I see for myself by an interior way." -(1838, seventy-seventh year of my age, complete); "My interior memory become so good and clear, that I can read my past life as in a book; and I have the remembrance of every remarkable transaction from my youth to the present time."

These simple statements speak the unvarnished truth, and delineate, as it were, the interior states of spiritual advancement, as years rolled on in the natural life of the deceased. Here we have ample testimony, deliberately written in his private moments, of the settled and happy state of mind of this exemplary member of the New Church, after his cordial reception of its heavenly verities. For, after that period, nothing is intimated of his seeking a further knowledge of the Lord (in a doctrinal sense), as in times when he belonged to other Christian communities. (He had belonged to several, as he states in his diary.) Here he found a solid basis on which to stand; he ceased to build upon the sand, and commenced building on the rock. Placed on this foundation, firm as the eternal throne, his doubts and his anxious searchings and inquiries after the true doctrine respecting the Lord, ceased to disturb his mind; nor was he ever after "given to change." In him we had an example of punctuality in attending the stated periods of divine worship. The system of habitual absenteeism among members in any society is discouraging to the minister; a bad example to young members and others who may sometimes feel so inclined; and far from being inviting to strangers. Our departed friend, notwithstanding his advanced age, and the distance of his home from our place of worship, was present on the Lord's day previous to his death, which was on the following Thursday morning. On that Lord's day I was on a missionary visit to Keighley, and on my return received the intelligence of his illness. I accordingly visited him, but found him deprived of speech and of consciousness, in a loud-breathing, and N. S. NO. XII.-VOL. I.

The

last sleep, in which state he remained until the heart beat its last pulse. The interment of the mortal remains took place on the following Sunday, at the cemetery, where I was permitted to officiate on the solemn occasion. A great number of strangers were present, so that I took the opportunity of addressing them on the subject of death, and the doctrine of the resurrection and a future state. I then announced my intention of improving the event on the subsequent Sunday evening, which was done accordingly, and some strangers attended the service. discourse was based on the following passage, Genesis 1. 24: "And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die; and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob." The sermon, though rather lengthy, was, I am happy to observe, listened to with apparently great interest. May the Word of divine truth on that occasion prove effectual in the renewal to spiritual life of the hearers, agreeably with the divine declaration, "The dead shall hear the voice of the love of God, and they that hear shall live!" Every such event speaks to all, and sounds the note for preparation. From the knowledge we had of our departed friend, we may apply the words to him, "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord." Although we may not "attain to the days of the years of his pilgrimage," yet our death, like his, may be sudden. One Lord's day he worshiped in the Lord's earthly courts, and ere another arrived, he entered upon an eternal Sabbath, in that world "where the wicked cease from troubling, and where the weary are at rest." Leeds, Sep. 16, 1840. J. CULL.

On the 19th of September, 1840, entered on the life of eternity, Mrs. MARY BRAGG, of Birmingham, in the 83rd year of her age, and the 50th of her connexion with the New Church.

It was the privilege of Mrs. Bragg to be brought up from infancy by parents who "feared the Lord, and departed from evil." While yet young, 4 D

The

she became a member of the Independent Church, in Castle Green, Bristol ; and till her marriage and removal to Birmingham, in 1783, continued to walk in the doctrine and ordinances of the Lord as far as she knew them. Previous to her removal, her mind, with that of her husband, her father, and other members of the Church, had begun to entertain doubts on the subject of the orthodox view of the Trinity. Before availing themselves of the introductory letter which they took from the Church in Bristol, to that of Carr's Lane, in Birmingham, Mr. and Mrs. Bragg wished to become better acquainted with the views of other bodies of Christians, and for this purpose they attended the worship of the Baptists, Methodists, and Universalists. doctrine of Universal Restitution, though it never made decided converts of them, yet contributed greatly to unsettle their old views, and to prepare them for the glorious light which was about to dawn upon them. A Universalist preacher lent them, as he said, a very ridiculous book, which would make them laugh, the Treatise on Heaven and Hell. Its effect, however, was different from what had been anticipated. It appeared to them very wonderful and very beautiful; and, to use Mrs. B.'s own words, she neither believed nor disbelieved it. In this state of mind, with love to the Lord and his Word as fervent as ever, yet dissatisfied with their old views of doctrine, and unconvinced of the truth of what was offered in the place thereof, Mrs. B. and her husband, her father, mother, and two sisters, in different parties, and without previous agreement, were present at the opening of the Temple in 1791. On their assembling at dinner, as was their custom on the Sabbath day, they were all eager to express their delight with the doctrines they had heard. Nor was this delight transient. Increasing knowledge brought with it increasing love for the New Dispensation, and the

