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tion which was remarkably verified in the character of the deceased. Her enmity strongly displayed itself in various respects; as in the difficulty with which she was prevailed upon to hear the gospel; in her reluctance to see, or converse with religious people; and in the opposition set up against the exercises of prayer, reading the Scriptures, &c. in the family, as performed by her husband. This rooted dislike was of long continuance; and various means that were used, in order to remove it, seemed ineffectual.

Divine grace is, however, invincible. By degrees, her aversion so far abated, that she occasionally heard the gospel; by which, and the perusal of the Obituaries in the Evangelical Magazine, consider. able impressions were made on her nind. Yet she resisted convictions; and laboured, though in yain, to stifle them. During this period, it pleased the Lord to visit her with a series of painful afflictions. These were also followed by a tedious illness, which proved fatal. Indisposition and confinement, joined with the apprehension that her complaint, which was consumptive, might end in death, sharpened conviction; and, under the blessing of God, constrained her to think seriously. Her views of divine things now underwent an important change; and she began to wish for the society and converse of those, whom formerly she had been wont to shun with disgust.

From this time the visits of religious friends, for the purposes of reading, prayer, &c. met with a grateful reception. The returns of those opportunities she earnestly solicited; and manifestly derived from them instruction and comfort. The restraints imposed upon her, by a natural timidity and bashfulness, which appeared in conversation, especially with strangers, were overcame by a deep sense of the importance of her soul's concerns. In an humble manner, she confessed her guilt as a sinner; and lamented, with much feeling, the continued resistance offered to God, and the convictions of her conscience, as well as the contempt she had

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thrown on the means of grace and the professors of religion. Whether there was mercy for her? Whether Christ was as willing to save as he is able? - were now the questions on which her thoughts were anxie ously exercised; nor was it till after an interval of several weeks, that she obtained relief. The pro mises and examples made known in the word of God, of pardoning mercy bought by the blood of Christ, and flowing, through that medium, to the chief of sinners, became at length, by the divine blessing, a source of hope. Far from trusting in herself that she was righteous, and convinced of the deluded condition of all who seek justification, in whole or in part, from their own works, she avowed the Lord alone to be her righteousness; and that nothing short of the blood of Christ could cleanse away her sins. But here she rested; here she enjoyed peace! From the promises of grace, she drank in those consolations that so sweetly refresh the thirsty soul. The fears of death, which before had harrassed her, retreated at the prospect which faith presented, of joys beyond the grave; and she not only became willing to leave the world, and those who were peculiarly dear to her, but desired, with submission to the will of God, the moment of release; trusting, that when the earthly house of her tabernacle was dissolved, "she had a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens !" Her wish to die, as connected with a comfortable hope of being found in Jesus, were the last sentiments she was heard to express.

During her confinement, she lamented the careless frame of mind in which she had often heard ser. mons; and also her inability now to attend upon religious ordinances, when she had reason to hope they would be more profitable to her. She manifested likewise much pity towards those of her acquaintance, whom she knew to be strangers to Christ as the way of salvation; praying for them, and expressing a hope, that, notwithstanding their

present aversion, they might sometime hear and believe the gospel. -I shall only add, that she was a pleasing instance of the patience of Hope. In this respect, the power of grace was conspicuous. Her temper was naturally fretful; nevertheless, she bore, with exemplary fortitude and serenity, a painful and lingering disorder of eight months; thus waiting till she was put into the possession of that 66 rest that remains for the people of God." W. L. P.

MRS. HELEN GREEN, of Newborough, in Lancashire,

WAS born at Halton, near Lancaster, of very respectable parents, of the name of Hartley. Until she was about sixteen years old, she lived with her parents; who, from her infancy, endeavoured to impress her mind with the necessity of the outward forms of religion. She was taught to revere the Bible as the word of God; and to value books which treated on religious subjects. When she left her parents, she was employed as a lady's maid; and, about the age of twenty-six, was married to a Mr. Green. With him she lived near ten years, when, owing to derangement in his circumstances, he went to Ame. rica; and left her, with three children, to follow him. To this period Mrs. Green is to be considered as a person destitute of divine grace. She had the form of godliness, but knew nothing of its power. After he had been in America a little time, she received information that he was ill; but, if spared, was to return to England in the first vessel that came. Soon after this, two of her children were taken ill; one died; and the other was expected every day to follow. In this distressed situation, in dying circumstances, she received a letter of the death of her husband! She was naturally an affectionate wife and tender mother. In this state, there fore, what she felt exceeds all description. Those who knew her intimately, thought her distress was greater than she could bear;

but she was preserved, and afterwards called. Now all thoughts of happiness in this life were gone, she began to think about her soul. She read over the letters which she had received from her husband while on his passage; and found he always concluded with these words," Bring my children up in the fear of God." These words led her seriously to think on what this must mean; for it was a subject on which they neveṛ talked while together.

