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Mr. Editor,

Dbituary.

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A YOUNG Man, of the name of S- C-, grandson to a late eminent Dissenting Minister, and brought up by him, came to reside at K- -g about the year 1803. He attended at the Baptist place of worship, not only on the Lord's Day, but frequently at the weekday lectures and prayer-meetings. He was supposed by some to be seriously inclined; but his opinion of himself was, that he had never experienced that divine change, without which no man can be saved.

However that might be, there is reason to believe he had been for sone years under powerful convictions of his miserable condition as a sinner. In June 1806, these convictions were observed to increase, and that in a more than common degree. From that time he went into no company; but, when he was not at work, kept in his chamber, where he was employed in singing plaintive hymns, and bewailing his lost and perishing state.

He had about him several religious people; but could not be induced to open his mind to them, or to impart to any one the cause of his distress. Whether this contributed to increase it or not, it did increase, till his health was greatly affected by it, and he was scarcely

able to work at his business.

While he was at meeting on Jord's Day, September 14, he was observed to labour under very great emotion of mind, especially when he heard the following words: "Sin

ner, if you die without an interest in Christ, you will sink into the regions of eternal death."

On the Saturday evening following, he intimated to the mistress of the house where he lodged, that some awful judgment was about to come upon him; and as he should not be able to be at meeting next day, requested that an attendant might be procured to stay with him, She replied, that she would herself slay at home, and wait upon him; which she did.

On the Lord's Day he was in great agony of mind. His mother was sent for, and some religious friends visited him; but all was of no avail. That night was a night dreadful beyond conception. The horror which he endured brought on all the symptoms of raging madness, He desired the attendants not to come near him, lest they should be burnt, He said that “the bed-curtains were in flames, that he smelt the brimstone, that devils were come to fetch him, — that there was no hope for him, for that he had sinned against light and conviction, and that he should certainly go to Hell. It was with difficulty he could be kept in bed,

An apothecary being sent for; as soon as he entered the house, and heard his dreadful howlings, he enquired if he had not been bitten by a mad dog. His appearance likewise seemed to justify such a suspicion, his countenance resembling that of a wild beast more than that of a man.

Though he had no feverish heat, yet his pulse beat above 150 in a minute. To abate the mania, a quantity of blood was taken from him, a blister was applied, his head was shaved, cold water was copiously poured over him, and foxglove was administered. By these means his fury was abated; but his mental agony continued, and all the symptoms of madness, which his bodily strength thus reduced would allow, till the following Thurs

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day. On that day he seemed to have recovered his reason, and to be calm in his mind. In the evening, he sent for the apothecary; and wished to speak with him by himself. The latter, on his coming, desired every one to leave the room, and thus addressed him: "C-, have you not something on your mind?" 6 Aye,' answered he, that is it! He then acknowledged that, early in the month of June, he had gone to a fair in the neighbourhood, in company with a number of wicked young men that they drank at a public-house together till he was in a measure intoxicated; and that from thence they went into other company, where he was criminaily connected with a harlot. "I have been a miserable creature," continued he, "ever since; but during the last three days and three nights, I have been in a state of desperation. He intimated to the apothecary, that he could not bear to tell this story to his minister: "But," said he, "do you inform him that I shall not die in despair; for light has broken in upon me: I have been led to the great Sacrifice for sin, and I now hope in him for salvation."

From this time his mental distress ccased, his countenance became placid, and his conversation, instead of being taken up as before, with fearful exclamations concerning devils and the wrath to come, was now confined to the dying love of Jesus! The apothecary was of opinion, that if his strength had not been so much exhausted, he would now have been in a state of religious transport. His nervous system, however, had received such a shock, that his recovery was doubtful; and it seemed certain, that if he did recover, he would sink into a state of idiotcy.

He survived this interview but a few days. When he could talk, he would repeat many of the promises made to returning sinners. By his desire, various hymns were read to him: one in particular, which was sung at his funeral.

He said to his mother, "My dear mother, you do not know what couflicts of soul I have had. I have

lain whole nights without sleep, pleading for my own soul and yours; and have reflected with grief on my disobedience to your counsel." At another time he said, "Blessed Jesus, thou art all my hope!"-His strength kept declining; and on Monday morning, Sept. 29, at one o'clock, he calmiy breathed his last.

REFLECTIONS, BY THE NARRATOR.

