Memoir of Susan de Groot

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MEMOIR

OF

SUSAN DE GROOT.

»

WRITTEN FOR THE AMERICAN SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION, AND
REVISED BY THE COMMITTEE OF PUBLICATION,

AMERICAN SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION,
PHILADELPHIA:
No. 146 CHESTNUT STREET,







ENTERED according

ng to Act of Congress, inthe year 1840, ny
PavuL Becn, Jr., Treasurer, in trust for the American Sunday-
school Union, in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of
the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.





SUSAN DE GROOT.

Susan Exvizapetu Dre Groot, the
subject of this memoir, was: born in
Philadelphia, October 23, 1823. She
was a liitle girl in humble life, with-
out any of the advantages of station or
education; yet it pleased Almighty
God, in his wise providence, to make
her rich in spiritual things, and to ele-
vate her, by the gift of his grace, far
above all which this world calls great.
We hope we shall be able to show
that in this, as in many other cases,



6 MEMOIR OF

of the Lord; and the sweet perfume
of her piety and holiness diffused it-
self throughout all the circle in which
she moved.

When she was taken sick, at the
age of nine years, a violent inflamma-
tion commenced in her eyes, which
increased more and more, until she
became blind: and now she felt what
a blessed thing it is to be a Sunday-
scholar ; for instead of thinking about
foolish things which would never pro-
fit her, she thought a great deal about
the Bible, and her Saviour; and
whenever any one came to see her,
she began to talk about those things
which would make her wise unto sal-
vation.

* When she was first taken sick, she



SUSAN DE GROOT. q

used to be very impatient, and cry
very much when Sunday came, be-
cause she could not go to school: but
at noon her kind teacher and two of
the scholars whom she loved very
much, would come to see her, and her
countenance brightened, for she knew
they would read to her out of the Bi-
ble; and she never ceased to love
and thank them for their kindness to-
wards her.

We must now see this afflicted
shild, day after day, sitting in her lit-
tle rocking chair, in utter darkness.
She had books, but, alas! her sight
was gone, and they were all of no use
to her. But while all was dark with-
out, the blessed Spirit of God was
enlightening her mind, and giving



8 MEMOIR OF

light in that spiritual darkness ané
blindness which reign in every unre
newed heart.

About this time her kind physician
proposed an operation upon her eyes,
which, by the blessing of God, proved
successful, and little Susan began to
see. The film, or skin, which had
grown over her eyes, was removed,
and her family now thought she would
get well. She began to think of her
dear Sunday-school, and how pleased
she would be to repeat her verses, and
hear her affectionate teacher tell her
about what the Lord Jesus had done
to save her soul, but in the midst of
these anticipations she was suddenly
seized with a violent pain in her breast
and side, attended with fever and de



SUSAN DE GROOT. 9

lirium. She had more than forty
blisters upon her, one after another,
and was cupped and leeched fre-
quently. It was necessary to keep
her very much reduced, her only food
being gruel and rice; for if any thing
af a more nourishing character was
ysiven her, her disease immediately in-
creased, and she suffered such agony
that she begged to be cupped, as the
only thing which afforded her throb-
bing head relief. She would fre-
quently lie motionless for hours, her
breathing being the only indication
of life.

At this. time several physicians
were called in to consult together,
and see if any thing could be done for
the afflicted little girl: but they pro-

Â¥



10 MEMOIR OF

nounced ner case hopeless, and said
her recovery at this time, so far as
they could see, was impossible. But
with God nothing is impossible. He
had a work for little Susan to do, in
bearing all she was to pass through
with patience, so that she became a
monument of divine grace, and God
was glorified in her behalf.

After this she was able to sit up,
and walk about her room; and then
commenced that dreadful disease
through which she lingered so long,
and bore with so much patience. It
first made its appearance in her throat,
in large ulcers, which could only be
removed with causti®}an application
exceedingly severe and painful; and
even this failed. Another and another



SUSAN DE GROOT. li

ulcer became visible, and increased so
frightfully, that she could only swal-
low a few drops of water at a time.
The physician now pronounced her
disease to be scrofula, in its worst
form. It was confined to the head
and throat: her palate was destroyed,
so that she could scarcely speak. The
disease ate through her cheeks, and
then her under lip was almost entirely
consumed by it: in fact, her whole
face had scarcely a feature left; and
this’ once plump, healthy, rosy-cheek-
ed little girl was now loathsome to the
sight, though the gentle, resigned ex-
pression of her restored eyes was still
preserved.

Though it was thought she could
not live from week to week, still it



12 MEMOIR OF

pleased God to continue her life for
four years longer, during which time
she suffered intensely, and for the last
two years she experienced great diffi-
culty in swallowing any thing. Fora
whole day she would avoid taking any
food, through fear of choking to death;
and when compelled by extreme hun-
ger, she would often strangle at the
first attempt, and for more than an
hour appear in the agonies of death.
Day by day the disease progressed,
and made sad havoc in her poor head
and face: the veins of her face were
eaten away, which produced a fearful
bleeding, under which it was supposed
she must sink. On one occasion her
mother, in alarm, exclaimed, “ Oh!
my child! I am afraid you will bleed



SUSAN DE GROOT. 13

to death.” She replied, “What a
mercy it would be if I should; it
would be far preferable to choking to
death.”

One of these severe and painful at-
tacks so greatly reduced her strength,
that during the excessive heat of the
summer, she was confined to her bed
six or eight weeks. She saw no green
fields; she heard no sweet birds, nor
was she revived by the soft air, laden
with the sweet perfume of flowers:
but in a small confined chamber, in a
closely built part of the city where
she lived, she lay for weeks, a patient
sufferer, panting for breath, oftentimes
alone for hours. But all this time
her heavenly Father was leading her

by a way she knew not of, and pre-
2



14 MEMOIR OF

paring her, amid the fire of the fur-
nace of affliction, for the reception of
the compassionate Friend who was
standing at the door of her heart,
waiting for admittance.

And here let me tell the readers of
this little book, that though little Su-
. san was kind, and gentle, and obe-
dient to her parents, attentive at Sun-
day-school, and patient in sickness ;
and though she loved her Bible and
said her prayers, still her heart had
never been changed. She had never
gone to the Lord Jesus Christ as a
poor sinner, asking for pardon. She
- had never cried from the bottom of a
broken and contrite heart, ‘God be
merciful to me a sinner.” She had
never felt that she had broken the



’ SUSAN DE GROOT. 15

divine law, and was liable to sink un
der the just wrath of a holy God; nor
had she. realized her need of relief
from God. She had never felt like
sending the cry of the sinking Peter
up to a throne of grace, “‘ Save, Lord,
or I perish.” But now we shall see
the commencement and progress of
that new life in her, which produced
such heavenly fruits, and led many to
say, “God is with her’of.a truth.”
The conversations which now follow,
were held with her mother at different
times, from the year 1834, until her
death.

The occupation of her mother was
of such a character, that she was fre-
quently away from her family for
weeks at a time; during which, Susan



16 MEMOIR OF

was much alone, though she was often
favoured with the visits and instruc-
tions of. Christian friends, which she
highly valued.

In the winter of the year 1834,
awaking one night out of sleep, she
threw her arms round her mother,
(who, fatigued with watching, had laid
herself across the foot of the bed,) and
in agony cried out, “ Dear, dear mo-
ther, pray for me.”

“ You know, my love,” replied her
mother, “I pray for all my dear child-
ren, and particularly for you.”

“Yes; but, dear mother, pray for
me now. Iam such a sinner, that if
I die before morning, I shall go to a
- place of ten thousand times greater
torment than I now suffer.”



SUSAN DE GROOT. 17

“‘ My dear Susan,” said her mother,
‘“‘we may hope that our kind heavenly
Father has made provision, in his great
mercy, for all dear pie children who
are of tender age.”

“Why, then, mother, were Ay
children torn to pieces, for mocking
the prophet, if children are not to be
punished for sin? Oh, do pray for me,
IT am such a sinner; and I have been
told in Sunday-school by my teacher,
that unless I have a new heart, I can
never enter heaven. Oh, I am a great
sinner. I have often disobeyed you;
and what is worse, I have told you
a falsehood, and I feel that God is
angry with me for it. It is constantly
sounding in my ears, asleep or awake,
‘God is angry with the wicked every

Q*



18 MEMOIR OF

‘day,’ and that no undutiful child can
go to heaven.”

We here observe the first dawning
of the good work of grace in her
heart, by the knowledge of sin; for
except God shows us our miserable
state by nature, we shall never re
alize it. .

Susan continued to beg her mo.
ther’s forgiveness for having been an
undutiful child, which was by no
means her particular fault, as her mo.
ther assured her; telling her she freely
forgave her, provided she endeavoured
never to be guilty of the like sin.

She then said, “ Indeed I must have
a new heart, or God will never forgive
me.”

She was told that God, in the



SUSAN DE GROOT 19

blessed gospel of wisdom had pro-
mised a new and clean heart to all
who should seek it, as the gift of God,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. She
appeared unable to understand it, and
earnestly expressed the wish that her
mother would explain it to her, say-
ing, “If you will, dear mother, I know
I can understand it.”

She was told, that there were two
spirits abroad in the world; one, the
good Spirit of God; the other the
spirit of the “‘ Wicked One.”

She then exclaimed, “ Alas! the
Good Spirit has nothing to do with
me: for as I have read in the New
Testament, the Saviour has said, that
we are the children of Satan if we
- serve him,and I have always served



20 MEMOIR OF

him, and never did any thing that was
right, in all my life.”

