symbols of his body broken for you, his 
blood shed for you; go, trusting in his mercy, and 
leave all to his management, believing that he will shed 
abroad his love in your heart, order your footsteps in 
his ways, and in due time perfect his image in your 



CORRESPONDENCE. 179 

soul. Keep close to him in the use of means, but look 
beyond the means for life and power. I commit you to 
our God and Savior, and pray that he may be to you 
r wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and f complete 
redemption. 

" I am, my dear Miss M. your ever affectionate, I. G." 

In March, 1801, the health of her daughter Mrs. B 
requiring a sea-voyage and absence from care, Mr. and 

Mrs. B sailed for Britain, and the following letters 

were addressed to them during their absence : 

" March 23, 1801. 

" MY DEAR CHILDREN This is mortifying to us all that 
you should be anchored half a mile from us, and there 
lie for hours but even this, trifling as it may appear, has 
its end to answer in His scheme, without whom r not a 
sparrow falls. I have retired with my Bible, to commit 
you, and all my cares and concerns, afresh to that God 
whose goodness and mercy have followed us through 
life ; who is my God, your God, and the God of our 
children ; who answered my prayers in opposition to my 
inconsistent conduct ; took you out of my idolatrous ma 
nagement into his own more merciful guidance. He has 
done all things well, and he will perfect his own work. 
tf Now, may * the Angel that redeemed you, be with 
you, keep you in the hollow of his hand and as the ap 
ple of his eye ; be with you on his own ocean, and 
command the billows not to touch you j carry you to 
the bosom of your dear native country, where a large 
proportion of his body live in him and by himj bless 
you. and make you a blessing wherever his providence 



180 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

shall carry you, and restore you with blessings to us, in 
his own time. Amen." 

% 
" Sabbalh, after morning service, March 29. 

"This, my dear children, is a day of storm, wind and 
rain; O that the prayer of our dear pastor, and I hope 
of many present, may be with you, and be answered to 
and for you Lord, be with that family, who now, on 
the mighty ocean, desire an interest in our prayers. 
May he whom winds and waves obey, preserve them 
in this tempestuous season ; may they see and im 
prove his wonders in the great deep ; may the blessings 
of the everlasting Gospel preserve their souls in peace, 
conduct them in safety to their destined port, and re 
store them to us, enriched with the blessings of thy 
well-ordered covenant. 

" I sent two notes for the Dutch churches, enclosed to 
Mr. B. ; one for Wall-street, to Mr. A., and one for the 
Brick church, to Mr. M. I watered all with my tears. 

11 Five o clock. 

"Oh! how it blows and rains! my children, how 
my poor heart aches for you ; if not in danger, yet sick, 
and in much discomfort. I gave a note in the old 
church in the afternoon, supposing the congregation on 
this dreadful day to be different. Mr. M. prayed : 
The Angel of thy presence be with them ; give them 
much of the consolations of thy Spirit. Conduct them 
in safety to the place of their destination, and restore 
them, enriched with thy blessing, to worship with us 
again in this thy house of prayer. I write on this day 
merely to record, for your perusal, the prayers of your 
church. I think you ought, if the Lord conduct you 



CORRESPONDENCE. IS I 

safe, to propose public thanks to that God who heard 
and answered, if agreeable to Mr. M. Write me how it 
was with you on this day. Now I will go to a throne of 
grace for you and all of us. keep close to the Lord ; 
may he save you from a dissipated, trifling, carnal 
spirit ; may he sanctify all your comforts, and give you 
a just estimation of all you see and hear; may the 
Christian s portion rise more and more ; and the world 
and its vanities sink in your view." 

"April 10. 

" What the Lord is going to do with his and my chil 
dren I know not j but the Samuel Elam has returned to 
port with a leak, after being out nineteen days. On 
the day of storm she had seven feet of water in her 
hold. I hope the Lord, in mercy to you, to his church, 
and to me his unworthy servant, has guided you in 
safety, and that the prayers of his church were answer 
ed in your behalf. ! my children, what would be the 
situation of my heart had I not confidence of your be 
ing within the ark. I desire to rejoice over all my 
fears, for this unspeakable consolation, that nothing 
can hurt you. I experience for you what I did in my 
own case, when darkness and tempest added to the 
horrors of many, while our vessel kept dashing on the 
rock; I, too, expected her to go to pieces every mo- 
ment ; but the idea was ever with me, * in the bosom of 
God s ocean, I shall find the bosom of my Savior. 
On the night of the 29th of March I dreamt my dear 
J y fell over-board, and I saw her floating on the bil 
lows, supporting herself by her little chair ; this is the 
state of my mind j yet I am thankful, and enjoy much 



182 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

peace. The Lord has given me what I have asked- - 
the salvation of your souls. In a little time we shall 
all be gathered around his throne. Well may I leave 
to him all intervening circumstances, as well as who 
goes first, and how. O how he blesses my latter end, 
how he sooths and comforts my old age ; far other 
things have I merited, that my soul knows ; but he has 
not only pardoned, but comforts, and draws a veil over 
my transgressions, covering them from the world s ob 
servation. What can I sayl He is God, a God of mercy." 

" April 17. 

" I have brought the reality near me, that mine eyes 
may never behold you again on earth. I can say, even 
of that, it is well; but the idea of the horrors of tem 
pest, a leaky vessel racked by the storm, and sinking 
by inches; sickness, nervous timidity, and the suffer 
ings to be undergone before the entrance to the haven 
of rest be attained, is my chief disquietude, I will not 
even say distress, because when these horrors (horrors 
they are to mere nature) dart across my mind, filling 
my soul with momentary anguish, Satan too seeking to 
distract my mind, the Spirit of the Lord lifts up a stand 
ard against him, and comforts me with his own word, 
the everlasting promises suited to every possible cir 
cumstance in the believer s lot. Thousands of times 
have I grasped that promise, Leave thy fatherless chil 
dren on me, I will preserve them alive. I pleaded it for 
the life of their souls ; He answered my prayers ; he 
has given them life, and they live to him. Yes, I see 
the fruit, and though iniquities still prevail against them, 
he still purges away their transgressions j kindles their 






CORKESPONDEJSfCE. 183 

repentance j humbles their souls ; lays them prostrate in 
penitential confession ; washes them afresh in the open 
fountain j restores to them the joys of his salvation ; 
seals their pardon by shedding abroad his love in their 
hearts, and making them walk in the path of righteous 
ness for his own name s sake. 

fr Thus he carries them on from strength to strength 
by various means of his own appointing, and some 
terrible things in righteousness, in the course of his pro 
vidence j in all which he is sovereign, but ever con 
sistent with his new covenant name, as proclaimed to 
Moses on the Mount ; as manifested in the character 
of God dwelling with us in our own nature, in whom 
mercy shone prominent ; by which mercy they shall 
appear in Zion, before God, in due time. 

"Is it sol Is this God my God, and the God of my 
seed \ Is he himself become our salvation 1 Are we 
heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ! Is our life 
hid with Christ in God 1 When he appears, shall we (I 
and the children which he hath given me) in very deed 
appear with him in glory 1 Is all this so 1 and shall I 
tremble at the approach of any of his providences 1 
Shall I not say when it has taken place, * The will of the 
Lord be done, especially when clothed with love 1 I 
trust that as my day, so shall my strength be, and in the 
interim I have the same confidence for you j for ho 
giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no 
might he mcreaseth strength. " 

"April 25. 

" The wind roars and howls in my windows, though 
not facing the storm, and the white waves in the river 



]84&gt; LIFE OF MRS. GllAHAM. 

picture in my mind the foaming billows of the ocean. 
The name of our God is my consolation : * though the 
waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains 
shake with the swelling thereof, there is a river the 
streams whereof shall make glad the city of God. God 
shall help her, and that right early. When I walk about 
Zion, and go round about her, when I tell the towers 
thereof, mark her bulwarks and consider her palaces/ 
my heart rejoices that this God is our God ; he will be 
our guide even unto death j and O the joy that my 
children are the citizens of this Zion, and the heirs of 
all the promises by virtue of the new testament in 
Christ s blood ! A covenant of works it was to our 
Surety, and his heart s blood finished the requisites of 
it. It is now a testament to you, sealed by the same 
blood. Wherever in his word I meet the character, the 
providence, the work of God, I read my own and my 
children s interest. I hope your experience shall be in 
Psalm 107 : 28. If not wholly, it shall terminate in 
Psalm 23 : 4. Though you * walk through the valley of 
the shadow of death, you shall fear no evil, for this 
God, who is your guide even unto death, shall be with 
you, his rod and staff shall comfort you ; and our dar 
ling Jessy he shall carry as a lamb in Kis arms, arid 
hide her from the horrors, in his bosom. I dwell rnucn 
on these subjects, and I feel comforted, whatever be the 
event. 

" If the Lord has carried you safe through, and you 
live to read this in the body, know that our God con 
tinues to bless us abundantly in health, peace and plen 
ty, as to temporals; we also experience the peace of 
his covenant, and have tastes of the bread and of the 



CORRESPONDENCE. 185 

water of life. Thanks, all thanks to our new covenant 
Head for the stability of the covenant j we change, but 
he cha ngeth not. He himself is the covenant given to 
the people, and because he lives, his people shall live 
also, in spite of Satan and his colleague Sin in our 
hearts ; sin may, and does bring his people into captiv 
ity, but it shall not keep them in bondage for ever. The 
time of deliverance shall come, when they shall revive 
as the corn. Oh ! is it not a well-ordered covenant, and 
sure !" 

Her next letter gives an illustration of fidelity in a 
difficult and, it is to be feared, much neglected duty. 

" May 10, 1801. 

" MY DEAR CHILDREN, Last evening was preparation 

Sermon. Mr. Y preached a very excellent sermon 

from the Song of Solomon, r Who is this that cometh 
up from the wilderness leaning on her beloved V First 
the wilderness of this world, next tb e church coming up, 
then the attitude leaning, and on whom ; I thought the 
simile well supported, and practical, as he went on. His 
application was rich on the Christian s support, where 
he brought into view many of the names of Christ. 

"After sermon we witnessed a most affecting scene; 
two female members rebuked and restored to the com 
munion of the church. Never, never did our dear Mr. 

M shine so bright in my eyes ; many tears were 

shed. I knew nothing of it, and wondered to what he 
was leading, when he addressed the congregation, after 
sermon, upon Christian walk, watchfulness, and temp 
tation, and the distress occasioned in Christian society 



186 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

when any of the members were left to fall into open 
and aggravated sin. Such was the case in our own 
congregation ; two (naming the offenders) had been 
so far left ; but while deeply wounded by the sin and 
scandal, he was consoled by their penitence: he assured 
the congregation that they had given great evidence 
of deep contrition; and were now come forward to ac 
knowledge their crime before their offended and griev 
ed brethren, and to give all the satisfaction in their 
power, by submitting to the censure of the church in 
this public manner, which, although painful to him, 
he must pronounce according to God s appointment. 
Them who sin before all, rebuke before all. He then 
asked them to rise scarce an individual turned to look ; 
many were weeping while he laid before them their 
guilt in strong, yet tender terms ; and finished by ex 
pressing his approbation of their thus submitting to 
the rod, and exhorting them to humility and redoubled 
watchfulness. Then again he addressed the members, 
requesting them to receive into their Christian love 
and affection their repenting, returning sisters ; that 
they would treat them with tenderness, and restore 
them in the spirit of meekness, considering themselves 
as also in the body and subject to temptation. Let no 
one put them in remembrance of the sin which the 
Father of mercies has blotted out, nor open those 
wounds which he has closed.* r He doth not chide con 
tinually, nor retain his anger for ever. 

" May the Lord bless the discipline of his church ; 
may he meet us to-morrow with multiplied pardons- 
may he melt our hearts to contrition, heal our back- 
Blidings, and manifest himself as married unto us j may 



CORUKSi O.VDESCE. 187 

he bring us into his banqueting house arid his banner over 
us be love ; may his grace be magnified and his name 
glorified; and may he send a portion to my dear chil 
dren yea, a Benjamin s portion j may he open wide 
the leaves of that New Testament, and let them read 
their rich inheritance and rejoice in their portion. 

" Farewell, my dear children. The Lord bless you, 
keep you, guide you, and cause his face to shine on 
you, prays your affectionate mother." 

The following to the same, was written while on a 
visit to a worldly friend: 

" May 21, 1801. 

"I would fain begin to hope that my children are 
now on, or near the green fields of Albion. Many a 
severe gale has agitated them, and tried their faith and 
confidence before this day. But as He who sitteth on 
the clouds, commanding and governing the elements, 
is their own God in covenant, who loves them, careth 
for them, and perfects what concerns them, I hope 
they have had much of his presence : I hope they have 
found, even on the boisterous ocean, amidst the horrors 
of the swelling deep, agitated with winds and tempests, 
all things necessary to life and godliness in these great 
and precious promises, accompanied by divine power, 
by which they are made partakers of divine life, and 
escape the pollution that is in the world through lust. 
I hope they are enriched in experience, and advanced 
in the divine life, by all they have suffered, and all they 
have tasted of divine support in their sufferings; that 
Christ is still more precious, his word more tried, and 



188 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

their confidence in him more established ; if so, great 
is their gain. And our darling J. being a sharer in the 
suffering, shall, at her God s hand, be also a gainer, 
though it be not evident to our perception. O how rich 
is the Christian ! how inexhaustible his portion ! his 
table is ever furnished, his cup ever full ; all is blessing, 
no curse mingled that our Surety took to himself; 
prosperity and adversity, sickness and health, light and 
darkness, all, all shall bless us, work for our good, turn 
to our profit, and end in the glory of God and our un 
speakable, inconceivable happiness. 

"I have been here a week yesterday; all vegetable 
nature glows and shines in the perfection of beauty; 
flowers, shrubs, trees, grain, grass, falling waters turn 
ing the busy mill, the brook murmuring on its way to 
the ocean, fit emblem of eternity, all glorify their Crea 
tor ; and although no such birds as in Britain charm 
the listening ear, we have some sweet chirpers of his 
praise; and what is wanting to the ear, is made up to 
the eye, for in beauty they excel. 

" These I may enjoy ; with these hold communion ; 
for, Oh ! spiritual death holds all within these walls in 
dismal bondage ; not one symptom of life appears, but 
death, as the dry bones in the valley of vision. Why do 
I not wrestle more for the Spirit to breathe on them 1 I 
do pray : but Oh ! formal ! formal !" 

To the Same. 

"June 17, 1801. 

"Mv DEAR CHILDREN Difficult it is for me to exer 
cise patience ; the 23d of this month will make three 
months since you waved the handkerchief on board the 



CORRESPONDENCE. 189 

Mars, off the Battery. I had made up my mind not to 
give way to expectation short of three months ; they are 
nearly past; how many events take place in that space 
of time! how many duties ought to be performed! how 
many sins are really committed! how guilty to wish 
to annihilate the time that a certain event may come 
round ! For every moment of time we must account, 
and not one moment of it can we recall. Much you 
have seen ; much you have suffered ; much, perhaps, 
also enjoyed : for the Lord can give songs in the night, 
and in a dungeon. f Sure-ly his salvation is near to 
them that fear him to them there is no want. The 
Lord is their Shepherd, he feedeth them in green pas 
tures beside the gently flowing waters ; if they wan 
der, he restoreth them, perhaps with the rod, but it is 
the rod of love ; they need not be afraid to enter even 
the valley of the shadow of death ; their Shepherd is 
with them, and his rod (rod of support) and staff shall 
comfort them. 

" I hope this has been a profitable time to you both ; 
that you have seen more of the evil of sin, and of your 
own hearts, their deceitful double turnings and wind 
ings to cover and conceal the enemy of God and your 
own souls : more of the extent and spirituality of the 
divine law, fulfilled indeed in every jot and tittle by 
your Surety j but still doubly binding on you as a rule 
of life in the hand of your Redeemer, who hath bought 
you to himself, and taken you into his own hands, that 
you might be a holy people to himself, delivered not 
merely from the penalty and curse, but from the power 
and indwelling of sin. I hope you have seen more of 
the unsearchable riches of Christ in all he has done and 



190 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

is now doing for your and his church s happiness, and 
of those exceeding great and precious promises by 
which you are made partakers of the divine life, and 
privileged to escape the pollution that is in the world 
through lust ; more of the faithfulness of God, as a God 
in Christ, pardoning sin and reconciling you to himself; 
and day by day, teaching you by his word, Spirit, and 
providences. 

" I am but just beginning to see that I am blind ; my 
own character opening upon me as a sinner, in heart 
and tongue, and conduct, against my God, my neigh 
bor, and my own soul ; how comes it then that I am at 
ease in God s world ; in health, in peace, in comfort, all 
in an extraordinary degree as to temporals j and as to 
spirituals, though grieved with self, my joy in Christ also 
abounds. Can I believe it! what can I say 1 what can 
I render to the Lord for all his gifts to me 1 Nothing 
can I but just take the cup of salvation, calling upon 
the name of the Lord, and remain an eternal debtor to 
his grace for spirituals and temporals." 

" June 2C. 

"By this time you are already in port, on earth or in 
heaven. Blessed alternative ! Ought I to be sad, who 
can say, or in heaven V Oh no, I trust grace will be 
given to acquiesce in his most blessed will j a most 
gracious will it has been to me and mine. 

" I wrote you in my last, that our dear Mr. M 

leaves us next month for Britain j his errand is to state 
the situation of this country, as greatly in want of mi 
nisters and the means of educating ministers. Many 
of his people are dissatisfied, as he has two congrega 



CORRESPONDENCE. 191 

tions to supply, and a large family of his own. Why 
should he be the man! For my own part, I think he is 
the very man j and I am thankful to feel a degree of 
disinterestedness. Though I love my minister, value his 
ministry and his person, I hope the general interest of 
Christ s body is more dear to me, and of infinitely more 
importance than my private comfort, which, after all, 
I do not believe can suffer by parting cheerfully with its 
apparent food to Christ, who himself is the sum and 
substance of all that any minister can be instrumental 
in conveying. All means are alike to him, or no means. 
I therefore rejoice in his will, and pray that the Lord may 
prosper him, give him a double portion of his Spirit, 
and favor in the eyes of all whose influence is neces 
sary to advance the Redeemer s kingdom in America. 

" Our friend Mrs. K is gone, she died suddenly: 

both Mr. and Mrs. T died at their country seat ; he 

first. She fancied she was getting better. The physi 
cian advised her not to ride, as she could not stand the 
fatigue ; she had more faith in air and exercise : the 
last day she went out she fainted getting into the car 
riage, and again coming out ; and died in the after 
noon. She lived near us, yet I never saw her, nor of 
fered one kind office towards the salvation of her soul, 
which, if lost, leaves me not innocent of her blood, and 
if saved, as I hope it may be, my sinful neglect is not 
the less. What a picture in them of the vanity of all 
under the sun ; and in me of the evil of procrastination, 
for I meant to visit her. O my Savior ! is this the return 
I make for the millions of pardons which thou hast past 
on my account ; sparing even the rod, and blessing me 
with health, restored limbs, and mercy on mercy, com- 



192 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

fort on comfort 1 I want words to paint my abominable 
ingratitude, indolence and cruelty ; and yet, O yet I 
am spared, and my mercies are spared, as far as I know 
but trial may be at hand. Perhaps I write what my 
children may never read. Well, even then, mercy, 
mercy shall be my song ; for I sing the song on earth 
which they sing in heaven. I am just going to town to 
attend preparation sermon. Our feast is on Sabbath." 

" July 17, 1801. 

" What shall I render to the Lord for all his mercies 1 
mercies temporal, mercies spiritual, mercies eternal, 
multiplied mercies ! The one thing that I asked of the 
Lord has been answered in full, and 0, how much add 
ed! God himself become my salvation, and the salva 
tion of my house ; how unspeakable the blessing ! Al 
though chastisement and affliction were the means of 
correction and sanctification, or even the vengeance 
taken on my inventions, yet, as a God, he at the same 
time pardoneth. For Oh ! my character is ever the 
same with backsliding Judah and treacherous Israel. 
Glory to that name which is ever the same, and chang- 
eth not. The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gra 
cious, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, 
forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin. This was his 
name among a stifF-necked people, an idolatrous, un 
grateful people ; this is his name to me alike in charac 
ter. how he has magnified this name to me, a back 
slider in heart and life ; multiplying pardons while I 
have multiplied transgressions : still he has been last 
with me, healing my backsliding; restoring my soul; 
leading me to the open fountain ; giving faith to wash, 



CORRESPONDENCE. 193 

and joy und peace in believing ; not only so, but in this 
land of drought, this vast howling wilderness, this vale 
of tears, where man is born to trouble as the sparks 
fly upwards, my cup with temporal comfort is full and 
running over ; all his creatures minister to my comfort; 
and as days and nights roll on, his daily providence 
adds, and diminishes not. 

" I had hardly hoped to see the faces of my children 
again ; for he commanded, and raised the stormy winds 
and lifted up the waves of the sea; they mounted to 
heaven and sunk again to the deep; death with all its 
natural horrors surrounded them ; the deep yawned to 
devour them; but God, their own God, was at hand, 
their anchor of hope, their ark of safety, their hiding 
place till the calamity was past ; they cried to him, 
and he saved them out of their distresses; he made the 
storm a calm, and the waves thereof still, and brought 
them to the desired haven. This trouble was not unto 
death, but for the glory of God and the exercising of 
your faith, for the manifestation of his power and good 
ness, and the enriching of your experience. 

" O then let us praise the Lord for his goodness 
and for his wonderful works to the children of men. 
Let us exalt him in the congregation of his people, and 
praise him in the assembly of the elders. " 

" October 23, 1801. 

" Surely, surely my heart feels grateful for the time, 
though this, like every other good motion, will, like the 
morning dew, soon pass away. 

" My children not only preserved through the tem 
pestuous storms that threatened death with circurxi- 

Mrs. Grnham. 9 



L94 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

stances shocking to nature ; but my poor sick child pre 
served during a long and fatiguing journey : that jour 
ney made comfortable, yea, delightful, by the warm re 
ception of many kind friends, dear to nature, and many 
doubly endeared by grace ; among the last, the mother 
and sisters of the kindest and best of husbands ; they 
receiving her as their own flesh and blood, as well as 
their fellow-member in Christ ; blest with a measure of 
health to enjoy all, and a measure of grace to profit by 
all j eyeing by faith the dear invisible hand of a cove 
nant God preserving, leading, guiding through every 
step his love the marrow of the whole, and their char 
ter for safety, even amidst the dangers of prosperity. 

" Is not godliness gain 1 profitable for this life as well 
as that which is to come. What is the portion of the 
worldling 1 even in this life " shadowy joy or solid wo," 
without a balance to the first, or consolation in the last j 
no sure footing in the one, nor support in the other ; 
distanced from the fountain of happiness by nature, 
prosperity incrusts their hearts and increases their car 
nality ; nestling in their worldly comforts, they forget 
they are the creatures of a day, that an endless eternity 
lies before them, and only the feeble uncertain thread 
of life between them and that curse under which they 
were born. Not so the child of God ; all things work 
together for his good ; all things; his standing is not in 
himself; his footsteps are directed by infinite wisdom; 
he is kept by the power of God, through faith, unto sal 
vation. Nothing can separate him from the love of 
God. His life is hid with Christ in God : there is cause 
to rejoice always; his privileges are boundless, infinite 
for God himself is become his salvation. 



. CORRESPONDENCE. 195 

" Have we then any cause for fear 1 Yes, my chil 
dren, yes ; though nothing can rob us of our charter, 
there is another side to be beheld. In Christ we have all 
things richly to enjoy, but we have not all in possession: 
what we have is by faith ; all is secured by our Surety 
for eternity. We shall overcome by the blood of the 
Lamb : but by the constitution of the Covenant we 
must enter into that rest, that perfect rest, through 
great tribulation. While our eternal salvation is se 
cured by our Surety, it hath pleased Infinite Wisdom 
to appoint another connection, which shall exist while 
we remain on earth : even the connection between our 
steadfastness, consequently our comfort, and the means 
of grace which he hath appointed ; making the first to 
depend in a great measure on our diligent use of the 
last, insomuch that a great number of the promises are 
proposed conditionally. Many exhortations are given 
in this view, and also many threatenings. They that 
wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, &c. 
Seek and ye shall find, ask and ye shall receive, knock 
and it shall be opened unto you. Abide in me j as 
the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, no more can ye, 
except ye abide in me. 

" Close, intimate, near communion with God, is to be 
sought by means of prayer, meditation, and reading. 
If the Christian be careful to husband time, and set apart 
a portion for God, and set about these duties, he will 
not always miss communion ; and this prepares him for 
other duties, and arms him against temptation j as the 
promise is concerned to keep him in perfect peace 
whose mind is stayed on Him. If ye, being evil, know 
how to give good gifts to your children, how much 



196 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

more will your heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit to 
them that ask him. So shall ye know the Lord, if ye 
follow on to know him. Delight thyself in God, he will 
give thee the desire of thine heart. f Nevertheless, I 
will be inquired of by the house of Isiael, &c. f If his 
children forsake my laws and go astray, I will visit 
their faults, &c. * Watch and pray, that ye enter not 
into temptation. But thou, when thou prayest, enter 
into thy closet, &c. Thy Father, who seeth in secret, 
shall reward thee openly. All is laid before us in the 
Scriptures, in the view of comfort during our pilgrim 
age, as well as the certainty of our inheritance in the 
end; the ground whereon we stand, our danger, and 
the means of safety. See Ephesians, 6:11. 

" There is provision made in the Covenant for great 
comfort, consistent with human frailty and imperfec 
tion, but not with carelessness and negligence. While, 
therefore, we rejoice in the Lord, we have good reason 
to join trembling with our exultation. While standing 
high in comfort, to take heed lest we fall, through the 
deceitfulness of sin. We carry about with us a body 
of sin and death ; the devil, as a roaring lion, walk- 
eth about, seeking whom he may devour. We wrestle 
not with flesh and blood, but with principalities and 
powers, &c. &c. We live in a world lying in wick 
edness ; the captives of sin and Satan exerting every 
faculty to banish all thoughts of God, death, and eter 
nity; contriving, with unwearied industry and amazing 
ingenuity, new gratifications for body and mind in end 
less variety, suited to all constitutions, all tempers and 
dispositions, and to those in all circumstances. Of 
these, the most rational are the most subtle, and, in the 



CORRESPONDENCE. 197 

hand of the enemy, the most calculated to keep men ig 
norant of themselves, their misery, and of the great sal 
vation : and, alas ! by these he often spoils unwary chris- 
tians, who, though heirs of heaven, heirs of God, and 
joint heirs with Christ, are, during their minority, sub 
ject to like passions with themselves, and ever in danger 
of being spoiled of their comforts when off their guard. 
" With the people of the world Christians have much 
to do : they are fellow-members of society with them ; 
they have many duties to perform to them, with them, 
and by them ; many of the things of the world are ne 
cessary to them, many of its pleasures lawful ; for the 
earth is the Lord s and the fulness thereof, and he 
gives them of it as his wisdom sees good for them. 
That which he gives them they gather in the same 
manner, and in society, with the world, by industry and 
diligence in their lawful calling and business. Keeping 
near the Captain of salvation, and armed in his whole 
armor, they are safe. When off their guard, the vigi 
lant enemy gains some advantage, and they get into 
trouble. O how many gracious names our dear Re 
deemer has assumed in his word, for our comfort, 
our meditation, our spiritual exercise ! how pleasant 
and delightful in the light of his countenance to ana 
lyze them ! Beside the names peculiar to himself as 
God-man, how many has he condescended to take from 
among men, and the natural comforts and safe-guards 
of men ! our Shepherd, our Rock, our Ark, all the re 
lations in life, and ends with our All in all. But I must 
have done, that I may tell you that goodness and mercy 
follow us in this family also." 



198 LIFE OF 3MRS. GRAHAM. 

July 28, 1801. 

" My dear pastor Mr. M. sailed for Britain. I thank 
thee, good and kind Shepherd of Israel, for all those pro 
vidences, which seemed small things at the time, that 
hedged me into that congregation ; for all the benefits 
and comforts I enjoyed under the ministry of thy aged 
servant now before thy throne, and that thou pre 
pared st thy young servant to fill his place when the 
time of his departure came. 

" I thank thee for all the endowments of our young 
pastor, of nature and grace. I thank thee, that thou hast 
kept him faithful to Him who has called him, and for 
the precious treasure thou hast put in that earthen vessel. 

" Now, Lord, that thou hast called him to leave his 
family and his flock, to travel to a foreign land in the 
service which thou requirest, go with him, prosper 
him, overrule all his concerns for thy glory, the good 
of his soul, of the church in general, and his own little 
flock in particular. Amen. Glorify thy name." 



CHAPTER VIII. 

JOURNAL AND LETTERS LADIES 5 SCHOOL FOR POOR 
CHILDREN. 

" November 22, 180 1 

" Isabella Smith (a grand-child) is very ill ; she ap 
pears to be in a stupor. Two physicians are attending, 
but my eyes are to the Lord. She is his own, given 
to him by faith, as a covenant God in Christ for her in 
particular, for ourselves and our children. I desire not 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 199 

to draw back, but, the Lord strengthening me, to give 
up at his call. If it be his will to spare her, she is still 
his own, to be done by, with, and for, as his infinite 
wisdom may see fit, for his own glory and her eternal 
interest. If he is about to remove her out of the world, 
she is his own ; out of the mouth of this babe will he 
perfect praise ; with that company of whom is the king 
dom of heaven, she shall join in the song of Moses and 
the Lamb, to Him that redeemed us, and washed us 
from our sins in his own blood, to him be glory, honor, 
dominion, and power. 

" O Lord, one petition I prefer if it be thy will to 
take her out of the world, take her in thine arms and 
jarry her through the dark valley ; grant to her a gentle 
ind easy passage, and an abundant entrance into thy 
kingdom; and tune our hearts to sing r The Lord 
gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the 
name of the Lord. Amen." 

"November 23. : 

" This day the dear Isabella joined the church tri 
umphant, and took her place among that company 
which Christ has pronounced blessed. I yesterday ask 
ed of the Lord that he would take her in his arms and 
carry her through the dark valley, that he would give 
her a gentle and easy passage, and an abundant entrance 
into his kingdom. He heard my prayer ; it was indeed 
soft and gentle ; not a struggle, not a groan and the 
affliction which brought down the frame was moderate 
throughout. I was enabled to resign the Lord s own 
into his own hand, in the faith that he did receive, and 
would keep that which I committed to him. 



200 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

"My soul is satisfied more than satisfied ; I rejoice, 
and congratulate the lovely babe on her early escape 
from a world of sin and sorrow, to the arms of her 
dear Redeemer, and to perfect blessedness with him." 

" November 24. 

" It is done finished the soul with God, the body 
in the tomb. It is all well yes, our Covenant God, 
thou doest all things well. I firmly believe thy mercy 
is over all thy works. Goodness, mercy, yea, loving- 
kindness has marked thy every step. I believe it now. 
I shall see it soon. 

ft Now, our God, follow this bereavement with thy 
purifying, sanctifying grace. Enable us all to search 
and try our ways. Lead our souls into a knowledge of 
the secret corruptions of our hearts, that we may con 
fess and mourn over them, wash in the blood of Christ, 
be pardoned, restored, and get a great victory. Enable 
us through life to abide in Christ; to keep close to 
thee, transacting all our affairs with thee, before they 
come into the view of the world. Let thy wisdom and 
thy Spirit, in connection with thy providences, be our 
counsellors. O keep us in a dependant frame of mind, 
humble and watchful. Strip us of all self-confidence. 
May we at the same time be strong in the Lord and 
the power of thy might ; rejoicing in thee, the God 
of our salvation, * the strength of our heart, and our 
portion for ever. Glory, glory, glory to Father, Son, 
and blessed Spirit. Amen, and Amen." 

" December, 1801. 
" It is my earnest desire to grow in grace, and io 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 201 

the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 
It is my desire to love the Lord my God with all my 
heart, with all my soul, with all my strength, and with 
all my mind ; and to love my neighbor as myself, so 
as to do to him whatever I could expect from Christian 
principles in him, on an exchange of circumstances. 

" It is my desire to ? give all diligence to add to my 
faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge tempe 
rance, to temperance patience, to patience godliness, to 
godliness brotherly kindness, to brotherly kindness cha 
rity, that these things being in me and abounding, I may 
be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of 
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

" I desire to grow in grace day by day, to profit by 
every ordinance of God s appointing, and by every 
providence ; and I pray, Lord, I pray that thou wouldst 
grant me my desire, so as that I may become more spi 
ritual, more discerning in the Scriptures, more fruitful 
in good works : that thou mayest increase also my 
humility. Open to my view more of the extent and 
spirituality of thy divine law ; the majesty, purity, 
holiness, of thy nature; the exceeding sinfulness of sin ; 
the hidden corruptions of my own heart, and my inabi 
lity to search them out, and to crucify them ; give me 
also more just views of my past life, that I may ever be 
convinced that I am, what I really am, f the very chief 
of sinners and the least of all saints : and that it is 
entirely of grace that I am what I am. make out 
this promise to me ; I will record it in thine own words : 
Ezekiel, 16 : 62. * I will establish my covenant with 
thee : and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. I con 
fess myself the character described in the two fore- 
9* 



202 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

going chapters ; and though thou hast chastened me 
ten thousand times less than my iniquities deserve even 
by the constitution of the new covenant, thou hast 
chastened me. Now, O Lord, most merciful and gra 
cious, who pardonest iniquity, transgression, and sin, 
for thy name s sake, do to and for me as thou hast 
said &lt;I w ill establish my covenant with thee : and 
thou shalt know that I am the Lord. That thou mayest 
remember, and be confounded, and never open thy 
mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am paci 
fied towards thee for all that thou hast done, saith the 
Lord God. Amen." 

To Mr. and Mrs. B , in Britain. 

" December 7, 1801. 

" I have received my dear J s three letters from 

Dingwall: fresh matter of praise to our Covenant God. 
You have had your season of affliction ; and now you 
have a season of refreshing, a resting-time. The cup 
of the Christian is always more or less mixed. Your 
afflictions have ever been mixed with much mercy, and 
now your season of rest is also mixed. I well know 
that no temporal comfort can compensate the absence 

of your justly beloved D . He, however, who is 

the God of both, who goes with him and stays with 
you, can not only support, but comfort. The omni 
scient, the omnipresent, the omnipotent God is our 
God, and the God of our house ; all that he is is ours, 
to bless us. Behold, God is become our salvation 
Every endearing name known among men he takes 
to himself, to inspire us with pleasing confiding love : 



CORRESPONDENCE. 203 

every name that connects the idea of protection, to 
keep our minds in quiet peace, in the assurance of 
safety. Father, Husband, Brother, Friend, Prophet, 
Priest, King, Physician, Help, Health, Light, Life, 
Counsellor, Guide, Sanctuary, Anchor but I should fill 
my sheet. I said it all at first : God is ours, and ours 
with the knowledge of all our backslidings, which he 
heals ; our wanderings, from which he restores us, and 
our sins, which he forgives ; one of his names is the 
God of pardons. He delights in mercy. Are we not his 
witnesses 1 What has our whole life been, but sin, 
backslidings, and wanderings ? What have his deal 
ings with us been, but pardons, healings, restorations 1 
Therefore we remain, as at this day, with our desires 
towards him, and our faces Zion-wards. What he hath 
begun he will perfect, and in a little while our eyes 
shall behold him, our hearts shall enjoy him, f we shall 
be like him, and see him as he is. : 

To the same. 

" December 26, 1801. 

"I rejoice over my dear children, and bless our gra 
cious God that he has led them a sweet and most de 
lightful sojourning among his churches, animating their 
spirits by their mutual communion ; blessing them, and, 
I hope, making them blessings. I pray the Lord may 
make our dear D. an instrument among others of spread 
ing his Gospel, building up his Church, and pulling 
down the strong holds of Satan j and that you may be 
in your place a help meet for him, in this as in every 
thing else. May the Lord choose his path and direct 
his steps, and yours with him. Women were helpers 



204 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

of the apostles and others in Paul s days: at the same 
time care must ever be taken not to obtrude in any 
respect. I pray that you may be kept spiritual and 
humble : eminence in God s service is truly desirable, if 
the heart be kept humble. If the Lord open the eyes to 
behold more of the extent and spirituality of his law, the 
holiness and purity of his nature, the evil of sin, and 
its contrariety to all that is in God ; and if he turn the 
eyes inward to the hidden corruptions of the heart, 
when it is evident to the soul that all is of grace, then 
may eminent services be safe. 

" I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes, was 
the exercise of Job ; and justly so. Job, who was eyes 
to the blind and feet to the lame, a father to the poor, 
and the cause which he knew not he searched it out : 
when the ear heard him, it blessed him ; when the eye 
saw him, it gave witness to him ; who withheld not the 
poor from his desire, nor caused the eye of the widow 
to fail ; the stranger did not lodge in the street, but he 
opened his door unto the traveller : all this was true as 
far as the external act, and as he then thought, with a 
proper temper of heart, Job could justify himself before 
his fellow-sinners, blind like himself ; but when God 
comes to deal with him, how different his views! Then 
it was, &lt; Behold, I am vile, what shall I answer thee ! I 
will lay my hand on my mouth : even with the very 
best there is cause for this exercise, could we see in 
the same light. 

" How deceitful is the human heart ! how unfaithful 
the conscience ! how little do we know of the sins of our 
daily walk ! We are called to watch and pray, that we 
enter not into temptation ; to walk with God in close, 



CORRESPONDENCE. 205 

intimate communion: * whether we eat or drink, to do 
all to his glory: to consult him in all the affairs of 
life, narrowly observing his providence in connection 
with our circumstances j weighing all in his presence, 
requesting him to determine our wills and direct our 
steps. We ought not to say We will go into such a 
city, and do "this or that; but If the Lord will. How 
inconsistent our conduct with these rules! How often 
do rashness, precipitation, and self-will accompany our 
determinations and movements! And how often do His 
goodness and wisdom overrule our folly ; save us from 
our own pits, and prevent the evil that might be expect 
ed! At no time does he deal with us as we sin, though 
sometimes he stands by and allows us a taste of our fol 
ly : then we are in trouble, we dig our pits and fall into 
them, but we cannot deliver ourselves. O what a God ! 
who, even at such a time, says to us, Call on me in the 
time of trouble ; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glori 
fy my name ; thou hast destroyed thyself, but in me is 
thy help. Blessed help ! mercy to pardon, goodness to 
restore, wisdom to guide, faithfulness to carry through 
and perfect what concerns us, overruling our very 
follies, and causing them to teach us to profit. This is 
God s way, according to many declarations of himself 
in his word, and the experience of all his redeemed. 
" Blessed then is the man that trusteth in the Lord ; 
they truly are a blessed people whose God Jehovah is. " 

" February, 1802. 

" MY DEAR, MY BELOVED CHILDREN, I trust the Lord 
is your support ; I know you are in trouble j it cannot 



206 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

be that opportunities have been wanting all this time ; 
nor can it be that my children have been negligent : 
No, no ; I cannot suppose it. My children are in trouble, 
they could not write that they were otherwise, and 
therefore remain silent until they can write the issue. 
It is proper, and sure the Lord feeds me with comfort. 

the comfort of knowing that the Almighty God is 
their own reconciled Father by an everlasting cove 
nant ! Christ the Mediator and Surety, their Advocate, 
Brother and Friend; the Holy Ghost their Teacher, 
Guide and Comforter. It cannot be ill with my dear 
children, who are also God s dear children. My Father, 

1 know it, thou chastenest for their profit. I know 
not where they are, nor how they fare. I know not 
what to ask for them; but thou art every where present, 
thine eye is upon them, thou knowest all their wants, 
all their burdens, all their bereavements, or whatever 
tries them. O let thy sensible presence be with them ! 
open wide the leaves of that New Testament in Christ s 
blood, and let them read their rich legacy, their un 
searchable riches in Christ ! give them confidence in 
thy wisdom and goodness, and sweet acquiescence in 
all thy dealings with them. Thou hast spared in mercy, 
perhaps now thou hast taken in mercy : yes, thy tender 
mercies are over all thy works, and a large ingredient 
in every cup thou puttest into the hand of thy children. 
It is well, it is well ! 

" Since writing the above, I have received my dear 
D. s letter, second copy, by the way of London. The 
Lord is your God, and the God of your seed. John the 
Baptist leaped in the womb when the salutation of 
Mary sounded in his mother s ears; he was then a living 



CORRESPONDENCE. 207 

soul, and an heir of salvation at that moment. If youi 
babe was conceived in sin by the first covenant, he is 
an heir of grace by the second. Think it not hard; no, 
you do not think it hard that you have conceived him 
in sickness, carried him in sickness, and suffered the 
pangs of birth without the succeeding joy to make you 
forget your anguish. All this shall be for the glory of 
God, and that is what you seek ; believe it now, you 
shall see it soon. I do sympathize j my fond heart had 
embraced a sweet babe added to the family for one 
taken. The Lord has taken this also ; it is his due ; I 
shall soon leave the mortal and join the immortal j five 
have joined the head, six remain ; and one I know no 
thing of, more than that I cast him on the Lord, and 
look for mercy. I thank my God that he gave you the 
grace of resignation, and supported you in the solitary 
confinement. Alas! my child, did you listen for the 
voice of your babe 1 Oh, what a suspense ! but let me 
stop he had reached maturity ere that time ; without 
the fight, obtained the victory ; he is of the travail of 
the Redeemer s soul j children are God s heritage, the 
fruit of the womb his reward. Rest then in the Lord; 
this is to his glory, both without and within your soul." 

"May 20, 1802. 

"My DEAR CHILDREN, Here am I in my little room, 
surrounded with every comfort, and as the provision of 
my God, I value all ; but there lies the chief, my Bible, 
the Testament of my dying, risen, ascended, reigning 
Savior, bequeathing to me eternal life, executed in full, 
and made as sure as the promise and oath of God. The 
influences of the Holy Ghost on my mind, taking of the 



208 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

things of Christ, and showing them unto me ; opening 
wide the leaves of that New Testament, in which I read 
unsearchable riches, and my title to them sure; yes 
sure, even to me, a base idolatrous Gentile, a rebel 
against the eternal King, my Creator, Preserver, Provi 
der ; a backslider in heart and in life. What has such 
a one to do with a holy God! He hath said, only re 
turn ; and he himself hath turned to me, chastened, con- 
vinced, restored, comforted. His ways are not as our 
ways, nor his thoughts as our thoughts ; but as the 
heavens are above the earth, so are his ways above our 
ways, and his thoughts high above our thoughts, and 
his plans above our conception. For although it is 
for ever true, that he is of purer eyes than to behold 
evil, and cannot look on iniquity ; that his law has de 
nounced a curse upon the transgressor who keepeth 
it not in every jot and tittle ; it is for ever true, that 
this God is unchangeable in his nature and purposes. 
What he hath said, that will he do. It is for ever true, 
that I am all I have said, and worse, a sinner in heart, 
tongue, and practice. Yet am I a beloved child, a justi 
fied one, an heir of God. 

"Here is the Testament, here is my charter with the 
seal of God upon it JESUS ! thou art the Secret of the 
Lord! thou art the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root 
and offspring of David ! Thou hast prevailed to open 
this book of secrets, to loose the seven seals, and lay 
open its mysteries. Thou, Lamb of God, the appointed 
and anointed to the great work ! in our room, and in 
our nature, thou hast sustained the curse. Thou hast 
obeyed the law ; thou hast drunk the last drop of 
the last vial of that wrath which would have sunk my 



CORRESPONDENCE. 209 

soul in the endless depths of misery ; and I never could 
have expended one drop, but sunk deeper and deeper 
under it. not unto me, not unto ministers, not unto 
any creature be the praise. As for me, I am, in a word, 
all that is vile in myself; ministers, providences, afflic 
tions are just what God makes them; without his 
blessing they will not only pass without profiting, but 
Satan and corruption will make them ministers to them 
selves. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, for he has 
redeemed me with his blood. Worthy is the Lamb to 
receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, 
and honor, and glory, and blessing to him, to him 
alone, be the praise ; who, of an heir of hell hath made 
an heir of heaven, by a substitutional righteousness 
wrought out in his own person: mine by free gift, in 
which I am completely justified. To this work let no 
thing be added, with this work let nothing be mixed. 

" There is another work going on by the same Spirit 
of truth ; also his purchase and gift Sanctification. In 
this I am called to occupy, watch, strive, fight. Life is 
given ; means of support and growth provided ; wea 
pons of warfare all things necessary to life and godli 
ness : these are promised to the diligent use of means ; 
and poverty, stagnation, discomfort threatened to the 
indolent. O how sovereign and gracious has my God 
been in his dealings with me in this respect also. For 
a sluggard have I been in the days of youth and the 
prime of life ; yet to me hath he given the comforts 
promised only to the diligent. Here I sit on the verge 
of three-score ; my heart in some good measure loosen 
ed from the world, although in full possession of it. 
Health, ease, plenty, elegance, friendship, respectability; 



210 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

old age welcome, death unstung become a familiar 
friend, the messenger of my Father to fetch me home 
to those mansions which my Redeemer has taken pos 
session of in my name. My hope is strong for my off 
spring. Stately have been his steps of mercy towards 
them already, and he saved them from their mother s 
snares j he heard and answered my prayers, for his 
name s sake, and overruled my practices j he is my God, 
and the God of my children ; the God of my children s 
children to the latest generation ; my cup is full of com 
fort, temporal and spiritual. O praise him, praise him, 
for he is your God, and the God of your offspring also !" 

June 4, 1802. 

