MRS. LYDIA DOBSON

WAS the youngest daughter of Mr. J. Woodcock, a respectable farmer in the county of Essex, who was dedicated to God in her infancy, by the late Rev. Mr. Reynolds, then of Clavering, the effect of whose ardent supplications appeared in her infant days. Early instructed by her parents to know good and evil, she never could recollect the time when she was not under serious impressions, nor felt an awe of the Divine Majesty, and serious apprehensions of the evil nature and consequences of sin; but these impressions were greatly deepened by the conversation of her mother, who endeavoured to improve the sudden and awful death of a neighbour. She listened to the glad tidings of salvation with peculiar pleasure; and, as a guilty creature, sought redemption through an almighty Saviour:-nor did she seek in vain! Having given up herself to the Lord and to his people, by the will of God in early life, she became a member of the church of Christ at Newport, Essex; in which connexion she remained till her marriage with her now disconsolate partner, the pastor of the church of Christ at Chiphill.

Here the Lord broke in upon her domestic comforts in a sudden and trying manner: two lovely children were snatched from her fond embraces in less than forty-eight hours from their being taken ill. This trial, however, she was enabled to endure without a murmuring word; nor did her grief exceed the limits allowed by the great Author of divine revelation; for she sorrowed as one under the influence of hope.

A little before her last illness she was severely tempted to conclude, that either she was an hypocrite, or that there was no God, and the Bible was not true. This tempta tion she kept in her own bosom : a step too frequent in times of severe temptation. Under these dis

tressing circumstances she was led to cry with increasing earnestness for deliverance; which our Lord mercifully granted her. She united. with ardent prayer the much neglected duty of close self-examination. "When I examine myself," said she," by the Bible, and hear you describe the character of a child of God, I am sure I am not an hypocrite; and if the Bible be true, and there is a God, I am sure my state is safe!" - Reading Mr. Bogue's Address, prefixed to the New Testament, and hearing a sermon upon Practical Atheism, were the means of breaking the fas tal snare of the tempter; and from this time she was no more sad.

Notwithstanding her afflictions, and the many obstructions to the performance of duty, arising, at one time, from her distance from the means of grace, and at others from domestic concerns, her place was never causelessly empty; and during nine years of close connection, I never observed the closet once neglected. She used to say,

"I cannot live if I have no time to be with God."

The disease which terminated in her death made gradual advances; but from the first alarming symptoms she concluded what its termination would be. She saw the sure approach of Death without dismay, and viewed the King of Terrors, and the terror of Kings, as an enemy without strength, and a serpent without a sting. "I have such a blessed prospect before me," said she," that language fails to describe it: I long to depart to realize it!" At another time to Mr. Dobson she said, "I feel Christ so precious; surely, I cannot be mistaken! Give me your opinion?" That being given, she said, "I know I hate all sin, [ know I love all holiness; and I see such a fulness in Christ, and such a glory in all he did and suf fered, that if I had a thousand souls, I could leave them all in

his dear hands! I have committed mine into his hands a thousand and a thousand times! O what a wonder that he should come to die for such a worthless thing as I am! Well may angels desire to look into the wonders of redemption! I bless God for giving his dear Son to die for me, and giving his dear Spirit to bring me to himself!" Mr. Dobson being absent to obtain the best medical assistance, the bre. thren had a meeting for prayer; atter which many of them came into the room to speak to her. To one she said, "I hope, Mr. C. you have not been importunate for my life. I am not unwilling to live, nor afraid to die." Being answered, We have been praying, that your comforts may be continued ; and that you and we may be resigned to the will of God, whatever it may be,' she answered, "That is all I wish!" She now became remarkable for abstractedness from the things of time. It was a rare case to hear her converse upon the things of time; she felt so much of the importance of eternal things, that none visited her without being directed to the most important objects; and the subject of an eternal state was the principal topic of

her conversation.

On the Lord's Day previous to her death, she said, "I am almost impatient to be gone;

"Yet I will stay my Father's time, "And hope and wait for Heav'n awhile."

