CYRENE ISAACS,

A Coloured Woman, in the State of New

York.

One of the Executors to the Will of this pious Woman, in transmiting a Legacy bequeathed by her to the American Board of Missions, gives the following short biographi

cal notice of her:

Cyrene Isaacs was a Coloured Woman, and was born a Slave. Her Master dying when she was young, she remained the property of her Mistress. At the age of about thirteen years, she contracted with her Mistress for her freedom; for which she was to pay about twenty dollars a year during the life of her Mistress. This contract she fulfilled. Her Mistress died when she was about

eighteen years old. Not far from this time-probably one or two years afterCyrene made a public profession of religion; and was received into the Church of Christ in Danby, now Tompkins County, New York; from which place she afterward came to Genoa, Cayuga County.

She was remarkably industrious and economical; and appeared to take a pleasure in giving something to aid charitable and benevolent objects. She sustained her Christian Character to the last, and we hope and trust died in the Lord.

She died June 15th, 1825, at the age of about 33 or 34 years. Her property was inventoried and appraised at dollars 693.24. She was not in debt, except for the expenses of her last sickness. She bequeathed to the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions Fifty Dollars, to aid their Permanent Fund, the interest only to be applied at the discretion of the Board: she bequeathed, also, Twenty-five Dollars to the United Foreign Missionary Society, to aid their Permanent Fund, the interest only to be applied at the discretion of the Managers. March, 1831.

She has left the greatest part of her estate for religious and benevolent purposes. NANCY THOMPSON,

A Young Liberated African, of Sierra
Leone.

The Rev. G. W. E. Metzger, one of the Church Missionaries at Sierra Leone, writes:

Nancy Thompson was of the Accoo Nation she was received on trial for baptism in August 1825, and was admitted to that Holy Ordinance in September; and remained a steady attendant on the Lord's Table to the time of her death. She lived at Wellington; and William Tamba, who now resides there in charge of the people, has sent me some striking particulars of her death.

We subjoin these particulars, in William Tamba's simple but expressive words:

Oct. 8, 1826-She fell sick. On the 11th day of her sickness, I went to see her; when I asked her if she prayed to God for mercy: on which she replied, "Yes, I pray to Jesus for the pardon of my sins.' Then I told her, "Jesus Christ died to save sinners."

Oct. 14-Br. Peacock [one of the Communicants] spoke to her in her own language when she said, "My body sick, but my soul well in the Lord :" after that he prayed with her.

Oct. 15-Br. Sultin [another Communicant] went to see her. He spoke to her about the goodness of God toward sinners on which she replied, "I no care for the world, but Christ I want."

Oct. 16-Mrs. Chapman [a pious woman and the Midwife of the town] spoke to her, and directed her to look to Jesus Christ, who came into the world to save sinners when she opened her eyes and said: "Mother-Jesus, the Lord, I want! Lord have mercy upon my soul ! Jesus Christ receive my soul!" R

Oct. 17, 1826 Br. Plague [another Communicant] went to see her; and told her to continue in prayer to God, for "He is a merciful God: He has told us to call upon Him in time of trouble:" on which she, stretching out her hand toward heaven, exclaimed, "Jesus have mercy upon my soul! Lord Jesus receive my soul!" Oct. 18-I went to see her. I told her, 'Christ came into the world to save sinners. He came not to call the righteous, but sinners. He came to heal the sick. He is merciful. He told us to call upon Him in time of trouble. He will help those that call upon Him by faith. I hope you will call to Him for help:"which she, again stretching out her arms toward heaven, exclaimed: "Lord help me! Jesus, take my soul unto thy right

hand!"

-on

Oct. 19-Mrs. Chapman went to see her. She told her to pray: she replied, Mother, pray for me-I wish to go home: this world no good." In the afternoon, when I went to see her, she again said, "I wish to go home to my Father." I asked her, "To what Father? Who is your Father?" "Jesus Christ," she replied, "is my Father: He want me to go home."

Oct. 20 Mrs. Chapman and John Plague went to see her; when she repeated continually, She wish to go home -she wish to go to her Father. Afternoon, she said to the same persons: "The people in the house are troubling me.

