kindness friendship could show; and for which I have ever retained a grateful sense to God and them. I wrote to the woman in London, who had left W. C--'s Experience at our house, to get me a lodging; who answered me in the affirmative. Before I set off, I called one day at a friend's house, who appeared very uneasy at the thought of my going to this woman's, in London; and at last told me plainly, she had heard that she kept a house of bad fame. I was thunderstruck; but concealed my fears. However, I called at her sister's in my way home (at whose house we held our prayer-meetings) intending to tell her what I had heard; but she desiring me to look over some tradesmens' bills for her, 1 set about that first. On the back of the second bill was written this very suitable text, which hushed the storm in my mind into a profound calm and sweet serenity: Say to them that are of a fearful heart, be strong," &c.

66

I set off to London in the stagecoach, had good company, and a safe journey; and had wrote to R. to meet me at the inn. When half way on my journey, Satan, poured out such a flood of temptations, as to what I was to meet with when I got to town, that I seemed almost sunk in darkness and despair; and thought if I had not got so far on, I should certainly have turned back, given up my profession, and entered the world again; but the Lord, always gracious and merciful, brought the 23d Psalm, word by word, to my mind; and as I repeated it, the tempter vanished; and in the strength of that Psalm 1 entered the city of London.

She was very

have been praying for!" She proposed my coming to live with her then; but I did not find my mind at liberty. I therefore took an apart ment in the city; and began a day school, with five scholars, her eldest daughter being one. I had not been there more than a few weeks, before I was seized with a fever; which confined me to my bed a long while. Mrs. P. got me a nurse, and a physician, and was very kind in paying me every attention of friendship. In this illness the Lord gra ciously manifested himself to me a second time, forgave my sins, healed my backslidings, and restored me to his favour. I again thought I should die; but "the Lord dealt bountifully with me!" I recovered from my illness, gave up my school, and lived with Mrs. P. thirty-five years, to the day of her death. kind to me; and with her I enjoyed the privilege of all the means of grace; but during this time, I have had such proofs of the desperate depth of wickedness in my heart, and the root of bitterness has so unexpectedly sprung up again and again, that I have been a wonder to myself, and am so to this day. now thirty-eight years since he first spoke peace to my soul; and from the day I set foot into the city of London to the present moment, the 23d Psaim has been daily fulfilling, and is now fulfilling; and, surely, I ought to believe what remains to be accomplished. The going safely through the valley of Death will also be fulfilled; for faithful have I always found him that hath promised, and faithful will he ever be; for his mercy endureth for ever!" Providence throwing me in the way of Mr. Wesley's people, I joined that society; but did not profit by his mi

It is

I found the class aud sociely-meetings very profitable; and formed a close connexion with a few of the members, which continues to the present time. A Mr. M. who preached for Mr. Wesley, I was inuch profited by: his sermons suited the taste of my soul; but in a twelvemonth he, with many of the people, separated from Mr. Wesley; and I went also. It was a painful heart searching time; but I believe the

Lord led me the right way. I continued under his ministry, which was very lively and evangelical, for many years; but at length he fell into evil practices, erroneous doctrine, &c. and my friend P.'s family, and self, were obliged to separate from him. Mrs P. and I prayed, for two years together, to be directed to a faithful pastor, who would feed us with knowledge and understanding, according to his gracious promise: at which period, the Rev. J. Newton became Rector of St. Mary Woolnoth, Lombard Street, London; and there we found food for our souls, and a settled rest. His ministry has proved to me the finest of the wheat and honey from the rock Christ. Under him I have been fed in green pastures, and led by the waters of quietness: so exactly has that pro

mise been fulfilled.

I have gone on reading the Old and New Testament regularly thro' for 38 years, in private by myself, without any comment; and for want of more prayer and meditation, have not profited as I ought: nevertheless, through the superabounding goodness of my God, he hath frequently made it a feast of fat things to my soul. By gentle degrees, the Spirit of God has unfolded one important truth after another; and several texts that were never cleared up to my satisfaction, either by preaching or books, have been sweetly explained, in a way which left not a doubt upon my mind that it was the real meaning; and some time afterwards, Mr. Newton has been led in his sermons, to speak of them exactly in the same light. Thus did I see eye to eye with him.

