Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

infirmities of old age, but her recollections of her short-comings, and her sense of her own unworthiness, occasions of temptation; but she was not ignorant of his devices, and, instead of yielding, sought for help by prayer; and though sometimes he seemed to come in as a flood, the Spirit of the Lord raised up a standard against him. She testified,

"In all my temptation, He gives me to prove

His utmost salvation, His fulness of love."

She loved her children, and sought to bring them up for God; and she rejoiced to know, before her own departure, that all, save one, were members of Christ's church, in earth as in heaven. In her dying hours she was unable to speak; but while her husband and daughter were praying at her bedside, it was evident that her heart joined with them. Shortly before she died, she significantly pointed to her heart, looked upwards with a smiling countenance, and waved her hands in token that the final victory was secure. This was her last earthly action. She soon ceased to move and breathe. Z. TAFT.

27. Died, July 4th, at Roche, in the Bodmin Circuit, in the seventieth year of his age, Mr. Samuel Lawry, uncle of the Rev. Walter Lawry. His parents were members of the Church of England; but his only sister had been induced to attend the Methodist ministry when about nineteen years of age, and became deeply convinced of sin. For some time Samuel was her bitterest persecutor; but her admonitions gradually softened his heart; and, accompanying her to the chapel, his mind was enlightened, he joined the society, became converted to God, and began zealously to labour for the conversion of others. Soon after this he left home to learn the business of a woolfactor; and, though enjoying the privilege of a residence in a pious family, his naturally cheerful disposition became a snare to him, leading him into foolish company, so that his religious feelings decayed, and for a time he withdrew from the people with whom he had been connected. Happily, he was shown his sin and danger, bewailed his unfaithfulness, and again sought and found forgiveness through the blood of Christ. He re-united himself to the Wesleyan society, and continued in connexion with it till the close of his earthly career. In 1797 he married, and commenced business in Calestock, then in the Truro, but now in the St. Agnes, Circuit. At this time Methodism had not found its way to this village. He began to hold prayer-meetings, and soon formed a class, of which he was the Leader. The Wesleyan Ministers were invited to visit the place, which they did, and a gracious revival of religion ensued. About the same time his name was placed on the Plan as a Local Preacher, and in the discharge of his duty he approved himself a workman that needeth not to be ashamed. He possessed talents of no mean order, and wherever he preached the people hung on his lips with profit and delight. And he did not labour in vain many were brought to God by his instrumentality during the forty years in which he continued to call sinners to repentance. He so deeply felt the importance of his work, that he was sometimes tempted to doubt whether he had been called to engage in it; but instances of manifest success dispersed his doubts, so that he went on his way rejoicing, and labouring as heretofore. In the year 1805

he removed to Roche, his native place, where his services were highly acceptable. He was exceedingly useful in visiting the sick, particularly during the latter part of his life, when he was freed from the claims of business. He trained well his family of nine children, and had the gratification of seeing eight of them connected with the church to which he himself belonged, and the eldest an acceptable Local Preacher, who died in the Lord four years before his father. Mr. Lawry's religion was vital, deep, and practical; and his cheerfulness being associated with his piety, and tempered by it, he furnished an interesting specimen of happy old age. The members of the Wesleyan society in Roche venerated him as a father, and all hailed his company, assured that he would, in some way or other, minister to their profit. He was of opinion, that his final illness would be short: he lived, therefore, habitually in the near prospect of death. He set his house in order, and he kept it in order; so that when the summons came, he had nothing to do but to lie down and die. He preached in Bodmin on Sunday, June 25th, with great liberty and feeling: the chapel was oppressively hot; and when he left it, he walked to the end of the town, and stood some time waiting for his horse, and exposed to a cold wind. He was unwell the next morning, but hoped the ailment would soon pass away. His days, however, were numbered. Inflammation and paralysis ensued, and he felt that his work was done. His mind was kept in great peace. To a friend who called on him on Sunday, July 2d, he said, "I shall die; but I have no fear. All is well!" He added, "Though I have been humbly endeavouring to do good for more than forty years, it is all nothing: my hope rests only on the blood of Christ." In this happy frame of mind he continued till the Tuesday, when he exchanged mortality for eternal life.

THOMAS WOOD.

