be quite improper to go to the means of grace, as the would thereby hurt herself and encrease the diforder. But the Lord graciously interpofed; in an inftant fhe was alarmed, and thought The heard a voice repeat the following words, "In a very little time the last trumpet shall found!" She inftantly arofe, and going to her class related the matter to them all. The fimple relation of this trial and deliverance proved a great bleffing to the fociety.

About this time fhe had a more clear difcovery of the evils which yet remained in her heart, and of the abfolute neceflity of being delivered from them. She began to pray for a clean heart in fuch a manner as she never did before, endeavouring to give herself and all her concerns, into the hands of God unrefervedly, witneffing in all her behaviour that the truly "bungered and thirfted after righteousness." Her disorder continued to increase notwithstanding every means were used that were judged neceffary to promote her recovery. When fhe was acquainted that it was thought her diforder was mortal, the information gave her no uneafiness without reluctance she was enabled to give up her husband, children, and all on earth ;-holinefs and heaven occupied all her thoughts. The company of the truly pious were more peculiarly her delight, other visitors fhe had no defire for, being fenfible that the vifits of irreligious perfons would afford her very little confolation.

After I heard of her illness, I vifited her, and found her perfectly refigned, and exceeding patient. To the questions I asked, fhe gave me the most fatisfactory answers. Her diligence after inward purity continued. At the end of two weeks I found her nearly in the fame ftate of body, only much weaker. She faid, "I have no fear of death, but am confident when I depart this "life, God will bring me to heaven." Her conftant cry was,

that the Lord would perfect her in holiness here, that the might testify of it to others before the finally entered into her Master's joy. After giving her fuch inftructions and encouragement as feemed neceffary I left her, not expecting to meet again until the morning of the refurrection. Trufting in the fulness and fecurity of the divine promises, the continued with unabating zeal, to feek the full falvation of God. On Sunday the 10th of May, a friend enquired how fhe did? She answered, "I never lived fo happy a week in my life as the last." Here the power and benefit of true religion appear in their full force. Juft at the time when the world, with all its riches, honours and pleasures, can do nothing for us, then religion affords its comfort and fupport, Here we see a perfon racked with pain, her body worn to a skeleton, upheld by a sense of the divine favour; and the hope of future glory elevates her heart above pain and weakness, and fhe rejoices in expectation of the Glory of God! Some perfons, whom she knew were living in wickedness, the earnestly exhorted to repent; adding, "if you do not obtain God's pardoning mercy, 4 N 2 you

you will be loft to all eternity. Remember I have told you; and if you do not forfake all fin, the words of a dying woman will rife up in judgment againft you to your condemnation."

Her weaknefs continued to encreafe, but did not prevent her from faithfully warning and lovingly exhorting all that came to fee her, to be earnest with the Lord that they might obtain falva. tion; infifting much on the abfurdity and wickedness of delaying that important work unto a death-bed.

On the 24th of May, fhe was greatly afflicted, and every one prefent waited the awful moment when he would breathe her laft. Her conflant cry was, "Come, Lord, and cleanse my heart." In this ftate fhe continued about five hours and then revived a little. During this diftrefs, fhe was exercifed with temptations refpecting her family, but was enabled to anfwer, "that is not my business;-the Lord will take care of my children."

She continued earnestly praying, patiently fuffering, and faith. fully warning those who came to vifit her to prepare to meet the Lord, until the 27th, on which day the Lord was pleafed to anfwer the prayers of his fervant, and filled her foul with that per fect love which cafteth out all fear. She cried out in a rapture of joy, "Free falvation! free falvation;" and requested of all prefent to join her in praifing the Lord for his unfpeakable mercy. She now had a clear evidence that "the blood of Jefus cleanfeth from all fin." Her father coming into the room, fhe looked at him, with joy fparkling in her eyes, and faid,

"Now I have found the ground wherein

"Sure my foul's anchor may remain,

"The Wounds of Jefus, for my fin

"Before the world's foundation flain;

"Whofe mercy fhall unfhaken stay,

"When earth and heaven are fled away."

