The sacrament of the Lord's supper was several times administered to him, the members of his family partaking with him in that holy communion. They were felt to be occasions of solemn and delightful intercourse with God, eminently fitted to produce a lasting impression on the minds of all present. Mr. Shaw devoutly and audibly joined in the service. When the bread was put into his hands by the Minister, with the appointed form of words, he, in a low but earnest voice, repeated, "The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was given for me, preserve my body and soul unto everlasting life." So, also, on receiving the cup, he said, "The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was shed for me, preserve my body and soul unto everlasting life." He then added, with lively emphasis, "He died for me! he died for me! I feel he died for me!"

The Rev. Charles Cheetham, who frequently visited him, observes: "When I was praying with him, we had always, in a more than usual degree, access to the throne of grace, and sweet communion with God. He had constant peace, which was sometimes attended with holy joy; and he was also often deeply affected with a sense of his own unworthiness. His personal interest in Christ; the sanctifying agency of the Holy Spirit, by which he knew that he was in a course of preparation for heaven; and the solidity of all the great principles of Christianity; were subjects on which he delighted to dwell." In the progress of his Christian pilgrimage, he had endeavoured to make every thing an occasion of prayer; and to his petitions he had received many gracious answers. For some time before his death, he had solemnly resigned his beloved wife and children into the hands of Him who has said, "Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in me." When he alluded to this subject, he expressed his firm persuasion that God would fulfil his own promise, and keep that which he had thus committed to his care. The enlarged views which he entertained concerning the incorruptible glory of the resurrection-body, and the eternal happiness of the Lord's redeemed people, tended greatly to fortify his mind against the fear of death; while they assured him that, after the short parenthesis of the grave, the period of his true life, in the body as well as in the soul, should run on through all the depths of future being, without interruption, and without end.

For the last three weeks of his sojourn here, his mind was in a very heavenly state; and he intimated a wish to some members of his family, that prayer should no longer be offered for his recovery. Reviving a little on the Sunday before he died, he spoke of God's merciful dealings towards him during his sickness; remarking how his mind had been supported; how graciously he had been preserved from the powerful assaults of the enemy; how abundantly, in a word, "the Lord had strengthened him upon the bed of languishing." "God," said he, "is with me. He hath made all my bed in my

sickness.' All is right. I know whom I have believed."" Two days before his death, while one of the Ministers was engaged in prayer with him, he had “a time of" peculiar "refreshing from the presence of the Lord;" and, after prayer, exclaimed, “O what a Saviour! He is the chiefest among ten thousand; yea, he is altogether lovely.'"

On the following day he seemed so much better, as to encourage the fond and flattering hopes of his family that he might possibly be spared through the summer. So far did he himself partake of their pleasing anticipations, that he uttered a desire, if it were the will of God, to go once more to the chapel, to his class, and to the prayer-meeting. The thought of assembling with his Christian friends, evidently cheered his spirit. But his days were now numbered. About three o'clock the next morning, after he had slept for several hours, he was seized with an attack of paralysis, which greatly affected his speech, and deprived him of the use of his left side. For some time there was little ground to expect that he would revive. But, about eleven o'clock the same morning, the feeble light of life gleamed again in its socket. All around were moved by the tender affection which he evinced towards the several members of his family. One of them said to him, "Now that 'your flesh and your heart fail,' God is the strength of your heart."" He replied, "He is; and my portion for ever."" Soon after, it was said to him, "You are not far from God's heavenly kingdom;" when he answered, "I hope not." Life was now swiftly departing. He became restless, and often requested to change his posture. He had many times risen, during his illness, from the chair in which he usually sat; and leaned upon the back of it, partly to relieve the monotony of his position, and partly to place himself in a more devotional attitude,-something like dying Jacob, when, "by faith," he "blessed both the sons of Joseph, and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff." It was while he was attempting once more to put himself into this position, a little before three o'clock in the afternoon of the same day,-Thursday, May 13th, 1841,-that the persons who were assisting him perceived him sinking into the arms of death. He was, with difficulty, replaced in his chair; and, looking up, as if to bid adieu to his weeping family, sweetly fell asleep in Jesus, without a struggle or a groan.