" Making allowances for the difference of time, and 
supposing my dear children in health, all about them is 
in a racket. This is his Majesty s birth-day ; and you 
are at this moment, perhaps, set in some social com 
pany, by invitation, to honor the anniversary, to repeat 
the wish of long life, health and comfort to the lawful 
Sovereign of Britain. 

" Here sit I in my dear little room, with a lovely 

landscape in view ; B M. s park in velvet verdure ; 

the full grown trees scattered thin to display the car 
pet, and in full foliage ; the clump of willows weeping to 
the very ground, with a gentle wave agitated by the 
zephyr; while the other trees keep their firm, ma 
jestic posture ; the Hudson river covered with vessels 
crowded with sail to catch the scanty breeze ; some 
sweet little chirpers regaling the ear with their share of 
pleasure. I think I never heard any little warbler in this 
land sing so sweet as those which now salute my ear. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 21 1 

1 These are thy glorious works, Parent of good. 

" Can all the philosophic ingenuity of London, this 
evening, produce such a scene 1 The gardens no doubt 
will be glorious, but the ground-work is also God s ; 
but why say I that in particular 1 All is his; the very 
notes that warble through so many guilty throats are 
his creation ; all the art of man cannot add to their 
number. Sweet bird, thy notes are innocent, O how 
sweet ! Lovely trees ! ye who stand erect, and ye who 
weep and wave; I wish no brighter scene. The sha 
dows lengthen fast, so do yours and mine, my Sove 
reign ;* a few, a very few anniversaries, and we must 
change the scene ; change to where no courtiers nat 
ter, no false meteors blaze ; where shadows flee away, 
realities appear, and nothing but realities will stand in 
any stead. 

" O may we meet ! for me, I nothing have, I nothing 
am. But one there is, who was, and is all that the mind 
of saint or angel can conceive of glory and of happi 
ness ; and he is mine, and I am most blessed. Length 
en on, ye shadows, until all is shadow on these orbs of 
flesh. Then, then, 

My captive soul set free 

From doggish earth which oft has made me sigh, 
Ascends the eternal Mils, as seen to see, 
As known to know, and grasp the Deity. " 

" 1802. 

" Our friend B has now proved how far it is safe 

to leave the fate of eternity unsettled. He is gone to 

* Mrs. Graham received a pension as a British officer s widow 
until her death. 



212 LIFE OF MRS GRAHAM. 

the state of the dead: with whom his soul is gathered, 
He only knows whose mercy none ought to limit ; he is 
gone to his own place ; if without a Surety-righteous 
ness, which he sought not after in health, we know 
where that place is ; but after reading of a thief on the 
cross, nothing with God is impossible. My mind is 
much impressed; that sentence rings in my ears, so 
often repeated, " I am determined to do all the good I 
can, and leave the rest to God. I have no time to 
search." Oh ! oh ! one thing is needful. 

1 Life s a folly, age a dream 
Borne along the common stream 
Earth s a bubble light as air, 
If my rest be centered there. 
How can that be solid joy 
Which a moment may destroy. 

" Mr. B was seized with the fever in its most 

malignant form ; for him every genius was exerted, and 
the medical store ransacked for the healing balsam, 
but in vain. The Judge calls for the soul, and the body 
must, at his command, dislodge its tenant ; how awful, 
if no Surety was at hand, if he must stand naked we 
know the rest ; did I say, we know 1 no ! What can 
we know of that wrath which in the garden of Geth- 
semane, when no murderous hand was near, no high 
priest, no council or cross, wrung the blood through 
every pore of the pure, the innocent Lamb of God, sup 
ported by Godhead. If such things were done in the 
green tree, what shall be done in the dry V " 

Another of her grand-children was shortly after re 
moved by death ; his illness is noticed in the following 
meditation : 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 213 

" August, 1802. 

" Ezekiel, 20 : 32, * And that which cometh into your 
mind shall not be at all that you say, we will be as the 
heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood 
and stone. Verse 35, And I will bring you into the 
wilderness, and there will I plead with you face to 
face. 36, Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the 
wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with 
you, saith the Lord God ; and I will cause you to pass 
under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the 
Covenant. 43, * And ye shall remember your ways, and 
all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled, and ye 
shall loathe yourselves in your own sight, for all your 
evils that ye have committed ; and ye shall know that 1 
am the Lord, when I have wrought with you for my 
name s sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor 
according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, 
saith the Lord God. 

"It is good, yes, Lord, it is all good; too often have 
we said. * we will be as the heathen, to serve wood and 
stone. Often hast thou chastened, often have we con 
fessed, often resolved that we would walk more softly, 
more tenderly, more circumspectly before thee. But, 
alas ! when thy hand is removed, when thou healest us, 
and restorest to us health, comfort and our pleasant 
things, we wax fat and kick, nestle in our comfort, 
abuse thy gifts, and lose sight of the giver. Alas, Lord ! 
thus it must ever be with us, when we keep not near to 
thee ; we cannot walk one step alone without stum 
bling. Thou knowest these naturally wicked hearts, 
that they are deceitful above all things, they betray us 
before we are aware. Blessed, ever blessed be our God 



LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

for his well-ordered covenant! Blessed for the disci 
pline of it ! O Lord, we are again in the wilderness, and 
under thy chastising rod : for weeks past, we have ea 
ten no pleasant bread ; thy rod is still suspended over 
our pleasant, our dear child ; the streams of life ebb, he 
sickens, he dies, if thou interfere not. But the issues 
of death are in thy hand, and our eyes are towards thee. 
In vain are all means, all medicines, if thou impart not 
the healing virtue. Thy weeping servants seek the 
healing virtue from thy waters, thy seas, thy purer air. 
All nature is in thy hand and ministers thy pleasure ; to 
some conveying health, to some disease. An herb to be 
boiled in simple milk, as the figs for Hezekiah s boils, has 
been proposed ?. let this prove the appointed means 
or direct and point out that which thou wilt bless, and 
let our hearts and tongues give the glory to thee. 

" We deserve this bereavement j but, Lord, what do 
we not deserve 1 Even according to the constitution of 
the covenant of grace, and consistent with thy pardoning, 
saving mercy, and all thy long-suffering, wert thou to 
take vengeance on our inventions, by exercising all thy 
threatened chastisements, should we ever be out of the 
furnace 1 But even in this view, thou never hast dealt 
with us as our iniquities deserved. f He will not always 
chide, neither will he keep his anger for ever. Thou 
hast, in thousands of instances, cast our sins behind 
thy back, into the midst of the sea ; blotted them out, to 
remember them no more for ever. Thy ways are not 
as our ways, nor thy thoughts as our thoughts. We 
may plead, * deal not with us as we sin ; but according 
to the multitude of thy mercies blot out our transgres 
sions. Pardon our iniquity, for it is great. Affliction is 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 215 

appointed, but it is in measure, when it shooteth forth. 

debate with it, and according to thy promise Stay 
thy rough wind in the day of thine east wind. Lord, 
say it is enough, give the blessing, and by this measure 
shall iniquity be purged, and the fruit be to take away 
sin. All means are alike in thy hand, and any measure. 
In holy sovereignty and consummate wisdom thou 
afflictest, and in thy hand afflictions yield the peaceable 
fruits of righteousness : the hearts of thy people are 
melted, and they sing of mercy and of judgment, and 
glorify thy name. But, O Lord, a look, such as thou 
gavest to Peter, will melt our hearts and restore our 
backsliding souls. The announcing of our pardon by 
the same power, will make them overflow with love. If 
thou but call us "by name as thou didst her who sought 
thee at thy sepulchre, with the same power we shall 
recognize our Savior and worship him. 

" Lord our God, ever faithful to thy promises, 
thou hast said, * Whatsoever ye ask in my name, be 
lieving that ye receive, I will do it. Lord, I ask not 
the life of this child on this ground. I have through 
life asked one thing of thee, and that will I seek to ob 
tain while life and breath remain, and reason and grace; 

1 will seek it, seek it with importunity, holding fast 
by thy promise to do it, and believing that it shall be 
according to my petition. Make good to me this thy 
promise, in a spiritual and eternal sense. Be my God, 
and the God of my children, and of my children s chil 
dren to the latest generation. Let my children accord 
ing to the flesh, be thine by regeneration of the Holy 
Ghost : it is a great boon j but hast thou not said, Open 
thy mouth wide, I will fill it V Father, do as thou hast 



21^ LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

said : this is my one petition, and I cannot be said nay. 
I ask for myself, my children, and my children s chil 
dren, to the latest generation, the life which Christ 
died to purchase, and lives to bestow, that we may be 
made one with him, and our life hid with him in God. 
Amen, and Amen. 

ft But, O my Father ! thou hast said, Be careful for 
nothing ; but in every thing, by prayer and supplication, 
with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known 
unto God. I ask with submission to thy holy will, if 
consistent with thy glory, his good and the good of the 
parents, the life of this child ; that thou mayest spare 
him for our comfort, but first for thine own glory ; that 
thou mayest give the different branches of this family 
a joyful meeting, a full feast of grateful thanks to thee 
for all thy mercies; and our hearts may rejoice before 
thee for the abundance of comfort. Shouldst thou, in 
thy adorable wisdom, otherwise determine, thy blessed 
and thy holy will be done. Wash the soul of this child in 
the blood of Jesus, clothe him with thy righteousness, 
sanctify him by thy Spirit, and fit him in every respect 
for thy kingdom. And, O my divine Redeemer, I renew 
my petition which thou didst so evidently grant in the 
case of our dear Isabella ; take him in thine arms of 
mercy ; soften and shorten the parting pangs, and carry 
him gently through the dark valley, and give him an 
abundant entrance into thy heavenly kingdom, to join 
the hosannas of thy little children, of whom thy king 
dom is partly made up : and sanctify the affliction to 
all concerned ; direct our discipline according as thine 
all-seeing, heart-searching eye sees we need j that it 
may bring forth the peaceable fruits of righteousness, 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 217 

and the fruit of affliction be to take away sin, and the 
glory of all redound to thee, Father, Son, and blessed 
Spirit ! Amen, and Amen." 

September, 1802. 

* What manner of persons ought \ve to be in all man 
ner of holy conversation V 

"O give thanks unto God, for he is good, and his 
mercy endureth for ever. 

How precious are thy thoughts unto us, O Godj 
how great is the sum of them. 

Were we to count them, they are more in number 
than the sand. When we awake we are still with thee. 
f The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow 
to anger, and of great mercy. 

The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies 
are over all his works. 

f All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord, and thy 
Saints shall bless thee. 

Never hast thou dealt with us as our iniquities de 
serve, nor rewarded us according to our transgressions. 
r Who is a God like unto thee, who pardoneth ini 
quity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant 
of thy heritage. He retaineth not his anger for ever, 
because he delighteth in mercy. 

tf He will turn again, he will have compassion upon 
us, he will subdue our iniquities, and thou wilt cast all 
our sins into the depths of the sea. 

"Let Israel hope in the Lord, for with the Lord 

there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. 

And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. 

The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof 

Mrs. Graham. 10 



218 UFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

we are glad. The Lord hath turned our captivity, filled 
our mouth with laughter and our tongue with melody. 

" Thomas (her grandchild) is restored to perfect 
health. Thou hast heard our petitions, and continuest 
to us all our pleasant things. 

" It is a time of prosperity; thou givest us the upper 
and the nether springs; thou blessest my children in 
their basket and in their store; and while the riches 
of many are making to themselves wings and fly 
ing away ; while many are sinking from affluence to 
poverty, falling on the right hand and on the left, by 
thy most manifest providence thou hast preserved 
them from the wreck. O teach them to acknowledge 
thy hand in all this, and to say and feel, not unto us, 
O Lord, not unto us, but to thy name be the glory. It 
is God that giveth power to get riches. O enable them 
to honor thee with their substance, and with the first 
fruits of all their increase. 

M In the day of prosperity let them rejoice, but let 
this joy be in the Lord. O let thy gifts ever, ever lead 
them to the Giver, and fiU their hearts with gratitude, 
their mouths with praise ; and let their very actions be 
worship, while they acknowledge thee in all their ways, 
and thou directest their steps. May they be as a city 
set on a hill, which cannot be hid, and their light shine 
before men, that they seeing their good works, may 
glorify their Father who is in heaven. 

" And now, O Lord, we wait for thy blessing in the 
restoration of our dear D. and I. B. and J. Thou hast 
shown them great and sore adversities, and thou hast 
manifested thy power to save. When they passed 
through the waters thou wast with them, and through 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 219 

the rivers they did not overflow them. When they 
walked through the fire they were not burnt, neither 
did the flames kindle upon them. For thou art the 
Lord their God, the Holy One of Israel, their Savior. 

"Thou didst stay thy rough wind in the day of 
thine east wind, and in the multitude of their thoughts 
within them did thy comforts delight their soul. Thou 
humbledst them under thy mighty hand, and thou hast 
in the multitude of thy mercy exalted them in due time. 

ft In all their sojourning thou hast been with them; 
and in fellowship with thy church greatly hast thou 
comforted them. Thou hast given them favor in the 
hearts of thy people, and made the stones of the field to 
be at peace with them. And now, O Lord, restore them 
to their friends and Christian society, and to their place 
which thou hast in thy goodness given and preserved 
to them. Here may they be thy witnesses, that thou 
art the Lord, and besides thee there is no Savior. " 

" September, 1802. 

" This day has the Lord our God answered our pray 
ers, and enriched us beyond the ordinary lot of hu 
manity. D. and I. B. and J. are restored to their pre 
served places, and to the bosom of their family. We 
are as men who dream ; our mouths are filled with 
laughter, our tongues with melody ; the Lord hath done 
great things for us, whereof we are glad. Thou hast 
turned our captivity as streams in the south. We sow 
ed in tears, we have reaped in joy. Bless the Lord, O 
our souls ; ever true and faithful is his word, They that 
go forth weeping, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless 
come again rejoicing, bringing their sheaves with them.* 



220 LIFE OF MRS. GHAHAM. 

" Lord, from thee is our fruit found ; may our 
sheaves be many and weighty, thou working all our 
works in us, to thine own glory and our blessedness. 
Amen/ 

" 1802. 

" Dear brother Pero,* happy brother Pero, thy Jesus, 
in whom thou trustedst, has loosed thy bonds, has 
brought thee to that rest which remains for the people 
of God ; thou drinkest of the pure river that maketh 
glad the city of our God ; of that blessed Fountain from 
which issue all the streams which refresh and revive us 
weary pilgrims. But a little while ago, and thou wast 
weary, dark, and solitary j thy flesh fettering and clog 
ging thy spirit; thy God trying thy faith, hope, and pa 
tience, which he had previously implanted, watered, and 
made vigorous, to stand that trial more precious than 
gold that perisheth, though it be tried by fire, and was 
made manifest to the glory of that Savior who leaves 
not his people in any case. If need be, they are in 
heaviness, through manifold temptations ; but he knows 
how to deliver them, having himself been tempted. 

" Thou hadst a taste of his cup ; like him thou didst 
endure the contradiction of sinners; like hijn thou didst 
experience the desertion of friends: even thine old mis 
tress, whom thou lately didst esteem as a sister in 
Christ, and to whom thou didst look for fresh com- 

* Pero was an elderly man of color whom Mr. Andrew Smith 
ha&lt;:l purchased, and made free. 

Pero had previously been a freed man of Christ. He had been 
for some time in ill health; Mrs. Graham kindly attended on him, 
and read the Scriptures to him: he died by the bursting; of a blood 
vessel, at an hour when none of the family were with Mm. Mr*. 
Graham, in humility of spirit, reproaches herself in this exercise, 
for having been absent from him, without inquiring into his sitiuv 
tion, for one hour. 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 221 

munications from and through that written word, which 
she could read and thou couldst not, Oh ! how did she 
prove as a broken reed unto thee 1 how did she neglect 
thy necessity, and her own opportunity of bringing forth 
fruit in its season 1 Thou hast been no loser. The 
Lord passed by the slothful servant, the unfaithful 
steward, who neglected to give thee thy meat in due 
season., and himself took her place; took thee from 
that household which was not worthy of thee, and led 
thee to those mansions of bliss which himself purchased 
and prepared ; set thee at that table which shall never 
be drawn, where thou shalt feast on all the fulness of 
God, and drink of those pleasures which are at his right 
hand for evermore. No need of old mistress now ; no 
need of any earthly vessel now, nor of that written word 
which thou didst so highly prize. The Word made flesh, 
has removed the veil that shaded the glory of the God- 
man from thine eyes ; flesh and blood could not behold 
it; of this he has unclothed thee left it with us to look 
upon and mourn our sin. Thee he has introduced into 
the full vision of eternal day, w r here thou knowest as 
thou art known, and seest as thou art seen. O that full 
communion enjoyed between a holy soul and the per 
fection of holiness ! O that Light of Life ! that Ocean of 
Love! that inconceivable blessedness! How hast thou 
out-run us, brother Perol How distanced us in a mo 
ment ] Oh, could I not watch with thee one hour ! Oh 
that I had received thy last blessing, instead of which, 
conscious offence, deserved rebuke, painful compunction 
wring my heart ; and perhaps the rod of correction may 
be suspended, and now ready to fall on my guilty head. 
"Father! my Father! Am I not still thy child 1 



222 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

still thy adopted 1 Have not I an Advocate with thee, 
Jesus Christ the righteous, whom thou hearest always 1 
does not the blood of Christ cleanse from all sin 1 yes, O 
yes. This is my universal remedy ; thousands and ten 
thousands of times have I experienced its efficacy. 
Father, I again apply ; blessed Spirit, do thine office ! 
Wash me and I shall be clean, purge me and I shall be 
whiter than snow. I confess my sin, I acknowledge 
mine iniquity. Thou didst bring to me an old disciple, 
ncirand dear to his and my Savior; thou didst require 
me to minister unto him all that he needed ; the honor 
was great, the opportunity valuable. Thou didst empty 
thy servant for a time, thou didst hide his comfort, that 
I might, through thy written word, draw living waters 
for him, and give him to drink. O the honor ! O the 
negligence! Thou didst send the call for thy disciple 
to come up to thee ; in thy providence thou didst make 
it first known to me, that I might be instrumental in 
conveying to him, through the same channel, oil and 
trimming for his lamp. Great was the honor! digni 
fied the service ! but lost to me for ever. I passed by 
on the other side. Blessed, blessed Jesus ! thou good 
Samaritan, who pouredst the oil and wine into his 
wounds, and tookest him, not to an inn, but to those 
mansions in the skies, which thou, with thine own blood, 
purchasedst for him ; sanctify, O sanctify to me this 
thy providence ; pardon my neglect. Savior, wash me 
in thy blood, and sanctify and bring good out of even 
my transgression. By thy grace, let it be a means of 
stirring me up to more watchfulness, that I may meet 
the opportunities afforded me in thy providence, to 
occupy till thou come." 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 223 

" December, 1802. 

" The lovely plant which the Lord had blasted, which 
brought down our hearts with grief, which he had re 
stored and clothed with smiling health and comfort, 
again sickened, declined, wasted j every means proved 
ineffectual ; the Lord refused the healing virtue. He 
was brought to town to be near the physicians, but the 
Physician of Israel aided them not. Disease increased ; 
with pain, sickness, convulsion, much he suffered, and 
long ; he had a taste of the bitterness of sin, but no part 
of the curse: that the Redeemer drank and expended; 
and having by his atoning blood purged this little one 
from his sins, and perfected all his redeeming work in 
his soul, he received him into his own heavenly abodes. 
It is well, all well. Amen." 

Mrs. Graham lived alternately with her children, 
Mrs. Bethune and Mrs. Smith until 1803, when Mrs. 
Smith removed from New- York. After that time she 
made her home with Mr. and Mrs. Bethune until her 
departure to her heavenly home. They loved her not 
only from natural affection, but for her superior worth. 
They believed that her prayers brought a blessing on 
the family, as the ark of God did to the house of Obed- 
Edom. 

" March, 1803. 

" I read this day the 36th chapter of Ezekiel, and 
pleaded God s promises from the 22d verse to the end, 
for myself, for my children, and for my children s chil 
dren ; for the church of God throughout the world, in 
particular for this country, for Britain and Ireland, 
France and Germany, where his name was once known, 



LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

and bis Gospel flourished. That the Lord would r build 
the waste places and repair the breaches ; that he would 
c purify the sons of Levi, fill all pulpits with able, faith 
ful ministers of the New Testament, who * shall declare 
the whole counsel of God j and that wherever his name 
is recorded, the Holy Ghost might fill the place, and 
convince the hearts of preachers and hearers, of sin, of 
righteousness, and of judgment ; might r take of tlie 
things of Christ and show unto them j and that the great 
Head of the church might regulate and overrule all these 
breaches, differences, and shakings in his churches. 

" Lord, I am ignorant ; I know not the mind of the 
Spirit of promise as thou knowest it. The promise of 
the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the earth, of the 
corn, the wine, and the oil is thine, as are all others. 
I am ignorant how far this refers to spiritual prosperity, 
how far to temporal. I ask, O Lord, covenant provision, 
the fruit of the seed sown in the hearts of men by thine 
own Spirit ; and that thou mayest build the ruined cities 
of thy churches, and fill them with men like a flock, as 
the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts ; so shall 
the waste cities be filled with flocks of men, and they 
shall know that thou art the Lord. Thy fair, thy rich, 
thy beautiful creation is also the fruit of grace. The 
wicked possess it, but they enjoy it not. Thy people 
are the heirs, but thou, as a wise and merciful Father, 
givest them to possess according as thy wisdom sees 
safe and good for them. When with the things of this 
world they imbibe the spirit of the men of the world ; 
when they nestle in thy gifts and forget the Giver; 
when they enjoy with a carnal spirit, and not with 
thankfulness and a due sense of their dependance on 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 225 

thee, as the God of providence as well as of grace j 
thou, in mercy as in sovereignty, blastest their pleasant 
things, mixest their cup of prosperity with wormwood 
and gall, or sweepest all away with a turn of thine hand ; 
that thou mayest teach them that man doth not live 
by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out 
of the mouth of God ; that thou mayest withdraw them 
from sinful purposes, and hide pride from them; that 
thou mayest open their ears to instruction, and seal it 
on their hearts; thou dashest to pieces their broken cis 
terns, that thou mayest lead them back to the fountain 
of living waters. 

"It is good, O Lord, all good; I lay hold upon it; be 
thou the provider of me and mine ; feed us with food 
convenient for us. Thine own word testifies that every 
creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if 
it be received with thanksgiving, for it is sanctified by 
the word of God and prayer. I and the children for 
whom I pray, possess many, yea, and abundance of tem 
poral good things. Lord, give suitable grace, grace 
for grace. Spirit of grace ! keep us thankful, humble, 
dependant, spiritual ; enable us to receive all through a 
covenant channel, as the provision of our Father, by the 
way, through this wilderness. may all be sanctified 
by thy word arid prayer, and we enabled r to eat and 
drink to thy glory. Amen. 

" Read the 13Sth Psalm ; Though the Lord be high, 
yet hath he respect unto the lowly ; though I walk in 
the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me. The Lord 
will perfect that which^concerneth me; thy mercy, 
Lord, endureth for ever; forsake not thou the works of 
thine hands. 7 * 



226 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

" Redeeming work is thy work ; regenerating work 
is thy work 5 sanctifying work is also thine. 

" The first is finished, the second begun, to be per 
fected in the third. Lord, I hang on thy promises, 
which with Christ are all mine, though I have not at all 
times the savor of them j this is mine infirmity, and 
often my sin. keep me looking unto Jesus." 

" March 25, 1803. 

" Communion Sabbath, Dr. M preached from Ro 
mans, 6 : 17: f But God be thanked that ye were (were 
in the past time, not now) the servants of sin ; but ye 
have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which 
was delivered you. 

"O Lord, I believe the doctrines of thy Gospel; I 
know that I am delivered from sin as a master ; it hath 
not dominion over my will, nor entire dominion over 
my affections; I would be thine, thy servant, thy child, 
thine in all obedience. I feel this new principle in the 
desires of my soul. I would do all things to thee, in 
act and in principle. But, Lord, the old man is still 
here, harassing and hindering my new will (which I 
have received from thee) from acting with freedom and 
energy. Unhallowed motives steal in, by-ends present 
themselves; and when outward duty is attained to, 
there is more of sin than of righteousness. Though en 
tered upon with some measure of purity, yet before it 
is finished I am at a loss to discern the true principle 
by which I am actuated. Lord, help me ! hast thou not 
promised to work in me both J to will and to do of thy 
good pleasure V Is it not the grand end of thy death, 
that thou mightest purify to thyself a glorious church, 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 227 

not having spot nor wrinkle, nor any such thing ; and 
shall not I be a partaker 1 Art thou not made of God 
unto thy people, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, 
and complete redemption ? 

" Lord, my heart pants for redemption from indwell 
ing sin. This depravity of my nature, this opposition, 
this evil that is ever present with me when I would do 
good, this indolence, this listlessness, this want of zeal, 
or else self-will, keenness of temper, impatience, haste : 
O Lord, there is a host of enemies ; gird me, arm me, 
shield me, lead me forth under thy banner ; be my vic 
torious King. I will go in thy name, trusting in thy 
promised strength and grace to help in every time of 
need. Glory be to God, Father, Son, and blessed 
Spirit, for the grace in which I stand. But for grace I 
had been a willing slave to sin to this hour. By that 
same grace I shall one day attain to victory. I cast my 
burden on the Lord, he will sustain until he deliver; I 
will go up through the wilderness, trusting in the pro 
mises, and continue fighting in his strength. My soul 
waits for thy salvation. Lord, enable me to keep r look 
ing unto Jesus, the author and finisher of faith. O 
give faith in every part of his mediatorial character ! 
May I feed upon him and be strong for this sore fight. 
Give courage, Lord ; press me forward : may I re 
solve, and keep the resolution, to resist unto blood, 
striving against sin. 

" I have been a slothful servant in thy family, an 

dle laborer in thy vineyard, an unfruitful branch, a 

poor dwarfish member in thy body. Grant, O grant 

a little fruit on the topmost bough. Oh! at the 

eleventh hour may I begin to work, to bear some 



228 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

fruit, to the ir ory of that grace by which my soul is 
saved from the wages of sin, death, and hell, and 
made heir, by free gift, of the wages of righteousness, 
eternal life and glory. I wait for thy salvation !" 

There being no public, free, or Sabbath-schools in 
the city, Mrs. Graham used her endeavors to promote 
such as would at least furnish education to the chil 
dren of the widows under her care j and several young 
ladies offered their services, which she thus notices : 

" February, 1804. 

" A new thing is on the wheel in the city of New- 
York. A Society of ladies, organized for the purpose 
of relieving widows with small children, was new in 
this country. It is now, by the blessing of God, appa 
rently established. It was entered upon with prayer; it 
has been conducted thus far with prayer. The blessing 
of God has rested upon it, and much good has been 
done by it. Some of us have looked long, and requested 
of God to open a way by which the children of these 
widows might be instructed and taught to read his word, 
and by his blessing on it, come to the knowledge of the 
way of salvation. One means has been attempted of an 
ordinary kind : twelve children were last week placed 

at school with Mrs. L , to be taught to read, and 

some more are to be placed with another of our wi 
dows, for the same purpose. But this indeed is new. A 
Society of young ladies, the first in rank in the city, in 
the very bloom of life, and full of its prospects, enga 
ged in those pleasures and amusements which tend to 
engross the mind and shut out every idea unconnected 



CHILDREN OF WIDOWS. 229 

with them, coming forward and offering, (not to con 
tribute towards a school,) but their own personal atten 
dance to instruct the ignorant. O Lord, prosper theii 
work. If this be of thee, it shall prosper, and be pro 
ductive of much good; but if thou bless not, it wifj 
come to nothing but shame. No good can be done but 
by thee, for r there is none good but God ; and what are 
all thy creatures, but instruments in thy hand, by which 
thou bringest to pass the purposes of thy will: Chris 
tians^ redeemed, enlightened, sanctified, are no more : 
thou workest all their works in them, they themselves 
are thy workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto 
good works, which thou hast prepared, that they should 
walk in them. Worldlings also are thy instruments : 
by them thou workest and bringest to pass the counsels 
of thy will ; thou puttest into their heart the good thing 
which thou workest, and girdest them for the purpose : 
though not the children of thy covenant, they are the 
instruments of thy providence. 

" O Lord, take up this matter; gird these young wo 
men to this very purpose, and prosper them in the art 
of teaching these orphans of thy Providence. And, 
Lord, hear my more important petition. I am not wor 
thy to be heard. Lord, I am not worthy to be named 
in connection with any good done by thee. f I am the 
chief of sinners, the chief of backsliders ; every thing 
in me, of me, or by me, is vile as far as it is mine. All 
that is otherwise, all good implanted in me, or done by 
me, is thine own ; it is grace, free grace, the pur 
chase of thine own Anointed, my dear Redeemer, my 
dying, risen, ascended Savior, and the fruit of the Holy 
Ghost, the sent of the Father and of the Son, to set 



230 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

up a kingdom of righteousness in the hearts of the re 
deemed. Let me, as a sinner saved by grace, to whom 
thou hast been pleased to give the exceeding great and 
precious promises; let me, under the sprinkling of the 
blood of the Covenant, and in entire dependance on my 
surety-righteousness ; let me draw near and present my 
petition in the name, and for the sake of Him whom 
thou hearest always. O Lord God Almighty, by this 
very thing, build up thy Zion. Lay hold of these 
young creatures, and while they are in the way of thy 
providence, bring them to the house of our master s 
brethren. thou great Teacher, teach thou teacher 
and taught. Be found of them who seek thee not, and 
say with power, Behold me, behold me, to a people 
not yet called by thy name, and out of this small thing 
in thy providence, bring revenues of praise to thy name 
as the God of grace. Amen. 

ff And now, O Lord, for myself, I pray for deep hu 
mility ; I ask, for his sake who was meek and lowly, to 
be kept where my place really is, at the feet of all thy 
servants ; and if it be thy pleasure to make me a use 
ful instrument, in proportion make me a humble soul. 
Let me ever * remember my ways and be ashamed, and 
never open my mouth any more because of my shame, 
when thou art pacified towards me for all that I have 
done. keep me in this contrite frame of mind. In 
all that to which thou callest me, give me a willing 
heart, and furnish me with every necessary for thy glo 
ry. And now prepare me to speak to these young wo 
men good and acceptable words. Save me from sacrificing 
truth, or departing, in any respect, from Christian duty; 
give me such wisdom as may be suited to the occasion : 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 231 

in all things mine eyes are to the Lord; from thee let 
my fruit be found. " 

" February 17, 1804. 

"Saturday the llth. Twenty-nine young ladies met 
with Mrs. Hoffman and myself, at Mr. 0. Hoffman s, 
Wall-street, on purpose to receive instructions respect 
ing the school ; and having paired themselves according 
to their mind, I delivered what I had prepared for them : 
they all seemed hearty in their engagement ; and on 

Monday the 13th inst. Miss L 1 and Miss L n 

attended at the school-room and commenced teaching 
thirteen children ; four have been added since. 

"Again, Lord, let me request thy blessing on this 
institution ; put thy seal upon it, and mark it for thine 
own. Gird the teachers for their work, and open the 
minds of the scholars to instruction. And, Lord, in 
thine own time, and by means of thy own devising, pro 
vide spiritual instruction for teachers and taught. Is it 
thy pleasure, Lord, that I attend the children on a day 
appointed for the purpose I Wilt thou accept of me as 
an instrument, by which thou wilt do good to the souls 
of these children ; and wilt thou keep me humble and 
contrite in my own soull Bless also Mrs. L. s school; 
there too let thy work appear ; deal with her soul as 
1 thou dealest with thy chosen ; teach her the way of 
salvation, and make her a teacher by thine own Spirit. 
If it be my dear Master s pleasure to use me, I would 
also attend that school as his instrument. Search me, 
O Lord, and know my heart, try me and know my 
thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me, 
and lead me in the way everlasting. " 



232 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

Mrs. Graham s address to the young ladies above al 
luded to is given as a specimen of the appropriateness 
of her addresses on similar occasions, and as an incen 
tive to kindred exertions in every condition of life. 

" MY DEAR YOUNG LADIES Every thing new becomes 
matter of speculation and variety of opinion. 

"An association of ladies for the relief of destitute 
widows and orphans was a new thing in this country. 
It was feeble in its origin, the jest of most, the ridicule 
of many, and it mat the opposition of not a few. The 
men could not allow our sex the steadiness and perse 
verance necessary to establish such an undertaking. 
But God put his seal upon it ; and under his fostering 
care it has prospered beyond the most sanguine expec 
tations of its propagators. Its fame is spread over the 
United States, and celebrated in foreign countries. It 
has been a precedent to many cities, who have followed 
the laudable example. This fame is not more brilliant 
than just. The hungry are fed, the naked are clothed, 
shelter is provided for the outcasts ; medicine and 
cordials for the sick, and the soothing voice of sympathy 
cheers the disconsolate. Who are the authors of all 
these blessings 1 Your mothers, ladies, the benevolent 
members of this so justly famed Society. But who are 
ihese children that idly ramble through the streets, a 
prey to growing depravity and vicious example! hark! 
they quarrel, they swear, and such no doubt will lie 
and steal. And that group of dear little creatures, run 
ning about in the most imminent danger, apparently 
without protection, are they under the care of this so 
justly famed Society! They are j they are fed, they 



ADDRESS TO YOUNG LADIES. 233 

are clothed, their mother s fireside is made warm for 
them j but no culture is provided for their minds, nor 
protection from baneful example. These will in time 
follow that of the older ones, and grow up the slaves of 
idleness and vice, the certain road to ruin. 

"Alas! alas! and is there no help! no preventive 1 
Yes there is! Behold the angelic land! hail, ye virtuous 
daughters ! worthy of your virtuous mothers, come 
forward and tread in their steps ! Snatch these little 
ones from the whirling vortex ; bring them to a place 
of safety ; teach them to know their Father, God: tell 
them of their Savior s love; lead them through the his 
tory of his life ; mark to them the example he set, the 
precepts he recorded for their observance, and the 
promises for their comfort. And by teaching them to 
read, enable them to retrace all your instructions when 
their eyes see you no more. 

" My dear young ladies, the sacrifice you have made 
shall most assuredly meet its reward : but, like your 
mothers, you will experience much painful banter, you 
will be styled school madams. Let it pass suffer it 
quietly; when your scheme begins to ripen and the 
fruits appear, who shall be able to withhold their praise 1 
Only be steadfast, draw not back and justify the pro 
phecies of many. 

"A great general, in ancient times, in search of glo 
ry, landed his troops on the hostile coast, and then 
burnt all his ships : they must conquer or die. You 
have, ladies, already embarked in this design ; there is 
no remaining neuter now ; your name and undertaking 
are in every mouth j you must press forward and justify 
your cause ; and justified it shall be if you persevere j 



23-1 LIFE OF MRS. GKAHAM. 

it cannot be otherwise. The benevolence you con 
template, is as superior to that already in operation, 
as the interest of the soul is to that of the body ; and it 
is your own ; the very scheme originated in a young 
mind in this company. The Society were contempla 
ting mercenary agents schools for pay, and one is al 
ready established. 

"But this labor of love! who could have hoped for 
it 1 A Society of young ladies, in rank the first in the 
city, in the very bloom of life, and full of its prospects, 
engaged in those pleasures and amusements which 
generally engross the mind, and shut out every idea 
unconnected with self, coming forward and offering 
what 1 ? not their purses, that were trash; but their 
own personal services to instruct the ignorant, and 
become the saviors of many of their sex. It is indeed 
a new thing, and more strange in this age of dissipa 
tion, than that institution from which it sprung. May 
this too become the darling of Providence ! May God 
put his seal upon this also! May he bless and pros 
per you in this undertaking, bless you and make you 
a blessing !" 

We next have her wrestling supplications for the re 
vival of God s work in the church with which she was 
connected. 

" February 21, 1804. 

" Thou, who art Alpha and Omega, the first and the 
last, who boldest the seven stars in thy right hand, and 
walkest in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, 
who livest and was dead, and art alive for evermore. 
Amen. And hast the keys of hell and of death. Out of 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 235 

thy mouth goeth a sharp two-edged sword, by which 
thou readiest the hearts of the most hardened. O write 
with power, speak with power, in the heart of the angel 
of this church. Hast thou not in former days had thy 
dwelling among them! in days of trouble didst thou 
not work in them the fruits of labor and patience, so 
that for thy name s sake they labored and fainted not 1 
Thou blessedst them and gave them peace, and they 
rejoiced in the light of thy countenance ; thou multi 
plied st them also, so that from a handful they became 
two bands. Alas, Lord, we have, Ephraim-like, waxed 
fat and kicked ; we have left our first love j we have 
not watched and prayed, as thou gavest commandment 
and thou hast left us to enter into temptation ; we have 
forsaken the counsel of our old men, and given heed to 
flatterers; we have forgotten our dependance on thee, 
and said, Ashur shall save us, we will ride upon horses. 
We have set up our idols in our hearts, and put the 
stumbling-block of our iniquity before our eyes ; we 
have taken counsel, but not of thee, and covered our 
selves with a covering, but not of thy Spirit ; we have glo 
ried in our own wisdom, and strengthened ourselves in 
our own strength. 

" We are poor, and blind, and miserable, and naked ; 
rich in our fancied wisdom, seeing by our own light, 
and compassing ourselves about with our own sparks j 
we feed on ashes : a deceived heart has turned us aside. 
T O Lord, the Hope of Israel, and the Savior there 
of. It is of the Lord s mercies that we are not consumed. 
To us belong shame and confusion of face, (O cover us 
with it,) but to thee belongs mercy. Humble us, Lord, 
arid we shall be humbled 5 turn us, and we shall be turned. 1 



236 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

"It is in our nature to backslide for ever; thou, and 
thou only, knowest the deceitfulness of the heart ; thou, 
and thou only, canst search it. O search us, and try 
us, and show us what wicked ways there are in us, and 
lead us in the way everlasting. Deal not with us ac 
cording to our sins, but according to the multitude of 
thine own mercies. We have no other plea ; our sins 
call for judgment, and until thou, thy own blessed self 
turn us, we are in no situation to receive mercy. Work 
with us for thy name s sake, establish with us thine own 
covenant of free, unmerited, undeserved mercy. Then 
shall we know that thou art the Lord. 

"Make us thine by thy own covenant, established 
in Christ, thy own anointed ; the blessed Surety, by 
thine own appointment ; our substitute, on whom it 
hath pleased thee to lay the iniquities of us all ; in 
whose sacred person thou tookest vengeance for all our 
sins; by whom thy law is fulfilled, magnified, and made 
honorable; whose doing and suffering in our stead is 
accepted by Jehovah. 4 The Lord is well pleased for 
his righteousness sake. No covenant short of one ful 
filled in every jot and tittle could benefit us. 

" Thy covenant is well-ordered in all things, and it 
is sure. 

" Here, O Lord, I take my stand ; here I lay my foun 
dation, and on this thy covenant I build ; or rather here 
thou thyself hast laid my foundation, and on this rock 
hast thou set my soul and built my hopes, thou subdu 
ing my enmity. I acquiesce. I will now remember the 
years of thy hand/ look back to thy dealings with 
thine own nation, whom thou didst * choose and 
set apart from all other nations, though of the same 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 237 

blood with all those that dwell on the face of the 
whole earth. 

" They, like us, destroyed themselves, but in thee 
was their help. They also sinned, committed iniquity, 
and did wickedly; they remembered not thy mercy, 
but provoked thee at the Red Sea, after the great deliv 
erance thou hadst wrought for them, and the wonders 
thou madest to pass before them in the land of Egypt. 
Nevertheless thou savedst them for thy name s sake, 
that thou mightest make thy mighty power known ; 
thou didst repeat thy wonders, and didst dry up the sea 
before them. He fed them with corn from heaven; 
they did eat angel s food. He clave the rock in the 
wilderness, and caused waters to run down like a 
river. After all, they forsook the God of their mercies ; 
they believed not his promises, nor trusted in his sal 
vation ; f they lusted, and they murmured, and desired 
to turn back to Egypt. Thou didst chasten them sore 
for their sin, and didst bring down their heart with 
grief. 

When thou didst slay them, they sought thee, 
and remembered that God was their Rock, and the 
most high God their Redeemer. Nevertheless they 
did flatter with their mouth and lied unto thee with 
their tongue, for their heart was not right with thee, 
neither were they steadfast in thy covenant. But 
thou being full of compassion forgavest their ini 
quity and destroyedst them not ; yea, many a time 
turnedst thou away thine anger, and didst not stir up 
all thy wrath. 

how many times did they turn back, tempted 
God, and limited the Holy One of Israel. Yet did 



238 LIFE OF MRS. fiRAHAM. 

he fulfil all his promises, and by wonders in the sea, 
wonders in the desert, wonders in Zoar s field, and in 
the camps of their enemies, he led them safely to the 
border of his sanctuary, to the mountain which his 
right hand had purchased. He cast out the heathen be 
fore them, and gave them rest in the land of promise. 
Even there they provoked the Most High, provoked 
him to jealousy with their graven images. 

" Again thou didst chasten them sore, let loose the 
corruptions of men upon them, and suffer them to 
fall before their enemies. Thou deliveredst thy 
strength into captivity, and thy glory into the hands 
of their enemies. 

" Yet, O Lord, again didst thou deliver them, and 
sentest provision for them by thine own covenant. 
Thou didst choose David thy servant, and take him 
from the sheep-folds. Thou broughtest him to feed Ja 
cob thy people, and Israel thine inheritance. So he fed 
them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided 
them by the skilfulness of his hands. 

" Such are the people with whom thou hast still to 
do. Such, God of infinite mercy! such the God with 
whom we sinners have to do ! even f the Lord Go.l, 
merciful and gracious, long-suffering, slow to anger, for 
giving iniquity, transgression and sin ; who will by no 
means clear the guilty. O what could man or angel 
have done with this last character of thy name 1 Thy 
covenant makes provision. In Christ Jesus, our blessed 
Substitute, all is reconciled. Thy name is one ; * the 
just God, and the justifier of the ungodly who believe 
in Jesus. This God is our God; we will make mention o/ 
his righteousness, and his only. By his own covenant, 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 239 

in his own time, and by means of his own providing, 
he will revive us. Amen." 

April, 1804. 

All my desire is before thee, and it is all con 
tained in thy well-ordered covenant. Many years of 
vanity, of idolatry, of backsliding-, wandering and folly, 
have passed over my head since I first took hold of thy 
covenant. How fickle, false, -and deceitful have I 
proved ; yet thou knowest, thine own Spirit through all 
my wanderings testified in my heart, that out of the 
channel of this covenant there could be neither safety 
nor comfort ; and never, so far as I can remember, have 
I deliberately chosen to be dealt with by any other. Its 
corrections and chastisements have reached the deep 
est sensibilities of my heart. Thine arrows stuck fast 
in me, thy hand pressed me sore ; there was no sound 
ness in my flesh, neither rest in my bones, because of 
my sin ; mine iniquities went over my head, were a 
burden too heavy to bear. I was feeble and sore bro 
ken, and roared by reason of the disquiet of my heart. 
My lovers and friends stood aloof from my sore, and 
my kinsmen stood afar off. I was ready to halt, and 
my sorrow was continually before me ; yet even in 
my darkest, deepest afflictions, when deep called to 
deep, and thy waves and billows were passing over 
me; when my f soul seemed sinking in the mire where 
there was no standing, I groped in the dark; my heart 
panted, my strength failed, and the light of mine eyes 
seemed gone out. I was weak with my groaning; in 
the night I made my bed to swim with my tears ; yet 
even then, by that same covenant by which I was suf 



240 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

fering, light sprang out of darkness, glimmering hope 
in the midst of despair. I remembered the years of 
thy right hand; in the multitude of my thoughts within 
me, (the provision made in this covenant,) thy comforts 
delighted my soul. 

"I was furnished with a plea, which would condemn, 
by every covenant but thine, Pardon my iniquities, for 
they are great, Thou, even thou, art he who blottest 
out transgressions as a cloud, and iniquity as a thick 
cloud. Verily, thou art a God that pardoneth, though 
thou takest vengeance on the inventions of thy rebel 
lious children. Vengeance, not the vengeance of the 
curse, no ; that, O thou blessed Covenant, thou blessed 
Surety, that fell on thy devoted head ! Thou by this 
covenant wast made a curse for us. 1 Thou didst 
tread the wine-press alone, and of the people there was 
none to help thee. Thou didst expend the last drop 
of that cup of vengeance. Every cup put into our 
hand, though a cup of trembling, is a cup of blessing. 
I this day take a fresh hold of thy covenant, for myself, 
for my children, and for my children s children, to the 
latest generation. For my brother and sister, for their 
children, and children s children; for the near concerns 
of our dear D. B.; and for all whom I carry on my mind 
to thy throne of grace. This is the sum and substance 
of my prayers. Bring them into the bond of this cove 
nant, and deal with them according to the order of it, 
and the provision made for them in it, in all possible 
circumstances. Amen. 

God, in the multitude of thy mercies hear me, in 
the truth of thy salvation. Truth of thy salvation ! 
Thou only knmvest the truth of thy salvation. How lit- 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES 241 

tie do we know of thy work ! Many of those provi 
dences which appear to us dark and dismal, are wheels 
turning round the truth of thy salvation; opening our 
blinded eyes to the issues of sin, and also delivering 
from the snares of the devil. Deal not, Lord, with 
me, and mine, as our iniquities deserve ; this has never 
been thy way with us; but according to thy former 
loving-kindness/ and to all the long-suffering patience 
and pardoning mercy which thy aged servant has ex 
perienced through her sinful guilty pilgrimage. Thou 
hast forgiven me all the way from Egypt. f Leave me 
not now, when I am old and grey-headed ; but when 
strength and heart fail, be thou the strength of my 
heart and portion forever. Amen." 

