He, with fifteen others, composed the first Methodist class at Dodsworth. He died in 1775, aged fifty-five.

Mr. Shaw thus narrates his own conversion : "The Lord wrought on my mind at a very early period. I could not help seeing a beauty in religion, and I felt some degree of pleasure in endeavouring to please God. I frequently prayed, and enjoyed comfort in prayer. Instead, however, of continuing to follow the light, I began to halt between two opinions, and at length decided for the world,-a decision that had nearly occasioned my eternal perdition. At our village-feast I expected to find pleasure; but I was wofully disappointed. A settled gloom rested on my mind, and the world could afford nothing even to lighten it. Life became a burden, and a very awful temptation followed me for some days. In my bitterness and anguish, I regretted that I had ever been born. I feared that God had delivered me into the hands of the enemy. I could not live in this state, and began to read the Scriptures, and pray; and a feeble hope of mercy gradually sprang up. I had four months of this tremendous conflict and suffering; but I persevered in seeking, and the Lord rebuked the adversary, and filled me with all joy and peace through believing. It was in 1780 that I joined the Methodist society; blessed be God, a new creature in Christ. It seemed as though I were in a new world. I could truly say, with Bunyan's Pilgrim,

'Where am I now? Is this the love and care

Of Jesus for the men that pilgrims are ?
Thus to provide that I should be forgiven,

And dwell already the next door to heaven? ""

In this happy state Mr. Shaw continued, without material interruption, to the close of a long and consistent life. His whole soul was engaged in the work of the Lord. For upwards of forty years he was a useful Class-Leader, and his love to the body to which he was joined suffered no abatement. Not long before his departure to a better world, he thus wrote:-"I thank God, I have never been brought into condemnation, nor lost the sense of my acceptance with him. looking back to the period when I first experienced the salvation of God, I am filled with wonder, love, and praise. After having spent a long life in endeavouring to serve God, I am able to say, at the present time,

The promised land, from Pisgah's top,

I now exult to see:

My hope is full (O glorious hope!)

Of immortality.'

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In his last affliction, which was very brief, he abundantly experienced the consolations which had been his joy and support through life, and died in great peace. JOHN BOLAM.

3. Died, August 16th, in the First London Circuit, aged fortyseven, Miss Elizabeth Swinlest. It was her happiness to have parents who truly feared and loved God: they both were members of the Methodist society. Her mother was remarkably careful in instructing her in every branch of duty. She took the earliest opportunity of impressing her mind with correct views of her Maker, Preserver, and Redeemer, and of endeavouring to excite her to reverential awe of him at all times. She taught and accustomed her to approach the mercy

seat constantly; and, by taking her child with her occasionally to her own religious exercises in private, sought to accustom her, even from infancy, to the holy practice. Thus fostered, her mind became seriously influenced when she was but a child. When only in her eleventh year, she had some awakening discoveries of her guilty and fallen condition; and by these she continued to be affected till, in her fourteenth year, she joined the Wesleyan society, meeting in the class which was conducted by the late Mrs. Mortimer. From this time she was decided to live for God and eternity; and her heart was gradually opened to embrace those truths of the Gospel, which she soon found to be the power of God to her salvation. Through faith in Christ, she obtained the knowledge of her acceptance with God, and a lively hope of eternal glory. It appears that she never entirely lost the confidence of justifying faith; although, perhaps, it was not always equally strong.

The loss of her father, who, in 1822, died full of joy and peace, was, both to herself and mother, a painful trial; but she maintained throughout a consistency of conduct which endeared her to all her Christian friends. She was subsequently called to pass through many difficulties; but in patience she possessed her soul. By the grace of God, her affection to her mother enabled her to overcome all. Indeed, of filial affection, respect, and attention, she was a bright example.

In 1830 there was a vacancy for a Mistress in the Methodist Charity School in the City-road Circuit. She applied for the situation, and was the successful candidate. She entered upon her new work deeply impressed with its responsibility. She considered that a number of young immortals were now committed to her care, and sought diligently to train them, not only for usefulness on earth, but for happiness in heaven. And her labours were not in vain; there was fruit which resulted from them, demonstrating to the friends and supporters of the institution, that their aid had not been uselessly contributed.

In 1835 she lost her mother, who died truly happy in God; having been for upwards of half a century an upright and consistent Methodist.

