MRS. MARY KENT, Aged 104 years. Obituary. MRS. MARY KENT was born at Birmingham, May 12, 1700, and descended from a pious family, who were Dissenters. Her grandmother, who had been favoured with cove nant-mercies many years, was honoured with a pleasant dismission from the body. Being at breakfast, she desired the things might be removed, for she should drink no more till she drank new wine in her Father's kingdom." She then desired her son might be sent for, and, requested him to unite with her in prayer. After which she called the children of the family around her (of which Mary was the youngest) gave them suitable adVice, and blest them: then, with upafted hands, she exclaimed, He is coming! -Oh! glory, glory! come, Lord Jesus!" She continued some time in a rapture of joy; sung a short hymn; then reclining her head, as though exhausted by her exertions, she fell asicep in Jesus. Mrs. K. remained in her father's house till after his decease; when, her mother being left with a numerous family, she came up to London, where Providence provided her a situation; and she continued single till the age of fifty, when she was married to Mr. Kent. Notwithstanding the religious advantages of her family, she contipued a stranger to vital godliness till her union with Mr. K. They attended the ministry of the Rev. Mr. Steward, who preached to crowded congregations, at Garlick Hill church. Under a discourse delivered by him on Abraham of fering up his son Isaac, the glorious doctrine of salvation by Jesus Christ was revealed to her soul, She was one of his constant hearers, and always spoke of him with much allection. Mr. S. being of a weak constitution, his zealous labours and abstemious living brought on a decline, which removed him from his work to his Master's presence. After his decease she was much cast down, not knowing where to attend to hear her favourite subject, Jesus Christ preached. One Lord's Day morning, in company with her husband, she went out relying on Providence, when her steps were directed to the meeting of the Rev. Mr. Hitchin, of White Row, Spitalfields. She listened with attention and with pleasure, received the same truths which she had embraced before, and was admitted a member of the church, in which she continued fiity years. She often mentioned her pastor with much affection; and the profit she found under his ministry, and that of his successor the late Rev. Mr. Trotman. Her attachment was strong towards the church with which she was connected, and among whom she worshipped till the death of her husband, which happened about the ninetieth year of her age. By the advice of her friends, she was removed to Edmonton; and, as long as her strength would permit, she attended public worship at Edmonton chapel. Natwithstanding her great age, the strength of her mental faculties was uncom mon, particularly her memory. I was astonished, on visiting her, to hear with what facility she would mention occurrences which happened sixty or seventy years before. She possessed a clear understanding of the doctrines of the gospel, and enjoyed much consolation from them. She had a deep sense of her own unworthiness, while the mercy and love of God to such a sinner were her pleasing themes. Mrs. K. was a warm advocate for the divinity of Jesus Christ; and often declared, none but an Almighty Saviour, God and Man united, could save so vile a sinner. The last year of her pilgrimage she was favoured with strong con fidence: - frequently, with uplifted hands, and tears of joy, she would exclaim, "Jesus is precious; he is all my salvation and all my desire; and I shall praise him for ever." Private prayer was her delight; and she was often heard by the family where she lived singing hymns in the day, and frequently in the night. On the Lord's Day afternoon previous to her departure, she was seized with a fainting fit, which, for an hour, threatened her dissolution. On her recovery she retired to her chamber. The next morning she appeared insensible to all around, repeating to herself "The promises! the promises!" A friend enquiring what promises? she answered, "All the promises are precious-Jesus! Jesus!"-She lay with divine composure waiting for her dismission; and on Thursday, March 3, 1803, the happy spirit, which had inhabited the tenement of clay one hundred and four years, took its departure to the land of rest. On Tuesday following I buried her remains in the front of our chapel, where a neat tablet is erected to her memory. Edmonton. J. F. MR. GEORGE BENYON Was blessed with parents who did "command their children and household to walk in the way of the Lord." They en joyed the comfort of having discharged their duty, although (as is but too often the case) their son's conduct was a declaration that he "hated knowledge, and would not choose the fear of the Lord." So far had he advanced in irreligion, that, upon an occasion, when it was proposed to read some portion of the Scriptures, he shut up the book, seemingly with indignation, and left the room; and it is remembered, that when some suitable ar ticles were packing up with his clothes on his departure to his regi ment (in which he was surgeon and lieutenant) his mother desired a Bible might be put among them; which, when he discovered, he threw out of his chest, saying, that he would only have a prayer book. It pleased the Disposer of all events to permit the prodigality of this young man to continue but a in the midst of sinful mirth there is madness; and that tho' a young man may rejoice in his youth, and his heart may cheer him in the day of his youth, yet after all, God will bring him unto judgment." It pleased the Lord to spare this prodigal son from a sudden death. Though, by his vices, he seemed fitting for destruction, yet the longsuffering of God gave him space for repentance. Once falling down from a chair, at the commencement of his last confinement, his situation was such, that had not his father at the moment entered the room, he nrust have been strangled. Men. tioning this at a later period of his illness, he declared his