The winter of 1804 5 was unusually severe: the 
river Hudson was shut by frost as early as November ; 
fuel was consequently scarce and dear ; and the poor 
suffered greatly. Mrs. Graham visited those parts of 
the city where the poorer class of sufferers dwelt j* in 
upwards of two hundred families she either found a 

* The following notice of these scenes appeared in one of the 
periodical publications of the day : 

"When sorrow shrunk before the piercing wind, 
And famine, shelterless, in suffering pin d; 
When sickness droop d in solitary pain, 
Mid varying misery s relentless reign ; 
Oh then tumultuous rose the plaints of grief, 
And loud and strong the clamors for relief! 
Then active charity, with boundless care, 
From gloomy faces chas d the fiend Despair, 
Dispelled the horrors of the wintry day, 
And none that ask d went unrelieved away. 

" Yet there are some who sorrow s vigils keep, 
Unknown that languish, undistinguish d weep! 
Behold yon ruin d building s shattered walls, 
Where drifting snow through many a crevice falls j 
Whose smokeless vent no blazing fuel knows, 
But drear and cold the widow s mansion shows; 

Mrs. Graham. 1 1 



24,2 LIFE OF MliS. GRAHAM. 

Bible their property, or gave them one ; praying with 
them in their affliction. She requested a friend to write, 
first one Religious Tract, and then another, suited to 
the peculiar situation of those afflicted people. One 
was called " A Donation to Poor Widows with Small 
Children," the other, "A Second Visit to Poor Wi 
dows with Small Children." And lest it might be 
said it was cheap to give advice, she usually gave a 
small sum of money along with the Tracts she distri 
buted. There was at this time neither a Bible nor Tract 
Society in New-York. Mrs. Hoffman accompanied her 
in many of her excursions. In the course of their visits 
they discovered a French family from St. Domingo in 
such extremity of distress as made them judge it ne 
cessary to report their case to the Honorable Dewitt 
Clinton, then mayor of the city. The situation of this 

Her fragile form, by sickness deeply riven, 
Too weak to face the driving blasts of heaven, 
Her voice too faint to reach some pitying ear, 
Her shivering babes command her anguish d tear: 
Their feeble cries in vain assistance crave, 
And expectation * points but to the grave. 

" But lo, with hasty step a female form 
Glides through the wind and braves the chilling storm, 
With eager hand now shakes the tottering door, 
Now rushes breathless o er the snow-clad floor. 
Her tongue soft comfort to the mourner speaks, 
Her silver voice with soft emotion breaks; 
Round the drear hovel roves her moistened eye, 
Her graceful bosom heaves the lengthened sigh. 

" I know thee now I know that angel frame 
O that the muse might dare to breathe thy name ! 
Nor thine alone, but all that sister-band 
Who scatter gladness o er a weeping land; 
Who comfort to the infant sufferer bring, 
And teach with joy the widow s heart to sing. 

"For this no noisy honors, fame shall give, 
In your own breasts your gentle virtues live ; 
No sounding numbers shall your names reveal, 
But your own hearts the rich reward shall feel." 

AT.BRRT. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 243 

family being mnde public, three hundred dollars were 
voluntarily contributed for their relief. Roused by this 
incident, a public meeting was called at the Tontine 
Coffee House, and committees from the different wards 
were appointed to aid the Corporation in ascertaining 
and supplying the immediate wants of the suffering poor. 
The zeal of Mrs. Graham and Mrs. Hoffman paved the 
way for this public-spirited exertion, which, probably, 
was the means of saving the lives of some of the des 
titute and friendless. 

In the month of August, 1805, Mrs. Graham paid ano 
ther visit to her friends in Boston, of whom she spoke 
with much affection and esteem. She used to mention, 
with peculiar approbation, a Society of pious ladies 
there, who met once in every week for prayer and mu 
tual edification. 

On returning to New-York she again wrote to her 

friend Mrs. C , renewing her endeavors for her 

consolation and establishment in the faith of Christ j 
and soon after informed her of the dangerous illness of 
two of her grand-children, one of whom, in the righ 
teous dispensations of an unerring Providence, was 
taken, and the other left. 

To Mrs. C , Boston. 

"Greenwich, New-York, September 26, 1805. 

"My DEAR FRIEND, I arrived here on Monday. I 
found my children in health, but much affected with the 

death of the amiable youth M , and the melancholy 

situation of his bereaved parents. 

" The epidemic spreads over the city in every direo 



244 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

tion among the few remaining in it. All the public 
offices are here; crowds of the citizens, and houses 
and stores spring up in a day ; all is bustle and con 
fusion, and all seem mad on business. 

" Parting with my dear friend was most painful, so 
painful that nothing could alleviate it but the presence 
of my own children, who could there have been room 
from deeper sorrows, would have shared it with me. 
O that I could put my. God in my place in your heart ! 
What are earthly friends 1 How few are steady against 
all change of circumstances! of these, fewer still have 
it in their power to supply every link of friendship s 
chain ; a thousand unforeseen incidents disappoint their 
wishes and frustrate their hopes, rendering abortive 
their greatest exertions. But there is a Friend, every 
where present, thoroughly acquainted with every cir 
cumstance of the heart and of the life ; all-powerful to 
relieve; whose love is invariable, and ever the most ten 
der when every other friend stands aloof; a friend in 
adversity, a friend \\ ho sticketh closer than a bro 
ther, whose r love surpasseth the love of women. This 
friend receiveth sinners casts out none who come to 
him. He was never known to disappoint the hopes of 
any poor sinner. He receives them into his heart ; he 
takes all their burdens and cares on himself, pays all 
their debts, answers all demands against them, and is 
every way surety for them ; they become his own, no 
one has any thing to say to them but himself. He 
knows them how apt to err, to wander, yea, to forget 
him, and prove ungrateful ; all this he knows, but he 
has made provision for all. He has a rod, and he will 
subdue their iniquities. He will heal their backslidings, 



CORRESPONDENCE. 245 

he will bring back and restore his wanderers. He will 
in due time perfect what concerns them, and present 
them to his Father purified, without spot or wrinkle. 

"In the meantime he requires them to confide in 
him; to go up through this wilderness leaning upon 
him ; to tell him all their complaints and griefs, and to 
comfort themselves : and he will impress the comfort 
by means of his great and precious promises, scattered 
like so many pearls through his sacred Bible, tabled 
there, on purpose for us to ground our prayers upon, 
and delight ourselves in. This is your friend s Friend, 
and of ten thousand beside. This was the wicked Mag 
dalene s Friend; this, the persecuting Paul s Friend, 
wicked Manasseh s Friend; the adulterous, murdering 
David s Friend. And he is your Friend, though your 
eyes are holden that you see him not. He is leading 
you by a way that you know not. This is one of his 
characters, I will bring the blind by a way that they 
know not. 

" I was happy to find your niece was to return with 

Mr. C ; but, my dear, a painful dread has assaulted 

my peace, lest Satan get the advantage by means of a 
stranger in the family, and undo what has been begun. 
The world may have peace without God; but you shall 
not. You have, however feebly, taken hold of his 
covenant, and he will keep you to your choice. f If 
his children forsake his laws and go astray, &c. Psalm 
79 : 30." 

" November, 1805. 

"Mv DEAR FRIEND, This is not our rest; through 
much tribulation all Christ s disciples must follow him. 
There is a rest prepared foi the people of God: as far 



2-i6 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

as tasted in this world, (and in this world it is tasted,) 
it consists in a mind resigned to the will of God, in pro 
portion as it can say, thy will be done on earth as it is 
done in heaven. Christ himself was made perfect 
through suffering, and all his followers shall be so in 
their appointed measure. What is our cup to his 1 O 
my dear friend, we are ransomed, we are redeemed, and 
we are fitting and preparing for the purchased inherit 
ance, that perfect rest prepared for the people of God 
when their warfare is finished. Let him do all his 
pleasure with us here ; let him subdue our iniquities in 
his own way; let him glorify his name by our suffer 
ings his glory is ever connected with his people s 
best interests. We shall one day acknowledge that 
he has done all things well, and that not one word of 
all that he has promised has failed. 

"It has pleased the Lord to take from us our dear 
sweet Rebecca ; young as she was, through much tribu 
lation she entered in : I have scarcely seen severer suf 
fering, nor a harder dismission. It is well, the Lord will 
answer his own ends by it for the good of all concern 
ed, as well as for his own glory. Our dear G. was ill 
at the same time, and all hope was lost as to him alsoj 
for a whole week we looked upon him as dying. A bold 
measure was taken with him, which succeeded; the 
Lord had commanded life ; it was not thought of for 
her. God had appointed to her entrance into life eter 
nal. It is all well. Blessed, blessed be his name ! for 
her he has taken and him he has restored, both equally. 
I. G. S was confined at the same time with a bro 
ken arm; N. B with the fever and pleurisy. Deep 

have been the wounds in this aged heart, not yet wean- 



CORRESPONDENCE. 2*7 

ed from earth, but tremblingly alive to every thing that 
concerns my children. Yet I do give up. 1 have asked 
but one thing with importunity, and by that I abide. I 
did not ask for temporal life, but the life which Christ 
died to purchase, and lives to bestow j let him answer 
my petition by means of his own appointing : by health 
or by sickness, by riches or by poverty, by long life or 
early death only let all mine by the ties of nature, be 
his by regeneration of his Spirit." 

Having felt the trials and the responsibilities of 
widowhood, she wrote to her brother s widow, Mrs. 
Marshall, in 1805 : 

" You are now, my dear sister, the only head of your 
family. Will you take Joshua s determination 1 f As for 
me and my house, we will serve the Lord ! Take hold 
of God s covenant for your orphan children as for your 
self, and consider them as his, to be brought up for 
him. Be a priestess in your own house, and keep up 
the worship of God daily in your family, and confess 
your Lord and Master before angels, men, and devils. 
They who thus honor God, he will honor. 

" You are indeed, my dear, arrived at an important 
stage of your journey through this great wilderness. 
You are now the head of the family, and are to God im 
mediately answerable. No earthly consideration must 
make you give up the government of it, nor the preroga 
tive which he hath given you, to counsel, and even be 
seech your household to serve the Lord. You cannot 
give grace j you cannot give life j and where there is no 
life there can be no spiritual exercise j but you may use 



248 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

means, although there is much prudence to be observed 
to avoid disgust. 

" Be faithful then, my dear sister, to your important 
trust. See that your household remember the Sabbath- 
day to keep it holy; your children, of course, will ac 
company you to the house of God, but let not your 
servants absent themselves from his ordinances, and en 
deavor, on your return home, to explain and bring home 
the word that may have been spoken to their con 
sciences. Above all, let it be your constant aim to set 
before them a godly, consistent example, and be much 
engaged in prayer for them I mean for your servants 
as well as for your children, and God will, in all proba 
bility, make you a mother in Israel, the mother of 
many spiritual children, and turn your captivity into 
rejoicing, and fill your mouth with songs of praise ; or 
should you not have this comfort, should the night of 
adversity last to the very valley of the shadow of death, 
the morning of eternal rest shall then beam forth upon 
your own soul, and your prayers may be answered for 
others, when the eyes that wept and the breast that 
heaved are at rest in the dust. O, then, my sister, 
possess your soul in patience, and seek to make daily 
advances in holiness." 



ORPHAN ASYLUM. 249 



CHAPTER IX. 

ORPHAN ASYLUM SOCIETY FOREIGN MISSIONARIES 

LETTERS. 

On the 15th of March, 1806, the female subscribers 
to proposals for providing an Asylum for Orphan Chil 
dren met at the City Hotel ; Mrs. Graham was called to 
the chair, a Society organized, and a board of direction 
chosen. Mrs. Hoffman was elected the first Directress 
of the Orphan Asylum Society. Mrs. Graham continued 
in the office of first Directress of the Widows Society, 
but took a deep interest in the success of the Orphan 
Asylum also ; she, or one of her family, taught the 
orphans daily, until the funds of the Institution were suf- 
ficent to provide a teacher and superintendent. She was 
a trustee at the time of her decease. The wish to estab 
lish this new Society was occasioned by the pain which 
it gave the ladies of the Widows Society to behold a 
family of orphans driven, on the decease of a widow, 
to seek refuge in the Alms-house ; no melting heart to 
feel, no redeeming hand to rescue them from a situation 
so unpromising for mental and moral improvement. 

" Amongst the afflicted of our suffering race," thus 
speaks the Constitution of the Society, " none makes a 
stronger or more impressive appeal to humanity than 
the destitute orphan. Crime has not been the cause of 
its misery, and future usefulness may yet be the result 
of its protection; the reverse is often the case of more 



250 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

aged objects. God himself has marked the fatherless 
as the peculiar subjects of his divine compassion. T A 
Father of the fatherless is God in his holy habitation. 
When my father and my mother forsake me, then the 
Lord will take me up. To be the blessed instrument 
of divine Providence in making good the promise of 
God, is a privilege equally desirable and honorable to 
the benevolent heart. " 

And truly God has made good his promise towards 
this benevolent Institution. He has crowned the under 
taking with his remarkable blessing. It was begun by 
his disciples in faith, and he has acknowledged them in 
it. Having for fourteen months occupied a hired house 
for an Asylum, the ladies entertained the bold idea 
of building an Asylum on account of the Society. They 
had then about three hundred and fifty dollars as the 
commencement of a fund for the building : they pur 
chased four lots of ground in the village of Greenwich, 
on a healthful, elevated site, possessing a fine prospect. 
The corner-stone was laid on the 7th of July, 1807. 
They erected a building fifty feet square ; from time to 
time they proceeded to finish the interior of the building, 
and to purchase additional ground as their funds would 
permit ; and such was the liberality of the legislature 
and of the public, that the Society soon possessed a 
handsome building and nearly an acre of ground, all of 
which must have cost them little short of twenty-five 
thousand dollars. In that house Mrs. Graham and Mrs. 
Hoffman spent much of their time ; there they trained 
for Eternity the children of those whose widowed dying 
mothers they had cheered with the hope that when they 



" ORPHAN ASYLUM. 251 

should be taken away, God would fulfil his gracious pro 
mise and preserve their fatherless children alive. 

Mrs. Hoffman survived Mrs. Graham seven years. 
Her end, like that of her friend, was PEACE. But though 
God removed those mothers in Israel, their prayers 
are still before him, and the Institution continues to 
prosper. In 1835, the city having extended to where 
the Asylum was situated, and the property at the same 
time increased in value, the Society became desirous to 
remove where the children would enjoy purer air, 
and have greater convenience for a garden and pasture 
for cows. With the advice of their patrons, they sold 
the property for about $39,000 ; purchased nearly ten 
acres of ground at Bloomingdale, and on the 9th of 
June the same year laid the foundation-stone of their 
present beautiful building. 

In the 34&lt;th annual Report of the Society, for 1840, 
we find the following record of God s goodness : 

" On no former occasion has the Board of Direction 
been privileged to make to the friends and patrons of 
this Institution a more favorable Report than the present. 
The ORPHAN S HOME is completed, and the beautiful build 
ing on the banks of the Hudson is alike an ornament to 
the city and a memorial of the liberality of its inhabi 
tants. Within it are found, not only ample accommoda 
tions for a numerous family, but a place for the Lord, 
an habitation for the orphans God. On the 19th of 
November last the chapel was opened for religious 
worship ; the services were performed by reverend 
clergy of different denominations ; and a highly respec 
table and apparently gratified audience attended. All the 
children, 165 in number, were present, from the infant 



252 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

in arms to the youth who will this day pronounce the 
valedictory. 

" To those who have witnessed the progress of this 
Institution from the small frame-house of 1806 to the 
nob^e edifice of 1840, accompanied by the recollection 
that the door has never been closed against the desti 
tute orphan, how deep must be the conviction of an 
over-ruling Providence the truth of the declaration, 
that God is the father of the fatherless in his holy 
habitation, and the fulfilment of his gracious pro 
mise, Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve 
them alive ! Nor is the orphan family merely furnished 
with sufficient accommodation for dwelling and moral 
and religious education : the grounds afford ample room 
for exercise and recreation j the garden supplies them 
with fruit and vegetables ; and, there being pasture for 
several cows, wholesome milk is added to their simple 
breakfast, while the abounding river invigorates the 
frame by a saline bath, and by casting a net into it, 
furnishes an occasional dinner of fresh fish." 

The Society, ever grateful to the founders, have 
erected a tablet on the wall of the beautiful chapel, 
which bears the following inscription : 



ORPHAN ASYLUM. 253 

SACRED 

TO THE MEMORY OF 

ISABELLA GRAHAM, 

Who died 27th July, 1814 j 
AND OF 

MRS. SARAH HOFFMAN, 

Who died 29th July, 1821. 
THEY WERE BOTH FOUNDERS OF THIS INSTITUTION 

TO THEIR PRAYER OF FAITH, 
AND WISDOM IN DIRECTING ITS COUNSELS, 

THE SOCIETY IS INDEBTED FOR MUCH OF THE SUCCESS 
THAT HAS ATTENDED IT. 

THEY WERE LOVELY IN THEIR LIVES, 

AND DURING MANY YEARS THEY TRAVELLED TOGETHER 
THE WALKS OF CHARITY. 

" When the ear heard them it blessed them, and they 
caused the Widow s heart to sing for joy." 

THEY NOW REST FROM THEIR LABORS, 
PARTAKERS OF THE BLESSEDNESS OF THOSF, 

WHO DIE IN THE LORD ! 
THEIR WORKS DO FOLLOW THEM. 

The success which has attended the Orphan Asylum 
Society furnishes strong encouragement to attempt 
great and good objects even with slender means. God 
in*his providence will command a blessing on exertions 
of this character. It is too common a mistake, and 
one fatal to the progress of improvement, that great 
means should be in actual possession before great ob 
jects should be attempted. Ah, were our dependence 
simply on apparent instruments, how small must be our 



254 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM, 

hopes of success! There is a mystery, yet a certainty, 
in the manner by which God is pleased in his provi 
dence to conduct feeble means to a happy conclusion. 
Has he not preserved, cherished and blessed his church 
through many ages, amidst overwhelming persecutions, 
and that often by means apparently inadequate to this 
end 1 We must work for, as well as pray for, the bless 
ing which God has promised to bestow on our sinful 
race. We must put our shoulder to the wheel, whilst 
we look up to heaven for assistance, and God will bless 
those who are found in the path of duty. 

In this Asylum the ladies have set no limits to the 
number to be received; and it has pleased God also not 
to set limits to the means necessary for their support. 
The Institution is a great favorite with the public, and 
is frequently visited by strangers, who are delighted with 
the cleanliness, health, and cheerful countenances of 
the orphans. 

The Society have received a charter of incorporation 
from the legislature ; they have a handsome seal, with 
this inscription : IN-AS-MUCH AS YE HAVE DONE IT UNTO 

ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE, YE HAVE DONE IT UNTO ME. 

For several years it was customary with Mrs. Gra 
ham to visit the New-York Hospital; and before the 
admirable provision since made for the separate care of 
those mentally deranged, she paid a particular attention 
to patients of this description. * 

To the apartments appropriated to sick female convicts 
in the State Prison she also made many visits; she met 
with some affecting circumstances among this class. 

In the winter 1807-8, when the suspension of com 
merce by the embargo rendered the situation of the 



BENEVOLENT EFFORTS. 255 

poor more destitute than ever, Mrs. Graham adopted a 
plan best calculated in her view to detect the idle appli 
cant for charity, and at the same time to furnish employ 
ment for the more worthy amongst the female poor. She 
purchased flax, and lent wheels where applicants had 
none. Such as were industrious took the work with 
thankfulness and were paid for it ; those who were beg 
gars by profession never kept their word by returning 
for the flax or the wheel. The flax thus spun was after 
wards wove, bleached, and made into table-cloths and 
towels for family use. 

Mrs. Graham used to remark that until some Institu 
tion should be formed to furnish employment for indus 
trious poor women, the work of charity would be in 
complete. It was about this time, that, deeming the 
duties too laborious for her health, she resigned the 
office of first Directress of the Widows Society, and 
took the place of a Manager. She afterwards de 
clined this also, and became a Trustee of the Orphan 
Asylum Society, as more suited to her advanced pe 
riod of life. 

The lady to whom the following letter was address 
ed was Miss FARQUHARSON, a person of genuine piety 
and worth, whom Mrs. Graham had educated and pre 
pared to become her assistant in teaching. When 
Mrs. Graham retired from her school, Miss Farquhar- 
son declined to succeed her, preferring to accom 
pany and enjoy the society of her patroness and 
friend. Until 1804- she proved as efficient an assist 
ant to Mrs. Graham in her charitable labors in the 
Widows Society and Sabbath-school as she had been 
in her boarding-school. 



256 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

During the prevalence of the yellow fever in 1804, 
she was called to attend her own dying mother, and un 
derwent so much fatigue, that on her return to Mrs. 
Graham she broke a blood vessel, and for four months 
was confined to her room, during all which time Mrs. 
Graham attended her night and day. Her medical at 
tendants prescribed a long voyage and residence in a 
hot climate as the only means of saving her life. About 
that time Mr. Andrew Smith was preparing to sail for 
the East Indies with his family, via England. With 
them she embarked. She sojourned several weeks in 
Birmingham, and there the circumstances commenced 
which eventually led Miss Farquharson to become a 
Missionary s wife and the first American Missionary to 
foreign lands. Her history has been published by Rev. 
Mr. Knill, in a Tract entitled "The Missionary s wife." 

The London Missionary Society were preparing to 
establish a mission in the idolatrous city of Surat, but 
the East India Company would not allow Christian mis 
sionaries to sail in their ships. The Society thankfully 
availed themselves of the privilege of sending Mr. 
Loveless and Dr. Taylor in the American ship Allegha- 
ny. They arrived in Madras, June, 1805. 

During the voyage an attachment was formed be 
tween Mr. Loveless and Miss Farquharson which death 
only could sever, and introduced her to scenes of use 
fulness for more than thirty years, for which she was 
eminently qualified by early training. As soon as Mrs. 
Graham heard how her friend was going to be employ 
ed, she wrote to her as follows: 

"My DEAR SALLY, Many tears have I shed over 



MISS FARQUHARSON. 257 

your letter. What a changing lot has been that of my 
family ! The Lord s providences to me and mine have 
not been of the ordinary kind, and you, as one in it, seem 
to be a partaker with us. Surely, of all others, we have 
most reason to say, We are strangers and pilgrims on 
the earth/ Oh that we may drink into the true spirit 
of that phrase, and enjoy the genuine, firm faith of an 
everlasting habitation, of living at home with God ! 

"My dear Sally, take the comfort of this, that it is the 
Lord who hath led you all the way by which you have 
gone. Of all persons whom I know, you were, from 
your temper and disposition, the least likely to travel, 
still less to continue a traveller. No ordinary means 
would have led you to leave your friends and religious 
privileges. And many a pang it has cost me, on reflec 
tion, to think how positive I was that you should take 
the voyage. But it was of the Lord. The physicians 
urged it as the only chance you had for life, and they 
had reason; for of all those who were attacked in the 
same manner, there is not one alive, within my know 
ledge, at this day. 

" The Lord, by wonderful means, called you from 
your native land, and led you to the very spot where 
you met Mr. Loveless. The same God, being also his 
God, Jed him, by means perhaps equally unforeseen and 
uncommon, to the same spot, united your hearts to 
each other, and made you one in his hand, and I trust 
to his glory. You ask my blessing : I have carried both 
of you to my God and Savior, and have prayed, and 
continue to pray, that the Lord will bless you indivi 
dually and unitedly, give you much sweet communion 
with himself, and much social enjoyment with him and 



LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

with one another. May he bless Mr. Loveless as a Mis 
sionary, and give him the spirit of his office, and much 
fruit among the heathen, as seals to his ministry ; and 
may you be a helper with him, and both be blessed and 
made a blessing. 

" I feel my loss. You were a comfort and a help to 
us all, especially to me : but I do not mourn ; I heart 
ily acquiesce. This is not only agreeable to me, as it 
is one of God s wise arrangements to you and us all, 
but I think it will be more to your comfort. Religion 
and conjugal love will sweeten almost any lot. It is 
the Lord s appointment and his richest earthly blessing. 

" My dear Sally, I have ever considered you as my 
child. You are very dear to my heart. Tell Mr. Love 
less he must ever consider me as his mother. 
" Your affectionate mother, 

" ISABELLA GRAHAM." 

In the month of January, 1807, the London 
Missionary Society, of which Mr. Bethune was a Fo 
reign Director, sent to this country the Rev. Messrs. 
GORDON, LEE, and MORRISON ; the two first to sail in an 
American ship for the East Indies, and Mr. Morrison for 
China. These devoted Missionaries shared largely in 
the hospitalities of Christians in New-York, and spent 

much of their time with Mr. B s family. Mrs. 

Graham took great delight in conversing and advising 
with them, and though none of her letters addressed to 
them have come to hand, it is believed she correspond 
ed with them. The following extract of a letter, from 
Dr. Morrison, indicates the respect and Christian affec 
tion with which he regarded her. 



DR. MORRISON. 259 

" On board the Trident, May 24, 1807. 

a My EVER DEAR MOTHER GRAHAM, I think you were 
led by the special interference of our gracious Lord, to put 
into my hands the work which you did, accompanied by 
the edifying and comforting letter which you wrote me- 

"I thank you for telling me what God did for your 
soul, and join with you in ascribing to the Lord salva 
tion and honor. I had, my mother, from the time of 
leaving my dear relations and friends, passed through 
waters deep as the fathomless ocean which I crossed ; 
but with the Lord there is mercy ; with him is plente 
ous redemption. * He is ready to forgive. 7 He has re 
stored to me, in some measure, f the joy of his salva 
tion, and will not, I trust, take his Holy Spirit from me. 
This is my prayer. To-day he enabled me, on board of 
this vessel, to open my lips to teach transgressors his 
way. O, that sinners may be converted unto him!" 

To Mr. and Mrs. B , at Balston Springs. 

" NEW-YORK, August, 1807. 

" MY BELOVED CHILDREN, A husband, wife and child, 
make a family, and God ought to be acknowledged by 
them as such. I am anxious that you should meet in 
your room for that purpose some time every morning. 

" If it cannot be accomplished at an early hour, redeem 
that time in a later, and also before going to rest in the 
evening. The Lord has honored your family worship with, 
genuine fruits, follow it up in all places. Like Abraham of 
old, where-ever you pitch your tent, for a longer or short 
er period, there raise an altar to the Lord, to that God 
who has fed you all your life, carried you as on eagle s 
wings, and will carry you to old age and gray hairs." 



260 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

To Mrs. Juliet S T , New- York, one of her former pupils. 

" Belville, September 16, 1808. 

"Mr DEAR JULIET, Since the hour I received your 
letter you have been little out of my mind. You call 
upon me as mother, friend, counsellor. Shall conscious 
unworthiness, or weakness, or ignorance, prevent my 
answering 1 No ; for God often chooses weak instru 
ments to bring to pass great ends 1 I have been once 
and again at a throne of Grace, for wisdom to direct 
me, and grace to be faithful. If your desire after spirit 
ual knowledge be sincere, and from the Spirit of God 
operating on your heart, you will bear searching. 

" You are a communicant, my Juliet ; this presup 
poses that a very great and an important change has 
taken place in your mind ; that you have been made 
deeply sensible of what the word of God testifies of eve 
ry son and daughter of Adam s race. Romans, 3 : 9, As 
it is written, there is none righteous, no not one. Man 
is born as the wild ass s colt, going astray from the 
womb. Job. The heart is deceitful above all things, 
and desperately wicked ; I the Lord search it. Having 
the understanding darkened, alienated from the life of 
God, through the ignorance that is in us, because of the 
blindness of our hearts. Ephesians, 4 : 18. * Dead in 
trespasses and sins . Chap. 2 : 1. 

" Your profession presupposes that this chapter may 
be addressed to you, Juliet, by name. You hath he 
quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins ; where 
in in time past ye walked according to the course of 
this world, according to the prince of the power of the 
air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of dis- 



CORRESPONDENCE. 261 

obedience among whom also we all had our conversa 
tion, in times past, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the 
desires of the flesh and of the mind 5 and were by na 
ture the children of wrath, even as others. But God, 
who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he 
loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath 
quickened us together with Christ ; by grace are ye 
saved, through faith, not of works, lest any man should 
boast. Works there are, my Juliet, most assuredly; 
every quickened soul will live, and bring forth fruits of 
righteousness; but these works are not attainable but 
in God s way and order- It follows, For we are his 
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, 
which God hath before ordained that we should walk 
in them. 

"My Juliet says, To you then I look up to teach 
me. Let me then bring you to the great Teacher and 
Prophet of the Church, without whose teaching all hu 
man instruction will be ineffectual. We read of two 
amiable characters coming to Christ professedly for in 
struction. The first you will find in Matthew, 19 : 16 
The young man asks him, * What good thing shall I do, 
that I may inherit eternal life V Jesus answers him, 
by referring him to the moral law : the young man, not 
made acquainted, by the Spirit of God, either with the 
extent or spirituality of that law, or of the depravity of 
his own nature, answers, as many in like circumstances 
still do, All these things have I kept from my youth 
up. I do not suppose any one could contradict him. 
It is added that Jesus loved him, and he was a person 
of attractive character ; but Jesus knew that the true 
principle was riot there supreme love to God, with 



* 
262 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

all the heart, with all the soul, with all the strength, 
and with all the mind : therefore he gave him a test 
which proved that the world was uppermost in his heart. 
He went aw r ay sorrowful, and we hear no more of him. 

"Of the other person we read in that remarkable 
chapter, the third of John s Gospel Nicodemus, a ruler 
of the Jews, and also a teacher. Well knew he the law, 
as to the letter of it, both moral and ceremonial; he 
must also have been acquainted with all the Old Testa 
ment Scripture types and prophecies, it being his office 
to expound; and no doubt, among others, was looking 
for the promised Messiah. Jesus does not send him to 
either the law or the prophets. This ruler comes with 
a conviction and an acknowledgment that Jesus him 
self was a teacher immediately from God ; and Jesus 
immediately takes upon himself his great office, and 
begins with urging that which is a sinner s first busi 
ness to know himself, what he is by nature, and the 
necessity of the new birth. Nicodemus, with all his 
learning, was a stranger to this doctrine: How can a 
man be born when he is old 1 Jesus repeats his doc 
trine, He must be born of water and the Spirit; bap 
tized with water and the Holy Ghost. * That which is 
born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit 
is Spirit. Marvel not that I said unto you, ye must be 
born again. Humble that proud reason that will believe 
nothing but what it can understand. * The wind blow- 
eth where it listeth, and thou nearest the sound thereof, 
but canst not tell whence it cometh or whither it goeth : 
so is every one that is born of the Spirit ; a mystery it 
is j nevertheless it is true. 

" Follow out the chapter, my dear : Jesus preaches his 



CORIiESPONDENCE. 263 

own Gospel, and brings in that beautiful type, the ser 
pent, which he had commanded to be raised on a pole, 
that those who had been bitten with fiery serpents, whose 
bite was death, should look upon it and be healed. Read 
it, my dear, in the 21st of Numbers ; and in reference to 
this, he himself says, Look unto me, all ye ends of 
the earth, and be ye saved. Except a man be born again 
he cannot see the kingdom of God. Quickened, renewed 
in the spirit of his mind, old things pass away and all 
things become new, new principles, new desires, new 
pleasures, new ends. The work is God s. The whole 
plan of Redemption is his from first to last. It is clear 
ly revealed in Scripture, and there is no dispute among 
Christians concerning it. The fall of man, his corrup 
tion and depravity ; his state under the curse of a bro 
ken covenant, and his exposure to eternal misery ; his 
helplessness and total inability to gain acceptance with 
God; his ignorance of himself dead in trespasses 
and sins, without God and without hope in the world : 
this is his situation by nature. But there is good news 
proclaimed, God so loved the world that he gave his 
only begotten Son to become the Surety of lost sinners. 
He took our nature upon him, our sins upon him, our 
duties upon him : he was placed in our stead ; sustain 
ed the penalty of the broken law ; fulfilled its utmost 
demands; redeemed us; gave us a new covenant, of 
which himself is the Surety : and there is no condemna 
tion to them that are in Christ Jesus. 

" The merits of Christ, exclusive of any thing of ours, 
are the sole foundation of our hope. Christ is set forth, 
in Scripture, as the atonement, the propitiation for 
sins, the one Sacrifice for sin ; Christ is the end of thf* 



264 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

law for righteousness; all is made ours by free gift. 
1 John, 5 : 11. All is ready, justice satisfied, God re 
conciled, peace proclaimed. But what is all this to a 
thoughtless world insensible of their situation, danger, 
and need I It is an awful saying, but it is of the Holy 
Ghost, if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are 
lost, in whom the God of this world hath blinded their 
minds, and darkened their understandings, and harden 
ed their hearts, &c. Therefore the application of this 
grace is also of God ; it is all within his plan ; he has 
appointed means, and commanded our diligence in the 
use of them. We have his Bible in our hands, his min 
isters in our churches, who are also pastors and teach 
ers if we apply for their aid in private ; we have a throne 
of grace to go to, and many great and precious promises 
held up in God s word for us to embrace and plead for 
Christ s sake: we have many prayers in the Scriptures 
which we may adopt. 

" I acknowledge we are all still dependant for the ef 
fect ; that must be from God himself. But he does hon 
or his own ordinances. He puts forth his power, and 
convinces of sin; this is his first work. The soul is 
awakened, aroused, convinced of sin and misery ; sins 
of the heart, sins of the tongue, sins of the life, press 
upon the conscience which never disturbed before ; 
mispent time, wasted talents, lost opportunities, neg 
lect of God s word and ordinances, so that the soul can 
not rest. O, my Juliet, this is a hopeful case. I hope 
you have experienced something of this. It is one of 
the surest marks of the operation of the Spirit of God, 
and a prelude to the new birth. It never takes place 
without it. for the whole need not a physician, but they 



. CORRESPONDENCE. 65 

that are sick. Only the weary and heavy laden will 
prize rest, and Christ is the rest they need ; only a con 
vinced sinner will or can prize the Savior, and now the 
Lord opens his mind to understand the Scriptures. He 
sees the provision which God has made for ruined sin 
ners, by providing a substitute to stand in his room ; he 
perceives how God can be just and justify the sinner 
who takes shelter in Jesus; he falls in with God s gra 
cious plan ; receives the Lord Jesus as God s gift to sin 
ners; trusts entirely in his merit for pardon, peace, re 
conciliation, and eternal life ; resigns his soul into the 
hands of his Savior, in the faith that he will save it, and 
devotes himself unreservedly to his service, in the faith 
that he will give him grace to live to him in all holy 
obedience. Now, and not till now, according to God s 
promise, he receives power to become his child; this is 
God s order, John, 1 : 12. Now he receives life and be 
gins to live ; but there is yet a great work before him. 
It hath pleased God in his plan to finish at once a justi 
fying righteousness; it is his own work, and was finish 
ed in that awful hour when he announced it in his last 
words on the cross, John, 19:30. To this nothing of 
ours is to be added, with this nothing of ours mixed; 
it is for ever perfect, it is God s gift made ours in the 
hour when we first believe, receive it, rest our souls 
upon it. 

"But it hath not pleased God in this plan to deliver 
the believer at once from indwelling sin. This is the 
subject of the Christian warfare, the race, the good fight. 
Now the believer receives life, and is called to work, 
Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 
for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to 

Mrs. Graham. 12 



LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

do. All the promises in this blessed Bible are his, they 
are yea and amen in Christ ; Christ himself is his ; his 
Spirit dwells in him. The believer is united to Jesus 
by as real a union as the branch to the vine, the mem 
bers to the head, the building with the foundation. 
Yet sin dwelleth in him, and is to be expunged by con 
stant applications to Christ in prayer; by means of 
watching, striving, fighting fighting under his banner. 
In his blessed word we are informed where our strength 
lies, what are our weapons, what our armor. But what 
can I say on those subjects 1 the whole word of God is 
on the subject of redemption; to this refer the whole 
labors of Christ s ministers, and the whole dispensation 
of God s providence. 

"Are these things sol My Juliet, this is not the 
doctrine of any one church. About these subjects there 
is no dispute. Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Baptists, 
Independents, all agree in these great things. And are 
these things so indeed ? O my Juliet, where is the time 
to be spared for plays, assemblies, and such numerous 
idle parties of various descriptions 1 I must stop ; the 
subject is great, and we have many excellent treatises 
on the various parts of it, by able, pious men. It would 
be improper to crowd it thus into a letter, unless to in 
stigate to further investigation. 

" Farewell ! I ever am, my dear Juliet, yours affec 
tionately, I- GRAHAM." 

The delicate state of health to which one of her 
grand-daughters was reduced in 1808, made it neces 
sary for her to spend the summer season for five suc 
cessive years at Rockaway, Long Island, for the advan- 



AT ROCKAWAY. 267 

tage of sea-bathing. Mrs. Graham went with her, it 
being beneficial to her own health also. In this place 
she met with many strangers; the company residing 
there treated her with much affection and respect. She 
always attended to the worship of God morning and 
evening in her room, and was usually accompanied by 
some of the ladies who boarded in the house. Her 
fund of information, vivacity of manner, and the interest 
which she felt in the happiness of all around her, made 
her society highly valued and pleasing. Few of those la 
dies \vho stayed with her at Rockaway for any length of 
time, failed to express, at parting, their esteem for her, 
and they generally added a pressing invitation for a visit 
from her, if ever she should travel near where they dwelt. 

The following is one of her sweet meditations while 

at Rockaway : 

" Rockaway, August, 1809. 

" Sweet health again returns, which, considering the 
agitation of my mind, surprises me ; but it is the Lord s 
pleasure. I did not wish to recover. I was in hopes 
the Lord was about to deliver me from "this body of 
sin and death." Lord, reconcile me to thy most holy 
will. Health is certainly a great blessing. I feel its 
sweetness. O make me thankful ! Great and numerous 
are my mercies. Every thing pleasant and every thing 
necessary to life, to godliness, is mine : food and rai 
ment to the utmost desires of nature; the beauties of 
thy fair creation surround my ordinary dwelling; my 
dear little room, my Bible, and books of every virtuous 
kind, (by grace, thy chief mercy, I desire no other ;) 
and by the kindness of my children, I possess all as if 
they were my own personal property. By thy wonder- 



268 LIFE OF BIBS. GRAHAM. 

ful loving-kindness, thou hast given me, instead of the 
contempt which I have merited, the love and esteem of 
thy people, and thou hast made T the very stones of the 
field to be at peace with me, so that wherever I go I 
meet with kindness." 

To Mrs. Marshall. 

"New- York, October, 1809. 

11 1 find your letter dated f Elderslie? the very name 
gives a fhrill to my old heart; in a moment the various 
scenes of my youthful days rise before me the old man 
sion itself, and all its beloved inmates, every one of 
whom have now crossed the Jordan of death, leaving 
me a solitary wanderer in this weary wilderness. Ah, 
I can at this moment think of spots, by the burnside 
and the braeside, endeared to my heart by a thousand 
tender associations. There have I wandered with my 
beloved, idolized husband, and there has he delighted 
my heart with professions of love. These were indeed 
moments of ecstasy; but hush! there are you a widow 
with very, very different sensations, and here am I a 
widow with sensations equally different. The Lord has 
showed us many and sore adversities, but he will bring 
us up from the deeps below; we are much nearer our 
Father s house, and I hope proportionably riper for 
those joys which are at his right hand ; and although 
your letter has brought some pleasing recollections to 
my mind days of love and courtship, days, some of 
solitude, some of disappointment, some of ecstasy 
yet I find they were all days of idolatry, therefore to 
be mourned over, not re-tasted, re-enjoyed with delight. 
No, no ; Father, forgive me." 



NEW-YORK BIBLE SOCIETY. 269 



CHAPTER X. 



NEW- STORK BIBLE SOCIETY ASSOCIATIONS FOR PRAYER 

HAPPY OLD AGE LETTERS. 

" 111 December, 1809, a Bible Society was organized 
in New-York, and about the same time twenty respec 
table persons united in a Society, to wait on the 
Lord, to know what their hands could find to do, to pro 
mote his glory, to advance his kingdom, to spread the 
savor of the Redeemer s name, or in any way to benefit 
the souls of their fellow-sinners. 

" On Monday a meeting for prayer was instituted in 
Hetty-street, and another in Mulberry-street, with 
which the presbyterian ministers have agreed to meet 
in rotation. It is the Lord ! We have heard of revivals 
all around, but feared lest the aggravated sins of New- 
York might provoke the Lord to pass by, leaving * our 
fleece dry, while the dew wet all around. Great have 
been our privileges ; the Gospel trumpet has sounded 
in every corner of our city. The Lord s servants have 
set before us life and death, assuring us, from God s 
word, that f though hand join in hand, the wicked shall 
not go unpunished ; beseeching us to flee from the 
wrath to come, and lay hold on the hope set before us. 
God in his providence has visited us with mercies and 
with judgments : stricken us, and healed us j scattered 
us, and gathered us : but alas ! alas ! we were eating 



270 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. Many, 
very many, wasting their time, health and substance, in 
all manner of immorality, and our rulers caring for none 
of these things ; yea, many of them practising the same 
things; and O! God s own saved people sitting still, 
restraining testimony before men, and prayer before 
God. What were we to expect but that God should 
say, Why should they be stricken any more j they will 
revolt more and more ; they are joined to their idols, let 
them alone. Such, Lord, would be the case didst 
thou not deliver us out of our own self-destroying snares. 
If thou turn us not, we shall never turn ; it is in our na 
ture to backslide for ever. 

"But is not the time come to pass when before 
thy people call thou answerest, and while they are yet 
speaking, thou nearest. Art thou not calling with pow 
er, Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your 
backslidings V and hast thou not prepared their hearts 
to answer, f Behold we come unto thee, for thou art the 
Lord our God : truly, in vain is salvation looked for from 
the hills, and from the multitude of mountains; truly, 
from the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel. Hast 
thou not, God, prepared the hearts of thy people to 
pray, and thine ear to hear 1 Is not this Bible Society, 
and are not these associations for prayer, tokens from 
thee for good 1 More and more, Lord, may thy people 
give thee no rest, until thou make Zion a praise in 
the earth. O the Hope of Israel, and the Savior there 
of, be not as a wayfaring man, that turneth aside for a 
night. May thy people constrain thee to abide with us 
for ever, T to form us a people for thyself, to show forth 
thy praise.* 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 271 

"I have just conveyed dear Mrs. A le to the con 
fines of the eternal world. I trust the dear Redeemer 
received her spirit. I have a good hope that she is now 
in possession of the mansion purchased and prepared 
for her by that dear Savior whose name she professed, 
and I think, in an humble, steady, quiet way, faithfully 
followed. She loved the word of God, the house of God, 
the people of God. She spoke little, but said she had a 
good hope: asked me to read the Bible different times, 
and also to pray ; said the invitations of the Gospel were 
sweet to her : observed that the Lord had been very 
merciful to her in her affliction. 

"A few hours before her death she desired me to 
read that hymn, To him that loved the souls of men, 
&c. Also, Come let us join our cheerful songs, &c 
She asked if I thought she would continue long ; I said, 
No, my dearj you will very soon be with Jesus; and 
encouraged her as the Lord enabled me. She repeated 
the question some time after, and I gave her the same 
answer. She then said, This night V I answered, 
Yes, my love, this night. She bowed her head with a 
sweet smile, laid it in a reclining posture, and set her 
self to wait with patience the Lord s time. She was 
very much oppressed, and breathed with much difficul 
ty. Some time after she asked me to pray, which I 
did, and begged that the Lord would increase her faith 
and patience, and, if according to his will, give her a 
gentle passage and an abundant entrance. In a short 
time her breathing became short and low ; she shut her 
eyes and gently breathed weaker and weaker, till her 
God delivered her without motion or groan. I was on 
my knees praying T then thanked God for his good 



272 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

ness in this sweet dismission; prayed for the husband, 
the children, the two young men present, and us all, 
gave glory to God, and rose to watch to future duty. 

" O my God, is not my own death at hand 1 It is a 
hard battie. My Jesus ! Thou knowest the struggle. I 
too must drink of this cup; mix it for me, my Redeem 
er. O let a full sense of free pardon, the recollection 
of the great and precious promises, a bright view of the 
joys at God s right hand, as the fruit of thy death, be 
applied to my soul in that awful hour! Holy Spirit, 
pour in the oil and wine of thy consolations in that 
trying hour. let me not be straitened! * Open wide 
to my soul the leaves of that well-ordered covenant, 
of which Christ himself is the sum and substance. Re 
deeming God, may I experience proof in that solemn 
hour, that thy flesh is meat indeed, and thy blood is 
drink indeed! feed me with this living food! may 
I feel life spring up in my soul, and be assured that I 
shall never die! O my God! grant one more request. 
Open my lips, and let them, as well as my heart, be filled 
with the high praises of my redeeming God. 

"I know I am unworthy; the vilest of the vile ; but 
magnify thy grace. I have much forgiven; O let my 
heart burn with love and gratitude in that hour, and my 
lips utter its effusions in songs of praise! Amen. 

" When the short thick breathing comes, and the slow 
fetches, sealing up speech and expelling the spirit from 
its abode, O let me hear or understand thee, saying unto 
me It is I, be not afraid. " 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 273 

" January, 1810. 

