closed the year with God, as far as I can remember, in a better frame than ever.--Lord! How fweet! O! how sweet are holy duties, when my heart is quickened in them by thy blessed Spirit! None of thy commands are then grievous, but every thing in religion exceeding pleasant. O! bring me to the end. lefs joys and delights of the upper world. Jan. 1, 1733,4.] I fpent a confiderable part of this new year's day in fecret, rejoicing that God had brought me to fee the light of it.Begging the pardon of my paft ingratitude, and mif-improvement of divine favours.Imploring the gracious prefence of God with me, the whole of this year. I defired that if it fhould please God to fpare me this year alfo, I might be the care of his fpecial providence; be guarded by his good angels, be directed and profpered by him in all my ways, and reft entirely fatisfied in all the difpenfations of his providence. And efpecially that my foul might get good by providences, and be fat and flourishing under all the means of grace. That, through the influences of his bleffed Spirit, I might glorify him in every relation, condition, and circumftance of life; in all my actions, natural, civil, and religious, more than ever yet I have done. That I might wifely and faithfully improve my time and talents, fo as to give up my account with joy. Or if this fhould be my dying year, I humbly defired that I might have an eafy, a joyful, and TRIUMPHANT DEATH,* fince my dear Saviour had taken away fts fting-That this may prove a happy new year to me, whether I live or die. I examined into my experience of the new birth.And in the evening devoted myfelf to the Lord in an everlafting covenant.t Looking back upon the devotions of the day, I had reafon to hope there was fincerity and uprightnefs of heart in them, and that therefore, through a precious Redeemer, they would be pleafing to God, though imperfect. I defire to eye a glorious Saviour in all my tranfactions with Heaven. First I would look up to him for ftrength to do all. And then, when all is done, I would depend upon his merits, righteoufnefs, and interceffion, even upon these only, for my pardon, and the acceptance of my perfon and fervices with a holy God. Lord! I defire to fee myself to be nothing at all, and to see that thy grace is ALL IN ALL. Lord, enrich my foul more and more with the knowledge of thee! Beautify it with thine image! Delight it with the tokens of thy love and favour! And bring it to the vifion and enjoy. ment of thee, which is the top of its felicity! *In this he was remarkably heard, See vol. II. p. 297. He in a moft explicit manner renewed his covenant with God eighteen or twenty times. BIOGRAPHY. A BIOGRAPHY. T Dorchefter, May 2, 1805, departed this life, E. B. aged 30.-She had made more than common progrefs in human learning and the useful arts, but was unacquainted with real religion until about the 25th year of her age. She often expreffed it to a friend, and with apprehenfions that she should never arrive to fuch an attainment. Her mind being thus open to conviction, her friend conceived great hopes of her. The all important time foon came, when an entire change of mind took place. Balls, plays, and all trifling amufements, became diftalteful and always continued fo. Her converfion was very manifeft to herfelf, and to her friends. It was not accompanied with diftreffing fears and terrors, as often happens. GOD opened her eyes to difcern true religion, and fhe cordially embraced it. She expreffed furprise to a friend that, although there were in the houfe fo many books on experimental religion, she never before knew what it was. To thefe fhe now paid all attention. She was fapplied, alfo, with all the religious magazines that were published, and fhe perufed them with great delight. She paid ftrict attention to the duties of the clofet, and laid down for herself rules for her conduct in life. Thus fhe followed on to know the Lord. But, as too common with young perfons, her religious views, after a few years, became lefs bright, and her religious ardours fomewhat abated: but when her fickness came on, and God lifted up upon her the light of his countenance, all was light and peace. She faid fhe fhould always be thankful to God for this ficknefs; and expreffed the most lively fenfations of gratitude for his returning favours. In the beginning of her ficknefs fhe was under doubts and fears. She was, at times, greatly diftreffed. She faid fhe was afraid to die. She was unprepared. It was not fo with her as it had formerly been. She was the greatest of finners. She could do nothing to help herself. She was directed to look to Jefus to afk of God refignation to his will. Soon after, on a Saturday evening, her mind became more calm, and confiderably refigned; and the enjoyed the comfort of it the enfuing week, but he kept it to herfelf. On the next Saturday evening, her mind was fo deeply impreffed, that fhe could no longer refrain, but spake out with rapture" I am affured of my falvation-every doubt is removed!" And, through her whole fickness, fhe, for the most part, retained this trong confidence in the mercy of God, through Jefus Chrift. On On another Saturday evening, on hearing read a striking chapter of this Magazine, the had a very impreffive feeling of the realities of religion, and a longing for those events to take place which are ufually thought of with dread and terror. Thefe uncommon views of divine things, fhe remarked, were but of fhort duration. On Saturday evenings the feemed moft frequently to enjoy divine manifeftations. From evening to evening fhe had celebrated her Sabbaths. She remembered the Sabbath before it came, and fo ordered her worldly affairs as not to disturb the religious exercises of the evening. As her outer man decayed, her inward man appeared evidently more and more renewed. On the morning of a Sabbath, being asked the state of her mind, fhe replied, "my mind feems to be swallowed up in praife. The light and joy which I feel, you cannot conceive of, nor I exprefs. How wonderful the mercy of God to fuch a finner!" She thus knew by experience the meaning of that passage of scripture, "rejoicing with joy unspeakable and full of glory." On another morning it was fuggefted to her, that