Look in the room-there is a man with many greegrees-he wish to tie some on me. Here it may be remarked, that it is the superstitious fashion of some African Nations to tie greegrees about the neck, hands, arms, or feet, when any one is seriously taken ill, to recover him from his illness. Nancy Thompson, being a devout Christian, refused such offers; wishing Mrs. Chapman to tell that man to cast all his greegrees into the sea." In the evening she was very low. Mrs. Chapman and a pious man staid with her all night.

Oct. 21-About five o'clock, she said to Mrs. Chapman: "Mother, the gate is open, the gate is open! I can go home to-day to my Father. Mother, mind my body. Tell all the people to pray to God. Mother, I go home to my Father, Jesus Christ, to rest myself in His sight." On this, she stretched out her hands toward heaven, and said, "Lord have mercy on my soul! Jesus Christ, take my soul!" Shortly afterward she was very low. Mrs. Chapman took her hand, and laid

it on her own lap; when she turned her dying eyes to her, and said: "Mother, I go now-pray for my Husbandtell all the people to pray to God." Mrs. Chapman said to her, "Pray to God for your soul:"-then she began to say, in a very low voice, "Lord Jesus, have mercy on me! Lord Jesus, have mercy on my soul !" After uttering this a few times, she dropped asleep in Him on whom she had believed.

SALOME CUTHBERT,

A Negro Woman, of Antigua.

This very aged Christian was a Member of the United Brethren's Congregation at Gracehill, in Antigua, and held the office of Assistant in that Congregation: she stated to the Brethren the following particulars relative to herself:—

At

I was born at Body-Pond in Antigua. About the year 1774, I was made sensible of the necessity of going to a Place of Worship; and I attended the late Mr. Gilbert's Meetings: but, as I then had not much knowledge of myself as a lost sinner, what I heard did not make any abiding impression upon me. this time my Husband, with many others, were in the habit of attending the Brethren's Church at Spring Gardens: thither I now went also; and it pleased the Lord to awaken me to a deep sense of my lost condition, through the preaching of the late Br. Brown: at the same time, I heard that Jesus had died the accursed death of the Cross for the sins of the world; and the Holy Spirit brought this truth so powerfully home to my heart, that I saw my sins had helped to nail Him there, and under this conviction I became distressed day and night.

On Palm Sunday 1778, I had the unexpected favour to be added to the class of Candidates for Holy Baptism; and such was my ardent desire to obtain the forgiveness of my sins and to be baptized, that I often spent whole nights in prayer to our Saviour, to have mercy on me and grant to me that grace. This ardent desire sometimes made me impatient; and, when I saw others admitted to that privilege, I would go home and cry for hours together, so that my Husband could with difficulty console me. In speaking with Sister Brown, and expressing my longing desire to be baptized, she endeavoured to satisfy me, by the assurance that our Saviour takes notice of souls panting after His mercy. My

prayer was, at length, graciously heard and granted: on Palm Sunday, the year following, I had the favour, with 45 others, to receive this sacred pledge of the forgiveness of all my sins, in the blood of Jesus Christ. Br. Mack, a Bishop of the Brethren's Church, officiated on this solemn occasion. My Husband having been baptized some time before me, it pleased the Lord to grant us the further privilege of admission to the Holy Communion in the year 1781.

The Missionaries thus continue the narrative:

After the departure of her old Mistress, she left Body-Pond, and came to live in

Falmouth, having become the property of Mrs. Cuthbert of that place. About this time she lost her Husband, by whom she had five children: one of these de

parted before her: two of the remaining four are Assistants in the Congregation at Gracehill, and several of her grandchildren belong to our Church.

In Falmouth, she was entrusted by her Mistress with the care of a small retail shop, and the management of a bakehouse, which, much against the wish of her heart, detained her from the Meetings. In the year 1791 she became an Assistant. In 1807, Mrs. Cuthbert departed this life in her Will, she had left our late Sister her freedom; and, as a further token of her regard for her faithful services, bequeathed her ten pounds per annum during her life. Her Master, knowing her great faithfulness, wished much to retain her as a free servant in his house; but her desire to have the unrestrained enjoyment of the Means of Grace made her unwilling to listen to any offers of that kind. She sold her house in Falmouth, and came to the Missionaries at Gracehill, saying: "Here I wish to live, and here I wish to lay my bones:" for, like old Anna, it was the utmost desire of her heart to be near to the House of God, and serve the Lord day and night; and, excepting when sickness prevented her, she never missed any of the Meetings.

