MMplMNMWfNIM Class Ronlc ! ^^ri^Z^ SELECTIONS FROM THE #tti$ $1 tytmltity $AMt> AUTHOR OF "JUST AS I AM." WITH A MEMOIR BY HER SISTER, . E: B. LONDON: THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY: 56, Paternoster Row ; 65, St. Paul's Churchyard and 164, Piccadilly. 60 516 3 FEB 1 7 1941 }H3 LONDON : KNIGHT, PRINTER, BARTHOLOMEW CLOSE. PREFATORY NOTE. jHE writer of this brief Sketch has been very re- luctant to bring herself in any way before the public ; and it is only after having been repeatedly urged, that she has, at length, consented to write these imperfect recollections of her beloved sister's life. The difficulty has been great, because those have passed away who would gladly and efficiently have assisted her, or themselves have undertaken the work. As it is, she has been obliged to rely on her own memory in reference to years long since gone by, assisted only by some scanty private memorandum, and some few of her sister's letters accidentally pre- served ; for a large collection — some of a highly in- teresting character — had been destroyed by her own hand during the last two or three years of her life, chiefly lest they might tend to any self- exaltation, so truly was she humble in her own esteem, and jealous of all that might foster vanity and pride. These circumstances must be the writer's apology for bringing before others some very sacred memorials of a most rare affection, which she would willingly have withheld, had not others considered that they develope her beloved sister's mind more truly than any attempted description could have done. Jtt$t H it 8flt/* Him that corueth to Me I will in no wise cast out." John vi. 37. Iltoi as I am— toithaat one pka |||g>jg ^wt that ^kg Jblaxrb teas shefc for ate, ,3lab that Altera Mb'st me wme to ^hu — gDantf) at (©0b, I rome ! Jfast as 1 am— aab toaitiag not %o rib ma. soal oi ont bark blot, %o %\tzt, to hose biooo can rleaase each snot— €) l&mb of (§00, I come ! ^ast as i am — though toss'a aboat, Sltith maag a zon&xtt, maaj) a boabt, dfightiags aab fears au. + hia, toithout — © ICamb of (Hob, I tomtl Jttst as I am — poor, toreicheb, Minb ; (Sight, riches, healing of the minb, lea, all I nab, itt %hzt to Urxb— *- PAGE Prefatory Note iii "Just as I am" . iv Biographical Sketch . 13 To a Fellow Traveller . . 61 The Comforter 62 The Secure Refuge . 64 The Bridegroom Cometh 66 The Daily Lesson .... . 68 Thoughts to Comfort 69 The Christian Warrior . . 72 A Song in the Night 73 A Hymn of Praise .... . 75 The Path of the Just 76 The Fountain .... . 77 A Meditation and Prayer . 79 The Day is at Hand 81 Onward and Upward . 82 VII Cmttente. Rejoicing in Hope . Fear Not A Christmas Hymn Life's Evening Hour . To the Passing Spirit The Better Country . The Twilight Hour Hymn for the New Year Saturday Night The Wild Violet Prayer to the Holy Spirit A Winter Sunset The Universal Hymn New Year's Eve The Name above Every Name Look Upward . The Holy Comforter The New Jerusalem . Sunday Morning . The Man of Sorrows Weep Not The Scriptures To a Friend setting out on a Journey VIII 84 85 87 90 92 93 94 96 98 99 100 102 103 104 106 108 109 in 112 114 116 117 118 Contents. PAGE Easter Eve ..... . 119 Hallowed Sleep .... I20 My Home . . . 122 For the First Sunday of a New Year . 123 The Search for Happiness 125 The Way, the Truth, and the Life 127 To a Mourner .... 128 On a Departed Friend 130 Let me go ; for the Day Breaketh 131 On Sacred Music .... 132 A Simile ..... • 134 Stanzas for a Friend in Sorrow . 135 On an Early Violet 139 Summer Evening by the Seaside . 140 To the Nightingale 141 The Hour of Prayer 142 The Lord turned, and looked upon Peter 144 The Young Believer's Prayer 145 On a Spring Morning I46 The Sure Guide . . . 147 Sonnet to the Harp 149 Prayer for Faith .... I50 Thoughts in Seclusion . 151 IX 1 Ccmtente. .{ PAGE To an Aged Pilgrim on his Birthday 153 A Prayer at Midnight • 154 The Wanderer's Return 155 Go and Sin no More • 157 On a Frosty Evening 153 The Hidden Life .... • 159 Light and Darkness l60 The Still Small Voice . . l6l To the Evening Star 163 To a Widowed Friend . I64 My Son, give Me thine Heart I6 5 The Christian near his Home . . 166 Above the Heavens .... I69 Faint, yet Pursuing . I70 The Skylark ..... 171 Blessed are they that Mourn . . 172 The Moon over the Sea . . 173 For New Year's Day . 174 A Dream ..... 176 To One Bereaved of Many Relatives . . 179 Anticipations ..... l80 Epitaph . . 182 On a Restless Night in Illness 183 X QLontmts. To One whose Mind was disordered by Grief The Widowed Heart .... To a Bereaved Christian Friend Prayer to the Saviour To Faith .... Why should I Fear to Die? Thy Will be Done Now we see through a Glass Darkly On Leaving Home . Be Not Faithless, but Believing . Leaning on her Beloved . Return unto thy Rest, O my Soul Safe on the other side . Thoughts on a Birthday By the Death-bed of a Friend . Hymn for a Dying Bed Prayer for a Departing Spirit . Safe in Christ .... The Perfect Example Not my Will, but Thine Thou God seest Me A Present Help . Paternal Chastening 184 185 189 190 192 193 195 196 197 199 200 202 203 205 206 208 209 211 212 213 214 216 218 GLontentz. PAGE Strong Consolation 220 To Die is Gain . 221 Prayer against Impatience , 223 The Unfailing Friend . 225 For a Sunday in Solitude . 226 I come to Thee . 228 Forsake Me Not . . 229 In Sleeplessness or Pain . 231 In Deep Waters 232 On Recovering from Illness • 233 More than Conqueror 235 When Expecting Suffering . 236 Abba, Father .... 238 The Sheltering Wing . 239 All Things become New 24I The Ever-present Helper . 242 Closing Sonnet 244 Appendix .... . 