THE COMING OF CHRIST DESIRED.

OCCASIONED BY THE
DEATH OF
MRS. JANNET DEAN,
AVHO
DEPARTED THIS LIFE DECEMBER 17, 181%
AGED 64 YEARS.

BY
GEORGE CLAYTON.
And they glorified God in me. Gal. i. 84.
Full many a gem, of purest ray serene,
The dark unfatho m'd caves of ocean bear ;
Full many a flow'r is born to blush unseen
And waste its fragrance on the desert air. Ghat.
LONDON:
miNTED BT H. TEAPE, TOWER-HILL.
SOLD BT BLACK, PARRT, AND CO. LEADENHAIX-STREET ; CONDER,
BUCSXERSBDRY; AND WILLIAMS, STATIONERS'-COUBT,
LUDGATE-HILL,
NWv2.5 —
Price Is. Qd.

CHURCH AND CONGREGATION,

LOCK'S-FIELDS, WALWORTH,

FAITHFUL MEMORIAL OF DEPARTED WOETH,
SELECTED FROM
THEIR OWN COMMUNITY,
IS INSCRIBED,
WITH A VIEW TO THEIR EDIFICATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT,
BY THEIR OBLIGED, AFfECTIONATB, AND
DEVOTED SERVANT,
THE AUTHOR.

Walworth, January, 1814.

SERMON,
fyc.

Rev. xxii. 20.

He which testifieth these things, saith, Surely I come
quickly. Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus.
Such are the few but striking words with which
our divine Redeemer closes the volume of inspir
ed truth. Such the impressive tone in which he
announces his second advent, before he shuts the
book and seals the prophecy. And to this inti
mation the church is introduced, as making the
apt and animated response — " Amen. Even so,
come Lord Jesus." The continual revolutions of
time are calculated to remind us very forcibly of
the greatest of all revolutions — the final change to
which every thing is hastening, when time shall
breathe its last, and eternity shall assert its
unrivalled and inextinguishable dominion.
Every fleeting hour is accelerating the approach

of this great event, and every rolling year
brings it nearer to us, as individuals. — In spite
of the insinuations of unbelief; the sneers of
the profane, and- the secret wishes of the un
prepared, that' day will come, which shall burn
as an oven. * He that shall come, will come,
and will not tarry."
The doctrine of our text can never be judged
otherwise than seasonable, but it is especially so
at the present time; and, I would hope, that on
this, the last Sabbath of the year, these last words
. ofthe inspired book may supplya topic of con
sideration permanently beneficial. As the sub
ject is in sympathy with the season, so it will be
found in strict coincidence with the state of this
congregation, as it regards the dispensations bf
Providence towards us. Repeated and unex
pected strokes of bereavement have been sus-
'tained, not so much among the aged and infirm,
who are still left to ripen for eternity, as among
the young, the middle-aged, the strong, the
healthy, and the vigorous. I can scarcely look
into any pew without seeing some in the livery
of death . A voice issues from the new] y opened
sepulchres of your relatives, your friends, your
fellow-worshippers — "Behold, I come quickly!"
In addition to the many instances of mortality

we have recently contemplated, it has pleased
God, the Sovereign Arbiter of life and death
to call from the midst of us a valuable and
highly * esteemed; church-member, Mrs. J an net
Dean ; whose holy life, and; happy death,
whose suddeni redaoval, and late interment,
ought not to be passed over, without particular,
improvement. Our text calls us to consider —
I. The solemn; notification of our Lord's ap
proach ; and, (a.
II. The temper of mind in which the intelli
gence is received by the true church.—" Amen.
Even so, come Lord Jesus." V ¦¦:.'
-,, ,.
I. The solemn notification. " He which testifi-
eth these things, saith, Surely I come quickly."
1. You will observe the representation here
given us of our Lord and Saviour. " He that. tes-.
tifieth these things." Whether this be referred
to the particular sayings of the book of Revela
tion, or to the general testimony he has borne
in the different ages ofthe church, it is equally
descriptive of the office of our Redeemer, who
is " the faithful and true witness," Chap. i. 5.
The whole canon of seripture may be regarded
a 2

