surable bounds, and never passed by one, or it had passed by me.""

In a letter to Mr. and Mrs. Payne, dated "March 11th, 1843," having mentioned "the vast importance of improving the present moment, and having our accounts made up for that better world to which we are hastening," she proceeds thus :- -"My own attention has been particularly drawn to this subject by increasing infirmity and debility. The weight of fourscore years, you will allow, is no small burden to carry; nor could so feeble a creature as I am sustain it, were not the everlasting arms underneath and around me. But, with such support, I am enabled to hold on my way; and, though prevented from attending the public ordinances of the sanctuary, the Lord is pleased to lead me in pleasant pastures, and by the still waters of comfort. He gives me to drink of the stream that flows eternally fresh from the throne, by which I am refreshed and invigorated. O how happy is the Christian's life! It is rich in present enjoyment; and there is also the glorious hope of an eternal inheritance, even to behold the King in His beauty displayed,' and to unite with our friends who are gone before in singing the new song of praise to Him who hath redeemed our souls from death, and placed us at His own right hand in the heavenly places. May we all walk hand in hand to the land of promise, and greet each other, in due time, on the eternal shore!"

"April 22d, 1845," she writes to Mr. Payne,-"I am glad to embrace every returning opportunity of tracing a few lines to you, if it be only to observe how the shadows lengthen as the sun goes down; or, what is equally true, how exceedingly precious is the name of Jesus to the believing soul that is thirsting for communion with Him. Sometimes I am favoured with a refreshing shower of heavenly dew, and a sweet breeze from the delectable mountains, by the strength of which I am enabled to go forward in my race, not turning to the right or to the left, but keeping in the straight-forward path, and 'looking unto Jesus.' Were I to be inquiring,- How can these things be, seeing I am all unworthiness?'-I should get into a world of perplexity, and be shorn of my strength. But knowing that the Lord's ways are not as our ways, nor His thoughts as our thoughts,

'I take the blessing from above,

And wonder at His boundless love.'

I am not without receiving now and then a fiery dart from the enemy; nor am I quite without incitements to reasoning upon the validity of my state of Christian experience. But these things lead me to prayer; and I generally come off conqueror through Him who hath trodden the wine-press alone.' May I more than ever 'delight myself in the Lord,' and 'He will give me the desire of my heart!""

"March 2d, 1847," she writes to Mr. Payne," HE will not disdain our feeble tribute, though we praise Him with but a stammering tongue. Soon our voices shall be tuned in accordance with the golden lyre, 'to sound in God the Father's ears no other name' than

His who hath redeemed us with His most precious blood, and who ever lives as our great Intercessor at the right hand of the Majesty on high, JEHOVAH, IMMANUEL, GOD OVER ALL FOR EVER BLEST! I desire to live in the constant exercise of faith and hope for every promised blessing, that my soul may be enriched and filled with the Divine fulness. A gloom overspreads our political and religious atmosphere, which makes me fear that trials of a serious nature await us as a people and a church, seeming to say to us, Enter into thy closet, and pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.""

The Conference of 1847, which was held in Liverpool, proved a season of peculiar comfort and gratification to Mrs. Hill. Four Ministers, whose society she greatly enjoyed, were daily entertained in her hospitable abode. But she had also the pleasure of seeing many old friends, some of whom had in former years been stationed in Liverpool. Her mind, she says, was "sometimes kept in a state of great but not painful excitement." She was able to rise for dinner, and spend a season of profit and peace with her esteemed inmates, and others who occasionally visited her. Edifying conversation and prayer crowned these social meetings. It was delightful to see one, now so far advanced in life, who partook, with unabated satisfaction, in the pleasures of Christian intercourse; whose entire spirit and deportment told of the serenity of mature faith, hope, and charity; and who, by gentle degrees, was "coming to her grave in a full age," ripe in spiritual grace, "like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season."

