MRS. ELIZABETH CHASE. THE following account of Mrs. Chase, is given by her sister, Miss Neale, in a letter to a friend. DEAR SIR, As you have requested an account of the Lord's dealings with my dear departed sister, I sit down to the pleasing, but mournful recital. Mrs. C. not only died the death, but lived the life of the righteous. She was blessed with a happy disposition of mind, and penetrating judgement, which being brought under the guidance of the Spirit of God at an early period in life, produced those fruits which so conspicuously shone forth in her. She was naturally of a reserved temper; but when she spoke, it was always to the purpose. She was not only beloved by her Christian friends, but universally esteemed by her acquaintance. Since her departure, we have found in her own hand-writing, some excellent meditations and selfexaminations, with a diary commencing in the year 1776, and discontinued after the year 1790. A few extracts may not be unacceptable to you; but prior to that is another paper, in which she thus expresses herself: "Having had a pious education, it taught me to reverence the Sabbath; and though it could not give me a love to the day, yet, it led me to read books that were suitable to the day; which was one of the means the Lord made use of to set me a thinking about the concerns of my immortal soul. I used to inquire of myself, when it was that God would take an account of the actions of a child, and hoped that I was not old enough. But still I rather thought or feared I was. I read the Scriptures, not so much because I understood them, as because I thought there might come a time when I should; and then it would be of use to me to be acquainted with them." When about seventeen years of age, my sister had an abiding sense that all the world could give, was utterly insufficient to make her happy. Under this impression she thus writes: "Though I have at this time no outward affliction, (and by a comfortable independence am placed above the cares of the world,) yet I am constantly dissatisfied; my mind wants to rest upon something, and I can find nothing to rest upon. There seems to me to be a chief good, which my soul is reaching after, but cannot find. I sometimes attempt to pray. When I do, I never pray for temporal blessings, as I cannot, when in prayer, fix my thoughts a minute upon them: they are but of little value, in respect of something else I want. I pray for the Spirit of God as well as I am able, though I have very indistinct ideas of spiritual things." At another time she thus writes: "I have been brought to see that the enjoyment of God was my chief happiness; and that there is such a thing as union between God and the soul, compared in the Scriptures to the marriage union. I thought all the troubles in the world would be nothing if I had a God to go to. I felt great pleasure in reading from the 13th to the 17th chapters of John, to see the love the Lord Jesus bore to his people, though I did not know he bore the same to me. I have often thought I did not see enough of the evil of sin; but, at the same time, I have desired that the Lord would give me such a sight of sin as would make me detest it. One morning, I had such a view of what the world would have been, if the Lord Jesus had not died, as brought tears from my eyes; for I saw, that, to answer the great ends of Providence, and for the sake of those for whom Christ died, the Lord gives restraining grace to the most abandoned.' In the year 1786, she was united to the late Mr. Samuel Chase, jun. surgeon, of Luton, Bedfordshire, a man beloved and esteemed by all who knew him. It may not be improper here to disclose her most secret thoughts, a short time before her marriage, as they stand recorded in her diary. 66 Lord's-day, April 17, 1785. But for a wicked wandering heart, I should have had a very pleasant day the word was precious and suitable. The hymn sung in the morning was applicable to present circumstances. O that I may at all times sing it from the heart! For, however amiable creatures may be, and how much soever it may be our duty to love them; yet, if we prefer them before Him, who only has a right to be our best beloved, we may expect to find they will be made sorrows to us. But I trust the Lord will keep me from all idolatrous affection. It is his Providence that has evidently. brought me into this intended connexion, and I trust to his grace to bless me in it, and make me a blessing to others." A few days after her marriage she thus writes: 66 April 25. The Lord seems, by the dispensations of his Providence, to be saying to me, I will now try your disposition toward me, by giving you every blessing this earth can afford; but at the same time, I will withdraw the sensible influences of my Spirit, the heart-cheering rays of my countenance, to see if you will rest satisfied with any thing short of me. Is that, my dearest Lord, the kind intent of this hiding of thy face? Then permit me to declare, that though, with all the gratitude I am capable of, I would receive every mercy at thy hand, yet, I will not consent to be deprived of thy presence for ten thousand times more than this world can afford. Return unto me, O my heavenly Father! For I can say with truth, "Not life, with all its joys, Can one bless'd hour afford; When near the birth of her first child, she writes as follows: "January 29, 1786. Thus far the Lord hath brought me, blessed be his name! My spirits are quite calm, free from any distressing fears: I feel myself in the Lord's hands. All that I want is, his presence; if I have that, his will be done in every other respect." When in prospect of the birth of her second child, again she writes: "Lord's-day, June 3, 1787. I have a low fever lurking about me, and the Lord is pleased at the same time to hide from me the sensible influence of his presence, so that I feel myself at times much cast down; and the chief reason is, that he that should comfort my soul, is absent from me. I have lately thought more of dying than of living; but my distress does not arise from the thoughts of leaving any thing in the world, though perhaps no one has a better reason for desiring to live, that they may see good days, than I have. One of the tenderest husbands, a loving child, a pleasant habitation, comfortable circumstances, affectionate friends; in short, every thing that can render life desirable, as to the things of this world. But I know, if Christ and heaven are mine, I may say with the apostle, 'To depart and be with Christ is far better.' As to those I should leave behind, the Lord has all creatures at his command, and it would be easy for him to make up to them the loss of such a poor worthless worm as I am. But unbelief is too apt to prevail over my mind, so that I cannot read my title clear to mansions in the skies;' and though the Lord does not permit any positively distressing idea to seize my mind, as that I shall be lost, yet, the apprehension of passing through the valley of the shadow of death, supposing it should be only a shadow, is distressing. But I lay myself in the Lord's hands, for him to do with me as he pleaseth, for I know he cannot do wrong." A short time before the birth of her third child, she thus writes: "May 1, 1789. If the Lord should make that a means of removing me, it would be to behold the King in his beauty; which thought was pleasant to me in prayer this morning. I can see so little of the glory of the Lord here, that I know, if I have his presence in the dark valley, I shall be willing to depart and be with Christ. I shall feel for my dear husband and children, but the Lord's will be done." About five months after this, when in the height of worldly enjoyments, having a family meeting, death entered the abode of peace and happiness, What my dear sister's feelings were on this occasion, you shall have in her own words. Yester "Aug. 30. The Lord's ways are a great deep; I know that in wisdom he hath afflicted me. day he was pleased to bring upon me the greatest affliction I ever experienced, in taking to himself my dear partner in life. But still there is mercy mixed with the bitterest cup. He is gone to be for ever happy with the Lord, and it is but a little while ere I shall follow. But I hope to be patient to the coming of the Lord, and to say with Job, All the days of my appointed time will I wait, until my change come. O may the Lord be pleased to bless me with his presence! He hath promised to be a father to the fatherless, and a husband to the widow. 6 "Sept. 6. O how kind the Lord is! He hath carried me through the most trying scenes with a |