An Extract from the JOURNAL of Mr. GC.

[Continued from page 22.]

Sept. 19, 1758.

I Seem a mystery to many, who cannot conceive, how one

in union with Chrift fhould feel fo much evil in his heart. What need have I to keep clofe to the Lord, in order to keep the witness of his Spirit, both as to my acceptance with Him, and as to the work of his grace! His work produces its right effects. I love his word above all things, and I submit to all his difpenfations; though in fome inftances they imply a kind of martyrdom.

Nov. 18. I had more communion with God, than for many days paft. This was fweet indeed! It was health to my foul, and marrow to my bones: and engaged me afresh, Never to reft, till I could love him with all my heart.

Dec. 9. Love abides but a fmall time, before I am in heaviness again, by feeling my disordered paffions. I am then ready to conclude, He cannot endure fo vile a wretch, and therefore hehas left me. Yet my heart pursues him with all its ftrength: though that seems perfect weakness.

February 1, 1760. I heard of the death of my Father at Chefer. He had not owned me fince his coming to England. But bleffed be God, from the time I have ferved Him, I have not wanted either the neceffaries or comforts of life. Happy for me, that I was not trained up in his family, as a Gentleman, and an Infidel.

April 23. I found forrow for the fwift advances which death made toward her I had loved many years. Yet not fo much for her departure, as for her not having a clear fenfe of acceptance with God. The next day I was earnestly

VOL. VI.

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engaged

engaged with God, that he would reveal himfelf to her foul. And he did fo on the twenty-fifth, removing all the unbelief fhe had groaned under for fo many years, and enabling her joyfully to deliver up her foul into the hands of her Redeemer. Bleffed be God who has fo kept me, that during an intimate acquaintance of ten years, I have never given place to an irregular thought concerning her. And he has now given me to fee the fruit of my converfation and prayers, both for her and her hufband. Her love to the poor, and generous difpofition toward all, efpecially the children of God, will long be remembered by many. And feveral who are gone before will joyfully welcome Sifter Yarner into the everlafting habitations.

April 27. Mrs. Yarner's Sifter afked my advice with respect to what her Sifter had left her, (as I was one of the Executors) and feemed to call her concerns upon me.. She ufed a freedom fhe was not accuflomed to do, often faying, She could fpeak to me, as fhe could to none elfe.. She took my advice, and thereby displeased the other Executor, (whofe House-keeper fhe had been for feveral years) who wanted to get Mrs. Yarner's business into his own hands. Mean time I fell into great diftrefs of mind, partly from his. oppofition, partly from too great an attachment to her, which gave way to, without fufficiently confulting the Lord.

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June 1. Iam in almoft continual pain of mind, fometimes from refentment and jealoufy, (Mr. Maynard having now offered her marriage) at other times, from fear of offending God. Indeed I am fo weakened, as not to be able to refift the pleafing thought of being more clofely united to her.

Tuesday 10. O the curfe attending inordinate affection! What pain has my heart felt this day! Jealoufy fo raging within me, that but for the reftraining grace of God, it might have produced dreadful effects. What a wretch am I!. Where is now that earnefinefs after God, that preffing after

Holiness

Holiness which I fo long felt? O that I were free! Thus fpeaks my better judgment: but the creature has my heart.

July 4. Still my heart goes after its idol, and is often fired with indignation against him that opposes me. This afterwards gives me great pain, and I am afhamed both before God and man. But I am no more my own. Sin has got the dominion over me, and both fhorn me of my ftrength. July 11. The Lord is making a way for me to escape. After we had lived fome months in one houfe, the is gone to live with Mr. M. again,.and has given up the business into his hands. And yet the fays, She loves me better than him, and would engage me to keep her company! But I trust this will be an effectual means of weaning my affections from her.

July 31. I feel I am not fet free, though I earneftly feek deliverance. I feel a great estrangement from God, and dread of his eternal displeasure. Even when I was first convinced of fin, I did not feel fo deep a fenfe of the wrath of God, as I have done on account of my heart's departure from him. This was fometimes fo piercing, that I thought he had utterly left me. And it would have been juft if he had feeing I had refifted all the reproofs of his Spirit, and obftinately perfifted in doing my own will, not his.

Aug 12. I am diftreft for God and for a contrite heart. The Lord hideth himself from me: which has at least this good effect, I have no defire of union with any creature, but only of union with Him.

Sept. 27. This day tears of true penitence flowed, and my heart was ready to burft, at the thought of having so bafely departed from God, and fo often grieved his holy Spirit. I wrestled with God for a tender confcience, ånd a livelier fenfe of my union with Chrift. It has been a good day, fuch as I had little hope of ever feeing again. But God is love.

Oct. 10. I spent this day in fafting and prayer.

And I

found God very prefent, giving me the witness that he is mine, and I am His. May I never grieve his Spirit more!

[To be continued.]

An Account of the Death of ELIZABETH DUNTING, aged Thirteen.

ELIZABTH DUNTING was daughter to Thomas and

She

Mary Dunting, of Owfton-Ferry. For feveral years paft, fhe had ferious impreffions on her mind, but childish vanities foon quenched her defires that he felt time after time. Nevertheless the Lord did not wholly leave her, but continued to ftrive with her again and again; and about twelve months ago, when fhe was reading the Tokens for Children, the Lord was pleafed to work deeply on her foul; fo that from this time fhe was more ferious than ever. continued to read and pray, and conviction took deeper hold of her; till at laft, fhe could contain herfelf no longer, but cried out, "What must I do to be faved!" She continued in this deep diftrefs for fome days, and the pain fhe felt in her mind, greatly oppreffed her body, so that she was obliged to take to her bed. She never ceafed calling upon the Lord for mercy, night or day. Some of her words were these : "Lord have mercy on me, a poor finner! O come Lord Jefus and bless me! O come quickly, and make no long tarrying, O my God!" She defired all that faw her to pray for her. The Lord heard her cry, and was gracious unto her, and fent her help from his holy place. As the was wrestling with God in mighty prayer, fhe cried out, "Lord, I do believe; help thou my unbelief! Now I feel thy love, O my God! O the joy that I feel! O how happy am I! O

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how

how I love Jefus Chrift. He has pardoned all my fins." She continued in transport of joy all this day, almost more than her body could bear. I had the opportunity of feeing her foon after this; and when I began to speak to her about her foul, and asked what God had done for her; she burst out into a flood of tears. At length fhe faid, "The Lord has pardoned all my fins; and I am very happy in the love of God!" From this time fhe grew in grace, and never loft a fense of the love of God. She was a tender child, which conduced to make her more watchful. She embraced every opportunity of using the means of grace. And thus fhe lived devoted to God, till the week before the Conference, when she was seized with convulfions. After fhe was taken ill, he was much affected with thefe lines:

"And must this feeble body die?

This well-wrought frame decay ?"

Then the

She often ftrove to fing them; and would fay to fome nigh her, "I fhall fing better when I am in heaven!" faid, "O how I love Jefus! O how happy do I feel!" She said to one standing by, "I fhall foon be with God." It was not long before God gave her the defire of her foul; fhe being foon after taken with a violent fit, continued deeply convulfed till fhe went to the paradife of God.

Epworth, Νου. 7, 1767.

T. RANKIN.

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An Account of the Death of ANN BELTON.

NN BELTON, daughter to John and Ann Belton, of Cutly-Hall, near Arncots, was about eighteen years of age when he died. From a child it pleafed God to strive mightily with her, by his grace and holy Spirit. She frequently came

to