I OBITUARY. PATTY TRAER, In a Letter from a young Lady to the Brother of the Deceased. St. Columb, Auguft 5, 1797. HAVE been a witness to a sweet, folemn, and affecting feene. O may it leave a lafting remembrance on my mind of the Lord's tender love, and faithfulness to his promite, in his care and kind compassion, even in the laft trying season, to those who have put their truft under the fhadow of his wings; to thofe who have tafted that the Lord is gracious! A truth we have seen moft fweetly exemplified, in the abundant confolations experienced by dear Patty Traer. You have heard, no doubt, of her extreme fufferings, from her friends at Truro. And also that the Lord was her help, who ftrengthened her to endure great and continual pain, with a great degree of patience and fubmiffion; but he referved the best avine till the laft, even the full affurance and triumph of faith. I have vifited her frequently during her confinement, and found my regard greatly drawn out towards her. She expreffed great affection for me, and always appeared delighted to fee all her friends during her affliction. But her days now are nearly drawn to a close. Her trials, temptations, and fufferings are nearly ended, and her views of the promised land moft bright and clear. O how fweetly has the expreffed the triumphs of her foul, in the near views of death! "On Wednesday evening I was told the was dying, which made me haften to her; before I reached her room, I heard her repeating Dr. Watts's pfaim. "O glorious hour! O blefs'd abode ! I fhall be with and like my God; "And flesh and fin no more controul "The facred pleasures of my foul." "Her words were fo weighty, and to me so animating, that I wrote down fome of the fentences when I came home, that my treacherous memory might not let them flip. And as I think you may be pleafed to hear the account of the Lord's gracious dealings with her foul, I will transcribe what I have recollected for your perufàl. "A fweet heavenly fmile fat on her dying countenance, whilst she expreffed the joys of her foul. She continually dwelt on these words: What! to be with Jefus ever with the Lord! ever with the Lord!” Again, "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and at the latter day he thall stand upon the earth; and though after my skin worms deftroy this body, yet in my flesh fhall I fee God; whom I fhall fee for myfelf, and my eyes behold, and not another. The Lord is, I truft, about to deliver me, He is the strength of my foul, and my portion for ever. "Rock of ages cleft for me, Which the experienced from a cancer in her breaft; in order to eradicate which, it was conceived the taking off her breaft was neceffary. She fubmitted to the operation; and, though he was obliged to be inciled at least four times, the bore it with fuch amazing fortitude, that a repining word was not heard during the time-to the aftonishment of the doctors and all around her! Such wouderful fupport is the grace of God capable of affording in every time of need! "Our "Our light afflictions are but for a moment, and I trust we shall meet around the throne to praise redeeming love for ever. My dear friends, believers in Jefus, what a glorious meeting! we muft die to live." And, after praying for a speedy removal, added, "But it is the Lord, let him do as feemeth good in his fight. His time is the best time: cloathed in his righteoufnefs, washed in his blood, and faved in him with an everlasting falvation." She repeated innumerable times, "The Lord will never leave me, nor forfake me; he watcheth over me night and day, left any should hurt me. She added, In darkeft fhades if he appear, "My dawning is begun; "He is my foul's bright morning ftar, "And he my riting fun." "Excuse my poor faulty tongue, but I fhall fing aloud above. My God fhall fupply all my need out of his riches in glory by Christ Jefus. He is a promile.keeping God; he is with me in the dark valley of the fhades of death. "And when I parted with her that evening, the took my hand and prayed that the Lord would strengthen, fupport and lead me on, in a moft fweet and ftriking manner. "The next evening, finding that the Lord yet delayed to take her home, I again vifited her dying bed with my dear mother, and found her in the fame fweet frame of mind, her hopes blooming, and full of immortality; dwelling on that rich text in Job, I know that my Redeemer liveth, &c." that,' faid fhe, is ftrongly impreffed on my mind, there is my trust, he is now interceding for me within the vail, and he will deliver, he doth deliver. I cannot exprefs the joys I feel. I fhall be with Jefus. He is all my falvation, and all my defire-He is worth fuffering for. I go "Where congregations ne'er break up, "I am built, fettled, established on the rock of eternal ages. What an unspeakable mercy! "Blefs'd Jefus, what delicious fare; "How sweet thy entertainments are!" She expreffed great joy at the fight of her friends, particularly Mr. Cooper, who had been abfent the day before. She begged him once more to spend a few minutes in prayer with her! which he did, and when led to pray that the Lord would enable her to fay, "Come Lord Jefus," the immediately added, " come, and come quickly." She took a moft affectionate and tender leave of all her friends, faying, "Well, if we do not meet again in the flesh, we fhall meet around the throne." She has gra dually weakened fince, but still continues to speak the honours of her Gad and King. The Lord moft mercifully has removed