ADVERTISEMENT. OUR friend HENRY HULL, who has found his mind engaged to write the following lines, received, near the close of the Yearly Meeting of 1812, which, in the course of his religious service, he was attending, the sad intelligence of the decease of his Wife, together with that of his second Son and his own aged Mother: by means of a contagious disease in the parts of his residence, name ly, Stanford, in the State of New-York. The afflicting news excited a general sympathy among his friends; who were of course desirous to be somewhat more acquainted with particulars than they could be by report. To satisfy, therefore, in some degree, this desire, as well as to express the tender feelings of his mind to the young people of our Society, the following address was penned whilst his mind remained softened with some of his early emotions of grief; but warmed with true love for the objects of this his renewed concern, as well as for his beloved friends in general, who have shewn him so much sympathy, and afforded him so much comfort and support in his present religious engagement. LONDON, 1812. ALTHOUGH the following address was penned by our friend Henry Hull while in England, and directed especially to the youth of Great Britain and Ireland, which had recently been the field of of his religious labours, yet a number of friends who had an opportunity of perusing it on his arrival at New York, are of opinion that the republication and diffusion of it in this country, would be useful and acceptable. The afflictive dispensation which gave rise to it, is generally known by friends in this his native land, among whom there are many that have felt the emotions of tender sympathy on account of it, and by whom it is believed, those pages will be read with interest and instruction. NEW-YORK, 9th mo. 7th, 1812. AN ADDRESS, &c. ON receiving the sorrowful tidings from Stanford respecting the events of the 4th and 5th of the Fourth month, 1812, that occurred in my family, I have been very sorrowful. I hope, however, I have not offended, although the weakness of human nature may have been shewn: indeed, when I consider the example of our Holy Head, who was touched with a feeling of our infirmities, and was seen to weep at the tomb of Lazarus, I am rather disposed to think, it was as much tenderness of spirit that operated to the moistening of my eye-lids, as the weakness of human nature. Oh, what occasion for reflection! and in reflecting, is it possible to restrain the flowing tear? No : for me it is not; time and the remaining conflicts. to be endured may in measure divert me from the sad scene, the awful event: but nothing will ever be able, whilst I have my senses, to efface the remembrance of the dear object now lost to me. 1 * |