MY DEAR FRIEND,

MOST sincerely do I sympathize with you in your present affliction. I have also tasted of the same cup, and know what the feelings of the heart are, when a darling comfort is taken away. But the Lord has done it, not in anger, but in love. The Lord has blessed the child in separating him from his friends. Let his friends be still, admire, and adore. I know that he was a lovely, engaging child, and that you loved him much. It is difficult to part with such a child. Nature must weep; but he for whom we weep, is now within the range of the celestial glory, is become like to the angels-he is in the bosom of Jesus. All then is well*.

We are ever ready to think it too soon to be deprived of our comforts, and have many strong reasons to plead with the Lord, to spare our gourds. But Jesus has stronger

It will not detract from the consolation which this letter is calculated to afford, especially to the heart of an afflicted reader, to mention, that the writer was berself enabled, at a future period, in a peculiar manner to exemplify, in her own conduct, the influence of the sen

timents here expressed by her pen. Her second child languished but a few hours after his birth, and then quitted this vain and transitory scene for endless rest. With a firm confidence in the unerring wisdom and unchangeable goodness of Him from whom this dispensation came, she uttered no murmuring word, but comforted those around her; rejoicing that her child had been permitted to be dedicated to the Lord in the way of his appointment; only observing, "My dear little J. lay upon the pillow by my side; but he moaned and moaned he could not stay here; he was sick of this sinful world into which he had entered. I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me

"Thrice happy child, That saw the light, and turn'd its eyes aside From our dim regions to th' eternal sun, And led the parent's way to glory! There Thou art for ever hers with powers en

larg'd

For love reciprocal and sweet converse."

arguments wherewith to silence our complaints. "Shall I not do what I will with my own?"-" I will not leave you comfortless." I have indeed taken away a created comfort, but I give you myself. "I will come unto you." And has he not done so? I adore and bless his name for the support you have received in the trying hour, " sorrowful yet always rejoicing." In Christ you have found every thing that you desired. He is able to fill up every blank of heart. His grace is sufficient for you. His own soft hand will wipe away your submissive tears, and comfort you on every side.

I have often been soothed when thinking of my sorrowing friends, with the inspired declaration, "In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them." How precious is the sympathy and compassion of our great High Priest and Elder Brother! It is indeed a blessed truth, that the God who visits us with affliction, is "the God of all comfort."-" He comforts them that are cast down." When afflictions abound, his consolations are made much more to abound. "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."

I feel much for those who have lost their child; but it is a mercy to be made to feel that this is not our rest. The Lord has done it in love to their souls. O that he may be graciously pleased to draw them nearer to himself, and comfort them with the consolations which are in Christ Jesus!

When the streams of created comfort are dried up, whither should we go, but to the uncreated fountain of divine, eternal love and truth? This is a fountain which ever pours forth a fulness of gracious influences adapted to all situations. I doubt not but we shall have cause to bless God for the

sanctification of this providence to them and others. We are sometimes eager in looking for sanctified fruits immediately both in ourselves and in others; but the Scriptures say, "nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them that are exercised thereby." Though at present we may not see all we wish for in ourselves and others, we may take comfort from these words: "that the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ."

The death of a child is calculated to give us deeper views of the evil of sin-original sin. It is indeed an evil and a bitter thing, when (because of it) the dear little playful innocent must pass through the gloomy vale; and what once was lovely is now in the silent grave. But Jesus has not only suffered to atone for sin, but is also the resurrection and the life. We may rejoice that Jesus Christ has not only abolished death, but has brought life and immortality clearly to light through the Gospel.

O how divine is that religion, that presents such truths to the mind: how solacing its comforts, how exalted its prospects!

I have frequently been called of late to weep with them that weep; and surely I ought to arise and call upon God. When our dearest friends suffer, and permit us to participate in their sorrow, should not we feel as if the trial was in part sent to us, and pray that the sanctified fruit may appear in us also? My beloved friend, Mrs.

has been brought back as it were from the gates of death, and her daughter, a most valuable child, died about a fortnight since. Her sufferings were great for six months, but she was patient and resigned, and truly (though only twelve years old) she was an eminent saint.

I loved her dearly, because the image of Christ was bright in her, and wish I could imitate her example. Her father wrote to me shortly before her death, and says:

Though her characteristic modesty and regard for our feelings prevent her from speaking often or plainly of her own approaching dissolution; yet I know that she lays her account with it. She has spoken of it without anxiety or fear; and so well prepared for it do I believe her to be, that I am ready to pray in good earnest, O that my soul were in her soul's stead! She loves her Bible, and rests upon her Saviour, and has no doubt that all her afflictions are intended to "work out for her a far more exceeding, even an eternal weight of glory."

The

I am much indebted to you for the very interesting memoir of Cowper's early life. How bright the beams of the sun of righteousness appear, after so much darkness! It is beautifully drawn. While the soul is captivated and charmed with the description of his first love, we are warned not to be high-minded, but fear. extract from the Christian Observer is excellent. The Olney hymns I now read frequently; they are peculiarly sweet and refreshing to my soul. I owe you much: may the Lord reward you abundantly!may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God even our Father, who hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your heart, and stablish you in every good word and work. My earnest prayer for you is, that the compassionate Saviour, who knows his own work, may continue to support you, and administer to you abundantly the consolations of his word and Spirit. Pray for me, my dear friend. All here unite in kindest sympathy and best regards.