all pain from her wounds, and her dying moments are fweet and pleasant beyond defcription. I faw her again laft night, and though her eyes were dim, her tongue faultering, and every faculty weakening, yet still she dwelt on those words: "No more-no more controul, "The facred pleasures of my foul." "My dear friend, ere this, all is over, and the difembodied spirit of our dear fifter is fafely landed on the blissful fhore, beyond the reach of fin and forrow, ever in the prefence of that Jefus, whofe prefence was so sweetly and fo graciously with her, even while paffing through the river of Jordan, and and in dying moments, enabled her to fhout victory through the blood of the Lamb. The laft words he uttered before the happy spirit fled to join the heavenly choir, were, the mighty God, the everlafting Father, the Prince of Peace." "Join me, my dear friend, in praying that the Lord in his infinite mercy, be my teacher, guide, and portion for ever; and that he would carry on an effectual work of grace on my heart, bleffing this late testimony of his never failing love, moft abundantly to my foul. I am, &c. MARY BULLEN. THE following account is not only interefting in itself, but may be ufeful to encourage the Benevolent Societies, which are formed in various places for the visitation of the fick. M. B. in her childhood had a remarkable love to the fcriptures, which The preferred to all the ufual amusements of youth. This was the more remarkable, as the had no advantage from parental inftruction or example: but it proved eventually a happy circumftance. Through poverty, nine years attendance on her parents, and hard labour for her own fupport, The became a perfect reclufe, being feldom without the door of her habitation, and but twice at a place of worship in her whole life. This neglect, however, the deeply lamented at last. Yet it appeared to the vifiters, that from the Lord's enlightening her mind in the knowledge of the fcriptures, fhe was made truly and deeply acquainted both with her fallen guilty state, and with the only way of a finner's falvation. Her memory became a fund of most useful knowledge, when, for a long time, her eyes were fo difeafed that he could not read. When the vifiters attended her, fhe was brought, as it were, into a new world. Not having heard the gofpel, or ever converfed with experimental chriftians, their prayers, finging hymns, and ufeful converfation enraptured her foul. When Chrift, his love, offices, and characters were mentioned, the difcovered great animation, and would say, “ fhe had not been accustomed to the found of thofe precious words, they were heavenly mufic in her ears." She was favoured with delightful anticipations of glory, which the expreffed in a remarkable manner. On taking a little wine, the faid, "this comforts my body, but what is this to the fweet confolation which Chrift now affords me.' The night before her death, fhe told her friends that on the following day the great change would come; a few hours before which, the exclaimed with joy, "My death warrant is come: bleffed Jefus! open thy gates and let me in; open thine arms to receive me." The fenfe the enjoyed of the love of Christ was almost too much for her weak frame. Some time before the departed, the closed her eyes, faying he would open them no more, left outward objects fhould. ahate her joy; or draw off her thoughts from that Saviour who was her life in death. Thus fhe departed full of faith, and of the Holy Ghoft. Augufi, 1797. ANN EWINGS. (This cafe may ferve alfo to the great encouragement of religious focieties for the vifitation of the fick, which cannot be too ftrongly recommended.) ANN EWINGS,of Charles-freet, Hatton garden, died of a confumption, on the 4th of October 1797, aged only fourteen; the Good Samaritan So ciety ciety meeting in Shoe Lane, was led in Providence to vifit her. Her mind appeared quite ignorant of the things of God, though the had been brought up under the care of religious friends. The doctrines of original depravity, and juftification by the imputed righteoufnefs of Chrift, were explained to her from the epistle to the Romans, by the first vifitor. She heard with attention, though not as yet benefited. After a few vifits, her mind was opened by the Holy Spirit, to receive and experience the truth of the meffage. Through the converfation of the vifitors, and reading the word of God, the Lord taught her the worth of her foul, the neceffity of the new birth, the nature of the atonement, and the importance of having the righteoufnefs of Chrift for her juftification before God. She rapidly grew in experience and divine knowledge. She told one of the vilitors, that "fhe was fure that God's love to her was the caufe of his afflicting her; and that his defign by it, was to bring her to the knowledge of his name. She again faid, "The Lord did her no wrong, and that she was thankful for her affiction though it was fo fevere." Upon being cfked whether she would like to get better and enjoy her young friends again: "No," fhe replied," it was better to die and go to Julus; and added, all her former little pleasures were only vanity." Then taking the ear-rings from her ears, and giving them to her aunt, "take thefe baubles, (faid the), I shall want them no more." Upon being asked whether the mind was always at peace; "No, (fays fhe), I feel fometimes great oppofitien in my mind, fometimes the enemy tempts me to wear, and to biafpheme the name of Jefus, and 'tis as if