as the testimony of Jesus. He constitutes the
principal Subject of it, and may indeed be
considered as its Author, inasmuch as it was im
mediately indicted by the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
The apostle S*eter, referring1 1@ the great sal
vation, of which the holy volume is the charter
or conveyance— says, " Of which salvation, the
Prophets have inquired and searched diligent
ly, who prophesied of the grace that should
come unto you; searching what, or what man
ner of time, the, Spirit of Christ, which was
in them, did signify, when it testified before
hand *be sufferings of Christ, aud the glory that
should follow." Before Pontius Pilate He wit
nessed the good confession, saying, '.'To this end
was I born, and for this cause came I into the
world, -that I should bear witness, unto the
truth." In the long cloud of witnesses* He
stands pre-eminent. — Whose testimony can
ever bear a comparison with His, for the im
portance of its matter, and for tho clearness,
the courage, the authority,, with which it was
given? — "Never man spake like this? .M^n."
This description forms a most appropriate intro
duction to the sentiment of, the text— Because it
is.calculated to command our reverence. When
He speaks all should be silence and. attention.
His testimony demands our most humbly and

5
dutiful regard. " A prophet shall the Lord your
God raise up unto you, of your brethren, like
unto Me, Him shall ye hear. It has a "tendein-*
cy also to confirm our faith.— -He is infinitely
worthy of credit, because, a considerable part
of his predictive testimony has already been
manifestly and punctually fulfilled. He is the
truth and the life— the strength of Israel, Who
will not lie. He has never yet forfeited his
word, nor has any thing ever oefcurred to shake
the Credibility of 'his testimony. This is cer
tainly a pledge for the future, and may well
suffice. "He that testifieth these things saith"—
2. He announces his approach, "I come.*'
So he saLid, before his appearance in the flesh,
" Lo I come." And in the fulness of time He
came. " God sent forth his Son, made of a
Wbman, made under the law, to redeem them
that were under the law, that we might receive
the adoption of sons." There are Other senses
in which we believe He will come.-1- Iu mil-
lehnial glory, when His kingdom shall be visibly
enlarged, and distinguished with a splendor and
magnificence hitherto unknown. Then shall
He take to himself his great power and reign—
" The heathen shall be given to him for his inhe
ritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for
A 3

his possession." The spirit and circumstances of
the times in which we live, are indicative of his
near approach. We distinctly hear the sounding
of his chariot, in which he rides forth among the
nations, conquering, and to conquer. Floating
in accents, not very remote, we catch the melodi
ous proclamation of that favoured Angel, whose
office it is io Congratulate the world: on the ex
tension of his mijd'and beneficial sway. "The
kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms
of our God and of his; Christ '? The day of Death
is also the coming of our Lord. The movements
of that great destroyer are under his immediate
superintendance and direction. The keys of
the invisible world are at his girdle. Heopen-
eth, and no man shutteth ;. He shutteth, and no
man openeth. And if he shall ! come in the
second watch, or come in the third watch, and
find his servants waiting, blessed are they. The
time of this 'his advent is uncertain, and the me
thods greatly diversified. To some he approaches
with lingering footsteps ; to others he addresses
a sudden, a surprising call ; not unfrequently,
the cry is made at midnight— " Behold, the
Bridegroom cometh !"
YLis final appearance, as the judge of quick
and dead, is the principal idea in the text.

This is emphatically, the coming of the Lord.
The circumstances of his appearance will be
stupendous, grand, and , solemn-r-" a fire shall
devour before him, and it shall be very tempes
tuous round about him. — He shall call to the
heavens from above, and , to the earth, that- he
may judge his people." " He shall be revealed
in flaming fire, , taking vengeance on them that
know not God, and obey not the Gospel of his
Son." The whole pomp and retinue of the ce
lestial court shall be called -forth, when he
cometh " to be glorified in his saints, and ad
mired in all thero. that believe.", j
3. The nearness of his approach, ,"¦ Quickly."
Properly speaking, there is no admeasurement
of time with God>->-" a thousand years are with
him,as one day, and one day, as athqusand years."
His coming, however, is near, comparatively, with
reference to the wider interval of time, between
the promise of < his first advent and its accom
plishment For, we have reason to believe^
the space between his ascension, and promised
manifestation at the last day, will be consider
ably less than that which intervened between
the prediction given at the gates of Eden, and
its fulfilment in the manger at Bethlehem. It
is at hand really, as it relates to individuals ;