But, in addition to her own spiritual enjoyments, it evidently appeared that our Saviour intended, by her removal to Gracehill, to make her an instrument of blessing and usefulness to the Missionaries and to the whole Congregation: to the Missionaries she ever proved herself a faithful and trusty servant, on whom they could depend in every thing entrusted to her care and management: in what concerned the Congregation, she

laboured with unremitting zeal in her office as Assistant among her own sex. Indeed, she might be justly called a general Helper. The Lord had endued her, not only with a good understanding and sound judgment, but with special gifts for enforcing the truths of the Gospel, in her private intercourse with others-speaking a word of comfort to the distressed, admonishing the careless, and settling differences and disputes among the Members of the Congregation. Her faithful and upright conduct, in these respects, made her generally beloved by the Negroes; so that, when differences occurred among them, she was frequently first consulted. Waking or asleep, her whole mind seemed to be engaged in the work of the Lord, and in earnest desires for the good of her fellow-creatures. When any of the Missionaries were dangerously ill, she would attend them in the day, and watch or sleep in the room with them in the night: all, who have enjoyed her faithful care at such times, will remember it with thankfulness to the Lord, for giving them so kind a nursing-mother.

For the last seven years she was troubled with frequent attacks of erysipelas. At such times it was difficult to get her to take any medicine for her relief: she would say, "No, I wish to go home to my Saviour, and to rest with Him. He has redeemed me: I know I am His, and He is mine. I would not remain one day longer here below than He sees good."

Our other Negro Servants had the greatest love and respect for her. Indeed, she acted the part of a most faithful Mother to them, in reproving, admonishing, and advising them for their temporal and spiritual welfare. Once, when it appeared that she was not likely to recover, one of them was asked, "Thomas, what will you do, if your Mammy Salome depart:" he answered, "Me no know: if she die, I should like to die too."

During the year 1826, she became so weak and helpless, that she consented to be removed to her eldest daughter's, to be better cared for. Here she gradually declined in strength of body and mind: which made her more desirous to leave this world, and to be at home with Him whom she loved and in whom she believed. This her longing desire was granted to her on the 19th of September 1828, at the age of ninety-six years; and, the day following, her remains were interred in the Burial-ground at Gracehill.

By her four children she lived to see thirty-one grandchildren, twenty-three great-grandchildren, and one great-greatgrandchild; the majority of whom survive her. May they all have grace to follow her as she followed Christ; and to become partakers of that incorruptible inheritance, which will hereafter be the portion of all true Children of God!

AN AGED FEMALE,

of Berbice, in Guiana. Mr. Wray, of the London Missionary Society, writes from Berbice, in June 1829:

Last month, one of our first and most pious members, about eighty years of age, was called to her heavenly rest. She united with us in Church Fellowship 19 or 20 years ago, in Demerara; and acted as a consistent Christian. Providence directed her steps to Berbice : soon after which, I came to the Colony to preach the Gospel of our blessed Saviour. She again united with us in commemorating the love of Jesus at His Table.

She has been an ornament to her Christian Profession; adorning the doctrine of God her Saviour, by leading a holy life-regularly attending at all the Means of Grace-and devoting her heart and her life to her Redeemer, whom she sincerely loved.

On Thursday Mornings, at a select meeting for religious conversation and prayer, she often spake with tears, in a most affecting manner, of the love of God to her soul; and of the great happiness which she experienced in the ways of religion, and the support afforded her by her Heavenly Father under the trials and afflictions of life which, for many years, she had been called to pass through. Sometimes, on these occasions, she would be very fervent in prayer on the behalf of her Children, her Ministers and the Members of the Church, and for the spread of the Gospel.

She was not able to say much during the last two or three days of her affliction, but appeared very happy. One, who attended her said, that she did not know how to leave her bedside, she seemed to enjoy so much happiness. She appeared to be constantly engaged in prayer; and requested Christian Friends to sing hymns at her bedside, and to pray for her. In some of her last words to me, she said that she felt herself a poor unworthy sinner, but her whole trust was in her Redeemer. By the younger branches of the family to whom she formerly belonged,

The

A case of religious improvement and pious behaviour in a Slave has lately with circumstances of so interesting a occurred in my parish, accompanied nature, that I am sure you will feel considerable satisfaction in being made acquainted with them in detail. Slave, of whom I am to give a brief history, by name Lucinda, was a Young Woman of about 19 years of age: she had for a long time been hired to a perwho employed her in hawking goods son in Bridgetown, I believe a Jew, about the country; but, for some months previously to her being taken ill, she

had worked as a common field-labourer In November, last year, I heard from a on her Master's property in my parish.

relation of hers-a Slave of most respectable character, and a Communicant at my Church-that she was labouring under every symptom of consumption, and that she was very desirous of being baptized before her death.

