2Ji- 
 
 LIBEARY 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Theological Seminary, 
 
 PRINCETON, N. J. J 
 
 Cm 
 Sht 
 
 3724 B74 1334 
 ;ridges, Charles, 1794-181 
 k memoir of Miss Mary Jam 
 Graham 
 
 DONATION 
 
 deceived 
 
A MEMOIR 
 
 MISS MARY JANE GRAHAM. 
 
A MEMOIR 
 
 OF 
 
 MISS MARY JANE GRAHAM, 
 
 LATE OF STOKE FLEMING, DEVON. 
 
 BY THE REV. CHARLES BRIDGES, M.A. 
 
 VICAR OF OLD NEWTON, SUFFOLK. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA: 
 
 KEY & BIDDLE, 23 MINOR STREET. 
 
 BOSTON:— ALLEN & TICKNOR. 
 
 1S34. 
 
Philadelphia: 
 
 T. K. Collins & Co., Printers, 
 
 49 Prune Street. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The writer did not enjoy the privilege of personal acquaint- 
 ance with the subject of this Memoir. But when the mate- 
 rials, both of incident and manuscripts, were placed in his 
 hands, he could not but feel that many subjects of valuable 
 interest and importance might be brought out with advantage 
 to the church. He has been constrained to compensate for 
 the paucity of incident by the introduction of large extracts 
 from her writings and correspondence, which, however, will 
 be often found to afford instructive developments of the char- 
 acter of her mind, and the principles of her profession. If 
 he should be thought, by the extension of his own remarks, 
 to have occasionally transgressed the bounds of a biographer, 
 he can only cast himself upon the indulgence of his readers, 
 in the exercise of his important responsibility, in availing 
 himself of this opportunity to offer a few suggestions of 
 Christian love upon subjects of present and most anxious in- 
 terest in the church of God. 
 
 Such as his work is, the writer desires to commend it to 
 the blessing of the Great Head of the church, trusting that 
 the example of highly-gifted and consecrated character here 
 set forth, may reflect the glory of His adorable name, and 
 quicken the energies of those who bear that name upon their 
 profession, to aspire to a more elevated standard of Christian 
 devotedness and privilege. 
 
 Old Newton Vicarage, July 16, 1832. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Her early life 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Her relapse into infidelity 
 
 18 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 General sketch of Miss Graham's life — her views 
 
 of study extensive attainments — and active 
 
 devotedness to god ...... 
 
 27 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Further extracts from her writings and corres- 
 pondence 59 
 
 I. On the great doctrines of the Gospel . . 59 
 
 II. On subjects of Theological Discussion . 80 
 
 III. On Christian Experience and Practical Religion 108 
 
 IV. On Miscellaneous Subjects . . .161 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Different views and features in Miss Graham's 
 christian character 
 
 194 
 
Vlll CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 HER ILLNESS AND DEATH . . . . . 220 
 
 % CHAPTER VII. 
 Remarks 238 
 
MEMOIR 
 
 OF 
 
 MARY JANE GRAHAM, 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Her Early Life. 
 
 " The works of the Lord are great ; sought out of all them 
 that have pleasure therein." Elevated, indeed, is the Chris- 
 tian's pleasure in " seeking out the great works" of creation. 
 But it is the work of " Redemption," which mainly attracts 
 his delighted contemplation ; as the mirror in which the 
 glory of his God and Saviour is most fully unveiled before 
 him. The "new creation" on the heart of man is one grand 
 division of this perfect work of God ; and often does its dis- 
 play of " the beauties of holiness" constrain the world to a 
 reluctant acknowledgment, and excite the Church to joyful 
 adoration — " What hath God wrought !" For not only will 
 the Redeemer's glory be manifested in his saints at the bliss- 
 ful era of his coming; not only will they then be seen as the 
 "jewels" of his everlasting crown ; but even now are they 
 " the glory of his inheritance," set forth for the conviction of 
 the world, " that they may see, and know, and consider, and 
 understand together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, 
 and that the Holy One of Israel has created it." It is the ob- 
 ject of the following sketch to bring forth to view one of these 
 striking manifestations of Divine power and grace, and to il- 
 lustrate, in connexion with this memorial, some of those edi- 
 fying and instructive lessons which it will be seen to present 
 before us. 
 B 
 
10 MEMOIR OF 
 
 Mary Jane Graham was born in London, April 11, 1803. 
 Her father was engaged in a respectable business, from which 
 he retired a few years before his daughter's death (and chiefly 
 from regard to her delicate health,) to the village of Stoke 
 Fleming, near Dartmouth, Devon. She appears to have been 
 the subject of early religious convictions. At the age of seven 
 she had acquired those habits of secret prayer, which may be 
 considered a favourable mark of Divine influence upon her 
 soul. But we will give the history of this era of her life in 
 her own words. To a friend, who had evinced some incre- 
 dulity of the genuineness or permanency of early impressions 
 of religion, she thus writes: 
 
 March 20, 1827. 
 1 You appear, my dear friend, to think very early piety too 
 wonderful a thing to be true. It is wonderful, so wonderful 
 that, when David was contemplating the starry firmament, he 
 was drawn for a moment from his meditation on the wonders 
 he there beheld, by the still greater wonder of " God's ordain- 
 ing strength out of the mouths of babes and sucklings." But 
 David's wonder and yours were of a very different nature ; he 
 wondered and adored. Jesus, too, that " man of sorrows," once 
 "rejoiced in spirit," because God "had hid these things 
 from the wise and prudent, and revealed them unto babes. 
 Even so, Father ; for it seemed good in thy sight." * Even 
 so, Lord Jesus; in thy rejoicing will I too rejoice; let the 
 world think me a fool or an enthusiast, or beside myself, as 
 they thought Thee.' The story of ' Little Henry and his 
 Bearer,' to which I believe you allude, I have been assured by 
 
 Miss , is every word of it true. Do not then bring upon 
 
 yourself the dreadful sin of limiting the power of the Holy 
 One of Israel. Jesus has said, *« Suffer little children to 
 come ;" and they will come, if He calls them. As facts are 
 the strongest of all proofs, bear with me a little longer, while 
 I tell you briefly the history of a child, for the truth of which 
 I can vouch. I knew a little girl, about sixteen years and a 
 half ago. She was much like other children, as full of sin 
 and vanity as ever she could hold ; and her parents had not 
 as yet taken much pains to talk to her about religion. So she 
 went on in the way of her own evil heart, and thought her- 
 self a very good little girl, because she said her prayers every 
 night and morning, and was not more passionate, wilful, and 
 perverse, than most of her young companions. The God of 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 11 
 
 love did not think this sinful child too'young to learn of Je- 
 sus. He so ordered it about the time I am speaking of, when 
 she was just seven years old, that she was led by a pious ser- 
 vant into some almshouses belonging to Rowland Hill, who 
 had just been preaching at them. The servant and an aged 
 woman entered into a long conversation together, to which 
 the little girl listened, and wondered what could make them 
 like to talk about such things. But at the close of it, the old 
 woman took the child affectionately by the hand, and said to 
 her, 'My dear child, make the Lord Jesus your friend now 
 that you are so young ; and when you come to be as old as I 
 am, He'll never leave you nor forsake you.' God the Spirit 
 sent these simple words to the poor sinful child's heart. She 
 walked home in silence by her nurse's side, thinking how 
 she could get Jesus to be her friend. Then she remembered 
 how often she had slighted this dear Saviour; how she had 
 read of Him in the Bible, and been wearied of the subject; 
 • how she had heard the minister preach Jesus, and wished the 
 long dry sermon over; how she had said prayers to Him with- 
 out minding what she said; how she had passed days, weeks, 
 and months, without thinking of Him; how she had loved 
 her play, her books, and her toys, and her play-fellows — all, 
 all better than Jesus. Then the Holy Spirit convinced her 
 of sin. She saw that no one good thing dwelt in her, and 
 that she deserved to be cast away from God for ever. Would 
 Jesus love her now 1 Would he ever forgive her 1 She feared 
 not ; but she would try. She would make herself very good, 
 and then, perhaps, Jesus would be her friend. But the more 
 this little girl tried to be good, the more her naughty heart 
 got the better of her; for she was trying in her own strength. 
 She was led to give up trying in that way; and many long nights 
 did she spend in praying "with strong crying and tears" to 
 Jesus, that He would teach her how to get her sins pardoned, 
 and make her fit to have Him for her friend. Let me mention 
 it for the encouragement of those who seek Jesus, that He 
 did not disdain to listen to the prayers of this little child. He 
 put it into her heart to read the Bible, of which, though she 
 understood not all, yet she gathered enough to give her some 
 comfort. One day her attention was fixed on these words, 
 "The Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the 
 world." Now something that could take away sin was just 
 what this little girl wanted ; and she asked her father to tell 
 her who this Lamb of God was. He explained the precious 
 
12 MEMOIR OF 
 
 verse. But who can describe the raptures which filled the 
 bosom of this little child, when made to comprehend that the 
 " blood of Jesus cleanseth from all sin." Now she fled to 
 Jesus indeed. Now she knew that He had loved her, and 
 given himself for her; now the Spirit of God. who often 
 "chooseth the weak and foolish things of the world, to con- 
 found the wise and mighty," " shed abroad the love of God 
 in the heart" of a weak and foolish child, and " filled her with 
 peace and joy in believing." She had no one to whom she 
 could talk to of these things. But she held sweet converse 
 with her reconciled God and Father ; and gladly would she 
 have quitted this life to go and dwell with Jesus. Since then 
 she has spent nearly seventeen years of mingled happiness 
 and pain. But she has had Jesus for her friend; and He never 
 has, and never will, forsake her. She has forsaken Him 
 more than once for a season, and turned to follow the vain 
 things of the world. But her Shepherd's eye has been over 
 her in her wanderings, and He has never suffered her quite to<* 
 depart from Him. To this day her vain and treacherous 
 heart is continually leading her to provoke her heavenly 
 Friend. He "visits her transgressions with the rod, and 
 her iniquity with stripes ;" but. He has sworn never to " take 
 His loving-kindness from her, nor to suffer His faithfulness 
 to fail." She is constrained to acknowledge, that during all 
 this time she has never done one thing that could merit God's 
 favour. Free-grace, free-mercy, are all her song: "It is of 
 the Lord's mercy she has not long ago been consumed." 
 She is quite sure she could never have changed her own 
 heart. No ; God has begun the good work in her, and he 
 must carry it on ; and from first to last, let glory be ascribed 
 to Him, and let her take shame and confusion to herself. At 
 this moment she desires to live, if she may be made the 
 means of converting one sinner to Jesus; but if not, she 
 would rather " depart and be with Christ, which is far better." 
 She is far from despising earthly blessings. Every morsel 
 she puts into her mouth, the very air she breathes, is made 
 sweet and refreshing by the loving hand that sends it. Once 
 there was a curse on all her earthly blessings. But now 
 " Christ hath redeemed her from the curse of the law, being 
 made a curse for her." She would give it as her living ex- 
 perience, and leave it when she goes hence as her dying tes- 
 timony, that there is nothing worth living for except to know 
 Him, and see others come to Him, and wash their guilty 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 13 
 
 souls in the blood of the Lamb. God has given her the bless- 
 ing of seeing a happy change take place in some of the dear 
 companions of her childhood and youth. She waits upon 
 Him for the salvation of the rest ; and there is no one whom 
 she longs after more ardently in the Lord, than that dear and 
 valued friend of her earliest days, to whom this letter is ad- 
 dressed ; and to whom she wishes every spiritual blessing, 
 that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, 
 can bestow now and for evermore ! Amen and Amen !' 
 
 Some apparent discrepancy may be observed between this 
 exquisitely beautiful and natural letter, and her published ac- 
 count of this important crisis.* Her apprehensions of Divine 
 truth, as expressed in her letter, were indeed clear and en- 
 livening far beyond the average spiritual capacity of children. 
 Yet her ' view of many of the doctrines of Christianity, ' 
 which she afterwards so fully developed and so richly en- 
 joyed, were at this time ' very indistinct.' Doubtless also 
 much of natural feeling and excitement was mingled with 
 these early impressions of religion ; while what was of a 
 spiritual character, as she afterwards discovered, was not suf- 
 ficiently grounded upon that sense of universal guilt and help- 
 lessness which prostrates the sinner at the foot of the cross, 
 simply dependant upon a free salvation. This superficial 
 cast of impression, without invalidating the reality of a Divine 
 change, will account for the instability which marked her 
 early course in the ways of God. From her own history we learn 
 that she ' was enabled to walk with God in sincerity and 
 without any considerable declension during the greater part 
 of her childhood, and the commencement of a riper age.' Af- 
 ter this period, however, ' more than once,' as her letter in- 
 forms us, she ' forsook' her Heavenly Friend, ' turned to 
 follow the vain things of the world,' and " wenton frowardly 
 in the way of her own heart" — "leaning to her own under- 
 standing," and led captive in her own folly. 
 
 Of this period future notice will be given. Meanwhile we 
 revert to her early years as spent under the roof of her parents 
 or at school. Her parents considered her virtues as those of 
 every day, and not merely called forth on particular occasions. 
 She was a most amiable, affectionate, and dutiful child, sel- 
 dom needing correction, tender-hearted when told of her 
 
 * Test of Truth. By Mary Jane Graham. This very valuable 
 work has just been republished by J. Whetham, Philadelphia- — Ed, 
 b 2 
 
14 MEMOIR OF 
 
 faults, and by her general kindness of disposition attaching- all 
 the members of the household to herself. She was remarka- 
 bly free from selfishness ; always ready to yield to her com- 
 panions, even to deprive herself of what she valued. Her lit- 
 tle pocket money was generally reserved for some object of 
 distress, or for some token of affection to a friend. 
 
 Her quickness of mind was a subject of early observation. 
 Her reading was chiefly obtained by attending to the lessons 
 which were given to her brother, then preparing for school. 
 She was seldom seen without a book in hand, and seemed 
 never so happy as when employing herself in the improve- 
 ment of her mind. Yet this thoughtful cast of character was 
 by no means tinged with unnatural gloom. In all the harm- 
 less games of childhood none of her companions excelled her 
 in playful activity;* while in the midst of her cheerful tem- 
 perament, it was abundantly evident that the main concern of 
 religion was uppermost in her mind. 'I recollect,' her cou- 
 sin writes, 'that when we were quite little children, she 
 made some attempt to talk to me about religion; once espe- 
 cially, when we were sitting behind the curtain in the drawing- 
 room at . I did not like the subject, and therefore walked 
 
 away and joined my more worldly-minded companions.' 
 
 Her school career commenced soon after she was seven 
 years old. She was however shortly removed, from ill health, 
 and again, about the age often, sent to a school of a different 
 kind. Many of her companions who survived her will pro- 
 bably long preserve the remembrance of her peculiar kindness 
 and gentleness of spirit, combined with her superior powers. 
 One of them remarks her great carefulness to screen, as far 
 as it was lawful to do so, the faults of her fellows, and her 
 anxiety to plead for them when in disgrace : and so powerful 
 was her advocacy, that her preceptress was constrained to 
 remove out of her way, when her judgment compelled her to 
 persevere in her discipline. In all the school difficulties, she 
 was the constant resource, ever ready and willing to assist, 
 without any assumption upon the ground of her acknowledged 
 superiority. One trait of peculiar loveliness was here exhibi- 
 ted, (the spirit of which was marked on various occasions in 
 after life,) in her consideration of any of her companions who 
 from any unfavourable causes might appear to be neglected. 
 
 * One of her early friends however remarks, that her games and 
 manner of amusing partook more of imagination and of talent than 
 those of the generality of children. 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 15 
 
 Those were the objects of her particular notice, and with them 
 she shared all her little indulgences. 
 
 Her religious impressions appear to have been cherished 
 by the familiar exhortations of the husband of her preceptress, 
 and by devotional exercises with those of her companions 
 who were living under the practical influence of their Chris- 
 tian instructions. To one of them she proposed to learn every 
 day a portion of Scripture in private, and to repeat it to each 
 other when they retired to rest. At this time she committed 
 to memory the whole of the Prophecy of Isaiah, besides other 
 portions of the sacred Volume. 
 
 At the age of twelve her delicate health again occasioned 
 her removal from school. Her illness lasted for about two 
 months, during which time, when confined upon the sofa, she 
 committed to memory the whole Book of Psalms. Indeed 
 her powers of memory were of an extraordinary order. She 
 was much delighted with Milton's Paradise Lost, and had 
 learnt the greater part, if not the whole, of that magnificent 
 poem. For many successive mornings she repeated to her 
 father most correctly upwards of three hundred lines each 
 morning. Upon her recovery from illness she passed several 
 months with a careful servant by the seaside. So instinctive 
 were her habits of active usefulness, that she employed her- 
 self, though only in her thirteenth year, in collecting a few 
 children for the purpose of instruction, and in distributing 
 tracts. In returning home to her parents, she enjoyed with 
 them the rich and responsible privilege of the ministry of the 
 late Rev. Samuel Crowther, Vicar of Christ Church, New- 
 gate Street ; an eminent " watchman of Ephraim, now with 
 his God." Under his faithful and affectionate instruction she 
 was brought to the ordinance of Confirmation about the age 
 of sixteen, and publicly "joined herself to the Lord in a per- 
 petual covenant never to be forgotten." 
 
 These interesting materials of Miss Graham's early life may 
 suggest a few profitable remarks. 
 
 Let Christian parents be excited to an immediate and per- 
 severing discharge of their anxious responsibilities. Early 
 impressions are of the highest moment in reference to the fu- 
 ture course of their children. Let them be prayed for, expected, 
 cherished. They cannot be too early or too urgent in present- 
 ing (after the example of the believing parents of old) the 
 petition of the Angel of the covenant ; " How shall we order 
 the child, and how shall we do unto him ?" They can scarce- 
 
16 MEMOIR OF 
 
 )y fix the precious seed too soon into the fresh soil. The pure 
 simplicity of the rudiments of the Gospel is specially suited 
 to the dawn of infant intelligence ; and well would it be, if 
 our children should never be able to recur in after life to the 
 time when these vital truths were first presented to their 
 minds. The child's intellect opens faster than is commonly 
 considered. The first impressions often retain a firm and per- 
 manent grasp through life. And abundantly has the experi- 
 ence of the Church testified, that early piety is eminent 
 piety,* 
 
 It may appear suspicious, that so little shade is discovera- 
 ble upon the records of Miss Graham's childhood. But de- 
 fects cannot be noticed, where they were not observed. 
 Probably our own sphere of observation, if not our immediate 
 circle, is not wholly unfurnished with similar cases, sufficient 
 to preclude an unwarranted incredulity. And indeed these 
 instances often afford the most striking illustrations of the 
 total depravity of the fall. For while Miss Graham was in 
 the estimation of her parents all that their fond hearts could 
 wish, what was she in the sight of God 1 Self-knowledge 
 under Divine teaching soon discovered to her, that under this 
 attractive garb was hid the mighty principle of alienation of 
 heart from God. There was no natural preparation for heav- 
 enly influence. It was only a more lovely appearance of the 
 death that reigned within. Her subsequent expressions there- 
 fore of self-abhorrence were not the ebullitions of a false 
 humility, or of misguided fanaticism, but the genuine con- 
 viction of the Spirit of God upon her heart. 
 
 The subject of our history suggests also the importance of 
 an early excitement of the principles of active usefulness. 
 No doubt Miss Graham's habits of early activity had an im- 
 portant influence in maturing her character for the high privi- 
 lege of devoting herself to the interests of her fellow creatures. 
 It was Cotton Mather's practice to endeavour to enlarge the 
 
 * ' Barker's Parent's Monitor' gives an useful digest of informa- 
 tion, well calculated to guide the instructor, and to encourage the 
 diligence and patient perseverance of parental faith. The principles 
 of Christian Education are brought out with much simplicity and 
 practical detail in the valuable and well-known works of Mrs. Hoare 
 and Mr. Babington, which cannot be too highly recommended. Per- 
 haps the most full and interesting illustration of these principles will 
 be found in the Biographies of the Henry Family, (Life of P. & M, 
 Henry, and Mrs. Savage) by Mr. Williams, of Shrewsbury. 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 17 
 
 minds of his children, by engaging them daily in some 
 1 Essay to do good.' He encouraged and commended them, 
 when he saw them take pleasure in it, and never failed to 
 show them that a backwardness would subject them to his 
 displeasure. This example cannot be too strongly inculcated. 
 To give to children an object beyond themselves, would tend 
 much to counteract the natural principle of selfishness, so 
 baneful to their personal happiness, and to their intellectual, 
 moral and spiritual improvement. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 Her Relapse into Infidelity, 
 
 About the age of seventeen, Miss Graham's mind underwent 
 a most extraordinary revolution. She fell, for a few months, 
 from the heavenly atmosphere of communion with God, into 
 the dark and dreary regions of infidelity. Allusion has al- 
 ready been made to this afflicting circumstance, in her letter. 
 But for a most interesting and graphic detail, the reader must 
 be referred to her own published account; some digest of 
 which will here be given, in order to connect the thread of 
 her history, and to exhibit a clear view of one of the most 
 important eras in her life. 
 
 Miss Graham's mind opened in a metaphysical form, un- 
 favourable to a simple reception of truth. And this, con- 
 nected with a defective apprehension of her lost estate, induced 
 a spirit of self-dependence, one of the most subtle and suc- 
 cessful hindrances to the Christian life.* Thus was the 
 way opened to a secret habit of backsliding from God. Tbe 
 foolish vanities of the world for a while captivated her heart ; 
 and her manners were remarked to be like any other thought- 
 less girls of her own age. From frivolity she sought refuge 
 
 * She alludes to an injury, which her own mind, in common (as 
 she conceives) with many others, had received from adopting- Dod- 
 dridge's form of covenanting with God. (Rise and Progress, chapter 
 xvii. ) This was in her thirteenth year. Let it however he remembered, 
 that, though this mode of dedication may have frequently ministered 
 to a legal spirit, yet it by no means necessarily partakes of an un- 
 evangelical character. This " subscribing of the hand unto the 
 Lord," has been found by many eminent Christians (as, for exam- 
 ple, in Philip Henry's family) to be a cord of love, not a yoke of 
 bondage. Allusion is probably made to it as an acceptable ordi- 
 nance in the service of the Gospel. — -iWa/rxliv. 3 — 5. 
 
MEMOIR, &C. 19 
 
 in her more solid intellectual pursuits. All sources of self- 
 gratification within her power were resorted to with the fruit- 
 less attempt of obtaining peace in a course of departure from 
 God. Wearied at length with disappointment, this prodigal 
 child "began to be in want;" and many a wishful eye did 
 she cast towards the rich provision of her father's forsaken 
 house. In turning, however, to religion for comfort, she 
 found, to use her own words; 'Alas! I had no religion: I 
 had refused to give glory to the Lord my God ; now my feet 
 were left to stumble upon the dark mountains.' 
 
 The doctrine of the Divinity of Christ had often been to 
 her (as to many other minds cast in the same mould), an oc- 
 casion of perplexity. Now it was " a stone of stumbling, 
 and a rock of offence." Though repeated examination had 
 fully satisfied her that it was the truth of the Bible, yet so 
 repulsive was it to her proud heart, that she was led from 
 thence to question the truth of the Bible itself. < I suspected,' 
 said she, « that a system of religion, which involved such 
 apparent absurdities, could not possibly come from God. 
 Determined to sift the matter to the utmost, I eagerly ac- 
 quainted myself with the arguments for and against Chris- 
 tianity. My understanding was convinced that the Scriptures 
 were divine. But my heart refused to receive the conviction. 
 The more my reason was compelled to assent to their truth, 
 the more I secretly disliked the doctrines of the Bible.' 
 
 Continued resistance to convictions was the natural and 
 melancholy result of this inquiry. She determined to lay the 
 subject aside for a while, still ' persuading herself that there 
 must be flaws in the evidence of so strange a history,' which 
 only her want of maturity of judgment prevented her from 
 discovering. Those early religious impressions, that usually 
 form a bulwark against infidelity, in her case proved a stum- 
 bling-block to her faith. Ignorant of the native bias of her 
 heart against the Gospel, she considered them as the effect 
 of prejudice, before her mind had been intelligibly informed 
 or exercised. She now, therefore, determined to burst her 
 chains, and to think and examine for herself. 
 
 Hitherto she had confined her perplexities within her own 
 bosom ; partly dreading the influence of external bias, and 
 partly fearing to infuse into another's mind doubts concern- 
 ing a book, which, she could not conceal from herself, might 
 after all be true. She endeavoured now to strengthen her 
 mind by pursuing a course of intellectual study, with the di- 
 
20 MEMOIR OF 
 
 rect design of preserving herself from becoming a dupe to 
 "cunningly devised fables." And here she did not fail sub- 
 sequently to acknowledge the special forbearance and wisdom 
 of her heavenly Father. Justly might he have deprived her 
 of that reason, which she had so presumptuously set up in 
 his own place. Yet was he pleased to overrule this way- 
 wardness of his child as an ultimate means of her restoration, 
 in applying her course of mental discipline to the effectual 
 discovery of the fallacies with which she was now deluded. 
 
 The immediate effect however of these studies was deci- 
 dedly injurious. Their absorbing interest diverted her mind 
 from the main subject of inquiry; while they proved also a 
 temporary refuge against the uneasy disturbance of her con- 
 science. Even her intervals of reflection were too easily 
 soothed by the indefinite postponement of the great concern 
 to " a more convenient season." Occasional convictions 
 were indeed felt, but without any permanent or practical 
 influence. 
 
 Through the Divine mercy this state of infatuation did not 
 prove of long duration. After a few months' captivity, she 
 was brought, though not without severe conflict of mind, to 
 the full light and liberty of scriptural truth.* The conviction 
 of the being of a God, in her darkest moments had never 
 wholly forsaken her. A few hours' contemplation of the 
 starry heavens darted into her mind a piercing reflection upon 
 her stupidity and ingratitude, in what she justly called an 
 'unnatural and parricidal attempt to banish God from his 
 own creation, to depose him from his natural supremacy over 
 her heart.' Her whole life now appeared to her (what in- 
 deed the Scriptures declare it to be) one continued act of sin 
 and folly. Her convictions however of sin, being wholly 
 unconnected with any discovery of the way of forgiveness, 
 naturally tended to despondency. Every fresh sense of the 
 corruption of her heart and of the unsullied purity of the Di- 
 vine character, brought with it a corresponding sense of guilt. 
 She could expect therefore nothing but punishment propor- 
 tioned to the infinite sinfulness of her offence. She could 
 not conceive the consistency of her forgiveness with the claim 
 of Divine justice ; and the alternative of her eternal punish- 
 
 * It may be remarked, that severe providential afflictions about 
 this period concurred with the exercises of her own mind, to awaken 
 her mind to this self-abasing recollection of her fearful departure 
 from God. 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM, 21 
 
 ment seemed even less dreadful than the supposition of any 
 inconsistency in Him, who, in her view, was the Perfection 
 of Holiness. ' I had acquired,' she remarked, ' such a per- 
 ception of the beauty of holiness, that the thought of an un- 
 holy God was worse than hell to me. I felt that I had rather 
 God should pour out on me all the vials of his wrath, than 
 that, carried away by an unworthy softness and weakness, 
 he should forgive, and thereby encourage sin. To undergo 
 eternal punishment was horrible. To acknowledge an un- 
 holy God was more horrible.' 
 
 As her last expedient, her despised Bible was brought to 
 mind. And ' how different' — she observes — ' was the tem- 
 per of mind, in which I now addressed myself to its perusal, 
 from that in which I had read it in the commencement of my 
 disbelief of Christianity ! I was no longer a proud sophist, 
 triumphing in the strength and penetration of human reason, 
 and in the comprehensiveness of human knowledge. The 
 contemplation of my own ignorance, weakness, and wicked- 
 ness, had laid my pride in the dust. My eyes were opened 
 to view myself as I really was — depraved and blinded in my 
 reason, judgment, and understanding. And this is the pro- 
 cess, which must take place in the soul of every man, before 
 he can pursue the search after truth in a right spirit. 
 
 Her interest was early directed to the promises of Divine 
 teaching to the sincere inquirer after truth. Their suitable- 
 ness fixed her attention. Their freeness encouraged her 
 heart. " Ask, and it shall be given you ; seek, and ye shall 
 find. He giveth his Holy Spirit to them that ask him" — 
 especially arrested her. She determined to make trial of 
 them, conceiving that their fulfilment in her own case would 
 be a * Test of the Truth? of the hook, which held them forth 
 for her acceptance. Though hindered at first by a sense of 
 nnworthiness, she ventured to apply; justly considering, that 
 whatever might be her apprehensions of her own demerit, 
 yet a state of submission and desire could not be so displeas- 
 ing to God, as one of carelessness and rebellion. But the 
 description of this anxious crisis must be given in her own 
 striking words. ' Impelled by these reflections — fearful and 
 uncertain, but with uncontrolable, unutterable longings, I 
 directed my applications * To the unknown GodS O my Re- 
 deemer ! the first breathings of my soul were not uttered in 
 thy name ! I rushed into the presence of my Judge without 
 a mediator. But doubtless even then Thy comeliness was 
 C 
 
22 
 
 MEMOIR OP 
 
 thrown over the deformity of my soul ; and the eye of my 
 Father beheld me with pity, for thy dear name's sake. My 
 prayer ascended up to heaven, fragrant with the incense of 
 thy merits ; though the poor wretch who offered it thought to 
 please God by leaving thee out of it. 
 
 In this prostration of soul she continued " watching daily 
 at her Lord's gates, waiting at the posts of his doors." It 
 need scarcely be added, she did not seek in vain. The Divine 
 character now appeared before her, not, as before, in its con- 
 suming holiness ; but in the combined glory of holiness and 
 love. Her apprehensions of sin, of Christ, and of the whole 
 system of Christian truth, were now irradiated with heavenly 
 light ; and with simplicity, and godly sincerity" of " heart," 
 she was enabled to " believe unto righteousness." The cha- 
 racter of Christ, as a proof of the credibility of the Christian 
 revelation, arrested her particular attention. A minute scru- 
 tiny of His spotless life was most satisfactory in its result.* 
 1 The more,' said she, ' I studied this Divine character, the 
 more I grew up as it were into its simplicity and holiness, 
 the more my understanding -was enabled to shake off those 
 slavish and sinful prejudices, which had hindered me from 
 appreciating its excellence. Truly his words were dearer to 
 me " than my necessary food." He was my " All in all." 
 I did not want to have any knowledge, goodness, or strength, 
 independently of him. I had rather be " accepted in the Be- 
 loved," than received (had that been possible) upon the score 
 my own merits. I had rather walk, leaning upon his arm, 
 than have a stock of strength given me to perform the jour- 
 ney alone. To learn, as a fool, of Christ ; this was better to 
 
 * This is not a solitary instance of impression from the contem- 
 plation of the character of Christ. Even Mr. Chubb must have felt 
 some conviction, when he describes his life 'as a beautiful picture 
 of human nature in its native purity and simplicity ; and showing at 
 once what excellent creatures men would be, when under the influ- 
 ence and power of that gospel which he preached unto them. ' (True 
 Gospel, p. 56.) Rousseau's exquisite contrast between Socrates and 
 Christ is well known, concluding with the remarkable acknowledg- 
 ment respecting the latter :— ' The inventor of such a personage 
 would be a more astonishing character than the hero.' Yet could 
 this man's heart resist the dear conviction of hisjudgment — F I can- 
 not*— he subjoins—' believe the Gospel.'' His Confessions, however, 
 clearly trace his unbelief to its proper cause — the love of sin. See 
 John iii. 19, 20, — a text which throws more light upon the secret 
 springs of infidelity, than whole volumes that have been written upon 
 the subject. 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 23 
 
 me than to have the knowledge of an angel to find out things 
 for myself.' 
 
 After her recovery from this fearful snare of Satan, she was 
 mercifully preserved from " turning again to folly," and. led 
 forth in " the path of the just," with increasing light, strength, 
 and establishment. « From that moment,' she adds, * I ceas- 
 ed to stumble at the doctrines of the cross. The doctrines of 
 Scripture, which had before appeared to me an inexplica- 
 ble mass of confusion and contradictions, were now written 
 on my understanding with the clearness of a sunbeam. Above 
 all, that once abhorred doctrine of the Divinity of Christ was 
 becoming exceeding precious to me. The external evidences 
 of Christianity, though I now perceived all their force, were 
 no longer necessary to my conviction. From that time,' she 
 concludes, ' I have continued to " sit at the feet of Jesus, and 
 to hear his w r ord ;" taking him for my Teacher and Guide in 
 things temporal as well as spiritual. He has found in me a 
 disciple so slow of comprehension, so prone to forget his les- 
 sons and to act in opposition to his commands, that were he 
 not infinitely " meek and lowly in heart," he would long ago 
 have cast me off in anger. But he still continues to bear 
 with me, and to give me " line upon line, and precept upon 
 precept." And I am certain, that he " will never leave me, 
 nor forsake me ^' for, though I am variable and inconstant, 
 " with him there is no variableness, neither shadow of turn- 
 ing." '* 
 
 The writer cannot but hope, that at this awful crisis, when 
 a moral pestilence (far more dreadful than the late providen- 
 tial visitation) is stalking through the land, the preceding 
 narrative may suggest seasonable caution, conviction, and 
 encouragement to some, especially of his young readers. 
 Let them mark the connexion of the first principles of infidel- 
 ity, with the exercise of the understanding, and with the state 
 of the heart. 
 
 Pride of intellect in Miss Graham's case, was evidently one 
 
 * Test of Truth, pp. 112—117. The extracts given from this in- 
 teresting little work, will be sufficient to commend it to the read- 
 er's attention, as the production of an author of no common ppwer, 
 and deeply imbued with the glowing principles of the Gospel. It 
 will remind the reader of some of Mr. Scott's painful exercises of 
 mind described in his ' Force of Truth'' and of the argument so suc- 
 cessfully handled by Bishop Burnet in his disputations with Lord 
 Rochester. 
 
24 MEMOIR OF 
 
 main cause of her departure from God. When her mind left 
 the strong-hold of faith, her scriptural light, which could only 
 be apprehended through spiritual optics, became obscured, 
 until she was gradually left to the Egyptian darkness of her 
 own understanding. And this we apprehend to be a very 
 usual commencement of an infidel course, upon principles 
 equally opposed to reason and to revelation. Man, in his 
 prurient desire to pass the bounds of revelation, forgets that 
 while " the things that are revealed belong to us and to our 
 children," the " secret things" are no less the property of 
 God. As he has, therefore, reserved them for himself, this 
 " intrusion into the things which we have not seen," and can- 
 not see, is the unhallowed indulgence of a "fleshly mind." 
 The extent and precise boundaries of revelation are determi- 
 ned by infinite wisdom ; and could we discern them with a 
 single eye, they would be found equally illustrative of a high 
 regard to the happiness of man. A more expanded view un- 
 der present circumstances would only increase instead of 
 clearing up our difficulties. The eye would wander over the 
 field of infinite space with a disproportioned power of percep- 
 tion. The objects, therefore, would be less distinctly appre- 
 hended ; and the result would leave us more restless and dis- 
 satisfied, while the happy influence of humility, simplicity, 
 and faith had been wholly disregarded. If we have not the 
 whole view before us, let it suffice, that we have all that is 
 needful for our happiness and present duty. The attempt to 
 supply what we conceive to be wanting by the conjectural 
 effort of reason, would be to subject "vain man" to his Ma- 
 ker's merited rebuke — " Who is this that darkeneth counsel 
 by words without knowledge 1" Every step of advance be- 
 yond the Divine record is fraught with danger and uncer- 
 tainty. " In God's light" alone " can we see light." The 
 intellectual " light that is in us," when applied by the pride 
 of man to the contents of revelation — "is darkness ; and how 
 great is that darkness !" Simple faith, therefore, however 
 mistaken or despised, may justly be deemed the highest act 
 of reason ; while rational religion, ' falsely so called,' may 
 easily be proved to be of all schemes the most irrational.* 
 
 * The writer cannot forbear to add some admirable remarks from 
 an unpublished manuscript of Miss Graham's shortly to be noticed. 
 • It is true that faith compels our assent to many things beyond the 
 reach of reason, even of the renewed reason. But this implicit ere- 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 25 
 
 We would add a few words upon the connexion of infidelity 
 with the state of the heart. We are not exclusively intellect- 
 ual beings. The affections so materially influence the judg- 
 ment, as often to incapacitate it for the accurate discernment 
 of truth. The natural bias of the heart is to sin, and conse- 
 quently to infidelity, the excuse and covering for sin. The 
 point at issue is, whether men shall remain the servants of 
 sin, or become the servants of God ; whether they shall be 
 degraded as sensual beings, or raised to the elevation of in- 
 telligent or spiritual existence. Now, as the Gospel stands 
 in the way of natural indulgence, it must be removed. So 
 that if a course of infidel reading, or intercourse with scoffers, 
 has not furnished the necessary arguments, they must be 
 invented from the man's own heart. The danger of infidelity 
 is not, therefore, confined to the ungodly and profane. Every 
 unconverted man must secretly wish the Bible to be untrue ; 
 and under this bias he will (except restrained by an Almighty 
 power) endeavour to prove it untrue. A wrong state of 
 
 dence is itself the highest and noblest exercise of the understanding. 
 It is a reasonable assent to the testimony of One, in whom we repose 
 unlimited confidence, because we have reasonable grounds for con- 
 cluding Him to be infinitely wiser than ourselves. An exercise of 
 the reason is presupposed, whereby we are assured that the Bible is 
 God's testimony ; and an act of the Understanding, whereby, having 
 obtained this assurance, we infer, that every word of the Bible must 
 be true. The Divine philosophy of faith, then, sets out upon these 
 two propositions. The first — an assurance, founded in reason, that 
 the Bible is the revelation of God- The second — an inference, 
 equally founded in reason, that every word of the Bible is true ; and 
 must therefore be taken in preference to all the deductions of our 
 own reason, which may or may not be true. Neither of these pro- 
 positions is shaken by the fact, that the Bible contains many things 
 which we do not understand ; or in other words, that God may know 
 many things which we do not know ; that many things may appear 
 to his infinitely holy and unclouded understanding, in a very differ- 
 ent light, from that in which they are viewed by our narrow and 
 prejudiced minds. When the first proposition is once proved to the 
 entire satisfaction of the mind, the second must follow of course. 
 Then faith, an implicit, childlike faith, becomes the only rational 
 mode of proceeding. Every departure from this faith is a departure 
 from reason ; an insult to the understanding ; a violation of com- 
 mon sense. And that we do make such departures, only tends to 
 prove, that while the renewed understanding " consents to the law 
 of God that it is holy, just, and good ;" " the law of sin," which is 
 yet working " in our members," occasionally beclouds and perverts 
 it. 
 
 c 2 
 
26 MEMOIR^ &C. 
 
 heart, as with Miss Graham, gives the power and advantage 
 to this active and malignant principle. In her early state "of 
 child-like simplicity she would have been safe. But the 
 "fulfilment of the desires of the mind," probably more than 
 of "the flesh," combined with ignorance "of Satan's de- 
 vices," brought her into his snare; and she was "taken 
 captive by him at his will." Depending upon the teaching 
 of the Spirit of God, our "path" in Divine knowledge will 
 be " as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto 
 the perfect day." And ' whenever' (as an original and pow- 
 erful writer remarks) * he opens the Scriptures, that same 
 light that discovers the meaning, will not fail to affect and 
 make our hearts burn within us with the sense of Divine light, 
 authority, and power. Of this the experience of the people 
 of God, as they grow in knowledge, furnishes them daily 
 with new instances,; and therefore they do not stumble at 
 the want of the present sense of that light, but are quickened 
 to diligence, excited to frequent cries for opening of their 
 eyes, that they may understand the wonders, that by the 
 knowledge of other parts of the Word, they are induced 
 to believe couched in those parts, which yet they knew not.' 
 One further remark suggests itself from this interesting 
 record to avoid unnecessary distress and misconception. Let 
 not Miss Graham's vivid portraiture of her own feelings and 
 views be considered as a general standard, as if the same in- 
 tensity of mental exercise, and clearness of spiritual per- 
 ception were the exclusive evidences of a sound conversion 
 of heart to God. Self-renunciation, diligent investigation of 
 Divine truth, and a conscientious improvement of the light 
 vouchsafed, are indeed indispensable marks of Christian sin- 
 cerity. Yet while the enjoyment of our high privileges will 
 vary in proportion to the energy of these holy principles, the 
 measure of their influence is almost indefinitely diversified 
 within the precincts of the true church of God. It may also 
 be important to observe, that many of Miss Graham's most 
 painful trials (such as her intellectual pride) arose out of the 
 peculiar form of her natural character. No sympathy there- 
 fore can be expected or need be desired in minds cast in a 
 different mould ; and any effort to excite or encourage it, for 
 the purpose of establishing an ideal connexion with 3 this ob- 
 ject of attraction, (which would probably be unaccompanied 
 with a desire to imitate the spiritual excellences of the pro- 
 posed model) can only originate in deceit, and tend to self- 
 delusion. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 General sketch of Miss Graham's life; her views of study / 
 extensive attainments >• and active devotedness to God. 
 
 Miss Graham continued to reside in London for some time 
 after her deliverance from that awful delusion, into which 
 she had been permitted to fall. The remembrance, however, 
 of this temporary apostacy was " ever before her" with all 
 that holy shame and self-abasement, which attaches to the 
 "purified" conscience of the pardoned sinner; humbling her 
 in the dust, while yet faith, hope, love, peace, and joy, were 
 the dominant principles in her soul. Deeply also did she 
 feel the constraint of the command given by anticipation to a 
 backsliding apostle ; " When thou art converted, strengthen 
 thy brethren." It was the great object of her ' Test of Truth,' 
 to set forth her own case as a beacon of warning, an example 
 of encouragement, and a monument of Divine grace, for the 
 special use of those who might be brought into the same 
 seductive atmosphere of temptation. There is reason to be- 
 lieve, that her work in its original form produced its measure 
 of conviction upon her principal correspondent; and we may 
 confidently expect, that, in a wider circulation, an answer to 
 her prayers for a Divine blessing upon it will be abundantly 
 manifested. During her residence in London, the ministry 
 of the Rev. Watts Wilkinson, and a deep study of the sacred 
 volume, were the ordained means of advancing her knowledge 
 and experience of Scriptural truth. Her intellectual habits 
 were a source of much gratification to her ; and mainly con- 
 tributed, under the blessing of God, to form her character into 
 a mould of solid and permanent usefulness. It is however 
 delightful to observe her Christian simplicity and watchful- 
 ness, to subordinate these valuable enjoyments to the primary 
 
2S MEMOIR OF 
 
 object of the glory of God. Of this the following prayer, 
 found among her papers, will furnish an interesting and edify- 
 ing illustration. 
 
 Before study of any kind, remember that it is but lost 
 labour, except the Lord bless it. 
 
 Summary of things to be sought of God before study. 
 
 1 1 desire to thank Thee, my God and Father in Christ 
 Jesus, for this and every other opportunity of improvement 
 Thou hast given me. May the opportunity Thou hast given 
 me be blest of Thee ! Enable me to receive it with thanks- 
 giving, and sanctify it to me by the Word of God and prayer. 
 O let me know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified ; 
 and other things.jf'ustf so far as may be for my good and thy 
 glory, and no further. I would mourn before Thee the base 
 ingratitude with which I have hitherto abused my time and 
 talents, by loving thy gifts more than Thee, and seeking 
 myself, not Thee, in them. Now I bring all my things to 
 Thee ; for they are not mine, but thine own. Take that ac- 
 cursed thing, self, out of them all, and condescend to use them 
 for thy glory. I thank Thee, that the meanest employment 
 is acceptable in thy sight, when done in the name of the 
 Lord Jesus. May I set about this, in His name, and in His 
 strength, and to His glory ! May I not once seek my own 
 things in it, but the things that are Jesus Christ's ! Let me 
 no longer lean to my own understanding; but may I so ac- 
 knowledge Thee in all my ways, that Thou mayest establish 
 my thoughts, and direct my paths ! Suffer me not to be wise 
 in my own conceit, nor vainly puffed up in my fleshly mind. 
 Make me to lean from mine own wisdom. Be Thou my 
 wisdom. Holy Lord God the Spirit ! who dividest unto 
 every man severally as .Thou wilt, bless such of my studies, 
 and in such a degree as may be most to thy glory. If it be 
 thy will, prepare me by them for the work to which I desire 
 thou wouldst call and separate me.* I commit this work, to 
 which I would devote myself, into thy hands. Prosper it or 
 not as Thou seest good. Thy will be done respecting it, 
 
 * This was a plan, which lay very near her heart, for the gratui- 
 tous instruction of the children of Missionaries, and of Christians in 
 reduced circumstances, with a view to qualify them for the situation 
 of teachers. 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 29 
 
 only take all self-seeking out of it ; get thyself glory, Lord, in 
 all that I do ; and keep me from ever wishing to rob Thee of 
 thy glory. Lord, if thou wilt bless me abundantly, grant 
 that in whatever Thou givest me, I may remember I have 
 received it, and not glory as if I had not received it. I set 
 myself to this employment in the name of Jesus : may I have 
 fellowship with Him in it ! Let it not become a snare to 
 me; but may the Lord who is my confidence, preserve my 
 foot from being taken in this net, which has so often en- 
 tangled me ! 
 
 ' O Thou Glorifier of Jesus ! take of the things that are 
 His, and show them unto me, and unto all Thy people, with 
 such light and power, that our wills, desires, and affections 
 may be quite swallowed up in His love. Let us have no will 
 but Thy most holy will. Convince us that all things else are 
 mere dross and dung, in comparison with that most excellent 
 knowledge of our dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, which 
 do thou give us every day more abundantly, making us to 
 know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge. Even 
 so, Holy Spirit, for the sake of thy great mercies in Christ 
 Jesus, to whom with Thee and the Father, be all the honour, 
 all the praise, and all the glory, now and for ever. Amen.' 
 
 In the same spirit, an extract from a letter to a young 
 friend engaged in the work of tuition, gives the following 
 sensible advice, with a modest reference to her own case. 
 
 March 22, 1827. 
 4 You ask me whether I think study is wrong. I think, on 
 the contrary, if we study with a view to the glory of God, it 
 becomes a duty to do so. If we study merely to please our- 
 selves, I think it is wrong. Your situation seems to render 
 study necessary; and when we reflect how few of those who 
 are engaged in teaching are truly pious, it ought to stir us up 
 to the best improvement of our time and talents. The love of 
 study and mental amusements has been my great snare, and 
 has so very often led me astray, that 1 have been tempted to 
 give it up altogether. I feel thankful to God, that whenever 
 I have begun to make some progress in my favourite study, 
 he has thwarted my attempt to excel by some seasonable in- 
 terruption, a fit of illness or some domestic trial. But when 
 1 think how very useful a moderate degree of mental cultiva- 
 tion may make me, and particularly that it seems the way of 
 usefulness most suitable to me, if I should recover my 
 
30 
 
 MEMOIR OF 
 
 strength, I mean to resume it as soon as I can ; and I hope in 
 Christ, through whose goodness every opportunity of im- 
 provement is given, that he will not suffer these opportunities 
 to become hindrances to my advancement in the knowledge of 
 him. Let us pray to be taught to feel, that all earthly know- 
 ledge is mere dross and dung, in comparison with the most 
 excellent knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; 
 and then I trust we may pursue, without abusing it, only tak- 
 ing care never to neglect any present duty, or any spiritual 
 duty for it.' 
 
 But we will here give some large extracts from an unpub- 
 lished Treatise « On the Intellectual, Moral, and Religious 
 uses of Mathematical Science,' as conveying her full and 
 matured views upon this important subject.* 
 
 * We subjoin an analysis of this manuscript, which will give some 
 view of the extent, general accuracy, and spiritual character of Miss 
 Graham's mind. Introduction. Chapter I. The Usefulness of Math- 
 ematics in learning to Reason ; Groundwork of Mathematical Sci- 
 ences ; Art of Stating a Question ; Modes of Demonstration; An- 
 alysis ; Connexion ; Art of Simplifying Processes ; Intei-mediate 
 Principles. Chapter II. The Beneficial influence of Mathematics 
 upon some parts of the Intellectual and Moral Character ; Atten- 
 tion ; Abstraction ; Penetrativeness and Invention ; Arrangement ; 
 Moral Habits of Mind. Chapter III. The Disadvantages of Math- 
 ematical Studies ; Engrossing attention of the Pursuit ; Contempt 
 or Mistrust of other Evidence ; Effect on the Imaginative Faculties. 
 Chapter IV. The Advantages of Mathematical Science, and of the 
 Cultivation of Reason in general, considered in a religious point of 
 view. Chapter V. A review of the Disadvantages and Tempta- 
 tions to which the Religious Student is Exposed. In the Introduc- 
 tion she specifies the persons for whom sbe primarily wrote — ' those 
 who, in the ardour of their pursuit after human learning, are not un- 
 mindful of its immeasurable inferiority to " the wisdom which is 
 from above." To them,' she remarks, ' study of every kind pre- 
 sents considerations of higher import than even the intellectual ben- 
 efits that are reaped from it. The introduction of religion into secu- 
 lar matters is too often censured as impertinent and unseasonable ; 
 and many will think it wholly out of place in a work professedly on 
 science. I can only reply,' she adds, < by the simple confession, 
 that I should grieve to be acquainted witb that science, which might 
 not, under God, forward in some way or other the grand object of 
 my existence. "Thou shalt teach them diligently to thy children, 
 and shalt talk of them, when thou sittest in thine house, and when 
 thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down,!Bfcd when thou 
 risest up." {Bent. vi. 7. ) These are the commands of God concern- 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 31 
 
 Speaking of study generally, she marks with accurate dis- 
 crimination the different principles of the worldly and the 
 Christian student. 
 
 1 Many and varied are the motives hy which the worldly 
 student is actuated. But his views all centre in some way 
 or other in his own person. Self-gratification, self-advance- 
 ment, self-interest, are mingled with them all. The Chris- 
 tian student is also variously influenced. But he has learned 
 to transfer all his actions to another centre. The glory of his 
 reconciled God is the point on which they all turn, the com- 
 pass by which they are all directed. The outward conduct 
 of the two characters may present many points of similarity. 
 Their inward intentions are totally and irreconcilably differ- 
 ent. The intrinsic excellence of science, its ennobling influ- 
 ence upon the mind, the delights that are to be enjoyed in the 
 pursuit of it, and the benefits that are to be reaped in its at- 
 tainment ; — these are objects common to the man of the world, 
 and to the religious man. But mark wherein the difference 
 consists. With the former they are primary objects of con- 
 sideration ; the latter beholds them only in a secondary point 
 of view. The Christian student is far from despising the ad- 
 vantages of study. He has felt what it is to thirst after 
 knowledge, and possesses a keen relish for the pleasures of 
 intellect. But he puts all these considerations away from 
 him, till he has answered a question of higher importance. 
 His first inquiry is — 'How shall I study for God] How 
 shall I render my acquirements subservient to his glory V 
 If he cannot answer the question to his complete satisfaction, 
 the uneasy recurrence of it will prove a continual drawback 
 to the spirited and successful prosecution of his studies.' 
 
 Upon a very prevalent misconception upon this subject, 
 she gives the following just remarks, — 
 
 ' It has been too much the practice with a well-meaning 
 but injudicious portion of the religious world, to decry human 
 
 ing the momentous truths of Scripture. They leave us very little 
 ftime for science, independent of religion. Every believer in the Bible 
 will endeavour to act in the spirit of these words. He will consider 
 that time as lost, -which is spent without regard to eternity ; and that 
 learning as useless, which he cannot employ in subservience to hea- 
 venly knowledge.' This valuable manuscript was written about two 
 years before her death. • She had intended, during her last illness, to 
 have revised it for publication. But increasing weakness, and the 
 overwhelming impression of the near prospect of eternity, compelled 
 her to relinquish her design. 
 
32 MEMOIR OF 
 
 learning, as if it were a thing absolutely unchristian and per- 
 nicious. They attack it in the gross, and apply to it all that 
 the Scripture has said concerning " the wisdom of this world." 
 They appear to forget that these censures apply not to the 
 use, but to the abuse, of human learning. Those who "lean 
 to their own understanding," who are " wise in their own con- 
 ceits," who set human wisdom in the place of the Holy 
 Ghost's teaching — these are the wise and learned, of whom 
 the Scripture affirms, that the things of the kingdom are hid 
 from their eyes. But the description was never meant for the 
 discouragement of those who pursue human study in a simple, 
 child-like dependence upon God. It sometimes happens, that 
 the young convert, full of religious zeal, and possessed with 
 some vague and ill-defined notions of the worthless ensnar- 
 ing nature of human learning, is led by a mistaken sense of 
 duty either entirely to abandon it, or greatly to slacken his 
 efforts in the attainment of it, and so to shut himself out from 
 a wide field of future usefulness.' 
 
 Upon the lawfulness of study she draws the line with great 
 precision and Christian simplicity. 
 
 * Does the time' — she asks — 4 you now devote to study, 
 break in upon any known and immediate call of duty 1 If it 
 does, your way is clearly pointed out. No prospect of future 
 good can justify you in the neglect of present duty. Your stu- 
 dies must, according to circumstances, be wholly abandoned, 
 or laid aside, till you can resume them without feeling that 
 conscience is drawing you another way. Perhaps you are 
 ready to exclaim, that " this is a hard saying." You cannot 
 contentedly resign or postpone your hopes of mental improve- 
 ment. Still less can you consent to hazard the loss of all 
 that you have already acquired. Suffer me to remind you of 
 two points of view, in which it imports you to consider this 
 question. 
 
 ' I readily admit, that the studies of worldly men may be 
 successful, notwithstanding the evil spirit in which they are 
 prosecuted. " They have their reward." But nothing that you , 
 do can prosper, without the divine blessing. This must be 
 the crown of your undertakings, or you labour in vain. If you 
 know any thing of the spirit of prayer, you make it your con- 
 stant request, that all your doings may prosper, as far as they 
 will promote the glory of God, and no further. In answer 
 then, to your own petition, God must withhold his blessing 
 from your most laudable employments, if they do not lie in 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 33 
 
 the direct path of duty. On this account you have no rational 
 prospect of success. If you do succeed, be assured that some 
 root of bitterness will spring up from the very accomplish- 
 ment of your purposes. To continue your studies, therefore, 
 under existing circumstances, would be to subject yourself to 
 certain vexation and disappointment. 
 
 ' On the other hand, I would remind you, that if you simply 
 attend to your duty, and resolutely forego the most beloved 
 pursuits the moment they come into competition with it, there 
 is no fear that you should lose any thing- by such conduct. 
 He who made and who preserves your intellectual faculties, 
 can surely enable them to retain anything that will be really 
 useful to you. Your small stock of knowledge will, with his 
 blessing, carry you further than the acquisition of the whole 
 circle of human science could do without it. We niay affirm 
 of intellectual gains, no less than of those which are gross and 
 tangible, that " a little that a righteous man hath is better 
 than the riches of many wicked." We are commanded to 
 " be careful for nothing, but in every thing to make our re- 
 quests known unto God." You may therefore, in faith, com- 
 mit your studies and acquirements to Him. You may freely 
 ask, and confidently expect, that he will take care of them for 
 you, and return them to you, whenever they shall be wanted 
 for his service.' 
 
 The lawfulness of study being proved, its expediency, im- 
 portance, and responsibility, are next considered. 
 
 ' But perhaps the contrary to all this is your case. You 
 feel that you can devote a certain portion of your time to study, 
 without infringing upon any prior and more imperious de- 
 mand of duty. If it he thus with you, your studies are un- 
 doubtedly lawful. It only remains to inquire, how far they 
 may be expedient for you. 
 
 ' Of this, you must yourself be the best judge. It must de- 
 pend on a variety of circumstances, the particular bent of 
 your talent ; the opportunities of improvement which lie with- 
 in your reach ; your present situation, or your future pros- 
 pects in life. Let us suppose that all or any of these combine 
 in such a degree, as to give you reason to hope that your 
 studies may open a door of usefulness. I shall endeavour to 
 convince you, that no fancied dread of the snares and tempta- 
 tions attendant upon human learning ought to deter you from 
 the pursuit of it. In your case the acquisition of knowledge 
 is not merely a permitted employment, but a positive duty. 
 
34 MEMOIR OF 
 
 God has made nothing in vain. He has given us nothing, 
 which we may not use to his glory. This we admit without 
 reluctance in reference to every minor blessing, with which 
 his bounty has enriched us. We acknowledge, that our health, 
 time, riches, influence, are all entrusted to us for God's ser- 
 vice, and capable of being used to his glory. But do not they 
 make a strange exception to this general admission, who so 
 roundly assert the utter inefficiency of human reasoning, and 
 of human learning 1 If so many things, which we possess in 
 common with unbelievers, may yet be legitimately improved 
 to the glory of God, why is the understanding to be excepted 1 
 Why must that best and fairest of God's common gifts be suf- 
 fered to lie waste, only because it is a common one 1 ? None 
 can deprecate more earnestly than I do the idea, that the un- 
 assisted light of human reason can ever make us wise unto 
 salvation. But shall we therefore say, that the reason takes 
 no part whatever in our reception of truth 1 Remember, that 
 he who gives you spiritual teaching is the very same who 
 gave you this human understanding. He gave you not the 
 former to supersede and overpower, but to guide and enlighten, 
 the latter. Both are alike his gifts ; and though the one is 
 inferior to the other, and useless without its aid, yet we must 
 neither neglect nor despise it. Nothing that he gives can be 
 worthless. So much for reason itself. And as for those parts 
 of human learning, which contribute to strengthen and im- 
 prove this faculty, they also are given by God ; means which 
 he has adapted to the fulfilment of no ignoble purpose. We 
 are just as much bound to use those instruments which Pro- 
 vidence has placed within our reach for the cultivation of our 
 understandings, as we are bound to attend to the culture of 
 our fields. Nay, unless we deny that our minds are better 
 things than our fields, we are more called upon to encourage 
 the growth of the former than of the latter. If God has given 
 you superior faculties, and the means of improving them, there 
 cannot be a more manifest token, that he intends they should 
 be improved. The parable of the talents is never more fairly 
 exemplified, than when, in the way of duty, we go and trade 
 with the natural abilities which our Divine Master has distri- 
 buted to us, till we can bring them back to him with the grateful 
 acknowledgment, " Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds." 
 'If then you are possessed of superior powers of mind, re- 
 member, that the source from whence they emanate is divine. 
 Esteem the gift very highly for the Giver's sake; and seek 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 35 
 
 to bring- it to that perfection, of which he has made it sus- 
 ceptible. Use your talents, as not abusing them. Keep them 
 in the dependent, subordinate station which they are intended 
 to occupy. Expect not from them more than they are capa- 
 ble of performing. But expect something from them. Do 
 something with them. Cannot you find any use for them T 
 Take them to God. He has large fields for their employment. 
 There is ample room in his vineyard. Pray that he would 
 send you forth to labour in some way or other in that plente- 
 ous harvest, whose labourers are so few. There is nothing so 
 sweet as this simple committal of your way to one, who is 
 infinitely able to guide and protect you in it. " In all thy 
 ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." 
 Then they become paths of usefulness indeed. The most 
 brilliant fancy, the profoundest judgment, clearest understand- 
 ing, the most extensive learning, are in themselves less than 
 nothing. But intreat the blessing of God upon them ; and you 
 shall find they will be worth just so much as he pleases. The 
 infidel exerts the whole force of his understanding, blinded as 
 it is by the god of this world, in opposing the doctrine of the 
 cross. Let yours, illumined by a beam from the fountain of 
 light, be no less unequivocally devoted to the service of the 
 cross. Think not the time lost that you spend in study, if 
 you are studying in and for God. Do not say; ' I will lay- 
 aside the vanity of human learning, and trust only to the di- 
 vine teaching for powers of sound argument and appropriate 
 expression.' You might with equal justice say, ' I will aban- 
 don the superfluous toil of ploughing my lands, and confide in 
 Providence for a plentiful crop.' It is true in both these cases" 
 that the increase cometh from God only ; but it is no less true, 
 that he will have the planting and the watering to be ours. 
 God will not help you, if you refuse to help yourself. The 
 trust of the slothful is an impious and a foolhardy trust. His 
 mind, like his vineyard, shall be grown over with weeds. 
 
 'In intellectual, as well as in spiritual gifts, "the Spirit 
 divideth unto every man severally as he.will." Thus we read, 
 that " Bezaleel was filled with the Spirit of God, in all man- 
 ner of workmanship, to work all manner of work, of the en- 
 graver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer." 
 And if these meaner talents come directly from him, how much 
 more the nobler properties of the understanding ! Are you in^ 
 debted to his bounty for the possession of a piercing and com- 
 manding intellect, and strong powers of reason 1 I am sure he 
 
36 MEMOIR OF 
 
 did not give them to you for nothing 1 '? Why fold that napkin 
 round them 1 It is your Lord's treasure. What possible right 
 have you to "bury it in the earth?" Do what you will with 
 your own, if indeed you can find any thing which is your own. 
 But beware how you trifle with what is his. He is coming, 
 and will expect to "receive it with usury." 
 
 * Consider, had those powers of mind belonged to you as 
 the bondman of Satan, how would you have toiled to perfect 
 them for his service ! How much mischief would you have 
 contrived to do with them ! And shall " the Lord's freeman" 
 take no pains to improve his talents in his Redeemer's cause ? 
 Shall no good be done with them, now that they are Christ's 1 
 It is in truth a strange doctrine, that they must lie dormant, 
 because Satan has no longer any claim upon their exertion. 
 
 4 Why is it, that we have such a dread of calling in the aid 
 of our reasoning powers 1 Is it not, because we look upon rea- 
 son as something of our own! If we reason in faith, is it not 
 the Spirit of our Father speaking within us, just as much as 
 in any other mode of addressing the unconverted! If we em- 
 ploy human means only so far as we have the warrant of 
 Scripture, of past experience, and of present providences ; if 
 we cultivate our faculties in the humblest and simplest de- 
 pendence upon God ; surely this is neither making flesh our 
 arm, nor " leaning to our own understanding." ' 
 
 Some difficulties connected with study are then discussed 
 in interesting connexion with Christian principles. 
 
 'I cannot Taut attribute many of the difficulties which per- 
 plex and obstruct the Christian student, to his not studying 
 sufficiently in faith. We do not pursue our intellectual con- 
 templations in the same simple, child-like dependence, which 
 we are sometimes enabled to carry into our other duties. We 
 make study an employment too entirely secular. We are apt 
 to consider it as something wholly apart from religion. It is 
 one of those subjects, upon which we do not permit ourselves 
 to converse freely with our heavenly Father. To apply to 
 him at every step for counsel and assistance, would convey 
 to us an idea of presumption. W T e are afraid to trifle with the 
 majesty of God, by expecting that he will take an interest in 
 the mere earthly improvement of the intellect. That he both 
 gave us this intellect, and bestowed on us the means of its 
 cultivation, is admitted by us beyond the possibility of a 
 doubt. W T e adore the bounty which has adorned and enrich- 
 ed us. But we hesitate to believe in a condescension, which 
 
MARY JANE C4RAHAM. 37 
 
 shall stoop to notice the petty progress of each minute portion 
 of this intellect, and make its daily and hourly advancement 
 the object of benevolent concern. I would not, my beloved 
 fellow Christians, utter one single expression, which might 
 impair your veneration for the Divine Majesty. But in this 
 timid reserve I perceive no marks of genuine veneration. 
 Your privilege is to draw near to God with the tender rever- 
 ence, the sacred familiarity, of a beloved child. To shrink 
 from his presence with the retiring fearfulness of a slave, is 
 to dishonour the scripture representation of his attributes. 
 And in which of your earthly affairs can you hope that the be- 
 nevolence of your Father will be interested, if not in the cul- 
 tivation of your reason 7 ? It is the gift by which he has 
 distinguished you from the rest of his earthly creation. It is 
 that which stamps you with the impress of Divinity, which 
 tells you you are born to immortality. The immensity of 
 condescension by which the Most High bends his regard to 
 any of our paltry concerns, is indeed beyond conception, as it 
 is beyond praise. But if, where all is so unworthy, I might 
 dare to mention one thing as less unworthy of his notice, it 
 would be the progress of the mind. We " are fearfully and 
 wonderfully made.*' But our intellectual faculties are the 
 surpassing wonder, the crowning excellence of God's creation. 
 The countless worlds that are scattered over the infinity of 
 space, declare the glory of God. The magnificence which 
 created, the strength which upholds, the wisdom which gov- 
 erns the mighty system, afford inexhaustible matter of won- 
 der and adoration. But the intellect, which is able to reflect 
 upon all this, is something far more admirable, in which the 
 glory of God is more greatly conspicuous. The original for- 
 mation of reason is not, however, more wonderful, than the 
 improvement of which it is capable. A man of a highly cul- 
 tivated understanding appears altogether a being of a different 
 order from one wholly destitute of the advantages of educa- 
 tion. Reason, as it is the noblest of our faculties, so it is the 
 most capable of being conducted to a high degree of perfection. 
 And God is glorified in the perfection of his works. When 
 therefore you cannot confidently look for communion with 
 God in the exercises of your understanding ; when you are 
 afraid to expect his co-operation in the use of the meanest of 
 those human aids which he has given you for its improvement, 
 it can only be accounted for in two ways. This hesitation 
 proceeds either from the absence of a religious motive, or from 
 d 2 
 
38 MEMOIR OF 
 
 an infirmity of faith. If you have no decidedly religious mo- 
 tive for your studies, I do not see how, with any colour of 
 propriety, you can devote yourself to them at all. I am not 
 surprised to hear that doubts and difficulties throng your path. 
 But if you are seeking to cultivate your understanding with a 
 single eye to God's glory, you may so conduct each one of 
 your literary employments as to enjoy his presence all the 
 time you are engaged in it. You may draw near to God, 
 even in your studious hours. He will not despise any thing 
 that you do for him. His love accepts your worthless ser- 
 vices with as much complacency as the princely obedience of 
 an angel. I repeat it; to study in faith, in a humble, simple, 
 child-like faith, removes every perplexity and temptation inci- 
 dent to its pursuit. Your employments will then cease to 
 appear altogether secular. Cultivating your reason as God's 
 gift, and assured, that he beholds not with indifference your 
 feeble attempts to glorify him in this greatest wonder of his 
 creative power; its commonest exercises will become in a 
 measure sacred as the exercises of religion. Spiritual im- 
 provement, with no lingering step, will accompany your 
 intellectual progress. " Holiness to the Lord" will be written 
 upon the most trivial of your studies.' 
 
 The influence of a vain-glorious spirit, as the canker upon 
 this holy principle of faith, is pointedly illustrated. 
 
 'When once the thought of what men will say of us is 
 permitted to mingle with our studies, all spiritual comfort in 
 them is at an end. Our faith must necessarily languish. It 
 can no longer be a living faith, an active principle. " How 
 can ye believe, which receive honour one of another'?" was 
 the severe rebuke of Jesus to the vain-glorious Pharisees. 
 When I observe a Christian delighted with the homage that 
 is paid to his eloquence, his judgment, or his taste, should 
 he tell me, that his " love is not waxing cold," that his faith 
 is as strong as when none but God cared for his obscure 
 name, I should be beyond measure astonished at such a cir- 
 cumstance, if indeed I could credit its reality. But in truth, 
 the assertion only proves that the man's heart must be al- 
 ready " hardened through the deceitfulness of sin ;" or that 
 he has never known what true faith is, for " how can he be- 
 lieve," so long as he is " receiving honour from men V ' 
 
 The snare of self-indulgence connected with study, is most 
 profitably treated. 
 