Her mother replied, “Do not, my
dear child, say such ‘bitter things’
against yourself. Let me try to con-
vince you, that the good Spirit of God
is at this time operating upon your
heart: for the wicked spirit would °

« never have told you, that your heart

~ is bad. Now,if you will pray sin-
cerely to God, and believe in the Sa-
viour, he will make it new. You
know, ‘God so loved the world, that
he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him, should
not perish, but have everlasting life.’”
“OQ yes, mother; but all this only
makes me see more and more of my
own wickedness; for long ago, in Sun



SUSAN DE GROOT. 21

day-school, I learned for my lesson,
the chapter that tells about the suf
fering of the Saviour; and I remem-
ber how angry I was with God for
allowing the wicked Jews to put to
death one so good as our blessed Sa-
viour. Oh! I am so frightened when
T think how wicked Lam! I wonder
God does not strike me dead.”

After much conversation on this
subject, her mother said, ““ What, my
dear child, are your views of the Lord
Jesus Christ? Who do you think
he was?’

She replied, “Oh! what a light has
just flashed across my mind! I re-
member my Sunday-school teacher
told me, he Was God. Now, 1 see
God differently from what I did be-



22 MEMOIR OF

fore. I always thought he was great,
and good, and grand, -and that he
hated sin so much that he would de-
stroy all the world, because all have
sinned; and if the Lord Jesus was
put to death, who did no sin, surely -
he would send me to the bottomless
pit; and though I have been praying,
still I am no better, and as far from
God as ever,

‘And dark, dark, dark I still must say

Amid the blaze of gospel day.’
Yet still I see God as good, and
merciful, and kind; but this does me
no good. I know you are a kind
mother to me, but you cannot save
my life.”

‘No, my child; the case is quite

different. I am notable to save your



SUSAN DE GROOT. 23

life ; but God is both able and willing.
You have mistaken the character of
God. You view him as a God of jus-
tice. Out of Christ, ‘God is a con-
suming fire:’ but 2 Christ he is all
mercy and love; and this is his true
character, ‘God is love;’ and the
Lord Jesus Christ says, he came ‘ not
to call the righteous, but sinners to
repentance :’ the ‘whole need nota
physician, but they that are sick.’”

“QO, I wish I could believe; but I
can scarcely see outward things, and
I am spiritually blind also; for all is
dark within.” .

Thus was this dear child led by the
Spirit of God to bemoan her wicked-
ness, and with strong crying and tears
plead with the Lord Jesus to grant



24 MEMOIR OF

her a sense of pardoning love; for
she now saw herself by the clear light
of the gospel, and not by the false
glare of the world.

' Whenever any Christian friends
called to see her, after they had in-
quired the state of her health, she
would immediately desire them to
pray with her, so anxious was she for
the blessing of God to rest upon
her. And on one occasion, a friend
regretting the state of her eyes, she
said, “Ah, I could have told how
much worse it is to be spiritually
blind.”

She had a very special regard for
the faithful ministers of God, and
highly prized their prayers. At one
time being informed that a Christian



SUSAN DE GROOT. 25

minister was below stairs, she ex-
pressed great delight. He conversed
with her some time, and then prayed.
After he was gone, she said, “ While
he was praying and thanking God for
his many mercies, I thanked God in
my very heart for sending so many
good people to see me. O, how I love
them.”

She was here told, that the expres-
sion of these feelings exhibited two
evidences of the operation of the Holy
Spirit in her heart. She earnestly
asked, “How?” The reply was, “ In
the first place, you thanked God in
your heart for sending pious friends
to see you; and, in the next place,
you say you love them. The wicked

spirit would never have led you to
of



26 MEMOIR OF

thank God for any of his mercies;
and those friends you love because
they are good, you never would have
loved, liad not the Holy Spirit shown
you the beauty of religion. You did
not always love them. The apostle
says, ‘ We know that we have passed
from death unto life, because we lode
the brethren.”

The mind of this dear child was
deeply affected because of her many
sins; not that she had sinned more
than other children, but she judged
herself according to God’s perfect
law, and found it truly written, « The
soul that sinneth, it shall die.’ She
desired earnestly to seek after the
Lord Jesus Christ, that he might
wash her, and make her clean in that





SUSAN DE GROOT. 27

precious fountain which he has open-
ed for sin and for uncleanness.

When her mother, who had been
away for some time, returned, Susan
said, ‘“‘O dear mother, I have so many
sins on my mind! I want to tell you
how naughty I have been, but I am
ashamed to tell you; it will distress
you I know: but I must tell you. One
day, after you told me never to run in
the street, and I had promised you I
would not, I disobeyed you, and ran
very quickly, until my foot slipped and
I fell against a lamp-post, and bruised
my face; and when I came home In
told you some one had thrown me
down. Now this was an untruth, and
it has made me very unhappy.”

“Then, my dear child, you were



38 MEMOIR OF

under the influence of the wicked spi
rit; for he first tempts us to sin, and
then he tempts us to lie to hide it.
When you disobeyed me, you should
~ at once have confessed your fault to
me; but you told a falsehood, for
which you are now suffering the pain _
of remorse: but as you are sorry, I
freely forgive you; and if you pray
to God, and ask his pardon, he will
forgive you for the Lord Jesus Christ’s
sake.”

“Tf God will only forgive me, I
never will do so again. I only wish
all the children in the world knew
what a dreadful thing it is to tell a lie,
and how unhappy it will make them,
not only heré, but God has said, he
will punish all liars hereafter.”







‘SUSAN DE GROOT. 29

After she had confessed this parti-
cular sin, she said, “I am determined
never to do a naughty thing again as
long as [ live.”

She was told how little she knew
of the deep depravity of the human
heart. “ You-say you will never sin
again; I believe you are sincere, but
it is not in your power to keep either
your heart or your tongue from sin,
except God gives you a new heart.
Of ourselves we are nothing but sin;
that is the reason we need a Saviour
who is able to save us from our sins.”

She replied, “O yes; that I used
to hear at Sunday-school. How sorry
IT am I did not profit more from what
my dear teacher used to tell me; if all

Sunday-school children ,could only
1 3*



30 MEMOIR OF

feel as I do now, confined to the
house, sick, unable to read much, de-
prived of the privilege of going to Sun-
day-school, oh! how attentive they
would be to all their kind teachers
say to them; and they would lay it
up in their heart, and try to do what
they tell them. What should I do
now, if I had never gone to school?
how ignorant of the Holy Bible! I
would never have known so many
sweet hymns, which I can now sit
and sing.”

After sitting as if in meditation one
day, she said, “I remember in Sun-
day-school hearing of two kinds of
faith. What did it mean ?”

She was told, “One is historical

», which is the faith you have ; you





SUSAN DE GROOT. 31

believe Christ died to save sinners,
merely because you heard it in Sun-
day-school, or because you read it in
your Bible; but this is not the faith
which lays hold on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and brings comfort to the
soul. It is very right you should be-
lieve the first, and it is good as far as
it goes : but you see that although you
delreved it, it did not affect your heart.
The fatth that saves is a faith that
works by love.

A friend having called to see her,
before he left, offered prayer, in which
he deplored the depravity of his heart,
and his many sins and deficiencies.
After he had gone, she said, “If so
good a person as that finds something
in his heart that is contrary to the



32 MEMOIR OF

will of God, I may hope that the Holy
Spirit is renewing my oe for

every day I get some new | ; but
I used to think there could ee no sin

in a new heart.”

She was told that in a renewed
heart, there should be no actual trans-
gression, but that evil thoughts will
arise, which very much distress and
perplex the children of God: that
she must not confound temptation
with sin: it is no sin to be tempted,
so long as we do not yield to tempta-
tion; for our blessed Lord himself
was tempted, “yet without sin.”

She said with great animation, “ O,
I ais glad to hear temptation is not
sin; for when the doctor said I must
ave another blister on, I could



SUSAN DE GROOT. 33

searcely help crying, I thought it so
hard, and that no one ever suffered
as much asI do. My eyes burning
like fire, my head smarting under a
hundred lancet cuts, my flesh burning
with fever, I thought I would not let
it be put on. But I felt condemned
in a moment; for I was afraid I had
committed a new sin, and offended
God. I went on my knees and prayed
to God to forgive me, and to give me
patience, and then I was willing to
have it on.”

“This was right, my dear child.
Whenever we are tempted, we should
at once go to our heavenly Father,
and pray for grace and patience, and
he will enable us to bear all our afllic-
tions without murmuring: but when



34 MEMOIR OF

you pray, above all things pray for a
living faith to unite you to the Lord
Jesus Christ, to whom you must come
just as you are, a poor sinner; and
believe that God, for Jesus’ sake, will
receive you.

About this time this dear child be-
gan to seta little better; though suf
fering much, she was enabled to walk
out a little.

Her mind was still deeply exercised
abou: her salvation. She requested

one evening to be taken to the prayer-
meeting, and said, “I feel better in
prayer-meeting than any where else.
I feel a kind of peace I do not feel
anywhere else, not that it really makes
me any better.”

It was remarked to her, “ My dear



SUSAN DE GROOT. 35

Susan, you say you are no better, and
that God would be just to cut you off;
and that by wilfully breaking God’s
law you have cut yourself off, and for-
feited all claim to your heavenly in-
heritance. This is indeed true; but
here steps in your blessed Saviour,
and says, ‘Do not cut her off; for
after she sinned, and thereby lost all
claim to this inheritance long ago, I
purchased it for her, and now I make
a free gift of it to her, because I pitied
her, and loved her.’ ”’

She replied, “O now I see why it
was needful for Christ to suffer and
die to redeem us poor sinners, who
had sold ourselves to Satan. I won-
der I have not always loved the dear
Saviour with my whole heart.”



