246 THE JESSAMINE. 



seem so appropriate, as when I repeated it beside 

 her corpse : never did the high wall of the dark 

 little garden, studded with shining white stars, 

 afford so sweet a meditation as on the close of that 

 summer-eve. Three or four days after, Jack and 

 1 arose very early to see her remains committed 

 to the ground, while the dew-drops were still upon 

 the grass. His smile was triumphantly joyous, 

 though tears stole down his cheeks, as he said, 

 * Yes, God loves Mrs., C. Good Mrs. C. gone to 

 heaven. Yes, Jesus Christ loves Mrs. C 



I have frequently been led to consider the asser- 

 tions of some Christians, that bodily suffering is 

 not an e^'il : that, when in severe pain, they could 

 desire still greater, as enabling them the more to 

 glorify God ; and also that such inflictions are sent 

 altogether as marks of distinguishing favour, not 

 in punishment. T do not think that such was the 

 view taken by my friend ; she appeared to regard 

 the sufferings of her body as a chastisement, not 

 joyous but grievous ; but being to her, through 

 divine grace, made an exercise of faith, patience, 

 and love, it yielded most peaceable and beauliful 

 fruits. I have been slarlled, many a time, by the 

 rash and presumptuous complaints of those in 

 prosperily, latncnting that they had no cross laid 

 upon them, and envying the lot of their afflicted 

 friends ; as though tribulation and anguish were 

 the determined portion of all God's children. I 



