going down the yard, had a suspicion that this man had driven him from his promise. She soon found him behind the vessels, and said, "Come out, my love; did not thy parson make me promise that I would see that familyprayer should be performed twice a day? and would I be Frightened from my engagement by such a fool? I begin to like this prayer." My friend frequently said, Never did any man experience what he did, in going up the yard and entering the room to pray before such a company. The man, suspecting himself to be the cause of the confusion, thought he would not laugh aloud that morning: to prevent which, he stopped his mouth. In this very posture he was struck with such a concern for his soul, that he told me, he thought he prayed forty times that day. Before the building was finished, as he had to come through a wood, I have heard him say, he has been fiozen to the ground while in prayer. After about twenty weeks distress, he had great comfort; and when he joined the church, he declared, He had reason to say he was one of the greatest proofs of free grace in the world! The good man of the house knocked at the door of my study, one Sabbath morning, about six weeks after the above, with Heaven in his face, and accosted me thus: -“ Brother, I now can call you brother." His joy continued, without intermission, for near fifteen months.

HE

The Rev. Mr. Berridge, after he was called to the knowledge of the truth and to preach the Gospel, although long accustomed to the schools, was remarkably careful to preach with great plainness of speech; so much so, that if possible there might not be uttered a word but the meanest of his hearers night understand. On an occasion when the Rev. Mr. Romaine had been preaching at his church, after the service, the good vicar said, " Brother Romaine your sermon was good, but my people cannot understand your language." Mr. Romaine, whose style was remarkably simple, could not recollect any expression in his sermon that could be above their comprehension; and, therefore, requested him to mention it. Mr. Berridge said, "You have endeavoured to prove that God is Omniscient and Omnipotent; but if you had said, that God was Almighty, and knew every thing, they would have understood yon," OBITUARY

OBITUARY.

MRS. HANSON.

MRS. Hanson was born in the year 1744, of a respectable family, but without any particular profession of religion. She thus lived for some time, as the greater part of the world do, till she heard Mr. Taylor, of Wallingford, Bucks, about eight miles from Basilton, where she then resided. This was about eighteen years ago; from which time she commenced a hearer of the Gospel; and the concern of her soul became "the one thing needful." She had strong convictions of sin, and of her utter inability to save herself, and was led to seek salvation, through faith, in his blood; but was not set at liberty until Mr. Bennett came to Goring chapel. Through his instrumentality she was set at liberty, and much established in the ways of God. No weather stopped her from coming to hear the Gospel, and on the Sabbath, she would persuade all she could to come with her; many of whom, before this time, had no concern for their souls; and she was very kind in relieving the wants of the distressed. I had not the happiness to know her until about two months before her death. She was of a weak and delicate habit of body, and had an asthma on her lungs for several years. After the decease of her husband, which was near four years before her own, she left the farm on which she before resided, and went to Wallingford for her health,-but to no purpose; and at length she came to Goring, where she resided until her death. After her call by grace, her conduct testified to all that knew her, the truth of the principles she had been taught in the school of Christ. She wanted to be made holy as well as happy; and having much forgiven, she loved much! When I visited her first, she complained of a great deadness of soul; and for more than a month she was in a very uncomfortable state of mind. She then grew more composed and resigned. I omitted no days of seeing her but the Sabbath, when many of her friends called upon her. Once, when I visited her, she told me, that she was got within sight of her port; and the Lord, said she," has given me a sufficient breeze to bring me in." From this time she enjoyed the sensible presence of God; and his comforts delighted her soul. She told me, that her cup ran over with the consolations of the Spirit of God. "I have tasted," said she," of the river of the water of life. O how good the Lord is to me! How could I have borne this affliction without this divine support from the Lord ?" At another time she told me, she had been very much comforted with the thought of these words, "Because I live, ye shall live also ;" which she had heard preached from, not long before. When I saw her again, her daughter spake to her of her funeral, and what words she would have for the text; viz. Phil. i. 28. Having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far better;" she said, "I do not want the former part of the verse, where the apostle expresses himself as in a great strait betwixt two;" and alluding to one of her sex that died not long before, who had four small children, and found it hard for some time to give them up to God, she chose the whole of the text, "but I (said she) have nothing that I would stay for; nothing so dear

