ANECDOTES. SPARE TO SPEND. MANY years ago, the writer of this heard Mr. Whitfield relate, in a sermon at the Tabernacle, the following anecdote, which has so good a tendency, that the insertion of it in this work may contribute to the promotion both of frugality and generosity, qualities which may reciprocally assist each other: -- Two persons, who were employed in collecting money for some public charity, knocked at the door of a certain gentleman, intending to solicit his donation. While waiting there, they overheard the master of the house severely reproving his servants for the waste of a small piece of candle. Judging from this appearance of extreme parsimony that he was a covetous man, one of them proposed, that they should lose no more time in waiting there, but go on to another house. The other person, however, thought it best to stay. At length they were introduced, when the gentleman, having read their case, immediately presented them with five guineas. The collectors, so agreeably disappointed, could not conceal their surprize; which being observed by the donor, he desired to know why they expressed so much wonder at the gift. "The reason, Sir," said one of them, " is this: We happened to hear you severely blaming your servants for losing an inch of candle; and expected nothing from a person who, we feared, was so parsimonious. Gentlemen,' replied he, it is true, I am very exact in the economy of my affairs: I cannot endure the waste of any thing, however small its value; and I do this, that I may save, out of a moderate income, something to give to God and religion! The moral is obvious. Masters and Mistresses of families, suffer no extravagance! Spare unnecessary expence! Spare, that you may have to spend for God;-and you, servants, avoid profusion and waste! Think not your masters covetous, because careful: it becomes both them and you to be careful, that there may be somewhat" to give to him that needeth.", G. B. A copy of this anecdote, pasted on the wall of a kitchen, may probably have a good effect. ON DUELLING, SIR CHOMLEY DEERING, Member of Parliament for the county of Kent, was killed by his intimate friend Mr. Thornhill, in a duel, the 9th of May, 1711. These gentlemen having sat too long over a glass of wine, it seems, began to nake personal reflections on cach other, which produced a challenge; and both of them were gric ved they had quarrel! some time before they fought; but, deluded by a false notion of honour, believing their courage would be called in question if they did not fight, they armed themselves with swords and pistols, went, without any malice, in the same coach, to the place where the matter was to be decided, and on the first discharge of the pistols, Sir Chomley was mortally wounded, and died a few days after, lamenting the unhappy occasion, and that none of their friends would be so good as to endeavour to make up the matter before they fought; for it seems there were some days between the challenge and the engagement: nor was Mr. Thornhill less afflicted than his dying friend, for the unfortunate murder which that false notion of honour had in ́cited him to commit on a gentleman in whose defence he would readily have ventured his own life at another time. I. have related this the more largely, that gentlemen, reflecting on this unhappy adventure, may, when passionate words are let fall, deliberate a little before they run headlong to their own destruction. It has been observed, that the Romans, the bravest men that ever ruled the world, gave no encouragement to this practice of duelling. They thought there was more honour in passing by an affront, than resenting it; especially in so outrageous a manner. The highest point of honour among them was, the saving the life of a fellow citizen; and among us, no man is thought brave till he has murdered a friend and shall Christians, whose very characteristic is a forgiving benevolent tempor, become more savage than heathens, by encouraging these barbarous encounters? The Parliament, it is truc, was so sensible of the inhumanity of the practice, that a bill was brought in this sessions (1711) to prevent the infamous practice of duelling; but it was unaccountably dropped ; and we have yet no law that sufficiently restrains gentlemen from cutting the throats of their friends and relations! for that absurd notion still prevails, That he is a scoundrel who refuses to be a murderer! : See Memoirs of the Life and Reign of Q. Anne. In reading the anecdote, in your last Number, upon "Infidel Wit repelled," I was reminded of a certain minister, who was more busied in the pleasures of the chace than in superintending the souls of his flock. This gentleman, one day, meeting with little sport, proposed to entertain his companions at the expence of an inoffensive Quaker, whom he had often very rudely ridiculed; and who was then approaching them. Imminediately he rode up briskly to him, saying, "Obadiah, have you seen the hare?" Why, neighbour, hast thou lost him? said the honest Quaker. "Lost him yes, indeed." Then replied he, If I were the hare, I would run where I am sure thou wouldst never find me.' "Where the D- is that " said the blustering son of Nimrod. Why, neighbour,' the other answered, I would run into thy study.' M. W. WILLIAM HUGHES. Obituary. He I LEARN, from the church-books, that about nine years have elapsed since he was called by grace. had frequently attended the preaching of the gospel; but the solemn providence of a brother's death first seriously alarmed his mind, and made him direct