the estate in which we lived, being expired, I was recommended, by a friend to Sir Jacob Wolfe, of Taunton, who kindly gave me the choice of several estates in the parish of Chulmleigh, Devonshire; and fixing on Leigh Lodge, we removed at Ladyday, 1805. We were now situated in a place where Methodism had searcely been heard of; and we for some time attended the Calvinist chapel; when a way was opened for the preachers of the Collumpton circuit to visit us, whom we gladly received, and, our house being licensed, we had preaching in it until a convenient house could be procured in the town. The preachers visited us once in a fortnight, but much fruit of their labour did not yet appear. At the expiration of one year, Chulmleigh became attached to the Biddeford Mission, at present the Barnstaple circuit, and has since had regular preaching. The sincerity and firm attachment to the cause of God, manifested in the deportment of my dear wife, gained her the general affection of the preachers who were best acquainted with her. And her amiable and engaging manners procured her the esteem of all who knew her. A society of about a dozen persons being formed, we again enjoyed those means of grace we had left with regret. My dear Mary was looked up to as an example by the female part of our members, and to her they made known their sorrows and joys, as to their mother in Israel, and received of her the consolation, advice, or reproof, which they seemed severally to need. We remained at Leigh about four years and an half, and then removed to Dartridge, an adjoining estate. Soon after we came hither we again felt the rod of affliction: our second daughter, Eliza, returning from school, stepped on one side and sprained her foot. In a few days she was confined to her bed. The pain arising from her foot became so excruciating, that for several days she was deprived of her reason, and a typhus fever succeeding, her life was despaired of for nearly a week. The attention and close confinement occasioned by this afflictive dispensation brought on a severe attack of a nervous complaint on my dear wife, and for six months she was incapacitated for the necessary offices of her family; but by a change of air, variety of company, and medical assistance, she was again restored to her former usefulness. As she possessed every qualification necessary to render her capable of presiding in her family, she always felt peculiar pleasure while endeavouring to store the minds of her children with useful knowledge. Her principal object was to get them made early acquainted with the Scriptures. To induce them to read the Sacred Volume, she used to turn to those parts of it which, while they instructed, would also amuse them. And thereby she instilled into their minds a love of reading the Bible. But reading alone was not sufficient; she required of them an account of those subjects which had mostly interested them, and what they could not comprehend she endeavoured, in language suited to their capacities, to explain. But the period of her use fulness was, alas! but of short duration: the wise Disposer of all events was pleased to remove her from this wilderness of cares, to a more permanent abode, at a time when her assistance was greatly needed in her family. November 1, 1816, she complained of a great pain in her finger, and a stitch in her side; but as nothing dangerous was apprehended from either, she was not careful in making any application. The next day she was severely attacked by a rheumatic complaint, which confined her to her bed the whole of the day. The following morning, conceiving herself to be much better, she ventured down stairs, but was soon obliged to return to her room, where she remained until the evening; when, imprudently getting up, she caught a violent cold, which was followed by an inflammation in her lungs. For several days the disorder was considered as being very dangerous; but being skilfully treated by our surgeon, she was relieved, and we entertained the pleasing hope of her recovery. She was confined for about a fortnight, her health daily improving, when she again ventured to get up, but the weather being severe, and having no fire-place in her room, she was seized with a shivering, and, returning to her bed, became much worse; a recurrence of the fever took place, and her weakness increased for several days. But, receiving every encouragement from our surgeon, we were not apprehensive of danger, and she again appeared to be in a state of convalescence; and, her spirits being good, and her appetite increasing, we entertained once more the most sanguine hopes of her speedy recovery. The idea of her dissolution, (since the first few days of her illness,) being so distant from our view, I seldom said any thing to her relative to her prospects of death, or her hope of eternal glory. At one time, asking her the state of her mind, she replied, "I the chief of sinners am, but Jesus died for me.' At another time, to a similar inquiry, she said, "My hope is well founded, and