ANECDOTES. QUERIES.

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utmost endeavours to restore to your Petititioner that honour he has been so unjustly deprived of, and thereby avert the divine displeasure which now hangs over this nation for these things. And your Petitioner, &c. &c.

ANECDOTES.

A ship in distress this last winter, somewhere near the Swin, was observed by a Barking fisherman, who immediately went to assist and relieve the crew, whom they took on board their smack. On her going down (for she sunk) one of her crew jumped on board, and rushed into the cabin at the risk of his life, to fetch something he bad forgotten; but great was their surprise when they found this precious treasure was-a Bible!

A good woman, who used to say she should never want-her God would supply her need-in persecuting times was taken up and carried before an unjust judge for attending a conventicle, as they styled her offence; who, on seeing her rejoiced over her, and tauntingly said I have often wished to have you in my power, and now I shall send you to prison, and then how will you be fed ? to which she replied, If it is my heavenly Father's pleasure, I shall be fed from your table; and that was literally the case, for the judge's wife being present at her examination, and being greatly struck with the good woman's firmness, took care to send her victuals from her table, so that she was comfortably supplied all the time she was in confinement; and in this she found her re ward; for the Lord was pleased to work on her soul to her real conversion.

The late Rev, Mr. Grimshaw had a cow to which he was remarkably attached; and the thoughts of her often interrupted his most serious meditation on this account he determined to dispose of her; and the farmer who came to view her, asked if she was sold for any fault-to which he replied, her fault will be no fault to you," she follows me into the pulpit,"

QUERIES.

WHAT are the duties incumbent on man in a natural state, in order to acquire an experimental knowledge of the gospel of salvation? Seeker after Salvation.

SHOULD Christian legislators make the degree of punishment-God has assigned to crimes in the Old Testament, a guide to them in framing their laws?

MR. HEWITT.

Obituary.

[Extract of a Letter to the Editor.] Sir,

To place the precious remains of a good man in the silent tomb, without more than the tear which bedews the mourner's cheek, is, in my opinion, no small reflection on surviving friendship, not to say piety. Indeed, when nothing remarkable has distinguished the deceased, the writer of an Obituary has not that strong motive to present his friend to public notice, nor does the public enjoy that high gratification which distinguished good ness or greatness is sure to inspire: yet to announce the death of those who have advocated the cause of Christ, is a tribute due to their memory; and to deplore such an event, is the duty of every Christian.

In looking over the Biography and Obituary of your valuable Magazine, I have been concerned not to find the name of Mr. Hewitt :that name, I trust, is written in the Lamb's Book of Life: let it also be inscribed on that tablet, which, while it mourns the mortality of the Man, exhibits the privileges of the Believer.

With the parentage and early habits of Mr. J. Bewitt, I have little acquaintance kie was, I believe, born at Bishopston; educated at Wilton; apprem ced at Sarum ; and, during the greater part of his life, he resided in London. A few years since, a wealthy uncle of his died, and bequeathed to him almost the whole of his property. Being attached to the rural scenes of the village, he took leave of the great metropolis, and retired to the place of his nativity; and here it was, on Thursday, the 25th of July, 1805, that he closed his vafuable life, in the fifty-third year of his age..

Till about two years before his death, he lived a 'harisee, stranger to God and himself;

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strongly attached to the form of godliness, but totally unacquai, ted with the scheme of redemption; and, being ignorant of God's righte ousness, he went about to establish his own, till it pleased God, who is rich in mercy, to call him by his grace; conducive to which event, Divine Providence devised the following means:

In the early part of his life, he formed an attachment to a Miss Kaimes, then of London; but his expectation of marriage with her was frustrated; and she entered into the conjugal state with a respectable person of the name of Dudman, with whom she lived many years. At length Mr. Dudman died, and left her a widow, with four chil dren. Some time after this event, Mr. Hewitt, who had resolutely continued single, renewed his for mer acquaintance with Mrs. Dud. man; and they were imited in mar. riage. For a time, she accompa nied him to his parish-church; but the gospel, to which she was warmly attached, not being preached there, she became very uneasy. fully consented to accompany her Mr. Hewitt perceiving this, cheeroccasionally to some neighbouring places of worship, in which the truth was faithfully declared. soon perceived a considerable dif ference in the doctrines; and, in time, gave a decided preference to what he heard at the meetinghouse. Still, however, his venera. tion for the old walls induced him to engage Mrs. Hewitt to accom. pany him at times to church. The preacher, irritated at the introduction of religious zeal into his parish, and at, the partial secession of the respectable warden (for such was Mr. Hewitt) began most violently to attack the Dissenters. This mode of proceeding was far from conciliating; and Mr. Hewitt determined to take his final leave of a place which he could not attend without personal insult. About his time, it was proposed to intro_

Hẹ

OBITUARY.

duce the gospel into the village: to this Mr. Hewitt cordially acceded; and with all the energy of a man engaged in an affair of the greatest importance, he surmounted every obstacle, and procured a suitable place for worship, and a regular succession of preachers.