36 MEMOIR OF

Susan underwent these exercises ot
mind for nearly a year before she
found joy and peace in believing, and
vefore she was enabled to appropri-
ate the benefits of Christ’s precious
blood-shedding to herself. She was
cheerful under her sufferings, and so-
laced many a weary hour by singing
hymns, of which she had committed
a great many to memory. The state
of her mind at this time may be known
by her answering a friend, who asked
her if she felt better, “I do not know
that I am any better, but I am very

aappy.” She then began to sing—

‘t How lost was my condition,
Till Jesus made me whole! |
There is but one Physician
Can cure a sin-sick soul,



SUSAN DE GROOT. 37

"Next door to death he found me,
And snatched me from the grave :
T’ll tell to all around me,

His mighty power to save.”

Her anxiety for the souls of her
companions in the Sunday-school was
very great; particularly for two of her
friends. After a visit from one of
these little girls, she said, “I have
had a long talk with my dear Mary:
she says she wants to love and serve
God.”

After the Spirit of God had brought
this dear child, m repentance and faith,
to the foot of the cross, and she in-
dulged a hope that she had passed
from “death unto life,” her first in
-quiry was, “Lord, what wilt thou

have me to do?” She found the an
4



38 MEMOIR OF

swer to be, “ Arise and be baptized ;”
and she expressed a wish to join the
church of which her mother was a
member, and in the Sunday-school of
which she had received that instruc-
tion which she now found had made
her wise unto salvation. She ear-
nestly desired to be baptized in the
river; which, from the state of her
health, was objected to, as it was
feared she might die during the ad-
ministration of the ordinance. But
her reply was, “ Even if I should die,
would it not be better to die in the
performance of our duty, than in the
neglect of it.’

Her wish was gratified. She was
baptized the last of August, 1835. On
the evening of that day, a lady asked



SUSAN DE GROOT. 39

her how she felt after the ie effort
she had made.

She. replied, “ Very well, in mind
and body. I am better than I have
been for a long time. All my friends
were afraid I should die; but God is
the strength of the weak, and he sup-
ported me through it all.”

Having thus fulfilled the Lord’s
will in being baptized, in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost, she next desired to re-
ceive the Lord’s supper, and to “ re-
member” him as he had commanded.
The next Lord’s-day being the ap-
pointed season of communion, she
was taken to church, and received
the emblems of her Saviour’s dying
love. After her return home, she said,



40 MEMOIR OF

“Never did I feel so humble and so
little in all my life. When I think our
blessed Saviour died for our trans
gressions, oh what a dreadful evil sin
is, that nothing but the precious blood
of the Son of God could wash out
its guilty stain !”

Our little friend now enjoyed in her
heart that “peace which passeth un-
derstanding,” and she realized the
promise that the ways of religion are
ways of pleasantness, and all her
paths are peace; for notwithstanding
_ all her sufferings and sickness, she was
happy: God was with her, and gave
ner not only “ godliness,” but ‘“con-
tentment”’ also; and thus she found it
profitable not only for this life, but
for that which is to come. She now



SUSAN DE GROOT 41

had her treasure laid up in heaven
apove.

When the heart is truly changed,
it follows as a matter of course, that
the earnest desire of the converted soul
will be, that all around should, with
them, “taste and see that the Lord is
gracious.” Susan became extremely
anxious that all her family and friends
should walk in the way of “ holiness,”
and was particularly concerned that
her brother should be brought to the
knowledge of the “truth, as it is in
Jesus.” On one occasion she said
to her mother, “ Now I am happy in
God, I feel much distressed about my
brother J.; let us both begin to pray,
day and night, for the salvation of his

soul.”
4



42 MEMOIR OF

‘Ah, my dear child,” replied her
mother, ‘I have prayed years for him,
and see no change.”

“Perhaps, dear mother, this is the
very reason why our prayers are not
answered, because we keep looking
back, and feel discouraged that we
have prayed so long without effect. I
believe God will answer prayer; and
if we both pray, no matter how hope-
less the case may be, if we pray in
faith, it shall be done for us: so the
Scripture declares, and this is the
word of God.”

This believing mother and child
had made this dear son and brother a
subject of special prayer, for about
three weeks; and at the close of this
period, one night before they went to



SUSAN DE GROOT. 43

rest, very fervent prayer was offered
in his behalf; and in the providence
of God, at the moment he returned to
the house, the voice of supplication
fell upon his ear. He paused at the
door: the Spirit of God touched his
heart; and when prayer was ended,
he entered the room, and cried out,
“Oh, my dear mother and sister, I
have been listening to your prayers
for me: I now throw myself on my
knees before God, who has this night
convinced me of sin, of righteousness,
and of a judgment to come. I will
from henceforth, by his assisting
grace, give myself entirely to his ser-
vice.”

After her brother had left the room,
with a countenance of joy and faith,



44 MEMOIR OF

Susan said, “ How soon God has an-
swered our prayer! It is only three
weeks since we began to make special
prayer for his salvation.”

She continued to manifest great in-
terest in the eternal welfare of all her
relations, particularly her brother-in-
law, for whom she declared she would
pray, “until she could pray no longer,
that his soul might be saved.”

Though suffering very acutely, and
much enfeebled in body, she was ena-
bled at this time to walk a few
squares. She employed herself in
persuading the little children of the
‘neighbourhood to attend the Sunday-
school; and if they gave as a reason,
their want of clothing, she would ask
old clothes of her acquaintance, and



SUSAN DE GROOT. 45

take them home and mend them, and
then carry them to the parents of the
children, and show them they were
without excuse for keeping their child-
ren at home.

On one occasion she found a family
in great poverty, in a miserable hovel,
without a pane of glass in the window-
frames, and destitute of every thing.
She immediately went to a friend and
asked the gift of some newspapers,
which, sick as she was, she pasted on
the window frames; and she was so
exhausted by the effort, that she was
quite ill.

But wretched as she was, the next
morning she crawled out to a few be-
nevolent ladies, who gave her cloth-
ing, and some necessaries, which she



46 MEMOIR OF

immediately took to the suffering
family.

Susan, it is true, had not money to
bestow, but these acts exhibited the
spirit of that gospel which actuated
all her efforts; and if she could not
do much, she did what she could,
knowing if the “willing heart” was
her’s, it was accepted of God.

Susan was now in her thirteenth
year, and although given up by her
physician, and aware that nothing
could be done for her restoration to
health, she was contented to suffer her
heavenly Father’s will: and though
her body was weak and frail, her mind
was remarkably active and energetic
Her spirits were generally good. She
expressed herself always as being



SUSAN DE GROOT. AT

happy. She was always anxious that
her friends should employ their time
profitably, particularly with regard to
serious reading.

After a visit paid to a young friend,
she seemed very much cast down; and
on being asked the cause, replied,
with tears in her eyes, “I found Miss



reading a vain book: I am afraid
such reading will be the means of de-
struction to many young persons. I
ventured to hint to her the folly and
sin of so employing her time, which
God had given her to glorify him:
but she had not a word to say about
my dear Lord; and [ left her, pray-
ing fervently that the Lord would
spare the barren fig-tree, and that the
Holy Spirit would enlighten her dark



48 MEMOIR OF

mind, and enable her to discover her
error.”

She was asked if a new medicine
she had taken, did her any good: she
said, Ono,” and began to sing—

**¢ Of men great skill professing,

I thought a cure to gain;

But this proved more distressing,
And added to my pain.

At length the Great Physician
(How matchless is his grace !)

Accepted my petition,
And undertook my case.

Come then to this Physician ;
His help he freely gives:

He makes no hard condition ;
°*Tis only look and live.’ ”?

. A little friend said, “Susan, how
did you become religious? what did
you do?”

She replied, “ Jegis—



SUSAN DE GROOT. 49

‘First gave me sight to view him,
For sin my eyes had sealed,
Then bade me look unto him:
I looked, and I was healed.’

{ did nothing but believe: and, dear
M., you can do nothing but believe
that Jesus purchased our salvation
when he suffered on the cross; and,
¢God will net payment twice demand,

First at our bleeding Surety’s hand,

And then again at ours.’

I find the way a narrow one that leads
to eternal life. I wish I could per-
suade ell the world to turn to God
and live: they would be happy here,
and forever happy hereafter.”

A friend commiserating her suffer-
ings, spoke of her path to heaven as
arough one. She replied,

5



50 MEMOIR OF

‘‘¢ His way was much rougher
And darker than mine:
Did Christ my Lord suffer,
And shall I repine ??

Ged does indeed move in a ‘myste-
rious way his wonders to perform.’
Who would have thought, when I
was first afflicted, it was to be the
means of the salvation of my soul? for
I believe God does not willingly afflict
his poor creatures but for their good,
that they may afterwards yield the
peaceable fruits of righteousness.”
She expressed much gratitude to
the kind Sunday-school teachers who
were in the habit of bringing her
books to read, saying, ‘she was sure
God would reward them for all their
kindness?” adding, “but I have lost —



SUSAN DE GROOT. 51

all relish for every book but the Bi-
ble. It looks to me like a large full
fountain, while all other books now
only appear like little streams.”

She was again laid on a bed of pain,
and renewed suffering. A friend
coming in, asked her how she was:
she replied, “ My disease is progress-
ing, and I know it will soon end my
life.”

