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for sale, acquire additional touches of sublime atrocity from the period at which they are enacted. The unfortunate animals and their scarcely more civilised attendants leave their native hamlets in the "stilly calmness" of a Sabbath's close, and are soon transferred to a scene which for demoniac wildness and torturing cruelty presents an analogy on which we are unwilling to dwell. The heart of the greatest metropolis, and the most sacred of all days in the week, have been hitherto reserved for the performance of these atrocities. How long it will continue to be so sig

nalised may depend much upon the constitution of the select committee, but rests still more with the sense of decency which has usually enlisted public sympathy and controlled public bodies. Whatever we may think of Sabbath-observance bills and the machinery by which their provisions could be enforced upon a mixed community, no man can regard the appointment of Monday's market as otherwise than a monstrous crime, and its urgent_repudiation by the members of the Farmers' Club leaves those who possess the means of arresting it without a word of excuse."

IRELAND.

WE continue to receive most appalling accounts from Ireland, not only of the unabated prevalence of famine and disease, but of the death of faithful ministers, schoolmasters, &c.

Yet the work of grace is prospering in the soil of this deep affliction; and

whether it be for the affording of temporal or spiritual succour, our readers must not think that they have done enough, and suffer themselves to become weary in well-doing. The state of the converts in the city of Cork is specially critical.

TRACTS IN DEFENCE OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

WE strongly recommend to our readers the Tracts in defence of our Church, advertised on the Cover. We greatly regret the necessity for such defensive

measures.

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CORRIGENDA.

In the Italian quotation, p. 224.

2nd line, for ciasam, read ciascún.
3rd line, for ouhi, read occhi.
4th line, for eader, read cader.
5th line, for Provéan, read Piovéan.

THE CHRISTIAN GUARDIAN,

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CHURCH OF ENGLAND MAGAZINE.

JULY, 1847.

MEMORIAL OF A LAST INTERVIEW.

"The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day."

If it is interesting to watch the progress of the morning light, from the scarce perceptible streaks of earliest dawn, to the unclouded brightness of noon-day; if it is pleasant to trace the seedling, through its successive stages, to the full-blown flower or shrub; if the expansion of the bodily or intellectual powers, from infancy to ripe age, be a subject worthy of attentive study: it surely cannot be otherwise than instructive and delightful, to contemplate the workings of a kindred principle-to recognize the footmarks of the same divine wisdom and beneficence, in the first dawning, the gradual, though it may be silent development, and the ultimate maturity of the Christian character-a process terminating in results, beyond comparison more momentous and enduring.

The following Memorial, intended for the consolation of her bereaved friends, and comprising little more than a simple rehearsal, in her own words, of the thoughts and feelings of one so dear to them, in the prospect of her removal from this world, appears (especially when viewed in connexion with her character from childhood) well fitted to illustrate the divine sentence which suggests this JULY-1847.

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train of reflection" The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day."

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The prevailing characteristic of her mind through life, as is well known to her friends, was truthfulnesscombined with an uncommon warmth of natural affection. "The good and true-hearted Henrietta," is an expression which has been applied to her by more than one who knew her in her earlier days. Connected with this, we feel assured, though at that period less prominently, was the fear of God. Henrietta," her mother once said to her, when a child of six years old, "I am afraid you do not love God" the words cut her to the heart, and she burst into a flood of tears. As she grew up, the extreme gaiety of her temper, and the exuberance of her animal spirits, was frequently a matter of annoyance to her governesses; but they never prompted a wish to participate in the dissipations of the world; so that when a companion once expressed a desire to go to places of public amusement, she felt much surprised and grieved by the circumstance.

About the age of seventeen her great natural vivacity of temper be

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came for a season overclouded, by distressing doubts and difficulties on the subject of religion. When these subsided, her mind settled into a deeper habitual thoughtfulness and piety. Naturally reserved on experimental topics, and latterly much hindered in her plans of active usefulness, by a nervous complaint of frequent occurrence, and attended with a degree of languor and debility, the depth and solidity of her principles were little known, perhaps, except to those few, to whom in conversation she at times unbosomed her inmost feelings. Those who knew her best can testify, that like the sun-flower, which ever maintains the same heaven-directed aspect, and, through clouds and sunshine, averts not its fixed gaze from the glorious luminary which is said to attract its regards from the dawn of life to its closing scene, she was not only marked by a beautiful ingenuousness of character, but she evinced a growing familiarity and communion with "whatsoever things are true, honest, just, lovely, and of good report." And in the rectitude of her life, and the exemplary fulfilment of every relative obligation, whether as a wifea mother-a mistress-a sister-a daughter-coupled with the eminently blessed character of her last hours, she strikingly confirmed the truth of the inspired saying-" Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace.

