"Tho' painful at present, 'twill cease before long, And then oh how pleasant, the conqueror's song."

Oh!

he appeared before me, hanging on the cross, | for her, she would give me a sign of the and looked upon me with such a look of same, if she was unable then to tell me. love, that I do feel I shall go to glory Well aunt,' she said, "if I cannot then through him.' I said, I am satisfied it is speak, I will, if possible give you a sign, and the work of God upon and in your, but dearly if not, take this as my dying testimony, I as I love you, and painful to natural feelings am fully persuaded of being with Christ;' as it has been, I would not, dared not, have and she said, 'I want to be with God, eternattempted to buoy you up with false hopes. ally shut in.' On the Thursday, her death By this time the water in her body had gained was fully expected, and willing to see the much upon her, yet no murmuring; and last of her here, four of us sat up with her, when her medical attendant plainly told her and she fell fast asleep, and to our astonishshe would not recover, but would live on ment in that sleep sang aloudearth but a short time, she received his statement with great calmness, and said there would be but little food for the worms; I said, Well, dear, I think Mr. B. told you very plainly what he thinks of you, I thought perhaps rather too plainly. Not at all aunt,' she answered, why should he deceive me? besides I do not wish to live on earth; we all must die once, and if God please I am quite willing to die now. On Lord'sday morning, December 27, 1846, the water so pressed her heart that her agonies were indescribable; we were indeed much grieved to see her sufferings, and at her request, sent for Mr. B. who performed the operation of tapping, which he went through with great firmness, and by which operation twelve pints of water were taken from her. On the Monday-morning she was very ill, and said to me, I almost wish I had not gone through the operation.' I answered, Why, my dear? She replied I should have been in heaven before this; for Mr. B. said the agonies I was enduring must have terminated my life before nine o'clock last night.' I told her there were bounds set for her time on earth, and till that moment came, she could not die, but God had promised strength equal to her day. She appeared happy in her mind, and in the evening fell asleep; upon awaking she cried out, 'Where am I? Where am I? I thought I was in heaven! But oh! I am back to this vile earth again!' and rising herself up in the bed, she raised her eyes with earnestness heavenward, and uplifting and opening wide her arms, she cried with a plaintive and loud cry, 'I want to go to Jesus! Oh, why? Oh, why do you try to keep me from going to Jesus? I long, I long, I want to go to Jesus.' I said, my dear, we do not keep you from Jesus: your times are in his hands, and may he give you patience till his time and your change come. She was asked if she felt the sting of death? she answered 'Death hath no sting to me; I long to be in heaven; I have been there; I am there now. Oh, am so happy, aunt! I cannot tell you how happy I am! Happy beyond expression.' After this, upon her telling me of the happiness she was feeling, I said to her, I should wish if possible, when she came into the swellings of Jordan, if she found Christ was with her, and heaven open

Hallelujah Hallelujah! Hallelujah! And did not awake for some little space of time; when she awoke she exclaimed, 'Oh! I have been to heaven; and have been along with my dear grandmother.' I said, how did you know it was your grandmother! she said, 'I knew her very well; and she knew me well.' I said, can you tell me what she said to you? No, aunt;' she said I cannot, for there were great numbers all so busy in singing, and I sung too, as well as I could,' (which we had a proof of, in her sleep.) Well, I said, how did your grandmother look, perhaps you can tell? 'Yes, aunt,' she replied, that I can; she was clothed with a long white robe from top to bottom, head and all.' She fell asleep again, and a dear aged pilgrim present said, these are glorious things, but I fear we shall not know by what means they were inwrought in her soul.' I said, perhaps we may; God is shewing out great things, and she may disclose this also. Well, after some time, she awoke again; and I said to her 'The last time you awoke, you told out such blessed things, that our friends here long to know when they were first powerfully impressed on your heart?' She immediately said, "Wel, aunt, I can tell you that also, the first 1 Mr. Skelton read and prayed with me. read the 33rd chapter of Job, and the L applied it as well as his prayer, to my sou; so that from that time I saw different, feit different, and felt changed altogether.' We got the Bible, and read the chapter, and she said it was no particular verse, but God spoke to her through the whole chapter. She was a little comforted in her bodily feelings a day or two before her death; and she said 'What do you think I am afraid of, aunt?' I said, I do not know my dear.

