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parture was almost daily expected by all who faw her; nor were the fymptoms of approaching diffolution concealed from her own apprehen, fions. That religion, however, which the had profeffed and adorned in life, prefented her with the prospect of a triumph over death, and of a joyful entrance into immortality. Let it be noticed, to the honour of Chrift's gospel, and for the encouragement of all his followers who may perufe this narrative, that Mrs. H. though not possessed of great natural fortitude, felt herself on folid ground, while refting her eternal falvation on the promise of undeferved mercy. Although the uprightness of her deportment was excelled by few, yet no one could be lefs defirous of claiming heaven on the foundation of perfonal merit; no one more fenfible of her desert as a miserable finner. Often did she say, with eternity before her, "I fhould be miferable now, if I had no Saviour to truft in; nothing will do for a dying finner but the religion of Chrift." With the greateft apparent fatisfaction and pleasure fhe adopted the Apoftle's words, “Complete in him !" Sometimes the would fay, “ I hope I shall not deceive myself at laft: this would be an awful thing." But, that God would deceive her fhe had never any fear; and, in a general way, when asked concerning the ftate of her mind, fhe was enabled to fay, "I know that God is faithful, and I feel no doubt but all will be well."

Thefe hopes produced great refignation to the Divine Will during her long and painful affliction. Thofe who were moft with her, cannot recollect ever to have heard her utter a repining word. On fome accounts The beheld death as a gloomy object; " but," faid fhe, "he is a conquered enemy," One day, as a friend was about to pray with her, fhe faid she did not wifh any person should pray for her life; but would rather, if it were the will of God, that the hour of deliverance was ar rived. On another occafion, being afked whether the fhould like to live, the replied, "If I were fure to enjoy my health and all my friends again, I would not come back into life." And, under these feelings, fhe often repeated the words of Dr. Doddridge,

"Come, ye angelic envoys, come,

"And lead the willing pilgrim home;
"Ye know the way to Jefus' throne,
"Source of my joy and of your own."

And frequently, while endeavouring to lift herself up in bed, the addreffed her Heavenly Father in these lines,

"Oh! ftill this feeble frame fupport,
"Which thine own hand has rear'd,
"Till I an heav'nly house may claim,
By fovereign grace prepar'd."

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That religion, whofe bleffed influencé fuftained her own foul, the ear neftly recommended to thofe who came to fee her. Moft tenderly did the intreat a relative to forfake his ungodly companions, and seriously to feek. the Lord; begging him, at the fame time, to regard the words of a dy ing fifter. May the tears which flowed on thefe occafions be followed by rears of unfeigned repentance towards God, and of cordial affection to wards our Lord Jefus Chrift. Another, who had manifefted fome con cern for his falvation, fhe encouraged to perfevere, bidding him not mind what the world might fay of him, but "Follow on to know the Lord." Several young people, affo, received her dying admonitions, and heard her tell them how they might be happy for ever. Q.34

Thus

Thus, prizing the religion of Jefus, and hoping to participate its promifed joys in heaven, the continued, by her feelings and by her word, to imprefs on every confiderate mind a perfuafion that, "Chrift is gain' to the believer, both in life and in death;" till at length, in the 37th year of her age, the obtained a peaceful admiffion into the abodes of the bleffed.

Mrs. H. by her own particular defire, was interred in a piece of ground, then for the first time used as a burying-place, near the Meetinghoufe at Aftwood, where an evening lecture has been preached for feveral years paft by the minifter of Alcefter; and, on this folemn occafion, a crowded auditory was addreffed from Prov. xiv. 32. "The righteous hath hope in his death."

J. S.

A Short Account of HANNAH EVERIT, who died fuddenly, while attending the Public Worship of God, at Stathern, in the Vale of Belvoir, Leicesterhire, on Lord's Day, August 3, 1800. ́

How often is the Lord reminding us, in the moft folemn manner, that no circumftance of life, age, time, or place, is any fecurity from the attack of death! Bleffed and happy are they, who, like the fubject of this Memoir, fo attend to our Lord's exhortation, "Be ye ready," as to stand with oil in their veffels, their lamps trimmed and bright, their loins girded, and themselves ready at a moment's warning, to obey the folemn fummons, and attend the pale meffenger, with cheerfulness, into the world of fpirits. Come when, and in what form foever he will," precious in the fight of the Lord is the death of his faints." And, with respect to the prefent circumftance, one may, with fingular propriety, adopt Balaam's with; "Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his."

