I can do all things, or can bear "While his left hand my head sustains.” Once being alone with her mother, fhe faid, with apparent triumph, "Mother, my "Jefus can make a dying bed "Feel foft as downy pillows are, "And breathe my life out fweetly there.” Adding, "Lord, fill me not too full-It is enough." In the last week of her life the perfpirations were exceffive. During their height the once faid, "these are the fymptoms of diffolving nature. O death! death! what is death!-we think little of it, till we come to try it." But this did not appear to be spoken from any fear, or apprehenfion. At another time the exclaimed, "O! if my Lord would come and meet, "My foul would ftretch her wings in hafte, "Fly fearless thro' death's iron gate, "Nor feel the terrors as the pais'd.” On the 31st of December the obferved it was the Sabbath, faying to thofe Bear," it would be beft to prepare for the duties of the day; and repeated the first verse of the 92d Pfalm; "Sweet is the work, my God, my King, "To praife thy name give thanks and fing; Then rejoined" O! how often my heart has gone with that Pfalm!" On the Monday following the feemed impatient to be gone, faying, " [ thought to have been home on Saturday; aking one that flood near," de you think I fhall get home to-day?" Being thus fenfible of approaching diffolution, the often thought the faintings would carry her off. Mr. M. entering the chamber juft as fhe was recovered from one, and fupported in bed; as foon as the perceived him, the faid; "my dear, I am almost gone I thought never to have feen you more." So rapid was the progrefs of the diforder, that although on the 18th of December, when returned from Bristol, fhe appeared to have fallen away but little, yet she was now reduced to skin and bone, as much in three weeks as her fifter in near fix months, who was nevertheless fo reduced for some time back, as hardly to be expected to furvive from one day to another. On Wednesday the 3d of January, about four in the morning, her end was apparently near, by her panting for breath; yet at times the fpoke diftinct, though weak. About ten minutes before the refigned the tabernacle of clay, obferving her father and mother on each fide of the bed, and turning her eyes withfully firft to the one, and then to the other, at last she said with a faint voice, "I fall foon be out of pain-I fhal! foon be happy. Some minutes before, her eyes were fixed on her husband when the appeared to be in prayer, and from the few words heard, it appeared to be in his behalf. About eleven the clofed her eyes on all terreftrial things, having ftruggled with patience under a fevere and violent difeafe, leaving behind her a fweet fmelling favour, and teftimony of the power of religion on the mind. Three Three days after he was interred, her fifter Elizabeth defired to be taken Into the fame chamber and bed where fhe had expired. She often lamented fhe could not fee her intereft in Chrift so clear as her fifter had; but renounced all hope of falvation through any other way. Her moral life and circumfpect walk being once held up to her as a fource of confolation, the replied," it is true I have not run the giddy courfe with many, but I was born in fin; I feel I am a great finner, and unless I am faved through Chrift Jefus, I must be loft to all eternity." Though her fufferings were apparently great, fhe was never heard to repine, but frequently wished, " it would please the Lord to releafe her." It was expected from her weak and reduced it ate, fhe would die without any ftruggle; but it proved not fo; the last days of conflict were hard; and Nature was agitated to her inmost recesses. On Sunday the 28th of January it was apprehended the could not furvive many hours; and indeed it was her own opinion; when she was heard to say, "Come Lord Jesus, come quickly." Towards evening, being fomewhat easier, the requested the family to drink tea in her chamber, faying, "it would be the last time." And when feated round the table, the obferved, "you are all enjoying yourfelves, I shall foon enjoy myfelf with the bleffed Jefus." She frequently faid, "I fhall foon fee my fifter." The diftreffing conflict continued till Thursday the 1ft of February, when about four in the morning she called her mother, and when come, faid, "Mother, I am dying, my heart ftrings are now breaking-you will never know what a dying bed is till you come to try it." Her voice had failed her fome days, fo that the now expreffed herself in whifpers, yet was fenfible to the laft moment; the hectic fever that had flushed her face at intervals, never affected her head. He expired about half paft eleven in the forenoon, being little turned of twenty years of age, and about three years and a half younger than her fifter, fo fhortly gone before. May fuch leflons of mortality be ftudied deeply by furvivors, feeing youth has no fecurity against the inroads of disease, or shield against the fatal arrows of the King of Terrors, whofe poifon drinks up the moisture of the ftrong, the vigor of the healthy, the beauty of the blooming, and foon lays them low in the grave, the house appointed for all the living. MRS. PRYOR, THE fubject of this article, was a native of Dorsetshire, who in the days of her youth was naturally disposed to sobriety, and very exemplary in her conduct. At the age of about twenty-one, Providence placed her in a pious family at Blandford, where he had an opportunity of hearing the gofpel under the miniftry of the Rev. Mr. Field, which was inftrumental to the falvaatoin of her foul. From the age of about twenty-five to thirty the refided with the fame pious family in the vicinity of London, where