The Happy death of Geo. White. [The subject of this brief memoir was the son of the late George White; an eminent believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, so many years known in the neighbourhood of Walworth. The following letter was given to us by the mother and sister of the deceased; and although it appeared in print some years ago, yet we feel a persuasion that its publication in the Earthen Vessel would be useful. Mrs Sarah Virtue addressed her aged father on the subject of her brother's death, in the following terms.] said, look, look, don't you see the fire HONOURED FATHER,-I here send you an account of the extreme sufferings, but, through mercy, the happy death of my dear brother George, to which I was an eye-witness. He was fourteen days ill, and was a wonder to every one about him; his medical attendant said he never saw one before suffer so much, and be alive. His pain was great indeed, but his joys much greater at last. He was almost the whole of the time insensible; at times he would be talking of coming to your house to see his parents, but His countenance was greatly changed being in a vessel could not get on shore. | indeed, for he looked all happiness and All this time we were earnestly entreat- joy, he still continued praying and praising God that his senses might be restored, ing God for his wonderful goodness tothat we might be enabled to speak to wards his poor soul. I read a great him concerning the state of his soul, and number of portions to him, which he enthe Lord, who is wonderful in working, joyed very much; about half past two, in goodness and mercy, heard and an- I said to him, you seem somewhat tired, swered our poor feeble petitions; for I had better lay down the book for a litblessed be his holy name, I went to my time; do, he said 'it is beautiful; but brother about six o'clock in the morning I do not feel myself able to attend to it on the day of his death, and found him just now;' he laid quite still for some perfectly sensible. I had with me Dr. time, I asked him if he felt much pain, Hawker's portions, and began conversing he replied, never mind pain, for all this with him about the state of his soul, and world is nothing to me now; he turned told him, as well as I was able, the mi- himself upon his back, and cast his eyes serable state he was in by sin, and read upwards; his speech was so much altered, to him such portions of Dr. Hawker as that I only now and then could underI thought were calculated to be of bene- stand what he said; I spoke to him sevefit to his condition, and the dear Lord ral times, he gave me no answer, but filled my mouth with arguments against seemed to be holding communion with the wicked, and for the righteous, that I his Saviour; a few minutes before three could not give utterance so fast as they o'clock, I perceived a change in him, flowed in. He began to be deeply affect- from this time he did not move in the ed with his lost and undone state, indeed least, but shortly fell asleep in Jesus. My he fell into such soul anguish, as I can- dear parents, I have given you the most not express; indeed, I may safely say correct account I am able; and hope you with the Psalmist, that the pains of hell will call my dear brothers and sisters togat hold of him,' and appeared to feel as gether, and tell them their need of a much as if he was in hell itself; at one Saviour. Your dutiful daughter, time he caught hold of my hand, and SARAH VIRTUE. The Funeral Sermons preached for the late Mr. John Stevens. HAVING in a previous part of this num- | for him: 'I have fought a good fight; ber given a brief notice of these sermons, I have finished my course; I have kept we now subjoin, what may be termed, a the faith; &c. There are three particurunning outline of the discourses; and lars which present themselves to our noa few other particulars connected with tice, in the text:the life and death of the deceased. In the morning, Mr. George Murrell took for his text the words of Paul in 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8. "I have fought a good fight; I have finished my course; I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them, also, that love his appearing." 66 "I. The conflict. I have fought a a good fight.' "II. The victory. I have finished my course; I have kept the faith." "III. The anticipated honour. 'Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness,' &c. After noticing these three particulars, I shall give you a slight sketch which I have drawn up, of my very dear departed brother. This crown is the common property of I.-The Conflict. I have fought a the whole family of God. These were good fight. All true christians are solthe words of Paul to Timothy, when im-diers; but their battle is not of a carnal prisoned at Rome, seeing the time of his departure was at hand. He writes to Timothy the second and last time, and says, Timothy! I charge thee, preach the Word. (See verses 1—6.) And then comes our text, I have fought the good fight,' &c. Looking back on his labours in the ministry of the Gospel, he finds nothing to regret; nothing to retract; nothing to improve; nothing to amend. The eye of his mind, while writing our text, ran over the whole course of his ministry; and he found it marked with fidelity; and now, just retiring from the field of his labour, he exclaims, I have fought the good fight; I have finished my course; I have kept the faith.' Happy man! thus blest with a delightful prospect of his approaching end; and the approving smiles of his God; and I know of no man, since the days of Paul, to whom these words are more appropriate, than to our departed brother Stevens. He might have looked back, while standing on the brink of eternity, and exclaimed, 'I have fought the good fight; I have finished my course; I have kept the faith.' How blessed must it be for a servant of God to be preserved through scenes of temptation from swerving from the