1. To the greatest part of mankind sin appears a light thing, es pecially in time of health and prosperity but a view of the holiness and the majesty of God,-a sense of his threatenings, a conscience wounded by his arrows,-nay, the witnessing of them in a case like that which has been related, will, even in the present life, cause us to know that it is an evil and a bitter thing,"

2. If a drop of the cup of God's wrath can make a sinner thus mit serable, what will it be to drink the dregs of it, and that for ever and ever?

It is

3. It is to be hoped, that God had mercy on this poor youth. He appears to have had those two marks of a truly converted person, "Repentance toward Ged, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." true, he did not merely, like Christian, begin to sink in the mire of the Slough of Despond. What he suffered there brought him to his grave. Yet at last he discovered the steps (the promises) and was plucked out, and set on that side of the slough that was farthest from his own house, and next to the wicket-gate, into which also he appears to have lived to enter. example holds out encouragement to sinners in the most wretched cir cumstances. If, like this young man, they look to Jesus, the great sacrifice for sin, even as the Israeliles, who had been bitten by the fiery serpents looked at the braz n serpent, like him, they shall be healed. Thus far, my friend. I add,

His

4. We may learn from hence, the importance of early instructions. It does not appear that this young man had lived in such habits, but that he had been led from his child

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MRS. ELIZABETH NUNELLEY Was born at Great Wigstone, in Leicestershire. From her childhood, she had been accustomed to hear the gospel; and before she had reached her 18th year, gave pleasing evidence that she had not heard in vain. In whatever way her mind was first wrought upon I have not been able to learn; but her temper and conduct ever after afforded the most satisfactory evidence of true conversion. When about 21, she was admitted a member of the Independent church at Wigstone, under the pastoral care of the Rev. H.

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Davis; and continued to fill that relation with consistency and honour till, in May 1799, she was united in marriage to Mr.J.Nunelley, of Market Harborough. In the spring of 1803, the family removed to Leices ter; and from which time to her death, the writer of this can attest, that her deportment uniformly displayed the sincere, humble, con scientious Christian. In the family, in the church, in her intercourse with the world, she might be truly said to adorn the doctrine of God her Saviour; and it was by no means the least excellency in her character that she seemed scious of none. Her life to her fa mily and connexion seemed pecu. liarly desirable, being the mother of three children, all too young to be sensible of their loss in her removal; but He, whose ways are unsearchable to mortals, had otherwise determined. Her constitution was naturally very delicate, and always bore evident signs of a tendency to consumption. In May 1806, while attending a meeting of ministers at Leicester, she caught a cold, which was followed with a violent cough, and other alarming symptoms of a speedy decline. All possible means were used to check the disorder, but without effect: the malady continued to gather strength; and, on the 31st of March last, after a lingering confinement of many weeks, issued in her removal to a better world. She was in her 34th year.

The frame of her mind throughout her affliction was, almost without interruption, cáim and resigned. Though she had many strong ties to life, she was not anxious to live. Though fully sensible of the solemnity of death, and persuaded from the first that her departure was at hand, she was not alarmed. Το her, Death was not the king of terrors that Saviour, whom she had known and served for 15 years, was her support and consolation. She knew, as she said, in whom she had believed.

Frequently, during her confinement, she conversed on the subject of her approaching change, with a degree of composure and cheerful

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ness which, to those unacquainted with her hopes, seemed unaccountable; but which edified and comforted her religious friends. Death," she frequently said, "is only the passage to our Father's house, it is going home; and why should we be reluctant to go home?" What was still more pleasing was, this composure and serenity was accompanied with the deepest sense of her own personal unworthiness. She evidently had no confidence in the flesh. The atonement and righteousness of Christ were the sole basis of her hopes. On one occasion, after a serinon on this subject had been read in her hearing, she said, "There are some who reject this doctrine; but as for me, were it not for this, I feel I must be lost!"

Some days before her removal, however, her hopes were violently assaulted with many doubts respecting her interest in Christ, and her final safety; but the cloud was soon dispersed, and her former tranquillity restored. That promise, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,"

supported her mind. "He hath

said it," said she;" and will he not do it?" When exercised with violent convulsions, on hearing a relative who stood by say, 'It is a mercy sister does not feel much pain,'

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Mercy! replied Mrs. N. "nothing but mercy hath followed me through life: I shall sing of mercy for ever!" The words of Dr. Watts were frequently in her lips: "Oh, if my Lord would come and meet," &c. In this calm and placid frame she continued, perfectly sensible to the last. A few minutes before her

departure, she articulated faintly, "Come, Lord, come," and then fell asleep. - Pause, reader, and reflect. See in this fact, how the Christian lives, and how he dies! Imitate the example of this excellent woman, and your last end, like hers, shall be peace.

