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his own esteem, laying claim to nothing but the free and unmerited salvation of God. While there was a degree of uncertainty in the anticipations of his friends, and they entertained some hopes of his recovery, his own mind was convinced of his approaching dissolution ; and he would often observe, that he felt as if these lines were applied to himself:

"Arise, my love, make haste away,
Go, get thee up and die."

In anticipating his departure, the contemplated disruption of the ties which bound him to his family was, at times, very painful to him. He had been a kind husband, and a tender parent; and it was not wonderful, that separation should be afflicting even to a Christian. But he had learned submission, and bowed to the will of God.

Though withdrawn from active engagements, his interest in the prosperity of the church was not abated. On one occasion, when told that one of the members of his own class had been inquiring very affectionately concerning him, and expressing the obligations under which she had been laid by his counsel and prayers, his countenance brightened as he replied, "I am glad of this. During the day my mind has been harassed by suggestions concerning my uselessness in the church of Christ; and a sense of my unworthiness for a time made me lose sight of my Saviour: but now I am reminded of that which encourages me, though it is no ground of boasting: I can boast of nothing, but Jesus died for me.'

On Friday, June 30th, addressing most tenderly one of his daughters, who was unable to control her feelings, he said, "Do not weep; rather rejoice." She reminded him of the supplications of the church for him. “Well,” said he, "I believe no one desires my death: but is it not better to depart? Can you see no advantage in my death?" She replied, "I can discover one: I shall have fewer ties to earth, and more to heaven." With this reply he seemed satisfied.

On Sunday, July 2d, he said, "I see all the sins I have committed from infancy to manhood, and from manhood to old age, and I have been vainly attempting to divide them; but they must be brought all together, and cast at the feet of Jesus." At his request, Mr. Wesley's sermon "On the Repentance of Believers" was read to him, and a few hymns on the same subject; after which, he seemed deeply engaged in silent meditation, with occasional ejaculations. At length he exclaimed, "Now I feel what I have desired to feel since the commencement of my affliction,

'I grieve for having grieved my Lord,

And never can myself forgive.'

O blessed Saviour! thou dost forgive; thou canst not but forgive. I cast myself at thy feet: Lord, I am lost, but Christ hath died.""

Never will those who were present forget what they then witnessed: the chamber of sickness was the gate of heaven.

On Monday, July 3d, he was in a tranquil frame, full of love to all mankind, and rejoicing in God. For his encouragement, he was reminded of the lengthened period in which God had preserved his goings in the paths of righteousness. "Do not name it, do not name it," he answered, with deep emotion: "I cannot dwell upon the past but with regret. O my unfaithfulness! my unfruitfulness! What have I been to what I might have been? Lord, save me!"

On Thursday, July 20th, it pleased God to visit him with extraordinary consolation. He observed, "I have been at the cross, and I want to be nearer." He requested Mrs. Watson to pray for him; and especially to pray, that he might receive a yet greater fulness of the love of God. The desire of his heart was granted him. It seemed as though his whole soul were filled with God. With tears of gratitude he exclaimed, "He has sprinkled my heart with his blood." now spoke with great distinctness and energy of his enjoyment of the blessing of entire sanctification. For many years it had been evident that his experience was of a matured and highly elevated character; all who came in contact with him felt themselves in the company of a man who breathed the temper of a Christian indeed, and whose spirituality and devotion left a deep and gracious impression on their own minds. He had, however, hesitated to make a distinct profession of having attained this great blessing up to this period; but now, such were the views he had of the efficacy of the Saviour's blood, such the strength of his faith, and the ardour of his feelings, that he could not refrain from bearing testimony to its reality, and his own enjoyment of it.

On Saturday, July 22d, reference being made to some matters of necessary business, he gave a brief reply, and then seemed at once to revert to those higher things in which his mind was absorbed; and, lifting his eyes, he exclaimed, "And my accounts are all right in heaven my Saviour has settled all." That verse was repeated to him,

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"Cover'd is my unrighteousness,
Nor spot of guilt remains on me."

Yes, I have it," he interrupted: "Justice demands my destruction; but I hear the voice of Mercy drowning the voice of Justice :

'While Jesu's blood, through earth and skies,

Mercy, free, boundless mercy, cries.""

Upon this he burst into tears: "What," said he, with evident excitement, "does all this mean? I never expected this. I care not how much I suffer, if the Lord only thus blesses me.

"Jesus comes with my distress,

And agony is heaven.'

Now I know what this means: 'We are come to the city of the

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living God, the innumerable company of angels, the spirits of the just made perfect, and to the blood of sprinkling.' I want to join the blood-washed throng in singing, Worthy is the Lamb.'" He then called all his children and domestics to his bedside; and, on one of them entering the room, he said, "Have you come to see how happy I am? O," he exclaimed, "what a glorious prospect is before me! I am just thinking of that chapter which speaks of the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness.' All my fears are gone. When God fills our souls with his love, how he looses a stammerer's tongue!" He continued for three hours praising God, and exhorting all who surrounded him. When a little refreshment was administered to him, he said, "I shall not need it long; I shall soon drink the new wine in the kingdom of my Father." His family expressing their fear lest his debilitated frame should be borne down by such continued exertion, and reminding him, that he had spoken above two hours, “ What,” said he, "is two hours to talk about Jesus? Rejoice with me: I am going to meet my Saviour." He blessed God that he had ever been connected with Methodism. "What," said he, "would have become of me, had it not been for those blessed men who came out of Oxford ? I am going to meet Mr. Wesley, whom I have heard preach. But who is Mr. Wesley where Jesus is?"

