Read Ebook: The Power of Faith Exemplified In The Life And Writings Of The Late Mrs. Isabella Graham. by Graham Isabella

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

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

"OCTOBER 20, 1797.

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

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

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

The following meditations will afford refreshment to every Christian heart:

"1797.

"'As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding there in with thanksgiving.'

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

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

"I received thee as my divine Saviour, as the covenant of the people: the covenant arranged, ratified, and fulfilled; to me a covenant of free gift. Receiving thee, I received all the promises in their fullest extent, as legally made over and confirmed to me by the irrevocable gift of Deity: and in thee, as my Saviour, dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily; yes, dwelleth in him for his people, his ransomed; dwelleth in him as our head; we are united to him, one with him, as he and the Father are one, and being one with him, we are complete in him. He is the head, we the members; he is the vine, we the branches; he is the foundation and chief corner-stone, we the building. Thus let us walk in him; rooted and built up in him; filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; walking worthy of the Lord, unto all pleasing--being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power; unto all patience and long-suffering, with joyfulness; for it is he who worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure; and although of ourselves we can do nothing, yet we can do all things through Christ strengthening us; and he has promised, that 'as our days so shall our strength be.'

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

"OCTOBER, 1797.

"'Remove far from me vanity and lies,' Psa. 119. Every deviation from rectitude and truth is sin. Who that knows any thing of the corruption of the human heart, and its strange tendency to stray, to err, yea, even to pervert the plainest, simplest, and most obvious truths, but must see the propriety of his joining the psalmist, and crying out, Lord, remove far from me the way of lies.

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

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

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

"'Teach me thy law graciously,' not the ceremonial and the moral law alone, but the whole of God's revealed will. The psalmist knew the law ceremonial and moral, but he wants more and more of the teaching of the Spirit of God. 'He,' the Spirit of truth, 'shall take of mine, and show it unto you.' The word of God is ever the same; it contains the whole truth, and nothing but the truth; every thing necessary to safety, to holiness, and happiness: but O, the difference between him who reads with a mind enlightened by the Spirit of God, and him who reads with no other assistance than his own poor blinded, darkened reason. Teach me then thy law graciously. I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy judgments. 'Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.' The psalmist thirsted after more and more extensive views of the word of God, and still as his views were enlarged he desired more. 'The earth is full of thy mercy,' verse 64; this was one lesson, but still he cries, 'Teach me thy statutes. Thou hast dealt bountifully with me, O Lord, according to thy word.' Still he cries, 'Teach me good judgment and knowledge. It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes.'"

"OCTOBER, 1797.

"I love to feel the kindlings of repentance, self-loathing under a sense of ingratitude, heart-melting with the view of pardoning grace. I love to feel the sprinkling of my Redeemer's blood on my conscience, drawing forth the tears of joy and gratitude in the view of a free pardon. I love to dwell on the seal of reconciliation, while my heart, glowing with gratitude, sinks into the arms of my redeeming Lord, in full confidence of his love and my safety for ever. I love to feel longings after closer communion, after more conformity to his image, more usefulness to my fellow-members of the body of Christ, and to all his creatures. I love to feel deeply interested in the success of the gospel, in the declarative glory of Jehovah, as manifested in his works of creation and providence, but chiefly in the superexcellent work of redemption: for 'thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.'"

FORMATION OF THE WIDOWS' SOCIETY-- CLOSE OF HER SCHOOL.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"SEPTEMBER, 1798.

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

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

"Jesus took once a little child and set him in the midst of the people, and said, 'Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye cannot enter the kingdom of heaven,' intimating with what simplicity and docility men ought to receive the gospel; and the following text also alludes to this: 'Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.' There are many promises made to the diligent searchers after truth: 'Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord.' 'The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant.' Yet the highly enlightened Paul calls the gospel a mystery, and godliness a mystery; 'for now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then,' in heaven, 'shall I know even as also I am known.' Therefore, while you use all diligence, accompanied with prayer and the expositions of God's faithful ministers, to understand every part of divine revelation, be neither surprised nor disheartened at the want of comprehension, far less attempt to reduce it to human reason, as many have done to their ruin. The Scripture says, 'Vain man would be wise, though born like the wild ass's colt.' 'The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.'

