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soul's salvation to all eternity; for which inestimable favour she felt the deepest gratitude towards her Almighty Redeemer. The sufferings of her body, already much enfeebled by so many afflictions, now encreased more and more; and sometimes her usual liveliness of spirit forsook her; but it was always improved by our dear Lord, to afford her some deeper views of the riches of his grace.

From the year 1793, her illness increased exceedingly; and she often suffered excruciating pains; - but our faithful Saviour granted her such a rich measure of patience, that we were often truly astonished at her child-like and cheerful deportment under such afflictions. We seldom heard her complain; but it was rather peculiar to her to take so tender a share in the sufferings of others as to forget her own. As in health her greatest delight had been to attend the meetings, or to go about visiting, counselling and assisting her neighbours, particularly the poor, among whom she seemed in her element when conversing with them on the things of God,-so she found it now very painful to be deprived of those privileges; and, as often as possible, she had herself carried to the chapel, or received the visits of her friends with expressions of the deepest gratitude for the favour conferred upon her.

On her birth-day she was remarkably cheerful and happy, and declared in a confident manner, that this year would be the last of her dying life; and her soul was filled with joy at the certain prospect of soon seeing her Redeemer as he is; and though in the most violent paroxysms of her complaint she would sometimes express her grief, that she could not converse with her unseen Friend as she wished; yet very frequently she enjoyed such bliss, as if she were already in heaven; concerning which she once declared, that she had been favoured with a glimpse of the future glory and happiness which awaited her above. Every new symptom of her disease, which she considered as a forerunner of her approaching dissolution, was noticed by her with inexpressible joy. Her persevering patience, her engaging and edifying conversation, her deep and unaffected humility, her uncommonly loving demeanour, and the gratitude she shewed for the smallest service done to her, all which continued invariable to her last breath, rendered it a real privilege to all who had the favour to attend her.

On the 25th of July she partook of the holy communion for the last time, with rapturous joy and deep humbleness of heart; and was during a heart-melting sense of the presence of God our Saviour, solemnly delivered up in prayer to Him who had chosen her for himself. After this she said, among other sweet expressions, His time is very near at hand; 1 will wait in stillness till he appears. Her pains and anguish

of body now prevailed to such a degree, that we could not behold her without the most tender sympathy. Her dear Redeemer's sufferings, and especially his agony in the garden and on the cross, proved a great consolation to her in this fiery trial. But yet,' said she, my sufferings are not to be com pared with those my Saviour endured. He, under his torments, was nailed fast to the cross; but I am tenderly turned about in my soft bed: to him they gave vinegar and gall to drink, in his thirst; but as for me, my mouth is refreshed with cooling water.' As she was no longer able to swallow any thing, there was nothing but this left, to afford her any refreshment amidst the burning thirst that tormented her; on which account she once exclaimed, in a heart-breaking

manner,

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Thy thirst and nauseous draught of gall,
Refresh' my soul in every thrall.'

In her last night, when her anguish was excessive, she said, 'O what an exchange! how sweet will it be to rest from sin and pain in the arms of Jesus!' Painful and afflictive as this dear sufferer's whole sickness had been, so uncommonly easy and pleasant were her last moments.

On the 27th of July, it was evident that her release was very near. She gave a sign of it to those around her, and when they began to sing,

The Lord's at hand; thy race is past;

Thou hast in view the prize;

Thy Father's house thou gain'st at last;
And Jesus greets thine eyes!

she expressed her approbation by a most heavenly smile and bowing of her head; and, a few moments after, her happy soul took its everlasting flight into the arms of her faithful Saviour.

She fell asleep in Jesus, July 27, 1795, at Kleinwelke, in Upper Lusatia, in the forty-second year of her pilgrimage in this vale of tears.

'CONSIDER HIM.'-HEB. xii. 3.

JESUS CHRIST, the illustrious Friend of man, should be the one grand object of a believer's meditation. This merciful Redeemer should be considered by us in early youth, and in advancing years, in the sinking hour of sickness, and in the rising hour of health, in seasons of sorrow, and in tides of joy, in a state of poverty, and when riches abound,

Consider the dignity of his Person. He is greater than Solomon in wisdom, majesty, and glory. He is greater than

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Moses: Moses was the servant, Jesus the Master; yea, the Lord God of the holy prophets: the Creator of the universe, and the Lord of all."

Consider his incarnation: one of the most singular facts that ever astonished the mind of man! Jesus Christ became an infant of days. The Deity, as such, could not suffer, he therefore stooped to take on him a nature which could. Whenever we speak of our incarnate Saviour, we mean Christ in our nature; by a miraculous conception, born of a pure virgin. This wondrous fact was foretold by Isaiah 740 years before it took place. The God of nature can reverse its laws at his pleasure, and convince the world that his kingdom ruleth over all,' and that he will for ever rule.

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Consider the mission on which he came. Jesus Christ came to do his Father's will; i. e. to fulfil all righteousness,-to magnify the law, and make it honourable, to abolish the Jewish ritual, to remove the shadows and exhibit the substance, abolish death, and bring life and immortality to light by the gospel. He came to gather together the elect of God which were scattered abroad; and, by the attractions of his love, and the exertions of his power, to draw all men unto him.

