My sweet daughter, Eliza, has passed on, poisoned by a painful disease. I am most perfectly satisfied and have not had the most distant wish for a moment that the outcome had been otherwise.

Sound harsh? This is just one of thousands of articles that will bless and grow your faith in God. This letter, written by John Newton, can be read in full at GraceGems.org along with many other personal letters of by-gone clerics such as William Romaine, John Berridge, and William Tiptaft.

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Grace Gem’s only downfall is its unprofessional look. For instance, in some articles, green, red, blue, and black text can all be found on the same page, but if you press past this, you will find Bible jewels that will elevate your soul.

So, why was John Newton, former slave and slave trader, so happy his daughter, Eliza, had died? He was happy because, with God’s help, she died ‘a triumphant death’ or in Newton’s own words:

“…Her peace and confidence in God were abiding. Her mouth was filled with words of grace comforting or exhorting all around her. Often, she declared she would not change conditions with any person upon earth, nor be willing to live longer here, even if restored to perfect health for all that the world, or a thousand such worlds can afford! She smiled upon pain, and she smiled upon death. When she died, which seemed to be in a sort of slumber, she had reclined her cheek gently upon her hand, and there was almost a smile left upon her countenance.

“When my sweet daughter, Eliza, was dying, I almost wished it practical to have set my door open and invited all who passed by to come in and see what it is to die in the Lord and to hear what a child under fifteen could say of His goodness and of the vanity of everything short of His favour.

“Yes, the Lord has done great things for us since we came home. He sent a chariot of love for our dear Eliza. We almost saw her mount to Heaven. Surely, she was in Heaven and Heaven in her before she left the earth.

“I am constrained to confess that no one circumstance in my whole life called for a larger return of gratitude and praise than the death of our dear girl. I knew that I loved her dearly but how dearly I never knew until about the last week of her life…The thought of her helps me sometimes in prayer, often in preaching, and gives me such a confirmation of the great truths I speak of, as I would not be without…”

May God grant all of us such a triumphant death.

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