pulse, I could not ascertain the moment at which her heart ceased to beat, and her spirit departed to its God. Mrs. F. died on Wednesday February 16th, 1831, aged 35 years. Ŏne impression which deeply fixed itself upon my mind, as the result of this scene to me so intensely interesting, was that it afforded nothing short of actual demonstration of some points in Christianity, to which in my preaching I have been in the habit of giving especial prominence. It may not be improper to mention the following as the chief of them. 1. Atonement by the blood of Christ. If any might have confidence in the flesh, surely it was the subject of this memoir. She might have applied to herself the language of the apostle: for she was, as touching the law, blameless. Yet she spoke, even with abhorrence, of any thing. and of all that she had done. What should I do,' she said, without a Saviour now? My works! what are they? nothing but sin. The blood of atonement is my only plea. This she often repeated; and wash me, Saviour, or I die. Oh! that every reader of these lines would renounce at once every refuge of lies, which is not built upon this sure, precious, tried foundation. 2. The inward work of the Holy Spirit on the heart, independent of all human effort, and distinct from all feeling and reflection that is merely natural. Doubtless she had been, years before, "led" to Christ "by the Spirit of God;" but it had not been given her largely to partake of the blessed fruits of comfort and joy. Notwithstanding all her efforts to do good amongst her neighbours; all her zeal for the cause of God in the world, especially her warm attachment to the Church Missionary Society; all her love for the ordinances of God's house; still it is certain that in the time of her health she did not attain to the full assurance of faith. I do not know of any natural cause for the state of comparative darkness in which she was permitted to remain. I do know that the Spirit takes of the things of Christ, and shews them to his disciples-revealing them to every man severally as he will." In the case of this disciple there was a cloud which multiplied ordinances could not disperse, a vail which no effort could draw aside; then towards the close of her life the cloud was scattered without ordinances; the vail. without human effort was withdrawn. On merely natural principles this fact cannot be accounted for. 3. The power of believing prayer. It had been with me a subject of deep anxiety and frequent fervent supplication, that the dying testimony of my beloved wife might be clear, and her end peace. Let the foregoing account determine whether or not the prayer were answered. 4. Expected enjoyment of the glory of Christ. The heart of my dear Hannah was the seat of very warm affections. She loved her friends most ardently. Hence the enquiry whether or not she should know them again in glory was deeply interesting to her. I confess I have often thought she laid too much stress upon it. She sometimes seemed to derive almost her chief joy, in the prospect of her future happiness, from the thought of meeting again her still loved, though departed, mother, and sister, and others who had gone before. Very often when we had been conversing on this subject, she would say, 'just read Chalmers' Sermon on the new heavens and the new earth:' and I should think she has heard it from me a dozen times. She was greatly delighted with it because, as she said, it represents heaven as something tangible, something one can lay hold of and conceive. Now upon the question itself of our future knowledge of each other I cannot entertain the slightest doubt; for I conceive that infinitely more than a mere personal recognition of our earthly friends is revealed by the Holy Ghost, in that single passage (1 Cor. xiii. 12.) "then shall I know even as also I am known." And the prospect of it involves feelings too tender to be checked with violence. They require however to be restrained within proper limits: and I did often fear lest there might be something carnal in the too great indulgence of this af fection. I have sometimes therefore expressed this conviction in some such remark as this: It is indeed a delightful prospect to meet in heaven, and be for ever with those whom we have loved on earth; but do try, my dear, to see that loveliness in the Saviour which will make him the chief object of your adoration, and to feel that the chief blessedness of being with your departed friends in heaven will consist in this: that you will unite your songs with theirs, and that all will help each other to exalt his praises the higher.. Now I consider it very remarkable, that, prominent in her as was the feeling which I have described during life and health, it seemed to be entirely done away on the approach of death, and after the revelation of the fulness of Christ, which within ten days of her dissolution was afforded her. Once indeed in that period, when called upon by a person who had lived many years in her family, she said, I am going to be with that dear saint, my mother; but, with this exception, nothing was heard of but the sufferings of Christ and the glory which should follow. I am going to Jesus, to be with the Lord for ever,' was the whole of her delightful expectation. Does not this example convincingly shew that, as the praises of heaven centre in Christ, so ought also our expectations on earth? Does it not shew that in proportion as we are spirituallyminded it will be so? And may not the testimony of the experience here related serve to purify our prospects, elevate our affections, and subject every anticipated joy to that of beholding the glory of Christ; and being satisfied when we think of awaking with his likeness? Fleet, Lincolnshire. R. F. NOTE." A beloved sister of mine"-of whom a narrative is published in No. 76 of Houlston's series of Tracts. The following verses are composed by a friend on the occasion here alluded to, under the title "MARY'S JAST WORDS." Dear mother, hear my parting word, As I forsake this scene below, Frown not, my mother, on your child, And made me feel-''tis sweet to go." O! could I take you with me there, But no, your Mary leaves you still; Sweet is the sound of thy dear voice: To leave you, for 'tis sweet to go.' My Saviour beckons from the skies; O stay me not-'tis sweet to go.' TO THE AGED. You who are entered into the vale of years, must be the most blessed or the most wretched among mankind. "The hoary head is a crown of glory, if found in the way of righteousness;" but if not, the days of darkness with you are indeed many. Such of you as can read are without excuse, if you fail of comfort; for the treasures of the Lord are in your hand; his message of mercy to a guilty world, if you will only receive it, and come to him for life. To such as have never learnt to read, and think they are too old to do so, I write the following account which they may believe to be quite true: Sarah E― had reached the age of sixty-four, before she felt her need of the blessed Bible. It pleased God to open the eyes of her mind to a sense of her lost condition by nature-she prayed for graceand it was given her to repent of all her sins-and lay hold of the salvation offered by Jesus Christ. She now began to wish to read; and her wish was followed by an endeavour to do so. She got a little child in the village to teach her the letters of the alphabet, and with a little spelling book, she made some progress every day. The neighbours laughed at her and said she would never make any thing of it; but what cannot a willing mind do, if its endeavours are blessed from above? In two years she could read almost any chapter in the Bible; and not only derived comfort from the word of God herself, but was able to impart it to her husband, and to spend her old age in a far happier manner than she had done during the rest of her life. She praised the Lord for the mercy he had shewn in thus calling her at the eleventh hour, and tried to persuade all her aged neighbours to follow her example. Her delight was now in distributing tracts among the youth of her village, and she thus became useful, contented, and happy; would you be so, my aged friends? then go and do likewise. Your life is fast closing-death is very near to you, heaven or hell must be your portion-choose then while the gracious God allows you time-before the door of mercy is for ever closed against you. ADDRESS SUGGESTED BY THE FORM OF PRAYER APPOINT- I have felt such sincere joy at this national acknowledgment of the most High God-this recognition of his hand in our national afflictions of our sins as the cause of his power and wisdom as our only hope of relief—and am so deeply impressed with the neces sity of that humiliation, repentance, faith, and brotherly love, for which we are directed to supplicate in these excellent prayers, that I deem it a privilege to present to my congregation and neighbours a copy of them. From my heart I pity that man who does not rejoice in the call which is made by the sovereign of these realms upon his subjects. Britain's King, and her Princes, urge her to pray-to own a long. neglected God-to forsake sin-to love, pity, and help each other. Auspicious was the hour in which such a resolution passed the board of his Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council. May the feeling which we may charitably believe prompted it, run like the electric fire through the land, and spread from heart to heart. May our humiliation be truly sincere. Unless this be the case, whether we address the divine Majesty with a form, or without one, we shall bring upon us a curse and not a blessing. |