After the afternoon-service, she said to Mr. Dobson, "What do you think now? - is there any prospect of my recovery ?" Being answered, God is all-sufficient;' she said, "Yes; he can bring to the grave, and can raise up again; but how glad should I be, could I slip out of time into eternity!" Being asked if the prospect of an approaching change was attended with distress? she answered, "Not in the least; only I have a little dread respecting the agonies of death; but none on account of the consequences: the everlasting arms of God are underneath me, and I have no fear that he will

fail to support me in the trying moment !" In this happy frame of mind she continued till the tollowing Wednesday; on which day she gave the most minute directions respecting her funeral; and continued in her cheerful and resigned frame till six o'clock in the evening, when the servant assisting her to rise, the imposthume upon her lungs broke, which brought on a suffocation. Being asked if she could still trust in an unchanging Friend, she said, "I cannot converse now; but my mind is comfortable" and at nine o'clock fell asleep in Jesus. Chiphill.

J. D.

WILLIAM DAVIS,

Of Kington, Herefordshire, who died Sept. 1, 1804, aged seventythree, had been, till about twelve months before his death, a notori ous drunkard. In his illness, which was the dropsy, he was convinced of his awful state as a sinner before God; and acquainted the kind friends who visited him with the feelings of his mind, and his earA nest desire for their prayers. short time before his death, he read one of Mr. B's Village Sermons; which was so blessed to him, that with the gratitude of one whom a kind hand had saved from destruction, he glorified God, declaring he enjoyed peace and pardon, thro' the blood of the cross; and uttered so many sweet observations, expressive of the operations of the Holy Ghost in his soul, that the

Christian visitors felt their hearts burn within them. The last words he was heard to speak, and which he uttered with uncommon joy, were, "Is this Heaven's gate ?" And soon, it is hoped and believed, had an abundant entrance ministered to him into the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. R. J.

MRS. MARY PODMORE, OF Southwark, died Oct.1, 1804, aged 70. She had been called by grace upwards of forty-three years, being at that period persuaded by

an intimate friend to hear Mr. Whitfield, Mr. Romaine, and others, whose preaching became the happy means of bringing her from darkness to marvellous light. She had, from her youth, been moral, having received good instructions from her pious mother, who attended the ministry of Mr. Davidson, of Bocking; so that she had frequent opportunities of hearing the gospel; but until now she had never felt its transforming power and influence. She attended, at successive periods of her life, the ministry of the Rev. Mr. Hitchen, Mr. Trotman, and Mr. Smith, of Eagle-street, and joined the Baptist church under his care; from which she was dismissed to Mr. Button's church, where she continued to the time of her death. She was favoured with a remarkable good state of health, not hav. ing a day's illness for near the first 28 years of her married state; but, about that time, in Sept. 1802, she was suddenly seized with a violent pain in her side, from which she re. covered, but was never so well as before; for nature appeared gradually to decay.

On the 19th of June, 1804, she was seized with the illness which ended in her death. At the begin ning of her illness she was under great darkness and distress of mind. She greatly feared she had for many years deceived others and her. self: she would not suffer one word of comfort to be spoken to her, and seemed given up to despair. In this situation many prayers were poured out to God on her account, which were soon graciously answered. On Sabbath Day, August 5, she appeared very weak in body, but quite serene and happy in her mind, and said, "Underneath me are the everlasting arms;" and further, "the ran-oined of the Lord shall return, and come with singing," &c.

"Yes," said she, lifting up her hands, for ever for ever."To some friends that came to see her, she said, "God has been my refuge for more than forty years past. How miserable should 1 be if I had now a refuge to seek! He will not leave me now in the hands of Satan."

Sabbath morning, Aug. 26, she said, "I would not have this called Death; it is not dying, but entering into life, it doth not yet appear what I shall be; but when Christ, who is my life, shall appear, then shall I also appear with him in glory. He has blotted out all my trans. gressions as a thick cloud; - the blood of Jesus cleanseth from all sin."

Thursday morning, the 30th, she desired the 45th Psalm to be read, and was greatly affected with the love of Christ to his church, and especially with the queen being pre. sented to the king, in gold of Ophir; which she understood as the type of Christ's righteousness.

The next day she said to her husband, "I wish I could tell you what I have enjoyed from this Psalm (the 118th); but this I can say, this whole Psalm, the 91st and the 116th, have at different times been made very sweet to me. Oh I wish I could tell you what have been my meditations for these two months past!" On a relative saying he hoped they should meet in Heaven, she replied, "Yes."