е

Well,' said she, 'I am afraid the Lord is about making me well again, and bringing me back to earth.' I answered, My dear, that is a vain fear; for assuredly you will never leave this bed till he take you to himself. She answered, Bless God for that. Oh! I shall be in heaven!' (and workin her fingers, as though actually engaged striking the cords of an harp already strung

'shall seize the harp, (as my dear grand- | on Saturday night, January 2, 1847; and her mother used to say,) and praise redeeming mortal remains were interred in the church love.' On Friday night and Saturday, dying, but quite sensible, she was asked how she came to Jesus? To which she answered, 'Poor and naked in myself, wanting all from him.' About nine o'clock on Saturday night she began saying aloud, and in the most expressive tone of voice, and with peculiar emphasis, expressive of inward, and heart-felt glory

"Glorious things are spoken of thee,
O, Zion, city of our God."

yard at Aldborough, in hope of a glorious resurrection, according to the word of the Lord,' they that sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him.' Thus lived, thus died, and thus was buried this elect vessel of mercy. And seeing it is recorded, Ps cxlv. 10, 11, 12, All thy works shall praise thee, O, Lord, and thy saints shall bless thee, they shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power.' What for? To make known to the sons of men, his mighty acts

And then immediately and most sweetly and the glorious majesty of his kingdom,'

sung

"What is this, absorbs me quite ?
Steals my senses, shuts my sight?
Drowns my spirit, draws my breath?
Tell me, my soul, can this be death?
Lend, lend your wings, I mount, I fly ;
O, grave, where is thy victory?

O, death, where is thy sting?"

And immediately said

"None but Jesus; none but Jesus;
Can do helpless sinners good.

A few minutes after she said, 'Grandmother
come.' And after this spake no more.

therefore, a public declaration of these Christ-glorifying, grace-exalting facts was made by me in a funeral discourse on the occasion, in Aldringham Chapel, from the words recorded in Job xxxiii. 29, 30. 'Lo! all these things worketh God oftentimes with man to bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living; the substance of which discourse was to shew that Jehovah hath a purpose to fulfill in the behalf of his men, yea, every individual one of those who are interested in his purpose of love, namely to bring back Reader! There is a divine reality in his soul from the pit of spiritual death and the religion of Jesus; it is a living re- darkness. 2. As he fulfils his purpose in ligion produced in the soul by the life-giving the behalf of his people, in quickening them power of God the Holy Ghost, so that its by his Spirit, he enlightens them with the possessors are enabled, through the power light of the living, making them to possess of the Holy Ghost, to triumph, to sing, and the light of life. 3. That for the accompto rejoice, even while passing through death's lishment of his purpose, he is pleased cold flood in the glorious prospect, and an- oftentimes to work by afflictions of body, for ticipation of everlasting bliss, and never-lo, all these things mentioned in the chapter ending felicity, in the bright world beyond the skies. But to return to the closing scene of our dear sister's life :

A little before her death, her medical attendant came into the room, about half-past ten; he said, 'she is dying fast; I should think she will be here a very little time.' I called up my dear friend to see the last of her. Mr. B. said what is that she is doing? She is giving some sign.' I said, Oh, sir, my dear niece promised me if Christ was present with her, and heaven open to her view, in the swellings of Jordan, she would give me a sign. Well,' said he, she has now done so.' Oh! said I, but I did not see it. She again raised her arm and waved her hand round her head in token of victory; again all in the room saw it but myself, which I cannot account for; I felt grieved at heart that I did not see it; and, with tears, I said to her, My dear Elizabeth, you have given the promised sign, but oh, your poor aunt did not see it.' She tried to speak, but was unable: but with great difficulty again raised her arm the third time, and waved her hand round and round her head; this time I saw it, and exclaimed, Victory! Victory! Victory! Her arm nor hand never moved after. She entered into rest, at a quarter past eleven

worketh God oftentimes with man to bring back his soul from the pit; and 4. To show or declare the ground of our hope that the Lord had dealt thus with our departed sister in Jesus. It was a solemn, serious and weighty season; and while the power of God was testified of, and witnessed to, the free grace dealings of the Lord were proclaimed. It appeared that many of the dear Lord's children 'rejoiced for the consolation,' while the tear of joy and sorrow on the cheeks of many seemed to tell that grace, and Jesus' dying love, hath a constraining influence when power goes forth with it, to melt the hard and flinty heart, while grace, free sovereign, almighty grace is the burden of the discourse, and Jesus Christ the subject of the song.