On Sunday, 23d, his mind was in a tranquil and happy state, and his conversation turned much upon the things of God. "O," said he, "what a blessed Sabbath it would be to me to die and go to heaven! but the will of the Lord be done." On reading to him a hymn describing heaven, he rejoined, “You will, perhaps be surprised, when I tell you that, beautiful as it is, such representations of the scenery of heaven do not so much charm me. What do I want with beautiful scenery? I want to see Jesus, and be with him for ever! The cross is my most delightful theme: I look less at the prize I shall win, than at Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith."

On Monday, 24th, in the morning, he was asked by his son how he had slept during the night. "I have had," said he, "only an indifferent night. Satan has been busy with me: he suggested, I am not to be too confident; that I might be mistaken when I came into eternity. But I did not entertain the thought for a moment. I said Jesus had sprinkled my heart with his blood; and if I perished, I should perish where no one ever did." And raising his voice, he exclaimed,—

"Bold I approach the' eternal throne,

And claim the crown through Christ my own."

On Tuesday, 25th, he received the sacrament with his family. Though much exhausted, he spoke on the solemnity of the duty, and during the service seemed much affected. He afterwards dwelt with considerable sweetness on that clause: "Not weighing our merits, but pardoning our offences;" adding, "That suits my case exactly." During the four days following, his extreme weakness did not allow him to

converse so freely as usual; but he dwelt much upon the promises especially such as these: "Him that cometh unto me, I will in nowise cast out;" and, "He saveth to the uttermost," &c.; laying great emphasis on the words "nowise" and "uttermost." He would often say, that these promises had been fulfilled in his case: "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled;" and this, "I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean." On Sunday, July 30th, he seemed to derive considerable consolation from those words of our Saviour: "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." "I have," said he, "this evidence: I love the people of God, because they are his people. I love the Ministers, because they are his Ministers." On receiving some Conference intelligence, he fervently invoked the divine blessing on the Preachers; expressing his firm and dying attachment to Methodism. He then broke forth into thanksgiving; but nature was almost exhausted, and the last struggle was evidently drawing

near.

On Monday, during the early part of the day, his state of body seemed much as usual; but in the evening he rapidly changed for the worse, and it became evident that he could not long survive. His family stood around his bed, assured that they would soon have to witness that moment which would make one a widow, and the others fatherless. His breathing became laborious, and they feared greatly that the last struggle of nature would be severe. He desired his children to pray for him. During the night he spoke but little; his mind seemed to be deeply engaged in prayer, and his hands were often thrown together. His voice was so weak, that only occasionally could he be heard. When asked if he wanted anything, he said, "Pray." A kind friend, who attended with his afflicted family, asked if he suffered much he whispered, "Yes; but I can bear it." This promise was uttered to him: "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee:" he was heard to say, "He will." This was added, "I am persuaded that nothing shall be able to separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus your Lord:" he raised his hand in token of assent; but his voice had lost its power to express what he felt; and a little after seven o'clock on the morning of August 1st, 1837, without a single struggle, he fell asleep in Jesus.

MEMOIR OF MRS. WITTY,
Of Hull.

SARAH WITTY was born in Hull, April 14th, 1776. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Gell, were both of them so far possessed of the fear of God, that they were regular attendants on the pious ministry of the Rev. G. Lambert. They considered their children, it would seem, as

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well as themselves, as a part of the charge of that faithful and useful Minister for while they were accustomed to sit under his preaching, their children were in the habit of meeting him once a week, with other young people of his congregation, that he might instruct them in the essential truths of religion. In this manner the doctrines contained in the Assembly's Catechism were, at an early period, instilled into their minds, and impressed upon their memories. Happy it is for the rising generation, where this method of catechising children is still practised. The unity and prosperity of the Christian church are less endangered even by sectarian views on the doctrines of Christianity, than they are from the passions and appetites of a depraved nature, as the experience of the church has abundantly testified. Nor can the yoke of Christ be imposed too early, since it is only by learning of him that the young disciple can find rest and peace to his soul.

Mrs. Gell was generally respected for the honesty of her dealings, and for the prudent management of her family. She had four daughters, and her earnest endeavour was to train them up in habits of piety and industry. She inculcated those good moral principles of which she was herself possessed, and exemplified them by the consistency of her own conduct. They were neither suffered to form improper associates, nor to be long absent from home without their mother's leave. They were fully impressed, both by precept and example, with the value of time: and the more so, because they knew that the greater diligence they used in their domestic duties, and in the affairs connected with their education, the more opportunity would they have for reading, and for waiting on God in the ordinances of religion.

While Sarah Gell was beginning to see into the nature of religion, and to feel the necessity of that regenerating grace which alone can change the heart, she and her sister, Mary Gell, began to attend occasionally on the preaching of the Methodists. Under the instructive and awakening sermons which they heard about that time in the Manoralley chapel, they saw the danger of resting in the form of godliness, and the importance of possessing within themselves the knowledge of salvation by the remission of sins. The Scriptures, which they were before inclined to love and venerate as the word of God, they now began to read with more attention, and with a greater degree of moral sensibility, than before. That they might not be prevented from reading and hearing the word of God, by such other duties as claimed their daily attention, it was their custom to rise at five o'clock in the morning. When there was preaching at that hour, they were glad at all times to avail themselves of the privilege, and seldom did they fail to obtain peculiar advantage.

The conduct they pursued was so uniformly exemplary, that it attracted the notice of the pious, and by different persons they were invited to meet in class. The convictions wrought in the mind of

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