Page:A Sermon Preached in Hawarden Church.djvu/20

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reign with Him. And you may expect me, now, to speak more particularly of one, whose entrance among those blessed spirits and their peaceful realms we have so lately celebrated with many a prayer; not without thanks to Almighty God for His great mercy in thus delivering her out of the miseries of this sinful world. Gladly would I do so, if it might be for the comfort or edification of any among you. And truly, if ever there were materials for either in the life or death of any we have known, they were here. Yet when I consider what I should say, I find nothing to record which the world would call striking. But the fact is, the true and proper graces of a Christian woman are all of a simple and unobtrusive character. They cannot indeed fail to be seen; they cannot be hid; but even the most lovely of them do not dazzle or make much show. It is "the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit," which she eminently possessed, that is of greatest price in the sight of God and of all good men. The fruits of the Spirit of God are all of the same retiring character; they are "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance,"[1] patience, purity.[2] There is no worldly distinction in such things; they make no stir among worldly men; but they are dear and acceptable with God. With such she was richly gifted; and faithfully and well did she use them, to the

  1. Gal. v. 22.
  2. St. James iii. 17.