 'I have all along supposed, that you are studying with a 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 39 
 
 view to the benefit of others, rather than to your own gratifi- 
 cation. Yet even in this case self-indulgence may insinuate 
 itself into your pursuits. If you possess a talent for them, 
 they will prove so attractive to you, that you will become 
 ' attached to them for their own sake. You will be tempted 
 to prolong your pleasing employments, and suffer them grad- 
 ually to steal something from the time appointed for other 
 duties. We have already touched upon the absorbing nature 
 of our mathematical studies, and the intellectual disadvantages 
 which ensue from giving way to their silent encroachments. 
 These, however, are of small moment, when compared with 
 their corroding influence upon our spiritual enjoyment. An 
 excessive fondness for these abstruse meditations, a habit of 
 indulging in them for their own sake, will-be as a worm at 
 the root of our communion with God. A lamentable declen- 
 sion from his ways, will be the probable consequence. By 
 insensible degrees the thoughts of our literary pursuits will 
 begin to mingle with our serious meditations. Then the 
 hour of study will break in upon the hour of prayer, and per- 
 haps in time may totally interrupt or supersede it. Who can 
 tell the train of evils which will follow such an intermission 
 of our spiritual watchfulness I When prayer is omitted, study 
 is unsanctified. Every selfish motive has free permission to 
 enter; nay, is invited, as it were, to take possession of the 
 heart, whose sentinel has thus deserted his post. And with 
 what impertinent excuses do we entertain conscience all the 
 time! 'I am just now so occupied, that I am scarcely in 
 frame for prayer. Were I to attempt it, I should find it im- 
 .possible to disengage my thoughts from the busy, perplexing 
 reflections which have taken fast hold of them. When I have 
 followed out these investigations to some satisfactory con- 
 clusion; when I have considered this or that point a little 
 more fully; when I have conquered this difficulty, or corrected 
 that mistake, then my mind will be in a placid uninterrupted 
 frame. Then shall be my hour of prayer. I shall then be- 
 take myself to my spiritual duties with tranquillity and de- 
 light ; whereas now they would be a weariness, a formality.' 
 Thus the hour of prayer is put off to " a more convenient 
 season." Our contemplations detain us longer than we had 
 anticipated. The evening shades thicken round us; still we. 
 are deeply engaged in our inquiry; still unsatisfied with the 
 result. Midnight surprises us at our labours ; and at last the 
 lateness of the hour warns us to repose, before we have found 
 
40 MEMOIR OF 
 
 time to pray. A sense of languor and drowsiness, the natural 
 result ot our intense mental exertions, either quite prevents 
 our devotions, or compels us to insult God with a prayer 
 from which the heart is absent. We retire to rest with the 
 paiftful feeling that we have lost a day. For every Christian 
 must be sensible, that he cannot rob God of his portion of the 
 day, without robbing himself of the whole. Still the deceit- 
 fulness of sin will follow us with a lying consolation. ' It is 
 but one day; to-morrow I shall awake refreshed, and my first 
 thoughts shall be with God.' Let us not silence conscience 
 with this deceitful plea. If I am not greatly mistaken, this 
 one lost day is the forerunner of many more. Our foot has 
 begun to slide, our steps to decline. To a heart prone to 
 depart from God, this retrograde motion is natural and easy, 
 while the effort to regain a forward progress is immensely 
 difficult. The sin to which we have yielded to-day, will 
 revisit us to-morrow with more urgent solicitations. Self, 
 having obtained the indulgence of one day, will plead hard 
 for another. To make no more than one deviation from the 
 straight path, is infinitely more difficult than not to deviate 
 from it at all. " The backslider in heart shall be filled with 
 his own ways." Perhaps the very circumstance of having 
 a religious motive for study, may then be used by us as a 
 cloak to hide our defection. 'All my pursuits are designed 
 to fit me for engaging in God's service. I cannot therefore 
 go very much out of the way of duty, by devoting to them a 
 little more time than prudence might otherwise have dictated. 
 My present diligence will one day be turned to account in the 
 cause of religion; it cannot therefore be wholly misplaced. '• 
 Thus, in the plenitude of self-indulgence, we can talk to our- 
 selves about our zeal for the Lord of Hosts. Our conduct re- 
 sembles that of the priests, who " offered polluted bread upon 
 the altar, and then said, ' Wherein have we polluted thee?' " 
 If we would offer any acceptable service to God, it must not 
 be thus defiled with self. " Hath the Lord as great delight 
 in" our worthiest pursuits, "as in obeying the voice of the 
 Lord % n We are told that " to obey is better than sacrifice, 
 and to hearken than the fat of rams." Our poor worthless 
 attempts in the cause of our Redeemer can be of no value, but 
 as they are accepted by God through his intercession. How 
 foolish then to imagine that we can succeed, while we ne- 
 glect thus offering them to God in frequent and faithful 
 prayers ! If we will work in our own strength, we must expect 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 41 
 
 to be left to such success as our own strength is able to 
 ensure. 
 
 ' Do you, upon serious reflection, perceive that you are now 
 3 T ielding in any way to this self-indulgent temper? Let me 
 earnestly recommend a temporary cessation, if possible, from 
 the employments that have ensnared you. A month, a week, 
 in some cases even a day, rescued from your too fondly cher- 
 ished occupations, and devoted to earnest prayer for future 
 preservation and direction, may enable you to resume them 
 without danger. But, as you value your peace and spiritu- 
 ality of mind, beware of returning to them, till you experience 
 so much sweetness in heavenly things, as to make the very 
 best of earthly things appear trifling and insipid in the com- 
 parison. The memory of Henry Martyn is sacred to every 
 Christian student. The rule by which he regulated his lite- 
 rary pursuits, deserves to be called the golden rule of study. 
 Let us carry it into all the parts of human learning. It will 
 strip them of every excessive and ensnaring attraction. ' So 
 deep,' says his biographer, ' was his veneration for the word 
 of God, that when a suspicion "arose in his mind, that any 
 other book he might be studying was about to gain an undue 
 influence over his mind, he instantly laid it aside; nor would 
 he resume it, till he had felt and realized the paramount ex- 
 cellence of the Divine oracles.' 
 
 She adverts to what she had said above, as suggesting a 
 safe-guard against some temptations of self-sufficiency and 
 self-dependence. 
 
 'The only effectual remedy I have met with, is to consider 
 human reason and spiritual teaching in one respect exactly in 
 the same point of view: I mean, as both freely bestowed by 
 God, to be increased, continued, or suspended, at his plea- 
 sure. I would consider every little improvement in my stu- 
 dies; the smallest extension of my intellectual powers; the 
 least ray of light that shines in upon my natural reason, when 
 engaged in the commonest earthly speculations ; all these I 
 would consider as coming just as directly and absolutely from 
 the Spirit of my God, as I do those sacred influences which 
 inform and comfort my spiritual existence. Ceasing to look 
 upon reason as our own, we should cease to lean upon it with 
 a misplaced confidence. What we expect from it would be 
 expected from the God to whom it belongs, not from our- 
 selves, who have no right in it. The only way to preclude 
 all glorying and trusting in our own things, is, to have nothing 
 
42 MEMOIR OF 
 
 of our own. Then, when all is God's, we can neither confide 
 too much, nor expect too largely. Thus David acted. He 
 said, " I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword 
 save me." Did he therefore resign the use of the sword and 
 of the bow? No: but he ascribed the strength which moved 
 his arm in wielding them, to God ; " It is God that girdeth 
 me with strength;" " He teacheth my hands to war, and my 
 fingers to fight." There is nothing so reasonable or so delight- 
 ful as this unreserved ascription of all our intellectual powers 
 to " # God our Maker, who teacheth us more than the beasts 
 of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven." 
 He who thus realizes the property of God in his reasoning 
 faculties, may without arrogance indulge in anticipation of 
 their usefulness, which to a weaker faith, would seem the 
 height of presumption. It is not that he esteems the instru- 
 ment too highly; but that, viewing it as God's instrument, he 
 can set no bounds to its efficiency. He does not imagine 
 that his own arm can bring victory. But through God he 
 knows he shall do valiantly. He enters deeply into the 
 prophet's feelings; " I cannot speak, for I am a child." But 
 the answer of the Lord is graven upon his memory ; " What- 
 soever I command thee thou shalt speak." He is Teady to 
 exclaim with Moses, " Who am I, that I should go upon the 
 Lord's errand] I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue." 
 But his diffidence vanishes before the firm assurance that 
 God " will be with his mouth, and teach him what to say." 
 To cultivate our reasoning powers with this absolute hope- 
 lessness of their single efficacy, and these large expectations 
 from them as instruments in the hand of God, is to bring a 
 certain blessing upon all that we do with them. Hope 
 nothing from yourself. Think nothing too great to hope 
 from the bounty of your God. A firm adherence to this simple 
 rule would enable you to bring your reason to the highest 
 degree of perfection ; for God will honour those who thus 
 honour him. " Cease then from your own wisdom." " Trust 
 in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own un- 
 derstanding." Sure I am that if your trust be thus in the 
 Lord, he will teach you " excellent things in counsels and 
 knowledge." You shall both "know the certainty of the 
 words of truth," and be able to "answer the words of truth 
 to them that send unto you." ' Again, * It is the perfection of 
 intellectual enjoyment to receive reason entirely as the gift 
 of our God, and every improvement of it, as a fresh token of 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 43 
 
 his love. Every thing is good, must be good, if we view it 
 in this light. How shall it not be good, if it comes directly 
 from onr Father's hand 1 How shall it not be very good, if 
 sanctioned by our Father's blessing? You know that " a gift 
 is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it; whither- 
 soever it turneth, it prospereth." And then, " the blessing 
 of the Lord, it maketh rich; and he addeth no sorrow with 
 it." The poorest trifle becomes valuable, if it be the gift of 
 love. But reason is itself a precious stone, a costly gem. 
 When received as a gift it becomes a charmed stone, a talis- 
 man to shield from harm, and to ensure prosperity. Only 
 acknowledge all your earthly acquirements in this light, and 
 you shall find, that, whichever way you turn them, success 
 shall attend your endeavours. Regard every one of your 
 mental faculties as given to you by creating love. Rejoice 
 in the gift, because redeeming love has restored it to you 
 with a seven-fold blessing. Here is a shield of love, if the 
 shield of faith appear insufficient for your defence. For will 
 not you earnestly guard against the abuse of a thing so given 
 and so blessed?' 
 
 Her encouragement and advice in the resistance of self-in- 
 dulgent temptations is truly excellent. 
 
 ' It is encouraging to reflect, that if " you are Christ's, all 
 things are yours." Whatever talents he has given you are 
 yours, freely to use and improve. They are also His ; therefore 
 you may confidently expect, that he will get glory to himself out 
 of them. And this, if I mistake not, is your wish. Your ac- 
 quirements are of no value in your eyes, except as you can 
 use them for Christ. Begin then and end all your studies with 
 him. Seek to find communion with God in every one of them. 
 " Do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, and to the glory of 
 God." The curse which clings to the best of earthly things, 
 and which once shed its baneful influence on all your intel- 
 lectual faculties, is now taken away in Christ Jesus. Once 
 perhaps your talents might have made you a splendid mis- 
 chief, a brilliant pest to society. Now if you use them in 
 faith, they shall be an instrument of healing and of blessing.' 
 
 The following closing remarks place the balance between 
 intellectual and Christian wisdom with admirable clearness 
 and beauty. 
 
 ' On the whole, in attempting to decide upon the true mer- 
 its of human learning, my readers will not acquit me of the 
 charge of inconsistency, unless they bear in mind the two- 
 
44 MEMOIR OF 
 
 t 
 
 fold principle upon which my assertions are founded, and 
 from which I hope I shall not appear to have deviated. On the 
 one hand, I conceive that to enlarge and strengthen, to culti- 
 vate and refine, to enrich and beautify the intellect, is of all 
 the objects of mere earthly attainment, incomparably the 
 most worthy. Viewing study in this light, I cannot but 
 speak in its favour with some degree of liveliness and pas- 
 sion, as one who has tasted, though very slightly, of the bene- 
 fits which flow from it. On the other hand, when I compare 
 this best of earthly things with the lowest and meanest of 
 heavenly attainments, it sinks ineffably in my esteem ; no 
 longer possessing any intrinsic worth, but valuable only from 
 its subserviency to these higher objects. Considering it, 
 therefore, in this point of view, I am exceedingly fearful of 
 overrating its efficacy. T am led to speak of it with the cau- 
 tion due to a pursuit, which is equally capable of becoming a 
 singular blessing, or an extraordinary snare. Thus when I 
 weigh intellectual cultivation in any earthly balance, I cannot 
 but adjudge to it a decided superiority. But when I place it 
 in the balance of the sanctuary, I perceive that it has no weight 
 at all, but what it derives from the blessing of God on ac- 
 companying circumstances. By affixing to human learning 
 any independent value, we take from it that which it really 
 has ; for though exceedingly useful as a submissive attendant 
 upon divine knowledge, it can do us nothing but harm, if we 
 permit its entrance as a dominating usurper. 
 
 'We should be less apt to set our hearts upon the pleasure 
 of intellect, if we reflected how much they partake of the eva- 
 nescent nature of all earthly enjoyments. When this little mo- 
 ment which we call life is fled, of what use shall our studies 
 be to us 1 Our enlarged faculties will then discern in an in- 
 stant more than a thousand lives of intense application would 
 now enable us to discern. Our earthly pursuits and attach- 
 ments are among those " childish things, which we shall put 
 away," when we arrive at man's estate. The very best and 
 wisest of them are but the " summi amores puerorum, qui una 
 cum praetextd ponentur." While, however, we are in this 
 fleeting state of existence, we must not despise those tempo- 
 rary delights and assistances, which the goodness of God has 
 so wonderfully adapted to our imperfection ; nor need we fear 
 to avail ourselves of them with due moderation, and in a sim- 
 ple dependence upon God's blessing. But never let it be 
 said of the Christian, that he is so much absorbed in " things 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 45 
 
 temporal," as to neglect, for one moment, "the things which 
 are eternal." ' 
 
 The intrinsic excellence of these remarks render an apology 
 for their introduction needless. The high and general im- 
 portance of the subject, the full development of its true prin- 
 ciples, the solid and expanded views, and, above all, the 
 Christian wisdom, spiritual simplicity, and unction which 
 pervade the discussion, will commend it to the profitable at- 
 tention of every intelligent reader. The treatise itself (the 
 writer here speaks from more competent judgment than his 
 own) might probably be considered by men of science, as not 
 formed upon the more approved system of mathematical study; 
 and, though displaying much power and clearness of mind, is 
 occasionally inaccurate in definition and illustration. The 
 practical and excursive remarks (judging from the preceding 
 extracts, and some others hereafter to be adduced) will how- 
 ever be generally considered to possess no common value. 
 
 The writer has been induced to extract so largely from 
 this instructive manuscript, chiefly with a view to two impor- 
 tant classes of persons in the present day. In this era of re- 
 ligious excitement the minds of a large mass are at work, in- 
 quiring, or rather speculating, in a feverish state of restless- 
 ness and perplexity. Their feelings are interested, animated, 
 and more or less intensely occupied with the engrossing sub- 
 jects now brought before the church. Yet often — among the 
 young especially — whether from defect of education or of 
 mental cultivation, their judgments have little power of dis- 
 crimination ; their principles are confined ; and their profess- 
 ion mainly characterized by spiritual dissipation, which ex- 
 poses them to the besetting snares of a disputatious temper, 
 self-conceit, and self-delusion. To such we would strongly 
 recommend the principles, obligations, and advantages of 
 Christian study, which Miss Graham has so admirably laid 
 out before them. The solid influence of these intellectual 
 habits upon her own character, furnishes the most satisfactory 
 illustration of their importance. So far from diverting her at- 
 tention from the supreme concerns of eternity, they enabled 
 her, through Divine teaching, the more steadily to concentrate 
 her interest in habitual, enlivening, and practical contemplation. 
 
 To Christian professors, whose habits and pleasures are 
 found in the field of intellect, we cannot but observe, how much 
 they may learn from this highly-gifted saint, of that " sim- 
 plicity and godly sincerity," that careful inspection of mo- 
 E 
 
46 MEMOIR OF 
 
 tives, that watchful subordination of natural indulgence to the 
 supreme object of the glory of God, which can alone exclude 
 the blast of Divine jealousy from these legitimate sources of 
 enjoyment. All her views of science were received through 
 a spiritual medium, and elevated her soul to the hallowed at- 
 mosphere of communion with her God. The spirit of prayer 
 was the constant guard upon her intellectual studies. Never 
 did she enter upon the daily course of tuition with her young 
 cousin without earnestly imploring the blessing of her heavenly 
 Father. We have already seen a specimen of her spirit of 
 supplication on this interesting subject, upon which it would 
 be well for the student to meditate, till his heart becomes 
 deeply imbued with its simple spirituality and enlargement. 
 How delightful again is the pattern set forth in one of her let- 
 ters ! Speaking of some perplexities relative to the pursuing 
 of her studies, she adds — 'I am now resolved, God helping 
 me, to give this week to prayer, presenting each of my stu- 
 dies to Jesus, that he may prosper and sanctify it by his Spi- 
 rit, take from it all self-love, and cause me in all my employ- 
 ments, even in the least, to aim at his glory, and to labour in 
 his name. Join with me in this prayer.' Not less instruc- 
 tive is the practical spirit that pervaded her studies. Nothing 
 was done for self-indulgence. Her pursuits were only val- 
 uable in proportion as they were consecrated. In every 
 thing, to her to live was Christ. Nothing besides seemed 
 worthy the name of life. Nothing seemed to command her 
 interest independent of this great object. To a correspondent, 
 who had inquired her sentiments relative to the cultivation of 
 her mind, she writes — 'I think it may be done, with a prayer 
 however, and a resolution, that all that we do shall one day 
 be employed in the service of Christ. I think the only thing 
 is, never to lose sight of this great object. And to this end I 
 know no other means than that of making it a subject of 
 prayer. I have often been prevented from praying for suc- 
 cess in study, because I thought it was better only to mention 
 spiritual wants at the throne of grace. But I now think, that 
 after having asked a blessing upon our common occupations, 
 we are less likely to forget the end, which alone can enable 
 us to follow them without danger. 1 Apart from this holy 
 simplicity of principle, (which is the exclusive character of 
 the Christian student,) » learning' — as Mr. Baxter tersely re- 
 marks, — ' is but the pleasing of the fancy in the knowledge of 
 unnecessary things.' Intellectual pleasures will be purchased 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 
 
 47 
 
 at the fearful expense of the loss of heavenly communion with 
 God. In the cultivation of this spirit, we shall be enabled to 
 honour our God, and to receive his needful aid in literary as 
 well as in religious pursuits. The solid advantages of study 
 indeed will be safely enjoyed, and therefore will become a 
 medium, by which the Divine glory will be displayed, and the 
 presence of our God will be realized with a higher zest and a 
 more abiding influence. 
 
 But in returning to Miss Graham, we may add, that her 
 studies were not confined to the severer branches of know- 
 ledge. She had cultivated an acquaintance with the Roman 
 classics with considerable success.* In the field of modern 
 literature and taste, she was perfectly familiar with the 
 French, Italian, and Spanish languages. For the first two, 
 
 * To one of her correspondents she recommends the study of the 
 Latin Grammar, as the means of a clear understanding of ' that no- 
 ble language,' and of ' ennobling the intellect by the reading of the 
 poets and historians of that language.' Two other advantages she 
 notices — that of a more distinct and enlarged acquaintance with our 
 own 'language, in great part deduced from the Latin,' and that of 
 forming a good style, adding— ' that the English style of a person 
 well-instructed in Latin acquires great richness and fei'tility from 
 the number of classical and energetic words of which it is com- 
 posed.' While however in her manuscript she points out the sub- 
 stantial advantages of this instructive field of intellect, she does not 
 fail to advert to the restriction, which sound Christian judgment is 
 constrained to impose upon an indiscriminate indulgence. ' If,' she 
 observes, ' we cultivate classie literature with a view only to increase 
 our fund of critical knowledge, we shall miss many of the benefits 
 which we might have derived from pursuing it with a more valuable 
 and extensive design. The true ends of that fascinating study are 
 to impart chasteness and elegance to the style, to enrich the mind 
 with manly sentiments, beautiful images, and poetical associations.' 
 She elsewhere recommends the cultivation of this field of literature 
 as 'a corrective to' what she calls 'the cold and jejune expression, 
 which marks the style of the. mere mathematician. I acknowledge,' 
 she adds, 'the Christian objections that are urged, not without 
 weight, against the study of the ancient authors. I am only advo- 
 cating them under proper restrictions, and with due moderation. 
 Thus guarded from abuse, let them walk hand in hand with the 
 more abstruse sciences. Tbey will mutually aid and correct each 
 other. A high degree of classic elegance is consistent with strong 
 powers of sound argumentation. The combination forms a style of 
 reasoning as pleasing as it is convincing. The simplicity of a 
 mathematical style is thus kept from degenerating into poverty, and 
 its cautious correctness is not permitted to stiffen into a frozen 
 sterility.* 
 
48 MEMOIR OF 
 
 she had proper masters. The last she learnt from a Castilian, 
 who was introduced to her father's house, in exchange for 
 teaching him her own language. In order to improve herself 
 in the knowledge of the languages, she made considerable 
 use of them in mutual correspondence with her young friends. 
 For the same purpose she translated Goldsmith's Vicar of 
 Wakefield (a work not congenial to her taste, but selected 
 as a good specimen of English style) into French, Latin, 
 and Spanish, and commenced an Italian version. She made 
 a similar use of Gil Bias, to perfect herself in the Spanish 
 language for an important object, which will shortly be no- 
 ticed at length. She appears, however, to have ultimately 
 relinquished this work for a reason equally characteristic of 
 her good sense and Christian simplicity, 'Should I become,' 
 she writes to her correspondent, ' perfect mistress of the 
 pleasing and pregnant style of Gil Bias (of which I intend to 
 write at least two volumes,) it would be almost too light for 
 the serious subject on which I wish to write.' In the same 
 spirit the project even of these two volumes seem to have 
 been quickly laid aside. The next week she writes to the 
 same correspondent : ' I told you that I had begun to write Gil 
 Bias very diligently. But yesterday I thought of the folly 
 of thus employing myself about a work in which I wished 
 Christ to do all. I am therefore determined to give the re- 
 mainder of this week and the following to reading the Bible 
 with prayer. 
 
 The best English writers w r ere familiar to her, especially 
 the standard works connected with the philosophy of the mind. 
 She appears to have made herself thoroughly acquainted with 
 the principles of Locke. She speaks in one of her letters of 
 reading his important Essay on the Conduct of the Under- 
 standing for the twentieth time with renewed interest, and 
 recommends to her correspondent the study of this work with 
 great earnestness, as the means of giving her an increased 
 thirst for pursuits purely intellectual. Stewart was read with 
 much improvement to herself. Butler's Analogy was also upon 
 her first shelf. The following letter to her cousin gives a 
 lively and intelligent view of her interest in these valuable 
 writers. * 
 
 Hastings, July 26, 1823. 
 1 1 am very glad that you like Butler ; I found, as you do, 
 not only that he is humble himself, but that he inspires his 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 49 
 
 readers with sentiments of humility. He shows them the 
 littleness of human reason, and how weak it is where it will 
 not submit to the light of revelation. I will tell you the 
 good Stewart has done me. I have long- felt that all the ef- 
 forts I have made to obtain true knowledge have been almost 
 useless. Stewart has shown me the reason of this. It is 
 because I have always allowed the greatest confusion in my 
 ideas. I have never arranged them. He has shown me 
 that my mind is like a large sack rilled with rubbish of all 
 kinds, and where perhaps something that is useful may be 
 found, but all is packed together in so confused a manner, 
 that whosoever sought for it would be seeking a needle in a 
 bundle of hay. I am almost in despair; however I am re- 
 solved to make every effort to arrange a little better the 
 confused mass, and I am more than ever convinced, that 
 the only sure way of having the head filled with clear and 
 well-defined ideas is to accustom oneself to put one's thoughts 
 upon paper. I must tell you a resolution which I desire to 
 execute : it is to write down from time to time all the new 
 ideas and facts, whether original or acquired by reading or 
 conversation, which I have gained. By doing this we should 
 know the progress which our minds make ; and we should 
 not forget, as we now do, the ideas which pass through the 
 mind without making any impression, but which might be 
 very useful if gathered together, and reserved to a proper 
 occasion.' 
 
 Her acquaintance with the Greek language only extended 
 to the reading of the Greek Testament. The further progress 
 in this department of literature was hindered by her applica- 
 tion to other studies necessary for the superintendance of the 
 education of her cousin. She was proposing to commence 
 the study of Hebrew, but increasing indisposition precluded 
 her from engaging in any new branch of study that excited 
 her interest and exercised her habits of application. 
 
 Miss Graham studied the theory of music with much at- 
 tention, and wrote a short but correct development of its 
 principles* for the use of a young cousin, then preparing for 
 the situation of governess, and whom, as we have before 
 hinted, she had in part educated for this important sphere with 
 anxious pains and interest. Apart from this object, she would 
 
 * A Letter to a young Piano Forte player. 
 e 2 
 
50 MEMOIR OP 
 
 not probably have devoted so large a portion of her valua- 
 ble time to this study, as it was a matter of frequent concern 
 to her to observe the preponderance given to this elegant 
 and fascinating science above the more solid and useful°ac- 
 complishments. 
 
 In some of her lively exercises of mind she took up the 
 subject of Chemistry with great delight, making long extracts 
 from the books which she had read, and going over every 
 part till she thoroughly understood it. Without having any 
 more definite object for this study, she felt that some absorb- 
 ing occupation of this character was necessary to beguile the 
 long and wearisome hours of sickness. For the same object 
 Botany also attracted her attention. Thus with various and 
 successive occupations her mind was always maintained in 
 active, intelligent, and profitable exercise. A striking fea- 
 ture of her character (one which entered into her recreations 
 equally with her studies, and which formed the basis of her 
 high mental superiority) was a total concentration of every 
 power of thought and feeling, in the object of pursuit imme- 
 diately before her.* Indeed, as her father observes, ' she 
 followed Solomon's advice in every thing she undertook. 
 " Whatsoever thine hand findeth to do, do it with thy 
 might !" ' 
 
 Her peculiar singleness of aim preserved her in the midst 
 of her intellectual employments from the baneful influence of 
 self-indulgence, and stimulated her to apply her literary pur- 
 
 * One of her letters gives a graphical picture of this remarkable 
 concentration of mind. 
 
 Plymouth, May 10, 1825. 
 ' When the fury of learning takes possession of me, I cannot think 
 of any thing else. If I am seized with a fit for studying any parti- 
 cular thing, 1 cannot give my mind to any other studies, however 
 much I usually delight in them. I now wish to study Spanish and 
 Music. But I am so carried away with my ancient mania for 
 Mathematics, that, although my head aches, and I cannot think with- 
 out inconvenience of any tiling, I am perpetually puzzling my brains 
 to resolve questions which will never be of any use to me. It is 
 said, that every thing is given for some good- I cannot imagine why 
 I have been endued with this invincible propensity to a study, which 
 is always diverting me from more useful aud feminine occupations.' 
 This letter, it will be remarked, was written several years before 
 her Treatise on Mathematical Study, and before the important in- 
 tellectual and moral benefit of that study, which her Treatise so 
 fully develops, had opened to her mind. 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 51 
 
 suits to valuable practical purposes. Her great object in the 
 study of the Spanish language, was to obtain a medium of 
 communication with the Spanish refugees. The discovery of a 
 strong tincture of infidelity among them, combined, with the 
 recollection of her own fall, to excite a compassionate, earnest, 
 and sympathizing concern on their behalf. The second part 
 of ' The Test of Truth' opens with an exquisitely touching 
 view of her feelings on this painful subject. Indeed the work 
 contains the substance of her communications with some of 
 those interesting but unhappy men. It was sent to them, with 
 much and earnest prayer, upon the eve of their departure from 
 England. She had intended to have translated some of the 
 most striking extracts from Paley and other writers upon the 
 Evidences of Christianity, and in one of her letters she men- 
 tions having no less than eleven English volumes before her 
 mind for this purpose. Finding, however, that Paley had 
 been translated, she purchased the work, and sent it to her 
 Spanish friends with her own. 
 
 The following notices will give an interesting view of the 
 exercises of her mind and faith, strongly called out towards 
 these objects of her compassion, after she was removed from 
 immediate intercourse with them. 
 
 Sept. 8, 1825. 
 ' As to my Spanish, we have been so busy about the schools, 
 that I have not been able to do much. But I find a delightful 
 confidence that this book, having been the suggestion of Christ, 
 and belonging to him, and not to me, will be blessed by him. 
 I have read one part of ' Las Ruinas,'* and in reading it I was 
 struck with the reflection, that the best answer would be a 
 continual reference to the word of God. I thought there- 
 fore of placing my observations on the blank pages, and of 
 filling the margin of the printed paper with references. I be- 
 seech you to pray, that if I be not a fit instrument for the con- 
 version of the souls of these poor Spanish exiles, the Holy 
 Spirit would be pleased to raise up some other.' 
 
 Miss Graham obtained a copy of the book, interleaved 
 with blank paper for the insertion of her remarks. She did 
 not however complete this task, thinking that the simple ar- 
 
 * Volney's Ruins of Palmyra, translated into the Spanish— an in- 
 fidel work of much authority with her Spanish friends. 
 
52 MEMOIR OP 
 
 gument of ' The Test of Truth' was better adapted for her 
 purpose. 
 
 April 9, 1827. 
 
 I Last week my blessed Master gave me the power of writ- 
 ing in his name to the poor Spaniards. I have written three 
 sheets in English. But as I have not studied Spanish for a 
 long time, I find myself in some difficulty, and must give 
 this week to the language. Next week I hope to translate 
 w T hat I have written, and to send it to you ; if you will oblige 
 me by seeing it put into their hands. My faith in seeing 
 them converted to God increases every day. At present, 
 " the strong man armed keepeth his palace, and his goods 
 are at peace." " But I have a confidence given me from hea- 
 ven, that I shall see the " stronger than he," who will con- 
 quer him, and " take from him all his armour wherein he 
 trusted." I may not perhaps see this while I am here ; but 
 I shall not rejoice the less, because I see it in heaven.' 
 
 About a month afterwards, we find her mind deeply exer- 
 cised upon this work of labour and love. 
 
 May 5, 1827. 
 
 I I wrote the Spanish book in the name of Jesus, and in the 
 belief that he would give me a spirit and a wisdom, which by 
 nature I do not possess. I had a strong faith in the promises 
 of God to manifest himself in his own time to his own elect. 
 But in the way of preparing to send it, my faith vanishes, and 
 I have now only " an evil heart of unbelief."* To say to all 
 the bones in the church-yard at Stoke, " O ye dry bones, hear 
 the word of the Lord," — would almost seem to me easier 
 than to say the same thing to souls dead in infidelity. How- 
 ever, I feel that I have courage even for this, since " Jesus is 
 the resurrection and the life," because all the glory will be to 
 him alone; and because he has assured me, that having con- 
 fided myself to him, my expectations can never be disappoint- 
 ed.' 
 
 * This book was ' The Test of Truth.' Her care and anxiety for 
 them extended to their temporal as well as their spiritual distresses. 
 As a token of affectionate sympathy, as well as some acknowledge- 
 ment for valuable instruction received, she gladly appropriated the 
 proceeds of her Musical Tract to the fund raised for their relief. 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 53 
 
 The next letter was sent some months afterwards, with 
 4 The Test of Truth,' and ' Paley's Evidences.' 
 
 Dec. 20, 1827. 
 'I send you Paley, which pleases me very much, with the 
 letter, in which, without entering" upon any argument about 
 the Evidences, &c. I have leant upon the simple proposition, 
 that God having promised in the Scriptures to give his Spi- 
 rit to whoever asks it with sincerity, must either keep his 
 promise, or not be God ; and I have endeavoured to show 
 them, that according to their own principles they are without 
 excuse, if they neglect to seek their Creator in this manner. 
 But if even now it do not succeed, it has been a blessing to 
 me ; it has been the cause of many prayers, of many sweet 
 moments of communion with Jesus. I cannot therefore but 
 hope, that in the time and manner which please him, my 
 prayers will be answered. I recommend these unhappy peo- 
 ple to you. Pray for them often and fervently; possibly 
 amongst them may be found some of those who were " cho- 
 sen before the foundation of the world." ' 
 
 In another letter formerly quoted, after having begged her 
 friend to join with her in prayer for a blessing upon her stu- 
 dies, she added in conclusion — ' And pray for me, that I may 
 have something to say to those poor Spaniards, and that my 
 love for them may not grow cold.' 
 
 The full result of her prayers and " trials of faith" on be- 
 half of her Spanish friends, is among the secrets which " the 
 day will declare." Meanwhile, what Christian can fail to be 
 invigorated by this exhibition of prayer, faith, self-denial, and 
 patient hope in the work of our "Divine Master 1 
 
 Allusion has been already made to a disinterested project 
 which she had formed of devoting herself to the work of tu- 
 ition. To her cousin, she writes as if her heart was full of 
 it — ' I think of it day and night. The opportunity of my ill- 
 ness appears to me excellent for preparing myself for my 
 plan, if the ability for putting it into execution should be grant- 
 ed me? Her gracious Lord however was pleased to accept 
 her in the desire, not in the performance of her work. Pro- 
 tracted indisposition hindered her from giving any definite 
 shape or execution to the plan, which only remains on record, 
 as one among the many instances of the ceaseless activity 
 with which her energies were employed in the service of her 
 Redeemer, and of his Church. 
 
54 MEMOIR OP 
 
 It is natural to expect to see her a " fellow-worker with 
 God," in the daily course of active devotedness. She was a 
 constant visiter of the poor in the most miserable abodes, un- 
 der circumstances trying to her delicate frame and tender spi- 
 rit. For some time she took a daily and somewhat distant 
 walk through an uninviting part of the city, to spend an hour 
 with a dying young woman, whose case had deeply interested 
 her, and to whom there is every reason to believe that she 
 was found the blessed messenger of life and salvation. Her 
 sympathy was much called out by the temporal wants of the 
 poor. Much of her leisure time was employed in working for 
 their benefit. A large chest of useful articles of clothing was 
 constantly kept in her own room, while the opportunities of dis- 
 tribution were always improved as means of spiritual instruc- 
 tion to the objects of her consideration. Her Sabbaths were 
 entirely devoted to the service of God. She became a teacher 
 in the Christ Church Sunday School, and though she was 
 often exhausted at the close of the day by the continued ex- 
 citement of her exertions, yet she ever counted her toil in the 
 work of Christ to be her highest privilege and delight. 
 
 Upon her removal from London, the interest of her intel- 
 lectual mind continued to be called forth in the employment 
 of a village sphere. A deep and abiding constraint of re- 
 deeming love regulated every mental effort. Though she 
 diligently improved her retirement in adding to her already 
 well-furnished storehouse ; yet she chiefly regarded it as the 
 means of secretly recruiting her strength for the service of 
 God. Hers was not the mind to repose luxuriously in ' the 
 Castle of Indolence.' Hers was not the soul that could rest 
 even in spiritual self-indulgence, insensible to the urgent calls 
 of active duty. Even her delicate health was not suffered to 
 preclude her from the self-denying exercise of Christian de- 
 votedness. During the first summer of her country residence, 
 she regularly attended at the parish workhouse at seven 
 o'clock, to explain the Scriptures to the poor previous to the 
 commencement of their daily labour. This however, like 
 every other " labour of love," was an exercise of her faith 
 and conflict with the great enemy. She mentions to her cou- 
 sin the repugnance, which at one time she found to this work, 
 and her yielding to the temptation of deferring it from day to 
 day. Yet it was not long before she found the victory of 
 feith overinertion; and gladly did she give the praise to Him, 
 who enabled her to make a successful effort; 'I told them of 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 55 
 
 my intention' she writes ' to go every morning to pray with 
 them, and read the word of God. My Saviour removed every 
 difficulty out of the way, and caused the women to receive me 
 with the greatest civility.' 
 
 The children of the parish were the objects of constant 
 solicitude. She wrote a few simple addresses for their use. 
 She drew out also questions upon the parables and miracles 
 for the assistance of the Sunday School Teachers ; and, when 
 prevented by indisposition from attending the school, she as- 
 sembled the children at her own house for Scriptural instruc- 
 tion. The young women also in the parish occupied a large 
 share of her anxious interest; and, finding them unwilling to 
 assemble at the same time and place with the children, she 
 appropriated a separate evening for their instruction. She 
 was, as might be supposed, a constant cottage visiter. The 
 following beautiful extract from her mathematical manuscript 
 will show the high and consecrated spirit with which she 
 connected this humble ministration with her intellectual plea- 
 sures. Warning her Christian student of the dangerous snare 
 of self-complacency,* she inquires of him — 
 
 'Do you ever experience this proud internal consciousness 
 of superior genius or learning? God has placed a ready an- 
 tidote within your reach. The abode of learned leisure is 
 seldom far from the humble dwelling of some unlettered 
 
 * Her remarks upon self-complacency are so just and searching, 
 that the writer is tempted to add them in a note. 
 
 " Self-complacency is another of those temptations to which the 
 student is peculiarly exposed. He may so far distrust his own heart, 
 as to abstain from ' doing any thing through strife or vain glory. ' He 
 may keep out of the way of human praise. And yet there may be 
 an inward complacency, a proud consciousness of superiority, equally 
 destructive to his growth in grace. He ' thinks of himself more 
 highly than he ought to think.' He courts not the breath of applause: 
 but he drinks in the intoxicating vapour of self-gratulation and es- 
 teem. There are some men, in whom pride stifles the impulses of 
 vanity. If they seem to care little what others think of them, it is 
 because they think so well of themselves. Their own opinion needs 
 no confirmation. Their solitary plaudit is so abundantly satisfac- 
 tory, that the buzz of admiring multitudes would be a superfluous 
 addition. Can any thing like this be found in the disciple of Jesus ? 
 Yes — for the law r of sin still dwells in his members. Neither this 
 sin, nor any other, shall be permitted to have dominion. (Rom. vi. 
 14.) But its assaults will sometimes vex and discompose him. He 
 will be tempted, according to the natural bent of his character,' to 
 seek the applause of others, or to rest in his own. 
 
5G MEMOIR OF 
 
 Christian. Thither let your steps be directed. " Take sweet 
 counsel with your poor uneducated brother." There you will 
 find the man whom our " King delighteth to honour." His 
 mean chamber, graced with one well-worn book, is as " the 
 house of God, and the very gate of heaven." Observe how 
 far the simplicity of his faith, and the fervour of his love, ex- 
 ceed any tiling you can find in your own experience, cankered 
 as it is with intellectual pride. God has taught him many 
 lessons, of which all your learning has left you ignorant. 
 Make him your instructor in spiritual things. He is a stran- 
 ger to the names of your favourite poets and orators. But he 
 is very familiar with " the sweet psalmist of Israel." He can 
 give you rich portions of the eloquence of one, who " spake 
 as never man spake." He can neither " tell you the number 
 of the stars, nor call them all by their names." But he will 
 discourse excellently concerning " the star of Bethlehem." He 
 is unable to attempt the solution of a difficult problem. But 
 he can enter into some of those deep things of God's law, 
 which, to an unhumbled heart, are dark and mysterious. He 
 will not talk to you '-in the words which man's wisdom 
 teacheth ;" but oh ! what sweet and simple expressions of 
 divine love are those "which the Holy Ghost has taught him !" 
 He " knows nothing but Christ crucified ;" but this is the ex- 
 cellent knowledge, to which all other knowledge is foolish- 
 ness. He has " the fear of the Lord ; that is wisdom. He 
 departs from evil ; that is understanding." When your soul 
 is refreshed by this simple and lowly communion with one of 
 the meanest of God's saints, return to your learned retire- 
 ment. Look over your intellectual possessions. Choose out 
 the brightest jewel in your literary cabinet. Place it by the 
 side of " the meek and quiet spirit" of this obscure Christian. 
 Determine which is the " ornament of greater price." Com- 
 pare the boasted treasures of your mind with the spiritual 
 riches of your illiterate brother. Run over the whole cata- 
 logue. Let not one be omitted; the depth of your under- 
 standing, the strength of your reasonings, the brilliancy of 
 your fancy ; the fire of your eloquence. Be proud of them. 
 Glory in them. You cannot. They dwindle into insignifi- 
 cance. They appear to you " as a drop of a bucket, as the 
 small dust of the balance." ' 
 
 The following letter gives a beautiful illustration of the truly 
 Christian spirit with which she inculcated upon her friends 
 the responsibility of persevering effort in the,work of God: 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 57 
 
 Stoke, August 4, 1825. 
 'I think that visiting the poor is an excellent help to spir- 
 ituality of mind, because it shows us our own weakness, when 
 we lose sight for a moment of the strength of Christ. It also 
 brings to light many secret corruptions, of which we were 
 before ignorant. I am very anxious to hear about the Infant 
 
 School. Do not be discouraged by the cold answers of . 
 
 Rather pray for them, that more faith may be given to them, 
 and a spirit of love for the souls that are perishing around 
 them. Such a prayer offered in faith by one Christian for 
 another will bring down a blessing upon both. I am very 
 
 sorry that I was angry with , instead of praying for her. 
 
 I do not think that Christians pray enough for each other. 
 Perhaps the Lord is proving your faith and love by making 
 you wait in this cause. If it be so, do not doubt his power to 
 carry you through all you undertake in his name. From the 
 mouth of the children for whom you are interested, he will 
 cause his praises to be sounded. Do " not" then, " be weary 
 in well-doing." If you have not already begun, let me advise 
 you not to begin, till you have given a special time to the 
 scriptures and to prayer. I desire all our undertakings to be 
 " sanctified by the word of God and prayer." ' Then refer- 
 ring to her own intention of setting apart the next week for 
 spiritual exercises in reference to her Spanish communica- 
 tions— she adds—' I thought perhaps that you would give 
 next week to these things, and that it would be delightful to 
 me to remember, that we were both thus employed at the 
 same time. But if you cannot do this, pray at the time fixed 
 by us, that I may have grace and faith to pass these days in 
 dedicating myself to this work, and that we may both of us 
 in all that we do be delivered from a self-seeking spirit, and 
 may take every step with our eyes fixed upon the cross of 
 Jesus. I am afraid of annoying you by this mode of speak- 
 ing of these things. But if you knew how full my heart is 
 oftenderness, while I write, you would pardon the importu- 
 nity, with which I beseech you to give yourself entirely and 
 without reserve into the hands of Christ. He can give you 
 from the treasures of his grace all the zeal, love, and warmth 
 which you need. All is ours already by virtue of his blood. 
 Let us make use of it. Let us. go to him in holy boldness, 
 and ask for all the grace which he is so ready to give. — Psalm 
 lxxxi. 10.' 
 F 
 
5 3 MEMOIR, &C. 
 
 The pressure, however, of increasing illness constrained 
 her to relinquish her own habits of personal activity for some 
 time previous to her death. It was her appointed dispensa- 
 tion rather to suffer, than to do, her heavenly Father's will ; 
 while her solitary hours were cheered by the contemplation 
 of the glorious prospects opening now upon her view — " look- 
 ing for the mercy of her Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life."" 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Further Extracts from her Writings and Correspondence. 
 
 It is not to be expected, that the quiet tenor of Miss Gra- 
 ham's habits in a retired village could furnish much variety 
 of incident or detail. We shall, however, abundantly com- 
 pensate for this deficiency by a more full exhibition of her 
 fine, powerful and spiritual mind, as illustrated in her wri- 
 tings and correspondence. 
 
 But this department of our work is too large to be compre- 
 hended in one mass. We will therefore set it forth in several 
 distinct divisions, and give her sentiments upon the funda- 
 mental doctrines of the Gospel ; upon subjects of interesting 
 theological discussion; upon some points of moment con- 
 nected with Christian experience and profession; and upon 
 miscellaneous subjects. 
 
 I. Her views of the great doctrines of the Gospel. 
 
 Her apprehensions and statements of the grand funda- 
 mentals of the Christian faith, were eminently Scriptural. 
 
 On the humbling doctrine of original sin, she justly remarks 
 in a posthumous work : 
 
 ' It is the very first lesson in the school of Christ: and it is 
 only by being well rooted and grounded in these first principles, 
 that we can hope to go on to perfection. The doctrine is 
 written in Scripture as with a sunbeam. If we do not feel 
 some conviction of it in our own hearts, it affords a sad proof 
 that we still belong to that " generation that are pure in their 
 own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness." ' 
 
 After adducing some of the most convincing Scriptural 
 evidence, she proceeds forcibly to illustrate the subject by the 
 case of infants. 
 
60 MEMOIR OF 
 
 1 Would we know the reason of this indelible pollution, 
 which fallen man has transmitted to his latest descendants ? 
 let that given by Scripture suffice : " Who can bring a clean 
 thing out of an unclean? not one." But is not the new-born 
 babe innocent'? yes, from the commission of actual sin; but 
 not from the pollution of a nature altogether sinful : for " who 
 can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?" " Death passed 
 upon all men, for that all have sinned." Why then is death 
 so often commissioned to snatch away the babe in the first 
 hour of its existence? why, but because that babe is a sinful 
 creature ? Sin, that root of bitterness, has already shot its 
 fibres into the inmost soul. That infant "born of the flesh, 
 is flesh;" and "as such cannot please God" — cannot bring 
 forth any other than the accursed fruits of the flesh. As 
 surely as the cockatrice's egg will hatch into a viper, so 
 surely will the babe born of unclean parents be itself un- 
 clean ; so surely it will be " by nature a child of wrath, even 
 as others." And therefore it is as the Apostle tells us, that 
 " Death reigneth over all, even over them that have not sinned 
 after the similitude of Adam's transgression.''' I entertain not 
 a doubt that these little ones are redeemed by the blood of 
 Jesus : but that they need redemption, that they are sinners, 
 " children of wrath by nature ;" of this truth I am equally 
 well assured ; and every little mound in the churchyard seems 
 to have a voice that tells me so.' 
 
 Then, after citing our Church's recognition of this doctrine 
 in the Ordinance of Infant Baptism, she returns to her Scrip- 
 tural ground of argument. 
 
 * The Holy Ghost has instructed the Apostle to give us 
 such a full comment upon the spiritual death we all die in 
 Adam, that we cannot too often read and pray over the follow- 
 ing passages, Rom. v. 12, 21. 1 Cor. xv. 21, 22, 45, 49. 
 Eph. iv. 22, 24. Col. iii. 9, 10. There are many others, 
 in which our nature in Adam is spoken of, in contradistinc- 
 tion to the new and holy nature we receive in Christ Jesus. 
 So essential is a right understanding of this truth, that until 
 we receive it, many of the most beautiful parts of the Church 
 service must appear just as unintelligible to us as if they 
 were written in an unknown language. Nay, worse than 
 unintelligible; they must seem extremely foolish and ridicu- 
 lous. How absurd (to an understanding not convinced of 
 the original defilement of our nature) must it appear to talk 
 of remitting an infant's sins ; of causing the old Adam to be 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. " 61 
 
 buried, and his carnal affections to die in him ; while all the 
 time the hearer thinks that the infant as yet has no sins, no 
 carnal affections; while the very existence of the old Adam 
 or original sin is doubted by him !' 
 
 The second records of Christian experience furnish full con- 
 firmation of her humiliating statement. 
 
 'Oh! what an unmeaning heap of words,' she exclaims, 
 1 has been handed down to us in the law of Moses, the Psalms 
 of David, the confessions of Ezra, Nehemiah, Job, Daniel, 
 Jeremiah and the rest of God's saints, if that evil nature 
 which caused them to groan did not really exist! Above 
 all, what shall we make of Romans iii. and vii. % What shall 
 we understand by the conflict between the flesh and the Spirit, 
 between the old man and the new man, between the carnal 
 and spiritual affections 1 Was St. Paul dreaming, when he 
 said, " I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no 
 good thing]" Was he beside himself, when he declared, 
 " that he found in himself a law, that when he would do 
 good, evil was present with him?" that, though by Divine 
 grace he had learnt "to delight in the law of God after the 
 inward man, yet still he saw another law in his members, 
 warring against the law of his mind, and bringing him into 
 captivity to the law of sin which was in his members ?" The 
 apostle of the Gentiles, " who laboured more abundantly than 
 they all ;" he, who " had been caught up to the third heaven, 
 and heard unspeakable words which it was not lawful for 
 him to utter" amongst sinful men ; he, who " counted all 
 things but dung, that he might win Christ;" he, who was 
 "ready, not only to be bound, but also to die for the name of 
 the Lord Jesus ;" this chosen vessel of mercy, full of zeal 
 and full of love, and under the immediate inspiration of the 
 Holy Ghost, so groaned under the burden of the original cor- 
 ruption of his nature, " the law of sin warring in his mem- 
 bers," that he was compelled to cry out, " O wretched man 
 that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death]" 
 And from the time of Paul there has never been a real Chris- 
 tian, who has not often felt himself constrained to adopt his 
 language, and to say in the anguish of his soul, " W T ho shall 
 deliver me from the body of this death ?" The remedy, as is 
 usual in Scripture, follows close upon the complaint : " I 
 thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord." ' 
 
 From her mathematical manuscript we extract the follow- 
 ing method of proof of the total depravity of man. In speaking 
 f 2 
 
62 memoir or 
 
 of the three modes of demonstration, Inference, Coincidence, 
 and Redudio ad absurdum, she thus applies the last mode to 
 the subject alluded to: "If man be not utterly depraved, he 
 must be in one of these two states, either perfectly good, 
 without any mixture of sin ; or good, with some admixture 
 of evil and imperfection. The first of these suppositions car- 
 ries its own absurdity upon the face of it. The second is 
 plausible, and more generally received. Yet it is not diffi- 
 cult to prove, that if man had any remaining good in him, 
 that is, towards God, he could not possibly be the creature 
 that he now is. There could not be that carelessness about 
 his eternal welfare, that deadness to spiritual things, which 
 we perceive in every individual, whose heart has not been 
 renewed by Divine grace. Man would not love pleasure more 
 than God. He would not prefer " the things which are seen 
 and temporal" to "the things that are not seen and eternal." 
 He would not trifle with sin. He would not sneer at holi- 
 ness. He would not habitually neglect to pray. 
 
 'All these things are utterly incompatible with the hy- 
 pothesis, that man is only partially fallen from God. The 
 very least spark of innate godliness would imply a restless 
 dissatisfaction in what is evil ; an importunate longing to 
 be freed from it. The man in whom such a spark of good- 
 ness existed would breathe after lost communion with his 
 Maker. He would prefer God's will and pleasure to his 
 own. " The honour that cometh from God only" would be 
 dearer to him than the most splendid tribute of human ap- 
 plause. Is any thing like this to be found in man before his 
 reception of Divine grace ? No. He " lives without God 
 in the world :" chooses his own will and pleasure, and seeks 
 his own glory. He is utterly selfish; therefore he is utterly 
 fallen. 
 
 4 We find then that the doctrine of man's partial depravity in- 
 volves absurd consequences. It leads to conclusions which are 
 wholly at variance with fact. These reflections bring us 
 back to the Scripture statement. We admit that the heart of 
 man may yet be the seat of many noble and tender affections 
 towards his fellow-men. But in regard to God, we declare his 
 affections to be alienated, his understanding darkened, his 
 will depraved. "There is none that understandeth ; there is 
 none that seeketh after God. They are all gone aside ; they 
 are altogether become filthy ; there is none that doeth good, 
 no, not one." ' 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 63 
 
 The utter helplessness of man she adduces with great clear- 
 ness and power to prove, that the work of grace, from its 
 earliest commencement to its final consummation, is " all of 
 God." 
 
 * Grace will be given' — she observes — «* to all who dili- 
 gently seek for it. But, if we attend to the Scripture account 
 of every man, woman, and child by nature, we shall find that 
 this seeking also is the effect following upon grace received; 
 not the cause producing it. By this I mean to say, that the 
 very act of seeking grace proves that we have received grace 
 already ; and that the very ability to seek, is itself the free 
 gift of God's sovereign grace. If "every thought of man's 
 heart is evil, and that continually" surely it is not out of that 
 heart that the first desire of any good thing can spring. If, 
 by nature, " there is none that seeketh after God" whence can 
 the first attempt to seek him arise, but from free grace draw- 
 ing us contrary to nature 1 Freely must grace be given to 
 enable us to seek at first; and freely must it be continued, to 
 enable us to go on seeking. I know that none shall seek the 
 Lord in vain ; none who come shall be cast out ; none who be- 
 lieve shall come short of everlasting life; none who choose the 
 better part shall have it taken from them; but then none can 
 seek the Lord, unless he first seek them. None can come, except 
 it be given him of the Father ; — none can believe, save as many 
 as are orduined to eternal life ; none can choose Christ, except 
 he first choose them. If again we consider the magnitude of 
 the change which must take place in every sinner's heart be- 
 fore he can truly and earnestly seek God, we shall be con- 
 vinced that no part of it is properly his own. He must " be 
 born again ;" must " become a new creature ; old things must 
 pass away, all things must become new;" he must "pass 
 from death unto life ;" " from darkness to light — from the 
 power of Satan unto God ;" — " from going about to establish 
 his own righteousness, to submit himself to the righteousness 
 of God ;" and this, to a proud carnal heart, is the most diffi- 
 cult of all. And who is sufficient for these things? Who 
 but He, that first formed us in the womb, can cause us to be 
 born again of the Spirit 1." Who but He, that originally cre- 
 ated us, is able to " create us anew in Christ Jesus V Who 
 but the giver of natural life can give spiritual life ; " and 
 quicken those that were dead in trespasses and sins ?" », 
 
 * When the Lord of life stood by the grave of Lazarus, and 
 said — " Lazarus, come forth ; and he that was dead instantly 
 
64 MEMOIR OF 
 
 came forth ;" who would say, that this act of lifting himself 
 up was the cause of his coming to life ; and not rather, that 
 his coming to life was the cause of his being able to lift him- 
 self up 1 It is thus, when Jesus by his word and Spirit says 
 to the heart of a sinner — " Awake, thou that sleepest, and 
 arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." In- 
 stantly that dead soul arises, and its first act is seeking, or 
 prayer ; but this same act of seeking is the effect of spiritual 
 life, not the cause. We pray because we are alive, not that we 
 may live. We cannot quicken ourselves when dead in sin, 
 any more than we can bring a dead body to life. But when 
 Jesus has quickened us, we shall as surely perform all those 
 actions, which demonstrate the soul to be spiritually alive, 
 as a dead body when raised by divine power, will surely per- 
 form all the functions of a living person. Grace, great grace, 
 must be infused, to enable us to seek at all ; and he who 
 first gave grace to seek, will give more grace in answer to 
 that seeking, thus fulfilling that precious Scripture, which 
 saith — "To him that hath, shall be given." We neither be- 
 gin nor carry on the work of grace in our own hearts. " Jesus 
 is the author and finisher" the Alpha and Omega "of our 
 faith." From the first spark of grace that faintly glimmers 
 upon us here, to the full blaze of glory which shall burst upon 
 us in heaven ; all, all is his doing ; it is he that made us alive 
 (spiritually,) not we ourselves. It is God who both begins 
 the good work in us, and also will " perform it unto the day 
 of Jesus Christ." ' 
 
 Then after having confirmed her statement by the strong 
 and unequivocal language of the Church, she proceeds to 
 exhibit in connexion with it, the perfect frceness of Divine 
 grace. 
 
 1 It is absolutely necessary to a clear and full view of this 
 doctrine, that we ascribe to the free, sovereign and unmerited 
 grace of God, the first desire after him that ever arose in our 
 hearts, as well as the fulfilling of that desire when expressed 
 in prayer. W T e must be convinced that nothing in the work 
 of salvation is our own, but only the gift of God's love to us 
 in Christ Jesus. Christ died for us when we were enemies. 
 The benefits of his death are applied to us, for the purpose of 
 reconciling us, not in consequence of our making any ad- 
 vances towards being reconciled. He " died for the ungodly," 
 for those " who were without strength," without strength 
 to come to him ; without strength to form so much as a 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 65 
 
 wish to come to Him. The desire to come is given for his sake •• 
 the ability to come is given for his sake .•' the acceptance on 
 coming is an acceptance for the beloved sake of this beloved 
 Saviour, " without whom we can do nothing." Those who 
 say — ' Grace will be given if we ask ; but then asking must 
 precede or procure the given grace' — are in effect robbing God 
 of much of the glory due unto his name. For the power and 
 the inclination to ask are of themselves a part of the free gift 
 of God's grace to us in Christ Jesus. They are the beginning 
 of God's work in the heart; and to say, that we begin this 
 work, is no other than to say that we can create ourselves 
 anew in Christ Jesus. I will venture to affirm, that if God 
 waited to give us his grace till we asked him for it of our own 
 accord, we should go without it to all eternity. 
 
 ' The great source of error on this head, even amongst seri- 
 ous people, is, that they cannot bring themselves to think 
 they have nothing of their own in the work of salvation. 
 Therefore it is, that, when constrained to acknowledge that 
 the grace given them when they seek, is from God only ; their 
 self-righteousness betakes itself to another strong hold; and 
 we find them laying claim to their asking and seeking, as if 
 that at least was the effort of their own will, the spontaneous 
 act of their own power. This is just as if one should take 
 a dead person by the hand, breathe life into him, and lift 
 him up upon his feet; and that person should make a show 
 of acknowledgment to his benefactor, by allowing to that 
 benefactor the praise of lifting him up after he was alive, and 
 keeping him alive ever since, and yet should maintain, that 
 the first breath of all came into him by his own spontaneous 
 act, by the effort of his own unassisted power. The absurd- 
 ity of such an assertion with regard to temporal life, would 
 strike us at once ; but we are not so struck with it in refer- 
 ence to spiritual life ; and the reason is this, — when we speak 
 of a corpse, we know what we speak about, — there it lies be- 
 fore our eyes, incapable of breathing, moving, speaking. We 
 perfectly know what we mean, when we say that a dead body 
 cannot raise itself to life. But when we speak of a soul " dead 
 in trespasses and sins," we too often use the phrase, merely 
 because we find it in the Scriptures, without the slightest 
 conception of the awful reality expressed by it. Nor is it till 
 we have ourselves in some measure "passed from death unto 
 life," that we begin to perceive the dreadful and close analo- 
 gy which really exists between the two states of natural and 
 
66 memoir or 
 
 spiritual death. If God were to come to an unconverted per- 
 son with the question — not — "Can these dry bones" — but 
 Can these dead souls — "live !" he would be apt to reply — 
 Why not? What should hinder them from raising them- 
 selves up, and breathing the breath of spiritual life 1 But 
 when God has quickened us from our own death in tres- 
 passes and sins, our eyes are opened to see what spiritual 
 death really is, and then we learn with trembling awe to reply, 
 " Lord, thou knowest." This is thy work. It is thou that 
 must make us alive, and not we ourselves. 
 
 ' Since then men are universally disposed to " go about 
 establishing their own righteousness," how carefully ought 
 we to close up every avenue through which this besetting 
 sin might gain admittance, and rob us of our peace, by lead- 
 ing us to rob Christ of his praise ! Many are the windings 
 of our own treacherous hearts ; many are the devices of Sa- 
 tan, by which he would tempt us to ascribe to our own 
 strength what God has done for us of his mere mercy. Nor 
 let us think that a mistake here can be of trifling importance. 
 God is very jealous for his great name ; and he has declared, 
 that " if we will not lay it to heart, to give glory to his name, 
 he will send a curse upon us, and will even curse our bless- 
 ings." Many and glorious are the crowns which adorn the sa- 
 cred head of Immanuel ; let us not try to pluck thence the bright- 
 est and fairest of them all, for well does it become this King 
 of kings. When we reach heaven, and receive the crown of 
 glory, we shall be ready enough to cast that at his feet, and 
 to say, Thou only art worthy. Let us do the same with the 
 crown of grace here ; for surely we have as little right to ar- 
 rogate the one to ourselves as the other.' 
 
 These Scriptural statements of man's total corruption are 
 well connected with the calls of the Gospel; not as implying 
 man's natural free-will and power to turn to God ; but as dis- 
 playing the riches of Divine grace, as stamping the mark of 
 guilt upon the moral inability of the sinner, and setting forth 
 the means by which the Lord accomplishes the purposes of 
 his everlasting love. In the valley of dry bones, to which 
 Miss Graham has just alluded, the prophet was commanded 
 to'" call the things that be not, as though they were." The 
 almighty power of God gave effect to the feeble voice of his 
 servant. He fails not to manifest the same Divine power in 
 the resurrection of souls under the ministration of his Gospel ; 
 while the sovereignty of his grace is not less apparent in 
 " quickening whom he will." 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 67 
 
 Perhaps, however, Miss Graham may be considered some- 
 what defective in an exhibition of the free invitations of the 
 Gospel. Many exclusive writers* deem it unnecessary to ad- 
 dress the language of pleading love and urgent remonstrance, 
 where the want of inclination opposes a moral barrier to its 
 success. But this is to obscure the riches of the grace of God 
 by the narrow and perverted reasoning of man. Our Lord's 
 personal ministry was in no way restrained by his perfect 
 knowledge of the Divine purpose or of human inability. 
 Though the objects of electing love were individually known 
 to him, yet his gracious offers were as general, as if no coun- 
 sel had been fixed in the eternal mind, or as if he were unac- 
 quainted with its restricted object and end. Though he most 
 decisively declared man's total inability to come to him 
 irrespective of the sovereign application of Almighty power ; 
 yet " his bands of love" were " the cords of a man ;" suited 
 to " draw" him as a rational and responsible creature. The 
 freeness of Divine mercy, not the secret decree of the Divine 
 will, was the ground and rule of his patient procedure. He 
 spoke the glad tidings to the unbelieving Jews, " that they 
 might he saved" He complains of them most tenderly, that 
 " they would not come to him, that they might have life.'''' He 
 connected his declaration of the purpose of God with a full 
 and faithful invitation to sinners. He offered himself inde- 
 finitely to large and mixed assemblies as the provision for the 
 salvation of the whole world. He extended the commission 
 of his Gospel "to every creature" and closed the special reve- 
 lation of the future history of the church, with the same wide- 
 ly-extended embrace of inestimable mercy. Where then is 
 the sinner that is excluded from the responsibility of believing 
 the testimony % Or where is he that is shut out from the en- 
 couragement of its free and large invitations 1 
 
 Turning from Miss Graham's writings to her correspond- 
 ence, we find her views of the Gospel to be equally clear and 
 encouraging. 
 
 The following letter gives a distinct view of the ground of 
 our acceptance with God : 
 
 * Miss Graham, however, must not be confounded with writers of 
 this class. If there was an omission in her statements, there was no 
 defect in her system. Her private correspondence abounds with the 
 most fervid appeals to the unconverted, and the most unrestricted 
 offers of the Gospel. Seethe letters in Chapter V. adduced as illus- 
 trative of her * compassionate concern for the unconverted.'' 
 
68 MEMOIR OF 
 
 February 15, 1828. 
 
 « Dearest . Join with me in admiring the mercy of 
 
 our God. " For if when vje were enemies we were reconciled 
 unto God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled, 
 •we shall be saved by His Life." "If we confess our sins, 
 God is" — not merciful and compassionate, but, " faithful and 
 just to forgive us our sins." For since " Christ once suffer- 
 ed, the just for the unjust;" since He " bore our sins in his 
 own body on the tree ;" if we believe on Him, and lay hold on 
 his salvation, justice itself cannot but acquit us. It cannot 
 be, that Jesus should lay down His life, and that then God 
 should require ours. It cannot be, that, when Jesus has paid 
 the dreadful debt to the very uttermost farthing, we should be 
 called upon to pay it once again. No. As God is a faith- 
 ful God, He must fulfil the promises He has made, that not 
 one of all those who come to Him through Jesus, shall ever 
 perish. As He is a just God, He will not punish us and our 
 Surety too ; will not demand a twice-told reckoning. If in- 
 deed the atonement of Jesus were not perfect ; if He had not 
 suffered all, not paid all, we might tremble. But Almighty 
 Justice declared itself satisfied, when our Surety was released 
 from the prison of the tomb, when he sat down on the right 
 hand of God, and took possession in our name of the inherit- 
 ance He had purchased for us; and therefore it is said, that 
 He " was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for 
 our justification." By His death He laid down the price of 
 our salvation ; by His rising again He declared that the price 
 was accepted, the salvation complete. And this seems to me 
 the great display of God's wisdom in the cross of Christ, that 
 the Just should be able to justify the ungodly without devia- 
 ting one tittle from His justice ; " that He should be just, and 
 yet the Justifier of him which believeth on Jesus." ' 
 
 We extract an illustration of this subject from her manu- 
 script, equally beautiful and just. In defining the principle of 
 analysis to be, taking to pieces a train of argument, and ex- 
 amining the soundness of its component parts, she gives the 
 following Scriptural example, ' " Christ crucified, the wisdom 
 of God, and the power of God." ' (1 Cor. i. 23, 24.) What 
 an overwhelming multitude of reflections crowd upon the se- 
 rious mind at the bare mention of these words ! But in proving 
 the doctrine to unbelievers, how many concurrent circum- 
 stances must be separately and distinctly unfolded.' It is 
 alleged to be incompatible both with " the wisdom and power 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. G9 
 
 of God," that he should be constrained to glorify one of his 
 attributes at the expense of another. We must therefore con- 
 sider each attribute apart from the rest, and show how each 
 is glorified in the doctrine of the cross. Each part of the argu- 
 ment must be unfolded. Each link of the wondrous chain, 
 must be distinctly separated. We may offer them succes- 
 sively to the unbeliever, and challenge his strictest scrutiny 
 to detect a single break. If only one link be imperfect, the 
 whole chain must give way. All the hopes which hang upon 
 it must perish. But the more closely we examine it, the more 
 complete will be our satisfaction. I have adduced this doctrine 
 in illustration of my meaning, because I know of none which 
 involves a greater number of considerations. In Maclaurin's 
 sermon on the Glory of the Cross, we have a most perfect 
 specimen of this kind of analysis.' 
 
 But we find these two things inseparably united in Scrip- 
 ture, holiness and salvation, as I saw it well expressed in 
 some little work I was reading the other day : 'No salvation 
 by works ; and yet no salvation without works.' " Christ 
 hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repent- 
 ance and remission of sins." If then we follow and obey 
 Him not as our Prince, He is as yet no Saviour to us. If He 
 had not given us repentance, we must not suppose that he has 
 
 given us remission. But, dear , let us bear in mind, that 
 
 both are gifts. Repentance is as much a gift, and as little a 
 merit, as pardon. I fear I have been very tedious ; but the 
 subject has led me farther than I intended. We are sinners 
 seeking a common Saviour ; and therefore I trust that nothing 
 we can say of Him, can be wearisome.' 
 
 The practical view of this statement is more fully develop- 
 ed in a subsequent letter to the same correspondent ; one of 
 the last she ever wrote : 
 
 September, 1830. 
 
 4 Far from thinking it presumption to write as you have 
 done, my dear friend, I think we ought not to be ashamed of 
 owning what God has done for our souls. We know that it 
 is solely "by the grace of God," His free, unmerited favour, 
 that we " are what we are ;" and that in our lips, and above 
 all, in our lives, we are bound to show, that " the grace of 
 God was not bestowed upon us in vain." 
 