assurance, that, had he then died, he cer tainly should have gone to Hell, with all his sins about him, unre pented of, and unforgiven. Nov. 13, 1802, it began to be manifest that a real work of conver sion was wronght in him by the Holy Spirit; he saw the evil of his past ways; he lamented his former disobedience; and did hope that, tho' "at the eleventh hour," Jesus would save him. He fervently prayed that he, a wretched sinner, - "Yes, mo! till I want no more.' 39 evening, he said, with a sweet smile, to his father *, "My dear father, death is on me; I am going to my Heavenly Father, Come, Jesus, come quickly!" He attempted to sing, Jesus, lover of my soul," &c. but could not. He consoled himself with saying, "Soon I shall sing without sin or weakness."His mother, coming to him, said, might be a partaker of that blood and righteousness of Christ which saves the guilty, and renders acceptable the unworthy. Turning to his mother, he remarked, Jesus says, "Him that cometh unto me, I will in nowise cast out." Wicked Satan suggested to his mind that and wretched as I am, I trust Jesus God would not have mercy upon will receive me at the last! O my him; but Jesus says, he will finish mother, pray that Satan may not be his work." His mind became permitted to deprive me of my weary of much reading or talking; hope in Jesus. Though Satan is but when his sister departed, he like a roaring lion, he is a chained said, "A good night, dear sister, oze also. Oh what did Jesus love Jesus Christ; put not conChrist suffer to redeem my wretch-fidence in any thing but him, and ed soul from Hell!" Addressing he shall bless you. "On Thursday his sister, he said, "Think of his dear hands being pierced for me! Oh what is my pain to his! I do not suffer according to my sins! Pray that my senses may be preserved." Recollecting his deceased brothers and sisters, who, he hoped, were singing "Worthy is the Lamb," &c. he replied. "And so shall I shortly." He desired we would join in singing "Glory to God on high," &c. and "How condescending and how kind -was God Eternal Son," &c. He wept much; and observed, His salvation had cost his Saviour many a groan! His mother giving him some tea, he said, "How good my dear Lord has been, to give me kind parents, and every thing necessary! which is all more than I deserve. Oh for more love to Jesus Christ, for more and more, till I see him face to face ! — Oh! my mother, I repent of not loving you more, because you loved the incans of grace: go on, and trust in him, and you shall not want any good thing. He will do all things well for them that love his name. Don't grieve," said he, "father, inother, sister, this is a gracious affliction; I would not change my state for health, nor all the riches that this uncertain world could afford me; but I pray that the dear Lord's will may be my will." He then repeated many times the verses, Guide me, O thou Great Jehovah, vc. Feed me, feed me, My dear child, how you suffer!' He directly answered, with a rẹ. newed strength and smile, "I do not suffer half a quarter enough:think what a precious Jesus has suffered to save my wretched soul in the eleventh hour; yea, at the last hour almost! Oh, the good Lord has answered prayer! Praying breath was never spent in vain, and never will!" He enjoined a servant, then in the room, to scrupulously regard the Sabbath Day, and to read the word of God; for there was a very particular blessing and happiness attendant upon the young, if they sought the Lord in their youth. ile deeply lamented his disobedience and neglect in this respect, especially for his dis. regard to the Holy Scriptures. "It was awful work," he said, "to stop till we came to a death-bed.” On receiving some liquid, "Oh! what kind parents i have; but though I dearly love them, I love my Heavenly Father best! I have griev ously offended him, and yet he has forgiven me! I shall soon see my Saviour, not as through a glass, Mr. Rice Benvon, the father of the subject of this Memoir, was for many years an eminent apothecary in Londen; but lately retired from trade, and died Sept. 12, 13035 full of faith and hope in the Lord. darkly, but face to face." Thus, sensible to nearly the last hour, died this young man, Nov. 19, 1802, in the twenty-sixth year of his age. The lingering nature of his affliction gave an opportunity to those about him of observing a remark. able change in the state of his mind; of witnessing what they believe to be a repentance not to be repented of." SARAH STANBRIDGE Died 1803. B. In the last autumn, the writer of this article found, in a village in Surry (far from public ordinances) a young person patiently waiting for the salvation of God, while a consumption was gradually dissolving her earthly tabernacle. She told him that she went to London to procure subsistence in servitude. While there, she providentially heard a sermon from Mr. Upton, which disposed her heart to seek the Lord. Her mistress usually took her with her to church on Sunday afternoons; but, instead of going up to her seat in the gallery, she used to go out to a place of worship in the neighbourhood, where the gospel was preached, taking care to return before the ser vice was ended. This being told to the mistress, she turned her out of doors, declaring, that she would rather keep a Jew in her house than a Methodist. She afterwards lived 'with two pious ladies near Finsbury Square, who had set up an altar to God in their house; and here her soul was strengthened and grew. After awhile, she joined the church in Broad Street; but had not sat down at the Lord's table above two or three times before she was seized with a violent fever, which brought her to the mouth of the grave. She recovered from the fever; but its effect was a consumption, which terminated her life at the age of twenty-one. Returning into the country to her mother, she lost the benefit of public ordinances and of Christian society, as she knew not one soul in the village with whom she could take sweet converse; yet was she not left alone, for God, whose prisoner she was, smiled upon her