melting intonations of her own utterances of anxiety or peace; the
parting counsels or warnings addressed to her dependants; the last
breathings of affection to those dearest; the occasional aberrations and
cloudings of intelligence coming in the progress of her disease, which
were assigned to temptations from Satan: all these are given to us. "Her
feaver increased very violently upon hir, wh. the Devill made advantage
of to moleste hir comforte, but she declaringe unto us with what
temptations the devill did assault hir, bent hirselfe against them,
prayinge with great vehemence for Gods helpe, & that he would not take
away his lovinge kindnesse from hir, defyinge Satan, & spitting at him,
so as we might see by hir setting of hir teethe, & fixinge her eyes,
shakinge hir head & whole bodye, that she had a very greatt conflicte
with the adversarye." The mourner follows this scene to its close.
Having transfigured all its dreariest passages with the kindling glow of
his own undismayed faith, he lets his grateful spirit crown it with a
sweet peace, and then he pays a most tender tribute to the gentle
loveliness, fidelity, and Christian excellence of her with whom he had
shared so true, though so brief, a joy.

This renewed affliction is turned by the still young sufferer to uses
which should assure and intensify his piety according to the best
Puritan type of it. He continues his heart-record. He subjects his mode
of life, his feelings, habits and aims, the material of his daily food,
and the degree of his love for various goods, as they are to be measured
by a true scale, to the most rigid tests. He spares himself in nothing.
The Bible does him as direct a service in rebuke and guidance as if
every sentence in it had been written for himself. It is interesting to
note that the quotations from it are from a version that preceded our
own. His rules of self-discipline and spiritual culture, while wholly
free from unwholesome asceticism, nevertheless required the curbing of