After much conversation with her, the Clergyman found her in a serious state of mind, and under no small anxiety to be prepared for death, which she seemed fully to anticipate. Having been placed by him in a course of instruction, she was admitted to baptism; and, on Christmas Day, to the Lord's Table. Not knowing a letter of the Alphabet, she was taught orally by a

White Girl of the Parochial School; and used such diligence, that she committed, in a few months, many things to memory. Such, indeed, was her ardour in pursuit of religious knowledge, that, two or three months before her death, she procured a person to teach her to read, but her increasing weakness soon obliged her to desist. Of her closing days it is said:

She continued to attend me once every week, until June, when she found her

a

self incapable of making the exertion to come to my house. She continued, however, as she had done from the time of her being baptized, to attend the Church every Sunday Morning, and once month to receive the Sacrament. Often, from her looks and incessant coughing, I thought her incapable of the exertion; but she said, that, by resting often on the road, (her Master's property being about a mile-and-a-half from the Church,) she found herself able to perform the journey, from the effects of which she soon recovered. Her deportment in the Church and at the Lord's Table was distinguished by every appearance of the most sincere and humble piety. At length, about a month ago, the symptoms of her disorder increased to such a degree, that she was compelled to give over her attendance at Church. Of this she took care to apprise me.

On the visits paid to her, she joined fervently in prayer; frequently expressing her resignation to the Divine Will, and her thankfulness to God for removing her by an early death from the temptations into which she might have fallen. On the last visit, she was in great agony, but joined in prayer with devout fervour. The Clergyman

writes:

After remaining at her bed-side for more than two hours, witnessing the completest resignation, patience, and piety, I felt myself compelled, by other avocations, to leave her. My departure she seemed to submit to with a melancholy acquiescence; and I shall never forget her grateful looks, nor the affectionate grasp of her cold hand, nor the prayers which she offered for every blessing on me and all belonging to me. In a few hours she expired.

MRS. BROOKS,

of Kingston, Jamaica. Mrs. Coultart, of the Baptist Missionary Society, to whom this Female was well known, has communicated the following account of her:

Among the sable race about Kingston, our friend Mrs. Brooks always appeared to me to stand alone, from the natural superiority of her mind. Her good sense ordinary for one so uncultivated; and the and delicacy of feeling were most extrasimple and deep piety united to these made me feel her quite as a companion, During my visit to her house, her Husand that, one of no ordinary interest. band was from home: she herself, therefore, conducted family prayer; and I shall never forget her short petitions, addressed with so much reverence, and in the most plaintive tone of supplication. At a Place of Worship, her attentive and expressive countenance was often a reeating the words as they fell from the lips proof to me, she appeared to me to be of her Minister. One evening, when walking with her under the shade of some bamboos, I requested to hear the history of her early life: the substance was as follows:

I was playing by the sea-coast, when a White Man offered me sugar-plums, and told me to go with him. I went with him; first into a boat, and then to a ship. Every thing seemed strange to me, and I asked him to let me go back, but he would not hear me ; and when I went to look for the place where he found me, I could see nothing of land, and I began to cry. There I was, for a long time, with a great many more of my own colour; till the ship came to Kingston; and some Black Man came, and took me out of the ship, and made me walk with him through the town. I thought they were meat hanging up; and I thought to myself, going to kill and eat me, for I saw some "White Man, may be, eat Black in this country." But this man took me to a fine house; and there I saw a White Gentleman, who was to be my Master; and he took me to live with him, and I was quite happy. Then I had a dear little baby. But I heard that a Black Man (Liele) was preaching, and I went to hear him; and he said that the Great God in heaven was angry with me for living with my Master, and I went home and cried to myself many days: then I told my Master, that God was angry with me, and would send me to hell-fire, and that I could not live with him any more. Then he was vexed and rough to me, and told me that I should work like another NEGER then : so I went out to work; but Mr. Brooks [this was the Negro who first brought her from the ship] did not like to see me work so hard