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Yes, blessed be God! his rich grace has enabled her to bequeath to her heavily afflicted family, a consolation which enables them to 66 rejoice," if not "from their sorrow,' yet amid their tears. We are made to feel that our beloved one is "not lost, but gone before"-gone where we hope, in God's good time, and through his unspeakable mercy, to rejoin and rejoice with her for ever.

Upon our being permitted, after a considerable interval, to approach her bedside, she gathered from the tenor of our remarks, what she appears to have had no idea of previously, that she was in all probability approaching her end; and her first words were, "Am I going to die?" Upon this sudden intimation, when

told to trust in her Saviour, her reply was, "Oh! but I am not sure-I have been such a sinner." For a few minutes she could not stay her mind upon her Redeemer; she was afraid of deceiving herself by a false hope, and said two or three times, "I have lived so little to God; I have had doubts, too—and my children, my children!" We set before her some of the more direct promises of God's word, and her mind seemed to be engaged in grappling with them-assenting to them as true and faithful, but not able to appropriate them, with a tranquillizing assurance, to herself. Her mother, reminding her of the thief upon the cross, appealed to her, at the same time, as to whether she had not long-for many years-been serving her God? She said, "Yes-but"-recurring again to the same objections. Still she

appeared to be in a state of uncomfortable suspense. In much anxiety her husband hastened off for our valued friend, the Rev. Mr. —, whom he knew to be at that time at Dr. S's, where some ministers of the Gospel were assembled for prayer, with reference to the prevailing national calamity; and begged him to come and help to comfort his dying wife." Mr. mended her case to the prayers of the clergy there, and in a few moments they were both at her bedside. Her mind had, in the short interim, under the blessed teaching of the Holy Spirit, been making a very sen

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com

sible progress; the passages of Scrip

ture adduced, had been telling upon her with astonishing quickness of effect; and already she was beginning to feel much more composure, when Mr. arrived. She took his hand, and looking up in his face, said, "Am I safe? are you certain of it?" He replied, by mentioning a few passages exhibiting the grace of the Saviour, upon which she said, "I do believe; but I should like to live a little longer, that I might live more to God, and be more active in his service." Mr. - prayed; and on our rising from our knees, a sweet, calm happiness illumined her whole countenance. Every shade of misgiving-all her natural reserve was

now over; it was as though she had thrown off an encumbering garment; truly, as our friend said at parting, "at evening time there was light." She said, "I do believe-I am sureI am so happy; and it came so suddenly. He is such a Saviour-none but Jesus." She begged that texts of Scripture, and verses of hymns might be repeated to her. When one of her friends repeated the lines:

"There is a fountain fill'd with blood,

Drawn from Immanuel's veins; And sinners plunged beneath that flood, Lose all their guilty stains:"

she accompanied him all along, adding, even such as I."

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When expressing about this time, the pain of separation from those so dear to her on earth, upon being asked if she was not willing to part with them, she said, Pray that I may be so;" and we shall soon see how graciously our prayer was answered. Indeed she now began to express, in a manner to which no language of ours can do justice, her happiness in going to heaven-her love to her Saviour-her deep convictions of sinfulness. She then bade her sister good-bye: saying, "my sweet sister, and gentle nurse, you have been like a servant to me-you will, I know, watch over my children, and be often at C. She said to her mother, "Come to me, my precious, my lovely mamma, who taught me the way to heaven when I was a child, and who has been every thing to me ever since I was born; how sure I am of your following me there!" "My sweet, precious husband-my darling children, how I love how I have loved you-no one knows the love I had for you; but had I ten times as many, I would give up all to go to Jesus!" Her husband she charged to bring her children to heaven-to be sure not to leave one of them behind; and said, "how I will run to meet and embrace you, when you come there;" and she asked if it was wrong to pray that that happy day might be soon.

