"In this middle state which was neither clear nor dark, neither day nor night, but something between both, she remained several weeks, in which time I frequently went to her; but she very often came to me earnestly desiring me to pity her and pray for her, but would never go away till I had prayed with her. Her discourse was grave and moderate, yet always in a complaining strain, lamenting the absence of God, and bitterly crying out of the hardness of her deceitful heart.”

Poor Mary Harrison had been in her misery for a year and a quarter, when that meeting for united prayer for her was held in May 1698. What measure of relief she then obtained seems to have been gradually slipping away from her during the summer and autumn of 1698, for Mr. Nicholetts says in continuing his account of her :

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"As winter came on she grew more and more melancholy, yet the fire of her sorrow was pent up in her own breast and burned inwardly to the great decaying of both her outward and inward man, and manifested itself only by the sparkles of some woeful sighs and sobs that could not be kept down. Oh! with what languishing and pity-bespeaking eyes did she look upon me. How mournfully in a low still voice she would say to me, Ah! sir, you know not how it is with me. I am a great deal worse, and in a much sadder condition than you can imagine.' This doubled my concernedness for her. "What!' thought I, come into the harbour, ready to drop anchor and yet forced again to sea to be tossed with these impetuous waves!' I spake as the Lord enabled me, and prayed again and again from time to time with her; but no alteration for the better could I see in her."

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CHAPTER XIX.

MARY HARRISON: BROUGHT OUT OF DARKNESS.

That ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.-1 Peter ii. 9.

One soweth and another reapeth.-John iv. 37.

"My occasions calling me about that time to London, meeting with that excellent servant of the Lord Jesus, Mr. Richard Robins, he told me he had received a pressing invitation to begin the work of God in the new meeting-house at Chichester, and earnestly importuned me to supply his place in his absence. I yielded on this condition, that he would go one Sabbath to Havant, to which he consenting, on these terms we parted.

"After he had been one Lord's day at Chichester, he went the next to Havant, and a blessed going it was for Mrs. Mary Harrison; for by his ministry, through the gracious concurrence of the Spirit of God, what was said of old to Israel was abundantly fulfilled to her: When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee, when thou wast in thy blood, Live' (Ezek. xvi. 6).

"God spake loud and home by his servant to her, and by the power of that word reaching her heart and piercing her soul, He made her live. The time to favour this captive daughter of Zion, yea, the set time, was come. She, whose thoughts before were of nothing but destruction and perdition, could

now joyfully think of the love of God in Christ and apply it to herself. Oh, verily now was the time of the Holy Jesus saying to her, I am thy Saviour, and thou art in the number of my redeemed ones. I will cover thee with the glorious robe of my everlasting righteousness, and thou shalt appear therein without spot or wrinkle before my Father and before the holy angels. And now thou shalt know that I have loved thee with an everlasting love, and with loving kindness I will draw thee.'

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"Mr. Robins, as though he had been, as I doubt not he was, specially directed from above, preached that day from these words, And the Lord said Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not' (Luke xxii. 31, 32): which he so managed, through the assistance of God's Spirit, and brought so many Gospel cordials and comforts from it as gave abundant satisfaction to this languishing mourner.

"She was so sensible that this holy man was a messenger sent of God to her, an interpreter, one among a thousand to show her the ransom God has found and accepted for poor sinners and for her in particular, and to declare the glad tidings of salvation to her soul, that she immediately repaired to Chichester, and attended upon the word dropping from Mr. Robins's lips during his stay there.

"My very soul rejoiced on my return from London to find such an amazing change in her. For now she could speak in the language of Canaan: now she could discourse in the dialect of the New Jerusalem, praising the Lord for his redeeming goodness. Now she could tell, her lips being opened in a wonderful manner, the delightful stories of God's marvellous dispensations towards her. Now

she saw the good of God's chosen, could rejoice in the gladness of God's nation, could glory with God's inheritance.

"Now she heard the voice of her Beloved speaking to her, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land' (Song of Sol. ii. 10-12).

"And therefore now we that were mournfully bemoaning her rejoiced with her, yea, with loud peals of joy blessed and praised God for her.

"Yet she had her ebbings as well as flowings, and fears as well as comforts; and her discourses were very often mixed with mistrustings and doubtings of herself. She had now and then the dark as well as the bright side of the cloud to show that she was not yet beyond the reach of Satan's snarlings, though above the force of his rampant power.

"A little after Mr. Robins left Chichester, came down that sweet and most spiritual preacher, Mr. Hammond, to the new meeting-house, at which juncture of time I was confined to my bed by a severe fit of sickness. Now by reason I was wholly incapable of preaching, most of my people that had horses went to Chichester to hear Mr. Hammond, among whom precious Mrs. Mary Harrison was none of the backwardest. But, oh with what wonderful refreshing and enlivening in her inward man did she return. She presently came to my bedside, and told me what a rich cordial she had that day, which was so comforting, so ravishing to her, she was even ready to break forth into the Virgin Mary's ecstasy, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.' For verily Jehovah regarded the low estate of his

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hand-maider, and He that is mighty did great things to her that day in putting such a word of comfort in the mouth of his dear servant for her.

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"Mr. Hammond was upon that text, The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee' (Jer. xxxi. 3).

"Oh! the sweet and soul-charming doctrine of the eternal love of God to poor sinners did mightily affect her, and she melted under it as being overcome therewith. This silenced all her objections, resolved all her doubts, expelled all her fears, so that now she could, as ever after she did, lie down in peace, and the enemy no more made her afraid: for now she was hid in the hollow of God's hand, and even beyond measure supported in the joyful sense of his everlasting love."

"And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord, for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee" (Isa. xii. 1-6).

"He will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing" (Zeph. iii. 17).