was bleeding with the wound occasioned by the departure of one of her dearest earthly friends. But she soon recollected herself, and became resigned to the will of Providence. When her sister was interred, she fell upon her knees by the side of the grave, and continued in this posture for some minutes, lifting up her heart to God in silent adoration and praise. But the malignant fever which carried off Mary, continued its ravages in the family, Previous to her being attacked herself, several were brought down to the borders of the grave. She spared no attention or labour. She even seemed to go beyond herself, forgetting the weakness of her constitution. For one of her brothers she felt a peculiar degree of anxiety. When his life was almost wholly despaired of by all, she brought his case to the Lord. She besought God to give him to his parents a little longer, to comfort them in their declining years. Many were the petitions which she offered up to God upon her knees by his bedside. And here it was that she was first seized with the fits of ague, which warned her of an attack of the fever. At first she was almost unwilling to give up, and he seemed lost by this means, as others she thought more needy would be neglected. Though her symptoms were not very alarming till two days before her death, yet she calculated but little upon recovering. I was with her several days in her sickness, and she informed me that she thought it not probable that she should ever recover, Though such was the state of the family by this time, every one sick (eight in all) the case of some very doubtful, if not quite desperate. Knowing that such intelligence would create great uneasiness in her afflicted friends, which would very much distract her own feelings, besides being an injury to them, she made no such professions openly, but seemed to labour hard to conceal the real state of her case. But this could not be done long. In about eight days after she was taken, her disorder took a very unfavourable turn, inflammation suddenly taking place it was soon dreaded that she must die. As she saw herself hastening to the place appointed for all living, her mind was in perfect peace. If she manifested any anxiety of mind at all, it was on account of the effect that her death would have on her surviving friends. "I have no doubt," said she, "but it will be well with me, and I have never seen a time since I experienced religion, but if I had have been called to die, I believe I should have been happy. But I fear that my death with what has already befallen them, will be more than my aged parents will be able to bear." Being inquired of, whether she thought she was about to leave the world, she answered, "Yes; and glory heaves in view." As she continued to fail, and experienced a great difficulty in breathing, she requested one of her friends to " pray that she might have some relief before she died." She soon closed her eyes on all things below the sun, and raised her heart to heaven, her house her home; and when she could not articu VOL VI.

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late a word so as to be heard, she whispered her prayers and praises, and her lips were observed to move until her breath ceased. She died on the 30th of Nov. 1822, after walking twelve years in the ways of obedience to her heavenly Master, with but ten days illness, in the 31st year of her age, in hopes of immortality. She fell to rise-she died to live for ever.

In the character of our departed sister, we shall, I think, see something worthy of our imitation. She had a strong desire to be useful. And as her employment, some part of every year for several years, was teaching a school, she had an extensive opportunity of teaching the youth, the principles of morality and religion. This opportunity she did not fail to improve, always praying in her school once a day, and giving such advice to her scholars, and imposing such restrictions upon them, as would tend to form their minds to virtue and happiness. She possessed the principles of government to a greater degree than is common, and was very successful in managing. the affairs of her school.

In her intercourse with her fellow creatures, she endeavoured always to act consistently with the dignity of her profession. She was serious to a degree that commanded respect, and yet her sociability enabled her to make herself agreeable in conversation. Her counsel was generally safe, and her reproofs salutary. They were always so seasoned with the pious effusions of her heart, that they rarely failed of a favourable reception. Her pious examples, and her godly admonitions will long be remembered, especially by her family connections.

She prayed without ceasing. Nothing prevented her visiting her closet at her stated times. Often she visited it many times in a day. She watched over her spirit, words, and actions. By grace she was enabled to rule her own spirit, and even to conquer herself, which "is better than to take a city." For several years she made it a rule to fast every Friday. This she found a great means of spiritual improvement. She possessed that deep humility whose language is,

"Make me little and unknown,

Loved and prized by God alone."

She laboured to shun every appearance of pride, in her manners and dress. Her Christian patience was remarkable. Though for several years she laboured under the pressure of bodily infirmities, she never murmured; but patiently suffered the will of God, in hopes of receiving the promises. Her zeal and Christian diligence, furnished an example to others who were in other respects her superiors. She diligently attended all the means of grace. The house of God was her home; in it she took great delight. She frequently overcame great difficulties in attending places of worship, desiring never to be absent when it was possible for her to attend. She diligently read the Holy Scriptures, and laboured to understand them. Though her reading was con

siderably extensive, yet the Bible was her principal book. She took it with her to her closet, and while employed with her needle she often kept it by her side, and would frequently read small portions, as she said, to assist her meditations. But her zeal for the salvation of souls, induced her to use every proper means, both public and private, to save sinners. Her public prayers and exhortations have, in various instances, been made the means of conviction to the wicked. The broken hearted penitent particularly interested her attention; she was ready to take such by the hand and lead them to Jesus Christ, who makes the wounded whole.

Finally-She cultivated with assiduous care the peculiar virtues and graces which adorn her sex, wearing as her chief ornament, that "meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price."

Scripture Illustrated.

From the Wesleyan-Methodist Magazine.

REMARKS ON THE IMPORT OF THE WORD YYXH, IN matt. xvi. 26,

It has been sometimes contended, that the word ʊxn, “soul,” in this passage, should be rendered "life:""What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own life; or what shall a man give in exchange for his life." Let the following reasons for preferring the common translation be carefully considered.