245 I Biographical Sketch. harlotte Elliott, the gifted writer of the well-known Hymn "Just as I am," was born i&th March, 1789, and died September 22nd, 1871. She was the third daughter of the late Charles Elliott, Esq., of Clapham and Brighton. During many years her parents formed the centre of a very interesting religious circle at both those places. Her uncle, the Rev. John Venn, was rector of Clapham; and her mother, Mrs. Elliott, was the eldest daughter of the Rev. Henry Venn, of Hud- dersfield and Yelling, one of the leaders of the religious awakening in the last century, and to her, as Eling Venn, are addressed many of the letters that appear in the published memoir of his life. Her two brothers, the late Rev. H. V. Elliott, of St. Mary's, Brighton, and the Rev. E. B. Elliott, author of the " Horse Apocalypticse," are well known by their characters and their works. 13 JttrrQraphirid Sketch: From early years she was more or less an in- valid, and consequently her life was one of much seclusion, offering but few incidents and little variety. Her life was a hidden one. She always rallied during the summer months, and was able to pay visits to friends at a distance, who loved and valued her society, and appreciated the charm of her conversation and her brilliant imagination. Amongst those whose friendship she specially enjoyed, I must mention the Cunningham family, at Harrow; our cousin, Mrs. Batten, who was a Venn ; Bishop Shirley ; and the Moneys, who were specially beloved. Visits to these friends always brightened the ordinary monotony of her life ; and the zest with which she entered into the beauties of scenery and the charms of intel- lectual society, will never be forgotten by those who knew her. Naturally she had a strong will, but this be- came gradually subdued, as her religious princi- ples deepened. Her temperament was eminently poetical; and her tender sympathy in every joy or sorrow of those whom she loved is fully testified in marry of her letters and poems. She was always exceedingly fond of music, with a very fine and delicate ear ; and it was only the §io%m$hical krtck. Shirley : Nov. xith, 1833. " To-morrow is your birthday, my Eleanor, and it is the second passed by you in a state of suffering, and after a bereavement which has made so affect- ing an alteration in our lives. I would, if it were possible, feel more tender sympathy and offer more earnest prayers on your behalf than I have ever done before, and infuse into these poor lines such balm and consolation as your own dear affection and sympathy have often dropped sweetly on my suffering heart. "I would tell you also, my love, that though I did hope that your path would lie through a brighter and more flowery region than mine, yet even in the vale of suffering there are blessed companions to associate with — sweet consolations to partake of, heavenly privileges to enjoy. For myself, I am well content to tread it, and to remain in it, till my weary feet stand on the brink of Jordan. ' It costs me no regret that she Who followed Christ, should follow me ; And though, where'er she goes, Thorns spring spontaneous at her feet, / love her, and extract a sweet E'en from my bitterest woes.' (Madame Guions "Address to Sorrow.") But I have been many years learning this dim- cult lesson, — and even now am but little skilled in this blessed alchemy. $xoQx&$hicnl §k£tch. " During the last few months, I humbly trust I have made some little progress, and oh ! that what I have been taught by my heavenly Physician might be of some benefit to a sister I so tenderly love ! Oh how many bitter tears have I shed for this cause, my Ellen ; how many hard struggles and apparently fruitless ones, has it cost me to be- come resigned to this appointment of my heavenly Father ; but the struggle is over now. He knows, and He alone, what it is, day after day, hour after hour, to fight against bodily feelings of almost over- powering weakness and languor and exhaustion ; to resolve, as He enables me to do, not to yield to the slothfulness and the self-indulgence, the de- pression, the irritability such a body causes me to long to indulge, — but to rise every morning, de- termined on taking this for my motto : ' If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me/ and I trust He has made me willing to do this, and has also made the sorrows and sufferings of my earthly life the blessed means of detaching my heart from the love of it, and of giving me a longing, which seems each day to grow stronger, only to be made meet for my great change, to be sanctified wholly in body, soul, and spirit. And during these weeks geographical (Sketch. and months of separation from my nearest friends, of seclusion and quietness, external and internal, much has been passing, my Ellen, between my soul and God, — such peace has been habitually granted to me, — such a sense of pardoning love, — such a bright hope that He has indeed chosen and accepted me, and is preparing me for His heavenly glory, refining and purifying me, that I shall ever remember this period as one of the happiest seasons of my life. The absence of agitation, and excitement, and bustle, the unbroken hours of reading and prayer, have been very helpful to me ; the very feeling of being a passing guest — an un- important and solitary person in the family — has been useful to me, and has led me to draw nearer to God as my only and all satisfying portion." In 1834 we became acquainted with Miss Harriet Kiernan, of Dublin, who came to England by medical advice, though, alas ! too late to arrest the progress of fatal consumption. She became our loved guest before going to the Isle of Wight for the winter, and a most warm friendship was estab- lished from this time with our whole family, but more especially with our Charlotte. It was in JUcgraphical