SEPTEMBER, 1823.

Biography.

OBITUARY OF MRS. PALMER

(WIDOW OF THE LATE REV. H. PALMER, SECOND CHAPLAIN OF SIERRA LEONE) WHO DIED AT FREETOWN, JUNE 6, 1823, AGED 20 YEARS.

THE death of Mr. Palmer, with that of other faithful Servants of Christ, was stated in our Number for July, and some particulars were given. The excellent Woman, whose last hours we here record, survived her Husband but about a month. From a Letter," addressed by Mr. Vaughan of Freetown, to the Secretary of the Church Missionary Society, dated June 18, 1823, we extract the affecting circumstances of her departure.

Having been conveyed from Regent's Town to Freetown, as we stated at p. 367 of our last Number, on the 10th of May, Mrs. Palmer was received, with great kindness into the house of Lieut.-Colonel Sutherland. The whole of the last week of May she had fever; but the remissions of the disorder gave great hopes of her recovery. Mr. Vaughan writes

She ap

On Saturday, May the 31st, I spent much time with her in assisting her to settle her accounts. We had much profitable conversation. peared to have strong impressions (and indeed said so) upon her mind, that her time on earth would be but short. Eternity seemed present to her view. Her conversation was

principally on Death, Judgment, and Eternity. She told me that she had no desire of abiding any longer in this vain world, which was now no thing to her; but, like the Apostle, she had a great desire to depart and be with Christ: nevertheless she wished to lie submissive in the hands of her God, and was entirely resigned to His sovereign will; and all her wish was, that the will of God might be done. She said death had no terrors, as Jesus had taken away the sting; and though she felt much from inward conflict, she had nothing Sept. 1893.

to fear, because her Blessed Saviour, whose sufferings were far greater than ever hers had been, had not only delivered her from the power of Satan, but would deliver her in the Hour of Death and in the Day of Judgment: it was, therefore, with the greatest joy that she looked forward to the immediate presence of God, who had loved her with an everlasting love, and would never leave her nor forsake her.

Mr. Vaughan was desirous that Mrs. Palmer should address a few parting words to his Wife, in a book which Mrs. Vaughan kept for purThis record poses of that nature. manifests very strikingly, as Mr. Vaughan observes," her resignation to the will of God, her sure' and certain hope of glory, her comfort and support in the promises, her unshaken confidence in her Saviour, and her full submission to the Divine Dispensations."

Freetown, May 31, 1823. Though I am very unfit to write, yet, as you request a few words, I will endeavour to comply: I feel, my dear Mrs. Vaughan, that they will probably be the last: and do I wish that they should not? No! I would not linger here an hour after that appointed by God for my quitting this body of sin and death; nor would I depart an 3 B

hour sooner than that, to avoid much
suffering. I AM SURE HE WILL DO
WELL! I fear not death! Sinner as I
am, I have a sure and certain hope
of a glorious resurrection. The blood
of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin :
the assurance of this was my Hus-
band's support in his last hours. Oh
my dear Mrs. Vaughan, you know
how to sympathise with me in trials
-trials that are common to Missio-
naries; but, in this, the trial of my
sóul, you cannot at all feel for me.
He was, indeed, all that my heart
could wish. How did he labour and
suffer for his Master-his beloved Sa-
viour! Set, not your affections on
things below, needs to be continually
sounded in our ears; and oh, let these
words DWELL in your heart! You
may yet be called to suffer as I do:
your soul may be disquieted within
you, and cast down; but you will
not be forsaken: as sure as Jesus is
Jehovah, so surely will you find all
that strength which is promised in
His Word, Glory to His grace, that
one so vile as I have found Him all
to me! It is true I want the society
of him who was all my earthly joy;
but I will not utter one wish to have
him here: he is in glory; and could
I desire him to associate with all that
is inglorious? Besides, the hour was
come: his Father's name was glori-
fied, according to His own purpose;
and that satisfies every murmur. May
youandyour Husband hold each other
as loans, with every precious gift
that our God may bestow upon you!
It is a trying and an awful time; but
fear not: it is for Jesus that we suffer,
and surely we cannot refuse, Rejoice
evermore-in ALL things give thanks,
I find it very contrary to flesh to
thank God for removing my Hus-
band; but I know that He, who has
enabled me sometimes to do so, will
still continue His grace. I have found
the latter verses of the viiith of Ro
mans, with the xxiiid and xlvith
Psalms, great treasures; but, I can
only say, Search the Scriptures. May
the precious blessing of Numbers vi.
24, &c. be your portion! Farewell.

Anne Palmer.