She con

cluded this had never been done for the children; and while her mind was thus seriously employed, her conviction of sin began to be very strong. She lived in a dark corner of the land, where there was no gospel-light; nor any religious person to speak to; and what to do she could not tell. She began to read in her Bible; and, in Dr. Watts's Psalms and Hymns, which she had bought while young, but never read before, the more she read, the more she saw herself a ruined sinner; and often feared her case was hopeless.

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At this time the Methodists came to preach about a mile from where she lived. The first time they came, she went to hear; and was much pleased, because she found her case described by them; and God's word explained in such a manner, as she had never heard it at church. Still, however, she was the subject of much distress; and could not think there was a person in the world so wicked as she had been. She at last opened her mind to one of her neighbours, who seemed to pay attention to religion, but found her much in the same state as herself. After this, she opened her mind, by letter, to a minister in Liverpool; and, by his answer and frequent correspond. ence, afterwards found some degree of hope. But never was her soul set at liberty, till she heard, in the late Mr. Medley's chapel, at Liverpool, a Mr. Harrison, from Shropshire. His subject was, "The willingness of Christ to save sinners ;" and he spoke in such a manner, she could no longer doubt the willingness of Christ to save her. Of this circumstance she would

frequently speak with the greatest pleasure and thankfulness. The writer of this has heard her say, She used to think O, how happy they should be, if they could have preaching regularly once a quarter! However, she did not spend her Sabbath in idleness. She held meetings regularly in her own house for reading, prayer, and singing, with those of her neighbours who were disposed to attend. Thus, in fact, she became the leader of the little band who were disposed to serve God, or hear of his ways. Thus she became a mother in Israel; and while she was diligent, in the midst of much reproach, the Lord honoured her with tokens of his approbation. Many have been blessed while she thus read the word of God, Evangelical Sermons, and prayed to God with them. Some are left behind who are living witnesses of this.

Here the writer cannot help noticing the manner in which she was first brought to devote the whole of the Sabbath to the Lord :-She kept a small shop; and there, as in many other places, perhaps more business was done on the Sabbath than on any day beside. She had been taught, that it was not wrong to sell and receive money on the morning of the Sabbath, hefore church-time. This, therefore, for some time she did, though not with. out keen pangs of conscience. She "was reniarkably open to conviction; and one day a very intimate Christian friend asked her this very plain but pertinent question, "Pray," said she, "what time of the day does the Sabbath begin?" She had no occasion to add any more. For some time she suffered much in her mind on account of this evil; but from that time, laid aside the sinful practice.

She was much attached to her Bible; and able to give a reason of the hope that was in her, and of the truths she believed, in a convincing manner. From the word of God she saw clearly into those truths which are generally termed Calvinistic; and particularly admired the works of Watts, Cennick, Owen,

Doddridge, Macgowan, and Bur. der's Village Sermons, &c. &c. In these she read much; and out of these read to her neighbours: and though she had, in the latter part of her life, much business on her hands, when business was over, shẹ sat up frequently very late to read and meditate on the word of God.

It has been mentioned, how she earnestly wished to have preaching occasionally in the village where she lived. About a year and a half before she died, the Lord stirred up the minds of some worthy mi. nisters, and others, in Lancashire, to support an itinerant in that county; and after some time, the Lord, in his kind providence, sent that itinerant to preach in this village. This gave her much satisfaction; and she enjoyed this blessing, for many months before she died, every week. Her diligence was worthy of imitation, for she was never absent from the meetings but in consequence of heavy affic. tion. She wrote much of what she heard and read, as well as the state of her own mind at times, &c. But when these papers were enquired for, her eldest daughter said, Her mother burned them not a great while before she was taken ill, saying, Nothing should be seen of hers when she was gone. How. ever, among some letters, one that she had written, and was to have been sent to a young minister, was found, dated Nov. 24, 1800; in which she writes thus: "For my own part, I know of no happiness equal to being an humble follower of the meek and lowly Jesus! But, O Mr. H-t, I am an unthankful creature, else I should never want the comforts of his blessed presence! I long to live more upon him; but this deceitful heart robs me of much happiness, which I know is experienced by a constant communion with him whom my soul loveth. You, my dear friend, have wisely began to seek the Lord while young: your example will be a blessing to many! The Lord will bless you, I trust, in your public ministry, by giving the young and thoughtless for your hire; and

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your conversation, so becoming the gospel you preach, will not fail to influence the minds of those who hear you. Go on, my worthy friend, in the strength of him who has put far from you all fear or love of the world; and pray that we may continually be led by the same Spirit, till perfect love shall cast out "all slavish fear in us!"

On the 10th of February last, she was taken poorly. At first, no danger was apprehended; but it soon appeared that this illness was unto death; and as she had been eminent in the ways of God while she lived, "an entrance abundantly was ministered unto her into the everlasting kingdom of her Lord Jesus Christ."

It had often been her desire while she lived, that she might not lie long ill, if agreeable to the will of God. This was granted. She was taken ill on Thursday; and on the Tuesday night after, she expired. The itinerant lives in the village where she resided, and so had frequent opportunities of being with her; and he has frequently said, This event was the most pleasing he ever witnessed. When he asked her, how she did, she would answer, "But poorly in body, but happy in mind. I have cast all my burdens on the Lord, and he sustains them." He never visited her but she would soon say to some friend who stood by, "Reach Mr. G-the Bible;" and would often desire passages to be read which she had been meditating upon. She could inform him where those pas sages were with so much readiness, that he would say afterwards, he was quite ashamed of himself. "How blessed are they who hide the word of God in their hearts!"

