to the end of my son's illness, I was always either by him or within call. From these circumstances, your Grace will readily believe that I derive no little satisfaction. But my chief comfort arises from reflecting upon the particulars of his life; which was one uninterrupted exercise of piety, benevolence, filial affection, and indeed of every virtue which it was in his power to practise. I shall not, with respect to him, adopt a mode of speech which has become too common, and call him my poor son: for I must believe that he is infinitely happy, and will be so for ever.

May God grant every blessing to your Grace, your family, and all your friends.

The Duke of Gordon has done me the honour, according to his wonted and very great humanity, to write me a most friendly and sympathetic letter on this occasion.

LETTER XXXIV.

REV. T. SCOTT, on the loss of his infant child.

October 19, 1779.

I have to inform you that it has pleased the Lord who gave, also to take away from us, our youngest boy, your husband's godson, and thereby to discharge him and us from our trust. After a lingering and wasting disorder, in which the poor thing appeared to suffer very much, he was released from

VOL. I.

F

are both

"The Lord gave,

this world of sin and sorrow, and, I doubt not, joined the blessed assembly above, to unite in their song of praise "to Him that sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed them to God with his blood." He died on the morning of September the twenty-fifth. Nature will feel and heave the anxious sigh; but faith looks within the veil, beholds the happy deliverance, ap proves, and rejoices: and I trust we enabled to say from our hearts, and the Lord hath taken way, blessed be the name of the Lord."-So long as the poor infant was amongst the number of sufferers, it was a sharp trial to us both; but when he was released, I believe, in our better judgment, we both rejoiced. But I am speaking all these things to one who knows not experimentally a parent's heart; and, if I can judge by myself, and my way of thinking before I was a parent, I can fancy you saying, "There is no such great loss, nor such a mighty resignation, in being willing to part with a little infant, that seems well out of the way." Thus I used to think: but it comes nearer a parent's heart than you can imagine: and it would be no easy matter to me to resign patiently to this loss, were it not that I assuredly believe, that, as the Lord knows best what is good for me, so he is engaged by promise, to make all work together for my good; and were I not also assured (which too often one cannot be concerning deceased persons) that he is now a blessed spirit in heaven; from whence, if they in heaven have knowledge of the concerns of those

they leave behind, he looks down with a mixture of pity and astonishment, to see us so ignorantly, I had almost said enviously, wishing him a sharer of our vain enjoyments, embittered with numberless sorrows, and defiled by continual sins.

Yours, &c.

T. SCOTT.

LETTER XXXV.

REV. T. SCOTT, on the commencement of a law-suit against the publishers of his Commentary, which threatened the loss of the whole of his little property.

Could it (the claim) be established, the consequences would be, the sweeping away of all my little property; the locking up of £5000 expended by the purchasers of the copy-right, besides the money paid me,-which they would have a right to reclaim; and the perpetuating of the first edition, with all its imperfections on its head, to the exclusion of all subsequent improvements; unless some compromise could be submitted to -. It is wholly in the breast of one man (the chancellor) to decide: but that man's heart is in the hand of the Lord! Pray that I may be enabled to act as it becomes a Christian, and an aged minister of Christ, in the business; and, as to the rest, "the will of the Lord be done."

LETTER XXXVI.

REV. CLAUDIUS BUCHANAN, on the loss of his wife, who died at sea, on her voyage out to India to rejoin her husband, to COLONEL SANDYS.

Sooksagur, near Calcutta, 22nd October, 1805.

MY DEAR SANDYS,

I have been at this place for some time past, in the hope of getting a little strength. I was visited by a fever about two months ago, and was despaired of for a day or two. But the prayers of the righteous were offered up, and my days have been prolonged. It was with a kind of reluctance I felt myself carried back by the refluent waves to encounter again the storms of this life: for I had hoped the fight was done. Although unprofitable has been my life, and feeble my exertions, yet I was more afraid of the trials to come, if I should survive, than of departing to my rest, if it was the will of God. I had made a disposition of my fortune to Mary, and her pious purposes; (for she too had undertakings in view;) believing that she would be much more useful than I could. My first care on my convalescence was to write to her an account of that event. In a few days afterwards the Calcutta Indiaman arrived from St. Helena, and brought me the news of my dear Mary's decease!' Before she went away I perceived that her affections were nearly weaned from this world; and she often said, that she thought God was preparing her for his presence in glory. She was greatly favoured

in her near access to God in prayer; and she delighted in retirement and sacred meditation. She was jealous of herself latterly, when she anticipated the happiness of our all meeting in England, and endeavoured to chastise the thought.

Her sufferings were great, but she accounted her consolations greater; and she used to admire the goodness of God to her, in bringing her to a knowledge of the truth at so early an age. It was her intention, had she lived to reach England, to have gone down with her two little girls to visit you; saying, "We shall behold each other as two new creatures." You had been accused to her of being too peculiar, and she wished to see what was amiss.

When she found her dissolution drawing near, she solemnly devoted her two little girls to God; and prayed that He would be their Father, and bring them up in his holy fear, and preserve them from the vanities of this evil world. She said she could willingly die for the souls of her children; and she did die, in the confident hope of seeing them both in glory.

Having had it in contemplation to have followed my dear Mary to England next year, I had let my house at Garden Reach to Sir John D'Oyly. I had also sold my furniture, horses, &c. previously to my proceeding to Malabar. But in the meantime I fell sick; and now that I have recovered, I mean to defer my journey to the coast till the new government be settled. Sir George Barlow is at present up the country; Mr. Udney is Deputy Governor. Both of them are warm supporters of religious im