BRIEF MEMOIR OF ELIZABETH

SMITH.

WHO DIED, AUGUST 1, 1868, AGED 16 YEARS. KNOWING that you and your gleaners both great and small like to hear that the work of the Lord is going on in different parts of the earth, I have to record a somewhat pleasing account of Elizabeth Smith, a scholar in our Sabbath-school, with which I am connected. She was born of parents in humble life, at Sibel Hedingham, Essex, December 27th, 1851; her dear father was taken from her by death when she was about eleven years old, I cannot say anything about him, as I was not personally acquainted with him; but respecting our young friend I can testify, being both an eye- and ear-witness. She joined our school, January 11th, 1866, and remained a regular attendant until prevented by affliction. In the school she was naturally a quick and intelligent girl, quick at answering questions when put to her respecting the historical parts of the Bible. But, bless the dear Lord, He did not leave her there; she knew something of the power of that word before she was taken away, and I trust it will be so with many of your readers. Remember, dear children, it is one thing to have the Bible in the head, and another to have the power of it in the heart-that is, to have the Spirit applying the promises to our faith to meet our several needs and circumstances.

Long before she was compelled to leave the school it was evident that that slow but sure and invincible affliction, consumption, was stealthily creeping upon her; but still she was unwilling to leave her school, which I believed she loved, which she has since told me. But the God of all grace,

who is wonderful in working, had a special design in keeping her away, for she had not until then been convinced as a sinner before Him, although she had thought upon His name, as she on a subsequent occasion told me.

On the first occasion of my visit to her, having a hope for her from what I had heard, that the work was begun, I was desirous of hearing from her the dealings of the Lord with her soul; but I could not at the first learn what, my dear children, is so necessary, that she had the grace of godly repentance; but there are many of the Lord's dear people who cannot express their feelings. I remember I said to her, "Well, Lizzie, we must all find time to die; I may be called home first, but to all appearance you will not be here long. How stands the case with your soul? What is the foundation of your hope?" She replied, " Only on Christ, sir." " In your own righteousness ?" "“Ño.” I also asked her if any part of the word of God had been made precious to her soul. She said she liked that chapter much where it said, "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price," &c. Having read the word to her, and committed her to the Lord, I left her for about a fortnight, and in the meantime some others of the teachers and friends visited her. I then visited her again two or three times. On one occasion, when her weekly allowance was taken off, I said, “The Lord will provide." She answered, "Yes, I think He will; He has been good to me, and His way was much rougher and darker than mine." I remember on one occasion being asked to go to see her, as she had something encouraging to relate to me, in consequence of which I went

in the afternoon, and found her evidently cheerful. She said she had fallen into a doze on the previous Thursday or Friday evening, I forget which, and it appeared to her that a most beautiful person came to her dressed in pure white, and beckoned her to come to Him.* This gave her much joy, for her sister told me that during the night she was singing most beautifully. I believe it was at this time that Psalm xlii. was deeply impressed upon her soul. No doubt she felt the questions that were put to her by kind friends respecting her soul's welfare. My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is Thy God ?" (Psalm xlii. 3.) After this she gradually improved in health, and was enabled to get out a little way, and the dear Lord so far strengthened her as to enable her to get down to the service on the day of the annual meeting. She also came to tea on the following day, and was enabled to stay during the public meeting in the evening; but I am not aware she ventured so far anymore after that but once, which was to the doctor's as he wished her to try her strength.

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When I arrived at the school on the last Lord'sday in September, some of the teachers were in tears, and they told me Elizabeth Smith was very much worse, and desired to see me at once. I felt very unfit for the work to which I was called, but the Lord is well acquainted with our infirmities. "He knoweth our frame, and remembereth that we are but dust." When I arrived I found her very much exhausted and hardly able to speak.

Her

*Our readers must be warned against trusting in their dreams. Christ in the Gospel does all day long invite the weary and heavy laden to come to Him. Have you, dear reader, had grace given you to obey His call ?-ED.

mother told me she had just been singing very loudly,

"Now will I tell to sinners round,

What a dear Saviour I have found."

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Her mother also told me that she said the dear Saviour had a beautiful robe for her, and He told her, "He would never leave her, nor forsake her." I asked her if Jesus was precious to her, she replied as well as she could," Yes." Once while I was sitting beside her, she appeared to be going, and she said she thought she was, but when she recovered a little a beautiful smile came over her face, and she said, "He is with me, behind me,' and she had previously said, on the bed, "Like as the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about His people." A little while after her mother was telling her daughter to write to Lizzie's brother, that she could never recover again. She said, I don't want;" adding, 66 I do not fret for me I do not wish any one to fret for "She asked her mother to look in her box for a little red book entitled, "Stories of the Lord's Prayer," which she gave me, never to part with whilst I lived. I asked her if she could bear any one to read a chapter to her, and which I should read. She said, "I love it all; I read a part of Romans, first chapter, dwelling chiefly on the seventh verse, Beloved of God."" Her eye became fixed, and smiling in a way which bespoke the joys she felt within. I went again to see her in the afternoon, with the dear brother who had administered to us in holy things that day. She was evidently worse, and I did not expect her to last even so long. He asked her if Jesus was precious. She answered in the affirmative. Our dear brother and myself then left her, not expecting to see her again in this world, but with an

me.

earnest hope we should meet her in the world to come. On the day previous, Saturday, her teacher visited her, and while with her she clasped her arms and smiled, and said, "He's come, He's come." A friend asked her, "Who ?" She replied, "Jesus.”

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On the Monday I saw her again, and found her rather better and able to talk. She spoke of our dear brother, who had seen her on the day before, and said how she liked him. I said the Lord had seen fit to spare her a little longer. She answered, Yes, I must wait His time.' I asked her how she got on in her mind now. She at once said, "Happy." "And you think you will reach heaven at last ?" "Yes; I believe He has pardoned all my sins. I have seen how He groaned and bled for a vile sinner like me." I desired the Lord would give her a happy issue out of this life, and not suffer the adversary of souls to harass her. She said, "I don't think He'll forsake me now." I said, "I don't think He will, but sometimes the adversary is permitted to harass the children of God; but I do bless the dear name of the Lord for what He has done for you." "And so have I," she said, scores of times." She desired me to say she "hoped to meet her fellow-scholars in heaven." I said, "Subject to the will of God." "Yes," she replied, "it must be as He pleases;" after which I left her to see her no more here, with these words resting with some power on my mind, "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord." May you and I, dear reader, be found in Him is my prayer for you. She was better on the Thursday and Friday, able to be dressed; on the Friday night she was taken worse, and died on Saturday morning. A little while before she died she sang, 'Glory, glory! heaven is my home."

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