She was asked, “Are you willing
to die, and leave your mother ?”

“TY love my dear mother as dearly
as a child can; but I hope I love my
blessed Saviour better: my friends
have done every thing for my poor
body ; but Jesus has done every thing
for my soul.”

She now thought she was dying,



52 MEMOIR OF

and all her family assembled round
her bed: her eyes rested with fond
affection on each individual; and
though feeling she would soon leave
them all, she was calm and collected.
She addressed them in the most affect-
ing manner, beseeching those who
were professors of religion to be holy,
and love the Lord Jesus, and to con-
tinue “faithful unto death.” She then
gradually sunk into a stupor. This
was about eleven o’clock at night, and
she lay insensible until ten the next
day. When she revived, she asked,
““Why have I been called back? I
thought I should soon see my dear
Saviour; but it is all right; I must
not repine.”

After this, God saw fit, in his wis-



SUSAN DE GROOT. 53

dom, to raise her up from this extreme
illness, though her sufferings were of
the most dreadful character. The
loss of her palate deprived her of the
power of speech, so that she. could
scarcely converse well enough to be
understood. Her agony at times was
excessive, so that she once remarked,
that she believed she was to be made
“perfect through suffering.’

It was observed, “I hope you do
not think your suffering can in any
way atone for sin.”

She quickly replied, “O no; I
meant perfect in obedience and pa-
tience. We glorify God as much by
suffering his will, as by doing his will.
I know I could never have patiently

borne all my pain and sickness, if di
5*



54 MEMOIR OF

vine grace had not supported me ; and
though I suffer much, all within is
peace, and joy, and love.”

She now began to sit up, and walk
about. the room. The moment she
could use her hands or eyes, she be-
gan to sew or read. She was remark-
ably industrious, and would not will-
ingly sit idle. She employed herself
in making patchwork, and commenced
a piece of work on canvass, to leave,
as she said, with her mother.

A person who was a professor of
religion, called to see the family, and
remained to dinner. They waited for
him to ask a blessing, as was usual at
their table; but he immediately com-
menced eating. After he had gone,
Susan said, with tears in her eyes, “I



SUSAN DE GROOT. . 55

do not know how any one, in the en-
joyment of health, can sit down to a
meal, and partake of God’s bounty,
without ever thanking him for it. As
for me, I have first to offer a prayer,
and then ask a blessing on every
mouthful I take, that it may not choke
me to death. Ifthe world was mine,
I would give it to be able to take one
satisfying drink of water. But I will
not complain, since my heavenly F'a-
ther gives me freely of the waters of
life to nourish and sustain my faint-
ing soul.”

Many poor persons used to come
and see her; and once an old coloured
man who came, said, if he only had
some medicine, he thonght he should
get well. She went to her drawer,



56 MEMOIR OF

and took out a ten cent piece (all she
had) and gave it to him. After he
went away, it was remarked, that her
purse was now empty. She replied,
“It is little indeed I am able to do
for any one: but if our Saviour re-
garded the widow’s mite, perhaps mine
will be accepted. I want no other
reward, than to hear my dear Saviour
say, ‘ She hath done what she could.’ ”
Her mother expressed a wish that
Susan could rest better at night. She
said, “ Ah, there is no rest for me, ex-
cept in the grave. But how good God
has been to me! for although L suffer
so much with my head, and many
bones have come out, and nearly all
the flesh gone, yet God in his great
mercy has kept my reason sound.”



SUSAN DE GROOT. 57

She would never allow she had any
cause or occasion to murmur. A friend
who visited her constantly, has re-
marked, she never heard a complaint
from her lips; when she pitied her,
for the loss of her sight, she would
say, “ But what a mercy I can talk,
and tell what God has done for my
soul.”

After she had almost lost her speech,
and this friend again pitied her, she
replied, “ Perhaps it is a mercy I can-
not talk much; for I have often been
sorry for talking too much.”

Tn the winter of 1838~9, her mother
met with a severe injury on her hand,
which distressed Susan very much.
She said, “1 was sure in my own
mind, I could never raise an objection



58 MEMOIR OF

to any thing God should permit: but
when he touched you, alas, how soon
I rebelled; and I remembered I had
so often prayed, ‘thy will be done,’ it
flashed across my mind in a moment,
that this was the very thing to show
me my heart, that I might see how
little I knew of it. Well might one
of old say, it is ‘deceitful above all
things, and desperately wicked; who
can know it?’ none but God.”

Her strength was at this time re-
newed for a little season, and she
said, “Oh, how I wish I could once
more be taken to meeting before 1
die!”

Her family wishing to gratify her,
and believing it would not injure her,
she was taken to a new church, which



SUSAN DE GROOT. 59

aad just been built. After service
she was taken through the church.

“T am glad,” said she, “that God
has given you a meeting-house large
enough to hold all the people.”

‘When she came down stairs to go
home, she passed a bier. She stop-
ped for some time, and then said,
“ After viewing this beautiful temple,
and the goodliness thereof, that piece
of wood (pointing to the bier) has
more charms for me; and it is in my
eyes far more beautiful than any thing
T have seen; for it will soon bear this
poor tottering body to its resting
place.” |

She then desired to be carried to
the little church where she formerly
worshipped. She* said, “This dear



60 MEMOIR OF

little church, how I love it! Many
happy hours have I spent here in Sun-

day-school. I am glad this dear peo-
ple have a spiritual man of God to
preach for them.”

Soon after this, her suffering in-
creased to such a degree as could not
be described. Her mother sat by her
bed-side, weeping. She took her
hand, and said, “Do you not remem-
ber in the book Mr. N. lent us, the
writer says, ‘we are too apt to stand
looking into the grave of a dead La-
zarus, in place of looking away to Je-
sus, who is the resurrection and the
life’ and instead of weeping over my
suffering, oh! look away to that bright
world to which I am hastening.”

Her breathing was very laborious



SUSAN DE GROOT. 61

_ and difficult, and she could talk very
little. But one evening, about two
weeks before her death, she said, “ Ob
how happy, how happy Lam! I thank
God for afflicting me: how good he
has been to me!”

One observed to her, ‘Can you in
deed thank God, and feel that he loves
you, when you are suffering such
agony !”

“Indeed I can: for could any one
suppose God did not love Job? Oh
yes; I thank God: for if I had not
been afflicted, where should I have
been now, at this giddy time of life?
I have not suffered one pain too much,
nor shall I suffer one moment longer
than shall be for my good.”

Her mind was under deep anxiety —
6



62 = MEMOIR OF

for the souls of the family with whom
they lived. She said, “If they could
only understand me, how I would en
— treat them to seek an interest in Je-
sus, and to set up the family altar: I
wish I could tell them about God’s
goodness to me. Oh, I could take
everybody I love in my arms, and
carry them to Jesus.”

She then said, “If I could see dear
S. happy in Jesus, I should die happy.”

The evening of that day, she said
to her mother, “As no acts of hol-
ness, or obedience can recommend us
to God, neither can any act of disobe-
dience or past sin shut us out of hea
ven, so long as we rely alone on the
merits of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

On the Tuesday previous to her



SUSAN DE GROOT. ~ 63

death, her suffering increased to a
frightful degree, and one ulcer was so
dreadful, that she would not allow any
one but herself to dress it; for she
said, “It was too revolting an office
for any but herself” Still she was
the same resigned, uncomplaining suf-
ferer. *

Thursday night she said, “ Oh how
I have prayed all this day that God
would take me to himself!”

About midnight she fell into a sweet
sleep, from which she awoke at day-
light, and said, “‘Oh, what a blessed
sleep I have had! She soon began
to cough violently: her mother said,
“Oh, my darling, how you suffer !”’

“But God is with me,” was her



64 MEMOIR OF

reply; and the next moment her
happy spirit had made its escape from
her diseased body, and she entered, as
we fully trust, into the rest prepared
for the people of God. She died on
the twenty-ninth of May, 1839, and
on the first of June, she was followed
to the grave by a large number of sor-
rowing friends, and many others, who
desired to show this respect to one
whom God had so highly blessed in
spiritual things.

Before closing this memoir, we de-
sire, In an especial manner, to call the
attention of Sunday-school teachers
to this child: for it was eminently at
the Sunday-school the good seed was
sowed; and it is one among the many



SUSAN DE GROOT. 65

instances where God has owned and
blessed his word through the instru-
mentality of Sunday-school teachers.
It-was at Sunday-school her mind
was stored with that scriptural know
ledge by which, after she lost hez
sight, she was enabled to call to mind
hundreds of texts, and portions of
God’s word, which she had committed
to memory. It is true, she had a
pious mother, but from her engage-
ments as a nurse, she could do little
else than pray for her child. There
fore the precious instruction of the
Sunday-school was a great blessing in
enlightenmg, encouraging, and com-
forting her under her extraordinary

suffering.
5*



66 MEMOIR OF

During the whole of her sickness,
the united testimony of her friends is,
that she was patient, humble and con-
sistent.

May all Sunday-school children
choose, with little Susan, the “ better
part,” which can never be taken away
from them. Let them pray with all
manner of prayer and supplication,
and never rest, until God converts
them, and brings them into his ser-
vice. Like little Susan, may they
read and love the Scriptures, which
are able to make them wise unto sal-
vation; and like her, show their at-
tachment to that blessed Saviour by
an upright walk, and godly conversa-
tion. Then, should sorrow and dis-



SUSAN DE GROOT. 67 -

appointment come, they will be pre-
pared to meet it; and when the sad
changes of life have all passed away,
they will find a bright and happy
home in heaven. ©

THE END.