T.M.

MARIA HENDRY WAS brought up in the ways of the Lord; and, from a child, was fond of reading the Bible and good books, — was able to repeat the Assembly's Catechism with the Provîs;

and was delighted in attending the house of God.

About the close of 1804 she took cold, and discovered strong symptoms of a consumption. She recovered, however, for a time; but in the January following, her disorder returned with increased violence, threatening her dissolution; but she was entirely resigned to the will of God, and never heard to murmur or complain.

At one time, during her illness, she was observed to weep; and it was found, that having heard a sermon by Mr. S on being born again, she expressed her fear that she had Mever experienced that change; but on some conversation with her, her fears were removed, and she was enabled to take comfort from the promises of God, and expressed her hope in the Lord Jesus. Once she said to her father, "I am now ready to die! God is my all-sufficient God, and he will never leave me nor forsake me! The Lord Jesus is a precious Saviour! - I have found the pead of great price."

To one of her own age, who was speaking of the days of the week, she said, "You are counting the days of the week, that you may go to the fair: I am counting the days. that I may go to the Lord Jesus!"

She then divided her books among her acquaintance; and desired her brothers to read what she gave them, and seek to know the Lord, and not to play with wicked children. She had also some Religious Tracts, which she desired might be given, when she was dead, to children in the streets.

She expressed her desire, that after her funeral, a sermon might be preached to young people, pressing them to remember their Creator.

On the morning of Lord's Day, June 30, about eight o'clock, she was suddenly, and at that moment unexpectedly, taken from this world, without speaking a word, aged 14 years and three months. Romford, Essex.

T. S.

RECENT DEATH. June 6. After a short illgess. died the Rev. S. BARNARD, Minister of an Independent church at Sheffield.

REVIEW OF RELIGIOUS PUBLICATIONS.

The sa

Lectures on Scripture Facts.
W. B. Collyer, 8vo, 12s.
ONE of the most forcible evi-
dences of the authenticity and in-
spiration of the Holy Scriptures
arises from their contents.
cred volume, carefully perused by
an intelligent and impartial enquirer,
who, as he proceeds, compares the
several parts of it with each other,
affords the strongest proof that it
could not be an imposition; and if
this be allowed, no conclusion can
be admitted in its favour short of an
acknowledgment, that its claims to
a heavenly origin are well-founded,
- that it is indeed "the word of
God."

-

By their Journey in the Wilderness and their Establishment in Canaan, Theocracy and Monarchy, the Captivities of Israel and Judah,the Life, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus Christ. These important facts, together with an Introductory Lecture, on the Necessity of a Divine Revelation, -an intermediate one, on the Nature and Destination of Man, an Enquiry into the Characters of the Sacred Writers, and a Comparison of the Obscurity which overshadows Revelation, with that which overspreads Nature and Providence, as the conclusion of the whole, forms the plan of the volume. To shew the additional support which these invaluable writings derive from foreign testimony, and from the natural, political, and moral history of the world, and to urge on his hearers and readers attention to the conclusions arising from them, in reference to faith and practice, Mr. Collyer has annexed to most of the Lectures notes, chiefly of an historical or critical nature, with suitable extracts from ancient and modera writers.

In subordination to this class of evidence, the testimonies of ancient Heathen historians and poets, and the confirmation which both the natural and moral state of the world afford to the representations of the sacred writers, are of no small importance, and tend to authenticate the volume of Scripture, as proceeding from the Creator and the Governor of the world, who is "wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working."

With both these modes of defending Revelation, the ingenious and promising author of Lectures on Scripture Facts appears to be well acquainted. The Lectures were first delivered to his own congregation at Peckham; and were afterwards repeated to large auditories in London: and we are persuaded, that the publication of them is well adapted to confirm and enlarge the beneficial effects which they were instrumental in producing, when they were pronounced from the pulpit.

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Mr. Collyer's style is luxuriant and ornamental; and will certainly derive accuracy and strength from the pruning knife of years. We are far from regretting this exuberance in a young writer. Something of youthful animation will go off; and if a young man or a young author have not a little more of it than entirely suits the more chastened taste of maturer life, it is to be feared, that his future productions will become tame, feeble, and uninteresting.

It is not difficult to perceive, in most of the Lectures, that Mr. Collyer has diligently studied the Sacred Biography of the late Dr. H. Hunter: but although, doubtless, an admirer of the writings of Dr. Hunter, he is by no means a servile imitator. He has taken different ground, and has often treated similar subjects in a difierent manner. We mean no d sparagement to the

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