28. Died, at Great Whittington, in the Hexham Circuit, August 8th, Mrs. Brown, aged eighty-four. When very young she was left an orphan, in the care of her uncle and aunt, who were members of the Wesleyan society, and by whom she was conducted to the various religious services attended by themselves. At an early age her mind was deeply impressed by the truths which she was accustomed to hear; and, cherishing these impressions, when fourteen years old she sought admission into the society, and in due time received a ticket of membership. When grown up, she was married to Mr. Michael Brown; and in their house the Wesleyan Ministers were for many years kindly entertained, in their stated visits to Whittington. Mr. Brown's father had received, in like manner, the Preachers at Simonbourne, till he was told he must either cease to do this, or leave the farm which he occupied. This was a great trial; for, besides the occupation of the farm for himself, his sons, who were masons, obtained considerable employment among the tenantry of the owner of the estate. Not willing, however, to be deprived of the benefit he received from the society of the excellent men he was accustomed to entertain, (most of whom are now fallen asleep,) he preferred spiritual to temporal profit, relinquished his farm, and removed to Whittington, where he opened his door to the Preachers as he had hitherto done, and continued to receive them as long as he lived. His son Michael took his father's place in this respect; and this family hospitality ceased not with his

own life; for his son, Mr. George Brown, on his father's death, pursued the line of conduct of which the example had been set him both by his father and grandfather. Personal piety is not hereditary; but it is pleasing to see it thus in successive generations. In the religious history of Mrs. Brown there was nothing unusual. She was a sincere, uniform Christian. She had sought the Lord early, and found his mercy in Christ Jesus. Her faith was as the shining light, gradually rising higher and higher. Her delight in the ordinances of the Lord's house, with her consistent deportment from day to day, afforded abundant proof that she truly feared and loved God, and was indeed a member of Christ, a child of God, and a partaker of the present, inward kingdom of heaven.

In the affliction which terminated her mortal life, she suffered acutely; but she was kept in great peace, and preserved in a state of quiet submission to the divine will. When questioned concerning the state of her mind, her answers were very satisfactory, and she spoke of her future home with pleasing confidence. Shortly before she died, she expressed her feelings by repeating the lines,—

"My Jesus to know, and feel his blood flow,
'Tis life everlasting, 'tis heaven below."

JONATHAN CADMAN,

29. Died, September 17th, at Strixton, near Wellingborough, aged forty-six, Miss Elizabeth Stevens. She was, from a child, of a meek and quiet spirit; and as her disposition was naturally retiring, though surrounded by those who sought their happiness in the world, she avoided all needless intercourse with it. But this did not proceed from a cold and selfish heart. To her relations, especially, she was most affectionate, manifesting deep sympathy with them in all their joys and sorrows. But, notwithstanding these pleasing features in her character, one thing she lacked. She was devoid of spiritual religion, and had no conviction of the necessity of loving the greatest and best Being, God, from whom all her blessings came. She attended the means of grace, believing it to be her duty; but she did not enter into their spirit, till, in January, 1839, while attending a meeting for prayer at Higham-Ferrers, conducted by Edward Brook, Esq., from Huddersfield, she was awakened to a sense of her deficiency and guilt. The burden of sin she felt to be intolerable; but she was told of Christ, and of his ability to save, with a free and present salvation, all who came to him. "Wrestling on in mighty prayer," she did endeavour to come to him, saying, in the earnestness of her spirit, "I will not let thee go, unless thou bless me."

And he did bless her: she was enabled to cast herself on the atonement, and arose from her knees rejoicing in the God of her salvation. From that time she was a most exemplary and devoted Christian. Nature was sanctified by grace; her affections flowed from a higher source; she gave herself to God, and to his people because she had given herself to him. Having joined the Wesleyan society, she continued in membership with it till she was removed to a better world. Her piety was constant and uniform. However circumstances might change, there were evidently the same singleness of purpose, the same ardent desires after holiness, the same fixed resolu