Christ is my salvation." was frequently visited by our friends, to whom she talked with her usual cheerfulness. November 23, I received a letter from Bristol, requesting my immediate attendance on some business of importance. On communicating the notice to my dearest Mary, she fully consented to my leaving her for a few days; and the following Wednesday I left her for Bristol, hoping on my return to find her in a good degree recovered. She was much affected in taking leave of me, but did not indicate a wish for me to remain at home. A cough having been brought on by her taking cold, she was frequently disturbed by it, and her rest often broken, and she sometimes felt a difficulty in breathing; but her cheerfulness and * 2 M 2* usual complacency returning at intervals, our family and the nurse flattered themselves with the hope of her being much better. Thursday night (our daughter Marianne sitting up with her) her rest appeared to be unusually good; and Friday morning she was much revived, and continued better the whole of the day. In the evening, about nine o'clock, our daughter Eliza gave her her supper, (which she took with her usual appetite,) and about ten retired, leaving a woman, (who had been in the habit of attending on her,) to sit up with her. About twelve o'clock, a violent fit of coughing coming on, she requested to be set up in the bed, and feeling herself much worse, desired her daughters to be sent for. On Marianne's coming to her she said, "I am nearly gone, my dear; I have just been taking leave of you all;" but having expressed herself in a similar manner before, on like occasions, Marianne did not feel much alarmed, and immediately prepared her something to take; which, together with the nurse's fomenting her feet, relieved her for about half an hour; when a second attack of the cough came on, and, labouring a good deal for breath, she said, "I am going, my dear; it is hard work, dear Mr. Wrentmore," and immediately expired. In her, Christianity has lost a firm friend, the church of God a useful and zealous member, and her husband and family, a pious, tender, and affectionate wife and mother. May they follow her as she followed Christ! The solemn occasion was improved by Mr. Sleigh, the Sunday following her interment, on Hebrews iv. 9, "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God." In addition to the preceding account from the pen of her husband, the following tribute is offered by a friend, who highly esteemed her in life, and sincerely lamented her death. Affection finds a melancholy pleasure in retracing the habits and example of those with whom we once enjoyed endeared society, but who have now left us in the vale of tears, to mix with better company above; and hereby they live in our fond remembrance, and beckon us to follow them to the port they have gained. The subject of the foregoing memoir was one of those distinguished few on whom reflection yields a delightful savour, and affords a lively comment on the scriptural declaration, that “the memory of the just is blessed." Amidst the numerous excellencies which formed in her a brilliant constellation, the writer cherishes a grateful recollection of the unfeigned pleasure with which she was wont to welcome him and his brethren in the gospel, to her hospitable board. The period of their arrival she anticipated with pleasure, and whilst her love was manifested in the careful provision she made for their comfort, her engaging affability, cheerful spirit, and pious converse, doubly endeared her much-loved mansion to her grateful guests. Much she delighted in the means of grace; and whilst her zeal for God, and ardent desire for the promotiou of his glory shone conspicuously, her deep attention to the preached gospel, and personal profiting, were apparent to all. 'Tis true, she listened with a critic's ear; but her criticisms, blended with gospel charity, and clothed in the garb of meek-eyed modesty, were always divested of that acerbity, which, whilst it both pains and discourages the mind, generally defeats its own design. Her enlarged understanding, deep acquaintance with the sacred Scriptures, and personal experience of Divine things, well qualified her rightly to estimate the respective merits of the discourses which she heard; and in her many of the local brethren found a friend, possessed of sufficient candour to receive and profit by their simple and unlearned effusions, and sufficient faithfulness to point out their defects, and to assist them, not with a dogmatic decision, but by social investigation, to correct their mistakes.