8
for life is short and uncertain. He advances
suddenly as well as soon. " In such an hour
as ye think not the Son of Man cometh." " The
day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night."
4. The certainty of all this, " Surely.'' Every
thing concurs to give Us the fullest evidence of
this great event The express and irrevocable or
dination of God, the promise of the Saviour, the
stateof the WOrld, the sufferings of the churchy
the heCessary consummation ofthe believer's siaK
vation, the hopes, the anticipations, the aspira
tions of the renewed soul, combine id cbrroboi
rate the assertion which dropt from the un
erring lip bf truth— Surely I come quickly.
II. The temper iti which this mlpoirtant; in
telligence is received.— Amen; &c.
1. This maybe considered as the language of
believing confidence. Sb it is, or so it' shall be.
Faith, is that internal impression upoh the soul
Which exactly corresponds with the testimony
of divine truth, in the word. It is like the im
press of the seal Upon the wax. It is the truth
embraced, brought home, adopted* and retained,
With a firm and determined grasp, " Behold I
come," saith the Saviour ; and Faith echoes

9
back the: sound, Amen. I entirely credit the
testimony, andiam as firmly assured of its truth*
as if it were actually realized. Faith always
tfpeaks of this scene as present, "Behold He
cometh in clouds," For we walk by faith, not
by sight. The sacramental -supper, in which*
we sh£w forth his death till he come, is-design-
ed to renovate and strengthen the impression.
In the full persuasion of this truth the be
liever lives, and clasping this conviction to his
bosom, he lays down bis weary head upon the
dying pillow, saying, " I know that my Re
deemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the
latter day upon the -earth."
2. It is the language of conscious prepdttt-
tion— For who would presume to fnake this re
ply that has not some humble hope that the
coming of the Saviour will be an auspicious
event for him. Thoughtless, careless sinner, try
to utter this Response, if you can, if you dare —
" Behold I come quickly." f What ! come /al
ready* come so soon, art thou come to torment
me before the time? — O! spare me yet a little
longer, that! may recover myself!" — " Mountains
fall on us, and rocks hide us ! " It were, indeed,
the hleight of madness and infatuation for you
to say " eVert so come." In your lips, the prayer
i& the worst of imprecations— you cbuld not

10
wish yourself a greater ill- ¦ But there are persons
of another cast. They have known and trusted,
loved and confessed Him. They have received
the atonement, and are not afraidof the Judge.
They' have hailed the coming of Christ in his
gospel, and are by no means appalled by; the
thought of his coming on the throne. Aliis
tranquillity and peace, from a consciousness
that their best interests are secure. " This is
sure footing — this is solid rock,"
3.* It is the, language of fixed expectation.
The prospect is never long absent from the mind,
of the devout believer. Do you enquire his at
titude? It is this — looking for the mercy of
our Lord Jesus Christ, unto eternal life; look
ing forthat blessed .hope, and the glorious a pr
pearing of the great God, and our Saviour;
looking for, and hasting unto the coming of the
day of God. Just as the mariner looks out for
the coast, when he has made his soundings,
and is sure he is drawing near the land ; so
the Christian firmly expects to arrive at the
haven of rest, the shores of thecelestial Canaan.
" Amen, even so come."
4. It is the language of affectionate desire.
This indeed, is a frame of mind to which all
Christians do not attain, and which the best and

II
holiest do not at all times equally enjoy. But
there are happy moments of detachment from
the world, when the mind feels disengaged and
unfettered, and is ready to spring, forth into im-
mortalbliss, " having a desire to depart and to be
with Christ." Yet, if we properlyconsider the
subject, we do virtually say thus much, on every
occasion that we adopt the prayer of our Lord,
" Thy kingdom come;" in which we request, not
only that Satan's kingdom may be destroyed,
and the kingdom of grace advanced, but also
that the kingdom ofi glory may be hastened.
And when it is recollected, that the coming1 bf
our divine Lord is necessary to the full mani
festation of his own glory, the perfection of his
arduous work, the extermination of the reign
of sin and death, and, the complete holiness
and felicity of his people ; who that has at
heart these great objects, who that has any hope
through grace, of a participation in this tri
umphant scene, who that has any love to the
Redeemer, and any spiritual affinity with his
church and people, will not acknowledge
that this is a consummation most devoutly to
be wished, and will not cordially say, "even so
come?" I put it to you, the timid, the doubt
ing, the dismayed, who are tremblingly alive to
every impression of dread, can you wish his

