MEMOIR OF MRS. SALLY RUNDAL, DAUGHTER OF MR. GEORGE INGRAHAM OF AMENIA, NEW-YORK. Communicated by the REV. ROBERT SENEY. SALLY was born Dec. 27th, 1798. Her parents were among the first who embraced the religion of Jesus, in that part of the country, under the great revival of religion which has been progressing under the Methodist ministry, for upwards of fifty years in America. Notwithstanding the opposition they then encountered from almost all sorts of people, the obloquy thrown upon them by the thoughtless and designing, the parents of SALLY, being convinced of the truth as it is in Jesus, broke through every opposing barrier, and stedfastly persevered bearing the cross of Jesus Christ. They endeavoured to educate their children in the same principles by which they regulated their own conduct; and they have had the happiness of seeing the most of them, who have arrived to a mature age, become the followers of Christ. SALLY embraced religion in her youth, and evinced the sincerity of her profession by walking blamelessly in the ordinances of Christ. In her twenty-first year, she commenced a Diary, noting in a very particular manner the secret exercises of her heart, and the dealings of God, in His providence and grace, towards her. A few extracts follow: "May 2, 1819. I have this day been privileged with hearing the word of God preached from these words-'So run that ye may obtain.' But the stupidity of my heart, how great! Lord help me from this evening to arise, and so to run that I may obtain the blessed crown which is prepared for the righteous. If ever I felt a desire to be holy I do now. O Lord, grant me the answer of my prayer, and conform me in all things to thy will. "May 7. I feel this evening that Jesus is mine and I am his. O that I may enjoy His smiles continually, and ever look to Him for strength to withstand the temptations of the adversary, and the besetments of this vain world." 66 May 23. I have again had the privilege of meeting with the followers of Jesus, and, glory be to His name, He condescended to be one in our midst; and I felt that it was none other than the house of God and the gate of heaven." "July 8. I have an unshaken confidence in God this morning, and his Spirit bearing witness with my spirit, that I am His. But I do not feel satisfied without the witness of perfect love. 'I want thy life, thy purity, Thy righteousness brought in! I ask, desire, and long to be, This appears to have been the continual language of her heart until her marriage, which took place Dec. 6, 1820, after which she kept no regular record of her éxperiences. She gave her hand in marriage to MR. JACOB RUNDAL, and she became, in consequence, the step-mother of three children, which he had by a former wife. This sudden transition from a single state, in which she enjoyed all the comforts of life without any forethought of her own, to a married state, and to the duties of a mother, gave her an opportunity to display the virtues of her character to still greater advantage; and such were her qualifications for this new station, which involved such delicate and nice responsibilities, and such her conscientious diligence, that her Christian graces shone out with increased lustre, and fully confirmed the hopes of her friends, and satisfied the expectations of her husband. Neither did she enter into this state heedlessly, but 66 deliberately and in the fear of God." Previous to her marriage with Mr. RUNDAL, but while the match was pending, she observes in her Diary as follows; "I have had some trials of late respecting my situation in life. Twenty-two years of my short life, have been spent in peace with my dear parents; and I am now called to change it for one in which, if I do my duty, I can be more useful; but I feel that I need more of every grace to help me. O Lord! I come to thee for direction. Make my duty plain before me, and guide my steps aright. It has been my prayer for some time that I might be more useful, and I feel it of importance to walk circumspectly before the world, that I may not bring a reproach upon the cause of God; and if it is His will that I should take one who is worthy of my affections for my companion, I hope to resign myself entirely to His will in all things." Though she believed her marriage to be signally marked by divine Providence, she much regretted having to leave the neighbourhood where she had enjoyed so many religious privileges, especially that of prayer-meetings, which she highly prized, because they had been the means of great good to her soul. But though in consequence of her removal from the scene of her youthful days, doubly endeared to her on account of her religious enjoyments, she continued in the faith of the Gospel and the fellowship of the saints. The domestic circle in which she moved was adorned by her propriety of demeanour, the sweetness of her temper and the urbanity of her manners; and her value was enhanced by the assiduity with which she attended to the conjugal and maternal duties. She marked, with scrupulous exactness, any spiritual declension, which she at any time suffered, and immediately "flew back to Christ the way:" and whenever her circumstances did not forbid it, she attended the worship of God with the same ardoure of devotion by which she was before distinguished. Here, in the sanctuary of the Lord, she found great delight. She lived three years after her marriage, and became the mother of two children; the last of which was ushered into this world but a few days before its mother, by an inscrutable, but just and merciful, Providence, was summoned out of it. The morning after her confinement she seemed unusually comfortable, and continued so until Tuesday, the third day of her illness, when symptoms of an approaching fever became evident; and on Thursday morning they became somewhat alarming, the fever increasing with great violence. Although suffering most exquisitely from bodily pain, her mind was kept, by the grace of God, in great tranquility. On being asked by one of her sisters, if she felt resigned to the will of God, her reply, made with much emphasis, was, "O yes, Come life or death." In this enviable state of mind she continued through the day, frequently expressing her gratitude to God for His condescension to her, saying, "I find it good to suffer the will of my heavenly Father." On Friday morning she said to her physician, "You have no idea that I shall live long, have you, Doctor?" He answered, Very little. "Well," said she, "Let the Lord do with me as seemeth Him best." Observing one of her sisters weeping, she said, "Why do you weep for me? I never expect to shed another tear-for sorrow and sighing have fled away." On Saturday morning her countenance assumed a death-like appearance, and it was evident it could not be far off. At her request the members