Thus, dear brethren and sisters in Jesus, ye who must soon pass the same way, I have given you an account of the dealings of the Lord with one who has gone before us into the land of bliss and joy. May you and I be found like unto servants waiting for our Lord's bidding when he shall say, 'Friend! come up higher;' and may the reading of the above account comfort your heartsgladden your souls -and invigorate your minds in the prospect of being called to

' prepare stuff for removing,' from this land | my crown at the Saviour's feet and be clothed of deserts, and of pits, this land of drought, with the robe of righteousness: I am only and of the shadow of death. A bright crown going a little before you; I shall be taken is laid up for us; a glorious mansion is al- from the evil to come, for there is a trial ready prepared for us; and all its bliss is re- coming upon the church; the Lord is comserved for us; and soon we, with all the ing to search Jerusalem with candles; and eternally elected, blood-redeemed, regene- many will fall away, but the weakest will rated throng, shall meet around the throne to stand, because feeling their weakness they celebrate the high praises of Jehovah Jesus; will cleave closer to Jesus. while we shall eternally share in the victories and triumphs he has won by his death on the cross, his resurrection from the dead, his ascension into heaven, and his glorious setting down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. So writes, so prays, Your's to serve in the bowels of Christ, WILLIAM SKELTON, S.S. Baptist Parsonage, Aldringham, Suffolk, Feb. 19, 1846,

THE DYING

"God is the refuge of his saints,

When storms of sharp distress invade,

E'er we can offer our complaints,
Behold him present with his aid."

I am going to mount Zion, the city of the living God; to the heavenly Jerusalem; to the general assembly, and church of the first born. Oh, the innumerable company, and Jesus in the midst as a Prince, and he has taken them there; eye hath not seen, nor ear hath heard, what joys the Father hath prepared for all the lovers of Jesus. I long to be with him. Cleave to Jesus, for he is

Testimony of William Lapworth, worth cleaving to.

Who departed this life, Feb. 22, 1847.

WILLIAM LAPWORTH was many years a serjeant in the police force; he was a member of the church under the pastoral care of Mr. Hughes, Trinity Chapel, Hackney, and was well known to many as a man that walked in the truth and fear of God. His remains were interred in the burial ground adjoining Dr. Burder's Chapel, on Thursday, March 4, when the following testimony of his faith and consolation in the article of death, (as taken down by his sister,) was read by C. W. Banks, after an address from Proverbs xiv, 32.

"My tongue above the rest shall tell,
My Jesus hath done all things well."

He sung

"How did my heart rejoice to hear,
My friends devoutly say,
In Zion let us all appear,

And keep the solemn day."

He said to his partner in life, and to his sister
How is it that you look so sorrowful, while
I am singing? You ought to rejoice too;
don't grieve; we shall soon meet again; the
river of Jordan is a wide river; but the valley
is not very dark, for Jesus is a light. He
again sung-

"Grace, 'tis a charming sound,
Harmonious to the ear,

Heav'n with the echo shall resound.
And all the earth shall hear."

DURING the affliction which the Lord caused him to pass through, he said, 'I have found Jesus very precious indeed; he is all in all to my soul." And as the time drew near for his departure, he said, 'My heart is steadfastly fixed upon Jesus; he is my only strength; he is a strong hold in the day of trouble; I have often found him to be a very strong hold; Oh, precious Jesus! Oh, if we were as faithful to him as he is to us how we should love him.' Four days before his departure, it pleased the Lord as it were to draw aside the vail-He said, I have seen the mansions in my father's house; so glorious was the sight that I cannot describe the many mansions; oh, the glorious sight! In my father's house are many mansions, if it were not so I would have told you; I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will came again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am there ye may be also;' and I am going to my Father; oh, the host of attendants! They seem to walk with such a glorious dignity that they cannot stoop to look down on creatures, only unto those that they are sent, their glorious dignity is so great. I shall cast 'The religion of Jesus Christ is very simple;

Oh, precious Jesus, what would the valley of
death be without Jesus? I am the purchase
of his blood; oh, more than conqueror !
To his partner in life he said, 'Cleave close
to Jesus; live near to him, and he will be
near you in the cloud, he will never leave you
nor forsake you, he will be your husband,
and your comforter; trust in him; you will
soon come too.' To his sister he said, 'Cleave
close to Jesus; trust in him, and be not
afraid; ' he is a brother born for adversity;'
he will be your brother, fear not; he hath
begun the work, and he will finish it; he will
soon give you the satisfaction without a
doubt of saying 'Jesus is mine, and I am
his; wait for him.' To a stanger, standing
by, he said, 'Do you know Jesus? Is he
precious to you? He is a friend to poor
sinners; he is so precious to me a poor
sinner that I would recommend him to you;
do you feel your need of him? Because
"All the fitness he requireth,
Is to feel your need of him,"