1 T Come and let us return unto the Lord, for he hath 
torn, and he will heal us ; he hath smitten, and he will 
bind us up. After two days will he revive us, in the 
third he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. 

f O Lord, turn us and we shall be turned, draw us 
and we will run after thee. Revive us, and we shall live 
in thy sight. Thou must ever be first. It is in our nature 
to backslide for ever : and whenever we see a backslid 
er restored, or a rebel lay down the weapons of rebel 
lion, there, we may trace thy footsteps, God of grace. 
" No external providence will touch our hard, our de 
ceitful hearts. All that goes under the name of mis 
fortune will but drive us from thee, never to thee, till 
thou teach us to profit, and lead us by the way that we 
should go. Thou callest, Return, ye backsliding chil 
dren, and I will heal your backslidings ; but we have 
been foolish, sottish children, without understanding, 
wise to do evil, but to do good having no knowledge. 
"Let the days come when the children of America 
(the earth is the Lord s) shall come with weeping, 
and seek the Lord their God ; when r they shall ask the 
way to Zion, with their faces thitherward : when they 
shall come, saying, f Let us join ourselves to the Lord 
in a perpetual covenant, never to be forgotten. the 
Hope of Israel and the Savior thereof: is not that day 
and that time come V Hast thou not been working on 
f the right hand and on the left! Thou hast given us 
pastors according to thine own heart, who feed us with 
knowledge and understanding: arid thou art here and 
there proving thy Gospel thy power and thy wisdom, 
to the salvation of sinners ; casting down the imagina- 

12* 



274 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

tions of pride, and bringing all into subjection to thy 
Son Jesus. 

" O pour out f the spirit of grace and supplication 
upon thy living members, that they may wrestle with 
thee, and not let thee go until thou bless us, until 
thou make this cloud like a man s hand cover our 
heavens with blackness, and issue in a plentiful rain. O 
pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods on the 
dry ground ; thy Spirit upon our seed, and thy blessing 
upon our offspring. O Lord, hast thou not said that 
thou wilt do it, and that they shall spring up as among 
the grass, and as willows by the water-courses. One 
shall say, I am the Lord s, another shall call himself by 
the name of Jacob, and another shall subscribe with 
his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the 
name of Israel. Amen, our God, amen. 

" Last week the Lord s young servant, Mr. R , 

received to the communion of the church seven adults, 
Mrs. B and her two daughters, Dr. H and sis 
ter, Mr. C , and a black woman, servant to Mr. 

H . It was a glorious sight, and revived the hearts 

of God s people who witnessed it. God of grace, 
grant that the fruits of righteousness may prove that 
they are broken off from the wild olive-tree, and graft 
ed into thee, thou living and life-giving olive-tree ; 
from thee must their fruit be found. O cause them 
to bring forth much fruit ! Herein is the Father glori 
fied, that they bear much fruit j so shall they be Christ s 
disciples, and attain to the assurance of that happy 
state. Father, glorify thy name ! Amen." 

In the year 1810, whilst bathing at Rockaway, she 



AT KOCKAWAY. 275 

was carried by the surf beyond her depth, and for 
some time there was scarcely a hope of her regaining 
the shore. Her grandchildren were weeping on the 
beach, and the company assembled there were afflicted 
but hopeless spectators of her danger. At that moment 
of peril she prayed to the Lord for deliverance, but ac 
quiesced in his will, if he should see fit to take her to 
himself in this manner. Able to swim a little, she kept 
herself afloat for some time : she became at length very 
faint ; and when her friends on the beach apprehended 
her lost, they perceived that the waves had impelled 
her somewhat nearer to them. A gentleman present, 
and her female attendant, stepped into the surf and ex 
tending their arms for mutual support, one of them was 
enabled to lay hold on Mrs. Graham s bathing-gown 
and to pull her towards them. When they brought her 
ashore she was much exhausted, and had swallowed a 
considerable quantity of \vater. It was some hours be 
fore she revived, when she addressed the company in a 
very serious and impressive manner that affected them 
to tears. Her health during the following winter was 
much impaired by the shock it had received. 

" ROCKAWAY, June 15, 1810. 

" Came here the first of the month, with the chil 
dren in the whooping-cough. No * church-going bell* 
here, but the Lord is every where ; and I have found 
him here, warming my heart with gratitude and contri 
tion, and drawing it out in prayer for his people met 
to worship in his sanctuary. 

" When at a distance from my own people, it has 
been my practice to join with whatever class of profess- 



276 LIFE OF MILS. GRAHAM. 

ing Christians might be near rne. Mere it has been 
with the Methodists, who, I believe, enjoy communion 
with God. Yesterday I went to a meeting of - , 
who lay great stress on good morals ; but, my God , 
what could I do, shut up with them! Without the 
finished work of my Savior I could have no hope ; 
without his law-fulfilling righteousness I must stand a 
law-condemned sinner. 

"The preacher yesterday took no text ; in the course 
of his sermon he said the Scriptures were only second 
ary guides. He began with the importance of thinking 
of death, and said it could not be possible for a rational 
being to live carelessly, with thougths of death and eter 
nity in view. Is it so I No; we see sinners die, under 
the full conviction that they are dying, as thoughtless 
as they have lived. 

" He said, that by constantly attending to the mo 
tions of the Spirit and complying with them, christians 
arrived at a state of perfection even here ; and brought 
in that text, f He that is born of God cannot sin, &c. 
Spoke highly of watchfulness, and avoiding connection 
with the world ; said a real Christian could not hold 
any office of power among men. Paul held one, but he 
gave it up when he became an apostle. Christ s king 
dom was not of this world. Laws and officers were 
necessary among the men of the world, but not among 
christians. Spoke of the cross of Christ as consisting 
in suffering and self-denial. His blood was the Spirit 
which cleansed from all sin, by delivering all who 
obeyed him from its power. He named not my bless 
ed Savior, except when he had occasion to mention 
some of his moral sayings. He said, indeed, that he was 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 277 

the Light that lightened every man that came into the 
world, and the condemnation was, that men would not 
receive it ; but one word of his blessed Priesthood he 
spoke not but said we were in a state of probation, 
and every one would be judged according to his works, 
taking into view the advantages he had enjoyed ; recom 
mended the reading of the Scriptures, especially the in 
spired books, the New Testament, and the Prophets; 
for it needed no inspiration to write the national his 
tory of the Jews more than that of any other nation. 
Said the Scriptures were good secondary guides, and 
contained excellent lessons and truths. 

" When I was coming away he offered me his hand, 
saying that I was not a resident there. I answered no, 
I was separated from my own people, but wished to 
unite with any class of Christians who met professedly 
to worship God ; but confessed I could not live upon 
what he had this day delivered. He asked what was 
wrong. I answered, he had given some good exhorta 
tions; I agreed with him in many things respecting 
conduct ; but I missed the foundation. He repeated 
the Scriptures, T Other foundation can no man lay, &c 
I said, Exactly off this foundation there is no salva 
tion on this foundation there may be Joss, but no con 
demnation. We have a great and merciful High Priest, 
who can have compassion on the ignorant, and them 
who are out of the way ; and there may be straw, hay, 
stubble, which will be burnt up, but the soul itself, be 
ing on the foundation, is safe. He said with firmness, 
that will be burnt up in this world ; without holiness no 
man shall see the Lord. I said, True, but why avoid the 
tenure of Scripture ; read all the Epistles, the Lord Je- 



278 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

sus Christ, the Gift of God, the Propitiatory Sacrifice, 
the meritorious law-fulfilling righteousness, is set forth, 
in every one of them, as that which saves from wrath 
and entitles to eternal life. He said they were all em 
blems of our being made holy in heart and life Chris 
tians were baptized unto the death of Christ, and rise 
with him to newness of life, buried with him, &c. 1 
granted that as one reading of these words. He said 
every other view was shadow. I said no the blood 
of bulls and goats is shadow ; Christ himself, his per 
son, his offices, his life, his sufferings, his death, his 
burial, resurrection, ascension and intercession within 
the vail, are all substance the sole foundation of my 
hope, and my only plea at a throne of grace. 

" Dear name, the rock on which I build, 

My shield and hiding-place, 
My never-failing treas ry, fill d 

With boundless stores of grace. 
Jesus ! my Husband, Shepherd, Friend, 

My Prophet, Priest and King, 
My Lord, my life, my way, my end, 

Accept the praise I bring." 

"Rockaway, August, 1810. 

"Hebrews is my ordinary, when no other passage of 
Scripture attracts my particular attention. This is the 
third morning I have opened the New Testament on the 
14-th chapter of John, and have fed delightfully on the 
first three verses. There is at all times a thorn in my 
heart, keeping me in continual remembrance of my vile, 
ungrateful backslidings, so that I eat my sweetest mor 
sels with bitter herbs. It was particularly painful to me 
this morning ; nevertheless, the Lord God, merciful and 
gracious, repeated on my heart, r Let not your heart be 
troubled, neither let it be afraid. I was arrested at the 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 279 

4th verse, Whither I go ye know, and the way ye 
know. I have had many comfortable exercises on the 
8th verse, the Redeemer s answer to Philip s inquiry. 
But this morning my mind was led to a different view 
of that saying, and which I think was literally included. 
The Redeemer was going to his Father, and his way lay 
through death, the death of the cross. The hour was at 
hand when he was to make his holy and righteous soul 
an offering for sin, that he might become the Author of 
salvation to all who obey him. All the sins confessed 
and pardoned by the sacrifices under the law were laid 
on this blessed Surety they were only the shadows, he 
was the substance the real Lamb of God which taketh 
away the sin of the world was now to be offered up. This 
was he who said, f Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest 
not, but a body hast thou prepared me ; in burnt offer 
ings and offerings for sin thou hast had no pleasure j 
then said I, Lo, I come to do thy will, God: by which 
will we are sanctified through the offering of the body 
of Jesus Christ once for all. 

" He was going to the garden Oh that garden ! Pe 
ter had said he was able to drink of that cup and to be 
baptized with that baptism. Ah no, Peter! that exceed 
ing sorrow in the garden, when no visible hand was 
upon him, was a cup the least drop of which would have 
overwhelmed the strongest angel. No strength short 
of omnipotent could have sustained that hour and power 
of darkness. It was not the scourge, the thorns, the 
nails, nor the last pangs of dissolution ; through all these 
he was as a lamb led to the slaughter, and as a sheep be 
fore her shearers, dumb. It was a mysterious horror, 
of which no created being can have any conception. It 



280 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

was this that wrung the great drops of blood through 
every pore of his sacred body : this that extorted the 
agonizing prayer, Father, if it be possible, let this cup 
pass from me. And again, in his last moments on the 
cross, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me V 
Blessed, for ever blessed be our Jehovah Jesus, who said, 
Not my will, but thine be done ! The will of God was 
done, and he said, It is finished, and gave up the ghost. 

" All his people must follow him by the way of death; 
nearly all his disciples followed by the death of the 
cross, and many others after them, supported by his 
almighty grace, rejoiced that they were counted worthy 
to sufier for his sake ; but they drank not of that cup. 

"Some of his people, for holy and wise purposes, 
have had a taste in the hiding of God s face, but no 
curse ; that he himself drank to the last drop : He trod 
the wine-press alone, and of the people there was none 
to help him. By his own death he destroyed him that 
had the power of death, and secured victory to all his 
followers: he changed its aspect from that of the king 
of terrors to that of a welcome messenger from their re 
deeming God, to conduct them to those blessed man 
sions which he has purchased and prepared for them ; 
neither will he leave them alone with that messenger : 
* And if I go, I will come again and receive you to my 
self, that where I am, there you may be also. I will not 
leave you comfortless, I will come to you. The world 
soeth me no more, but ye see me ; because I live, ye 
shall live also. Let not your heart be troubled, neither 
let it be afraid. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. 

"Psalm 40:6. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not 
desire ; mine ears hast thou opened j burnt- offer ing and 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 281 

sin-offering hast thou not required ; then said I, Lo, I 
come, in the volume of the book it is written of me ; 1 
delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is in my 
heart. Heb. 10 : 8. Above, when he said, Sacrifice and 
offering, and burnt-offerings, and offering for sin thou 
wouldst not, neither hadst pleasure therein ; which are 
offered by the law; then said he, Lo, I come to do thy 
will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may es 
tablish the second. By the which will we are sanctified, 
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once 
for all. This man, after he had offered one sacri 
fice for sins, for ever sat down on the right hand of 
God. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever 
them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also 
is a witness to us : for after that he had said before, 
(chap. 8: 10, now repeated chap. JO: 16,) This is the 
covenant that I will make with them after those days, 
(in consequence of Christ s doing the will of God, ful 
filling all righteousness,) I will put my laws into their 
hearts and in their minds will I write them ; and their sins 
and iniquities will I remember no more. Now, where 
remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. 
Having, therefore, boldness to enter into the holiest by 
the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he 
hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, 
his flesh ; and having an High Priest over the house of 
God; let us draw near with a true heart, in full assur 
ance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil 
conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without 
wavering ; for he is faithful that promised. Again, The 
Lord sware, and will not repent ; thou art a priest for 



282 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

ever after the order of Melchisedec. By so much 
was Jesus made a surety of a better testament ; be 
cause he continueth ever, and hath an unchangeable 
priesthood. Wherefore, he is able to save to the utter 
most those that come unto God by him, seeing he ever 
liveth to make intercession for them. Christ glorified 
not himself to be made an High Priest ; but He that said 
unto him, Thou art my Son, to-day have I begotten 
thee, saith also in another place, Thou art a Priest for 
ever after the order of Melchisedec. Again, chap. 7: 
28. For the law maketh men high priests which have 
infirmity ; but the word of the oath which was since the 
law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore. 
Acts, 10 : 36. * The word which God sent unto the chil 
dren of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ : He is 
Lord of all. How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with 
the Holy Ghost and with power, who went about doing 
good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, 
for God was with him. To him give all the prophets 
witness, that through his name, whosoever believeth on 
him shall receive remission of sins. r 

How well she was qualified to give instruction to 
young disciples, will appear in the following letters to 
two, who died shortly after of consumption. 

To Miss Van Wyck t New- York. 

" Rockaway, 1810. 

" MY DEAR, MY BELOVED ELIZA, Mr. and Mrs. B. are 
here on a vist for one night. I did not expect to see 
them so soon, or I would have had a letter ready. I ex 
pect another opportunity in the course of a few days, 



CORRESPONDENCE. 283 

when I will send you a long letter, from my heart, and, 
I hope, dictated by your and my Teacher. 

" I learn by my children that you continue much in 
the same way in which I left you. It is your own God 
who mixes your cup, and it is to you a cup of blessing; 
there is no curse in it. Your Jesus drank that cup to 
the very dregs, that bitter as well as sweet might be to 
you a cup of blessing. then, my darling, hold fast 
by your Eedeemer ; he is the Lord your Kighteousness, 
and the Lord your strength; he connects your profit 
with his own glory. You shall in this protracted afflic 
tion manifest it, and hold out the word of life to those 
around you.* You shall witness for him that he is the 
Lord, and besides him there is no Savior that * he 
gathers the lambs in his arms, and carries them in his 
bosom that he is to them a hiding-place from the 
wind, and a covert from the tempest as rivers of water? 
in a dry place, and as the shadow of a great rock in a 
weary land. That it is he that teacheth them to pro 
fit, and leadeth them by the way that they should go, 
and that in due time he will perfect all that concerns 
them. Farewell ! Yours with affection, 

I. GRAHAM." 
(To the same.} 

" Rockaway, Sabbath, 1810. 

"Mr DEAR, MY BELOVED ELIZA, I wrote you a few 
lines yesterday by Mr. B. I now propose to fulfil my 
promise. I expect an opportunity to-morrow or next 
day, for I saw a great many carriages pass this way to 

* This prediction was remarkably fulfilled in the experience of 
this dear young saint ; an interesting account of whose illness and 
death was published in the Christian s Magazine, and afterwards 
as a Tract. 



284 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

the tavern, as I suppose, from New-York. It is a com 
mon thing with some to come here on Saturday and 
return on Monday, to spend this blessed day in pastime. 
You would not, I know, exchange situations with them ; 
you would rather be suffering than sinning. 

" It is your own observation that God does all in wis 
dom ; in this wisdom he is pleased to lengthen your day 
of affliction. Sin, my darling, is the cause of all suffer 
ing j but is not always the immediate cause. Besides 
particular chastisement for particular sins, there are 
afflictions to be filled up in the body of Christ, (his 
church,) a measure of which, in kind and degree, is ap 
pointed by unerring wisdom to each individual member. 
Col. 1 : 24. These sufferings bear no part in atoning for 
sin, nor in redeeming our forfeited inheritance. Christ 
trode the wine-press alone, and of the people there 
was none to help him. f He was made sin for us, who 
knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness 
of God in himj who when he had by himself purged 
our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on 
high. Heb. 1:3. Again, chapter 10:11. And every 
priest (in the Levitical law) standeth daily ministering 
and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can 
never take away sins. But this man, after he had offer 
ed one sacrifice for sins, for ever sat down on the right 
hand of God j for by one offering he hath perfected for 
ever them that are sanctified ; whereof the Holy Ghost 
is also a witness to us ; for after he had said before, 
(see from verse 5,) This is the covenant which I will 
make with them after those days, saith the Lord ; I will 
put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I 
write them j and their sins and iniquities will I remem- 



CORRESPONDENCE. 285 

her no more. Now, where remission of these is, there is 
no more offering for sin. 5 Paul says the Holy Ghost is 
a witness, because, he copies from the ancient Scrip 
tures the prophecies of Jeremiah, 31:31. and Ezek. 36: 
25, and from the Psalm 60 : 7. Your mother will read 
to you also the 8th chapter of Hebrews, containing 
the same things, the new covenant, in consequence of 
Christ, as the surety of sinners, having made full atone 
ment, magnified the law, and made it honorable; there 
fore there is now no condemnation to them who are in 
Christ Jesus. 

" It has pleased God, my darling, in the adorable 
plan of reconciling sinners to himself by Jesus Christ, 
to perfect at once a justifying righteousness for them, 
and to bestow it upon them as a free gift. This is the 
record, that God hath given to us eternal life ; and this 
life is in his Son. 1 John, 5:11. But it has not pleased 
him to deliver us at once from depravity ; provision is 
made for final deliverance by the same covenant, arid is 
effected by the same power, but in this believers are 
called to work. It is evident from Scripture, and the 
experience of Christians answers to it, that in the hour 
of believing they pass from death to life, considered as 
a state. This is the hour of the new birth : they then 
receive life for the time, and it is their privilege, by 
the constitution of the new covenant, to ask and re 
ceive, from day to day, grace to help in every time of 
need. To them, and not to the unregenerate, the ex 
hortation is addressed: * Work out your own salvation 
with fear and trembling, for it is God who worketh in 
you, both to will and to do, of his good pleasure. The 
means are of God s appointing, in the diligent use of 



286 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

which they go from strength to strength. The grand 
means is faith in God s promises, of which there are 
very many in the Scriptures. Believers are to put forth 
their own exertions, as the children of Israel were call 
ed to go out against their enemies, in the faith that 
God would give them victory and lead them to their 
promised rest. The battle was the Lord s, and he fought 
for them ; but the means were their exertions. Believ 
ers are God s workmanship; but this work he carries on 
by exercising their natural powers^ which he sanctifies 
to a different end from that to which they were former 
ly by their own spirit directed. Still the Scripture tes 
tifies that if any man say he has no sin, he deceives 
himself, and the truth is not in him ; and, while sin re 
mains, its consequence, suffering, must. The judg 
ments of God, as the moral Governor of the world, 
are denounced against, and executed upon the workers 
of iniquity. The children of God experience personal 
chastisements for personal sins, as a provision of the 
covenant. Psalm 89 : 30. And, if I mistake not, there 
are afflictions experienced by individuals, as members 
of Christ s body, in which God does not bring into view 
the personal sins of the sufferer. In this sense I read 
Paul s Epistle to the Colossians, 1 :24. Who now re 
joice in my sufferings, and fill up that which is behind 
of the sufferings of Christ in my flesh, for his body s 
sake, which is the Church. 1 Thes. 3:3. I sent Timo- 
theus to establish you, and to comfort you concerning 
your faith ; that no man should be moved by these 
afflictions ; for yourselves know that we are appointed 
thereunto. Phil. 2:17. Yea, if I be offered upon the 
sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice 



CORRESPONDENCE. 287 

with you all ; for the same cause do ye joy and rejoice 
with me. 2 Cor. 1 :6. And whether we be afflicted, 
it is for your consolation and salvation; and whether 
we be comforted, it is for your salvation and consola 
tion. There is no conscious personal sin expressed in 
these sufferings ; on the contrary, Paul says, verse 12, 
* For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our con 
science, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with 
fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had 
our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to 
you-ward. 

" Most of the prophets and apostles suffered martyr 
dom, They indeed sustained public characters, but the 
beggar Lazarus, who, in addition to poverty, was full of 
sores, was carried by the angels from the rich man s 
gate to Abraham s bosom. And thousands and tens of 
thousands of redeemed highly sanctified ones have suf 
fered lengthened martyrdom, and perished with hunger, 
in holes and caves of the earth, unknown in history, ex 
cept in groups unseen at the time, except by the eye 
of the omniscient Jehovah, by whom the hairs of their 
head are numbered ; their tears are in his bottle ; nor 
shall one sigh nor one groan perish without its result. 

" O my Eliza, what delightful wonders shall open 
to our view when delivered from these prison-holds of 
earth ! 

"I have finished one sheet, my dear Eliza ; I fear it is 
too much, and may prove too fatiguing, especially as 
there are many references requiring a stretch of atten 
tion. I have been reading the Epistle to the Hebrews, 
and you have naturally got my thoughts on part of it. 

" I remember once of your complaining that you had 



288 LIFE OP MRS. GR4IIAM. 

made small progress in knowledge, in comparison of a 
young person that had just left you; but you check 
ed yourself, and said, The Lord has given me faith, 
let me be thankful. I at that time considered your 
departure as very near, and advised you to keep your 
eye fixed on Christ, as your Redeemer and Savior, who 
had performed all things for you, and would perfect all 
that concerned you ; and added, one hour in heaven 
will make you wiser than the most enlightened saint 
on earth. Since that it has pleased your Lord to add 
many days to your life. He has mitigated your pain, 
and given you some intervals of ease and composure, 
and our dear Eliza has grown in that time. Should it 
please God to spare you for a yet longer season, and 
continue your intervals of ease, no subject can be so 
profitable ; and I hope your Lord will make it pleasant 
as that of the contents of the New Testament, which 
your Savior bequeathed to you, sealed and ratified in 
his blood. There is a vast variety of precious promises 
contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testa 
ment, which are all yours with Christ ; for, as a mem 
ber of his body, you are built upon the foundation of 
the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being 
the chief corner-stone. And now I commend you to 
your own covenant God, who does and will support 
you, through life and through death, to that happy land 
where we shall all meet ; and, then, eye hath not 
seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the 
heart of man to conceive the things he hath prepared 
for them that love him. 

" I am, with much love and affection, yours, 

"I. GRAHAM." 



CORRESPONDENCE. 289 

To Mr. James Todd, New- York. 

" ROCKAWAY, Long Island. 

"My DEAR JAMES, This will probably be handed you 

by our mutual friend, Mrs. C . The thought of her 

being with you, makes me part with her with less re 
luctance. You have not been forgotten by either; we 
have talked much of you, and have united in prayer to 
your and our God, that he may manifest himself unto 
you as your reconciled Father in Christ Jesus; and 
give you * joy and peace in believing that he may give 
you patience in suffering, and entire resignation to his 
most holy will. 

" It has, my dear young friend, been my earnest in 
quiry, especially of late years, standing on the brink 
of eternity, What is there within us, or without us, on 
which a sinner can rest in a dying hour! If it be a 
holy life, there is no peace for me. Taking the law of 
God for my rule, backslider is my name; yet peace I 
have found, and on the best Security ; this blessed Bible 
is my charter. I have searched it with diligence and 
prayer, and my mind is confirmed in the following 
truths: That the whole world is become guilty before 
God, and is under his wrath and curse on that account 
This is our state : a miserable state it is, and as hope 
less as miserable, for any thing we can do merely of 
ourselves. But I read in this Bible to the full amount 
of the following conclusions that in the counsel of the 
mysterious Triune Jehovah, Jesus Christ, the second 
person of the incomprehensible Trinity, was sanctified, 
or set apart to become the Savior of law condemned 
sinners, to take their nature upon him, comply with the 

Mrs. Graham. 13 



290 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

requisitions of the eternal immutable law of God, and 
become their surety. Man is a rebel, it is put to his ac 
count a penalty is incurred He, as their Surety, is 
made liable. Are they again to be made heirs of eternal 
life ] Perfect obedience is the condition and of Him, 
us their Surety, it is demanded. All this being fulfilled, 
sinners are become his property he has paid their 
debt, and merited for them eternal life, all in their own 
nature, as their Head and representative ; so that be 
lievers are complete in him. This is the righteous 
ness of God, wrought out by Jesus Christ, in his own 
person, God-man, as their surety. To this nothing of 
the believer s is to be added with this nothing of his 
mixed ; it is for ever perfect j entirely distinct from that 
holiness of heart and life Avhich is wrought in him in con 
sequence of this. God has declared himself well pleased 
with this righteousness, and that being himself recon 
ciled, he is in Christ Jesus reconciling sinners to him. 
" Hence all the invitations scattered thick in the Old 
and New Testament, not only to the penitent, weary, 
and heavy laden, but to the stout-hearted, the backsli 
der, to them that are wearying themselves in their own 
way. T Ho ! every one that thirsteth, whosoever will, 
let them come and take of the water of life freely. 
Hence all the promises annexed to believing, accept 
ing, receiving, trusting, resting: Christ the Savior is 
the object the gift of God to sinners for all the above 
purposes. The Lord has convinced me that I have 
nothing in myself on which I can rest; my conscience 
echoes to his word in all that it asserts of my nature 
and my state ; but this Savior is provided for sinners 
exactly of this description. I am invited to put in my 



CORRESPONDENCE. 291 

claim, I believe the record, I rest my salvation on his 
word; God giveth to me eternal life, and this life is in 
his Son. Jesus calls me to look unto him, and be saved; 
I do look unto him, and I am saved. He assures me 
that those who come unto him shall never be cast out 
1 do go to him and commit my sinful soul to his keep- 
ing; I shall not be cast out. As many as receive the 
gift of his Son, receive at the same time power to be 
come the children of God. I do receive his gift, and 
lay claim to his promise. He is my reconciled Father, 
and I am his adopted child, and he hath sent his Spirit 
into my heart, by which I can say, Abba, Father. 

" I have, my dear James, taken this method of lay 
ing before you the grounds of my own hope, because I 
think it the most simple method, and containing at the 
same time my counsel to you to lay hold on the same 
hope. The warrant is given us in God s own word, as 
sinners, without respect to fruit or any works of ours. 
I can, if necessary, give you chapter and verse, to the 
full amount ; but you have those about you who can 
give it to you by little and little, as your weak state 
can bear it. This gift is held out to the sinner s accept 
ance in many places of the word of God, and becomes 
the sinner s in the moment of believing. Provision is 
made by the same covenant for his sanctification; but 
that makes no part of justifying righteousness. Christ 
is made of God unto him wisdom, righteousness, sanc 
tification, and complete redemption. Try, my precious 
young friend, to lay hold on this hope, and enter into 
the rest provided for the believer here. Stretch forth 
the withered hand, the Lord himself will give you 
strength. Commit your precious soul into his hands, and 



292 Lirs OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

rest assured that he will perfect all that concerns you 
work all his work in you carry you safely through the 
Jordan of death, and put you in possession of the inher 
itance he has purchased for you. That all this shall be, 
is the prayer and firm hope of 

" Your affectionate friend, 

" ISABELLA GRAHAM." 

The two following extracts, addressed to Mrs. C f 

near Boston, present a very gratifying view of Mrs. 
Graham in her advanced years, and may well awaken 
the desire not only to die the death, but to enjoy the 
"fruitful old age" of "the righteous." 

"I have, as you know, enjoyed much in life, enjoyed 
its dearest, sweetest comforts, love and friendship, with 
a heart tremblingly alive to both. Lover and friends of 
youth are long since gone, other friendships I have 
formed, and have been happy even in these; now I am 
shut up with ails and aches. The world (properly so 
called) is a dead blank to me; yet I do think I never, 
enjoyed life more. I would not exchange my present 
happiness for the most transporting moments of my life, 
(of which I have had a large share,) though thousands 
of years were added to enjoy them. I do not mean 
barely that happiness which consists in the anticipation 
of pleasure beyond the grave ; that is indeed delightful ; 
but I enjoy life now. Books of taste are mine no more : 
still less those of science and history ; but my dear 
Bible! precious subjects! my dear Savior! The height, 
the depth, the breadth, the length of the glorious plan of 
Redemption open to my delightful perception more and 
more, and the Spirit witnesseth with my spirit, that I 



CORRESPONDENCE. 293 

have my part in it by the gift of faith. I believe the re 
cord, that God giveth to us eternal life, and I put in my 
claim as a sinner. I account it a faithful saying, and 
worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into 
the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief I 
still enjoy the ordinances of the Gospel: my memory, 
as you know, is much impaired : I recollect very little 
of the sermons I hear ; but, I think, I never heard with 
so much attention. I am delighted, instructed, and fed 
at the time, and the subjects open to me without my 
being able to recollect the order or the words of the 
speaker. let me recommend this dear Lord to your 
heart and confidence ; commit all your concerns to him j 
mistrust no part of his providential dealings with you ; 
his wisdom shall manage for you, and you shall one day 
say, He hath done all things well. " 

"March, 1811. 

" I am daily on the lookout ; one year and three 
months will complete my three score and ten. I do not 
know one individual alive whom I knew in my school 
days; it has been the case for many years. I do not 
long for my dismission, neither am I tired of life; but 
nothing in this world, unless closely connected with 
another, interests me; and oh! I am tired of sin; still 
it cleaves to me ; in all things I come short, and many 
duties neglect altogether; for I still have a considerable 
share of health, and might do some good, had I will 
equal to my opportunities; as to the power, it is not in 
me, but 1 know I have it in my blessed Head, and for 
the asking. I cannot but long to be delivered from sir, 
and sinful apathy in particular, for really my heart must 



^$1 LIFE OF MRS. GKAIIAM. 

be wickedly fertile, to find out opportunities of moral 
transgression. Food and raiment are mine without 
care f my children, under God, care for me. I have my 
dear little room, my Bible, and books founded on it. I 
have a dear pastor and Christian friends, lively ordi 
nances, and also much of the Lord s presence at times ; 
my cup runs over with blessings, but my gratitude bears 
no proportion; my zeal for the glory of God and the 
good of my fellow-sinners seem buried under self-indul 
gence and apathy. O that the goodness of the Lord 
may lead me to repentance ! 

" And now, my dear friend, let me know how it is with 
you and your dear family. The severe winter is past ; 
how have you got along] with what temporal comfort, 
and how has the Lord dealt with your soul! Has the 
barrel of meal or the cruse of oil failed ! Does the 
opening spring cheer your spirits and furnish a song of 
praise ( Does it find you in a situation to dig your 
garden, sow your seeds, and make provision for future 
comfort ! Has the Lord turned your captivity, and dried 
up the bitter waters that flowed against you! How are 
your eyes, after all the briny tears that have steeped 
them ! How are your poor nerves, after all the shocks 
that have agitated them! All these things have been 
on my mind; but, from my long silence, you cannot be 
lieve it. What are we all, but broken reeds, which 
pierce the hand when laid hold of for support 1 There 
is but one Friend to poor, fallen, miserable man, in the 
universe. He is mercy; he is goodness; he is truth ; 
he is wisdom ; he is unchangeable, and never will fail 
you; take him to your heart; give it all to him; he 
only is worthy, no other is." 



CORRESPONDENCE. 290 

Her friend Mrs. C. had now experienced new trials, 
by which she was again plunged into the depth of de 
spondency. In the following we have a noble effort of 
Mrs. Graham s mind and heart to raise her up to " sit in 
heavenly places in Christ Jesus " 

"June 27, 1811. 

"I received my dear friend s letter this day week, 
and have been answering it ever since. Never was I 
in such a strait. It contains the effusions of disappoint 
ed hopes and anticipations of sore evils; indicates a soul 
deeply wounded, and taking in Christian principles under 
temptation. Where shall I begin 1 I have laid it before 
our compassionate High Priest, I have requested direc 
tion. Assist me, thou blessed Comforter ! whose office 
it is to convince of sin, as well as to minister consolation ! 
Do both, from the heart and by the pen of thy handmaid. 

" It appears to me salutary to call your attention first 
to the sovereignty of God. The silver and the gold are 
his, and the cattle on a thousand hills; he gives them 
to whomsoever he pleases ; he setteth up one and put- 
teth down another, doing whatsoever pleaseth him * in 
the armies of heaven, and among the inhabitants of this 
earth ; none can stay his hand, or say unto him, what 
doest thou 1 He attributes to himself all events ; men 
and other creatures are but instruments. Men s wicked 
hearts impel them to commit evil, but the events are of 
the Lord, which he overrules for his own glory, and for 
the good of his people. Him being delivered by the 
foreknowledge and counsel of God, ye have taken, and 
by wicked hands have crucified him. Joseph said, ye 
meant it for evil, but God for good, to save much peo 
ple alive, as at this day. The Lord does not often, at 



296 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

the time, give his people reasons for afflicting them, 
though they can often read them at an after period. 

" Job was a holy man ; his afflictions from God s own 
hand were very deep ; the teasing unkindness and in 
justice of his friends made great part of the temptation, 
and he spoke unadvisedly with his lips. When God did 
appear, he did not answer his cavils nor give him one 
reason why he had dealt with him thus ; but silenced 
him with views of his majesty, power and wisdom j of 
his own meanness and vileness, though correct in his 
conduct beyond most others. I believe he spoke truth 
when he said, I delivered the poor that cried, the fath 
erless, and him that had none to help him. The bless 
ing of him that was ready to perish came upon me, and 
I caused the widow s heart to sing for joy. I was eyes 
to the blind and feet to the lame. I was a father to the 
poor, and the cause that I knew not, I searched out. 
God allowed the weight of the trial to be upon his 
spirit, with the conviction of his presumption, till he 
brought him to his feet. Behold, I am vile, what 
shall I answer theeV I will lay my hand upon my 
mouth. * I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. 
These things were written for our example and profit. 

" This afflictive providence is now finished, at least so 
far. What you now possess is the allotment of your 
God. Set all instruments aside and listen to the holy 
Ghost humble yourselves under the mighty hand of 
God, and he shall exalt you in due time. In order to 
this, I would recommend to you to take a close, retro 
spective view of your past life, with earnest prayer that 
God would search you and try you, and show you what 
wicked ways have been, or now are in you. Go back 



CORRESPONDENCE. 

to the days of your youth ; take a close view of the use 
you made of affluence and influence, not comparing 
yourself with others; but judging yourself by the law 
of God, the only standard of right and wrong, truth and 
error. Seek for humbling views of yourself in yourself. 
If the Holy Ghost enlighten, you will find sufficient 
grounds. Seek for consolation in the free promises of 
God, through Jesus Christ, of which there are also abun 
dance, even to the chief of sinners. What I recom 
mend to you has been my own practice, especially in 
times of trial ; and if health will admit of it, add fasting, 
because I think it is the Lord s ordinance. The days 
shall come when the Bridegroom shall be taken from 
them, then shall they fast in those days. 

" Read the third chapter of Jeremiah s Lamentations ; 
endeavor to come under the feelings of contrition on 
account of your sins, and derive consolation from faith 
in God s great mercy ; ever keeping in view the only 
channel through which mercy can flow to sinners of 
Adam s race. Take also a view of God s dealings with 
his elect nation, in the wilderness; they had nothing but 
manna, and were punished for murmuring ; while at that 
very time the nations in Canaan, the Egyptians, and As 
syrians, were living in all manner of luxury. What was 
their whole history but backsliding, threatening upon 
threatening! then chastisement, turning, repenting, par 
don, reconciliation, and the same round again, every 
chastisement severer than the last, while worldlings in 
general, have their day to the end ; then, says David, 
they are cast down suddenly to destruction. I wish 
you to take a particular view of God s dealings with 
them, before Nebuchadnezzar sacked the city of Jeru- 

13* 



298 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

salem. The decree was passed after many warnings, 
and much long-suffering. How many pauses, as it were, 
did the merciful Lord God make before he gave them 
finally up to their enemies ; and when the decree was ir 
revocable, and the chastisement to take place, still he 
followed them with mercy. See Jeremiah 27 : 12 j and 
chapter 29, the letter which God commanded Jeremiah 
to write to those who had been carried away captive 
with Jehoiakim, advising them to build houses and 
plant vineyards, and to make the most of their situation. 
Those at Jerusalem were commanded to submit to the 
king of Babylon, as in that case he would not destroy 
the city: but no, they stood it out, and the threatened 
vengeance overtook them. 

" The poor were left to take care of the vineyards. 
Jeremiah remained with them in preference to going 
with the king of Babylon to be promoted to honor. God 
offered to take them under his protection and be their 
God: but no, they would go to Egypt, and put them 
selves under the king of Egypt s protection. Jeremiah 
told them from the Lord, that Egypt itself should soon 
go into captivity. But to Egypt they went and carried 
Jeremiah with them. See Isaiah s prophecy on this oc 
casion, chapter 35 : 31. Now look at chapter 62 : 24 ; there 
you see God s judgment and chastening; follow him in 
the beginning of chapter 63, and view his mercy ; in 
the end of the same chapter again, see his charge against 
them, but it is followed with mercy, not judgment. 

" Thus we learn the character of God. Thus we learn 
his dealings with his people. They are not called to 
earthly comfort and prosperity. They ever have been, 
and still are a suffering people j they are all sinners 



CORRESPONDENCE. 299 

sin brings suffering, and God overrules suffering, so as 
to make it profitable to them. Though redeemed by 
the life and death of Christ, being justified by faith, 
they have peace with God; yet the Lord has not 
pleased all at once to qualify them for the purchased 
possession. They receive a new birth, new life, and are 
called to work out their own salvation with fear and 
trembling, with this consolation, that God worketh in 
them, both to will and to do, of his good pleasure. This 
is not their home, here they have no continuing city; 
they are travelling through the wilderness, to the city 
and mansions purchased and prepared for them by their 
Savior, and must be made holy before they can enter in. 
They have many corruptions to be mortified, and many 
errors in their estimation of men and things to be cor 
rected. Their hearts require to be made spiritual, hum 
ble, tender, resigned, and loving. Then shalt thou re 
member all the way by which I led thee ; to prove thee, 
and try thee ; to show thee what was in thy heart, that I 
might do thee good in thy latter end. 

"Besides, all suffering is not the immediate punish 
ment of sin in the individual sufferer, nor for his ex 
clusive profit ; it is evident from Scripture, there is suf 
fering for the benefit of the body of Christ -vfiTw Church, 
of which (I think) all have some share. God has wise 
ends to answer by all the suffering of his creatures, and 
especially of the members of his body. The apostles 
rejoiced in this, and so ought we. If we suffer with 
him, we shall also reign with him. Paul says I fill up 
in my flesh that which is behind of the sufferings of 
Christ, for his body s sake, which is the Church. 

" Now, my dear friend, look at your real situation, 



300 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

ns a suffering member of a suffering body. Take a view 
of the saints of God in history, sacred or profane, and 
compare your own individual suffering with theirs: I 
am apt to think that, great as it is, it will not rise to 
rr.ediocrity. I could expatiate on this subject, from what 
oomes every day within my own knowledge. The Lord 
is working in this way all around me : but of that an 
other time. In your own case, try for a moment to shut 
out of view every thing without your own family, 
what you once were, what you once possessed and en 
joyed; also what your friends possess and enjoy at this 
present time ; detach yourself from all. What was yours 
is gone ; what you calculated upon is also gone : set all 
aside, and consider yourself a sinner saved from de 
struction by grace ; in a state of purgation and prepa 
ration for happiness ; on a pilgrimage with thousands of 
others your fellow-saved sinners, through the wilder 
ness, to that inheritance which was purchased for you 
at such a price. Your Savior is your leader, protector, 
provider ; also your physician, and the physician of the 
whole body, perfectly acquainted with the constitution, 
disposition and temper of every individual. He has 
made provision for each, all the journey through, and 
given security that none shall suffer real want. 

" Bread and water are promised ; nothing beyond 
these, though in general he gives more ; to each he 
gives a portion in hand, to some for a day, some for a 
week, some for a year, which they calculate upon with 
more or less probability : none with certainty. Your 
portion is fora year; take a view of those whom you 
know ; one with another, I am inclined to think the Lord 
has still given you your full share of privilege. Look at 



CORRESPONDENCE. 301 

the ordinary provision be makes for the ministers of his 
Gospel ; most of them with large families ; many of those 
in the country have five hundred dollars, some four hun 
dred, some three hundred, generally ill paid. The Lord 
puts a blessing in it, he makes it go far j they do what 
their hands find to do, and get along: so will he do with 
you, my dear. He will put you upon methods of industry 
and economy: your one chicken divided into six parts, 
with a little bit of pork, with the fruit of God s blessing 
on your industry in the garden, shall both taste sweet 
and satisfy for the time. Try to be thankful ; Moses 
said of the manna, * This is the bread which the Lord 
your God giveth you. Pray and watch against dwell 
ing on the plentiful tables of others ; and when bidden 
to a feast take your portion, and say, this is from the 
Lord for the time. Do not let a thought of ?nisery or 
wretchedness dwell upon your mind. O no, God is good ; 
you shall not want. O what sweet meals have I and 
my children made on hot potatoes, nicely boiled and 
cracked, with salt not merely content, but they tasted 
good and savory. There are peculiar pleasures in a 
life of that kind. You shall yet sing of it. 

" Now, my dear friend, I have done with what I had 
to say on this head. I have had great fears of wounding, 
lest you should reckon me among Job s friends ; but you 
call me mother, and it is required of a mother to be 
faithful. I now leave it with the Lord. We are delight 
ed to find you girding up the loins of your mind and 
setting about active duty. Let us meet at a throne 
of grace, and look to the course the Lord marks &lt;*-U 
for us." 



302 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

To Mrs. G Y . 

"MYDEAE MADAM I have just parted with my dear af 
flicted friend Mrs. C. she left it in charge to me, that I 
should write to you in the time of your affliction. Sure 
ly I would do any thing whatever that I thought might 
alleviate either her or your distress. But there are 
cases to which God alone can speak; afflictions which 
he alone can console. Such are those under which the 
sufferer is commanded to be still and know that he is 
God. He never leaves his people in any case, but 
sometimes shuts them up from human aid. Their grief 
is too great to be consoled by human tongue or pen. 

" Such I have experienced. I lost my only son; I nei 
ther know when nor where ; and for any thing I know, 
in a state of rebellion against God. Here at my heart 
it lies still ; who can speak to me of it 1 neither can I 
reason upon it. Aaron held his peace. Old Eli said, 
r It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth good in his 
sight. Samuel in his turn had his heart wrung by his 
ungodly son. David lamented over his beloved Absalom ; 
but it availed him nothing. Job s sons and daughters 
were all cut off in one day ; he himself lay in deep, sore, 
bodily affliction; his friends sat seven days and seven 
nights without opening their mouths, because they saw 
his affliction was very great; and if they spoke it was to 
aggravate it ; and when God himself spoke, he gave him 
no reason for his dealings, but charged him with folly 
and madness. Shall he that contendeth with the Al 
mighty instruct him 1 He that reproveth God, let him 
answer it. Then he laid his hand on his mouth, con 
fessed himself vile, and became dumb before God; ab- 



CORRESPONDENCE. 303 

norring himself, and repenting in dust and ashes, instead 
of the splendid catalogue of virtues enumerated in chap 
ter 29, and complaints in chapter 10, which I make not 
the least doubt were true, as far as human virtue can 
reach; but if God charge even his angels with folly, 
shall man, corrupt, self-destroyed man, plead merit be 
fore God 1 

"But, my dear friend, I do not find in all God s Bible 
any thing requiring us to acquiesce in the final destruc 
tion of any, for whom we have prayed, pleaded, and 
committed to him, least of all our offspring whom he 
has commanded us to train up for him. Children are 
God s heritage. I do not say he has given us any 
promise for the obstinately wicked ; but when cut off, 
he only requires us to be still, to hold our peace. I do 
not think he takes hope from us. God has set limits to 
our faith for others; our faith must not rest in opposi 
tion to his threatenings. We must believe that * the 
wicked shall be turned into hell, and all that forget 
God ; but he hath set no bounds to his own mercy; in 
that glorious plan of Redemption, by which he substi 
tutes his own Son in the stead of sinners, he has made 
provision for the chief of sinners, and can now be just 
and consistent while he justifies the ungodly who be 
lieve in Jesus. Short was the time between the thief s 
petition and the promise of salvation; nay, the petition 
was the earnest of it. The same was the case with the 
jailer ; I think, too, the publican had the earnest in his 
petition. Now, instead of laboring to bring my mind 
to acquiesce in the condemnation of my child, on the 
supposition of its being for God s glory, I try to be still, 
as he has commanded; not to follow my child to the yet 



301 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

invisible world ; but turning my eyes to that character 
which God has revealed of himself to the plan of Re 
demption to the sovereignty of God in the execution 
of that plan to his names of grace, * The Lord, the Lord 
God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abundant in 
goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, and transgres 
sion, and sin, while he adds f and that will by no means 
clear the guilty ; I meet it with his own declaration, he 
hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that 
we might be made the righteousness of God in him. I 
read also that mercy rejoiceth against judgment, and 
many other like scriptures, which, although I dare not 
ground a belief of his salvation on them, afford one ray 
of hope after another, that God may have made him a 
monument of mercy to the glory of his grace. 

