At the Conference of 1766, my maternal grandfather, the Rev. William Penington, was stationed in what was then called the Sussex Circuit; his principal residence being at Sevenoaks. Accommodations for married Ministers were at that time very scanty; and Mrs. Penington was kindly invited to take up her temporary abode at the house of an excellent and wealthy lady, well known to Mr. Wesley and the Methodists of that day,-Miss March, who then resided in Aldermanbury, London. Under the roof of this hospitable lady Mrs. Burgess was born, December 28th, 1766. In 1767 Mr. Penington was appointed to Castlebar, the Ministers of which Circuit were to change in the course of the year with those at Athlone. Mrs. Teare, Mrs. Penington's mother, being resident at Athlone, Mr. and Mrs. Penington, with their infant daughter, proceeded to that town; and, during the brief remainder of his life, Mr. Penington spent as much time there as the duties of his Circuit would allow. But in November, 1767, having travelled a long journey on horseback in heavy rain, he caught a severe cold, which brought on a fever, and in about a fortnight proved fatal. Thus his career of labour and usefulness was suddenly terminated, and his wife and child were thrown on the providential care of Him who is the Husband of the widow, and the Father of the fatherless. A comfortable asylum for Mrs. Penington and her child was found in Mrs. Teare's house, which became her grandaughter's home during her early years, and up to the time of her marriage. Mr. Penington had unquestionably offered many fervent and believing prayers on behalf of his only child: those prayers had been registered above, and were answered, long after his death, in the abundant communication of blessings, both temporal and spiritual. Mrs. Penington faithfully discharged her duty as a Christian mother, and, by her authority, her example, and her prayers, laboured to promote her daughter's spiritual and eternal welfare. Under such tuition Miss Penington began very early to feel the drawings of the Father, and the gracious operations of the Holy Spirit. When about fourteen years of age, she was fully convinced of her sinful and guilty condition, joined the Methodist Society, and earnestly sought the salvation of God. She had no terrifying apprehensions of hell, but was impressed with a sense of her ingratitude to God, and her need of His pardoning mercy. For some time the blessing appeared to be at a distance; but at length this snare was broken, and she began to wrestle for a present salvation. In April, 1783, being in her seventeenth year, she went with her mother to Dublin, heard Mr. Wesley preach several times, and was much blessed under his ministry. On Sunday, May 4th, the Society met in the evening to renew their covenant with God; and, after she had received the memorials of the Saviour's dying love, Divine mercy visited her soul; her doubts and fears fled, and she was enabled to rejoice in God as her reconciled Father through Jesus Christ. Mr. Wesley in his Journal refers expressly to the happy season then enjoyed, and observes that "God was in the midst, and manifested Himself to many; particularly to a daughter of good

William Penington." After this, she was led to discover the need of a deeper work of grace within, that her heart might be wholly cleansed from inbred sin, and filled with Divine love. And in March, 1784, she believed that she was put in possession of this inestimable blessing. Her manuscript journal, which now lies before the writer of this memoir, furnishes satisfactory evidence of the holy and happy intercourse which she then maintained with her heavenly Father. Two or three extracts shall be introduced.

"December 25th, 1786.-Blessed for ever be the name of my God, who hath brought me back from the gates of death, to show forth His praise in the land of the living! Since I wrote last, I have experienced much of the Lord's goodness in supporting me under a severe fit of sickness, and raising me up again; and, above all, in the abundant manifestations of His love to my soul. For some time before this affliction, I was inclined to fear that I was rather going backward than forward in the way of holiness; and the apprehension of this made me cry out with tears,——

'No cross, no suffering I decline,

Only let all my heart be Thine.'

In the beginning of my illness, these lines were brought to my remembrance; and, lifting up my heart to God, I said, 'Lord, I do not decline any cross or suffering Thou art pleased to lay on me.' Immediately it was answered, 'Since thou dost not decline My cross, lo! I am come to dwell with thee for ever.' But O, how can I find words to express the overflowing joy and unutterable peace that from that moment took place in my happy soul! My heart overflowed with love to all around me, so that I seemed freed from my weakness and pain, when an opportunity offered of warning or exhorting them, or telling of the goodness of God to myself."