Consider his singular miracles. These must, at the time, make a great impression. No doubt they were designed to confirm our faith in him, and to raise our admiration of him. The miracles which he wrought were all benevolent. He healed the sick, he opened the eyes of the blind, restored hearing to the deaf, raised the dead to life and multiplied a few loaves and fishes so as to feed 5000 at a meal!

Consider his wise discourses. If the discourses of the servants are sometimes excellent, what must be those of the master? 'Never man spake like this man.' Let the Christian make them his study, let the preacher regard them as his model. No Saurin, no Massillon, is equal to Jesus Christ.

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Consider his prayers. His petitions were not frozen forms; he cried mightily to God at certain seasons. He continued all night in prayer to God. His holy soul went forth with his words. What angel's calculation can say how much we are indebted to his prayers! The 17th of John must make an everlasting impression on a pious mind.

Consider the compassion of his heart. The love of Christ is an elevated and an encouraging theme. It forms the grand chorus among the redeemed in heaven. He loved the church, and (therefore he) gave himself for it*? His delights were early with the children of men.' Let us often reflect on this love, to stimulate our admiration, gratitude, and circumspect obedience. The man who can forget such love, and neglect.

* Rev. i. 5, 6.

such a Saviour, without doubt deserves to ingly.'

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Consider his holy example. The model of perfection, — his amazing sufferings, his meritorious death, his resurrection and triumphant ascension! He was dead; but Behold he is alive for evermore!" 'To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.' MILES EMERITUS.

ORIGINAL LETTER

OF THE LATE REV. MR. BERRIDGE.

Dear Brother,

Everton, Nov. 26, 1771.

'MR. WINTER informs me of the death of your dear wife. You once knew that she was mortal; but she has now put off mortality, and is become immortal. Can this grieve you? O that I was where she now is!

Safe landed on that peaceful shore,

Where Pilgrims meet to part no more.

'She was once a mourning sinner in the wilderness; but is now a glorified saint in Sion. The Lord is her everlasting light, and the days of her mourning are ended. Doth this trouble you? She was once afflicted with bodily pain and weakness, accompanied with family cares, and harrassed with a crowd of anxious needless fears; but she is now arrived at her Father's house; and Jesus, dear Jesus, has wiped off all tears from her eyes, and freed her in a moment from all pain and care, and fear and want; and shall this afflict you?

She ranges now the heav'nly plains,

And sings with sweet, heart-melting strains;
And now her soul begins to prove

The heights and depths of Jesu's love:
He cheers her with his heav'nly smile,
She sings hosannahs all the while;
Or overwhelm'd with rapture sweet,
Sinks down adoring at his feet.

You have lost your wife; she has only for a few moments left an earthly husband to. visit an heavenly Father; and expects your arrival there soon to join her hallelujahs for redeeming love. Are you still weeping? Fye upon you, my brother, weeping because your wife can weep no more; weeping, because she is happy, eternally gloriously happy; weeping, because she is joined to the assembly where all are kings and priests; weeping, because she is daily feasted with heavenly manna, and drinking new wine in her Father's kingdom; weeping, because she is now where you would wish to be eternally; weeping, because she is singing, and singing sweet anthems to her God and your God! O shameful! weeping,

because Jesus has fetched his bride triumphantly home to his kingdom, to draw your soul more ardently thither. He has broken up a cistern, to bring you nearer, and keep you close to the fountain. He has caused a moment's separation to divorce. your affections from the creature; has torn a wedding-string from your heart, to set it a bleeding more freely, and panting more ardently for Jesus. Hereafter you will see how gracious the Lord has been in calling your beloved wife home, in order to betroth the husband more effectually to himself. Remember that the house of mourning becomes and befriends a sinner; that sorrow is a safe companion for a pilgrim, who walks much astray until his heart is well broken up.

May all your tears flow in a heavenly channel, and every sigh waft your heart to Jesus! May the God of all comfort, comfort you through life and in death, and afford us both a triumphant entrance into his kingdom! So prays your friend and brother in the gospel of Christ,

" J. BERRIDGE."

THE CLAIMS OF THE HEATHEN WORLD,

Sir,

To the Editor.

As the season is approaching in which the Annual Meeting of the Missionary Society is to be held in London, I am desirous of addressing to your readers a few thoughts on the subject of that Institution; in behalf of which I am free to own that I feel a degree of anxiety, not to say of jealousy. I am far from thinking that the great object of evangelizing the Heathen is abandoned by the religious public; but I can easily conceive that certain causes operate to render that object less prominent, less interesting, than it appeared a few years ago. One of these causes is the multiplicity of new institutions, which more or less have arisen out of the Missionary Society; or, in other words, the spirit of benevolence excited in 1795, has given rise to a variety of plans for the religious benefit of mankind. Few of your readers will hesitate to believe that if the Missionary Society had not been instituted, we should never have heard of the Religious Tract Society, of the British and Foreign Bible Society, of the Society for Missions to Africa and the East, the Hibernian Society, the London Female Penitentiary, or the Society for the Conversion of the Jews. I rejoice with inexpressible delight, that so many great and important institutions have been produced; and most sincerely do I wish that every association for the good of our fellow-creatures, whether at home or abroad, may be crowned with all the success that the most ardent of their founders and supporters can desire. Indeed, I have not a doubt that the effect of their combined efforts will be great and glorious, and

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