spasm was over, which had flushed her countenance through the pain she endured, she would change into a sweet smile of gratitude to God for his goodness to her.

At another time, she would say, "O what mercies have I enjoyed upon this bed of languishing, more than I shall ever be able to express!" Thus she experienced the truth of the divine promise, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusted in thee." (Isaiah, xxvi. 3.) Being blessed with the knowledge of the joyful sound of the Gospel of Christ, she walked in the light of her heavenly Father's countenance; in the name of her Redeemer she rejoiced all the day long, and in his righteousness she was exalted to enjoy communion and fellowship with her God. She worshipped God in the Spirit, rejoiced in Christ Jesus, and had no confidence in the flesh. (Psalm lxxxix, 15, 16; Philippians, iii. 3.)

The pain she endured was sometimes so acute, that it was truly astonishing how she could sustain herself under it with such patience as she constantly manifested. One day, when her medical attendant called, he found her pulse as high as 150, yet beating at that rapid rate so feebly that it could scarcely be felt. This quickness of pulsation arose merely from extreme pain. He was so much surprised at the novelty of the case, that he remained some hours with her to watch its effect.

Whenever there appeared to be a prospect of the termination of her sufferings by the dissolution of her earthly tabernacle, she was so overjoyed with the hope of departing to be with Christ, that her happy state of mind seemed to give a turn to her disorder, and to diffuse a degree of vigour through her debilitated system.

In this state of bodily suffering and inward peace, she continued

waiting all the days of her appointed time till her change should come; at one time appearing a little better, and at another time worse than usual.

About the middle of April 1820, one of her sisters and her daughter came to Bristol to visit Miss V. in consequence of being informed that she was in a worse state of health than she had previously been. After administering to her comfort for some weeks, and witnessing her sufferings and the lingering nature of her complaint, they were about to return home again, as she appeared to be rather better than she had been. But when the time came which had been fixed for their separation, a visible change took place for the worse, and Miss V. expressed her conviction that the time of her departure was near at hand. They therefore remained with her until the closing scene.

On Monday, June 5, she spoke in a particular manner to her sister, about the settlement of her worldly affairs; and then said, "Now I have for ever done with the world; consult me no more about its concerns; do exactly as you like in every thing." She afterwards remarked, "I enjoy so much of the presence of the Lord, I would not wish to have one pain less than he is pleased to send. My happiness is so great, I cannot express it." Seeing her sister much affected at her being in great pain, and with the prospect of her approaching dissolution, she said, "O, don't grieve: every pain you see me feel, give God the praise, that I am getting nearer to glory." The Rev. Mr. S. calling to see her, she said to him, that she was looking to Jesus, and was kept in perfect peace, having her mind stayed on God her Saviour.

One morning early, when her sister went into her room, she' found her in a peculiarly sweet frame of mind, communing with

the Lord in an audible voice, as knowing that she should soon be with him and enjoy his blessed presence for evermore. As soon as she saw her, Miss V. said, " Sister, they have been striking their harps of gold to welcome me in heaven. Did you hear them?" She added, "I was trying to sing just now, but found I could not. O what a song shall I sing when I get above, to Him that hath loved me, and washed me from my sins in his own blood!" In this delightful frame of mind she continued during the day, having her desires animated towards the heavenly inheritance on which she was about to enter. Often during her illness she repeated the passage in the beginning of the Epistle of St. Peter, "To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven, &c." Her parting language to a friend who called to see her was, "Glory, glory, glory!"

Having fomentations applied to her side, she said, "It is all well. The Lord in great mercy is loosing the pins of this earthly tabernacle, dissolving this frail body of sin, to take me to be for ever and ever with himself in glory. O what a mystery is it, that such a vile lump of clay as I am, should yet be going to heaven! If a glimpse of Christ by faith is so delightful as I have found it, O what must the real enjoyment of him be!"

She desired her sister to give her Christian dying love to the clerical friend who had usually visited her, and whose ministry she had attended while she was able, but who was unavoidably absent at that time in a distant part of the kingdom; and to tell him, that she had found all the promises of God fulfilled to her, that they were all yea and amen in Christ Jesus. She spoke so low, through the weakness of her voice, that what she said further could not be heard.

To a lady who called to see her, and with whose family she was closely united in the bonds of Christian affection, she gave her benediction in these beautiful words, "The Lord bless thee and keep thee; the Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious to thee; the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace." (Numbers, vi. 24 to 26.)

One evening, when her sister had read to her part of a Psalm, she said, "O what a poor crea ture I am now! I can only mind one or two verses at a time." But from these verses she would sometimes speak in such a sweet experimental strain, that those who heard were delighted and astonished at her remarks.

One night, when her sister retired to rest, she expressed some apprehension lest Miss V. should want assistance when it was not at hand, and be uncomfortable and distressed about it. On observing her uneasiness, Miss V. remarked, "Do you think that I should be afraid to trust your dear child in your arms? You know I should not. So should you feel towards

me.

The Lord is my keeper; I am safe in his embrace."

