for the glorious inheritance. About a fortnight before his death he said to me, "I am now ready, when it pleases God to take me." I was exceedingly pleafed to hear him fay fo much; for he was ever less than the leaft of faints in his own eyes. When any of the Band had prayed for him, and begged grace to follow him, as he had followed Chrift, he would fay, "O my brethren, do not propofe me as an example: Chrift is the only example: he is all in all."

The Friday before he died, Satan was permitted to make his laft affault. When I went to see him, and asked him how he did, he faid, "I am covered with a thick cloud." I faid, "Let us look unto Him, who for the joy that was fet before him, endured the crofs, and defpifed the fhame, left we be weary and faint in our minds." I told him, I had drank deep of the fame cup lately, and had felt the energy of the powers of darknefs, in a greater degree than I had ever done before; but I found gracious fruit arise out of that bitter cup; for, it had flirred me up to cry to God in fervent prayer, that I might be delivered from all I felt or feared. "Let us wrestle on then (faid I) till the break of eternal day." He feemed much comforted, and thanked me for my company. This was the last time I met in Band with him: for, the next Friday he was fpeechless, when The tenement of clay now began to go fwiftly to ruin, and he was delivered from all fear of that awful scene that was so near.

we came to meet.

put

On Thursday night, when he was pulling off his cloaths, he faid, "O Lord, if it pleases thee, let it be the last time that I them off: and fo it was. His bleffed foul feemed now weary of its earthly load, and panted for the houfe from hea ven. In the night he often repeated, "Lord let me die on Friday about one o'clock." He changed for death about eight. I came to meet the Band, not knowing he was fo ill and almost fpeechlefs. He could only fay, "Pray, pray;" but seemed quite fenfible. We kneeled down, and spent fome time in prayer with him. I purposed to stay with him all night. He

continued

continued breathing like one in a sweet fleep till about twenty minutes before eleven, when, without the leaft ftruggle or groan, he fell asleep, January the 29th 1790, having just compleated his eighty-fixth year.

DAVID LANDER.

A fhort Account of the Death of Mrs. LANGRIDGE, of SUNDERLAND.

MRS.

RS. LANGRIDGE received the fcriptures as a divine revelation, given by the Father of Spirits, to his immortal offspring; and faw that her information, both refpecting her duty and happiness, must be derived from them. At an early period of life, fhe learnt, that the human race are not now in that flate of holiness and happiness, in which they were originally created; that, as the first great caufe is infinite in wisdom, power, and goodness, whatever immediately proceeds from him, especially every rational intelligent being, must, in its sphere, be perfectly good and happy. But the faw fin, with all its fatal attendants, now triumphant at large over the world; immoralities of every kind, guilt, and a fad variety of miferies, were univerfally prevalent; and, with all the amiable qualities the poffeffed, the felt the difeafe had reached even her; that he was not fuch a creature, as infinite wisdom and goodnefs had originally formed, but had entered this world in a lapfed flate.

The enquiries, which perplex philosophical minds, when they confider this subject, were easily furmounted by her, when The obferved the great fubjects of revelation proceeded on this principle; when the confidered that the great defign of reve lation was, firft, to point out to mankind the nature of their fall; fecondly, to fhew how they might be delivered.

Admitting

Admitting that we are accountable creatures, and that obe-dience to the divine will, is the great rule by which our actions muft be tried; it was eafy to infer, that any difobedience to that will, muft involve us in guilt; therefore, when the confidered the importance of that eternity, which he must soon enter into, fhe was frequently much afraid of being mistaken, and had a constant jealoufy over herfelf, left the fhould be unprepared, when death called; and though, in general, her mind was ferene, and fometimes (efpecially in fome of her greatest fufferings) the poffeffed fuch a tranquility of mind, and felt such a degree of that "peace, which paffeth underflanding,"

The foul's calm funfhine, and the heart-felt joy,
Which nothing earthly gives, or can destroy,"

as rendered her not only patient, but chearful in the most exteme pain; yet never, till the laft awful fcene of her life, did fhe manifeft fuch unfhaken confidence in God, her Saviour. Then, indeed, her light fhone! her fledfast faith, her patient hope, her amazing refignation, refplendently fhone! amidst the obfcurity of affliction, with which fhe was furrounded:—then the views, which he had been fo long influenced by, difcovered their powerful energy in her whole deportment.