In 1836 she was put in charge of a class. She felt that she had now duties to perform for which her own strength was insufficient; but she looked to God, and found that her sufficiency was of him. She was often sorely exercised by inward temptations; but God was her buckler, her refuge, and her strength. She had also much bodily affliction; but this was sanctified, and, together with other chastenings, yielded to her the peaceable fruit of righteousness. In reading the holy Scripture, she found equal profit and delight. She might truly say, that she had hidden the word of God in her heart, that she might not sin against him. Many of its precious promises were treasured in her memory; and these, as she had need, were often applied to her soul by the blessed Spirit, affording to her a richer measure of consolation and encouragement than otherwise she might have enjoyed. Her conversation, likewise, was spiritual and profitable.

For several weeks previously to her death, she had been much indisposed; but her cheerfulness and resignation were not at all affected; and she continued in the discharge of her usual duties till the 16th of August, (Saturday,) and on the next day was so much worse, as to be

obliged to call in medical aid. It was found that she was suffering from a severe attack of scarlet-fever. On Monday she appeared to be somewhat better. She was truly happy, and said to a friend, that the joy of the Lord was her strength, and that Christ was all in all to her. Early in the morning of the following day, the disorder exhibited unfavourable symptoms, and it soon became evident that she was sinking. She was apprized of her danger, and received the solemn intelligence with undisturbed serenity. To a friend who asked her, a very short time before her departure, if she were happy, she replied, with a smile, and very impressively, "I am." She was too weak to say more; and these were her last words. For a little while she continued quiet, breathing gently; and then she breathed no longer. Her spirit was delivered from the burden of the flesh, and the "child of grace" was taken to "inherit glory." W. W. ALLEN.

4. Died, August 18th, at the Leigh, in the Tewkesbury Circuit, Mrs. Martha Vernon, aged seventy-four; having been a member of the Wesleyan section of the church of Christ about fifty-three years. Her parents belonged to the established Church; they were strictly moral in their deportment, and endeavoured to train up their children in the fear of God. From an early period of life, Mrs. Vernon entertained a great dread of sin, and had a sincere desire to know and do the will of God. She fasted and prayed, and read the Scriptures, resolving, to use her own expressions, that if any persons found their way to heaven, she would make one of the number. While under these impressions, she was prevailed upon to hear a sermon by a Wesleyan Local Preacher, who was made the instrument of showing her more clearly her state and prospects as an offender against the holy laws of God: her views of the plan of salvation, however, were for some time imperfect and confused, and she was much harassed with powerful inward temptations. A member of the Wesleyan society spoke to her on the subject of Christian communion and its great advantages, and induced her to attend a class-meeting; which led to her permanent union with the Wesleyan society. She soon became more fully instructed in the way of faith, and sought, with great earnestness and diligence, conscious pardon; and she received this great blessing while engaged in secret prayer. From this time to the end of her protracted life, she continued an upright, consistent, and useful member of the church of Christ. She possessed great modesty and humility; but these dispositions were combined with much moral courage. She sought, too, and not vainly, the richer blessings of the covenant of promise. In the onset of her religious course, she met with considerable opposition from her father; but his views and feelings soon underwent such a change, that he not only sanctioned herself and four sisters in their attachment to Methodism, but invited the venerable Wesley to honour them with a visit. Mr. Wesley called to see the family on his last journey to Tewkesbury, March 17th, 1790, as recorded in his Journal of that date, where he mentions, "Samuel Vernon and his five daughters," adding, "who are lately joined to the society, are all now in great earnest, and bid fair to adorn the Gospel of God our Saviour." Her love to God was manifested in strong concern for the interest of his cause, in diligent attendance upon his ordinances, affectionate regard to his Ministers and people, and in

kindness to the poor and afflicted, to whom she afforded relief to the full extent of her pecuniary means; and these she made larger than they otherwise would have been, by rigid self-denial. For more than forty years she had to contend with bad roads, and almost all kinds of weather, and at some seasons of the year even to pass through floods, in going to public worship. When she became unable to perform such journeys, she was disposed, and providentially enabled, to erect a neat little chapel in her own orchard, on the spot where, fifty years before, she had obtained the blessed sense of pardon through faith in Christ. How little did Mr. Wesley think, when he visited this amiable family, that a chapel, crowded with attentive worshippers, would be raised in this retired place, the generous offering of an aged person in comparatively humble circumstances! That this chapel has been made a blessing to the neighbourhood, is confirmed by the testimony of a respected Baronet, who says, in a letter to an English Prelate, "Before the Wesleyans erected a chapel here, the people were in a state bordering upon barbarism: scarcely a peasant had any definite idea of the scheme of Christianity, and the church was wretchedly attended."

