Chapter I: Front Matter

THE POWER OF FAITH,

EXEMPLIFIED IN

THE LIFE AND WRITINGS
OF THE LATE
MRS. ISABELLA GRAHAM.

A NEW EDITION,
ENRICHED BY HER NARRATIVE OF HER HUSBAND'S DEATH, AND
OTHER SELECT CORRESPONDENCE

The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honor is humility. The Lord will destroy the house of the proud; but he will establish the border of the widow. PROV. 15:25, 33.

PUBLISHED BY THE
AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY,
150 NASSAU STREET, NEW YORK:
28 CORNHILL, BOSTON.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1843,
by JOANNA BETHUNE, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court
for the Southern District of New York.

Copyright transferred to the American Tract Society.

CONTENTS.

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CHAPTER I.

EARLY LIFE--RESIDENCE IN CANADA.

Foundation of the excellence of her character--Birth--
Education--Conversion--Marriage--Voyage to Quebec--
Doddridge's Rise and Progress--Residence at Montreal and
Fort Niagara--Sails for Antigua--1742-1772, .................. 7

CHAPTER II.

RESIDENCE AT ANTIGUA--DR. GRAHAM'S DEATH.

Dr. Graham called to St. Vincents--His safe return--State of
his mind--Death of Mrs. Graham's mother--Letter
describing the death of Dr. Graham--Kindness of Dr. H.--
Reflections--Letters to Mrs. Grandidier and to her father--
Departure for Scotland--1773-1775, ............................ 22

CHAPTER III.

RETURN TO SCOTLAND--SCHOOL AT EDINBURGH.

Perilous voyage--Trust in God--Return to Cartside--Care of
her father--Residence at Paisley--Depressed circumstances--
Peace in God--Singular investment and result--School
in Edinburgh--Friends--Benevolence to poor tradesmen--
Dancing--Letter of Lady Glenorchy--Origin of the Society
for the Relief of the Destitute Sick--Death and character
of Lady Glenorchy--Letter to a daughter--Visit to
Cartside and Paisley--Reposes all upon Christ--Removal to
New York--Devotional exercises--1776-1789, ................... 54

CHAPTER IV.

SCHOOL IN NEW YORK--DEATH OF HER PASTOR,
DR. JOHN MASON--LAST NEWS OF HER SON.

Voyage and reception at New York--Marriage of Mrs. Stevenson--
Anxiety for her son--He escapes a press-gang--Confidence
in God--Sickness and death of her pastor, Dr. John Mason--
His character--Dr. John M. Mason installed pastor--
Devotional exercises--Letter to A.D.--Letter to her son--
Last intelligence of him--Reflections--1789-1794, ............ 82

CHAPTER V.

DEATH OF HER DAUGHTER--FIRST MISSIONARY
SOCIETY IN NEW YORK.

Marriage of Mrs. Bethune--Death of Mrs. Stevenson--Strong
consolation--Singular receipts and liberality--Devotional
exercises--Anniversary of her daughter's birth and death--
First Missionary Society in New York--Reflections--
Acquaintance with Mrs. C---- near Boston--Letter and
devotional exercises--1795-1797, ............................. 115

CHAPTER VI.

FORMATION OF THE WIDOWS' SOCIETY--
CLOSE OF HER SCHOOL.

Rise of the Widows' Society--First monthly missionary
prayer-meeting--Letter to a young man on joining the
church--The Essay on Man--Marriage of Mrs. Smith--Close
of her school--Labors for widows and the poor--Letters to
Mrs. C.--The yellow-fever--Death of Washington--Devotional
exercises--1797-1800, ........................................ 144

CHAPTER VII.

BENEVOLENT LABORS--MRS. HOFFMAN--
CORRESPONDENCE.

Schools and labors connected with the Widows' Society--Her
friend Mrs. Hoffman--Anniversary of the Widows' Society--
Visit to Boston--Want of evangelical preaching--Letters
to Miss M---- of Boston--Letters to Mr. and Mrs. Bethune in
Britain--Anxiety for them--Confidence in God--Church
discipline--Dr. Mason sails for Britain--1800-1801, .......... 167

CHAPTER VIII.

JOURNAL AND LETTERS--LADIES' SCHOOL
FOR POOR CHILDREN.

Death of a grandchild--Letters to Mr. and Mrs. Bethune in
Britain--Death of B.--Of another grandchild--Of Pero, a
colored man--Return of Mr. and Mrs. Bethune--Takes up her
abode with them--Devotional exercises--Ladies' school for
poor children--Address on its formation--Supplications for
a revival of God's work--Labors for the suffering poor--
Letters to Mrs. C.--Letter to the widow of her brother--
1801-1805, ................................................... 200

CHAPTER IX.

ORPHAN ASYLUM SOCIETY--FOREIGN MISSIONARIES.

Letters--Formation and success of the Orphan Asylum--
Inscription for Mrs. Graham and Mrs. Hoffman--Labors in the
New York hospital and among female convicts--Miss
Farquharson, first American missionary to foreign lands--
Visit of Rev. Dr. Morrison and others--Letter to her
children at the Springs--Letter to Mrs. Juliet S.--Visits
Rockaway--Reminiscence of Elderslie--1806-1809, .............. 250

CHAPTER X.

NEW YORK BIBLE SOCIETY--ASSOCIATIONS FOR PRAYER--
HAPPY OLD AGE.

Letters--Bible Society organized--Efforts for the revival and
extension of religion--Admissions to the communion--
Narrow escape from drowning at Rockaway--Barrenness of
preaching without Christ--Devotional exercises--Letters
to Miss Van Wyck and James Todd--Happy old age--Letter to
Mrs. C---- in affliction--Letter to Mrs. G.Y.--Prayer for
ministers--Magdalen Society--Lancasterian school--
1809-1811, ................................................... 270

CHAPTER XI.

DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES AND LETTERS.

Indwelling sin lamented--Day of fasting--Happiness of the
aged Christian--Sermon in the state-prison--Happy
reminiscences--Two grandchildren unite with the church--
Unfaithfulness to people of the world lamented--Rich
temporal blessings--Letter to Mrs. J.W.--Day of fasting--
1812-1814, ................................................... 309

CHAPTER XII.

CLOSING LABORS FOR THE POOR--SICKNESS AND DEATH.

Society for the promotion of industry among the poor--
Sunday-school of eighty children--Love of evangelical books
Last two weeks--Communion--Last sickness--Peaceful
death--Character by Dr. Mason--Epitaph--1814, ................ 348

PROVISION FOR PASSING OVER JORDAN.

Scripture extracts--Meditations--Poetic effusions, ............... 379

LIFE

OF

MRS. ISABELLA GRAHAM.

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