he fpake in me," She was then, the faid, in great darkness and uneafinefs of mind, but found fome degree of peace and joy in prayer, though not a deliverence from her temptation. In reply to the question whether the was as great a finner as thofe of riper years who flood bye. "Yes, (fays fhe), I am as vile as the thief upon the cross, but Jefus died for tinners, and I am a finner, therefore he must have died for me;" and with a fweet emphafis repeated, " particularly for me." When reading to her the 17th John, at the third verfe, the faid with much earneftnefs, "I do know him, I know he has died for me." Being asked why the loved Jefus, the replied, "Becaufe he first loved me, and died for me." In answer to the question whether the thould be happy in heaven if the faw her father and uncle there, (who died in the faith) and Jefus not prefent; the replied, "I fhould like to fee them very well, but to fee Jefus is my defire, for they did not die for me, but Jefus did." When her aunt complained of the trials and difficulties the met with, she fharply rebuked her, faying, "For fhame aunt Jefus is all fufficient for you.' She often requested thofe who visited her, to pray that he might be kept from an impatient fpirit, for her complaint fhe faid fometimes made her very fretful. On the fabbath before the died, her foul was filled with divine joy, and though in much pain, she could not help finging, "Could I but climb where Mofes tood "And view the landscape o'er; "Not Jordan's ftreams nor death's cold flood "Should fright me from the fore." And collecting a little more ftrength, fhe again fung audibly, though before fcarcely to be heard, "Death cannot make my foul afraid, "If Chrift be with me there." On the Wednesday morning following, fhe was feized with ftrong convulfions; about ten at night he had a fhort interval; then the exclaimed, "O my dear Jefus, I long to be with thee! come Lord Jefus, come VOL. VI. M quickly, quickly do not be angry with my impatience-come Lord Jefus !" The convulfions fhortly returned, and about twelve o'clock she went to glory. AWFUL DEATH OF A MURDERER. THE following awful fact has been communicated, and is inserted, as an inftance what an evil and bitter thing fin is. A young woman, being upon a vifit to her fifter, at Littleton in Middlefex, fell into a trong convulfion-fit. On recovering from it, fhe exclaimed, "I am damned!-I fee, I feel the flames of Hell all around me!" Her friends concluding that a sudden frenzy had seized her, medical aid was immediately fent for; the affured them that he was not mad, but that he was A MURDERER! This (as he had always been a young woman of remarkably good character) confirmed the opinion that it was frenzy; when he began the following fhocking tale: This time three years I came over from my father's to attend my fifter here while she lay-in of that fine child below. Very foon after she was brought to-bed, I fell in labour. I went out into an out house, where, in little more than an hour, I was delivered of a fine beautiful boy. I looked at it some little time, then pinched its throat till I killed it. I then wrapped it up, carried it into the houfe, and locked it into my box; went to my fifter, afked how the did, then went down to the nurse and affifted her. After a fortnight I took my murdered infant out of my box, and threw it into the common horfe-pond by the road-fide, where it was foon trod to pieces; and I have never had one happy, no, not one eafy, minute fince; and now the fight of my fifter's fweet little lively child playing about distracts me ! for, I think that, if it had not been for my dreadful wickednefs, I might now have had one alfo. But I murdered it; and I am going to Hell for it." Upon recollection and conference it appeared that the had been miffing an hour and a half at the time the mentioned, and could not be found. She also told them, that, in confequence of her milk, he had two broken breasts; for cure of which, fhe applied to a furgeon in the neighbourhood, who faid to her, If I did not know you, and know that you are a young woman of fuch extraordinary good character, I fhould fwear that you had borne a child. She foon after married a young man who had coureed her fome time. She faid, that, fome time after her marriage, her husband afked her what became of her pregnancy previous to their marriage? To which, the faid, the replied, "It never came to good." It furely came to evil for all parties. Immediately upon this, feveral minifters were fent for, one of whom, in particular, earneftly exhorted her to fly to Chrift, endeavouring to fhow her the gracious promifes of the Redeemer to ALL who will come to him-" Him that cometh to ME I will in NO wife caft out"-Though your fins be as SCARLET, they fhall be white as fnow; though they be RED as crimton, they fhail be as wool." But, alas! for her, poor, unhappy woman, he was not enabled to come; for, her uniform reply was, when the was entreated to cry to the Lord Jefus for mercy and pardon, " I cannot even name his name!-I cannot utter it !-1 am damned to all eternity!—I fee, I feel the flames of Hell within and all around me!" Thus died this unhappy woman-of, as faid all about her, no diforder but a wounded ipirit; not having, as the medical men who attended her faid, any bodily diforder-only the horrible agonies of her mind!-How ftrong a proof this of the wife man's aphorifm: "The ipuit of a man can fuftain his infirmities-but a wounded fpirit who can bear?" 66 |