it was a Sabbath and a facrament day; and she was asked what were her feelings. She answered that her religious meditations were greatly bleffed this morning, and fhe had the profpect of a happy day; which she said afterwards fhe had realized. Her fifter flept in the chamber with her, and had the chief care of her. When the came down one morning in the early part of her fickness, fhe faid fhe had fomebody to take care of her, other than her fifter. When her meaning was inquired, fhe faid there feemed to be somebody around her bed, who was helpful and assisting, but it did not affright her. She was afked whether the faw any thing. She replied, no; but the felt the impreffion very ftrong on her mind, and, though fhe endeavoured to fupprefs it, fhe was not able. She was advised to cherish the impreffion, that it might be a heavenly meffenger, fent to comfort her. The Scriptures abundantly proving the prefence of kind, protecting beings with the people of God:1 and fuch paffages as thefe were repeated to her-"Are they not all miniflering fpirits fent forth to minifler to them who shall be heirs of falvation ?" The angel of the Lord encampeth around them who fear him ;" and Jacob fpeaketh of the angel who delivered him from all evil. The impreffion continued through her fickness, and was stronger towards the close of it. She faid the feemed to look to him for direction. She obferved to a relation, that it was her opinion that finging made one important part of the worship of heaven, and, had fhe not loft her voice the could not refrain from finging aloud. At a time when fhe had very lively views of the realities of the world to come, the faid to her mother, "when I am dead you will be weeping and mourning; but I fhall be finging hallelujahs to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." She converfed of her funeral with the utmost calmness, defiring that her coffin might be plain, and that all things might be conducted without parade and oftentation.-Being asked whether it did not make her feel difagreeably to talk on the fubject, the replied, "not in the leaft." She had privately contracted with a friend to procure and make her grave clothes; and, when they were brought home, fhe received them with pleafing fatisfaction, and laid them by fecurely. She repeatedly recommended to have all the things, neceffary for her funeral, made and ready, as that would be a time when there would be much to be done. The kind attentions of her friends in fupplying her with thofe delicacies which a fick ftomach in fuch a cafe craves, made her very thankful to them, and drew forth lively feelings of gratitude to God, to whom the looked, and from whose hands the received all her mercies. She would be affected with wonder and surprise that Providence thould fo order, that, at the moment oftentimes, the wifhed for a thing, the received it. Her fickness was long; but God favoured her remarkably. Her appetite held out almoft to the clofe of life. She flept about as well as in health, that he had no need of watchers. She was free from pain. Her faith was strong, her mind tranquil, and the enjoyed frequently fpecial tokens of the divine favour. So that to her numerous vifitors the was an eminent witnefs of the power of religion, and the piously disposed beheld with great delight that Scripture fulfilled-" he shall be kept in perfed peace whofe mind is ftayed on the Lord." "The chamber where the good man meets his fate Of virtuous life-quite on the verge of Heaven."* She was not, however, entirely free from the fiery darts of the adverfary: efpecially one evening, being taken with a puking, and thinking the fhould not live till morning, it was fuggefted to her that her religion was not real, which filled her with great diftrefs and trouble of mind; but though forrow endured for a night, joy came in the morning. She was firmly attached to the doctrines of grace, the religion of our pious ancestors, and in no degree infected with the loofe principles and practices of the prefent age. The great doctrine of regeneration, as fhe was fo happy as to be acquainted with it by experience, the felt deeply its importance. Being • Young. afked afked to recommend to a perfon to make a profeffion of religion and join the church, the replied, with much fpirit, “ I will never recommend fuch a thing to any one till they have experienced a change of mind." The trifling converfation and careless lives of many profeffors feemed to give a ftimulus to her exertions; for, to profefs one thing and do another, the detefted as grofs hypocrify. She mentioned with emotion and concern, that she knew fome, who, though notified of the facrament the Sabbath before, were fo inattentive and felt fo little its importance, as even to forget it when the time came. Her longings for the life to come were ardent, as appeared to all around her, and as the often expreffed: but then she would check herself-" I hope I am not impatient. O Lord Jefus, (fhe would fay) come quickly. O death, where is thy fting? O grave, where is thy victory? Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jefus Chrift!" Having a theoretic knowledge of the fymptoms which usually terminate fuch diforders as hers, fhe watched daily for them, and welcomed their appearance. She was anxious to know of her doctor how long the might continue; and, when informed that in one day it was probable her prefent life would end, the cried out, "O joyful news!" "In hopes of glory to be quite involv'd, Being asked, the day before her death, how were her views of the world to come, the answered-" beautiful.” On the day of her departure, her mind was fomewhat deranged through want of fleep the preceding night; but the manifefted the fame exalted hopes and firm confidence in the mercy of God through Chrift, which the had poffeffed through her fickness, and died without a struggle, and we truft her happy fpirit has taken its flight to the abodes of immortality. "Bleed are the dead which die in the Lord." "Our dying friends are pioneers, to smooth 'Cross our obstructed way, and make Welcome, as safe, our port from every storm. -Smitten friends Are angels, sent on errands full of love For us they languish, and for us they die." No. 1. Vol. III. C • Young. |