204 Obituary and Recent Deaths. MR. W. KINGSLEY. at most cheering proof of devotedness to God. Partakers of the same precious faith, these two brothers be came an example to all around, in their pious conversation, strict integrity, and ardent zeal for the promotion of the gospel in the adjacent villages. Their attention to the spiritual welfare of their servants and labourers is worthy of imita tion; when the weather was unfavourable, during hay-time, they would assemble them in a barn, and read the sacred scriptures, and other religious books to them; often, too, might they be seen sitting under a hedge, reading the message of mercy to the poor, but grateful, labourer. A career, so honourable and useful, was but short; the brothers, "lovely and pleasant in their lives," in death were not long to be divided. Mr. G. Kingsley was taken ill of typhus fever, and died in a few days," calling upon God;" his brother, though poorly, was with him in his illness, and at his death; from which painful scene he retired to his own home, where he immediately became confined to his room, and, after a fortnight's severe suffering, also expired. The state of his mind, under affliction, was remarkably happy; when visited by his pastor, he found him engaged in spiritual conversation, and his soul apparently absorbed in divine subjects. On receiving a little refreshmerft, be raised himself from his pillow, and, with fervour, entreated that whether he ate, or drank, or whatsoever he did, might be done to the glory of God. When asked if willing to die, he replied, "Oh yes! I cry, Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly! I long to be goingthere will be no sin-there will be such blessed and glorious company NOVEMBER 6, 1823, died Boardscroft, near Tring, Herts, Mr. W. Kingsley, aged thirty-four years. He was born at Purton, near Hitchin, and lived a stranger to the power of religion till about five years since, when he was seized with a dangerous illness, and became much alarmed. A pious young relative visited him in his affliction, and proposed prayer, to which he assented, and eagerly inquired at the close "where he had learned to pray thus ?"-which gave rise to serious conversation, and left him thoughtful. With returning health, he, however, again became careless, till it pleased the Father of Spirits to repeat the stroke of affliction; at which period the agony of mind be suffered, from conviction of sin, was dreadful, and frequently caused the perspiration to roll from his face, as he sat encircled by his family. At length he obtained peace of mind, through a believing view of him, who" came to seek and to save that which was lost." Religion now took possession of his soul, and he seemed to live only to glorify God. He attended the ministry of the word at New Mill, and was baptized in May, 1820. He continued an eminently useful and honourable member of that church till bis decease. Concern for his own welfare induced him to feel for the salvation of others; and seldom had he an opportunity of conversing with a fellow-creature on divine subjects, without embracing it. The writer of this will never forget with what pious pleasure he used to relate to him the success attending any of these attempts to do good. Mr. G. Kingsley, an elder-there Jesus is." When reminded brother, resident at the adjoining farm, was induced, by him, to become a constant attendant on the means of grace, and to give the of the Lord's goodness to him, “O yes," said he, "I deserved the hottest hell, but the Lord had mercy on me." On being visited again, bis conversation proved that he had sustained a severe conflict with the enemy of souls, of whose "fiery darts" be complained; yet his confidence was strong-he adverted with strong feeling to the cheering invitation," Look unto me, and be ye saved," &c. as a peculiar source of consolation to him. He requested that the 8th Chapter of Romans might be read, and at the 14th verse, For as many as are led by the Spirit of God," &c. he exclaimed with energy-"Yes; they are so. I know that I am not a hypocrite." His pastor now commended him, and his beloved wife and children, 10 God; at the close of which, perceiving the emotions of sorrow, which marked every countepance, he endeavoured to remove it, by directing them to Jesus, as the "friend, the better friend, whom they would still have left." His regard for others' eternal interests was strong in death; on being asked if there were any passage he would choose as his funeral text, "Yes," said he, "And the times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men every where to repent."-Asking for the Bible, that he might point out to his minister portions that had been consolatory to him, on receiving it, "Oh! how cold it is!" said be; and clapping his hand to his forehead, seemed to feel his mental powers giving way. After this there were but few Jucid intervals, in cach of which he seemed engaged in sacred intercourse with God, till at length he fell asleep in Jesus. Each of the brothers left a widow and five children to mourn their loss. Numbers were collected to hear the funeral sermons of these amiable men. May the impression then made never be effaced! May the widows and fatherless find help in God, and the numerous relatives, together with every reader of the above, "become followers of them, who through faith and patience now inherit the promises." Tring, Herts. VOL. XVI. D. C. MRS. MARY PORTER. MRS. Mary Porter died February 9, 1824. It appears that, about fifteen years ago, she was in company with a very pious friend, (a deacon