approaches to the mercyseat; and when, at his command, she searched his Scriptures to find that eternal life which he has said is contained in them, the Holy Spirit testified of Jesus, and gave her joy and peace in believing. He also strengthened her memory to retain much of the Sermons she had heard in London. The bread, which his servants had cast upon the waters, thus returned, after many days, and refreshed her soul. She mentioned, with respectful gratitude, the names of Mess. Gaffee, J. Clayton, sen. and jun, as having been made useful to her. When -- asked if she wanted any thing, she answered, "That when she was in London she used to see the Evan, that the acgelical Magazine; counts of the happy deaths of the godly, mentioned there, were very mind; and as she thought they comforting and encouraging to her would be particularly so now, she wished to see the Magazine regularly. She did not experience ecstatic joy; but, leaning upon the Redeemer, he led her from one degree of strength to another, till he enabled her to say, "Now, come Lord Jesus, for I am ready!" and soon after, lifting her mother's hand, and pointing it to the head of the bed, she said, "They are waiting! they are waiting !" and expired. J. H. RECENT DEATH. Lately died, the aged and venèrable Rt. M'Grevor, forty-six years pastor of the first Baptist church established at Woolwich, in Kent. He was a man of singular meekness and unaffected piety; beloved and respected by a numerous and extensive acquaintance. He exchang ed this mortal life for a glorious immortality, the 27th April, 1804, aged eighty-eight years. He was interred in the vault underneath his meeting-house on Sunday, May 6. The Rev. Mr. Culver, co-pastor, delivered the funeral oration, from Ps. xxxvii. 37; and the funeraldiscourse was preached on the following Sabbath by the Rev. A. Freeman, of Woolwich. REVIEW OF RELIGIOUS PUBLICATIONS. Memoirs of the Life of the Rev. T. Wills, A.B. late Minister of Silver Street and Islington Chapels, &c. 800, 6s. THO' we cannot recommend this as a fine piece of Biography, we cannot question its authenticity, being chiefly compiled from the Letters and Journals of Mr. Wills; and published under the full patronage of his Widow. There are a few things, indeed, relative to his unhappy differences with Lady Ii. and some of his fellow-labourers, which might have been omitted. There is such an alloy of sin in the best characters, that a severe examination will always discover blem. ishes; and where there are charges and recriminations, the impartial reader will generally conclude, there must be "faults on both sides." Mr. Wills was certainly an active, faithful, affectionate, and useful preacher; and his character need not be built upon the ruins of other people's. Among the anecdotes, which are pretty numerous in this volume, we have found some very interesting to those who participate in the triumphs of the gospel; from which we select the following as a specimen : "Another circumstance (which, from its singularity, deserves notice) I mention in this place:- Preaching, in the course of one of his long journies, at Lady H's chapel, in Bristol, he was led to the following passage for his text :-" My grace is sufficient for thee." In the course of the sermon, he took occasion to relate the circumstance of a young woman, who knew and loved the Lord; but was la bouring under a strong temptation to put a period to her life, by drowning herself. The enemy so far succeeded, as to prevail on her to go to the river, in order to put the dreadful plan in execution; but as she war adjusting her clothes, to prevent her from tloaung, she felt something in her Pocket; it was her Bible: she thought she would take it out and look in it again, for the last time. She did so; and the above mentioned text immediately caught her eye. The Lord applied it with his own energy to her soul; the snare was in stantly broke, the temptation was taken away; and she returned, blessing him who had given her the victory. "The relation of this circumstance was blest to the conversion of a man and his wife, then present; and to the completing a similar deliverance. These persons (it appeared) previous to this, had lived in an almost continual state of enmity; their habitation exhibited a scene of discord and confusion; and often their quarrels would end in a total silence. Some coo siderable time would elapse before a single word would be exchanged by them. In one of these unhappy seasons, the wife came to the dreadful determination of drowning herself. She accordingly left her house for the purpose, and came near the river; but it being too light, she feared, on that therefore, knew not where to go till it account, she should be detected. She, grew darker. She at length espied a place of worship open: she thought she would go in; and when it was over, it would be sufficiently dark. She went in. Mr. Wills was preaching; and, as before observed, related the before-mentioned circumstance. She heard with attention; the Lord blest what she heard to her conversion; and the Devil lost his ends. She returned another person; and when she came home, her husband looked at her with surprize: her countenance, which before was the index of a malevolent disposition, now indicated the temper of the Lamb. Struck with her appearance, her husband asked, where she had been? She told him. He immediately interrogates plied, No.' He added, “ But I was; and, her,"And did you see me there?" She reblessed be God, I found his grace sufficient for me also !" 6 "The reality in the change, evidenced itself in their future lives and conversa tion, which was such as became the gospel of Christ; the grace of whom was sufficient to renew their hearts and save their souls." Hora Poeticæ: Poems, Sacred, Moral and Descriptive. To which are added, Four Essays. By Joseph Jefferson. 12m9, 35. bd. served. riched our Miscellany with the MR. JEFFERSON has so often enlively effusions of his genius, that we owe him an early attention to his volume. The Poems, of which several are translations from the La. |