MEMOIR

OF

SUSAN DE GROOT.

»

WRITTEN FOR THE AMERICAN SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION, AND
REVISED BY THE COMMITTEE OF PUBLICATION,

AMERICAN SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION,
PHILADELPHIA:
No. 146 CHESTNUT STREET,




ENTERED according

ng to Act of Congress, inthe year 1840, ny
PavuL Becn, Jr., Treasurer, in trust for the American Sunday-
school Union, in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of
the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.


SUSAN DE GROOT.

Susan Exvizapetu Dre Groot, the
subject of this memoir, was: born in
Philadelphia, October 23, 1823. She
was a liitle girl in humble life, with-
out any of the advantages of station or
education; yet it pleased Almighty
God, in his wise providence, to make
her rich in spiritual things, and to ele-
vate her, by the gift of his grace, far
above all which this world calls great.
We hope we shall be able to show
that in this, as in many other cases,
6 MEMOIR OF

of the Lord; and the sweet perfume
of her piety and holiness diffused it-
self throughout all the circle in which
she moved.

When she was taken sick, at the
age of nine years, a violent inflamma-
tion commenced in her eyes, which
increased more and more, until she
became blind: and now she felt what
a blessed thing it is to be a Sunday-
scholar ; for instead of thinking about
foolish things which would never pro-
fit her, she thought a great deal about
the Bible, and her Saviour; and
whenever any one came to see her,
she began to talk about those things
which would make her wise unto sal-
vation.

* When she was first taken sick, she
SUSAN DE GROOT. q

used to be very impatient, and cry
very much when Sunday came, be-
cause she could not go to school: but
at noon her kind teacher and two of
the scholars whom she loved very
much, would come to see her, and her
countenance brightened, for she knew
they would read to her out of the Bi-
ble; and she never ceased to love
and thank them for their kindness to-
wards her.

We must now see this afflicted
shild, day after day, sitting in her lit-
tle rocking chair, in utter darkness.
She had books, but, alas! her sight
was gone, and they were all of no use
to her. But while all was dark with-
out, the blessed Spirit of God was
enlightening her mind, and giving
8 MEMOIR OF

light in that spiritual darkness ané
blindness which reign in every unre
newed heart.

About this time her kind physician
proposed an operation upon her eyes,
which, by the blessing of God, proved
successful, and little Susan began to
see. The film, or skin, which had
grown over her eyes, was removed,
and her family now thought she would
get well. She began to think of her
dear Sunday-school, and how pleased
she would be to repeat her verses, and
hear her affectionate teacher tell her
about what the Lord Jesus had done
to save her soul, but in the midst of
these anticipations she was suddenly
seized with a violent pain in her breast
and side, attended with fever and de
SUSAN DE GROOT. 9

lirium. She had more than forty
blisters upon her, one after another,
and was cupped and leeched fre-
quently. It was necessary to keep
her very much reduced, her only food
being gruel and rice; for if any thing
af a more nourishing character was
ysiven her, her disease immediately in-
creased, and she suffered such agony
that she begged to be cupped, as the
only thing which afforded her throb-
bing head relief. She would fre-
quently lie motionless for hours, her
breathing being the only indication
of life.

At this. time several physicians
were called in to consult together,
and see if any thing could be done for
the afflicted little girl: but they pro-

Â¥
10 MEMOIR OF

nounced ner case hopeless, and said
her recovery at this time, so far as
they could see, was impossible. But
with God nothing is impossible. He
had a work for little Susan to do, in
bearing all she was to pass through
with patience, so that she became a
monument of divine grace, and God
was glorified in her behalf.

After this she was able to sit up,
and walk about her room; and then
commenced that dreadful disease
through which she lingered so long,
and bore with so much patience. It
first made its appearance in her throat,
in large ulcers, which could only be
removed with causti®}an application
exceedingly severe and painful; and
even this failed. Another and another
SUSAN DE GROOT. li

ulcer became visible, and increased so
frightfully, that she could only swal-
low a few drops of water at a time.
The physician now pronounced her
disease to be scrofula, in its worst
form. It was confined to the head
and throat: her palate was destroyed,
so that she could scarcely speak. The
disease ate through her cheeks, and
then her under lip was almost entirely
consumed by it: in fact, her whole
face had scarcely a feature left; and
this’ once plump, healthy, rosy-cheek-
ed little girl was now loathsome to the
sight, though the gentle, resigned ex-
pression of her restored eyes was still
preserved.

Though it was thought she could
not live from week to week, still it
12 MEMOIR OF

pleased God to continue her life for
four years longer, during which time
she suffered intensely, and for the last
two years she experienced great diffi-
culty in swallowing any thing. Fora
whole day she would avoid taking any
food, through fear of choking to death;
and when compelled by extreme hun-
ger, she would often strangle at the
first attempt, and for more than an
hour appear in the agonies of death.
Day by day the disease progressed,
and made sad havoc in her poor head
and face: the veins of her face were
eaten away, which produced a fearful
bleeding, under which it was supposed
she must sink. On one occasion her
mother, in alarm, exclaimed, “ Oh!
my child! I am afraid you will bleed
SUSAN DE GROOT. 13

to death.” She replied, “What a
mercy it would be if I should; it
would be far preferable to choking to
death.”

One of these severe and painful at-
tacks so greatly reduced her strength,
that during the excessive heat of the
summer, she was confined to her bed
six or eight weeks. She saw no green
fields; she heard no sweet birds, nor
was she revived by the soft air, laden
with the sweet perfume of flowers:
but in a small confined chamber, in a
closely built part of the city where
she lived, she lay for weeks, a patient
sufferer, panting for breath, oftentimes
alone for hours. But all this time
her heavenly Father was leading her

by a way she knew not of, and pre-
2
14 MEMOIR OF

paring her, amid the fire of the fur-
nace of affliction, for the reception of
the compassionate Friend who was
standing at the door of her heart,
waiting for admittance.

And here let me tell the readers of
this little book, that though little Su-
. san was kind, and gentle, and obe-
dient to her parents, attentive at Sun-
day-school, and patient in sickness ;
and though she loved her Bible and
said her prayers, still her heart had
never been changed. She had never
gone to the Lord Jesus Christ as a
poor sinner, asking for pardon. She
- had never cried from the bottom of a
broken and contrite heart, ‘God be
merciful to me a sinner.” She had
never felt that she had broken the
’ SUSAN DE GROOT. 15

divine law, and was liable to sink un
der the just wrath of a holy God; nor
had she. realized her need of relief
from God. She had never felt like
sending the cry of the sinking Peter
up to a throne of grace, “‘ Save, Lord,
or I perish.” But now we shall see
the commencement and progress of
that new life in her, which produced
such heavenly fruits, and led many to
say, “God is with her’of.a truth.”
The conversations which now follow,
were held with her mother at different
times, from the year 1834, until her
death.

The occupation of her mother was
of such a character, that she was fre-
quently away from her family for
weeks at a time; during which, Susan
16 MEMOIR OF

was much alone, though she was often
favoured with the visits and instruc-
tions of. Christian friends, which she
highly valued.

In the winter of the year 1834,
awaking one night out of sleep, she
threw her arms round her mother,
(who, fatigued with watching, had laid
herself across the foot of the bed,) and
in agony cried out, “ Dear, dear mo-
ther, pray for me.”

“ You know, my love,” replied her
mother, “I pray for all my dear child-
ren, and particularly for you.”

“Yes; but, dear mother, pray for
me now. Iam such a sinner, that if
I die before morning, I shall go to a
- place of ten thousand times greater
torment than I now suffer.”
SUSAN DE GROOT. 17

“‘ My dear Susan,” said her mother,
‘“‘we may hope that our kind heavenly
Father has made provision, in his great
mercy, for all dear pie children who
are of tender age.”

“Why, then, mother, were Ay
children torn to pieces, for mocking
the prophet, if children are not to be
punished for sin? Oh, do pray for me,
IT am such a sinner; and I have been
told in Sunday-school by my teacher,
that unless I have a new heart, I can
never enter heaven. Oh, I am a great
sinner. I have often disobeyed you;
and what is worse, I have told you
a falsehood, and I feel that God is
angry with me for it. It is constantly
sounding in my ears, asleep or awake,
‘God is angry with the wicked every

Q*
18 MEMOIR OF

‘day,’ and that no undutiful child can
go to heaven.”

We here observe the first dawning
of the good work of grace in her
heart, by the knowledge of sin; for
except God shows us our miserable
state by nature, we shall never re
alize it. .

Susan continued to beg her mo.
ther’s forgiveness for having been an
undutiful child, which was by no
means her particular fault, as her mo.
ther assured her; telling her she freely
forgave her, provided she endeavoured
never to be guilty of the like sin.

She then said, “ Indeed I must have
a new heart, or God will never forgive
me.”

She was told that God, in the
SUSAN DE GROOT 19

blessed gospel of wisdom had pro-
mised a new and clean heart to all
who should seek it, as the gift of God,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. She
appeared unable to understand it, and
earnestly expressed the wish that her
mother would explain it to her, say-
ing, “If you will, dear mother, I know
I can understand it.”

She was told, that there were two
spirits abroad in the world; one, the
good Spirit of God; the other the
spirit of the “‘ Wicked One.”

She then exclaimed, “ Alas! the
Good Spirit has nothing to do with
me: for as I have read in the New
Testament, the Saviour has said, that
we are the children of Satan if we
- serve him,and I have always served
20 MEMOIR OF

him, and never did any thing that was
right, in all my life.”

