t? Does it come from the air? And is not the Lord the Creator and
Ruler of the air? Or if they say it comes from the earth, hath not he
the same power and influence upon that too? What talk they of a ship
that came from Africa? Have you not heard long ago, 'I will bring a
sword upon you, and avenge the quarrel of my covenant, and when you are
assembled in the cities, then I will bring the pestilence into the midst
of you?'"

12. After this, having taken a little rest, she said, "Whether in death
or life, a believer is Christ's, who hath redeemed us by his own
precious blood from the power of the devil; then, whether I live or die,
I am the Lord's. O why do you afflict yourselves thus? But what shall I
say? With weeping I came into the world, and with weeping I must go out
again. O my dear parents, better is the day of my death than the day of
my birth."

13. She then desired her father to pray with her, and to request of the
Lord that she might have a quiet passage into another world.

14. Her father, observing her to grow very weak, said, "I perceive,
child, thou art very weak." "It is true, sir," said she, "I feel my
weakness increasing, and I see your sorrow increasing too, which is a
part of my affliction. Be content, I pray you, it is the Lord who does
it; and let you and I say with David, 'Let us fall into the Lord's hand,
for his mercies are great.'"

15. She laid a great charge upon her parents not to grieve for her after
her death, urging that of David: while the child was sick he fasted and
wept: but when it died he washed his face, and sat up, and ate, and
said, "Can I bring him back from death? I shall go to him, but he shall
not return to me."

16. Being very feeble, she said, "O that I might quietly sleep in the
bosom of Jesus! and that till then he would strengthen me! O that he
would take me in his arms, as he did those little ones, where he said,
'Suffer little children to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of
heaven: and he took them in his arms, and he laid his hands on them, and
blessed them,' I lie here as a child: O Lord, I am thy child, receive me
into thy gracious arms. O Lord, grace! grace! and not justice! For if
thou shouldst enter into judgment with me, I cannot stand: yea, none
living would be just in thy sight."

17. Then she said, "O what is the life of man! The days of man upon
earth are as grass, and as the flower of the field, so he flourishes:
the wind passeth over it, and