* Mrs. Elizabeth and Mrs. Martha Perry, whose deaths are recorded in Nos. 19 and 60 of the Intellectual Repository, last series.

whole family, consisting of nine persons, and three generations, were soon baptized into the faith of the New Church, by that excellent and venerable man, the late Rev. Joseph Proud. As the divine truths of the New Jerusalem gradually opened to their understandings, they were also received with affection into their wills. This was a time of joy and rejoicing; they were encamped at Elim, enjoying the shady palm trees, and the refreshing waters, and with Peter, they were disposed to say, "Master, it is good for us to be here." Some few, perhaps, who still survive, can remember this time, and the gloom which shortly after overspread the Church, where many who had gone thus far, in the time of apparent prosperity, turned back, and "walked no more with us :" and when those who yet remained faithful, felt like the mourning disciples on their way to Emmaus, when they said, "We trusted that it had been He who should have redeemed Israel."

In the year 1793 the leadings of Di. vine Providence took Mrs. Bragg and her family to New York, where, for a time, the tide of worldly prosperity appeared to be set in. They found not a single member of the New Church there; but in a short time Mr. William Hill arrived from London; Mr. Mott and family from Birmingham; and Mr. Banks and family from Norwich; and one poor man, whose name is not remembered; and of these the first assembly (probably) of New Church worshipers in the United States was formed, in Mr. Bragg's house.t In the latter end of 1796, Mrs. B. returned to England, having buried her husband and

Since writing the above, I find in the New Jerusalem Journal, of 1792, that a small congregation had been formed in Baltimore, in that year.

Mr. Bragg had procured, through Mr. Proud, a set of such of the works of Swedenborg as were then translated, which he presented in the name of the New Church in England, to the New York city library. They were willingly received, and a letter of thanks was written by the President to Mr. Proud. Before leaving America, Mrs. Bragg called on the Presi

three children, born in America, and baptized by Mr. Hill, who proved himself a most sincere and generous friend to the widow and her fatherless children. From that time, for many years, the life of Mrs. B. was a perpetual series of trials, calling for the constant exercise of faith and trust in that Divine Providence whose wonderful dealings she had hitherto remarkably experienced. In all her trials, however, she found the Word of the Lord a strong tower, into which she could run and be safe; and that Word, with the inestimable writings of the New Church scribe, formed her armour of proof, in which she was enabled to withstand all assaults, both from without and from within. Soon after her husband's death a very kind and sincere friend, supposing she might have been led astray by affection to her husband, wrote her a very long letter, endeavoring to restore her to what he considered the true fold of Christ. But her faith was not built upon man, and the efforts of man to shake it were vain: every day made her confidence more firm in the reality of those things which she had believed. Many of her latter years were free from those severe trials which characdent, and offered to be the bearer of any communication he might wish to make to Mr. Proud. He received her very politely, and said, that he should be happy to correspond with Mr. P. on any literary subject. Of Swedenborg he said, "He was a wonderful old man ;" but he did not appear at all to have entered into the merits of his works.

terized the earlier period of her return from America; and her spirit was never weary of acknowledging the merciful goodness of the Lord. Her sphere may be truly described as one of continual gratitude, thankfulness, and praise. Her temper, naturally warm and hasty, was wonderfully subdued by Christian principle. She was conspicuous for her love of order; and nothing but inability ever prevented her attention to the ordinances of worship.

On

Several of her latter years were spent in much weakness and occasional illness; at such seasons her spirits rose, and she looked forward with joy to the period of her separation from this world. When her health was restored it seemed sometimes like a disappointment to her. She came to her end at last, like a shock of corn fully ripe in its season. For several days previous she fancied that she had an infant in bed with her, and was particularly careful that no one should touch it but herself. the evening before her departure her daughter said to her, "Mrs. M. and Miss D. are come to see you.' She answered, "Come to sing ?" I am glad of that. Let them sing, "Go and sin no more. On the following morning when she appeared considerably better, she expired very suddenly, without uttering a word, but in perfect peace. "Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord." Clifton.

"'*

J. K. B.

*No. 81, Conference Hymn Book.