affliction. Surely I would do any thing whatever that
I thought might alleviate either her or your distress. But there are
cases to which God alone can speak; afflictions which he alone can
console. Such are those under which the sufferer is commanded to be
'still and know that he is God.' He never leaves his people in any
case, but sometimes shuts them up from human aid. Their grief is too
great to be consoled by human tongue or pen.

"Such I have experienced. I lost my only son; I neither know when
nor where; and for any thing I know, in a state of rebellion against
God. Here at my heart it lies still; who can speak to me of it?
neither can I reason upon it. Aaron held his peace. Old Eli said, 'It
is the Lord; let him do what seemeth him good.' Samuel in his turn had
his heart wrung by his ungodly son. David lamented over his beloved
Absalom; but it availed him nothing. Job's sons and daughters were all
cut off in one day; he himself lay in deep, sore bodily affliction;
his friends sat seven days and seven nights without opening their
mouths, because they saw his affliction was very great; and if they
spoke, it was to aggregate it; and when God himself spoke, he gave him
no reason for his dealings, but charged him with folly and madness.
'Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? He that
reproveth God, let him answer it.' Then he laid his hand on his mouth,
confessed himself vile, and became dumb before God; abhorring himself,
and repenting in dust and ashes, instead of the splendid catalogue of
virtues enumerated in chapter 29, and complaints in chapter 10, which
I make not the least doubt were true, as far as human virtue can
reach; but if God charge even his angels with folly, shall man,
corrupt, self-destroyed man, plead merit before God?

"But, my dear friend, I do not find in all God's Bible any thing
requiring us to acquiesce in the final destruction of any, for whom we
have prayed, pleaded, and committed to him; least of all, our
offspring whom he has commanded us to train up for him. Children are
God's heritage. I do not say he has given us any promise for the
obstinately wicked; but when cut off, he only requires us to be still,
to hold our peace. I do not think he takes hope from us. God has set
limits to our faith for others; our faith must not rest in opposition
to his threatenings. We must believe that the wicked shall be turned
into hell, and all that forget God; but he hath s