Shortly after this the enemy made his laft attack, by attempting to reafon her out of her confidence; but fhe held faft the shield of faith and was more than conqueror through him who hath loved her and given himself for her. Her husband hearing her re joice and praise in fuch a wonderful manner, was enabled to refign her unto the Lord, which added greatly to her happiness. Her mind feemed to be entirely engaged in contemplating the glorious inheritance which he was about to enter upon. coming in, began to speak of another perfon who had lately be come rich, fhe inftantly stopped the converfation, and cried out, "I have all the riches I can defire! God, and Chrift, and hea"ven are mine: It is enough; it is enough! I defire no more."

One

A friend hearing of her happiness, and that she was not afraid to die, could not credit the report except he heard it from her own mouth. When she had received this intimation of his defire, fhe cried out, "The Lord hath filled my foul with his pure "love: it is now as an overflowing fountain, that I am fcarce

able

able to contain." Adding, "O that I was able to praife the Lord for his goodness and mercy to me." In this flate the continued bleffing and praifing God until a little after 12 o'clock, and then in holy triumph not to be expreffed in words, the cried out aloud, "I fhall be this day in Paradife with my Lord;" and without a figh or groan her happy foul entered into the regions of everlasting blifs.

Mullydry, 6th June, 1794.

H

"

JOHN KERR.

A SHORT ACCOUNT OF HENRY HINDle.

E was born near Colne in Lancashire, in the year 1758. His parents brought him up in the fear of the Lord, according to the light which they had, and by the divine bleffing upon their admonitions and care, he was happily preferved from grofs notorious fins, to whom young people in thefe days are addicted. He was heard to fay, in his fickness, that he never remembered fwearing an oath, but once, for which an old woman reproved him, and the reproof made a deep impreffion upon his mind.

He attended the diffenting chapel at Colne, and when he was about nineteen years of age it pleafed the Almighty to let him fee, in some measure, what he was by nature and practice. Soon after, he went to hear the Methodists, and was more deeply awakened to a fenfe of his depravity and wretchednefs; and was conftrained to cry mightily to God, that his iniquities might be blotted out, and his foul fet at liberty.

He continued, Jacob-like, wrestling with God for the bleffing, till one night, returning from a prayer-meeting in great diftrefs, he kneeled down in the open field, and earnestly befought the Lord for a fenfe of his favour. God heard his prayer, and brought him out of that horrible darkness into his marvellous light, and fet his feet upon a rock.

He now joined the Methodists, and for fome time walked in the light of God's countenance. Being obliged to leave his native place, on account of the employment not agreeing with his health, he came to Bury, in queft of work, and began the business of cotton-fpinning. But by this time his foul had fuflained much lofs, and being in a strange place, he did not join the fociety. which proved an additional lofs to him.*

However, he attended the public means of grace, and was kept from fcandalous fins; and in this ftate he continued till his

It is fincerely recommended to every member of the Methodist Society, that when they are obliged to leave a place, to apply to the Superintendent of the circuit for a note, fignifying that they have a lawful caufe for their removal, and as a recommendation to the place they are going to; by which means they are introduced into that fociety, and are preferved in chriflian fellowship. The neglect of this rule of conference, fome times prevents them from joining the fociety, and opens the way to return back again into the world.

laft

laft fickness begun, which was about eight weeks before his death. This affliction induced him to confider seriously how matters ftood between God and his foul; and upon examination he found himfelf weighed in the ballance but was wanting; he could not think of facing his MAKER in his present state. This awful concern kept increafing, and made him cry to the Lord to heal his poor backfliding foul, and once more fet his feet upon the Rock. fent for the brethren to come and pray with him, and the Sunday evening before his death, the Lord reftored to him the light of his countenance, and the Sun of Righteousness arofe once more with healing in his wings; fo that he could again rejoice in a fin-pardoning God, with joy unfpeakable and full of glory.