he had an opportunity of fitting under the miniftry of the Rev. Mr. Brewer and other gofpel minifters, and was no doubt thereby led further into the know. ledge of the truth, as it is in Jefus. At the age of thirty-one fhe was married to Mr. Pryor, of Hackney, and from that time the fat chiefly under the miniftry of the Rev. Mr. Eyre, the privilege of which the would often Speak of with great delight; so that the Lord blessed the various means of grace to her foul, in calling her from darkness to light, and leading her in a gradual way to the knowledge of "Chrift in her, the hope of glory," Tho' the often would lament the coldness of her faith and coldness of her love, VOL. VI. when Gg when her Chriftian friends related their experience, and on this account was often ready to question her interest in him. For the last four or five years of her life, the experienced much afflic tion of body from a violent chill which brought on various diforders; during this time he had but fhort intervals of cafe, and at length her diforder terminated in a decline. She bore her affliction with cheerfulness and fortitude of foul, even to the laft. In October laft her diforder evidently encreafed upon her; fhe had recourie to a physician, but in vain, the time of her departure was at hand, of which he was very fenfible, and in a letter The wrote to her brother in Dorfetfhire, expreffing her dangerous ftate, faid the thought he could not live to Chriftmas day. She expreffed her doubts and fears refpecting her intereft in Chrift, and was afraid he was not a child of God, though the faid the hoped the had one mark of a child of God, the things the once loved the now hated. In this ftate fhe remained till within three weeks of her decafe, when her diforder encreafed very rapidly, fo that fhe could get but little reft: her friends advised her to take fome opiates to obtain it; but this fhe refufed, faying, the prayed God would not fuffer her to clofe her eyes to fleep, till he had affured her of his love to her foul, till he had lift up the light of his countenance upon her. Though she was so weak in body, the would raise herself on her knees, and wrestle with God in prayer for this defirable bleffing, which the Lord was foon pleafed to anfwer, by directing her to that comfortable paffage in Ifaiah xii. 2. "Behold God is my falvation," &c. from which the derived great comfort to her foul, which he never after wholly loft; for Jehovah was her ftrength and her fong, in whom the trufled. She repeated this beautiful verse within an hour of her death, and from it the defired Mr. Eyre to preach her funeral fermon. She was fully refigned to her affliction and approaching diffolution, faying, fhe would not have been without one affliction the Lord had laid upon her. When Satan endeavoured to harrals her with doubts, The would beat him off with the word of God, faying, though I change, "the Lord changeth not-whom he loves, he loves unto the end;" and as he had fhewn her much mercy, furely he would not leave her at the last. She admired the condefcenfion and mercy of God to her in affliction, that he fhould thus manifeft his love to her who was fo unworthy; was very thankful for the many vifits she was favoured with, both from ministers and other pious priends, whofe prayers and good counfel were rendered very beneficial to her. She faid the Lord had fulfilled all her request, and had been better to her than her fears. Her Chriftian friends had great pleasure in their visits from feeing her in fuch a compofed ftate, and fo refigned to the will of God. On new year's day the faid he had not thought to have seen it, and was in the hope fhe would have been in heaven before; but as the was fpared fo long, the thought she would go to the Lord on her wedding day, the 6th of January, or on the 7th, being the day three years that her father died, which accordingly came to pafs; for on Sunday the 7th of January, the calmly breathed out her foul into the hands of her Redeemer, while her friends were in the act of prayer with her for this beft of all bleffings: fo calm was she in the article of death, that it was only by seeing her cease to breathe it could be known fhe was gone. A few days before her death, the very composedly ordered every circumfrance and every person that was to attend her funeral, and very affectionately exhorted her dear partner to be prepared to follow her. Thys Thus happy was the end of one, who, for many years, may be faid to bave been a weak believer; may it be of great ofe to others in like circum.. ftances, who, though they can take hold of Chrift, but with a trembling hand, may from hence be encouraged to perfevere in waiting on God, for that ftrength they need, and thofe graces which will enable them to fubdue their unreasonable fears, and to bring them off at last inore than conquerors, through him who has loved them and gave himself for them. "A feeble Saint fhall win the day, Though death and hell obftruct the way."