tion to live wholly to God. She highly valued the ministry of the word and Christian communion, and never allowed trifles to prevent her attendance. The chapel was a considerable distance from her residence; but, whatever was the season of the year, or the state of the weather, if health permitted, she was seldom absent from her place. During the last two years of her life, she was called to pass through deep and continued affliction; but even in this she rejoiced, because of the abundant comfort and support which she experienced. An individual who was intimately acquainted with her, in domestic as well as in religious life, has thus spoken of her:-"Never, after her conversion, did I know her to manifest a spirit contrary to her Christian profession; but it was during her long and trying sufferings that this was most strikingly apparent. Even when pain was most excruciating, all seemed to be not only peace, but satisfaction. She not only never murmured, but never appeared to entertain a wish that any circumstance had been otherwise than her heavenly Father had appointed it to be." Her medical attendant, who well knew the painful nature of the disease, often expressed his astonishment at her quiet fortitude. But her strength was in her Almighty Helper. She prayed not so much for the removal of the affliction, as for the patience by which she might glorify God during its continuance. And her prayers were heard. Her resignation was complete, her patience most exemplary. She was a witness to all who saw her of the faithfulness and power of God. It would be impossible to repeat all her edifying remarks, her expressions of love to God, and of confidence in him, as well as of affectionate concern for those who were around her. A few, however, ought to be recorded, for the instruction and encouragement of others. Her brother once said to her, that he thought she would not be here long. She replied, "No; but I am only going a little while before you to glory." She added, "Be faithful; O, be faithful!" At another time, being visited by her Class-Leader, she said that she had been tempted to doubt of the goodness of God, and of the fact of her own adoption into his family; but that she had overcome the temptation by immediate application to the throne of grace. "This," she said, was all my plea, that Christ had died for me, that he had loved me, and given himself for me. I feel no condemnation, no fear of death; but, instead, a blessed hope of heaven. Where could all this come from, but from my heavenly Father's goodness to me as his pardoned child?" On one occasion, when her suffering was more severe than usual, she exclaimed, "O come, Lord Jesus; come, and take me to thyself!" She then referred to an individual who had been favoured with great triumph in death, and added, "I, also, can say,

66

'A little longer here below,
And I shall then to glory go."'

66

In the course of the day on which she died, her spirit seemed admitted to closer communion with the unseen world, to which she herself had now been brought so near. She said, "O come, Lord Jesus. Come, even now. I love thee, my Lord, my Saviour. O, I see Jesus, I see Jesus. Lord, thou knowest that I love thee." In this happy frame she continued till suffering ceased, and mortality was exchanged for eternal life. WILLIAM WILSON.

MISCELLANEOUS COMMUNICATIONS.

ANTINOMIANISM INVESTIGATED:

IN TWO PARTS.

PART I.-PRINCIPLES. PART II.-ILLUSTRATIVE DEVELOPMENTS. (For the Wesleyan-Methodist Magazine.)

PART II.-ILLUSTRATIVE DEVELOPMENTS.

PRACTICAL Antinomianism (on which, as distinguished from that which is chiefly doctrinal, we are now remarking) has been shown to be a partial neglect of the divine law, occasioned by those mistaken views of faith which prevent the attention necessary for detailed and full obedience, so that there is found in the conduct something which the law forbids, or the evident omission of something which it requires. The general operation of these mistaken views has likewise been described. It is usually two-fold. First, the law itself is not studied with sufficient care. It is not examined in those minuter, but always important, details which the inspired volume contains. In reference to these, therefore, the mind is not sufficiently enlightened, the knowledge of the rule of duty is not sufficiently particular. But so completely is our life made up of minute actions, so seldom are we called to the exercise of great virtues, or tempted to the commission of great crimes, that it is in reference to these very details that we need to have the whole body full of light. And, secondly, our conduct and character are not, on these smaller points, examined with sufficient care. We are too easily satisfied when no alarming symptom of great mischief presents itself to our inspection. As to conduct, we do not enough detach our actions from our own usual state of feeling, and from the ordinary circumstances to which they refer. We regard them only as means to some particular end which we have directly in view, and forget that they sustain a certain character in relation to the unerring standard of the law of God. We do not view them as rigidly and separately as though they were the facts of some other person's history. Thus we may be in trade; competition may be severe, our neighbours seek to draw custom from us by selling more cheaply; we are hard pressed, we see that they seek to secure both custom and gain by presenting an inferior article, of the real quality of which the customer cannot judge, and which he thinks to be equal to our superior, but dearer, one. We imitate his example: we refer it to some most imperfect, and often corrupted, rule, called "the custom of trade," and thus see no harm in it; whereas, if we carried it higher, even to God's law, we should see that we had come into the just condemnation of those who do evil that good may come. Man's ultimate end is eternal life; and as to this all his lower ends should be subordinated, so to this, likewise, should all his actions refer. Actions may seem to be useful as securing some of these lower ends, while, when measured by God's law, they are decidedly wrong. We ought, therefore, to go along the whole chain, examining each separate ring to see that it is sound, and ascertaining that it is properly interlocked with those which go before and follow; we should see that each is present that ought to be there, that its position is secure by being fixed 2 Y

VOL. III.-FOURTH SERIES.

« VorigeDoorgaan »