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ance are requifite. What a difplay | do good and to communicate forget

of felf-denial is it to fubdue a violent paffion, to tame a fenfual inclination, or to forgive an apparent affront. We must have some good acquaintance with ourselves, in order to practise aright felf-denial, or even to be useful to the world.

not, for with fuch facrifices God is well pleafed. And we are exhorted never to be weary of well doing. And we do the most good to mankind by a holy and religious life. Beyond difpute, the important business of life is to honor God, and do good to man. This fhould be our grand aim. But if we be unacquainted with ourselves, or do not attend to our station and rank in life, or confider our relation to, and connexion with others, our advantages and abilities, we fhall not know how to be most ufeful to the world.

It may be added again, igno. rance of ourselves will be a hindrance to many parts of religious and devout exercises. Particu

Every good man will ardently wish to have his life ufeful to the world. To be in the creation of the Almighty a mere cypher-a cumber ground-altogether ufelefs, in our day and place, is a moft painful idea. We should defire not only to have our death, whenever it fhall come, peaceful, But our life ufeful. Our defire fhould be not, only to be free from the curfe of being mifchievous and peftilential to fociety, but to be of actual fervice and benefit by frown-larly, in the duty of prayer. For ing on vice, and by encouraging virtue. But if ignorant of our place and station, of our abilities and capacities, it is impoffible to know how we may be the most use. ful. Our principal concern, in our day and station, fhould be to glorify God and to be ferviceable to man. Indeed, one of the best ways of confulting the divine glo. ry is in being as ufeful as may be in our sphere, to our fellow-men.

Some have carried this point fo far as to affirm that no religion is of any worth except what confifts in the practice of moral virtue, and doing good to man: that all beyond or befide this, is either fuperftition or fanaticifm-a mere delufion. The candid muft look upon this, as a very great and dangerous error, though efpoufed by men who call themselves philofophers, who boaft in having broken loose from vulgar prejudices. For doth not juftice require us to love and ferve the Supreme Being, the author of all our mercies, as well as to do good to our fellow-creatures. To

he who does not know himself, will not know his fpiritual wants, either the mercies which he needs, or fins which he ought to bewail. "Our hearts, fays Mr. Baxter, would be the best PRAYER-BOOK, if we were well skilled in reading them. Why do men pray, and call for prayers when they come to die, but because they begin a little better to know themselves? And were they now to hear the voice of God and confcience, they would not remain fpeechless. But they that are born deaf, are always dumb." Self-ignorance will keep us from a commendable degree of fervor in our addreffes to the throne of grace. The direction is, in holy writ, to be fervent in fpirit, ferving the Lord. It will likewife prevent our ordering our thoughts and speech aright, and confequently be inftrumental of preventing the grace and gift of prayer. We shall be dead and formal in the duty, as we too often are, if we do not feriously confidler what we are, and what we are

about; to whom we pray, and for what we pray.

the mother, and was a very re markable inftance of early piety. Prior to this afflictive event, both Eufebia and her hushand had profeffed the Chriftian religion, and fupported a fair unblemished char

It will prevent a due and accept able acknowledgement of the rich bleffings daily received from the beneficent hand of the bountiful benefactor of the univerfe. In-acter. But from this period, Eufedeed a good acquaintance with our own make and temper is neceffary in order to know what bleflings are fuitable, as well as fafonable for us, or to be affectionately grateful under the receipt of them. For how can we be duly thankful to God, as long as we are ignorant of ourfelves.

These are some of the unhappy confequences flowing from ignorance of ourselves; of not know ing what manner of spirit we are of. There are many more, but what have now been stated, though briefly, are fufficient to excite us to the needful work of STUDYING

OURSELVES.

TO THE EDITORS OF THE CON-
NECTICUT EVANGELICAL MAG-

AZINE.

GENTLEMEN,

bia's piety began to fhine with a more diftinguished luftre, and continued to increase to the closing fcene of life. Her laft fickness was a flow confumption, and her decline commenced more than two years before her death. From the beginning of her fickness, I often visited her, and had very frequent opportunities to obferve her temper of mind, and the exercises of her heart. At first her diforder did not, in the view of her phyfician, put on any dangerous fymptoms.