Mr. Vaughan gives the following account of the departing hours of this Christian Woman:

On Sunday morning, June the 1st.

:

Mrs. Vaughan and I called to see her:
she had violent fever, and was there-
fore not able to say much as she
reached out her hand and pressed
ours, she said, "The will of the Lord
be done! I am quite resigned to it."
I then quoted some of the most appli-
cable promises I could think of; di-
recting her to look to Jesus, and to
consider what He suffered for the
joy that was set before Him. She
said, "I do: oh, I do! He is my
all! He is my all, and in all! I have
none other to look to.
The pro-
mises that you have mentioned, with
the smiles of Jesus, will sweeten the
bitter waters of Marah." I then asked
her if Christ was as precious as in
former times-"O yes, yes! if pos-
sible, more so. Oh, my Dear Saviour,
in Thee is all my hope-my stay-my
trust! I long to see Thee face to
face: nevertheless, not my will, but
thine be done!" We then took our
leave of her; commending her to the
care of Him who is good, a strong-
hold in the day of trouble, and who
knoweth them that trust in Him.

The following morning Dr.Shower
called to inform us, that, on the Sun-
day Night, she was delivered of astill-
born child, but was as well as could
be expected; and he had great hopes
that she would soon be enabled to
On Monday
return to England.
Night, the fever returned, and she
became much worse: the fever con-
tinued increasing till noon on Wed-
nesday, when she became delirious,
and almost unmanageable. She
spoke much about her dear Husband
and Child. In a few hours after,
she became speechless and insensible;
and continued in this state till her
departure. She appeared very calm
and free from pain, the whole of this
time; and on Friday night, June the
6th, at a quarter past eight o'clock,
fell asleep in Christ. Happy soul!
her pilgrimage is ended. She rests
from all her severe conflicts and sor-
rows, her troubles and her sins! Her

age was only twenty years.

As she expressed a wish to me to be buried, if she should die here, by the side of her Husband and Child, I wrote to Br. Norman requesting him to send some men down to convey the corpse to Regent's, which he did on the Saturday.

Thus have I endeavoured to give

UNITED KINGDOM.

It grieves us to add, that the trials of the Mission in Sierra Leone continued up to the date of the latest advices. Mrs. Vaughan, to whom Mrs. Palmer addressed her almost-dying words, is herself now no more; and others have fallen in their labours. Some particulars will be found in a subsequent part of this Number. We earnestly commend all the concerns of this Mission to the sympathy and prayers of every Christian Reader.

T. H. Graham, Esq., and Rev. Legh Richmond -Rev. T. $. Grimshaw, and Rev. Peter Treschow-Rev. James Hough, and Rev. John Fawcett-Rev. S. R. Hartley, and Mr. W. Nansonand Rowland Fawcett, Esq., and John Dixon, Esq.

Collections, upward of 471.

Fifth Anniversary of the Newcastle-on-
Tyne.

On Tuesday, the 1st of July, this
Meeting was held in Fletcher's Long
Room; the Rev. John Tyson in the
Chair.

Rev. H. B. Tristram, and Mr. W. Hardcastle-
Rev. B. Hazlewood, and Mr. W. Nesham-Rev.
N. J. Hollingsworth, and Mr. J.R. Featherstone-
Rev. S. Megisson, and Mr. G. Milner-W. Chap-
man, Esq., and Mr. W. Akenhead-and Rev. B.
Hazlewood, and Rev. Anthony Hedley.
Formation of the Stockton-on-Tees

A Meeting was held, on Tuesday the assisted, at the request of the Com

372
UNITED KINGDOM.
mittee, on the following occasions, in
some of the Midland Counties.

[SEPT.

W. Spooner, and Rev. S. Holworthy and Hon. and Rev. H. D. Erskine, and Rev. E. Blick." Collection, 221. 7s. 8d.

Sixth Anniversary of the Tamworth.

Sixth Anniversary of the Shropshire. Sermons were preached, on Sunday On Sunday, the 31st of August, Serthe 24th of August-by the Hon. and mons were preached-by the Hon. and Rev. H. D. Erskine, at Whittington Rev. H. D. Erskine, at Tamworth and and at Syllattin; by the Rev. R. W. at Fazely; and, by the Rev. T. MorSibthorp, at Madeley and at Bridg-timer, at Manceter and at Atherstone:

north; and by the Rev. W. Spooner, at Hawkstone, at Uffington, and at St. Alkmond's Shrewsbury.

Meetings were held, on Monday the 25th, at Whittington, Bridgnorth, and Shawbury: and, on Tuesday the 26th, after a Sermon at St. Chad's, Shrewsbury, by the Rev. R. W. Sibthorp, the Annual Meeting of the County Association took place in the Town Hall; William Cludde, Esq., President, in the Chair.