Mrs. Hewitt, and her Christian friends, had soon the satisfaction of perceiving the improvement of Mr. Hewitt in the knowledge of Christ; so that no doubt remained in their minds as to his real conversion to God. The delight which was thus occasioned, was considerably augmented by the pleasing prospect which now presented itself of extensive and continued usefulness. To be saved himself was Mr. Hewitt's first concern; to save others was his next: - to sit at the feet of Jesus himself, and to place others there also, were all his de light. His friends will not soon forget the joy that beamed in his Countenance when the little sanctuary was crowded with attentive hearers, while he himself hung on the preacher's lips. It was his unspeakable happiness, while laying himself out for the benefit of his fellow-creatures, to find in his partner a suitable help-meet; one who was not only the instrument of his conversion, but a never-failing encon rager of every good work. By her suggestion, he formed two charityschools; one for the Lord's Day, and another for the week-days. These institutions demanded no small

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sacrifice of time and property; but no sacrifice was thought too great when the public benefit required it The schools prospered beyond expectation; and the hearers so in. creased, that a new chapel became necessary. In the erection of which Mr. and Mrs. Hewitt were second. ed by the liberality of the public. The place was opened, the congre. gation continued to increase, and every thing wore the most pleasing aspect.

Mr. Hewitt was all attention, all exertion. His graces seemed to acquire a sudden maturity; and his friends conceived that the Lord was either preparing him for some distinguishing post in his church, or a more exalted place at his right hand:-of the latter there was then no apparent probability: the conclusion was therefore in favour of the former*.

On Lord's Day, July 21, Mr. Loader, of Fordingbridge, delivered a striking discourse on Mat. xxiv. 44, Be ye also ready," &c. Had the preacher received an inti mation from Heaven, that one of the congregation would appear before God in a few days, his dis. course could scarcely have beca more pertinent or impressive.

On the following Wednesday, the congregation being disappointed of a minister, Mr. Hewitt read one of Mr. Burder's Village Sermons, viz. that on Labour not for the meat that perisketh," &c. He read this discourse with uncommon cuery:

Mr. Roberts, late of Sarum, to whose faithful and unwearied labours the interest at Bishopston is much indebted, in one of his letters to Mrs. Hewin, when in London, thus writes: "You will of course expect me to say something about your beloved Bishopston. It is possible, that you are already in the possession of more information than I can communicate. However, as 1 kusw a repetition of any pleasing occurrences will be grateful to you, w:il just say that no preaching opportunity has been neglected since your departure. The first Sabbath, Mr, Mwas there; being a stranger to the road, he lost his way t he did not arrive till late; when, to the credit of your dear partner, to the glory of God, and to the joy of my soul, and I am sure to the joy of yours also, he found Mr. Hewitt reading a sermon to a crowded audience." The writer then states succeeding lectures, and by whom preached; and then observes, "Atall which opportunities Mr. Hewilt often acted as clerk. Oh what has God wrought! Is any thing too hard for the Lord? Behold a gentleman lately surrounded with a circle of polite acquaintance, now relinquishing them for the society of the poor despised followers of Jesus! Those hours on the Lord's Day afternoon which occasionally had been spent in conviviality or sapineness, are now devoted to the instruction of the indigent, both children and adults & and at the seasons of public worship, taking an official part in carrying on the cause of God. Is not this the Lord's doings, and drycilous in our eyes?

The good work, begun in the lifetime of Mr. Hewitt, still continues; and there is a pleasing hope that the blessing of God will render it prosperous. J. E. Wilton.

MR. ROBERTS. THIS paper records the sudden departure (in the 56th year of his age) of Mr. Edward Roberts, of Upper Eatington, in the county of Warwick. His last years have exhibited an instance of rural retirement on a plan that combined enjoyment and usefulness in no common degree. Having acquired considerable property, in 1799 he determined on retiring to his native village but his intentions were by no means directed to selfish in dulgence, or slothful repose; no: disengaged from care, he resolved to devote the closing years of

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