1. The substitution of the word "life," for "soul," and the referring of the whole passage to the loss of temporal existence, evidently takes away all the sublimity of the doctrine. It degrades this portion of Scripture from the rank it was before thought to hold, as a truth of the most momentous import, as well as of the most vivid and convincing clearness; and reduces it to the level of a mere truism, of which neither the force nor propriety is very apparent.

2. It is at variance with the scope of the preceding discourse, in which the SAVIOUR exhorts his disciples to undervalue life itself, when it comes in competition with their allegiance to him. But nothing can be more foreign to this purpose, than to represent human life as of the greatest earthly importance.

3. It is equally at variance with what follows; "For the SoN OF MAN shall come in the glory of his FATHER,-and then shall he reward every man according to his works." That there ought to be a connexion between this reference to a future judgment, and the loss of that valuable possession mentioned before, under the name of Lux, is plain from the use of the conjunction yag, "for." This connexion immediately appears, if we understand the pre

ceding words as intended to point out the value of "the soul;" but it defies all common ingenuity to see any connexion, if the word be translated "life."

In justice to the subject, it should be observed, that what has induced some Critics to hesitate concerning the meaning of this passage, appears to be, (1.) That the Greek word, in the New-Testament, has often the meaning of "life." But this can prove nothing, because, at least as often, it signifies the soul, the spiritual part of our nature. (2.) It must be allowed, that the same word is properly rendered "life," in close connexion with "Whothe passage under consideration; viz. in the 25th verse, ever will save his life, xv, shall lose it." But in reply, it may be said, that even in the 25th verse there is, in all probability, an intimation of the two-fold meaning of the word. It may be paraphrased thus:-"Whoever, by sinful compliances, in times of persecution, will save his life, v Lux aurou, shall lose, aurny [nv Jux, taken in its more solemn meaning,] his soul." No great stress need be laid on this interpretation. It is not necessary to the argument; but it appears to express what actually occurred. It seems to me more probable than the supposition that the unfaithful disciples of Christ should, through their apostasy, lose their lives by the very means which they used to preserve them Apostasy, we know, was, in general, the preservation of the life, but the loss of the soul.

The Grace of God Manifested.

To the Editors of the Methodist Magazine.

DEAR BRETHREN,

A

By inserting the following short memoir in your useful Magazine, you will confer a favour on the friends of the deceased, and oblige one of your subscribers. REUBEN TUCKER.

MISS NANCY SPEARS, daughter of William and Isabella Spears, was a native of Ireland. When she was about six years of age, her parents set out with their children, seven in number, as emigrants to America. It pleased God on their passage to remove her father from this to another world; but the mother and chil→ dren were mercifully conducted safe to land, at Charleston, from whence they removed to Camden, South-Carolina, where they settled themselves. We have no particular account of Nancy, until about the year 1809, when, under the influence of Methodist preaching, she became the subject of awakening grace. She now saw plainly that without an interest in the Lord Jesus Christ, she was for ever undone. With a broken heart she sought Him whom her soul desired to love; and having fled for refuge to lay

hold on the hope set before her, she was enabled to believe to the saving of her soul; and "being justified by faith, she had peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ," and was able to "give a reason of the hope that was within her" which peace and hope, it is believed, she never lost. She immediately cast her lot with the people of God, among whom she found "Him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets did write" and she continued a useful and respectable member to the close of her life. Although she was very young when she embraced the cross of Christ in exchange for the pleasures of the world, she exhibited in all her Christian course, a uniform and exemplary conduct; she was a constant, humble worshipper in the house of her God, and a faithful attendant on all the means of grace. While in health she cleaved unto the Lord, and in her sickness she departed not from her God. She said, "it is the Lord," and "shall I receive good at his hands and not evil?" And especially, when "these light afflictions which are but for a moment, will work for me a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory." Some time in the year 1821, she became somewhat indisposed; and her friends thought, that they could discover in her complaint, the symptoms of a consumption. But she feared not death, for she knew in whom she had believed, and that to be with Christ would be far better. She still frequented the house of the Lord, constantly using all the means of grace; and it was evident, that her treasure was in Heaven, for her heart was there; and she acted in all things in reference to eternity. Her friends looked at her as a departing saint, while she appeared actively engaged in preparing for her exit, without seeming to know it. She had the best of medical aid, together with every necessary attention; but to little purpose.

Some time about the middle of January, 1823, she came to Mr. H. Abbot's of this place, whose wife and daughter are members of the church. Here she expected to stay a few days only, but contrary to her expectations, she continued until her Master said, "It is enough, come up higher." Here I found her a few days after my arrival in the station, and but a few days previous to her leaving the world. At our first interview, I spoke to her freely and closely as to her Christian experience, her views of the plan of salvation, and her hopes of Heaven. To all of which she answered promptly and correctly, building all her expectations on Christ and Him only. She appeared perfectly resigned to the divine will; but did not seem to apprehend that her dissolution was very near. A little after this her disease took an unfavourable change; and when I called to see her again, 1 found her rapidly sinking into the arms of death; but she still told me that all was well-that all was perfectly clear. We read, sung and prayed, all of which she appeared to enjoy very much. She now, for the first time, seemed to consider her dissolution as near