After a few years, my mother (as I called her) was reconciled to me; and could not help owning the Lord had indeed taken me up. She left me a legacy, in token of friendship and I hope found favour with God herself. Many also of my other friends were reconciled; the work of God in the town I came from prospered, many were added to the little society; and I was favoured by Providence to visit them at several different periods, and rejoice with them for all the wonderful works of

XIV.

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grace and providence toward us. I had two kind and friendly sisters, who loved me; but they did not love my ways of religion. I often prayed for them, and I hope not in vain, tho' I had no assurance of their salvation, not being present with either when they departed. By their death, Providence gave me a sufficiency to maintain me decently in my old age; and he gave it me just at the juncture when my eyes and my strength failed, and rendered me incapable of being serviceabic in the family. O what shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me!

[The following is added by a Friend.]

The faith of this good woman was of an operative kind, and evidenced itself by her great attention to and sympathy with the poor; --conversing and praying with them; for which she had a happy talent. Tho' small her own fortune, she had influence, which she exerted, to provide for the necessities of the poor and distressed. She was a Dorcas indeed; and in winter made warm garments for the poor: and when, thro' her loss of sight, she could not do it herself, she employed the poor, and paid them for making clothing.

She used to visit the hospitals and workhouses, and even Newgate, while her health permitted, to converse and pray with the afflicted, and was made useful to many. She was a very attentive hearer of the word of God: her behaviour was a constant reproof to whisperers in the house of God. She was a woman of prayer and faith with meditation. She was confined near three years to her house; and for some of the last months of her life entirely to her chamber, with a broken arm, which she bore with the greatest resignation to the divine will; and instead of complaining, was recounting the mercies of God to her, in providing for the supply of her wants, and in fulfilling that promise," Thou wilt keep him perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee." Her loss of sigut and deafness would have been a great trial, had she not been su favoured of the Lord; but, from the time her arm was broke, she was like

and a situation offering, as an ap. prentice to Mr. Bryer, Surgeon, Weymouth, it was embraced. In this situation he remained more than three years: during which period his amiable disposition and engaging manners won the hearts of all his connexions. His applica. tions to the duties of his situation, and his intense ardour in the pursuit of general knowledge, particuJarly of the healing art, injured his constitution, not originally strong, and brought on a rapid decline, of which he died.

During his last illness, he was not allowed, nor indeed able to speak much; but when he did speak, he never uttered a murmuring word. He enjoyed great composure, and expressed entire resignation to the will of God. He said that Christ was the foundation on which he built. His future prospects were bright and cheering; and as he ap. proached the verge of eternity, conveyed his sentiments to those about him, in the words of Dr, Watts: "Oh glorious hour! O bless'd abode ! I shall be near and like my God! And flesh and sense no more controul The sacred pleasure of my soul !" In relation to himself he had no anxiety; but when he thought pon the afflictions of his parents, his amiable heart melted. He wept; and his earnest request to them was, "Do not grieve for me beyond measure." Such an exhor. tation must be very needful, he be ing their only child; and such a one too, that his father has said, his conduct never gave him half an hour's uneasiness in his life; and that he had never occasion to say, "John, why do you so?" From this narrative, let the reader learn the importance of true godliness in life and in death. His death was improved in a funeral discourse by the Rev. Mr. Cracknell; and hich was attended by a large and respectable congregation.

B. C.

MRS. E. PHILP, WHO died at Truro, Sept. 19, 1805, had been a professor for some years; but had never expe

371

rienced the love of Christ so remarkably as just before her death. About two days before this period, she sent for a friend, to inform him of the state of her mind. It appeared to him little short of Heaven itself to be in her company. She said, though she had known the Saviour before, yet never in the way she now did. "Jesus," said she, "is with me. Jesus, thou art precious to me! - I shall soon be with thee. Death is lovely since Jesus is mine! I know this body must see corruption; but my soul will soon be with Jesus! Oh the name of Jesus! how sweet me!" On her seeing her husband weeping, she said, " My dear, don't give way to those tears; but look to Jesus, and trust in him for ever." When turning to the friend, she said, "I love my tender hus. band and children, they twine about my heart; yet I can leave them all for Jesus, who is more precious to me than all beside! O that I had but strength to tell you what I feel! but I hope to meet you in Heaven!"

