‘The tender office now engage,
To rock the cradle of reposing age,
With lenient arts extend a mother’s breath,
Make languor smile, and smooth the bed of death;
Explore the thought, explain the asking eye,
And keep awhile _one_ parent from the sky!
But I must suffer Elizabeth again to speak for herself.
What follows was written at the close of the year of sorrow, through
which she had just past. ‘Thou, O Lord, hast seen fit to take both my
parents from me, but thy word of promise is, “When father and mother
forsake thee, the Lord will take thee up.” Enable me, O Lord, to follow
my dear parents, as they followed Christ; that when time with me shall be
no more, I may have a joyful entrance into thy kingdom, where parting
shall be no more known, and every tear shall be wiped from my now weeping
eyes. I would desire, blessed Lord, to submit to thy will in these most
affecting bereavements. O comfort me with the consolations of thy
Spirit, and bring me and my dear brothers and sisters near to thyself.
Amidst our many trials may we remember our many mercies. May we be
enabled to thank Thee for all. What a comfort not to sorrow as those
without hope: but to be assured that through the merits of Christ our
dear parents are translated from a body of sin and corruption, to a
glorious immortality.’
So Elizabeth wound up the history of the past eventful year. Her
patience, meekness, and resignation, her thankfulness for the mercies she
received, and her joyous hope are alike an instructive lesson to us all.