"Thus God himself consoles his own praying people 
while man ought to be very cautious, if not silent, 
where the Scriptures are silent, as it respects the final 
state of another, whose heart we cannot know, nor 
what God may have wrought in it. God hath set 
bounds to our faith, which can nowhere find solid 
ground to fix upon but in his own written promise. 
Yet, as I said above, he has set no bounds to his own 
mercy, and he has made provision for its boundless 
flow, as far as he shall please to extend it, through the 
atonement and merits of his own Son, f who is able to 
save to the uttermost all who come unto God by him. 
Now, my dear friend, you have my ideas of our situa 
tion ; if they be correct, I pray that our compassionate 
Father may comfort you by them ; if otherwise, may he 
pardon what is amiss, and lead you, my dear friend 
C , and myself, to such consolation as he himself 



CORRESPONDENCE. 305 

will own as the work of his Spirit, and save us from 
the enemy and our own spirit. 

" Since writing the foregoing, I feel afraid of what I 
have said ; it is dangerous seeking comfort where the 
Scriptures are silent; yet while we plead with God to 
be preserved from error, and try to be still before him, 
he will save us from the subtlety of the serpent, as well 
as from the rage of the lion. I am, with love, 
u Your sympathizing friend, 

" ISABELLA GRAHAM." 

" Rockaway, September 10, 1811. 

" I HAVE been here four Sabbaths. The first I spent at 
home, the weather not permitting our going abroad ; 
the second I spent at a Prayer Meeting with the Meth 
odist brethren ; the third we rode to Hempstead, where 
I heard two plain Gospel sermons from Mr. C , Pres 
byterian minister ; and the last, I attended at the Epis 
copal church, same place ; heard a good plain Gospel 

sermon from Mr. H , and witnessed the dispensation 

of the Lord s Supper. 

" To sing the praises of our Kedeeming God, and to 
lift up my heart in prayer with my fellow-sinners, in the 
comfortable hope that there are other living souls prais 
ing and praying with me, refreshes me : to hear the 
word of God read, and to be led to meditate upon it, how 
ever simple and common the exposition, also refreshes 
me. / am generally led to pray much for minister and 
people ; to consider myself as one with them in Christ. 
However weak his natural powers however few or 
small his talents, if I have reason to think that he is 
taught of God that which flesh and blood cannot teach/ 
I desire r to esteem him highly for his work s sake. I 



306 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

thank God for the meanest and weakest of such : I be 
lieve they never labor in vain. * Out of the mouths of 
babes and sucklings, in talents as well as in years, God 
will perfect praise. 

" In this new world, thickly settled in many places 
with natural men f eating and drinking, marrying and 
giving in marriage, while the flood of wrath is hasten 
ing to overwhelm them, and none to warn them of their 
danger, nor point out the ark of safety ; shall such men 
be reckoned of none account, and their labors of no 
value 1 No, the wealth of both Indies cannot balance 
their work ; nor all the talents ever possessed by fal 
len man, with all the orthodoxy which mere talents are 
capable of acquiring, without that divine teaching which 
many of those, thus contemned, possess. That same 
small discourse, those few plain points, these same 
things repeated in the same way, contain truths by 
which sinners may be saved, by which sinners shall be 
saved. 

" Suppose (for it is but a supposition) that these men 
have made a mistake. They are the Lord s, and in their 
place by his providence. He will be forthcoming for 
them, and without miracle. From him shall their fruit 
be found, and his power be manifested by their weak 
ness. Exert your energies, ye gifted Doctors of Divin 
ity ; and may the Lord prosper the means used to pro 
duce a ministry which shall render attendance upon 
their ministrations the interest of both the understanding 
and the heart. Persuade men who are adding r field to 
field, house to house, thousand to thousand, to provide 
a competent maintenance for them. If these last re 
main obstinate, and it be idle to hope that youths of tal- 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 307 

ents without fortune, whatever be their piety, will serve 
the Church of God at the expense of devoting them 
selves to infallible penury, and all the wretchedness 
which belongs to it is it wise to weaken the hands and 
discourage the hearts of those ministers already settled 
pastors, or to furnish their people with arguments in their 
own vindication for leaving them in want and penury !" 

In the year 1811 some gentlemen of New-York es 
tablished a Magdalen Society : they elected a Board of 
Ladies, requesting their aid to superintend the internal 
management of the Magdalen House. This Board chose 
Mrs. Graham their Presiding Lady, which office she held 
until her decease ; the duties attendant on it she dis 
charged with fidelity and zeal. In 1812 the Trustees of 
the Lancasterian School solicited the attendance of sev 
eral pious ladies, to give catechetical instruction to their 
scholars one afternoon in every week: and Mrs. Graham 
was one of those who attended regularly to this duty. 



CHAPTER XI. 

4 

DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES, AND CORRESPONDENCE. 

" February 8, 1812. 

" HEBREWS, 11:24. By faith, Moses, when he was 
come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh s 
daughter, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater rich 
es than the treasures of Egypt ; for he had respect unto 
the recompense of the reward ; choosing rather to suf 
fer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the 
pleasures of sin for a season. 



308 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

"All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer 
persecution ; the natural heart is enmity against God, 
and hates his image wherever found. If individual chris- 
tians have the favor of individual worldlings, it never 
is for their piety, that is rather borne with than loved ; 
and too often Christians save themselves from reproach 
by unfaithfulness j that, alas! has been my sin and 
shame. In all my friendships with worldlings, some of 
which have been tender, how unfaithful have I been to 
friendship s highest office! How seldom have I endea 
vored to rescue my friend from sin and Satan &gt; by lead 
ing her to the Friend of sinners, the source of happiness ! 
Contenting my vile, selfish heart, with things pertaining 
to this life unconnected with that to come, leaving her 
under the influence of the lust of the eye, the lust of 
the flesh, and the pride of lifej without eyes to see 
her danger, or friend to warn her of it j and while she 
communicated with me in things common to both, in all 
the good she knew, keeping back nothing from me of all 
she possessed ; how often have I concealed my richest 
treasure, without inviting her to the participation ! 
faithless friend ! ungrateful, unfaithful first to that 
gracious God who opened mine own eyes, arrested my 
attention, stopped up my path, and turned me to the way 
of life ; and next to my friend, whom I have left to pur 
sue that same way of death, without attempting to lead 
her to this same sovereign, merciful, gracious Deliverer. 
"And what withheld! Shame belongs to the heart 
governed by such motives ; fear of contempt, reproach, 
or, at most, the loss of a carnal friendship. Of three such 
friends, now gone to their place, two continued their 
worldly course to the last, so far as I know $ for the 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 309 

third the Lord provided a more faithful friend, who 
hecame worker together with the Spirit of God, led her 
to the Friend of sinners, who has compassion on the 
ignorant, and them that are out of the way. By him she 
was received, and in him she found life, light, and peace. 

"She soon outran faithless me in the heavenly race; 
gently chid me for my remissness, but continued my 
friend and helper. Ever foremost in the race, humble 
and steady in faith, she looked not back, nor halted. She 
has long since finished her course, received her crown 
and reward of grace, and become fruit to the account 
of that friend who supplied what was wanting in me. I 
rejoice with them both, give glory to God, from whom 
their fruit was found, and take shame and confusion for 
my part. 

" How many opportunities have I lost, and from the 
same sinful, shameful cause ! O my Redeemer, what 
can I say to thee 1 Words are wanting to express my 
loathing of that vile, selfish cowardice. 

" Didst thou, who art the Creator of heaven and earth ; 
the brightness of the glory of God, the express image 
of his person, and upholder of all things, suffer shame, 
contempt, anguish, death for my sake, that thou might- 
est redeem me from the second death, and purchase for 
me eternal life ; and do I shrink and turn away from 
the least taste of thy cup, though the curse is extracted 
and a blessing infused ! 

"And after all this, art thou pacified towards me V I 
search in vain for words to express the amazing grace. 
As the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his 
mercy towards them that fear him, and toward vile me, 
who can lay small claim to that character: yet as far 



310 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

as the east is from the west, so far has he removed my 
transgressions from him. Bless the Lord, ye his an 
gels who excel in strength, that do his commandments, 
hearkening to the voice of his word. Bless the Lord, 
all ye his hosts, ye ministers of his that do his pleasure : 
ye ministering spirits sent forth to watch over and min 
ister to them who shall be heirs of salvation." 

"February, 1812. 

D r . Al , John 1, Behold the Lamb of God 

which taketh away the sin of the world. 

" He dwelt chiefly on the substitution of the victim in 
the room of the transgressor. When a victim was offer 
ed for an individual, he was to lay his hand on the head 
of the animal (by the appointment of God) as a token of 
his faith that his sins should be transferred to the vic 
tim which suffered death in his stead, and that his sins 
were forgiven and his person accepted. If the victim 
was for the whole congregation, then the elders, as 
their representatives, were to lay their hands upon the 
head of the victim, signifying the same faith. Great 
was the subject of the plan of Redemption. The Son of 
God clothed with our nature, given and set apart as a 
propitiatory sacrifice, the victim upon whom the sins of 
his elect were laid, and he sacrificed in their stead. 

" The Lamb of God which took away the sins, not only 
of the Jewish transgressors, but the sins of the elect out 
of every nation, kindred and tongue throughout the 
world ; on this Lamb of God rests my own individual 
hope for pardon and for acceptance. I lay my own in 
dividual hand of faith on his dear head, confess my sin, 
and rely upon his sacrifice for pardon and acceptance, 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 311 

through the atonement made by himself, God s anoint 
ed priest." 

"Sabbath, April, 1812. 

"Dr. Romeyn, 2 Timothy, 3 : 12, Yea, and all that 
will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 
Gone as usual ; but it came home to my heart. I have 
not suffered persecution, and why 1 because my life has 
not testified sufficiently against a sinful world. Alas! 
alas ! the world loves its own, and I have been so ac 
commodating (to say the least) as not to disturb it. T The 
carnal mind is enmity against God ; is not subject to 
the law of God, neither indeed can be ; but the world 
saw little in me of that image which they hate, and 
enough of assimilation to balance that little. O my God ! 
my long-suffering, sin-pardoning God ! thou knowest 
my vile cowardice ; with professors a professor of thy 
name, with worldlings a seeming worldling. And now 
the season is past, the opportunity lost ; the time of life 
is arrived when the world itself expects to be abandon 
ed. No line of conduct in me will now reprove them ; 
they account it wise to look out for a better portion, 
when the world can no longer be enjoyed j and 
through the deceitfulness of their own hearts, and the 
suggestions of the ever vigilant enemy of souls, may be 
hardened in sin, by hoping to become religious in old 
age. Oh ! let thy grace prevent it. 

" The sinfulness, and the ingratitude of my past 
life rise in magnitude every review I take of it ! And 
what can I sayl Father, forgive ! Yes, I dare say, Father, 
forgive ! I dare say more ; thou hast forgiven ! This 
grief of heart proves that thou hast not sealed me up in 
impenitence. Thou rememberest thy covenant with me 



312 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

in the days of my youth, when thou didst draw me f with 
the cords of love and the bands of a man ; and though no 
language can express my baseness and my ingratitude, 
through all my backsliding life, thy covenant stands fast. 
t: 1 remember, and am confounded, and will never 
open my mouth any more because of my shame, now 
that thou art pacified toward me for all that I have 
done. And I know that thou art the Lord. 

Contrition dwell within this breast, 
That God within this heart may rest; 
Shame and confusion flush this face, 
And magnify this glorious grace. 
Grace be my theme while I have breath, 
And on my quivering lips in death. 
Angels and fellow-sinners, say, 
Will you not join me in this lay, 
Now, and through Heaven s eternal day 1 

" Blessed Comforter ! thou seest old age upon me, loss 
of memory, and a desultory mind ; I cannot retain even 
the substance of my dear pastor s sermons. I thank thee 
for the food and refreshment at the time, and often af 
ter for refreshing meditations on the same subjects. I 
commit all to thee ; keep them for me, and feed me with 
these truths as thou seest I need. be to me memory, 
judgment, presence of mind ; for order, regularity, and 
natural powers are gone. I rejoice in my dear Savior, 
who of God is made unto me wisdom, righteousness, 
sanctification, and complete redemption. He shall per 
fect that which concerneth me, and finish the work he 
has begun. Therefore I say, all is well." 

" Communion Sabbath, May 17, 1812. 
"Was much melted under a sense of indwelling sin, 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 313 

and the deceitfulness of the human heart, and of my 
own heart in particular. I have been, I think, much in 
the exercise of contrition for the sins of my past life, 
and exercised in watching over my words, thoughts, 
and actions ; now that the Lord has delivered me from 
all necessity to care, having every thing provided for me 
necessary to life and godliness : pleasant food and cloth 
ing both for body and mind ; my dear room, retirement, 
fire, candle, attendance ; my precious Bible, and pre 
cious, lively, spiritual ordinances ; a faithful and beloved 
pastor, who feeds me with truth : I taste it, and I am 
fed. I am, as the Lord God merciful and gracious has 
awarded, under the constant influence of shame and 
confusion for my highly aggravated transgressions j 
but I also enjoy the full sense of pardon; being justi 
fied by faith, I have peace with God through our Lord 
Jesus Christ; and knowing that I have a great High 
Priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son 
of God, I am enabled to hold fast my profession, com 
forted by this, that f I have not a high priest who can 
not be touched with the feeling of my infirmities, but 
was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 
I dare come (not very boldly, for I am under much de 
pression) to the throne of Grace, that I may obtain mer 
cy, and find grace to help in time of need. Every time 
is a time of need with me, for sin still dwelleth in me. 
I have peace with God, through my dear Lord and Sa 
vior Jesus Christ, but am at constant war with myself. 
I plead thy promise, that thou wilt subdue my iniqui 
ties ; that sin shall not have dominion over me. And 
now, Captain of salvation, I renew the fight, but it is de 
pending upon thee to fight for me, with me, and in me. 

Mrs. Grnharo * 



LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

1 will set myself to watch, but I shall watch in vain, if 
thou keep not the avenues of my heart, and the door of 
my lips. O clothe me with thy meek and lowly spirit !" 

"Sabbath, July 2G, 1812. 

" Tired of the bustle of Rockaway, and having some 
subordinate motives for returning home for a time, I 
embraced this season in particular; having, in the com 
pass of one week, Sabbath, Wednesday my birth-day, 
and the day set apart both by the General Assembly of 
our Church and the Governor of our State, for fasting, 
prayer and humiliation, besides lectures on the same 
evening. I returned, therefore, on Friday, the 24th. 

" Dr. R preached from Psalm 27 : 1, The Lord is 

my light and my salvation : whom shall I fearl the Lord 
is the strength of my life ; of whom shall I be afraid V 

"O my God! my merciful and gracious God! what 
can I say of thy amazing, distinguishing mercy to me 1 
Delivered from all these fears, and able to adopt the text 
fully, I know of none who have more or greater cause of 
fear as sinners. My transgressions have been of crimson 
and scarlet hue. my God, thou knowest them, words 
cannot paint them. My Savior, thou knowest them, for 
thou baredst them! every jot and tittle was put to thy 
account, and thou didst cancel all ! that garden ! that 
cry on the cross ! the effects were seen on thy sacred 
body, but who can conceive the mysterious horror which 
agonized thy sacred soul ! But thou saidst, // is finished^ 
and finished it is. Lamb of God, which takest away 
the sins of the world ! on thy consecrated head I lay 
the hand of faith, confess my sins, pray for forgiveness 
and believe that T am forgiven. 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 315 

"July 29th, my birth-day, and the last day of the 
three-score years and ten of my sinful life. What an 
exhibition will that day produce, when the secrets of 
all hearts will be laid open, all my actions and all the 
springs of them. In all the myriads which shall appear 
at the bar of God, will there be such a sinner 1 taking 
into view the early grace manifested. 

"Born, I think, about the seventeenth year of my n* 
tural life ; previously instructed in the doctrines and pre 
cepts of the Scriptures, as far as the natural mind can 
conceive, by pious parents and a faithful pastor; with 
milk provided for my spiritual infancy, and richer food 
set before me for my growth ; the leaves of the new cov 
enant were opened to my view, and the fulness treasured 
in Christ for my supply : to be asked, to be delighted in ; 
and delighted I was, and satisfied. But O ! I forsook 
the fountain of living waters, and hewed out broken cis 
terns that could hold no water. Where can language 
be found to depict my ingratitude, my madness, my fol 
ly; and where to describe the long-suffering, the com 
passionate remonstrances ; the kindly, fatherly chas 
tisements; the repeated pardons and restorations of my 
gracious God in days of youth; aggravating my renewed 
backslidings, bringing upon my sinful soul vengeance for 
my inventions 1 What were the sins of Israel and Ju- 
dah to mine 1 Mine were committed after the great 
atonement w r as made, the adorable High Priest, Jesus, 
had with his own blood entered within the veil, and was 
set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty of 
the heavens : * the minister of the sanctuary, and of the 
true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. 
The new covenant was exhibited, established on better 



316 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

promises, himself the Mediator. The new and living 
way was consecrated to the holiest of all by the blood 
of Jesus j a throne of grace was established, Jesus him 
self our Advocate and Intercessor. We are now privi 
leged to come boldly to a throne of grace, that we may 
find grace to help in the time of need. O how aggra 
vated my sin above theirs, having such great and pre 
cious privileges and promises, and a High Priest who 
can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, who 
* was in all points tempted as we are ; who owns us as 
his brethren and sisters, yea, the very members of his 
body, and his Spirit dwelleth in us. 

" I set apart the day for fasting and deep humiliation ; 
took another survey of my past sinful life ; confessed 
particulars on my knees, and made a fresh application 
to the blood of sprinkling which cleanseth from all sin ; 
took a fresh hold of his new covenant of promise. 
This is the Covenant that I will make with them after 
those days, saith the Lord ; I will put my laws in their 
hearts, and in their minds will I write them, and their 
sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. 
Lord, do as thou hast said. I rest my immortal soul on 

thv promise." 

"July 30, 1812. 

" The day set apart by the General Assembly and 
State Legislature for fasting and humiliation, confession 
of sin, and prayer. 

" Our pastor read the 2d chapter of Jeremiah, a great 
portion of which belongs to my own character as an in 
dividual; and is laid up as part of that provision which 
is to support me through the last stage in the wilderness, 
and through Jordan, over which I must shortly pass; 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 317 

laid in as a proof of the amazing long-suffering of God, 
and his readiness to forgive even the vile backslider 
in heart and life, as proclaimed in chapter 3. 

" Sabbath, Nov. 22. 

" Zech. 9 : 12. Turn ye to the strong hold, ye 
prisoners of hope. My Jesus my hope, my strong 
hold, my safety, my Savior, my portion, my life, my 
happiness yes, my happiness, for safe I am and hap 
py, though sometimes in heaviness, for yet sin dwelleth 
in me, and in others dear as my own soul ; and though 
I know it is pardoned, and provision made for pardon 
to the end, yet, it is bitter, and bitter let it be! I 
would not have it otherwise. Heal my depravity, God ! 
take sin out of this heart ; O fill it with love to thee, 
and to all my fellow-sinners. My dear High Priest ! 
it can be but a little further to Jordan. My seventy 
years are run. Does not the Ark of the Covenant appear, 
going before me 1 am I not called to decamp and fol 
low after 1 O my blessed, blessed High Priest ! keep 
my eye fixed on thy person, and let me the little further 
follow thee step by step, foot after foot, without losing 
one mark all the way to Jordan ; and there let me see 
thee. Blessed Ark of the Covenant ! roll back the 
waters of terror, stand firm in Jordan, and bid me come 
unto thee, and set up the stones of memorial in a song 
of praise in the midst of Jordan. 

O then thy glory let me see, 
Then cause thy face to shine on me, 
And tune my heart, and tune my voice, 
And language furnish to rejoice, 
That all around may lend their tongue, 
And sweetly join my dying song." 



318 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

" Sabbath, December 8, 1812. 

"Psalm 108:7,8. Though I walk in the midst of 
trouble, thou wilt revive me : thou shall stretch forth 
thine hand against mine enemies, and thy right hand 
shall save me. The Lord will perfect that which con 
cerns me : thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: for 
sake not the works of thine own hands. 

" I will no longer mourn over loss of memory ; 1 
think the Lord has more than made it up to me by his 
sensible presence while hearing and applying the ser 
mon to my heart at the time : not only so, he enlightens 
my understanding j it opens more to the elucidations of 
my pastor; and though I forget the words and the order 
of his discourses, I am instructed in the knowledge of 
the subject and the Scriptures in general. Shall I deny 
the grace of God through fear or pride 1 I see it not to 
be my duty. Can I attribute any thing to myself? No j 
T shame and confusion of face belong to me for my 
carelessness and idleness in the use of means during 
health and strength of body and mind. Never has God 
dealt with me as I sinned, but according to his own 
mercy, and in a way of great sovereignty. Let me re 
cord his great goodness, his tender mercies, and bless 
his name. 

" Old age is upon me, and some of its infirmities ; my 
memory is much impaired, and my mind, in temporal 
things and subjects, becomes very desultory. Not so in 
spirituals : I think I not only hear and read with more 
intense attention and prompt application, but my mind 
is more disposed to meditation ; and though I cannot re 
member much of the sermons I hear, yet my mind is 
often furnished with happy and profitable thoughts on 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 319 

the same subjects ; and I find myself instructed without 
remembering the instructions. This is evidently from 
the Lord. It appears to me also that I have not lost the 
sensibility of youth. I often shed tears, not only of 
compunction, but of gratitude. I seldom commune with 
out tears. I think much of death j am solemnized, but 
not afraid. 

" As far as I know, my confidence rests upon a surety- 
righteousness, exclusive of every thing in myself. I am 
not conscious of self-righteousness ; I have no compla 
cency in any thing ever done by me. I not only believe 
that in all things I come short, and that sin is mixed in 
all I do, because God hath said so, but am sensible of 
the particular depravity. It is my sincere desire to be 
stript of every thing that is mine, (sins and duties laid 
in one heap,) and to be clothed in the surety-righteous 
ness of my Redeemer ; all that is mine put to his ac 
count, and all that he did and suffered, as the Mediator 
and surety of the Covenant, to mine. 

" I am afflicted with rheumatism, but God gives me 
patience, disposes me to enumerate my many remaining 
mercies ; eyes to read his word and ears to hear it 
preached ; hitherto such moderation of pain as very 
often to be able to attend with fixedness. I have my 
room at my own command, candle, fire, and attendance ; 
and, O bless the Lord, my soul ! much of his sensible 
presence. In the night when my aches prevent me from 
sleeping, he gives me some sweet hymn; I sing, my 
pain is diverted, while my heart is melted and warmed 
under the expressions, and I often drop asleep with the 
words on my tongue. 

" I am convinced that the provision I have laid in for 



320 LIFE OF MRS. GKAHAM. 

my last journey in the wilderness and through Jordan, 
is selected by the influence of the Holy Ghost. He 
takes of the things of Christ and shows them unto me ; 
and while he keeps upon my mind my meanness, my 
vileness, wrings my heart with the retrospect of my 
backslidings and highly aggravated transgressions, he 
opens at the same time the leaves of the New Testa 
ment and shows me my deliverance from punishment, 
the Redemption of my soul, and my translation into 
the kingdom of God s dear Son: I weep and rejoice; 
I loathe myself, and clasping my Savior to my heart, 
am at a loss for words to express how precious he is to 
my saved soul ! 

r Jesus, I love thy charming name, 

Tis music to my ear, 
Fain would I sound it out so loud 
That heaven and earth should hear. 

Yes, thou art precious to my soul, 

My transport and my trust, 
My Savior, Shepherd, Husband, Friend, 

No other good I boast. 

All my capacious powers can wish, 

In thee doth richly meet; 
Not to mine eyes is light so dear, 

Nor friendship s self so sweet. 

Thy grace shall dwell upon my heart 

And shed its fragrance there, 
The noblest balm of all my wounds, 

And cordial of my care. 

I ll speak the honors of thy name 

While I have life and breath, 
Then, speechless, clasp thee in my arms, 

The antidote of death. 

" Dr. M preached in the evening from Eph. 3 : 30. 

For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of 
his bones. It was a rich sermon ; I enjoyed it at the 
time, but cannot recall it. Blessed Spirit ! keep it for me, 
and feed me with the substance of it, as I stand in need. 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 321 

" Accept of my thanks, blessed Jesus ! that, through 
thy meritorious life and death, I have an interest in the 
great whole. Accept of my thanks, blessed Spirit ! for 
thus taking the things of Christ and showing them unto 
me. And accept of my thanks, Father of mercies! for 
the gift of thy Son, and all these blessings in him. 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings 
in heavenly places, in Christ Jesus. Amen." 

" GREENWICH, Sabbath. 

"Heard Dr. Milledoler preach in the State Prison to 
the convicts, from Luke, 19: 10. For the Son of man 
is come to seek and save that which was lost. He ad 
dressed them as fellow-sinners, all being by nature lost 
and dependent on the same means for recovery. 

" True, my heart accords. O Lord, thou knowest I 
stand in my own estimation a sinner, the chief of sin 
ners. These have added to their sin against thee, 
breach against men, and are suffering the penalty. 

"My sins have been chiefly, though far from exclu 
sively, against God, and with many aggravations. That 
I was born in a Christian land, of pious parents, who 
gave me religious instructions ; brought up under faith 
ful, lively ministers, and in religious society; exposed 
to few temptations but what arose from the corruptions 
of my own heart, are aggravations, which, perhaps, many 
are mourning over, as heightening the sin of unbelief 
in their unregenerated state. But the aggravations 
the painful remembrance of which mars my comfort 
and covers me with shame and confusion even now, 
though I know that God is pacified with me are as far 

14* 



322 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

above these as the heavens are above the earth. For in 
that Christian land, under those Christian parents and 
faithful pastors, while yet young and tender, I was en 
lightened, tasted of the heavenly gift, was made a par 
taker of the Holy Ghost, tasted of the good word of 
God and the power of the world to come. I was taken 
from the fearful pit and miry clay ; my feet set upon 
the rock, and a new song put into my mouth, even to 
the amount of, death! where is thy sting V of re 
deeming love, pardoning grace, new covenant mercy; 
I had joy and peace, in believing. But forgetting my 
natural character, the v extreme volatility of my spirits, 
my taste for gayety ; forgetting the danger of smother 
ing the heavenly spark by indulging to the utmost 
bound of lawful pleasure ; forgetting my continual need 
of fresh supplies of grace to preserve and feed that 
new life which could not live on earthly food ; forget 
ting the deceitfulness of my heart, the injunctions of my 
Bible ; I became cold, negligent in the use of means, 
distant in prayer, lost enjoyment, and my heart, natural 
ly carnal and madly fond of pleasure, got entangled. 
The lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the 
pride of life regained their power; other loves usurp 
ed the place of that Beloved who had bought me with 
his blood, and betrothed me to himself! that which 
came into my mind was, that I would be as the families 
of the countries, serve wood and stone. Blessed be 
his name, he said, f It shall not be. He brought rne in 
to the wilderness and pleaded with me, caused me to 
pass under the rod, brought me again into the bond of 
the covenant. 

" how often hast thou wrought with me, for thy 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 323 

name s sake ! One self-willed step brought with it a 
train of consequences dangerous to spiritual life, filling 
even the path of duty with pits and snares, cutting me 
off from ordinances, pastor, parents, church, country, 
and Christian society ; placing me at the same time in 
the midst of carnal delights; and everything in my 
natural temper and dispositions was congenial to them. 
What saved me 1 What in heaven or earth could save 
me but thy covenant 1 Truly thy covenant standeth 
fast j therefore I was not lost in the vortex. But r the 
Lord God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abun 
dant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, trans 
gression and sin, kept his eye upon me ; many a time 
did he stop up my path. O from how many delusions 
of my own seeking ; how many snares and nets of my 
own weaving ; how many pits of my own digging hast 
thou delivered me, when wandering, bewildered, on 
temptation s ground, in the cloudy dark day! How 
often hast thou sought me out ; how often bound me 
up when broken-, strengthened me when sick, and fed 
me with judgment, and very, very often, thou madest 
thyself known to me ! I knew thy hand when it shook 
the rod, when it arrested me on some mad career. I 
knew thy hedge, thy bar ; saw not only escapes, but 
my Deliverer : often paused, turned, and took fast hold 
of thy covenant. I had no afflictions in those days, but 
every pleasure lawful to be enjoyed, and natural to the 
heart of woman ; but no pastor, no church, no Christian 
society ; yet God was there, my Bible, my Doddridge, 
and other good books. And to my shame and confu 
sion this day, he was not, in the midst of all my idola 
try, a barren wilderness, nor a land of drought to me. 



324 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

I had many Sabbaths ; literally the Sabbath was a sign 
between my covenant God and me j ill spent it often 
was, but not with company ; it was spent in retirement. 
The Lord did not leave mo so far as to give up the 
Sabbath to the world. Though my heart was incrusted, 
and spiritual life scarcely discernible, sometimes the 
Lord met me, and strange to tell, not with threatenings 
causing terror, but with compunction, melting, turning, 
and ere the day was over, manifestations of pardon, 
though not joy ; for I was grieved at my ingratitude. 

" I did expect affliction long before it came, and my 
presumptuous heart calculated upon the fruit being the 
* peaceable fruit of righteousness, and to take away 
sin ; but still I held my way, gadding about, drinking 
the waters of Sihor and the rivers of Syria, and eating 
the worldling s dainties. Oh ! oh ! at last it came ; yes, 
it came. Thou didst cut off the desire of my eyes 
with a stroke, and with that made the world a blank to 
me. But, Oh! the stately steps of thy providential 
mercy previous to that trying hour ! my God, I 
must ever wonder and stand amazed at thy exuberant 
grace ! In consistence with thy covenant, thou might- 
est have struck me among these worldings, in that 
dry and barren land, where not one tongue could speak 
the language of Canaan, nor bring forth from thy pre 
cious Bible the words of consolation to my wounded 
and bereaved spirit ; richly had I merited this, but 
never, no r.ever, hast thou dealt with me as I sinned ! 
Through the whole of my life, from the time that the 
Lord called me out of darkness into his marvellous 
iight ; from the time that he first led me to the Sa 
vior, and enabled me to take hold of his covenant, 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

* Wanderer, backslider, transgressor, rebel, idolater, 
ing-rate and if there be any name more expressively 
vile and abominable, that is mine. And from the hour 
of my birth, through the whole of this refractory per 
verse life, the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gra 
cious, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, 
forgiving iniquity, transgression and sm, has been, 
and now is, thy name to me. 

" No, ye strong-built walls, ye grated windows, ye 
gloomy cells, ye confine no such sinner as I. And did 
the Lord take vengeance on my inventions ? O no, 
Mercy preceded, mercy accompanied judgment ; yea, it 
was all mercy, not vengeance. He brought me and my 
idol out of that barren land, placed us under the breath 
of prayer, among a dear little society of Methodists ; 
he laid us upon their spirits, and when the messenger 
Death was sent for my beloved, the breath of prayer 
ascended from his bedside, from their little meeting, 
and I believe from their families and closets. The God 
of mercy prepared their hearts to pray, and his ear to 
hear, and the answer did not tarry. Behold, my hus 
band prayeth ; confesses sin ; applies to the Savior j 
pleads for forgiveness for his sake j receives comfort; 
blesses God for Jesus Christ, and dies with these words 
on his tongue, I hold fast by the Savior ! Behold 
another wonder ! the idolatress in an ecstasy of joy. 
She who never could realize a separation for one single 
minute during his life, now resigns her heart s treasure 
with praise and thanksgiving ! 

"O the joy of that hour! its savor remains on my 
heart to this moment. For five days and nights I had 
been little off my knees ; it was my ordinary posture 



326 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

at his bed-side, and in all that time I had but once re 
quested life. Surely the spirit of prayer and suppli 
cation was poured out. The Spirit helped mine in 
firmities with groanings which could not be uttered, 
leading me to pray for that which God had determined 
to bestow j making intercession for my husband, ac 
cording to the will of God. 

r O sing unto the Lord a new song, for he hath 
done marvellous things. His right hand and his holy 
arm hath gotten him the victory. The Lord hath made 
known his salvation. His righteousness hath he open 
ly shown in the sight of the heathen. He hath remem 
bered his mercy and his truth toward the house of 
Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the Salva 
tion of our God. Psalm 98." 

" Friday, December. 

" Sermon from John, 4 : 10. If thou knewest the 
gift of God, and who it is that saith, Give me to 
drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would 
have given thee living water. 

" This is part of my provision laid in for my passage 
through Jordan. Christ is the gift of God. Christ is 
the water of life : he is this living water, and the bread 
of life given given by God, received by the sinner. 
Life and comfort are experienced, and fruit produced 
is the evidence ; but first of all, this gift must be 
known, and the soul s need must be known ; Christ, the 
anointed Prophet, taught this woman both, and no 
other could. f Search me, O Lord, and try me. Hast 
thou not taught my soul its miserable and ruined state 
by nature ; its helplessness as well as misery 1 Hast 
thou not also brought me to this living, life-giving wa- 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 327 

ter ] Oh ! hast thou not given me faith to come 1 faith 
to drink { and have I not experienced its solacing qua 
lity 1 Has it not satisfied my soul, and in some degree 
allayed my thirst for carnal delights 1 Blessed Spirit, 
" the gift of the Father and of the Son, pour into my 
soul repeated draughts of ihis living water; yea, be in 
me, according to my Redeemer s promise, a well of 
water springing up to eternal life, and cause me to 
bring forth fruit to the glory of the Father. 

Other foundation can no man lay, than that which 
is laid, Christ Jesus. 

" Do I, my God, seek for or desire any other foun 
dation 1 Are not all my hopes for time and eternity huilt 
on this foundation 1 Is not Christ all my salvation and 
all my desire 1 Do I not embrace thy covenant just as it 
is] believing that thou givest unto me eternal life, and 
that this life is in thy Son, whom thou hast given f to be a 
Covenant of the people. Iniquities prevail against me ; 
but thou wilt not only purge them away, but wilt sub 
due them : * Sin shall not have dominion over me, for I 
am not under the law, but under grace. " 

To Miss Walker, Edinburgh. 

"New-York, 1812. 

"My dear Miss W I think is in my debt; but 

that is no reason why I may not inquire after her health 
and welfare, and, through her, of that of her brother, 
sister, and other dear friends yet in their pilgrimage. 

My dear, dear Mrs. W lives in my affections, 

and surely what concerns her children can never be to 
rne a matter of indifference. Your dear brother s per 
severing kindness and tried friendship have written 



328 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

gratitude in indelible characters on my heart. A 
friend in need is a friend indeed ; and such was he. I 
trust the Lord has rewarded and will reward him. I 
have still in my possession many dear remembrances 
of your worthy mother; her sensible, pious letters, 
some of which have proved prophetic, are among my 
treasures. What a lovely group presses upon my 
memory at this moment, united to Jesus and to one an 
other on earth, and the union is now perfected in hea 
ven. Your dear mother, Mrs. Brown, dear Mrs. Ran 
dall, and Lady Glenorchy, all zealous for the welfare 
of the widow and orphans, whose way lay peculiarly 
through Vanity Fair, and whose spirits were too much 
assimilated to the wares there exhibited, and most un 
worthy of all the care and pains they bestowed upon 
her. Tell my then dear pastor the pilgrim is not lost ; 
he will find her in the 18th chapter of Ezekiel : he 
may remember that he and dear Doctor Erskine gave 
me over to the Lord when leaving Edinburgh. Well 
has He kept the charge, though I have not my part, 
after all the chastisements and charges received. But 
he is the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, 
slow to anger, abundant in goodness and truth, keep 
ing mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgres 
sion and sin. 

"I am now a happy Mary, enjoying the full sense 
of pardon and the light of his countenance in the mean 
time and the full prospect of being soon with him, 
made like him, and capacitated to praise him. 

" I. GRAHAM." 
" Sabbath, January 18. 

" Dr. R -. By grace ye are saved, through 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 329 

faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. 
" All is of grace, all is free gift ; or we wicked, 
wretched sinners, could have no interest in it. Thanks 
be unto God for his unspeakable gift of Jesus Christ, 
given for a covenant of the people. Thanks be unto 
God for the gift of faith, by which we apprehend this 
covenant, and become interested in him, as the salva 
tion of our souls. Thanks be unto God for life to 
work j for new principles and new motives, new de 
sires, new hopes, new fears, and, in some measure, new 
conduct. All of grace, and to the God of grace be 
all the glory. 

" Afternoon. Jeremiah, 9 : 23. Let not the wise 
man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man 
glory in his might ; let not the rich man glory in his 
riches: but let him that glorieth, glory in this, that 
he understandeth and knoweth me ; that I am the 
Lord which exercise righteousness, loving-kindness 
and judgment in the earth : for in these things I de 
light, saith the Lord. 

" O Lord, hast thou not taught me by thy word, by 
observation, and by experience, that all flesh is grass, 
and all the glory of man as the flower of grass? Alas! 
how much have I gloried in even more worthless and 
transient things ; but thou hast put a worm in them, 
which I hope has cut the roots, and they are in a dying 
state. O let grace supplant them ; let me now glory 
only in thee and thy blessed, gracious, and well-order 
ed Covenant. Do I understand and know thee, that 
thou art the Lord which exerciseth righteousness, lov 
ing-kindness and judgment in the earth 1 Dare I say 
that I, worm as I am, and a sinful worm, am the sub- 



330 LIFE OF MRS. GttAHAM. 

ject of this loving-kindness, through the righteousness 
of Christ] Yes, I dare, by the constitution of thine 
own covenant the Covenant of the people, the Medi 
ator, the guarantee of the covenant of grace, which 
is all summed up in him. 

" When thou givest Christ, thou givest freely all the 
blessings of the new covenant. 

" This is the record, That thou hast given unto us 
eternal life, and this life is in thy Son. 

" I believe the record, and do understand and know 
that thou art the Lord, &c." 

" February 4, 1813. 

"My dear grand-children J. and I. B. waited on 
their beloved pastor Dr. Romeyn, and professed their 
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior of sinners 
and their Savior, their desire to give themselves to 
the Lord and to his church, and to be in all things gov 
erned by it ; to receive the seal of the covenant of 
{rrace, commemorate the dying love of their Redeem 
er the next opportunity, and swear allegiance to him 
over the symbols of his body and blood. 

" Glory to God for this fresh manifestation of his 
mercy and grace to sinners. Not unto us, Lord God, 
but to thy name be the glory. Thou hast made a cov 
enant with thy chosen, and with believers in him ; and 
thou hast, by thy Holy Spirit, drawn them to take hold 
of this thy own covenant, and to give themselves to 
thee to be made the subjects of it. And now, Lord, 
remember thy own covenant, and do as thou hast said : 
Put thy laws in their minds, and write them in their 
hearts, and be unto them a God, and they shall be unto 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 331 

thee a people ; be merciful to their unrighteousness, 
and their sins and their iniquities remember no more. 
Give them understanding to know and believe thy laws, 
memories to retain them, hearts to love them, con 
sciences to recognize them, courage to profess and 
power to put in practice. O grant that the whole habit 
and frame of their souls may be a table and transcript 
of thy law. Blessed Redeemer ! gather these lambs in 
thy arms and carry them in thy bosom. O seal them 
with the Holy Spirit of promise ! They look forward to 
that feast of love which thou didst institute in that same 
night in which thou wast betrayed into the hands of 
sinners. If it may please thee, f manifest thyself to 
them as thou dost not unto the world. Blessed Shep 
herd, call these lambs by name ; may they know thy 
voice, rejoice to hear it, and follow thee. In all the 
preparatory exercises speak to their hearts and com 
mune with them in secret. give them some love-to 
kens, which they may never forget ; and make thyself 
known to them in the breaking of bread. Exercise 
their parents with thankfulness and gratitude, and thine 
aged servant, to whom, in an especial manner, belong 
shame and confusion efface, while she stands amazed 
at the stately steps of thy free sovereign mercy and 
grace to her, and to her children according to the flesh. 
* Husband of the widow ! Father of the fatherless ! 
Shield of the stranger ! Glorify thy name, magnify thy 
grace : all these thou hast been to me ; give these pa 
rents deep humility, if they have received grace to be 
more faithful than I ; yet thy holy eye has seen much 
short-coming in them also. Glory to thy name for the 
grace in which they stand, and that thou hast enabled 



332 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

them to train up these children for thee. Oh! let this 
be a heart- searching time with us all; humble us, and 
exalt thy name, and magnify thy grace. 

" Lord, my covenant God, all my desire is before 
thee ; is it not that thou magnify thy grace in me and 
in my family 1 There are others, Lord, and the residue 
of the Spirit is with thee. Put forth thy power in the 
heart of I. G. S. and compel him to come in. And 
my dear I. S. and her family; thou biddest me open 
my mouth wide. Lord, see, there is much for thee to 
do. I praise thy name for what thou hast done, and lay 
me at thy feet waiting for further manifestations of thy 
mercy, thy sovereign mercy : I have no other plea. 

"Work with us, for thy name s sake, and with J. 
M for whom my worthless prayers have been pre 
sented to thee, as also a member of this family. O Lord, 
he is now gone out into the world ; he is no longer un 
der the control of man ; bring him under thy gracious 
control ; call him into thy kingdom of grace, and make 
him a willing subject in the day of thy power. Father, 
glorify thy name !" 

"April, Sabbath, 1813. 

" 2 PETER, chap. 2, 1st and 2d verses. Wherefore, 
laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, 
and envyings, and all evil speaking, as new born babes 
desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow 
thereby. 

" Blessed Spirit ! thou hast convinced me of the in 
dwelling of every one of these, and also of my helpless 
ness of myself to make successful war against them- 
But, hast thou not led me to the Captain of Salva- 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 333 

tion for armor, for strength, for wisdom, for power , 
and is not my dependence for success on thy promise 
that sin shall not have dominion over me ; that thy 
grace is sufficient for me ; that as my day so shall my 
strength be V " 

11 May 5. 

" ROM. 5:1. Therefore being justified by faith, we 
have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

" Blessed, blessed, blessed doctrine ! by no other 
doctrine can I be justified and saved. Christ the gift of 
God, and faith the gift of God. ./#//, all is of grace. 

" I have shut my door, desiring to commune with 
God, but feeling dull and lifeless, ask what shall I read 1 
My Bible lies just at hand, where shall I read 1 every 
part is good. I open and find it marked, Psalm 69 : 13. 
* My prayer is unto thee, O Lord, in an acceptable time; 
O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the 
truth of thy salvation. In an acceptable time when 1 
to-day, if ye will hear his voice. Nevertheless, I am 
continually with thee; thou boldest me by my right 
hand, and ever upholdest me, in the time of need espe 
cially. 

In the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth 
of thy salvation. What is the truth of God s salvation 1 
To be the property of Christ by purchase, to have Christ 
made our property by the Father s gift ; to have the 
Holy Spirit sent into our hearts to enlighten our under 
standings, to govern our wills, to regulate our affections 
and tempers, and to be in us a well of water springing 
up into eternal life. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, ours 
by gift and by power ! this, O this contains all my ask- 



334- LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

ing for myself, for my children and children s children, 
for my friends and all dear to me. Take us, O Lord, 
and in the truth of thy salvation give thyself to us ! 
do all the needful for us, and glorify thy name." 

Sabbath. 

" LUKE 14 : 16. * A certain man made a great supper, 
and bade many, and sent his servants at supper time to 
say to them that were bidden, Come, for all things are 
ready. And they all, with one consent, began to make 
excuse. 

" Alas ! such are our hearts, that we make idols even 
of the blessings and bounties of providence ; no room is 
left for Christ, though without him every temporal good 
is under a curse, and our. own persons also. 

" O Lord, bless the gracious invitations given to per 
ishing sinners this day ; the pathetic and tender remon 
strances of thy faithful servant. O, may many of the poor, 
the maimed, the halt, the blind, from the streets and 
lanes of the city, and may many from the highways and 
hedges, be compelled to come, that thy house may be 
filled. And, O my gracious Father, let these careless 
ones, who are my flesh and blood, be among the 
number ! Hear, O hear the prayers offered this day for 
poor self-deluded, self-destroying sinners ! awaken them, 
Lord, and sweep away all lying refuges, and, gra 
cious God, settle and establish these halters ! O bring to 
the birth, and give life, and love, and zeal to make a 
full profession to the glory of thy powerful grace, and 
to the joy and comfort of fellow-members. Let thy 
kingdom come" 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 335 

"Greenwich, June 11, 1813. 

" In my large light closet, within my airy, comfort 
able room; the prospect from my windows such as I 
have ever delighted in woods and water, flower-garden 
and fruit-trees, and beautiful shrubs of various kinds, all 
as much mine as if my own individual property by the 
laws of the land in which I live ; surrounded with books, 
and my children s rich library at my command ; enjoy 
ing rich Gospel ordinances, under a godly, gifted pastor, 
with pious, loving, .sensible church members ; a car 
riage to convey me, Sabbath and week days, to places 
of worship ; children whose desire is that I may enjoy 
all these to the full without care or trouble, they caring 
for me ; with all these a large measure of health, my 
eyes see my teachers, my ears hear their voice. Why- 
then these tears 1 Are they all for sin 1 Lord, search 
and see. Does no wounded pride, no selfish hurt mix 1 
Ah ! Lord, thou knowest. I have detected much, and 
mourn and weep on that account; but I fear there is 
yet much lurking and working that I know not. 

