mind about the welfare of her precious foul. It was but about eight weeks I visited her; and though at her request, yet I never met with one more ignorant of religious fubjects.

The first time I vifited her, I difcourfed with her freely about the state of her foul; but I found fhe did not underftand much of what was faid, as fhe observed to me, when I afterwards called on her, that he had been wishing I might not come to see her again, for that she could not un derstand me, nor anfwer me in any thing. This free remark, however, did not discourage me; for I then as freely told her, that whether I came to fee her or not, the falvation of her foul was a matter of importance, and that my ftaying away would in nothing render it lefs fo.

I therefore fpoke more earnestly and plainly to her con cerning the great evil of neglecting and defpifing the Gospel meffage of mercy and falvation.

With this her mind feemed rather affected, and the complained much of her great ignorance and ftupidity. She be gan to manifeft a greater degree of attention, and concern for the falvation of her foul.

She expreffed her grief, that fhe could not better underftand things of a fpiritual and divine nature. She also faid, that she wished to experience thofe gracious discoveries which are of fuch importance to a guilty creature: And withal she told me, that she had not thofe views and feelings which I fpoke of.

This, I thought, was honeft; as fhe added, that she had no intention of faying what was not true, as that would only deceive me and herself.

Vifiting her one evening foon after this, I inquired into the state of her mind. She replied with great concern (with reference to her mind), "No better at all; but, I think, worse." I obferved to her, that it was no evidence fhe was fo, because the conceived herself to be so; but, on the cons trary, I hoped it was a token for good; for we muft fee ourfelves miferable and helplefs, before we fhall either receive or value the Lord Jefus.

I asked her, what the thought would become of her, if God fhould call her away in that state she thought herself to be in. She replied, "If God fhould call me away as I am, I should BURN IN HELL FOR EVER. You know," (continued fhe,) "I am a guilty finner, and If I die unpardoned, what elfe can I expect? It cannot be otherwise."

This caufed her to weep, and fhe feemed under greater concern than before. I then endeavoured to fet before her all the encouragements the Gofpel affords to the guilty awaVOL. I.

E

kened finner. I infifted much on that important doctrine of divine revelation, God reconciled in Chrift; on which is founded that declaration, "Whosoever cometh unto the Father, through him, he will in no wife caft out."

She very eagerly received what I faid, and wished to poffefs that faith, which unites to Christ, and receives him for all those ends and purposes for which he is offered in the Gospel. I then prayed with and left her.

In the course of a day or two, I again called to see her. I had not been long in the room, when I began to inquire into the state of her mind; when, to my very great pleafure, fhe told me, that fince my laft vifit, fhe had been more comfortable. On hearing this, I was anxious to know what was the ground of it, and what had produced such a change in the frame of her mind.

On inquiring fhe told me, with her eyes fixed upon me, "God is reconciled in Christ, and whofoever cometh unto him, he will in no wife caft out. This gives me comfort, and nothing elfe can."

This difcovery made to her, I judged to be an evidence of a work of grace upon her heart; and from this time she learned much of the truth, and made no little progrefs in an experimental acquaintance with divine things. She began to understand me better in most things I converfed with her about. She would frequently exprefs her thankfulness to God, for what he had done for her, and admire the course of his providence towards her.

No fooner had the thefe difcoveries made to her, than a visible change took place in her temper and difpofition. For before she was peevish and fretful; but now resigned and patient, kind and loving to thofe about her. There was an evidence in her temper and conduct, that the poffeffed the graces of the Spirit, and lived under his teaching and fanctifying influences.

At feafons fhe was afflicted with violent pain and fickness, in which the would fay, that she could bear whatever it pleafed her gracious God to lay upon her; for the comforts The poffeffed in her foul, were greater than her afflictions. She once felt great pain; "but," said fhe, "I cannot.com. plain, God is fo gracious to me."

Thus the continued, growing more and more acquainted with herself, and with him, " whom to know is life eternal." She would fometimes fay, "What reafon have I to bless God? He found me, or I had never found him."

She once asked me, if I thought it poffible, that those whom God enables to believe on his Son, and trust his pro

mife, would ever be loft or given up of God. I told her I thought not. "No;" faid the. How can it be, that God fhould make promifes, enable poor finners to believe them, and rely on his faithfulness for the fulfilment of them, and not be as good as his word? It cannot be."

From this reafoning, it was easy to see that she was confident, that he who had begun the good work, was alfo able to carry it on and complete it: And fhe was as willing that he fhould have the praise.

At one opportunity, difcourfing with her refpecting the foundation of her hope, "My faith," faid fhe, "is fixed on Jefus Chrift; from him I derive all my hope and comfort; but, don't think, but that, at times, doubts and fears arife in my mind; but when, by faith, I look to Christ, then they are gone."

Calling upon her, with a friend or two, I entered into free converfation respecting the poffibility of a perfon's ha ving a false confidence; and the danger and awfulness of it. She appeared affected at it, but faid, "God forbid that that fhould be my cafe."

