Did  not  the  Lord,  by  bis  grace  and  good  Spirit,  sustain  my
often  drooping  and  discouraged  mind,  I  must  yield  to  the
weight  of  attending  distress.  Will  He  not  cause  the  cheering
beams  of  His  sun  of  righteousness  to  dart  out  of  the  clouds
of  gloominess?  "If  the  dead  rise  not,"  says  the  Apostle,
"  why  are  we  baptized  for  the  dead  ?"  So,  then,  may  not  some
of  us  say,  "if  there  is  no  hope  to  see  the  end  of  these  scenes
of  human  misery,  anguish  and  distress,  why  are  we  brought
into  the  wrestling  state? — why  do  we  tread  the  agonizing
path  ?"  0,  Lord,  hasten  the  time  when  the  end  of  thy
chastenings  over  the  nations  shall  be  seen ;  and  they,  under
Thy  judgments,  shall  learn  righteousness  !  I  must,  however,
say,  that  He  who  was  with  His  servants  in  their  various  and
fiery  trials  in  ancient  days  is  with  me  in  this  land,  as  He  has
been  in  my  former  pilgrimages.  He  very  graciously  makes
good  His  promise  :  "I  will  never  leave  thee,  nor  forsake  thee."


^T.  39.]  1813.  249

He  keeps  my  mind,  in  a  good  degree,  stayed  upon  Him,  so
that  thougli  the  sea  roar  and  dash  its  waves,  His  everlasting
arm  is  near,  my  soul  humbly  and  gratefully  acknowledges!
Most  abundantly  I  can  —  I  ought  to  sing  His  praise,  to  pro-
claim His  wondrous  doings.