"January 1st, 1787.-The unspeakable joy which possessed my soul in my sickness has gradually subsided into calm peace. In my more immediate addresses to the throne, I find myself melted down and lost in gratitude, self-abasement, and wonder. Whether my days be many or few, it is my heart's desire to devote each and all of them to the service and glory of my merciful God."

From the period of her conversion, Miss Penington held on her even course, walking in the fear of the Lord, and exhibiting a pleasing example of juvenile piety, decision, and stability. But the providence of God was preparing for her a new path of usefulness. She became acquainted with Mr. Burgess, who was then Quarter-master and Paymaster in the First Regiment of Horse, afterwards called the Royal Irish Dragoon Guards. Mr. Burgess had been for four or five years a steady and consistent member of the Methodist Society; his character was well known, and his reputation unblemished; and the acquaintance led to a matrimonial union, which took place, with Mrs. Penington's cordial consent and approbation, in January, 1785. This union, auspiciously commenced, was protracted on earth for upwards of fifty-four years; and, after an interval of a little more than nine

years, it was renewed, as we firmly believe, in that world of bliss where separation and death are unknown. From the date of her marriage, Mrs. Burgess's history is, of course, intimately connected with that of her husband; a memoir of whom appeared in the Wesleyan Magazine for 1840, and was afterwards enlarged, and published in a separate volume.

Mr. and Mrs. Burgess were married at Athlone, and soon afterwards went to Tullamore, where the regiment was then stationed. In May, a dreadful fire broke out in that town. It was occasioned by some sparks which fell from a balloon on several of the thatched cottages; and it spread with such rapidity, that a considerable part of the town was destroyed. The flames soon caught a large rick of turf, contiguous to the barracks. The apartments occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Burgess were just between the burning rick and the powder magazine; so that they were in imminent danger. The soldiers promptly removed the most valuable things to a place of safety, burst open the door of the magazine, and brought out the powder to the pump, where it was thoroughly wetted; and, there being plenty of hands and a good supply of water, the fire in the turf was at length extinguished. Mrs. Burgess retired to rest at night with warm emotions of gratitude. Under date of Sunday, May 15th, she observes in her journal:-"This morning the class met in a little barn, the preaching-house being burnt. We had a glorious time. One of our brethren, who had his house and three stocking-frames burnt, with tears of gratitude praised God for having sent His love into his heart, since his all was consumed, in so powerful and wonderful a manner as he could not have conceived till he felt it. He was filled with comfort; he was exceeding joyful. His wife also witnessed the same good confession. Blessed be God!"

Saturday, May 28th, being then at Athlone, she writes :-"Surely the judgments of the Lord are abroad in the earth. This day several houses have been burnt in this town; and a poor drunken wretch, going into one of them unnoticed, was consumed. Righteous art Thou, O Lord, and just are Thy judgments.""

For five years and a half Mrs. Burgess removed with her husband to the different stations to which his regiment was ordered, and resided successively at Tullamore, Nenagh, Carlow, Longford, Belturbet, Sligo, and Dublin. When Mr. Burgess resolved to lay aside his military profession, and to devote himself to the Christian ministry, the proposed change was at first contemplated by his wife with painful apprehensions. She foresaw the privations and sufferings to which this important step would expose her; and for a time her health and her mind were so much affected, that she thought she must sink under the trial. But at length, hoping that it would be for the glory of God, she acquiesced, and her spirit became like that of a weaned child. She was about to bid adieu to the endeared scenes of childhood and youth, and to many valued friends; she was about to exchange a tolerably handsome income for the precarious and scanty allowances which were then with difficulty provided for

the Wesleyan Ministers. Hence she had to leave Ireland in the spirit of sacrifice and self-renunciation; but, having thus entered on that new path of duty which now opened before her, she persevered therein to the end. Toward the close of her long and useful life, she looked back with humble gratitude on the course which had been marked out for her, and bore her testimony that not one good thing had failed of all that the Lord had promised concerning her.

Mrs. Burgess proved to be, in all respects, such a help-meet as her husband needed. By her intelligence, by her early and established piety, by her gentle and unobtrusive disposition, combined with great industry and mental energy, and by her strictly economical habits, united with genuine benevolence, she was eminently qualified to fill the important and responsible situation of a Minister's wife. Her memory is embalmed in the reverential and affectionate recollections of her children. To their care and instruction she devoted herself with untiring zeal and persevering energy; and she neglected no means of promoting their temporal and spiritual welfare.

