The
bridle of a horse, caparisoned in that imperfect manner which the
straitened means of the borderers now rendered necessary, was hanging from
one of the half-burnt palisadoes, in the back-ground.
"A just, but a merciful hand hath been laid heavily on my household;"
commenced the old Puritan, with the calmness of one who had long been
accustomed to chasten his regrets by humility. "He that hath given freely,
hath taken away; and one, that hath long smiled upon my weakness, hath now
veiled his face in anger. I have known him in his power to bless; it was
meet that I should see him in his displeasure. A heart that was waxing
confident would have hardened in its pride. At that which hath befallen,
let no man murmur. Let none imitate the speech of her who spoke
foolishly: 'What! shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we
not receive evil?' I would that the feeble-minded of the world, they that
jeopard the soul on vanities, they that look with scorn on the neediness
of the flesh, might behold the riches of one stedfast I would that they
might know the consolation of the righteous! Let the voice of thanksgiving
be heard in the wilderness.
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