doctrines of distinguishing grace! To be able to say, 'I have no repentance to make no regrets now.' I have known our departed brother for about thirty-seven And, methinks, I can become his representative now, and use the words years. nature. We fight not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers; and against the prince of the darkness of this world. You may tell the christian soldier by the weapons he carries; they are not carnal but spiritual. Every christian is a soldier, employed by God; and enlisted under the banner of the cross. The field of the warfare is principally his heart. No eye sees his conflicts but the omniscient eye of God; no ear can hear him, but the ears of him who heareth the sighing of the prisoner. His chief enemies are sin and satan. Against them he must struggle; and if not always in actual warfare, he must not throw off his armour; he must keep his sword by his side. Our dear departed brother knew something of this. From what I have heard fall from his lips, I know that he was a man who knew the plague of his own heart; who felt the conflicts of nature and grace in his own heart. And, if God's people generally have to contend with a warfare, much more so is it with a minister of the gospel. A considerable part of the christian minister's warfare, is against error; and it is essentially requisite that he have the shield of faith; his loins girt about with truth; and on his breast the breastplate of righteousness. These, our departed brother greatly enjoyed; much more so than in many others. Yes! he has fought a good fight! Well, he has finished his course, and is crowned! Friends! we are in the field!-he is gone! We have to meet the foe; he is crowned | removed to London, he removed also, with victory. He and soon joined Mr. Burnham's, and be- II.-The victory. "I have finished my course; I have kept the faith;' I have not turned aside; I have not swerved from the truth; and, through grace, I have come to the end." Could I have conversed with our dear brother at that time previous to his departure, I should like to have recommended to his notice this passage; and, no doubt, but with his great mind, at that time, he would have been able to throw great light on it. 'I have kept the faith.' Not the grace of faith, but the gospel of faith. He held it fast. All God's truth is invaluable. No part is to be kept back. To part with one branch of God's truth, is to spoil the whole. Our brother Stevens, then, kept the faith; he stuck to it. No one could ever advance one statement made by our dear brother, to contradict one made at another time. There is a vitality in God's truth. Iven now who were fed by our dear know that some have said that John Stevens was not an experimental preacher. I know better than that. He grandly displayed the doctrines of grace; but, in christian experience, John Stevens was rich, deep, and great. III.-The anticipated honor. 'Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness,' &c. You are aware that this is a figurative, and not a literal expression. Not a natural crown, but a crown of glory. It was that with which Paul was crowned. Our brother Stevens is crowned; and are not all saints crowned? Yes; Paul says, 'and not me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. A crown means to come to an honourable finish. Hence, the Psalmist "Thou crownest the year with thy goodness. Yes! in the joys of heaven, all the troubles and cares of John Stevens are terminated. But of this crown I can say but little, as I have never been to heaven. This I know, that though I am not so great a man as John Stevens was, yet my crown shall be as bright, and my harp as tuneful. I now give you a short extract of his progress, life, and death. brother! How many are there here this morning, who have lived happily under the ministry of your departed pastor! 1. Look at him as a man. Our dear brother was a strictly moral man. His character was blemished with no particular stain. He was exceedingly kind, and had great generosity in his feelings; and his kindness to his poor chrisitan brethren shall only be known at the last day, when all secrets shall be revealed. 2 As a christian. Our brother was a humble christian; and his lost estate was a burden to him. Frequently was he broken down before God in self-abasement. He was a man of what I should call rich and deep experience. 3. As a minister. Here I would say he was greatly gifted. He was sound in the gospel. His ministry was serious. No jokes-nothing laughable-but solid. I will tell you why I loved John Stevens. It was not beeause of the greatness of his ministry; not the vast expanse of his grasping mind; but his deep devotion in connection with his firm adherence to the truths of the gospel. His end was peaceful and happy. There were no clouds hovering over his mind during the ten last days that he was confined to his bed. On one occasion he broke out with the lines of that hymn, exclaiming He was born at Hardwinckle, in Northamptonshire, seventy-one years ago last June. He attended the parish church under the ministry of Dr. Hawes. The Dr. was made useful to him in penetrating his heart, when he was about fifteen years of age. When the family | Adding, 'All the glory; all the glory; 'I shall behold his face,' all the glory shall be thine.' The even-between these three as your late pastor. ing before he died, he poured out his Between that of Adam's and the circumheart in prayer for the church and for stantial system; I mean that of Abrahimself. His son was astonished at the ham's, and that order of things in which sublimity of his language, and the great- a greater than Abraham stands; I mean, ness of his mind when pouring out his that economy of salvation in which heart unto God, not long before he Christ is the head and reigning King, died." The system in our text evidently shews us a system of truth-substitutionary responsibility. In this economy, consider every thing as being given. 