of the church then meeting in Founders' Hall,) who proposed to her this important question, "Do you love the Saviour of sinners?" It pleased the Lord, in infinite mercy, to impress this inquiry with power upon her mind. She resolved, from that time, to hear some minister who preached Jesus Christ. Under the direction of Divine Providence, she was led to hear the Rev. Dr. Rippon. She has recorded one or two passages of the sacred word of God, which were peculiarly precious to her at that season; which came to her not in word only, but with power. Isa. i. 18, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Also Matt. xi. 28, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” She was led to see the absolute necessity of a true knowledge of the Saviour, as he is revealed in the sacred scriptures, before there can be any genuine love to him, according to the language of the Psalmist: "They that know thy name, will put their trust in thee." Thus, by the influence and teaching of the Spirit of truth, she was led to see, that it was not only the duty, but the privilege, of those who really love the Saviour, to keep his commandments. Under these serious and delightful impressions, she made a public profession of her faith in the Lord Jesus, and was received into fellowship with the church of Christ meeting in CarterJane, in 1812, in the twenty-third year of her age, where she continued a member about seven years. After her marriage she was dismissed to Church-street, Blackfriars - road, where she continued to attend about five years. She has left a most pleasing and satisfactory testimony, that she has heard the precious truths of the gospel from Sabbatir to X Sabbath, not only with pleasure, but with peculiar profit. Many texts she has recorded, as Mark v. 15, &c. "And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: -Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion upon thee." And 2 Thess. ii. 16, 17; "Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace. Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work." This was doctrine in which her soul delighted. She was enabled, by Divine teaching, to renounce all dependence upon creatore merits, and rest wholly upon the person and work of Jesus Christ for salvation. In former times of sickness, she had expressed great fear of death; -but in this sickness, which was unto death, through rich, free, and sovereign favour, she has been enabled, in the language of holy triumph, to | ask, "O death, where is thy sting! O grave where is thy victory!" She said, in one instance, "I hope you are looking to the Physician of souls, who will order all things for our good." There was a season, of short duration, when she complained of darkness of mind; but she soon found peculiar delight in that sweet invitation, Isa. i. 18. She expressed a wish that they might be the words from which her funeral sermon should be preached. Just before her departure she was perfectly collected; when she awoke in a happy frame of mind, and said, "Bless the Lord, I have had a very comfortable night, and I have a delightful tale to tell you-Christ is Is Christ precious precious to me. to you?" And then fell asleep in the arms of Jesus, about eight o'clock on Monday morning, February 9, 1824. REV. JOHN KEEBLE. THE Rev. John Keeble, between twenty and thirty years the highly esteemed pastor of the Baptist Church, meeting in Blandford-street, London, died on Friday evening, the 10th ult. at his house at Fulham, in the sixty-fourth year of his age. On the 16th, he was brought to the Chapel in Blandford-street, when, after an address by Mr. Pritchard of Keppel-street, he was interred in Mary-le-bone Burial-ground. It is hoped that a more enlarged account will be shortly supplied. Review. An Account of the American Mission | full influence of Christian princito the Burman Empire: in a Series of Letters addressed to a Gentle man in London, by Ann H. Judson. London: Butterworth & Son, 43, Fleet-street. 8vo. 326 pp. Price 8s. THAT "the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty," is a sentiment frequently expressed, and the correctness of which our judgments fully approve; but which we never utter with suitable sentiments, or proper emotions. In order to this, persons must live among idolators; and, even then, unless their hearts are under the ples, to conceive, in some measure, subjects, stand in connection with the exertions which are necessary to promote plans of missionary labour, and to supply the funds requisite for carrying them into effect, we rejoice in the appearance of a publication like that before us, written by a pious female, who, with her estimable and zealous husband, have been, since the year 1813, employed as Missionaries at Rangoon, in the Burman empire: an empire, at present, about 1200 miles in length, and 800 or 900 in the broadest part. It is situated between India-proper and China; and contains a population estimated at about nineteen millions! Mrs. Judson says, in describing the moral state of these people : religion of the empire, and it is "The Burmans are a nation of atheists. They believe that existence involves in itself the principles of misery and destruction: consequently, there is no eternal God. The whole universe, say they, is only destruction and reproduction. It, therefore, becomes a wise man to raise his desires above all things that exist, and aspire to Nigban, the state in which there is no existence. Rewards and punishments follow meritorious and sinful acts, agreeably to the nature of things. The sensations felt by Mr. JudGaudama, their