OBITUARY. DEPARTED this life, on Monday, the 17th of March last, at the residence of her son, Dr. James Ewing, in Pittstown, New-Jersey, in the 68th year of her age, Mrs. HANNAH EWING, relict of the Rev. John Ewing, D. D. late senior pastor of the first presbyterian church in Philadelphia, and provost of the university of Pennsylvania. This venerable lady, supported by that religion of which she was an ornamental professor, endured a long and tedious illness with truly christian submission. Her remains were brought to this city and respectfully intered on the Thursday following, in the cemetery, belonging to the first presbyterian congregation, by the side of her husband. Mrs. Ewing was deservedly esteemed by those who had the pleasure of her acquaintance; she was the affectionate wife, the anxious mother, and the sincere friend. Freed now from the cares of this "vale of tears," her spirit is made happy with her God. "Faith builds a bridge from this world to the next, "O'er death's dark gulph, and all its horror hides. THE writer had been to visit her seve ral times, and found her mind, though properly exercised with the view of eternity, rather under a cloud. On repeating his visit, on the Lord's day, she said, "I am glad to see you; now I have good news to tell you. God does verily hear and answer prayer. I have found what I wanted, and can now die in peace. Oh! what a discovery has been made to me since I saw you! About four o'clock, this morning, as I lay sleepless and was lamenting over my guilt guilt and and sinfulness, the Lord, of his infinite mercy, gave me faith to look to the blood of sprinkling; and I was helped to lay hold on Jesus as my only Saviour. Now, methinks, I am clothed with his righteousness. What grace and mercy to so sinful and worthless a creature!" Though her bo dily weakness was great, yet she indulged such sublime ascriptions of praise, as cannot be repeated without injuring their beauty. Recovering herself, she said to a person that was near, "You prayed, last night, that I might have a a good sabbath-day; and a sabbath indeed I have had! such a one as I never expected in this world; but I believe it is the beginning of a long one, even an eternal sabbath. Surely I cannot live till the return of another. My heart and flesh seem to be failing as fast as my pulse beats; but God, blessed be his name! is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Notwithstanding she was so full of divine things, yet she well knew when to speak of them, and when to be silent; and, as a proof that she was in her right mind, she always suited her discourse to her company; and if any were present who she thought would despise experimental religion, she would be silent. An exceedingly light and gay young woman coming to her bed-side, she looked wist. fully at her, and said, "What, are you come to see me? Be persuaded to lay aside your vanities, because you must die as well as myself, though you may live a little longer than I shall." The manner in which she spoke these few words, caused the young woman to burst into tears, and to turn away. She said she knew the young woman, but wished she had not, for she had been a snare to her. One who had been a fellow servant with her, coming to see her, wept. She said, "Weep not, I know you are a seeker of Jesus. I have been a witness of your tears, and you of mine; but now my tears are turned into joy, and so I trust will your's be sooner or later. Be encouraged, therefore, for if you have slighted convictions, I have dene the same; if you have trified away precious time, so have I; if you have been slow of heart to believe, I more: but, through rich grace, I have obtained mercy, why may not you? You can be but the chief of sinners; as such, I went to God, and found him merciful and graciousa God pardoning iniquity, transgression and sin." To another she said; by faith on the Son of God; I have not lived so, for if I had, I should not have had so many fears and doubts as I laboured under, at the beginning of my illness. It is good living by faith, but better dying in faith; and the best of all, when faith shall be turned into sight, and "Live hope into enjoyment. Oh! when will that be! In heaven we shall see such things, as eve hath not seen, nor ear heard of. We shall see God in majesty-the Lamb of God-the angels of God-the redeemed of the Lord! What is their work? all praise! Methinks I shall sing the loudest; my song, I am sure, must be, Grace, Grace!" At another time, she spoke of the infinite majesty of God, as if she had a view of his unveiled glory. She dwelt upon his nature, attributes and perfections. She went on speaking of the characters, names and titles given him in the scriptures, in such a manner as was truly surprising, and which made the heart to glow. Afterwards, when a little wine was ofered to her, she said, "Christ, when he was dying, had vinegar and gall given him instead of wine; not only vinegar, which is sour, but gall, that is bitter, and both mingled together. He drank the sour and the bitter, that I might have the sweet." Here she greatly enlarged on the passion and death of christ. "By his death," said she, "he procured for me, and you, and you, and you," pointing to several, "not only pardon and reconciliation, but heaven also, where I hope soon to enter, and where you will quickly follow." A neighbour overhearing her, and not understanding what was said, reported abroad that she was mad. On being told of this, she cried, "Lord, more of this madness give to me and her! It was said of him who spake as never man spake, He is beside himself, yea he hath a devil; but I hope I do not say any thing unbecoming. I know I do not speak of myself; for when in health, I