his views to eternal things. He was admitted member of a Christian church, in Banbury, in the year 1797; and since that time he has filled up the stations of a husband, a father, a servant, and a member of a Christian Society, with comfort to himself, satisfaction to others, and honour to the cause of religion. He had a pleasing gift for prayer; and the charch will doubtless feel his loss, at their social meetings for this purpose. The affliction which terminated his death was a rapid decline. This fatal disorder, in the course of a few months, reduced a vigorous frame of body to a truly deplorable spectacle; - but while his outward man decayed, his inward man was renewed day by day. He enjoyed an astonishing share of the divine presence; and in him the promise was amply verified, "As thy day is, so shall thy strength be." His conversation, in his last moments, will display the wonderful combination of Christian graces which richly adorned this departed saint. He His resignation was great. had not many months been united with an agreeable pious partner ;· he was the parent of an engaging child, about six or seven years old, the fruits of a former marriage; he was in the prime of life, and respected by all who knew him, yet, from the first prospect of death, he never breathed a wish for a longer respite; but left all his affairs in the hands of God. When I first went to see him, I asked him particularly, how his mind was affected respecting his worldly conHis reply was, "I am en cerns ? abled to leave them all in the hands of the Lord; I have never given myself a moment's uneasiness about them." His patience was equal to his resignation. Not a murmur escaped from his lips during a long and painful confinement. He was enabled eminently to illustrate the resolu tion of p'ous Job, "All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come." I saw him in one of the severest attacks of his pains, occasioned by wounds made in different parts of his body, thro' long confinement; but while writhing with agony, he was employed in admiring the goodness of God, or praying for divine assistance in his exigency: - Lord!" he exclaimed, "look upon a poor unworthy sinner, and send help from above." Had I then been required by an infidel, to prove the excellency of Christianity, I could not have done better than to have taken him to the sick chamber of this departing Christian; while I should have been induced to exclaim, with holy triumph, "Here is the patience of the saints !" His faith was strong, and founded on the Rock of Ages. It was his privilege to be assured of his interest in a covenant God. When I once asked him the state of his mind, he replied, "I bless God I can say I know in whom I have bclieved," &c. It was his felicity to be enabled to stretch out the hand of Faith, and appropriate the promises of the gospel to his urgent necessities. A few times the sunshine of Comfort was intercepted by clouds; but he was sensible that his doubts were the offspring of a tempter, working upon a weak frame; and he carried them to God, and received satisfactory and consoling answers from the throne of grace. At one time he said, “I am still enabled to rest upon a faithful covenant-keeping God. Blessed be God! he is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever." At another time, when doubts had intervened, he said, "I have been feasting on that promise, "When thou passest through the waters," &c. and strengthened by a dependence on its eternal truth, he added, "Yea, though I walk through the valley," &c. His love to his Redeemer was ardent. How did he long to depart and be with Christ! How frequently did he repeat, "Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly! Do come, dearest Lord!" Nor can I forget his once laying his hand upon his heart, and appealing seriously to Heaven, in the language of a zealous disciple of old, "Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee." - I His hope was truly animated. will mention one instance: -When I called one day, he was agonized with pain, and groaning beneath his tortures. I stood by the bedside in silence. He suddenly raised his head, and lifted up his hands to Heaven, while his dying eyes beam. ed with inexpressible delight, and exclaimed, with equal energy of expression, "Look unto me, and be ye saved all ye ends of the earth!" His humility was an ornament to the whole of these graces. As it it is an established custom at Banbury, on the death of a member, to improve the event by a funeralsermon, he selected Rev. xiv. 13, as suitable for the occasion; but requested that the latter clause should be left out, sensible that he was a poor unworthy servant of Christ; however, after an explanation of the nature of the passage, he left it to the minister's pleasure. He slept in Jesus, May 27, aged thirty-one. His funeral-sermon was preached by Mr. Cobbin, at the New Chapel, Banbury, on the Sabbath evening after his interment, to a large and crowded auditory. Banbury. J. C. MISS GRAHAM. THE Lord's dealings in provi dence are often very mysterious, especially in bereavements. Often are the young snatched away by death in the bloom of life; and the nore aged, whose usefulness seems nearly past, are spared. An affecting instance of this kind, has lately been experienced in the family of Mr. Graham, of Newbury, whose eldest daughter died on the 28th of May, aged seventeen last Christmas-day. The influenza, with which she was seized in March, left her in a very languid state, and settled upon her lungs; and proved the cause of her