within me bless his holy name.' Here is my salvation and my hope, my God in whom I trust, to my life's end. Through his grace enabling me, I feel determined to devote myself to God in a perpetual covenant, never to be forgotten. O my blessed, precious Saviour! my all and in all! take, I pray thee, the full possession of my soul, and reign without a rival there," &c.

At another time she writes thus :"Now praise again be to the God of all my mercies, the God of my life, and my exceeding joy.

'O how shall words with proper warmth My gratitude declare,

That glows within my ravished heart;
But thou canst read it there.'

Yes, thou Searcher of hearts! thou knowest the feelings of gratitude which are too big for utterance. Thou readest the heart, and thou knowest all things, therefore thou knowest that I love thee, and I know that thou lovest me in thy Son. I feel a holy joy, which cannot be expressed, a joy which only God can give. He that believeth hath the witness in himself. Pardon my unbelief, gracious God, and grant henceforth that I may ever rejoice in thee. Though Satan tempt and the world allure, and an evil heart of unbelief would turn me aside, yet through God I shall do valiantly, for he it is that fighteth for us. May I ever eye the Captain of my salvation, for he spoiled principalities and powers, and he shall reign until all our enemies are put under his feet. Hail, then, thou mighty, matchless Conqueror! with all my heart I will praise thee, for though I am weak, yet in thee I am strong.

'The weakest saint shall win the day, Though death and hell obstruct the way.' "Reign, then, thou sovereign Lord of all, and let every human heart own thy sway, bow to thy sceptre, and every human tongue sing thy praise. Soon, I trust, I shall enjoy thee for ever, and praise thee in nobler

strains," &c.

Now, from these short extracts, taken from as many as would compose a small sized volume, written during the first seven years of her Christian life, you may form some conception of what was the state of her mind at that time. After this she wrote but little in the form of diary. Perhaps every few years you may find a paper, which testifies to the fact that she still holds

The

on her way, and, having clean hands, waxes stronger and stronger. following is from her own pen:

"I would once more record the mercies of God to me, the least of all his servants. It is, perhaps, eight years since I wrote anything down in reference to this subject-not for want of matter or time, but perhaps a diffidence in writing on the great things of God may have kept me back. His mercies to me have been great; providence has smiled upon my path; I have temporal blessings in rich abundance. In my settlement in life I see the hand of God: I have a kind and affectionate husband. I have health, and every necessary enjoyment. O, how shall I find words to express my obligations to him as the Father of mercy, and God of all grace! The redemption of the soul is precious, and yet he hath redeemed my soul from evil and sin and hell for ever. He hath borne my sins in his own body on the tree, and now ever liveth to make intercession for me. Bless his holy name for ever and ever," &c.

In some other papers which she writes about this time, she speaks of being appointed as a class-leader, and of her feelings and fears at that time. She also speaks of being a member of the church for twenty years; of the conflicts which she had, and her anxiety about the members of her class.

When our sister ceased to write in her diary, she employed her pen in another form, and wrote for the benefit of others. Amongst the pieces which she has left behind her, is a memoir of her beloved Mrs. - ; an original treatise; a very considerable number of pieces, suitable for recitation on a Sunday-school anniversary, some of which have appeared in our small magazines; remarks on sermons heard; and a goodly number of poetical pieces, many of which are original-the last of which was composed in March of the present year. On these and on other subjects she has left papers behind her. Our sister was a member of the church for more than forty years, and during that time, in all the departments in which she acted, she adorned the doctrine of God her Saviour. She was not a useless and barren tree in the vineyard of God, occupying room and space to no profit, and drawing moisture (from more fruitful trees. She was not a mere cipher in the Church from year to year, like some who remained

stationary, and do nothing but complain of the indifference and inattention of others. But she lived for God; she laboured for God and for the souls of others. In her early life she attended a missionary meeting, and on hearing of the condition of the heathen, she asked herself what she, could do for God, and she found that, though only a servant, she could do something for Jesus and a perishing world. On this principle she acted through every future period of life.

As a

In the public ordinances of God she was regular, sedate, and devotional. In the private means of grace she was simple, humble, and sincere. class-leader, she was intelligent, faithful, and affectionate. As a Sabbathschool teacher, she was punctual and serious, and anxious for the salvation of the children committed to her care; and she has left a paper on which she has written her feelings and fears respecting the children. As a friend of missions, she has always done something, and for some years past has superintended a sewing-meeting conducted for missionary purposes.

As a friend to the cause of God at home, her house and her heart have been open to receive the messengers and ministers of Christ to the very last. She was decided in her attachment to the church of which she was a member; but she was no bigot-she was no sectarian. She had too much good sense, and too much Christian feeling, to think and speak lightly of others because they did not belong to her church. She loved all them who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and truth. In her death this church has lost one of its most useful members, and her devotedness to its interests will long be held in affectionate and grateful remembrance. I pray that we may all be moved to imitate her example.