Her mother replied, “Do not, my
dear child, say such ‘bitter things’
against yourself. Let me try to con-
vince you, that the good Spirit of God
is at this time operating upon your
heart: for the wicked spirit would °

« never have told you, that your heart

~ is bad. Now,if you will pray sin-
cerely to God, and believe in the Sa-
viour, he will make it new. You
know, ‘God so loved the world, that
he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him, should
not perish, but have everlasting life.’”
“OQ yes, mother; but all this only
makes me see more and more of my
own wickedness; for long ago, in Sun
SUSAN DE GROOT. 21

day-school, I learned for my lesson,
the chapter that tells about the suf
fering of the Saviour; and I remem-
ber how angry I was with God for
allowing the wicked Jews to put to
death one so good as our blessed Sa-
viour. Oh! I am so frightened when
T think how wicked Lam! I wonder
God does not strike me dead.”

After much conversation on this
subject, her mother said, ““ What, my
dear child, are your views of the Lord
Jesus Christ? Who do you think
he was?’

She replied, “Oh! what a light has
just flashed across my mind! I re-
member my Sunday-school teacher
told me, he Was God. Now, 1 see
God differently from what I did be-
22 MEMOIR OF

fore. I always thought he was great,
and good, and grand, -and that he
hated sin so much that he would de-
stroy all the world, because all have
sinned; and if the Lord Jesus was
put to death, who did no sin, surely -
he would send me to the bottomless
pit; and though I have been praying,
still I am no better, and as far from
God as ever,

‘And dark, dark, dark I still must say

Amid the blaze of gospel day.’
Yet still I see God as good, and
merciful, and kind; but this does me
no good. I know you are a kind
mother to me, but you cannot save
my life.”

‘No, my child; the case is quite

different. I am notable to save your
SUSAN DE GROOT. 23

life ; but God is both able and willing.
You have mistaken the character of
God. You view him as a God of jus-
tice. Out of Christ, ‘God is a con-
suming fire:’ but 2 Christ he is all
mercy and love; and this is his true
character, ‘God is love;’ and the
Lord Jesus Christ says, he came ‘ not
to call the righteous, but sinners to
repentance :’ the ‘whole need nota
physician, but they that are sick.’”

“QO, I wish I could believe; but I
can scarcely see outward things, and
I am spiritually blind also; for all is
dark within.” .

Thus was this dear child led by the
Spirit of God to bemoan her wicked-
ness, and with strong crying and tears
plead with the Lord Jesus to grant
24 MEMOIR OF

her a sense of pardoning love; for
she now saw herself by the clear light
of the gospel, and not by the false
glare of the world.

' Whenever any Christian friends
called to see her, after they had in-
quired the state of her health, she
would immediately desire them to
pray with her, so anxious was she for
the blessing of God to rest upon
her. And on one occasion, a friend
regretting the state of her eyes, she
said, “Ah, I could have told how
much worse it is to be spiritually
blind.”

She had a very special regard for
the faithful ministers of God, and
highly prized their prayers. At one
time being informed that a Christian
SUSAN DE GROOT. 25

minister was below stairs, she ex-
pressed great delight. He conversed
with her some time, and then prayed.
After he was gone, she said, “ While
he was praying and thanking God for
his many mercies, I thanked God in
my very heart for sending so many
good people to see me. O, how I love
them.”

She was here told, that the expres-
sion of these feelings exhibited two
evidences of the operation of the Holy
Spirit in her heart. She earnestly
asked, “How?” The reply was, “ In
the first place, you thanked God in
your heart for sending pious friends
to see you; and, in the next place,
you say you love them. The wicked

spirit would never have led you to
of
26 MEMOIR OF

thank God for any of his mercies;
and those friends you love because
they are good, you never would have
loved, liad not the Holy Spirit shown
you the beauty of religion. You did
not always love them. The apostle
says, ‘ We know that we have passed
from death unto life, because we lode
the brethren.”

The mind of this dear child was
deeply affected because of her many
sins; not that she had sinned more
than other children, but she judged
herself according to God’s perfect
law, and found it truly written, « The
soul that sinneth, it shall die.’ She
desired earnestly to seek after the
Lord Jesus Christ, that he might
wash her, and make her clean in that


SUSAN DE GROOT. 27

precious fountain which he has open-
ed for sin and for uncleanness.

When her mother, who had been
away for some time, returned, Susan
said, ‘“‘O dear mother, I have so many
sins on my mind! I want to tell you
how naughty I have been, but I am
ashamed to tell you; it will distress
you I know: but I must tell you. One
day, after you told me never to run in
the street, and I had promised you I
would not, I disobeyed you, and ran
very quickly, until my foot slipped and
I fell against a lamp-post, and bruised
my face; and when I came home In
told you some one had thrown me
down. Now this was an untruth, and
it has made me very unhappy.”

“Then, my dear child, you were
38 MEMOIR OF

under the influence of the wicked spi
rit; for he first tempts us to sin, and
then he tempts us to lie to hide it.
When you disobeyed me, you should
~ at once have confessed your fault to
me; but you told a falsehood, for
which you are now suffering the pain _
of remorse: but as you are sorry, I
freely forgive you; and if you pray
to God, and ask his pardon, he will
forgive you for the Lord Jesus Christ’s
sake.”

“Tf God will only forgive me, I
never will do so again. I only wish
all the children in the world knew
what a dreadful thing it is to tell a lie,
and how unhappy it will make them,
not only heré, but God has said, he
will punish all liars hereafter.”




‘SUSAN DE GROOT. 29

After she had confessed this parti-
cular sin, she said, “I am determined
never to do a naughty thing again as
long as [ live.”

She was told how little she knew
of the deep depravity of the human
heart. “ You-say you will never sin
again; I believe you are sincere, but
it is not in your power to keep either
your heart or your tongue from sin,
except God gives you a new heart.
Of ourselves we are nothing but sin;
that is the reason we need a Saviour
who is able to save us from our sins.”

She replied, “O yes; that I used
to hear at Sunday-school. How sorry
IT am I did not profit more from what
my dear teacher used to tell me; if all

Sunday-school children ,could only
1 3*
30 MEMOIR OF

feel as I do now, confined to the
house, sick, unable to read much, de-
prived of the privilege of going to Sun-
day-school, oh! how attentive they
would be to all their kind teachers
say to them; and they would lay it
up in their heart, and try to do what
they tell them. What should I do
now, if I had never gone to school?
how ignorant of the Holy Bible! I
would never have known so many
sweet hymns, which I can now sit
and sing.”

After sitting as if in meditation one
day, she said, “I remember in Sun-
day-school hearing of two kinds of
faith. What did it mean ?”

She was told, “One is historical

», which is the faith you have ; you


SUSAN DE GROOT. 31

believe Christ died to save sinners,
merely because you heard it in Sun-
day-school, or because you read it in
your Bible; but this is not the faith
which lays hold on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and brings comfort to the
soul. It is very right you should be-
lieve the first, and it is good as far as
it goes : but you see that although you
delreved it, it did not affect your heart.
The fatth that saves is a faith that
works by love.

A friend having called to see her,
before he left, offered prayer, in which
he deplored the depravity of his heart,
and his many sins and deficiencies.
After he had gone, she said, “If so
good a person as that finds something
in his heart that is contrary to the
32 MEMOIR OF

will of God, I may hope that the Holy
Spirit is renewing my oe for

every day I get some new | ; but
I used to think there could ee no sin

in a new heart.”

She was told that in a renewed
heart, there should be no actual trans-
gression, but that evil thoughts will
arise, which very much distress and
perplex the children of God: that
she must not confound temptation
with sin: it is no sin to be tempted,
so long as we do not yield to tempta-
tion; for our blessed Lord himself
was tempted, “yet without sin.”

She said with great animation, “ O,
I ais glad to hear temptation is not
sin; for when the doctor said I must
ave another blister on, I could
SUSAN DE GROOT. 33

searcely help crying, I thought it so
hard, and that no one ever suffered
as much asI do. My eyes burning
like fire, my head smarting under a
hundred lancet cuts, my flesh burning
with fever, I thought I would not let
it be put on. But I felt condemned
in a moment; for I was afraid I had
committed a new sin, and offended
God. I went on my knees and prayed
to God to forgive me, and to give me
patience, and then I was willing to
have it on.”

“This was right, my dear child.
Whenever we are tempted, we should
at once go to our heavenly Father,
and pray for grace and patience, and
he will enable us to bear all our afllic-
tions without murmuring: but when
34 MEMOIR OF

you pray, above all things pray for a
living faith to unite you to the Lord
Jesus Christ, to whom you must come
just as you are, a poor sinner; and
believe that God, for Jesus’ sake, will
receive you.

About this time this dear child be-
gan to seta little better; though suf
fering much, she was enabled to walk
out a little.

Her mind was still deeply exercised
abou: her salvation. She requested

one evening to be taken to the prayer-
meeting, and said, “I feel better in
prayer-meeting than any where else.
I feel a kind of peace I do not feel
anywhere else, not that it really makes
me any better.”