Constitutional timidity led this fearful saint sometimes to contemplate death with gloomy forebodings; but when she actually entered upon the valley, these existed no longer; and not only was she delivered from all doubts and fears, but her soul was filled with cloudless serenity and triumphant joy. All her answers to the inquiries of her friends expressed the same happy condition; and when she could not speak, she lifted up her dying hand, that she might signify what she could no longer utter.*

5. Died, August 19th, at Watchet, in the Dunster Circuit, in his seventy-fourth year, Mr. William Wood. When a young man, sickness brought him near to death; and in this severe affliction, he was deeply convinced of his fallen state, and the necessity of pardon and a change of heart, that he might be prepared for dying. In describing his feelings at this period, he remarks, "Hell, with all its torments, was constantly before my eyes; and though I suffered excruciating pain, yet not a murmur escaped my lips; for I knew that my sufferings were as nothing compared with my punishment should I die in my sins. I cried mightily to God for forgiveness, and promised that, if I were raised up again, I would fully yield myself to the service of God." His prayers and vows were heard, and he was restored to his wonted health. On his recovery, he went as heretofore to the parish church, and it pleased God to make the language of the form of absolution the means of bringing his penitent soul to faith and peace. When the Minister read the words," He pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel," his heart responded to the cheering statement, and said, "Lord, I do repent, I do believe." Instantly he was filled with joy, and enabled

* We will thank our correspondents who favour us with their biographical papers, to affix their signatures at the close, and not to put them merely in the letters which sometimes accompany them. These last may be mislaid, and then, not being able to charge our memory with the name of the writers,-at least, not with certainty, the communications unavoidably appear anonymously.-EDIT.

to say, “O Lord, I will praise thee; though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation!" Having received the atonement, and passed from death unto life, he evinced by his conduct the reality and nature of the change which he had experienced.

In 1797, he removed to Manchester, where he resided for six years. During this period, he attended the Wesleyan ministry, and had the opportunity of hearing Dr. Coke, Messrs. Barber, Bradburn, Clarke, Bramwell, and others; from whose ministrations he derived great profit and spiritual delight. Indeed, he always reckoned this the happiest period of his life.

His father dying in 1804, he succeeded him in his business, returning to Watchet for that purpose; and when Wesleyan Methodism was introduced into the neighbourhood, he became one of its most attached friends and active supporters. The Ministers always found a cordial welcome at his house; and one of his highest pleasures was afforded by their society and conversation. The Sabbath was always to him "a day of delight, and honourable;" and nothing but some providential occurrence was allowed to prevent his attendance on the solemnities of Zion. He was equally exemplary in the performance of closet and family duties. He was a man of a tender spirit, and tears were often seen trickling down as he listened to the blessed word of God. His Bible and Hymn-Book were his constant companions, and the divine promises the cordials of his spirit. "Yes," he would say, "they are mine; for they are all in Christ Jesus yea and amen."

During the latter part of his life, he experienced painful worldly vicissitudes; but, amidst all his trials, he cast not away his confidence, and found in it great recompence and reward. The sickness which terminated his earthly course was protracted; but the religion which had guided and supported him in life, sustained him in affliction, and was his solace in the approach and prospect of death. At the commencement of his last illness, he sought most earnestly for the richer blessings of the Gospel; and on one occasion, while a friend was praying with him, he laid hold of the promises, and cried out, in an ecstasy of joy, "O I am as happy as I can live!" and continued for some time to exhort all around him to seek, that they also might find. Not long after, one of his children asked him how he was; and he replied, evidently with deep and hallowed emotion, “Happy, happy, happy in the love of Christ!" and from this period his spirit seemed to be refreshed with a constant stream of joy and peace. His wellbeloved partner, who for more than forty-eight years had been his companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, he exhorted, just before he expired, to lean more firmly on Him who would be a husband to the widow. Each of his children, also, he solemnly charged to seek to meet him in heaven. The power of utterance at length failed; but his countenance evinced that his spirit was recollected and peaceful to the last moment.

ROBERT BOND.