Her death took us by surprise. We had calculated on her presence with us for years to come. But her work was done. When she was first seized with affliction, her apparently vigorous constitution prevented us from indulging in dangerous apprehensions; and her importance to us as a church, together with, the high estimation in which we held her, rendered us unwilling to anticipate her sudden departure. But as days and weeks rolled round, it became too apparent that her days were numbered that her race was nearly run. Every attempt to remove her complaint

only seemed to accelerate her departure until at last the messenger of death arrived, and angels carried her immortal spirit to her God and Saviour.

There is a striking difference in the deaths of good people-I mean, in the external circumstances which attend the death of good people. The Psalmist tells us to "Mark the perfect man, and to behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace." The end of our

sister Blackburn was peace. She had no rapture in her last moments. Perhaps her constitutional temperament was not capable of it-perhaps the nature of her complaint operated against it. Be this as it may, she had no distressing fears in her last moments-oh no! these had long since passed away. She felt herself to be in the hands of God, and was ready to be disposed of by him according to his will and pleasure. She -seemed to say, If. I live, it will be to serve him; if I die, it will be to be with him. At the commencement of her affliction, or rather before she was confined to her bed, when conversing with her about the state of her mind, she said, "It is one thing to talk about resignation, and another thing to exemplify it; but I am labouring to say, and to say it with my whole heart, Thy will be done."" At another time, when conversing with her on the state of her mind (this was after her confinement to her bed), she said, "I rest my all on Jesus Christ. He loved me, and gave himself for me." And after I had referred to his ability to help and save her-to the all-sufficiency of his work-to the greatness of his promises-and to his faithfulness, and the like, "O yes," she said, "he is a faithful, promise-keeping God." If she had no particular rapture, she had no distressing fear. Her end was peace-a fixed and settled peace-a peace arising from a sense of her acceptance with God through Jesus Christ-a peace arising from a heart thoroughly established in grace and holiness-a peace arising from a freedom from all guilt and pollution-and a peace arising from a well-grounded hope of eternal glory. Her end was peace; and well it might, for to her to live was Christ, and to die was gain. If I had been a prophet, I should have predicted that she would die just as she did. I have known her for twenty years past-I have known so much of her enlightened piety, so much of her unfaltering integrity, so much of her

blessing. A scene now presented itself that no language can describe, as he said with a tremulous voice, "I'm going to leave thee." His articulation now became bad, and the remainder of his time was employed in repeating those Scriptures and hymns that had so often been a comfort to him in his journey through life. The last words that we could distinctly hear are contained in that verse of the beautiful hymn beginning, "Jesus, lover of my soul," &c.; his voice failed, however, before he could complete the verse, and it was only at intervals that he could repeat the last line, "O-receive-my soul-at last." In a very few minutes his struggles were over, and his manly form lay before us a lifeless corpse.

"His languishing head is at rest,
Its thinkings and achings are o'er,
His quiet immovable breast,

Is heaved by afflictions no more.'

Thus died one of my most intimate friends, and in that event the church at Felling Shore has sustained a considerable loss.

His death was improved by the writer to a very large and attentive congregation, from Job xiv. 10. EDW. SMITH. Felling Shore, March 25, 1854.

ELLEN OGDEN.

The subject of this notice was born in Bolton on the 5th November, 1784. While very young she removed with her parents to Stockport, where she became a scholar, and afterwards a teacher, in the large school of that

town.

In the course of a few years she removed to Ashton-under-Lyne. Here she became a regular attendant at our chapel in Stamford-street, and, in 1833, at the death of her husband, Isaac Ogden, who for some years had been a member of our church, she fully united herself with the people of God. Joining the class to which her husband had belonged, she sustained her connection with that class to the period of her death.

There was nothing remarkable in the circumstances of our late sister's conversion, but the reality of her change was sufficiently attested by her happy experience and her upright walk. Religion was her well of joy and her rule of life. No name was so precious to her as the name of Jesus, and

no conversation did she so much relish as that of which Jesus was the theme. "Sweet Jesus"-"Precious Saviour," were the well-remembered expressions in which she used to indicate her simple faith and her devoted affection. Christ, in her estimate, was the "fairest among ten thousand," and, in her heart, the "hope of glory." Her love of the Holy Scriptures was great, and well did she know by experience the worth of prayer. Daily and delightfully she communed with the Word and the Throne, deriving from them treasures of consolation and grace equal to all the necessities of her condition and the desires of her heart.