Movers and Seconders.

7. Whitmore, Esq. M.P., and Rev. John Storer-
Rev. John Mayor, and Hon. and Rev. H. D.
Erskine-Rev. Brian Hill, and Rev. R. N. Pem-
berton-Rev. C. R. Cameron, and Rev. R. W.
E. Williams, and Rev. W.
Sibthorp - Rev.
Spooner-Rev. C. Lloyd, and Rev. John Richards
-and E. Cludde, Esq., and Rev. S. Jones.

Collections, 1241. Os. 9 d.

Fourth Anniversary of the Chester and
Cheshire.

and on Tuesday Evening, Sept. the 2d., the Rev. T. Mortimer preached at Tamworth.-Collections, 841. 4s. 1d.

On Tuesday, the Annual Meeting was held in the Chancel; the Rev. Francis Blick, President, in the Chair.

Movers and Seconders.

Rev. C. Thompson, and Rev. W. Spooner-Hon.
and Rev. H. D. Erskine, and Rev. James Gisborne
-Rev. R. W. Sibthorp, and Rev. E. Cooper-Rev.
T. Mortimer, and Rev. W. Thompson-and Rev.
H. Kingsmill, and Rev. A. Malpas.
Collection, 121. 14s.

Ninth Anniversary of the Birmingham.
In the evening of Thursday, Sept.
4th, a Meeting of the Ladies' Associ-
ation was held, and was addressed by
the Rev. E. Burn, the Rev. T. Morti-
mer, the Rev. R. W. Sibthorp, and the
Rev. W. Vale.

On Friday, the 5th, the Annual Meeting was held in the Large Room at the Hotel; the Right Hon. Lord Calthorpe, President, in the Chair.

Movers and Seconders.
Rev. T. Mortimer, and Rev. J. Garbett-Hon and
Rev. II. D. Erskine, and Rev. W. Spooner-Rev.
R. W. Sibthorp, and Rev. W. Vale-Hon. Baptist

The Annual Meeting was held in the evening of Wednesday, the 27th of August, in the Town Hall; G. B. Granville, Esq., the Treasurer, in the Chair. This large room was completely Noel, and Peter Kempson, Esq.-Richard Spooner, filled. There was an increased attendance of the Clergy of the city and neighbourhood.

Movers and Seconders.

Mr, Alderman Rogers, and Rev. R. W. Sibthorp
W. Thackeray, Esq. M.D., and Rev. F. Parry-Rev.
W. Spooner, and G. Harrison, Esq.-Rev. R. W.
Allix, and Rev. F. Ayckboumn-Rev. W. Clarke,
and John Price, Esq.- Rev. J. Hoskins, and
Mr. R.Buckley-and Rev. R. W. Sibthorp, and T.
Whittell, Esq.

Collection, 197. 12s.

Esq. and Rev. E. Burn-and Hon. and Rev. H. D.
Erskine, and Rev. S. Lowe.

Sermons were preached, on Sunday the 7th of September, by the Hon, and Rev. H. D. Erskine. — Collections, including the Meeting, upward of 1317.

On the same day, Sermons were preached-by the Rev. R. W. Sibthorp, at Kingsbury, Coleshill, and Curdworth; and, by the Rev. W. Spooner, at Packington, Swepstone, and Measham.-Col

Third Anniversary of the Yoxall, Barton, lections, 74l. Is. 7d. and Hamstall.

Sermons were preached, on Sunday the 31st of August-by the Rev. R. W. Sibthorp, at Yoxall and at Hamstall; and, by the Rev. W. Spooner, at Barton and at Rosliston. Collections, 491. 10s. 4d. The Annual Meeting was held, the next day, at two o'clock, in the School Room at Yoxall; the Rev. Edward Cooper, Rector, in the Chair. Twelve Clergymen were present.

Movers and Seconders.

Rev. R. W. Sibthorp, and Rev Thomas Gisborne-
Rev. T. Mortimer, and Rev. James Gisborne-Rev.

Eighth Anniversary of the Bewdley.

The Annual Meeting was held on Wednesday, the 10th of September, in the School Room; the Rev. John Cawood, Minister, in the Chair.

Movers and Seconders.
Rev. T. Housman, and Rev. R. W. Sibthorp-Rev.
W. Havergall, and W. Hogan, Esq.-G. Custance,
Esq., and Rev.D. Davies-and Rev. W. Havergall,
and Rev. R. W. Sibthorp.

The Rev. R. W. Sibthorp preached in the evening.

Collection at the Meeting, 201.