LONGING FOR HEAVEN. A HYMN. yon dear world of light and bliss, Above the starry skies, Tir'd with the sins and griefs of this, Do there for conqu❜rors wait, Darts forth his brightest rays, 'Tie there the weary are at rest, Discord and strife those regions fly, And can I longer wish to stay So far from heav'n and God? Come, angels, bear my soul away B. B. Amidst the dire effects of sin, Courage, my soul! hope in the Lord, When earthly comforts are withdrawn, THE SKAITER: Versified from the Appendix to JONES'9 MEMOIRS of the late BISHOP HORNE. A N Oxford Doctor once, 'tis said, While skaiting, on his back was laid; "How now, good Doctor," one exclaim'd, "I thought in skaiting you were fam'd— "Yes, Sir, I know the theory well, For want of practice 'twas I fell.' Kind reader, does the Doctor's case IOTA: SH CONFIDENCE IN GOD. A HYMN. HOULD earth and hell against me join, Laden with guilt, o'erwhelmed with grief, When storms arise, and tempests blow. LINES, THE Evangelical Magazine, FOR MARCH, 1797. BIOGRAPHY. SOME MEMOIRS OF THE LATE MRS. CHRISTIAN BERNARD, OF SOUTHAMPTON. T Written by her Paftor, the Rev. Mr. Kingsbury. O canonize the dead, to deify imaginary virtue, to of fer the incenfe of flattery to any fuppofed goodness in a child of Adam, as if it were inherent in fallen nature, and not the fruit of the Spirit, is not the propofed defign and end of the Evangelical Magazine; but if, by your biographical memoirs, you can reprefent the characters of a Chriftian drawn in the Gofpel, as realized in the temper, conduct, and decease of the fubjects of DIVINE GRACE, if you can exhibit any new teftimony to the power and truth of Christ, I am certain you will be pleased to open them to the view of your readers. I beg leave to hand you a picture taken from the life, after two and thirty years' acquaintance with, and obfervation of the original; defiring, if you approve it, it may be added to your valuable collection, and put in the gallery of your worthies. The aged and honoured matron, who lately left our world at the age of 85 years, was defcended from families more honourable for religion than riches. Her father, Mr. Houghton, was eminent for holiness and piety, and was confidered, though in a private station, by the circle of his religious friends as remarkable for his gift in prayer, and love to the house and worship of God. That venerable servant of God, Mrs. Maidman (grandmother to the late Mrs. Kingf bury), fo well known among the laft race of minifters among the Proteftant Diffenters, and many others, and who VOL. V. N died died in 1766, aged 80*, has often been heard to speak of the pleasure it gave her to recollect her standing under his arm, in the days of her youth, when good Mr. Houghton was fervently pleading with God. He would often take his ftaff, and walk from Romfey to the village of Broughton, the distance of eight or nine miles, or to Newbury, which was above thirty miles diftant, to hear the Gospel of the bleffed God. But the word of the Lord was precious in those days, when there was no open vifion. Mrs. B. has told her children how her father often took her afide to pray with her and for her, to inftruct her and advife her; his admonitions made deep and lafting impreffions on her memory; his petitions were heard and answered; and the bleffed Spirit fet his feal on her heart fo powerfully, that the ftamp never wore out. Let other parents take the hint, and follow the example. Her mother was also a person of piety, but was removed by death when Mrs. B. was about eleven years of age. Her grandmother was alfo truly religious. She was the daughter of the Rev. Daniel Evance, chaplain to the Earl of Effex, General of the Parliament army. He died while rector of Calbourne, in the Isle of Wight, 1657, and lies buried in the chancel there. Her grandmother married Mr. Warren, who was brother to three eminent non-conformist minifters, who quitted their livings in confequence of the Act of Uniformity on Bartholomew Day, 1662. One was minifter of Wimmering, near Portfdown; another was the celebrated Mr. Thomas Warren, of whom fo large an account is given by Mr. Palmer ‡; he had been rector of Houghton, and afterwards a very useful minifter of the Proteftant Diffenting congregation at Romfey; the third had been vicar of Romfey. May that piety, which has been fo long in this ancient family, never be loft out of it, or not be found in any one of the defcendents from it! Mrs. C. Bernard married in early life with Mr. Thomas Bernard, a very refpectable, pious, and honourable member of the Independent church at Southampton. She was a wife above twenty years, during which he became the mother of fifteen children, ten of which died before her. She was a widow forty-feven years; and, like another Anna, fhe de * Mrs. Maidman was mother to the first Mrs. Andrews. wife of the late Rev. Mordecai Andrews, an eminent minister in London above forty years ago, and who might be considered as the father of the church which has been successively under the pastoral care of the Rev. E. Hitchin, Trotman, and Goode. Non-conformist's Memorial, vol. ii, page 12. parted |