 * Dear , it has indeed pleased God to " call us to His 
 
 G 
 
70 MEMOIR OF 
 
 kingdom and glory;" let us (in His strength) " walk worthy 
 of the high vocation wherewith we are called." M Let us ex- 
 hort one another daily, while it is called to-day ; let us pro- 
 voke one another to love and good works;" and above all, let 
 us pray for one another, and that fervently and unceasingly. 
 We have need not only to pray, but to " watch unto prayer „•" 
 for it is only as long as we maintain this watchful spirit, that 
 we can hope to enjoy any of the comforts of religion. Let me 
 intreat you, not as one whose freedom from these sins gives 
 her a right to exhort others ; but as one who has herself felt 
 by mournful experience what " an evil and bitter thing it is" 
 to depart from the God of our salvation ; as a backslider, 
 whose backslidings have been healed by the inexpressible 
 mercy of a long-suffering God ; let me most earnestly and af- 
 fectionately entreat you to guard against the least declension 
 from holiness ; the least relaxation in that close and humble 
 walking with God, which alone can keep you peaceful and 
 happy. Works cannot justify us before God; but we are said 
 to be justified by works in one part of Scripture; that is, they 
 are the only evidence of our justification that we can offer to 
 our fellow-creatures. " Ye shall know them by their fruits." 
 And what are " the fruits of the Spirit]" Forgive me, if I 
 record them here. The description is so lovely, that we can- 
 not remind one another of it too often: " The fruit of the 
 Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, 
 faith, meekness, temperance ; against such there is no law. 
 And they that are Christ's, have crucified the flesh with the 
 affections and lusts." Let us examine ourselves by this, 
 
 dearest . Let us see whether we bring forth this fruit, 
 
 and whether we " bring forth much fruit, so shall we be His 
 disciples." My course is perhaps almost ended. I have rea- 
 son to hope, that it will not be very long, ere I enter into 
 that rest which Jesus has purchased for me with His blood. 
 Oh ! that I had walked more to His glory, " who loved me, 
 and gave Himself for me !" But your course (as a Christian) 
 is but lately begun, and may, if the Lord please, be continued 
 for many years. O then let it be indeed " the path of the just, 
 which is as the shining light, that shineth more and more 
 unto the perfect day." " Be thou an example of the believers, 
 in word, in conversation, in charity, in faith, in purity. Love 
 not the world, neither the things that are in the world. Be 
 clothed with humility ;" for as you are of an humble and 
 "contrite spirit, and tremble at God's word," so will "the 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 71 
 
 High and Lofty One who inhabiteth eternity," delight to dwell 
 in your heart, to bless you with His refreshing- and sanctify- 
 ing presence. And now, dearest , " may the very God 
 
 of peace sanctify you wholly ; and I pray God, your whole 
 body, and soul, and spirit, be preserved blameless unto the 
 coming of Jesus Christ." To Him may we with one heart 
 and voice, give glory both now and for evermore ! Amen.' 
 
 The following letter, however, carefully separates the fruit of 
 faith from any ground of dependence. The application of the 
 subject for Christian consolation will be interesting. 
 
 Stoke, Feb. 2\, 1827. 
 ' The chapter you mention, (Matt, xxv.) is particularly de- 
 lightful as holding out a lovely picture of the people of Christ. 
 But let us mark, that it is not the action, but the motive, which 
 meets with such high commendation. It is not said — Ye fed 
 the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, &c, but "I was hun- 
 gry, and ye gave me meat ; I was thirsty, and ye gave me 
 drink ; inasmuch as ye did it to one of the least of these, ye 
 did it unto me." And this appears to be the grand differ- 
 ence between Christians and worldly people. The Christian 
 does every thing as unto Christ — in His name, in His strength, 
 and to His glory. The worldling may, and often does, out of 
 natural benevolence or ostentation, feed the hungry, or clothe 
 the naked ; but he does it not unto Jesus, but to please him- 
 self, to gratify natural feeling, to appear well in the sight of 
 others, to gain a stock of merit enough to buy heaven, or at 
 least to help out what may be wanting in the merit of Christ. 
 These are his best motives : Talk to him of doing good 
 works, because you are saved, and not that you may be saved; 
 and you are talking of a thing which never entered his nar- 
 row heart, and which never will enter it, till it is enlarged by 
 the grace of Christ. But let us beg of God, to give us this 
 motive, and right actions will naturally follow. It will, as 
 some one expresses it, ' like the spring of a watch, soon set 
 all the wheels of our souls a-going.' I cannot leave this 
 chapter without sharing with you the comfort I have derived 
 from it in another point of view. Does Jesus say — ' I was 
 hungry, and ye gave me meatl' &c. Is He then hungry, 
 when we are hungry 1 Does He faint, when we are thirsty, 
 and languish, when we are "_sick and in prison." And think 
 you, He will not much more sympathize with our spiritual 
 
72 MEMOIR OP 
 
 necessities. When we hunger for the bread of life, and 
 thirst for living water ; when we are sensible that our guilty 
 souls stand " naked" before him ; when we feel ourselves 
 " sick" of that worst disease, sin ; and in bondage to Satan, 
 that most hard master, will not He then sympatluze with us 1 
 And his pity will not be a vain empty pity. He will not 
 only sympathize, but relieve. He will feed, and nourish, and 
 clothe, and heal, and deliver us. Nor will he be content 
 with this. But the same pity he feels for us, he will teach us 
 to feel for others ; so that we shall be such characters as He 
 describes the "blessed of the Father" to be. Only let us 
 trust Him for all this, and continually importune him for it ; 
 for his promises are all addressed to those who trust, and 
 ask, and seek, and knock.' 
 
 The freeness and fulness of the gospel are delightfully ap- 
 plied, to counteract the subtle influence of self-righteousness. 
 
 September 28, 1825. 
 
 1 You tell me, my beloved friend, that you have lately suf- 
 fered worldly thoughts to engross too much of your time, and 
 that you have found little comfort in prayer. "Will you let 
 me tell you what seems to me to be the cause of this ; at 
 least as far as I can judge from my own experience'? 
 
 1 You want a more simple and entire dependence on what 
 Christ has done for you ; and will do in you : you want to be 
 doing something yourself, when He has done all ; you would 
 repent and pray earnestly ; and then you think Christ would 
 forgive you. I do not know whether I am right with regard 
 to your feelings ; but this at least has sometimes been my 
 
 own case ; but in fact, my dear , it was for sinners who 
 
 cannot repent, who cannot pray, that the Saviour came to die. 
 Repentance is His gift— His free gift — as well as pardon ; 
 and it is only when we are willing to come to Him — poor, 
 empty, and miserable as we are — that He delights in "filling 
 us with good things." I think I have not clearly explained 
 myself; but I will try to give you an instance of what I mean. 
 
 4 1 used to be often doubting whether I was one of Christ's 
 people or not. Now this one text satisfied all my doubts. — 
 "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me ; and him 
 that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." From this it 
 seems there is but one question — 'Am I willing to come to 
 Christ]' If so, then I am one of those whom "the Father 
 
MAR!" JANE GRAHAM. 73 
 
 hath given Him;" if so, then will he never, never cast me 
 out; and if so, then is God the Father, then is God the Son, 
 engaged by an immutable promise, by unchangeable faithful- 
 ness, to bring me — a feeble worm of the earth — a sinner by 
 nature and practice — yes, even to bring me safe home to 
 glory. Am I willing? O my dear friend, I doubt not your 
 heart is answering to mine ; Yes, Lord, thou knowest that I 
 am willing to come unto thee. " To whom should I go !*? for 
 there is "none in Heaven or in earth that I desire beside 
 thee!" Again, with regard to the love of the world, — that 
 
 freat enemy to the Christian life — I used to think, how shall 
 overcome it? Now, I look simply to Jesus, who has said 
 " Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." He has 
 overcome it for us, and will overcome it in us. For how can 
 
 we love that world, which crucified our Lord and Saviour. 
 
 How can we give way to that " love of the world," which 
 will deprive us of "the love of the Father?" Believe me, 
 
 my dear , there is not a sin, however deeply rooted in the 
 
 heart, from which we may not be delivered by simply lookino- 
 to Jesus, and pleading with him his precious promises. To 
 this end, "let the word of Christ dwell richly in us with all 
 wisdom ;" let us "hide his word in our hearts," and we shall 
 find it will preserve us from " sinning against him." " The 
 love of the world," accompanied as it always must be by 
 lukewarmness in heavenly things, is indeed a great sin, and 
 will, as far as we indulge in it, be as a cloud between us and 
 the Father; for, "know ye not that the friendship of the world 
 is enmity with God ?" But then we need not be discouraged ; 
 for though we never can overcome it in our own strength, 
 we have a promise that the " strength of the Lord Jesus shall 
 be made perfect in our weakness." " Of his fulness, we re- 
 ceive grace for grace." Dost thou want grace every moment 
 to keep thee from falling?— "My grace is sufficient for thee." 
 Wouldest thou have wisdom? "Christ is made unto us 
 wisdom." " God giveth to all liberally, and upbraideth not." 
 Wouldest thou have peace? There is "peace and joy for 
 thee in believing." Thy Saviour is " the Prince of Peace," 
 Wouldest thou be preserved unto the end ? " The Lord is 
 faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil." 
 Finally, do we seek for direction in every step of our path 
 through life? Let us feed on those precious promises. Isa. 
 xxx. 21, and xlviii. 17. Thus, my dear friend, we may go on, 
 " with joy drawing water out of the wells of salvation ;" and 
 g 2 
 
74 MEMOIR OF 
 
 we are then constrained to cry out with Jeremiah " Thy words 
 were found, and I did eat them ; and thy word was unto me 
 the joy and rejoicing of mine heart." I fear that I have al- 
 ready taken too much time upon this; but it has pleased God, 
 in my afflictions, to make Christ, and the word of Christ, so 
 unspeakably precious to me, that my heart will not rest, till I 
 have called on my dear friend to live in consistency with her 
 privileges as a child of God, and to " rejoice in the Lord al- 
 ways." ■ 
 
 And again, 
 
 September 17, 1827. 
 4 1 have read your letter again and again with deepest in- 
 terest. I grieve to find that you do not gain any sensible 
 comfort in the path of religion. You seem to think yourself 
 going backward, rather than forward. But may not this be, 
 because you see daily more of the vanity and wickedness of 
 your own heart, and of the wretchedness of your very best 
 performances'? If so, are you not making the best possible 
 progress ] And while perhaps in reality you are less con- 
 formed to the world, less bent upon earthly things than you 
 were a few months ago ; your more enlightened views of the 
 spiritual nature of God's law, and the holy strictness of its 
 requirements, may make you see more worldliness and sin in 
 every thing you do, than you were capable of perceiving, 
 when you first began the study of your own heart. For, be- 
 lieve me, the further we "come up from this wilderness, 
 leaning upon our beloved," the more clearly we shall see, 
 that not one step can be taken in our own strength ; and every 
 time we begin to think we are a little stronger, and may 
 venture to stir a few steps alone, we shall be left to stumble 
 and fall, till he again upholds us with his hand. We want 
 to be something in ourselves, to have something that we can 
 call our own, something to look at, and to rest upon as such : 
 when, alas ! we are nothing, have nothing ; but what comes 
 to us from the fulness of Jesus. As long as we look into our 
 own hearts for any source of comfort, we must inevitably be 
 disappointed. If we look at " our righteousness, they are 
 but as filthy rags," " the covering is narrower than that a 
 man can wrap himself in it." But if we cast these filthy 
 rags from us and look to the righteousness of Jesus, then we 
 have a spotless robe ; an ample covering for our naked and 
 defiled souls. I cannot help thinking, my beloved friend, 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 75 
 
 that your sadness proceeds from thinking too much of your- 
 self, and too little of Jesus. You brood upon your own sin 
 and misery, till you forget " The Lord your righteousness." 
 You are deeply sensible of your own weakness, but dwell 
 too little on the sweet assurance, that you " can do all things 
 through Christ which strengtheneth you." You lament your 
 own folly ; but is not Jesus made wisdom to you ] your own 
 insufficiency; but "in Jesus dwells" there not "all the ful- 
 ness of the Godhead bodily ?" and may not you be "complete 
 in him ?" Yet let us not cease to look at ourselves to make 
 us humble ; but let us look to Jesus to make us happy ; and 
 when we look at him, let us remember, that he is our Jesus, 
 our Saviour, and that will make us more happy. Let me 
 give you a text, which I have sometimes found to be a sovereign 
 remedy against all those fears, which a view of our own sin- 
 fulness is apt to excite : "The name of the Lord is a strong 
 tower ; the righteous runneth into it, and is safe." Here is 
 comfort ; here is safety. My dear friend, I have as much 
 sin and weakness and folly, to lament as you can possibly 
 have ; and if it does not make me as miserable as it does you, 
 it is simply because, whenever I am frightened and tormented 
 by the accusations of conscience, I "run into this strono- 
 tower, and am safe." You too are safe, for have you not 
 taken refuge there 1 Why then will you not open your eyes, 
 and behold how "the name of the Lord, as a strong tower," 
 compasses you on every side, so that you are quite out of the 
 reach of every enemy; Jesus is our "hiding place and our 
 shield." If we fear Satan, he will soon " braise Satan under 
 our feet." If we fear the world, Jesus "has overcome the 
 world." If we fear the treachery of our own deceitful hearts, 
 let us put those hearts into the hands of Jesus ; he shall turn 
 them "as the rivers of water, whithersoever he will. Nor is 
 he only thus strong to defend us, but rich to supply all our 
 need. If we want repentance, Jesus is exalted to give re- 
 pentance. If we want faith, " it is given us on the behalf 
 of Christ to helieve." If we want holiness, " Jesus is made 
 of God sanctification unto us." If we want peace, " the peace 
 of God shall keep our hearts and minds through Christ 
 Jesus." In short, let our sins, and fears, and wants be ever 
 so great, they need not drive us to despair, as long as Jesus 
 lives and " is able to save to the uttermost." We are com- 
 plete in him. Well then might David say, "They that know 
 thy name will put their trust in thee;" well might Solomon 
 
76 MEMOIR OF 
 
 say: " Thy name is as ointment poured forth ;" and Isaiah: 
 " His name shall be called Wonderful." But, my dear 
 friend, we have an interest in this precious name; we may 
 draw near to the Father of mercies in this name, and he will 
 deny us nothing. Then shall we give way to gloomy doubts 
 and forebodings any more 1 Alas ! I know how little all 
 these reflections weigh with us, unless the Spirit of God 
 bring them home with light and power to our hearts. Even 
 while I am talking to you, my own heart is so little affected, 
 that I am ashamed to go on ; but I speak rather as I would 
 feel, than as I do feel.' 
 
 The above statements of Divine truth will be generally 
 admitted to be of a Scriptual and decided character. Her 
 exhibition of the humbling doctrines of the Gospel brings no 
 occasion for despondency ; while it commends to the awaken- 
 ed sinner the simple glory of a free salvation. Nor does her 
 view of gratuitous acceptance lose a particle of its evangelical 
 clearness by the connected display of its fruitfulness. The 
 man thoroughly humbled by the doctrines of the grace of 
 God, will delight in holiness as the track of communion with 
 his God, and the path-way to heaven ; while his sense of 
 continued defilement will preserve him from self-righteous- 
 ness, deepen his self-abasement, and establish his faith in the 
 simplicity of Christ. 
 
 Her connected apprehensions of what are called the higher 
 doctrines of the gospel with the whole system, are well 
 stated by the beloved brother, whose high previlege it was to 
 attend her during her last illness. 
 
 ' She had received,' he observes, ' the Gospel as a dispen- 
 sation of pure grace. She delighted to speak in a holy man- 
 ner of God's electing love. She " knew her election," and 
 rejoiced in a sense of her high privilege. The reception of 
 this blessed doctrine produced in her soul deep humility, 
 gratitude, and love. She well knew, that it was God " who 
 had made her to differ" from a " world that lielh in wicked- 
 ness ;" and she could say from her heart: "Not unto us, O 
 Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy 
 mercy and for thy truth's sake." She w r as so deeply con- 
 vinced from the word of God, from all around her, and from 
 her own heart, of the deep depravity of human nature, of 
 the utter helplessness of man to do, think, or say any thing 
 that is spiritually good, that she saw no other method, 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 77 
 
 whereby a sinful creature could be saved, but from the com- 
 bined offices of the Holy Trinity; from the election of the 
 Father, the redemption of the Son, and the sanctification of 
 the Spirit.' 
 
 A single extract from her publication will fully corroborate 
 this testimony. The beauty of her language will justify the 
 length of the quotation. 
 
 4 Thus it is, that while the doctrine of predestination is 
 death to those who weary themselves in presumptuous dis- 
 puting^ and reasonings about it, there always have been 
 and will be a happy few, who, humbly and sincerely feeding 
 upon it, receiving all that the Scripture tells them concern^ 
 ing it, and desiring to know no further, find it health and 
 peace to their souls. It lays them very low at the feet of 
 their Redeemer; brings down the high swelling of their 
 pride and self-esteem, pulls away from under them all those 
 broken reeds upon which they had been used to lean, self- 
 righteousness, self-will, self-dependence : and leaves to them 
 no one prop on which to lean for support : whilst "coming up 
 out of this wilderness," but the arm of " their Beloved ;" 
 that everlasting arm, which will surely conduct them to 
 glory. When that arm becomes shortened that it cannot 
 save, or weak that it cannot support ; when the arm of Jesus 
 fails and is weary ; then they will begin to look around for 
 some other stay, but not till then. Or when they can discover 
 in themselves one single good thing which Jesus did not put 
 there: one reason why he should visit them with such 
 amazing love ; then they will conclude that his love took its 
 rise from theirs ; not theirs from His. But they never will 
 discover one such thing, so long as the Spirit of God illu- 
 mines their heart, and brings to light its immense depravity 
 and worthlessness. Therefore as God's love could not have 
 been excited by any thing in them, they believe it to be an 
 eternal love : that they were called in time, because they 
 were chosen from eternity ; and that the name of Jesus is now 
 engraven as a seal upon their hearts, because their names 
 were written on his heart before ever the world was. And 
 when their thoughts stretched forward to the end of this pil- 
 grimage, and they rejoice in the view of the mansions pre- 
 pared for them in their Father's house, the crown of that re- 
 joicing is this : " We got not the land in possession by our 
 own strength, neither did our own arm save us; but thy rio-ht 
 hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because 
 
7S memoir or 
 
 thou hadst a favour unto us" "Thus they rejoice in Christ 
 Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh;" for "God is 
 the odory of their strength ; and in his favour their horn is 
 exalted." 
 
 4 1 cannot pretend to meet the objections, or to refute the 
 cavils commonty raised, when this doctrine of election is 
 made the subject of discussion ; for I did not learn it in the 
 way of carnal reasonings, but by simply taking the Scriptures 
 as I found them, and as the Spirit of God enabled me to re- 
 ceive them. If St. Paul, after descanting on this subject, 
 breaks off in an extacy of admiration, exclaiming — " How un- 
 searchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out !" 
 we need not wonder, if our shallow understandings are inca- 
 pable of fathoming, our limited capacities of comprehending, 
 our low minds of reaching them. We must be satisfied with 
 believing that it is even so, because "so it seemed good in 
 our Father's sight," whatever it may appear in ours. This 
 reason, which appeared satisfactory to our Saviour, may sure- 
 ly satisfy us ; or if not, he has vouchsafed an assurance, 
 which may well serve to repress present inquiry into things 
 too high for us — " What I do, thou knowest not now, but 
 thou shalt know hereafter." 
 
 ' That these things are so, I believe, because I find them 
 amongst the "revealed things, which belong to us and our 
 children forever." How or why they are so, I desire not too 
 closely to inquire, lest I should intrude into the " secret things, 
 which belong unto the Lord our God." O that he would give 
 unto every one of us that humble and teachable Spirit, with 
 which a little ignorant child is content to receive his father's 
 lessons, without rudely commenting upon his father's ways, 
 or rashly intruding into his father's secrets ! This one thing 
 we know ; and with this we may be satisfied ; that " the 
 Judge of all the earth cannot but do right." But it were pre- 
 posterous to expect that he should always do that which is 
 right in our eyes, so long as our notions of right and wrong 
 are so utterly confused and perverted as they have been ever 
 since the fall. He himself tells us that "the Lord seeth not 
 as man seeth :" and that " that which is highly esteemed 
 among men is abomination in the sight of God." It cannot 
 be, so long as " his ways are equal, and ours unequal," that 
 his righteous dealings should be in exact accordance with our 
 unrighteous views and sentiments. Instead then of wearying 
 ourselves with impotent attempts to bring down his will and 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 79 
 
 counsel to the level of our ideas, our far wiser way will be 
 to submit our thoughts and ideas to his will, assured that it 
 is holy, just, and good.' She then proceeds to defend the 
 doctrine at some length, and with considerable ability, from 
 the usual objections of charging God with injustice, and of 
 encouraging licentiousness, arrogance, and despondency in 
 man. 
 
 The writer has indulged himself with this large extent of 
 quotation, as the best means of introducing Miss Graham's 
 work from the comparative obscurity of an anonymous publi- 
 cation, into that more general acceptance, which, in his own, 
 and, he presumes he may add, in his reader's judgment, it 
 well deserves. It would be too much to anticipate a univer- 
 sal concurrence in all her statements. Yet from the peculiar 
 unction and richness of her theology, and its entire freedom 
 from speculation and controversy, they cannot be read by the 
 serious reader without spiritual profit. The more mysterious 
 doctrines (as will be seen from the last quotation) are hand- 
 led in a holy, practical spirit, eminently calculated to soften 
 prejudice, to prostrate the soul in humble thankfulness, and 
 to enlarge the Christian's joy in God. It is indeed one of the 
 many painful results from the harsh, crude, and abstract state- 
 ments too often given of these doctrines ; that they have con- 
 tributed unjustly to discredit the more sober Scriptural decla- 
 rations, which, when cast, like Miss Graham's, into the mould 
 of our Seventeenth Article, are justly pronounced by our 
 Church to be ' full of sweet, pleasant, and unspeakable com- 
 fort to godly persons.' 
 
 On such deep and humbling subjects, the writer would not 
 presume to set up his judgment as the rule of faith for the 
 Church. Yet he has felt a caution necessary for his own 
 mind, which he ventures therefore to suggest to his brethren. 
 Let us take care, lest the irreconcilableness of these doctrines 
 with our apprehensions of the Divine character, rather than a 
 defect of their Scriptural evidence, should influence our re- 
 jection of them. Is there no danger, lest a predisposing bias 
 in the search for this evidence, should obscure that single- 
 ness of eye, which is the only medium for the reception of 
 heavenly light] The admission of these doctrines, indeed, 
 as the result of disputation or argument, could only issue in 
 a fearful proportion of that " knowledge which puffeth up," 
 combined with a total absence of the "love that edifieth." 
 But the child-like reception of them as revealed in the Holy 
 
80 MEMOIR OF 
 
 Scriptures, will be (as we have just hinted), eminently fruit- 
 ful in humiliation, love, privilege, and devotedness. After 
 all, however, we must remember — " A man can receive no- 
 thing, except it be given him from heaven." This sacred 
 aphorism lays the only substantial basis of the true faith of 
 the Gospel, while the light reflected upon the steady course of 
 Christian consistency, though it will not clear up every diffi- 
 culty, will enlarge our discovery of the Divine goodness to 
 man, and assure to our minds the unchangeableness of God, 
 as the ground of that " strong consolation," which " the heirs 
 of promise" are fully warranted to enjoy. 
 
 II. On subjects of Theological Discussion. 
 
 The first question is closely connected with some of the 
 subjects of the last section. It states her views of the consis- 
 tency of conditional promises ivith a free salvation. 
 
 4 As to the promises' — Miss Graham observes — ' 1 do not 
 say, that they are unconditional either ; but I do say, that the 
 conditions on which they depend are such as guilty man is 
 altogether incapable of performing. I do say that Jesus as 
 our Surety, has performed all these for us, and by his Spirit 
 will perform them all in us. Through his perfect atonement 
 we escape the threatenings ; through his unspotted obedience 
 we become " heirs of the promises" — heirs of eternal life. 
 For if the blame of our sins has been imputed to Him, then 
 has the merit of His righteousness been imputed to us. " If 
 he has been made sin for us, then have we been made the 
 righteousness of God in him." And. because the promises 
 are ours for his sake, therefore the conditions of them are 
 worked in us by his free Spirit ; " for it is not we who live 
 the life of faith, but Christ that liveth in us." 
 
 4 One of the sweetest promises, upon which the mind of 
 every Christian rests with unspeakable delight, runs thus : 
 "Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out." 
 Here is a condition, M Him that cometh ;" and a promise — " I 
 will not cast out." But who are those that come to Jesus'? 
 " All that the Father giveth me shall come to me." " No 
 man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me, 
 draw him." " No man can come to me, except it were given 
 to him of my Father." How distinctly are we here told, that 
 the same free mercy, which promises to receive us when we 
 come, must be put forth to make us come ; or we never should 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. ' 81 
 
 come / The promise will surely be fulfilled to all who obey 
 the condition.; but none can obey the condition, save those to 
 whom it is given.'* 
 
 ' Every condition necessary to salvation' — she remarks — 
 'is fulfilled in us, not by any efforts of our own, but by our 
 " receiving" continually " grace for grace out of the fulness 
 of Jesus." ' In confirmation of her argument, she adduces 
 the Christian graces (repentance, faith, love,) as required of 
 us, but yet wrought in us. Thus she concludes the discus- 
 sion — ' The great question then about the promises seems to 
 be, not so much whether they are conditional, as whether God 
 looks to Christ, or to us, for the performance of those condi- 
 tions. If to Christ, the burden is laid upon " one that is 
 mighty .•" if to us, then we are undone ; ' for the condition of 
 man after the fall is such, that he cannot turn and prepare 
 himself, by his own natural strength and good works, to faith 
 and calling upon God : wherefore we have no power to do 
 good works pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace 
 of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a good will, 
 and working with us, when we have that good will.'' 
 
 This statement is confessedly strong and uncompromising; 
 yet it is in the writer's apprehension, neither unguarded, un- 
 scriptural, or discouraging. It assumes with our church the 
 Scriptural point, not of the weakness, but of the utter helpless- 
 ness of man. It connects the freeness of the Gospel with the 
 sovereign purpose and Almighty grace of God. Thus man 
 and God are each in his proper place ; man in the dust ; God 
 on the throne. The humble and intelligent believer will ac- 
 knowledge of every act of faith and obedience to the end of 
 his course — " Thou also hast wrought all our works in ws." 
 Nor will he hesitate to trace all these works to the " good plea- 
 sure" of his God as the first cause. 
 
 The opposite statement may be easily proved to be most 
 discouraging. The free invitations of the Gospel are uncon- 
 nected with an entire dependence upon Divine grace to ena- 
 ble the sinner to accept them. Conscious inability is there- 
 fore left without any power to act upon it. The sinner is 
 either blinded in self-delusion, or hardened in despondency. 
 On the other hand his helplessness is taught to depend upon 
 the Sovereign pleasure of a God of love ; and he " works out 
 his salvation with fear and trembling," indeed, but with con- 
 fident hope of perseverance. 
 H 
 
82 MEMOIR OF 
 
 The unscriptural use of the term condition with many theo- 
 logians — as if man could of himself perform the work of his 
 salvatio?i — has brought it into disrepute. Yet in Miss Gra- 
 ham's view conditional promises ultimately resolve them- 
 selves into absolute unconditional love. The duties of Chris- 
 tian obedience — the Divinely appointed means of enjoying the 
 promises — do not depend upon any thing to be fulfilled by us. 
 They constitute a part of the engagements of the Evangelical 
 covenant, by which the Lord fulfils the demands of his law 
 by the Almighty power of his grace. Miss Graham with 
 many excellent men would altogether abolish the use of the 
 term, at least as applied to us. But it has been allowed by 
 many of our most orthodox divines, whose statements cannot 
 justly be accused of infringing upon the freeness of the Gos- 
 pel. It would be difficult to substitute any other theological 
 term, that would express the sense of many important decla- 
 rations of Scripture with equal precision and appropriateness. 
 Let it be understood to imply — not what is meritorious, but 
 what is necessary in the economy of the Gospel — not an effi- 
 cient cause, but an indispensable requisite. Is it not then 
 needless scrupulosity to exchange a convenient term of expli- 
 cation for feeble circumlocution 1 And may there not be some 
 danger, lest in our anxiety to preserve the freeness of Scrip- 
 tural statement, we unconsciously become fettered in the 
 bonds of human systems'? 
 
 Her letter upon the nature and degree of explicit faith neces- 
 sary for acceptance with God is highly interesting. 
 
 'The question you propose about prayer, does not appear 
 to me to admit of a doubt. Ought there not to be in every 
 prayer a reference to the intercession of Christ? Will the 
 earnestness altd sincerity of a prayer avail without it 1 ? Doubt- 
 less, my dear friend, there ought to be this reference: nor 
 can a believer in Jesus imagine a prayer without it. But when 
 an unbeliever first begins to long after the knowledge of God, 
 the intercession of Christ may be a part of that knowledge, 
 respecting which he is in utter darkness. Shall the earnest 
 and sincere petition which he offers under such circumstances 
 be disregarded "? Is not the intercession of Christ going on 
 for him as surely as if he knew of it 1 And is not this poor 
 ignorant prayer the first fruits of this intercession 1 And will 
 not the Father accept it for the sake of his beloved Son, though 
 the sinner as yet knows not how to offer it in his name 1 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 83 
 
 Certain I am, that the person who thus begins to seek after 
 the Lord with his whole heart, will ere long have Jesus re- 
 vealed in his soul ; and then he will seek in the name of Jesus. 
 The most signal answer I ever received to prayer, was at 
 a time when 1 was so bewildered in the labyrinth of infidelity, 
 that I actually should have feared to have been guilty of blas- 
 phemy, had 1 prayed in the name of Jesus. In sincerity and 
 earnestness I prayed to be taught, whether Jesus Christ was 
 an impostor or not ; and for the sake of that precious Saviour, 
 whom I thus insultingly doubted, my prayer was answered. 
 But our experience is of little value, unless it agrees with 
 Scripture. I think the Bible is very clear upon this head, 
 and therefore I venture to speak so confidently. I will men- 
 tion two or three texts. " He that cometh to God must 
 believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that 
 diligently seek him." Is not this a description of the degree 
 of faith and knowledge, which is necessary before a person 
 can come and pray to God in an acceptable manner f And is 
 not this the sum of it, that he must believe that there is a 
 God, and that, if he diligently seeks this God, he shall be 
 rewarded by finding the object of his search? There is not 
 a word about, * He that cometh to God must believe and pray 
 through the intercession of Christ ;' though no doubt the per- 
 son who believes so far as is mentioned in the text, will soon 
 believe God in Christ, as he is revealed in the Gospel. So 
 then, if a Pagan or Mahomedan in the darkest corner of the 
 earth, or an infidel in this country, were to begin to seek God 
 diligently, from the mere " belief that he is, and that he is a 
 rewarder of them that diligently seek him," upon the warrant 
 of this text I should have no doubt of his acceptance.* Again, 
 
 * This text may, doubtless, be accommodated for intelligent and 
 warranted encouragement in the case here presented to us. Yet it 
 may be questioned whether Miss Graham's exposition includes the 
 whole substance of the Apostle's mind. The faith of Cain in bring- 
 ing his offering probably admitted the naked belief of the existence 
 of God, and of his bounty to those that inquired after him. The 
 Apostle's definition, however, stands in immediate connexion with 
 the faith of Abel and Enoch, (ver. 4, 5.) which implied access to 
 God, and communion with him through an acceptable medium. 
 Indeed, the true faith in God's existence seems necessarily to sup- 
 pose some relation to him. See Gen. xvii. 1. Exod. iii. 14. The 
 very expectation of reward to sinners deserving condemnation, must, 
 in a righteous government, be grounded upon some apprehension, 
 
84 MEMOIR OF 
 
 " If any man will (or wishes to) do the will of God, he shall 
 know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak 
 of myself." Here is the case supposed of a man, who, so 
 far from praying- in the name of Jesus, is not yet convinced, 
 whether his doctrines are Divine, or whether he is a mere 
 pretender, u speaking of himself '." What then is the prepara- 
 tion required ] He wishes to do the will of God. He would 
 gladly worship God aright, and submit to his will in all 
 things. Yet he cannot pray at first with any reference to the 
 intercession of Jesus. For he would think it sinful to do so, 
 as long as he knows not " whether the doctrine be of God, or 
 whether Jesus Christ spake of himself." Yet this man — we 
 have the word of Jesus for it — "shall know of the doctrine." 
 Consider also the free and generous promise of Christ, that 
 " our heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to them that 
 ask him." Suppose yourself to have been in the state of 
 mind of the text just mentioned, and to have heard this gra- 
 cious promise. Would you have thought of any intercession, 
 of any thing beyond asking ? And you would probably have 
 asked ; " O my heavenly Father, give me thy Spirit to teach 
 me whether this man is sent by thee, or whether he speaks 
 of himself." Suppose for a moment (God forbid that any 
 one should suppose it in reality!) that, after having offered 
 this prayer sincerely, earnestly, perseveringly, you were at 
 last suffered to perish for lack of knowledge ; that the Holy 
 Spirit for which you asked was not given, because you asked 
 it not (and how could you?) in the name of Jesus, the pro- 
 mise would seem to carry with it a want of sincerity, as hav- 
 ing a condition attached to it, which was concealed from you, 
 and which the very nature of your petition incapacitated you 
 from performing, until further knowledge was given. 1 be- 
 lieve, that when Christ said, "Ask, and it shall be given 
 you," he meant what he said, in the literal sense of the word. 
 It is remarkable, that asking in the name of Christ, was a 
 doctrine not revealed to the disciples, till shortly before his 
 death, though they must often have prayed before, and that 
 
 however obscure, of a way of favourable acceptance. The desire 
 and act of seeking also supposes some rule to direct our path and 
 warrant our hope ; a rule founded upon some new relation between 
 God and his creatures, by which merited judgment is averted, and 
 "mercy rejoiceth against judgment." 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. S5 
 
 with acceptance. The Lord's prayer also contains no express 
 reference to this doctrine, though doubtless every Christian 
 in his heart, offers it in the one name, through which he looks 
 for acceptance. Let us take the text above mentioned, to an 
 assembly of Indians. Let us say to them, ' You know not 
 what to think of our doctrine concerning Jesus. You would 
 take him for your Lord and your God, if you were sure that 
 all we say about him is true. We will tell you how to find 
 this out. There is a promise in the book, out of which we 
 preach to you, that God " will give the Holy Spirit to them 
 that ask him." The Holy Spirit is given to teach you about 
 Jesus. If you will ask for this teaching, you shall have it ; 
 and then you shall know what to think of our doctrine.' They 
 ask. In the name of Jesus they cannot ask. For the very 
 point in question, the very thing which they ask God to teach 
 them is, whether the name of Jesus is of any avail or not. 
 They are impelled to ask by a " belief that there is a God, 
 and that he is a re warder of them that diligently seek him." 
 Will the promise be made good to them or not? Or will this 
 failing to pray in a manner in which they do not believe 
 (that is, to act contrary to the reason which God himself has 
 lighted up within them) annul the engagement by which God 
 has bound himself, that all that ask should have ? Oh ! no.* 
 This is prayer; and it is praying with precisely that degree 
 of " faith, without which it is impossible to please God." 
 " To every one that hath, thus much shall be given, and he 
 shall have abundance;" he shall be rich in faith. And this 
 is as true to my mind, as clear as any of the promises of God 
 can be. You say, ' Must faith be acting at the time V I think 
 the degree of faith mentioned in Heb. xi. 6, must. Yet even 
 this, we know, may be a trembling faith, such as, " If thou 
 canst do any thing, Lord, I believe : help thou mine unbelief." 
 But, " the day of small things," the first prayers of a hitherto 
 unbelieving sinner have something in them unspeakably in- 
 teresting. And it is so delightful to feel, that the very least 
 of the "small things" comes from God, and implies pardon 
 and heaven, and all those great things which " eye hath not 
 seen, nor ear heard," that we cannot dwell upon them with- 
 out transport. This is that " faith which is as a grain of 
 mustard seed." Wrapped within its minute, dry, and un- 
 sightly husk is the embryo of the future tree, which shall 
 expand and " flourish in the courts of our God." Oh ! what a 
 h 2 
 
86 MEMOIR OF 
 
 God of wonders ! As we cannot look into the hearts of others, 
 it is hard to know when the prayer is earnest and sincere. 
 But if we could discern this, we might look at such a prayer 
 with the same confident assurance that showers of blessings 
 would follow it, as Elijah knew that there would be " abund- 
 ance of rain," though there was nothing to be seen but a little 
 cloud like a man's hand.' 
 
 This letter involves a question of much interest and no 
 small difficulty. Miss Graham's sympathy with the case 
 supposed, enabled her to fix a conscious grasp upon the sub- 
 ject, and to speak directly to the point with much force and 
 clearness. The instance of the penitent Ninevites ignorant 
 of the medium of acceptance might have been added to her 
 Scripture illustrations of the argument. And we can scarce- 
 ly doubt that the cry to a Supreme Being — ' Ens entium, mis- 
 erere met* — " seeking the Lord, if haply they might feel after 
 him, and find him" — may have proved the first dawn of light 
 and love to some awakened conscience in a benighted world. 
 
 No other way to God than by Christ is here supposed, 
 though an unconscious approach through him is admitted. 
 For ourselves, however, who have been made acquainted with 
 his precious name, no obligation is more important, no privi- 
 lege more delightful, thanrthe constant dependence upon it in 
 every step of access to God. It covers all guilt, defilement, 
 ignorance, and infirmities. It assures our confidence in the 
 presence of a God of inflexible justice and unspotted holiness. 
 Our persons and services, in themselves most unsuited to his 
 awful majesty, are presented through this medium clothed 
 with divine beauty, and commended in his sight as " a sweet- 
 smelling savour." A clear knowledge of the person of Christ 
 is therefore necessary as the basis of Christian confidence. 
 The exercise of this confidence will be — not to apprehend him 
 separately either as God or man, but to make his entire person 
 the object of our trust. This intelligent and spiritual worship 
 is as superior to mere external service, as the blood of the Son 
 of God, by which we are brought into the capacity for it, is 
 to the vile and corruptible things of earth. 
 
 The question under consideration however requires a wise 
 mixture of decision and forbearance to determine its precise 
 lhnits. While insisting upon the importance of a clear ap- 
 prehension of Divine Truth, we would present the full Scrip- 
 tural encouragement to souls emerging out of darkness with 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. S7 
 
 a simple desire to know the light; seeking the truth, yet 
 knowing not where to find it. Let them wait in the twilight 
 for the dawning day, humbly, prayerfully, earnestly. Sin- 
 cerity in the diligent and persevering habit of faith will not 
 be left in darkness. On the other hand it must be remem- 
 bered, that the influence of the Holy Spirit, needful for every 
 act of faith and prayer, stands in ordinary conjunction with 
 revealed truth. Let us be aware therefore, lest by broad 
 statements we lose sight of the great fundamentals of the 
 Gospel, and forget "that there is none other name than Christ 
 under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved," 
 and that "life eternal" consists in the knowledge of him. 
 Let us also carefully connect the general promises of the early 
 dispensation of the Gospel, with the more full and clear light 
 subsequently vouchsafed. The direction to which Miss Gra- 
 ham refers — " Ask, seek, and knock" — must ever be linked 
 with the name of Christ. His name is our only warrant to 
 " ask." Himself is the only way to " seek :" the only door 
 at which we can " knock" with any well-grounded hope of 
 acceptance. In the neglect of this theology, we should at- 
 tempt to open a way to heaven without " entering in by the 
 door." We should admit the unscriptural supposition of 
 pleasing God "without faith." We should endeavour to 
 maintain our complete acceptance with God without the con- 
 tinued application of "the blood of sprinkling." 'Take 
 heed' — said the excellent Dr. Owen — ' lest, while we en- 
 deavour to invent new ways to heaven for others, by so do- 
 ing, we lose the true way ourselves.' 
 
 Miss Graham's discussion of the subject, in connexion with 
 the experience of the intelligent Christian, is most satisfac- 
 tory and edifying. 
 
 1 1 think I now quite understand you about prayer. My 
 reason for speaking of the beginnings only of prayer was, that 
 I thought no confirmed Christian could possibly pray with- 
 out a reference to the mediation of Christ Jesus. But your 
 observation, that we may pray without immediately referring 
 to it, or even thinking directly of it, is very just, as in the case 
 you mention of ejaculatory prayer. But I would ask you, my 
 dearest friend, is it not an understood matter between us and 
 our heavenly Father, that we are to have all things in the 
 name of Jesus 1 Would we, if we could, receive even the 
 least of our blessings through any other medium? Is it not 
 
S8 MEMOIR OF 
 
 the very joy of our hearts to have every thing, and do every 
 thing through Christ ; to helieve that the Father loves us for 
 his sake ; accepts us in him; hears our prayers, not because 
 they are ours, but because he offers them for us 1 And is 
 this fixed, settled, deep-rooted feeling less, when in ejacula- 
 tory prayer there is no immediate reference to his mediation, 
 than in our larger devotions, when we stop to make out our 
 title more fully, and to dwell upon it more largely 1 It is 
 delightful and profitable to do this ; but yet I think the in- 
 tention of our hearts is the same in both cases. If you were 
 asked after one of these short prayers — ' How do you expect 
 or wish it to be heard V would you not reply — ' In the one 
 name of my Beloved?' And would not the heaven of hea- 
 vens seem less desirable of attainment, if by any possibility 
 we could possess it in our own name, instead of the security 
 of Jesus having entered before us and for us ] I hope I am 
 not wrong, and I am sure I would not object to repeating as 
 often as possible to ourselves and to others our entire reliance 
 upon his name. But I think, that when his mediation has 
 become the very life and food of our souls, we need not torment 
 ourselves with the fear, that such or such a prayer will not be 
 answered, because I did not think of making formal mention 
 of the ground on which I asked. Let me rather say — ' God 
 knows that I would not, if I might, have it answered in any 
 other way. He knows what I mean and constantly desire ; 
 and, if through infirmity I may have expressed myself amiss 
 or deficiently, infinite love will not misunderstand me. r If 
 you think I have taken a wrong view, tell me, my dear friend. 
 But I am confirmed in it by this circumstance. When I am 
 in a truly spiritual state, the mediation of Christ is (as it 
 were) so worked up into my being, that I am often, (except 
 in stated prayers) not conscious of a direct reference to it at 
 one time more than at another. Yet I think my mind never 
 loses the idea. It is perpetually resting upon this sure an- 
 chor of hope. But when I am in a cold and careless state, 
 (as at the present time) I lean upon it with an unstable faith. 
 I am therefore much more often conscious of a direct reference 
 to it. The shortest of my prayers have a sort of formality 
 about them, from the cold repeated reference of the name of my 
 Saviour. I do not know whether this is your case. I had rather 
 have the thing so constantly in my heart, that I scarcely stop 
 explicitly to allude to it, than lose the consciousness of it so 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 89 
 
 often, (as I now do) that I am obliged to remind myself of it, 
 in order to plead it with God. But I think that in all sincere 
 ejaculations there is an inward, though perhaps almost un- 
 conscious, feeling of repose and delight in his name, through 
 which alone we desire to have acceptance with the Father. 
 I fear I have not expressed my meaning intelligibly. I have 
 sent, as you desired, my thoughts without reserve ; though I 
 know too little of the spirit and power of prayer to qualify 
 me to give my sentiments on so important a subject.' 
 
 The following letter on Prayer to the Holy Sjririt, evinces 
 much thought and spirituality. 
 
 ' I feel very incompetent to give you any opinion on the 
 point you mention about the Holy Spirit. Yet I have no 
 doubt whatever in my own mind, that it is both right and de- 
 sirable to pray to him separately and distinctly. I should be 
 very much afraid, that the contrary opinion would gradually 
 tend to undermine our faith in the Personality of the Holy 
 Spirit ; unless indeed it is meant by this, that we are to pray 
 to the Tri-une God only, and not either to the Father, the 
 Son, or the Spirit, considered as separate Persons. I have 
 no doubt, as you say, that when we pray to the Father, we 
 do worship this Trinity in Unity ; and perhaps this is the 
 most proper way of addressing our usual petitions. But it 
 appears to me, that separate addresses are permitted, if not 
 sanctioned in Scripture. And what I would earnestly con- 
 tend for, (but that I fear I may be meddling " with things too 
 high for me,") is this — If the Father and the Son may be 
 separately addressed ; then, not to allow of a separate address 
 to the Spirit, is to rob him in some measure of his equal 
 glory, and to do away with his Personality. I do not at this 
 moment recollect any direct instances of prayer to the Holy 
 Ghost in the Bible, though I think that there are many, in 
 which he would appear to be the person addressed. But if 
 Prayer comprehend adoration and thanksgiving, we often ad- 
 dress him separately in the Liturgy, when we say — ' Glory 
 be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost,' — 
 a form of words, in which we imitate the Seraphim before 
 the Throne, who cry — " Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of 
 Hosts : the whole earth is full of his glory." The same sep- 
 arate act of worship is surely implied, when the four beasts, 
 who rest not day and night, adore the Almighty, saying— 
 ** Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, 
 
90 MEMOIR OF 
 
 and is to come." Jesus commanded to " baptize in the name 
 of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Here 
 again a separate act of worship seems to be implied. By- 
 baptizing in the name of each Person of the Holy Trinity, 
 distinctly and separately repeated, I cannot hut understand, 
 that we separately invoke each of them to perform their cove- 
 nanted part in the redemption of the baptized person. But I 
 think, that it may at once decide the question, that we are 
 said to be "the temple of the Holy Ghost;' 1 and why he 
 should come and dwell in this temple, except to receive our 
 acts of worship, I do not see. Besides, all his offices invite 
 us to pray to him. He is our Comforter; and this warrants 
 us to ask him for comfort. It is his work to " shed abroad 
 the love of God in our hearts ;" to cause us to " abound in 
 hope;" and to "take of Christ's and show to us." But 
 surely " for all these things he will be inquired of by us, to 
 do them for us." I had almost forgotten to mention that 
 beautiful prayer, Numb. vi. 24 — 26, which I have always 
 considered as a separate invocation of the Persons of the Sa- 
 cred Trinity. May "the fellowship of the Holy Ghost" be 
 with us ; and may he fulfil his sacred office in teaching us 
 what to pray for, and how to pray." 
 
 This question has exercised the minds of many sincere 
 Christians. Perhaps an endeavour to present it in its full 
 Scriptural light will not be unacceptable. The exclusive claim 
 of the only true God to the worship of his creatures is one of 
 the first principles of right reason and of religion. Upon this 
 eternal and unchangeable ground our Lord denied to Satan 
 the worship which he demanded of him. We may remark 
 therefore upon the general subject, that the proofs of the Per- 
 sonality and Deity of the Holy Spirit are so decisive (though 
 obviously this is not the place for their production,) that only 
 scrupulosity of mind and judgment could refrain the honour 
 of Divine worship on account of the withholding of a more 
 explicit revelation. The Divine nature — not the distinct. Per- 
 sonality — is the proper and necessary ground of worship. 
 Each person therefore in the Sacred Trinity possesses equal 
 and unalienable claims — not as a person but as God — to the 
 trust, love, subjection, invocation, and every form and act of 
 worship from the creatures of God. The Holy Spirit, there- 
 fore, « with the Father and the Son, together is worshipped 
 and glorified.' 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 91 
 
 As to the detail of the question, the worship of heaven as 
 Miss Graham observes, appears to be given to him. At least 
 he is never mentioned among the universal chorus of wor- 
 shippers ; which {considering his Personality) is some nega- 
 tive testimony on this point. He is represented as " pro- 
 ceeding out of the throne," being not only "before," but " in 
 the midst of the throne ;" his " seven eyes" marking his 
 omniscience : his sevenfold influence, his Divine perfections. 
 The thrice-repeated invocation of the heavenly host, while it 
 proves his distinct Personality in the undivided Trinity, evi- 
 dently includes his worship. "The Lord sitting upon his 
 throne" and worshipped with most solemn and impressive 
 adoration, sent by his own authority, and spake by his own 
 mouth, that commission to the Prophet, which an apostle de- 
 clares to have been delivered to him by the Holy Ghost. 
 
 The ivorship of the earth commences at the visible entrance 
 into the church of God. The very first act of Christian wor- 
 ship in the administration, of baptism is not only, as Miss 
 Graham observes, a separate invocation of the Holy Spirit, 
 but also a dedication of the baptized person to his service. 
 For as the administration of this seal of the covenant in the 
 name of the Holy Ghost is a direct acknowledgment of this 
 Divine Person as conjointly with the Father and the Son, our 
 covenant God ; so it necessarily implies also the reciprocal 
 obligations of faith, obedience, and worship. " The commu- 
 nion" or " fellowship of the Spirit" (one of the most enli- 
 vening privileges of the Gospel) must also, like the " fellow- 
 ship with the Father and the Son," be maintained by prayer 
 in the large acceptation of the term. For how else, but in 
 worship, can a creature hold communion with his God. This 
 worship St. John scrupled not to give to the Holy Spirit in 
 supplicating from him, conjointly with the Father and the 
 Son, a large supply of spiritual blessings upon the Church of 
 God. 
 
 In Christian experience, the offices of the Holy Spirit — as 
 Miss Graham remarks — when connected with his Divine Person- 
 ality, naturally imply supplication. In reference to one of 
 these offices, Scripture parallelism, together with the marked 
 distinction of the Sacred Persons, exhibits St. Paul probably 
 on more than one occasion invoking the Holy Spirit as the 
 4 God that heareth prayer." Nor indeed can we conceive of 
 
92 MEMOIR OP 
 
 his presence in us as his temple, without all the devotional 
 exercises of reverence and praise for his condescending love* 
 ^ The part which the Holy Spirit maintains in the administra" 
 Hon of the church, shows that his claim to immediate worship 
 was fully acknowledged. It was after a day of public and 
 special supplication, that he directed by his own authority the 
 consecration of ministers to his immediate service. To whom 
 then, may we ask, had the prayers of the church been spe- 
 cially addressed, but to Himself, who was manifestly the ob- 
 ject, as well as the author of their consecration 1 And to 
 whom did the worship resulting from this consecration be- 
 long, but to Him, who was the direct source and fountain of 
 it ! We need again only advert to his acknowledged power 
 in the ordination of the ministers of the church, and to the 
 exercise of his sovereignty in the appointment and restraint of 
 their several spheres of labour, and in the distribution of His 
 gifts, as a clear and scriptural warrant for the direct mode of 
 address to Him employed in the Consecration services of our 
 church. 
 
 The Christian investigator of the early Ecclesiastical Rec- 
 ords will observe with delight this Divine worship fully per- 
 vading the rituals of the Primitive churches.* Our own 
 church, closely following her sacred exemplar, has not con- 
 fined this adoration of the Holy Spirit to her more exclusive 
 Ministerial services. How often has the introduction of it 
 into her Litany elevated the faith, and refreshed the spirits of 
 her sincere worshippers ! The frequent repetition of the dox- 
 ology in her Liturgical exercises, is in the true spirit of the 
 heavenly worship ; and it may be a matter of just surprise, 
 that any one of those who have constantly and joyfully united in 
 this public ascription of praise to the blessed Spirit, should be 
 exercised with scruples as to the Scriptural ground of the pri- 
 vate duty and privilege of prayer to the same Divine person. 
 
 Miss Graham considered, and with some justice, that many 
 Christians are defective in rendering due and equal honour to 
 the Holy Spirit. Her own views of his personality were re- 
 markably clear. ' I feel' — said she on one occasion — ' " the 
 
 * Hurrion's valuable sermons on the Divinity of the Holy Spirit, 
 and Drs. Berriman's and Waterland's Sermons on the Trinitarian 
 Controversy, give a condensed and satisfactory body of evidence on 
 this subject. 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 93 
 
 love of the Spirit" as distinct from the manifestation of the love 
 of Christ to my soul. Is this wrong V Then she added — 'I 
 think I can account for the feeling- ; as I have made it a mat- 
 ter of special prayer, that I might have clearer views of the 
 Holy Spirit.' She was accustomed (as we have already seen) 
 to address Him in direct and probably frequent supplication. 
 The Spiritual life indeed of the Christian is much employed 
 in his reverential service. As " the sin against the Holy 
 Ghost" (whatever that might be) included a wilful rejection 
 of his faith, honour, and worship ; so does every sin of 
 "grieving" our Divine Comforter, and "resisting" his holy 
 influence, partake, according to its measure, of the same char* 
 acter. The antecedent obligation is therefore sufficiently ob- 
 vious. The Being against whom sin is committed, must be 
 the worthy object of religious honour and service. All the 
 exercises therefore of contrition and self-abasement on account 
 of sin, are our humiliating but ready acknowledgments of the 
 claim of the Holy Spirit to our dutiful obedience and worship. 
 A full, distinct, and frequent confession, however, of our 
 equal dependence upon his power and love is a primary obli- 
 gation, and will result in a large supply of his heavenly grace, 
 strength, and consolation. 
 
 Should some of the minor particles of illustration be thought 
 to possess little or no positive weight, they may yet derive 
 force and clearness from their connexion with more decisive 
 grounds of evidence. From the main points, however, and 
 from the whole view of the question, sufficient warrant may 
 be deduced to satisfy perplexed and unsettled inquirers, and 
 to quicken even the most intelligent servant of God to a more 
 habitual acknowledgment of his duty, and enjoyment of his 
 privilege in communion with the Holy Ghost. If a more ex- 
 plicit testimony still be demanded, we must recur to first 
 principles, never more valuable than on these subjects. "It 
 is written" What is written is sufficient. What is with- 
 held is best withheld. Man would be " wise above what is 
 written." Had more been revealed, more would still have 
 been desired ; and the appetite for what is beyond human re- 
 search would have been more excited, not only without prac- 
 tical benefit, but to the great detriment of Scriptural knowledge. 
 Enough is given both in substance and clearness to direct and 
 encourage our supplications to the Divine Spirit for a full sup- 
 ply of his heavenly influence. But in this and every other 
 
94 MEMOIR OF 
 
 approach to the doctrine of the Trinity, many questions must 
 arise, and must remain unanswered. All that belongs to the 
 inner sanctuary of the essence of the ever-blessed Tri-une 
 God, is equally above conception and expression. The Scrip- 
 tures inform us of his nature, but they do not reason about it. 
 A divinely-guarded and sacred veil covers him from our 
 view. And much thought upon this deep subject of Deity — 
 irrespective of, and beyond, the sacred boundaries-~eh\ier in- 
 volves us in the labyrinth of metaphysics, or sinks us into 
 the gross, low, and familiar views of an opposite school. 
 Our inquiries into this subject must be conducted with the 
 deepest caution and the most profound humility. All that 
 belongs to God's own revelation of himself, must be received 
 with unfeigned submission and contentment. To seek for 
 " access through Christ by the Spirit unto the Father," is the 
 rubric for Christian worship : and in a strict attention to this 
 Scriptural directory, every act, thought, and desire of prayer 
 will become a means of communion with each of the Sacred 
 Persons in the Divine essence, " without difference or in- 
 equality." At the same time, as our minds are drawn to a 
 separate contemplation of them (especially as seeking those 
 blessings which belong to their respective offices in the econo- 
 my of grace) an immediate address to either of them is fully 
 warranted ; always however remembering that, whichever 
 person be the object of worship, the mediation of Christ is the 
 only way of access, the only plea for acceptance. 
 
 Adverting now to topics of more general interest, we trans- 
 cribe from Miss Graham's manuscript, a few remarks upon 
 the subject of Infidelity as a fearful characteristic of the present 
 day. They will be found to possess the usual marks of her 
 sound, reflecting, Christian mind. Speaking of the import- 
 ance of mathematical study as furnishing armour and discip- 
 line suitable to the present crisis, she remarks — 
 
 ' Intelligent Christians are especially called upon to set 
 themselves in strong array against the gathering forces of in- 
 fidelity. This last enemy of Christianity is filling up his 
 ranks from all classes of the community. The active dili- 
 gence of his malignity naturally reminds us of the prediction 
 — " The devil is come down to you, having great wrath, be- 
 cause he knoweth that he hath but a short time." ' 
 
 The deceitful and superficial character of the arguments 
 employed by the great adversary is well exposed. ' They 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 
 
 95 
 
 generally consist,' she observes, * of a confused mass of ob- 
 jections, apparently formidable from their very indistinctness. 
 Like objects seen through a fog, the superficial observer sup- 
 poses them to be larger than they really are. But let as dis- 
 entangle the artful confusion of words and ideas. Let us set 
 apart "each argument for separate and minute scrutiny. Let 
 us analyze the boasted reasonings of the infidel philosophy. 
 We shall find that they may be classed under two heads- 
 Assertions which are true, but no way to the purpose ; and 
 assertions which are to the purpose, but they are not true. 
 These form the materials of every plausible argument against 
 Christianity. By this mixture of untrue and irrelevant mat- 
 ter with that which is true and pertinent, the understandings 
 of the self-conceited and unwary are subverted. Strictly speak- 
 ing, no assertion can be to the purpose which is not true. 
 But it may be of such apparently pertinent application, as to 
 lead us to examine less closely into its truth. On the other 
 hand, if it be undeniably true, we sometimes forget to inquire 
 (especially when many arguments of this kind are artfully in- 
 terwoven together) whether it has any connexion with the 
 subject in hand.' 
 
 In reference to the efforts necessary to resist this mighty 
 spirit, she justly inculcates the importance of a well-furnished 
 and well-disciplined mind, enabling us to meet the infidel 
 upon his own ground of reason, and to fight him with his own 
 sword. 
 
 ' Whenever,' she observes, ' " the enemy thus comes in 
 like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard 
 against him." He, who in his purpose of inscrutable wis- 
 dom suffers these " scoffers to come in the last age, " will not 
 fail to raise up men in his Church well-fitted to resist them. 
 These champions of the cross must be men " strong in the 
 faith," and " filled with the Holy Ghost." But, judging from 
 the instruments which the Lord has employed in times past 
 for his Church, we are led to expect that they will be learned 
 in all the wisdom of their enemies— in earthly as well as 
 heavenly wisdom. To oppose the subtleties of Arians, an 
 acute and powerful reasoner was raised up in the person of 
 Athanasius. A wise and learned Augustine was provided to 
 quell the dreadful heresy of Pelagius. Luther, Calvin, Me- 
 lancthon, and almost all the eminent Reformers, were men of 
 profound erudition, and strong powers of argumentation. 
 
96 MEMOIR OF 
 
 " God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound 
 the wise ;" and he could, now, and perhaps may, see fit to 
 correct the progress of infidelity by means of " unlearned 
 men." Yet when we look back upon the instruments which 
 he has heretofore raised up, and consider the many advanta- 
 ges of hum#n learning which he has placed within our reach, 
 it seems evidently our duty to use those means to the utmost; 
 at least until the Lord shall give us some clear indication of 
 a more excellent and acceptable way. " Out of the mouths 
 of babes and sucklings our God ordaineth strength." Let us 
 then seek to obtain the spirit and temper of a little child. But 
 let us never forget, that, while " in malice we are children," it 
 behoves us " in understanding to be men." ' 
 
 She thus happily brings a Scriptural illustration to bear 
 upon her subject. 
 
 ' David with a sling and a stone fought Goliath and con- 
 quered. This time he wanted no other weapon, for God had 
 appointed him no other. But when on a future occasion he 
 was sore pressed by his enemies, he went into the temple of 
 the Lord, and demanded the sword of that same Goliath. 
 "There is none," said he, "like that; give it me." Why 
 should he choose a weapon, which he had seen fall powerless 
 from the hand of the uncircumcised Philistine T Because he 
 knew that in the grasp of the circumcised David it would do 
 goodly service. The hand, not the weapon, had been in fault. 
 Thus may we, if called by the leadings of Providence, avail 
 ourselves of human means, and meet our adversaries hand to 
 hand, with their own weapons. Only let us use David's cau- 
 tion. Let us not take the sword of the Philistine, till it has 
 been consecrated in the temple of the Lord.' 
 
 The present face of the times in the judgment of all intel- 
 ligent observers seems strongly to mark an impending crisis, 
 as if the " Israel" of God*' and the Philistines were putting 
 the battle in array, army against army." We know on which 
 side the victory is secured. Yet the conflict will doubtless 
 be severe. Let the servants of God gird themselves for " the 
 good fight of faith," with the whole armour of God. This is 
 no time for slumber or inaction. A religion taken upon trust," 
 " received by tradition from our fathers," provides no re- 
 source in the hour of trial. A " faith standing not upon the 
 wisdom of man, but upon the power of God" — will be a de- 
 fence, a stay, a ground of unfailing hope and consolation. 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. Q7 
 
 Bat on this subject we will give Miss Graham's own words 
 in a letter to her cousin without date. It will be found to be 
 a refreshing specimen of her mode of treating subjects which 
 have lately been found so fruitful in speculation, in a practi- 
 cal and edifying application. 
 
 April, 1827. 
 * Amongst the reflections which I have" made upon the 
 Millennium, there are two which occupy my mind very much. 
 I thought of them the whole of one day ; one was founded 
 upon this text — " And some of them of understanding shall 
 fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even 
 to the time of the end, because it is yet a time appointed." 
 Does not one shudder with horror in anticipating the fulfil- 
 ment of this prophecy 1 Who can need purifying more than 
 we do 1 Who can say that these words are not addressed to 
 us 1 How dreadful to fall in that time when the Saviour is 
 about to appear ! to fall in the very moment when our song 
 of triumph should begin ! to fall in the very midst of enemies, 
 of persecutions, of infidelities, in that time when "the devil 
 will have great wrath, because he knoweth that he will have 
 but a short time" to trouble the faithful. But I think that 
 perhaps God has inspired me with this fear, that 1 may pray 
 against so fatal an event ; and this is my reason for communi- 
 cating it to you. When I was almost overwhelmed with this 
 reflection, these sweet words came to my heart, and made me 
 think of you, — " Two are better than one." Since in this in- 
 stance the Scriptures and our hearts agree, I beseech you not 
 to separate yourself from me. Let us love each other always, 
 and pray for each other, that we may not fall. But if unhap- 
 pily one of us should fall, may the other be ready to raise her 
 up again. If I should fall either into the love of the world, 
 or into infidelity, or into any other sin, do not give me up. 
 Do not think I am a hypocrite. Think that it is to "purify 
 and to try me ;" and pray, that if you fall, I may act in the 
 same way towards you. But in the midst of the thoughts 
 which these sad ideas gave me, these words came for my en- 
 couragement, — " They that are with the Lamb are called, and 
 chosen, and faithful." You know how precious these words 
 have been to me. But I now saw them in a new point of 
 view. They appeared to me a plain promise introduced ex- 
 actly at that time to console the saints under their difficulties, 
 i 2 
 
98 MEMOIR OF 
 
 by assuring them that they will be a little troop, " called, 
 chosen, and faithful," against whom no enemies will be able 
 to prevail : that they will have a degree of faith proportioned 
 to their sufferings and necessities. In short, in describing the 
 character of this elect band, I wish to believe, that it des- 
 cribes what we shall be found, if we arrive at that period. If 
 already we are " called and chosen," shall we not then be 
 " faithful V 1 Let us plead this promise. It speaks to me like 
 a voice from heaven. It answers every fear, every uncer- 
 tainty. Would God choose and call soldiers who would be 
 unfaithful to him 1 Will not our Captain teach us to follow 
 him whenever he will have us to go 1 When I say to my- 
 self, 'Poor and feeble creature, what will you do in that time 
 of distress and temptation 1 Faith, which cannot resist a sin- 
 gle vain thought, how will you resist the united efforts of the 
 world, the devil, and a wicked heart V Then I answer, ' Yes ; 
 but has not God said, that the saints in that day shall be 
 " faithful and chosen" by Himself, who cannot choose amiss'? 
 Rest upon his word; if he sees that you are not fit to fight in 
 the battle of that great day, He will not call you to it ; and 
 if he call you to it, it is his part to give you the fidelity which 
 will be so necessary.' «- 
 
 Miss Graham's remarks on the subject of Prophecy will be 
 interesting, and furnish occasion for some observations suited 
 to the present time. Having insisted upon the importance of 
 mathematical study in reference to the progress of infidelity, 
 she applies the same train of reasoning to the excitement to 
 the study of Prophecy, which she justly remarks to be one of 
 the prominent characteristics of our day. 
 
 1 There is yet another subject,' she observes, which, though 
 at present but partially considered, bids fair, ere long, to en- 
 gross the attention of the Christian world. I allude to the 
 study of prophecy. " Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, 
 and read," is the Divine command; "no one of these shall 
 fail, none shall want her mate." I am particularly led to ad- 
 vert to it in this place, because I have heard with inexpressi- 
 ble pleasure, that these inquiries have already been useful in 
 thinning the ranks of infidelity. The inducements of this 
 study are indeed greater than in any former age of the church. 
 The coincidence between prophecy and its fulfilment is in 
 these latter days grandly conspicuous. It is such, that "he 
 who runs may read." The winding up of the whole seems to 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 99 
 
 be near at hand. The last prophecy must ere long, find " her 
 mate," in the last event of humanity. Prediction is almost 
 swallowed up in accomplishment. Happy are those, who 
 with reason enlightened by a ray of divine intelligence, can 
 trace the wonderful coincidence which subsists between what 
 God has foretold, and what he has done; whose thoughts 
 stretch forward in awful, yet fearless anticipation of what 
 God is about to do ! 
 
 ' But to attempt any discussion of the views that are held 
 upon this subject, would be foreign to the purpose of this 
 little treatise. If we would enter fully into the prophetic writ- 
 ings, we must, like Daniel, " set our faces unto the Lord God, 
 to seek by prayer and supplication." My object is to hint to 
 the youthful student, who may probably be hereafter engaged 
 in this most interesting contemplation, the extreme import- 
 ance of having his imagination under the strictest discipline 
 of reason. If ever the " spirit of a sound mind" was neces- 
 sary, it is so in the investigation of the future prophecies. A 
 more than mathematical accuracy of definition, of statement, 
 and of argument, should be carried into all that is said or writ- 
 ten upon this subject. When I consider the extraordinary 
 spirit of inquiry that is now beginning to spread ; when I 
 think I perceive that these inquiries are not only justified by 
 Scripture, but are themselves a part of prophetic fulfilment ; 
 and when I joyfully anticipate that " many shall run to and 
 fro" on this subject, " and knowledge shall be" wonderfully 
 " increased ;" it is at such times that I most deeply feel the 
 importance of intreating the young Christian diligently to 
 cultivate, in a spirit of prayer and faith, all those parts of 
 education, which especially tend to impart soundness, pene- 
 trativeness, and energy to his reasoning powers.' 
 
 Whatever may be thought of the somewhat novel connec- 
 tion of prophecy with mathematical study, it would have been 
 well for some of our modern interpreters to have disciplined 
 their minds to the principles of this more severe science. 
 Much crude and dogmatical statement would have been re- 
 strained, many painful absurdities would have been excluded, 
 and much perplexity spared to the path of the sincere, but 
 unfurnished inquirer. The prophetic study is indeed, as Miss 
 Graham observes, one of the characteristics of our day. The 
 chnrch is awakened to the full and dutiful acknowledgment 
 of her Lord's command ; " Search the Scriptures." Indeed, 
 
100 MEMOIR OF 
 
 apart from the authority of this express command, the univer- 
 sal " spirit of prophecy," as " the testimony of Jesus," while 
 it furnishes the true key of interpretation, gives it an impera- 
 tive claim upon our attention and regard. The succession of 
 events most deeply interesting and solemnly instructive passing 
 before us through the medium of the daily press, also strong- 
 ly marks our immediate and personal concern in this Scriptu-" 
 ral research. 
 
 Many Christians are unduly repelled by the difficulties and 
 uncertainty which confessedly belong to the subject. But 
 " the prophets," though they could not understand, felt it 
 their duty and privilege to " search." " We have also the 
 more sure word of prophecy," with the injunction that " we 
 do well that we take heed to it," and with a special and most 
 encouraging promise to stimulate our investigation. 
 