of the family were called together, and she spoke to them individually, exhorting them with great fervour, pressing upon the children especially the necessity of seeking an interest in Christ in the days of their youth. About twelve o'clock of this day Satan was permitted for a season to interrupt her tranquility, it being suggested, "you are deceiving yourself." She seemed, for a few moments, in a mental agony, exclaiming, "O my unfaithfulness! surely the Lord would be just, in banishing me from his presence. Perhaps I am deceiving myself in a dying hour." She entreated her father and others present, to unite their prayers in her behalf, that the Lord might restore her peace. It seemed, indeed, as if the powers of darkness were now permitted to exert all their diabolical influence against this child of grace, this heir of glory. But their malice was vain. The Lord who sitteth in the heavens laughed to scorn their cruel power. In answer to prayer, the clouds in a few moments were dispersed from her mind, and she joyfully exclaimed, "Jesus is mine, and I am his! O! how I want strength to shout the praises of my God. This is the last conflict I am to have with the adversary. Oh! could I tell you but one half of what I feel, how you would rejoice!" One of her sisters with her husband being arrived, he said, 66 Ι am glad to see you, but sorry to see you so distressed in body." She seemed somewhat surprised, and said, "I never was so happy in my life. I am just going to take possession of my inheritance." This was about one hour previous to her death. Being informed that she could live but a short time, she observed smilingly, "Tell all my friends, when they see the breath leave the body, to shout glory! for I shall then be in glory." She remained perfectly sensible to the last moment of her existence. To her Father she said about fifteen minutes before her spirit departed, "Soon papa, you will have another* child in heaven." With a countenance beaming with joy, she raised her hands, and clasping them together, exclaimed-and these were the last words she was heard to articulate-"O! blessed Jesus," and so fell asleep in the arms of her Beloved, Nov. 1, 1823. Scripture Illustrated. REMARKS ON THE VISION OF ELIPHAZ. To the Editors of the Methodist Magazine. DEAR BRETHREN : The following remarks are designed to illustrate the vision of ELIPHAZ the Temanite. The words particularly alluded to are these, "His angels he charged with folly," (Job iv. 18.) "Yea the heavens are not clean in his sight." (chap. xv. 15.) These words it is well known are often quoted as a proof against christian perfection. If you should judge these remarks worthy of a place in the Magazine you are at liberty to insert them. Albany, Oct. 4, 1824. Yours very affectionately, 1. By a mysterious providence JOB, a faithful servant of God, who dwelt in the land of Uz, was sorely afflicted. His property was seized and carried away; his servants and his children were destroyed, and, to complete his wretchedness, he was snitten with sore biles from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. When his three friends, ELIPHAZ the Temanite, BILDAD and ZOPHAR, heard of all the evil that had come upon him, they came to mourn with him and to comfort him. They sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights. During this time they contemplated his misery, but no one opened his mouth to him, for they saw that his grief was very great. And when they opened their mouths and spake, their views of the divine government were such, that they were but miserable comforters to JoB in his affliction. It is evident they laboured under a mistake respecting the divine government, and the character of JOB. They imagined that * Alluding to the seven children already lodged, as it is hoped, in Abraham's bosom. O may the parents, and all the children, of this family, be at last gathered to their heavenly rest. God rendered to every man in this life according to his actions, (chap. xxxiv. 11.) and they contended that JOB was a wicked man, and therefore was so sorely afflicted. They viewed his affliction as a proof of his iniquity. They inquired of him, whoever perished being innocent, or, where were the righteous ever cut off. (chap. iv. 7.) Now upon this point they were most certainly wrong, for the Psalmist tells us that many are the afflictions of the righteous. (Psa. xxxiv. 19.) But this was the point they all, and especially ELIPHAZ, endeavoured to establish. 2. We have no evidence in the scriptures that either of Job's friends was inspired by the Holy Ghost in any thing they said on this occasion. Many things they said were doubtless very corTheir observations contained many truths. But the truth and correctness of their statements is to be judged of by other parts of the scriptures, parts which were evidently written by divine inspiration. rect. That ELIPHAZ and his two companions were not divinely inspired to speak as they did, is put beyond all doubt in chap. xlii. 7. where the Lord said to ELIPHAZ, "My wrath is kindled against thee and thy two friends, for ye have not spoken of me the things that is right as my servant Joв hath." Now among the things which ELIPHAZ had spoken of God, were the words under consideration; and if we examine them carefully, we shall find reason to believe that they contain things not right. "His angels he charged with folly." If these words refer to those angels who kept not their first estate, they contain a great truth; these indeed he charged with folly, and hath reserved them in chains of darkness unto the judgment of the great day. But when we consider the purpose for which he made this statement, viz. to prove that Job was a wicked man, and that his pretence to innocence and righteousness was altogether vain, it is evident he designed to be understood those angels who are now in heaven, or are employed as ministering spirits. But can any man believe' that those angels who dwell in the immediate presence of God are sinful, or chargeable with folly! Is there any evidence of this in all the book of God? And surely the words of ELIPHAZ do not prove it unless it be clear that he spake as he was moved by the Holy Ghost. "The heavens are not clean in his sight." If by the heavens he is to be understood the material heavens, the sun, moon, and stars, it would be exceedingly difficult to discover any good sense in the expression, for these are not subjects of moral pollution; and if any other pollution than moral be intended it could certainly have no bearing whatever on the point in hand, for it would prove nothing against JOB's character nor the doctrine of holiness. If he meant the "third heavens," where the spirits of the just are made perfect, and where God more immediately resides, it will be difficult to discover any truth in it. For can any man |