After fome months its na

ture, and probable termination were more clearly perceived. On the first appearance of danger, I noticed in her strong defires of longer life; but not without evidences of fubmiffion to the will of God. The motives of thefe defires feemed all to have been drawn from the tenderness of her mater

She often

THE particulars, contained in the following account of Eufe-nal affection; not from an attachbia, are real facts. Although it ment to the world, nor a dread of is a number of meeting her God. Since they years took place, yet they made fo deep expreffed herself in nearly the folan impreffon on my mind, that I lowing language, "My children are all young-they ftand in emiam confident every material circumnent need of the counfel, inftrucstance has been faithfully narrated. tion and guidance of a motherYou will publish them, or not, as you fhall think will beft promote to be the happy inftrument of trainI long, if heaven would permit, the important objects of your ufeful Magazine. ing them up for God." But fhe was foon convinced that even these defires, innocent and rational as they at first appeared, did not juftify the smallest reluctance to an

Yours, &c.

PHILOTES.

EFORE I had the pleasure

febia, she had entered the marriage ftate, and had become the mother of feveral promifing children. The oldeft, a daughter, died before

to the divine will. She was foon taught, that should her health be restored, and her life continued→ fhould her endeavours be ever fa

a defcription of the joys of heaven. He reprefented it as a place of the most intimate communion with God and Chrift, with angels and faints-as free from all pain & forrow, and from all fin, where no remaining depravity would inter

unwearied, and ever so faithful, yet that the could be nothing more than a feeble inftrument of good, to her children. That if they were faved from fin, and interested in the great Redeemer, it must be altogether the work of divine grace. That feparate from natural affec-rupt the glorified faint, in the endtion and felfishness, the had no lefs exercife of holiness, nor pregreater reafon to defire their falva- vent his conftant communion with tion, than the falvation of others. the great fource of moral excellenAnd that if God defigned them cy. To the whole of this degood, he could, and would raife fcription fhe gave a close attention, up inftruments to effect his own but when the fpeaker came to enpurposes, and provide means for large on the laft particular, an exaccomplishing his own defigns. tacy of delight feemed fuddenly to feize her foul, joy fparkled in her eyes, and the interrupted him with the following exclamation, “That, fir, is the heaven that I am longing to enjoy. The fingle circumftance that fin is there inadmiffible, in my view, is the crowning perfection of its joys. If I know my own heart, I defire no heaven, but a heaven of finless holiness. could I conceive it poffible that fin would accompany me to that world, that thought would mar the glory of that inheritance of faints. But bleffed be God for the indubitable affurance we have, that at death the body of fin will be completely deftroyed. To die, is a trifling fac rifice, for the obtainment of fuch an infinite good." In this temper of mind, the continued day after day. Holiness was all her delight; and if at any time her views of its excellency, and defires of finless perfection were lefs fenfibly experienced, it excited more painful fenfations, than all the anguish arifing from her great bodily pains.

From the time that the obtained thefe convictions, her appearance was like one totally difengaged from this world. She became ha bitually, and fixedly difpofed to traft all concerns her own life and death, together with the temporal, and fpiritual interefts of her family and friends, and the church of Chrift, for which the manifefted the strongest affection, in the hands of God. In health, fhe had been a most prudent, and faithful over feer of the domestic concerns of her family. But as her weakness rendered the labor of that employment impoffible, the totally relin quifhed it without the leaft apparent regret. Her time, as far as the feeble remains of ftrength would permit, was now wholly devoted to the bufinefs of religion. In her daily converfation, the manifefted an increafing fenfe of the odious and deteftable nature of fin, and far greater defires to be intire ly freed from it, than to be delivered from her bodily pains, which were extremely diftreffing. Το footh her mind under fuch acute diftrefs, and to gratify the ardent breathings of her foul after communion with God, and Jefus Chrift, a clergyman, on one of the vifits which he often made her, gave

And

Her diforder now rapidly increafed, her ftrength diminished, and the concluding fcene evidently drew nigh. She had, in the moft tender and affectionate manner, committed the whole concerns of the education of her children te

wholly overcome the languishing fufferer, and bring on her immediate diffolution. But as foon as he approached her bed, fhe first addreffed him, in the following words. "I know fir your errand

My husband is dead-I learned it from the lamentation of my orphan children-But God is juft and holy.-For weeks I have been wifhing for death-now I defire to live a little longer at least one day more.-I thought I had already faid every thing to my children, which was likely to promote their

her husband, in whom, under God, her heart confided. She had, as the thought, addreffed both to him, and them her laft advice; in which all the wife, all the mother, and all the faint glowed in her heart, and flowed from her lips. She had committed the church of which he was a member, and the general intereft of religion, to her God and Saviour; firmly believing that all things in the univerfe would be ordered in the wifeft and best manner, and finally terminate in the most perfect difplay of the divine perfections, and in the high-good-but I trusted to have left eft poffible felicity of the redeemed family. Death was now at the door, and to human view fhe had nothing to do in time, but to breathe out her foul to him who gave it. For this event fhe waited with unreferved fubmiffion, expecting and hoping that every day, and every hour would be her laft.

them, under the care of an affectionate father-I doubted not he would often repeat to them my dying advice, and by every mean in his power, inforce it on them.They are now to become orphans indeed-This unexpected change in their fituation fuggefts to my mind new advice for them, and I truft in God, will enable me to

feech you, fir, to unite with me, in prayer to God for this favor-for life and ftrength to give one more leffon of inftruction to my dear offspring.It may be that God will bless it to them." She delivered thefe fentences with great difficulty, interrupted with long paufes, arifing from her extreme debility.

