No 16. .APPENDIX. 451 of the place, which is a parifh that has been fore broken with divifion ; but to do any thing to purpofe in fuch a cafe, fad ex- perience teacheth me is very difficult. It may be will-led for; but how {hall it be effe&ed, till another fpirit be poured upon both ininif ers and people? I am, &c. May 21. 1726. (S.) D. Sir, I had yours, with the much affe&ing account of your lofs of a dear child. I travelled that gloomy road fix times, and learned, that God has other ufe for children than our comfort; 'an ufe far more honourable and happy for them : and the pa- rents often come to fee it afterwards, that it is peculiar kind- nefs to the dear babes they were fo early carried off. It like- wife ferves to let in to the fweetnefs of that word in particular, " I will be thy God, and the God of thy feed." While pa- rents are taken up for the eternal falvation of their dying little- ones, and look about to fee what the word fays with relation to the cafe, O do not grudge the freedom the Lord has ufed with you, in pitching upon a precious thing of yours for him- l'elf, and accordingly taking it away. Both of you have offer- ed your all to the Lord : and though, when it comes to the pinch, the heart is ready to mifgive ; yet in calm blood I am perfuaded you will ftand to 'the bargain, and check yourfelves forany femblance of rueing. The next time you fee your child, you will fee him íhining white in glory, having been waffled " ° in the bloodof the Lamb," who was an infant, a child, a boy, a youth, as well as grown man, becaufe he came a Saviour of infants, little children, &c. as well as of perlons comeat age. Perhaps his cries are not yet out of your and his mother's ears ; but then you will fee him capable of managing lies harp, as well as the faint that died an hundered years ago. Ah! ah! why are we thus not fully fatisfied and acquiefcing in the wife ma. nagement of the great Counfellor, who puts cloudsand darknefs round him, bidding us follow at his back through the cloud, promifing an eternal uninterrupted fùnlhine on the other fide. " Lord, increafe our faith," is a petition we need to be oft putting up. But I hope the Lord has taught you and your fpoufe reuignation to the will of him who does all things well. But Í find it is a difficult leffon to learn : the fleth ftill fpurns and rifes againft the rod. And .O how difficult is it to get our how's and why's crucified, and to refolve all into, and reft fatis- fied in infinite wildom tempered with covenant-love! Our af- flicîion is returned to an extremity, and the florin has blown hard now for force time : but the Lord fits on the flood ; and though it feems to be without all order, yet certainly there is
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