 The precise extent of the claim of this study must however 
 be variously estimated. In all cases, indeed, the considera- 
 tion of fulfilled prophecy is a component of Christian evidence 
 to our own minds, and will furnish the " answer, that we 
 should be ready always to give to every man that asketh us a 
 reason of the hope that is in us, with meekness and fear." 
 The study of unfulfilled prophecy ; if it be a general duty, is 
 not in all cases the immediate duty. It must be subordinated 
 to the primary concern of a personal interest in the Gospel. 
 To a mind awakened to serious inquiry on its own state, yet 
 but slightly tinctured with conviction, and imperfectly direct- 
 ed to the Saviour, the presentment of the claims of unfulfilled 
 prophecy for consideration is a most mischievous evil. The 
 soul is diverted from the main object of contemplation and 
 pursuit. A speculative taste is gratified in the place of the prac- 
 tical influence of the truths of the Gospel. This " ignorance 
 of Satan's devices" enables him to get advantage, if not to the 
 ruin of the soul, yet to the " corruption of the mind from the 
 simplicity that is in Christ." And indeed under all circum- 
 stances, attention to prophecy must be regulated, in some de- 
 gree at least, by the leisure, opportunities, and advantages 
 severally belonging to us ; not failing to pay due regard to 
 Scriptural proportion, as well as to imperative obligation. 
 That exclusive study, which occupies the place of Christ 
 crucified in doctrine, and forms a substitute for the various 
 exercises of experimental and practical habits, is greatly to be 
 deprecated. Besides the evils with the young inquirer just 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 101 
 
 adverted to, it keeps out of sight many important subjects of 
 obligation and interest included in the sacred canon. It has 
 originated many of the schisms now unhappily dividing the 
 Church, by the substitution of "doubtful disputation" for 
 substantial truth, greatly to the hindrance of Christian privi- 
 lege, devotedness, and consistency. 
 
 Admitting, however, the general importance of this study, 
 the temper in which it is to be conducted is a matter of the 
 first moment. The instance of Daniel produced by Miss 
 Graham, exhibits the finest specimen of the Prophetic Inter- 
 preter or Student. Such diligence of research in prostration 
 of soul, accompanied, with such sanctity, humility, faith, and 
 perseverance, will under the most unfavourable circumstances 
 of external destitution be honoured of God. The exercise of 
 these holy graces will form a safe-guard against the delusive 
 influence of human speculations, and will enable us to im- 
 prove the results of Divine teaching for the high purposes for 
 which they were vouchsafed. The investigation of prophecy 
 will thus become a cheering support to us in the anticipation 
 of trials, and a quickening stimulus to the discharge of our 
 immediate responsibilities. 
 
 The warranted expectation however of human help may 
 probably have been overrated. Though in this, more than 
 in any other age " many have run to and fro" — yet it may be 
 doubted how far Miss Graham's hopes have been realized by 
 an increase of " knowledge" commensurate with the extent 
 of research. The march of Christian intellect has been in 
 most cases retarded by a defect of spiritual or intellectual 
 qualifications. Some of the more elaborate and practised 
 writers want that unction and spirituality, which evidence a 
 mind Divinely-instructed for this "search into the deep things 
 of God ;" and this deficiency of the stamp of heavenly influ- 
 ence, materially weakens our confidence in the results from 
 their subsidiary intellectual advantages. Other writers of a 
 more decided evangelical school are too sparingly furnished 
 with those resources of erudition and intelligence, which doubt- 
 less were intended to reflect valuable, though subordinate, 
 light upon the prophetic page. Some again of the same 
 school, have taken up crude and indigested views — the result 
 of imagination, impulse, or excitement, rather than of matured 
 judgment and consideration ; while the dogmatism and self- 
 sufficiency of others give no proof of Divine suggestion, and 
 
102 MEMOIR OF 
 
 offer no satisfaction to the inquiring mind. There is probably 
 no accredited writer in the various prophetic schools, who has 
 not contributed his quantum in clearing up difficulties, and 
 throwing light upon some department of the subject. Yet it 
 may be doubted whether a connected and comprehensive 
 scheme of the Divine system has yet been satisfactorily de- 
 veloped ; and in the different schemes that have been pro- 
 posed, much Christian discernment is required to separate in 
 them what is solidly established, from what is unsubstan- 
 tial and speculative. Human helps must therefore under all 
 circumstances be subsidiary — not primary. Gad's book 
 must ever maintain its own supreme place. The scattered 
 rays reflected from different parts of its. prophetic system 
 (such as the comparison of the Books of Daniel and John) 
 and centering in one point, will often furnish a strong and 
 clear light for the direction and encouragement of the Chris- 
 tian student. We feel therefore great confidence in recom- 
 mending a Berean search of the scriptures as the ground-work 
 of prophetic investigation ; not omitting to avail ourselves of 
 the industry and intelligence of accredited writers for the expan- 
 sion of our views, and the elucidation" of our difficulties; but 
 at the same time exercising our judgment in dependence upon 
 our heavenly Teacher, again to compare the exposition of 
 their systems with the light of the sacred book. In this pro- 
 cess of inquiry we are persuaded, that " the wise shall under- 
 stand," (even though they be "way-faring fools") as far as 
 is consistent with the Divine will, and necessary for their 
 duty and comfort ; and for the rest, they may well be content 
 to wait for the full splendour of the light of the heavenly word. 
 
 May the writer without presumption be allowed to suggest 
 a few hints relative to the clear interpretation and profitable 
 study of prophecy 1 
 
 1. Let the special need of Divine influence be primarily 
 considered. Far be it from the writer to underrate the intel- 
 lectual qualifications. He is well aware of the treasures of 
 erudition that have been effectively applied to this most im- 
 portant subject. He would have the whole field of prophecy 
 traversed with all the mind and research that can be brought 
 to bear upon it. But he cannot forget that the teaching wis- 
 dom belongs to Cod ; and that it is the. irradiation of his holy 
 light, which can alone illumine the dark places in this, to us, 
 uncertain track. Let the interpreter duly weigh his special 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 103 
 
 and weighty responsibilities. How large a portion of the 
 grace and " wisdom that is from above," does he need, to 
 induce that waiting spirit so acceptable to God ; to restrain 
 the rising of dogmatism, spiritual self-will and conceit; to 
 repress "private interpretations," so inconsistent with the 
 comprehensiveness of scripture prophecy; to guard against 
 giving his own mind in the professed desire only to interpret 
 the mind of God ; to take an entire view of the whole range 
 of prophecy, instead of contracting his interest to a few 
 favourite points ; to forbear with the decided views of his 
 opponents; readily to retract his indigested opinions, and to 
 yield his prejudices to the influence of more correct and en- 
 larged apprehensions ; habitually to connect every view with 
 the glory of his Saviour, and the extension of his kingdom ! 
 These are confessedly responsibilities of no ordinary moment. 
 They forbid trifling with the subject, as if its clear light were 
 revealed by some momentary inspiration ; they realize the 
 urgent need of " the Spirit of wisdom and revelation," to 
 " enlighten the eyes of the understanding ;" and they incul- 
 cate a habit of dependence, supplication, seriousness, and 
 that reverence, which Lord Bacon so justly describes as in- 
 dispensable to the profitable consideration of the subject. In 
 the defect of this spirit, successive systems of prophecy have 
 been ingeniously woven; the interpreters " come together," 
 and bring before the church their several hypotheses and con- 
 clusions; and "every one," as at Corinth, "hath a doc- 
 trine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpre- 
 tation." It cannot be doubted, but this defect of Chris- 
 tian simplicity is one main cause of the indeterminate 
 apprehension of the subject. Who does not see how need- 
 ful is "singleness of eye," -the gift of God, to reflect light 
 upon the mind ; while an " evil eye," affected with some 
 natural bias, leads us in the review of the results of human 
 ingenuity to exclaim, " How great is this darkness !" 
 
 2. Let a forbearing spirit be inculcated in this research. 
 The importance of this spirit in an intellectual view is suffi- 
 ciently obvious, as a guard from the prevalent evils of self- 
 conceit. Its influence in every department of sacred truth ; 
 especially in the field of prophecy ,■ is of yet higher moment. 
 The writer's own studies in this field have brought him to 
 the fixed conclusion — that, many of the controverted points 
 (those, for example, connected with our Lord's second Ad- 
 
104 - MEMOIR OP 
 
 vent,) are embarrassed with difficulties on both sides, suffi- 
 cient to preserve wise and humble men from dogmatizing- on 
 either part ; and to excite mutual respect and forbearance, 
 rather than what we are too often constrained to see — 
 " brethren grudging one against another." The event indeed 
 is a doctrine of faith, absolutely certain. The time and cir- 
 cumstantials being imperfectly revealed, are matters of for- 
 bearance; on which all, even the most sober, interpreters 
 have been constrained in the course of investigation, in some 
 points of more or less moment, to retract, modify, or restate 
 their views. Indeed, prophecy, according to the Scriptural 
 definition, is "a light that shineth in a dark place," yet not 
 surely the light of " perfect day ;" and well would it be for 
 us, if the confession of our ignorance would find vent in the 
 Apostle's adoring contemplation ; " How unsearchable are 
 his judgments ! and his ways past finding out!" We may 
 indeed justly expect clearer light to dawn upon us, as the 
 consummation of the grand events draws on. Meanwhile 
 we must combine diligent study with cautious application. 
 We must be content for the most part with the statement of 
 general views and results. If the events are clear, the time, 
 mode, and means of their accomplishment are often undefined. 
 We are assured, that none of the Divine predictions can fall 
 to the ground ; that the events -contemplated in them are the 
 fruit of the Lord's superintending love to his church, and 
 that they will all issue in the final advancement of his own 
 glory. In this recollection it is most suitable to cultivate 
 that truly Christian spirit of patient expectancy which in 
 child-like humility, not in slumbering indolence, is content to 
 leave to the Lord the unfolding of his own purposes. 
 
 The writer may be permitted to observe, that a less deter- 
 minate fixing of dates of the several prophetic eras offers 
 large room for the exercise of this forbearing spirit. Prophets 
 with all their warranted confidence were modest. They 
 never spoke without a clear commission : " Thus saith the 
 Lord." Interpreters of prophecy are not always so modest. 
 The confident mode of calculation which is sometimes adopt- 
 ed, might lead us to suppose not only that the several periods, 
 but also that their commencing points, were, like Daniel's 
 weeks, absolutely revealed. To a few of the most important 
 eras, dates more or less probable, but not absolutely decisive, 
 may be assigned ; and in periods of less moment, experience 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 105 
 
 has fully shown, how unsatisfactory all attempts to fix the 
 precise periods of events have proved and are likely to 
 prove. Our Lord, while he reproved listless indifference to 
 "the signs of the times," rebuked with no less decision this 
 presumptuous interference with his Sovereign prerogative. 
 'If ever,' as Miss Graham admirably observes, '"the spirit 
 of a sound mind" is necessary, it is so in the investigation of 
 the future prophecies.' Wise and holy men of God will learn 
 to speak with caution and reserve upon subjects obscurely re- 
 vealed. General views are sufficient for the ground and en- 
 couragement of faith. And the cloud that still covers this 
 mystic history of futurity, abundantly shows, that the end of 
 prophecy was not to make us prophets ; but to " set us upon 
 our watch-tower," as diligent and humble inquirers, seek- 
 ing to "have understanding of the signs of the times, that 
 we might know what Israel ought to do," and to expect. _ 
 
 Indeed this designed darkness subserves various and im- 
 portant uses. It furnishes a needful and wholesome check 
 upon human speculation. Had the Great Author of prophecy 
 intended it as the rule of life, he would doubtless have writ- 
 ten it with a sunbeam. In its present mode and character 
 of revelation it is however admirably suited; not indeed to 
 indulge unwarrantable curiosity, but to exercise our faith, to 
 call forth our Christian graces, to enliven our hopes, to 
 quicken our anticipation of the ultimate triumph of the king- 
 dom of Christ ; and meanwhile that we should mark with 
 soberness the gradual development of progress towards this 
 glorious consummation. It is far more profitable ; instead of 
 making a framework for ourselves ; to be looking in the Lord's 
 best time for that clear reflection of light in the fulfilment of 
 prophecy, which will awe even the most inconsiderate to 
 conviction. " This is the finger of God. What hath God 
 wrought !" 
 
 3. Let the subject be ever considered as a practical study. 
 It is a sign of an unhealthy excited temperament, if the 
 prophetic parts of scripture be more interesting than the pre- 
 ceptive, that is, if we are more conversant with matters of 
 uncertain interpretation, than with the subjects that relate to 
 our immediate duty. If the prophetic study be dissociated 
 from its practical character and consequences, our prepossess- 
 ed fancy is far more likely to give the interpretation than the 
 Divine Spirit. The blessing belongs to those that " keep the 
 K 
 
106 MEMOIR OF 
 
 things that are written in the words of this prophecy." The 
 fruit of Daniel's research was that which is most specially- 
 needed at the present eventful moment : intercession for the 
 church and for the land ; Habakkuk went to his watch-tower, 
 not to speculate in idle curiosity, but, as we have before 
 hinted, to be in readiness to hear the valuable lessons of reproof 
 and instruction that were designed for him. Supposing that 
 the period of accomplishment is far distant, yet there is a 
 large preparatory work of prayer, exertion, and Christian de- 
 votedness, urgently pressing upon us. And far better shall 
 we be employed in girding ourselves to tbe discharge of the 
 practical obligations of prophecy, than in minutely tracing 
 out the conjectured period and mode of its fulfilment, and in 
 attempting to narrow its wide and comprehensive sphere by 
 uncertain application to the little particularities of our own 
 time and place. Is there no danger while fixing the dates 
 and describing the circumstantials of the grand coming events 
 — lest we forget that every page of prophecy is a direct per- 
 sonal revelation to our own souls, and lest we too slightly 
 regard those clearest predictions of the sacred page — the 
 promises of God to his people, and his threatenings to the 
 unbelieving world ? 
 
 How much has been lost to the church by a speculative con- 
 templation of the prophetic view of the doctrine of our Lord's 
 second advent ! If, instead of filling up (from the resources 
 of imagination more than from the substance of Scripture) the 
 outlines, the faith of the church had been singly fixed upon 
 the glory of this consummating event, and intensely exercised 
 in the glow of expectancy, how different would have been her 
 aspect at the present moment ! What a bond of union would 
 have subsisted among her members ! What an atmosphere of 
 love would have pervaded her territory ! What a spring of 
 holy consecration would have been in extended activity ! It 
 ill becomes servants, looking for the return of their absent 
 lord, to spend themselves in discussing the mode and circum- 
 stantials of his coming, when they might be far more suitably 
 employed in preparing the house for his reception, and in rea- 
 diness to give an immediate answer to his welcome knock. 
 
 The obscurity that hangs over the precise period of our 
 Lord's coming is indeed a most wise and gracious dispensa- 
 tion to invigorate the church in every age w r ith the high pri- 
 vilege and obligation of looking for this triumphant crisis. 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 107 
 
 Whatever views therefore tend to divert the attention from the 
 present duties connected with this anticipation, are the un- 
 scriplnral delusions of man's conceit. This spirit of constant 
 expectancy may be considered as the perfecting feature of the 
 Christian character. It concentrates all the practical and 
 animating exercises of the Gospel. What an encouragement 
 does it supply to the assurance of faith ! What a stimulus to 
 activity, devotedness, abounding love, heavenly conversation, 
 sobrietry of spirit, readiness of habit, and watchful prepara- 
 tion for eternity ! What support does it furnish in the hour of 
 trial, whether from the immediate visitations of God, or the 
 persecuting enmity of man ! W T hat materials does it give for 
 personal edification, compassionate labours for the unconvert- 
 ed, and mutual exhortation and comfort in the church of God ! 
 How cheering is the prospect which it holds out of complete 
 transformation into the image of our beloved Lord! What 
 patient hope and joyful anticipation does it bring into the 
 waiting soul ! So eminently practical — so richly consolatory — 
 is the believing and habitual contemplation of the coming of 
 our Lord ! Indeed when we realize the hope of body and 
 soul at this blissful era being equal participants of the eternal 
 redemption — the happiness of every member of the body con- 
 summated in the complete glorification of the whole body — and 
 the church, " filled with all the fulness of God," presenting 
 to the universe the entire " fulness of Him, that filleth all in 
 all" — we may well conceive, that never was an event so joy- 
 ful known on earth since the fall of man. We wonder not 
 that "the whole creation," now "groaning and travailing to- 
 gether in pain" under the ruins of sin — should then be awaken- 
 ed to joyful exultation in its "deliverance from the bondage 
 of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." 
 This scriptural privilege of expectancy was however incul- 
 cated upon the church, while the event which it contemplated 
 could only be seen through the long vista of some thousand 
 years. It does not therefore necessarily imply the approach of 
 the grand crisis. Yet the view which has just been given of 
 it, includes all the essential principles of sanctification and of 
 happiness. We cannot therefore but see sufficient reason 
 for the large space which it occupies in the enforcement of 
 Christian obligation, and the prospects of Christian hope. 
 Our Divine Saviour is brought eternally near to his people. 
 
108 
 
 MEMOIR OF 
 
 His perfect likeness is the immediate consequence of his vi- 
 sion. His glory is their everlasting joy. 
 
 It is painful to reflect, that a speculative study of prophecy 
 should have so materially injured the influence of those pros- 
 pects of the church upon her present duties and privileges. 
 The minute descriptive details, that have been sometimes con- 
 nected with the coming of Christ in his kingdom (not to 
 speak of their doubtful scriptural authority, and their closer 
 alliance to earth than to heaven) have a strong tendency tore- 
 press a spiritual contemplation of this great event. Even the 
 details given in the prophetic books are much under the veil. 
 Interpreters expound them according to the principles of their 
 different systems ; and after all their diligence and labour, 
 much is left unexplained, or resting upon conjectural support. 
 In these things the writer is content to " walk by faith, not 
 by sight." All that is necessary is revealed. We shall be 
 as happy as God can make us. As to any precise knowledge 
 "it doth not yet appear what we shall be." And such 
 knowledge we want not. It exhibrts a far more enlarged ex- 
 pectancy to be assured, that it will be something that we nei- 
 ther know nor can know — interminable bliss without sin, and 
 with Christ. Our happiness centres in the certainty and 
 glory, not in the circumstantials, of the event. And surely 
 the " shaking of earth and heaven," which seems to be at 
 hand, will quicken the cry for our expected Lord — * Come 
 quickly. Take to thyself the kingdom, and reign with all thy 
 saints.' The waiting Christian, in these times of special 
 trial of the church, "lifts up his head full of joy and expec- 
 tation. Faith overcomes the tremendous thought of wrath 
 and judgment, as the harbingers of his coming; and still the 
 cry is re-echoed to the solemn declaration, — "Surely I come 
 quickly : Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." 
 
 III. On Christian Experience and Practical Religion. 
 
 Miss Graham's correspondence, flowing in an easy and na- 
 tural strain, will be generally interesting. Even where no 
 striking features are visible, an affectionate earnestness, ten- 
 der sympathy, and a direct application of the first principles 
 of the Gospel to the several cases of her friends cannot fail of 
 being observed. 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 109 
 
 The following- letter appears to have been written to a 
 friend, newly awakened to concern for her eternal interests. 
 
 Nov. 1826. 
 1 1 fancy that you have for some time past felt a conviction 
 that religion is something more than you used to think it, 
 more than the world in general seem to think it. But yet, 
 perhaps, you do not see very clearly, what more it is that re- 
 ligion requires of you. You see, that there is nothing in this 
 vain world capable of satisfying the desires of your immortal 
 spirit; but you do not clearly comprehend what there is in 
 religion to satisfy all our desires. You seek the Lord ; but 
 you do not yet feel as if you had found Him. You probably 
 spend much time in reading the scriptures ; but sometimes 
 they seem obscure and unintelligible, sometimes dry and un- 
 interesting. You often pray ; but do not always find either 
 comfort or sweetness in prayer. Sometimes you feel as if 
 you could give up every earthly enjoyment for one glimpse 
 of that "love of Christ which passeth knowledge;" and at 
 other times it seems to you very foolish and unreasonable to 
 pretend to more religion than other people. This is what 
 many feel, who are beginning to be very anxious about re- 
 ligion. I cannot help indulging a strong hope, that you will 
 soon find in the love of Jesus all that you want to make you 
 happy ; only let me beg of you to seek him simply, under 
 the conviction that we can neither do nor think any thing 
 good without Him; that "every thought is evil, only evil, 
 and that continually ;" and that, while we continue in this 
 state, we cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God, 
 because they will appear "foolishness to us." The change 
 which every person must undergo, before they can truly re- 
 ceive Christ as their Saviour, is described in terms no less 
 striking — " Ye must be bom again." " If any man be in 
 Christ Jesus, he is a new creature; old things are passed 
 away ; behold ! all things are become new !" In other parts 
 it is described as a change from death unto life, " from dark- 
 ness to light, from the power of Satan to God." But I will 
 not multiply instances. Surely such a change as this cannot 
 be the cold, worldly, heartless religion, with which the gene- 
 rality of people sit down satisfied ! Surely it is a change we 
 have no power to make in ourselves. When God " breathed 
 into man's nostrils the breath of life," it was a wonderful act 
 k 2 
 
110 MEMOIR OF 
 
 of his creating power. But when he breathes spiritual life 
 into the soul of one "dead in trespasses and sins," this 
 seems more wonderful ; and yet this is what we vainly think 
 we can do ourselves. But if we can be once convinced, that 
 we are so utterly worthies and sinful, that none but Christ 
 can save us, then we shall go to Him for every thing. If we 
 want repentance, wisdom, holiness, salvation, all these are 
 His to give ; He promises to give them to every one that asks 
 Him. O be much in prayer to this precious Saviour ! He 
 has declared, that none shall seek Him in vain. Those who 
 leave off trusting in themselves, and cling with a single and 
 undivided heart to the cross of Christ, and " count every 
 thing else but loss, so they may win Christ and be found in 
 Him"— what words can describe their blessedness ! How 
 true it is, that those who seek happiness in any thing except 
 Christ Jesus, are " hewing out to themselves broken cisterns 
 that can hold no water !" Come then, my most dearly loved 
 friend, come with me to " the fountain of living waters" — 
 come to Him who has said — "If any man thirst, let him 
 come to me, and drink"— as if he had said — ' If there be any 
 poor sinner, who has begun to find out that the pleasures of 
 this world cannot quench his thirst after happiness, if he 
 long for something less vain and empty and unsatisfying, let 
 him come unto me.' Do you desire to give yourself to Christ, 
 to make him your all in all ] Then let not any fears or mis- 
 givings keep you away from him, for he " waits to be gra- 
 cious" to you. Your sins need not keep you away ; for he 
 came to call sinners. He calls Himself the friend of sinners ; 
 and indeed, till you are taught by His Spirit, how exceeding- 
 ly sinful you are, you cannot prize Him as you ought. Let 
 me intreat you often to dwell on the " precious promises" of 
 Scripture. Remember, that " in Him all the promises are yea 
 and amen ;" and if we plead in His name for the fulfilment, the 
 truth and faithfulness of God (who cannot lie) stand engaged 
 to perform them for us. There is one in particular which seems 
 to me full of encouragement ; it describes so fully the state of 
 heart we want, and promises to give what it describes to those 
 who inquire of the Lord. See Ezek. xxxvi. 25 — 37.' 
 
 The next letter is of a later date, and implies a more dis- 
 tinct advance of Christian knowledge in her friend. 
 
 ' Let me use the privilege of friendship, and entreat you to 
 look less at the dark side of your prospects, and more at the 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. Ill 
 
 unspeakable mercies with which God has favoured you; par- 
 ticularly that he has given you the greatest blessing he has to 
 give, in calling you to become his reconciled child by faith in 
 Christ Jesus. ° And having given you an interest in his Son, 
 "shall he not with him freely give you all things'?" — all 
 things that are good for you, my dear friend. If therefore 
 your wishes are not satisfied, it must be because it is not for 
 your good to satisfy them. Your lot has been chosen out for 
 you by one, who is infinitely wise and kind, as the very best 
 for yoi# present and eternal happiness, and " He doeth all 
 things well." You will ultimately find peace in religion; I 
 am sure you will ; and in the mean time is it not a blessing, 
 that you are not permitted to take up your rest here, and find 
 the false destroying peace, which so many experience in 
 worldly enjoyments'? What if you were to ask God in 
 Christ's name for the fulfilment of such a promise as this — 
 " Behold I will bring in health and cure, and I will heal him, 
 and will reveal unto him the abundance of peace and of truth" 
 would he deny you 1 ? Considering that no promise of Scripture 
 "is of private interpretation" — not meant for one part of the 
 church, or one age of it, but for the whole flock of Christ 
 now, and every member of it, and therefore for you — consider- 
 ing too, " that all the promises of God are yea and amen to us 
 in Christ Jesus;" and that Christ himself has said — "If ye 
 shall ask any thing in my name, / will give it you'" — what en- 
 couragement have we to take these promises to God in pray- 
 er, to wrestle with him, and declare with holy confidence — " I 
 will not let thee go, except thou bless me !" Oh ! he would 
 bless you ; and his " blessing maketh rich, and he addeth no 
 sorrow with z7." My dear friend, you must come to God thus, 
 and " give him no rest," till he grant you the promised bless- 
 ing. You must not take a denial. May the Spirit of prayer 
 be abundantly poured out upon you ! It is our privilege to 
 take our sins and sorrows, and cast them upon Christ : he has 
 already borne their agonizing weight ; why should we groan 
 under them'? " Cast thy burden upon the Lord ." Would that 
 I could act as I advise ! But I fall very, very far short. Even 
 my desires after this state of mind are miserably faint and cold ; 
 but let us both take comfort in the reflection, that we are 
 accepted in Christ; " complete in him ;" beloved, not for our 
 deserving, but for his ,- and his are " the same yesterday, to- 
 day, and for ever." When we fail, Christ remains the same ; 
 
112 . MEMOIR OF 
 
 and it is for the sake of what he has done, that God will accept 
 us ; not for any thing we can do ; or we might indeed go 
 mourning all the day long.' 
 
 These letters mark the general tone of Miss Graham's cor- 
 respondence in affectionate counsel and scriptural encourage- 
 ment. The case to which they primarily refer is among the 
 most difficult and delicate within the compass of Christian 
 instruction. No service is more valuable to the sincere but un- 
 intelligent inquirer than to enter into his case with tenderness, 
 forbearance, and anxious consideration of his dimculties. 
 Vague and ill-defined directions throw little light upon his 
 path. Even the primary and immediate counsel, guiding him 
 to the Saviour of sinners, needs a present and particular appli- 
 cation to his individual state. His difficulties will indeed 
 vary according to his simplicity, sincerity, and earnestness. 
 But under all circumstances, the instant duty of believing in 
 Christ must be inculcated. No deficiency of spiritual appre- 
 hensions must*be allowed to hinder immediate attention to 
 " this work of God."* The Gospel was not intended to answer 
 
 * John vi. 28,29. This instant duty of believing is however ques- 
 tioned by some of our modern religionists — either as seeming to 
 imply a natural power to believe, or as inconsistent with the mani- 
 fest inability to believe without. a divine principle. But our Lord 
 inculcated the duty upon the unbelieving multitude in this passage in 
 answer to their professed inquiry upon the subject of duty. He sub- 
 sequently enforced it upon the same class of hearers (John xii. 36, 
 with 37, 40.) Besides — as sin is the neglect or resistance of obliga- 
 tion, if faith be not the duty of the unconverted, unbelief is not their 
 sin — consequently — not what the Gospel repeatedly declares it to be 
 — the primary ground of their condemnation (John iii. 18, 19; xii. 
 48; xvi. 8, 9. 2 Thess. ii. 10, 11.) This system of measuring duty 
 by ability, and of admitting inability to cancel obligation, equally 
 annuls every bond of love and obedience by which man is connected 
 with his God, but for which he is no less incapacitated than for the 
 spiritual exercise of faith. It argues also a forgetfulness of the just- 
 ice of the divine requirements, and of the responsibility of that sinful 
 inclination, which constitutes the principle of his impotency to com- 
 ply with them. The commission of the Gospel is an universal call 
 both to repentance and faith. (Mark i. 15; xvi. 15, 16. Actsxvii.30.) 
 The cross of Christ is held up to the whole world. (Isaiah xlv. 22.) 
 The Holy Spirit emjrtoys its awakening and attractive influence as 
 the means of quickening sinners to life. (John xii. 32.) . Thus die 
 grace of God is glorified, while the unbelief of man excludes him 
 from the free justification of the Gospel, and consequently leaves 
 him without excuse. 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 113 
 
 the question — " What shall I do, that I may inherit eternal 
 life ?" But it affords a satisfactory reply to a question more 
 nearly interesting to the condition of a sinner — " How can 
 man be just with God !" It opens by the instrumentality of 
 faith a free, immediate, universally accessible way to favour- 
 able acceptance with our offended God. No perplexing course 
 of preparatory discipline is required. All are invited without 
 limitation, without delay. Infinite mercy and grace are pro- 
 vided for infinite need. Only those that feel will ask ; and all 
 that ask shall have. Thus a sense of sin is the prerequisite, 
 without which no man will come (for " the whole need not the 
 physician ;") but it is no part of the warrant to come. The 
 Scripture has no where prescribed any uniform rule, or mea- 
 sured out the precise extent of necessary conviction. All con- 
 stitutions are not formed alike; and therefore pungency is no 
 certain proof of sincerity. Many are brought without a process 
 of painful exercise to a simple and clear reception of the truth. 
 The soul is as welcome to Christ at the first moment of 
 invitation as at any successive period ; and protracted conflict 
 manifests only the stubborn power of unbelief; a sin, which 
 the Spirit of God will not fail to apply as matter of humil- 
 iating conviction. To insist therefore upon a determined 
 measure or intensity of well-defined conviction as a prepara- 
 tion of faith, is an infringement upon the freeness and simpli- 
 city of the Gospel. The law also, as the instrument to pro- 
 duce this conviction, must be used in immediate connection 
 with Christ. He is the life ; and if he be not set forth at 
 the commencement, there will be only the temporary and un- 
 satisfactory change from a state of indifference to a state of 
 bondage, without any effective principle of holiness or of privi- 
 lege, and the man will be satisfied without that entire simpli- 
 city of faith and self-dedication so indispensable to salvation. 
 Even in the exhibition of Christ, the mind of the inquirer 
 must be diverted from a too minute and anxious analysis of its 
 own exercises of faith to a fixed contemplation of the glorious 
 Person presented to view. The emphasis of the invitation 
 is, " Look — Come unto me." The first sensation of rest 
 will be connected not with a precise knowledge of our own 
 feelings, but with an entire dependence upon the work of 
 Christ. Though self-examination is intimately connected 
 with the prosperity and advance of the Christain life; yet it 
 must never be employed to originate our peace and hope in 
 
114 MEMOIR OF 
 
 the Gospel ; but to ascertain the reality of our hope ; to detect 
 false confidence and backsliding; to bring to us the warrant- 
 ed enjoyment of " the testimony of our consciences," in regard 
 to the consistency of our profession ; and to mark our progress 
 in knowledge, experience, and practical devotedness. One 
 further point, connected with the case of the inquirer is of . 
 indispensable moment. He may be assured that there is no 
 indefinitely future period ; no " day of the Lord's power" more 
 favourable for his acceptance than the present ; and that no 
 deficiency of knowledge can acquit him of the obligation of 
 an instant surrender of himself to God. This very moment 
 the Lord demands his unreserved faith, and his whole heart; 
 and every delay brings a fresh charge of guilt, widens the 
 distance, and increases the difficulty. 
 
 The following letter, written about two months before her 
 death, gives an interesting view of her own search after truth, 
 and marks a discriminating apprehension of the Gospel. 
 
 Stoke Fleming, Oct 1830. 
 * I am grieved that you should for a moment imagine that 
 
 I think our dear must be lost, because she does not 
 
 subscribe to the doctrines of Calvin. I do not myself so much 
 as know what all Calvin's doctrines are, or whether I should 
 subscribe to them myself. I have read one book of Calvin's, 
 many parts of which pleased me much, I mean his Institutes, 
 which Bishop Horsley says ought to be in every clergyman's 
 library. Further than this I know nothing of Calvin, or his 
 opinions. I certainly did not form one single opinion from 
 his book, for I had formed all my opinions long before from 
 the Bible. You may remember my telling you that some 
 years ago 1 declined greatly, almost entirely (inwardly) from 
 the ways of God, and in my breast was an infidel, a disbe- 
 liever in the truths of the Bible. When the Lord brought me 
 out of that dreadful state, and established my faith in his 
 word, I determined to take that word alone for my guide. I 
 read nothing else for between three and four months, and the 
 Lord helped me to pray over every word that I read. At that 
 time, and from that reading, all my religious opinions were 
 formed, and I have not changed one of them since. I knew 
 
 nothing then of Calvin. I have said so much, dear , 
 
 because I think it a very wicked thing to do, as you seem to 
 think I do, to call Calvin or any man " master on earth," or 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 
 
 115 
 
 to make any human writer our guide in spiritual things. 
 Christ only should be our master, and his word our guide, 
 and his Spirit our teacher ; and that Holy Spirit will be given 
 to us if we ask for it. But I suppose by the doctrines of 
 Calvin you meant the doctrine of predestination, which Cal- 
 vin, in common with many other of God's saints, believed 
 and preached. My belief and settled opinion about predes- 
 tination, you will find expressed more clearly than any words 
 of mine can do in John vi. 37, 39, 65. Rom. viii. 28 — 30. 
 Rom. ix. Eph. i. 3—6, 11. 2 Thess. ii. 13, 14. 2 Tim. i. 9, 
 10. Titus i. 1, 2. 1 Peter i. 2—5. 1 John iv. 19. Rev. xvii. 
 8. John xv. 16. I also join in every word of the 17th Article 
 of our church ; so much so, that if asked my opinion about 
 predestination, I should give it in those very words, from the 
 impossibility of finding any others, which in so short a space 
 expressed my meaning so well. But this article is only of 
 human authority, therefore I should bring forward the proof 
 from the Scriptures of that God who cannot lie. I have just 
 given you a few texts as they struck me. They are, I believe, 
 enough for my present purpose : but detached texts lose much 
 of their power : it is the whole sense of the whole Bible that 
 should determine us ; and since " the natural man receiveth 
 not the things of the Spirit of God, (for they are foolishness 
 to him)," let us pray to become spiritual, " that we may know 
 the things that are freely given us of God." The above texts 
 will give you an idea of my opinion. Indeed some of them 
 are exceedingly plain, and strong, and full, in their account 
 of the doctrine. I endeavour to receive them as a little child, 
 in their plain literal meaning. 
 
 'But to return to our dear ; I think the doctrine of 
 
 election essential to the comfort and consistency of our walk 
 with God : because I deem it essential to receive the whole 
 Bible, and every truth contained in every part of the Bible, 
 without partiality or gainsaying. But I do not consider a be- 
 lief in the doctrine essentially necessary to salvation. I do 
 consider a simple trust in the atonement and righteousness of 
 Jesus Christ as absolutely necessary to salvation. If then, 
 
 dearest , your beloved friend and mine too, (for I do most 
 
 sincerely love her) possesses this simple reliance on the death 
 and obedience of Christ for salvation, doubt not that she will 
 be saved ; though she may not yet have been able to receive 
 those high and humbling doctrines which very few Christians 
 
116 MEMOIR OF 
 
 do receive in the commencement of their course, and which 
 some cannot to the very end thoroughly embrace. Many, 
 however, I think embrace the actual doctrine, though they 
 cannot bear the words predestination, election, &c. A strange 
 dislike, since both words happen to be taken from scripture. 
 
 My beloved -would have been quite distressed, had I 
 
 supported the doctrine of predestination in my conversations 
 with her under the name of predestination ; and yet we often 
 conversed on the thing itself and subjects connected with it; 
 nor did I find her ideas differ greatly from mine. " Other 
 foundation can no man lay than that is laid, Jesus Christ." 
 All who are built on this foundation, who are thus founded 
 on the Rock of Ages, must be secure. " Believe on the Lord 
 Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts xvi. 31, &c. 
 " He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life ; and he 
 that believeth not the Son, shall not see life ; but the wrath of 
 God abideth on him." John iii. 36. See also John iii. 15, 16, 
 18; v. 24; vi. 40, 47; xi. 25, 26, &c.' 
 
 The two next letters are of the class of those which were 
 formerly adduced in illustration of her clear apprehensions of 
 Scriptural truth. The first letter introduces some incidental 
 notices of interest. It seems to have been written to the cor- 
 respondent whom she had formerly addressed on the subject 
 of Christian study. 
 
 Stoke Fleming, Jan. 4, 1827. 
 
 4 My own dear Friend, 
 
 * Every letter I receive from you gives me fresh cause for 
 thankfulness, and increases my hope, that you have learnt of 
 Him who teacheth, and will certainly never leave you till he 
 has given you that "joy and peace in believing," which all 
 His children sooner or later experience. I trust that the love 
 of my God to you will be a constant source of thanksgiving 
 and self-abasement to me ; for Oh ! what thanks can I render 
 to'Him, for the love with which He is now calling you out 
 of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His dear 
 Son 1 And how can I ever be sufficiently humbled, when I 
 reflect how unfaithfully and inconsistently I have acted 
 towards you? One instance in particular is now fresh in my 
 memory. You once asked me to write to you ; and I put it 
 off from day to day, till at last 1 wickedly persuaded myself 
 that I could not do it at all. I hope you will forgive this 
 cruel neglect, " as God for Christ's sake has forgiven me ;" 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 117 
 
 and that we shall be enabled henceforth to love and help one 
 another in His strength, and for His sake. 
 
 'Dear , how can you say that I am your dearest 
 
 friend, and only comforter 1 I glory in the thought, that you 
 have a Friend, whose love is stronger than death, and a Com- 
 forter, who is able to make you rejoice with joy unspeakable; 
 and to whose blessing and influence we must refer it, that 
 such poor, helpless, and sinful creatures as we are, can ever 
 be of the slightest use in helping or comforting each other. I 
 know you long to call Jesus your friend, and the Holy Spirit 
 your Comforter ; and where does this longing come from] 
 Not surely from your own evil heart ; for from that corrupt 
 source can proceed nothing but hatred or indifference to God 
 and His ways. Besides, it is a feeling you once knew no- 
 thing of. Believe me — rather believe the Scriptures when 
 they say — that every desire of the soul after God, is inspired 
 by Himself, and is the fruit of His own free love in Christ 
 j esU s — " I have loved thee with an everlasting love ; therefore 
 with loving kindness have T drawn thee." " Ye have not 
 chosen me, but I have chosen you." " No man can come to 
 me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him." " All 
 that the Father giveth me shall come to me ; and him that 
 cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out." Now, do you not 
 feel yourself drawn towards God 1 Does not your heart some- 
 times choose Christ in preference to every earthly blessing 1 
 Do you not come to Christ in prayer, beseeching Him ,to re- 
 ceive you ? And do not the texts 1 have mentioned, with a 
 thousand others of the same import, warrant the inference — 
 that you " come" to Christ, because " the Father has given 
 you to Christ," and draws you to Him ; that He " draws you 
 with loving kindness, because he has loved you with an ever- 
 lasting love ;" and finally, that He will " never cast you 
 out?" My dear friend, I would not, indeed I would not, flat- 
 ter you with a false hope. 1 know of nothing so melancholy 
 as the way in which the world say — " Peace, peace, to them- 
 selves, when there is no peace" — no rational ground of hope. 
 But the hope of a soul convinced of sin, renouncing all trust 
 in its own righteousness, and casting itself on the mercy of 
 Jesus, cannot be a vain or presumptuous hope ; because it is 
 founded on the word of God. You say, you feel so wicked 
 and so worthless, that you dare not hope. Now till you felt 
 yourself to be both exceedingly wicked and worthless, you 
 could not be a fit object of Christ's grace, who says—" They 
 
 Li 
 
118 MEMOIR OF 
 
 that be whole. need not a physician, but they that are sick." 
 " I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." 
 I know that many, when they first come to a sense of their 
 own sinfulness, think something in this way: 'Christ will 
 never receive so vile a sinner as I am ; I must repent, and 
 pray, and try to make myself a little better; and then per- 
 haps I may deserve his favour.' Alas ! they know not that 
 repentance and prayer are his free gifts, and instead of pray- 
 ing for the pardon we receive, are themselves a part of it. 
 "Would it not have been as reasonable for the leper to have 
 waited, till he could cleanse himself from his leprosy ; the 
 blind man, until his sight was improved : or the sick of the 
 palsy, till he could take up his bed and walk, before they 
 would come to Jesus to be healed ? The first chapter of 
 Romans, from the 18th to the 32d verse gives an awful de- 
 scription of the state of every man's heart by nature ; and 
 though education and the restraints of civilized society have 
 prevented the breaking out of sin in the dreadful and open 
 way in which it was indulged among the heathen, still I 
 think every person awakened to a sense of sin, will perceive 
 in it, as in a glass, their own image ; at least they will ac- 
 knowledge, that the seed of every sin is in their heart, 
 especially that most unnatural and truly diabolical sin, of" wor- 
 shipping and serving the creature more than the Creator." 
 And lest we should imagine that living in a country where 
 God is known, and joining in acts of outward religion can 
 make the heart really better, till it is converted to God ; the 
 Apostle goes on, in the second and third chapters, to prove 
 that the Jew is no better than the Gentile ; that " there is no 
 difference; every mouth must be stopped, and all the world 
 become guilty before God." And it is immediately after 
 having given us such an awful view of our state, in the sight 
 of God, that he goes on to hold out free and unconditional 
 salvation, to all who simply trust in the death and righteous- 
 ness of Christ. But I doubt not, you will soon perceive to 
 your comfort, how very free the offers of grace in the gospel 
 are. I cannot forbear mentioning one more instance ; it is in 
 the parable of the two debtors in the seventh of Luke — "And 
 when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them all." 
 It is when we are brought to this feeling, that we " have no- 
 thing to pay," that our hearts are in a fit state to receive with 
 eagerness and delight the " frank forgiveness" of our Saviour; 
 then we give Him all the glory of it. Surely you and I feel 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 119 
 
 ourselves to be in the situation of the debtor who owed most. 
 We have nothing; to pay; and sometimes I think I can even 
 rejoice in this extremity of poverty ; since it hides pride and 
 boasting from me, and makes the mercy of God appear so 
 divinely infinite. I. do not know, that you have any reason 
 for fancying that you shall die young ; but though the thoughts 
 of death are useful to all, and delightful to those whose sins 
 are forgiven for JesuV sake ; I think we ought rather to be 
 willing to live as long as our heavenly Father pleases, in 
 hopes of being the means of bringing others to him. 
 
 * I am glad you like your pupils so much. I feel incom- 
 petent to give you any advice about them: I believe the great 
 thing is to pray much for them, that they may have that grace, 
 which alone can make the Sabbath a delight. We should 
 also pray with them, and let them see that we are very anx- 
 ious about their salvation, and that, though we attach much 
 importance to their progress in other things, we look upon 
 them all as nothing in comparison with the knowledge of 
 Christ. Children sometimes take much pleasure in answer- 
 ing a few simple questions on a chapter they have read ; and 
 in this way very little children may be made to comprehend a 
 great deal. Many of the parables, types, and emblems in 
 Scripture are particularly adapted to their capacities, and 
 afford them great delight. I have seen a little child, who 
 would have been tired to death with a serious discourse, listen 
 for a long time with unwearied attention, whilst being told in 
 its own childish language, how Christ compared himself to a 
 vine, and his people to living branches ; or how Christ as the 
 good Shepherd, " gathers the lambs with His arms, and car- 
 ries them in His bosom." While explaining these things, 
 they should be taught the text or texts referred to ; that so a 
 portion of God's own word may be fixed on their hearts. I 
 think, however, there is nothing more important than to stop 
 as soon as the attention of our little hearers seem to tire. 
 Sometimes the eldest may be set to teach the youngest some 
 verse or hymn. Scripture prints also form a very good re- 
 source for Sunday employment. Children are so artless, 
 that we can soon perceive, what pleases them most; and what- 
 ever kind of religious conversation or employment seems 
 particularly to interest them, should be brought out on Sunday, 
 to make it as pleasant a day as possible to them. 
 
 1 I hardly know how to say a word against Jeremy Taylor ; 
 he is a great favourite of mine ; but I cannot help thinking his 
 
120 MEMOIR OF 
 
 views of the doctrine of Christianity savour too much of mo- 
 nastic severity, and too little of the simplicity which is in 
 Christ Jesus. The times he wrote in may account for these 
 inconsistencies in the writings of so holy a man ; but 1 think 
 they are calculated to increase the melancholy of any one who 
 is unhappy about religion; because there is something so ob- 
 scure and confused in his ideas upon many important points. 
 
 I must now, my dear , bid you farewell ; I need not 
 
 tell you what pleasure it gives me to hear from you ; nor how 
 earnestly I wish, that you may find the peace and comfort 
 you are seeking. My earnest prayer is that the promised 
 " Spirit of trutrT" may be with you, to " guide you into all 
 truth." The weaknesses you own to me are exactly what I 
 have felt, and do ieel myself; but God will overcome them 
 for us, and enable us to " bring every thought into subjection 
 to the obedience of Christ." I am sometimes afraid, that 
 my using so much Scripture language, may appear like cant 
 or affectation to you ; but I do it, because, when I express 
 myself in the sense, and as much as possible in the words, 
 of Scripture, I have less fear of misleading you, or of mixing 
 my own earthly ideas with the pure and heavenly truths on 
 which we are conversing.' 
 
 Again — 
 
 Stoke, Jan. 22, 1827. 
 
 ' Though I have not yet heard of you, I am sure that all things 
 are going on well with you, since the very God of love is be- 
 come your God, and will be your Father and guide for ever. 
 May you know more and more every day of his forgiving 
 love, and be led to feel that you are with Jesus, " who has 
 loved you, and washed you from your sins in his own blood !" 
 O my dear friend, my heart is full of joy, when I think that 
 the Lord has taught you to seek happiness in Him. "Bless- 
 ed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness" — says 
 this precious Saviour — "for they shall be filled." Therefore 
 from his own words I have a warrant to call you " blessed ;" 
 and if he has given you himself, I care not what else he 
 takes from you ; knowing, as I do, that you can want nothing 
 that is good for you, while the Lord of life and glory is yours. 
 What a blessed prospect lies before you ! The same Spirit 
 that has been showing you the vanity and sinfulness of your 
 own heart, will not stop short there. No: He will "guide 
 you into all truth; He will take of the things of Christ, and 
 show them unto you :" He will " shed abroad the love of 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 121 
 
 God in your heart:" He will, in His own time, "fill you 
 with joy and peace in believing;" He will bring you on 
 "from strength to strength," and "from glory to glory," till 
 at length He removes you hence, to that heaven, where you 
 shall see Christ as He is, be like Him, and dwell with Him 
 for ever. Now you have nothing to do but to live upon the 
 fulness of Jesus, casting away your own righteousness, which 
 is no better than filthy rags : your own strength, which is 
 mere weakness ; and your own wisdom, which is foolishness 
 with God. You must put forth the hand of faith, and lay 
 hold of the righteousness of Jesus, which He offers you as 
 His free gift, Rom. v. 15, 21 — His strength, which is suffi- 
 cient for you ; 2 Cor. xii. 9, 10. Eph. vi. 10. Phil. iv. 13. 
 1 John iv. 4 — and his wisdom, which is also freely yours for 
 Christ's sake. 1 Cor. i. 30. Only go on asking him for 
 more, more, still more of his precious love. He cannot deny 
 it you ; for he has said, " that whatsoever ye shall ask in his 
 name, he will give you." You cannot ask too much ; for 
 think of the great things the apostles asked, Eph. iii. 14 — 19; 
 yet he concludes all by saying, " Unto him that is able to do 
 exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. 1 '' Dear 
 
 , is not ours a happy lot 1 " If God be for us, who 
 
 can be against us 1 ? Who shall lay any thing to the charge 
 of God's elect? It is God that justifieth :°who is he that 
 condemneth 1 It is Christ that died; yea, rather, that is risen 
 again; who is even at the right hand of God; who also 
 maketh intercession for «s." Here is our anchor of hope — 
 Christ died; Christ is risen; Christ intercedes. When 
 Satan, or our own evil conscience accuses us, we are too apt 
 to look for comfort to something in ourselves. In this we 
 shall always be disappointed ; if we look to Christ, we never 
 shall. May he teach us by his own Spirit how to live by 
 faith in him. I long to hear from you, and to know whether 
 you have yet been able to find peace in God. This precious 
 gift will, I know, be bestowed upon you. Do tell me all you 
 feel, and let me often have a letter from you; for, believe me, 
 scarcely anf thing can afford me greater pleasure. 
 
 * I pray that your communications may always bring me 
 the happy news, that you are more and more devoted to our 
 dearest Lord, in whom, may we, my dearest friend, become 
 daily more united. There is a common friendship which is 
 very delightful ; but there is a communion of spirit, peculiar 
 to those who love the Lord Jesus ; and this is what I trust 
 l 2 
 
122 MEMOIR OF 
 
 He will grant to us ; for it will last, when common friendship 
 has been long withered by the hand of death. May you be 
 blessed with every spiritual blessing, and rooted and ground- 
 ed in love. This is the prayer of, &c.' 
 
 The next letter exhibits accurate discrimination, and a high 
 standard of Christian Experience. 
 
 'I was much interested, my dearest friend, in what you 
 said about mingling earthly with heavenly feeling. It is a 
 difficult question, and one which I am sure I am not fit to an- 
 swer. Only I think, we may in some degree know whether 
 our love is of the right kind or not, by asking ourselves wher 
 ther it really is God that we love in our friends, and in our 
 communion with them : whether we love those that are in 
 Christ, incomparably more than those who are not in him ; 
 and whether after all we could give up the society of the very 
 best and dearest of them all, rather than lose one particle of 
 God's favour. Surely we may love our friends, and that most 
 dearly, for God requires it of us ; but then " he that loveth 
 father or mother more than him, is not worthy of him." Love 
 to our friends seems the purest earthly feeling. Yet I think, 
 if we find ourselves enjoying devotion in its social privileges, 
 more than in personal communion with God, our devotion 
 cannot have been altogether of a spiritual character. But 
 while we lament over the weakness and inconsistency which 
 spoil our holiest actions, and defile the sweetest affections 
 God has given us, let us take comfort in the thought, that 
 " we have not an high priest, who cannot be touched with a 
 feeling of our infirmities," " He knoweth our frame, he re- 
 membereth that we are dust;" and (what should raise our 
 gratitude to the highest pitch) he himself has been made 
 dust, like unto our miserable dust in all things, except sin, 
 on purpose that he might be able to " have compassion on the 
 ignorant, and on those who are out of the way." There is 
 such a clear view given to us in the Epistle to the Hebrews 
 of the twofold nature of the Lord Jesus, that I derive unspeak- 
 able comfort from studying it. Scarcely any book makes me 
 see so clearly that he is the Lord God, " dwelling in light in- 
 accessible, whom no man hath seen or can see;" andyet that 
 he is " .bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh ;" able to enter 
 into my feelings, to pity my weaknesses, and to sympathize 
 with me in my temptations. O if we could but dwell upon 
 this wonder more ! it is " the wisdom of God, and the power 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. * 123 
 
 of God." " Angels desire to look into it ;" " the spirits of 
 the just" are for ever learning 1 more about it; and I know of 
 nothing so likely to make the souls of God's people here like 
 those who are above, as the continual contemplation of this 
 marvellous love of God, in manifesting himself in the flesh. 
 Dear M., how soon we shall see him face to face, " whom 
 having not seen we love !" Let us seek to become intimate- 
 ly acquainted with him here. Let us be often conversing 
 with him, and always near to him, that he may not have to 
 say to us ; "I never knew you." He will never say this to 
 us; but our watchful enemy may in some dark hour suggest 
 such a thing to us ; and then how delightful to be able to 
 refute such a suggestion, by the memory of all the intimate 
 communion we have enjoyed with Jesus; to be able to appeal 
 to this dearest friend himself, that so far from never having 
 known him, we have known, desired, loved nothing else in 
 comparison of him. Would that this were my case now ! 
 But I feel as far away from Jesus, as if he were quite a 
 stranger to my soul. My heart seems but to backslide ; and 
 I cannot help continually thinking of that bitter complaint of 
 Job's : " O that I were as in months past, as in the days 
 when God preserved me ; when his candle shined upon my 
 head, and when by his light I walked through darkness." 
 Still I know that God "will heal my backsliding, and love 
 me freely ;" for though I am changed, " he changes not." 
 But how strange it is, that our hearts should ever be so alien- 
 ated from God, after having once known how sweet it is to 
 love him ! Surely the character of long-suffering, so offen 
 given to God in the Scripture, has never been manifested by 
 any one in so many instances as to me. Let us not forget, 
 dearest M — , to pray for one another, " that our hearts may 
 be knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assur- 
 ance of understanding," that we may daily increase in the 
 " knowledge of him, whom to know is life eternal." ? 
 
 The interesting tone of Christian simplicity which the fol- 
 lowing letter breathes, is worthy of remark. 
 
 August 4, 1825. 
 * You will perhaps be surprised to receive a letter so soon 
 after my last. But I feel this morning an irresistible wish to 
 write to you, to which I was moved whilst praying for you ; 
 and in the strength of Jesus I will speak to you only of him. 
 Perhaps I shall to-day receive a letter from you : I shall be 
 
124 MEMOIR OP 
 
 very glad, because I am so anxious to know that you have 
 devoted yourself in the fullest manner to him, who gave up 
 
 his life for you. My dear -, I do not know whether you 
 
 are feeling with me ; but it is a cheering hope to me, that I, 
 who have so often encouraged you in the greatest sin which 
 a redeemed soul can commit ; that of indifference to the ser- 
 vice and love of the Redeemer may now be an instrument 
 in his hands to animate you to very different feelings. We 
 have given way to a very unfaithful spirit in our fears, 
 and in our repugnance to speak in his name. Let us only 
 believe, that when he grants us the inestimable privilege of 
 carrying to any one the blessed news of his gospel ; " it is 
 not we that speak, but the Spirit of our Father which speak- 
 eth in us." This feeling that we are nothing, but that he 
 is every thing in us, would give us a confidence full of joy, 
 and at the same time without pride. It is indeed the height 
 of happiness to follow him like a little child, to live in Christ 
 and out of ourselves. Oh ! had I but a constant sight of his 
 love ! but he " is faithful, who will stablish us, and keep us 
 from evil." Let us confide in him ; let us tell him that we 
 are not able to move a single step towards him, that we can- 
 not love him, nor believe in his name. His goodness will 
 allure us, his power preserve us, his strength will be given 
 us in exchange for our weakness, and we shall find an inde- 
 scribable delight in being able to do all in Christ.' 
 
 To her cousin she writes in this affectionate and encour- 
 aging strain : — 
 
 November 27, 1827. 
 
 1 Let me tell you, my dear friend, how sincerely and affec- 
 tionately I sympathize with you in the feelings you express 
 with regard to the most important of all subjects. My dear- 
 est cousin, go on seeking. There are pleasures, rivers of 
 pleasures, whereof the true Christian drinks with unspeaka- 
 ble delight ; and in his own time Jesus, the good Shepherd, 
 will lead you to these fountains of living water. Already 
 he, who "called his own sheep by name, and leadeth them 
 out" from the world of sin, has called you by his own word, 
 speaking to your soul. Do but be willing, as Levi, "to rise 
 up, leave all, and follow him ;" and you will find that he 
 will lead you in the pleasant and peaceful way. For every 
 vain pleasure that he calls upon you to give up, he will 
 give a thousand solid and real pleasures, which it hath not 
 entered into the worldling's heart to conceive.' 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 125 
 
 The next letter, written to her cousin, marks the instruction, 
 obligation, and encouragement connected with the hour of 
 " trouble," that time " to which man is born," and, when to 
 the unhumbled and unsanctified mind, the resources of the 
 world often aggravate suffering, instead of contributing sup- 
 port. 
 
 March 20, 1825. 
 * Our meeting, my dear friend, must be deferred to a future 
 time, if ever it takes place in this world. But there is another 
 meeting, to which we may safely look forward, if we are the 
 children of God through Christ Jesus; and this will be in 
 the presence of our best and dearest friend, who so loved us, 
 as to " purchase us with his own blood." How happy, how 
 very happy it would make me, to know that my much-loved 
 cousin was making it the grand object of her life to seek for 
 salvation through the all-sufficient Saviour; and that we 
 were united, not only by the strong ties of relationship and 
 affection, but also by that bond of the Spirit, which makes all 
 the redeemed people of Christ to be of one heart and one soul ! 
 Let us pray for this one thing, to be devoted to the Lord 
 Jesus; it is heaven begun on earth. -The severe trial with 
 which it has pleased our gracious God to afflict us, has given 
 us an additional reason to write vanity upon all human hopes 
 and expectations : and I hope I may say, that it has driven us 
 to seek for comfort in those things which alone can give any 
 real relief to a mind under the pressure of grief. Painful 
 indeed it is to speak about any thing, which brings with it 
 such afflicting recollections. Yet 1 feel, that I cannot and 
 must not leave it till I have entreated you, my beloved friend, 
 to join me in seeking a " friend that sticketh closer than a 
 brother," whom no length of time, or adverse circumstances 
 can take from us. Into his gracious ear we may pour all our 
 complaints ; " in all our afflictions he will be afflicted." And 
 one glimpse of his love will enable us to rejoice in the midst 
 of tribulation. But there is one condition: " Give me thine 
 heart." He must have all or none. A divided heart he will 
 not accept. A heart that indulges in any one sin, that cleaves 
 to any one worldly vanity, can never be the residence of his 
 pure Spirit; he must have the whole heart; every thought, 
 every faculty, every affection must centre in him. And who 
 is able to perform this condition 1 I am sure neither you nor 
 I can; for we are carnal, and "the carnal heart is enmity 
 
126 MEMOIR OF 
 
 against God." Well then, my dear , let us simply be- 
 lieve on him to effect all this for us. Let us come to him as 
 sinners ; for " His blood cleanseth from all sin." Let us 
 come as wretched, and poor, and blind ; and he " will fill our 
 minds with joy and peace in believing," will give us " gold 
 tried in the fire, that we may be rich," and will cause his 
 Spirit to shine into our dark hearts, " to give the light of the 
 knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 
 True, we cannot love him of ourselves ; but he can compel 
 even our hearts to love him. O may he reveal himself to your 
 soul, and give you such discoveries of his amazing love, as 
 may constrain you to make him your " all in all." 
 
 In another letter on the same subject, we find her taking 
 her chair by the side of her afflicted friend, and, like a true 
 daughter of consolation, " comforting her with the same com- 
 fort, wherewith she herself had been comforted of God." 
 
 January 18*A, 1828. 
 
 * My very dear Friend, 
 
 1 A letter from informed me of the very heavy trial 
 
 you have sustained. I did not like immediately to intrude 
 upon your feelings ; and since then, illness has prevented my 
 writing. How I have longed to be with you, and share your 
 grief, though I am sensible of my inability to afford you any 
 consolation. But I could at least have mingled my feelings 
 with yours, and told you, what however you need not be told, 
 that your losses and afflictions must ever be in a measure 
 mine. My beloved friend, would that in partaking as I most 
 sincerely do, of your sorrow, I could in any way lighten or 
 alleviate it ! But I rejoice in the thought, that faith has uni- 
 ted you to one, who is the God of comfort ; and his Spirit is 
 the Comforter. May he shed abundantly of his precious influ- 
 ence into your heart and your dear sister's at this trying time ! 
 May he " lift up the light of his countenance upon you" both ! 
 and that will turn your mourning into gladness. Perhaps 
 this bereavement will lead you nearer to Jesus ; for we have 
 an unfailing promise, that " all things shajl work together for 
 our good." " Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, even as a 
 father the son in whom he delighteth : as many as I love, I re- 
 buke and chasten." And then how sweet to be assured, that 
 " in all our afflictions he is afflicted," that in all our troubles 
 he is near to help ; that in all our bereavements he is ready 
 to fill up with himself the painful dreary void, which is made 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 127 
 
 in our hearts. My beloved friend, I do not say these things 
 to you, " because you know them not, but rather because you 
 know them," and are, I trust, at this time living upon them. 
 How vain were it to speak to you of earthly comfort under 
 the heavy loss you have sustained ! But this is the very 
 time, when God's children often drink deepest of heavenly 
 consolation ; and I trust it is thus with my precious friend. 
 I know that our heavenly Father has afflicted you in very 
 faithfulness ; and though for the present your chastisement 
 must seem " grievous" indeed to you, yet hereafter it shall 
 bring forth in you " the peaceable fruits of righteousness." 
 In the mean time may you be taught to lay hold on the gra- 
 cious invitation to " call upon God in the time of trouble !" 
 Make David's words your own — " From the end of the earth 
 will 1 cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed ; lead 
 me to the rock that is higher than I." " What time I am 
 afraid, I will trust in thee." " My soul trusteth in thee, and 
 in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these 
 calamities be overpast." "In the day of my trouble I will 
 call upon thee ; for thou wilt answer me." And may you, my 
 dear friend, be able to apply to yourself the words of our God 
 — " Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver : I have 
 chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." " I, even I, am he 
 that comforteth you — as one whom his mother comforteth, so 
 will I comfort you." " In a little wrath I hid my face from 
 thee for a moment ; but with everlasting kindness will I have 
 mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer." I would not 
 obtrude' my own words on you upon an occasion like this. 
 But I may hope that the Spirit of truth will bless his words 
 to your comfort ; so I fear not to tire you with the repetition, 
 for they are always new — " O God, thou art my God." Here 
 is a balm for every wound ; yes, he is your God. Wisdom 
 and tenderness shall form the basis of all his dealings towards 
 you ; and he, who is so wise and so tender, is engaged to do 
 you nothing but good all the days of your life. I did not 
 mean to have written so much, knowing that even the sympa- 
 thy of friendship may sometimes be an interruption to our 
 own feelings. But I now leave off, begging you to accept the 
 warmest affection of, &c.' 
 
 How delightful is the confidence which Miss Graham here 
 expresses in the support of the simple word of God in the 
 hour of affliction ! Though her letter affords some of her 
 own beautiful thoughts, yet her main effort is perceptible 
 
128 MEMOIR OP 
 
 throughout ; not to strain her mind to force out something 
 original or striking, but to bring forward the encouraging 
 promises of Scripture, as far more powerful than the product 
 of her own thought. This is honouring the word of God.'' 
 
 The next letter relates personally to herself, and gives a 
 lively description of her state of mind, with a happy transi- 
 tion from her own playful spirit, to a more serious and edifying 
 strain. 
 
 April, 1827. 
 
 1 1 am sure that I am very old for my age. It is not com- 
 mon at twenty-four to live upon the past as I do ; most peo- 
 ple would rather feed upon pleasant hopes of the future, but 
 that is a thing I never do without trembling. It is not that I 
 have the least doubt of every thing being ordered for my hap- 
 piness ; but I dread passing my life in this painful uncertainty, 
 and I think this requires more faith than to pass it in the 
 most severe affliction. Besides, I am afraid of living in a 
 kind of tertian fever ; for either I am very hot or very cold. 
 I am incapable of an equal temperament in any thing. A 
 person who knows me this month, would not know me the 
 next. I do not know myself; God knows me ; he knows 
 all my weakness, all my vanity; however, all this does not 
 cause him to forsake me. When I stray, he seeks me ; when 
 I return, he receives me with tenderness ; when I doubt, he 
 assures me ; when I am unhappy, he consoles me. Surely 
 he can give me strength to devote myself wholly to him, and 
 not to turn away again from his ways.' 
 
 Another letter affords a beautiful illustration of her spirit- 
 uality of mind connected with the recollection of her literary 
 pursuits. 
 
 Chudleigh, Sept. 1827. 
 
 ' You are then at , where you lead a very pleasant life, 
 
 but where you are not happy, because he who is your happi- 
 ness no longer cheers you with his presence. I also am very 
 gay. I am here to my heart's content; and I am not happy, 
 because I cannot find my God — my beloved. I find that we 
 " are the salt of the earth ;" but that this " salt has lost its 
 savour, and is no longer good for any thing, but to be thrown 
 away and trodden under foot of men." But the infinite com- 
 passion of Jesus will not suffer it to be so with us, and there- 
 fore he causes us to feel incessantly bitter inquietudes, which 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 129 
 
 will not suffer us to rest without returning to him. In the 
 meantime we are both in a new place, which we shall per- 
 haps never see again. Shall we quit this place without leav- 
 ing there some savour of the name of Jesus Christ? It is 
 delightful to be able to create recollections as exquisite as 
 those awakened by the beautiful images of Petrarch and 
 Tasso. But it is much more delightful to remember every 
 place, where we have seen some soul converted to God ; this 
 recollection will solace us at a time when all the delights of 
 our Tasso will appear but a vain dream. I do not say this, 
 because I feel as I speak. I see it in my understanding, but 
 it does not reach to my heart. However, I speak, because I 
 desire to feel it, and that you should feel it too. I wish to 
 love Tasso, and other studies, only for the love of God, and 
 to give all to his service. But I love them too much for my- 
 self; and yet I do not think it would be right to give them 
 up, since they may one day be of use to me.' 
 
 We will now present a few letters, which will introduce 
 us to a nearer view of the exercises of her own mind. She 
 appears to have been deeply harassed, in common with the 
 great Apostle, with that painful conflict, which his own in- 
 spired pen has so graphically described in Rom. vii. — a chap- 
 ter, which — though unintelligible to the world, and even to 
 the merely external professors of the gospel — unfolds more 
 or less of the secret history of every Christian's heart. The 
 following letter, of an early date, marks her mind exercised 
 in the painful sense of her own deficiencies, while anxiously 
 engaged' in the pursuit of that knowledge, which was the 
 basis of all that was valuable, both in her intellectual and 
 spiritual character. 
 
 June, 1823. 
 « No — I have not yet regained my peace of mind. It is a 
 guest which will not dwell in a soul so weak -and vain as 
 mine. I have again read a passage in Mason. But I find, 
 that although self-knowledge is the most excellent kind of 
 wisdom a man can possess, yet there is a sort of self-know- 
 ledge which only debases and hardens the soul ; and this is 
 exactly the kind with which I am furnished. And whilst 
 true self-knowledge introduces order and light into the soul, 
 as when the sun enlightens the earth ; the self-knowledge 
 which I possess rather resembles the lightning which shines 
 for a moment, and shows all the desolation which the storm 
 M 
 
130 MEMOIR OF 
 
 has produced, and which itself increases the desolation. To 
 know oneself miserable, but not to be willing to use the 
 means of being- happy ; to know oneself a sinner, but to flee 
 from and abandon the Saviour of sinners, has been a true de- 
 scription of my feelings." 
 
 To her cousin she expresses some grounds of thankful 
 recollection for Christians, who are called in " the days of 
 their youth" to the service of their God and Saviour. 
 