The feeling which discovered itself, on the intelligence of his death, not only in the Wesleyan society, but in the town of Huddersfield generally, and elsewhere, afforded pleasing, though mournful, proof of the esteem in which he was held. By the goodness of God, he had been enabled to pursue a course of uniform Christian consistency; he had retained the simplicity and sincerity of true religion amidst the seductions which usually attend prosperous worldly circumstances; he had laboured to improve the talents which were intrusted to him, under a sense of the obligations which he owed to his Lord, and of the

account which he must one day render of his stewardship on earth; and he at last descended to his grave in peace, followed by the regrets of those especially who had the most favourable opportunities of forming a right judgment concerning his Christian character and walk. He belonged to an honoured class of men, whose generous efforts for the promotion of evangelical truth, in the town and vicinity of Huddersfield, cannot soon be forgotten; and whose number, in the space of a very few years, has been reduced, by the successive visitations of mortality, to a few solitary survivers. But they "who die in the Lord," die into better life. Their bodies sleep, but their spirits wake with God. Nor shall the progress of Christianity be stayed by the removal of its faithful disciples to their rest. "Instead of thy fathers, shall be thy children." Changes pass incessantly over man's earthly dwelling-place; but, in the midst of them all, "a seed shall serve" the Messiah of our God; "it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall" yet "be born."

MEMOIR OF MRS. HARPER,

OF BRISTOL:

BY THE REV. CHARLES PREST.

THE Methodist societies in Bristol derived manifold advantages from the especial pastoral care of the Rev. Messrs. John and Charles Wesley; and many who, by their instrumentality, were brought to serve God in faith and holiness, belonged to the more respectable and better educated classes of the inhabitants of the city. These causes conspired to render their piety enlightened, decided, and full of good fruits; to give a stamp of primitive simplicity to their devotions and Christian communion; to confirm their attachment to the invaluable conventional means of grace established among us, and which was displayed in their constant use; to implant and maintain a godly love of, and veneration for, the services of the sanctuary, and the sacraments of religion; and, in addition, to produce a wise and Christian superintendence of their families. These persons were well able to receive and appreciate the instructions of the venerable and honoured brothers, and of those eminent and holy men who, from time to time, were their Assistants and Helpers. Thus their characters were formed on pure and exalted principles; and, for the most part, they exhibited a career shining “more and more unto the perfect day." With but few exceptions, these individuals have passed into communion with the triumphant church; though some remain, genuine examples of primitive Methodism, inviting the imitation of those who would preserve consistency and attain eminence in their Christian profession.

To this class Mrs. Harper belonged; and she deservedly held a high rank in it. She was born in the year 1776; and, at an early age, her conduct indicated that decided piety by which her more mature years were so strongly characterized. Her father, Mr. Charles Withington, was a Class-Leader; and was honoured with the personal friendship of Mr. Wesley, who, on one occasion, remarked to him, "Charles, if you do not take care, your little daughter will get to heaven before you." It was from Mr. Wesley that Miss Jane Withington received her first ticket as a member of the Wesleyan society, when she was ten years of age; and she was favoured to meet in a class led by Mrs. Clarke, wife of Mr. (afterwards Dr.) Adam Clarke.