dissolution, after nearly eleven weeks illness, borne in an exemplary manner with Christian resignation. The Lord, in infinite mercy, very early in life enabled her to seek him, as her only portion; and to preter affliction with the people of God, to the enjoyment of the pleasures of sin. At six years of age she had strong convictions of sin; which led her to cry to God, in secret prayer, for pardon. At that time she had learnt, and repeated to her parents, "Dr.Watts's Hymns for Children;" but it was the ninth hymn, on "The all-seeing God," that more particu larly affected her mind, especially the second and last verses; together with reading that excellent book, "Janeway's Token for Children." Hereby she was led to reflect that prayer, and even secret duty, were not acceptable in God's sight, unless from the heart. From this time she had a clear view of herself as a sinful creature; and undone, without an interest in Christ. Family-religion, and the instructions of her parents, were much blessed to the establishment of her mind. - At the age of thir teen, she had a strong desire to join the church of Christ, under the pastoral care of the Rev. J.Winter; but was fearful of being rejected on account of her age. Sometime afterwards, clearly seeing it to be her duty, she opened her mind to a friend; and was cheerfully admitted, to the entire satisfaction of every member, as well as to the great comfort of her parents, at the age of fifteen. Her walk and demeanor, as a follower of Christ, was truly consistent, and gained her the esteem and affection of her Christian friends; and indeed of all, in the circle of her acquaintance; among whom she was ear nestly desirous of being useful, The Lord denied not her request. A testimony of this has been received by her parents since her decease, from a school at Islington, where she for some time resided *. She also bore an active part in the Sunday schools at Newbury; in which she took much delight. At the commencement of her illness, her mind was very uncomfortable for about a fortnight; and Satan was permitted to tempt and disturb her. After this, however, her mind was brought into a sweet, calm, and serene frame; which continued to the last period of her existence. Quite resigned to the will of God, her desire (as she often expressed it) was to lie passive in his hand, and know no will but his; and that her affliction might not be removed till sanctified. Frequently, when her parents inquired into the state of her mind, and said, they were fearful she would not recover, she answered, "I am quite comfortable; I have no fear as to the consequences of death, for I know in whom I have believed:" but (her affection for them being so strong) she could not bear to converse about parting. When talk ing one day with a pious friend, who expressed her doubts and fears as to her own state, she said, "I have had a thousand doubts and fears; but, I bless God, they are all removed! I think it is sinful for you to encourage them." When asked by her mother, the morning before she died, Do you still love Jesus? is he precious to you? and your only hope ?' She replied, "I should be very sorry if my love were so soon turned away. What should I now do? And were it possible for me to spend an eternity of what the world calls Pleasure, I would gladly resign it all to be with Christ!"When her sufferings were pitied (for it was distressing to hear her breathe) she said, "What is my suffering, compared to that of Christ! all his dealings to me have been mercy." She still grew weaker; having had no refreshing sleep, without medical assistance, for nearly ten weeks, till about two o'clock in the inorn 1 ing, of the 18th of May. After a very restless night, she said to the servant and a friend who sat up with her, "I am very sleepy lay me down, that I may go to sleep." She did so, and never awoke again; sweetly falling asleep in Jesus, without a groan or sigh. This striking providence was suit. ably improved by her pastor, on the morning of the next Sabbath after her interment, from Prov.viii. 17; and, in the evening, to young persons, by his assistant-minister Mr. Philp, from Prov. iii. 17. W. G. SUDDEN DEATH. ON July 26, died, in the thirtyseventh year of his age, the Rev. R. Densham, late itinerant preacher at Petersfield, and the adjacent vil lages, under the patronage of the Society called The Village Itinerancy, of which the late Rev. J. Eyre was Superintendant and Treasurer. Mr. Densham, on the 25th, had taken a one-horse chaise, with intent to meet Mr. Wilks and another member of the Society at Haslemere, about twelve miles from Peters field; where they had appointed to meet, to consult upon the propriety of erecting a place of worship in that borough. On coming into the town, the horse took fright, ran with violence into an inn-yard, where the chaise was overset; and Mr. Densham, falling with his head against the stable, had his scult fractured. The best medical help was immediately procured, but without effect; for, about three o'clock, the next morning he expired. The reader will judge of the sudden pang that seized the friends; their pleasures were turn ́ed into sorrow in a moment; and pen cannot describe how greatly la mented he died, having been much beloved and owned in his ministry. On the following Thursday he was interred in the chapel af Petersfield, under the pulpit, where, but four days before, he had been delivering two very impressive discourses, Mr. Wilks preached his funeral-sermon. * Mr. Colebrook and the Miss Martins, of Colebrooke Row, |