 * My dearest , 
 
 ' I seem to have so much to say to you, that I scarcely know 
 where to begin. I am not now afraid of indulging in a little 
 effusion of my feelings to you, as they begin to sit less heavy 
 upon my heart. I begin to feel a sort of assurance, that it 
 will ere long be " with me as in months past, when the can- 
 dle of the Lord shined upon my head." Yet I cannot tell 
 you that I enjoy any thing of really spiritual feeling. Oh! 
 that has been too long stifled to awake at once to anything 
 
 like life and vigour.* Dear , let us be more careful than 
 
 we have hitherto been, not to quench the spark of Divine life 
 in our hearts, not to suffer the love of the world to enter 
 where the Holy Spirit has deigned to erect a temple to Him- 
 self. I must tell you the thought which struck me yesterday, 
 and roused me more effectually than any thing for some time 
 past has done. It was a sense of the blessedness of being 
 called in our youth to the knowledge of God, now that our 
 feelings are fresh, and our habits unformed ; before we have 
 entered into the pleasures, company, and temptations of the 
 world. It seems as though we had through the mercy of our 
 
 *The writer feels it right to notice this sentence as a subtle form 
 of legality, very prevalent with young Christians, and not unknown 
 to exercised Christians in a higher stage of maturity. The chastise- 
 ment of the rod is indeed numbered among the rich provisions of the 
 Everlasting Covenant; and usually the Lord makes the backslidings 
 of his children the instruments of his salutary correction. [Jer. ri. 
 19.] But let us never seem to dictate to him the mode of his disci- 
 pline, and especially let us not limit the absolute and unbounded 
 freedom of the gospel, which opens the -way of immediate and com- 
 plete acceptance to those who deserve a more protracted banishment 
 from his favour. The expectation of an indefinitely distant return 
 paralyzes the present effort ; while the freeness of mercy opens the 
 door of instant hope for the most hopeless. [Isa. xliii. 23, 25,] and 
 indeed produces the constraining motive to the first step of penitence. 
 [Ib.xliv. 22.] 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 131 
 
 Saviour, been turned into the broad path of destruction while 
 yet upon the threshold — before we could have a long and 
 weary way of sin to retrace. Are not these mercies, which 
 call for our warmest gratitude 1 Shall I tell you another 
 light, which then struck me more forcibly than I had ever felt 
 it before 1 Is it not a blessing to have been enabled to enter 
 decidedly upon a life of religion, before we had formed any 
 connexion contrary to it] Now every thing seems open be- 
 fore us. The narrow path has been for us divested of half its 
 difficulties ; and great will be our sin and misery, if we walk 
 not in it with a cheerful devoted resolve, that every future step 
 may be for his glory, who first led us into it.' 
 
 The next letter displays the jealous though exquisite en- 
 joyment of her sources of legitimate pleasure in the work of 
 God. 
 
 Hastings, July 1823. 
 1 1 am no longer sad, unless a pleasure too profound for 
 laughter or gaiety can be called sadness. There are times 
 when I feel unhappy, because I am so happy — because I can 
 derive such exquisite enjoyment from objects which pass 
 away in a moment, whilst the things of eternal duration make 
 only a light and free impression on my soul. I cannot how- 
 ever forbid myself from enjoying the delights, which here pre- 
 sent themselves every minute to my mind ; and you must 
 pardon me if I fatigue you with many absurdities.' 
 
 The following allusion to her early attainments cannot fail of 
 interesting the reader. 
 
 ' There are periods in the life of every person, which have 
 respect only to the intellect, but which affect however all the 
 rest of the life, and to which may be traced up almost all the 
 intellectual qualities which that person possesses. It ap- 
 pears to me, that the period to which my mind recurs with 
 the greatest pleasure is that, when I began to learn Milton as 
 a simple act of memory. What a low and unworthy motive ! 
 However, when my soul began to open, to understand a little 
 his noble ideas, so entire a change was made in my inclinations 
 and taste, that I can hardly believe myself to be the same per- 
 son.' 
 
 The next letter gives a profitable application of Scripture, 
 together with an interesting train of remark. 
 
 June, 1823. 
 1 One text of Scripture has lately dwelt much upon my 
 
132 MEMOIR OF 
 
 mind, and seemed like a sentence of condemnation upon my 
 worldly-mindedness and inconsistency. It is that short but 
 expressive description of the conversion from sin — " And he 
 rose up, and left all, and followed him." Oh ! what a warn- 
 ing, and yet by me unheeded warning! does it seem to rise 
 and shake off these fetters of sloth and inactivity — to leave 
 all, even the dearest friends, the most deeply-rooted habits, 
 which can come in the way of this grand end, and to follow 
 Jesus through affliction and difficulties, in all the meek sim- 
 plicity and lowly dependence of a little child. May he give 
 us strength thus to follow his loved footsteps ! May he en- 
 able us to walk hand in hand, mutually encouraging and sup- 
 porting each other, till we come to the presence of his glory, 
 there to abide for ever ! I well know the feeling you mention 
 with regard to another world. But when thinking of this, I 
 am unfortunately apt to reverse it, and to consider the past as 
 a painful dream, and the present something too disagreeable 
 to be real ; while I look forward to future hopes and schemes, 
 till the dreams of my imagination assume the shape of de- 
 lightful realities : and in stretching forward to them, I for- 
 get, that it is only in the sober and continual routine of pre- 
 sent duties, that I can hope to attain those delightful expec- 
 tations.' 
 
 Her seasons of prayer appear to have been, in common 
 with all Christians, times of severe conflict. The following 
 extract, after alluding to the blots that too often deform the 
 profession of the Gospel, alludes to this point : 
 
 Torquay, April \1, 1825. 
 
 * How many ways there are of dishonouring the Christian 
 profession ! some by ill humour ; we by coldness ; some by 
 immoderate zeal ; others by the fear of man. Oh ! my dear 
 friend, let us seek to ornament our profession ; let us seek in 
 the unlimited compassion of our good Shepherd pardon for our 
 past extreme lukewarmness, and Divine strength to shake off 
 the drowsiness which oppresses us. Not only the prayers 
 which I offer for myself, but those which I offer up for you, 
 seem to be covered with a cloud, through which they cannot 
 penetrate. My prayers did I say ] I do not pray — I am 
 frightened when I think of the state in which I am. If you 
 are in a more spiritual frame, when at the feet of the Saviour, 
 remember her who is gone so far away.' 
 
 To another of her correspondents she thus writes. 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 133 
 
 April 30, 1827. 
 * I can hardly tell you what a strange state I am in — one 
 minute longing after holiness so intensely, that I feel as if I 
 should die if 1 did not get it : the next so full of vain thoughts, 
 that I hardly know what real spiritual holiness is. I never 
 had such clear views of the extreme depravity of my heart 
 and life. Every day I learn something new ahout my helpless- 
 ness, blindness, and dreadful wickedness. But though I can 
 spread these things before God in prayer, I cannot mourn 
 over them ; or if 1 do, it is from a sense of my misery — not 
 from a view of him whom I have pierced. Well ! I know 
 this hardness of heart is a part of the complaint under which 
 I groan, and which will be removed by the great Physician. 
 But I am sometimes confounded by the seemingly contrary 
 answers I receive to prayer, though in the end 1 feel the 
 dealings of God with me to have been wise and just. For 
 instance; after having prayed much for a sense of sin, I seem 
 to have been left to the power of it. I feel left to striv#with 
 a great enemy, who tramples me with the greatest ease under, 
 his feet. Let me not unjustly murmur against my dearest 
 and wisest Saviour. For he leaves me not long at the mercy 
 of my cruel adversary, but appears on my behalf often when I 
 have the least expectation of it. One thing distresses me 
 very much. It is so strange. I have for some time past 
 scarcely ever enjoyed a spiritual sabbath. I often enjoy a 
 sabbath on week days ; but when Sunday comes (I mean the 
 last three or four) all my spiritual feelings go ; religion seems 
 the dullest thing in the world, and vain thoughts the pleasant- 
 est ; I cannot tell you how the comfort of the day is destroyed. 
 It was the case the whole of yesterday till quite night, when 
 the accidental opening upon this little verse of Toplady's 
 brought back the loveliness of Christ to my thoughts with 
 such sweetness, and filled me with such longings after him, 
 that for some time I could not sleep : 
 
 Less than thyself will not suffice, 
 
 My comfort to restore ; 
 More than thyself I cannot crave, 
 
 And thou canst give no more. 
 
 O to be "filled with all the fulness of God!" to have 
 " Christ dwelling in our hearts by faith !" to be temples of 
 the Holy Ghost ! To know that this is mine ; and yet for 
 want of faith I so often make my heart as a cage of unclean 
 m 2 
 
134 MEMOIR OF 
 
 birds. My dearest friend, I have chosen this verse for my 
 portion, my treasure in this world and the next. I recom- 
 mend it to you ; and I know God will give it to us, and abun- 
 dantly fulfil our wishes above all that we can ask or think — 
 Ezek. xliv. 28. What a glorious portion ! Hard as my 
 heart is, and blind as my eyes are, I see and feel a little of its 
 excellency : but then so often my soul forgets her joy, looks 
 back upon the world, and shrinks from the choice, which a 
 few minutes before seemed so unutterably desirable.' 
 At another time she writes in the same strain. 
 
 May 15, 1827. 
 
 'I think I would give up every prospect of worldly happi- 
 ness that I have, or ever can have, to have these vain thoughts 
 crucified and nailed to the cross of Jesus ; and yet often, the 
 more I want to be delivered from them, the 'more obstinately 
 I cleave to them, and I am so tired of praying against them. 
 But the everlasting covenant fills me with hope and comfort, 
 " I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart 
 from me. I will put my law in their inward parts, and write 
 it in their hearts." ' 
 
 The next letter shortly afterwards is of a similar character. 
 The spirit of tender carefulness that marks the closing al- 
 lusion is worthy of special remark : 
 
 Stoke, June 2, 1827. 
 
 4 1 never wanted something to awaken and alarm me so 
 much as I do now. I think I could be content to have some 
 very great affliction, if it would but restore me to communion 
 with God. I told you how much vain thoughts had tempted 
 and annoyed me. When I last wrote to you, I felt confident 
 of being soon made "more than conqueror through him that 
 loved me." But I have lately left off striving against them ; 
 and now having turned " the house of prayer into a den of 
 thieves," I know not how to cast them out again. Oh ! that 
 Jesus himself w r ould drive them from his temple, though it be 
 
 with a scourge. With regard to , I feel it more and 
 
 more my duty to send my letter. But what I have written 
 has been given to me, and I am afraid to finish it, lest I should 
 in my worldly and unbelieving frame, mix something of my 
 own with it.' 
 
 Yet her deep self-abasing apprehensions were not — except, 
 possibly, at seasons of temptation — tinctured with desponden- 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 135 
 
 cy. From the tone of many of the preceding letters it is evi- 
 dent, that she knew the fulness of her resources in the pro- 
 mises of the Gospel : and in her prostrate humiliation of soul 
 she did not cease to plead them to the uttermost of her war- 
 ranted expectations. Thus she writes to her friend : 
 
 1 and I, and all took the sacrament yesterday. I never 
 
 felt so much — " the remembrance of these our misdoings is 
 grievous ; the burden of them is intolerable." Is it not great 
 and free love, which has made that a burden to us, which was 
 once our delight ; and that intolerable, which we once drank 
 up like water 1 But what puzzles and alarms me is, that it 
 should be sometimes intolerable, and yet not forsaken; and 
 sometimes at the moment when I feel it to be intolerable, the 
 struggle to give it up is more intolerable. The only thing 
 that makes me feel a holy hatred of sin, is the thought, that, 
 even when it seems sweetest to me, the eye of Jesus beholds 
 it as an evil and a bitter thing ; and I shall soon look upon it 
 as he does. It is * that abominable thing which he hates." 
 It is that abominable thing which my wretched abominable 
 heart loves. But then I do hate myself for loving it : and I 
 do not know any thing I would not thank God for depriving 
 me of, if it would tend to make me see sin as he does. I know 
 this is the way you feel. Then let us take comfort in the 
 thought that Jesus has done something for us, and to us who 
 have (though so little) more will be given. " Open thy 
 mouth wide, and I will fill it ;" this often gives me comfort, 
 (as indeed the whole of the eighty-first Psalm does :) butthen 
 we can no more open our mouths than we can fill them. 
 God must open them wide, and fill them too. I feel so much 
 comfort in thinking that we cannot open our mouths too wide ; 
 we cannot be too greedy of heavenly food, nor too grasping of 
 heavenly riches. It is not presumption, but faith and humil- 
 ity, to expect that God for Christ's sake will fill our earthen 
 vessels with an eminent measure of his heavenly treasures ; 
 and the greatest eminence in Christian grace is to lose sight 
 of self, to be willing to be least of all— to be nothing, and to 
 look upon others as nothing, except as they are in Christ, and 
 to look upon Christ as every thing. But oh, how far am I 
 from this ! Yet I do not despair, I have had glimpses of it. 
 I trust it shall one day be the settled temper of both of our 
 souls. Pray for me, and pray that I may be enabled to pray 
 for you.' 
 
 The darkness and conflicts of her mind, were doubtless 
 
136 MEMOIR OF 
 
 much increased by the active power of the enemy operating 
 upon her enervated health. It is delightful, however, to 
 mark the cheering irradiations of sunshine breaking in upon 
 her, as marked in the following letter. 
 
 November 21, 1826. 
 
 * My beloved Friend, 
 
 'I can almost say in the words of Scripture which you 
 love, that the winter of my soul is gone, and that the sweet 
 season of the springing of flowers, and of the singing of the 
 birds is come, and that the voice of the celestial dove makes 
 itself heard. I again begin to know what it is to walk, " as 
 seeing him, who is invisible." But do not suppose that I am 
 in a very spiritual state. But the least ray of the light of his 
 countenance appears immense, after so many weeks passed in 
 darkness and rebellion. Oh ! my , let us exert every ef- 
 fort to find again the lover and the beloved of our souls. Who 
 knows but his own time may come, in which he will fully re7 
 veal himself to us ? Let us pray for each other, that we may 
 be wholly separated from the world and from ourselves, and 
 more closely united to Jesus, in whose strength we shall be 
 able to do all things. I cannot feel that deep repentance that 
 I ought to feel for my repeated transgressions. But even in 
 this I see the Divine love, because every strong emotion af- 
 fects my health.' 
 
 Her views of the power of faith in prayer were most enli- 
 vening. * I never pray' said she one day to a dear friend 
 4 without a promise.' On that promise she was enabled to rely 
 with entire confidence. Referring to the fulness and power of 
 the Apostle's prayer, Eph. i. 17, 18, and to that sublime 
 doxology, chap. iii. 20, 21, she added, 'What a prayer was 
 this J How comprehensive ! How much are we encouraged to 
 ask for ! Why then do we receive so little, but because our 
 hearts are not sufficiently enlarged 1 We are wanting in faith. 
 We do not expect enough from God. Wfe are straitened in 
 ourselves. We are not straitened in God. How much more 
 should we receive, if we "continued instant in prayer," and 
 " prayed without ceasing." We are like the king of Israel, 
 who, when commanded by Elisha to smite on the ground,' 
 provoked the wrath of the man of God, by smiting only thrice, 
 and then staying. Whereas, had he smitten five or six times, 
 he would not only have gained a temporary advantage over 
 his enemies, but would have utterly destroyed them. Thus 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 137 
 
 in our prayers we are contented with small success. We do 
 not continue enough in the exercise. Even when our hearts 
 have been somewhat enlarged, we have been too ready to de- 
 sist, and rest satisfied without persevering, till we had received 
 yet larger supplies of Divine grace.' 
 
 To another friend she wrote in the same enlarged spirit of 
 Christian expectancy : — 
 
 May 15, 1827. 
 
 * I see something of the love of Christ, which I would not 
 lose for worlds. But neither do you or 1 see half that may be 
 seen of it even in this world, if ice ask in faith. Only let us 
 not be afraid of expecting too much. Let us stretch our 
 prayers and expectations to the very uttermost of what " we 
 can ask or think ;" and as sure as God is truth, we shall re- 
 ceive " exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or 
 think." We shall receive all that Jesus can ask or think.' 
 
 Her views of Christian assurance, as set forth in the fol- 
 lowing letter, were clear and scriptural. 
 
 July 4, 1827. 
 1 My mind is in a state of declension and deadness to spir- 
 itual things, which is the more awful to me, from having en- 
 joyed much communion with God a few weeks ago. I know 
 not how to describe this state better than by saying, that 
 prayer seems to be my burden ; and evil thoughts my element ; 
 and that, instead of maintaining a continued conflict against 
 this inclination, I feel a kind of obstinate hardened disposi- 
 tion in my mind, leading me to yield rather to Satan than to 
 God. But even during all this time, my evidence of being a 
 child of God, though not brought with any realizing sweet- 
 ness to my heart, yet remains quite clear and unclouded to 
 my understanding. But my evidence is this — not that I am 
 now in a spiritual frame of mind (though that would be a 
 delightful confirmation of it) — but that — let my state be what 
 it will, — still I cannot forget, that I have cast myself a thou- 
 sand and a thousand times upon the mercy of God in Christ 
 Jesus. 1 have committed my soul to him ; and, though I am 
 unfaithful and unbelieving, yet I know that he abideth ever 
 faithful, to keep that which has once been committed to him. 
 Besides — I have told him again and again — and that with ago- 
 nizing earnestness, — what a weak backsliding heart I have 
 entrusted to his care ; and that, if he does not hold me up, I 
 
138 
 
 MEMOIR OF 
 
 shall fall. And now can I think that he has forgotten all my 
 prayer for keeping, and all his promises of keeping- me, and 
 that he means to let me fall for ever ? Oh ! I cannot think 
 so. I cling to my assurance, and cannot but think, that as 
 Christ — and Christ alone — is the foundation of it, it must be 
 well-founded. I must think (I would say it with reverence) 
 that God would cease to be "a faithful Creator," if he could 
 give up a soul that has been so often confined to his keeping. 
 There is one verse, that in the darkest and coldest seasons 
 comes with comfort to my mind. I know that I have often 
 asked my Heavenly Father for bread. Shall I think he has 
 given me a stone 1 I have asked him for the Spirit of truth. 
 Shall 1 think he has put me off with the spirit of delusion? 
 
 This letter illustrates the true character of Christian con- 
 fidence, as exclusively based upon the word of God. It is 
 independent of external excitement. It is the reliance of faith 
 upon the immutable engagements of Divine faithfulness. 
 Much that passes under this name is the assurance of feeling, 
 rather than of faith. The consolations of the gospel are be- 
 *lieved, not because they are declared, but because they are felt. 
 Hence, when the comfort is lost, the ground of confidence is 
 destroyed. This, however, is an inversion of the Scriptural 
 rule — walking by sight, not by faith — unlike a tried saint of 
 old, who, when " walking in darkness, and having no light," 
 had learnt to " stay himself upon his God" — " Though he 
 slay me, yet will I trust in him." 
 
 ^ Any encouragement however to be drawn from a past opera- 
 tion of faith must be carefully connected with its present ex- 
 ercise. Its first effort indeed linked the Christian's heart in in- 
 dissoluble union with his Saviour. Yet the principle must not 
 be confined to a single act, by which at some former time he 
 came to Christ. It is rather the continued habit of the soul, 
 by which he is "coming" to Christ in constant motion. In 
 Miss Graham's case, the earnestness and intensity of her 
 mind clearly marked the active though unconscious influence 
 of the habit of faith, even while her recollection was fixed — 
 perhaps too exclusively — upon some former and determinate 
 exercise. 
 
 But was Miss Graham warranted in her strong assurance, 
 in a state of conscious and acknowledged backsliding ] 
 When we consider the character of her religion — self-sus- 
 picious, jealous of declension, earnestly longing for communion 
 with God, content with no ordinary measure of conformity to 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 139 
 
 the Divine image, we shall not be disposed to accuse her of 
 presumption, or of a loose and careless profession. Hers 
 was not a paralyzing- security — a self-indulgent repose — but an 
 habitual quickness of spiritual discernment, and dutiful watch- 
 fulness. It was probably her intense solicitude for higher 
 conformity to her Lord, that induced her, like holy Bradford, 
 to pass this severe judgment upon herself, in the deep con- 
 sciousness of her infinite distance from the ultimate point of 
 attainment, and her sometimes apparent contrariety to it. 
 Iniquity felt and iniquity allowed, are essentially different. 
 When allowed, the soul is benumbed and blinded in compar- 
 ative unconsciousness. When hated, the sensibility of its 
 defilements is so keen, and the apprehensions of its guilt so 
 afflicting, that even in a state of conscious acceptance, the 
 soul is constrained to " write bitter things" against itself. 
 The prostrate humiliating confessions of that holy saint of 
 the Reformation just alluded to, in no degree hindered the 
 peaceful rest of his soul upon the engagements of the faith- 
 fulness and love of his God. 
 
 We could not indeed but strongly discountenance an assur- 
 ed confidence in a state of open sin, or in any habitually al- 
 lowed inconsistency with a Christian profession. Yet we 
 are persuaded that a personal assurance has. often proved the 
 only chain of love that has restrained the backslider from 
 total apostacy — from saying — " There is no hope — for I have 
 loved strangers, and after them will 1 go." Often too has it 
 been the appointed means of conviction and recovery from 
 backsliding. A realized sense of a Father's love in the ten- 
 derness and wisdom of merited chastening has pierced many 
 a rebellious child with contrite sorrow, and has brought him 
 back to his Father's feet with simplicity, gratitude and con- 
 fidence. He is humbled and encouraged under the most dis- 
 tressing consciousness of backsliding by the remembrance, 
 that the principle and warrant of assurance is not in himself, 
 and that his ground of confidence is unchangeably the same. 
 1 1 see,' said Miss Graham on one occasion, ' that God is my 
 God in covenant. He is unchangeable, though I continually 
 vary.' 
 
 The duty and importance of an elevated enjoyment of 
 scriptural privilege, are delightfully inculcated in the follow- 
 ing letter. 
 
 ' What a privilege (she observes, speaking of a blessed 
 saint now in heaven), has Mrs. to be walking so closely 
 
140 MEMOIR OF 
 
 with God, and enjoying so much of his presence! "Oh! 
 that I" thus always " knew where I might find him, that I 
 might come even to his seat !" But I never had so little of 
 his presence as now, and if it sometimes returns for a moment, 
 the emotions of my mind seem almost more than I can bear, 
 so that I dread, even while I long for, their recurrence. The 
 true remedy for all this would be, that settled quiet peace, 
 which is the effect of the righteousness of Christ. But this 
 I want faith to lay hold of as my own. I have been surprised 
 lately at the slighting, and almost suspicion, with which 
 friends appear to look upon spiritual peace and joy, as if it 
 were rather a snare to be guarded against, than a privilege to 
 be sought after. Yet surely — " Rejoice in the Lord always, 
 and again I say, rejoice," is as much a command as — " Thou 
 shalt not kill — Thou shalt not steal." And I know nothing 
 except this "joy of the Lord," which is said to be "our 
 strength," that can so fill the heart, as to leave no room for 
 rejoicing in self or in the world. And do you not think, that 
 the more of this holy joy is " shed abroad in the heart," the 
 more godly sorrow will dwell there 1 At least I find it to be 
 so. They seem to me to be inseparable companions in our 
 experience on earth. Were I to mention the sweetest ingre- 
 dient in the cup of joy or sorrow (I scarcely know which to 
 call it), that we are permitted to taste of here ; it would be 
 the melting of the heart, which springs from that immeasura- 
 ble unworthiness, which gives us some faint conception how 
 low Christ has stooped to save us ! Why then should it be 
 thought presumptuous to desire an abundant measure of the 
 very thing which we are commanded to have 1 Why should 
 this desire for "the peace of God which- passeth all under- 
 standing," be construed into a dependence upon frames and 
 feelings? 
 
 4 Sometimes I think we might have almost as much joy 
 as there is in heaven, if we had but a holy boldness to ask 
 for it, and to receive. We are not straitened in Christ; " but 
 we are straitened in our own bowels;" so that, because joy 
 is an undeserved guest in a heart defiled by sin, we dare not 
 receive it as a lawful guest, though this heart has been 
 cleansed with the blood of Jesus. But what will it be, my 
 dearest friend, to open our eyes upon that world, where "per- 
 fect love casteth out fear" for ever! I try to conceive it 
 sometimes, but I cannot. There is nothing I find so difficult, 
 as to imagine entire deliverance from the spirit of bondage. 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 141 
 
 What will it be, to be " face to face" with Christ ; to " see 
 him as he is;" to "see the King in his beauty," in "His 
 own glory, in his Father's glory ;" and yet to look upon him 
 without fear ! We had need have these earthly tabernacles 
 taken down first; as they never could sustain it. And yet 
 this is that death, at which even renewed human nature 
 shrinks; though, if we could view it aright, it is but the 
 shutting out of fear, and the letting in of perfect love for 
 ever.' 
 
 It is indeed to be feared, as Miss Graham has observed, 
 that there is a class of professors among us, who depreciate 
 the glowing exercises of Christian feeling. Their religion is 
 rather of an intellectual, than of a spiritual character. They 
 reason, explain, demonstrate, vindicate. But they are cau- 
 tious of extremes. They realise the seriousness, importance, 
 and restraints of the gospel, rather than its high privileges 
 and constraining obligations. The exercise of their judg- 
 ments, from this defect of a deep influence of spiritual reli- 
 gion, materially checks the healthful and animating glow of 
 their affections. Their views of the fundamental doctrines 
 are generally orthodox, and they maintain a correct external 
 deportment. But they appear to have a scanty enjoyment of 
 that new-created taste and element of pleasure, which is con- 
 nected with the revelation of the glory of God to the soul. 
 They seem to be little conversant with the varied exercises 
 of a devotional habit of mind — such as holy delight in com- 
 munion with God, lively contemplation of the Saviour, spir- 
 itual meditation and enjoyment of the sacred word, and 
 heavenly aspiration of soul. Their ordinary Christian con- 
 versation is restrained from that intimate and free communi- 
 cation of spiritual sympathies, which infuses mutual warmth, 
 refreshment, and energy in the endeavour, like Jonathan and 
 David," " to strengthen each other's hands in God;" to unite 
 in a closer intercourse with our Divine Saviour, and to invig- 
 orate our purposes of consecration to his service. 
 
 Such persons seem too little to consider the strong and im- 
 portant connexion of religion with the affections. But it is 
 only their lively and powerful exercise that is at all propor- 
 tioned to the vast expanse and grandeur of the subject. We 
 find, therefore, religion in heaven, where it exists in the most 
 refined purity and perfection, is much engaged in the delight- 
 ful affections of joy and love, and in the fervent expressions 
 of these feelings in everlasting praise. The scriptural exhi- 
 
142 MEMOIR OF 
 
 bition of religion in the records of the most eminent servants 
 of God, and in the rich display of the promises of Christ, is 
 of the same glowing' character. 
 
 The religion of the " man after God's heart" was a religion 
 of the affections. Every natural affection of his soul was 
 filled with God. In his book of Psalms, written with the 
 pen of inspiration for the public use of the church, we behold 
 him — not describing the proper individualities of his own ex- 
 perience; but leading the worship of the universal church in 
 the expression of deep humiliation, holy admiration, fervent 
 love and joy in his God, earnest thirstings and pantings for 
 his presence, delight in his ordinances, devout acknowledg- 
 ments for his unbounded mercy, and exulting triumph in his 
 faithful love. The book of Canticles also — however we may 
 refrain from a minute consideration of some of its imagery — 
 exhibits those vigorous exercises of spiritual affections, which 
 are consonant to the experience of the lively Christian, and 
 which excite in him no common measure of admiring, trust- 
 ing, and grateful love to his Divine Saviour. The corres- 
 ponding New Testament development of Christian privilege 
 embraces those high and heavenly blessings, which draw out 
 the affections of the soul into exciting employment — such as 
 M peace with God," constant " access" to his presence and 
 favour; rejoicing in hope of his glory; glorying in tribula- 
 tions, as the path-way thither ; " the love of God, shed abroad 
 in the heart ; and the enjoyment of God through our Lord 
 Jesus Christ;" all of which are presented to us in a single 
 view, as our present portion and source of happiness. 
 
 If therefore we acknowledge the gospel in its faith and ob- 
 ligations, while defectively apprehending and estimating its 
 privileges — if our judgment has been informed and establish- 
 ed without a full and habitual exercise of the affections, we 
 stand convicted of an imperfect reception of Christ, and of 
 possessing only a partial interest in his unspeakably rich en- 
 joyments. The class of professors, to whom we more imme- 
 diately allude, are little aware of the extent of loss to their 
 own souls, or of evil to the church, from their neglect of seat- 
 ing religion more deeply and powerfully in their affections. 
 The spiritual tone of their religion is materially deteriorated. 
 The refreshing influences of the ordinances is weakened. 
 The Holy Comforter is restrained in his intimate communion 
 with their souls. A want of tender sensibility for the most 
 part characterizes their profession. The careless but discern- 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 
 
 143 
 
 ing world mark no perceptible elevation of heavenly charac- 
 ter, and are led to think that the promised privileges of the 
 Gospel are a delusive paradise. And professors of their own 
 class gladly take shelter under this lower standard of the 
 cross, as a respectable Evangelical religion, precluding them 
 from many inconvenient sacrifices, to which a more decided 
 exhibition of Christian devotedness might have subjected 
 them. 
 
 This restraint upon the affections, brings us therefore into 
 a lower atmosphere of the gospel, unvisited with the full 
 power of its holy influence. This may readily account for 
 that conformity to the principles, habits, and conversation of 
 the world, which to a considerable extent is connected with 
 an Evangelical profession. The enlivening power of faith, 
 operating through the medium of the affections, would secure a 
 triumphant victory in every form of worldly conflict, and en- 
 able the disciples of Jesus boldly to confess their Master's 
 name, to glory in his cross, and to delight in his service. 
 But this is the " one thing" that is too often " lacking :" and 
 for which, as a principle of entire consecration to Christ, no 
 substitute can be found. 
 
 Let us not however, while insisting upon the connexion of 
 the gospel upon the affections, be supposed to advocate a re- 
 ligion of impulse or sensation. We are aware that excited 
 feelings are no proof of holy affections. Much that passes 
 under the name of religious feeling, is the ebb and flow of 
 the animal emotions, wholly unconnected with the spiritual 
 principle. Those emotions alone are of Divine origin, on 
 which practical holiness are engrafted ; and which are not 
 sought for the pleasurable excitement of the moment, but as 
 a medium for the exercise of heavenly affections, and for the 
 exhibition of self-denying obedience. We remember also, 
 that the first excitement of a religious feeling, is very differ- 
 ent from that feeling as a fixed habit of the mind under the 
 controul of a sound judgment. The example of the primitive 
 Christians lead us to combine intelligence and energy with 
 feeling, and therefore to suspect the most delightful emotions, 
 which do not bring the steady light from heaven into the 
 daily path, which do not communicate vigour, activity, and 
 decision to the character, and that are not connected with a 
 dedication of the whole man to the service of God. Religion 
 is the dominant practical principle in the soul ; and its prac- 
 tical results are the legitimate evidence of the genuineness of 
 
144 MEMOIR OF 
 
 the principle. Any encouragement from the past exercise of 
 the affections, irrespective of their present practical influence, 
 must therefore be discountenanced. And even this influence 
 satisfactorily ascertained must be controlled by the dictates 
 of a spiritually enlightened judgment. We would call the 
 judgment into constant exercise, under the influence of Chris- 
 tian motives. We would regulate " the Spirit of love," un- 
 der the controul of " the Spirit of a sound mind." We would 
 have "love" always to "abound in knowledge and in all 
 judgment." Only let it " abound yet more and more." Let it 
 not be chilled, damped, fettered. Let us guard against that 
 frosty elevation of intellect, which seems to regard reli- 
 gion as an Alpine plant, the growth only of a cold climate. 
 Let us not separate it from that exciting glow of love, in 
 which we are quickened to a sense of our obligations, sus- 
 tained under our daily trials, and are raised in our present 
 privileges and prospective anticipations above the baneful in- 
 fluence of " the course" and spirit " of this world." 
 
 Constitutional causes must however be well considered — 
 while insisting upon the strong influence of religion upon the 
 affections. Intellectual character" is not always embued with 
 natural sensibilities ; while on the other hand a sympathetic 
 tone of character is easily excited. It is obvious that both 
 these require larger measures of Divine influence — the one, 
 that the man may enter into the delight of Christian feeling 
 — the other, that natural tenderness may be braced up to firm- 
 ness and stability: in both cases — that they may judge each 
 other charitably. But " the love of God must be shed abroad 
 in our hearts by the Holy Ghost" or we are not, we cannot be, 
 Christians. 
 
 We would beg however shortly to advert to depreciation of 
 scriptural privilege of a very different character. There are 
 some who stand even upon lower ground than intellectual 
 professors. They are satisfied with a small portion of spirit- 
 ual enjoyment, and even that this modicum should be occa- 
 sional, not constant. They have no conception of any internal 
 religion answering to the wrestling vigilance, by which " the 
 kingdom of heaven is taken by force." The warmth of first 
 impressions subsides as a matter of course ; not however into 
 a matured and solid effectiveness, but into luke-warmness 
 and inertion. If they be the children of God in a Laodicean 
 state, they will probably be roused by sharp afflictions, to a 
 zealous and penitent profession of their Master's name, and 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 145 
 
 by this wise and loving dispensation, be quickened to hear 
 the voice of their Lord, and introduced into the full enjoy- 
 ment of communion with him. It is however evident, that 
 every form of the indulgence of sloth, every allowance of un- 
 belief, and the influence of obscure apprehension of the gos- 
 pel, operate prejudicially to the interests of the church and of 
 true religion. For thus religion is presented to the world in 
 a false and unattractive garb. The standard of holiness is 
 lowered in the defect of that enlivening sense of redeeming 
 love, which conciliates, engages, and captivates the heart. 
 Little is known of that support of the promises of God, which 
 over-balances all difficulties, real and apparent, and adds 
 more to the enjoyment of life, than suffering can take away. 
 This evil will be generally traced, except in cases of moral 
 delinquency or constitutional weakness, to the secret root of 
 self-righteousness. The simplicity of faith in the contempla- 
 tion of its great object is obscured by an undue and unevan- 
 gelical dependence upon evidences. These, though they have 
 their legitimate use as the confirmation of our hope, must have 
 no connexion with its foundation. When the perception of 
 clear evidence is deficient (as in times of temptation espe- 
 cially is often the case), faith, leaning upon his ever-chang- 
 ing support, becomes uncertain, unsettled, and unfruitful. 
 Whereas under the darkest destitution of internal sources of 
 comfort, the offer, invitation, encouragement, and promise of 
 the gospel, addressed to sinners is an unfailing and sufficient 
 warrant, such as nothing in ourselves can make more com- 
 plete. Let then faith be distinctly and explicitly exer- 
 cised. Let clear apprehensions of the ground of comfort be 
 diligently sought. Let the testimony of the word, not the 
 feelings of our heart, be the foundation of our hope. Let 
 Christ be regarded as the only fountain of life, light and con- 
 solation. Thus will " Grace and peace be multiplied unto us 
 through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord." 
 
 We close this section with giving at some length, and with 
 interesting variety of illustration, Miss Graham's sentiments 
 upon Conformity to the World; a subject of vital moment to 
 the integrity, consistency, and fruitfulness of the Christian 
 profession. 
 
 The first letter commences with a few remarks, not imme- 
 diately relevant to the subject, but which will be read with 
 interest. 
 
 n 2 
 
146 MEMOIR OP 
 
 Stoke, Feb. 21, 1827. 
 
 4 It seems to me that all the Lord's dealings with his re- 
 deemed children speak this language — " Cease ye from man." 
 Put not your trust in any earthly comforter. Lean not on 
 any arm but the arm of your Beloved. " For the hearts of 
 the people" of this world " are full of idols." Self is the great 
 idol, that is loved and honoured more than God. Then comes 
 a multitude of lesser things, all subservient to this one; and 
 if some little corner in the heart is reserved for God, or if 
 the shadow of a throne is set up, where he may sit on solemn 
 occasions, at the pleasure of the great idol, then they think 
 all is going on well ; and God loved as much as he could 
 reasonably expect to he loved by creatures who have such a 
 press of business on their hands. But, my beloved friend, we 
 may not do so. God has purchased us for his own inheritance, 
 will have our whole heart and our whole dependence ; and 
 though we must rejoice in the friends he gives us, yet we 
 must not think we cannot do without them ; or that we should 
 go on better, if we had more of their help. Christ is all- 
 sufficient, and teaches, comforts, and reproves in his own 
 time and way, and by his own means, without any need of 
 our direction. In looking back to every event of my life, 
 since I have known something of the grace of God, I find 
 that there never has been any thing on which I very much 
 depended, but God has straightway removed or embittered 
 that thing, or in some way made it useless to me, till I re- 
 turned to place my whole dependence on him. But let us 
 not accuse our dearest Lord of acting unkindly towards us in 
 sending these disappointments ; for he only takes away other 
 helps and props, to make room for himself. He loves us 
 too well to suffer any rival in our affections. 
 
 * I have read your letter over and over, and scarcely know 
 how to answer it, or what to make of it. O that you had 
 some better counseller than I ! for 1 know not how to advise 
 you. I fear lest you should think me strict and gloomy, if I 
 tell you all I think ; but I will tell you, since you desire it ; 
 and I know that God is able and willing too to give you joys 
 so much superior to every worldly amusement, that you will 
 wonder you could ever think them worth a thought. I must 
 say then, that the world and worldly amusements, appear to 
 me quite inconsistent with the character of a real Christian; 
 and that we never can enjoy happy converse with God till we 
 give them up. The Christian is described in the Scriptures, 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 147 
 
 as " the temple of the living God." Now where the holy- 
 God takes up his abode, surely that heart must be sanctified 
 and set apart from every common use, wholly devoted to his 
 service. But can God and the world reign in the same heart, 
 or as it were reign by turns 1 Shall we admit the Lord of 
 glory in the morning, and shut him out in the evening, while 
 we are going to a ball or a play 1 for we may be well assured he 
 will not go with us there. The spirit of the world, which 
 reigns in such places, is quite opposite to his Spirit; and 
 "the friendship of the world," which is there sought, "is 
 enmity with God." I know this would be called uncharita- 
 ble ; but I do not wish to be more charitable than the Bible : 
 and surely experience proves it to be true ; for go into any 
 fashionable assembly whatever, and there begin to speak 
 of those things of which we ought to talk, "when we are 
 sitting in the house, and when we walk by the way, and 
 when we lie down, and when we rise up ;" and see if polite- 
 ness itself can suppress a smile at your strange and unwarrant- 
 able impertinence, in forcing the attention of the company to 
 subjects, which they are met for the very purpose of forgetting. 
 No, my dear friend, that cannot be a proper place for a Chris- 
 tian, where religion is the thing that, must not be named ; and 
 where even something in our hearts will tell us, that such 
 subjects are oat of place. Neither can you say, your own 
 heart may be as well employed there as elsewhere; for the 
 very sweetest meditation on heavenly things (if we could 
 thus meditate in the midst of vanity) would be spoiled by 
 the thought, that there were none who enjoyed like communion 
 with ourselves ; and we should soon have to " seek with 
 Joseph a place to weep in," to weep over our companions 
 and friends, who are thus "feeding on ashes," delighting 
 themselves in things which cannot profit. The fact is, when 
 Christians are at a place of worldly amusement (if Christians 
 are to be found who will venture themselves so unguardedly 
 into Satan's strong places), they must either have heavenly 
 thoughts (and then the amusement would appear so vapid, 
 disgusting, and uninteresting, that they would never be 
 able to stay it out), or else, if the amusement is an amuse- 
 ment to them, it fills their hearts with a crowd of vain 
 thoughts, shuts out Christ, and lets in self and the world, and 
 so prepares room for doubts, and fears, and much bitter repent- 
 ance, before the Spirit will again shine upon a heart which 
 has so wantonly despised his grace. 
 
14S MEMOIR OP 
 
 But many will say — ' All this may take place if we stay at 
 home ;' our worldly hearts may let in many intruders there ; 
 and we may be compelled to own, that we should have been 
 as well at any place of public resort, as in our own room, 
 with no one to talk to but. our own heart. This, I confess, is 
 our shame and misery, that we are so often entangled in vain 
 and worldly thoughts. But surely it does but make the argu- 
 ment stronger against indulging in any thing which tends to 
 foment such thoughts. If we are so weak, why go into 
 temptation, against which the strongest have not been able 
 to stand ? We may fall into a worldly frame of mind in the 
 absence of any worldly pleasures; but, because we have got 
 a cruel enemy within, shall we go and expose ourselves to 
 the attacks of the enemy without 1 Let us at least have the 
 comfort of not having gone in quest of our misery. Tempta- 
 tions enough will come to us ; let us not go to them. Besides, 
 it seems to me but mocking our Father which is in heaven, 
 to say one hour — " Lead us not into temptation" — when we 
 have coolly made up our mind to rush into it the next. From 
 the evil of such a temptation, can we hope that he will deli- 
 ver us 1 Let me draw your attention to the sweet precept of 
 our Lord — " Let your l«ins be girded about, and your lights 
 burning ; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their 
 Lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he 
 cometh and knocketh, they may open to him immediately !" 
 
 Now, dear , I am sure you would not choose, that your 
 
 Lord should come for you, while engaged in worldly amuse- 
 ments ; nor would you feel, that he found you watching ; nor 
 would you be ready to " open immediately ,•" but would rather 
 ask time to collect your scattered thoughts, and trim your 
 wasted lamp. If we were to ask the blessed in heaven, or 
 the tormented in hell, what they think of such employments, 
 would not the one smile with pity at the question, and the 
 other exclaim with rage — ' O that I had but one of those 
 hours you are thus throwing away ! You should see whether 
 I would let the precious moments pass in such vanities as 
 these !' Forgive me, if I have said too much. Indeed I 
 should tremble for you, going into such a difficult situation, 
 if I did not know, that God can take as much care of you 
 there, as in a more retired place. 
 
 * I do earnestly desire, that the blessing of a single eye and 
 undivided heart may be yours. There is no comfort in being 
 an undecided Christian; and Christ himself has declared 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 149 
 
 that such a character is hateful to him. But this will not be 
 the case with you : He who has helped you thus far, will go 
 on leading you by the hand, till he has brought you to glory. 
 You ask me — ' How we are to wean our hearts from the 
 world V I know no other answer, but that which the Scrip- 
 ture gives. A believing view of Jesus must make the world 
 look dark and insignificant: and whenever we begin to love 
 it too much, we have only to apply to him, who has said to 
 us — "Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world;" and 
 his mighty power shall be put forth to enable us to overcome 
 it also. I used to make many resolutions against a worldly 
 spirit, and try many ways to break myself of it; and these 
 resolutions were repeatedly broken; but now I have but one 
 way ; I try to take my heart to Jesus, believing that the vic- 
 tory is already mine for his sake. ' Lord, thou hast promised 
 that " sin shall not have dominion over me." Thou hast 
 said, that every one that is "born of thee overcometh the 
 world." FuMl thy gracious promise, and make me " more 
 than conqueror" in thy might! Thou hast "given thyself 
 for my sins, that thou mightest deliver me from this present 
 world ;" and wilt thou now leave me to be taken captive by 
 
 this evil w T orld 1 O dear , the faithful God must become 
 
 like unto lying, promise-breaking man, before he can refuse 
 to help his servants, who thus cast themselves on his word 
 of promise; and disclaim all wisdom, strength, and goodness 
 but his. The world and the things of the world, as " a strong 
 man armed, who keepeth his goods in peace," must continue 
 to have possession of our hearts, till Christ, who is " stronger 
 than" the world, break in, and claims the house of the strong 
 man, as a mansion for his Spirit to dwell in. Cast yourself 
 then without fear upon the free mercy of God in Christ Jesus. 
 The more worldly and wicked you feel yourself to be, the 
 more he is concerned to' show his power and faithfulness in 
 saving you from your worldliness and wickedness.' 
 
 The next letter upon the same subject was written shortly 
 afterwards to another correspondent, whom she regarded with 
 the most lively affection, as having been made instrumental 
 in communicating to her soul the knowledge and love of her 
 Saviour. 
 
 March 22, 1827. 
 'You must, I think, have misunderstood my meaning about 
 worldly company and amusements. J^et us but have a right 
 
150 MEMOIR-OF 
 
 motive for doing so, and I think we may safely go into any 
 company whatever. The word of God affords us two valu- 
 able rules for all our actions, and if we could set them always 
 before our eyes, I believe we should seldom be at a loss as to 
 the conduct we ought to pursue. "Whether therefore ye 
 eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 
 And — whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of 
 the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." 
 Let us then always ask ourselves, before we set about any 
 stud) 7 , or employment, or enter into any company — 'Am I 
 doing this " to the glory of God % n Is it my sole, or at least 
 my principal motive ? Can I " do it in the name of the Lord 
 Jesus !" Can I boldly say — it is such an action as he would 
 approve of? And can I look up to him all the time I am do- 
 ing it, for his sanction and blessing !' If you can answer 
 this question satisfactorily, the action, whatever it be, must 
 be right; and there can be no danger attending the perform- 
 ance of it. If, on the contrary, your mind recoils from even 
 asking such a question, be assured there is something wrong 
 in it, and that you would do well to give it up. It is a hard 
 lesson to our carnal hearts, but one which the love of Jesus can 
 make easy to us ; that from the moment we take refuge at the 
 cross of Jesus, and are "washed from our sins in his blood — 
 from that happy moment we are "no longer our own," and 
 must make it our one business to " glorify God in our body 
 and spirit, which are God's." This seems to me the great 
 and marked distinction between the Christian and the world- 
 ling. The one lives to himself; the other "to him who died 
 for him and rose again." The one consults his own pleasure, 
 ease, and safety, " leans to his own understanding," and seeks 
 his own glory. The other prays that his will may be quite 
 swallowed up in the will of Jesus, " ceases from his own 
 wisdom," and makes " Christ his wisdom." He no longer 
 " receives the honour which cometh of man ;" but desires 
 that Christ, the Author of all his good things, may have all 
 the glory of them. His fleshy nature, or — as St. Paul calls 
 it, the old man — strives hard against this, and would lead 
 him to please and honour himself again ; and this is the great 
 conflict between the flesh and the spirit, which makes the 
 Christian life so truly called a warfare. This conflict has 
 already begun in you, my dearest friend, and will never cease, 
 till death takes you from sense and self, to where you shall 
 see Jesus as he is, and wonder that you could ever prefer any 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 151 
 
 thing- to him. No wonder you find it a hard and strange 
 conflict. Parting- with self-seeking-, self-honouring' and-self- 
 righteousness, is far more painful, than cutting- off a right 
 hand, or plucking out a right eye. " With man indeed this 
 is impossible; but with" Jesus "all things are possible." 
 Taking this consideration with us then, that Christ — not self 
 — is to be the end of all our actions, and that " whether we 
 eat, or drink," or speak, or go in or out, or are alone or in 
 company, engaged in study or recreation, we must "do all 
 to the glory of God,'' and " in the name of the Lord Jesus" — 
 I think it will give us a very different view of our duty as to 
 worldly company and employments, from any that worldly 
 wisdom or policy can give us. 
 
 It cannot be, however, for the glory of God, that we should 
 show ourselves morose and unsociable. The friends and re- 
 lations we have are his gifts, and therefore must not be des- 
 pised or neglected. Besides, we ought to bear in mind, that 
 the redeemed of Christ are "the salt of the earth," "a pe- 
 culiar people," created anew in Christ Jesus for the very pur- 
 pose of " showing forth his praises ;" and how can we do this, 
 if we shut ourselves out altogether from the world 1 It is 
 false humility, which makes us say — ' I can never do any 
 good,' — for the meaner the instrument, the more is the glory 
 of God displayed in doing good with it; and as it is all God's 
 doing and not ours, we have no reason to be proud of it, but 
 rather to be abased at the sight of our own unfitness. I own 
 to you, that I consider it the greatest blessing to a worldly 
 family to have but one Christian among them (though I 
 know they think it a sad interruption;) for who can tell but 
 God may hear the prayers and tears of that one, and make 
 him or her the messenger of peace to the rest 1 Thus far 
 then, I think it must be right to go into worldly company, in 
 the discharge of relative duties not plainly inconsistent with 
 the word of God ; or to avail ourselves of any providential 
 opportunities of Christian usefulness. Let us however be 
 careful, that our own spiritual state is not affected by it ; for 
 we can never be required to enter into any thing to the hurt 
 of our own souls. But on the other hand, my dear friend, I 
 think, if we really love Christ, this occasional mixing with 
 worldly company will be rather a sacrifice than a pleasure to 
 us. For think, what it is to go amongst worldly people " in 
 the name of the Lord Jesus," and "to the glory of our God." 
 Even if we do not feel ourselves called on to speak to them 
 
152 MEMOIR OF 
 
 directly on the subject; still, if we keep this aim in view, in 
 how many little things must we show that our sentiments are 
 opposite to theirs! and if they know that we profess religion, 
 we may be almost sure, that they view us with secret dis- 
 like and contempt; for "the carnal heart is" and always 
 will be " enmity against God" and his people. I have sel- 
 dom been into worldly company, without feeling either very 
 uncomfortable all the time I was in it, or very unhappy as 
 soon as I came out of it ; for if God enabled me to keep his 
 glory in view, the sight of so many soul§ perishing in a vain 
 confidence of their own safety ; the sense of my inability to 
 speak properly to them ; the consciousness that in many cases 
 at least they would gladly have dispensed with my company, 
 all these things could not but make me uncomfortable — not 
 unhappy ; because, supposing that I was In the clear path of 
 duty — in the midst of vain company and sad reflections, I 
 could still hold communion with Jesus. But when I lost 
 
 sight of this great end, O dear , I wish I could point to 
 
 you the anguish I have endured, that you might avoid dis- 
 honouring your Saviour as I have done ! Very, very often 
 this has been my wretched case : — ' What will people think 
 of me, if I set up to be so much better than others V This 
 ensnaring question has often made me put on a levity of sen- 
 timent and manner, which I did not at first feel, but which, 
 persisted in, has become real ; and I have been in heart as 
 well as in appearance, the worldliest of the worldly. And 
 when even I have returned home, God has often seen fit to 
 visit this sin, by leaving me still to backslide in heart, and to 
 be " filled with my own ways ;" and when I have come to 
 myself, (for he has never quite left me, nor ever will,) how 
 can I describe the bitterness of thinking, that I had done dis- 
 honour to the cause of my only friend, lost the sweet sense of 
 his redeeming love, missed many opportunities of saying a 
 word which he might have blessed, and by my light and fool-- 
 ish conduct given occasion to the world to think, that reli- 
 gion was a thing in word only, not in power ! 
 
 * I have told you my experience ; but I believe it is more 
 or less what every Christian feels ; only few have been so 
 very guilty in this respect as I have. Even now, though I 
 know, that all these sins are washed away in my Redeemer's 
 blood, I cannot reflect without the deepest self-abhorrence on 
 the vain and foolish conduct I often indulged in at , par- 
 ticularly the sin of evil speaking, which I gave way to there 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 153 
 
 more than any where. I might add that of sabbath-breaking. 
 Do not think that I mean to lay it to their charge ; O no, I 
 only mean, that by going into the society of worldly people, 
 if I may so say, without my armour on, I became as vain as 
 they ; and much more sinful ; because I sinned against light 
 and grace. Surely then, if we consider these drawbacks, 
 worldly people will not be our chosen companions ; and we 
 shall go among them when we do, as a duty rather than a 
 pleasure. 
 
 ' With regard to the theatre, and amusements of this kind, 
 Christians must have little to do, if they can find time for 
 them. But if they could find time, I confess I am at a loss 
 to see what business they can find there. Are not the senti- 
 ments usually uttered in such places quite in opposition to the 
 precepts of God's word \ Are not pride, vain glory, self-de- 
 struction, hatred, dissipation, unlawful attachments, held up 
 to our admiration in many theatrical compositions, considered 
 as trivial faults in most of them, and detested upon right prin- 
 ciples in none 1 You profess as a Christian to make Jesus 
 your happiness. What can you find here to bring you into 
 communion with him 1 You profess to make his glory your 
 aim. Can you then sit with complacency, and hear a com- 
 pany of your fellow-creatures, with immortal souls, uttering 
 sentiments which only tend to make them despise Christ 
 
 and his ways 1 But I will leave the subject, dear , only 
 
 adding, that I do not wish you to give up this amusement 
 from what 1 say, but from the settled conviction of your own 
 mind, after prayer for Divine teaching. If then you find, 
 tiiat you can neither " do it to the glory of God, or in the 
 name of Jesus," I will not try to dissuade you from it. I 
 was once induced to attend ' Matthews at Home,' and shall 
 never forget the sensation I felt, when he told us how his fa- 
 ther, who was a good kind of man, but too religious, had tried 
 to keep him from coming on the stage. When I looked 
 round, and saw the merriment expressed in every face, I could 
 not help saying to myself, 'This is no place for me; there 
 are no lovers of Christ here ; for " charity rejoiceth not in in- 
 iquity," as these poor deluded people are doing.' 
 
 'And now, my dearest friend, I have proposed many pri- 
 vations to you ; and what have I to offer you in return 1 
 Nothing but the love of Jesus ; nay, that is yours already ; 
 for if you are enabled to give these things up, it will be — not 
 that he may love you, but because he has loved you. The 
 
154 
 
 MEMOIR OF 
 
 blessed spirits above want nothing else to make them happy; 
 and we soon hope to taste their happiness ; hut if it cannot 
 make us happy here, then heaven itself would not make us 
 happy. O let us pray for this love. Let us cast pff the spi- 
 rit of bondage, and not come to God as slaves who must serve 
 him ; but as his redeemed children, who love to serve him, and 
 who find his " service perfect freedom." Let us pray that 
 more of " the love of God may be shed abroad in our hearts." 
 Let us beseech the Holy Ghost to " take of the things of 
 Jesus, and show them to us." Let us study all the sweet 
 relations in which he has revealed himself to us in the Scrip- 
 tures, Father, brother, friend, husband, lover. Here is per- 
 petual and rational study for us ; and the more we follow it, 
 the sweeter we shall find it. It is but a little ray of this love 
 that as yet has warmed my heart ; yet 1 can tell you, dearest 
 and most beloved friend, that it is worth renouncing ten 
 thousand worlds for. The Lord Jesus has sometimes drawn 
 near to me with such unspeakable sweetness, that I have 
 thought all the lovely relations of life, father, husband, friend, 
 had no beauty in them, except as they served to shadow forth 
 the immense love of our reconciled God in Him, and the near 
 and intimate communion to which he admits his chosen and 
 redeemed people. O my friend, he has chosen you! What 
 a wonder of love is here ! He has redeemed you, at the 
 price of his own precious blood, "from this evil world." 
 Will you linger in it any longer 1 God forbid ! May the 
 Spirit of God " fill you with such peace and joy in believing," 
 as may make the world and the things of it appear to you in 
 their true light! Remember, this is not your home. We are 
 " strangers and pilgrims" here. Let not the world see, that 
 the joys of the love of Christ, and communion with him, are 
 not enough to occupy us, without having recourse to the many 
 vain and trifling ways they have invented of killing time, and 
 driving eternity out of their thoughts. If we want strength, 
 there is fulness of strength and grace treasured up for us in 
 Jesus ; and we have only to seek it by earnest prayer. I 
 wish you would pray for more experience of his love to you. 
 This would convince you more than all the arguments in the 
 world of the vanity of every thing, which can tend to divert 
 your mind from him. In seeking his love, may you be able 
 to say with Jacob — "I will not let thee go, except thou bless 
 me." I shall look for your next very anxiously. Do not let 
 the words ' affected,' ' precise,' ' hypocrite,' l enthusiast,' 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 
 
 155 
 
 «fool,' 'madman,' and many other epithets, which perhaps 
 you will hear lavished upon the followers of the Lamb, dis- 
 courage you from making his cause and people your own. I 
 cannot but remind you— that " all who will live godly in 
 Christ Jesus, must suffer persecution." Not perhaps open 
 persecution now, but ridicule, dislike, sneering, either open or 
 secret, must be your lot, if you determine to " be not con- 
 formed to this world." We must not think it hard, or be 
 angry or disheartened, if these things come upon us ; for our 
 Master was " a scorn and a derision to all around him." 
 
 ' Do not cease to love me, and think of me always, dearest 
 , as your most affectionately and entirely attached. 
 
 ' P. S. I earnestly join in your wish, that this may be the 
 commencement of a new and blessed period of your life. 
 May every future year see us walking more closely and more 
 humbly with God.' 
 
 In a third letter to her cousin about a month subsequent, 
 she again reverts to her Scriptural Rules. 
 
 April 20, 1827. 
 * I feel exceedingly at a loss, my dear friend, how to an- 
 swer your interesting question — " What is the meaning of 
 giving up the world %" For I do not consider, that giving up 
 the world consists in renouncing its amusements, its com- 
 pany, its pursuits, so much as in putting off its temper and 
 spirit, that we may put on the spirit and temper that was in 
 Christ Jesus. W T hen the spirit of the world is thus ex- 
 changed for the spirit of Christ, the amusements and gaieties 
 of the world, must (not perhaps all at once, but gradually 
 and surely) come to be extremely vain and unsatisfying in 
 our opinion. For though the word "communion with God" 
 is considered as the mere creation of an enthusiastic imagina- 
 tion, yet if we will allow the Scriptures to be true, we must 
 allow that there is such a thing as '* holding fellowship with 
 the Father and the Son," as " walking with God" day by 
 day "in perfect peace," as "having Christ living in us," 
 and " his Holy Spirit abiding in us ;" for by this, and by this 
 only can we know that we are in Christ, even by his Spirit 
 which abideth in us. Now let us suppose a person enjoying 
 — not the flights of a false and self-seeking devotion—but 
 real, sober, scriptural converse with God, and that daily; 
 must not this be a happiness superior to any the world can 
 give ] See what David thought of it—" As the hart panteth 
 
156 MEMOIR OF 
 
 after the water-brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. 
 My soul thirstcth for God, for the living God : Thou, O Lord 
 God, art the thing that I long for. Whom have I in heaven 
 but thee 1 ? and there is none upon earth I desire besides thee. 
 My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judg- 
 ments at all times. In God is my salvation and my glory ; 
 the rock of my strength, and my refuge is in God. My soul 
 shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth 
 shall praise thee with joyful lips, when I remember thee," 
 &c. &c. And so in a thousand songs of love has David left 
 on record what he thought of u communion with God." 
 What must have been Job's view of the subject, when he 
 said — " My friends scorn me, but mine eye poureth out tears 
 unto God. O that I knew where I might find him ! that I 
 might come even to his seat ! I would order my cause before 
 him, and fill my mouth with arguments !" — Isaiah's — when 
 he said, " O Lord, the desire of our soul is unto thy name, 
 and to the remembrance of thee ! With my soul have I de- 
 sired thee in the night ; yea, with my spirit within me will I 
 seek thee early !" But I need not multiply proofs of what 
 seems to need no proof — that communion with his Creator is 
 the best, and noblest, and happiest thing of which a creature 
 is capable. Then will not they who enjoy this communion, 
 very carefully avoid whatever may tend to rob them of it ? 
 They will soon find that converse with the world (unless as 
 far as duty or necessity lead them to it) is not compatible with 
 converse with God : for if they conform to this world's habits 
 and opinions, they deprive themselves of all scriptural claim 
 to hope that God dwells in them, and they in him. But if, 
 on the contrary, they are " transformed in the spirit of their 
 minds," tbey will soon find that the world will dislike or 
 ridicule them. But until we are delivered from the spirit of 
 the world, I cannot see how we can reasonably be expected 
 to see any harm whatever in the customs of the world. Let 
 the world that dwells and rules within be deposed, and the 
 world without will soon lose its undue influence over us. 
 
 But, dearest , let us " stick to" the Scriptures as our rule 
 
 and standard in every thing, (thus our doubts upon every sub- 
 ject will be quickly satisfied) ; and let us study them with 
 prayer, that he, "who commanded the light to shine out of 
 darkness, would shine into our dark hearts, to give them the 
 knowledge of the glory" of the gospel of God. We shall not 
 ask in vain; for " God giveth wisdom liberally, and without 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 157 
 
 upbraiding-." May he give you that " wisdom which is from 
 above;" since not all the wisdom of this world can find out 
 God. There are in the sacred word two rules, which, if kept 
 in view, might be a lamp to guide our feet in the darkest and 
 most perplexing moments — " Whether ye eat, or drink, or 
 whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.'''' " Whatever ye 
 do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus." 
 Now in going to a ball, or a play, merely to indulge my own 
 vanity, or gratify my own inclination, I could not say — I am 
 "doing this to the glory of God"— I could not set about it 
 "in the name of the Lord Jesus;" therefore as a Christian, 
 I think I have no right to do it at all. But if any one could 
 go to the glory of God, I cannot dispute their right to going. 
 In visiting my friends, and spending a little intercourse in 
 social converse with them, I have no feeling of this kind to 
 draw me back ; for God has given us our friends, and there- 
 fore requires us to be active in every social duty; and reli- 
 gion has done little for us, if it has taught us to be more mo- 
 rose and unsociable ; for the very soul of religion is to live 
 not to ourselves, but to others. Still I think as far as we 
 can, we should choose our friends rather among the friends 
 of God, than among the friends and followers of the world. 
 You mention music ; — so far from thinking it wrong in all 
 cases, I think, in my own, it is absolutely a religious duty to 
 pursue music, as far as my health will permit ; and I think 
 the same with regard to you. But supposing we had no 
 particular object in studying it, still I think that music, as 
 affording a pleasing and innocent source of amusement to 
 ourselves and others, cannot be considered wrong, though I 
 should think it wrong to give more than a very moderate time 
 to it, or to let it encroach upon any other duty. For a real 
 Christian — to say the least of it — has so great a work in 
 hand ; so many really important and interesting objects 
 daily solicit his attention, excite his energies, and set every 
 faculty of soul and body to work ; that he or she can have 
 very little time to throw away upon mere amusements. I 
 have given you my opinion as well as I can, because you 
 asked me, not because lavish or expect you to be guided by 
 it; for I am persuaded, that if you continue searching the 
 Bible with earnest prayer, God himself will lead you into 
 every good and pleasant way. I have known many religious 
 people, who have not seen the necessity of separating them- 
 selves entirely from the world at first ; but I never knew any 
 o 2 
 
158 MEMOIR OF 
 
 one who did not see it at last. Let me then close this subject, 
 dearest , by calling- to your remembrance that encourag- 
 ing invitation in Corinthians: "Wherefore come out from 
 among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not 
 the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will 'be a Fa- 
 ther unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith 
 the Lord Almighty." 
 
 These letters will, we think, be admitted to discuss this 
 important subject with much Christian wisdom and spiritu- 
 ality. Here are no harsh sweeping denunciations, but a 
 plain reference to the rules of Christ ; to the general princi- 
 ples, taste, and spirit of the gospel ; and to the test of con- 
 science and experience. Two particulars are worthy of spe- 
 cial remark — her principle, and her rules. 
 
 Her principle is the superior attractiveness of the gospel, 
 as the only effectual opposition to a worldly spirit — * A be- 
 lieving view of Christ' — as she justly observed — ' must make 
 the world look dark and insignificant.' The merchantman 
 would never have suffered his " goodly pearls" to be snatch- 
 ed from him ; but the first sight of " the pearl of great price" 
 was sufficient inducement to him gladly to relinquish them. 
 The apostle would never have yielded up his good name in 
 the church with all his other sources of gain to the persua- 
 sive power of argument. But " the excellency of the know- 
 ledge of Christ Jesus his Lord" once manifested to his soul, 
 made what before was his all, now " loss" — yea — " dung" 
 in his sight. Thus in every case, simple faith is the princi- 
 ple of Christian decision. 
 
 It is often a ground of self-delusive complaint — ' If we 
 were less entangled with the world, we should reach to far 
 higher attainments in the excellency of this heavenly know- 
 ledge.' This is doubtless a truth. Yet the converse is per- 
 haps the most accurate and important statement. It is because 
 we know so little of Christ, that we are so much entangled 
 with the world. Here we have the radical principle of the 
 evil laid open. General and superficial views of our glorious 
 Saviour offer but a feeble resistance to the mighty, subtle, 
 and incessant operation of a worldly, spirit. Deep, self-abas- 
 ing, and spiritual apprehensions of the gospel must be perse- 
 veringly sought for, and maintained in constant exercise 
 under Divine teaching and grace. To the heart thus attracted 
 to Christ by the active contemplation of faith — the world in 
 its most alluring forms, will ever be a crucified object, an 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 1 59 
 
 object of shame and revulsion. And if this heavenly con- 
 templation be followed out in all his relations to us of infinite 
 tenderness and love, how will it cover us with shame, that a 
 moment should ever have been found for any other object of 
 paramount desire, affection, and interest ! We must however 
 carry this powerful principle of faith into all the particulars 
 of practical application. We must not forget the supreme 
 authority of the Scriptural commands for non-conformity to 
 the world ; nor must we refrain from rebuking whatever ap- 
 pears to us in detail, to be inconsistent with these commands. 
 But except our remonstrances are grounded upon th^full and 
 clear principles of the gospel, we shall — instead of "laying 
 the axe to the root of the tree" — only prune the branches for 
 more luxuriant fruitfulness. The worldly taste may he re- 
 strained — but not subjugated ; and the heart, if it be even 
 partially drawn from the world, will be turned to self-righteous- 
 ness, not to Christ. 
 
 As to Miss Graham's rules, it is a vain attempt to fix pre- 
 cise limits to every particular act. Yet the Scriptural rules 
 which she has adduced, may be brought to bear upon every 
 difficulty ; and if the application of them will not make us 
 infallibly right, it will at least preserve us from being mate- 
 rially wrong. The force of relative obligation as an ordi- 
 nance of God is in clear conformity with these rules, and as 
 such is strongly inculcated by Miss Graham ; while at the 
 same time it is never made an excuse for overstepping the 
 line of demarcation, and always placed in connection with 
 faithfulness and decision of conduct. The point of worldly 
 conformity commences, and the habit of it is strengthened, in 
 the neglect of Christian simplicity of profession. Either 
 these rules are not spiritually apprehended, or they are not 
 conscientiously regarded, or there is a want of intelligent ca- 
 pacity to apply them. Many young inquirers of unformed 
 habits and unexercised profession have lost their slight im- 
 pressions of religion in an unguarded association with the 
 world. And how many more established professors have by 
 unspiritual habits become unconsciously conformed to the 
 taste, maxims, or society of the world, even while they have 
 " escaped its" external " pollutions." We would earnestly 
 recommend the application of these rules to every step and 
 point of contact with the world. Let them be the test for 
 the daily " trial of our spirit." Let us cultivate that tender 
 susceptibility of conscience, which impressed this devoted 
 
160 MEMOIR OF 
 
 child of God with poignant sorrow and humiliation in a sin- 
 gle instance of overstepping the boundary, or neglecting the 
 rule, of her Christian profession. We are persuaded that 
 this habit of mind diligently cherished, would issue in the 
 conviction, that the points of necessary or hopeful intercourse 
 with the world, are not so frequent as were imagined; that 
 the rational pleasure of its society ill compensates for the 
 painful loss that is felt in the secret retirement ; that posi- 
 tive evil belongs to unnecessary communication with it; and 
 that increasing circumspection is needed even in the path of 
 duty. The responsibility of maintaining our profession will 
 be more deeply felt; and a path of retreat sought for, where 
 that profession seems to be impracticable. We shall walk 
 not by expediency, but by rule. Self-indulgence will yield 
 to the dictates of conscience, and double-mindedness to the 
 simplicity of the gospel. " The eye being thus single, the 
 whole body will be full of light." Religion will assume a 
 different caste. It will be marked by a holy and heavenly 
 stamp. It will be — not a system of restraints — but a religion 
 of privilege — the strictness of its rules wholly divested of 
 moroseness, and forming an effectual safeguard of its con- 
 sistency and fruitfulness. Thus God will be seen in his 
 true character, as " having pleasure in the prosperity of his 
 servant," who needs not to be beholden to the world for that 
 happiness, which it promises to its votaries in substance, but 
 gives only in shadow and delusion. 
 