'I will be their God; and they shall be my people.' I shall never forget one sentence which I heard our brother Stevens Mr. Murrell then addressed, respectively, the widow, children, and friends of the deceased, as also the church; and concluded by saying that they ought to be thankful that they had his labours so long. About six years ago, Mr. Stevens was supposed to be on his dying bed, when Mr. Murrell visited him; and on Mr. Murrell asking him what was the state of his mind, he replied you can read it in those two hymns : "A poor, weak, and worthless worm, The other composed by Dr. Hawes, and "Oh, Jesus to tell of thy love," &c. The service over, the choir of the chapel sung Pope's Ode, or Vital, Spark; and the congregation separated. EVENING SERVICE. Long before the time appointed for service to commence, the avenues leading to the chapel were thronged; and numbers found it impossible even to obtain standing room. After Mr. Foreman had made the few preliminary remarks given in a previous page, he read for his text Gen. xv. 6. : "And he believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him for righteousness." You will find these words cited in the fourth of Romans, the third of Galatians, and in the second epistle of James. You say that this referred to Abraham, and can have no reference to our departed brother; I consider that Abraham was only what grace had made him, and our brother Stevens was no less. The words present to us, First. An evident system of truth; and, Secondly.-A personal case stated. If we look into the word of God, we find three distinct systems stated. Very few ministers so clearly distinguished we use. He said, 'Love, blood, and power will people the heavens with all that God has designed to be saved, in spite of opposition and hostilities.' Now, the question is, does God expect man to earn these things; or is it by God's free will? It is by Christ, in Christ, and through Christ. When God says, 'I will give my sheep life;' does not this imply that he gives all things connected with it? If a man has two shillings given him, which he has first earned, it cannot be called imputation. Tis not of human works, else the word imputation is done away with. II. A personal case stated. This was Abraham's personal case. This was our departed brother's case; and it is every believer's case. Whatever might be said by opponents of our departed brother, he was not saved by a faith of his own weaving. It would be much better if there were less judgment, and more truth proclaimed. will judge. God himself When we are asked, "Who is it that is to people heaven?" Why, the whole election of grace. 'And no one else? › No, not one. 'That is a cruel doctrine,' you say. I know some say so; but I do not think so; or else I should never have thought anything about God's salvation. If electing love is that which will embrace the election of grace, the next question is, what the sign of interest in this be, and what the cause. Well, the text tells us. The it must be looked at. Was it Abraham's believing, think ye? No; I should say not; for believing is imputed unto us; that is, a believing, or giving God credit. Did our Brother believe this? Did he not? Some will say, no: but where will you prove it? I can see nothing to prove that he did not; but plenty to prove that he did. Now, whatever a man is led to see, he I 6 66 sees it for himself, and not for another. I heard the voice cry loudly, "JOHN! may look another man's property, upon Thy time is up, thy work is done; yet I must not call it mine. He believ-"Thou hast fought the fight, and gain'd ed, and the Lord counted it to him for the prize, righteousness.' We now look at the text as relating to our brother Stevens. Our brother could look for nothing in himself, but all in Christ. Oh, how sweetly have I heard him speak on this point. He has stood fifty-three years in the ministry—a great while. He has lived many years in God's providence without wavering. He believed God and therefore spoke; and it's an awful thing when a man preaches a gospel which he does not believe; but which he hates; when he preaches it for filthy lucre-for a bit of bread. Mr. Foreman here spoke of what Mr. | Stevens believed; citing portions of sermons, which he, (Mr. Foreman) had heard Mr. Stevens preach, to prove what he said to be correct Mr. Foreman said that the first time he heard his brother Stevens, he went fourteen miles so to do. His text was, 'I will let, and who shall hinder?" He said, 'God is in one mind, he'll not do what he can, but what he will. So he preached; and so he believed. Thus (Mr. F. continued) I have stated the points he believed from personal acquaintance, and what I heard him say was made manifest both in his life and public ministry. Christ made all and in all was the foundation of my brother's standing. He believed there was a future inheritance, and it was accounted unto him for righteousness. Altogether, Mr. Foreman's was a very solemn discourse; and at the conclusion many declared that it was one of the grandest sermons that John Foreman ever preached. At the close of the service the choir of the chapel sung, with solemn effect, Happy soul! thy days are ended." 66 The Voice from Heaven, "Take thy reward in yonder skies. 66 66 Thy charge, o'er which thou didst "Leave that to Me; I will provide ; "When on the earth, that charge was "F'en then, and now, that charge is mine, Steady his counsel here below, What multitudes with warmth attest, Endow'd with gifts, inspir'd with grace, VERSES ON THE DECEASE OF THAT LATE His darling theme was JESUS CHRIST! GREAT MASTER IN ISRAEL, MR. JOHN STEVENS, BY ONE OF THE His person, love, and sacrifice; OLDEST MEMBERS OF SALEM CHAPEL. He preach'd him as the all in all. I heard a voice from heaven cry, "Write, blessed are the dead, "The dead that in the Lord do die," May satan, death, and hell defy. Up hill, down dale, Christ was his tale, |