"October 15th, 1847," she writes to Miss Rothwell," My heart is so full of love to my heavenly Father, from a sense of His goodness to me, an unworthy creature, that I want a whole sheet to vent the overflowings of gratitude. I seem within the last few days to be recruiting; and I hope it may please my heavenly Father to confirm me in a little strength, which I hope I may more faithfully devote to His service, that the work of faith in my soul may prosper. Time seems very precious to me, as I must believe it can be but short. The Apostle says, 'The end of all things is at hand:' therefore, let us 'watch unto prayer,' that we may enjoy the blessedness of those servants who kept up a constant expectation of their Lord's coming, and so stood in readiness for the summons. How great is the happiness of the waiting servant! His wants are liberally supplied out of the treasury of the unsearchable riches of Christ,' in whom 'dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,' and who dispenses to each according as we need, to enable us to conquer all our spiritual adversaries, and win the crown, that we may cast it at the Redeemer's feet, and give glory to God and the Lamb, whose we are, and whom we desire to serve."

And again: "November 20th, 1847,-What a dying world we live in! But how gracious is our Lord that He allows us time to make our calling and election sure!' May we be of the number of those who take the kingdom by violence, and secure the prize,-the crown

of glory that fadeth not away,' the inheritance reserved in heaven for us!"-The letter from which this extract is made is the last that Mrs. Hill wrote. Shortly afterwards she gained the home for which she was so mercifully prepared, and to which she had so ardently aspired.

The complaint which, by the appointment of Divine Providence, removed her from her family and friends, was influenza. She was first seized with it on Monday, November 29th, and within the space of five days was at rest. Her mental faculties were unclouded, to the last; and she was "kept in perfect peace." "The thought of joining the glorious company before the throne," she said on one occasion, "makes me joyful;" and, after naming several of her departed friends, she added, "They are waiting for me. It is enrapturing to think of joining them." Referring to the members of her classes, she said, "May they all prosper! May God make them always to prosper!" When asked whether she still felt Jesus mighty to save, she replied, "I see His face, and I hear His voice." On Thursday morning, December 2d, she appeared to be favoured with some peculiar manifestation of the Divine presence, when she was heard to say,

"And, hovering, hides me in His wings."

The close of her life was eminently tranquil and serene. A failure in the pulse gave the first intimation of her approaching departure. She heaved one soft and gentle sigh, and thus passed away, on Saturday, December 4th, 1847, aged nearly eighty-seven years.

The religion of Mrs. Hill was truly evangelical. She deeply felt and acknowledged the guilt and depravity of fallen man,—the helpless and hopeless condition in which he is placed if left to himself, or his own imaginary resources,-the necessity and inestimable value of our Lord's atoning sacrifice and intercession,-and the important doctrine of the Holy Spirit's agency. The word of God was the constant rule of both her faith and practice, and its sacred lessons were familiar to her thoughts; nor did she fail, in her intercourse with others, to bring forth its treasures, with singular beauty and force, for their edification. To the penitent inquirer she was more than usually skilled in imparting direction and comfort; and to the hardened and thoughtless sinner she well knew how to administer the most seasonable, faithful, and earnest admonition. Many mourners have forgotten their fears while she has pointed them to the great Propitiation, and enlarged on the "exceeding great and precious promises" of the Gospel; and not a few prodigals have been constrained, by her serious yet affectionate expostulations, to resolve that they also would "arise and go to" their "Father." As the atone

ment of Christ was to her a perpetual well-spring of life and consolation, she was prepared, in the very spirit of truth and charity, to remonstrate with such as denied or rejected it; and, in this province of service, she was honoured with some signal tokens of success. One instance, in particular, is thus related:"A young lady,

VOL. VII.-FOURTH SERIES.