-As an associate, the pleasantness of her manners, the liberal education she had received, and the numerous accomplishments she had acquired, rendered her company always desirable, and capacitated her for adorning a circle much higher than that in which she moved. As a wife, she was a crown of glory to her husband; her domestic management was a subject of admiration to many, who, in occasional visits to the family, had opportunities of observing it; no hurry or confusion, no noise or bustle, was ever perceiveable; but her various concerns, which were neither few nor light, occasioned by a numerous family and extensive business, were all despatched with that celerity and order which left her a portion of time for the enjoyment of friendly intercourse, and the far more important duties of devotion. As a mother, she possessed the happy art of securing the esteem and confidence, as well as the affection and obedience of her children, particularly her daughters; who, whilst they venerated her commands, and dreaded her displeasure, made her the true friend of their bosoms, the keeper of their secrets, and the director of all their measures. As a mistress she ensured the reverence and duty of her servants, not by the discordant voice of wrath and threatening, but by the dignified, the commanding influence of a constant, even, settled, purpose, and the mild oratory of persuasive gentleness. Having embraced the Methodist system from a conviction of its superior excellencies and unrivalled advantages, she manifested that consistency of deportment, and cultivated those graces of the Holy Spirit, which made her shine as a mother in Israel, and no doubt insured an abundant, entrance into that world of happy spirits. where she now enjoys the meed of all her piety, in the bosom of her Father and her God. J. A. The memoir of Thomas Barker, Esq. is published in our smaller Number for this month, and was intended to have appeared in this, but we are obliged to defer inserting it till our next, that we may make room for the following reflections, pre paratory to our approaching General Missionary Meeting. MISCELLANEOUS. To the Editor of the Methodist Magazine. DEAR SIR, As the welcome season is fast approaching in which the Annual Meeting of the Wesleyan Missionary Society is to be held in the great metropolis of the British empire, I beg leave, through the medium of your widely-extended and popular Miscellany, to submit to your numerous readers a few thoughts on the subject of that excellent Institution. I engage in this most pleasing task, that they may be excited to use their strongest energies in a cause so great, so grand, and glorious. The result of combined efforts, under the benign auspices of heaven's immortal King, will in due time be commensurate with the evils to be removed, and the good to be accomplished. That your next annual meeting may be more than usually attended with the presence of the Lord, is the fervent wish of, dear Sir, your's in the promotion of the spread of the glorious gospel to the ends of the earth, Kettering, Feb. 1819. W. B. BROWNE. To aid the work in which their souls delight. To see the world obedient to thy laws." Send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared, Nehem. viii. 10. There is not any subject, the contemplation of which is more pleasing, than that of the removal of any of the acknowledged evils of life. For several years, efforts of an extraordinary nature have been made use of to meliorate the distresses of the children of men. The philosopher has left behind him precepts in favour of benevolence; and the legislator has endeavoured to prevent barbarous practices, by the introduction of laws. But it seems to have been reserved for Christianity to increase the energy of doing good, and to give it the widest possible domain. It is her sublime destiny and delightful province to mature former plans of usefulness, and to devise new ones, such as shall meet the nations at every point; reducing the sum of human misery, and augmenting that of human happiness. Under her benign auspices, and at her sovereign command, the sombre cloud of calamity assumes a luminous appearance. The celestial bow of promise is seen in all its magnificence of colours, and hailed in all its consolatory import. Acts of cruelty are now happily susperseded by those of humanity. The prisoner of war is no longer led into the amphitheatre to become a gladiator, and to imbrue his hands in the blood of his fellow-captive, for the sport of a thoughtless multitude. Where Christianity gains the ascendency, the stern heathen priest, cruel through fanaticism and custom, no longer leads his fellow-creature to the altar to sacrifice him to fictitious gods. The sacrifice he now offers is that of prayer and praise, ascending from the altar of a sincere heart, and finds acceptance before the throne of the Majesty on high. The horrid funeral pile no longer burns; the Ganges receives no victims on its waters; and the stupendous car of Juggernaut, with all its obscenity and terrific horrors, is seen no more. The worship of devils gives way to the sublimer worship of the true and living God. Such are the conquests of religion; such are the illustrious achievements of the Gospel, and the celestial triumphs of the cross. May her banner wave over every heathen land and the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our God and Christ! "Father of mercies! grant thy aid divine To Britain's sons, and favour their design." |