" I have set apart the remainder of this day for fast 
ing and humiliation on account of past sins which I al 
ready know, and for yet further search into what I 
know not of at present. Lord, give me heart-searching 
exercises. Glory, glory, glory to Father, Son, and 
blessed Comforter, that I am forgiven ; thy Spirit wit- 
nesseth with my spirit that I am forgiven. Thou hast giv 
en me faith in the truth of thy testimony, that the blood 
of Christ cleanseth from all sin that this is thy own pro 
vision for sinners that Christ died for the ungodly 
that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us that 
Christ hath loved ITS, and given himself for us that 



336 



LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 



Goa so loved the world that he gave his only begotten 
Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, 
but have everlasting life. These last words came from 
thy own lips of flesh. Thou gift of God to a perishing 
world, and to me, one of the most guilty in it ! thou 
also saidst, He that believeth on the Son hath everlast 
ing life. Thy Spirit witnesseth with my spirit, that to 
me it is given on the behalf of Christ to believe in him. 
Philippians 1 : 29. Therefore I have everlasting life. Him 
who was slain and hanged on a tree, f Him hath God 
exalted to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repent 
ance and remission of sins. From this exalted Prince 
I have repentance and forgiveness of sin, and therefore 
I dare look at my sins ; I look with grief but not with 
terror. Though forgiven, and though provision is made 
for forgiveness, sin is still an evil and a bitter thing. 

" This day is set apart for mourning. I desire to 
search, to know more of my vileness, that I may mourn 
yet more: that while my heart is wrung for my ingrati 
tude, the Lord may make it the means of crucifying my 
sins, especially that which f so easily besets me, that he 
will give me the prayer of faith that they may be for 
given, and that I may be delivered from their power in 
my heart ; that I may be clothed with humility, so hum 
ble that nothing can hurt me, wearing my Redeemer s 
yoke, leaning upon him who was * meek and lowly, 
that I may find rest to my soul. Now, Lord, assist me 
for the rest of the day, and let to-morrow be the begin 
ning of days." 

" Ten o clock at night. 

" The day is spent and I look for the blessing. It has 
not been spent so much in my usual way of retracing, con- 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 337 

fessing, and bewailing, but with Owen on the subject of 
indwelling sin, of purification and the means appointed 
by God. The blood of Christ is the only effectual means 
not only as atonement for sin, setting us free from con 
demnation ; but also for cleansing, as sprinkled on the 
conscience by the Holy Ghost, and purging it from dead 
works. There are means in which we are to exercise 
ourselves, depending on the Spirit for benefit. We are to 
work in the faith that God works in us. Mortification 
is one means, and though the mortification of the bo 
dy is, perhaps, one of the lowest, I think it is of divine 
appointment, therefore not to be neglected. I have been 
also studying the death of Christ, and his previous suf 
ferings; the unbelief, the opposition, contradiction, con 
tempt, and cruel mocking which he endured; and his 
meekness, patience, and submission under them; heal 
ing Malcus* ear, praying for his murderers; that, as 
the children of Israel were healed by looking to the bra 
zen serpent, I may be healed by looking unto the uplift 
ed Jesus; the Spirit producing the effect. And as the 
woman with the bloody issue was healed by a touch, 
exercising faith in the power of Christ, so I may be 
healed by a look, exercising the same faith, the Spirit 
producing the effect of conformity to his example, work 
ing in me that meek and lowly spirit for which I have 
been praying. And now, by grace communicated, I hope 
to watch over my spirit with more success than for 
merly. I wait for thy salvation." 

The following letter shows how Mrs. Graham perse 
vered in her endeavors to guide and benefit immortal 
souls as long as God gave her powers to be employed. 

Mrs. Graham. 15 



338 LIFE OF MRS. GRAIVAX 

{To Mrs. J. W .) 

" Greenwich, 1814. 

" Did not the dove, my dear J , get into the ark 1 

Yes, Noah put out his hand and pulled her in ; both are 
types of Christ. He is the Ark of safety from the flood 
of wrath that must overwhelm unbelievers. 

" I know not, my dear, the amount of that over which 
you mourn with so much agony ; I know not even if it 
be sinful, except in the circumstances ; you are con 
scious of sincerity, and you do not now wish to draw 
back. We can, my dear, do nothing in our own strength ; 
no, not so much as think a good thought. To make 
any resolution without dependance on God for strength 
to perform, is sinful ; to make any vow without a con 
sciousness of our weakness and dependance on God for 
strength to perform, is an aggravation of the evil. 

"I suppose my J. has sinned; what thenl If any 
man say he has no sin, he deceives himself, and the truth 
is not in him. And if you suppose that your sin in 
this is greater than many other sins with their aggra 
vations, you judge wrong. I think that any one delibe 
rate sin, wilfully committed with a knowledge that it is 
sin, is greater than yours in such circumstances. You 
are bound by your vow, and God will enable you to 
perform it. Turn, my dear, to the 2d chapter of the Acts 
of the Apostles, where Peter preaches to the very mur 
derers of our blessed Savior, and charges the guilt up 
on them, verse 22d ; and again in verse 36th, There 
fore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that this 
same Jesus whom ye crucified, God hath made both 
Lord and Christ ; and when they heard this, they were 
pricked in their hearts. Bead on, my dear; Peter ex- 



CORRESPONDENCE. 339 

borts even them to repent and be baptized in the name 
of Christ, for the remission of sins. I make no doubt 
but many have made vows in a rash manner; but, so 
far as I know, you have vowed only to serve the Lord ; 
this you are bound to do with or without a vow; and if 
the Lord makes this vow the means of keeping you 
watchful, and humble, and firm in avoiding what you 
have vowed against, it will, by his overruling Spirit, 
prove a blessing. 

You do not know where to look for comfort !" To 
Jesus, my dear ; not to yourself, not to any creature. 
Look unto me and be saved, all the ends of the earth, 
for I am God, and there is none else. Isaiah 45 : 22 
O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in me is thy 
help. Hosea, 13:9. and chapter 14. Take a view, my 
dear, of the character of God in his dealings with his 
perverse Israel, after they had made the molten calf, and 
sinned otherwise grievously against God. He, at the in 
tercession of Moses, forgave their sin, and proclaimed 
that wonderful name, which to this day is the encou 
ragement of convicted sinners, and mine in particular 
Exodus, 34 : 5. And the Lord passed by him (Moses) 
and proclaimed, &lt; The Lord, the Lord God, merciful 
and gracious, long-suffering, abundant in goodness 
and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving in 
iquity, transgression and sin. And how can God do 
this, whose law is, as himself, immutable; and who 
adds, r that he will by no means clear the guilty V Look 
now to the 53d chapter of Isaiah, where you will find 
your Redeemer standing in your stead. In the 30th 
chapter is another amazing display of God s forgive 
ness. The prophet begins the chapter with, * Wo to the 



340 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

rebellious children ! and lays grievous things to their 
charge till you come to the 18th verse, where he says, 
Therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious 
to you j therefore will he be exalted, that he may have 
mercy upon you ; for the Lord is a God of judgment, 
blessed are all they that wait for him. Once more 
look at the proclamation, Jeremiah, 3 : 12. God has 
provided a sacrifice of sufficient value to atone for 
our most aggravated transgressions, and a righteous 
ness answerable to the uttermost extent of his holy law. 
Both are made over to the sinner by free gift. 2 Cor. 
5:21, He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew 
no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God 
in him/ In him He, our Surety, having fulfilled all 
righteousness for us, as our Surety and Representative. 

" You fear that it is not the hand of the Lord that is 

upon you. I do think that it is, my J . It is the 

peculiar office of the Spirit to convince of sin, and I do 
think that he is at this time dealing with your soul. But 
why look so much at your vow! you have sinned, my 

J ? in heart, lip, and life. Thou shall love the Lord 

thy God with all thy heart. O my J , what prosti 
tuted affections! what mispent time ! While God says, 
Whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever you do, do 
all to the glory of God, what self-indulgence and 
self-will, instead of self-denial ! Listen to the voice of 
convictions, listen to it as the voice of mercy, leading 
you to Christ the great propitiatory Sacrifice, the 
Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world. 

"Go to Christ, my dear, as a sinner; tell him you 
commit your sinful soul into his hands; say, Thou hast 
bid me look unto thee and be saved 1 Savior, I do look 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 341 

unto thee for salvation. Wash me in thy blood, clothe 
me in thy righteousness, sanctify me by thy grace, 
accept of me as thy pardoned, saved child 5 and be a 
Surety for me for good, that, having vowed to thee 
that I would be thy servant, I may perform my vow ; 
furnish me with both will and power to devote myself 
to thee every day of my life. Try, my dear, to rest on 
Christ; put your trust in him j if you do he will not 
disappoint you : as your faith, so shall it be unto you 
Now, faith is a saving grace ; thereby we receive and 
rest upon Christ for salvation, as he is offered to us in 
the Gospel. Do as you have said : wait his appointed 
time, in the use of means, till he manifest himself to you. 
I am hurried for time to get this to town. Farewell. 
I will pray for you, I. GRAHAM." 

" 1814. 

"JoEL, 2:2. *A day of darkness and gloominess, a 
day of clouds and thick darkness, as the morning spread 
upon the mountains. 

" Not in temporals, nor in the means of grace ; every 
thing that earth can afford is gathered into my present 
cup j it is full and runs over with earthly good, and a 
large measure of health to enjoy it. Moral temporals are 
also mine in no common degree : friendship, society at 
my choice, and respectability in it. Rich means of grace 
within my reach, my Bible, and books of everj kind 
and great variety at my hand, of instruction and of de 
votion. Mine eyes see my teachers, and my judgment 
approves their doctrine as corresponding with that sure 
word of testimony given me as the test of all human 
writings. Yet it is a day of darkness and of gloom. 

" Isaiah, 50 : 10. Who is among you that feareth the 



342 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh 
in darkness and hath no light ?. Let him trust in the 
name of the Lord and stay himself upon his God. 

" To trust in the name of the Lord, and to stay my 
self upon my God, is still my privilege, and though 
with little life and little comfort, my experience. My 
mind is so desultory ! My Bible, and helps derived from 
men s deductions and experiences, seem useless j they 
are not blessed as means to fix my heart ; trifles of every 
sort pass and repass often ; while my eyes read the 
words, my mind is gone in a dream on some other sub 
ject j my heart remains unimpressed, my mind unin 
formed ; the same in prayer, especially in secret and in 
the family ; less so in the sanctuary. 

" I seem, as to apprehension, left to my own dark, 
dismal, carnal self; naked faith on the finished work of 
my Redeemer is all that supports me j and that as a bare 
preventive of fear and source of a hope that I shall yet 
praise Him who is the health of my countenance and 
my God. I know his covenant stands fast, I have taken 
hold of it j I do at this cold and stupid moment place 
my confidence in it. Christ is God s covenant j God s 
gift to sinners; I believe it; he is the Lamb of God 
which taketh away the sin of the world ; I believe it ; I 
believe on the Son for all the purposes for which God 
has sent him into the world; therefore I have everlasting 
life ; I believe the record that God gave of his Son ; that 
God hath given to me eternal life, and this life is in his 
Son, not in me, but in union with him. f He that hath the 
Son hath life ; he that hath not the Son hath not life. 
John, 5. 

" I thank thee, my God, that thou hast not left me to 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 343 

cast away my confidence in Christ. I have life in him, 
and no life but as I have it from him. Thou seest how 
it is with me. Thou art my reconciled Father in Christ, 
but thou hast shut me out from thy presence. I do not 
enjoy thee ; my poor heart is tossed from trifle to trifle. 
It has been my way through life to destroy myself, and 
thy way to deliver me. Thou hast been very gracious 
to me in my old age. I have enjoyed much of thy pre 
sence in thy sanctuary and in my private hours ; and 
although sin has dwelt and does dwell in me, I have en 
joyed thy forgiving grace, and have tasted thy love, far 
beyond what I have for weeks past. * Search me, God, 
and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts; and 
see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the 
way everlasting. Show me wherefore thou contendest 
with me. Am I living in the indulgence of any known wil 
ful sin 1 or in the habitual neglect of any known duty 1 
Lord, it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. 
I know I have been unthankful, unwatchful, idle ; alas ! 
this is my ordinary course ; but it is not the ordinary 
course of my Lord God, merciful and gracious, to mark 
iniquity against me, but to forgive me daily, to lead me 
to the blood of sprinkling, to give me contrition, and 
to restore me to his favor by giving me f joy and peace 
in believing. Help, Lord ! give me heart-searching 
exercises. I read thy word, I set about that to which 
thou callest me. I set apart this day for fasting, but the 
gracious exercises are not in me. Come, O come, and 
be with me! Exalted Prince, give repentance and re 
mission ; in thy light let me sec light. 

" JOEL, 2 : 12. Therefore now turn ye unto me with 
all your heart, with fasting, with weeping and mourn- 



344 - LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

ing; rend your heart and not your garments, turn unto 
the Lord your God; for he is gracious and merciful, 
slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him 
of the evil. O do I not know thee by this name 1 has it 
not been thy name to me throughout this wide wilder 
ness, pardoning iniquity, transgression, and sin !" Thou 
hast prepared a prayer for me turn me and I shall be 
turned, for thou art the Lord my God. Jer. 31 : 18. I 
look to thy new covenant in the same chapter ; it is all 
promise, I can do nothing in it. Christ, by thine own 
appointment, answers for my part, or rather I have no 
part. I can render nothing to the Lord for all his bene 
fits to me. I will put forth the withered hand to take 
the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord. 

" Ten o clock. The day is spent I have confessed, 
and endeavored to turn to the Lord with mourning, 
but with little sensibility. 

" I attended meeting in the evening, heard two excel 
lent discourses on the priesthood of Christ, and joined 
in two prayers and three hymns with more fixed atten 
tion than has been my attainment lately ; for this I 
thank thee, my God. Many have been the beginnings 
of days and of months which thou hast afforded after 
backsliding. O add this to the number! Psalm 14-3. 
Hear my prayer, O Lord ; give ear to my supplication ; 
in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness. 
Enter not into judgment with thy servant, for in thy 
sight shall no flesh living be justified. 

* My spirit is overwhelmed within me, my heart 
within me is desolate. I stretch out my hands unto 
thee ; my soul thirsteth after thee, in a thirsty land. 
Hear me speedily, O Lord j my spirit faileth ; hide not 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 345 

thy face from me, lest I be like unto those that go down 
into the pit. Cause me to hear thy loving-kindness in 
the morning, for in thee do I trust j cause me to know 
the way wherein I should walk, for I lift up my soul unto 
thee. Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies! I flee 
unto thee to hide me. Teach me to do thy will, for 
thou art my God. Thy Spirit is good j lead me into the 
land of uprightness. Quicken me, Lord, for thy name s 
sake ; for thy righteousness sake bring my soul out of 
trouble. I wait for thy salvation. 

This heart my Jesus bought with blood, 

It is his honest claim ; 
O seize it, fix it, Savior God, 

To give it is my aim. 
Take full possession of this heart, 

And here set up thy throne; 
Command each idol to depart, 

And make it all thine own. 
O dare I not to thee appeal, 

That tis my first desire, 
That on this heart thou stamp thy seal 

And grave it with love s fire 1 
To fix this heart to stray no more 

I ev n would quit the clay ; 
Would hasten on to Jordan s shore, 

And plough the wal ry way. 
Nor fear nor dread my soul should move, 

With Jesus in my heart, 
Each passion swallow d up in love, 

I d court the friendly dart. 
The resurrection and the life 

In death itself he ll prove, 
Arid whilst he closes mortal strife, 

Breathe his own life of love. 
Then boast not, monster, of thy sting, 

Nor of thy vict ry, grave ; 
In th arms of God s anointed King 

I dare thy fiercest brave. 
15* 



346 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

CHAPTER XII. 

CLOSING LABORS FOR THE POOR SICKNESS AND DEATH. 

During the last two years of her life Mrs. Gra 
ham found her strength inadequate to so extensive a 
course of visiting the poor as formerly ; there were 
some distressed families, however, that experienced 
her kind attentions to the last. She would occasionally 
accompany the Rev. Mr. Stanford on his visits to the 
State Prison, Hospital, and to the Magdalen House. 
This gentleman was the stated preacher employed by 
" the Society for the support of the Gospel among the 
poor," and devoted his time to preaching in the Alms 
House, Hospital, State Prison, Debtors Prison, &c. 
with great assiduity and acceptance. 

Mrs. Graham now spent much of her time in her 
room, devoted to meditation, prayer, and reading the 
Scriptures ; she seemed to be weaning from earth and 
preparing for heaven. Prayer was that sweet breath 
of her soul which brought stability to her life. Genuine 
humility was obvious in all her sentiments and deport 
ment. Religious friends prized her conversation, coun 
sel, and friendship ; sometimes they would venture on 
a compliment to her superior attainments, but always 
experienced a decided rebuke. To her friend Colonel 

L , who expressed a wish to be such a character as 

she was, she quickly replied with an air of mingled 
pleasantry and censure, "Get thee behind me, Satan." 
To a female friend who said, " If I were only sure at 
last of being admitted to a place at your feet I should 



CLOSING LABORS FOR THE POOR. 347 

feel happy." " Hush, hush," replied Mrs Graham, 
"There is ONE SAVIOR." Thus she was always 
careful to give her Divine Redeemer the whole glory 
of her salvation. 

This example of humility, self-denial, and sensibility 
to the imperfection of her conduct, is the more to be 
valued, as it is so difficult to be followed. Flattery is 
too commonly practised ; and there is no sufficient 
guard against its dangerous consequences, except a 
constant and humbling recognition of the spirituality of 
the law of God, and our lamentable deficiency in fulfill 
ing it. Pride was not made for man : " I have seen an end 
of all perfection," said the Psalmist, " but thy command 
ment is exceeding broad." It was by cherishing this 
sentiment, by studying her Bible, by searching her heart 
and its motives, and, above all, by grace accorded of 
heaven in answer to her prayers, that Mrs. Graham was 
enabled to maintain such meekness of spirit, such an uni 
formity of Christian character throughout her life. May 
all who read her history be directed to the same sources 
of true peace and genuine happiness ! 

In the spring of 1814 she was requested to unite with 
some ladies in forming a Society for the promotion of In 
dustry among the Poor. This was the last act in which 
she appeared before the public. A petition, signed by 
about thirty ladies, was presented to the Corporation of 
New-York, praying that they would assign them a build 
ing in which work might be prepared and given out to 
the industrious poor, who being paid for their labor, 
might be saved the necessity of begging, and at the 
same time cherish habits of industry and self-respect. 
The Corporation having returned a favorable answer, 



348 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

and provided a house, a meeting of the Society was held, 
and Mrs. Graham once more was called to the chair. 
It was the last time she was to preside at the formation 
of a new Society. Her articulation, once strong and 
clear, was now observed to have become more feeble. 
The ladies present listened to her with affectionate at 
tention ; her voice broke upon the ear as a pleasant 
sound that was passing away. She consented to have 
her name inserted on the list of managers, and to give 
what assistance her age would permit in forwarding so 
beneficent a work. Although it pleased God that she 
should cease from her labors before the House of In 
dustry was opened, yet the work was carried on by 
others and prospered. Between four and five hundred 
women were employed and paid during the following 
winter. The Corporation declared in strong terms their 
approbation of the result, and enlarged their donation, 
with a view to promote the same undertaking for the 
succeeding winter. 

In the month of May, 18 14-, a Report was received 
from Mr. Stephen Prust, of Bristol, in England, of the 
Society for establishing Jldult Schools. Mrs. Graham 
was so delighted with a perusal of it, as immediately to 
undertake the formation of such a school in the village 
of Greenwich. She called on the young people who 
were at work in some neighboring manufactories, and 
requested them to attend her for this purpose every 
Sabbath morning at eight o clock. This was kept up af 
ter her decease as a Sunday School, and consisted of 
nearly eighty scholars. She was translated from this? 
work of faith on earth, to engage in the sublimer work 
of praise in heaven. 



CLOSING LABORS FOR THE POOR. 349 

For some weeks previous to her last illness she was 
favored with unusual health and much enjoyment of 
religion ; she appeared to have sweet exercises and com 
munion in attending on all God s ordinances and appoint 
ed means of grace. She was also greatly refreshed in 
spirit by the success of Missionary and Bible Societies, 
and used to speak with much affection of Mr. Gordon, 
Mr. Lee, Mr. May, and Dr. Morrison, with whom she 
had been acquainted when in New-York, on their way 
to missionary stations in India and China. 

Mrs. Graham was very partial to the works of Dr. 
John Owen, Rev. William Romaine, and Rev. John 
Newton, and read them with pleasure and profit. One 

day she remarked to Mr. B , that she preferred the 

ancient writers on Theology to the modern, because 
they dealt more in italics. "Dear mother," he replied, 
" what religion can there be in italics 1" " You know," 
said she, "that old writers expected credit for the doc 
trines they taught, by proving them from the word of 
God to be correct: they inserted the Scripture pas 
sages in Italics, and their works have been sometimes 
one-half in Italics. Modern writers on Theology, on 
the contrary, give us a long train of reasoning to per 
suade us to their opinions, but very little in Italics." 
This remark of hers has great force, and deserves the 
serious attention of those who write and those who 
read on theological subjects. 

On the two Sabbaths preceding her last illness she 
joined in communion at the Lord s table. On the 10th 
of July, 18 14-, at Greenwich, and on the 17th at her 
own church in Cedar street. On each week preceding 
these seasons she attended three evenings on religious 



350 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

exercises; on Thursdays at the Orphan Asylum, on 
Friday evenings the preparation sermons, and on Sat 
urday evenings at the prayer-meetings. She appeared 
lively, and expressed comfort in those religious sea 
sons, and continued actively useful until the very day 
on which her illness commenced. 

On the morning of the 17th she attended the Sabbath- 
school with her daughter and grand-children. Thus the 
Lord was pleased to direct that she should lead her 
children s children into the walks of usefulness before 
she took her flight to heaven, and impose a pleasing ob 
ligation on them that they should follow her steps. Of 
the same date is the last meditation in her diary. 

" July 17, 1814. 

" Communion Sabbath. 1 Peter, 1 : 8, 9. f Whom hav 
ing not seen, ye love ; in whom, though now ye see him 
not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and 
full of glory : receiving the end of your faith, even the 
salvation of your souls. 

" I had requested to be brought to my Lord s ban 
queting house, and to be feasted with love this day. I 
ate the bread and drank the wine, in the faith that I ate 
the flesh and drank the blood of the Son of man, and 
dwelt in him and he in me. Took a close view of my 
familiar friend Death, accompanied with the presence of 
my Savior, his sensible presence. I cannot look at it 
without this; it is my only petition concerning it. I 
have had desires relative to certain circumstances, but 
they are nearly gone. It is my sincere desire that God 
may be glorified, and he knows best how and by what 
circumstances. I retain my one petition, 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 351 

" Only to me thy count nance show, 
" I ask no more the Jordan through," 

Thus she arose from her Master s table, was called 
to gird on her armor for a combat with the King of 
Terrors, and came off more than conqueror, through 
Him who loved her. 

On Monday she appeared in perfect health and vi 
sited and gave religious instruction to the orphans in 
the Asylum. 

On Tuesday, the 19th of July, she complained of not 
feeling well, and kept her room ; on Thursday her dis 
order proved to be a cholera morbus, and her children 
sent for a physician. She thought this attack was 
slighter than in former seasons. On Saturday, however, 
she requested that Mrs. Chrystie might be sent for j 
this alarmed Mrs. B , knowing there existed an un 
derstanding between those two friends, that one should 
attend the dying-bed of the other. Mrs. Chrystie was a 
very dear friend of Mrs. Graham. For upwards of 
twenty-four years they had loved each other, feeling re 
ciprocal sympathy in their joys and their sorrows ; the 
hope of faith was the consolation of both, and often 
times it had been their delightful employment to inter 
change their expressions of affection towards Him, 
whom having not seen, they loved, and in whom, though 
they saw him not, yet believing on him, they rejoiced 
with joy unspeakable and full of glory. On Mrs. Chrys- 
tie s entering the chamber of her friend, Mrs. Graham 
welcomed her with a sweet expressive smile, seeming 
to say, "I am going to get the start of you, I am cal 
led home before you ; it will be your office to fulfil 
our engagement." When she sat by her bedside, Mrs. 



352 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

Graham said, " Your face is very pleasant to me, my 
friend." 

During Saturday night a lethargy appeared to be 
overpowering her frame. On Sabbath morning she was 

disposed to constant slumber; observing Mr. B 

looking at her with agitation, she was roused from her 
heaviness, and stretching her arms towards him and em 
bracing him, she said, "My dear, dear son, I am going to 
leave you ; I am going to my Savior." " I know," he re 
plied, " that when you do go from us, it will be to the Sa 
vior; but, my dear mother, it may not be the Lords time 
now to call you to himself." " Yes," said she, " now is the 
time ; and Oh ! I could weep for sin." Her words were ac 
companied with her tears. " Have you any doubts, then, 
my dear friend 1" asked Mrs. Chrystie. " Oh no," replied 

Mrs. Graham; and looking at Mr. and Mrs. B as 

they wept, " My dear children, I have no more doubt of 
going to my Savior, than if I were already in his arms ; 
my guilt is all transferred ; he has cancelled all I owed. 
Yet I could weep for sins against so good a God : it 
seems to me as if there must be weeping even in hea 
ven for sin." 

After this she entered into conversation with her 
friends, mentioning portions of Scripture and favorite 
hymns which had been subjects of much comfort and 
joy to her. Some of these she had transcribed into a 
little book, calling them her "victuals" prepared for 
crossing over Jordan; she committed them to memo- 
ry, and often called them to remembrance as her songs 
in the night when sleep had deserted her. She then 
got Mr. B to read to her some of these portions, 



SICKNESS AND DEATH. 353 

especially the eighty-second hymn of Newton s third 
book: 

" Let us love, and sing, and wonder; 

Let us praise the Savior s name ! 
He has hushed the law s loud thunder, 
He has quenched Mount Sinai s flame ; 
He has washed us with his blood, 
He has brought us nigh to God." &c. 

Mrs. Graham then fell asleep, nor did she awaken until 
the voice of the Rev. Dr. Mason roused her. They had 
a very affectionate interview, which he has partly de 
scribed in the excellent sermon he delivered after her 
decease. She expressed to him her hope as founded 
altogether on the redemption that is in Jesus Christ : 
were she left to depend on the merit of the best action 
she had ever performed, that would be only a source of 
despair. She repeated to him, as her view of salvation, 
the fourth verse of the same hymn: 

" Let us wonder ; grace and justice 
Join, and point at mercy s store j 
When, through grace, in Christ our trust is, 
Justice smiles and asks no more ; 
He who wash d us with his blood, 
Has secured our way to God." 

Having asked Dr. Mason to pray with her, he inquired 
if there was any particular request she had to make of 
God by him ; she replied that God would direct ; then 
as he kneeled, she put up her hands, and raising her 
eyes towards heaven, breathed this short but expres 
sive petition, " Lord, lead thy servant in prayer." 

After Dr. Mason had taken his leave, she again fell 



354? LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

into a deep sleep. Her physicians still expressed a hope 
of her recovery, as her pulse was regular and the vio 
lence of her disease had abated. One of them, how 
ever, declared his opinion that his poor drugs would 
prove of little avail against her own ardent prayers to 
depart and be with Christ, which was far better for 
her than a return to a dying world. 

On Monday the Rev. Mr. Rowan prayed with her, 
and to him she expressed also the tranquillity of her 
mind, and the steadfastness of her hope, through Christ, 
of eternal felicity. 

Her lethargy increased; at intervals from sleep she 

would occasionally assure her daughter, Mrs. B , 

that all was well; and when she could rouse herself on 
ly to say one word at a time, that one word, accompa 
nied 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 
vou," had been a favorite portion of Scripture with her, 
and a promise, the fulfilment of which was her earnest 
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 at him, " Pray." She was 
now surrounded by many of her dear Christian friends, 
who watched her dying bed with affection and solici 
tude. On Tuesday afternoon she slept with little in 
termission. 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 be 
fore her illness. 



SICKNESS AND DEATH. 355 

At a quarter past twelve o clock, being the morning 
of the 27th of July, 1814, her spirit gently 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 wis 
dom or virtue, like the philosophers of Greece and Rome ; 
not even like Addison, calling on the profligate to see a 
good man die j 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."* 

After such examples, who will dare to charge the 
doctrines of the cross of Christ with licentiousness 1 
Here are two 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." 
* This was Howard s epitaph, dictated by himself. 



356 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

At the next weekly prayer-meeting which she had 
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 immediate presence 
of her God, among "the spirits of the just made per 
fect," The services of that evening were closed with 
the following hymn from Dobell s collection, which is 
beautifully descriptive of her happy change : 

" Tis finish d ! the conflict is past, 

The heav n-born spirit is fled; 
Her wish is accomplish *] 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. 

No sickness, or sorrow, or pain, 

Shall ever disquiet her now ; 
For death to her spirit was gain, 

Since Christ was her life when below. 

Her soul has now taken its flight 

To mansions of glory above. 
To mingle with angels of light, 

And dwell in the kingdom of love. 

The victory now is obtain d ; 

She s gone her dear Savior to see ; 
Her wishes she fully has gain d 

She s now where she longed to be. 

The coffin, the shroud, and the grave 

To her were no objects of dread ; 
On Him who is mighty to save, 

Her soul was with confidence stay d. 



HER CHARACTER. 357 

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." 

Mrs. Graham s death created a strong sensation ir 
the public mind. Magistrates of the city were careful 
to express their sense of the public loss sustained, and 
many charitable institutions paid affectionate tributes 
to her memory. Several clergymen also made her death 
the subject of their discourses, among whom was her 
beloved pastor Dr. JOHN M. MASON, who, on Sabbath 
evening, August 14th, delivered the well known pOAver- 
ful sermon, CHRISTIAN MOURNING," from 1 Thess. 4 : 
13, 14. " I would not have you to be ignorant, breth 
ren, concerning them which are asleep j that ye sor 
row not, even as others which have no hope. For if 
Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which 
sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." 

Contrasting the consolations afforded to the Christian 
with the darkness and doubt of the pagan or infidel ; 
dwelling on the Christian s death as tf sleeping in Jesus j" 
his immediate entrance into bliss, and his glorious re 
surrection and reigning with Christ in the judgment, he 
thus proceeds : 

" In this faith the apostles labored and the martyrs 
bled. Ages have elapsed and it is still the same It is 
not a distant wonder j not a brilliant vision; but a solid 
and present reality under the power of which at this 
moment, while the words are on my lips, Christians, in 
various parts of the world, are closing their eyes to 
sleep in Jesus. It has come home to our own business 
and bosoms. It has chosen our houses to be the scene 



358 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

of its miracles. But rarely does it fall to the lot of hu 
man eyes to witness so high a display of its value and 
virtue, as v^as witnessed in that blessed woman whose 
entrance into the joy of her Lord has occasioned our 
assembling this evening. 

" As we are commanded to be followers of them who 
through, faith and patience inherit the promises, we should 
have their example before us, that we may learn to im 
bibe their spirit, to imitate their graces, and be ready for 
their reward. With this view permit me to lay before 
you some brief recollections of our deceased friend. 

" It is not my intention to relate the history of her life. 
That will be a proper task for biography. I design 
merely to state a few leading facts, and to sketch such 
outlines of character as may show to those who knew 
her not, what manner of person she was in all holy con 
versation and godliness. Those who knew her best re 
quire no such remembrancer, and will be able, from 
their own observation, to supply its defects. 

" ISABELLA MARSHALL, known to us as Mrs. GRAHAM, 
received from nature qualities which, in circumstances 
favorable to their development, do not allow their pos 
sessor to pass through life unnoticed and inefficient. 

M An intellect strong, prompt and inquisitive a tem 
per open, generous, cheerful, ardent a heart replete 
with tenderness, and alive to every social affection and 
every benevolent impulse a spirit at once enterprising 
and persevering the whole crowned with that rare 
and inestimable endowment, good sense were mate 
rials which required only skilful management to fit her 
for adorning and dignifying any female station. With 



HER CHARACTER. 359 

that sort of cultivation which the world most admires, 
and those opportunities which attend upon rank and 
fortune, she might have shone in the circles of the 
great without forfeiting the esteem of the good. Or 
had her lot fallen among the literary unbelievers of the 
continent, she might have figured in the sphere of the 
Voltaires, the DufFauds, and the other esprits forts of 
Paris. She might have been as gay in public, as dismal in 
private, arid as wretched in her end, as any of the most 
distinguished among them for their wit and their wo. 
But God had destined her for other scenes and servi 
ces scenes from which greatness turns away appalled ; 
and services which all the cohorts of infidel wit are un 
able to perform. She was to be prepared by poverty, 
bereavement and grief, to pity and to succor the poor, 
the bereaved and the grieving. The sorrows of widow 
hood were to teach her the heart of the widow her 
babes, deprived of their father, to open the springs of 
her compassion to the fatherless and orphan and the 
consolations of God, her " refuge and strength, her 
very present help in trouble," to make her a daughter 
of consolation to them who were "walking in the valley 
of the shadow of death." 

" To train her betimes for the future dispensations 
of his providence, the Lord touched the heart of this 
chosen vessel in her early youth. The spirit of prayer 
sanctified her infant lips, and taught her, as far back 
as her memory could go, to pour out her heart before 
God. She had not reached her eleventh year when she 
selected a bush in the retirement of the field, and there 
devoted herself to her God by faith in the Redeemer. 
The incidents of her education, thoughtless compan- 



360 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

ions, the love of dress, and the dancing-school, as she 
has herself recorded, chilled for a while the warmth of 
her piety, and robbed her bosom of its peace. But her 
gracious Lord revisited her with his mercy, and bound 
her to himself in an everlasting covenant which she 
sealed at his own table about the 17th year of her age. 

" Having married, a few years after, Dr. John Graham, 
surgeon to the 60th British regiment, she accompanied 
him first to Montreal, and shortly after to Fort Niagara. 
Here, during four years of temporal prosperity, she had 
no opportunity, even for once, of entering the habitation 
of God s house, or hearing the sound of his Gospel. 
Secluded from the waters of .the sanctuary and all the 
public means of growth in grace, her religion began to 
languish and its leaf to droop. But the root was pe 
rennial it was of the seed of God, which liveth and 
abideth for ever. The Sabbath was still to her the sign 
of his covenant. On that day of rest, with her Bible 
in her hand, she used to wander through the woods, 
renew her self-dedication, and pour out her prayer for 
the salvation of her husband and her children. He who 
" dwelleth not in temples made with hands " heard her 
cry from the wilds of Niagara, and " strengthened her 
with strength in her soul." 

" By one of those vicissitudes which checker military 
life, the regiment was ordered to the island of Antigua 
in the West Indies. Here she met with that exquisite 
enjoyment to which she had been long a stranger the 
communion of kindred spirits in the love of Christ : 
and soon did she need all the soothing and support 
which it is fitted to administer ; for in a very short time 
the husband of her youth, the object of her most de- 



HER CHARACTER. 361 

voted affection, her sole earthly stay, was taken from 
her by death. The stroke was, indeed, mitigated by the 
sweet assurance that he slept in Jesus. But a heart 
like hers, convulsed by a review of the past and antici 
pation of the future, would have burst with agony, had 
she not known how to pour its sorrows into the bosom 
of her heavenly Father. Trials which beat sense and 
reason to the ground, raise up the faith of the Chris 
tian, and draw her closer to her God. how divine to 
have him as the rock of our rest when every earthly 
reliance is a broken reed! 

"Bowing to his mysterious dispensation, and com 
mitting herself to his protection as the Father of the 
fatherless and the Husband of the widow, she returns 
with her charge to her native land, to contract alliance 
with penury, and to live by faith for her daily bread. 
That same grace under whose teaching she knew how 
to abound, taught her also how to suffer need. With a 
dignity which belongs only to them who have treasure 
in heaven, she descended to her humble cot, employ 
ment and fare. But her humility, according to the 
Scripture, was the forerunner of her advancement. 
The light of her virtues shone brightest in her obscu 
rity, and pointed her way to the confidential trust of 
forming the minds and manners of young females of 
different ranks in the metropolis of Scotland. Here, 
respected by the great and beloved by the good ; in 
sacred intimacy with T devout and honorable women, and 
the friendship of men who were in truth servants of 
the most high God, she continued in the successful 
discharge of her duties till Providence conducted her 
to our shores. 

Mrs. Graham. 16 



362 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

" She long had a predilection for America, as a land 
in which, according to her favorite opinion, the church 
of Christ is signally to flourish. Here she wished to 
end her days and leave her children. And we shall re- 
member with gratitude, that in granting her wish God 
cast her lot with ourselves. Twenty-five years ago she 
opened in this city a school for the education of young 
ladies, the benefits of which have been strongly felt, 
and will be long felt hereafter, in different and distant 
parts of our country. Evidently devoted to the welfare 
of her pupils attentive to their peculiarities of cha 
racter happy in discovering the best avenue of ap 
proach to their minds possessing in a high degree the 
talent of simplifying her instruction and varying its 
form, she succeeded in that most difficult part of a 
teacher s work, the inducing youth to take an interest 
in their own improvement, and to educate themselves by 
exerting their own faculties. 

" In governing her little empire she acted upon those 
principles which are the basis of all good government 
on every scale and under every modification to be rea- 
satiable, to be firm, and to be uniform. Her authority 
was both tempered and strengthened by condescension. 
It commanded respect while it conciliated affection. 
Her word was law, but it was the law of kindness. It 
spoke to the conscience, but it spoke to the heart ; and 
obedience bowed with the knee of love. She did not, 
however, imagine her work to be perfected in fitting 
her el&ves for duties and elegance of life. Never did 
she forget their immortal nature. Utterly devoid of sec 
tarian narrowness, she labored to infuse into their minds 
those vital principles of evangelical piety which form 



HER CHARACTER. 363 

the common distinction of the disciples of Christ, the 
peculiar glory of the female name, and the surest pledge 
of domestic bliss. Her voice, her example, her prayers 
concurred in recommending that pure and undefiled re 
ligion without which no human being shall see the Lord. 
Shall we wonder that her scholars should be tenderly 
attached to such a preceptress 1 that they should leave 
her with their tears and their blessing! that they should 
carry an indelible remembrance of her into the bosom 
of their families ! that the reverence of pupils should 
ripen with their years into the affection of friends 1 and 
that there should be among them, at this day, many a 
wife who is "a crown to her husband ;" and many a mo 
ther who is a blessing to her children ; and who owes, 
in a great degree, the felicity of her character to the 
impressions, the principles and the habits which she re 
ceived while under the maternal tuition of Mrs. GRAHAM! 
"Admonished at length by the infirmities of age, and 
importuned by her friends, this venerable matron retired 
to private life. But it was impossible for her to be idle. 
Her leisure only gave a new direction to her activity. 
With no less alacrity than she had displayed in the edu 
cation of youth, did she now embark in the relief of 
misery. Her benevolence was unbounded, but it was 
discreet. There are charities which increase the wretch 
edness they are designed to diminish ; which, from some 
fatal defect in their application, bribe to iniquity while 
they are relieving want ; and make food, and raiment, 
and clothing to warm into life the most poisonous seeds 
of vice. But the charities of our departed friend were 
of another order. They selected the fittest objects 
the widow the fatherless the orphan the untaught 



364- LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

child and the ignorant adult. They combined intel 
lectual and moral benefit with the communication of 
physical comfort. 

" In her house originated the Society for the relief of 
poor widows with small children. Large, indeed, is this 
branch of the family of affliction, and largely did it 
share in her sympathy and succor. When at the head 
of this noble association, she made it her business to 
see with her own eyes the objects of their care ; and 
to give, by her personal presence and efforts, the strong 
est impulse to their humane system. From morning till 
night has she gone from abode to abode of these desti 
tute, who are too commonly unpitied by the great, des 
pised by the proud, and forgotten by the gay. She has 
gone to sit beside them on their humble seat, hearing 
their simple and sorrowful story sharing their homely 
meal ascertaining the condition of their children 
stirring them up to diligence, to economy, to neatness, 
to order putting them into the way of obtaining suita 
ble employment for themselves and suitable places for 
their children distributing among them the word of 
God, and Tracts calculated to familiarize its first prin 
ciples to their understanding cherishing them in sick 
ness admonishing them in health instructing, reprov 
ing, exhorting, consoling sanctifying the whole with 
fervent prayer. Many a sobbing heart and streaming 
eye is this evening embalming her memory in the house 
of the widow. 

" Little, if any less is the debt due to her from that 
invaluable charity, the Orphan Jlsylum. It speaks its 
own praise, and that praise is hers. Scores of orphans 
redeemed from filth, from ignorance, from wretched- 



HER CHARACTER 3G5 

ness, from crime clothed, fed, instructed trained in 
cleanliness to habits of industry early imbued with 
the knowledge and fear of God gradually preparing 
for respectability, usefulness and happiness is a spec 
tacle for angels. Their infantine gayety, their health 
ful sport, their cherub faces, mark the contrast between 
their present and former condition ; and recall very ten 
derly the scenes in which they used to cluster round 
their patron-mother, hang on her gracious words, and 
receive her benediction. 

" Brethren, I am not dealing in romance, but in sober 
fact. The night would be too short for a full enume 
ration of her worthy deeds. Suffice it to say that they 
ended but with her life. The Sabbath previous to her 
last sickness occupied her with a recent Institution 
a Sunday-school for ignorant adults j and the evening 
preceding the touch of death found her at the side of 
a faithful domestic, administering consolation to his 
wounded spirit. 

" Such active benevolence could hardly be detected 
in company with a niggardly temper. Wishes which 
cost nothing; pity which expires on the lips; be ye 
warmed and be ye clothed, from a cold heart and an un 
yielding gripe, never imprinted their disgraceful brand 
upon Isabella Graham. What she urged upon others 
she exemplified in herself. She kept a purse for God. 
Here, in obedience to his command, she deposited the 
first fruits of all her increase; and they were sacred to 
his service, as, in his providence, he should call for 
them. No shuffling pretences, no pitiful evasions, when 
a fair demand was made upon the hallowed store ; and 
no frigid affectation in determining the quality of the 



366 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

demand. A sense of duty was the prompter, candor the 
interpreter, and good sense the judge. Her disburse 
ments ware proportioned to the value of the object, 
and were ready at a moment s warning, to the very last 
farthing.* How pungent a reproof to those ladies of 
opulence and fashion who sacrifice so largely to their 
dissipation or their vanity, that they have nothing left 
for mouths without food, and limbs without raiment ! 
How far does it throw back into the shade those men 
of prosperous enterprise and gilded state who, in the 
hope of some additional lucre, have thousands and ten 
thousands at their beck ; but who, when asked for de 
cent contributions to what they themselves acknowledge 
to be all-important, turn away with this hollow excuse, 
r I cannot afford it. Above all, how should her example 
redden the faces of many who profess to belong to 
Christ ; to have received gratuitously from him what 
he procured for them at the expense of his own blood, 
an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that 
fadeth not away; and yet, in the midst of abundance 
which he, has lavished upon them, when the question is 
about relieving his suffering members, or promoting the 
glory of his kingdom, are sour, reluctant, mean. Are 
these the Christians ? Can it be that they have commit 
ted their bodies, their souls, their eternal hope, to a 
Savior whose thousand promises on this very point of 
* honoring HIM with their substance? have less influence 
upon their hearts and their hands than the word of any 
honest man 1 Remember the deceased, and hang your 

* " The author knew her, when in moderate circumstances, to 
give, unsolicited, //ty pounds at once out of that sacred purse to a 
single most worthy purpose." 



HER CHARACTER. 



367 



heads remember her and tremble remember her, and 
bring forth fruits meet for repentance. 

" In that charity, also, which far surpasses mere alms 
giving-, however liberal, the charity of the Gospel, our 
friend was conspicuous. The love of God shed abroad 
in her own heart by the Holy Ghost, drew forth her love 
to his people wherever she found them. Assuredly she 
had in herself this witness of her having passed from 
death unto life, that she loved the brethren. The epistle 
written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living 
God ; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the 
heart; yet read and known of all men: that is, the 
Christian temper manifested by a Christian conversation, 
was to her the best letter of recommendation. Unwa 
vering in her own faith as to the peculiar doctrines of 
the Gospel, she could, nevertheless, extend love with 
out dissimulation, and the very bowels of Christian fel 
lowship to others, who, whatever might be their mis 
takes, their infirmities or their differences in smaller 
matters, agreed in the great Christian essential of accept 
ance in the Beloved. Deeply did she deplore the conceit, 
the bigotry and the bitterness of sect. that her spirit 
were more prevalent in the churches! that we could 
labor to abase our crown of pride; to offer up with one 
consent upon the altar of evangelical charity, those petty 
jealousies, animosities and strifes which are our com 
mon reproach; and walk together as children of the 
same Father, brethren of the same Redeemer, and heirs 
of the same salvation ! 

" To these admirable traits of character were added 
great tenderness of conscience and a spirit of prayer 
Her religion, not contented to justify her before men, 



368 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

habitually aimed at pleasing Got/, who looketh upon the. 
hen it. It was not enough for her to persuade herself 
that a thing might be right. Before venturing upon it, 
she studied to reduce the question of right to a clear 
certainty. How cautious, and scrupulous, and jealous 
of herself she was in this matter, they best can tell who 
saw her in the shade of retirement as well as in the sun 
shine of public observation. Perhaps it is not going too 
far to say, that her least guarded moments would, in 
others, have been marked for circumspection. At the 
same time her vigilance had nothing austere, gloomy, 
constrained or censorious: nothing to repress the cheer 
fulness of social intercourse; or to excite in others, 
even the thoughtless, a dread of merciless criticism 
after they should retire. It was sanctified nature mov 
ing gracefully in its own element. And with respect to 
the character and feelings of her neighbors, she was too 
full of Christian kindness not to T keep her tongue, from 
evil and her lips from speaking guile. 1 

" These virtues and graces were maintained and in 
vigorated by her habit of prayer. With the new and 
living way into the holiest by the blood of Jesus she 
was intimately familiar. Thither the Spirit of grace 
and supplication daily conducted her; there taught her 
to pray, and in praying to believe, and in believing to 
have r fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus 
Chris*. She knew her God as the God that heareth 
prayer ; and could attest that blessed is she that believeth, 
for there shall be a performance of those things which 
were told her from the Lord. 

