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He makes free proclamation
To every burdened one,
Who hears Christ's invitation,
And flies to Him alone,
That Christ will ne'er reject him ;
His flying to the Lamb
Is proof God did elect him
Before the world began.

He bids the young believer
Of traps and gins beware;
His foe's that great deceiver,
Who would his soul ensnare.
In prayer and supplication,
In love, and hope, and faith,
In true self-dedication,

Oh may you live till death.

He asks co-operation,

To spread his works of truth;
He asks your supplication

For blessings on each youth.
May those who read his pages
Get blessing while on earth,
And then through endless ages
Enjoy salvation's worth.

WHEN asked to join in waste of time and sinful pleasures, say, should I like to die in them? A gentleman in the metropolis was, some years ago, playing at cards with a circle of friends; when it was observed that he seemed motionless. Every eye was fixed upon him, and it was discovered that he was actually dead, still sitting upright in his chair, and the cards remaining in his hands!

A FEEBLE

TESTIMONY TO DIVINE ALL-SUFFICIENCY;

AS MANIFESTED IN THE SUFFERING LIFE AND HAPPY DEATH OF HARRIET BURTON, WHO FELL ASLEEP IN JESUS, OCT. 7TH, 1872, IN THE 21ST YEAR OF HER

AGE.

HARRIET BURTON was born at Brick-kiln Lane, Foleshill, Oct. 29th, 1851. She grew up apparently careless and indifferent to her soul's welfare, manifesting at times great enmity against the discriminating truths of God's word, and the God of those truths also.

Her outward deportment was morally consistent. She was kept from the grosser follies and sins of poor fallen humanity, such as lying, swearing, theatre-going, cheating, Sabbath-breaking, a total disregard of the word of God and the means of grace.

Having a God-fearing mother who insisted upon her regularly attending a place of worship and the Sunday school, she was necessarily compelled to hear and to read the word of God, which is able to make wise unto salvation, through faith in Christ Jesus.

When about fourteen years of age a circumstance occurred which ultimately terminated her life. I wish the dear readers of the LITTLE GLEANER to note this circumstance, as it may be a means of leading them to prize, and also of teaching them to be careful not to do anything that would in the leastwise tend to injure, that highly-to-be-valued blessing -health. My sister went, in company with several of her associates, to visit, for a few hours, the farfamed ruins of Kenilworth Castle.

It was about the middle of June, a hot summer's day. She had on a pair of new boots, which fitted too tightly; consequently, they hurt her feet. They stayed at Kenilworth, amid the ruins of the old

Castle, until the shades of evening commenced. They rode there by train in the morning, and, as it was a lovely summer evening, they thought they would return home (along the delightful road), on foot. Now listen, dear reader.

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When they had reached the outside of the picturesque little village of Kenilworth she pulled off these new boots because they pained her feet, carried them in her hands, and walked to Coventry, a distance of five miles, without them. Say you, O, how foolish!" It was indeed foolish. "O, how careless!" So it was, dear reader. Listen again, while I tell what followed this unwise act. Before the next Christmas she was laid on a bed of affliction with rheumatic fever, and such were the excruciating pains she had to endure, that it was pitiable and heartrending to witness. We thought she would not recover, but she did do so after seventeen weeks' illness; but such were the effects of the pains upon her frame, which before was strong, healthy, and robust, that she never recovered from the effects of the shock, and was deformed ever afterwards. May all who read this take warning, and be led to care for and value the health God has given them. I must now pass over the next six years of her life by saying she was never from this time able to attend, as formerly, to her daily duties, and that during this period she had five very severe attacks of rheumatism, the last of which ended her mortal existence. The pains she had to bear on each occasion were perfectly indescribable, and we thought every illness would be her last. But the Lord's thoughts were not as our thoughts, nor His ways as our ways, in this matter. Several times during her former attacks she evinced great soul concern, which encouraged us to cry to the Lord on her behalf. Once in particular, when

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sitting quietly by the fireside, was this soul-anxiety manifested. She looked very intently at her mother for a short time; at length she burst into tears, exclaiming, "Oh, mother, I don't believe I shall ever be well again, and I don't feel prepared to die." Another time she expressed herself similarly. I must now come to her last illness, from the commencement of which she seemed fully persuaded she should not get better. Indeed, she said more than once, "Mother, I do not desire to get well again. I only want the Lord to tell me that I am His child, and to assure me that He is mine." When her medical attendant called to see her she used to be most anxious for him to tell her exactly what he thought respecting her bodily condition. If he did not express his opinion freely to her, she would ask him pointedly, and if he entertained doubts as to her recovery, it seemed to give her pleasure and satisfaction. Especially was this manifested the Saturday before she departed this life. The physician called, and said he did not think she would be here long. After he had left, she looked up towards heaven, her whole countenance beaming with delight and holy anticipation, and said, "Now, Lord, one smile from Thee, and all will be well." On one occasion, as her mother was going upstairs, she heard her repeating the word "everlasting." Her mother wondered what this could mean, and felt at first afraid to ask her, thinking it might be something dismal, as she had been very much cast down and troubled in her mind during the former part of the day. At length she said, "Harriet, did I not hear you repeating the word 'everlasting'?" to which she replied, "Yes,

*This must not be taken as if the hearing a voice were intended. The Spirit of God bears witness by means of the written Word brought into the heart through living faith (1 John v. 13).

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mother, these words, 'I have loved thee with an everlasting love,' have just come into my mind, like a peal of thunder." Many times during her illness she said, "My Father! oh, might I, could I, call Thee mine!" During one of our conversations together, she said, "I have proved the emptiness and vanity of freewill. I can, from my own experience, testify that it is otherwise. If it depended on my doings, I should be lost; for what could I do? Though I have always regularly attended the chapel, still I have never cordially received in my heart what was advanced from time to time." I was much gratified at hearing these remarks drop from her lips, and said, “Ah, Harriet, ‘freewill' and do, do,' may suit while in good health, but when we come to a sick bed and a dying hour, nothing less than the finished work of Christ, His atoning blood, and justifying righteousness, made known with divine sovereign power, by the Spirit of the living God, will do to hang upon and trust in." On one occasion she said, "I have many fears lest I do not pray aright. The word of God says, 'Ask, and ye shall receive.' 'Seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you' (Matt. vii. 7). I have asked hundreds of times for a blessed token and manifestation of God's love to my soul, so that I might feel fully persuaded of my interest in His mercy, and I have not yet received it." Mother replied, "My dear child, though you have not at present been blessed with that fear-removing revelation of the love of Christ which you so earnestly desire, the word of the Lord is true, which says, 'Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away' (Matt. xxiv. 35), and I feel confident the Lord will fulfil His precious word, and that you will realize His manifested presence before He calls you hence."

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