Hannah Everit bore a refpectable character upwards of fixty years, but remained deftitute of the faving knowledge of Chrift till about two or three years ago, when the Lord was pleafed to convince her of her true ftate, while the attended the preaching of his word by the Methodists. She then became, and continued, till the time of her death, a conftant and unwearied follower of the Lord in all the means of grace, watching daily at the gates of his houfe, and waiting at the posts of his doors. And the general tenor of her conduct evidenced the fincerity of her profeffion, for The perfevered in adorning the doctrine of God her Saviour in all things. A deep fenfe of her unworthinefs in the fight of God, and an insatiable thirst after the knowledge of Him, whom to know is life eternal, appeared to be the most prominent features in her Chriftian character. A few weeks previous to her death, the discovered a much greater degree of faith and joy in God. Under two fermons efpecially, the Lord enabled her greatly to rejoice, by giving her to experience the Spirit's feal, as defcribed from Ephef. iv. 30; and the liberty of God's children, as reprefented from 2 Cor. iii. 17.

On the afternoon of the day which landed her in the haven where she wifhed to be, the attended a love-feaft at the adjoining village: here the was exceedingly happy, which the expreffed twice during the delightful feafon. At the clofe of it, the returned home with fome neighbours who had accompanied her thither, and, at feven o'clock, attended preaching at the village where the lived. The fubject was an encouragement to weak believers, from Ifaiah xxxv. 3, 4. When fervice was over, while the congregation were preparing to depart, it was propofed that those who were difpofed, fhould stay a quarter of an hour to pray. Accordingly, about twenty perfons kept their places, among whom was the deceafed.

After

After about twenty minutes had been spent in prayer, The began to express herself in the following manner: "O my God, what have 1 felt to-day! I cannot find words to exprefs the comfort and joy that I do experience; how little do I know of Chriftianity! My foul does thirst to know more. O my God, do teach me to know more of thee! My foul does thirst, I thirst, I thirft!" With these words fhe funk down on the floor, and, without a struggle or a figh, breathed her foul into the hands of that Jefus whom the loved, as the effect of his having first loved her.

Thus did our gracious God honour his handmaid, by giving her foul a difmiffion from the body, without any of thofe convulfions or pains which usually attend the parting ftroke; without any cloud to obfcure her bright profpects, or intercept the rays of the Sun of righteousnefs which beamed upon her foul; and, by permitting her to give her dying teftimony to the truth and importance of the Gofpel, before many witneffes, in the place which had often been to her a Bethel.

Herein God pleased to render the place dreadful, by making it the house of God and the gate of Heaven, in the most folemn manner. Thus did he accompany the word of his grace by the voice of fo ftriking a providence. O that it may not be vain! may ministers and people learn henceforth to fpeak and hear as creatures on the verge of eternity; and, by a timely regard to the voice of God, and application to Jefus, lofe its terrors in the animating profpect of being for ever with the Lord.

1

D. A.

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

THE. Rev. Mr. Johnson, Chaplain to the British Colony in New Holland, has recently arrived, and been most affectionately received by his numerous friends; but his conftitution appears to be much debilitated by anxiety of mind, and the neceffary fatigues of his office. By him, letters have been received from the Millionaries Haffall, Shelley, and Puckey, who were all well, and labouring to be useful in their refpective fpheres. The Rev. Mr. Harris was gone to Norfolk Island, having been ftrongly recommended to perfons in command, a fpiritual inftructor being there much wanted.

The Rev. Mr. Bentom, ftationed at Quebec, has communicated to the Society his Journal up to January laft; his hearers increase, and his miniftry appears to be acceptable and useful.

By intelligence from the Cape, it is evident that the feveral Miffions are in a flourishing ftate, and the profpects of the Society very encouraging. By Dr. Vanderkemp's letter, the fears of the religious public for his fafety will be relieved; and they will fee great reafon to admire the grace and power of God, not only in his primitive perfevering zeal, but alfo in the fuccefs with which, at length, he has been favoured. Mr. Kicherer and his companion Mr. Kramer, appear to have been made inftrumental to the converfion of eight or ten of the poor Heathen. They are about to vifit a more numerous people, as mentioned in our Magazine for May; and, moft of those who have been under their inftruction, having neither house mer land, nor any fixed habitation, wili accompany them, while the rest

remain under the care of Mr. Edwards. Mr. Anderfon, contrary to his firft intention, goes with Mr. Kicherer We fhall here fubjoin the let ters of Dr. Vanderkemp and Mr. Read, with fome extracts from another part of the difpatches.

[TRANSLATED FROM THE DUTCH.]

Extract from a Letter of Dr. Vanderkemp to Mr. and Mrs. Schonken.

Dearly beloved Brother and Sifter in the Lord!

I RECEIVED yefterday three of your pleafing letters, dated the 28th of June, the ift and 11th of November laft; together with twentynine others from different places.

O that I had a heart to feel the value of the continual care of our gra cious Redeemer for my fupport, and gratefully to acknowledge it! Your letter of the 5th of May, being the fifth I received from you, is fafely come to hand.

With the new chapel, I heartily with you, and all those who have an intereft in the welfare of Sion, happiness, praying, that many may be made living ftones of God's houfe.