t-2
coming delayed, even for a moment beyond
tbe appointed season ? " No," say you, " Let him
rather shorten these: delaying days* and bring
tbe promised hour, when the primeval curse
shall be repealed, and God shall wipe away
all tears from off all faces." From this subject
I infer—
Vf.lt. di .. .
1. The vanity of infidel persuasions. "Where
is the promise of his coming?" is the" favorite
query i of men of licentious opinions. They
Vainly attempt to flatter themselves that it is
all fabulous and fahciful, they believe as they
wish* Their incredulity does not arise from
any lack Of evidence,, but from perverse disin
clination to the subject. They charge it upon
usj that we have the faculty of believing,' on
the slightest evidence. We retort and say, they
bave the faculty of resisting the strongest.
What mean they by depriving the Christian' of
his hope, and by undermining the basis of his
consolatiori ? — Why should they labour to ob
scure those cheering rays which beam upon us,
only from the inspired pages? Alas! it is a
mistaken charity which impels them thus to
undeceive the world. They put otit all the
lights, and leave us to grope our way into an
other world, in a most fearful darkness.— They

13
tear from the aching heart the only balm which
can assuage its anguish in tbe present life, and
snatch) from the dying believer the sole'buoyant
raft* to which he resolutely clings when he
must plunge intb Jordan's chilling stream. But
there is no just cause of alarm. This single as
surance will outweigh a thousand of their so
phistical arguments, and put to the rout the
most formidable host of their Objections. " Sure
ly I come quickly," Let them pardon us, if
we attach more credit to one syllable dropped
from the lips of Him that testifieth these things,
than to all the learned and embellished vo
lumes which the shelves of scepticism •' can
boast. 2. The inexcusableness of worldly security
and negligence. Many do not systematically
reject the truth of the text* who nevertheless
practically deny it. Do you believe it, whose
sole aim is to amass cumbrous hoards of the
unrighteous Mammon, to call your lands by
your names, and leave your substance' to your
babes? Do you^ who are with mighty pains
climbing the difficult acclivity of earthly fame,
panting for the praise of man, and regardless of
the honour .which cometh from above? iDayou,
who are immersed in the pleasures of the flesh

14
and the fashion, and are daily repeating the
dull monotony of all that is earthly and animal,
saying, what shall we eat? and What shall we
drink? and wherewithal shall we be clothed?
You might as well erase this clause from your
creed, unless you reduce it to practice, and
give full scope to its controlling influence.
Poor deluded worldlings, lost in the dream of
false, of visionary bliss, the Judge is coming,
the heavens cleave asunder, the trumpet of / the
archangel, louder than ten thousand thunders,
summons you to appear before him. " Awake
thou that sleepest," arise and call for mercy,
while mercy is to be found ; prepare to meet
thy God. It is high time to have done with a
life of vanity and folly ; " behold the Judge
standeth before the door." Repent, and be
lieve the Gospel, or you will never be able to
wipe off, the frown and terror of this text. It
is the last thing He says to you in his word ;
it may be the last time of your hearing it, till
all shall be fulfilled. Escape for thy life! —
look not behind thee! — linger not in all the
plain ! — escape to the Mountain, lest thou be
consumed !
3. I infer the true and proper Deity of the
Son of God. This response is an act of wor-

15
ship — a prayer representing the state of desire
which characterises the holy Catholic church —
and is directed to Jesus Christ. How can this
be evaded? Those who hold an opposite
opinion, must turn the Bible into allegory,
or the church of the Redeemed into a com
pany of idolaters. This, however, is not a
solitary instance of divine honour attributed
to the Son of God. Thomas exclaimed,
" my Lord and my God." Stephen, in his
dying moments, offered this prayer, " Lord
Jesus receive my spirit " St. Paul speaks of
Him as " God over all blessed, for ever more."
And the Angels are expressly commanded to
worship Him.
4. The happiness of the sincere believer in
divine revelation. This confidence will make
him truly enviable in the present life ; but O,
its value in cleath ! its worth at the last day !
Then shall he lift up his head with joy, know
ing that his redemption draweth nigh. This is
a " sober certainty of waking bliss," which is
worth more than millions of worlds. It affords
comfort in the prospect of your own dissolu
tion, and in contemplating the lifeless ashes of
your friends. They shall not be left under the