She took a particular leave, also, of her other friends and relatives, (of whom there were a good many present,) addressing them respectively

with words of comfort or counsel, and pointing out what she saw amiss, in a manner that came home to the hearts of each, (and it is hoped that her words are embalmed there, so as never, never to be effaced!) To an affectionate relative, who was deeply moved indeed, she said, "I was afraid to speak out, but I have been unhappy about you;" urging it impressively and affectingly upon him, to study his Bible, and to profit by it, &c. Another kind friend, a minister of the Gospel, she solemnly cautioned against worldly cares. То her brother, who suffers severely from depression of mind, she said, "I believe you to be a child of God, though you do not know it; a voice from the grave is, you know, said to be a voice from heaven; believe me, we shall meet in heaven." She afterwards enquired if he was shedding tears, which she thought would relieve him. To a lady, in a similar state of mind, she said, " Cast away your fears, and trust in Jesus; your health, indeed "- -At this time, overhearing one of her relations speaking of the amiability she had shown through life, and calling her an angel, she said, "Oh! I can't bear that I can't bear that I have been such a sinner-I wish to hear about my sins." She said she ought to say a word to her nursetender, whom she warned against false security and self-righteousness; and upon the nurse replying, "I hope to meet you in glory," she said, "Try and find out the way there." Several times she said, "Come to Jesus→→→ live to Jesus; tell them-tell every one to come to Jesus, to live to Jesus. Oh! it is an awful thing to die; and were it not for the Saviour, what would become of any of us?" She repeated the lines

"He will send down his heavenly pow'rs, To carry us above,"

asking to have the hymn said in which they occur. And she joined in repeating that, and almost every other hymn and text which was spoken, making short and beautifully just remarks-dwelling with much emphasis on the words, " 'perfect peace-stayed-stayed upon thee;"

and upon the text, "underneath thee are the everlasting arms," saying, "how wonderful! the arms of the great, the Almighty God." Then enquiring, what was the text that had given comfort to an acquaintance in a dying hour" His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me." She was delighted with this, "both-both his arms!" She spoke of the blessedness of being one with Christ; indeed she was as one who almost realized the beatific vision; for instance, in allusion to a passage in Revelations, she exclaimed-" What a harp; oh, what a harp.' And in dwelling on the prospect of shortly seeing her dear Redeemer face to face, she said, "Do you think I shall see the very wounds He suffered for us?" She spoke at the same time with gratitude of her earthly portion, "I have had a very happy life"and expressed her thankfulness for a religious husband, remarking that had she been united to a worldly person, she might have been led away. Upon his remarking to her, that "

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we had had many happy days together; but that brighter scenes far awaited her-awaited us both, than any we had witnessed on earth;" she replied, "Yes; oh, yes; and often in travelling was it brought forcibly home to me, what must be the surpassing glory and beauty of the heavenly world!" (or words to that purpose.) One or two minor points may be noticed, as evidencing her calmness, and self-possession, the absence of everything like enthusiasm ; and also her kind thoughtfulness about every one. She took her wedding ring from her finger, and placed it on her husband's, saying, "We have often been pleasant about this ring." She also begged him to tell her aged aunt, "how much comfort her eau de Cologne afforded her." During this time she often whispered, "Do not let me deceive myself-pray do not cease to pray for me' -such was her holy jealousy over herself. Having expressed a wish to see her children, they were brought to her, one after another, and she bade them each good-bye, as if she was going a short and pleasant jour

for me;

ney-telling them to "speak the truth, to read their Bible, to attend to their papa's instructions in it, and to love Jesus." May each of her dear children, through life, often think of this her dying charge to them! Then bidding their governess good-bye, she begged her to bring them up for God. On the youngest girl being brought to her, she said to her, while the dear child laughed in her face," darling, there is no use in speaking to you;" but addressing the nurse she said, "Oh, nurse, never leave my children; and will you promise to come to family prayers, and attend to your master's teaching, and do trust in the Saviour? Don't pray to the Virgin; put away your idols; and give up depending on saints. What should I now do if I had not the Saviour to trust in alone. Nurse, if you continue to trust in saints, I shall not meet you in heaven. Oh! do meet me there. Do come to Jesus."

She had in the earlier part of the day spoken of a cousin of whom she was very fond, and sent this message to him, Give my love to Wtell him I expect to meet him in heaven." She now spoke again of him, and said to his sister, "will you not speak to him? tell him I was thinking of him when dying. He once said, he felt no desire for the love of God. I think he now doesdoes he not?" Then hearing one of her relations say how much she should miss her, she took her hand, and said, "We have been sisters in love. I have no fears for you, dear Go on as you are doing, with more steadiness." To another she said, "Will you not be more energetic? do, dear; and do not be discouraged by fancied difficulties. Will you promise me this, dear?" She asked two or three times "when will it be?"-alluding to her death-" shall I suffer much pain?" She feared that if she suffered much, she might lose the comforting presence of her Saviour. "What a mercy it is," she said," that I was not taken in one of those paroxysms of pain, when I could not pray!" She often repeated, "I hope you are praying for me, that I may clasp the cross when dying. I should

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