K

daughter of a public teacher of Socinian tenets, was introduced to her. The young lady's education was of a high order, and her manners were exceedingly attractive. She had been selected to take charge of the education of a nobleman's children. According to her customary practice, Mrs. Hill introduced the subject of religion, and soon discovered the position in which her new acquaintance stood. Entrenched and fortified as she was in all the dogmas of the system which she had embraced, she deemed herself secure and invulnerable; and, for her better defence, she likewise carried with her a copy of the Greek New Testament, to which she frequently appealed. The sharp but simple weapon which Mrs. Hill employed began, however, to make some impression. Interview followed interview, and friendship succeeded to prejudice. In fine, the young lady became a convert to the Cross, and soon gave noble evidence of the reality of her conversion by relinquishing the flattering prospects which lay before her, rather than depart from her faith and hope in the love of God by Christ Jesus our Lord."-"In prayer," says one who had intimately known her for forty years, "Mrs. Hill was simple but powerful, confident yet humble; acknowledging that the crumbs were too rich a banquet for sinners so unworthy; and yet, in virtue of the covenant of grace through faith, claiming bread made from the finest of the wheat, a portion of the fatlings, with an allowance of oil and wine. The superscription of all her correspondence with heaven was, 'To God in Christ Jesus.""-When engaged in social intercourse with her Christian friends, she delighted to dwell on the "deep things of God." Her views of the glorious THREE IN ONE were clear and comprehensive: she loved to point out our access to the Father, through the Son, by the one Holy Spirit; and to invite her associates to partake with herself of the rich banquet of truth and grace. Zeal for the glory of God was always conspicuous in her spirit and proceedings. She was never "weary in well doing;" and her success was sometimes extraordinary. It is related that, on one occasion, three dearly beloved friends found "peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" beneath her roof in the space of twenty-four hours. And how many were brought to the knowledge and love of God while she occupied that dwelling, time may never be able to declare. Of her attachment to the doctrines and discipline of Methodism, and to its Ministers,-of the peculiar interest which she took in all its movements,-of her maternal concern for the classes under her care, and her unaffected regard for all who, as she had reason to believe, "loved our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity,"—it is unnecessary farther to speak. The preceding memorials supply ample evidence of these things. To accomplish the various duties which pressed upon her attention, she found it needful to be a judicious economist of time. From the commencement of her religious course, she was accustomed to early rising and habitual industry. When, in her latter years, she was unable to follow the practice of early rising, as in former times, she generally had her Bible, HymnBook, and writing-desk in requisition about six o'clock in the morn

ing. She sat up in bed engaged in this way until her ordinary time of rising at that period of her life, and thus continued until within a few weeks of her death. She had read much, and had addicted herself to the right kind of reading; and, having a strong and retentive memory, she was enabled to enrich her conversation from the treasures which she had thus laid in store. This, with a peculiar gracefulness of manner, and sweetness of expression, created an additional interest in all around her, of which she was the only one unconscious. To sum up her character in the words of the Rev. Peter M'Owan, in the notice of her death, inserted in the WesleyanMethodist Magazine for February, 1848:-" Her Christian experience was deep; her discourse was spiritual, edifying, and intelligent; and her entire deportment and conduct evinced the closeness of her walk with God. Her attachment to Methodism was ardent, and her liberality in supporting its institutions exemplary. Her understanding was strong and well-cultivated; her judgment was sound and discriminating; and her disposition was generous and tenderly affectionate. Her piety was cheerful, evangelical, catholic. was a faithful friend, a condescending teacher of youth, a wise counsellor, and an efficient Class-Leader."

She

Mrs. Hill held an honourable rank among the experienced and mature Christians of former days, who are now swiftly disappearing from among us, but who ought to be had in grateful remembrance. Happy they who, on reviewing the exemplary course of such as these, are more resolutely determined, by the grace of God, that they will "not be slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises."

DIVINITY.

"I CAME NOT TO SEND PEACE, BUT A SWORD." In the discourses of the adorable Redeemer we meet with passages which at the first startle and perplex us. While many of His sayings shed a clear and attractive light on the character and government of God, and hold forth the richest blessings to the humble and contrite spirit, others arouse us to earnest inquiry by their peculiar solemnity, or by their apparent opposition to our cherished sentiments and hopes.

:

Among the declarations of this class, we may mention a passage which occurs in our Lord's charge to His Apostles, when He sent them forth on their preparatory mission to the cities of Israel:"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household." (Matt. x. 34-36.)