She was confined one Sabbath; the Sabbath on which there was preaching in the village. When those came to see her who had been at the preaching, she was very particular in her enquiries about the subjects, &c.

A female friend who visited her, said, "Mrs. Green, the Lord has

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brought you down; and I hope he will raise you up again." She mildly answered, "I am safe in his hands." When one who attended her, said, She feared her bed was not easy, she said, "Jesus has made me an easy pillow."-But it would far exceed the limits of your Magazine to mention half of the gracious words which proceeded from her dying lips. Suffice it to say, she seemed to enjoy complete hap. piness through all her illness.

The night on which she died, was the night on which there is preach ing in the village; and as she was now so very low, some of her friends desired that they might stop with her. "O, no!" said she;"last Thursday, you know I was well; and it may be the last sermon you may hear." When the friends returned, they found her engaged in the most fervent prayer, and very happy in her soul."

From this time to the hour her happy soul took its flight, she was constantly engaged in the most fervent prayer for her neighbours, her minister, &c. &c. Frequently she mentioned different persons names; and then, in a manner which will never be forgotten by those who were with her, she added, "Amen." A little before midnight, she desired those with her to pray; and soon after fell asleep, aged forty-six years.

The Sabbath but one after she died, her death was improved, from Luke xii. 37. (first part) in a large room procured on the occasion, to a congregation of 300 people at least. Many too were obliged to return, that could not possibly get in. She was so much respected, that persons of the strongest prejudices against Dissenters came to hear her funeral sermon. -- Thus one of her best desires was brought about by her death, viz. Most of her neighbours brought under the sound of the gospel. O that is may appear, that she died, that many may live! Amen and amen.

G. G.

REVIEW OF RELIGIOUS PUBLICATIONS.

Sermons and Lectures on Important
Practical Subjects. By Andrew
Swanston, late Preacher of the
Gospel. Vol. II. 12me. 35. 6d.

The Preface to the first volume

arrangement and a propriety of expression which will please those who are not too fastidious in their taste, while the vein of strict. ly evangelical sentiment and seri ous piety, which runs through the whole, will recommend these volumes to those who peruse sermons, in order to their edification.

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of these Discourses, by the author's intimate friend, the Rev. Mr. Greig, of Lochgelly, informs us, That they were written by a young man much The second volume contains exercised to godliness, and highly eighteen Discourses. It begins with respected by all who had the plea- a short lecture on 1 Tim. i. 12, 15; sure, either of attending on his which is followed by these Sermons public ministrations, or of enjoying on the last verse of that passage, his acquaintance in private. It which are entitled "The Sum of does not appear that he ever had a the Gospel; Salvation to the fixed charge. Some doubts which Chief of Sinners; and the Gos arose in his mind respecting several pel a faithful saying," &c. The points of church order, led him to remaining Sermons are from Acts decline an invitation from the As- xiii. 38. on the Forgiveness of sociate Burgher Congregation in Sins; three from Romans v. II. Perth ; and issued in his withdraw- on Joy springing from Faith; ing from the communion of the Se- and one on Paul's Prayer on Onecession Church; and not long after, siphorus, 2 Tim. i. 18. We have he fell into a decline, which cut remarked, in this last Sermon, a him off in November, 1784, in the very striking coincidence in the thirty-third year of his age. general division, between our author and Orton's discourse on the same subject, which satisfies us that he must have seen Orton; but the discourses themselves are so dif ferent, that we cannot accuse him of plagiarism. The remainder of the volume is occupied by lectures on Luke vii. 36, 50. on Hosea xiv. - on 2 Corinthians i. and on the latter part of Isaiah xl. We do not hesitate to recommend both volumes to the perusal of serious persons, hoping, with the writer of the Preface, that they will be acceptable to the saints, and con duce, through the blessing of God, to promote pure and undefiled reli gion.

The former volume was pubLished upwards of two years ago; and the favourable reception which it has met with from the public, has induced his surviving friends to perform their promise, by presenting them with a second. Both volumes are so similar in respect of the style of execution, that such of our rea. ders as have perused the one, can easily anticipate the character of the other. They are scriptural, perspicuous, and accurate. The au thor never labours in order to dis. cover learning or depth; -never attempts to surprize by novelty, or charm by eloquence; his only object seems to be, to express, with all possible simplicity, what he reckons the doctrine of Scripture on the particular subject under his consideration; and to impress on others those convictions of its importance, which he himself felt. Yet, though he rather avoids or nament than goes in quest of it, there is in general an accuracy of

An advertisement prefixed to the second volume, intimates, that the author's manuscript still contains as many Discourses as would fill a third volume, written in the same spirit, and with the same ability; the publication of which will depend on the reception which shall be given to these.

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