-

to

On being sent for a second time before she died, she held out her hand, and said, "I have sent for converse about Jesus: O you to that I had strength to speak what I feel! O spare me a little, that I may recover strength to speak for Jesus," &c. After which she talked sweetly of him for some Among other things, she said, "Death is a solemn thing: here is no deception! I am fully se. sible of my end being very

time.

Dear!"

On her brother coming in, she said, "Are you come to see your dying sister?

You will see her die

in Jesus" with many other precious things, which the limits of this Obituary forbids mentioning,

until the hour of dissolution ar

rived; when he breathed out her

soul into the hands of Jesus, saying," O sweet Jesus, sweet Jesus!" and spake no more. Her funeralsermon was preached from a text chosen by herself (1 John iv. 16.) at Ebenezer Chapel; of which she was a mueml er, J. D.

Christian Politics. By Ely Bates, Esq.

8vo, Price gs.

He

MANY able attempts have been made to shew the influence of civil government upon the power and wealth of nations. The author of this book points out the relation it bears to objects of far higher importance. writes to remind us, that the advancement of real virtue and the happiness of mankind, is the only just end of all human purposes and endeavours, - to explain its connection with civil polity, and of both with religion, to state the reasons there are for contentment under any moderate government, and to enforce a due regard and submission to the actual government under which we live. The design is laudable. The book before us contains four parts.

Part I. contains A View of Civil Government, in its Influence on Virtue and Happiness, chiefly from the Relation it bears to Liberty and Property.

Part 1. On the Importance of Religion, both to Society and the Individual; with Reflections on Religious Establishments and Toleration. In this part of the book he considers toleration without an establishment,-an establishment without toleration, an establishment, together with a toleration, either partial or complete; and concludes with Paley, "That an establishment, with a toleration, especially when the toleration is complete, is preferable to either of them separately; inasmuch as it unites liberty of conscience with means of instruction, - the progress of truth with the peace of society, the right of private judgment with the care of the public safety." He then points out how an established church may support herself under a complete toleration, viz. by providing the best means of spiritual instruction and edification, advancing no unjust claims of superior purity to other churches, either in point of doctrine, worship, or discipline; and even when such claims are well founded, not to assert them with a disproportioned or unhallowed zeal, &c.

Part III. On the Conduct of a good Citizen, particularly under any mode. rate Government. To guard against any wrong impressions he might re ceive from new and plausible political theories, and to regulate his expectations by what is practicable in the present state of human nature, and the existing circumstances of public affairs,➡ to distingaish real political evils from imaginary ones, to avoid an idle curiosity in political matters, - to be ware of hasty attachment and blind devotion to any party; aud, lastly, never forwardly to urge his public claims or pretensions, nor beyond what the com mon good may require; and when this, on the whole, is provided for, to rest satisfied in the quiet and faithful discharge of the duties of his present station.

Part IV. On the Way to live happily under all Governments, and in all Situations. The foundation of the happiness, proposed by our author, must be laid in peace of conscience, and ia holy and well regulated affections; the doctrine of providence a source of comfort to good men :- on the import ance of distinguishing providence from necessity; and relieving considerations from the pliability of man to his external situation, - from the great and good examples frequently displayed in a hostile period, and froin the general vanity of the world, &c.

We have furnished our readers with an analytical view of a book which we cordially recommend to their attention. Should a statesman be inclined to give it a perasal, though it may fail to add any thing to his stock of political science, it may suggest to him a train of reflections which before might seldom have engaged his mind. He might be led from the transient and varying regulations of human laws to eternal and immutable morality; and from the imperfection of human government to the perfection of the divine. Should the reader be of a more religious character, he may learn from a perusal of this vo