It was remarked to her, “ My dear
SUSAN DE GROOT. 35

Susan, you say you are no better, and
that God would be just to cut you off;
and that by wilfully breaking God’s
law you have cut yourself off, and for-
feited all claim to your heavenly in-
heritance. This is indeed true; but
here steps in your blessed Saviour,
and says, ‘Do not cut her off; for
after she sinned, and thereby lost all
claim to this inheritance long ago, I
purchased it for her, and now I make
a free gift of it to her, because I pitied
her, and loved her.’ ”’

She replied, “O now I see why it
was needful for Christ to suffer and
die to redeem us poor sinners, who
had sold ourselves to Satan. I won-
der I have not always loved the dear
Saviour with my whole heart.”
36 MEMOIR OF

Susan underwent these exercises ot
mind for nearly a year before she
found joy and peace in believing, and
vefore she was enabled to appropri-
ate the benefits of Christ’s precious
blood-shedding to herself. She was
cheerful under her sufferings, and so-
laced many a weary hour by singing
hymns, of which she had committed
a great many to memory. The state
of her mind at this time may be known
by her answering a friend, who asked
her if she felt better, “I do not know
that I am any better, but I am very

aappy.” She then began to sing—

‘t How lost was my condition,
Till Jesus made me whole! |
There is but one Physician
Can cure a sin-sick soul,
SUSAN DE GROOT. 37

"Next door to death he found me,
And snatched me from the grave :
T’ll tell to all around me,

His mighty power to save.”

Her anxiety for the souls of her
companions in the Sunday-school was
very great; particularly for two of her
friends. After a visit from one of
these little girls, she said, “I have
had a long talk with my dear Mary:
she says she wants to love and serve
God.”

After the Spirit of God had brought
this dear child, m repentance and faith,
to the foot of the cross, and she in-
dulged a hope that she had passed
from “death unto life,” her first in
-quiry was, “Lord, what wilt thou

have me to do?” She found the an
4
38 MEMOIR OF

swer to be, “ Arise and be baptized ;”
and she expressed a wish to join the
church of which her mother was a
member, and in the Sunday-school of
which she had received that instruc-
tion which she now found had made
her wise unto salvation. She ear-
nestly desired to be baptized in the
river; which, from the state of her
health, was objected to, as it was
feared she might die during the ad-
ministration of the ordinance. But
her reply was, “ Even if I should die,
would it not be better to die in the
performance of our duty, than in the
neglect of it.’

Her wish was gratified. She was
baptized the last of August, 1835. On
the evening of that day, a lady asked
SUSAN DE GROOT. 39

her how she felt after the ie effort
she had made.

She. replied, “ Very well, in mind
and body. I am better than I have
been for a long time. All my friends
were afraid I should die; but God is
the strength of the weak, and he sup-
ported me through it all.”

Having thus fulfilled the Lord’s
will in being baptized, in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost, she next desired to re-
ceive the Lord’s supper, and to “ re-
member” him as he had commanded.
The next Lord’s-day being the ap-
pointed season of communion, she
was taken to church, and received
the emblems of her Saviour’s dying
love. After her return home, she said,
40 MEMOIR OF

“Never did I feel so humble and so
little in all my life. When I think our
blessed Saviour died for our trans
gressions, oh what a dreadful evil sin
is, that nothing but the precious blood
of the Son of God could wash out
its guilty stain !”

Our little friend now enjoyed in her
heart that “peace which passeth un-
derstanding,” and she realized the
promise that the ways of religion are
ways of pleasantness, and all her
paths are peace; for notwithstanding
_ all her sufferings and sickness, she was
happy: God was with her, and gave
ner not only “ godliness,” but ‘“con-
tentment”’ also; and thus she found it
profitable not only for this life, but
for that which is to come. She now
SUSAN DE GROOT 41

had her treasure laid up in heaven
apove.

When the heart is truly changed,
it follows as a matter of course, that
the earnest desire of the converted soul
will be, that all around should, with
them, “taste and see that the Lord is
gracious.” Susan became extremely
anxious that all her family and friends
should walk in the way of “ holiness,”
and was particularly concerned that
her brother should be brought to the
knowledge of the “truth, as it is in
Jesus.” On one occasion she said
to her mother, “ Now I am happy in
God, I feel much distressed about my
brother J.; let us both begin to pray,
day and night, for the salvation of his

soul.”
4
42 MEMOIR OF

‘Ah, my dear child,” replied her
mother, ‘I have prayed years for him,
and see no change.”

“Perhaps, dear mother, this is the
very reason why our prayers are not
answered, because we keep looking
back, and feel discouraged that we
have prayed so long without effect. I
believe God will answer prayer; and
if we both pray, no matter how hope-
less the case may be, if we pray in
faith, it shall be done for us: so the
Scripture declares, and this is the
word of God.”

This believing mother and child
had made this dear son and brother a
subject of special prayer, for about
three weeks; and at the close of this
period, one night before they went to
SUSAN DE GROOT. 43

rest, very fervent prayer was offered
in his behalf; and in the providence
of God, at the moment he returned to
the house, the voice of supplication
fell upon his ear. He paused at the
door: the Spirit of God touched his
heart; and when prayer was ended,
he entered the room, and cried out,
“Oh, my dear mother and sister, I
have been listening to your prayers
for me: I now throw myself on my
knees before God, who has this night
convinced me of sin, of righteousness,
and of a judgment to come. I will
from henceforth, by his assisting
grace, give myself entirely to his ser-
vice.”

After her brother had left the room,
with a countenance of joy and faith,
44 MEMOIR OF

Susan said, “ How soon God has an-
swered our prayer! It is only three
weeks since we began to make special
prayer for his salvation.”

She continued to manifest great in-
terest in the eternal welfare of all her
relations, particularly her brother-in-
law, for whom she declared she would
pray, “until she could pray no longer,
that his soul might be saved.”

Though suffering very acutely, and
much enfeebled in body, she was ena-
bled at this time to walk a few
squares. She employed herself in
persuading the little children of the
‘neighbourhood to attend the Sunday-
school; and if they gave as a reason,
their want of clothing, she would ask
old clothes of her acquaintance, and
SUSAN DE GROOT. 45

take them home and mend them, and
then carry them to the parents of the
children, and show them they were
without excuse for keeping their child-
ren at home.

On one occasion she found a family
in great poverty, in a miserable hovel,
without a pane of glass in the window-
frames, and destitute of every thing.
She immediately went to a friend and
asked the gift of some newspapers,
which, sick as she was, she pasted on
the window frames; and she was so
exhausted by the effort, that she was
quite ill.

But wretched as she was, the next
morning she crawled out to a few be-
nevolent ladies, who gave her cloth-
ing, and some necessaries, which she
46 MEMOIR OF

immediately took to the suffering
family.

Susan, it is true, had not money to
bestow, but these acts exhibited the
spirit of that gospel which actuated
all her efforts; and if she could not
do much, she did what she could,
knowing if the “willing heart” was
her’s, it was accepted of God.

Susan was now in her thirteenth
year, and although given up by her
physician, and aware that nothing
could be done for her restoration to
health, she was contented to suffer her
heavenly Father’s will: and though
her body was weak and frail, her mind
was remarkably active and energetic
Her spirits were generally good. She
expressed herself always as being
SUSAN DE GROOT. AT

happy. She was always anxious that
her friends should employ their time
profitably, particularly with regard to
serious reading.

After a visit paid to a young friend,
she seemed very much cast down; and
on being asked the cause, replied,
with tears in her eyes, “I found Miss



reading a vain book: I am afraid
such reading will be the means of de-
struction to many young persons. I
ventured to hint to her the folly and
sin of so employing her time, which
God had given her to glorify him:
but she had not a word to say about
my dear Lord; and [ left her, pray-
ing fervently that the Lord would
spare the barren fig-tree, and that the
Holy Spirit would enlighten her dark
48 MEMOIR OF

mind, and enable her to discover her
error.”

She was asked if a new medicine
she had taken, did her any good: she
said, Ono,” and began to sing—

**¢ Of men great skill professing,

I thought a cure to gain;

But this proved more distressing,
And added to my pain.

At length the Great Physician
(How matchless is his grace !)

Accepted my petition,
And undertook my case.

Come then to this Physician ;
His help he freely gives:

He makes no hard condition ;
°*Tis only look and live.’ ”?

. A little friend said, “Susan, how
did you become religious? what did
you do?”

She replied, “ Jegis—
SUSAN DE GROOT. 49

‘First gave me sight to view him,
For sin my eyes had sealed,
Then bade me look unto him:
I looked, and I was healed.’

{ did nothing but believe: and, dear
M., you can do nothing but believe
that Jesus purchased our salvation
when he suffered on the cross; and,
¢God will net payment twice demand,

First at our bleeding Surety’s hand,

And then again at ours.’

I find the way a narrow one that leads
to eternal life. I wish I could per-
suade ell the world to turn to God
and live: they would be happy here,
and forever happy hereafter.”

A friend commiserating her suffer-
ings, spoke of her path to heaven as
arough one. She replied,

5
50 MEMOIR OF

‘‘¢ His way was much rougher
And darker than mine:
Did Christ my Lord suffer,
And shall I repine ??

Ged does indeed move in a ‘myste-
rious way his wonders to perform.’
Who would have thought, when I
was first afflicted, it was to be the
means of the salvation of my soul? for
I believe God does not willingly afflict
his poor creatures but for their good,
that they may afterwards yield the
peaceable fruits of righteousness.”
She expressed much gratitude to
the kind Sunday-school teachers who
were in the habit of bringing her
books to read, saying, ‘she was sure
God would reward them for all their
kindness?” adding, “but I have lost —
SUSAN DE GROOT. 51

all relish for every book but the Bi-
ble. It looks to me like a large full
fountain, while all other books now
only appear like little streams.”

She was again laid on a bed of pain,
and renewed suffering. A friend
coming in, asked her how she was:
she replied, “ My disease is progress-
ing, and I know it will soon end my
life.”

She was asked, “Are you willing
to die, and leave your mother ?”