But it pleafed a fovereign God tó referve her for a new, unex-prefs it with new motives.-I bepected and most diftreffing trial. Her husband, who, during the whole of her fick nefs, had enjoyed uninterrupted health, was inftantaneoufly feized with the moft excruciating pains. His whole frame, but more especially his bowels were in indefcribable agony. Large portions of laudanum, which were frequently administered, for a fhort space afforded him a fmall relief. But his pains foon returned with increasing violence, and in about twenty hours put a period to his life. A clergyman, who was prefent, was defired to give information of this awful event to Eufebia, who lay in a different apart ment of the house. He entered her room with thofe fenfations which such a scene could not fail to inspire, and with anxious fears left the diftreffing tidings fhould

And by the time she had finished the laft, her strength was intirely exhaufted. Her eyes were clofed, her refpiration fhort and difficult, but ftill her countenance calm and compofed. Refpect for her forrows, impofed profound filence on all the fpectators. In lefs than half an hour she revived. Prayer, at her request, was attended; in which the appeared to join with great devotion. It pleafed the God of all grace to gratify her wishes. She furvived her huf

band about fourteen hours. Dur- TO ONE OF THE EDITORS OF THE ing a confiderable part of which, CONNECTICUT EVANGELICAL fhe had intervals of abatement of MAGAZINE.

pain, great clearness of thought, and uncommon facility of expreffion. Thefe, to her, precious moments indeed, the improved with all poffible zeal, in addreffing her children on the all-important concerns of time, and eternity. She explained to them the leading and more important doctrines of Chrif tianity-the depravity of the human heart-the nature and neceffity of regeneration, repentance and faith. She taught them their duty to God, their fellow-men and themselves. She held up Chrift to their view, as the only Mediator, and only Saviour; laid open his infinite ability to fave and befought, and obtefted them, with all the authority of their only furviving parent, and with all the tender affection of a dying mother, to enter without delay on a life of ftrict religion, to give to God the morning of their lives, and the dew of their youth. The knowledge, wifdom and piety apparent in thefe addreffes aftonished every perfon prefent, and at the time made deep impreffions on the minds of her children. Soon after this, death evidently began his work, and though by long ficknefs, and great pains the was extremely reduced and enfeebled, yet the agonies of death were prolonged for feveral hours; during which her mind remained compofed and perfectly rational, and the fervor of her holy affections, and the ftrength of her faith unabated. She expired at nine of the clock in the evening, and the and her husband were both buried in the fame grave. May her counfels be preferved as a precious treasure by her children, and her example inftruct furviving Christians!

SIR,

AGREEABLY to your requeft I tranfcribe, from my JourRev. Mr. Patillo of the county of nal, the following account of the Carolina. If it fhall convey to Grenville, in the ftate of Norththe mind of one afflicted Chriftian, a leffon of patience, and of submiffion to the will of God, your I doubt not, be highly gratified. feelings, as well as my own, will, I am, fir, yours, &c.

T

Z. LEWIS.

HE Rev. Henry Patillo is feventy-four years of age. His white, trembling, palfied head is filled with found and useful knowledge. He apears to be an eminently pious and faithful minifter of the gofpel; a kind and attentive hufband; an affectionate and indulgent father; a cheerful and pleafant companion; and a polite, noble and generous friend. Mrs. Patillo is an amiable and refpectable woman. Long have this unfortunate pair travelled hand in hand the high road to heaven. Often, on their way, have they been called to ftruggle with adverfity. A long and tedious diftance have they journeyed through the vale of extreme poverty. "Seven times, my fon," faid the good old man to me, "Seven times have we eaten our last morfel; and where to look for more, but to heaven, we knew not. To heaven we looked; and before we were again hungry, we were furnished with fufficient & comfortable food. It feemed," continued he, “it truly feemed as tho' a kind Provi dence had poured it down from above. Once has the Sheriff, (to fatisfy a demand against our poor

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