could scarcely speak at all about sacred things. It is God who gives me matter and words. To him be all the glory; not unto me, not unto vile, unworthy 'ne, but "To him that earth's foundations laid, "Be everlasting honours paid." Noticing how long it was since she had been at public worship, she said, "I should like to worship him in his earthly courts again; but I had rather behold him face to face. I had much rather cast my crown before him in heaven, and see the King in his beauty there, yet I desire to wait the appointed time till my change shall come. This body must die before I can see him; then shall I behold his face in righteousness, and never, never sin any more." In this state of mind and feeling did this pious woman remain, until the termination of life; and surely, such instances of consolation and triumph at the hour of dissolving nature, arising from such views of the merits of the Saviour, will contribute to evince the reality of the christian religion, and the infinite importance of embracing the mercy which it offers. Blest truths! which teach the suff'ring O bless me with shelter beneath soul to soar OVERWHELM'D with affliction and grief, The Rock that is higher than I. Though creatures no good can afford, The Rock that is higher than I. Hail, precious impregnable Tower, While passing life's perilous seas, When storms of temptation arise, Thy saints thou hast never forsook, Thou Rock that art higher than I. Whene'er the pale messenger, death, LIFE OF THE REV. WILLIAM TENNENT. [Concluded from page 166.] WHEN the late Rev. George Whitefield was last in this country, Mr. Tennent paid him a visit as he was passing through New-Jersey. Mr. Whitefield and a number of other clergymen, among whom was Mr. Tennent, were invited to dinner by a gentleman in the neighbourhood where the late Mr. William Livingston, since governor of New-Jersey, resided, and who, with several other lay gentlemen, were among the guests. After dinner, in the course of an easy and pleasant conversation, Mr. Whitefield adverted to the difficulties attending the gospel ministry, arising from the small success with which their labours were crowned. He greatly lamented, that all their zeal, activity and fervor availed but little; said that he was weary with the burdens and fatigues of the day; declared his great consolation was, that in a short time his work would be done, when he should depart and be with Christ; that the prospect of a speedy deliverance had supported his spirits, or that he should, before now, have sunk under his labour. He then appealed to the ministers around him, if it were not their great comfort that they should soon go to rest. They generally assented, excepting Mr. Tennent, who sat next to Mr. Whitefield in silence; and by his countenance discovered but little pleasure in the conversation. On which, Mr. Whitefield turning to him, and tapping him on the knee, said, "Well! brother Tennent, you are the oldest man amongst us, do you not rejoice to think, that your time is so near at hand, when you will be called VOL. II. Cc home and freed from all the difficulties attending this chequered scene?" Mr. T. bluntly answered, "I have no wish about it." Mr. W. pressed him again; and Mr. T. again answered, "No Sir, it is no pleasure to me at all, and if you knew your duty, it would be none to you. I have nothing to do with death; my business is to live as long as I can--as well as I can and to serve my Lord and Master as faithfully as I can, until he shall think proper to call me home." Mr. W. still urged for an explicit answer to his question, in case the time of death were left to his own choice. Mr. Tennent replied, " I have no choice about it; I am God's servant, and have engaged to do his business, as long as he pleases to continue me therein. But now, brother, let me ask you a question. What do you think I would say, if I was to send my man Tom into the field to plough; and if at noon I should go to the field, and find him lounging under a tree, and complaining, Master the sun is very hot, and the ploughing hard and difficult, I am tired and weary of the work you have appointed me, and am overdone with the heat and burden of the day: do master let me return home and be discharged from this hard service? What would I say? Why, that he was an idle lazy fellow; that it was his business to do the work that I had appointed him, until I, the proper judge, should think fit to call him home. Or, suppose you had hired a man to serve you faithfully for a given time in a particular service, and he should, without any reason on your part, and before he had performed half his service, become weary of it, and upon every occasion be expressing a wish to be discharged, or placed in other circumstances? Would you not call him a wicked and slothful servant, and unworthy of the privileges of your employ?" The mild, pleasant, and christian-like manner, in which this reproof was administered, rather increased the social harmony and edifying conversation of the company; who became satisfied that it was very possible to err even in desiring, with undue earnestness, "to depart and be with Christ," which in itself is " far better" than to remain in this imperfect state; and that it is the duty of the christian in this respect to say, " All the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change come." Among Mr. Tennent's qualifications, none were more conspicuous than his activity both of body and mind. He hated and despised sloth. He was almost always in action-never wearied in well-doing, nor in serving his friends. His integrity and independence of spirit were observable on the slightest acquaintHe was so great a lover of truth, that he could not bear ance. |