“TY love my dear mother as dearly
as a child can; but I hope I love my
blessed Saviour better: my friends
have done every thing for my poor
body ; but Jesus has done every thing
for my soul.”

She now thought she was dying,
52 MEMOIR OF

and all her family assembled round
her bed: her eyes rested with fond
affection on each individual; and
though feeling she would soon leave
them all, she was calm and collected.
She addressed them in the most affect-
ing manner, beseeching those who
were professors of religion to be holy,
and love the Lord Jesus, and to con-
tinue “faithful unto death.” She then
gradually sunk into a stupor. This
was about eleven o’clock at night, and
she lay insensible until ten the next
day. When she revived, she asked,
““Why have I been called back? I
thought I should soon see my dear
Saviour; but it is all right; I must
not repine.”

After this, God saw fit, in his wis-
SUSAN DE GROOT. 53

dom, to raise her up from this extreme
illness, though her sufferings were of
the most dreadful character. The
loss of her palate deprived her of the
power of speech, so that she. could
scarcely converse well enough to be
understood. Her agony at times was
excessive, so that she once remarked,
that she believed she was to be made
“perfect through suffering.’

It was observed, “I hope you do
not think your suffering can in any
way atone for sin.”

She quickly replied, “O no; I
meant perfect in obedience and pa-
tience. We glorify God as much by
suffering his will, as by doing his will.
I know I could never have patiently

borne all my pain and sickness, if di
5*
54 MEMOIR OF

vine grace had not supported me ; and
though I suffer much, all within is
peace, and joy, and love.”

She now began to sit up, and walk
about. the room. The moment she
could use her hands or eyes, she be-
gan to sew or read. She was remark-
ably industrious, and would not will-
ingly sit idle. She employed herself
in making patchwork, and commenced
a piece of work on canvass, to leave,
as she said, with her mother.

A person who was a professor of
religion, called to see the family, and
remained to dinner. They waited for
him to ask a blessing, as was usual at
their table; but he immediately com-
menced eating. After he had gone,
Susan said, with tears in her eyes, “I
SUSAN DE GROOT. . 55

do not know how any one, in the en-
joyment of health, can sit down to a
meal, and partake of God’s bounty,
without ever thanking him for it. As
for me, I have first to offer a prayer,
and then ask a blessing on every
mouthful I take, that it may not choke
me to death. Ifthe world was mine,
I would give it to be able to take one
satisfying drink of water. But I will
not complain, since my heavenly F'a-
ther gives me freely of the waters of
life to nourish and sustain my faint-
ing soul.”

Many poor persons used to come
and see her; and once an old coloured
man who came, said, if he only had
some medicine, he thonght he should
get well. She went to her drawer,
56 MEMOIR OF

and took out a ten cent piece (all she
had) and gave it to him. After he
went away, it was remarked, that her
purse was now empty. She replied,
“It is little indeed I am able to do
for any one: but if our Saviour re-
garded the widow’s mite, perhaps mine
will be accepted. I want no other
reward, than to hear my dear Saviour
say, ‘ She hath done what she could.’ ”
Her mother expressed a wish that
Susan could rest better at night. She
said, “ Ah, there is no rest for me, ex-
cept in the grave. But how good God
has been to me! for although L suffer
so much with my head, and many
bones have come out, and nearly all
the flesh gone, yet God in his great
mercy has kept my reason sound.”
SUSAN DE GROOT. 57

She would never allow she had any
cause or occasion to murmur. A friend
who visited her constantly, has re-
marked, she never heard a complaint
from her lips; when she pitied her,
for the loss of her sight, she would
say, “ But what a mercy I can talk,
and tell what God has done for my
soul.”

After she had almost lost her speech,
and this friend again pitied her, she
replied, “ Perhaps it is a mercy I can-
not talk much; for I have often been
sorry for talking too much.”

Tn the winter of 1838~9, her mother
met with a severe injury on her hand,
which distressed Susan very much.
She said, “1 was sure in my own
mind, I could never raise an objection
58 MEMOIR OF

to any thing God should permit: but
when he touched you, alas, how soon
I rebelled; and I remembered I had
so often prayed, ‘thy will be done,’ it
flashed across my mind in a moment,
that this was the very thing to show
me my heart, that I might see how
little I knew of it. Well might one
of old say, it is ‘deceitful above all
things, and desperately wicked; who
can know it?’ none but God.”

Her strength was at this time re-
newed for a little season, and she
said, “Oh, how I wish I could once
more be taken to meeting before 1
die!”

Her family wishing to gratify her,
and believing it would not injure her,
she was taken to a new church, which
SUSAN DE GROOT. 59

aad just been built. After service
she was taken through the church.

“T am glad,” said she, “that God
has given you a meeting-house large
enough to hold all the people.”

‘When she came down stairs to go
home, she passed a bier. She stop-
ped for some time, and then said,
“ After viewing this beautiful temple,
and the goodliness thereof, that piece
of wood (pointing to the bier) has
more charms for me; and it is in my
eyes far more beautiful than any thing
T have seen; for it will soon bear this
poor tottering body to its resting
place.” |

She then desired to be carried to
the little church where she formerly
worshipped. She* said, “This dear
60 MEMOIR OF

little church, how I love it! Many
happy hours have I spent here in Sun-

day-school. I am glad this dear peo-
ple have a spiritual man of God to
preach for them.”

Soon after this, her suffering in-
creased to such a degree as could not
be described. Her mother sat by her
bed-side, weeping. She took her
hand, and said, “Do you not remem-
ber in the book Mr. N. lent us, the
writer says, ‘we are too apt to stand
looking into the grave of a dead La-
zarus, in place of looking away to Je-
sus, who is the resurrection and the
life’ and instead of weeping over my
suffering, oh! look away to that bright
world to which I am hastening.”

Her breathing was very laborious
SUSAN DE GROOT. 61

_ and difficult, and she could talk very
little. But one evening, about two
weeks before her death, she said, “ Ob
how happy, how happy Lam! I thank
God for afflicting me: how good he
has been to me!”

One observed to her, ‘Can you in
deed thank God, and feel that he loves
you, when you are suffering such
agony !”

“Indeed I can: for could any one
suppose God did not love Job? Oh
yes; I thank God: for if I had not
been afflicted, where should I have
been now, at this giddy time of life?
I have not suffered one pain too much,
nor shall I suffer one moment longer
than shall be for my good.”

Her mind was under deep anxiety —
6
62 = MEMOIR OF

for the souls of the family with whom
they lived. She said, “If they could
only understand me, how I would en
— treat them to seek an interest in Je-
sus, and to set up the family altar: I
wish I could tell them about God’s
goodness to me. Oh, I could take
everybody I love in my arms, and
carry them to Jesus.”

She then said, “If I could see dear
S. happy in Jesus, I should die happy.”

The evening of that day, she said
to her mother, “As no acts of hol-
ness, or obedience can recommend us
to God, neither can any act of disobe-
dience or past sin shut us out of hea
ven, so long as we rely alone on the
merits of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

On the Tuesday previous to her
SUSAN DE GROOT. ~ 63

death, her suffering increased to a
frightful degree, and one ulcer was so
dreadful, that she would not allow any
one but herself to dress it; for she
said, “It was too revolting an office
for any but herself” Still she was
the same resigned, uncomplaining suf-
ferer. *

Thursday night she said, “ Oh how
I have prayed all this day that God
would take me to himself!”

About midnight she fell into a sweet
sleep, from which she awoke at day-
light, and said, “‘Oh, what a blessed
sleep I have had! She soon began
to cough violently: her mother said,
“Oh, my darling, how you suffer !”’

“But God is with me,” was her
64 MEMOIR OF

reply; and the next moment her
happy spirit had made its escape from
her diseased body, and she entered, as
we fully trust, into the rest prepared
for the people of God. She died on
the twenty-ninth of May, 1839, and
on the first of June, she was followed
to the grave by a large number of sor-
rowing friends, and many others, who
desired to show this respect to one
whom God had so highly blessed in
spiritual things.

Before closing this memoir, we de-
sire, In an especial manner, to call the
attention of Sunday-school teachers
to this child: for it was eminently at
the Sunday-school the good seed was
sowed; and it is one among the many
SUSAN DE GROOT. 65

instances where God has owned and
blessed his word through the instru-
mentality of Sunday-school teachers.
It-was at Sunday-school her mind
was stored with that scriptural know
ledge by which, after she lost hez
sight, she was enabled to call to mind
hundreds of texts, and portions of
God’s word, which she had committed
to memory. It is true, she had a
pious mother, but from her engage-
ments as a nurse, she could do little
else than pray for her child. There
fore the precious instruction of the
Sunday-school was a great blessing in
enlightenmg, encouraging, and com-
forting her under her extraordinary

suffering.
5*
66 MEMOIR OF

During the whole of her sickness,
the united testimony of her friends is,
that she was patient, humble and con-
sistent.

May all Sunday-school children
choose, with little Susan, the “ better
part,” which can never be taken away
from them. Let them pray with all
manner of prayer and supplication,
and never rest, until God converts
them, and brings them into his ser-
vice. Like little Susan, may they
read and love the Scriptures, which
are able to make them wise unto sal-
vation; and like her, show their at-
tachment to that blessed Saviour by
an upright walk, and godly conversa-
tion. Then, should sorrow and dis-
SUSAN DE GROOT. 67 -

appointment come, they will be pre-
pared to meet it; and when the sad
changes of life have all passed away,
they will find a bright and happy
home in heaven. ©

THE END.