Believe me to remain yours sincerely and affectionately, JESSIE

Isaiah, liii. 5.—But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

WHAT seems more particularly deserving of notice in this prophecy is, the variety of expressions which the Prophet here employs to describe the sufferings of Christ for sin. It is not enough to say he suffered, or he died for our sins; but he was wounded and bruised, chastised and smitten, and this to take away our sins, to make our peace with God, and to heal our souls of that sore disease with which sin has infected them. By thus enlarging upon this awful subject, the Prophet not only impresses the mind more deeply with the greatness of the Redeemer's sufferings, but confirms and strengthens what he had advanced before. In whatever light unbelievers may view a suffering and dying Redeemer, however they may mistake the cause, though they may esteem him" stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted," as if his sufferings were divine judgments inflicted upon him for his own sins; yet the truth is, they were endured by him for the sins of his people. "He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

spear pierced his side, and insulted his lifeless body. He was also wounded, figuratively, in his soul. He might truly say in the words of the Psalmist, " My heart is wounded within me." (Psalm cix. 22.) His soul was deeply afflicted, exceedingly harassed, “sore amazed, and very heavy." He was wounded by God as well as by man. God's wrath due to sin fell upon him; the sword of divine justice was commissioned to awake, and to take full vengeance for sin by being plunged into the Saviour's bosom. (Zech. xiii. 7.) "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts." Thus Jesus was wounded, and it was for our transgressions. This, and this only, was the cause. Had it not been for the sins of his people',

Jesus would not have been wounded at all. For our sins the nails were driven through his hands and feet; for our sins his head was crowned with thorns; nor was there a single wound inflicted upon him, of which our transgressions were not the cause. Moreover, it was our sins that pierced him to the soul, kindled God's wrath against him, and made him feel all that mental anguish of which he complained. Let the believer think of this; let him view sin as the cause of the Redeemer's sufferings, and then say whether sin does not appear exceeding sinful. "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid." (Rom. vi. 1, 2.)

"He was bruised for our iniquities." Here the wrath of God, which is justly due to sin, is represented as a heavy weight which fell upon Jesus and crushed him to death. The curse of God's law, and all the awful penalties which were incurred by its being broken,

made up such a load as crushed the divine Saviour beneath its weight. While bearing this load of suffering for sin, he might address his heavenly Father, and say, "Thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore." (Psalm xxxviii. 2.) When Jesus began to feel this burden coming upon him he withdrew into the garden of Gethsemane, and there endured such agonies as no language can express nor imagination conceive. "His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground." (Luke, xxii. 44.) Here also we may learn the exceeding sinfulness of sin. "He was bruised for our iniquities," crushed under the weight of God's wrath, and the curse of his law, which was due to us as transgressors; and that which would have sunk us sinners to hell, bruised the Saviour to death.

"The chastisement of our peace was upon him." He was chastised to make our peace with God. There was no way in which God could be reconciled to man, except Jesus bore the chastisement of our peace; and this plainly shows that we cannot have peace with God, but through Christ. As sinners God is justly displeased with us, we are his enemies by wicked works, nor is it in our own power to make our peace with God. It is indeed no wonder if men talk of making their peace with God, because they are by nature ignorant of the way; "the way of peace have they not known." (Rom. iii. 17.) But when through grace we believe with the Prophet, that "the chastisement of our peace was upon Jesus," we shall look to him by faith, and desire to have peace with God in no other way than through the blood of the Redeemer's cross. (Col. i. 20.) Jesus was lifted up upon the cross, suspended between heaven and earth, between God and sinners, that he might reconcile all things unto himself, "For he

is our peace;" and he submitted to that correction which was necessary to make our peace with God, "that he might reconcile both unto God in one body on the cross, having slain the enmity thereby." (Eph. ii. 14, 16.) "All things (saith the same Apostle) are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them (2 Cor. v. 19, 20); and the means whereby believers obtain a sense of this blessing to the unspeakable comfort of their souls, is faith; "for, being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom. v. 1.)

"And with his stripes we are healed." Here sin is represented as a disease, and the stripes of Jesus as the only medicine that heals it. Believers are represented as persons who have been sick, but are restored to health, and their recovery was effected by the stripes of Jesus. They are not described as whole, and having no need of the physician, but as sick, and restored to health by Jesus the great Physician of the soul: "with his stripes we are healed." It was one part of the sufferings of Christ for sin, that he had stripes laid upon him. "I gave my back to the smiters" (Isaiah, l. 6); and no doubt the smiters executed their office with great severity, as it is said (Psalm cxxix. 3), "The plowers plowed upon my back, they made long their furrows." For Pilate, who ordered Jesus to be scourged, seemed to have done it with a view to save him from the cross; and therefore the more severely he was scourged, the more likely it was to move the pity of those who required his death. Stripes, therefore, were a part of our Lord's sufferings for sin, though the word here may have a larger