A pious saint matured for God, "I see the generous friend sincere! To fairer worlds above!" Well! thank God, a moment cannot always last! And "He who set my partner free, Shall quickly send for you and me!" Only let us take care that our loins are girt, and our lights burning as bright as hers, when our Lord cometh, and all shall be well! All who knew.my valuable companion, will allow that these pages contain but a small part of what might be said upon so every way amiable a character. But there is a day coming when her real value shall be made manifest! The honour of being united to such a woman, fills my soul with unfeigned gratitude before God! And although at present I am left to feel my loss, I am supported from above in a manner that exçeeds all description! The heartfelt presence of God, which, from the time he took my all of earthly treasure, I have not wanted, for one moment, more than compensates for the absence of all created good! if I can suppose her absent, who, under God, was the centre of all earthly treasure to me! And now, unto Him who had a prior right, I freely resign this all, because his right is infinitely superior to mine! In the act of offering a sacrifice so pleasing to my God, I feel that our union in him is of eternal duration; and that as sure as my beloved partner now sleeps in Jesus, even so surely will God bring her with him, and present her to me again: "For the Lord Jesus himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Serene she waits my spirit's flight, Reposed in those Elysian seats, How shall we sing and triumph there, Through whom we meet below: While all the saints stand listening round, The Lamb has brought us through the fire! Our glorious Head shall cleave the skies, BIRMINGHAM, March 29, 1795. JAMES ROGERS. A Supplement to the Appendix: consisting of Miscellaneous Extracts from the Journals of Mrs. Hester Ann Rogers. DUBLIN, Nov. 7, 1786. This day my soul hath felt much of the power of God, and a sweet solemnity, which I can but faintly describe. In calling to visit a friend who is dangerously ill of the pleurisy, I was led to bring her very near the time when I shall bid adieu to all beneath the sun. I saw it an awful thing to die; yet rejoiced to feel the sting of death entirely gone; and a witness, that if I was called like her to gasp for another and another breath, and to offer up my spirit, it would surely be into the arms of Jesus. But how was the importance of improving my present mercies impressed on my mind, the necessity of now employing every talent for God. In a state like hers, I should be very unfit to call upon God even for my own soul: much less would it be in my power to persuade, warn, reprove, or exhort others. My God has at present entrusted me with precious time and opportunities. O let me improve, and not betray my trust,-but only for thy glory live; and to thy glory die. In the evening my dear husband preached with peculiar freedom from "All are yours." In the course of his sermon he went through "Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death," &c, and in the last instance observed, "We are immortal till our work is done: till then, men and devils combined cannot kill." He likewise mentioned that memorable saying of King William, who, at the battle of the Boyne, when in the most imminent danger, exclaimed, (to encourage his men,)" Every bullet hath its billet!" Showing our life is in the hand of God alone; when, on a sudden, the congregation was all alarmed by a man with a large loaded pistol being seized at the door. I was in the gallery, and therefore ignorant of what caused the uproar; and my employment was to quiet the women, who were all for rushing down stairs, many of them ready to fall into fits. I had no fear whatever; the sermon had been a blessing to my soul, and I was kept in perfect peace. When I came into the yard, and heard the particulars, I found this villain came into the preaching house, and sat opposite the pulpit for half an hour, while Mr. R. was preaching; then, on receiving a watchword from his comrades, went out. And our maid, who at the same time came into the yard, unperceived in the dark, heard them plotting together, and resolving to fire the pistol at Mr. Rogers, and make off. Another friend, who was nearer than they imagined, also heard them muttering and cursing one of them, bidding him with the pistol, "aim at the cushion." In that moment the door keeper, and two other friends, desired them to quit the yard, when this fellow rushed toward the door with violence, and attempted to knock down brother Ransford with the but end of his large pistol; but he avoided the blow, and only received a slight hurt on the side of his head. The ruffian was then seized by a number of our friends, and taken to the watch house. When examined, he denied he had any pistol, and cursed Mr. Rogers, and all the Methodists, bitterly. He was ordered to Newgate, and there confined. The constable came next morning, and told us, Sir Roger Smith, justice of the peace, had examined the pistol, and found it loaded with six leaden balls, which he showed me : they were very ragged and sharp; and a large charge of the best gunpowder. All these things put together, I was now much more affected than before; as it appeared plain that a deep laid plot had been concerted, and every rea son to believe the intention was to have shot my dear husband while he was preaching. The wonderful prevention filled me with awful gratitude and humble praise. While Mr. R. and several friends went to Newgate to interrogate the ruffian, I spent a precious hour of intercourse with my God. And in sweetly committing to him the whole affair, I had some liberty to intercede for the poor wretch, but more in praying for.my dear partner: when the Lord graciously applied these words,-" Not a hair of his head shall perish: wherefore, in patience possess ye your souls." I blessed him for the promise and the precept, and was filled with divine consolation. The night after this happened, Mr. Peacock preached with great liberty, from, “Fear not them which kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do." His word was a blessing to me and many; especially his quoting that text: "Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm." Two persons returned thanks this evening; one for pardon, the other for being renewed in love; both of them under the sermon last night. Well may Satan rage at a work like this, now going forward in this city. As several Roman Catholics have been lately awakened, and joined to the society; and a very rich man, of great note among the priests, had become a constant hearer at our chapel, it is conjectured where this horrid plot most likely originated. And the more clearly doth this appear from the number of friends who visited this villain while in prison; and by whose means his escape was effected before he was brought to trial. CORK, August 20, 1789.-I found that text much blessed to me this morning, Isa. xl, 8, "Who are those that fly as a cloud, and as doves to their windows?" How heavy is the dense cloud, yet hangs in air without any visible hand to uphold it! |