The next morning, on being asked how she was, O," said she, "the flesh has been in the fire, but the spirit was kept so happy, I cannot praise him enough. O happy rod, that brings me nearer to my God! In his presence is the fulness of joy. In the robe of his righteousness how bold shall I appear before him! My unbelieving heart could never imagine that I should enjoy such happiness in my last hours. Give God the praise, who can save after such a sort a poor sinner who is clinging to him by faith; and pray that I may be kept in this happy state."

One day, while her niece was engaged in doing some little office

1

for her, she said to her sister, "I trust God will hear my prayers for that dear child, and that he will bless her, and make her a blessing." She then prayed in a most fervent manner. for her brothers and sisters, according to the circumstances of each individual; and particularly that they might enjoy the same consolation and divine support as she had in their last moments, that their pillows might be smoothed as hers had been, and that she might meet them all in heaven.

The last time she saw the Rev. Mr. S. she said,

"I nothing have, I nothing am,

My treasure's in the bleeding Lamb." This was her constant song, her crown of rejoicing.

Her sufferings towards the close of life were greater than ever; but notwithstanding, she never uttered the least murmuring or impatient word. She was thankful for every thing that was done for her, and for the kindness of her friends in inquiring after her. All her expressions showed that she had real joy and peace in believing the divine record. (1 John, v. 11.) Thankfulness and praise were her uniform language.

For the last week she was in a dying state; for the most part lying in a state of apparent insensibility, but occasionally reviving a little, and then expressing herself in the most delightful manner in prayer and praise. She exemplified the dying words of the patriarch, with which she had concluded her will, "I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord!"

The last audible words she spoke, about four hours before she died, were, "Glory, glory be to God for ever and ever!" In a whisper she said more, but could not be heard.

Her sister concludes the account which she sent to a friend, of most of the above particulars of her illness, by saying, "I trust

feel thankful that I could in any measure be the least comfort to my beloved sister in her last hours. She wished to die in my arms, but this was not the Lord's will.. She appeared not worse than she had been for some time when I left her, at half past twelve at night, intending to return to her in two hours; but in little more than half an hour after I went away to take some rest, her happy spirit took its flight to join the bloodbought throng of the redeemed in the paradise of God."

It pleased God to take Miss V. to her eternal rest, at about ten minutes past one A. M. on Saturday morning, June 17, 1820.

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." It was said by a false prophet, a wicked man, "Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end (or future state) be like his." How forcibly does this wish strike the mind, when such an account is read as the preceding!" The righteous hath hope in his death,' a good hope through grace." What a glorious hope was that which Miss V. possessed! What happiness it brought to her mind in the midst of great bodily affliction! It was found to be a cordial to her spirits at all times. But on what was it built? Not, it appears, on the review of a well-spent life; although she had spent her life well, in the common meaning of that expression; she had spent it in a consistent profession of religion-she abounded in the fruits of righteousness, which are by Christ Jesus, to the praise and glory of God. But she did not place her confidence towards God upon the sandy foundation of her own goodness of heart and life. She had been made acquainted with herself by divine grace; she knew the corruptions of her own heart, and was humbled before God as a guilty sinner; she therefore re

nounced all hope of salvation through her own good deeds; she thankfully laid hold of the hope set before her in the Gospel. The Lord Jesus Christ was her hope. His obedience unto death, the merit of his atonement, and righ. teousness; trusting in this, she enjoyed pardon, and peace, and reconciliation with God, and was admitted to hold sweet communion and fellowship with her heavenly Father, and to partake of the sanctifying and comforting influences of his Holy Spirit. This supported her under all her bodily sufferings. Having this hope, which maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in the hearts of those who possess it, by the Holy Ghost, she was enabled to rejoice in all her tribulations, and to say, The will of the Lord be done; because she knew that when this earthly house of her tabernacle should be dissolved, she had a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens; that her light and momentary affliction was the path marked out for her to an exceeding and eternal weight of

glory. She knew that the Cap tain of her salvation was himself made perfect through sufferings; and she took comfort from the consideration of the lightness of her pains in comparison of those which he endured, when he drank up the cup of divine wrath and fury to the very dregs. And as she said, she found all the promises of God fulfilled to her; she did not trust in him in vain. His word was the joy of her soul. Through believ ing it, the sting of death was removed, and she could sing, "Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Reader, if you wish to live and die happily, let it be your concern to obtain like precious faith with that which Miss V. possessed. Pray for it, for Christ's sake. Implore it earnestly from the God of all grace, and it will not he denied to you. God will give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him. If you thus obtain the knowledge and love of Christ, it will make you happy in life, happy in death, and happy in eternity. CERYX.

Bristol, August 1820.

to hear a funeral sermon for their beloved King, my thoughts were raised to God and heaven; and I felt sincere pleasure in the present service of God, and in the prospect of meeting my departed Sovereign and my dying sister in the other and better world.

Mary's peace of mind became more solid every day she fed upon the sincere milk of the word. The promises and the precepts of the Bible were her support and delight. Pious friends frequently visited her, and read the "Dairyman's Daughter," and many other religious little books to her. She improved very fast in religious know