" Under such influence her course could not but be 
correct, and her steps well ordered. The f secret of the 



HER CHARACTER. 369 

Lord is with them that fear him ; and he will show them 
his covenant he will guide them in judgment. Thus 
he did with his handmaid whom he hath called home. 
Wherever she was, and in whatever circumstances, she 
remembered the guide of her youth, who, according to 
his promise, never left her nor forsook her; but continued 
his gracious presence with her when she was old and 
gray headed. 

" You may perhaps imagine, that with such direction 
and support it was impossible she should see trouble 
Nay, but waters of a full cup were wrung out to her. 
She often ate the bread of sorrow steeped in wormwood 
and gall. Her heavenly Father * showed her great and 
sore adversities ; that he might try her as silver is tried 
and bring her forth from the furnace purified seven 
times. It was during these refining processes that she 
found the worth of being a Christian. Though her way 
was planted with thorns and watered with her tears, 
yet the candle of the Lord shone upon her head ; and 
from step to step she had reason to cry, * Hitherto hath 
Jehovah helped. 

" In a word, like Enoch, she walked with God like 
Abraham, she staggered not at his promise through un 
belief like Jacob, she wrestled with the angel and pre 
vailed like Moses, endured as seeing Him who is invi 
sible like Paul, finished her course with joy. Blessed 
were the eyes of the preacher, for they saw the victory 
of her faith ; and his ears, for they heard her song of 
salvation. f You can say with the apostle, / know whom 
I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep 
that which I have committed unto him ? yes ! but I 
cannot say the other, I have fought a good fight I must 

16* 



370 LIFE OF MKS. GRAHAM. 

say, / have fought a poor fight, I have run a poor race ; 
but Christ fought for me Christ ran with me and 
through Christ I hope to win. * But you have no fear, 
no doubts, about your going to be with Christ V no! 
not a doubt j I am as sure of that as if I were already 
in my Savior s arms. It was her final conversation 
with children of the dust. The next day, when her flesh 
and her heart had so far failed that she was incapable of 
uttering a sentence, she still proved her God to be the 
strength of her heart, and knew him to be her portion for 
ever. I said to her, // is peace. She opened her eyes, 
smiled, closed them again, bowed her dying head, and 
breathed out Peace. It was her last word on this side 
heaven. The attending spirits caught it from her lips, and 
brought to her the next day permission to sleep in Jesus 

" From this review allow me to urge the value of pri 
vate exertions in promoting general good. 

" In pursuing his gratifications, man is apt to look 
upon himself as a being of great importance : in ful 
filling his duties, to account himself as nothing. Both 
are extravagances which it will be his wisdom and hap 
piness to correct. He is neither supreme in worth nor 
useless in action. Let him not say, I am but one; my 
voice will be drowned in the universal din ; my weight 
is lighter than a feather in the public scale. It is better 
for me to mind my own affairs, and leave these higher 
attempts to more competent hands. This is the lan 
guage, not of reason and modesty, but of sloth, of sel 
fishness and of pride. The amount of it is, I cannot 
do every thing, therefore I will do nothing. But you 
can do much. Act well your part according to your 



HER CHARACTER. 371 

faculties, your station and your means. The result will 
be honorable to yourself, delightful to your friends and 
beneficial to the world. I advise not to gigantic aims, 
to enormous enterprise. The world has seen but one 
Newton and one Howard. Nothing is required of you 
but to make the most of the opportunities within your 
reach. 

" Recall the example of Mrs Graham. Here was a 
woman a widow a stranger in a strange land with 
out fortune with no friends but such as her letters of 
introduction and her worth should acquire and with a 
family of daughters dependent upon her for their sub 
sistence. Surely if any one has a clear title of immu 
nity from the obligation to carry her cares beyond the 
domestic circle, it is this widow it is this stranger. Yet 
within a few years this stranger, this widow, with no 
means but her excellent sense, her benevolent heart 
and her persevering will to do good, awakens the cha 
rities of a populous city, and gives to them an impulse, 
a direction and an efficacy unknown before. 

" What might not be done by men by men of talent, 
of standing, of wealth, of leisure 1 How speedily, under 
their well-directed beneficence, might a whole country 
change its physical, intellectual and moral aspect ; and 
assume, comparatively speaking, the face of another 
Eden a second garden of God! Why then do they 
not diffuse thus extensively the seeds of knowledge, of 
virtue and of bliss 1 I ask not for their pretences j they 
are as old as the lust of lucre, and are refuted by the 
example which we have been contemplating ; I ask for 
the true reason, for the inspiring principle of their con 
duct. It is this let them look to it when God shall 



372 LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

call them to account for the abuse of their time, their 
talents, their station, their * unrighteous mammon? it is 
this: they believe not the words of the Lord Jesus, how 
he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive? They 
labor under no want but one they want the heart. The 
bountiful God add this to the other gifts which he has 
bestowed upon them ! I turn to the other sex. 

" That venerable mother in Israel who has exchanged 
the service of God on earth for his service in heaven, 
has left a legacy to her sisters she has left the example 
of her faith and patience ; she has left her prayers ; she 
has left the monument of her Christian deeds; and by 
these she being dead, yet speaketh. Matrons! has she left 
her mantle also 1 Are there none among you to hear 
her voice from the tomb, Go and do thou likewise 1 None 
whom affluence permits, endowments qualify, and piety 
prompts, to aim at her distinction by treading in her 
steps 1 Maidens ! Are there none among you who would 
wish to array yourselves hereafter in the honors of this 
virtuous womanl Your hearts have dismissed their 
wonted warmth and generosity, if they do not throb as 
the revered vision rises before you. Then prepare 
yourselves now, by seeking and serving the God of her 
youth. You cannot be too early adorned with the robes 
of righteousness and the garments of salvation in which 
she was wedded, in her morning of life, to Jesus the 
Kinjr of glory. That same grace which threw its ra 
diance around her shall make you also to shine in the 
beauty of holiness ; and the fragrance of those virtues 
which it shall create, develope and ennoble, will be T as 
the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed. 

" Yea, let me press upon all the transcendent exceJ- 



HER CHARACTER. 373 

lence of Christian character, and the victorious power 
of Christian hope. The former bears the image of God j 
the latter is as imperishable as his throne. We fasten 
our eyes with more real respect and more heart-felt 
approbation upon the moral majesty displayed in walk 
ing as Christ also walked, than upon all the pomps of 
the monarch or decorations of the military hero. More 
touching 1 to the sense and more grateful to high heaven 
is the soft melancholy with which we look after our 
departed friend, and the tear which embalms her me 
mory, than the thundering plaudits which rend the air 
with the name of a conqueror. She has obtained a tri 
umph over that foe who shall break the arm of valor 
and strike off the crown of kings. T The fashion of this 
world passeth away. Old Time approaches toward his 
last hour. The proudest memorials of human grandeur 
shall be food for the conflagration to be kindled when 
the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven in flaming 
fire. Then shall he be glorified in his saints, and admired 
in all them that believe. 

" There are those, perhaps in the present assembly, 
who repute godliness fanaticism, and the sobriety of 
Christian peace the gloom of a joyless spirit; but who 
cannot forbear sighing out, with the prophet of mam 
mon, T Let me die the death of the righteous, and let 
my last end be like his. If they proceed no further 
their wish will not be granted. None shall die the death 
of the righteous, unless by a rare dispensation of mercy, 
who do not live his life. They only are fit to be with 
God who love God and keep his commandments. In that 
day of transport and of terror which we shall all witness, 
how many of the thoughtless fair who now f sport them- 



374? LIFE OF MRS. GRAHAM. 

selves with their own deceivings, would give all the 
treasures of the east and thrones of the west to sit with 
Isabella Graham on the right hand of Jesus Christ ! If 
ye be wise betimes, ye may. * Now is the accepted time ; 
to-day is the day of salvation. The Gospel of the Son 
of God offers you, at this very moment, the forgiveness 
of your sins and an inheritance among them that are 
sanctified. The blessing comes to you as a free gift 
accept it and live ; accept it and be safe ; accept it, and 
put away the shudderings of guilt and the fear of death. 
Then shall you too, like our friend, go, in due season, 
to be with Christ. Your happy spirit shall rejoin hers 
in the mansions of the saved. God shall bring you in 
soul and body with her when he makes up his jewels. 
Then shall he gather his elect from the four winds of 
heaven, shall perfect that which concerneth them, and 
make them fully and for ever blessed. Be our place 
among them in that day!" 

Extract from Mrs. Graham s last Will and Testament. 

" My children and my grand-children I leave to my 
covenant God; the God who hath fed me all my life 
with the bread that perisheth, and the bread that never 
perisheth ; who has been a Father to my fatherless chil 
dren, and a Husband to their widowed mother thus far. 
And now, receiving my Redeemer s testimony, John, 
3 : 33, I set to my seal that God is true; and believing 
the record in John s Epistle, that God hath given to 
me eternal life, and this life is in his Son, who, through 
the eternal Spirit, offered himself without spot unto 
God, and being consecrated a priest for ever, hath, with 
his own blood, entered into the holy place, having ob- 



SICKNESS AND DEATH. 375 

tained eternal redemption for me ! I also believe that he 
will perfect what concerns me, support and carry me 
safely through death, and present me to his Father, com 
plete in his own righteousness, without spot or wrinkle. 
Into the hands of this redeeming God Father, Son, and 
Holy Ghost, I commit my redeemed spirit." 

Mrs. Graham s epitaph, on a tablet in the Pearl-street 
Church, is associated with that of her son-in-law Mr. 
Bethune, to whom before his connection with the fami 
ly she was a spiritual mother ; who prepared her me 
moir, wrote and printed Tracts for her widows, im 
ported Bibles for her to distribute, replenished her cha 
rity purse when exhausted ; with whom she " took 
sweet counsel and walked to the house of God in com 
pany;" and for whom she was pleased to leave the 
written and honorable testimony : " He stands, in my 
mind, in temper, conduct, and conversation, the nearest 
to the Gospel standard of any man or woman I ever 
knew as intimately. Devoted to his God, to his church, 
to his family, to all to whom he may have opportunity 
of doing good, duty is his governing principle; cast 
upon his care, under God he nourishes me with kind 
ness," &c. They have entered into rest. One sepulchre 
contains their sleeping dust, and one monument bears 
the following tribute to their memory : 



SACRED 

TO THE MEMORY OF 

DIVIE BETHUNE &gt; 

MERCHANT OF THIS CITY, 
Who died September 18, 1S24, aged 53 Years; 

AND OF 

ISABELLA GRAHAM, 

HIS MOTHER-IN-LAW, 
Who died July 27, 1814, aged 72 Years. 

THEY WERE BOTH NATIVES OF SCOTLAND. 
THIS MONUMENT 

IS REARED BY HIS BEREAVED WIDOW AND HER ORPHAN DAUGHTER, 
AS A TESTIMONIAL OF TWO SERVANTS OF JESUS CHRIST J 

THE ONE A RUL1N ELDER IN HIS CHURCH, THE OTHER A MOTHER IN ISRAEL; 

WHO, LIKE ENOCH, WALKED WITH GOD, 

LIKE ABRAHAM, OBTAINED THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF FAITH, 
AND, LIKE PAUL, FINISHED THEIR COURSE WITH JOY. 

THEY WERE LOVELY AND PLEASANT IN THEIR LIVES, 
AND THEY REST HERE TOGETHER IN THEIR GRAVES. 

"The blessing of him tliat was ready to perish came jpou them; and they 
caused the widow s heart to sing for joy." Job, 39 : 13. 

"Oh! how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear 
thec; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sous of 
meu." Psalm 31 : 19. 



PROVISION 

FOR 

MY LAST JOURNEY THROUGH THE WILDERNESS 
AND 

PASSAGE OVER JORDAN.* 

" Joshua, 1:11, and chapter 3. Prepare you victuals, 
for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to 
go in to possess the land which the Lord your God 
giveth you to possess it. When ye see the ark of the 
covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests bearing 
it, then ye shall remove, and go after it : that ye may 
know the way by which ye must go, for ye have not 
passed this way heretofore. 

r Sanctify yourselves, for to-morrow the Lord will 
do wonders among you. 

Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all 
the earth passeth over before you into Jordan : and it 
shall come to pass, that as soon as the soles of the feet 
of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord the Lord 
of all the earth shall rest in the waters, that the waters 
of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come 
down from above : and they shall stand upon a heap. 
And it came to pass, that when the people removed 
from their tents to pass over Jordan, and the priests 
bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, that 
as they that bare the ark were come into Jordan ; and 
the feet of the priests were dipped in the brim of the 

* Found in Mrs. Graham s pocket after her decease. 



378 PROVISION FOR 

water, that the waters that came down from above stood 
and rose up upon a heap j and the priests that bare 
the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry 
ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites 
passed over on dry ground. 

And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of 
Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests that 
bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood, and 
they are there unto this day. 

* When your children shall ask their fathers in time 
to come, saying, what mean these stones 1 ye shall let 
your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jor 
dan on dry land: for the Lord your God dried up the 
waters from before you until ye were passed over, as 
the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried 
up until we were passed over. That all people of the 
earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty: 
that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever. Amen. 
" Oh! thou Jehovah ! Israel s God, and by thy new co 
venant, my God ! Thus far hast thou brought me through 
the wilderness : bearing, chastising, forgiving, restoring. 
Well hast thou made out thy wilderness name to me, 
* The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long- 
suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mer 
cy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression and 
sin. Great have been my provocations, but greater 
still thy covenant mercy. I have not perished with 
them that believed not ; sore bitten I am, but thou hast 
fixed mine eyes on the lifted-up Healer, and I am in his 
hand for further cure. My journey has been long, and 
my way devious ; but my blessed Joshua is still in view, 
I must be near to Jordan s flood j I have been preparing 



PASSING OVER JORDAN. 379 

victuals from thine own repository of truth. And now, 
my blessed Hi^h Priest and Ark of the Covenant, lead 
on my staggering steps the little further. I have not 
gone this way heretofore, but thou hast measured these 
waters while they overflowed all their banks. Thou 
hast passed through, and made the passage safe for thy 
people. At thy command the waters stand up upon a 
heap, and they pass through in thy presence on faith s 
firm ground. Keep then mine eye upon thee, and I shall 
fear no evil. And Oh, my blessed Leader! if it might 
please thee, I would ask a boon, yet with submission, 
that thy sensible presence might be with me all the way 
through; and that thou wouldst bring from my quiver 
ing lips a testimony to the glory of thy grace, that my 
children may know that thou hast pardoned, restored, 
perfected, dried up the waters of terror, carried trium 
phantly through, and put me in possession of the pur 
chased inheritance. Amen. 

" 1 Timothy, 1 : 15. This is a faithful saying, and 
worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into 
the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 

" I have often inquired what is there within us, or with 
out us, on which a sinner can rest in peace in a dying 
hour 1 If it be a holy life, there can be no peace for 
me taking the law of God foj* my standard ; backslider 
is my name ; yet I think in this sacred volume I find a 
hope even for me, the chief of sinners. 

" John, 3 : 14. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the 
wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, 
that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but 
have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he 
gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth 



380 PROVISION FOR 

on him should not perish, but have eternal life. For 
God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the 
world, but that the world through him might be saved. 
Verse 31, * He that cometh from heaven is above all, 
and what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth. 
Verse 33, He that receiveth his testimony has set to 
his seal that God is true. Verse 35, The Father 
loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand; 
he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. Here 
is a hope for me ; the world is made up of sinners, I am 
one of them, and though the chief, am not excluded. 
Matthew, 18 : 11, The Son of man came to save that 
which was lost ; I am of that description. Matthew, 
9:13, * The Pharisees said, why eateth your master 
with publicans and sinners ? Jesus said, the whole need 
not a physician, but they that are sick. I am a sinner, 
and sick. 1 will have mercy and not sacrifice, for I 
am no* come to call the righteous, but sinners to re 
pentance. I am a sinner, and need repentance. Him 
hath God exalted with his right hand, to be a Prince 
and a Savior, to give repentance and forgiveness of sins 
to Israel. Acts, 3:31. 2 Peter, 3:9, The Lord is 
long-suffering, not willing that any should perish; but 
that all should come to repentance. 

" Christ said to the woman of Samaria, a notorious sin* 
ner, John, 4 : 10, * If thou knewest the gift of God, and 
who it is that saith to thee, give me to drink, thou would- 
est have asked of him, and he would have given thee 
living water. Whosoever drinketh of this water shall 
thirst aorain : but whosoever drinketh of the water that 

C5 

I shall give him, shall never thirst, but the water that I 
shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing 



PASSING OVER JORDAN. 381 

np into everlasting life. Yes, my Redeemer ! a draught 
of this water, received in faith from the hand of the 
Spirit, will give life in death. O pour it into my thirsty 
soul in that searching hour ! 

" Jesus said to a mixed multitude of sinners like me, 
John, 6 : 27, Labor not for the meat which perisheth, 
but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, 
which the Son of man shall give unto you ; for him hath 
God the Father sealed. These sinners said unto him, 
what shall we do that we might work the works of 
God V That ye believe on him whom he hath sent. 
My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven, for 
the bread of God is he which cometh down from hea 
ven, and giveth life unto the world : I am the bread of 
life ; he that cometh unto me shall never hunger, and 
he that believeth on me shall never thirst. I arn the 
living bread which came down from heaven ; if any man 
eat of this bread, he shall live for ever. And the bread 
which I shall give is my flesh, which I will give fer the 
life of the world. Jesus said unto them, except ye eat 
the flesh, and drink the blood of the Son of man, ye 
have no life in you : whoso eateth my flesh, and drink- 
eth my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the 
living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so 
he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. The Fa 
ther giveth this bread, the Son giveth this bread ; who 
soever will, may take of this bread, and the promise 
with it. Father, I take this bread, I take and believe that 
I have in thee eternal life, according to thy word. O 
holy and blessed Comforter! Spirit of the Father and 
of the Son, whose office it is to take of the things of 
Christ and show them unto his redeemed j when the 



382 PROVISION FOR 

bread and the water that perish can no longer refresh 
this dying body, apply this living bread and living wa 
ter to my soul, that life may spring up in the midst of 
death; and in that trying hour, bear witness with my 
spirit that I dwell in Christ, and Christ in me, and that 
I shall never die. 

" John, 7 : 37. f In the last day, that great day of the 
feast, Jesus stood and cried, If any man thirst, let him 
come unto me and drink ; he that believeth on me, as 
the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers 
of living water. This spake he of the Spirit, that they 
who believe on him should receive. This he proclaimed 
to a mixt multitude of sinners like myself. Lord, I be 
lieve, and am sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of 
the living God. Be it unto me according to thy word 
John, 11 : 25. I am the resurrection and the life ; he 
that believeth on me, though he were dead, yet shall he 
live ; and whosoever liveth and believeth on me. shall 
never die. Believest thou this V I believe that thou 
art the Christ, the son of the living God, which should 
come into the world ; the promised Messiah ; the gift 
of the Father, the covenant given to the people; the 
anointed Prophet and King, and consecrated High 
Priest; who through the eternal Spirit ofFeredst thy 
self without spot unto God; who came to do that most 
perfect will of God, by which we are sanctified through 
the offering of the body of Christ once for all. Lamb of 
God, which takest away the sins of the world ! on thee 
I lay my precious never-dying soul ; wash me in thy 
blood, clothe me in thy righteousness ; sanctify me, 
soul, spirit, and body, to thy service. I have no other 
foundation of hope, nothing within me, nothing without 



PASSING OVER JORDAN. 383 

me ; my entire dependence is on thy finished work ; into 
thy hands I commit my spirit. 

"Let me hear thy consoling voice, compassionate Sa 
vior! John, 14&gt; : 1, Let not your heart be troubled; 
ye believe in God, believe also in me ; in my Father s 
house are many mansions; if it were not so I would 
have told you ; I go to prepare a place for you ; I will 
come again and receive you unto myself, that where I 
am, there ye may be also. Oh! seal this upon my 
heart, and it is enough. To be where thou art, is hea 
ven enough to me. To be where thou art, to see thee 
as thou art, and to be made like thee, the last sinful mo 
tion for ever past : no more opposition, no more weari 
ness, listlessness, dryness, deadness ; but conformed to 
my blessed Head, every way capacitated to serve him, 
and to enjoy him. This is heaven. 

f Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life ; 
no man cometh to the Father, but by me. Blessed 
Comforter ! do thine office ; take these things of Christ 
and show them unto me ; lead me in this way, feed me 
with this truth, and animate me with this life : r what 
soever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, that 
will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 
If ye ask any thing in my name, I will do it. Bless 
ed Comforter ! here also do thine office ; I know not 
what to ask for as I ought ; help mine infirmities as 
thou hast said ; suggest the prayer, be in me the spirit 
of prayer and supplication, and especially in that hour 
of need, when sickness saps the clay tabernacle, dis 
composing the spirit, and confusing perhaps the ideas : 
still, still, let my thoughts rise to my God. Oh ! let 
no unhallowed subject get hold of me in that hour, but 



384 PROVISION FOR 

keep my Savior s name in my heart, and on my lips. 
Is not this according to thy will; watch over it then, 
and keep the avenues of my soul from every vain idea. 
" If ye love me, keep my commandments, and I will 
pray the Father, and he shall give you another Com 
forter, that he may abide with you for ever, even the 
Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, be 
cause it seeth him not, neither knoweth him ; but ye 
know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in 
you. He that hath my commandments and keepeth 
them, he it is that loveth me, and he that loveth me 
shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and 
will manifest myself unto him ; and we will come and 
make our abode with him. The Comforter, which is 
the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my 
name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all 
things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said 
unto you. Peace I leave with you j my peace I give 
unto you ; not as the world giveth, give I unto you : 
let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 
In that last warfare, when nothing on earth can give 
peace ; when the world recedes, and disappears ; when 
friends must stand aloof and leave me to the combat 
alone ; Oh ! blessed and promised Comforter, bring to 
my remembrance, and impress on my weary spirit 
these sweet words of my Savior. But it has often oc 
curred to me, and may in that hour, that though Jesus 
received sinners, they were ignorant sinners. The 
Jews understood not the Gospel contained in their 
types and sacrifices ; they were unenlightened and un 
converted ; the Gentiles were totally blind, serving 
dumb idols; neither had known the Gospel; never 



PASSING OVER JORDAN. 385 

had tasted the grace of God : neither were backsliders 
like me. I have known the truth, been enlightened, 
tasted of the heavenly gift, been made a partaker of 
the Holy Ghost, tasted of the good word of God, and 
of the power of the world to come. 

" Fifty years ago the Lord convinced me of my sin, 
my misery, and my total helplessness. I was also, I 
think, enabled to lay hold on the hope set before me. 

" I have, in numerous exercises and acts, accepted of 
God s gift of Jesus Christ to me a condemned sinner ; 
taking hold of the Scripture words of invitation and 
promise held out for my acceptance. I have pleaded 
his own covenant provision, in the substitution of his 
own Son in my stead, making him to be sin, who 
knew no sin, that sinners might be made the righ 
teousness of God in him. I put in my claim as a sin 
ner, among the ungodly for whom Christ died. I be 
lieved his testimony, and set to my seal that God is 
true. I rested on this foundation I yet have no other 
I know there is no other. The foundation standeth 
sure. But Oh! what am I to think of the fruits! I 
have again and again turned back into the world: 
grieved the Spirit, crucified the Son of God afresh, and 
put him to open shame. No wonder I stand alarmed 
at the Apostle s assertion : my conscience testifies 
that my character is nearly, if not altogether, such as 
the Apostle, by the Holy Spirit, says it is impossible 
to renew to repentance. Hebrews, 6:4,5. But thou 
hast renewed to repentance ! Thy name is the Lord, 
the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering-, 
and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for 
thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. 

Mrs. Ornliam. 17 



386 PROVISION FOR 

Thou wilt by no means clear the guilty ; but thou hast 
provided a substitute, and laid my guilt and guilty 
person on thine own Son. 

"By this gracious name thou wast known to thy 
backsliding Israel in the wilderness ; whose heart, 
ike mine, was not right with God ; neither were they 
steadfast in his covenant ; but he, being full of com 
passion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them 
not. Many a time turned he his anger away, and 
did not stir up all his wrath. They forgot God their 
Savior, who had done great things for them ; they 
transgressed his commandment, and in their heart 
turned back again to Egypt ; they brought upon them 
selves many afflictions, and many times did he deliver 
them ; they provoked him with their counsel, and were 
brought low for their iniquity ; nevertheless, he heard 
their cry, and repented according to the multitude of his 
mercies ; while the blood of bulls and of goats typified 
the great propitiatory sacrifice, by which God can be 
just and justify the ungodly. By this name was the Lord 
God merciful and gracious known in the pleasant land, 
and by the same sacrifice, the blood of Christ, which 
cleanseth from all sin, was typified. Psalms 103 and 51. 

" The prophets prophesied in his name. All we, like 
sheep, have gone astray, and the Lord hath laid on him 
the iniquity of us all. He was wounded for our trans 
gressions, and bruised for our iniquities ; the chastise 
ment of our peace was laid on him, and by his stripes 
we are healed. Deliver from going down to the pit ; 
I have found a ransom. Even backsliders, among 
whom I stand chief, have been recalled. Jeremiah, 2. 
My people have committed two great evils: they 



PASSING OVER JORDAN. 387 

have forsaken the fountain of living waters, and have 
hewn out to themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, 
that can hold no water. Is Israel a servant j is he a 
home-born slave j wherefore is he spoiled] Hast thou 
not procured this to thyself, in that thou hast forsaken 
the Lord thy God, when he led thee by the way ] and 
now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to 
drink the waters of Sihor ] what hast thou to do in 
the way of Syria, to drink the waters of the river 1 
Thy own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy back- 
slidings shall reprove thee. Know therefore, and see 
that it is an evil and bitter thing that thou hast for 
saken the Lord thy God j and that my fear is not in 
thee, saith the Lord God of hosts. For of old I have 
broken thy yoke and burst thy bands : and thou saidst, 
I will not transgress ; when upon every high hill and 
under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the 
harlot. Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a 
right seed: how art thou turned into the degenerate 
plant of a strange vine unto me 1 Why gaddest thou 
about so much to change thy way] thou also shalt be 
ashamed of Egypt, as thou wast ashamed of Assyria. 
Have I been a barren wilderness or a land of darkness 
unto thee 1 Wherefore say my people, we are lords, 
and will come no more unto thee 1 Can a maid forget 
her ornaments, or a bride her attire 1 yet my people 
have forgotten me, days without number. Jeremiah, 3, 
They say if a man put away his wife, and she go from 
him, and become another man s, shall he return to her 
again] shall not that land be greatly polluted] But thou 
hast played the harlot with many lovers ; yet return 
again unto me, saith the Lord ; wilt thou not from this 



388 PROVISION FOR 

time cry unto me, my Father, thou art the guide of my 
youth V What can I say to such grace 1 Thou art 
infinite in thy mercy to pardon, and in thy power to 
save ! Such has been my character, and such the amaz 
ing mercy of my offended God ! Often, often has he 
pardoned, restored, blessed and made me happy. But, 
Oh ! just is the renewed charge against me ! For 
the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt 
very treacherously with me, saith the Lord. They 
have belied the Lord, and said, it is not he, neither 
shall evil come upon us. Verse 1*2. Go and proclaim 
these words, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, 
saith the Lord, and I will not cause mine anger to fall 
upon you : for I am merciful, saith the Lord, I will not 
keep anger for ever ! Only acknowledge thine iniquity, 
that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God ; 
and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord. Turn, 

backsliding children, for I am married unto you. 
What ! O what can I say to such grace ? Truly, f thy 
ways are not as our ways, nor thy thoughts as our 
thoughts! For as the heavens are higher than the 
earth, so are thy ways higher than our ways, and thy 
thoughts than our thoughts! Oh! how is my guilt 
aggravated by all this grace ! and yet thou callest, Re- 
turn ! and thou thyself turnest me. I do, Lord God, 
merciful and gracious ! I do acknowledge my iniquity ; 
every time I turn back my eyes upon my past life my 
sins rise in magnitude, heightened by more enlarged 
views of thy goodness. It is of the Lord s mercies that 

1 am not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 
" f A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping 

and supplication of the children of Israel, for they have 



PASSING OVER JORDAN. 389 

perverted their ways, and they have forgotten the Lord 
their God. Yes, thou hast, my gracious God, granted 
repentance ! Thine eye has seen the tears I have shed j 
thou hast given me a contrite heart. I have looked up 
on him whom I have pierced, and been in bitterness as 
for a first-born. I feel it now, and must feel it wlvle 
the body of sin exists. But Oh! Lord God, merciful 
arid gracious! the cause is in thyself, that I hear thy 
voice, and that I answer. Keturn, ye backsliding chil 
dren, and I will heal your backslidings ! Behold, I 
come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God! Truly 
in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills and the mul 
titude of mountains. Truly, in the Lord God is the salva 
tion of Israel: we lie down in our shame, our confusion 
covereth us : for we have sinned against the Lord our 
God j we and our fathers, even from our youth ; and 
have not obeyed the voice of the Lord God. Thus, 
saith the Lord God, I will even deal with thee as thou 
hast done, who hast despised the oath in breaking the 
covenant. Nevertheless, I will remember my cove 
nant with thee in the days of thy youth ; and I will esta 
blish unto thee an everlasting covenant, and thou shalt 
know that I am the Lord. That thou mayest remember 
and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more 
because of thy shame, when I am pacified towards thee, 
saith the Lord God. Amen, Lord God, merciful and 
gracious ! Be it so. It is so now, it must, it will be 
so, until death shall open mine eyes on that mystery. 
The glory of God arising out of the abounding of sin, 
through the superabounding of grace, and grace reign 
ing through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus 
Christ our Lord! 



390 PROVISION FOR 

" Till then, while sin dwelleth in me, let me enjoy 
the blessedness of a contrite heart; yea, even shame 
and confusion, since it is the sign that thou art paci 
fied with me. Thou hast dealt with me, thou hast 
chastened, and in some instances taken vengeance on 
my inventions. But thou art pacified with me, and I 
dare look again to thy holy temple, to the temple not 
made with hands, to the minister of the sanctuary, 
and the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched, and 
not man ; to the blessed High Priest, who through the 
eternal Spirit offered himself a sacrifice without spot 
unto God, and by his own blood entered in once into 
the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for 
us, and when he had purged our sins, sat down on the 
right hand of the Majesty on high ; to the blessed 
Mediator of the new and better covenant, established 
on better promises ; to the surety of the new testa 
ment, and sealed with his own blood. I will look 
unto Jesus! the Object, the Author, and the Finisher 
of that faith which interests in himself and the whole 
of his purchase ! He bids me look unto him and be 
saved ! I do look unto him, and I am saved ! Who 
dares condemn the sinner whom Christ acquits 1 Who 
shall lay any thing to his charge 1 It is Christ that 
died ; yea, rather, who is risen again ; who is even at 
the right hand of God ; who also maketh intercession 
for us! " 

ISAIAH, 44:22. RETURN UNTO ME, &c. 

(A Scripture paraphrase by D. B .) 

Return to thee, my God ! dost thou 
The invitation yet renew 7 
Return to thee ! my chiefest joy, 
Till sin did all my peace destroy ! 



PASSING OVER JORDAN. 391 

And yet, to hear thy pardoning voice 
Must make my trembling heart rejoice; 
Though sin is there, thou well dost know 
It is my burden and my foe. 

let me hear those gracious words ! 
Bs still, my soul, they are the Lord s; 
That God, who once on thee did shine, 
And fill d thee with a hope divine. 

" Thy black transgressions, trembling soul, 
" Thy sin so heinous and so foul, 
&lt;! Which like a cloud obscure thy day, 
" I ve blotted out, I ve wash d away. 

" Return to me, thou rt mine j I own 
" Thee for my servant, and my son ; 
" I have redeem d thy precious soul, 
" And none my purchase shall control." 

1 hear, I come, my Cov nant God ! 
Thy love s my life, my raiment, food; 
Thy favor, through my Jesus given, 
Is to my soul the bliss of heaven. 

I come, my Jesus ! hold me fast, 
Till, life and Jordan s journey past, 
My faith to vision yield her place, 
And I shall see thy unveil d face. 

Then, with the loudest of the throng, 
Of sins forgiv n I ll raise the song 
Of pardon bought with Jesus blood, 
Sinners made kings and priests to God. 



PSALM 103. FIFTY YEARS AGO. 

Oh ! thou, my soul, bless God the Lord, 

And all that in me is 
Be stirred up his holy name 

To magnify and bless. &c. 



392 PROVISION FOR 

"John 14. I will not leave you comfortless; I will 
come unto you; yet a little while and the world seeth 
me no more ; but ye see me : because I live, ye shall 
live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in the 
Father, and you in me, and I in you ! Believest thou not 
that I am in the Father and the Father in me 1 He that 
hath seen me, hath seen the Father. Howbeit, when 
the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all 
truth. He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of 
mine, and shall show it unto you* All things that the 
Father hath are mine ; therefore said I, he shall take 
of mine, and shall show it unto you. John, 17. Nei 
ther pray I for these alone, but for them also which 
shall believe on me through their word : that they all 
may be one, as thou, Father, art in me and I in thee, 
that they may be one in us : that the world may be 
lieve that thou hast sent me ; and the glory which thou 
gavest me I have given them, that they may be one, 
even as we are one. I in them and thou in me, that 
they may be made perfect in one : that the world may 
know that thou hast sent me ; and hast loved them as 
thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also 
whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that 
they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me ; 
for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. 
1 Cor. 3 : 22. All are yours, and ye are Christ s, and 
Christ is God s. Col. 3:3. * Ye are dead, and your 
life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is 
our life, shall appear, then shall we appear with him in 
glory. Col. 2:9. For in him dwelleth all the ful 
ness of the Godhead bodily, and ye are complete in 
him, who is the head of all principality and power. 7 



PASSING OVER JORDAN. 393 

Eph 4:4. There is one body and one spirit, even as 
ye are called in one hope of your calling: one Lord, 
one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who 
is above all, and through all, and in you all : and unto 
every one of us is given grace according to the mea 
sure of the gift of Christ/ 

" Gal. 2 : 20. I am crucified with Christ: neverthe 
less I live 5 yet not I, but Christ liveth in me ; and the 
life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of 
the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 

" John, 1 : 29. Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh 
away the sins of the world. And looking upon Jesus 
as he walked, John saith, Behold the Lamb of God. 

" 1 Cor. 3:21. Therefore, let no man glory in men, 
for all things are yours ; whether Paul, or Apollos, or 
Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things pre 
sent, or things to come : all are yours, and ye are 
Christ s, and Christ is God s ! ! ! 

"Lam. 3:27. It is good for a man that he bear 
the yoke in his youth: he sitteth alone and keepeth 
silence ; he putteth his mouth in the dust, if so be 
there may be hope ; he giveth his cheek to him that 
smiteth him ; he is filled with reproach. 

" Ezek. 16 : 63. That thou mayest remember, and 
be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, 
because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee 
for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord. Jlmen. 

tf Joel, 2:2. A day of darkness and of gloominess, 
a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning 
spread upon the mountains. Therefore, also now, saith 
the Lord, turn ye unto me with all your heart, with fast 
ing, with weeping, and with mourning. Eend your heart 

17* 



394? PROVISION FOR 

and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your 
God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, 
and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 

" Hosea 2. f I will visit upon her the days of Baalim : 
she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the Lord. 
I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and 
speak comfortably unto her. And I will betroth thee 
unto me for ever : yea, I will betroth thee unto me in 
righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving-kindness, 
and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in 
faithfulness : and thou shalt know the Lord. 

" Hosea, 13. Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, 
but in me is thine help. Chapter 14. Return unto 
the Lord thy God, for thou hast fallen by thy iniquities. 
Take with you words, and return to the Lord ; say unto 
him, take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously : 
so will we render the calves of our lips. Ashur shall 
not save us, we will not ride upon horses, neither will 
we say any more to the works of our hands, ye are our 
gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy. 

I will heal their backsliding ; I will love them free 
ly, for mine anger is turned away from him. I will be as 
the dew unto Israel 5 he shall grow as the lily, and cast 
forth his roots as Lebanon. Ephraim shall say, what 
have I to do any more with idols 1 I have heard him, 
and observed him. I am like a green fir-tree : from me 
is thy fruit found. 

" Daniel, 9. Lord, to us belongeth confusion of 
face, because we have sinned against thee. To the Lord 
our God belong mercies and forgiveness, though we 
have rebelled against him. 7 

" Isaiah, 40 : 11. He shall feed his flock like a shep- 



PASSING OVER JORDAN. 395 

herd, he shall gather the lambs in his arms, and carry 
them in his bosom ; and shall gently lead those that are 
with young. Why sayest thou, Jacob, and speakest, 
O Israel \ my way is hid from the Lord, and my judg 
ment passed over from my God. Hast thou not known, 
hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God fainteth 
not, neither is weary ; there is no searching of his un 
derstanding. He giveth power to the faint j and to him 
that hath no might he increaseth strength. Even the 
youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men 
shall utterly fall : but they that wait on the Lord shall 
renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings 
as eagles ; they shall run and not be weary j they shall 
walk and not faint. 

" Isaiah, 42 : 24. Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and 
Israel to the robbers ? Did not the Lord, he against 
whom we have sinned 1 For they would not walk in his 
way, neither were they obedient to his law. Therefore 
he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the 
strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire round 
about, and he knew not j and it burned him, yet he 
laid it not to heart. But now thus saith the Lord that 
created thee, O Jacob, and that formed thee, O Israel, 
fear not : for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee 
by thy name j thou art mine. When thou passest through 
the waters I will be with thee ; and through the ri 
vers, they shall not overflow thee : when thou walkest 
through the fire, thou shalt not be burnt ; neither shall 
the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, 
the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior. Since thou wast 
precious in my sight thou hast been honorable, and I 
have loved thee. 



396 PROVISION FOR 

" Yes, my God ! I remember and am confounded ! ama 
zed at my ingratitude, amazed at thy grace ! I am thy 
witness, just so has been thy way with me. What can 
I say I Thou hast wrought with me for thy name s sake. 
I am dumb before thee, I am vile and yet I am thine ! 
Thou hast redeemed me ! it is thy good pleasure to 
save me. Glorify thy name. * I have blotted out, as a 
thick cloud, thy transgressions, and as a cloud, thy sins : 
return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. Sing, O ye 
heavens ; for the Lord hath done it : shout, ye lower parts 
of the earth : break forth into singing, ye mountains, O 
forest, and evejry green tree therein : for the Lord hath 
redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel. 

f For if by one man s offence, death reigned by one ; 
much more they which receive abundance of grace, and 
of the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one, 
Christ Jesus. Where sin abounded, grace did much more 
abound : that as sin hath reigned unto death, so might 
grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life, by 
Jesus Christ our Lord. 

" Isaiah, 45 : 22. Look unto me, and be ye saved, al&gt; 
the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none 
else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out 
of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, 
that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall 
swear. Surely shall one say, in the Lord have I righ 
teousness arid strength : even to him shall men come ; 
and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. 
In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and 
shall glory. chapter 46 : 3. Hearken unto me, house 
of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel : 
even to your old age, I am he ; and even to hoar hairs 



PASSING OVER JORDAN. 397 

will I carry you : I have made, and I will bear j even I 
will carry, and I will deliver you. 

" Ezek. 34 ill. Thus saith the Lord; I, even I, will 
both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shep 
herd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among 
his sheep that are scattered ; so will I seek out my 
sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where 
they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. 
And I will bring them out from the people, and gather 
them to their own land, and feed them upon the moun 
tains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited 
places of the country. And I will feed them in a good 
pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall 
their fold be : there shall they lie in a good fold, and in 
a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of 
Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to 
lie down, saith the Lord God. I will seek that which 
was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, 
and will bind up that which was broken, and will 
strengthen that which was sick. He hath done it, I 
am his witness : I, the poor wanderer, the happy sub 
ject of this grace. f And I will raise up for them a 
plant of renown, (my Jesus,) and they shall be no more 
consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the 
shame of the heathen any more. Thus shall they know 
that I the Lord their God am with them, and that 
they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the 
Lord God. And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are 
men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God. As the 
mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is 
round about his people from henceforth and for ever. 
Psalm 125. 



398 PROVISION FOR 

" Ezek. 36. When the house of Israel dwelt in their 
own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their 
doings. And I scattered them among the heathen, and 
they were dispersed through the countries : according 
to their ways and according to their doings I judged 
them. And when they entered unto the heathen, whither 
they went, they profaned my holy name, when they 
said to them, these are the people of the Lord, and are 
gone forth out of his land. But I had pity for mine holy 
name, which the house of Israel had profaned among 
the heathen whither they went. Therefore, say unto 
the house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God; I do not 
this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy 
name s sake, which ye have profaned among the hea 
then, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great 
name, which was profaned among the heathen, which 
ye have profaned in the midst of them ; and the heathen 
shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, 
when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For 
I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you 
out of all countries, and will bring you into your own 
land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and 
ye shall be clean : from all your filthiness, and from all 
your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I 
give you, and a new spirit will I put within you : and I 
will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will 
give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within 
you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall 
keep my judgments, and do them. I will also save you 
from all your uncleannesses : and I will call for the corn, 
and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. And I 
will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of 



PASSING O^ER JORDAN. 39? 

the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of fa 
mine among the heathen. Then shall ye remember your 
own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, 
and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your 
iniquities, and for your abominations. JVo/ for your 
sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto 
you : be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, 
house of Israel. 

EZEKIEL, 16 : 63, AND 36 : 32. 

(A Scripture paraphrase, by D. B . 

Not for your sakes; for born unclean, 
The slaves of Satan and of sin : 
I saw no comeliness in you, 
To bid my grace such wonders do. 

Not for your sakes; for when my love 
And grace should your affections move, 
The working of an evil heart 
Still makes you from my truth depart. 

Not for your sakes ; for bold and blind, 
To lust and avarice inclin d, 
Each shadowy idol you obey, 
Disowning my paternal sway. 

Not for your sakes ; with heav n in view, 
For sin you sell your souls anew ; 
You barter, for a gilded bait, 
The joys of an eternal state. 

Not for your sakes ; for though you ey d 
The cross of Christ, on which he died; 
You scorn his love for worldly ends, 
And wound him in the house of friends. 

Not for your sakes ; with Jesus name, 
You put him to an open shame ; 
And by your sins, consent again 
To have the dear Redeemer slain. 



4-00 PROVISION FOR 

Not for your sakcs ; tis my free grace 
That grants you pardon, life, and peace; 
And works a change on all your frame, 
And binds you to adore my name. 

Nor for my sake ! I hail the sound ! 
Let pow r of grace my pride confound; 
Salvation is a work divine; 
Confusion and the shame be mine. 

Not for my sake ! did I but trust 
To weakness, vanity, and dust ; 
I ne er could reach the heav nly prize, 
Nor hope a mansion in the skies. 

Not for my sake ! yet save and call ; 

Let Jesus be my all in all : 

When glory comes I ll self disown, 

And grace, free grace shall wear the crown. 

" Psalm 104. f Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks 
unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth 
for ever. 

" Psalm 106. Remember me, O Lord, with the favor 
that thou bearest unto thy people : visit me with thy 
salvation, that I may see the good of thy chosen, that 
I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may 
glory with thine inheritance. 

" Eph. 2. At that time ye were without Christ, be 
ing aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and stran 
gers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and 
without God in the world : but now, in Christ Jesus, ye, 
who sometime were far off, are made nigh by the blood 
of Christ. 

"Psalm 10 : 17. Lord, thou hast heard the desire of 
the humble : thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt 
cause thine ear to hear: to judge the fatherless and 



PASSING OVER JORDAN. 401 

the oppressed, that the men of the earth may no more 
oppress. 

" Deut. 8. * Thou shalt remember all the way that the 
Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilder 
ness, to humble thee, to prove thee, to know what was 
in thy heart, whether thou wouldest keep his com 
mandments or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered 
thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou 
knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he 
might make thee know that man doth not live by bread 
alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the 
mouth of the Lord doth man live. Thy raiment waxed 
not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell these forty 
years. 

Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that as a 
man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth 
thee. Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of 
the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways and to fear him. 

" Thou, God, seest me. 

" Eph. 1. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual bless 
ings in heavenly places in Christ; according as he hath 
chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, 
that we should be holy and without blame before him 
in love : having predestinated us to the adoption of sons 
by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good plea 
sure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, 
wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved; in 
whom we have redemption through his blood, the for 
giveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; 
wherein he hath abounded towards us in all wisdom and 
prudence ; having made known unto us the mystery of 



4&gt;0 2 PROVISION FOR 

his will, according to his good pleasure which he pur 
posed in himself, that in the dispensation of the fulness 
of time he might gather together in one all things in 
Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on 
earth, even in him, in whom also we have obtained an 
inheritance, being predestinated according to the pur 
pose of him who worketh all things after the counsel 
of his own will, that we should be to the praise of his 
glory, who first trusted in Christ. 