16
dominion of the grave, for them that sleep in
Jesus, God shall bring with him.
Such was the hope, and such the temper of our
departed Friend and Sister, whose Uvely faith,
humble walk, and heavenly temper, proved that
her confidence was not an airy presumption,
but a vital principle deeply rooted in the heart,
and productive of the wholesome and pleasant
fruit of holiness and consolation. She was a
female of plain manners, and placed in a low
ly station of life. But I hesitate not to affirm
that a brighter ornament of the Christian church
never shone in any sphere of human society,
than that pious woman whose character it is
my wish to sketch for the edification of this
congregation. God the searcher of hearts is
my witness, that no bias of friendly partiality,
no temptation of worldly interest, no desire to
eulogize the dead, has influenced me thus to
bring forward to public view, a Christian, whose
earthly lot was obscure, and her worth known
only to the few with whom she was accustomed
to associate. But in this case, I dare not be
silent, lest I should place under a bushel or
under abed, a light which God kindled for tbe
advantage of all that are in the house, I do

17
not mean to insinuate that she was free from
imperfections ; they were certainly known to
God ; she herself was doubtless apprized of
theni ; they might, perhaps, have been witnessed
by those who were in the "habit of observing
her more narrowly and nearly than I could
possibly do. But, I can unequivocally declare, I
know of nothing which was in any way incon
sistent with her religious character and pro
fession, making due allowance for those infirmi
ties, from which human nature in the present
state, cannot be supposed to be exempt. My
aim is not to applaud the creature, or exalt the
worm; she well knew, that penitential abase*
ment, is the only proper element for a fallen sin-.
ner: but I do wish that effect to be produced
of which St. Paul speaks, " and they glorified
God in me;" for his motto belongs to all the
family of heaven, " By the grace of God, I am
what I am."
Mrs. Jannet Dean, was born at Dalkeith in
Scotland, of honest and creditable parents, whose
highest distinction was their piety towards
God, and their concern to glorify Him, in all
the relations of human life. The church in,
that town was favoured with a faithful, zealous,
and affectionate minister in the Rev. Mf.

18
P  , whose endeavours to aid and en
courage the godly parents of his flock in the
religious education of their children, were sig
nally owned and blessed of God. It is believed
that several children in the family of whom I
am speaking, became the seals of his ministry
and apostleship, and are now contributing to
the splendour of his heavenly crown. Our de
ceased friend had a brother, who might, with
singular propriety, adopt the language of good
Obadiah, " I thy servant fear the Lord from my
youth." This, his sister, was very early the sub
ject of serious convictions, and was gradually
led by religious instruction at home, catecheti
cal exercises, and the ministry of the word in
public, to see and feel the odious nature of
sin, the misery and danger of her lost condition,
the inestimable worth and all-sufficiency of the
Saviour, and the indispensable necessity of an
interest in him, in order to her present and future
happiness. With this, a conviction ofthe duty
and importance of consecrating herself to his
service, was firmly fixed on her mind. She
soon gave herself up to the Lord in a Chris
tian profession, and in pursuance of her bap
tismal engagements, entered into a solemn
covenant with God — a covenant never to be
broken. Among other means she employed,

19
to maintain the power of religion in the soul,
while yet a girl in her father's house was this,
she set on foot a prayer-meeting, which was
confined to a select number of young females,
who used, in rotation, to speak to God on each
other's behalf, in those artless forms of supplica
tion which spontaneously arose from the heart.
In almost all these exercises our departed friend
took an active and principal share. Sometimes,
the woods and the hedge-rows — sometimes, the
roof of a barn or outhouse, bore witness to the
animated fervour, and the pathetic pleadings
which marked these devotional exercises. She
had learnt that God is not confined to places,
but that where two or three are gathered toge
ther in his name, he is in the midst of them. It
is to be observed, however, that these religious
pleasures were not allowed to entrench ou the
business of the family, or to elbow out the civil
duties of domestic life. She was trained in
habits of the strictest industry, and learned of
her pious mother to be diligent in business, fer
vent in spirit, serving the Lord. When she at
tained the age of woman-hood, she was placed
out in the condition of servitude. It happened
that the valuable minister before-named was re
moved to another charge, and his place filled
by a successor of a quite different character,
b2