 The length and seriousness of this important discussion 
 may be happily relieved by a sprightly effort of Miss Gra- 
 ham's imagination, bearing immediately upon our subject. It 
 was written impromptu in her friend's manuscript book. 
 The picture was probably suggested by her residence on the 
 sea-side. 
 
 February, 1830. 
 
 "Thy people shall be my people." — Ruth i. 16. 'I have 
 sometimes thought, that the Christian, who willingly casts his 
 lot amongst those to whom the doctrine of the cross is foolish- 
 ness, and sits down in the world as if he were of the world, is 
 like the foolish little bird that should build its nest in the mast 
 of some tall ship. At first it seems a place of security and peace ; 
 but soon the vessel looses from its anchor, and the little song- 
 ster is borne away it knows not whither. The trees and flowery 
 hedges, and bright sunny meadows, are fast going out of 
 sight. Fain would the poor bird spread its wings and re- 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 161 
 
 gain them : but how can it leave its nestlings, its treasures, 
 which it has confided to that strange and troubled dwelling ! 
 No, no; its all is launched into the deep ; and with anxious, 
 constant care it must hover round the dear nest, and seek for 
 strange and scanty food for its young. And at first the vessel 
 may., glide smootly on, while the wind gently plays with its 
 sails, and the sun lights them up to a snowy whiteness, and 
 the gilded waves break in sparkles round the stately prow. 
 Then the little visitant pours forth its sweet song, and glad- 
 dens the sailor's heart by the fond tale it tells him of happi- 
 ness and home. Yet all the while it is only lamenting its 
 desolation, and pining after the pleasant haunts in the green 
 wood, and the dear companions, by whom its notes were an- 
 swered from bush to bush, till the very boughs waved in joy 
 to their merry strains. But O ! poor bird, if a storm arise, 
 how wilt thou flutter round thy nestlings, and tremble lest 
 they should be swept away by the pitiless waves, or chilled 
 into death by the piercing winds ! Yes, little trembler, thou 
 hast placed thyself and thine offspring in a perilous situation ; 
 nor is it thou that canst save them, but thy Father and ours, 
 without whom not so much as a sparrow falleth to the 
 ground. He it was that took care of thee, when thou wast 
 safely lodged in thine own leafy branches ; and he can take 
 care of thee now, can teach the rude sailor to respect thy 
 helplessness, and hush the stormy winds, that they ruffle not 
 a feather of thy wing. And thus, Christian, if thou hast 
 wilfully withdrawn thyself from the shadow of that tree, 
 which spreads forth its branches for all the fowls of heaven 
 to dwell in ; if thou hast made thee a home away from the 
 Lord's people ; many a bitter hour of loneliness and desola- 
 tion shalt thou have, while thou art "singing the Lord's 
 song, in a strange land. Thou shalt rue thy folly, and be 
 humbled for it. Yet be not utterly cast down, but still trust 
 in thy God, who will not fail to rebuke and chasten, but will 
 never leave thee nor forsake thee.' 
 
 IV. Her sentiments upon miscellaneous subjects. 
 
 We now conclude this long series of quotation, with some 
 extracts of a more miscellaneous character. 
 
 It is delightful to observe all her views of science, extensive 
 and accurate as they were, to have been received and enjoyed 
 through a heavenly medium. Whichever way she looked in 
 
162 MEMOIR OF 
 
 this wide expanse, her eye was transfixed in the contempla- 
 tion of the unsearchable mysteries of redeeming love. We 
 may instance the following 1 sketch of Christian Astronomy — 
 extracted from her manuscript. Speaking of the withering 
 influence of Mathematics upon the pleasures of the imagina- 
 tion, and having (as we have already seen) suggested the 
 study of classical literature, as furnishing some antidote for 
 this evil, she further adds on this point: 
 
 ' It is scarcely possible to pursue mathematics to any ex- 
 tent, without being led by them into some of those sciences, 
 of which they form the vestibule. Astronomy, for instance, 
 presents a field for the largest and noblest exercises of the 
 imagination. The stars, ' the poetry of heaven,' afford not 
 only perpetual employment for the reason, but unbounded 
 scope to the fancy. The objects of astronomical study dis- 
 play a sublimity, which exalts the imagination ; a mystery 
 which humbles the intellect, a wisdom which enlarges every 
 faculty of the soul, and a loveliness which soothes every 
 feeling of the heart. They have, like their Divine Author, 
 " heights, depths, and breadths" — unfathomable — inscrutable. 
 Here we may soar, as upon the wings of angelic intelligence. 
 Here we may expatiate, till our minds are lost in infinity. 
 But with what unutterable astonishment does the Christian 
 astronomer gaze upon the innumerable host! He is con- 
 scious that God is all around him. His mind is possessed 
 by one idea — the presence, the immense, the all-pervading 
 presence of the God who made and upholds all these. For 
 an instant he forgets his own littleness, and becomes vast 
 as the objects of his contemplation; for there are moments 
 when the human soul seems to expand into something of its 
 original grandeur. But the humbling consciousness returns, 
 as soon as his full heart will give him leave to think, and 
 he shrinks into insignificance. It is nothing to be the least, 
 the meanest of the creatures of God. But to be a fallen-crea- 
 ture — this bows him to the dust. Sin has made him an 
 outcast from the beautiful creation, an alien from the creating 
 God. An holy God is on every side ; and he is not holy. 
 
 1 But yet his thrilling awe is cheered with joy, hope, and 
 love. "The day-star arises in his heart;" and now every 
 other star has a voice, " a still small voice ;" and tells a tale 
 of love, which the angels delight to hear : a mystery, " which 
 the angels desire to look into." 
 
 ' He who made us is " the God of thy salvation." He is 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 163 
 
 "thy Beloved and thy Friend." Thus hath the God who 
 made the heavens, who ordained the moon and the stars, been 
 mindful of man, visited him in his low estate, and "crowned 
 him with glory and honour." ' 
 
 "Praise him, ye heavens of heavens. Praise him, all ye 
 stars of light." Christians! you can "sing- praises with 
 understanding." All ye that love the Lord, praise the name 
 of the Lord. " Praise the Lord, O my soul." 
 
 While this sublime science has been perverted (as in the 
 French school of philosophy) for man's contemptuous rejec- 
 tion of his Maker, it is most refreshing to observe the magni- 
 ficent illustrations by which " the heavens," viewed through 
 the medium of Christian philosophy, " declare the glory of 
 God." In this field of elevated contemplation the eye of 
 faith " leads us up from nature," not only " to nature's God," 
 but to the Christian's God — the God of his salvation. Here 
 we discover what the " eye" of reason " has not seen, nor 
 hath ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man," un- 
 taught by God. If, as our poet of the Night has decided, 
 4 an undevout astronomer is mad,' even the devout man of 
 science is not in the full possession of his faculties, nor in the 
 enjoyment of the clear perception of the objects of his delight*- 
 ed observation, except he has been instructed in the higher 
 school of Divine science, and enabled to trace in the Maker 
 of the starry frame his God and Saviour — his faithful, un- 
 changeable, Almighty friend. 
 
 We pass to another field of science of more general inter- 
 est. Miss Graham's Musical Tract, already referred to, 
 will, it is believed, be found to give an accurate sketch of the 
 principles of its own department of the science. Its style is 
 buoyant with life, beauty, and power. It occasionally mounts 
 almost to the magnificent prose of John Milton or Jeremy 
 Taylor. Take the following as a specimen : 
 
 Speaking to her young pupil of the importance of practis- 
 ing, she sends her to the woods and groves for a stimulating 
 example of industry. 
 
 ' I can tell you that the little musicians of the grove do not 
 attain their wild and delicate modulations without practice. 
 When 1 lay in bed last summer, unable to speak or move for 
 many hours in the day, the song of the birds furnished me 
 with an inexhaustible source of amusing observation. I could 
 not but feel grateful to the melodious little creatures, who be- 
 guiled me of half my pain, and made the weary hours of sick- 
 
164 MEMOIR OF 
 
 ness fly away upon wings as light as their own. As if led 
 by an instinctive sympathy, numbers of blackbirds and 
 thrushes came to build their nests round our garden ; and the 
 wood pigeons, which had been silent the year before, renewed 
 their soft notes in the high trees by the parsonage lawn. 
 However, they were shy, and I thought myself fortunate, if once 
 or twice in the day their gentle cooing found its way to my ear. 
 But there was one thrush, whose notes I soon learned to dis- 
 tinguish from all the other thrushes ; indeed his skill seemed 
 to exceed theirs as much as Cordoba's* exceeds yours or 
 mine. Every mornings I listened for his voice, which was 
 sure to precede the matins of all the other birds. In the day 
 time, his brilliant tones were mingled and almost lost in the 
 general melody ; but as soon as the sun was preparing to set, 
 when the blackbirds had either sung themselves to sleep, or 
 were flown off to keep up their festivities elsewhere, then was 
 my thrush's practising time. He was kind enough to select 
 a tree not far from my window, while the other thrushes 
 placed themselves at a respectful distance, and edged in a 
 note here and there as they could. He opened the rehearsal 
 with a number of wild trills and calls, which I could not well 
 understand ; only they were very sweet and cheering to me ; 
 and he would pause between each, till a soft response was 
 heard from some distant bough. But when he had fixed upon 
 a little cadence which pleased him, it became a more serious 
 business. Strange to say, I could always tell when this 
 would be ; for what pleased me particularly was sure to please 
 him; so true is it that nature has given the same perception 
 of melody to man and to birds. He would chant it over in a 
 low tone two or three times, as if to make himself sure of it ; 
 then he carolled it out with triumphant glee ; then stopped 
 short on a sudden, as much as to say to his rivals — ' Which 
 of you can imitate my strains ?! Their notes sounded most 
 sweet at various distances during these little intervals ; but 
 they seemed conscious of their inferiority to my favourite, who 
 would suddenly break out into the very same melody, upon 
 which he had doubtless been musing all the while, enriching 
 it by some little note or trill, the wildest and most touch- 
 ing that ever came into a thrush's heart. I needed neither 
 concert nor music-master, while I could listen to the untaught, 
 
 * An eminent musical professor among the Spanish refugees, to 
 whom she expresses herself indebted for much valuable instruction. 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 165 
 
 but not unpremeditated, harmony of this original professor; 
 nor could I quarrel with the sickness which had been the 
 means of developing another link in that mysterious chain, 
 which binds me to the rest of creation, by opening my ear and 
 my heart more than ever to the language of universal nature. 
 But I often wished to have you with me, that you might 
 hear how much pains the birds are at to charm us with their 
 warbling. It is pretty also to hear the young birds com- 
 mence their small and faultering strains, which grow clearer 
 and louder, till they are no longer to be distinguished from 
 the rest. True, it is their profession, and we have many 
 other things to think of; but what time we do give to the 
 study of music, we should give it with our hearts, as they 
 do.' 
 
 For effective playing she gives the following sensible rules, 
 interspersing them with her own happy illustrations : 
 
 'I have told you that to play a piece effectively you must 
 comprehend it well. You must also feel it deeply. It is 
 impossible to excite lively emotions in another's breast, while 
 your own remains untouched. There are two rules, which 
 may assist you to attain quick perceptions of what is correct 
 and beautiful; and (with the help of the mechanical rules I 
 have given you) to bring those perceptions out in your own 
 performance. The first is, to cultivate a constant habit of list- 
 ening to natural sou?ids. Every thing in nature has a melody 
 which goes to the heart, and from which we may gain some 
 new and delightful ideas. I have called your attention to 
 the song of birds. Then there is the bleating of flocks, and 
 the lowing of distant herds, and the busy hum *bf insects. 
 Above all, the modulations of the human voice afford us a 
 perpetual source of observation. From thence we may 
 gather the expression of every stormy passion which agitates, 
 and every tender affection which soothes the heart. Nor can 
 we listen to the fairy tones of children, their light-hearted 
 carols, their bursts of tiny merriment, their mimic griefs, and 
 simply told stories, without imbibing some new and charm- 
 ing combinations of harmonious expression. If music brings 
 no lovely thoughts and associations to your mind, you are 
 learning it to very little purpose. If it does, an intimate ac- 
 quaintance with the music of nature will invest the express- 
 ion of those thoughts with a grace and refinement, which 
 the most persevering practice will fail to impart. Take les- 
 sons of the winds and of the waters, and of the trees; of all 
 P 
 
166 MEMOIR OF 
 
 animate and inanimate nature. So shall the very spirit of 
 sweet sound and expression enter into your bosom, and lie 
 there, ready to pour itself forth upon the otherwise low and 
 mechanical music, which the pressure of your hands produces 
 on the instrument. One of Handel's finest pieces is said to 
 have been suggested by the labour of a blacksmith at his 
 anvil ; so successfully did he watch for the harmony that 
 lies wrapped up in the commonest sounds. 
 
 * The next rule I shall give you, is to listen attentively to skil- 
 ful performers ; noticing particularly what emotions are ex- 
 cited in your mind by every passage ; and by what means 
 they contrive to produce the effect which pleases you. The 
 gratification we derive from listening to music, is similar to 
 that which poetry imparts to us. Both these delightful arts 
 call into being a thousand beautiful imaginations, tender feel- 
 ings, and passionate impulses. But in reading poetry, we are 
 delighted with the thoughts of another person; and though 
 a beautiful idea will give us new pleasure every time we re- 
 cur to it, still this pleasure is little varied, and depends on 
 the conformation of the poet's mind, rather than of our own. 
 The delights of music are of our own creation. We become for 
 the time poets ourselves, and enjoy the .high privilege of in- 
 venting, combining, and diversifying, at pleasure, the images 
 which harmonious sounds raise in our minds. The selfsame 
 melody may be repeated a hundred times, and inspire each 
 time a train of thought different from the last. Sometimes 
 it will call forth all the hidden stores of memory — absent 
 friends, voices long silent in the tomb, lovely scenes, pleasant 
 walks, arid happy hours, come back to us in all their fresh- 
 ness and reality. Then the future opens its dreary prospect, 
 gilded by hope, and chastened by a mournful tenderness. 
 The exile is restored in glad anticipation to his country ; the 
 prodigal sobs out his penitence on his father's bosom ; the 
 child of affliction is safely lodged in that mansion where 
 sorrow and crying are unknown. Sometimes the past is for- 
 gotten, the future unheeded, the mind wrapped up in the 
 present consciousness of sublimity or beauty. Forms of 
 delicate loveliness, things such as dreams are made of, float 
 before the mental vision, shaped into something of a walking 
 distinctness. Thoughts too noble to last, high and holy re- 
 solves, gushings of tenderness, alternately possess our 
 minds, with emotions all equally different, and equally de- 
 lightful. The poetical inspiration of Alfieri seldom came 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 167 
 
 upon him, but when he was under the influence of music. 
 Haydn's symphonies were all composed so as to shadow 
 forth some simple and affecting story, by which the author 
 excited and varied his own feelings, and wrought them up to 
 that pitch of solemn pathos, or animated gaiety, which to 
 this day inspires all who hear his music with corresponding 
 emotions.' 
 
 The Christian tone and descriptive beauty of the conclud- 
 ing paragraphs will be generally admired. They are in the 
 style of her favourite writer, Jeremy Taylor. 
 
 ' The expression of sacred music comprehends every emo- 
 tion that can agitate the human heart, and must be felt rather 
 than described. The subdued tones of awful adoration ; the 
 impassioned fervour of desire ; the humility of prayer ; the 
 wailing of penitential sorrow ; the glad notes of thanksgiv- 
 ing ; and the loud chorus of praise ; all these have their own 
 peculiar utterance, and must be pervaded by a depth and 
 solemnity which shall distinguish them from the meaner af- 
 fections of humanity. 
 
 ' I am fearful of touching too lightly upon this hallowed 
 subject. Many young persons, when their feelings are ex- 
 cited by sacred music, imagine themselves to be bettered by 
 such feelings, and to be under the influence of genuine reli- 
 gious sentiments. But if the plain majesty of the word of 
 God does not suffice to kindle an equal fervour within us, 
 when we are reading it silently and alone, we may be sure 
 that the emotions excited by the lovely songs and pleasant 
 instruments of men are the mere ebullitions of natural feel- 
 ing, and have nothing to do with religion. Those who would 
 sing the praises of the Lord, must " sing them with under- 
 standing." The undying torch of tru^h must be lighted up 
 in that faculty, before it can set the heart in a flame. There 
 exists not a more dangerous delusion, than to mistake the 
 feverish excitement of the imagination for the cheerful and 
 steady glow of a rational devotion. 
 
 4 But while I so anxiously guard you against this pernicious 
 error, do not for a moment suppose, that I would shut you 
 out from the privilege which all creation enjoys, of sounding 
 its Maker's praise. Oh ! there is a harmony in nature, in- 
 conceivably attuned to one glad purpose! Everything in 
 the universe has a voice, with which it joins in the tribute of 
 thanksgiving. The whispers of the wind playing with the 
 summer foliage, and its fitful moanings through the autumnal 
 
168 
 
 MEMOIR OF 
 
 branches ; the broken murmur of the stream, the louder gush- 
 ing of the waterfall, and the wild roar of the cataract, all 
 speak the praises of God to our hearts. Who can sit by the 
 sea-side, when every wave lies hushed in adoration, or falls 
 upon the shore in subdued and awful cadence, without drink- 
 ing in unutterable thoughts of the majesty of God 1 The loud 
 hosannas of Ocean in the storm, and the praises of God on 
 the whirlwind, awaken us to the same lesson ; and every peal 
 of the thunder is an hallelujah to the Lord of Hosts. Oh! 
 there is a harmony in nature ! The voice of every creature 
 tells us of the goodness of God. It comes to us in the song 
 of the birds; the deep, delicious, tones in which the wood- 
 dove breathes out its happiness ; the gracefully melting des- 
 cant of the nightingale; the joyous, thrilling melody of the 
 lark ; the throstle's wild warbling, and the blackbird's tender 
 whistle ; the soft piping of the bulflnch ; the gay carol of the 
 wren ; the sprightly call of the goldfinch ; and the gentle 
 twittering of the swallow. Even now, when every other 
 bird is silent, little robin is pouring out his sweetest of all 
 sweet notes upon yonder rose-bush ; and so distinctly does he 
 thank God, who made the berries to grow for him upon the 
 hawthorn and mountain-ash, and who has put it into the heart 
 of man to love him, and strew crumbs for him when the ber- 
 ries fail, that my soul, too often insensible to its own mercies, 
 is warmed into gratitude for his. The very insect tribe have 
 entered into a covenant, that God shall at no season of the 
 year be without a witness amongst them to his praise. For 
 when the hum of the bees and the chirping of the grasshopper 
 have ceased to enliven us, and the gnat has laid by his horn, 
 then the little cricket wakens into life and song, and gladdens 
 our hearth with the same story till the winter is past. And 
 so all nature praises God, and is never weary. If then you 
 are able " to make melody in yonr heart to the Lord," let your 
 hand and your voice make melody too ; and let the faculty 
 which infinite benevolence has oreated for your enjoyment, 
 be converted, as all your other faculties should be, into the 
 instrument of praise. To know that you make this worthiest 
 use of your musical acquirements will indeed rejoice the 
 heart of your affectionate Friend and Cousin, 
 
 Mary. 
 
 The following exercise throws out some additional thoughts 
 upon the connexion of poetry and music alluded to in her 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 169 
 
 tract. It was written in the form of a letter to her cousin, 
 for the Italian master then in attendance upon them. As she 
 wrote Italian with considerable spirit, and took some pains 
 with the composition, it may have slightly suffered in a trans- 
 lation. 
 
 1824. 
 * My dear Friend — Yesterday I was told of an observation 
 you had made in the conversazione of Mr. B., (where unfor- 
 tunately I could not meet you,) and as I do not agree with 
 you upon the interesting subject then discussed, I will make 
 it the subject of this letter, begging you to excuse all the dul- 
 ness, which you will certainly find in my composition. Is it 
 possible, that you have conceived so low an opinion of the 
 pleasures derived from harmony, that they do not appear to 
 you worthy of being compared with those of poetry 1 I can- 
 not let you rest in this opinion. Allow me to impart to my 
 friend some of the delight which I find in this enchanting 
 art ! Not that I wish to say a word against poetry — that 
 purest and most sublime delight of the human mind. Too 
 dear to me are its sweet illusions, in which the usual sense 
 of the ills of the present life is lost, whilst the soul lives in a 
 world properly her own, and sports with beings created and 
 adorned by herself. My intention is only to show you that 
 the pleasures derived from music are not inferior to those of 
 poetry, that both proceed from the same source, and mutually 
 assist and heighten each other. You will perhaps remind 
 me of the great antiquity of poetry, and that from the most 
 remote ages it has been the solace of the wounded heart. 
 But this 1 cannot yield to you. Indeed it appears to me, that 
 music had an earlier birth, and was the mother of poetry. A 
 shepherd one day discovered the flute, which nature has 
 formed in the waving reed. Applying it to his lips, he is 
 struck with the beautiful sounds which issue from it, and he 
 endeavours to imitate them with his voice, in simple songs 
 celebrating the beauties of his shepherdess. By degrees 
 the cadences of the harmony suggest to him the idea of rhyme 
 and metre, and thus these two beautiful arts are formed toge- 
 ther, with so perfect a sympathy between them, that the one 
 cannot be outraged without the other also suffering. Let us 
 however leave this discussion upon the origin of these arts, 
 (for it would be tiresome for us to search into the records of 
 past ages,) and turn our attention to what is more interesting, 
 the effects which in every age they have produced on the heart. 
 p 2 
 
170 MEMOIR OF 
 
 I wish to search a little into your motives for giving- to poetry 
 so vast a superiority ; and the secret spring appears to me to 
 be this : — The charms of harmony cause a pleasure percepti- 
 ble to the senses, and for its enjoyment require a certain phy- 
 sical conformation, a fine and exact ear, and other things, 
 which seem to have a connection with the material part of 
 man. You have therefore persuaded yourself, that it is a 
 thing delightful indeed to the senses, but which has little in- 
 fluence upon the mind and upon the heart. I flatter myself 
 that I shall be able to convince you of the injustice of this 
 idea. Not only does music give us many ideas, but they are 
 of the same description with those inspired by poetry, and 
 sometimes even more delightful to the soul. I allow that the 
 sweet harmony enters by the ear. But thence it diffuses it- 
 self through every part of the mind. It moves every passion, 
 softens every affection, and creates a thousand delightful im- 
 aginations, a thousand divine projects, which excite to all 
 that is noble in resolve, and worthy in art. If I might draw 
 a distinction between music and poetry, I should say, that 
 the former brings us pleasure of a higher degree ; the latter 
 of a longer duration. Equally do they inspire soft affections 
 and noble ideas.' Then, after following the same train of 
 thought and imagination as in her Musical Tract, she adds in 
 her fervent glow — ' And shall not a science, capable of pro- 
 ducing these sentiments, be reckoned among the noblest de- 
 lights of the human mind 1 I have not time to continue this 
 interesting subject. But I cannot conclude without observ- 
 ing, that the poets themselves owe their finest ideas to music. 
 Do you recollect the power which it had over the mind of 
 our favourite Alfieri 1 He could scarcely compose without 
 its help. Many of his noble tragedies were conceived at the 
 Opera. But do thou, divine Petrarch, come to my help, and 
 show her who admires thee so much, that without the music 
 of nature, the song of birds, the murmur of the stream, thou 
 wouldest not have been able to enchant her with thy delicious 
 rhymes. With these beautiful verses I conclude my letter, 
 already too long, entreating you to yield to his representation 
 of the effect of fine sounds upon the mind. 
 
 * Se lamentar angclli, o verdi fronde,' &c. 
 
 4 You know the rest. I have only time to say, that I am 
 always 
 
 • Your very affectionate 
 
 ■ Mary/ 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 171 
 
 Without pronouncing- upon the contending claims, (which 
 probably may still be a matter of dispute,) the exercise is not 
 unworthy of the intellectual character of the writer, and is 
 specially interesting, as a burst of that ' vehemence approach- 
 ing to ecstacy,' which, as Mr. Cecil keenly observed — ' the 
 world will allow on almost every subject, but that which, 
 above all others, will justify it.' If, however, Miss Graham 
 seems here to contend for the precedence of music, she was 
 no less warm a votary of poetry. Though she was no poet 
 herself, and never till the close of her last illness did she ex- 
 ercise even a rhyming propensity, yet her perception of the 
 true genius of the science was lively and accurate, and her 
 enjoyment of its delights proportionate. We have already 
 seen her high zest for Milton. Wordsworth was among her 
 chief modern favourites ; and even Lord Byron detained her 
 for awhile the victim of his fascinating enchantment. We 
 subjoin a letter of a very early date, descriptive of her feel- 
 ings, with much discrimination of taste, and with all the glow 
 of her characteristic enthusiasm. 
 
 July 15, 1822. 
 1 1 have not seen the Fourth Canto of Childe Harold. I 
 am ashamed to say that I like Manfred. Diabolical as the 
 sentiments of it are in many parts, yet there are some passages 
 of such exquisite beauty and sublimity, that it seems as if a 
 human pen could scarcely have traced them. All the time 1 
 was reading it, I felt I was doing something wrong, yet I 
 read some of it over and over again, particularly the part 
 where Manfred is upon the point of dashing himself over the 
 precipice. The description of darkness did not please me. 
 I thought it rather horrible than sublime. But I am just 
 now in love with another poet, who is as fond of clothing his 
 
 frictures with the sunny radiance of happiness and benevo- 
 ence, as Lord Byron is of spreading over his darkness and 
 desolation. If you have read any of his trifling poems, you 
 will smile when I mention Wordsworth. But some of his 
 poems are so beautiful ! We have just now been reading 
 the Excursion. It is tiresome in many parts. But every 
 now and then you meet with something so strikingly fine, or 
 so unutterably tender, that it is impossible to go on. You 
 must lay down the book till the ferment it occasions has 
 subsided.' 
 Should Miss Graham's delight in Lord Byron's writings 
 
1 72 MEMOIR OF 
 
 be a matter of surprise, it may be observed, that her letter 
 distinctly records the rebuke of conscience in her moments 
 of self-indulgence ; and we doubt not but her inattention to 
 this rebuke subjected her to the secret frown of her jealous 
 God. We may also add that, shortly after the date of this 
 letter, she readily made the sacrifice of her taste (which to 
 her fervid mind required no ordinary effort) in the total relin- 
 quishment of this source of deleterious pleasure. Whatever 
 weight may attach to her judgment will therefore decidedly 
 be found on the side of self-denial, not of self-gratification. 
 Indeed familiarity with works of poison, whatever be their 
 literary charms, seems inconsistent, not only with Christian 
 simplicity — but with a common regard to our personal wel- 
 fare. To a pure mind we might have supposed that a rich 
 and splendid fancy would be spoiled of all its attraction by 
 its frequent connexion with licentious profaneness and im- 
 piety — moral deformities sufficient to cast the most exquisite 
 beauties of power and genius into the shade ; and the con- 
 templation of which must be injurious to the best sensibilities 
 of our nature. E ven the instruction resulting from the unveiled 
 features of human depravity is obtained — if at all — at consid- 
 erable hazard. For let it be remembered — as Miss Graham 
 has shown — that the direct influence of poetry plays upon the 
 passions, and thus tends to produce a corresponding habit of 
 the mind. The evil propensities therefore pourtrayed by this 
 master-mind with such awful exactness, and embracing every 
 form of malignity than can darken the heart of man, naturally 
 excite the working of those passions, which it is the grand 
 design of the gospel of Jesus Christ to restrain and mortify. 
 Whether therefore the infidel poison acts with vindictive ac- 
 tivity, or with searching subtlety, its pervading influence is 
 equally to be dreaded. We believe that many Christians, 
 especially in moments of temptation, are reaping the bitter 
 fruit of former indulgence; and we are persuaded that none 
 will ultimately have reason to regret the sacrifice of the high 
 pleasures of taste to the far higher claims of their own spirit- 
 ual interests. 
 
 We add one further quotation from Miss Graham's manu- 
 script upon a subject not wholly unconnected with the pre- 
 ceding — works of imagination in a more legitimate, though 
 still a questionable, form — Religious Novels. Observing, that 
 * the taste of the serious public is lamentably vitiated' — she 
 adds, 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 173 
 
 4 The press teems with religious novels, from the long 
 eventful story to the ephemeral trifles which eke out the 
 pages of the spruce magazine. The greater part of these are 
 feeble to a degree that would render them harmless, were 
 there not a large proportion of readers, whose sickly appetite 
 hankers after such unwholesome food. A few of them, I 
 own, stand out from the rest, and compel our admiration. 
 Yet I must be permitted to say, that the very interest excited 
 by these superior productions increases their bad tendency. 
 How strange a medley of sensations agitates the heart, that 
 is fluttering between the emotions excited by the well-pic- 
 tured charms of religion, and the love-scene that is better 
 pictured still ! How shall the young and inexperienced dis- 
 tinguish between earthly and heavenly feelings ! How shall 
 they determine whether their agitation arises out of romance 
 or religion ; a heated imagination, or a heart warmed with 
 divine love 1 
 
 1 1 cannot conceive the use or propriety of introducing this 
 kind of sentimental narrative into works professedly of a reli- 
 gious nature. Truth is not adorned but disguised, by being 
 thus tricked out in false glitter and tinsel ornament. There 
 are but two classes of readers ; the converted, and the uncon- 
 verted. Those of the former description would derive more 
 benefit and pleasure too from praying over one verse of the 
 Bible, than from reading a whole library of the above-men- 
 tioned performances. They will neither assist him to under- 
 stand the word of truth himself, nor to explain it to others. 
 It may be truly affirmed of the decided Christian, that for 
 his own sake, the less he reads besides the Bible, the better. 
 But for the sake of his fellow-men, his reading must be more 
 extensive. He must seek to enlarge and confirm his general 
 knowledge ; must be prepared to meet inquiry, to cope with 
 prejudice and error; to recommend the cause of religion ; to 
 " become," with the Apostle, " all things to all men." It is 
 not, however, by giving his time to the works in question, 
 that he will attain this desirable object. His mental charac- 
 ter will only be deteriorated by their enervating influence. 
 They will tend to impair both the inclination and capacity for 
 solid intellectual exertion. It has been urged in their de- 
 fence, that they will open to him a more extended view of 
 human nature. But this will be much more effectually ob- 
 tained by comparing the Scripture statement with his own 
 daily experience and observation. Another argument in their 
 
174 MEMOIR OF 
 
 favour is, that they afford an useful key to the character and 
 manners of society. These, however, for the most part, are 
 sketched with no very skilful hand. They might with greater 
 accuracy and less expense of time, be collected from some of 
 the master-pieces of authors not professedly religious. In 
 short, considering that the Christian part of the community 
 has so much to do, and so short a space to do it in, it must 
 ever be matter of regret, that so large a proportion of their 
 time and talent should be expended in making idlers and cas- 
 tle-builders. 
 
 But we turn our regard to the careless and gay. We are 
 called upon to observe the effect of these publications upon 
 their minds. We are reminded, that many young persons of 
 lively imagination and warm feelings, who would scarcely 
 look into a serious book, may be tempted to peruse these 
 lighter works, and derive benefit from the perusal. I admit 
 the first part of this proposition, but deny the conclusion that 
 is drawn from it, except in a few, a very few instances, which 
 are to be regarded rather as exceptions than as a general rule. 
 Rare, however, as these instances are, they are by no means 
 to be despised. They indicate that every narrative of this 
 description must not be included in one sweeping condemna- 
 tion, nor pronounced entirely useless, since the sovereign 
 grace of God will occasionally use even them for its purpose. 
 But they do not prove the necessity of sending forth such im- 
 mense shoals of these productions, that one would think they 
 were designed to supersede and swallow up every other. A 
 few would answer the purpose just as well. Even while I 
 concede thus much, I am inclined to ask — ' Do you not in a 
 measure create the taste, to which you profess only to accom- 
 modate yourselves? Will not this indisposition to all solid 
 and valuable reading be exceedingly encouraged by your in- 
 dulgent connivance V I much doubt both the lawfulness 
 and expediency of this mode of decoying people into reli- 
 gion. I fear that the quantity of good which flows from it is 
 greatly overbalanced by the quantity of evil. 
 
 The religion inspired by such reading is of a doubtful na- 
 ture. There is more of earth in it than of heaven. A young 
 person, whose tears flow over a professed novel, is in no 
 danger of mistaking the excitement of feeling for the fervour 
 of devotion. Not so with these ambiguous compositions. 
 Romance and Religion are so allied, that we may suppose the 
 latter to be embraced, when in effect her presence is only tol- 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 175 
 
 erated for the sake of her fascinating- companion. Dressed 
 in the sober garb of truth, she will too probably be rejected 
 by those who permitted her to court them under the be- 
 witching veil of fiction. And is it for the sake of exciting 
 this spurious devotion, that we run the hazard of destroying 
 the correct and simple feeling of the rising generation, and en- 
 courage the prevalence of a style of writing which can never 
 rise into genuine sublimity, nor fix itself upon a basis of na- 
 tive solidity and strength V 
 
 This extract will be generally admitted to mark consider- 
 able power of writing and of thought. The subject demands 
 much accuracy of discrimination to place it in its true light. 
 To proscribe works of imagination in the mass would include a 
 much wider sweep of condemnation than novels religious or 
 irreligious. It would banish from our reading much that is 
 not merely purely innocent, but intrinsically valuable ; and 
 seal up the fountain of much elegant and instructive litera- 
 ture. We might indeed adduce Dr. Chalmer's writings for 
 the proof, that the corruption is in the application — not in the 
 faculty — of the imagination, which was given, like every 
 other faculty, for the service of God and of his church. But 
 an infinitely higher authority meets us in the Divine parables 
 of our Great Teacher, immediately acting upon this most val* 
 uable faculty for the illustration and enforcement of his im- 
 portant truths. And this example is the more to our purpose, 
 as fixing the limit and direction, as well as legitimating the 
 employment of fiction. The imagination is placed in imme- 
 diate contact with plain and sober truth ; while it derives its 
 primary interest, not from its own representations, but from 
 the truth which it was intended to exhibit. 
 
 With all these allowances, however, the general introduc- 
 tion of fiction into the cause of truth, is, as Miss Graham 
 observes, of very doubtful benefit ; or, even admitting the 
 prospect of usefulness to be more determinate, it has proceed- 
 ed very far beyond the necessity of the case. Minds formed 
 for effective usefulness need to be conversant with the solidi- 
 ty of truth, not with the visionary atmosphere of fiction ; 
 while the indulgence of this artificial character fosters a bane- 
 ful spirit of excitement ; generates a distaste for well-regulated 
 studies ; creates a taste for moral reading of a more detrimen- 
 tal character ; weakens the habits of self-controul, so essential 
 to the strengthening of the intellectual and moral principles ; 
 and brings a habit of sentimentalism into the religious profess- 
 ion, in the stead of simple and practical spirituality. 
 
176 MEMOIR OF 
 
 The most effectual remedy against this existing and un- 
 fruitful indulgence, is to fill up the time with those solid 
 pursuits which leave no room, while they mortify the taste, 
 for works of doubtful utility; and to bring our intellectual 
 recreations to the test of the Scriptural rule, which Miss Gra- 
 ham on a former occasion so justly inculcated, for the proof 
 of the legitimacy of our principles and enjoyments : " Whether 
 ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of 
 God." 
 
 We conclude this selection from Miss Graham's writings 
 and correspondence, with an abstract of ' Letters on the Duties 
 of a Governess,' a series of which she had contemplated for 
 the use of her young cousin, then looking forward to this im- 
 portant and most responsible situation. She commenced her 
 plan during her last illness, and with great difficulty wrote 
 two letters in pencil from her dying bed. Though too incom- 
 plete in thought and style for publication, yet her manuscript 
 will afford some interesting illustration of Christian principle, 
 and many valuable suggestions of general instruction for the 
 use of those young persons who are now filling, or who are 
 prospectively anticipating, this interesting station in the do- 
 mestic economy. 
 
 These letters appear to have been one of Miss Graham's 
 last efforts for one, whose best interests formed one of her 
 most tender ties to life. After commencing with the most 
 affectionate expression of her deep-toned anxiety for her, 
 she thus proceeds to remind her of her Christian responsi- 
 bility. 
 
 1 The great wish of my heart for you,' she writes, 'is, not 
 that you may be a very learned or accomplished governess, 
 (though these are highly valuable considerations in their 
 place,) but, that, possessing as large a measure of these 
 things as your means and abilities will aljow, you may he 
 truly and decidedly a Ch?'istian governess. For, oh ! my dear- 
 est , your's is a charge of souls. The spiritual welfare of 
 
 your pupils is subordinately committed to your care ; and 
 at your hands will the neglect of this solemn trust be re- 
 quired.' 
 
 In this first preparatory letter she is chiefly occupied in 
 inculcating upon her cousin the Christian principle of faith 
 in Christ, in all its detailed application to the circumstan- 
 ces, trials, and encouragements of the situation of a gov- 
 erness. 
 
 * 1 can only offer my advice to you as a Christian. I know 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 177 
 
 but of two states to which children can be brought up ; for 
 heaven or for hell ; for time or for eternity. I am departing 
 out of time ; and "knowing that for you and them too, time 
 soon shall be no more, I dare not go upon any system but 
 one fitting for souls born for immortality. Every word then 
 that I write, must be on the supposition, that the glory of 
 God, and the eternal happiness of your pupils, are your first 
 aim ; and that every other object, however praiseworthy in 
 itself, is only secondary and subservient to this one grand 
 object of a Christian teacher's existence. 
 
 ' I exhort you to enter upon the new and arduous duties of 
 your situation, ' ; looking to Jesus." Remember that he is " the 
 author and finisher of your faith ;" that you cannot stir one 
 step without his aid ; and the moment you begin to look off 
 from him to any other object, that moment will your steps 
 begin to slide. Fix your eyes then steadily upon him. "As 
 the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and 
 as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress, so let 
 your eyes be upon the Lord your God," in all times, in all 
 places, and in all circumstances. 
 
 ' And first, I earnestly recommend you to " look unto Jesus" 
 in your choice of a situation. Pray constantly for Divine as- 
 sistance and direction on this most important subject. This 
 implies that you intend to seek for a situation among God's 
 people ; for I suppose you will hardly ask God to give you 
 any other. You may deem it unlikely that you should obtain 
 a situation in so limited a sphere. But your dying friend 
 would remind you: "The God, who has led me all my life 
 long," never forsook me upon any occasion, when I put my 
 trust in him. The word of truth assures you, that " He has 
 never forsaken any, who put their trust in him." Nor will 
 he forsake you, if you commit your way to him on this im- 
 portant occasion. From Abraham's time until now, the 
 Christian's motto has ever been : "The Lord will provide." 
 Only " rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him ; fret not 
 thyself in any wise to do evil. In all thy ways acknowledge 
 him, and he shall direct thy paths." I charge it upon you, 
 
 beloved , as my dying, earnest wish, that you take every 
 
 proper means to obtain a situation among decided Christians ; 
 and that, as far as it may be in your power, (for I know that it 
 may not be always possible for you to directyour own conduct,) 
 you join yourself to those who "are not of the world," and 
 to no others. An established Christian mitrht go in faith 
 
 Q 
 
178 
 
 MEMOIR OF 
 
 under the clear guidance of providence, into a worldly or 
 irreligious family; and (if the parent would allow of her in- 
 terference) she might be made a blessing to the whole family. 
 But such a step, wilfully take?i, would be a serious, perhaps 
 a fatal, injury to an undecided Christian. In a vast multitude 
 of cases, the natural consequence of choosing a lot among the 
 children of this world has been, that indecision in religion 
 has become indifference ; indifference has terminated in aver- 
 sion ; and the wretched professor has shown herself openly 
 on the side of the world, tormented with the sting of her 
 former convictions, and vainly contrasting her worldly mirth 
 with " the voice of rejoicing and salvation," which she had 
 heard " in the tabernacles of the righteous." 
 
 ' On the other hand, a situation in a truly Christian family 
 will cover you from many worldly temptations, and afford 
 you many important opportunities of marking the beauty and 
 happiness of religion. Under a kind Christian mother, you 
 may be directed and encouraged in extensive usefulness to 
 your pupils, while at the same time you are receiving valu- 
 able advantages for your own mind. Under all circumstan- 
 ces, be assured that you will find the blessing of taking this 
 first great step of your life — " looking unto Jesus." 
 
 4 " Look unto Jesus" also for strength to perform the duties 
 of your situation. These you will find to be many and ar- 
 duous, such as in your own strength you can never rightly 
 perform. The more correct and enlarged your view of those 
 duties, the more readily you will sink under them, unless you 
 can "be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." 
 But remember you " can do all things through Christ which 
 strengthened you." His " grace is sufficient for you ;" and 
 his encouragement is — " Ask, and it shall be given you." 
 Let a sense of your continual need stir you up constantly to 
 apply to him for his aid, not only in your spiritual duties, but 
 in your teaching, in your studies, in the very least and mean- 
 est of your employments. Thus " out of weakness you will be 
 made strong." You will not soon " be weary in well-doing; 
 for they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength." 
 
 « Look to him for counsel in the difficulties of your situation. 
 Remember that he is not only your strength, but your " wis- 
 dom." When your path is so intricate "and perplexed, that 
 you know not which way to turn, then ask the Lord to "lead 
 you in a plain path," to " order your steps in his word." In 
 every little as well as in every great perplexity, follow David's 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 179 
 
 rule to "inquire of the Lord." The advice of friends is ever 
 to be sought and valued; but that of the kindest and wisest 
 may sometimes be insufficient or erroneous, or given in a harsh 
 injudicious manner. But the Lord giveth not only advice, 
 but " wisdom, liberally and without upbraiding." 
 
 * " Look unto Jesus" for comfort and encouragement in the 
 trials and disappointments of your situation. The life of a 
 governess is peculiarly subject to little daily crosses and 
 vexations. These, as well as greater ones, are to be borne, by 
 laying them upon Jesus. No burden is too great or too little 
 to be cast upon the Lord. A cheerful looking unto Jesus, an 
 assurance that he ever loveth and ever careth for us, will 
 bear us through many petty annoyances, which sometimes 
 wear health and spirits much more than real and great griev- 
 ances. 
 
 ' Lastly, " Look unto Jesus" for a certain reward upon your 
 labour. You have a promise — " Train up a child in the way 
 he should go, and, when he is old, he will not depart from it." 
 Ask for patient earnest faith, to plead this promise importu- 
 nately, incessantly with him. " All the promises of God are 
 yea and amen to us in Christ Jesus;" and while we pray for, 
 we ought to expect their fulfilment. " He is faithful that 
 promised." The great Sower will assuredly watch over the 
 seed that is sown in faith, and will bring it to perfection. 
 You may labour day after day for the souls of the children 
 under your care, and yet see them as careless and unconcerned 
 as ever; but look steadily unto Jesus ; tarry contentedly the 
 Lord's leisure ; " for in due time you shall reap, if you faint 
 not."' 
 
 In her second letter she enters into a detail of some of the 
 pleasures and discomforts of the life of a governess. Under 
 the former head she remarks : — 
 
 'The life of a governess, however dull and monotonous it 
 may sometimes be thought, has many pleasures of a very re- 
 fined and superior nature. Among the first of these I reckon 
 the usefulness and importance of the task in which she is daily 
 engaged. Compare the recollections of a day spent to some 
 valuable purpose, with the reflections which follow one that 
 has been frittered away in trifling and vanity, or absorbed in 
 selfish gratifications ; and you will see at once, if you know it 
 not already, how great the pleasure of usefulness must be to 
 every rational thinking being. But to the Christian, this is 
 not only pleasing but necessary. It is his pleasure and de- 
 
ISO 
 
 MEMOIR OF 
 
 light to lay himself out for the glory of God, and the good of 
 his fellow-creatures. For this he is content to " wait all the 
 days of his appointed time ;" and much as he longs for the 
 pleasures that are prepared for him above ; yet if his abiding 
 in the flesh be needful for the sake of one living being, be 
 would not "depart," even "to be with Christ." I know of 
 no employment in which a Christian woman can be more 
 profitably engaged, than in watching over the spiritual and 
 mental improvement of children. The young beings entrust- 
 ed to her care may form the comfort and delight of parents, 
 brethren, husband, friends, children. They may grow up to 
 be happy in themselves, and blessings to society. Above all, 
 they may be so many "jewels" added to the Redeemer's 
 crown, and may themselves " turn many souls unto right- 
 eousness." To be the instrument, (under God,) of the small- 
 est particle of this good, must be inexpressible delight. 
 
 ' Nothing^ invigorates our progress so much as encouraging 
 prospects of success. This is the undoubted privilege of a 
 teacher of youth. Not to speak of those promises of God, 
 mentioned in my last letter, and which of themselves suffice 
 to make us "against hope to believe in hope;" the human 
 probabilities of moral and intellectual improvement, from 
 which God permits us to draw encouragement, are most en- 
 livening. To reform the manners, to eradicate the prejudices,, 
 to correct the tempers, of those whom age has matured, and 
 set as it were in the form which they must afterwards retain, 
 is indeed a most difficult task. But with the young, where 
 we have to form instead of to reform, to prevent rather than 
 to eradicate : patient instruction, and unremitting watchful- 
 ness w r ill in ordinary cases succeed to a very considerable 
 degree. And though divine grace only can subdue their evil 
 tempers and dispositions, human means may do much to- 
 wards retraining that outward violence, which so often makes 
 young people not only wretched in themselves, but an occa- 
 sion of sorrow to all connected with them. The same advan- 
 tage is connected with Christian grace and improvement. 
 The minister preaches with holy earnestness to his adult con- 
 gregation : but it is to the young of his flock, not yet hardened 
 in sin or in worldly habits, that he turns with peculiar hope 
 and encouragement. To this comparatively tender and unoc- 
 cupied soil, he consigns the seed, in the cheerful confidence 
 that it will spring up, and bring forth fruit to perfection. 
 These are the hopeful beings with whom you will have to 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 1S1 
 
 deal ; and as youth is the season of hope and expectation, so is 
 your task peculiarly one of hope and glad anticipations. 
 
 In the attachment of her pupils, a kind governess finds 
 another perpetual source of pleasure. This you are almost 
 sure to obtain by a habit of considerate and affectionate inter- 
 course with them, especially if they come under your care at 
 an early age. It is delightful te be beloved by those whom 
 we have thus bound to us by the cords of gratitude and love. 
 For the justness and clearness of most of their notions; for 
 their ability to discern what is good, and to enjoy what is de- 
 lightful and intellectual ; for all their knowledge and many of 
 their pleasures, your pupils will probably (if you conduct 
 yourself according to my hopes) be indebted to you. They 
 will scarcely ever, fail to manifest warm attachment to one, 
 who has so many claims on their gratitude. They must love 
 their faithful adviser, their kind and intelligent teacher, their 
 cheerful entertaining companion, and their affectionate and 
 sympathizing friend. 
 
 The improvement of your own mind is also a source of in- 
 expressible delight. A conscientious governess will be per- 
 petually and delightfully improving herself. While explain- 
 ing subjects to her pupils, her own views become clearer; 
 while she is teaching them facts or words, her own recollec- 
 tion of them is refreshed and strengthened. The arrange- 
 ment of her knowledge for the use of her pupils is of the high- 
 est advantage to herself. She must learn to think clearly, 
 that she may be able to express her meaning clearly to her 
 young and ignorant auditors ; and if her own acquaintance 
 with the subject be obscure, imperfect, or superficial, the at- 
 tempt to teach will soon discover it to her, and compel her to 
 correct it. Thus her previously acquired knowledge will be 
 more solid and permanent, while she will be continually add- 
 ing to its store. Often she may not be able readily to answer 
 her pupils' questions. Further researches therefore on her 
 part are necessary ; and thus the demands of her teaching 
 stimulate to perpetual increase of her attainments. 
 
 I mention one more privilege connected with the life of a 
 governess. Next to the improvement of her own mind, and 
 indeed because of the improvement that it yields to her own 
 mind, is the pleasure of gaining an insight into the minds of 
 others, into the human mind in general. In cultivating a 
 flower garden there are few pleasures equal to that of watch- 
 ing the tender buds, as they unfold one by one their beauteous 
 Q2 
 
1S2 MEMOIR or 
 
 petals- How delightful is it to admire the wisdom of God, 
 who teaches them to peep in due season from their mantle of 
 green ; bids the sun to clothe them in all the colours of the 
 rainbow; and endues them with shapes so varied and so per- 
 fect, that the little flower has been the joy and solace of man's 
 breast in every age ! But what is this to the pleasure of 
 watching the mind of a little child, as those faculties which 
 lay wrapped within its tiny folds, begin gradually to expand, 
 each in its order; every day witnessing the drawing forth of 
 some new idea, or the unfolding of some latent power 1 And 
 at a later age to watch those powers and faculties, as they 
 daily improve and strengthen : to see the unformed and un- 
 taught child, grow up before your eyes into the graceful, re- 
 fined, and intellectual woman ; to mark every step by which 
 it is effected, and to be yourself employed as an instrument in 
 effecting it ; all this is a source of such continual and ever 
 varying delight, that to my mind it amply compensates for 
 the tediousness and fatigue of teaching. And then there is 
 the pleasure of watching, not only different faculties, but dif- 
 ferent minds; of comparing their several degrees of develop- 
 ment, and the peculiar combination of faculties, which con- 
 stitutes the formation of each peculiar turn of mental tempe- 
 rament. You may probably find among } T our pupils many 
 instances of this endless variety ; the more quick and ready 
 mind ; the lively and imaginative ; the clear and decided ; 
 the solid and steady ; the strong, the deep, the energetic, the 
 inquiring, the contemplative. You will find that each of these 
 will develop itself in a peculiar manner, and put forth their 
 several powers and faculties with different degrees of vigour 
 and perfection. As an intelligent gardener, in order that his 
 different flowers may open and expand to perfection, exposes 
 them to every degree of air and heat, and treats them with 
 every variety of soil ; so will you find the most varied modes 
 of treatment necessary in assisting the development of your 
 mental blossoms, and in contending with the defects peculiar 
 to each. These will be gradually suggested to you by expe- 
 rience ; and will assist you much in combating the defects in 
 your own mind, which the course of your teaching in a 
 watchful habit of self-inspection will bring before you. And 
 as the child is but the copy of the man, you will thus be better 
 enabled to discern the intellectual beauties and defects of 
 those with whom you converse. The dull prosy cease to be 
 wearisome, while we are busily employed in inquiring into 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 1S3 
 
 the causes of their imperfections, how they might have been, 
 or might still be corrected. 
 
 < The advantages you will gain in watching the tempers and 
 dispositions of your pupils will be yet more valuable and im- 
 portant. This, however, is a less pleasing task. The fall of 
 man, though it has made shipwreck of every mental faculty, 
 has still left the wreck as it were, the sadly obscured and mu- 
 tilated remains of what was once so noble and beautiful. 
 But our tempers and dispositions it has totally perverted. 
 To study the varieties of the natural heart, is but to study 
 selfishness and pride, in all the various forms of virtue and 
 vice, which they have assumed for the delusion and destruc- 
 tion of mankind. Yet, the high importance of this study, 
 with the word of God for our guide, will fully compensate for 
 its painful disappointments. If God gives me life and 
 strength, I shall again have occasion to touch on these points ; 
 I will, therefore, leave them now, and proceed to some of the 
 disadvantages connected with a governess' situation ; — not to 
 discourage you, but to prepare you, if I can, in some cases to 
 avoid, in others to meet them cheerfully.' 
 
 Her exhibition of the discomforts of the life of a governess 
 shows much good sense and knowledge of character in the 
 true spirit of Christian sympathy. The most delightful 
 characteristic, however, is the habitual bent of her mind, ever 
 turning, like the magnetic needle, to the point of attraction. 
 Thus, in the first inconvenience that she mentions, the sepa- 
 ration of the governess from her own domestic circle she 
 
 naturally draws out an application, which seems to say with 
 the church of old — " Saw ye him whom my soul loveth V* 
 J The grievance' as she justly observes, ' is often lighter than 
 is anticipated. Strangers cannot live long in the same house 
 without ceasing to be strangers ; and where there is a due 
 proportion of encouraging kindness on the one hand, and of 
 respectful confidence on the other; friendship will soon take 
 place of strangeness and reserve. This is particularly the 
 case, where both parties are sincere Christians. The love of 
 their common Lord begets such feelings of union and sympa- 
 thy between them, that the hand of fellowship is soon held 
 forth and accepted, as if they had long known and loved 
 each other. They know so much about each other, of 
 which the rest of the world is ignorant ; they feel themselves 
 so much of " strangers and pilgrims upon earth," that they 
 cannot but rejoice at meeting with a fellow-sojourner, who, 
 
1S4 MEMOIR OP 
 
 like themselves, "has no continuing city, but seeks that bet- 
 ter country," to which their own steps are directed. Added to 
 this general feeling amongst the Lord's people, the Christian 
 mother may surely be expected to receive with peculiar in- 
 terest and affection, the young person, whom she has engaged 
 to assist her in bringing up for God those dear objects of her 
 love, for whose temporal and spiritual welfare she cries unto 
 him nicrht and day. Even should you fail of obtaining this 
 privilege ; should your employers be ever so cold and distant; 
 still the affections of your pupils, conciliated to you by affec- 
 tionate and judicious treatment, will be objects of incessant 
 interest to fill up the void in your heart, in the consciousness of 
 loving and being beloved. And I think that a teacher of youth 
 thus blessed and encouraged will seldom be inclined to reckon 
 her condition very desolate or forlorn. But even should this 
 comfort be denied you (a misfortune I hope and trust very 
 unlikely to happen in your case), I have to remind you of 
 another source of consolation, which can never fail or disap- 
 point you. If you now give yourself to Jesus, you can never 
 be wholly amongst strangers; for your best, dearest friend — 
 one who is " born for adversity, who sticketh closer than a 
 brother" — is with you, yea, and has promised to be " with 
 you to the end of the world." And oh! what a friend and 
 comforter is Jesus ! How abundant in loving-kindness ! 
 How tender in sympathy ! How rich in counsel ! How 
 " meek and lowly in reproof! How wise to direct ! How 
 mighty to help ! How slow to anger ! How ready to for- 
 give ! What a faithful, unfailing, promise-keeping friend !' 
 
 Aoainst 'the feeling of afflictive solitariness,' a measure 
 of which under the most favourable circumstances must be- 
 long to absence from the happy family circle — she suggests 
 the° following alleviating considerations. The Christian 
 turn which she gives to the first suggestion is exquisitely 
 beautiful : 
 
 1 Think first, what a common privation it is. Almost every 
 family disperses, as the younger part arrive at maturity. 
 One son perhaps remains at home to support his father's de- 
 clining years, and to fill his place when he shall be no more. 
 The others betake themselves to distant parts, and are often 
 content to look forward to a reunion in ten, twenty, or thirty 
 years. The daughters probably marry, and accompany their 
 husbands to remote situations, from whence they return once 
 in a few months or years, to visit the still dear party at home. 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 185 
 
 This you will say is an unfair comparison. For the happy 
 young 1 wife goes with her husband, who is more to her than 
 all the friends of home ; and she is soon settled in a new 
 home ; and surrounded by a family and friends still dearer 
 to her than those she has left. True, my dear— — ; and this 
 is what I wish you to bear upon your mind in every trial 
 you may have to encounter. The happy wife misses not the 
 home of her youth ; because, wherever she goes, she carries 
 with her that which is better to her than home ; and her 
 pleasures no# are superior to those she has relinquished. 
 And thus the devoted Christian ; whether married or unmar- 
 ried, has with her wherever she goes, the cheering presence 
 of one, who is far dearer to her than husband, parents, bro- 
 thers, sisters, or friends. She has made her home in the 
 bosom of her God and Saviour. Thither she flies for sym- 
 pathy and direction. In that kind bosom she can pour forth 
 her joys and sorrows, far better than to the tenderest relatives 
 or friends. She has nothing " in heaven besides her God, 
 npr on earth any she desires in comparison of him." She 
 must feel as a stranger even in her own home, if it be com- 
 posed of such as know not the name of Jesus ; and wherever 
 that beloved name is known and esteemed, there she is happy 
 and at home. Go where she will, she cannot journey to the 
 place where God is not ; go where she will, she is still 
 drawing near to that home, on which her thoughts and affec- 
 tions are fixed.' 
 
 Another ground of alleviation it very pointedly and sensi- 
 bly set forth. 
 
 'This painful separation from home, is in reality (under 
 present circumstances) the best and happiest thing for you. 
 Were two situations equally eligible to present themselves, 
 and were I asked to assist you in your choice, assuredly the 
 one near home would not be the object of my preference. A 
 continual recurrence to the comforts and liberty of home, 
 makes every little restraint and discomfort of a situation 
 doubly irksome and annoying. The poor governess, who 
 has the misnamed privilege of perpetual access to her home, 
 returns from it in no very favourable mood to a place where 
 she cannot (at least at first) be loved, caressed, and appreci- 
 ated, as amongst her own friends. It is but too natural that she 
 should consider every little departure from the unlimited and 
 perhaps injudicious indulgence which she has just experi- 
 enced, as an actual deviation from the law of kindness and 
 
186 MEMOIR OF 
 
 equity; that she should magnify every real or fancied slight 
 into contempt, every expression of disapproval into a harsh 
 reproof, and every degree of strictness in requirement, into 
 an unreasonable exaction. Soon the very nearness of her 
 home tempts her steps thither again. There the well-filled 
 budget of petty trials and vexations, which few young per- 
 son have the wisdom to conceal within their own bosoms, or to 
 tell to none but God, is emptied out before partial relatives, 
 who hear but one side of the story, and are too apt to take it 
 for granted, that there is no other way of telltng it. They 
 cannot refuse to sympathize and console ; and while they are 
 wondering that such an attention was omitted, such a fault 
 found, or such a duty exacted, they little suspect themselves 
 to be the cause of the forlorn and disconsolate state of their 
 dear relation. Nor does the evil end here. Her mind, divi- 
 ded between her pupils and home, cannot fully and affection- 
 ately employ all its energies in the service of the former. 
 Too often will her absent looks and languid attention betray 
 the fact so injurious for pupils to discover, that her mind can 
 wander as well as theirs ; and that their improvement and en- 
 tertainment are objects which soon slide out of her thoughts, 
 when occupied by subjects of more pleasant contemplation. 
 Nor have I yet made the obvious remark, that the time lost 
 in these frequent visits, however short, must deprive her of 
 many opportunities of private improvement ; and thus prove 
 in the end extremely detrimental both to herself and her 
 younger charge. From these considerations, a moderate 
 distance from home is far preferable, from whence at stated 
 and proper intervals you are permitted to revisit your friends. 
 And I think that such reflections as these might enable us to 
 bear the discomforts even of a long separation from home, 
 not merely with patience, but with thankfulness. 
 
 'I cannot quit this subject without strongly cautioning 
 you, not too hastily to accuse the parents of your pupils of 
 being unkind or unreasonable, because they are not willing 
 to grant you leave of absence whenever you think fit to ask 
 it. They, perhaps, with more justice, may think the unrea- 
 sonableness to be all on your side. It is both right and na- 
 tural that they should anxiously desire the improvement of 
 their children in every branch of instruction, to which their 
 attention has been directed ; and they know that this is only 
 to be attained by a steady course of persevering application. 
 They know that every interruption to this course must have 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 187 
 
 a pernicious effect, by weakening habits newly formed, and 
 permitting old and bad habits to revive; by unsettling the 
 mind in all its pursuits, and blotting out much of what has 
 been already learned. If, therefore, they oppose your ab- 
 sence, it is because thgy value your services too much to 
 part with them lightly," or without sufficient cause. There 
 are few cases in which you ought not to submit to their deci- 
 sion. But the best way to prevent any future misunderstand- 
 ing or disappointment, is to make some arrangement before 
 you enter upon your situation.' 
 
 The frequent change of situation, or the liability to this 
 change, is well' pointed out as a serious evil attending the 
 life of a governess. 
 
 ' Her duties' — it is observed — ' are becoming easy and de- 
 lightful to her; she is beginning to rejoice in the growing 
 attachment of her pupils ; she feels that she can look round 
 on their little faces with a degree of maternal affection ; when 
 some unexpected cause induces or compels her to relinquish 
 her situation. She has long been employed in clearing away 
 the rubbish: inlaying the foundation; and in collecting and 
 arranging the materials of her intended superstructure, which 
 was begfnning to rise with a daily increasing order and sym- 
 metry. This°state of things might probably appear rude and 
 unfinished to the eye of others, but it was full of hope and 
 interest to her, who had been watching its progress from day 
 to day, and confidently awaiting the happy, though distant, 
 completion of her labours. Her work must now pass into 
 the hands of another, who neither witnessed its commence- 
 ment, nor can be aware of many important points connected 
 with its progress. The new teacher, however, succeeds to 
 all the benefits of that preparatory drudgery, with which her 
 predecessor had hoped to pave the way for her own future 
 exertions. It seldom happens that the children are not seri- 
 ously injured by this change of system. The very act of 
 changing has a tendency to unsettle the mind. The new 
 comer's manners, her new modes of expression, and new sys- 
 tem of teaching, must render her at first less intelligible to 
 them, than the familiar voice to which they have been accus- 
 tomed ; and till this disadvantage is conquered, her services 
 must prove less effective. Besides, too often the new govern- 
 ess, confident of the superiority of her own methods of in- 
 struction, hastily puts aside the rules and arrangements of her 
 predecessor — not because they are not good — but as if they 
 
188 MEMOIR OF 
 
 could not be good, because they were not her own. Then 
 the children also are discouraged and thrown back in many 
 of their studies, that they may be grounded in them on the 
 new system. Perhaps ere long another change is determined 
 — a new teacher comes — and the bo&t methods are displaced 
 by others that are newer and better still. The result of this 
 broken and interrupted education will be a sort of clumsy 
 patchwork, made up of a medley of fine and coarse mate- 
 rials, ill-contrived, ill-assorted, and loosely put together. 
 These are some of the real injuries inflicted on children by 
 the frequent change of domestic administration. 
 
 1 My chief concern, however, is with the governess. In 
 addition to these mortifying circumstances, she is again 
 thrown upon the world. She must once more take up her abode 
 amongst strangers : her pupils are again unfamiliar to her; she 
 must study their tempers ; conciliate their affections ; examine 
 and arrange their present acquirements : in short, she must en- 
 counter anew every former difficulty. And when all this is 
 effected, and things begin to glide smoothly on, another change, 
 another loss of time and labour may yet be in prospect for her. 
 The web may be again unravelled ; the stone, that had been 
 heaved half-way up the mountain, may roll down again to 
 its very foot. I have dwelt strongly on the evils resulting 
 from a frequent change of situation — not by way of discourage- 
 ment, but of warning. I am persuaded that in a large major- 
 ity of cases, young people might and would retain their 
 engagement in one family much longer than they do, if only 
 they would calmly sit down, and count the serious cost both 
 to themselves and to their pupils (to which I have alluded) in 
 relinquishing it.' 
 
 It would be difficult in all cases to determine what might 
 be deemed a sufficient reason for relinquishing a situation. 
 A few decidedly insufficient motives are accurately speci- 
 fied. 
 
 4 I need scarcely suggest, that a trifling increase of salary 
 would be an insufficient reason for quitting a tolerably com- 
 fortable situation. Circumstances, such as some urgent 
 family-call upon your assistance, might indeed render a change 
 not only excusable but praiseworthy. But without an imper- 
 ative call, it will be equally your interest and happiness to 
 retain your station. I consider the governess, who will 
 abandon her young charge for the mere sake of a little paltry 
 emolument, much in the same light with the minister, who 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 189 
 
 will leave his larger flock, for the same base motive of " filthy 
 lucre," without any clear providential call. This abandon- 
 ment of present and certain usefulness for the sake of some- 
 thing new and uncertain, whether dictated by the love of 
 gain, or the love of novelty, is not only sinful but imprudent. 
 You are now more or -less comfortably settled. You know 
 not how many discomforts may await you in a new situation. 
 You leave those, who probably are becoming attached to 
 you, for those who at present neither know nor care any thing 
 about you. This is not the way to lay up friends against 
 the time of sickness, distress, or age. The plain path of duty 
 is always the path of prudence. Here only can you expect 
 the " blessing of the Lord, which maketh rich ; and he addeth 
 no sorrow to it.V When however any tempting offer occurs, 
 the love of gain so common to all, the love of novelty so in- 
 herent in young minds, and the persuasions of older sordid 
 friends, are too likely to prevail with a young person, who is 
 not enabled to hold fast her integrity, by working with a sin- 
 gle eye to the service of Christ. 
 
 * Nor do I think, that any trifling inconvenience should in- 
 duce you to relinquish an engagement, which holds out to you 
 a fair prospect of usefulness. Every situation has its trials 
 and privations ; and it is better, if possible, to put up with 
 those which already fall to your share, than to run the risk of 
 incurring others which may be worse. Besides, these petty 
 hardships are always most severely felt at first. After a time 
 they wear off, and at length cease to occasion any considera- 
 ble uneasiness. "When the temper of either parents or chil- 
 dren is a trial to you; when the parents, through pride, 
 avarice, or inconsideration, fail in a proper attention to your 
 comforts; when the extreme retirement or excessive bustle 
 of your situation makes it very unpleasant to you, &c. — in 
 these, and many other similar cases, I sh'ould advise you to 
 make as light of the evil as you can, and to bear with it as 
 long as it can possibly be borne with. 
 
 4 Again — let not any sudden Jit of despondency induce you 
 toglvcup your situation. There are few teachers who cannot 
 recollect a time when every thing seemed to go wrong with 
 them — ' No children ever repaid the trouble bestowed on 
 them so little ; no situation ever possessed so few advantages ; 
 no parents were ever so exacting and dissatisfied. In any 
 other family they should succeed better ; here they can 
 neither do justice to their pupils nor to themselves.' Such 
 
190 MEMOIR OF 
 
 feelings, which may be expected to arise in times of difficul- 
 ty and discouragement, mark something very wrong in your 
 own heart, that casts a shade upon all the objects around you : 
 something that needs, not the indulgent experiment of change 
 of situation, but a special course of self-examination, watch- 
 fulness, and prayer, to restore a healthful tone of energy, 
 cheerfulness, and satisfaction to your mind. 
 
 ' I need scarcely observe, that no offence, real or fancied, 
 except the former be of a very clear and aggravated character, 
 could justify you in quitting a family in which you may have 
 probably received much kindness, and may receive much 
 more. A governess must expect to be told of her faults, and 
 ought to be thankful for such information as may lead to their 
 correction. Christians indeed too often perform the difficult 
 office of reproof in a very harsh and grating manner ; forget- 
 ting that the reproof of " the righteous should be like excel- 
 lent oil," not to " break," but to heal, the wounded spirit. 
 Yet the harshness w r ith which a censure may be given, forms 
 no excuse for a defect of Christian meekness and love in re- 
 ceiving it. " Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry ;" but 
 remember that " a soft answer turneth away wrath." Indulge 
 not that sensitive temper, which is always looking out for some 
 ground of offence, over which it can brood, till it bursts out 
 into open discontent ; which bristles up at every light and 
 unguarded expression, and is always on the defensive, even 
 when no intentional slight could have been conceived. You 
 will never long retain a situation without a forbearing spirit 
 in respect to many little things, which are grating to a proud 
 and self-conceited temper. Good sense and experience will 
 indeed help to depress this baneful temper. For we can scarce- 
 ly so far shut our eyes to the passing world around us, as to 
 fail in-discovering, that the good opinion we may have formed 
 of ourselves is ill-warranted by the general estimation in 
 which we are held ; that we must expect our full share of in- 
 convenience and neglect. But true Christian humility can 
 alone conquer the evil, by " bringing into captivity every high 
 thought to the obedience of Christ." The spirit and temper 
 of which we have been speaking is ever ready to take fire at 
 the least provocation, or even without provocation. It exacts 
 not only due respect, but much more than, if it knew itself, it 
 would find to be its due. It can bear Avith nothing; it can 
 endure nothing. But do you follow after that "charity 
 which suffereth long and is kind ; is not puffed up ; doth not 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 191 
 
 behave itself unseemly; seeketh not her own ; is not easily 
 provoked ; beareth all things." 
 
