contribute to secure their happiness in this life, and in that which is to come. Associate, then, your labours with ours: in order, that, by our united efforts, favoured with the blessing of Heaven, edification may be promoted among the Christians of our Church, and the Name of God be glorified, in Jesus Christ our Lord. For the Committee of the Bible Society, President: we expect from Bâsle, when it shall have arrived. Mr. Owen writes— It was, no doubt, desirable, that the Institution should have assumed a GENERAL character, and included within its provisions the Catholic as well as the Protestant Inhabitants of the country: but, as the attainment of such an object, under present circumstances, was considered to be impracticable, its institution was purposely MARQUIS DE JAUCOURT, Peer of France. limited in such a manner as to re BOISSARD, JUILLERAT, Secretaries : Prospects of Success. The Rev. Mr. Goepp, Minister of the Lutheran Church, and one of the Vice-Presidents of the Society, states, a few days after the distribution of the above Address Many of the Members who had taken the charge of applying for subscriptions in the families to whom we addressed the Circulars, have given an account of their visits. We have the satisfaction of remarking, that the two who have visited the working class, have altogether been delighted with their reception. One, in the course of three days, brought to them more than 1000 francs, in donations and annual subscriptions; and made them acquainted with many families, who, though by no means wealthy, were anxious to subscribe, and who, in addition, propose to obtain, by a separate payment, the Bible, which move every ground of objection to its existence and its operations. Should the zeal of the Catholics be provoked by these exertions of their Protestant Brethren, and a Catholic Bible Society be consequently established, there is reason to hope, that the streams, though running separately for a time, will eventually meet, and roll their united waters with fertilizing influence over every portion of the kingdom. I will not allow myself (he adds, in reference to France) to expatiate on what I saw, or what I heard, relative to the religious and moral state of the bulk of its vast population. May the steps which are now taking, and those to which they may lead, be followed by a general revival of piety and virtue, in a people so highly gifted by nature, and favoured by Providence! and may the dissemination of the Scriptures, and the progress of Education, be the signal to France, in all its departments, to obey that prophetic invitation and command, Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee! Miscellanies. OBITUARY. LAST SICKNESS AND DEATH OF AN OLD NEGRO WOMAN IN ANTIGUA. THE aged Negro Woman, of whose departure to her eternal rest some account is here given, was found by Ir. Dawes on an Estate in Antigua, of which he went to take the charge. This Estate belonged to the Grandfather of its present Possessor, the Rev. Nathaniel Gilbert. Though by profession a Lawyer, Mr. Gilbert felt himself authorized to exercise on his own estate, in the great dearth of instruction on the Island, the office of a Teacher of his Negroes. Under his care, Mary acquired, by the Divine Blessing, a knowledge and love of the Truth, In this she had walked consistently for about fifty years. After Mr. Gilbert's death, and the removal of the family, a cruel tyrant was set over the poor Negroes, under whom they endured the rigors of an Egyptian bondage. They were prohibited, under the penalty of severe punishments, from attending the worship of God: but Mary and four others ventured all the consequences of disobedience, in seeking after their spiritual food. They sometimes went, by stealth, so far from home at night, that the day began to dawn before their return; but, though spies were employed to inform against them, they never were discovered. Two women of the party still survive: another, beside Mary, has entered into the joy of her Lord; and the fifth, a man, died some years ago, full of years and grace, having adorned, in the most exemplary manner, the doctrine of God his Saviour. When Mr. and Mrs. Dawes arrived to take charge of the Estate on behalf of the present Proprietor, they found on it only one other African beside Mary. They were both old; but Mary was sinking under the infirmities of extreme age. She was bent almost double; had entirely lost the sight of one eye; was very deaf; and, in consequence of the loss of teeth, was extremely imperfect in her articulation. Her mental faculties, however, appeared to be in full vigour; and her feelings in lively exercise towards God and Man.. The following account of her last days is given by Mrs. Dawes:— When Mary heard of the arrival of part of her old Master's family, she exerted herself to get to the "Great House"; but, by the time she had reached it, she was too much exhausted to stand. She expressed much delight, notwithstanding her weakness, at having lived to witness their return; and dwelt, with pleasure, on "the tales of other times." We often visited her; and always found her cheerful and happy, and her mouth filled with blessings. She enumerated, with all the exaggerations of gratitude, the advantages which she had derived from our coming; blessing and praising God incessantly for it, and invoking, in "the most affecting manner, blessings on the very ship which had brought us out. She could not, she said, forget her God, for He did not forget her she lay down upon that bed, and He came down to her ;-meaning by this to describe the spiritual communion which she enjoyed with her God and Saviour. She told us if it was the will of "Jesus Massa" to call her to-morrow, she should be satisfied to go: if it was His will to spare her some time longer, she should be satisfied to stay. We frequently called to see her, and always found her in the same strain of adoring gratitude and love. She often regretted her inability to come to prayers. Indeed, such was her desire to join us in worshipping God, that she once got her son to bring her on his back! One day when I went to see her, and found her very low, I observed to her, that she would be glad to go to "Jesus Massa:" she suddenly raised herself up, and said, with surprising animation, "If it is His will." Once, on visiting her, we heard her voice before we entered, as if in conversation; and were rather surprised to find her quite alone. She told us she had been talking to "Jesus Massa." She enumerated, as usual, all the benefits which Mr. Dawes had conferred upon her; and said she prayed her " Tala," that is Father, "in heaven" to bless him. He (Mr. D.) had done all he could for her only he could not take away the old. She was very old, and was going away. She prayed God not to let the way be dark, but to make it plain. She begged Him to give her repentance for all her sins, and to enable her to carry her cross after Jesus Massa:" He was no hard Massa. 