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

"1798.

"'Glows in the stars and blossoms in the trees.'

"There the poet must stop: thus far the natural mind, richly endowed with human powers, can go and trace a God of power, wisdom, and beneficence: O that thou hadst had eyes to see, and discern what flesh and blood could never reach; that all these glories dwindle into tapers, when compared with Jehovah manifested in the face of Jesus Christ. Every star, every tree, all vegetating, bursting, blooming life, answer the end of their creation, manifesting his glory as thou sayest; but can they tell thee how this God can be just, and yet justify those who have rebelled against all his attributes; torturing even his fair and beautiful creation, and bringing it into subjection to their lusts, as thou hast well sung; murmuring at, and rebelling against his dispensations in providence; hardening themselves against his government; perverting every good to their own misery, and imbibing wretchedness from means of blessedness? Can all that thou hast sung bring into congeniality perfection of wickedness and perfection of holiness, perfection of wretchedness and perfection of happiness, perfect opposition in nature and principle? Here thy song stops short. Thou seest the evils and the misery; thou hast a glimpse of an opposite good, but all means proposed by thee ever have proved, and ever will prove inadequate to the attainment of it: the very attributes of a just and holy God oppose it: heaven and earth must stand amazed at the declaration that God would justify the ungodly."

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

During the prevalence of the yellow-fever in 1798, it was with much difficulty Mrs. Graham was dissuaded from going into the city to attend on the sick: the fear of involving her children in the same calamity, in the event of her being attacked by the fever, was the chief reason of her acquiescing in their wish to prevent so hazardous an undertaking. During the subsequent winter she was indefatigable in her attentions to the poor, she exerted herself to procure work for her widows, and occupied much of her time in cutting it out and preparing it for them. The managers of the Widows' Society had each a separate district; and Mrs. Graham, as first Directress, had a general superintendence of the whole. She was so happy in the execution of her trust, as to acquire the respect and confidence of the ladies who acted with her, as well as the affections of the poor.

We next find letters to her female friend near Boston, who was still in much spiritual darkness and despondency.

"MARCH, 1799.

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

"My dear friend, there is nothing new nor strange in all you have told me: there is scarce a heaven-taught soul, who has made any advances in the spiritual warfare, but could sympathize with you from experience. What have you experienced more than the Scriptures tell us: that 'the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked?' Only the Lord can search it, only he can cleanse it. He takes the prerogative to himself, and he calls it his covenant that he will make with sinners in gospel times. You may strive and fight, and resolve and vow--all will not do: you lie at his mercy for holiness as well as pardon. He is exalted as a Prince to give repentance, and he is the author and finisher of faith. He works all our works in us, and without him we are not equal to one good thought. We are his workmanship, 'created anew in Christ Jesus,' My dear friend, put the work into his hand, and try to wait on him in hope--hope in every situation; do more, trust.

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

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

"Yours, etc."

To the same.

"At last, my dear friend, the Lord appears; appears the Bible God--'the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin.'

"When was it that the Lord proclaimed this, and took unto himself this name? After Israel, his chosen, had been guilty of that awful sin in the wilderness, of making the golden calf, and proclaiming, 'These be thy gods, O Israel:' David takes it up in the 103d Psalm, 'The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.' Read on, my dear, then turn to the 130th. This God is your God, and has long been your God; his work was upon your heart, though you could not discern it. In bondage you have long been, but not a willing captive; unbelief kept you in bondage, long, long after your eyes were opened to see your bondage; and even to discern, in some feeble measure, your remedy.

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

"I cannot but regret your want of pastoral food; yet ought I to regret any thing? The Lord himself is your Shepherd. My Bible lies on my lap, and I had turned to the 34th Psalm, to know if it contained what I would point out to you: on finishing the last verse, I unconsciously turned my eye on the Bible; the words that met it were, 'I will instruct thee, and teach thee in the way that thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.' Psa. 32:8. And so it shall be. Amen, my God, Amen. Do as thou hast said.

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

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