20
introduced by ducal patronage. As it might be
supposed, the floqk, which had long enjoyed the
benefit of his faithful labours, soon felt and la
mented the change — " The hungry sheep look'd
up, but were not fed." Some of them seceded
from the Kirk, and joined the congregation of a
minister of the Relief, the Rev. Mr. Hutchinson.
Mrs. Dean, affectionately attached to her own
beloved and revered pastor, was one of a few
who walked more than six miles on the Sab
bath morning, to hear the man who had been
instrumental of good to her soul, and from
whose hands she had been accustomed to re
ceive the bread of life. Little did she regard
a walk of twelve or fourteen miles on the Sab
bath, for the sake of that word of God, which
in those days was very precious to her, and for
which she retained the highest value to her
latest hour. In process of time, however, she
was introduced into the service of that minister
of the Relief, whom we have just mentioned.
She now attended his ministry with much plea
sure and advantage, though, perhaps, with some
degree of prejudice, as her educational bias was
in favor of the established Kirk. In the station
she now filled, she was enabled to persevere in
the discharge of those humble but important
duties, on which the comfort of families so

21
greatly depends. — Her diligence and frugality,
her moderation and modesty, her prudence
and piety, rendered her so truly respectable
in the eyes of her employers, that, after nine
years patient continuance in well-doing, she
engaged the respect and esteem of Mr. Hut*
chinson's brother, to whom she was united in
wedlock, with the consent and approbation of
their mutual friends. In this new situation she
assumed no haughty airs, nor abated, in the
least degree, her application to business. She
seemed to have studied well the delineation of
the virtuous woman in the book of Proverbs,
and drank into its spirit. — " The heart of her
husband doth safely trust in her, so that he
shall have no need of spoil. She will do him
good, and not evil, all the days of her life. She
seeketh wool and flax, and worketh willingly
with her hands. She girdeth her loins with
strength, and strength eneth her arms. She
perceiveth that her merchandize i^ good; her
candle goeth not out by night. She layeth her
hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the
distaff. She stretcheth out her hands to the
poor ; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the
needy." I myself have seen the fruit of her do
mestic industry, in linens wrought by her own
hands, for the table and the bed, some of which
B3

22
are of a texture sufficiently fine to dress even
the high-born pillow. The marriage union I
have just now noticed, was crowned with the
gift of two children, a boy and girl, who, with
out doubt, formed a great addition to her hap
piness ; but it was well* for her, that she knew,
how to hold, and how to, enjoy thero. The
clouds of adversity soon gathered round her,
to obscure. the pleasant scene, and -close 'the
opening prospect. — Both her children were fprn
frpni the maternal embrace, at no very distant
interval of time ; and, not long after, her hus
band—the guide and companion of her youth,
was snatched from her side. — Thus, was the
desire pf her eyes taken away at a stroke, and
she was called to undergo a most trying process
in the furnace of affliction. I am not furnished
with any certain documents of her feelings and
exercises of mind in this day of darkness and
trouble; but, it may be presumed, frpni wha$
we observed in more recent scenes of trial, that
she knew where to look for support, and had
found it good to be afflicted, for tribulation had
produced patience— and patience, experience— 7
and experience, hope. During twelve years
she remained a widow, after which, she gave
her hand to her cousin, who is the disconsolate
survivor of his never-to-be-forgotten consort,

23
For many years they have lived most happily, as
helps meet for each other, and fellow heirs of the
grace of life. — And it may be truly said in this
case, " 'Tis the survivor dies." Our departed
Friend was received into this church with ho
nourable testimonials from Dalkeith, at a time
whenfifteen communicants only, sat down at the
table of the Lord ; a spectacle which could not
fail to occasion sentiments of regret in the mind
of one, who had been accustomed to see hun
dreds thronging the sacred board. Here let me
observe, that it is by no means improbable, that
we, as a People, owe much of that harmony,
increase, and prosperity, with which God has
graciously favoured us, to the earnest inter
cessions of this valued fellow-communicant —
The effectual fervent prayer of the righteous
availeth much. For nearly ten years I have
had a growing acquaintance and intimacy with
her, and in continuing this narration will re*
port what I have myself seen, admired, and
sincerely desire to imitate. I was not long in
discovering that she was a woman of excellent
knowledge in divine things. Hers were the
riches of the understanding.— Her mind was
stored with scriptural truths ; she was well
read also in the writings of the Erskines and the
Bostons, and was familiar with that matchless