He

On Monday he was quite refigned to the will of God, though his pain was very great, and he appeared on the verge of eternity. On Tuesday he was ftill worse, but his patience was invisible, he was never heard to murmur in the leaft degree. With fome difficulty they got him into bed, which fatigued him much, but being a little recovered, he opened his eyes, and faid, "I am exceeding happy, and have not the leaft fear of landing fafe.” tinued in extreme pain of body, but in great peace of mind, till near fix o'clock on Wednesday morning, when his happy fpirit took its flight to that region where the inhabitant fhall no more fay, I am fick.

Sept. 11, 1793.

He con

T. TAYLOR.

THE HAPPINESS OF DOING GOOD.

[EXTRACTED FROM A LATE EMINENT WRITER.]

men

APPINESS is man's aim, from his birth to his death. But, amongst the men of the world, the question ftill remains to be answered, "Where fhall it be found, or where is the place thereof? The earth and the sea have been ranfacked for it; but they fay, it is not in them. The high born fons of ambition, the low minded children of avarice, and the giddy votaries of diffipation, return from the chace, jaded and difappointed. A phan. tom appeared to delude them, as they will all tell us, in their more ferious moments, which fled as they purfued, and vanished when they approached to embrace it. Let us point out to them a more excellent way; let us bring them in fight of fomething real and fubftantial; let us prevail upon them to feek happiness by doing good. They have in vain attempted to become bleffed by receiv ing if they would become indeed fo, it must be by giving.

Strange as this pofition may, at first fight, appear, it is evidently intimated to us, by the operation of that principle implanted in our nature, which we commonly ftyle inftin&t. Confider the toil and the folicitude undergone, the anxious days and the wakeful nights paffed by the tender parent, in the care of her infant offspring. Yet even here, though so painfully employed, will the not tell

you,

you, the experienceth a joy, for which the whole world, if offered in exchange, would be inftantly rejected with difdain? Her charge, feeble and helpless as it is, can make her no returns. Only the procures eafe and comfort for her child; and its happiness conftitutes her own. Thus, again, with regard to every connection, friendship induces us to form in fociety, we feek not the fatisfac tion alone of being esteemed or beloved, but that of exciting in another the sentiments which delight ourselves. The end of the affection is, to render its object happy, and fo to be happy by reflection. Whence that general wifh in every civilized person, to make himself agreeable to those around him, and recommend himself to their good opinion ? It is a tacit acknowledgment that we must please others, if we would be pleafed ourselves.

The inequality of mankind, ordained by Providence for this end, among others, offer to us continually the opportunities of thus becoming happy. We are unhappy, because we neglect to feize and improve them; fince it is an incontrovertible truth, that as no man was ever happy, while employed in making others miferable; fo no one was ever miferable while employed in making others happy; and he was a wife as well as a good prince, who declared the day to be loft, that was not marked in the calendar of beneficence. To his character the imperial diadem could add no dignity.

With the advantages poffeffed by different perfons it should be as with the commodities produced by different countries; the abundance of one fhould fupply the neceffities of another. God formed the human heart to be the difpenfer of bleffings, which are fure to return to it again, in the course of circulation. He made man for society, and defigned not that he should be happy. alone.

We may be convinced, by a little reflection, that the gifts of Heaven, poured in ever fuch profufion around him, cannot make him fo. Self is an idol, that can contribute no more to its own well-being, than the idols worshipped of old. Take a man out of the world, place him in folitude, and you will fee, that all the fuppofed fources of felicity fail at once. Inveft him with power: there are none on whom it can be exercifed. Fill his treasury with gold and filver: they have loft all their value. Let him poffefs the highest reputation: there is no one to regard it. Bestow upon him the abilities of an angel: they will prey upon themfelves, for want of other materials. Adorn him with every accomplishment: every accomplishment will be useless. Nay, of piety itself, practifed only in folitude, it has been remarked by an elegant writer, that, "like the flower blooming in the defart, it may give it's fragrance to the winds of heaven, and delight thofe unbodied fpirits that furvey the works of God and the actions of men; but it beftows no affiftance upon earthly beings, and however free from the taints of impurity, yet wants the fa cred fplendour of beneficence." The gifts of God, unless dif

fused