-WATTS. J. DAVENISH. DEPARTED this life, Jan. 22, 1798, John Davenish, the son of Matthew Davenifh, Sydley, Dorfet, in the eighteenth year of his age; many years under the tuition of the Rev. John Lewis, Ringwood, Hants. His complaint was a Diabetes, but the danger was not dilcovered, until within a few days before his death. He received the news with great dejection of foul, and the terrors of the Lord made him afraid. He found no refuge in himself, no comfort in what he had been, or had done; a pious education and ftrict morality. He evidenced a deep felt fenfe of the finfalnefs of his nature; and was at times like one on the borders of defpair. But the bleed God did not fuffer him to continue long in that ftate; he brought "him up out of the horrible pit, and miry clay, and fet his feet on a rock." He then had very uncommon manifeftations of the love of God; and afforded in his dying experience a striking inftance of the reality and power of godlinefs. His expreflions filled all around him with amazement. appeared to feel great concern for the faivation, and happiness of others; and with peculiar earneftnefs and affection, recommended Chrift, with all the bleflings of his purchase, to thofe that visited him; from a full conviction that there is falvation in no other. He Mr. G. the minister of the place, having spent fome time in prayer with him, he cried out, "Oh, Mr. G. God can fave-God will fave me; he "faves me now, or I could not be fo happy in my foul." He answered, he does, and will fave you with an everlafting falvation." The youth then replied, he will, he will!" After being then filent for a few mɔments, he cried out, "O that the world did but know what I know, and feel what I feel, of the preciousness of Chrift! I am not afraid to die, and have no defire to live but to fpeak of my Redeemer's goodness to all around me. If God, (faid he,) fhould finish his work in my foul, and take me to himself; and render my death inftrumental to the converfion of my dear brothers, for whofe falvation I long; what reason fhall I have to blefs him for ever!" He defired one of the family to write to his late mafter, Mr. L. and inform him how gracious God was to him, and what comfort he had in a dying hour. When Mr. G. called again, and enquired of him what the Hate of his mind was, he faid, "I have not been able, through weakness, to fay much for God fince I faw you last; but God has not left me for a moment." At the clofe of prayer, there appeared a peculiar fweetnefs on his countenance that feemed to indicate a happy fpirit juft entering on glory. He foon after broke out in fuch tranfports of joy, that it is not poffible for tongue to exprefs, or pen defcribe. "Oh, (faid he,) how precious is Chritt! I long to be with him; come Lord Jefus, come quickly, &c." a pious female fervant in the family faid, he will come, my dear, "the vifion is for an appointed time." (Hab. ii. 3.) yes, faid he, "he is coming-he 18 coming. To die is gain,to die is gain, to die is gain; more fhail I gain gain than all you, were you to live ten thousand years. Guardian angels are now waiting around my bed, to convey my foul to realms of bliss.Victory! victory! victory!" In this rapturous strain did he continue, till he could speak no more. He clofed his life with the words of Dr, Watts; Then, while ye hear my heart ftrings break, "How sweet my minutes roll! "A mortal paleness on my cheek, There is reason to hope, that his dying fayings, have deeply impreffed the minds of feveral young perfons, in the family and neighbourhood. REVIEW OF RELIGIOUS PUBLICATIONS. The Hiftory of the Church of Chrift, Vol. II. containing the 4th and 5th Centuries. By Jofeph Milner, M. A. 8vo. 600 pages. Dilly, &c. W E have already given a general fentiment of this work in our review of the former volume, and hoped by this time to have been able to notice the work complete; but the author's death having unhappily interrupted its progrefs, we have been unwilling any longer to delay the notice of a work of fuch general merit and utility. The principal excellence of Mr. M's history confifts in the particular attention he has paid to evangelical principles and experimental piety. And if in this refpect the prefent volume be found inferior to the former, it may fairly be imputed rather to be depravity of the times, than to the fault of the hiftorian. The ages here reviewed are, however, full of intereft, as the reader must admit, when he is informed they comprehend the hiftory of Arianifm, of Pelagianifm, the establishment of Christianity, and the biography of Ambrofe, Auftin, Jerom, and others of the fathers. But perhaps the chapter which may at prefent excite moit attention and criticism, is the 17th. which confifts of "Reflections upon Ecclefiaftica! Establishments,” and the right which Theodolius had to make Christianity the religion of the state." Mr M. taking for granted the divine origin of Chriftianity, thinks it cannot be made a question whether a "well digefted liturgy," and the provifion of "proper perfons and places for the worship of God," were not a public benefit, and as fuch the duty of the magiftrate: but befideş this, he adds feveral other confiderations, fome of which we fhall enn merate. Under the patriarchal difpenfation, neither idolatry nor infidelity were tolerated; but the worship of the true God religiously obferved. The Jewish government, Mr. M. admits, was a THEOCRACY, yet so much, he thinks, may be inferred from its conftitution, "That it is lawful for the fovereign authority to direct in matters of true religion." It is hardly to be conceived that God would interweave into his theocracy, what in its own nature is unlawful. (p. 228.) On thefe grounds our author thinks it fcarcely can be doubted, "but that when the Gospel was preached among the Jews, if their Sanhedrim had received it, they would have had a right to make it the effaclifbed religion of the nation." This pofition, however, certainly will be doubted, and fome perfons will be ready to ask, if they had a night to establish it, will not this imply that they had also a right to reject and prohibit it, in order to preferve the religion which had already been established? Another argument on which Mr. M. places much strength (if it is an other) is, that true religion is for the good of the ftate; idolatry and ir religion |