 ' To sum up what I have said in a few words — when you 
 have taken up your abode in a family, and have fairly sat 
 down to the performance of your duties, remember that you 
 are in the station to which God in his providence has called 
 you ; and that nothing but a clear and explicit call of duty or 
 necessity can justify you in quitting it. 
 
 ' The causes that might induce your employers to dissolve 
 the engagement (in which case yon can have no alternative) 
 very materially depend upon yourself. Under any ground, 
 just or unjust, of their dissatisfaction with you, endeavour in a 
 spirit of prayer to sift every part of your conduct, and particu- 
 larly the part censured, to the very bottom. Put yourself in 
 their place. Make every allowance for the feelings of an 
 anxious parent ; and consider what might fairly be expected 
 from you, and how far you have answered those expectations. 
 Under any error discovered, be not ashamed to confess your 
 fault with all candour and humility, and (in a higher strength 
 than your own) to promise amendment. To retain your 
 situation by this "voluntary humility" will be truly honour- 
 able in the eyes of Christians, who know that "he that hum- 
 bleth himself shall be exalted." But supposing that, after 
 sincere self-examination, you cannot acknowledge the justice 
 of the censure, still, as a Christian, strive to conciliate. Do 
 not get warm or angry in your own justification; mildly pro- 
 fess your freedom from any intentional offence or omission; 
 and declare your readiness to redouble your efforts to give sat- 
 isfaction. 
 
 1 Should incompetency be alleged against you, I should advise 
 you, rather than give up your engagement in despair or in 
 offence, to endeavour by redoubled diligence and application, 
 especially in the particular ground of complaint, to redeem 
 and establish your character. Christian gentleness and hu- 
 mility to explain and conciliate, and a willingness to correct 
 errors, and to supply omission, will in many cases restore 
 satisfaction and confidence in the minds of your employers. 
 
 4 Should however — not any fault or caprice on either side — 
 but some unavoidable domestic necessity, dissolve the connec- 
 tion, in this case many mitigating circumstances will present 
 themselves to your mind. In the first place — " It is the 
 Lord;'''' and not one of his appointments or disappointments 
 is without some wise and gracious purpose. In the next 
 
192 MEMOIR OF 
 
 place — all painful feeling of responsibility for any evil that 
 may result from the change, is entirely removed. And thus 
 supported by a sense of God's blessing, and a clear con- 
 science, you may look cheerfully forward to your new desti- 
 nation, hoping- to gain new friends without losing the old.' 
 
 The writer has been induced to quote so largely from these 
 letters, because he is not aware of any work that enters into 
 the detail of the principles, characteristics, and sympathies of 
 the life of a governess. Had Miss Graham been permitted 
 to complete her design, her accurate and observant mind 
 would probably have produced a valuable manual for this in- 
 teresting and important class of society. In the defect how- 
 ever of an entire system of instruction, the preceding hints 
 will be found to suggest much sensible instruction nearly 
 connected with their comfort and usefulness. 
 
 An even balance must, indeed, be preserved in the adjust- 
 ment of this important part of domestic economy. If the 
 generality of instructors are too flimsily furnished for their 
 great task, perhaps it may be also said, that the generality of 
 their employers are too niggardly. Though Miss Graham 
 rightly inculcates upon her young governess not to consider 
 stipend a primary matter, yet it is a part of Christian obliga- 
 tion to elevate her in a high rank above the menials of the 
 house, and to consider the claims of aged parents or poor re- 
 lations that often inconveniently press upon her. The same 
 inconsiderate selfishness, and formal pride on the part of the 
 parents, materially hinder the effective usefulness of the 
 family instructors. It fosters in them a discontented spirit 
 in the contrast with the tender sympathies of their own home. 
 Their insulated station in the family throws them in irksome 
 solitude upon their own resources ; contracts their social affec- 
 tions ; and paralyses that affectionate interest in their charge, 
 which is the soul and energy of a fruitful system of instruc- 
 tion. Whereas a considerate tenderness would return to the 
 parents an abundant recompense, in raising up for their chil- 
 dren valuable friends in the persons of their instructors — 
 attached to their interests beyond the prospects of sordid gain 
 — wise, anxious, and sympathizing counsellors to the end of 
 life. 
 
 On the other hand, the disposition in the employers to in- 
 corporate the instructor, as far as is consistent with her sta- 
 tion, into the family circle, is too often restrained by hindrances 
 over which they have no controul — even where a well-fur- 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 1 93 
 
 nished mind, and general consistency of conduct would have 
 made her society an important consideration. Yet a want of 
 knowledge or respect for the regulations of decorum — defect 
 of manners — forge tfulness of the due reserve connected with 
 her situation — pedantic tone of conversation — vanity of dress 
 — self-importance — a disputatious spirit — a love of authority 
 — affectation, or studied eccentricity of behaviour — these or 
 some other failure in the domestic graces — repel the exercise 
 of kindly confidence, and produce a natural, and in some de- 
 gree a necessary, distance in the deportment of the parents. 
 
 Let each side form their mutual behaviour upon Scriptural 
 rules. Let the one practise the injunction of love — " What- 
 soever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so 
 to them." Let the other "be clothed with humility," and 
 be found in the daily observance of " whatsoever things are 
 pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of 
 good report." Thus Christian regard and happiness will be 
 reciprocally diffused, without any compromise of their several 
 obligations. 
 
 r2 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 Different views and features in Miss Graham's character. 
 
 The retired and uniform habits of Miss Graham's life 
 scarcely allow of a detailed illustration of her natural charac- 
 ter. That singular freedom from selfishness, remarked in her 
 early history, appears to have been, by the common consent 
 of all her intelligent friends, a most prominent feature through- 
 out life. One of her young companions, whose subsequent 
 opportunities of observation give weight to her testimony, 
 thus confirms the general remark on this point. — 'The situa- 
 tion which I have filled for some years (in tuition) has of 
 course brought under my notice the various dispositions and 
 peculiar tempers of children in general. From necessity, 
 partly, I have studied them. But I have never met with one, 
 who in any degree answered my recollections of Mary Gra- 
 ham. Warm and susceptible in her affections, she was ten- 
 der to those of others ; nor did she ever suffer any regret or 
 disappointment in her own mind to interfere with the com- 
 fort or pleasure of her companions.' The testimony of her 
 young cousin is to the same purport. ' I never saw any one 
 so devoid of selfishness, or who took so warm an interest in 
 the happiness of her fellow-creatures. There was not one of 
 my amusements or childish sorrows in which she would not 
 take her share. As I grew up, her kindness in this respect 
 increased.' This lovely trait was combined with a sweet- 
 ness and gentleness of disposition, and, being moulded under 
 the influence of Divine grace, attracted the regard even of the 
 thoughtless and unobservant. Indeed her young friend first 
 alluded to does not hesitate to assert — ' My earliest remem- 
 brance of her is connected with feelings of respect, which, I 
 think I may say, I have scarcely felt in a stronger degree for 
 any one I have since known.' 
 
 
MEMOIR, &C. 195 
 
 We have already given her parents' account of her relative 
 character under their own roof. In its wider sphere of opera- 
 tion it may however be added, that her natural affection was 
 enlarged in no common degree to all that belonged to her, 
 and manifested in the most important and practical mode of 
 constant prayer and effort for the salvation of their souls. 
 She sometimes spent a great part of the night in earnest and 
 persevering intercession ; and on one occasion was known, 
 after she had retired to rest, to arise from her bed to employ 
 herself in special prayer, in behalf of her only brother who 
 died in America about this time, and for whom she never 
 ceased to cherish the hope, that her prayers were heard with 
 acceptance. 
 
 The following letter full enforces the claims of natural 
 affection upon the basis of the high principles of the gospel. 
 In quickening her friend to a self-denying effort in this path 
 of duty, she writes — 
 
 Stoke, Jan. 2, 1827. 
 
 * My dear , " freely we have received, freely let us 
 
 give." If it does take up half-a-day once or twice a month 
 
 to go to , surely God, who gave all your days, has a 
 
 right to expect you should spend them in whatever service 
 he will put upon you ; and by making these individuals your 
 near relations, he has given them a claim upon you. Jesus 
 made himself as our brother, that sucked the breasts of our 
 mother, on purpose to give us an everlasting claim to all that he 
 can do for us ; and surely those whom he has given us as 
 near relations, have for his sake, a claim upon all that we can 
 do for them. The more unpleasant the task, the more con- 
 trary to flesh and blood, the more reason we have to hope 
 that we are not following our own fancy, nor working to 
 please ourselves, but really following the example of Jesus, 
 who, "came not to do his own will." At the same time, if 
 after prayer, you really do not feel called upon to do some- 
 thing for them, and that speedily and perseveringly ; and if 
 you do not think you are guilty of great unfaithfulness, and 
 selfishness in neglecting it, I will not mention the subject again 
 to you ; for I am persuaded you will be taught of God, and 
 faith will be given you, if the Lord intends to make use of 
 you to do them good. My great desire is that we may be 
 always faithful to one another, " provoking one another to 
 good works." 
 
196 MEMOIR OF 
 
 In another letter to the same correspondent, she throws 
 out a valuable hint of encouragement relative to a difficulty, 
 which is often painfully felt in this course of obligation. 
 
 * I often think, dear , that if we could feel and carry in 
 
 our memory those encouraging words of our Saviour, " It is 
 not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father, which speak- 
 eth in you," — we should no longer suffer false shame to hin- 
 der us from earnestly pressing the subject of the gospel upon 
 those who are dear to us. May not we, as well as the In- 
 spired Apostles, hope for the indwelling guidance of that 
 Spirit, who shall strengthen us in all utterance and in 
 knowledge?' 
 
 One main feature of her intellectual character was the ar- 
 dour, steadiness, and concentration of mind, with which she 
 pursued every object of interest. This indeed distinguished 
 her earliest and most unbended habits. Her youthful games 
 were marked with the same intensity of feeling which she 
 subsequently applied to her more important objects. She 
 engaged in games of imagination, as one of her companions 
 remarks, with all the earnestness of reality, and acted a ficti- 
 tious character with an expression, that proved her to be 
 totally absorbed in it. Thus it was with reading or with work. 
 No efforts or entreaties could avail to divert her mind from 
 the object which was then engaging her attention to any other 
 employment or recreation. In the occupations of after-life, 
 whether it was music, the languages, mathematics, or chemis- 
 try, it was still the same warmth and fixedness of mind. The 
 early dawn not unfrequently found her (after she had girded on 
 her C hristian armour) deeply engaged in her studies. The spirit 
 and result of her investigations often entered into her com- 
 mon conversation, whenever she met with a kindred mind — 
 not however in any display of pedantry, (than which nothing 
 was more removed from her temper,) but in the natural flow 
 of her spirits, and with a lively endeavour to communicate a 
 reciprocal interest. The simplicity and elastic spring of her 
 mind was also remarkably illustrated in her peculiar faculty 
 of drawing out the mental resources of those with whom she 
 conversed ; so that, though they could not but be sensible of 
 her great superiority, yet they appeared to themselves often 
 to possess a greater strength of mind, and variety of concep- 
 tion, than they had before been conscious of. Perhaps how- 
 ever the completeness of her intellectual character appeared 
 in the well-regulated application of her mental powers. To 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 197 
 
 subjects of taste — such as music and poetry — she brought a 
 glow of feeling, and of imagination, that quickens the pulse 
 of her readers, and plays upon the passions with an irresisti- 
 ble charm. On the other hand, matters of a graver Cast, such 
 as the highly valuable discussions of her Mathematical Manu- 
 script, are drawn out with the sober accuracy of a reflecting 
 and discriminating judgment. The illustrations that have 
 been given of her musical excitement might almost lead us 
 to suppose that this was the atmosphere in which she lived, 
 and that she could breathe in no other ; yet was this fervid 
 enthusiasm disciplined by the apprehension of the prepon- 
 derance of this indulgent taste above more solid pursuits. 
 Thus was her fine imagination furnished with a proportionate 
 counterpoise in the master-principle of her ever active mind. 
 
 As to her Christian character — this highest style of man — 
 that energy of feeling and industry of habit, which gave the 
 impulse to her intellectual studies, no less strongly marked the 
 temperament of her religion. Though she had a clear per- 
 ception that the blessing she sought was a free gift, yet she 
 expected the attainment of it, like that of every important ob- 
 ject of pursuit, only in the constant use of the appointed 
 means. She was therefore led to cherish the principles of 
 her Christian profession, in a spirit of earnest and prayerful 
 searching of the Scriptures, and thus was she enabled to ex- 
 hibit the graces of the gospel in lovely combination and 
 practical exercise. 
 
 In giving, however, a detailed sketch of Miss Graham's 
 spiritual character, we would premise, that it was marked by 
 that variation of feeling, which is so often alluded to in her 
 correspondence, and which, though common to all cases of 
 Christian experience, her remarkable elevation of spirituality 
 rendered more visible than in most other cases. The differ- 
 ence of her feelings was often discernible in her countenance. 
 On some seasons it was irradiated with a peculiar expression 
 of heavenly feature. She was manifestly filled with the love 
 of God, and " out of the abundance of her heart her mouth 
 would speak." At other times it was with difficulty that she 
 could be induced to converse upon religious subjects ; and she 
 would turn from them to enter upon topics exclusively intel- 
 lectual. But this view of her character cannot better be de- 
 scribed than in the language of her most intimate and confi- 
 dential friend. 
 
 ■ 1 did not notice any infirmity in her Christian character, 
 
198 MEMOIR OF 
 
 except the one she herself often mentions — inequality. The 
 difference in spiritual feeling was more visible in her than in 
 any other Christians I have known. When in a state of 
 warm feeling, she was more entirely engrossed by the subject 
 than any one I ever met with. Nothing else could interest 
 her. When her mind was less under the influence of hea- 
 venly things, the difference was obvious. I do not mean by 
 her giving way to any sinful temper or feeling, but by her 
 conversing with pleasure and interest upon merely earthly 
 things. Nor do I think that at these times she sunk much, 
 if at all, below the usual standard. Ordinarily she rose, I 
 should think, above it.' 
 
 The general tone, however, of her habit, both contemplative 
 and active, manifested the habitual operation of a high mea- 
 sure of Divine influence ; while her occasional depressions 
 seem not to have sunk her below the ordinary level, and were 
 doubtless connected with those exercises of humiliation de- 
 scribed in her correspondence, which will find their response 
 in the hearts of many of her readers. 
 
 We now proceed to the chief object of this work, a detailed 
 development of the most prominent features of Miss Gra- 
 ham's Christian character. 
 
 In a compassionate concern for the unconverted, she had 
 deeply imbibed the spirit of her beloved Master. 4 1 see,' as 
 she writes to a friend, ' more need than ever to pray, not only 
 for the souls of others, but for a spirit of love to souls, and for 
 a sense of their inestimable value.' She had diligently im- 
 proved the opportunities of her health, in pleading with the 
 careless and unbelieving, and in every exercise of tender 
 anxiety on their behalf. In the chamber of pain and sickness, 
 their awful condition intensely occupied her mind ; and the 
 long and " wearisome nights appointed" her, were often en- 
 gaged in intercession for their souls. 
 
 4 When first I visited her' — observed the dear brother who 
 was the privileged attendant upon her sick bed — ' hearing of 
 a poor woman in a dangerous state, and unconcerned about 
 her eternal interests, she eagerly inquired of me respecting 
 her soul, and begged me most earnestly to pray for her. She 
 spoke with a peculiar interest, as if she felt what it was for a 
 soul to be lost. Indeed her minister expresses himself to 
 have been continually struck with her deep tone of anxiety 
 on the state of the parish. If she heard of any that were 
 awakened from a fearful state of stupidity and death, it was 
 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 199 
 
 always with the most lively expression of delight. Often was 
 she known to shed tears of joy upon any symptom of hope and 
 encouragement respecting them that were brought before her. 
 She felt the responsibility of every opportunity of addressing 
 her fellow-sinners, whether rich or poor, upon the immensely 
 momentous concerns of eternity ; and when unable to seek 
 after them, she longed to bring them into her sick room, 
 within the reach of her solemn and affectionate exhortations; 
 though a restless night was the expected consequence of 
 this ardent excitement. It was her great desire to bring her 
 whole family, all her friends and neighbours, to Christ and to 
 heaven with her. Though suffering under excruciating pain, 
 and her " soul breaking out with longing desires" for a sight 
 of Christ in his glory : yet, when speaking of the perishing 
 state of sinners, she would say — ' Oh ! I would gladly live a 
 hundred years, if I might be the means of saving one soul.' 
 Shortly before her death, when in a state of great exhaustion, 
 she begged her minister to pray for an infidel, who had an 
 opportunity of seeing her ' Test of Truth,' as it passed through 
 the press — ' Weak as the work is' — she said in her deep hu- 
 mility — ' it may prove a blessing to his soul.' 
 
 A few extracts from her correspondence will afford striking 
 illustration of the deep feeling of her Christian responsibility 
 and love. The first letter relates to an unhappy female, who 
 had been brought under her notice. Being unable personally 
 to attend to her case, she thus warmly enforces it upon her 
 friend, who was, jointly with herself, interested in it. 
 
 Dec. 18, 1827. 
 ' My chief reason for writing to-day is, that this poor 
 wretched girl dwells upon my mind. You make good reflec- 
 tions, but these very reflections ought to lead us to do some- 
 thing for her. She must be very young; and if we do not 
 make an effort to save her from destruction, I think that we 
 shall indeed have much to answer for. Her not belonging to 
 us, ought to be no excuse for our not concerning ourselves 
 about her. For does she not belong to the large family of lost 
 sinners to which we once belonged ] And may we not be 
 the means of removing her thence, into the family of saved 
 sinners, of which God's mercy has made us members 1 I 
 cannot rest till something is tried. So young, and so brought 
 up, what better could be expected from her 1 What should 
 we have been under her disadvantages 1 1 tremble even to 
 
200 - MEMOIR OF 
 
 think of it; and for very thankfulness we ought to leave 
 nothing- untried to save her. She has been also brought under 
 our notice by a peculiar providence, which is, I think, a call 
 to the work.' 
 
 To this wretched object of distress she addressed a letter 
 full of tender and awakening exhortations. To her great con- 
 cern, however, this messenger of mercy never reached the 
 hands of her for whom it was intended, and who was soon af- 
 terwards transported. Shortly afterwards she again stimu- 
 lates her friend to this work of love, with the solemn impulse 
 connected with the concerns of a never-dying soul. 
 
 Jan. 11, 1828. 
 
 4 1 beseech you to reflect, that on one hand this girl may be 
 a subject of regret to you upon a bed of death. On the other 
 hand, she may be to you a "crown of rejoicing in the day of 
 the Lord Jesus." ' 
 
 The fervour that pervades the following letter, is deeply af- 
 fecting. 
 
 March 18, 1828. 
 4 But why should I say I have nothing to write about? I 
 am really ashamed of the folly of the last sentence, and of the 
 frivolous temper which dictated it. Yes, my dear friend, if 
 we love the Lord Jesus, we have always a subject of the deep- 
 est interest — enough to employ our tongue and our pen, both 
 morning, noon, and night. I would fain make him the sub- 
 ject of our communication here, as I trust he will be the theme 
 of our songs and praises in heaven ; and firmly believing, as 
 I do, that there is neither praise nor lasting joy for those who 
 place their happiness in any thing short of loving him, can I 
 do otherwise than tell you how very earnestly I wish, that 
 you may be led by his grace to make him your all in all ! 
 
 May his Holy Spirit lead us, my dear M ; for in short, all 
 
 are sinners, by nature as well as by practice, altogether alien- 
 ated from God, to whom we can only be "made nigh by the 
 blood of Jesus." Do not let us deceive ourselves in so im- 
 portant a subject. If we are walking in the same way with 
 the world around us, we are not walking in the narrow way 
 which leads to life ; nor can we be the followers of that Sa- 
 viour, " who gave himself for us, that He might deliver us 
 from this evil world." There is a peace which the world 
 knoweth not of, and a joy in which all its boasted pleasures 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 201 
 
 are but vanity. This is the peace and the joy, which I would 
 intreat you to seek after. But you will say to me — ' Why do 
 you recommend it 1 and why are you so uncharitable as to 
 suppose I do not possess it already V It is because 1 know 
 what a great and entire change it requires in the whole heart 
 and character. I am sensible, that such is the utter sinfulness 
 of my own heart, that nothing 1 but a Divine influence could 
 have led me to see any thing in Christ crucified that was worth 
 giving up all the world for. And may not the same Divine 
 power snatch you as a brand from the burning, and lead you 
 to the cross of Jesus for pardon and salvation 1 This is the 
 hope that induces me to venture upon writing to you so freely ; 
 and the very affectionate interest 1 feel in every thing relating 
 to you, must plead my excuse, if, when I speak of a thing on 
 which your eternity depends, I speak in the strong language 
 which my anxiety suggests to me.' 
 
 Some misconception of her correspondent gave rise to the 
 next letter. 
 
 ' Your letter occasioned me much pain, and — I will add — 
 perplexity. I could not conceive from what part of mine you 
 had discovered, that I thought holiness unnecessary to a 
 Christian. My dear friend, Tknow (for God has said), that 
 " without holiness no man shall see the Lord :" but I know 
 (for God has said it too), that we cannot be holy of ourselves: 
 " we are not sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of 
 ourselves;" and, "without me" — saith Christ — "ye can do 
 nothing." As this is not a matter of little importance, but 
 one of life and death, let me most earnestly and affectionately 
 entreat you to make it the subject of unceasing prayer. " If 
 any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all 
 men liberally." " Ask, and ye shall have." The Scripture 
 abounds with promises to those who make it the business of 
 their lives to seek God. Allow me to mention one more, 
 which always fills my mind with comfort and peace : — 
 " Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto 
 me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, 
 and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." 
 I have mentioned this way of prayer to you, because I believe 
 we might write about these things for ever, without coming 
 nearer to the truth. Prayer is the way of God's appointment ; 
 and I never knew any one who really prayed earnestly and 
 perseveringly for Divine teaching, that was not brought at 
 length heartily to subscribe to what are called evangelical 
 S 
 
202 MEMOIR OF 
 
 doctrines. The Scriptures take away all hope of our under- 
 standing these things of ourselves, when they tell us, that 
 " the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of 
 God, for they are foolishness unto him." Foolish indeed 
 does the doctrine of the cross appear to the heart untaught by 
 the Spirit of God ; but let the heart be once taught to receive 
 it, and it beholds in it, "the power and wisdom of God;" 
 and a person thus taught will feel constrained to make it his 
 great desire, endeavour, and prayer, that others may learn it 
 too. Therefore if I could write volumes to you, the little 
 word "pray" should be the burden of them all. By prayer 
 I do not mean that cold thing, which worldly people call 
 prayer ; I mean such an effort, as a man dying with hunger, 
 would use to beg for food ; I mean begging as for one's life, 
 being able to say as David did — "There is nothing in heaven, 
 
 or in earth that I desire beside thee." Dear , I feel 
 
 that I have spoken to you with great freedom and plainness ; 
 I cannot help it. If I saw a friend on the brink of a precipice, 
 I would try to pull her away from it. I know that all who 
 trust in any thing but Christ for pardon and salvation, are on 
 the brink of eternal destruction; and can I rest, when any 
 whom I love are in this state. I know, too, that unless God 
 is pleased to bless what I have said, you will only think me 
 a fool for my pains : but this is of little consequence. Before 
 another letter can pass between us, one or both of us may 
 have entered into eternity, when every man's foundation that 
 he trusted in, will be tried ; and it will be seen how miserably 
 mistaken are those, who build upon the sand, upon their own 
 imperfect righteousness : while those alone who build upon 
 the Rock of Ages will be safe. May you be one of those ! 
 may you flee for refuge to Christ Jesus ! trust him for every 
 thing, follow him in every thing: take him alone for your 
 guide and teacher, and cease to " lean unto your own under- 
 standing." ' 
 
 The next letter contains a faithful and affectionate appeal 
 made to a beloved relative under affliction. It cannot fail of 
 interesting the reader, as a specimen of that natural affection, 
 which we have before noticed under the constraining influence 
 of the principles of the gospel. 
 
 Nov. 26, 1829. 
 * How very sorry your letter has made us ! I can conceive 
 nothing more heart-breaking than the situation you are now 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 203 
 
 all in. I intreat you most earnestly, my" dearest , to 
 
 seek comfort in earnest prayer, for your dear afflicted , and 
 
 to try by every means in your power to lead him to the same 
 source of comfort. I know he cannot now bear to have much 
 said to him ; but a verse occasionally read to him, ot a short 
 and affectionate prayer offered up with him, might be blessed 
 by our merciful God to his eternal good. I will endeavour 
 to join my prayers with yours ; if it should please God to lead 
 him to the source of all peace, you may one day look back 
 with joy upon this affliction. May it lead you all to flee more 
 earnestly for refuge to the hope that is set before you ! Tell 
 
 my dear with my most affectionate love, that I beseech 
 
 him to think of, and to pray over these words — " Come unto 
 me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you 
 rest." Surely he may look upon this invitation as peculiarly 
 addressed to himself. If ever there was one weary and heavy 
 
 laden in mind and body, it is : O let me implore him to 
 
 accept the offer, which infinite mercy holds out to him : let 
 him cast his weary soul upon the love of Jesus ; let him take 
 all his sins and sorrows, and spread them at the feet of one 
 who is ivilling to forgive, mighty to save, a present help in 
 every time of trouble, to every one, without exception, who is 
 willing to be forgiven, helped, saved, and abundantly com- 
 forted with the comfort which springs from his love, and which 
 is, like himself, infinite and eternal. 
 
 4 O my dear , with whom I have enjoyed so many 
 
 happy hours, which will never fade from my memory ; from 
 whom I have received such repeated acts of kindness ; and 
 whom I love more as a parent than any other relation, suffer 
 me to speak very earnestly to you ; and take my words, I en- 
 treat you, as kindly and affectionately as they are meant. I 
 cannot but long and pray, that you may " be comforted with 
 the consolation wherewith I myself have been comforted of 
 
 God." I have tried it, dearest ; and I have tried the 
 
 comfort which the world has to give ; and I have found the 
 one deep, and satisfactory, and lasting ; and the other vain, 
 and empty, and transitory. You are, as I am, a sinner, a 
 miserable sinner; and, unless you flee to Jesus for refuge, you 
 cannot escape the wrath of God, which is revealed against 
 all sin. You have lived in the neglect of these things, and 
 have cared too little what would become of your soul. But 
 is this any reason for despair, or even for discouragement? 
 Oh ! no. Christ still invites — nay, even beseeches — you to 
 
204 MEMOIR OF 
 
 come to him ; and tells you in his word, that he is perfectly 
 willing, and perfectly " able to save all that come unto God 
 by him." The greatness of our sins need not prevent us ; for 
 his " blood cleanseth from all sin :" he died for sinners, even 
 the chief of sinners. Our ignorance need not dishearten us; 
 for " he teacheth sinners in the way." O come unto this " meek 
 and lowly" this strong and mighty, Saviour ! He is too 
 meek and gentle to reject, and too strong and faithful to dis- 
 appoint, any that come. 
 
 * Dear , my heart is full. What can I say to induce you 
 
 to seek peace and happiness in the pardon of your sins 
 through Jesus Christ 1 It is but asking you to be full of hap- 
 piness and joy ; for thus I know it will be with you, if you 
 take the God of all comfort for your God. And do but think, 
 how wonderful and unspeakable his condescension in offering 
 to be our God, and friend, and father, " for ever and ever, our 
 guide even until death," our "everlasting portion and reward." 
 Only think, how dreadful, that he should be willing to save 
 us, and we unwilling to give ourselves up to be saved and 
 blessed by him! Can this be your case? It must not — it 
 must not be so with you. You cannot reject the invitations 
 of the gospel, and say to God, who beseeches you to be recon- 
 ciled to him — ' No — I will not be reconciled ; I will not pray 
 to the God of my salvation.' I am sure the thought strikes 
 you with horror. You cannot rightly seek God without the 
 aid of the Holy Spirit; but you will receive this aid upon 
 asking; for " God will give his Holy Spirit to them that ask 
 him." May he both teach you to pray, and hear and answer 
 your prayer ! May he relieve your suffering body, if it be 
 his will, and comfort your distressed soul. Amen and amen. 
 
 If my dear can bear thus much read to him, you will 
 
 show it, or read it to him ; and let us both pray, that he may 
 know and feel the joy of being united to Christ.' 
 
 To another friend she wrote from her sick bed, nearly in the 
 same strain. 
 
 * I lie here sometimes, and think what a poor useless crea- 
 ture I am. But if I might be made the happy means of in- 
 ducing my dear and kind friend to cast himself, and all his 
 sorrows, and sins, and uneasiness, at the feet of the Saviour 
 of sinners, then I should think I had indeed lived to some 
 purpose. I have often wanted to write to you ; but the fear 
 that you would think me unkind or assuming in intruding my 
 thoughts upon you, has prevented me. But what a foolish 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 205 
 
 and wicked fear this was, when the salvation of your pre- 
 cious soul was in question ! Yes, my dear , I will 
 
 frankly own to you, that the sickness of your body, distress- 
 ing as it is to me, afflicts me not half so much as the sickness 
 of your soul. I greatly fear that you have not yet found 
 peace in the pardon of your sins through Jesus Christ. I 
 write to you as a sinner, saved by God's grace, to a sinner, 
 whom the grace of God, and that alone, can save. I would 
 not be so cruelly heartless as to flatter you, and to say, 
 '" peace, peace, while there is no peace." But I do know 
 that there is pardon and peace too, for every one, who feeling 
 his sins to be many and grievous, flies to Jesus Christ for 
 refuge ; and it is thus that I conjure you to fly to him. 
 
 ' O my dear , how long has this gracious Saviour been 
 
 knocking at the door of your heart! By his Scriptures, 
 which you have read ; by the sermons and religious books 
 that have come into your hands ; by the secret strivings of his 
 Spirit with your heart and conscience ; by the afflictions 
 wherewith he was afflicted, and still afflicts you ; by all these 
 things he knocks, he sues for admission. He will not let 
 you rest till you open the door; and why 1 because he loves 
 you; he would make you happy in this world, and happy for 
 ever. He would be to you a friend, on whom you might 
 safely lean ; on whose constant love you might safely con- 
 fide; one who would never leave nor forsake you; never be 
 weary of nor slight you ; never for one moment be unable or 
 unwilling to listen to you, bless you, and relieve you. 
 
 1 Such a friend is Jesus Christ to all those who fly to him 
 for salvation. May he be your friend and Saviour for ever! 
 This is the sincere prayer of, 
 
 < M. J. G.' 
 
 The tenderness and consideration with which she enforced 
 these supremely important subjects upon her young friends, is 
 noticed by those who were experimentally acquainted with 
 it. Her gentleness and self-command were often put to the 
 test by the coldness, petulance, or dislike with which her 
 exhortations were received. But there was "no reproach or 
 upbraiding on her part — no anger or contempt on account of 
 the foolish things that were said ; nor did she ever show the 
 less interest in promoting amusements more after the heart 
 of her companions. She was known sometimes to weep in 
 tenderness, when a fault was confessed to her — but never at 
 s 2 
 
206 MEMOIR OP 
 
 that time to reprove. Sometimes her humility and affection- 
 ate delicacy would rebuke the carelessness of her friend, by 
 the acknowledgment of her own coldness and neglect. Thus 
 she would lead her more thoughtless companion to unite with 
 herself in supplication for pardon and grace. So truly was 
 she a "fellow-worker with her God," in "drawing with the 
 bands of love." 
 
 Connected with this was her tender and Christian faithful- 
 ness in giving reproof, where she considered it to be needed. 
 The following is an instructive specimen of the mode and 
 spirit in which this high obligation will be most effectually 
 discharged. After giving a slight sketch of some -of the 
 leading doctrines of the gospel, she brings them home in a 
 direct and close application to the conscience of her friend. 
 
 ' And now, beloved , let me turn from every other con- 
 sideration to yourself, and the state of your own mind. For 
 you have rightly judged that I cannot think that the state of 
 your , or any other person ought to have the least influ- 
 ence in preventing you from seeking the salvation of your 
 own soul. The question is not, what do others do to be 
 saved 1 But " what must I do to be saved ?" You tell me 
 that I am severe. Indeed I would not willingly be so. A 
 miserable sinner myself, saved only by the free mercy of 
 God, what right have I to be severe upon others ? But I am 
 " affectionately desirous of you" in the Lord Jesus; and there- 
 fore, as my beloved friend, I warn you. I fail in my duty to 
 you, unless I tell you the truth. It may seem harsh to ap- 
 pear to have any doubt of your state; but it is kinder to lead 
 you to examine now, than to leave you to the bare possibility 
 of finding yourself deceived when it is too late. If then what 
 I am now going to say should seem to you more severe than 
 
 ever, I entreat you, dearest , to forgive me for the sake 
 
 of the motive which impels me to do so. Consider that I am 
 not now speaking of any trifling thing. The more I love you, 
 the more impossible I find it to stand upon ceremony, while 
 I am trembling for your soul. My fears then about your state 
 are not excited by what I have heard. Had you become a 
 very decided and devoted Christian, I think I should have 
 heard of it from many quarters. In some it would have been 
 noticed with delight; in others, with wonder; in others, 
 with dislike and disapprobation. But my fears are drawn 
 chiefly from the querulous and worldly strain in which most 
 of your letters to me are written. I know that " if you have 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 207 
 
 not the Spirit of Christ, you are none of his." This spirit 
 must be known by its fruits. " And the fruits of the Spirit 
 are love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 
 meekness, temperance." Now I look earnestly, anxiously, 
 for some of these fruits. I look for some sign that " the love 
 of God is shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Ghost 
 which is given to you."" This love would show itself in love 
 to others ; in love even to your enemies, if you had any. 
 But I fear you are indulging in feelings little short of hatred 
 to more than one of your fellow-creatures. I fear that wrath, 
 strife, disputations, envyings, jealousies, are too often more 
 predominant in your heart than love. — Again, I look for some 
 evidence of that "joy and peace in believing," that "peace 
 and joy in the Holy Ghost," which form so great a part of 
 the "kingdom of God" within us. Even mourning Chris- 
 tians must sometimes feel a little of this in their hearts. But 
 sure I am, that if " the peace of God which passeth all un- 
 derstanding, did keep your heart and mind in Christ Jesus," 
 you could not be so much fretted and discomposed by the 
 petty discontents, and trials, and offences of a world, whose 
 frowns and whose smiles you would feel to be equally be- 
 neath your regard. 
 
 4 You would remember that your lot has been chosen for 
 you by a wise and loving Father, and that the most vexatious 
 events in it happen by his permission, and for your good. 
 
 Whenever we feel inclined to murmur, dear , at " our 
 
 light afflictions," let us think of those faithful servants of 
 God, who " had trial of cruel mockings, and scourgings, yea, 
 moreover of bonds and imprisonments; who were stoned, 
 were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword, 
 who wandered about in sheep skins and goat skins, being 
 destitute, afflicted, tormented." Yet these "destitute, af- 
 flicted, tormented," ones, " in patience possessed their souls." 
 " The peace of God kept their hearts and minds ;" and shall 
 it not keep ours, in our comparatively no-sufferings 1 Now 
 if these "fruits of the Spirit, love, joy, peace," flourish in 
 the heart, they must show themselves to be there : and if the 
 contrary dispositions — anger, dissatisfaction, restlessness, 
 appear in their stead, it proves either that " we have not the 
 Spirit of Christ, and therefore are none of his," or else that 
 we have " grieved that Holy Spirit," and caused him for a 
 time to withdraw his sacred influences. In either case we 
 ought not to rest, till we have sought and obtained that 
 
208 MEMOIR or 
 
 44 godly sorrow," for sin, " which worketh repentance unto 
 salvation not to be repented of." Where we may apply for 
 this repentance, we are told in Acts v. 31. I will go on no 
 longer in enumerating these fruits of the Spirit ; for my 
 business is not to judge you, but to lead you to judge and ex- 
 amine yourself. This I earnestly entreat you to do, " that 
 you may not be judged of the Lord." And should you now, 
 
 dearest , feel offended with me, it will give me the less 
 
 uneasiness — both because I know that you will not in the 
 end love me the less for having faithfully discharged my 
 conscience towards you before I die ; and because I know 
 that you will view it in a very different light at our next 
 meeting, which will, I hope and trust, be around the throne 
 of God and the Lamb.' 
 
 Her love to her Saviour must have been already prominently 
 remarked by every intelligent reader. She lived much in 
 distinct, deep, and fixed contemplation of him. Those parts 
 of Scriptures were especially valuable, that brought her into 
 closer contact with the subject nearest her heart — the love of 
 Christ. The book of Canticles was therefore to her " a gar- 
 den of delights." Her pure and spiritual mind enabled her to 
 study this holy book with the liveliest and most profitable in- 
 terest. Many Christians, in an over-scrupulous delicacy and 
 unscriptural taste, seem almost to have proscribed this portion 
 of the sacred canon from their private meditation. The book 
 indeed is an exposition of the heavenly privilege of commu- 
 nion with our Divine Saviour. It can only therefore be un- 
 derstood by those who can say — "Truly our fellowship is 
 with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." The peru- 
 sal of it moreover must be admitted to require a peculiar 
 abstraction from earthly things. But the Christian's heart 
 under divine teaching, will be a spiritual interpreter of it ; 
 and whenever it is approached with reverence, simplicity, and 
 sanctity, it will tend much to the enkindling of holy affec- 
 tions in the endearing contemplation of condescending love ; 
 in a self-abasing sense of backslidings ; in a heavenly enjoy- 
 ment of the presence of the Lord ; in commending his person 
 to all around us ; in a panting desire for a closer communion 
 with him; and in a joyous anticipation of his coming. 
 
 But Miss Graham's love to her Saviour was not confined to 
 spiritual contemplation. It was a principle of incessant ac- 
 tivity, directing her daily Christian habit (to use her own 
 beautiful language to one of her correspondents), to * watch 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 209 
 
 with the eye of love every intimation of his will, every lead- 
 ing of his Spirit.' Such is the difference between specu- 
 lating- upon religion, and feeling it — when the heart has 
 " tasted that the Lord is gracious" — when the man is made — 
 " a new creature" — when his eyes have been opened to behold 
 the beauty of his Saviour — and he is anxiously cultivating 
 every temper of the gospel, in which he may live above the 
 world, and walk with Christ. 
 
 Miss Graham's happy anticipations of eternity were con- 
 nected with this love to her Saviour. That which gave, in 
 her eyes, emphasis and perfection to eternal bliss was — that 
 it is all Christ — that the " Lamb is the light" of the heavenly 
 city. Thus we find her writing a new year's congratulation 
 to a dear friend in the heart-stirring remembrance — that " now 
 is our salvation nearer than when we believed." 
 
 Stoke, Jan. 1, 1827. 
 
 1 This time last year we were together. Does it seem as if 
 a year had passed since then 1 Another year of sin on our 
 part, and of mercy, free and uninterrupted, on the part of our 
 Jesus ! There is something very sweet in the thought that 
 we are a year nearer to his bosom ; that every year will pass 
 as swiftly as the last, till he calls us to himself; and that 
 nothing can happen next year, or any following year, which 
 can possibly separate us one single moment from his love. 
 Perhaps this time next year we may be like him, " seeing 
 him as he is," joining in a song new indeed to our tongues, 
 because it will be a triumphant song, and a holy and an ever- 
 lasting song.' 
 
 Her love of prayer formed one of the main features of Tier 
 character. Every habit of her mind appeared to flow in the 
 spirit and atmosphere of prayer. The playful exercise of her 
 youth were in this sanctified temperament. When her cousin 
 visited her, the day was usually commenced with a chapter 
 from her favourite Bible, accompanied with prayer, that they 
 might both love and serve him, of whom that book testified. 
 This service performed, she instantly turned all the warmth 
 and animation of her affectionate temper, and all the powers 
 of her highly-gifted mind to the amusement of her compan- 
 ion. We have already noticed the connexion of this habit 
 with her intellectual employments, whether indulging her own 
 gratifications, or superintending the instruction of her cousin. 
 Hers was not the unsanctified study, which is glitter, not 
 
210 MEMOIR OF 
 
 gtdd. All was consecrated to the supreme object of life, and 
 directed to this object by the constant influence of that prin- 
 ciple, which ennobles earthly occupations, and stamps them 
 with a heavenly glory. The occasional visits of her young 
 friends found her in the same spiritual habit. ' Seldom,' as 
 one of her schoolfellows has recorded, ' did I enter her little 
 room, but she proposed the reading of the Bible, and would 
 pour out her soul before her God with holy fervour and sim- 
 plicity.' Her public exercises of Christian devotedness were 
 conducted in the same spirit. When engaged in the work of 
 Sunday School tuition, she had her set times of prayer with 
 her young cousin (who was at jthat time associated with her) 
 for themselves, their fellow-labourers, and their responsible 
 charge ; and frequently she would offer distinct and separate 
 supplication for each child in their classes. Her reponsibility 
 as a member of the ransomed family of God, led her (as we 
 find from a letter shortly to be adduced) in the true spirit of 
 sympathy to devote an hour every evening mainly to the sub- 
 ject of intercessory prayer. Besides these constant occasions, 
 she set apart special times for secret dedication and communion 
 with God. New-year's-day and birthdays were among these 
 privileged seasons. It was one of her favourite plans to set 
 apart occasionally a certain time exclusively for prayer and 
 Scripture reading ; and for this purpose all her other employ- 
 ments were removed from her sight. This was her prepara- 
 tion for any special engagement that was prospectively before 
 her ; and this course she recommended to her friends with 
 beneficial effect. Another custom of somewhat similar charac- 
 ter (and one that is happily making advance throughout the 
 church in our day) was to prevail upon her confidential 
 friends to set apart definite hours, when distant friends could 
 meet together in one heart and one soul at the throne of their 
 common Lord. Thus in the most extensive meaning of the 
 Scriptural precept, she might be said to " pray without ceas- 
 ing ;" and, like the man after God's heart, " to give herself 
 unto prayer." 
 
 Love to the whole word of God was also a prominent fea- 
 ture in her character. Indications of this holy pleasurable 
 taste were visible in her childhood, in the large portions which 
 she committed to memory. In an early excursion with one 
 of her young friends, we find her reproaching herself for the 
 small proportion of time which she had consecrated to the 
 study of this precious volume. Whatever might be the 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 211 
 
 ground for this self-accusation, it was however intended as a 
 hint to her less thoughtful companion, and to introduce before 
 her a plan that might be useful to them both— that of repeat- 
 ing portions of Scripture to each other when they met. Thus 
 she made her own self-condemnation the vehicle of instruc- 
 tion to her friend. Generally speaking, she read the Sacred 
 Book as a pleasure, not as a task. It seemed to be her constant 
 food and study. She did indeed " esteem the words of God's 
 mouth more than her necessary food." They " were found, 
 and she did eat them ; and they were to her as the joy and 
 rejoicing of her heart." They were to her what Melanc- 
 thon calls ' that sacred manna of the soul, to which St. Paul 
 alludes, when he speaks of spiritually discerning' the sacred 
 pages. Often under protracted bodily and spiritual trials, the 
 promises were to her " as cold waters to a thirsty soul ;" yea, 
 as " life from the dead." So eager was her appetite for this 
 heavenly manna, that, not satisfied with her own gathering, 
 she was always longing to feed upon the fruits of the industry 
 of her friends. Thus we have found her intreating her con- 
 fidential correspondent to communicate to her any additional 
 and interesting light which had been found in the course of 
 her Scriptural research. Even in those seasons of special 
 consecration just alluded to, when she found her mind indis- 
 posed for spiritual reading, she would still cleave exclusively 
 to the Scriptures, and give up her time and mind to learning 
 large portions of this holy book. It was her practice to read 
 through different books of Scripture with a close and perse- 
 vering habit of meditation and prayer, always keeping in mind 
 her Master's stimulating motive to the search — " For they 
 are they which testify of me." Hence she was delighted in 
 the course of her study of the Book of Proverbs to have 
 Christ so much and so frequently brought before her mind ; a 
 recollection of great moment for the spiritual discernment of 
 the Divine wisdom treasured up in this store-house of practi- 
 cal instruction. The encouraging promise held out to diligent 
 investigators of the Sacred Volume on one occasion fixed her 
 in intense meditation for upwards of two hours. She appear- 
 ed to be lost in astonishment and gratitude at the condescen- 
 sion and kindness of God, in giving^, promise so rich, so free, 
 so encouraging. She grasped it, as if determined not to let 
 it go. She frequently employed herself in the profitable ex- 
 ercise of " comparing spiritual things with spiritual" — Scrip- 
 ture with itself; thus, making God his own interpreter. 
 
212 MEMOIR OF 
 
 Much light and heavenly unction she conceived herself to 
 have obtained by this means, which were manifested to others, 
 unconsciously to herself, in her striking remarks and apt il- 
 lustrations of passages presented to her. The wholeness of her 
 study already noticed is worthy of careful consideration. 
 There was no exclusive regard or undue prominence given to 
 portions of the sacred book. " All" was regarded as " given 
 by inspiration of God," and therefore profitable for the speci- 
 fic purposes for which it was written, and which it is the ex- 
 ercise of prayer and diligence to investigate. 
 
 But we will state her admirable views of the temper re- 
 quisite for the study of the Sacred Book in her own words. 
 
 1 We shall never' — she remarks — ' become perfectly recon- 
 ciled to all parts of the word of God, until He himself be- 
 stows on us the spirit and temper of a little child, to receive, 
 without murmuring or disputings or carnal reasonings, what- 
 soever Jehovah the Spirit is pleased to say to us. That Spi- 
 rit alone can take away the evil heart of unbelief, which pre- 
 vents us from embracing the whole counsel of God, as re- 
 vealed in his word. It is he that must open our hearts to 
 attend to all the things written in his law. Then we shall 
 perceive a connection and a harmony between every part and 
 every doctrine of the Scriptures, which will fill us with ever- 
 increasing wonder and delight.' 
 
 Her childlike simplicity was the spirit of the most pro- 
 found reverence. It is most edifying to remark her humble 
 adoring search into " the deep things of God," as contrasted 
 with the unhallowed boldness with which, these unfathom- 
 able depths are too often explored. After noticing objections 
 to her views of the doctrine of election, she checks herself— 
 1 But I stop ; " he that reproveth God, let him answer it." 
 All these mysteries can be accounted for only by referring 
 them to the inscrutable mystery of God's predestination. To 
 the eye of carnal reason they lie involved in the thickest ob- 
 scurity ; but the eye of faith sees in them no darkness at all. 
 For faith, instead of vainly striving to pull these things down 
 to the level of reason, soars far above reason ; resolves every 
 difficulty into the gracious will or wise permission of God, and 
 seeks to know no further. How many things are there which 
 I know not, nor " can by" any "searching find out to per- 
 fection !" But Jesus knows them all. With this assurance I 
 sit down fully satisfied. He will teach them to me hereafter, 
 as I am able to bear it. In the meantime " I will trust, and 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 213 
 
 not be afraid." All that my God says to me I will implicitly 
 believe, for I know that " every word of God is pure." " All 
 the words of his mouth are in righteousness : there is nothing 
 froward or perverse in them : they are all plain to him that 
 understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge." 
 When I come to see God as he is, and to " know even as 
 also I am known," I shall find that all these mysteries of 
 his word and will were only 'dark with excessive light.' In 
 the meantime, till I have the eagle eye that can gaze undaz- 
 zled at his glories, I will view them at humble distance 
 through the glass of faith which he has given me for this 
 purpose ; nor will I dare to repine, because I can only see 
 them in a glass darkly. Thus faith removes every objection, 
 stills every murmur, and silences every doubtful thought.' 
 
 This " trembling at God's word," is the spirit which our 
 Lord " delighteth to honour" with special manifestations of 
 his favour. "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear 
 him ; and he will show them his covenant." This temper 
 will stimulate to an earnest and diligent search ; while it 
 will repress a presumptuous intrusion. It will lead to the re- 
 ception of every truth upon this formal reason — that it is the 
 word of God. Every truth, though it should not be considered 
 of equal importance, must be regarded with equal reverence ; 
 never fogetting that God is the author of every particle of reve- 
 lation. Therefore to reject any one 'jot or tittle of it' — as 
 Dr. Owen has excellently observed — 'is a sufficient demon- 
 stration, that no one jot or tittle of it is received as it ought. 
 Upon whatever this title and inscription is — ' The word of 
 Jehovah' — there must we stoop and bow down our souls 
 before it, and captivate our understandings to the obedience 
 of faith." 
 
 Her love for the ordinances of God — is worthy of special 
 remark. And this indeed is the pulse of the soul — not at- 
 tendance on them, but delight in them — fellowship with the 
 panting desires of the holy Psalmist — when he envied even 
 the birds who inhabited the pinnacles of the temple, and 
 the priests who were always employed in its service ; and 
 for himself counted " a day spent in God's courts better than 
 a thousand" spent elsewhere. The house of God had been 
 to her in the time of health " the gate of heaven." In her 
 time of affliction, ministers and ordinances were to her " wells 
 of salvation," from whence she " drew water with joy." 
 " Beautiful" in her eyes " were the feet of him that bringeth 
 T 
 
214 MEMOIR OF 
 
 good tidings, that publisheth peace." She loved the mes- 
 sengers of the gospel " for their work's sake," and for their 
 Master's sake. She always expressed the deepest anxiety to 
 receive through them "a message from God" to her soul. 
 1 Pray before, as well as after your visit,' — was her solemn 
 entreaty to her beloved minister. 
 
 We must not forget to mention her " love to the brethren" 
 — that conscious and unequivocal mark of a transition " from 
 death unto life." She longed to see, converse, and enjoy 
 fellowship with all who bore the image of her Lord ; and 
 whether absent or present, she seemed to hold communion 
 with them. Speaking of an absent friend, who appeared to 
 enjoy a deep sense of ' the love of God upon her heart' — she 
 said — ' I long to see her, that she may impart to me some 
 spiritual gift.' On this subject she appears to have been 
 drawn out with remarkable warmth and liveliness of Chris- 
 tian feeling in her correspondence with her friends. To one 
 of them she wrote thus — ' It is a great honour for us, who 
 have been made partakers of the tempter's work, to be made 
 partakers of the Saviour — for us who have been made a curse, 
 to be made a blessing. But when I write to you in this 
 way, it is not so much because I feel it, as because I want 
 to feel it, and desire to be made the instrument of " stirring 
 up this gift of God in you." ' 
 
 What reader but must long to imbibe the blessed spirit of 
 the two following letters 1 
 
 April 9, 1827. 
 ' I intreat you to think more of the privilege of intercession, 
 and to make more use of it than ever. 1 find an indescrib- 
 able delight in using these words — "Our Father" — and in 
 praising, confessing, and praying for myself as one of this 
 large family — in praying for myself as one with them, and 
 in feeling their joys and sorrows as my own. And indeed if 
 we wish above all things that the name of Jesus be glorified, 
 is it not glorified in the spirituality of others as much as in 
 our own 1 And if we wish to be one with Jesus, should we 
 not be also one with his elect? Tell me your difficulties and 
 necessities, that I may present them to Jesus with my own. 
 I do not say this, because 1 think that I have the strength to 
 do it. But Jesus, our God and our Lord (who is with me 
 whilst I write, and who will be with you whilst you read this 
 letter) has said to you and to me — " My grace is sufficient 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 215 
 
 for you.V ' Oh Lord Jesus ! see what I have written, and 
 show that I do not expect too much from thee. Cause every 
 affection of ours to be absorbed in thee; and may all thy 
 sheep love thee above all, and love one another as thou hast 
 loved them !' Say— Amen to this prayer. And if you wish 
 to know what to ask for me, ask that a spirit of perfect love, 
 " which seeketh not her own," may be given me.' 
 Again, about a month after, to the same — 
 
 May 5, 1827. 
 
 'I beseech you to seek earnestly "the communion of 
 saints." This is the only progress 1 have made in the Di- 
 vine life. I have received as a most precious and unmerited 
 gift the power of feeling, the things of the flock of Christ 
 as if they were my own. You cannot imagine the happiness 
 of this feeling. The means through which the Father has 
 given it to me, has been the Lord's prayer. I dedicate (not 
 always, because I am so light and unstable, but generally) 
 an hour every evening to prayer, and principally to interces- 
 sion. I generally begin with the thanks due to God, for hav- 
 ing made himself known to us as our Father, for all that he 
 has done for every one of his sheep on that day. It is im- 
 possible for me to tell you the great delight of thus mixing 
 myself up with the people of Christ, and of considering their 
 benefits as my own. The thought which transports me the 
 most, is that of how many souls have been perhaps this day 
 joined to the church ! how many succoured under temptation ! 
 how many recovered from their backslidings ! how many 
 filled with consolation ! how many transported by death into 
 the bosom of Christ! It delights me much also to consider 
 that all the elect, who are not yet converted, have been and 
 will be preserved, till they are called by the Divine Spirit. I 
 then try to pray for that sweet " we," and to think of the ne- 
 cessities of my Christian friends. Besides, I have a list of 
 unconverted persons for whom I wish to pray. I do intreat 
 you to study with prayer the thirteenth chapter of 1st Corinth- 
 ians. I am most anxious that you should enjoy this happi- 
 ness; and if you ask, you will do so.' 
 
 In the next letter we find her mind exercised upon this in- 
 teresting subject. 
 
 ' It seemed to me when I last wrote to you, that the law 
 of love to the brethren was engraven on my heart. But 
 I feel little of it now. It was like writing on sand. Oh ' 
 
216 MEMOIR OF 
 
 that all the flock of Christ had more, very much more, of this 
 law. O that thirteenth of Corinthians ! Do read and pray 
 over it. There is love — such love as we want — the whole 
 law written in our hearts. I wish the Lord would give me 
 to say something to stir you up to pray more for love ; and 
 then, when you are quite full of love, that he would make 
 you the means of conveying it to me. I would have you 
 pray over 1 John iv, 16 — 21, as well as 1 Cor. xiii. We 
 must first " know and believe the love which God hath to- 
 wards us." That will make us love.' 
 
 To another beloved friend she expresses herself with simi- 
 lar warmth and intensity. 
 
 1 How shall I, who am so full of sin, think to say any 
 thing that may be useful to you, my dear friend 1 Yet per- 
 haps "the comfort, wherewith I have been comforted of 
 .God," in trying to spread your sorrows before him, may be 
 communicated to your soul, while I am telling you of it ; for 
 — blessed be Jesus — we are all one — members of the same 
 body. "It is given us in behalf of Christ to suffer" and re- 
 joice with one another. When I was trying to pray, I en- 
 deavoured to think of a verse, which I might plead with 
 God, and which might encourage myself. The Lord put 
 this into my heart — " Neither pray I for these alone, but for 
 them also, which shall believe on me through their word — 
 {for us ;) that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in 
 me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in ws." But oh ! 
 the comfort that filled my soul, when I thought Jesus had 
 lifted up this prayer for you long before you were born ! that 
 he has had it in his heart for you (^and for me too, and all 
 God's people, who all need it as much) ever since! that he 
 is praying the same thing for us now ! and finally, that " the 
 Father heareth him always/" Therefore, the Father has 
 heard, does hear, and will hear, this most gracious petition, 
 which the Lord Jesus offered in the midst of his disciples, 
 and which God the Spirit brought to their remembrance for 
 our encouragement — " that we all may be one, as he is one 
 with the Father." Yes — and we all shall be one, though 
 Satan and all his angels conspire to divide us. He can no 
 more separate us from the love of one another, than he "can 
 separate us from the love of Christ." Truly, we have fel- 
 lowship one with another ; and " we know that we have 
 passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren." 
 May you be enabled to use more boldness at the throne of 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 217 
 
 grace, to " draw near in full assurance of faith," and claim 
 what Jesus, who cannot ask in vain, has asked of the Father 
 for you — a full and abiding enjoyment of that love to the 
 brethren — that fellowship—that oneness with the saints, 
 which is just as much yours as Christ is yours ! It is apart 
 of your purchased possession ; and nothing can keep you out 
 of your right, but your own want of faith to plead that right 
 with a God, who is more ready to give than we to ask.' 
 
 Would that these enlivening sentiments of Christian love 
 were universally diffused! Our Lord's wonderful prayer on 
 this subject is indeed, as Miss Graham observes, an answer- 
 ed prayer — that is, in its incipient and progressive results. 
 Yet, it is only a specimen of that intercession, with which he 
 has pledged himself, that " for Zion's sake he will not hold 
 his peace, and for Jerusalem's sake he will not rest," until 
 his Father shall make his " Jerusalem a praise in the earth." 
 The plenary blessing is yet in store for us. We want in- 
 creased exertion and expectancy as a means of preparation 
 for it. We want to change our indolent anticipation of this 
 union perfected in heaven for the immediate personal exer- 
 cises of faith, patience, forbearance, and humility, by which 
 " our hearts may be knit together in love," even in the midst 
 of the incessant conflicts of the church ; and we shall then 
 be ready to help each other's labours, and hail each other's 
 success. 
 
 The present aspect of the church is indeed most afflicting. 
 We would not narrow the necessary breach between the 
 church and the world by any compromise of principle or of 
 conscience. But how painful is it to " see the breaches of 
 the city of David, that they are many !" When will our 
 Zion appear in " the perfection of beauty ?" — as " a city com- 
 pact together 1 ?" "For the divisions of" one. tribe in Israel 
 " there were great searchings of heart." How careful, there- 
 fore, ought the scrutiny to be, when the evil spirit appears to 
 be spreading throughout the whole camp ! It is not an ideal 
 prospect that we picture to our imagination — but that "good 
 and pleasant sight" to behold of "brethren dwelling together 
 in unity." Such was the church in her primitive glory, 
 when " the whole multitude of them that believed were of 
 one heart and of one soul" — when 'the church' — as Chrysos- 
 tom observes — 'was a little heaven.' 
 
 The motives to attempt, as far as in us lies, the restoration of 
 this glory to the church are most constraining — such as fellow- 
 t 2 
 
218 MEMOIR OF 
 
 ship with the spirit and prayer of our glorious Head — his 
 honour in the world exalted by this heavenly spectacle — the 
 Church in every part " edifying itself in love" — the Chris- 
 tian profession established — and the consoling privileges of 
 the gospel manifested and enjoyed. 
 
 The strength to promote this union in the Church will be 
 found in deep self-abasement and wrestling intercession with 
 our God. Let us enter in the spirit of the earnest pleadings 
 of the "man after God's heart" for his people. "O God, 
 thou hast cast us off; thou hast scattered us ; thou hast been 
 displeased ; O turn thyself to us again. Thou hast made the 
 earth to tremble ; thou hast broken it ; heal the breaches 
 thereof, for it shaketh." Impossible that " the Lord should" 
 long " be angry against the prayer of his people !" 
 
 The Scriptural rules for maintaining this union are most 
 simple and explicit. — " Whereunto we have already attained, 
 let us walk by the same rule; let us mind the same thing." 
 "Him that is weak in the faith, receive" — not cast off. 
 "We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, 
 and not to please ourselves." These rules are enforced by 
 the example, no less than by the authority of our gracious 
 Head, and directed to the highest end — "Receive ye one 
 another, as Christ also receiveth us, to the glory of GW." 
 Great indeed is the difficulty of holding conscientious differ- 
 ences in brotherly love. We are too apt to magnify the points 
 of difference, while the due proportion of the points of agree- 
 ment is somewhat obscured. We are more ready to dispute 
 upon the points of controversy, than to strengthen each other 
 in brotherly communion upon the principles of Christian love 
 and unity. Thus our inordinate love of our own opinions 
 leads us to press them beyond their legitimate bounds, and 
 even beyond our sober intentions ; and from this defect of 
 connecting humility and forbearance with faith, many schisms 
 arise in the body. 
 
 Would that there were among us one heart and one pur- 
 pose, to exalt our Divine Master — to let every name be lost 
 in his — to desire no name to be great but his ! But the 
 canker of the church is that party spirit — more or less com- 
 mon to all — which unites the several communities upon their 
 own private grounds, instead of forming a rallying point for 
 the whole body. A tame compromise of conscience is indeed 
 greatly to be deprecated. Yet, unless private selfishness, 
 (sometimes cloaking itself under the garb of conscience,) and 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 219 
 
 party Shibboleths be merged in Christian love, no holy- 
 brotherly communion can exist. We do not expect brother 
 to yield to brother, bat each to submit his conscience to his 
 great 'Head — each member to grow up into him, and to recol- 
 lect, that he has some individual sentiment to forbear, from a 
 considerate regard to the unity of the body. It seems to be 
 forgotten, that Divine truth in all its parts and connections is 
 fully revealed to none — that the degrees of attainment in 
 Scriptural knowledge are indefinitely varied — that every dif- 
 ference in religion is not a different religion — that there is a 
 want of perfection and singleness in the clearest eye, that is 
 an inlet for the partial introduction of darkness — and that all 
 of us are, more or less, criminally warped by the school in 
 which we have been trained, by the atmosphere in which we 
 live, or by the difference of our own tempers and habits of 
 thinking. Hence it is evident, that a sincere reception of the 
 first principles of the gospel lays a solid basis ; and that in 
 lesser points " forbearing one another in love," is the only 
 satisfactory means of " keeping the unity of the Spirit in the 
 bond of peace." Indeed, ' substantial harmony, combined 
 with circumstantial variety,' (as Paley remarks of the evi- 
 dence of testimony) is the only practicable catholicity; and 
 to attempt a more entire agreement injdetail would be a cer- 
 tain breach in the concord of the universal church. Yet, 
 though unity of opinion is impracticable, unity of faith is to 
 be constantly aimed at ; and this may be consistent with a 
 great diversity of individual character, and even with many 
 shades of doctrinal differences. 
 
 But let us not be " ignorant of Satan's devices." Too 
 successfully does he succeed by division among the friends 
 of Christ, to prevent the united assault upon his own kingdom. 
 Let us descend from our lesser disputes to the field of the 
 conflict between the great powers of light and darkness, Let 
 us "come to the help of the Lord — to the help of the Lord 
 against the mighty." The voice of God to his Church is — 
 "Love the truth mid peace. " We love neither, if we love not 
 both. If, in the professed cause of " truth" we tear the con- 
 sciences of our brethren, and wound the " peace" of the 
 Church, perhaps we may expect one common storm, one 
 uniting bond of suffering — to be the Lord's appointed means 
 of humbling and chastising his Church, and accomplishing 
 his gracious purposes by the instruments of his loving cor- 
 rection. 
 
CHAPTER VL 
 
 Her illness and death. 
 
 The period of her illness embraces a large portion of what 
 in her case, as her father observes, ' might be not untruly 
 called, " that long disease — her life." ' From her childhood, 
 her health was very delicate ; and the long illness which oc- 
 casioned her leaving school, left a debility in her constitution, 
 from which she suffered more or less to the end of life. 
 Violent pains in her head, chest, and side, appeared however 
 to be the commencement of that disease, which gradually de- 
 veloped a fatal character. For some years she was indeed 
 able to exert herself, too often much beyond her strength, 
 both in bodily and mental activity. She continued her intel- 
 lectual studies with her usual vigour, till about a year after 
 her settlement in Devon, when increasing illness constrained 
 her to send her young pupil to school, and she was never af- 
 terwards enabled, though she much wished it, to resume the 
 care of her education. From that time she became a decided 
 invalid, and, except in the year 1827, when she changed the 
 scene for the benefit of her health, she never 'moved beyond 
 the garden, and only two or three times ventured into the 
 outward air.* For the last two years she was entirely con- 
 fined to her room, and unable to be dressed. During the 
 
 * Of one of these times the following memorandum occurs in a 
 letter to her cousin. ' To-day, I know not how, all my illness seems 
 to have disappeared, and I feel much better, so that I have been out 
 in the garden the second time since you left me. Ah! how delight- 
 ful the weather was : what pleasure I felt in breathing the fresh air, 
 in seeing the trees which begin to bud, the spring-flowers which are 
 appearing, and in hearing the song of the birds, who seem to rejoice 
 no less than myself in this new season. ' 
 
MEMOIR, &C. 221 
 
 whole of this period* her anxious mother slept in her chamber, 
 watching over her with the most unremitting tenderness. 
 She generally" kept her bed, till within the last seven or eight 
 months, when a violent cough, and spasms in the heart, pre- 
 vented a reclining position, except when she was compelled 
 to return to it by fainting and exhaustion. The only resource 
 was a chair well supported with pillows, in which she sat up 
 day and night, and from which the assistance of three per- 
 sons was required to remove her during the last few weeks 
 of her life. She appeared however to suffer less from de- 
 bility than many invalids. For though she was wholly 
 unable to stand, yet a change of medical regimen appeared to 
 give her temporary relief from distressing helplessness. 
 
 In this state of wearisome languor and pain, her mind 
 however was always vigorous and full of energy. She never 
 seemed to know an idle moment. During the whole period 
 of confinement to her bed, she was always surrounded with 
 books, or other objects that engaged her attention. It was 
 her habit to have her table placed by her bed-side every night 
 with her books and writing materials, that she might com- 
 mence her operations with the earliest dawn of light. Her 
 beloved Bible was always under her pillow, the first thing 
 in her hand in the morning, and the last at night. Subordi- 
 nate to this object of supreme interest, her diligence and per- 
 severance in study were most remarkable. When reminded 
 that such intense application must be injurious to her health, 
 she always replied, that she considered these diversified 
 sources of interest as among her greatest temporal blessings, 
 in diverting her mind and attention from her bodily ailments. 
 Her studies in the sick-room were as varied as in the time of 
 health. Sometimes the languages were taken up. At other 
 times the more engrossing study of mathematics fixed her 
 mind. This in its turn was exchanged for chemistry or 
 botany. Occasionally, when her mind was less equal to 
 exertion, she would amuse herself with lighter employments. 
 In the spring of her last year, she attempted to dry flowers 
 which her parents procured for her, with the intention of 
 forming an herbarium. But increasing indisposition frus- 
 trated this plan. . Cutting out paper was also a favourite 
 amusement, in which she early excelled. Her skilful use of 
 the scissors had attracted in her young days the admiration 
 and interest of her school-fellows. She was also a beautiful 
 netter, and sent a number of purses to a bazaar, to be sold 
 
222 MEMOIR OF 
 
 for the benefit of her dear Spanish friends, which produced 
 upwards of three pounds to their fund. Thus in these vari- 
 ous employments did her mind maintain its ceaseless activity, 
 both in intellectual indulgence, and in all the exercises 
 of practical devotedness. No opportunity of usefulness 
 appeared to be forgotten. When detained from the house 
 of God by her protracted indisposition, her time and in- 
 terest were employed in explaining the Scriptures to the 
 servant who was necessarily occupied in attendance -upon 
 her; and in one instance it was hoped, as well as in a former 
 case of much earlier date, that her simple and spiritual in- 
 structions in the household were applied with Divine unction 
 and sovereign grace to the heart. 
 
 As, however, her illness evidently approached its termina- 
 tion, her employments assumed a character more exclusively 
 spiritual. She was occupied in girding up her loins, and 
 trimming her lamp, in constant and delighted expectation of 
 her Lord's immediate coming. 
 