"Then we, with all in glory,
Shall cheerfully relate
The amazing pleasing story

Of Jesus' love so great!" To another she said, "Oh! what shoutings, what heavenly greetings, will then be at that general triumph. ant church-meeting!"

she re

On Tuesday morning, Sept. 4, it being said to her, "You are still waiting for the kingdom and com. ing of your dear Lord," plied, "Yes he will come by and by; his time is the best; and then I shall appear with him in glory; the Lord waited long to be gracious to me; it is my duty now to wait for him; I shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace."

On the 24th of Sept. thinking of her wedding-day, the 30th of Sept. she said, "I hoped that it would be my coronation-day, in which the queen would be presented to the King, in gold of Ophir." She departed this life Oct. the 1st, when, without a sigh or groan, she sweetly slept in Jesus!

P

A Spring Day; or, Contemplations on several Occurrences which naturally strike the Eye in that delightful Season. 8vo. 6s. boards.

THE book of Creation is a volume of divine instruction. The author of these Contemplations hath commented on Inany of its pages in a manner, if not satisfactory to the critic, yet certainly highly gratifying to the serious Christian, especially in the retirements of rural life. He hath expounded the book of Nature, by the volume of Revelation, in a manner somewhat analogous to the Apostle's explanation of the Mosaic rites. It may be said of this author, as it was of Cocceius, that he finds Christ everywhere, and in every page leads his reader to reflections always sensible and pious, if not always strictly appropriate and just. The principal subjects are Creation,- Moruing, The Lark, A Sheepfold,The Sun, Ploughing, Sowing, Corn, A Wood,- A Brook,- Fishing,- Bees, — A Swallow,- Evening :

which are embellished with some very pretty designs engraved on wood. That the reader may not rest wholly in our opinion, we shall give, as a sperimen, the second Contemplation, which is one of the shortest.

On the Singing of a Lark.

"WHAT pleasant sound is this salutes my ear so early! while I listen, I perceive it is a Lark, newly sprung from the turf, where he had reposed during the darkness.

Anxious, as it were, to be the first of all the terrestrial creation in expressing its thankfulness to the great Creator, and Upholder of all, for his kindness during the night, it pours forth its little grateful soul in rapturous strains of melody; swelling the anthem of praise with still more and more harmonious notes, the nearer it approaches the sky.

"This delightful bird, above most of the feathered tribe, is truly worthy of my imitation, and that in various points of view. While I am ravished with its song, may I accord with the little charmer, in expressing my gratitude to the -bountiful Creator of all! which I am ten thousand times more bound to do than this cheerful songster.

"How may I be put to shame with the early gratitude of this little crea

ture, which enjoys so little in comparison of what I do, who am still so unthankful! No house nor vault sheltered it from the hawk during the night; while I slept in my house with doors shut against any who might molest either my person or goods!

"It is now descended from its ærial

excursion, and is silent for a little, gathering a scanty meat on yonder spot, but knows not where to find its next repast; while I have provision, not only for sundry meals, but, perhaps, for some months. Led only by instinct, it gathers a few corns for the present; while I have reason to direct me, not only how to provide for the present, but also for future wants. It enjoys but a short temporal life; while I not only enjoy the sanie, but also hope to inherit life eternal.

"No songster of the grove soars so high as the Lark, and none sits lower. This is truly picturesque of a saint, aud teaches me this excellent lesson, That the higher I arise in holiness and in likeness to God, the more humble I ought to be, calling myself, with the apostle of the Gentiles, "less than the least of all saints." (Eph. iii. 8.) "Knowing that it is only grace that maketh me, or any, to differ from another." (1 Cor. iv. 7.)

"The Lark has a long heel, which is one reason that it does not sit on the spray. So a believer, while he is here, hath a long heel, which keeps him humble, even the iniquity of his heels, which compass him about."(Ps. xlix. 5.) The songsters of the grave will not sit on the ground, but perch on some elevated station, like the men of the world, who scorn the humble disposition of the saints, and sit high in their own estimation.

The Lark will not assemble, with any but those of its own tribe, except in case of winter's extremity; and even not theu, unless for the purpose of gathering a little food. So a saint only finds pleasure in the company of saints: "These are they whom he makes his companions, and in them he places all his delight." (Ps. xvi. 2.) And the he is often necessitated, from the affairs of human life, to associate with the men of the world, yet these may be said to have his actions alone, but the saints his affections. To the former he will only impart the common occurrences of life; but, to the latter, the