She laboured under accumulated trials, both from her hufband's abfence, the illnefs of three children, and her own diforders; yet the retained a remarkable ferenity, and faid the could perfectly resign herself, and all her concerns, to that God, who cannot err, and whofe goodnefs will not permit him to afflict thofe, who truft in him, above what they are able to bear. Her hufband having returned a few days preceding her death; and tenderly enquiring if the thought herfelf likely to recover from her prefent complaint, the faid, "I have no particular apprehenfions of dying; but from the weak flate I am in, death is most likely;" then varying the subject, the faid, "I have often been afraid, during my health, left I should

deceive

deceive myfelf, and that I fhould not meet death with comfort; but my fears are removed-I have had many refreshing moments;-my mind is kept in entire peace;-I feel myself perfectly refigned to the will of God; let him do with me what feemeth him good. I hope my peace is not falfe; for he knows I come to him as a poor, helpless, guilty creature, and fimply depend on that Saviour, whom I fee fo fuitable for me. In this I think, I cannot be deceived; and yet I hope he will more abundantly bless me, and help me, before I am taken hence, to bear a full teftimony to his loving kindnefs."-She then broke out into prayer; in which fhe difcovered a great composure of mind, although the expreffed a frong defire, that the Lord would be pleafed to give her ftill further affurances, that he would receive her to himself.

Soon after this, fhe began to obferve how Mrs. W. had been fupported, during her illness, with bright profpects of a better world, and to reflect upon the glory fhe had entered into. She then addreffed herself to a lady prefent, and said, "O madamn! if you earnestly feek the favour of God, he will fupport you in a dying hour.-What a bleffing will it be, if you and your children, and I and mine, meet together in the kingdom of heaven!-You have indeed taken a parent's part for them, in the concerns of this life;-may you be a mother in Ifrael to them!—may you teach them the fear of the Lord!I have long felt an intereft in the welfare of your family, and now I fincerely with, they may make religion the business of

their lives!"

Suppofing her mother was prefent, fhe expreffed a wish, that The would refign her up to God, and not murmur at her fufferings or death;-but understanding her mother was not then in the room, fhe afterwards renewed the request, when, exLending one arm to her parent, and the other to her husband, Be faid, "I have often been afraid I had deceived myself, in fuppofing I was in the way to heaven, and that my peace would vanish on a death-bed; but, thanks be to God! I have VOL. XIV.

L

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not been mistaken;-I am not left in mifery!-No; he is my God, and I am his!-He is my Saviour! my Jefus !-I have had but a little faith, but he will perfect what is lacking.Why fhould I doubt! my hope is in him."-After fome filence, fhe repeated

"Yes, I cannot doubt it!-Why, fhall not I ftand among the thousands of Ifrael! fhall not I fit down with Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of God!-Yes, thou art my God, and I am thine!"

She then lay fometime in prayer: the purport of which was, "That the friend of finners would guard and own her; and that he would keep back the powers of darkness, from molefting a weak and helpless worm."-Soon after, she exclaimed, "O what a Saviour! what a glorious Saviour!-Sure,

If all the world my Saviour knew,

Then all the world would love him too!"

As he was repeating the name of Jefus, an intimate friend, entering the room, faid to her, "Can you call that Jefus yours?" She firmly replied, "Yes, he is my Jefus! my Saviour! and I am his!"-As her ftrength declined faft, fhe fpoke but little afterward; though, on the Saturday forenoon, when afked, if her mind was kept in peace, fhe gave no immediate anfwer; but in a few minutes repeated this text, Ifaiah xxvi. 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whofe mind is flayed on thee; and added, "I feel my mind wholly stayed on God."