Mrs. Shepherd, whose death was noticed in the Evangelical Magazipe for May 1800, p. 205.

but

but I can readily part with to be with Christ." She told me not to speak highly of the dead, but what I could for the good of the living. When I saw her again, she said, "I am still in the body, but shall soon get honte, I long to be gone." She often repeated,

How good God is to inc, an unworthy sinner!-When Christ suffered," said she, "he had no comforts; but I have attendance and many blessings!"-The night before she died, she was very happy in her soul; and repeated that Hymn of Dr. Watts, (Hy. 33. B. 2.)

"Raise thee, my soul, fly up and run," &e.

This was on the Sabbath evening. The next day I visited her about two hours before her death, when she appeared to be very happy, crying, “Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly." She again re peated the two last lines of the first verse of the above Hymn : "And say, there's nought below the sun

"That's worthy of thy feet!"

and, about three o'clock in the afternoon, departed to her eternal rest. She died much respected and regretted by her friends, and especially by the Christian Society to which she belonged, and of which she was an active, useful, and honourable member.

MRS. REBECCA SMITH

A. S.

DIED, some months since, at Knodishall, in Suffolk. About fourteen years ago, God was pleased to work efficaciously upon the soul of her husband, Mr. J. Smith. No sooner had he tasted of the good word of life, than he was desirous that his yoke fellow should enjoy the same blessing; he, therefore, endeavoured to lead her under the word; but without success. Prayer-meetings were held at his house; but without having the desired effect upon her mind. Mr Smith then introduced his minister, who conversed seriously and closely with her; but still apparently in vain.

Twelve months after this, Mrs. Smith was brought to bed; and, on her recovery, instead of going, as usual, to be churched, one of her female neighbours, with great difficulty, persuaded her to go to meeting with her husband, and there offer up her acknowledgements for the divine goodness. From this time she constantly attended; but it was two or three years before any work of grace appeared; and almost as soon as her soul began to live, symptoms appeared of the dissolution of her body. She bore her affliction with Christian patience; and, during her confinement, anticipated the glories of the heavenly state. She frequently con fessed to the writer of this, what a brutal disposition she had manifested towards her husband and all gracious people, while in her state of nature. A few days previous to her decease, in answer to several questions which were proposed to her, she expressed a strong confidence in the pardoning love of God through Christ; and being asked, How she could part with her husband, her children, and Christian friends? She answered, " I can part with these; for my dear Jesus is all in all !”

Soon after this she departed; and her mortal remains were depo sited in the burying-ground of Rendham Meeting, where a Sermon was preached, by her desire, from Isaiah iii. 10, 11.

The above brief narrative may afford encouragement to husbands circumstanced as Mr. Smith was, to use all suitable means for the conversion of their partners, and not be weary in well doing. J.W.

FEB. 9, 1802, in the evening, Miss Shotter not being able to join in family worship as usual, Mr. Shotter went to her bed-side, and asked her if he should go to prayer with her. She replied, it was her desire. On being asked what he should pray for; she said,

I have not a wish to live." Her father, after prayer, told her to express to him the real sentiments of her mind. As her reply, she repeated the following lines: —

"This life's a dream, an empty show;
"But the bright world to which I go,
"Hath joys substantial and sincere !

"When shall I wake and find me there?"

The following day her pain seemed rather abated; and she said many very pleasing things. After dinner she observed, she should soon have done with such food; and that her uncle and grandpapa (who both died not many days before) and herself, should have praise for breakfast, dinner, and supper, in Heaven. Her mamma asked her it she would like to go to Heaven, and leave them? She answered, "You know I ought to love God Almighty better than you he gave both of you to me. I certainly should like to live, if it pleased God to spare me, to be a comfort to you; but I had rather go to Heaven, for I do not know what comfort I could be to you; besides, it would be but for a little while." Then looking at her father, she said, though you have health, you have many things to try your mind: I shall have none of that in Heaven, She asked if her grandpapa, uncle, and herself, could not pray in Heaven for her parents; and then repeated the following lines out of the Aspiration in the Christian Lady's Pocket-Book for 1802 :

"How I solitary roam!