 And now it was that the Christian graces which had been 
 matured in the school of affliction, and under the influence of 
 habitual communion with her God, displayed more manifestly 
 their holiness, beauty, and consolation. This was (as an 
 excellent clergyman before adverted to wrote to her father) 
 the fiery chariot, her vehicle to heaven, in which — the more 
 it shook her mortal frame, until it left it all behind — the 
 stronger and more full of faith and triumph in Christ Jesus 
 she grew in her immortal spirit.' 
 
 A detailed account of this last period of her mortal career 
 will, it is presumed, be found generally interesting. In 
 these solemn seasons is every feature more accurately de- 
 fined ; while the colouring is heightened by the impressive 
 manifestation of the love and faithfulness of our God and 
 Saviour. 
 
 To the last, her habits of active employment were predom- 
 inant. Her thoughts and time were much occupied in pre- 
 paring her two small, but valuable, works for publication ; 
 and she continued to correct the proof sheets of them as 
 they were sent to her, till within a few days of her death. 
 At first her mind was divided between the completion of her 
 projected Series of Letters to a Governess, and the work — 
 On the Freeness of Divine Grace. But mature deliberation 
 decided her in favour of the latter, as being calculated for 
 more extensive usefulness. She was indefatigable also in 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 223 
 
 her correspondence with her friends, upon the principle of 
 duty, in using every opportunity of setting forth the grand 
 and inviting subject of the gospel to her fellow-sinners. She 
 continued to write even after she was unable to use her pen, 
 and when having had just power to direct a pencil, her wrist 
 had been bound up to give her a little strength. The follow- 
 ing extracts from her letters, during this solemn season of 
 daily expectancy, marks the character of her mind. We 
 select an illustration at some length of the intense anxiety 
 with which she regarded the spiritual interest of those that 
 were dear to her, and of the earnest, awakening, and yet 
 encouraging application of the privileges of the gospel, to 
 fix them to an entire devotedness to their eternal concerns. 
 
 Stoke Fleming, Sept. 28, 1830. 
 
 ' " Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed 
 upon us, that we should be called the children of God?" 
 This love should be enough for us. Come pain, sickness, 
 poverty, affliction; and still the Christian must rejoice, when 
 he considers " what manner of love the Father has bestowed 
 on him." Reconciled to God; redeemed by Christ Jesus; 
 sanctified, taught, and comforted by the Spirit; what is there 
 in the world that can rob him of his joy] " Who shall sepa- 
 rate him from the love of Christ." And as long as he has 
 this love, how shall he not "rejoice with joy unspeakable, 
 and full of glory V 
 
 1 My dear , I would stir up your heart to make this joy 
 
 your joy. O that my God would give me words of power 
 and persuasion, and send them by his Spirit to your heart! 
 " Awake thou that sleepest ;" awake, awake. Time is pass- 
 ing — eternity is at hand. Thou must soon receive a crown 
 of glory, or " cover thyself with thine own confusion as with 
 a mantle." " Behold now is the accepted time. Seek the 
 Lord now while he may be found, call upon him now while 
 he is near. Draw nigh unto God, and he will draw nigh 
 unto you." O let me remind you, not in a spirit of reproof, 
 but of the most anxious, earnest affection, how long " the 
 goodness of God has been leading you to repentance." I 
 believe it is now ten years, or nearly so, since we were con- 
 firmed together. Then you seemed resolved to make the 
 Lord indeed your God ; to be no longer " conformed to this 
 world," but to "come out from the world, and be separate;" 
 to walk as " a stranger and pilgrim upon earth." Often since 
 
224 MEMOIR OF 
 
 then have you appeared to he affected by the same feelings 
 and desires. The time you spent with me here was marked 
 by one blessed season, during which the word of God seemed 
 to be your delight; prayer to God your chief comfort; and 
 you expressed your entire renouncement of your own righte- 
 ousness, and a simple trust in the atonement and righteous- 
 ness of God your Saviour. Recall that precious time to your 
 mind, my beloved friend. You were then beginning to be 
 happy. Inquire how it was, that, instead of " going from 
 strength to strength," from "glory to glory," from faith to 
 faith," you relapsed so soon into your old uncomfortable state 
 of mind, and have since found so little comfort in religion. 
 Remember that now, even now, Christ is willing to receive 
 you, to give you strength and peace, grace and glory ; that 
 he is able to save to the uttermost, and more willing to give 
 than you to ask, more ready to hear than you to pray. Con- 
 sider what an awful thing it is, to go on for many years, 
 "halting between two opinions;" knowing your Lord's will 
 and not doing it : visited by repeated convictions, yet those 
 convictions producing no decided appearance of conversion. 
 Consider all these things, and again I say unto you, Awake, 
 awake ! May God of his infinite goodness arouse you to a 
 sense of the importance of eternal things ! May he enable 
 you to wait upon him in incessant and importunate prayer, 
 till he has " blessed you," as he is most willing to do, " with 
 all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus." 
 
 When you come to die, all the trifles which now vex and 
 disquiet you, will seem less than a drop of a bucket, than the 
 small dust of the balance. But the concerns of your soul, of 
 what immense importance will they appear ! Why should 
 they not now assume their real weight and value in your 
 eyes ] Death may either snatch you away suddenly, or be 
 preceded by such violent illness, as to render you incapable 
 of reflection. At such a time, how delightful will it be to 
 be able to lean upon Christ, as an old friend, not to seek him 
 
 as a new one ! O my dear , you must find time to die, 
 
 why will you not find time to prepare for death. You must 
 shortly be in Heaven or in Hell ! must feel the happy con- 
 sequence of being pardoned and accepted in Christ, or the 
 dreadful consequence of remaining in a state of guilt and 
 condemnation. "There is now no condemnation to those 
 that are in Christ Jesus; who walk not after the flesh, but 
 after the Spirit," who " mind not the things of the flesh, but 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 225 
 
 the things of the Spirit, who " look not at the things which are 
 seen and temporal, but at the things which are unseen and eter- 
 nal," who " live not to themselves, but to him who died for 
 them, and rose again," who have " their conversation, their 
 treasure, their heart, in Heaven." 
 
 ' Examine yourself, my beloved , whether you answer 
 
 to this character. I can write no more now, but as long as 
 I continue in the flesh, I hope I shall not cease from time to 
 time to remind you of these things, to beseech you to give 
 yourself to Christ. 
 
 ' My health continues much as when last wrote. I 
 
 suffer much at night, as I can never lie down in bed, but am 
 obliged to be propped upright in an easy chair. But they 
 do not seem to consider me now in any immediate danger, 
 and if no sudden attack takes place, they seem to expect that 
 I shall live over the winter, or even some time longer. All 
 this is very uncertain ; but I hope that I am willing to wait 
 till my Saviour's time is come to call me home to himself. 
 He doeth all things well, and I may truly say, that he has 
 " made all my bed in my sickness." " His comforts delight my 
 soul ," and " in the night his song is with me, and my prayer 
 to the God of my life is" — " Precious Saviour ! Tender 
 Father ! Thou wilt cast out none that come to thee." 
 
 The following letter, written in the immediate prospect of 
 eternity, is valuable as an exhibition of those views of the 
 gospel, which will alone stay the soul in perfect peace at that 
 awful juncture. It is salvation, rich, free, full, finished — not 
 a matter of uncertainty, dependant upon our own efforts or 
 righteousness ; but ordained, wrought out, and applied by 
 God — not connected with faith, repentance, and love, as our 
 previous fitness for the reception of it, but including these 
 graces as component parts of the inestimable gift, " afore 
 prepared of God, that we should walk in them." 
 
 July 5, 1830. 
 4 I find, my beloved friend, that in death no past good works, 
 no holy endeavours or desires can give the least comfort, ex- 
 cept as evidences that we have been accepted for Christ's 
 sake. My sole confidence is — that I have cast my poor guilty 
 soul entirely, and without reserve, on the free mercy of God 
 in Christ Jesus ; casting far from me every other hope. My 
 good works — where are they 1 I can remember none. They 
 are too poor to think of without the profoundest humiliation. 
 My desires and endeavours — my dear friend,! feel I should 
 
226 MEMOIR OF 
 
 insult rny holy God, by even naming them. They are, in- 
 deed, " coverings too narrow for any one to wrap themselves 
 in," at the moment of entering into the presence of God. 
 But my Saviour hath cloihed me with his own perfect right- 
 eousness, and I wrap myself round in it with unspeakable 
 feelings of security. I examine it on every side, and find it 
 " perfect and entire, wanting nothing." I am not afraid in 
 this my wedding garment, to appear even before the King of 
 kings. I think I hear my Saviour perpetually saying to me 
 — " Not for thy sake do I this, be it known unto thee ; be 
 ashamed and confounded for thine own ways." A sinful 
 worm. May Jehovah, my Righteousness, my Tower and 
 Strength, my Rock of defence, my Sun and my Shield, my 
 complete Salvation — O may he be your God and Guide, for 
 ever and ever.' 
 
 She was usually favoured throughout the last months of 
 her life with a remarkable sense of the Divine presence. 
 During times of extreme agony, • Christ,' she said 'is with 
 me, " touched with the feeling of mine infirmities." Her 
 intercourse with God at this solemn season, while it was 
 most intimate, was yet most hallowed. One evening, after a 
 day of great bodily suffering, her cousin went into her cham- 
 ber to take leave of her for the night. The room was dark- 
 ened, and perfectly quiet; and the state of her soul seemed 
 to accord with the outer tranquillity. She said—' I can 
 scarcely speak to you. The sense I have of the presence of 
 God is so powerful, that it almost overcomes me. He has of- 
 ten manifested himself to me; but never in such a manner as 
 this night. Indeed I feel ready to exclaim with Job — " I 
 have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear ; but now mine 
 eye seeth thee." She said very little more, being evidently 
 too deeply impressed to converse; but — her cousin adds — ' I 
 shall never forget that night.' 
 
 Yet this sacredness of feeling was mingled with cheerful 
 delight. It was truly Hooker's ' reverend gaiety' — ' Oh !' 
 said she one day to a friend, ' he gives me to speak to him 
 " face to face ;" and sometimes, when I am so weak that I 
 cannot utter words, his " Spirit helpeth my infirmities, and 
 maketh intercession for me with groanings that cannot be ut- 
 tered." I love to feel my weakness, that I may experience 
 "his strength made perfect in weakness." I delight to lie 
 low before him.t 
 
 She loved to speak of the character of God. Her mind 
 appeared to be much expanded in the contemplation of his 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 227 
 
 unsearchable nature and glorious perfections. ' How delight- 
 ful' she observed on one occasion, ' to think that " God is 
 light, and in Him is no darkness at all." All his dispensa- 
 tions are light ; and though now they seem dark to us, here- 
 after, all clouds will be dispelled.' 
 
 Her desires for a clear and full knowledge of God were 
 most intense. ' What' — she exclaimed one day — ' are ten 
 thousand worlds compared with one ray of the knowledge of 
 God !' The ardour of her soul, unsatisfied with former mani- 
 festations, was continually stretched out for higher and deeper 
 views of the Divine glory. She was not afraid to offer that 
 prayer, which seems scarcely befitting an archangel's lips, 
 and which only the clear warrant of the gospel preserves 
 from the stamp of presumption. "I beseech thee; show me 
 thy glory." Often did she intreat her minister to pray that 
 more might be revealed to her in this world. Nor was the 
 petition unheard. For, in reply to her dear mother's question 
 a day or two before her death, her answer was, 4 1 could not 
 feel happier.' 
 
 The concentration of all her thoughts upon eternity was pe- 
 culiarly striking and edifying to those around her. This main 
 concern for the last few months of her life absorbed her en- 
 tire interest. Nothing unconnected with it seemed to possess 
 any claim upon her attention. The engrossing delights of 
 intellectual study were relinquished for ever. She had no en- 
 joyment of any train of conversation, except that which direct- 
 ly led her mind and contemplation heavenward. Communion 
 with God was the one object of her desire. The word of God 
 now occupied her whole attention. All other books — even her 
 favourite authors — Romaine, Leigh ton, Milner — seemed com- 
 paratively uninteresting. This heavenly absorption of mind 
 is finely depicted in the following short extract from one of 
 her late letters to a friend : 
 
 Stoke Fleming, Oct. 1, 1830. 
 
 * My dear , knowing that my life hangs upon a thread, 
 
 I dare not delay answering your letter : I pray God to enable 
 me to speak the truth to you in love, and to dispose you not 
 to think me "your enemy, because I tell you the truth." 
 But I must, as long as I continue to live, continue to urge you 
 on the subject of religion. I speak not now willingly on 
 any other subject; I desire to have no more to do with earthly 
 things, but to turn my whole joyful expectation to that bless- 
 ed Saviour, whom I believe I shall soon see face to face, 
 
228 MEMOIR OF 
 
 through that infinite undeserved love and kindness of his, 
 which has taught me to put my whole trust in him for 
 salvation.' 
 
 Connected with this feature, we may add, that she seemed 
 so perfectly weaned from the world as scarcely to have an 
 earthly wish. Several times she took leave of her beloved 
 relatives. In parting with her young cousin about three 
 months before her death, she writes — ' I have not one earthly 
 care or wish ; for even my cares for her are now all cast upon 
 God, whose tender love will, I trust, lead her all her life long, 
 as it has led me. She is going one way, and I shall soon 
 depart in another way ; but I would wait patiently. One day 
 earnestly recommending a friend to " cast all her care upon 
 God" — she gave the same expression of her mind — 1 1 have 
 no earthly cares — no earthly wish. But' added she — 'I have 
 spiritual cares — spiritual wants ; but I cast even them all 
 upon God.' Christ and eternity filled up the whole vacuum, 
 and left nothing else to be desired. 
 
 Resignation to the will of God was prominently marked 
 during her illness, and was to her the source of much heavenly 
 enjoyment. After meditating upon her Saviour's words — 
 "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me,"— she ob- 
 served, — ' Though I cannot now do the will of my heavenly 
 Father, I can suffer his will.' She looked forward with great 
 calmness to a protracted life of suffering, when the medical 
 attendant gave his judgment, that she might probably live 
 for many years, but would never regain her health. As she 
 was naturally of an energetic disposition, ardent in forming 
 and executing her plans, this state of acquiescence to so inac- 
 tive a life appeared, manifestly to be the effect of Divine grace. 
 Once indeed she remarked with tears, that the prospect of 
 lying on that bed for many years — of seeing her friends die 
 around her, and those whom she loved remove away (alluding 
 to the anticipated removal of the Rector's family, which, how- 
 ever, she did not live to see) was a melancholy thought. 
 But the passing cloud was soon dissipated, and she regained 
 her usual cheerfulness. 
 
 The same warm temper of love to the Lord's people that 
 had distinguished her general profession was ruling to the 
 last. Even in her state of distressing weakness, she could 
 not be satisfied without seeing some of them round her bed, 
 that she might enjoy sensible communion with them. How- 
 ever weak they might be in faith, or low in condition, her 
 heart was fervently drawn out in union with them. In re- 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 229 
 
 ferring to some refreshing intercourse with two eminent 
 Christians — she observed — ' How good my gracious God is 
 in thus sending his saints to commune with me upon those deep 
 and precious things which now form my only consolation — my 
 "joy and the rejoicing of my heart." But' — added she — ac- 
 knowledging the supremacy of her heavenly Friend — 'after all, 
 his presence is the only unfailing source of happiness. " With 
 him is the fountain of life; in his light shall we see light."' 
 The expressions of her deep humility, were peculiarly 
 striking during her illness. All her attainments in the 
 Christian life were never thought of, but as dross and dung. 
 Her sense of unprofitableness kept her low in the dust, while 
 the recollections of faith, exercised in habitual application to 
 the blood of her Redeemer, upheld her from despondency. 
 When her minister ventured to express the advantage which 
 his own soul had derived from attendance upon her, she ex- 
 claimed with vehemence — ' How should such a dead dog as I am 
 be of any use?' She sometimes seemed as if she could scarce- 
 ly conceive the possibility of being the Lord's instrument for 
 the good of his people, while at the same time she continued 
 to employ her every power of body and mind in their service. 
 This self-abasing apprehension was, however, combined 
 with ardent gratitude to God as the author, and to her friends 
 as the channel, of all her mercies. Every attention, every 
 act of kindness from her parents and nurses, excited the most 
 lively emotions of thankfulness. Speaking one day of the 
 kindness of her nurses, her minister observed, — 'But oh! 
 how kind, how much kinder is Christ S ' Yes' — she replied — 
 1 but even all this kindness of the creature flows to me through 
 his love, his kindness.' Thus did all her earthly comforts re- 
 ceive a double relish — thus also were her bitterest trials 
 sweetened by being traced up to their Divine source, and by 
 flowing into her soul through the delightful channel of the 
 mediation of her Saviour. 
 
 The same flood that had nourished her throughout her jour- 
 ney, continued to supply strength and vigour for the last ef- 
 forts. Her Bible was more invaluable than ever to her. It 
 was her constant practice before she went to rest, to repeat a 
 text to her beloved mother, and to require one in return — as- 
 signing as a reason, that she might have them to think upon 
 after she was gone.* She pursued the same habit of Scriptural 
 
 * A few months before her death, she presented her little Bible 
 to her mother, having obtained from her the assurance, that she 
 u2 
 
230 MEMOIR OP 
 
 repetition with her affectionate cousin — the constant attendant 
 upon the last months of her illness — adding to it the privilege 
 of social prayer, except when attacks of illness prevented it. 
 "Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full" — 
 was her favourite text to the last. 
 
 As in health, so especially in her last sickness, she had 
 great delight in communion with the Holy Spirit. She used 
 to address her prayers much to him, thought of his person- 
 ality, and found the contemplation of it most refreshing to 
 her soul. She would often speak with comfort of her expe- 
 perience of his distinct influence upon her heart. 
 
 Hymns were also a source of much refreshment to her 
 soul. She used to repeat many to herself, especially during 
 the night, and was thankful to the last to have them repeated 
 to her. The last that her cousin read to her two days before 
 her death, was one by Madame de Fleury, beginning, 
 
 ' Ye angels, who stand round the throne,' &c. 
 and Gambol d's beautiful hymn, 
 
 ' That I am thine, my Lord and God,' &c. 
 was' a great favourite. Cowper and Toplady also, were a 
 source of great delight to her. 
 
 She expressed to her minister her strong desire to receive 
 the sacrament, the mention of which had been refrained by 
 her friends on account of her great weakness and sudden at- 
 tacks of violent pain. She feared, however, that she had too 
 long neglected it, and could not be satisfied without the re- 
 freshment of this holy ordinance. When speaking of it be- 
 fore the administration — she said — ' Oh ! I desire a full 
 communion. I long to see as many as possible of the dear 
 children of God to partake with me of this blessed ordinance.' 
 She expected, as she was justly warranted to do, a rich bless- 
 ing in the fulfilment of the last command of her dying Lord. 
 Nor was she disappointed. Twice she received the sacred 
 emblems from the hands of the venerable rector of the parish 
 (since departed to his rest) ; and in the following affecting 
 letter written in pencil with great difficulty immediately after 
 one of these occasions, she expressed to him her grateful ac- 
 knowledgment of the consolations which he had instru- 
 mentally imparted to her soul. 
 
 would read a chapter "every day with prayer. In order to keep this 
 promise in mind, if the precious treasure was at any time out of 
 reach, she would playfully ask for it, ' You know, dearest mother, it 
 is not mine now ; but do you read it to me while I am here.' 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 231 
 
 ' My dear Sir : — I thank you very affectionately 'for the 
 comfort I have received to-day through your means. When 
 I saw you, I regretted that I could not tell you so myself. 
 But it is the Lord, who hath both dulled your power of hear- 
 ing, and weakened my power of speaking ; and he does it 
 with both of us, to warn us gently, that these frail bodies 
 must soon be quite taken to pieces, and lie till we are " clothed 
 upon" with "a body like unto his glorious body." It will 
 give you pleasure to know, that, while you administered the 
 bread and wine, I was enabled to cast my whole soul as a 
 miserable sinner on the free mercies of him, who died that 
 we might live ; and to rejoice in the thought of our meeting 
 ere long, through the same free grace, at the marriage sup- 
 per of the Lamb. 
 
 ' I wish to write these few lines to explain my own feel- 
 ings to you. For my dear mamma, in her anxious love, so 
 much fears my seeing one, to whom she thinks I could not 
 talk without exertion, that I fear it has never been properly 
 explained to you, that though I feel unable to talk to you, I 
 should be most happy to listen to you. 
 
 4 Accept, my dear sir, the Christian love and thanks of your 
 truly and gratefully attached, 
 
 * Mary Graham.' 
 
 The support which was vouchsafed to her in the midst of 
 her intense bodily sufferings, was such as might have been 
 expected from the known and tried faithfulness of her God. 
 Such was her enjoyments at some seasons of agony — that her 
 * pains,' as she said on one occasion, " were sweeter than 
 honey or the honey comb." At one of her times of distress 
 she remarked — ' 1 am a child lying in the arms of Christ, and 
 he treats me with more than a mother's tenderness.' Truly, 
 indeed, was she " strengthened with all might, according to 
 the glorious power of God, unto all patience and long-suffer- 
 ing with joyfulness." 
 
 It is almost needless to add, as the concluding article of 
 detail — that the sting of death was removed from her. 
 
 4 It is not death to me' — she would say — ' Jesus hath tasted 
 death for me, and hath drunk up all its bitterness.' The 
 prospect of eternity was entirely divested of its terrors, and 
 beamed with the bright anticipation of everlasting joy. We 
 may take the following glowing view of her hopes, given for 
 the conviction of one of her young friends. 
 
232 MEMOIR OF 
 
 Aug. 7, 1830. 
 'I am going to mention a sentence in your letter which 
 grieved me ; not as it regards myself, but as it leads me to 
 fear, that jou are not fully acquainted with those things, 
 which can afford real and solid satisfaction on a near view 
 of death. You speak of feeling satisfaction in death, as it 
 affords a cessation from all pain. Dearest , did you re- 
 member at the time, that death is something more than a ces- 
 sation 1 — that it is an entrance into an eternal world, and that to 
 those who have " washed their robes, and made them white 
 in the blood of the Lamb," this is an entrance into eternal 
 glory. Bear with me, while I tell you from my own actual 
 experience, what it is that ransomed sinners rejoice in at the 
 approach of death. I have stood lately more than once on 
 the very brink of eternity, and thought myself on the point 
 of taking the awful step. This makes heaven and earth, 
 temporal and eternal things, appear in their strong and true 
 point of contrast. And now that I am called back to the 
 things of time for a little longer, if 1 can be of the least use 
 to one of my fellow-sinners and sufferers here, I shall not re- 
 gret the delay. It is not the cessation from pain, that can 
 make Christians view the approach of death with satisfac- 
 tion. For, believe me, they have not one pain too many. Not 
 that they love pain, or are not glad to be freed from it, when 
 the Lord pleases. But they know that every one of their 
 sufferings is necessary and good for them, and that they come 
 from the hand of a kind and tender Father. They are willing 
 to bear as much pain as his love sees fit to inflict. Their 
 pains are very sweet to them, as they come from him. And, 
 
 O dearest , could you know how he "strengthens them 
 
 upon the bed of languishing, and how he makes all their bed 
 in their sickness ;" you would almost envy them even their 
 pains, sweetened as they are by " the peace of God which 
 passeth all understanding !" Wherein do they rejoice ? In 
 the hope of being " for ever with the Lord !" of seeing him, 
 " whom having not seen, they have loved ; in whom, though 
 now they see him not, yet believing, they rejoice with joy un- 
 speakable and full of glory." Oh ! to behold this " King in 
 his beauty" and beholding, to be transformed into his glori- 
 ous likeness ! and then to cease from sin ! this is the blessed 
 cessation after which real Christians pant. To love their 
 holy and reconciled God without any coldness or unfaithful- 
 ness ; to offend him no more by one unholy, or rebellious, or 
 selfish or unbelieving thought ', to be pure as he is pure; to 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 233 
 
 be " without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing ;" and then 
 to praise him, to give him glory, to cast our blood-bought 
 crowns at his feet, through the countless ages of eternity ! 
 
 Pray, my beloved , that in the hour of death you may be 
 
 so filled with these causes of joy, that the mere escape from 
 a few bodily pains may seem not worthy to be mentioned in 
 the comparison. The Bible tells you, that "except you be 
 born again, you cannot see the kingdom of God," and that 
 " if any man be in Christ Jesus, he is a new creature, old 
 things have passed away, behold, all things are become new." 
 Examine, I beseech you, whether you have undergone that 
 mighty change in all your views, tempers, and sentiments, 
 which these expressions imply. If you die without being 
 born again, and made a new creature in Christ Jesus, I shall 
 never meet you in heaven ; for God, who cannot lie, hath said 
 it. But pray, pray, O pray to him, that he would thus con- 
 vert your heart. He will hear and answer you. There is 
 nothing else worth living for, but that, living or dying, you 
 may be the Lord's. May this be your happy case.' 
 
 She would sometimes speak of herself as a disembodied 
 spirit, as if she realized in the fullest perception and assur- 
 ance, her entrance into the world of blessedness. Her fre- 
 quent reference to her departure was in calm composure — 
 like making preparation for a short journey, or a temporary 
 absence. At other times it was in joyful hope. On one oc- 
 casion — six months before her death — when she was thought 
 to be dying, she unexpectedly revived, and, seeing her 
 weeping friends around her, asked her dear mother why they 
 were all in tears — adding with great animation — ' Do you 
 think that I shall be with Jesus to-morrow V At another of 
 these times, she exclaimed — ' If the Lord should come and 
 take me this night — but, oh ! that is too much to hope for.' 
 After a violent attack of coughing and spasm, a friend ob- 
 served — ' I fear you suffer much.' ' Oh, no !' — she replied — 
 i I delight to feel the pins of the tabernacle taking out/ She 
 burst into tears, when a physician who occasionally saw her, 
 informed her, that the disease had not made the progress 
 he had supposed. This, however, was but a momentary 
 feeling. For, upon her mother's reminding her — that she 
 was only not quite so near home as she had expected, she 
 replied — 'Oh, no! this is wrong ;' dried up her tears, and 
 returned to her usual serenity and cheerfulness. Writing 
 to one of her friends in reference to a beloved saint, who 
 had died in the triumph of the gospel — she remarked — 
 
234 MEMOIR OF 
 
 * Well; I shall have one friend more to welcome me, when 
 the Lord's time shall come to "administer" to me also 
 " an entrance into his everlasting kingdom." Oh, bless- 
 ed hope! happy sinners saved by the blood of Jesus.'' 
 Then she adds this affectionate exhortation — ' Oh, my dear, 
 my beloved friend, I charge you so to devote yourself to 
 the Lord, that " the full assurance of hope" may cheer you 
 now, and at the hour of death.' Upon receiving the intel- 
 ligence of the sudden death of another Christian friend — she 
 exclaimed — 'I have heard the good news. She has rent the 
 veil at once. Mine is taking down piece by piece. By and 
 by I shall find a chink large enough to get out of; like a bird 
 confined in a cage, and fluttering about to extricate itself in 
 vain, till at last, the door being open, the happy prisoner 
 wings its flight towards heaven.' There might probably be 
 an occasional mixture of infirmity in these intense desires for 
 her home. It is indeed the dictate of Christian wisdom to 
 prefer the gain of death. But it is equally the part of Chris- 
 tian obedience to embrace the service of life ; and the desire 
 to depart, so far as it is not subjugated to the readiness to 
 wait, partakes of the nature of self-will more than of holy af- 
 fections. Generally, however, the ardency of her desires 
 appeared to be subdued to a resignation to the Divine will. 
 Thus in reference to her dissolution she writes to the aged 
 minister who, during her residence in London, had been the 
 means of communicating established peace to her soul — 
 1 Blessed be my all-sufficient Saviour, that, accepted in him, 
 a few months more or less can make no great difference; 
 "Neither life nor death can separate us from his love."' 
 On one occasion, after expressing her earnest longing to de- 
 part, she checked herself, and added — 'But I am willing to 
 sit here a hundred or a thousand years, if it be the will of God.' 
 Her mind maintained its vigorous character in the midst 
 of her protracted sufferings. The subjects of ber conversa- 
 tion were usually of a highly interesting character. She 
 would often speak with considerable clearness combined with 
 deep humility of the more mysterious parts of Revelation, 
 such as the distinct persons of the Holy Trinity ; the Person 
 and glory of Christ; the ministry of angels; the state of 
 separate spirits ; the prospects of the church of Christ. It is 
 much to be regretted that no particular details of tbese con- 
 versations are preserved. The resurrection and future glory 
 of the body were favourite subjects with her. She delighted 
 to dwell upon 1 Cor. xv. * What a wonderful change' — she 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 235 
 
 observed on one occasion — 'takes place in nature in the 
 acorn ; which from so small and insignificant a seed after- 
 wards expands and grows into a noble tree, the glory of the 
 forest ! What a remarkable transformation also is that of the 
 oaterpillar ; which, after having been changed into apparently- 
 dead matter, at the appointed time bursts its shell, and be- 
 comes a beautiful winged insect! Had we not witnessed 
 such changes, we should not have believed them possible. 
 But having seen them in nature, shall we doubt the possi- 
 bility of that great change, which will take place at the resur- 
 rection day, when " this vile body shall be fashioned like 
 unto the glorious body" of our Lord?' 
 
 For a short time, however, before her death, the enemy was 
 permitted to harass her soul, and her lively apprehensions of 
 the gospel were occasionally obscured. At one of these times 
 she said to her minister, ' Christ is not so precious to me as 
 he deserves.' ' No,' it was replied, * he is so to none.' 
 4 But' she added, 'he "feeds me with food convenient for 
 me," though I do not experience those spiritual enjoyments I 
 so ardently long for.' Of a distressing season of temptation 
 which happened about this time, her minister writes, ' I shall 
 never forget the state of her mind. It^seemed as if " a hor- 
 ror of great darkness had fallen upon her." ' Oh' she said, 
 ' I cannot pray ; I can only utter words. It is mere wind.' 
 She earnestly called upon me to strengthen her, by repeating 
 the promises of the gospel. God at that time seemed to give 
 me words. For when I scarcely knew what to say, words of 
 effectual consolation were put into my mouth. Once in her 
 impatience to hear the word, she exclaimed, ' Oh ! say some- 
 thing to me from God — whether a word of comfort or re- 
 proof.' I think of that proverb, " The full soul loatheth the ho- 
 ney-comb ; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet." 
 At these times of " needful heaviness, through manifold 
 temptations," while " walking in darkness, and having no 
 light," she was, however, manifestly enabled to "trust in 
 the name of the Lord, and to stay upon her God." She could 
 not enjoy the full manifestation of her God, which she had 
 known in times past — ' Yet, though' she said, ' I cannot love 
 God with that warmth which I so earnestly desire, I can act 
 faith upon Him.' She complained much of deadness in 
 prayer. Yet her faith was in exercise, upholding her soul 
 upon the sure word of promise, that her Lord would return to 
 her in his own best time. She would at such seasons cheer 
 her soul by repeating suitable promises. " When the poor 
 
236 MEMOIR OP 
 
 and needy seek for water, and there is none, and their tongue 
 i aileth them for thirst, I the Lord will hear them ; I the God 
 of Jacob will not forsake them." On this encouraging pro- 
 mise she rested in one of her seasons of distress and desertion. 
 At another time she would say — "Rejoice not against me, O 
 mine enemy : when I fall, I shall arise : when I sit in dark- 
 ness, the Lord shall be a light unto me." And again — " The 
 Lord my God shall enlighten my darkness." At these times 
 of trial, the book of Canticles was much upon her mind." 
 " By night I sought my Beloved, but I found him not." Then 
 she added, ' but I sought not in vain.' She appeared at this 
 time much enlivened in speaking of her Saviour as represented 
 under the figure of the bridegroom. ' He loves us to such a 
 degree, that he seeks after us, he desires, he delights in us, 
 all which is to be seen in this wonderful portion of Scripture.' 
 At another of these times she remarked, that often in the ex- 
 perience of the Lord's servants, a season of darkness had pre- 
 ceded some special manifestation of his love. Thus, as she 
 observed, ' Jacob wrestled a whole night ; and it was not until 
 the break of day that the angel revealed himself. Thus for a 
 while our Lord seemed to disregard the cry of the Canaanitish 
 woman ; but " the trial of her faith was" eventually " found 
 to praise, and honour, and glory." Thus also the disconso- 
 late state of the disciples in their journey to Emmaus was the 
 prelude and harbinger of a blessed display of their Master's 
 light and love.' 
 
 The dark clouds which " for a small moment" had been 
 permitted to spread themselves over her soul, were however 
 shortly dispelled ; and " at evening time it was light." Her 
 extreme weakness indeed prevented her utterance ; but the 
 few words that could be gathered from her, were descriptive 
 of the peace and joy that reigned within. 'My weakness' 
 she said, * reposes on his strength — my folly on his wisdom.' 
 When her minister, in allusion to her late painful exercises, 
 observed, ' God was " leading her by the right way to the city 
 of habitation" ' — she replied — ' Oh ! yes — but how different 
 is the case of those, who " wander in the wilderness in a soli- 
 tary way, and^rac? no city to dwell in !" ' In the last visit of 
 this beloved attendant — v God' — she said to him — ' is the 
 rock of my salvation.' Then speaking of her being detained 
 in her earthly tabernacle — she added — ' It is a comfort to 
 think that " Christ has the keys of death and of hell." All 
 is well. May God be with you, during the remainder of 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 237 
 
 your pilgrimage ! I can only lie as an infant in the hands of 
 
 Her bodily sufferings at the last period were most severe, 
 arising from a complication of diseases. Her lungs, which 
 had been supposed to be sound, were discovered after her 
 death to be fatally diseased. Her heart also was found to be 
 enlarged. Her weakness and inability to recline for so many 
 weeks, produced dropsy in her feet and legs. This was, 
 however, from time to time relieved by incision. Her life 
 terminated at last by a rapid mortification in one of her legs. 
 The last day of her life was a day of intense agony. She 
 was obliged to take doses of opium, which before, she could 
 not touch, so that the day and night, till she expired, were 
 passed in a doze, or in the most violent suffering. A few 
 words only were preserved at this affecting crisis. A day or 
 two before her death, she cried — ' Come, Lord Jesus; come 
 quickly; "nevertheless not my will, but thine be done."' 
 At another time, speaking of " the glory that shall be reveal- 
 ed" — she exclaimed — " Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard ; 
 neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which 
 God hath prepared for them that love him." Alluding to 
 those who watched by her side, she said — ' What a comfort 
 that we are not watching alone. " He that keepeth Israel, 
 shall neither slumber nor sleep." Then again, shortly after, 
 " I know whom I have believed." Then again, in a moment 
 of excruciating suffering to her mother, ' Pray for me, that 
 my patience may not fail me at the last.' The last words she 
 was heard to utter before her death in a moment of deep agony, 
 were, ' I am come into deep waters ; O God my rock, " hold 
 thou me -up, and I shall be safe." The next morning, on 
 Friday, December 10, 1830, without a sigh or struggle, she 
 entered into her eternal rest. 
 
 Thus upheld by the good hope of the gospel— thus having 
 displayed in lovely concord the diversified graces of the 
 Christian profession — thus having been abundantly refreshed 
 by the consolations of Christ, this blessed sufferer, this ran- 
 somed sinner, this victorious believer, fell asleep in the arms of 
 her Saviour and her God. She heard, and gladly obeyed the 
 call of her Lord—' " Gome up hither." Lay down the cross, 
 and take the crown.' 
 
 " To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my 
 throne, even as I also overcame, and set down with my father in 
 his throne" 
 V 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 REMARKS. 
 
 The writer, in bringing this interesting sketch to a close, 
 ventures to crave further indulgence of his reader in drawing 
 out a few points of important and suitable application. 
 
 First, The review of Miss Graham' 's painful, though tempo- 
 rary, apostacy marks the great moment of being well-grounded 
 in the elementary principles of the Gospel. A few hints may- 
 be here suggested to the inquiring and serious mind. First, 
 the danger of a cavilling temper. Here lurks the first rising 
 of the spirit of infidelity. Miss Graham's natural character 
 was especially open to this temptation. Indeed this is the 
 fleshly indulgence of every intellectual mind undisciplined 
 by the principles of the Gospel. It gratifies the love of dis- 
 tinction. It is the worship of self, that worst idol, that most 
 subtle enemy of vital religion. " Vain man would be wise, 
 though man be born like a wild ass^s colt" is the Divine and 
 pointed illustration of the folly and littleness of this natural 
 principle of the heart. Solid satisfaction and rest in the 
 Scriptural revelation will only be found in cultivating what 
 Calvin calls — 'a kind of learned ignorance,' a well-instructed 
 contentment to be ignorant of what God has foreborne to de- 
 clare. But to begin with the speculative instead of the prac- 
 tical truths of Revelation, and to insist upon an explanation 
 of its difficulties as a pre-requisite to the acknowledgment of 
 its authority, and personal application of its truths — this 
 spirit resists faith, the appointed medium of Divine light ; and 
 thus gives to infidelity all its force, and leaves the heart the 
 unconscious victim of its own delusions. The more we are 
 disentangled from speculative inquiries, and occupied in the 
 pursuit of Scriptural truth, the more settled will be our con- 
 
MEMOIR, &C. 239 
 
 viction of the genuineness of the testimony, and our conse- 
 quent enjoyment of its privileges. Let us not therefore trifle 
 with temptation, by suffering the objections of a cavilling in- 
 fidelity to " lodge within us." Let us instantly bring them 
 to the test of conscience, "to the law and to the testimony." 
 Thus let us " resist the devil, and he will flee from us." 
 
 Secondly, We would inculcate an implicit faith in the Divine 
 Record. And here we trace the source of all the sin and 
 misery that have deluged the world for nearly six thousand 
 years. God's unchangeable declaration, " Thou shalt surely 
 die," was diluted to an uncertainty. Thus when confidence 
 in the word of God was weakened, Satan's lie easily pre- 
 vailed. On the other hand, how fully did Miss Graham's 
 unreserved reliance on the promise, "Ask, and it shall be 
 given you," recover her fine mind to its true position ; en- 
 trenched upon the supreme authority of Scripture; prostrate 
 in a sense of her ignorance; honouring her God, -and honoured 
 by him, in a trembling reverential submission to his word. 
 How many cavilling questions arise in the defect of this 
 spirit ! The difficulties which cannot be presently explained 
 are considered reasonable grounds for unbelief. Man, under 
 the pretence of a desire to satisfy his doubts, rebels against 
 what he does not understand, and begins to "reply against 
 God." But in fact we want not more light, but more hu- 
 mility. Herein consists the important difference between the 
 caviller and the sincere inquirer. The one questions, specu- 
 lates, and is dissatisfied. The other in the consciousness of 
 his " blindness," is willing to be " brought by a way that he 
 knew not, and to be led in paths that he had not known." 
 He follows under the guidance of the Spirit of Truth, like 
 Abraham under the direction of Providence, step by step in 
 implicit faith. He asks not, "How can these things be?" 
 but, "Thus saith the Lord," determines all his difficulties 
 without gainsaying. And this practical acknowledgment of 
 the supremacy of Scripture is the just demand of God. We 
 must not, according to the principles of neology, degrade the 
 authority of his word, by subjecting it to trial at the bar of 
 reason. We must not descend from our hi<xh vantage posi- 
 tion of faith, to the lower ground of disputation. This inver- 
 sion of the respective offices of reason and faith casts down 
 God from his throne, and turns our light into darkness. Rea- 
 son must indeed be exercised in examining the credentials of 
 the revelation - r for to receive an unauthenticated testimony is 
 
240 MEMOIR OF 
 
 credulity, not faith : and scepticism is less culpable than be- 
 lief. But the credentials being once established, we are 
 bound to receive its contents with the most implicit submis- 
 sion. Having once, therefore, admitted the Divine claim of 
 Scripture, we must yield to it our unreserved homage. The 
 question is not, "What thinkest thou?" but " How readest 
 thou?" This is the humility of faith, the child-like spirit of 
 the Gospel, the evidence of the conversion of the heart to 
 God. " Whosoever shall" thus " humble himself as a little 
 child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." — 
 The enriching light of Divine teaching dispels many difficul- 
 ties of the. reasoning mind. " If the eye be single, the whole 
 body shall be full of light." " Sitting with Mary at Jesus' 
 feet," and " learning of our meek and lowly" teacher, we 
 " shall find," instead of uncertainty, confusion and wretched- 
 ness, "rest unto our souls." 
 
 Thirdly, We would impress the importanee of a solid ex- 
 perience of the power of the gospel upon thv heart. When 
 the objections against Christianity are fairly answered, the 
 main hindrance to its reception yet remains. There is a 
 strong connection between the speculative principle of infi- 
 delity, and the " evil heart of unbelief." Unbelief is the dis- 
 ease — not of the understanding — but of the heart. It compre- 
 hends the "fulfilling of the desires of the flesh and of the 
 mind." In the one case it is the love of sin resisting the 
 holiness of the gospel. In the other case it is (as we have 
 just illustrated the subject) the unsubdued pride of the heart 
 rejecting the humility of the gospel. A full and practical 
 reception of the truth of God is therefore a powerful defence 
 against the subtle and encroaching enemy. It was a defect 
 in this point, that exposed Miss Graham to the baneful influ- 
 ence of her investigating mind. Her early principles of re- 
 ligion, though sincere, were not inwrought in her soul in 
 deep and permanent influence. This unfixed character formed 
 therefore an ineffective safeguard in the atmosphere of powerful 
 temptation. Her neglect of prayer threw her off for a while 
 from her dependence upon God. Her doubts thickened upon 
 her. The strength of her soul was paralyzed. The enemy 
 was at the door, and took advantage of her loss of inward 
 perception to gain a temporary ascendancy. However strong 
 and satisfactory is the external evidence of the gospel ; yet 
 we want the apprehension and proof of its adaptation to our 
 necessities to endear and establish it to us in all the strength 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 241 
 
 of sensible demonstration. When "the gospel comes in 
 power, and in the Holy Ghost," then does it come with 
 much assurance. " He that believeth hath the witness in 
 himself." The transforming power of the gospel into the 
 Divine image is the most decisive evidence of its Divine ori- 
 gin ; and this is an evidence which is always present with 
 us — connected with all our Christian habits of thought and 
 practical life — and accumulating in weight of testimony, 
 in every successive instance of its efficacy throughout 
 the world. The unbeliever therefore (for this is the real 
 character of the merely nominal professor of the Bible) enters 
 into conflict with the infidel at very serious disadvantage. 
 He may probably be inferior to his opponent in power of 
 reasoning, and subtlety of argumentation. He may be un- 
 furnished with a distributive view of the historical evidence 
 of the gospel, to repel the attacks that are made upon it; 
 and, being unable to strengthen his points by the demonstra- 
 ble evidence of his own senses, he is in great danger of being 
 shaken from the first principles of his faith. Or even sup- 
 posing him to be on equal terms with his adversary — well- 
 furnished with an outward coat of armour ; yet if his interior 
 be not defended by " the whole armour of God," the poisoned 
 arrows may find an entrance into his inmost soul. If he be 
 ignorant of the spiritual blessings of the gospel, he can have 
 but a very imperfect conviction of the importance of its prin- 
 ciples. They hang loosely about him. There is a want of 
 energy in the grasp to "hold them fast;" and not being 
 " grounded and settled in the faith," never having had a real 
 possession of "the hope of the gospel," he cannot be secure 
 against being " moved away from" the profession of it. His 
 indecision is the first step to apostacy, and, should it proceed to 
 this ultimate point, it is only his just punishment for neglect- 
 ing to walk closely and humbly with his God. It is there- 
 fore most difficult for him to keep the field at all points against 
 the infidel upon the low ground of external argument. For 
 though we protest against the supposition of any vulnerable, 
 or even debateable points on the side of Christianity ; yet the 
 strength of the infidel side, as we have just hinted, bears 
 upon his opponent with mighty influence connected with the 
 appetites of his own heart. Thus man becomes not only a 
 rebel against his God, but a traitor to himself, and the mur- 
 derer of his own happiness. Living, therefore, without 
 prayer — we should assay to go to the intellectual conflict 
 v 2 
 
242 memoir or 
 
 with armour that we have not proved, and therefore that 
 would render us bat uncertain protection. Unexercised in 
 Christian faith, we cast away the only " shield, whereby we 
 could quench the fiery darts of the wicked one." In propor- 
 tion to the practical influence of the principles of the gospel 
 will be our intelligent conviction of their Divine origin. A 
 holy taste will enable us to receive the evidence of Christian 
 truth. In every step of spiritual religion will the invisible 
 realities of the gospel be embodied and appropriated. The 
 light to discover their external evidence will be thus increased 
 by the removal of a counteracting internal bias ; and the be- 
 liever, retreating in a heavenly atmosphere of communion 
 with God, will be little disturbed by speculative doubts — 
 " Thou art my hiding-place and my shield ; I hope in thy 
 word." 
 
 Lastly, let the mind be informed, expanded, strengthened 
 in its positions by an intelligent acquaintance with some of 
 our most valuable treatises upon the evidences of Christianity 
 — those most especially, that connect the testimony of internal 
 perception with external proof. Thus covered at all points 
 of intellectual or spiritual warfare " with the armour of 
 righteousness on the right hand and on the left" — the simple- 
 minded Christian will " be ready always to give an answer 
 to every man that asketh him a reason of the hope that is in 
 him with meekness and fear." 
 
 II. We would mark from this Memoir the high importance 
 of a settled profession of the gospel. We have already seen 
 the rich and matured character of Miss Graham's doctrinal 
 sentiments. Hers was not the religion of feelings (though 
 her feelings were powerfully engaged,) but of solid intelli- 
 gent conviction. There was no excitement of impulse or 
 imagination, no love of novelty, but a contentment in solid, 
 Scriptural, and practical views of Divine truth. Here was a 
 ground-work for that steady consistency of Christian profess- 
 ion, in which she was enabled to serve her God and Saviour 
 with acceptance and»usefulness. It would be a painful in- 
 vestigation to trace the various causes and symptoms of that 
 unsettled aspect of religion, which the present state of the 
 church so largely exhibits. Too often we find the profession 
 to be of a superficial, and therefore of an uninfluential character. 
 A susceptible temperament opens the door to self-delusion. 
 The religion of the imagination is substituted for the religion 
 of the heart. Sentimentalism captivates the mind by a sort of 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 243 
 
 confused ideal sublimity. Unorganized excitement is mis- 
 taken for solid practical principle. External separation from 
 the world is identified with the spiritual love of holiness. A 
 habit of serious thought and partial reformation is commenced 
 without any defined motive or object. Hence, when the tem- 
 porary impulse has subsided, the baseless fabric resting upon 
 it begins to shake. The religion of novelty and interest be- 
 comes irksome drudgery, without any spring of activity or 
 privilege. The peace and joy, which had been anticipated as 
 the immediate result of a certain train of feelings, ends in dis- 
 appointment; and the "goodness" which had no connexion 
 with tenderness of heart, humility, and faith, " passes away 
 as the morning cloud, and the early dew." The man who 
 had been living upon notions, doctrines, and feelings — not 
 upon realities — sinks down into the character of a dry, heart- 
 less professor, with no genuine response to the vitality of 
 godliness. 
 
 Of others again we would speak with special tenderness, 
 while we are constrained to consider them as wanderers from 
 " the old paths," where the church of God has hitherto found 
 " rest," refreshment, and establishment. But we cannot view 
 without the deepest concern the attempt now made by true 
 disciples of Christ (for such undoubtedly are many of those 
 to whom we allude) to degrade the Son of God to a sinful 
 participation and sympathy with our nature. We feel bound 
 to protest against that ' great truth,' now for the first time 
 opened to the church — that believers in this life of sin and im- 
 perfection, attain at leastr equal communion with their God, 
 and participation of Divine influence with their heavenly Sa- 
 viour. Thus is the child of fallen Adam complete in himself, 
 not in his Saviour. He needs no exercise of contrition, no 
 application to the blood of the atonement for his daily defi- 
 ciencies, no High Priest to " bear the iniquities of his holy 
 things." The plenary baptism of the Spirit- precludes the 
 need of an atoning and interceding Saviour for present de- 
 ficiencies and defilements, and perfects what is called an ho- 
 liness in the flesh, an inherent righteousness, which blots out 
 the character of sinners, and obscures the glory of the right- 
 eousness of the Redeemer, as the exclusive ground of justifi- 
 fication before God. 
 
 If we look for the external seal of these anti-scriptural 
 doctrines, it will be found in the exhibition of certain tongues 
 (dissimilar from the primitive manifestations, because un- 
 
244 MEMOIR OF 
 
 known, and therefore unfruitful to the church) connected 
 with impulses of an extraordinary character, both of which 
 have been confessed by some of the most accredited subjects 
 to have been the offspring of delusion. Does not all this 
 seem to invest the Apostolic caution almost with the charac- 
 ter of prophecy — " I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent 
 beguiled Eve through his subtlely, so your mind should be 
 corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ]" That 
 these doctrines come not from Christ is manifest from their 
 obvious tendency to exalt self, and to stain the unspotted 
 holiness of our Divine Saviour. That they are not the fruit 
 of the unction of the Spirit, is equally clear from their re- 
 sults, in obscuring- the light and authority of Scripture by 
 some super-induced credentials, and thus confounding- " the 
 spirit of truth" in the word, and " the spirit of error" in the 
 new revelation. That as novelties they have no stability, 
 we are encouraged to believe from the gracious deliverance 
 that has been manifested to some, who were fast bound un- 
 der their seductive influence ; while those who are yet be- 
 guiled claim (though perhaps they may not thank us for 
 putting forth the claim) our Christian sympathy, forbearance, 
 and prayer. 
 
 What are wanted on all sides as the basis of an estab- 
 lished profession, are — First, brokenness and contrition of 
 heart. Here, as we before observed, Miss Graham's defi- 
 ciency exposed her to " the snare of the devil." Not being 
 deeply impressed with the sense of her own vileness, she 
 could not lie low enough before her God to receive his pure 
 and heavenly light in her soul. He was therefore pleased to 
 humble her thoroughly, till he had brought her to his feet ; 
 that happiest, lowest, yet most exalted place for a redeemed 
 sinner. What Job learnt in his prostrate frame of humilia- 
 tion, made all the former attainments of this " perfect man" 
 of God appear as nothing in his eyes. And indeed there is 
 much to be acquired in a self-abasing walk with God, and in 
 a well-digested study of our hearts, before there can be any 
 capacity for receiving a Scriptural apprehension of the doc- 
 trines, that are the matter of present controversy in the 
 church. The decided views on these subjects, that are 
 sometimes received at an early, and perhaps uncertain, stage 
 of the Christian profession, have been probably obtained un- 
 der the influence of excitement, rather than from Divine 
 teaching — from an implicit submission to some professed 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 245 
 
 leader in the church, rather than from a simple exercised 
 study of the sacred volume. In the spirit of brokenness of 
 heart this deluding power of excitement is subjugated to a 
 chastened temper of tenderness and self-distrust. One want 
 absorbs every faculty and desire of the soul. There is no 
 temptation to linger by the way in busy idleness amid the 
 attractions of novelty. There is a careful guard against all 
 entanglements of disputation, that might, by diverting the 
 mind from the main object of pursuit, palsy the spiritual 
 affections, and pervert even the word of God to an occasion 
 of erasing instead of fixing permanent impressions upon the 
 heart. In this spirit of "simplicity and godly sincerity," 
 the mind will gradually be enabled to receive Scriptural 
 statements, that before, it had been unable to comprehend; 
 and will grasp, with an intelligent habit of faith, the fulness 
 of Divine truth in all its happy and practical influence. 
 
 Connected with this temper, spiritual apprehensions of 
 Christ are of the utmost moment. This was the main prin- 
 ciple of Miss Graham's steadiness of profession. She was 
 accustomed, as we have before noticed, to " consider Christ." 
 Hers were not transient glances at the glorious object of 
 faith. Her religion was characterized by a contemplative 
 habit of connecting every part of the Christian system with 
 Christ. And in this great subject, the most intellectual 
 mind will find full employ. Unfathomable depths, after a 
 long life of research, will yet remain to be explored. Here 
 we may advance with deeper intensity of interest at every 
 successive step, until the whole soul is " filled with all the 
 fulness of God!" A mind sustained and invigorated by 
 these sublime contemplations, will lose its speculative taste ; 
 will try "doubtful disputations" by their reference to this 
 grand subject; and, while enlarging to the utmost its com- 
 pass of sacred truth, will be drawn off from uncertain doc- 
 trines to those that are evidently Scriptural in their character, 
 clear in their light, fruitful in privilege, holy in influence. 
 "Not" being altogether "ignorant of Satan's devices," the 
 Christian will readily trace to its proper source all diverging 
 from this concentrating point, and will steadily guard against 
 this baneful "corruption from the simplicity that is in 
 Christ." And thus living by faith, he will live upon the 
 vitality of the gospel. The unfolding of Christ makes holi- 
 ness at once practicable and precious. His principles, as 
 they expand in knowledge, will become more practical in re- 
 
246 MEMOIR OF 
 
 salts; while these results will reciprocally exercise his prin- 
 ciples in a more lively and delightful glow of Divine light. 
 
 For the cultivation of this spiritual contemplation, habits 
 of retirement seem to be of importance. Leaving the time, 
 measure, and rules to every man's judgment and conscience, 
 and being fully aware that a difference of character generates 
 in this particular a diversity in the operation of Divine grace 
 — we cannot forbear inculcating the general subject as appli- 
 cable to the several departments of the church. Doubtless 
 Miss Graham drew much advantage from her retired habits 
 to exercise her mind in heavenly contemplation. Probably 
 much of the defective standard of attainment and privilege 
 in the present day may be traced to the neglect of the habits 
 now adverted to. Christians actively engaged in the service 
 of God may be ensnared by the very activity of their en- 
 gagements. Those of a more quiet and collected tempera- 
 ment, will connect their "times of refreshing from the pre- 
 sence of the Lord" — their most solid, stable, invigorating 
 comfort — with the cultivation of this habit. Those who 
 are enabled still to maintain the freshness of their early 
 impressions, feel their need of this advantage, and mourn 
 over the deprivation of it as a loss, for which no Christian 
 society — however refined, elevated, or holy — can compensate. 
 All who realize the difficulties of their daily path, and the 
 weariness that belongs to incessant watchfulness and conflict, 
 must feel ; that as the body cannot be sustained without 
 sleep, so neither can the soul thrive without the active rest — 
 so to speak — of retirement with God. A recollected habit of 
 mind— shutting out the world, and calling home our thoughts 
 to Christ and eternity — is indispensable to give life and spi- 
 rituality to our religion, to bring the one object of faith into 
 fixed contemplation, and the more enlivening prospects of 
 eternity into more constant influence. 
 
 Need we further suggest the incalculable importance of a 
 deep and spiritual study of the word of God, in connection 
 with an established profession of the gospel 1 Miss Gra- 
 ham's exclusive study of the word after the period of her re- 
 covery from infidelity — ('the Lord helping her to pray over 
 every word she read') must have been productive of a rich 
 harvest to her soul. And indeed the general supremacy and 
 entireness of this sacred study throughout life was a main 
 source of her mature apprehension of the doctrines of Christ. 
 May not a partial study of Scripture explain the difficulty — 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 247 
 
 why sincere Christians — praying for the promised "guidance 
 of the Holy Spirit into all truth'''' — should yet be left under 
 the influence of error 1 Do they heartily desire to be guided 
 into all truth — into practical as well as doctrinal — into hum- 
 bling- as well as the more exciting — truths T Is every part of 
 the holy book, after the example of this devoted saint, hon- 
 oured as the word of God — carefully explored, and earnestly 
 prayed over ? The promise sapposes a diligent search of the 
 whole field of Divine truth, and the neglect of any part of 
 this field shuts us out from the sphere of the promise. Per- 
 haps also a superficial study of "the word of Christ" — even 
 when the whole surface is surveyed — is one of the most 
 prominent causes of slight profession in the present day. It 
 too often lodges only — not "dwells" with us ; or it dwells 
 with us — not in us ; or the " riches" of the treasure-house are 
 too little regarded; or Christian "wisdom" is little exercised 
 in the application of its contents to our several emergencies. 
 In some cases we mark a disproportionate attention to the 
 externals of Scripture, which betrays a criminal in difference to 
 its spiritual excellences. The holy simplicity of study is de- 
 teriorated. The mind is contented to feed upon husks, while 
 the heavenly pleasures connected with the internal study of 
 the sacred volume are untouched and unknown. With others 
 again the subjects revolve before the mind, but without re- 
 search. The difference is inconceivable between the act of 
 reading, and the habit of meditation and search in the sacred 
 volume. If the mind does not ponder often upon Scripture, 
 no definite views will be obtained ; no profitable instruction 
 drawn out from it. Whereas a spiritually reflecting mind 
 will extract rich meaning from its apparently difficult and 
 barren portions. Being made the subject of thought, and 
 formed into materials for prayer, Scripture knowledge be- 
 comes of -a more heavenly character; and meditation upon a 
 single passage becomes more fruitful than the general reading 
 of large portions of the sacred book. Perhaps there is no 
 precept more intimately connected with Christian establish- 
 ment, than that which has been indirectly adverted to — " Let 
 the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom." Let 
 there be no part of us, where the word does not dwell. Let 
 there be no part of the word, that does not dwell in us. Here 
 is a new world of heavenly light, where the intellect is called 
 forth into its full exercise. Here the soul is refreshed, and 
 the heart is moulded under the influence of Divine wisdom ; 
 
248 MEMOIR OF 
 
 and hence stability of our profession " in the simplicity of 
 Christ." F 
 
 We would venture to add a few words upon the high res- 
 ponsibility of cultivating " the spirit of a sound mind." The 
 high estimate which the apostle formed of this faculty may 
 be seen in his placing it among the special gifts for the work 
 of the ministry, and in his prayers for his own son in the 
 faith, and for his beloved flock, that they might maintain it 
 in constant exercise. His own example proves, that — instead 
 of a sound judgment cooling the fervour of zeal (as it is some- 
 times supposed to do) — it increases its effect by directing its 
 movements. Indeed a weakness in this point brings with it 
 many hindrances to a settled consistency of profession. A 
 luxuriant imagination often obscures the well-regulated and 
 implicit exercise of faith. The truth is often clothed with 
 adventitious attractions. It is not received simply as of God. 
 There is a want of clear perfection and determined grasp of 
 the points presented to view. Again, an excited tempera- 
 ment without a staid judgment, opens many avenues of delu- 
 sion. This is a matter of frequent notice in the cases of a 
 defective religious education, or of late conversion; or in a 
 rapid transition from the cares of business or the warfare of 
 the camp, to the heated atmospheres which are now to be 
 found in the church. The dazzling brightness of truth break- 
 ing in upon unfurnished minds, and often upon palpable 
 darkness, overpowers the faculty of discrimination. The 
 overturn of their former opinions has destroyed confidence in 
 their own conclusions ; and together with their old prejudices, 
 their intellectual stability is swept away. 
 
 In another direction, also, lively affections and weak judg- 
 ment give a wrong bias to the character. The Christian un- 
 der an enlivening sense of the Saviour's love is ready to em- 
 brace any new view or doctrine, which he conceives calcu- 
 lated to honour and exalt him. Now a controlling power is 
 as necessary for the healthful regularity of the mind, as an in- 
 vigorating principle. Opiniative decision is too often mis- 
 taken for spiritual principle. We want the influence of " the 
 wisdom from above," not only to open to our minds expanded 
 and attractive views of truth, but to enable us to affix to every 
 part its just proportion— that no favourite doctrines be suffer- 
 ed to absorb our interest, or be raised to an undue impor- 
 tance — that essential points may have their preponderance 
 over those of a more doubtful character — that every step of 
 
MART JANE GRAHAM. 249 
 
 our progress may present to us a more complete view of the 
 harmony of the system. The multitude of excursions in the 
 theological field, without arid beyond the rule of revelation, 
 are an evidence of that wandering of the mind from reality, 
 and that triumph of imagination over truth, that denotes a 
 mind not in the full possession of its own powers. But let 
 us in another track be careful that the sublime contemplation 
 of the gospel does not pamper a prurient curiosity : but rather 
 that it gives a more settled character to our faith, and a wise 
 and active direction to our practice. Let us watch, also 
 under the exercise of this sound mind, that the fear of uncer- 
 tain doctrines does not quench the ardour of Scriptural inves- 
 tigation — that we continue our research " unto all the riches 
 of the full assurance of understanding," — that we go on as 
 long as there is one point of the sacred book unexplored — 
 " forgetting the things that are behind, and reaching forth unto 
 those things that are before." 
 
 We cannot but remark, hov; frequently a defect of sound- 
 ness of mind is connected with unsteadiness of Christian pro- 
 fession. And indeed in all cases, important talents of in- 
 fluence are wasted, and valuable spheres of usefulness are 
 contracted, by this evil. What servant of God, therefore, 
 conscious alike of his responsibility and weakness, will not 
 present his frequent and earnest petition to the throne of 
 grace, " Teach me good judgment and knowledge?" These 
 inestimable blessings are not the exclusive accomplishments 
 # of highly-gifted intellects. The believer, weak in natural in- 
 telligence, but simple in dependence upon his God, will be 
 not only guided, but established in the truth, even in the 
 midst of abounding errors. He will be taught " not to be- 
 lieve every spirit, but to try the spirits, whether they be of 
 God." He will be led to " try the things that differ" in the 
 church — not by the holiness of their several professors, (which — 
 even if it were more perfectly apprehended — is not the de- 
 cisive Test of Truth,) but by "the law and the testimony ;" 
 being assured, "that if they speak not according to this 
 word"— though they be " angels of light"—" there is no light 
 in them." 
 
 HI. The memoir before us may also point out the ground 
 and blessedness of Scriptural enjoyment. Miss GrahanVs full 
 reception of the high principles of the gospel made Christian 
 devotedness a privilege, and Christian resignation the path of 
 peace. Her clear views of sovereign grace ; her tender spi- 
 W 
 
250 MEMOIR OF 
 
 rit of assured confidence ; and the bright beaming 1 rays of her 
 hope of glory, were sources of incessant energy and heavenly 
 cheerfulness. The spiritual atmosphere in which she lived, 
 communicated life to her fainting spirit. Her heart received 
 a new bent, and found a new home in the bosom of her God. 
 The staid sobriety of her character, the happiness she found 
 in entire consecration of herself to God ; her quiet composure 
 of mind in the chamber of suffering ; the overcoming strength 
 and vigour sustaining her soul in joyfulness; abundantly 
 proved, that she had not embraced an empty cloud, that she 
 had not caught a shadow under the delusion of enjoying God ; 
 but that God was indeed the rest and portion of her soul. 
 
 But what, on the other hand, is the portion — what the pros- 
 pect of the man (whether destitute of the profession of the 
 gospel, or holding it in delusion), who lives " without God 
 in the world 1 He must raise his " altar," if he thinks of 
 worship at all for the quieting of conscience — " To the un- 
 known God." He makes to himself a God after his own 
 fancy, his own heart ; and itprovesto be an infinite nothing. 
 He cannot know his Creator.* He cannot therefore enjoy him. 
 For want of this knowledge and enjoyment, he dooms him- 
 self to everlasting misery. He will not rest in God. He 
 cannot rest in any thing short of God. If ever there was a 
 remedy designed for man, bearing the character of Divine 
 love, it is the gospel of Jesus, opening an uncreated source as 
 alone sufficient to quench the thirst of immortal souls, " Ho ' 
 every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that 
 hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine 
 and milk, without money and without price. Wherefore do 
 ye spend money for that which is not bread 1 and your labour 
 for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and 
 eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in 
 fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me : hear, and 
 your soul shall live." 
 
 Let us hear the breathings of the holy and seraphic Baxter, 
 after this soul-satisfying portion. ' In thee I expect my true 
 felicity and content. To know thee, and love thee, and de- 
 light in thee, must be my blessedness, or I must have none. 
 The little tastes of this sweetness, which my thirsty soul 
 hath had, do tell me that there is no other real joy. I feel 
 
 * See Miss Graham's striking and original thoughts on this subject 
 in the latter part of the Test of Truth. 
 
MARY JANE GRAHAM. 251 
 
 that thou hast made my mind to know thee, my heart to love 
 thee, my tongue to praise thee, and all that I am and have to 
 serve thee. And even in the panting, languishing desires and 
 motions of my soul, I find that thou, and only thou, art its 
 resting place ; and though love do now but search, and pray, 
 and cry, and weep, and is reaching upward, but cannot reach 
 the glorious light, the blessed knowledge, the perfect love, 
 for which it longeth; yet by its eye, its aim, its motions, its 
 moans, its groans, I know its meaning, where it would be, and 
 I know its end. My displaced soul will never be well, till it 
 come near to thee, till it know thee better, till it love thee 
 more. Wert thou to be found in the most solitary desert, it 
 would seek thee ; or in the uttermost parts of the earth, it 
 would make after thee. Thy presence makes a crowd a 
 church ; thy converse maketh a closet, or solitary wood or 
 field, to be akin to the angelical choir. The creature were 
 dead, if thou wert not its life ; and ugly, if thou wert not its 
 beauty ; and insignificant, if thou wert not its sense. The 
 soul is deformed, which is without thine image ; and lifeless 
 which liveth not in love to thee, if love be not its pulse, and 
 prayer and praise its constant breath. The mind is unlearned, 
 which readeth not thy name on all the world. He dreameth, 
 who doth not live to thee. Oh ! let me have no other por- 
 tion! no reason, no love, no life, but what is devoted to thee, 
 employed on thee, and for thee here, and shall be perfected in 
 Thee, the only perfect, final object for evermore. Upon the 
 holy altar, erected by thy Son, and by his hands, and his me- 
 diation, I humbly devote and offer to thee this heart. Oh ! 
 that I could say with greater feeling — this Jlaming, loving, 
 longing heart ! But the sacred fire which must kindle on my 
 sacrifice, must come from thee. It will not else ascend unto 
 thee. Let it consume this dross, so the nobler part may know 
 its home. All that I can say to commend it to thine accept- 
 ance, is, that I hope it is washed in precious blood, and that 
 there is something in it that is thine own. It still looketh 
 toward thee, and groaneth to thee, and followeth after thee, 
 and will be content with gold, and mirth, and honour, and 
 such inferior fooleries no more. It lieth at thy door, and will 
 be entertained, or perish. Though alas ! it loves thee not as 
 it would. I boldly say, it longs to love thee. It loves to 
 love thee. It seeks, it craves no greater blessedness than per- 
 fect, endless, mutual love. It is vowed to thee, even to thee 
 alone, and will never take up with shadows more; but is 
 
252 MEMOIR, &C. 
 
 resolved to lie down in sorrow and despair, if thou wilt not 
 be its rest and joy. It hateth itself for loving thee no more, 
 accounting no want, deformity, shame, or pain, so great and 
 grievous a calamity.' 
 
 Christians ! You, like this holy man of God, have made 
 trial of this portion ; and you alone are competent to speak of 
 it. You can bear testimony that the knowledge and enjoy- 
 ment of God, coming to us through Christ, our Head, our 
 All, is unspeakable bliss. It fills the most enlarged appetite 
 of the soul. It fixes our hovering thoughts and restless an- 
 ticipations. It perfects all our desires in holy delight and 
 joy. It is the triumph of everlasting love over all the wretch- 
 edness, wants, and guilt of man. It gives supreme enjoy- 
 ment in life, hope in death, a portion for eternity. 
 
 " Whom have I in heaven but thee ? and there is none upon 
 earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth • 
 but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. 11 
 
 THE END. 
 
I