And when speaking of the importance of poffeffing a faith of the operation of God's Spirit, and endeavouring to describe its nature and actings, the replied, "What you have now faid pleases me; as, I hope, I enjoy that faith which lives upon Chrift in the promise."

After other conversation, and a friend had prayed with her, I left her.

She had now peculiar manifeftations of divine favour, and faid the generally found the comfortable prefence of God with her. She expreffed her happiness to those about her, that she found more comfort than ever the expected to have enjoyed.

As fhe grew worse, the fear of death was removed, and fhe expreffed the strongest defires to depart and be with Christ.

During the last eight or ten days of her life, fhe was conftantly longing and waiting for her change,

Nothing feemed to revive her fo much, as the thought that her end was near; this would draw a fmile upon her deathly countenance, and cause her to rejoice in hope of foon feeing the glory of God. She feemed to be chiefly employed in the delightful work of praife; and though her flesh was wafting, and her ftrength failing, yet God was the strength of her heart-he was her fong, because he became her falvation.

Some time after, myself, with two friends, called on her, When we first entered the room, fhe appeared too low for conversation; but after fitting fome time difcourfing on the glories of the heavenly world, her fpirits began to revive, and she discovered an ardent defire to be put into poffeffion of the glorious inheritance, while fhe cried out, "Come Lord Jefus, come quickly!" Near as fhe was to her end, the preffed us to fing, which we did, and the attempted to join us in the following hymn:

"Give me the wings of faith to rife

Within the vail, and fee

Those faints above, how great their joys,

How bright their glories be." &c.

WATTS.

With this the expreffed herself delighted, but faid, "I long to join the general affembly above, in more exalted ftrains. I hope we fhall all meet there and never part.' One of the friends then prayed with her, but he had not proceeded far, before the interrupted him, exclaiming, "Praise the Lord, praise the Lord."

After prayer, fhe afked us to fit down again, and defired us to fing; which not attending to immediately, the faid, I wish I could lead." We then fung,

"What hath the world to equal this?
The folid peace, the heavenly bliss-
The joy immortal, love divine-
The love of Jefus ever mine.
Greater joys I'm born to know,
From terreftrial, to celeftial,
When I up to Jefus go."

After this we had farther converfation; in which the faid, "The fting of death is taken away," And with respect 'to the doubts with which her mind had been harraffed, fhe faid, "God has taken them all away." In this happy frame of mind we left her,

A day or two after, I vifited her again, found her very ill, but ftill rejoicing in hope of foon being where the inhabitant fhall no more fay, "I am sick." She was, however, too ill for converfation; but fhe faid, " her faith and hope were Atrong, and the hoped her departure was nigh at hand."

I vifited her again the next day; when, on telling her of the death of a worthy minifter, the fmiled and faid, "I hope I fhall foon fee him." She added, "Jefus is the foundation of my hope and comfort, my truft and depen dance; and in the faith of him I enjoy great peace.'

The last time I faw her, I found her compofed and happy. On telling her I thought she would foon be gone, the looked at me and faid, "I wish I may." These were the laft words I heard her speak; as I then left her, and faw her no more. In a few hours after fhe was removed from a ftate of affliction and forrow, to a ftate of comfort and joy, on the 8th of August 1791, and in the 18th year of her age.

AMICUS.

Death of MRS. FOXALL.

N FRIDAY, Feb. 21, 1794, died greatly lamented,

in Staffordshire, aged thirty-four.-Sometimes unfavourable circumstances, known to exift in the temper or conduct of otherwise valuable characters, have rendered it a painful task to publifh to the world even their fupports in a dying moment. But this, through divine mercy, was not the cafe of Mrs. Foxall: Her death was lovely, and her life also was truly ornamental. Her general deportment was fuch as gave no juft ground of offence to the Jew, nor to the Gentile, nor to the church of God. In her, the prudent manager of the family, the tender parent, and the affectionate wife, beautifully harmonized. It may with strict propriety be faid, "She adorned the doctrine of God her Saviour in all things." Her good works were abundant; yet thefe fhe totally renounced in point of dependance, and gloried only in the righteoufnefs and crofs of Jefus.

The deceafed had known the power of the Gospel upwards of ten years, near eight of which the was a refpectable member of the Independent church at Walfall. To her religious engagements the was punctual and steady, while her inoffenfive and exemplary walk rendered her a filent inftructor, and a great bleffing to all her connexions. Nothing but abfolute neceffity ever kept her from public means of inftruction and grace; fhe continued to go until (the last time of her attendance) fhe was under the neceffity of being conveyed home in a chair. Truly, "fhe loved the habitation of God's houfe, and the place where the divine honour dwelleth!"

Mrs. Foxall's diforder, of which fhe died, was a dropfy: For near seven years, the bore the complaint with uncommon refignation and patience, although the was frequently