last Boodh, or deity, son, on discovering the first hopeful in consequence of meritorious acts, evidences of renewing grace,upon the arrived at that state of perfection, mind of a Burman, cannot be conwhich made him deserving of annihila-ceived. He thus writes, tion-the supreme good. His instructions are still in force, and will continue till the appearance of the next deity, who is supposed to exist somewhere now in embryo, and who, when he appears, as the most perfect of all beings, will introduce a new dispensation. The Boodhist system of morality is pure, though it is destitute of power to produce purity of life in those that profess it." "May 5, 1819. Moung has been with me several hours; I begin to think the grace of God has reached his heart. He expresses sentiments of repentance for his sins, and faith in the Saviour. The substance of his profession is, that, from all the darkness and uncleannesses and sins of his whole life, he has found no other Saviour but Jesus Christ; no where else can he look for salvation; and, therefore, he proposes to adhere to Christ, and worship him all his life long. "It seems almost too much to believe, that God has begun to manifest his grace to the Burmans; but this day I could not resist the delightful conviction that this is really the case. PRAISE AND GLORY BE TO HIS NAME AMEN." pp. 162, When it is farther known, that these erroneous sentiments are held and maintained by men among them, who are powerful logicians, and who are capable of defending them with much ingenuity, it will be seen that the Prince of Darkness has entrenched himself here in his strongest holds. Added to this, the monarch absolute, capricious and cruel, "the lord of life and death," It would give us pleasure could is very tenacious for preserving the we give other extracts from this ex FOR EVERMORE. cellent work, of the progress of the work of God in that wretched land. The work is so purely missionary, and the plans and proceedings of the agents employed so evangelical, and expressive of such dependence upon the Holy Spirit of God, that it is very delightful and encouraging to find, that their labours have been crowned with such signal success. Perusing it, revived all the feelings which, reading the "Life of Brainard," produced upon our heart: this book is a suitable accompaniment for that, and should stand upon the same shelf with it in the library of every one who is desirous that God would make his way known upon the earth, and his saving health among all nations." The profits which may arise from the sale of the publication, "will be appropriated to the redemption from slavery and education of femalo children, on Mrs. Judson's return to Burmalı." We most heartily recommend the work, especially to the perusal of pious females. A Second Series of Letters to Wm. Melancthon, ont shall. THE former Series of Letters from this writer to Mr. Wilberforce, were noticed in a former volume of our work. A writer, under the signature of Melancthon, having appeared as the defender of the conduct of that statesman in Parliament, upon the Catholic Question, has furnished Amicus Protestans with plenty of employment. To give our readers a view of the chief topic of this pamphlet, we select the following paragraph: "It will be remembered that the leading theory of Mr. Wilberforce, and Melancthon, and indeed of almost all their school, is the notion, that if a Protestant Parliament will but eman cipate the unhappy Roman Catholics, by giving them legislative and executive power, it will, by this act, separate the Romish Priesthood from the Laity; and that, when this happy disjunction shall have been effected, the whole Romish body will form together a perfectly harmless race of beings, who will no longer feel a desire to see their own religion uppermost, nor their own friends in power: in short, that both priests and people will be, from the moment of emancipation, at once incapable of meditating the destruction of Protestant England, and her religion, and unable to accomplish it, if they did." p. 4. Amicus Protestans contends, that the idea of " legislating for the laity alone," is perfectly chimerical;that the union between the clergy and laity, while the latter continue Roman Catholics, is so firm that it cannot be dissolved-and the influence of the former over the latter so strong, that, while that connexion continues, the opinions of the clergy will necessarily govern the laity, and, therefore, the possession of political power by the latter, would be employed in carrying into effect the intolerant views of the former, endangering the Protestant religion, i. e. the Protestant Established Churches of England and Ireland. We do not wonder that Amicus Protestans, "with a firm conviction on his mind that the Church of England is the most pure and apostolic church upon earth," should be apprehensive, in the event of the Roman Catholics getting the upper hand in the state, that his church would be in danger: there would, doubtless, be a struggle which was the most pure and apostolic church -the church of England, or the church of Rome, and the most votes in Parliament, (if the chief magistrate did not interfere,) would decide to which church the juro divino, tithes, &c. &c. belonged. opinion is, that, even were such an unlikely event to take place, and the church of Rome to be again the established church of England and Ireland, that the church of Christ would still be perfectly safe. It is not the spiritual, but the political power, which such a change would give them, that we dread. Popery, Our |