It is much to be regretted that she did not commence the diary which she kept for many years, till 1805; and the following brief account of her early experience is all that has been preserved :

"In very early life I experienced the sacred influences of divine grace on my heart; so that I cannot remember a time when I had not the fear of the Lord. I was taken, from my infancy, to the house of God by my dear parents; and shall have cause to bless the Lord for ever, for sitting under the Methodist ministry. By this means I was thus instructed, and also by my dear grandmother Wood, an eminently pious and devoted saint, who died rejoicing in the Lord when I was about nine years old. I was led to pray earnestly that I might experience a sense of the divine approbation; and was frequently blessed with such a persuasion of the favour of God, attended by such love to him, as made me truly happy, and brought a degree of heaven into my heart. I joined the Methodist society; for which I desire to be unfeignedly thankful, as it preserved me from many of the vanities to which I was afterwards tempted. I did not, however, long retain this simplicity, but was often in doubt of my acceptance; and many, many times did the Lord visit my soul with fresh tokens of his love: but when the Rev. Messrs. Walter Griffith and Jenkins were in Bristol, the Lord powerfully revived and deepened the work of religion in my heart. I was enabled to discover that, undesignedly, I had been attempting to trim between him and the world; and was more fully convinced of the necessity of inward and outward conformity to the will of God, if I would enjoy a constant sense of his approbation."

In the year 1794, Miss Withington was married to Mr. Thomas Harper, with whom she continued happily united for thirty-eight years; when, after a life of uniform piety, great integrity, and usefulness in various offices in the church, and especially as a Visiter and Secretary of the Strangers' Friend Society, he was called to his eternal reward. It is in the recollection of surviving friends, that, from the time of her marriage, to that when her diary commences, amidst numerous afflictive domestic occurrences and bereavements, she showed the sustaining power of God's grace, and was enabled to maintain uniform consistency of character, whilst industriously fulfilling the various

important duties which her family and the church imposed upon her; and her diary, which was continued from 1805 to within a week of the commencement of her last illness, most satisfactorily shows that her religion was genuine, uniform, and permanent.

In one of the earliest pages of this interesting record of her religious experience, from which, would space allow, we should be glad to quote copiously, after gratefully noticing the profit which she derived from the ministry of Dr. Coke and Mr. Highfield, she thus speaks of her introduction to the select band, held in the vestry of Ebenezer chapel, on Sunday morning :-" June 9th, 1805. Yesterday I experienced much of the blessed presence of God, especially in the morning at the band. I am unable to express the gratitude I feel to my gracious God for the inestimable privileges I am favoured with; particularly that my prayer has been answered by my being brought into closer Christian fellowship with his people. About eight months since, though surrounded with many hinderances, I was led to pray for it, believing it would be a means of my establishment in grace. The Lord has now cleared my way; and, whilst leading me in a pleasant path respecting outward things, has put it into the minds of his children to invite me to add my name to the number of the Sundaymorning band." And it is right to say, that all who, from time to time, have had the privilege of attending this meeting, or of being acquainted with the intelligence and piety of the persons composing it, will recognise, in the invitation with which Mrs. Harper was favoured, a tribute to the excellence of her character and worth of the most unequivocal and valuable kind.

Thus privileged, Mrs. Harper became quickened in the pursuit of entire sanctification, and sought earnestly to have the thoughts of her heart so cleansed by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that she might perfectly love God, and worthily magnify his name. Under the date of October 27th, 1806, she thus writes: "I daily have fresh discoveries of the amazing love of God: it appears a vast, unfathomable, inexhaustible sea. My feeling of this love sinks my soul into selfabasement, whilst it raises me to enjoyments better than life. The manifestation of this love, in the gift of the Saviour, has procured the entire sanctification of my soul; and the Lord enables me to seek it with whole heart." Under another date she says, "The presence my of the Lord is with me, imparting to my soul manifestations of his love. He gives me to drink of the waters of life; my spirit is daily refreshed, and I am enabled thereby to urge my way through the chequered scenes of this wilderness. I know I am hastening to a better country, and God is not ashamed to be called my Father. I do not, however, enjoy constant evidence of the destruction of inbred sin; but my experience is very different from what I felt before. For some months the earnest desires and struggles of my soul have been indescribable. Three weeks since, whilst engaged in secret