Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-07-18

cellent clergyman, lost an admirable
wife, to whom he was much attach,
cd. But even in the midst Of his
tears for his unspcakable loss, so
ina!icnablc is the cgotism of a GER
tain class of piety, he had the COM
posurc to look through his fingers,
as it were, and mark how his grief
affected tho beholdcrs. "For his
own cause l cannot but conclude the
Lord does it, since Immediately
upon my unspcakablc loss the op-
poscrs cried out: ooh! now you
will see what will become of his
vauntings of the power of faith and
the name of Jesus" They knew
our great happiness, and they said:
"You will sec your vicar just like
any one of us in the same situation" "
But my God heard and answered"
That is, the wife died that the
Christian faith might be illustrated
by her husbands resignation! OF
course, no one can disprovc this,
though the overwhelming probabili-
ties are that Mrs. Vcnn died in the
simplest earthly manner, of inhcri-
ted or legitimately acquired disease;
but, surely, this habit of striking
an attitude and living with a view
to what other people think of you
indicates and develops an unwholc-
some and unnatural character. In
course of time Mr.. Vcnn again be-
came engaged, and thus wrote to
the lady: 'Long was l very back
ward to think Of entering again into
the marriage state, though so bless
ed in my first connection; but the
gracious God whom l serve and
whose l am, has provided for me
one of his own elect"
Did Mr.. Vcnn suppose that God
took any more interest in his love
affairs than in another mans, or
that he brought about his marriage
in any other way than he brings
about all things-by the use of the
requisite means? Is it pIcty that
speaks of the
MOST HIGH AS A MATCHMAKER,
and man a mere puppct in his
hands, not using his own eyes to
find his wife, ] ut taking the one
provided for him? How did Mr..
Vcnn know that God had selected
this woman to be his wife? When
Whitefcld wanted to marry he
wrote to the lady's father: 81 write
only because l believe it is the will
of God that l should alter my state;
but your denial will fully convince
me that your daughter is not the
person appointed by God for me"
Very sensible in Mr.. Whitcfcld. A
flat refusal from rcsoluic father is
certainly strong indication Of the
Lords will. Whitefeld evidently
had less faith in heavenly than in
earthly revelations. He might be
mistaken in interpreting the one,
but there was no doubt about the
other. But this time the Divine
will was conveyed, not through the
lips Of the father, but of the daugh-
ter, which was even more decisive.
If the trumpet Of the Lord ever
gives certain sound, it is from
the mouth Of a determined woman
saying no to her suitor. After
strong crying and tears at the throne
of grace for direction, Whitcfield
married the Widow James, of
Abcrgavcnny," ga dcspised follower
of the Lamb" Before his child was
born he prophcsied that it would
be = boy and become a preacher
Of the Gospel. 1t proved boy,
but died in four months; whercupon
he philosophical that "Satan had
been permitted to give him some
wrong impressions, whereby he had
misapplied several texts of Scrip
turc." Moreover, his marriage
turned ont not to be a happy one;
so it seems that those who depend
upon the Lord for wives arc no
better off than those who fall in
love on their own account. And,
on the whole, what reason is there
for supposing that God supervised
Mr.. Whitcficld's and Mr.. Vcnn's
courtship any more closely than Mr..
Smiths or Mr.. Browns?
Mr.. Wesley seems to have been a
far more manly man than White
field, more human, less vain; worthy
indeed, of a happy domestic life;
yet he Jared i'll. In his friendship
for "Miss Sophy" his heart was
deeply enlisted. But he PROFOUND
ed the matter to the Bishop, and
then to the Elders of the church,
through all of whom God comman-
dcd him, he says, to pull out his
right eye, meaning to give up Miss
Sopy; but, hcsitating, Miss Sophy
pulled it out herself by marrying
another man. Poor Wesley could