During several of the earlier years of Mr. Burgess's ministerial career, he and his family must frequently have been much limited in their pecuniary resources. He had been some years married when admitted on trial; and, for several subsequent years, he had a young and increasing family. But, during the first six years, he had merely the allowances then usually made to an unmarried Minister. He had, it is true, a little private property, lodged in the hands of some parties in Ireland, which yielded him a small and rather precarious income. This enabled him to supply the deficiencies of his salary. But to Mrs. Burgess's children it is even now matter of astonishment how she contrived, with her scanty means, to supply the wants of her household, and to maintain even a moderate degree of respectability in their appearance and style of living. Mr. Burgess was so open and generous, that he was in no danger of erring on the side of He sometimes gave more than he could well spare ; and, not unfrequently, strangers or visiters were entertained at his house, when his wife scarcely knew how to provide things needful for her own family. It was well, therefore, that his exuberant bountifulness of disposition was a little checked or counterbalanced by her superior prudence and caution.

covetousness.

Having referred to the scanty and irregular provision, as to all temporal matters, made for the Wesleyan Ministers of a former period, the writer thinks it right to refer-and it is with pleasure and gratitude that he does refer to the improvements in modern Methodism. Though there is no danger, he believes, of the present race of Wesleyan Ministers growing rich, yet their condition is certainly much superior to that of their venerated predecessors. And he scruples not to add, that the modern arrangements in favour of our aged Ministers and their widows contributed materially to the comfort of his father during his supernumerary years, and of his mother during the term of her widowhood.

Besides attending diligently and conscientiously to her domestic

duties, Mrs. Burgess made herself useful in different places as a Class-Leader and a visiter of the sick. When her own family grew up to maturity, she devoted a larger portion of time to these labours of love. Her exhortations, advices, and prayers, in the class-room, by the bed of sickness, and in the abodes of poverty and distress, were rendered a blessing to many. Her acquaintance with the writings of some of our best divines, and, above all, her habitual and prayerful perusal of the sacred oracles, rendered her conversation on all theological subjects both interesting and edifying. And this, together with her constantly-improving experience of the power of inward religion, fitted her eminently for the duties of a ClassLeader.

Perhaps her usefulness in the church and in the world was somewhat impeded by a natural shyness and reserve of disposition, which she never entirely conquered. Toward strangers this sometimes bordered on repulsiveness, leading to a misapprehension of her character. Those who knew her well, were fully persuaded that nothing contrary to humility, kindness, and love, could be harboured within her breast. Her benevolence flowed in a constant stream towards the pious poor, and towards all, within the circle of her acquaintance, who stood in need of sympathy and assistance. That she might be furnished with means of doing good, she imposed on herself, even to the end of her life, a system of rigid economy and self-denial, which, if detailed, would seem scarcely credible; and, at the same time, she was careful to do everything so quietly and unostentatiously, that the recipients of her bounty scarcely knew from what quarter it

came.

In all the Circuits to which her husband was appointed during an itinerancy of forty-two years, she was esteemed for the propriety and consistency of her whole deportment. No one could with truth say anything evil concerning her; but many could speak in her praise.

While Mr. and Mrs. Burgess were residing with their son at Portsea, in 1834, Mrs. Burgess had a severe attack of cholera. For some days the issue appeared very doubtful; but at length, by the blessing of God upon the medical treatment adopted, the disease was subdued, and she was restored to health. The following is an extract from letter, written by her, soon after her recovery, to one of her daughters :-"I thought, 'Surely this is the last messenger;' but the Lord in mercy rebuked it, and it returned no more.........At first the violence of the disease seemed to paralyse the mind, and take away the power of thought. I felt neither faith nor love in exercise, but a kind of stupid resignation; yet not without something like a feeling of security in belonging to Christ, though most unworthy. At length, in the midst of much suffering, I had a wonderful insight given me into the amazing love which led our blessed Redeemer to take such a nature as ours on Him, and so make Himself liable to all the sufferings connected with it.........Now I felt a glow of gratitude and love, and could exclaim, with dear Mrs.