Sister Ogden was a consistent Methodist, as well as a sterling Christian. She was ardently attached to the classmeeting, and with her attendance there nothing was allowed to interfere. An occasional visit was not sufficient for her. She met for twenty years in the class of which the writer has now the happiness to be the leader, and it is questionable if she was ever absent half that number of times, except from personal or domestie affliction.

Her constaney at the means was not more commendable than her conscientious support of the cause. Small as was her store of this world's goods, she had always something to spare for the Lord's treasury; and though it was the widow's mite, how regularly and cheerfully that mite was brought, is well remembered both by the leader and the class. In these, as in other points of character, she was a model of Christian principle and Methodistic earnestness.

The last illness of our late sister was very brief, though for some months prior to her death there were increasingly perceptible indications of declining health. She retired to rest on the night of August 22nd, 1853, and in two or three short hours her spirit had escaped from its clay tenement, and winged its flight to the rest of heaven, Her last words were, 66 Come, Lord Jesus." "I am quite ready." "Come, Lord Jesus." "Be ye not slothful,. but followers of them who through, faith and patience inherit the promises." S. M.

RECENT DEATHS..

HANLEY CIRCUIT.

DIED, February 1st, Mrs. BARRATT, of Hanley, in the 78th year of her age. It is more than forty years since she

first united with our Church. Her Christian walk has been humble and consistent. Her pious and persevering efforts for the conversion of her family have been crowned with a pleasing. measure of success, and she died full of that peace which a firm reliance on the great atonement only can secure.

On the 22nd of February, Mr. THOS. BRINDLEY, of Shelton, aged 40 years. He had been united with the Church at Bedford and Bethesda about seven years. His Christian character was retiring, but uniformly consistent. His health gradually declined, but his inward man was renewed day by day; and when the hour of his departure came, he was eager to be gone to the presence of his Lord.

February 2nd, Mrs. GROVE, of Eastwood House, near Hanley, in the 49th year of her age. From her earliest years she enjoyed the inestimable advantages of piety at home. She became the subject of renewing grace in her youthful years, and continued to ornament her Christian profession to the period of her death. This event was painfully sudden and unexpected by her family and friends, but she was fully ready for the fellowship of the redeemed in heaven.

February 4th, Mrs. JAMES BARLOW, of Northwood, near Hanley, in the 53rd year of her age. From her childhood she had been connected with the Sunday-school and public ordinances of Bethesda chapel, though not united with the Church. During her long affliction her mind was gradually drawn toward God, and she became earnestly concerned for the salvation of her soul. She realized at length, by faith in Christ, a clear assurance of adoption into the family of God, and lived in the happy enjoyment of it for some weeks prior to her departure. During those weeks she evinced an ardent concern for the conversion of all the members of her household. Her prayers and exhortations cannot fail to be remembered, and we trust the desire of her heart will be given her.

On the 7th of February, Mr. JOSEPA SMITH, of Bedford, in the 47th year of his age. For upwards of twenty years he had been a member of the Connexion; and while health continued he was a circumspect attendant on all the

means of grace, and was zealous in the service of his heavenly Master. His affliction was protracted, and exceedingly painful to sustain; but he possessed his soul in patience, and cheerfully waited all the days of his appointed time, until his change did

come.

Her

On the 13th of February, Mrs. HANNAH PENK, of Shelton, in the 57th year of her age. For many years she had been united with our Church, having received her first ticket January, 1807; her last, January, 1854. death was remarkably sudden; but, as if she had been looking for a sudden call, she was often heard, for months before her death, expressing her anxious wish to be always ready for the Bridegroom's coming. She walked humbly with her God, and now she sees him as he is.

DIED, on the 12th of January, Mrs. CHARLOTTE FLETCHER, the beloved wife of Mr. George Fletcher, of Nottingham, aged 55 years. She had long been connected with our cause in this town, and was much esteemed on account of her consistent Christian deportment. Her sufferings during the last few months of her life were frequently severe, but her faith failed not. She now sleeps in Jesus. G. G. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints."

Nottingham, Jan. 20, 1854.

He

DIED, at Blyth, on the 31st of December, 1853, aged sixty-eight, GEORGE HUNTER. He was brought to God and united with our Church in 1814. was one of the original trustees of our chapel. For many years he enjoyed extremely feeble health. At the beginning of the present winter he began rapidly to decline, and for the last month was confined to his bed. On visiting him after he was seriously ill, I found that, though he was persuaded his sickness was unto death, he had a lively hope of the heavenly inheritance, and that not founded on the experience of days long since past, but on the present full and clear enjoyment of God's favour and blessing, the happy result of faith in the great atonement. He had peace in believing, and to the last his believing cry was

"O remember me for good,

Passing through the mortal vale;