" Chapter 2 and 4. God, who is rich in mercy, for 
his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we 
were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with 
Christ, (by grace ye are saved,) and hath raised us up 
together, and made us sit together in heavenly places 
in Christ Jesus; that in the ages to come he might 
show the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness 
towards us through Christ Jesus : for by grace are ye 
saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is 
the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should 
boast ; for we are his workmanship, created in Christ 
Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordain 
ed that we should walk in them. Now therefore, ye 
Gentiles are no more strangers and foreigners, but 
fellow-citizens with the Saints, and of the household 
of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apos 
tles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief 
corner stone; in whom all the building, fitly framed 
together, groweth into an holy temple in the Lord : in 
whom ye also are builded together for an habitation 
of God through the Spirit. Chapter 3. I Paul bow 
my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is 



PASSING OVER JORDAN 403 

named, that he would grant you according to the riches 
of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his 
Spirit in the inner man : that Christ may dwell in your 
hearts by faith j that ye being rooted and grounded in 
love, may be able to comprehend with all saints, what 
is the breadth, and length, and height, and depth, and 
to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, 
that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundant 
ly above all that we can ask or think, according to the 
power that worketh in us : unto him be glory in the 
church by Jesus Christ, throughout all ages, world 
without end. Amen. 

" Chapter 4. I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, 
beseech you, that ye walk worthy of the vocation 
wherewith ye are called j with all lowliness and meek 
ness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in 
love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the 
bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, 
even as ye are called in one hope of your calling: one 
Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of 
all, who is above all ; and through all, and in you all. 
But unto every one of us is given grace according to 
the measure of the gift of Christ. That we may grow 
up into him in all things which is the head, even Christ : 
from whom the whole body fitly joined together and 
compacted by that which every joint supplieth, (mi 
nisters and people in the use of all appointed means,) 
according to the effectual working in the measure of 
every part, maketh increase of the body to the edifying 
of itself in love. 

"John, 15. I am the vine, ye are the branches ; he 



404 PROVISION FOR 

that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth 
forth much fruit ; for without me ye can do nothing. 

"Exodus, 16. And Moses said, The Lord heareth 
your murmurings that ye murmur against him; and 
what are we 1 your murmurings are not against us, but 
against the Lord. And Moses said, This is the bread 
which the Lord giveth you to eat. And the children 
of Israel did eat manna until they came unto the bor 
ders of the land of Canaan. 

"John, 6. I am the living bread which came down 
from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall 
live for ever : and the bread that I shall give is my 
flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. He 
that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth 
in me, and I in him. The words which I speak unto 
you, they are spirit, and they are life. 

"1 Cor. 1. f For of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who 
of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and 
sanctification, and redemption. 

" Heb. 4-. Seeing then that we have a great High 
Priest who is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son 
of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have 
not a High Priest who cannot be touched with the 
feeling of our infirmities ; but was in all points tempt 
ed like as we are, yet without sin. Let us, therefore, 
come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may ob 
tain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. 
Chapter 8. For this is the covenant that I will make 
with the house of Israel after those days, saith the 
Lord. I will put my laws into their mind, and write 
them on their hearts, and I will be to them a God, and 
they shall be to me a people ; and they shall not teach 



PASSING OVER JORDAN. 405 

every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, 
saying, Know the Lord, for all shall know me, from 
the least to the greatest ; for I will be merciful to their 
unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will 
I remember no more. In that he saith, a new covenant, 
he hath made the first old: jiow that which decayeth, 
and waxeth old, is ready to vanish away. 

" 1 John, 5. This is the record, that God hath given to 
us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath 
the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son, hath 
not life. Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift. 

" Psalm 62. Truly my soul waiteth upon God; from 
him cometh my salvation; he is my defence, I shall 
not be greatly moved. My soul, wait thou only upon 
God, my expectation is from him ; he only is my rock 
and my salvation ; he is my defence, I shall not be 
moved. In God is my salvation and my glory : the 
rock of my strength, and my refuge is in God. " 



REST. 

" Genesis, 2. f Thus the heavens and the earth were 
finished, and on the seventh day God ended his work 
which he had made, and he rested the seventh day 
from all his work which he had made ; and God bless 
ed the seventh day, and sanctified it, because that in it 
he had rested from all his work that he had created 
and made. 



406 PROVISION FOR 

" Exodus, 16. And Moses said, To-morrow is the rest 
of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord. So the people rest 
ed on the seventh day. 

" Luke, 23. And the women followed after, and be 
held the sepulchre, and how his body was laid ; and 
they returned, and prepared spices and ointments ; and 
rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment. 

" Christ rested in the tomb of Joseph the last Sabbath 
under the law : but the evening and the morning were 
the first day. On that morning he closed his work 
of humiliation, manifested his victory over death, the 
curse denounced, by rising from the tomb, and rested 
on the first day of the week from all his humiliation 
work ; his death, burial, and rest in the grave on the 
seventh day, being the last part of that work." 



" My God, thy service well demands 

The remnant of my days : 
Why is this feeble life preserved, 

But to repeat thy praise. 

" Thine arms of everlasting love 
Do this weak frame sustain, 

While life is hov ring o er the grave 
And nature sinks with pain. 

"Thou, when the pains of death assail, 
Wilt chase the fears of hell, 

And teach my pale and quivering lips 
Thy matchless grace to tell. 



PASSING OVER JORDAN. 407 

" Calmly I ll lay my fainting head 

On thy dear faithful breast ; 
Pleas d to obey my Father s call 

To his eternal rest. 



" Into thy hands, my Savior God, 

Do I my soul resign, 
In firm dependence on that truth 

That made salvation mine " 



The inward, Warfare. 

" Strange and mysterious is my life ! 

What opposites I feel within : 
A stable peace, a constant strife, 

The rule of grace, the power of sin! 
Too often I am captive led, 
Yet daily triumph in my Head. 

" I prize the privilege of prayer : 

But oh ! what backwardness to pray ! 
Though on the Lord I cast my care, 
I feel its burden every day. 
I seek his will in all I do, 
Yet find my own is working too. 

" I call the promises mine own, 

And prize them more than mines of gold 
Yet, though their sweetness I have known, 
They leave me unimpress d and cold 
One hour upon the truth I feed ; 
The next, I know not what I read. 



4-08 PROVISION FOR 

" I love the holy day of rest, 

When Jesus meets his gather d saints: 
Sweet day, of all the week the best, 
For its return my spirit pants : 
Yet often, through my unbelief, 
It proves a day of guilt and grief. 

" While on my Savior I rely, 

I know my foes shall lose their aim ; 
And therefore dare their power defy, 
Assur d of conquest through his name; 
But soon my confidence is slain, 
And all my fears return again. 

" Thus diff rent powers within me strive, 

And death, and sin, by turns, prevail 
I grieve, rejoice, decline, revive, 

And vict ry hangs in doubtful scale : 
But Jesus has his promise passed, 
That grace shall overcome at last " 



Flesh and Spirit. 

" What diff rent powers of grace and sin 

Attend our mortal state ! 
I hate the thoughts that work within, 

Yet do the works I hate. 

" Now I complain, and groan, and die ! 

While sin and Satan reign ; 
Now raise my songs of triumph high, 

For grace prevails again. 



PASSING OVER JORDAN. 

" So darkness struggles with the light, 

Till perfect day arise; 
Water and fire maintain the fight, 

Until the weaker dies. 

" Thus will the flesh and spirit strive, 
And vex and break my peace j 

But I shall quit this mortal life, 
And sin for ever cease." 



" Join all the names of love and pow r 
That ever men or angels bore j 
All are too mean to speak his worth, 
Or set Emmanuel s glory forth. 

" But, oh ! what condescending ways 
He takes to teach his heavenly grace ! 
Mine eyes, with joy and wonder, see 
What forms of love he bears for me. 

" The Angel of the covenant stands 
With his commission in his hands j 
Sent from his Father s milder throne, 
To make his great salvation known. 

" Great Prophet ! let me bless thy name ! 
By thee the joyful tidings came, 
Of wrath appeas d and sins forgiv n, 
Of hell subdu d, and peace with heav n 

" My bright Example, and my Guide, 
I would be walking by thy side ; 
Oh ! let me never run astray, 
Nor follow the forbidden way. 

Mrs. Graham. 18 



410 PROVISION FOR 

" I love my Shepherd, he shall keep 
My wand ring soul among his sheep ; 
He feeds his flock, he tells their names, 
And in his bosom bears the lambs. 

" My Surety undertakes my cause, 
Answ ring his Father s broken laws j 
Behold my soul at freedom set ; 
My Surety paid the dreadful debt. 

" Jesus, my great High Priest, has died, 
I seek no sacrifice beside ; 
His blood did once for all atone, 
And now it pleads before the throne 

"My Advocate appears on high ; 
The Father lays his thunders by ; 
Not all that earth or hell can say, 
Shall turn my Father s heart away. 

" My Lord, my Conq ror, and my King, 
Thy sceptre and thy sword I sing j 
Thine is the vict ry, and I sit 
A joyful subject at thy feet. 

" Aspire, my soul, to glorious deeds : 
The Captain of salvation leads j 
March on, nor fear to win the day, 
Though death and hell obstruct thy way. 

" Though death, and hell, and powers unknown, 
Put all their forms of mischief on ; 
I shall be safe, for Christ displays 
Salvation in more sov reign ways " 



PASSING OVER JORDAN. 411 

" Be this my one great business here, 
With holy trembling, holy fear, 

To make my calling sure j 
Thine utmost counsel to fulfil, 
And suffer all thy righteous will, 

And to the end endure 

" Then, Savior, then my soul receive, 
Transported from this vale, to live 

And reign with thee above : 
Where faith is sweetly lost in sight, 
And hope in full supreme delight, 

And everlasting love." 



" Hush, my distrustful heart, 

And cease to flow, my tears ; 
For greater, Lord, thou art 
Than all my doubts and fears. 
Did Jesus once upon me shine 1 
Then Jesus is for ever mine. 

" Unchangeable his will, 

Whatever be my frame : 
My Savior s heart is still 
Eternally the same. 

My soul through many changes goes, 
His love no variation knows. 

" Thou, Lord, wilt carry on, 

And perfectly perform, 
The work thou hast begun 
In me, vile sinful worm. 

Mine own self-will brings grief and wo 
But Jesus will not let me go. 



412 PROVISION FOR 

" The bowels of thy grace 
At first did freely move ; 
And still I see thy face, 
And feel that God is Love. 

Into thine arms my soul I cast ; 
By sov reign mercy sav d at last." 

" The Priest and Ark now move 

To Jordan s gulfy strand j 
Come now thy cov nant love, 
Take firm thy promis d stand : 

Only to me thy count nance show, 
I ask no more the Jordan through." 



" Come, let us join our cheerful songs 
With angels round the throne ; 

Ten thousand thousand are their tongues, 
But all their joys are one. 

" Worthy the Lamb that died, they cry, 

To be exalted thus ; 
Worthy the Lamb, our souls reply, 

For he was slain for us. 

tr Jesus is worthy to receive 

Honor and power divine ; 
And blessings, more than we can give 

Be, Lord, for ever thine. 

"The whole creation join in one; 

To bless the sacred name 
Of Him that sits upon the throne, 

And to adore the Lamb." 



PASSING OVER JORDAN. 4-13 

" Give me tne wings of faith, to rise 

Within, the veil, and see 
The saints above, how great their joys, 

How bright their glories be. 

" Once they were mourners here below, 
And wet their couch with tears; 

They wrestled hard, as we do now, 
With sins, and doubts, and fears. 

" I ask them, whence their vict ry came : 

They, with united breath, 
Ascribe their conquest to the Lamb, 

Their triumph to his death. 

" They mark d the footsteps that he trod: 

His zeal inspir d their breast j 
And, following the incarnate God, 

Possess d the promis d rest. 

" Our glorious Leader claims our praise, 

For his own pattern given j 
While the long cloud of witnesses if 

Show the same path to heaven." 



With heart and hands, and lifted eyes, 
I ll praise thee while I ve life and breath ; 

And, while my loosen d spirit flies, 
I ll gasp thy praise in very death. 

Faith fain would say, in cheerful mood, 

Thy name be glorified : 
By leading through the swelling flood, 

Or through the channel dried. 



PROVISION FOR 



If grace in time of need I have, 

And strength as is my day, 
I ll triumph through the foaming wave, 

As through the side-wall d way 



" I ll praise my Maker while I ve breath j 
And, when my voice is lost in death, 

Praise shall employ my noblest powers; 
My days of praise shall ne er be past, 
While life and thought and being last, 

And immortality endures." 



"My God, indulge my humble claim ; 

Thou art my Hope, my Joy, my Rest j 
The glories that compose thy name 

Stand all engag d to make me blest. 

" Thou Great and Good, thou Just and Wise, 
Thou art my Father and my God ; 

And I am thine by sacred ties, 

Thy child, thy servant, bought with blood. 

" With heart, and eyes, and lifted hands, 

For thee I long, to thee I look ; 
As travellers in thirsty lands 

Pant for the cooling water brook." 



PASSING OVER JORDAN. 415 

" Jes.us, the weary wanderer s rest, 
Give grace thy sov reign will to bear ; 

With steadfast patience arm my breast, 
With holy love and lowly fear. 

" Thankful, I take the cup from thee, 
Prepar d and mingled by thy skill j 

Though bitter to the taste it be, 
It has a sov reign power to heal. 

" Be thou a Rock of ages nigh ; 

My saved soul on thee alone 
Shall safely rest, and fears shall fly, 

As clouds before the mid-day sun. 

" Speak to my troubled conscience peace- 
Say to my trembling heart, Be still : 

My power thy strength and fortress is : 
Amen : to all thy sov reign will. 

tf Death, where is thy sting, where now 

Thy boasted victory, O grave 1 
Who shall contend with God, or who 

Condemn whom he delights to save." 



" How sweet the name of Jesus sounds 

In a believer s ear ! 
It sooths his sorrows, heals his wounds, 

And drives away his fear. 

" It makes the wounded spirit whole, 
And calms the troubled breast; 

Tis manna to the hungry soul, 
And to the weary rest. 



PROVISION FOR 

" Dear Name ! the Hock on which I build, 

Aly Shield and Hiding-Place j 
My never failing Treasury, fill d 

With boundless stores of grace. 

" Jesus, my Shepherd, Husband, Friend, 
My Prophet, Priest, and King, 

My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End, 
Accept the praise 1 bring. 

" Weak is the effort of my heart, 
And cold my warmest thought j 

But, when I see thee as thou art, 
I ll praise thee as I ought. 

!t Till then I would thy love proclaim 

With ev ry fleeting breath ; 
And may the music of thy name 

Refresh my soul in death " 



" Amazing grace, how sweet the sound 

That sav d a wretch like me ! 
I once was lost, but now am found; 

Was blind, but now I see. 

Txvas grace that taught my heart to fear, 

And grace my fears reliev d : 
How precious did that grace appear 
The hour I first believ d ! 

" Through many dangers, toils, and snares 

Already I have come : 
J Twas grace that brought me safe thus far. 

And grace will lead me home. 



PASSING OVER JORDAN. 

" Yes, when this heart and flesh shall fail, 

And mortal life shall cease, 
T shall possess, within the vail, 

A life of joy and peace." 

A swelling Jordan rolls between 

A timid pilgrim, I ; 
But grace shall order all the scene, 

And Christ himself be nigh. 

He shall roll back the foaming wave, 

Command the channel dry j 
No sting has death, no vict ry grave, 

With Jesus in my eye. 



" Come, thou Fount of ev ry blessing 
Tune my heart to sing thy grace ; 

Streams of mercy, never ceasing, 
Call for songs of endless praise. 

" Teach me some melodious sonnet 
Sung by flaming tongues above ; 

Praise the mount, I m fix d upon it, 
Mount of God s unchanging love. 

" Here I raise my Ebenezer, 
Hither by thy help I m come, 

And I hope, by thy good pleasure, 
Safely to arrive at home. 

" Jesus sought me when a strange* 
Wand ring from the fold of God 

He, to save my soul from danger, 
Interpos d with precious blood. 

18* 



4- IS PROVISION FOR 

" Oh, to grace how great a debtor 
Daily I m constrain d to be ! 

Let that grace, Lord, like a fetter, 
Bind rny wand ring heart to thee. 

" Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, 
Prone to leave the God I love ; 

Here s my heart, O take and seal it, 
Seal it from thy courts above." 



" Eternal God, I bless thy name, 

The same thy power, thy grace the same ; 

The tokens of thy friendly care 

Open, and crown, and close the year. 

" I midst ten thousand dangers stand, 
Supported by thy gracious hand; 
And see, when I survey thy ways, 
Ten thousand monuments of grace. 

" Thus far thine arm has led me on j 
Thus far I make thy mercy known ; 
And while I tread this desert land, 
New mercies shall new songs demand. 

" My grateful soul on Jordan s shore 
Shall raise one sacred pillar more : 
Then bear, in thy bright courts above, 
Inscriptions of immortal love." 



PASSING OVER JORDAN. 

ft No works to rest upon have I, 
No boast of moral dignity j 
If e er I lisp a song of praise, 
Grace is the note my soul shall raise. 

" Twas grace that quicken d me when deadj 
Twas grace my soul to Jesus led, 
Grace brings me pardon for my sin, 
And grace subdues my lusts within. 

" Tis grace that sweetens every cross, 
Tis grace supports in ev ry loss : 
In Jesus grace my soul is strong, 
Grace is my hope, and Christ my song. 

" Thus, tis alone of grace I boast, 
And tis alone in grace I trust : 
For all that s past, grace is my theme, 
For what s to come tis still the same." 

And when I come to Jordan s shore, 
I ll raise one Ebenezer more : 
Th Ark of the Cov nant in my view, 
I ll sing of grace the Jordan through. 



" Is this the kind return 1 

And these the thanks we owe 1 

Thus to abuse eternal love, 

Whence all our blessings flow! 

" To what a stubborn frame 
Has sin reduc d our mind! 

What strange rebellious wretches we, 
And God as strangely kind! 



420 PROVISION FOR 

" Turn us again, O God ! 

And mould our souls afresh; 
Break, sov reign grace, these hearts of stone, 

And give us hearts of flesh. 

" Let past ingratitude 

Provoke our weeping eyes : 
And hourly, as new mercies fall, 

Let hourly thanks arise." 



" O the sweet wonders of that cross, 

Where Christ my Savior lov d and died; 

Her noblest life my spirit draws 

From his dear wounds and bleeding side " 

I would for ever speak his name 
In sounds to mortal ears unknown ; 

With Angels join to praise the Lamb, 
And worship at his Father s throne. 



- . t &lt; 

" Jesus, the vision of thy face 

Hath overpowering charms ; 
Scarce shall I feel death s cold embrace, 
If Christ be in my arms." 



" O glorious hour! blest abode! 

I shall be near and like my God j 
And flesh and sin no more control 

The sacred pleasures of my soul. 



PASSING OVER JORDAN. 421 

" When in death s gloomy vale I tread, 
With joy e en there I ll lift my head ; 
From fear and dread he ll keep me free, 
His rod and staff shall comfort me." 



" Jesus, to thy dear faithful hand 

My naked soul I trust ; 
My flesh but waits for thy command, 

To drop into the dust." 



" Before we quite forsake our clay, 
Or leave this dark abode, 

The wings of love bear us away 
To see our smiling God." 



make it true, my Savior God 5 
Raise me all fears above ; 

And, when I think on Jesus blood, 
Let my last pulse beat love. 



" O for an overcoming faith, 
To cheer my dying hours 5 

To triumph o er the monster death, 
And all his frightful powers ! 

" Joyful, with all the strength I have, 
My quivering lips should sing : 

Where is thy boasted vict ry, Grave, 
And where the monster s sting 1 



PROVISION FOR 

" If sin be pardon d, I m secure ; 

Death has no sting beside ; 
The law gives sin its damning power, 

But Christ, my Ransom, died. 

" Now to the God of victory 

Immortal thanks be paid ; 
Who makes us conqu rors while we die, 

Through Christ, our living Head." 



All mortal vanities be gone, 

Nor tempt mine eyes, nor tire mine ears j 
Behold ! amidst th eternal throne, 

A vision of the Lamb appears. 

All the assembling saints around, 
Fall worshipping before the Lamb j 

And, in new songs of Gospel sound, 
Address their honors to his name 

Our voices join the heavenly strain, 
And with transporting pleasure sing, 

Worthy the Lamb that once was slain, 
Our blessed Prophet, Priest, and King. 

Thou hast redeem d our souls from hell, 

With thine invaluable blood ; 
And wretches, that did once rebel, 

Are now made fav rites of their God. 

Worthy, for ever, is the Lord, 

That died for treasons not his own, 

By every tongue to be ador d, 

And dwell upon his Father s throne. 



PASSING OVER JORDAN. 423 

The JVcw Testament in the Blood of Christ 

" The promise of my Father s love 

Shall stand for ever good ; 
He said, and gave his soul to death, 

And seal d it with his blood. 

ft To this dear cov nant of thy word 

I set my worthless name j 
I seal th engagement of the Lord, 

And make my humble claim. 

" The light, and strength, and pard ning grace, 

And glory, shall be mine : 
My life and soul, my heart and flesh, 

And all my powers are thine. 

" I call that legacy mine own, 

Which Jesus did bequeath : 
J Twas purchas d with a dying groan, 

And ratified in death. 

" Sweet is the mem ry of his name, 

Who bless d us in his will ; 
And, to his testament of love, 
Made his own life the seal. 

" To him that wash d me in his blood, 

Be everlasting praise ; 
Salvation, honor, glory, power, 

Eternal as his days." 



424- PROVISION FOR 

" Blest be the Father, and his love, 
To which celestial source we owe 

Rivers of endless joys above, 
And rills of comfort here below. 

" Glory to the great Son of God; 

From his dear wounded body rolls 
A precious stream of vital blood, 

Pardon and life for dying souls. 

" We give thee, sacred Spirit, praise, 
Who, in our hearts of sin and wo, 

Mak st living springs of grace arise, 
And into boundless glory flow. 

" Thus God the Father, God the Son, 
And God the Spirit, we adore ; 

The Sea of life and love unknown, 
Without a bottom or a shore." 



" Let me but hear my Savior say, 
Strength shall be equal to thy day j 
Then I rejoice in deep distress, 
Leaning on all-sufficient grace. 

" 1 glory in infirmity, 

That Christ s own power may rest on me ; 
When I am weak, then am I strong ; 
Grace is my shield, and Christ my song 

"I can do all things, or can bear 
All sufferings, if my Lord be there j 
Sweet pleasures mingle with the pains, 
While his strong hand my head sustains. 



PASSING OVER JORDAN. 25 

" Faith has an overcoming power, 
Can triumph in the dying hour ; 
Christ is my Life, my Joy, my Hope ; 
I cannot sink with such a prop." 



"Jesus, I love thy charming name, 

"Pis music to mine ear; 
Fain would I sound it out so loud 

That heaven and earth should hear. 

" Yes, thou art precious to my soul, 
My Transport and my Trust; 

My Savior, Shepherd, Husband, Friend, 
No other good I boast. 

"All my capacious powers can wish, 

In t.hee doth richly meet; 
Not to mine eye is light so dear, 

Nor friendship half so sweet. 

tf Thy grace still dwells upon my heart, 
And sheds its fragrance there : 

The noblest balm of all my wounds, 
The cordial of my care. 

" I ll speak the honors of thy name 
With my last falt ring breath ; 

Then, speechless, clasp thee in my arms, 
The antidote of death." 






4:26 PROVISION FOR 

" Grace, tis a charming sound, 
Harmonious to my ear; 

Heaven with the echo shall resound, 
And all the earth shall hear. 

" Grace first contriv d the way 
To save rebellious man ; 

And all the steps thai grace display, 
Which drew the wondrous plan 

" Grace taught my wand ring feet 
To tread the heav nly road ; 

And new supplies each hour I meet, 
While pressing on to God. 

" Grace all the work shall crown, 
Through everlasting days : 

It lays in heaven the topmost stone, 
And well deserves the praise." 



" My God, the Spring of all my joys, 

The Life of my delights, 
The Glory of my brightest days, 

And Comfort of my nights : 

ff In darkest shades, if thou appear, 

My dawning is begun ; 
Thou art my soul s sweet Morning Star, 

And thou, my Rising Sun. 

" The op ning heavens around me shine 
With beams of sacred bliss ; 

While Jesus shows his heart is mine, 
And whispers, I am his. 



PASSING OVER JORDAN. 427 

My soul would leave this heavy clay, 

At that transporting word ; 
Run up with joy the shining way, 

T embrace my dearest Lord. 

" Fearless of hell and ghastly death, 

I d break through ev ry foe j 
The wings of love, and arms of faith, 

Should bear me conqueror through." 



ft Backward, with humble shame, I look 

On my original 
How is my nature dash d and broke, 

In our first father s fall ! 

ft To all that s good averse and blind, 

But prone to all that s ill ; 
What dreadful darkness veils my mind ! 

How obstinate my will ! 

" Conceiv d in sin : wretched state ! 

Before I drew my breath 
My first young pulse began to beat 

Iniquity and death, 

" How strong in my degen rate blood 

The old corruption reigns ! 
And, mingling with the crooked flood, 

Wanders through all my veins. 

" Yet, mighty God, thy wondrous love 
Can make my nature clean j 

While Christ and grace prevail above 
The tempter, death, and sin. 



423 PROVISION FOR 

" The second Adam shall restore 
The ruins of the first ; 

Hosanna to that sov reign power 
That new-creates our dust." 



Jordan.* 



Joshua, chap. 1 : 11, and chap. 3 ; Psalm 23 : 4; 73 : 24. 

The solemn hour, my soul, draws near, 
The holy Ark and Priests appear j 
They forward move to Jordan s flood, 
The type, thou knowest, thy cov nant God. 

The signal too to thee is known, 
Obey, remove, and follow on; 
The Ark appears, thy hallow d guide ; 
Shrink not, but face the rolling tide. 

The waves toss high their foaming heads, 
But can st thou perish 1 Jesus leads. 
This way before I ne er did pass, 
But Jesus, thy Forerunner, has. 

* The three following effusions by Mrs. Graham, constituting a 
part of her " Provision," were found in a separate paper after her 
funeral sermon was preached. The hymn of Newton which she 
had annexed to the first, was selected by Dr. Mason and sung on that 
occasion ; and the circumstances described at the beginning of the 
third, (p. 435,) occurred at her death, as narrated in the memoir, 
though the existence of this paper was then unknown. 



PASSING OVER JORDAN. 429 

When all its banks it overflow d, 
All nature wrapt in midnight cloud ; 
While darkness held its awful power, 
And all God s billows pass d him o er. 



The waves for him must not divide, 
Deep calls to deep on every side ; 
Around his head the surges roll, 
And rush into his inmost soul. 

HE was the suff rer in my stead, 
The curse for sin lay on his head ; 
The law s demands came like a flood, 
My Surety met them with his blood ! 

Till every tittle had been paid, 
Till due atonement had been made, 
No beam appear d of heavenly grace, 
A cloud conceal d his Father s face. 

From brim to bottom he drank up, 
Of wrath, the deep mysterious cup; 
This Jordan pass d, then rose on high, 
And captive led captivity. 

Justice now fully satisfied, 

The law now honored, magnified, 

At God s right hand he takes his place } 

Executor of cov nant grace 

Crown d, by Jehovah s firm decree, 
With universal sov reignty ; 
All nature owns his powerful sway, 
He speaks, the elements obey. 



4-30 PROVISION FOR 

The emblem, then thou may st pursue, 
And safely pass this Jordan through ; 
The priests but touch the watery space, 
When, lo ! the floods desert their place 



They gather up upon a heap, 
Leave dry the channel of the deep ; 
The ark and priests there take their stand, 
And beckon thee to leave the land. 



I come, my best Belov d, I come ; 
Now lead me to our Father s home j 
On thy dear person fix mine eye, 
And faith firm footing shall supply 

I fear no ill while thou art near, 

But let thy voice salute my ear, 

(Should spirits faint, and scape the sigh,) 

With these sweet words, " Fear not, tis i." 

With courage fresh my soul shall tread 
On faith s firm ground where thou dost lead ; 
While still upon thy gracious face 
My steady eye maintains its place. 

And now, my Joshua, choose, and lay 
The stones in Jordan s middle way j 
Let them o ertop the flowing wave, 
Memorial of thy power to save. 

For, once a suit I did prefer, 
With feeble hope, and trembling fearj 
That I might have a Pisgah view, 
In Jordan s swells, of Canaan new. 



PASSING OVER JORDAN. 4-31 

Thy soft n d glory let me see, 
Then cause thy face to shine on me ; 
And tune my heart, and tune my voice, 
And language furnish to rejoice. 



That all around may lend their tongue, 
And sweetly join my dying song ; 
Then, NEWTON, sav d by grace, like me, 
We ll sing of sovereign grace with thee 



*"Let us love, and sing, and wonder, 

Let us praise the Savior s name : 
He has hush d the law s loud thunder, 
He has quench d Mount Sinai s flame 
He has wash d us in his blood, 
He has brought us nigh to God. 

" Let us love the Lord who bought us, 

Pitied us when enemies ; 
Call d us by his grace, and taught us ; 
Gave us ears, and gave us eyes : 
He has wash d us in his blood, 
He presents our souls to God. 



" Let us sing, though strong temptation 

Threaten hard to bear us down : 
For, the Lord, our strong Salvation, 
Holds m view the conqu ror s crown. 
He who wash d us in his blood, 
Soon shall bring us home to God. 

* Olney Hymns, 82, Book 3. 



432 PROVISION FOR 

" Let us wonder, grace and justice 
Join and point to mercy s store ; 
When, through grace, in Christ our trust is 
Justice smiles, and asks no more. 
He who wash d us in his blood 
Has secur d our way to God. 

" Let us praise, and join the chorus 

Of the saints enthron d on high 
Here they trusted him before us, 
Now their praises fill the sky. 

Thou hast wash d us in thy blood, 
Thou art worthy, Lamb of God. 

" Hark, the name of JESUS sounded 
Loud from golden harps above j 
On that Rock our hopes are founded : 
Sovereign grace, and sovereign love. 
We shall conquer through his blood. 
Kings and priests be made to God." 



Heaven . 

To be where thou, my Savior, art, 
To see, and be conform d to thee- 

Perfect in holiness this heart 
This, this is heaven itself to me. 

To see thee in thy glory, Lord, 
Thy Father s glory and thy own ; 

Th eternal, the incarnate Word, 
Ador d upon his Father s throne. 



PASSING OVER JORDAN. - 433 

To see as seen, to know as known, 
My Savior in my flesh and blood ; 

To be made like him, with him one, 
I in him, atid he in God. 

The holy, holy, holy One, 

Who was, and is, and is to come, 

The earth his footstool, heaven his throne, 
The Church his Bride, he her Bridegioorn, 

Angels and Elders, earth and heaven, 
Are summon d to unseal the book j 

But silent all, no answer giv n, 

None worthy found therein to look 

But Judah s Lion, David s Son, 
And David s Root, the great I AM, 

Appears upon his Father s throne, 
As slain for sacrifice, the Lamb. 

He takes the book, he can unseal j 

He worthy is, and he has power 
God s secret counsels to reveal, 

And to fulfil each in its hour. 

Th heav nly host united fall, 

In humble worship at his feet, 
One glorious theme inspires them all, 

The joy is full, the concert sweet. 

New odors-to the throne ascend, 
In accents new their praises soar*; 

Each finds in each a glowing friend, 
And aU the God of all adore. 

Graham. 



PROVISION FOR 

And shall I join that prostrate throng, 
In love s extatic heaven-taught lays, 

With pow rs expanded, that new song, 
Hymn to the Lamb s exalted praise ! 

" Worthy art thou to take the book, 
And loose the seals, and read therein, 

God s holy myst ries to unlock ; 

Worthy art thou, for thou wast slain 

" Thou hast redeem d us with thy blood. 
From ev ry nation of the earth ; 

And made us kings and priests to God, 
And sharers of a heavenly birth." 

Myriads of angels stand around, 

Uniting in the loud acclaim ; 
And fill the temple with the sound 

Of our Redeemer s gentle name. 

" Worthy the Lamb that once was slain, 

A sacrifice for ev ry sin, 
All pow r and glory to obtain, 

And universal empire win." 

Heav n, earth, and sea shall swell the tone 

Of fervent universal praise ; 
And grateful joy around the throne, 

Its voice from age to age shall raise. 

In all these myriads is there one 

Who had on earth so much forgiven 1 

And shall I reach their highest tone 
Of love to Jesus 1 THIS is HEAVEN ! ! ! 



PASSING OVER JORDAN. 435 

And when this breast to heave shall cease, 
And heart and lungs are hush d to peace, 
Some friendly hand the eye-lids close, 
And leave the clay to short repose. 

Still, on your knees be thanks exprest, 
According as the Lord has blest j 
This tongue, then mute, can now foretell, 
Jesus shall have done all things well. 

Should the great Sov reign will it so, 
That I in secret with him go, 
Twill be enough that He stands by, 
He all my wants will well supply. 

Upon his dear, his faithful breast, 
My heart and head shall safely rest j 
The flutt ring pulse and bursting sigh 
He ll soothe with " Fear not, it is I." 

Into his hands my spirit I ll breathe, 
Inhaling life from him, in death : 
Though none should see, faith can foretell, 
My Jesus shall do all things well. 

Though he deny my half-form d pray r, 
Well may I cast on Him my care ; 
All things are mine, or life or death, 
In praise of Him I ll spend my breath. 

Be this my only wish beside, 
That God s great name be glorified, 
What me concerns faith can foretell, 
My Jesus shall do all things well. 



11 * d o w H o o d 

Written in the Island of Antigua shortly after 
Dr. Graham s death. 

PART I. 

Hail ! thou state of widowhood, 
State of those that mourn to God } 
Who from earthly comforts torn, 
Only live to pray and mourn. 

Meanest of the number, I 

For my dear companion sigh j 

Patiently my loss deplore, 

Mourn for one that mourns no more. 

Me my consort hath outrun, 
Out of sight he quite has gone ; 
He his course has finish d here, 
First come to the sepulchre. 

Following on with earnest haste, 
Till my mourning days are past, 
I my partner s steps pursue, 
I shall soon be happy too ; 

Find the ease for which I pant, 
Gain the only good I want ; 
Quietly lay down my head, 
Sink into my earthy bed. 

There my flesh shall rest in hope, 
Till the quicken d dust mount up 
When to glorious life I ll rise 
To meet my husband in the skies. 



WIDOWHOOD. 437 



PART II. 

Happy they who trust in Jesus, 
Jesus turns our loss to gain ; 

Still his balmy mercies ease us, 
Sweeten all our grief and pain. 

When he cails our friends t inherit 
All the glories of the blest, 

He assures the widow d spirit, 
" Thou shalt quickly be at rest." 

Though my flesh and spirit languish, 
Let me not too much complain j 

Sure at last t outlive my anguish, 
Sure to find my friend again. 

Ransom d from a world of sorrow, 
He to-day is taken home j 

I shall be releas d to-morrow ; 

Come, my dear Redeemer, come. 

From my sanctified distresses, 
Now, or when thou wilt, receive, 

Grant with him in thine embraces, 
After all my deaths, to live. 



PART in. 

Hail holy, holy, holy Lord ! 

Mysterious Three in One ; 
For ever be thy name ador d, 

Thy will for ever done 
19* 



WIDOWHOOD. 

For this alone on earth I wait, 

lo glorify my God ; 
And suffer, since thou will st, the state 

Of sacred widowhood. 

And may I, in thy strength fulfil 

My awful character j . 
And prove thine acceptable will, 

And do thy pleasure here : 

The children to thyself restore, 
Whom thou to me hast given j 

And rule my house with all my pow r, 
And train them up for heav n. 

Be this my hospitable care, 

The stranger to receive, 
The burthen of thy church to bear, 

And all their wants relieve. 

My labor of unwearied love 

With pleasure to repeat ; 
My faith unto thy saints to prove, 

And gladly wash their feet. 

The servant of thy servants bless 

With active earnest zeal; 
And ev ry work of righteousness 

I shall with joy fulfil. 



JL i n e s 



Occasioned by viewing the portrait of Mrs. GRAHAM, prefixed to the 
first edition of her Memoir. By the late Mrs. Margaret Brown 
daughter of Rev. Dr. John Mason. 



Whilst in this faded form I trace 
The features which I lov d so well, 

Remembrance brings each mental grace 
Within its hallow d shrine to dwell. 



For I have seen that darken d eye 

In all the fire of genius roll, 
With eagle-gaze explore the sky, 
Or with a keener glance descry 

The secret workings of the soul. 

And I have seen this pallid cheek 
SufFus d with feeling s richest glowj 

And virtue s brightest halo deck 

With sacred cnarms these locks of snow 



And on these lips in silence clos d, 
With rapt attention oft I hung, 

And heard those wondrous truths disclos d 
Which sages taught or seraphs sung. 

And I have known this withered hand 
Extended wide the poor to bless 

And this contracted breast expand 

With gen rous schemes to aid distress. 



440 TRIBUTARY LINES. 

And now, though far remov d from earth, 
And every scene of mortal pain, 

This dear memorial of her worth 
Shall many a drooping heart sustain 

Still shall it dry the widow s tear, 
The hapless orphan s want supply, 

Guide to a blest asylum here, 

And point to happier realms on high. 

My Father s friend ! How poor the praise, 
By his unworthy offspring given, 

Who thus records, in humble lays, 
What angels register d in heav n. 

Frankfort, Kentucky August, 1816. 



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of Tracts, new edition illustrated, Gallaudet s Scripture Biography, 
and numerous other works, including volumes of the Children s Series 
and Pocket Manuals, form a set of the Society s publications in Eng 
lish, comprising nearly 200 volumes, sold at $50. 

RELIGIOUS LIBRARY, 24 VOLS., $10. 

13 Paley?s Natural Theology and Hona 

Paulinas. 

14 Olinthus Gregory s Letters on Infi 

delity. 

15 Nelson on Infidelity. 

16 Dr. Spring s Bible Not of Man. 

17 Memoir of Dr. Milnor. 

18 Memoir of Summerfield. 

19 Memoir of Mrs. Isabella Graham. 

20 Memoir of Mrs. Sarah L. II. Smith. 

21 D Aubigne s History of the Reforma 

tion, vol. 1. 

22 Do. vol. 2. 

23 Do. vol. 3. 

24 Do. vol. 4. 



1 Flavel s Fountain of Life. 

2 Flavel s Method of Grace. 

3 Flavel s Christ Knocking at the Door. 

4 Baxter s Saints Rest. 

5 Baxter s Reformed Pastor. 

6 Riches of Bunyan. 

7 Owen on Forgiveness of Sin, or Psalm 

130. 

8 Bishop Hall s Scripture History. 

9 Bishop Hopkins on the Ten Command 

ments. 

10 Venn s Complete Duty of Man. 

11 President Edwards on Revivals. . 

12 William s Afflicted Man s Com 

panion. 

EVANGELICAL FAMILY LIBRARY. 

FIFTEEN VOLUMES, 18MO, WITH STEEL-PLATE FRONTISPIECES. PRICE $5 50. 

1 Doddridge s Rise and Progress. I 9 Edwards History of Redemption. 

2 Wilberforce sPracticaiyiew,withPor- 1 10 Pike s Persuasives to Early Piety. 



trait ; and Flavel s Touchstone. 

3 Edwards on the Affections, with Por 

trait ; and Alleine s Alarm. 

4 Bunyan s Pilgrim s Progress, with 

Engravings. 

5 Baxter s Saints Rest. 

6 Baxter s Call, Dying Thoughts, and 

Life. 

7 Memoir of David Brainerd, with En 

gravings; and Flavel on Keeping 
the Heart. 

8 Mem. of Henry Martyn, with Portrait. 



11 Pike s Guide for Young" Disciples, 

Frontispiece. 

12 Memoir of Rev. Dr. Payson, with Por 

trait. 

13 Nevins Practical Thoughts, and 

Thoughts on Popery, with Frontis 
piece. 

14 Evidences of Christianity. ByJenyns 

Leslie, Lyttleton, Watson, and 
others. 

15 Memoir of James Brainerd Taylor, 

with Portrait. 



VOLUMES BOUND TO MATCH THE FAMILY LIBRARY. 21 VOLS. PRICE 7 50. 



16 Memoir of Rev. Dr. Buchanan. 

17 Elijah the Tishbite. 

18 Memoir of Mrs. H. L. Winslow. 

19 Reformation in Europe. 

20 Practical Piety. 

21 Anecdotes for the Family Circle. 

22 Spirit of Popery, and Colporteur and 

Roman-catholic. 

23 Christian Contemplated and Fuller s 

Backslider. 

24 Syst. Beneficence and Life of Swartz. 

25 Melvill s Bible Thoughts and Life of 

Leighton. 

26 Sabbath Manual, Temp. Manual, and 

Beecher on Intemperance. 

27 Mammon and Self-Knowledge. 



28 Life of Pearce, Scudder s Last Com 

mand, and Appeal to Mothers: 

29 Eternal Life and Anxious Inquirer. 

30 Universalism Not of God, and Keith 

on Prophecy. 

31 Bogue s Essay, and Counsels to Young 

Men. 

32 Life of Newton and Mother at Home. 

33 Gurney s Love to God and Sherman s 

Guide. 
31 Harlan Page, Rev. S. Kilpin, and Nor- 

mand Smith. 
35 Thoughts on Missions, and Hannah. 

Hobbie. 
30 Matthew Henry, Meekness, and Self- 

Deception. 



YOUTH S LIBRARY, 70 VOS., $10. 



1-8 Hannah More s Cheap Repository 

Tracts. 
9 Peep of Day. 

10 Line upon Line. 

11 Precept upon Precept. 

12 Night of Toil. 

13 Fletcher s Lectures to Children, vol. 1 . 

14 " " 2. 

15 Child s Book on the Sabbath. 

16 Abbott s Child at Home. 

17 Gallaudet s Youth s Book of Natural 

Theology. 

IS Charlotte Elizabeth s Personal Recol 
lections. 

19 Memoir of Anzonetta R. Peters. 

20 Missionary s Daughter. 

21 Legh Richmond s Let rs and Counsels. 

22 Memoir of Caroline E. Smelt. 

23 Advice to a Young Christian. 

24 Young Man from Home. 

25 Memoir of Charles H. Porter. 

26 Scudder s Tales about the Heathen. 

27 Dairyman s Daughter, etc. 

28 Gallaudet a Child s B k onRepentance. 

29 Gallaudet s History of Jonah. 

30 Trees. Fruits, and Flowers of the Bible. 

31 Memoir of Henry Obookiah. 

32 Conversion of Jessie Little. 

33 Scripture Alphabet of Animals. 

34 Memoir of Nathan W. Dickerman. 

35 Spoiled Child, etc. 

36 Wilberforce Richmond. 

37 Village in the Mountains. 



38 Memoir of Mary Lothrop. 

39 Little Henry, etc. 

40 The Widow s Son, etc. 

41 Letters to Little Children. 

42 Eliza Cunningham, etc. 

43 Memoir of John M. Mead. 

44 Memoir of C. L. Winslow. 

45 Great Truths. 

46 Pastor s Daughter. 

47 Shepherd of Salisbury Plain, etc. 

48 Peet s Scripture Lessons. 

49 Putnam and the Wolf, etc. 

50 Walker s Faith Explained. 

51 Walker s Repentance Explained. 

52 Elizabeth Bales. 

53 Grace Harriet. 

54 Mary of Toulouse, etc. 

55 Adopted Daughter. 

56 Memoir of Eliza Astor Rumpff. 

57 Clementine Cuvier. 

58 Parley the Porter, etc. 

59 George Lovell, etc. 

60 Gallaudet s Life of Josiah. 

61 Weaver s Daughter, etc. 

62 Lazarus Raised from the Dead. 

63 The Bible True. 

64 Foster s Appeal to the Young. 

65 Emily Maria. 

66 Withered Branch Revived. 

67 Children Invited to Christ. 

68 Children of the Bible. 

69 Pious Children. 

70 Rolls Plumbe. 



ALSO, 



IN GERMAN 56 vols., various sizes, in 
cluding Earth s Church History, Life of 
M. Boos, Rules of Life, Lord s Day, 
Fabricius, Honey-Drop, Christ Knock 
ing at the Door, and two volumes and 
packets of Books for Children, recently 
published. 

IN FRENCH Sixteen volumes. 

IN SPANISH D Aubigne s History of the 
Reformation, Vol. I., Bogue s Authen 
ticity of the New Testament, Pilgrim s 
Progress, Illustrated Tract Primer, Prim 



itive Catholicism, Andrew Dunn. Sab 
bath Manual, Part I., Kirwan a Letter.?, 
Evangelical Hymns, Temperance Man 
ual, and Manual for Children. 

IN WELSH Pilgrim s Progress, Baxter s 
Saints Rest and Call, Anxious Inquirer, 
History of Redemption. 

IN DANISH Doddridge s Rise and Progress, 
Baxter s Saints Rest and Call. 

FOREIGN TRACTS in German, French, 
Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, 
Danish, Swedish, and Welsh. 



THE FAMILY TESTAMENT with Notes, Instructions, and Maps, will be welcomed 
as a brief and comprehensive comment for use in family worship, in the Sabbath- 
Bchool, and in the closet. Price 60 cents. 

These works are not exceeded in high evangelical character, spir 
itual power, and practical worth by any similar collection in any 
language. They have been carefully selected for the great body of in 
telligent readers throughout the country, and the most watchful parent 
may supply them to his family or to others, not only with safety to 
their best and eternal interests, but with hope of the richest spiritual 
"blessings. 



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