Dear Brother! inexperience caufed me to load myself with a great many unneceffary things; but I afterwards repented fo uoing; and if I had to undertake this journey again, I would take nothing with me but a fmall Bible, a few school-books, and a knapsack with apparel; I should make an agreement to go with fomebody's waggon to the fartheft farm of Graaf Reinet, and procced from thence, by a hired waggon, or on horfeback. I dare fafely give this advice to the brethren that may follow me; but, fhould the baggage be too bulky, and no poffibility of making an advantageous bargain, then there remains nothing better than to take oxen on the account of the London Society,

Refpecting the plan of my abode, circumstances will not permit me to mention it in future with any degree of certainty.

Till the prefent time, I have not been able to do any thing among the Caffrees; but I have great hopes of three female Heathens, belonging to the families of fome emigrants, that God has looked in mercy on them. One of thofe I have already baptized with much fatisfaction.

As thefe people are continually roving from place to place, in great fear and anxiety, and have every day new plans, I find myfelf preffed to take a fhare in their fate, as I neither can nor dare remain by myfelf without fome method of maintenance, till the Lord fhall be pleafed to discover to me fome other way. For this reafon, I fhould not advise any of the brethren (however much I may wifh for them) to join me in Caffraria; befides, I think it rather dangerous; but if they are inclinable to go to Graaf Reinet, where there is a vacancy to labour (with the ap probation of M. Mainiers) among Heathens and Chriftians, or to go Behind the Snow Mountains, to Johannes van de Wald, or to the Rhinoceros Mountain, or the Boschemens River, then they may be of much ufe, and would be nearer to me to wait the refult of my prefent wanderings.

I authorize you herewith to fell the waggon and oxen for the benefit of the London Society, unless you think they may be wanting for other Miffionary Brethren.

Now, to fay fomething refpecting myfelf. The Lord teaches me more and more, that He must rule, and not I; that his defigns, and not mine, must

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be fulfilled; that, through great tribulation, we must enter the kingdom of Heaven; that I judge improperly, when I conclude that the Lord doth nothing, because I fee nothing. I have no other call to the Miffionary work than through faith in Him; for He has told me, that I am called to every thing that I can undertake in the faith; but He now teaches me what it is for the flesh to perfevere in the accomplishment of what we began in the faith, whenever that faith is put to the trial. He compels me (if I may exprefs myself in this manner) to remain faithful to Him (if I can call it faithfulness) and to persevere in the race I am running, because by walling up my way, He renders it utterly impoffible for me to efcape. Where he will conduct me, I know not; that he evidently takes care of me, has been proved in many hair-breadth escapes, when my life was in the utmost danger. Satan rages violently, and tempts me on the moft trifling occafions. Pray for me, that I may always experience divine affiftance. My way lies in darknefs. It is very remarkable, that the two brethren I expected to my affiftance, are again detained at the Cape. Just as I received your letter, I had a vifit of the baptized female Heathen, in company with another friend, in order to conduct me to their habitation, which is a confiderable way off; for which reafon it is not in my power to answer the other letters at prefent. Dear brother, therefore, excufe my writing this in fuch hafte. Greet for me all my dear friends, and thank them for their love and affection to me. Pray all of you for me. My way is cloudy; but I am comforted by the words of Ifaiah, in the 48th chapter, verfe 17. "I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou fhouldeft go." Amen. The Lord do fo to your loving brother and servant in Jefus Christ,

Quakoube, 28th Dec. 1800.

(Signed)

1. F. VANDERKEMP.

Waggon Makers Valley, Feb. 24th, 1801.

Honoured and very Dear Sir, HAVING an opportunity of fending to England by the Rev. Mr. Johnson from Port Jackson, I can but give you a line or two by him.

I wrote to you by the Hilfborough, on her return to England, dated the 22d of December, 1800, which, I hope you have received: fince which time many things have taken place, which may be encouraging to both the Directors and the public at large, who have at heart the intereft and profperity of the Redeemer's kingdom, and who rejoice to hear of its being likely to profper among the blind and benighted Heathen, who have been so long fitting in the regions of the shadows of death, quite destitute of the knowledge that Christ Jesus came into the world to fave finners.

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On Saturday, the 3d of January, it was published in the Cape Gazette, that a number of Chiefs from among the Caffrees, Bofchemen, and Hottentots, had expreffed a willingness to eftablish peace, and to live under the English government. This we thought gave us liberty to make application to the Governor for permiffion to go to Caffra-land; which I did on the Tuefday following. His Excellency told me, he expected Mynheer Mynheer, Shiriff of Graaf Reinet at the Cape every day; and that till he had feen him, he could not give me an answer.

On the arrival of this gentleman, we received a letter from our honoured Father, Dr. Vanderkemp, in which we found, that, on the day before he wrote, he received 29 letters, with cloaths; which, he says,

came

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