66 : When I asked her, on another occasion, how she did, she replied she did not know; but He, who made the soul and body, knew, and the best time for calling her away. She only hoped it would not be pitch darkness; but that there might be light and that He would remember His promise to her. She thanked me when I offered her some to medicine; said she would have any thing said she should be glad to go, if she was which we gave her, and that Jesus to be happy; and if the way was not Massa" would pay us for all. She often dark. On being asked if she did not prayed God to bless us with a double love "Jesus Massa," she exclaimed, in portion of good; to prosper, all Mr. great surprise at the question, "Ah! Dawes's efforts abundantly; and Ah!" and then told us how, years ago, make every thing grow that he puts she had been in the habit of visiting difinto the ground, until the neighbours ferent Plantations, to hear the Word of shall observe to each other, with amaze- Eternal Life; and that when she came ment, the fruitfulness of the Estate. in, fatigued with labour in the field, she She prayed particularly, this evening, did not go to seek for food to nourish for blessings on the "Great House," and her body, but went in pursuit of that its present inhabitants; and that no man bread which endureth unto everlasting (meaning, stranger) might ever live life. This evening, she said, "Jesus there again. Massa come closer and closer to me." We found her one evening very low and faint. She revived enough, however, to tell us she was waiting for her "Massa a'top," and to repeat her blessings on us all. She said she caught hold of her God, and begged him to come for her. When I asked her if she would take any more medicine, she answered, No-physic'was not made for her: she was too weak: and then, in her usual strain of gratitude, she added, Her Massa' did all he could for her; her Missis did all she could; that lamefoot woman" (meaning her son's wife) did all she could; and now she was waiting for her Lord. 66 A day or two after, she said, "Jesus Massa make the soul, make the body. Thank God for it! When He see time for come, he will come fast 'nuff; and, then, thank God for that too." She observed, that she had come to this country a "picknee" (that is, a child), and now was dying with age: what more would she have? All the other "salt-water Negroes," except one, were dead; and she was still alive, thank God! Her Sis saw 66 was able to go to prayers; she was not; but she was contented and satisfied, and she was thankful for being so. What," she asked, on another visit, can poor Massa do more? what can poor Missis do more? They cannot take away old age." She repeated, that she was waiting for her summons from above; said God spared her a little, and she thanked Him for it. By and bye, when He SAW HIS TIME, He would come, and then she would thank Him for THAT. She once appeared to have - some doubts on her mind; for, when she spoke of her approaching departure, she Sister; used as a term of kindness towards another old woman. The next evening she appeared so faint and low as to be scarcely conscious of our coming in. After a while, however, she exerted herself to speak, and told us she was in pain from head to foot nobody had beat her: nobody had whipped her: but "Jesus Massa" had sent the pain, and she thanked him for it. Some day, when He saw good, He would come and take it away. About a week after this, she told us she was in pain all over, but that she had given herself up to her "Massa a'top." She said she would tell us what she wanted: it was, that Jesus Massa," her "Tala a'top," would bless all ber friends, and pay them—for He was well able for all their kindness to her: and then, in a very simple and affecting manner, addressing her Almighty Friend, she cried, “Dear Tala! do pay them!" She clasped my Sister's hand in her's, and told us we were acting thus (meaning to say, in union) with God. She prayed for blessings on her Massa, all the young ones in England, and all the old and young out here, and repeated her thanksgivings for our coming out. After lingering thus for some time, still in pain, but prayer and praise ever flowing from her lips, she drew near her end. When in her greatest extremities, she said her Saviour would give her ease, when He saw fit; and if He did not give it her now, He would give it yonder, pointing upward. A few days before she died, she sent a messenger to ask us, in her simple style, How d'ye to-day?" and to say, that she prayed to God to bless us all. She desired the messenger to tell us, also, that it had pleased God to wash away all her sins; and that she was now anxious to depart, though she wished not to be impatient. Thus this aged Christian fell asleep in Jesus! It must not be inferred, from what has been said of the fervour of old Mary's gratitude, that uncommon benefits were bestowed upon her by us. We found ber, indeed, in a deplorable state of poverty; not having a bed to lie upon, or a blanket to cover her. We did but what duty and humanity required, to make her situation comfortable; but, after all we could do, her external condition was by no means enviable. Little, however, as it presented to charm the eye of sense, a mind of spiritual dis cernment perceived, in her humble cottage, a Heavenly Guest, whose presence shed a divine splendour around, with which all the pomp of human greatness would vainly attempt to vie. CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CHURCH-MISSIONARY SOCIETY, From April 21, to May 20, 1819. 5 By the Misses Pope, Great Staughton By Mr. George Saunders, near Chipping Norton, Oxon. 3 11 4 4 5 1 3 11 57 0 11 10 0 ... 37 0 8 ... 49 8 6 50 0 O T. F. Buxton, Esq. M. P. V. P. Hampstead Right Hon. Lord Teignmouth, V.P. Mrs. Tyler, Stockwell CONGREGATIONAL COLLECTION. St. Bride's, Fleet Street, Anniversary: By Hon. and Rev. Gerard Thomas Noel, including 50l. sent afterwards by an Anonymous Friend, who had been accustomed to give that sum at the Sermon, but was unable to attend. 219 14 9 Collected at Freemasons' Hall. (third year). 500 Fifty Copies of the Youth's Spelling and Pronouncing Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: by the Author, as a small tribute of respect for the Church Missionary Society. |