"How I long to be at home!"

At the word home she stopped, saying, you know that's Heaven. When asked why she noticed those words, and if she thought them applicable to herself, she replied, "Yes." One sitting by her, said, Do you think that Heaven is for you?' With much firmness of mind she replied, "Yes; I know it is: I could not wish to live, as I am sensible I could not live without sinning; and, I believe, we often sin when we do not know it." Being very weak, she leaned back; on which a person said, 'What poor creatures we are!' She answered, "Yes, we are indeed! but Christ died for us, you know." Her pains began now to return, particularly in her head, where much of her disorder lay, owing, as was supposed, to water on the brain. She was soon seized with strong convulsions; which continued for above an hour, when, to all appearance, she was nearly gone, and several around her were weeping. She revived, and observing their tears, she said, "Do not cry, I am very happy." She always strove to conceal from her parents what she suffered. Speaking to her on that subject, she said, "I deserve more than I now suffer. I had rather endure double what I now do, than suffer after death." The next day, Feb. 11, she expressed herself well satisfied with all that had been done for her; for which she thanked her parents very kindly. In the evening, her father sent up, to know if she would like the family to meet up in her room, as she VOL. X. 3 P

W28

was unable to go down. She answered, Yes; but was afraid she could not bear the singing.

Being in great pain in the night, she cried out, "Lord help me, help me! thou canst help me if thou pleasest :"-and again, "Oh! Heavenly Father, come and release me!" About five o'clock on Friday morning, being seized very suddenly, she sprang out of bed, though she had not been able to stand for some time. When she recovered a little, she begged her father might be called. He went to her. She said to him, “Papa, papa, take me out of bed; I cannot breathe." He said, Lie still, my dear, the Lord will give you patience! Your Heavenly Father will come presently, and take you to himself!'-She replied, "I know he will." She then desired to be laid right. Being supported with pillows, she continued dying, apparently, all day; but her speech returned again; and, in the night, she was heard to say, "Dear Jesus, thou hast tried my mind, my love, and my patience !" and often putting up her requests to Heaven, in short sentences. In the morning she again desired to see Mr. S, saying, "I think I am going to Heaven, and I wish to bid papa good-bye once more." When he went to her bed-side, she asked him to go to prayer with her. When he had concluded, he said to her, My love, your Heavenly Father does not afflict you in anger, but for your good.' She replied, "I know that; for he is too merciful to be unkind!" He then said, To-morrow will be the Lord's Day, do you wish to spend it in Heaven?' She answered, "Oh! yes; and not stop longer in this dreary world." At his leaving her, she said, "The Lord bless you!" Her mamma speaking to her of the violent pain in her head, she said, "I do not mind that, as, I thank God, my heart does not ache."

On the Sunday morning her father, finding her in great pain, said to her, It is hard work, my dear! She said, "No, it is no more than I deserve." Afterwards, she got so weak as to be unable to speak, or to be spoken to. A minister calling to see her, she said, she was afraid she should not be able to attend to him in prayer. But when he had finished, she thanked him. The person who sat up with her in the night, observing her smiling, with her eyes fixed upwards, she asked her what she was smiling at? She replied, "I see my sweet Jesus!" She was often in prayer; but could not be heard without putting the ear very near to her. She was heard crying, "Mercy, mercy, Lord!"

Thursday, Feb. the 18th, in the evening, knowing her father was going to lecture, she requested him to desire the minister to pray for her. She more than once expressed thankfulness for having been sent to school at Stepney, where she said she had had the advantage of religious instruction under Mr. and Mrs. Williams. She pointed out to her mamma how she wished her little things disposed of: desired several times that her father would get her coffin ready; and spoke of dying and going home, as she expressed it, with as much pleasure as a child at school could of seeing her parents. On the Saturday before her death, she told her mamma she should be very much disappointed if she should not spend the next Lord's Day in Heaven. Her father requested her to pray for her sister. She replied, "Not only her, but I have prayed for the whole house." Friday evening, Feb. the 19th, she sweetly "breathed out her life," as she expressed it, "into the hands of her Redeemer."