24
compendium of sound doctrine and practice,
the Assembly's larger and shorter Catechisms.
Thus rooted and grounded in knowledge, she
was sound in the faith. Firm as a rock in all the
essential doctrines of Christian godliness, she
was unmoved by those devious winds of error
and false sentiment, by which too many are
tossed to and fro, and carried about with in
fantile instability, to their own dishonour, and
the inj ury of others. She knew in whom she had
believed, and was able to give a reason of the
hope that was in her with meekness and fear.
Hers was not a mere speculative orthodoxy,
nor a mere external form of godliness, but she
tasted, felt, and handled those truths she so
highly prized, and so firmly held. From the
good treasure within, her lips spake, and her
speech was uniformly with grace, seasoned with
salt. She was a living comment upon those
words— " The tongue of the wise is as choice
silver." The spirituality of her conversation
was remarkable.— She was always ready to
enter upon religious topics, not in a manner
constrained or forced, but with ease and pro
priety. — She had, indeed, a talent for conver
sation. — Many here will readily bear witness
to the value of her discourses, whom she has
counselled in difficulties, comforted in afflic-

25
tion, and warned in the hour of danger. — Some
of the young people in this assembly will not
forget her plain, scriptural, and edifying admo
nition* on various subjects. The low gossip of
many modern professors, whose table-talk is
composed of village tattle, or city scandal, she
abhorred. She practically heeded those ad
mirable maxims — " to talk of things rather than
persons," and to " speak Well of characters, where
truth permits, and, in other cases, to be silent,
unless duty imperiously forbids." I never heard
her, in the many conversations I have held with
her, utter a disrespectful word of one of her
fellow-communicants or fellow-worshippers,
nor offer the least disparaging or detracting
insinuation respecting those with whom she
stood connected in religious ties. Yet, while
it was her habit to speak evil of no man, she
did not blend moral distinctions, nor confound
the lines of demarkation between truth and
error, between virtue and vice. Her pastor
feels no difficulty in acknowledging his particu
lar obligations to her for the useful, holy, and
spiritual tenor of her discourse, by which, if he
has not in some degree profited, he must be
greatly culpable. She possessed a rich fund
of Christian experience, and was in the prac
tice of diligently comparing the book of Provi-

26
deuce with the book of Inspiration, so that she
became skilful in resolving doubts, and in an
swering hard questions.* She was a woman
* I once derived singular consolation and encouragement from her
pious and judicious reflections on the long protracted affliction of a near
relative of my own. I .communicated to her some circumstances of the
case of ray excellent Mother, which I entreated her to lay before God,
in earnest supplication. The next time 1 called upon her, she was very
particular in her inquiries after the health and present experience of my
valued parent; for whom (though personally unknown) she entertained
the highest respect, and on whose behalf she continued " instant in*
prayer."' She told me, that, from the time she heard of my mother's state,
she had thought much of her ; and " made it a point of duty to treat with
God, concerning her, at a throne of Grace." I lamented to her, above
all other things, in the experience of ray endeared relation, the want of
sensible comfort in her soul. My worthy friend then addressed me to the
foUowing effect, so far as I can recollect—" Be of good cheer, my dear
Sir, in a little wrath He hideth his face for a moment, but with everlasting
loving kindness will He have mercy upon her. This darkness will not
last much longer. Joy shall come in the morning. My most inti
mate friend was a woman of eminent piety and holiness ; but, it pleased
God, to afflict her with great darkness and distress of mind, for along
season, before she was removed from the world. It was afflictive to visit
her, while she went mourning without the sun. Her soul refused to be
comforted. She used to say, she wondered that God would suffer any of
his own people to come near so vile and miserable a creature as she was !
It was not till an hour or two before her death, that her sorrow was
turned into joy. She then exclaimed in the hearing of them all (for several
Christian people attended on her), ' The cloud is broken. I now see my
interest in the Saviour witli clearness ; my fears are dispelled, my doubts
are removed. I, who was lately trembling under the sentence of death,
am now ravished with the foretastes of glory.' Her triumphs were as
remarkable as her depressions had been severe, and she used these very
observable words, ' It is well that I am so near my journey's end ; for
it is impossible that a mortal nature should live long under that weight
of glory, which now presses on my departing spirit.' She expired with
hallelujahs on her lips. Moreover," said my good friend, " the very

27
of much prayer, secret and social.— Her breath
was devotion, and you could not be in her com
pany for any length of time, without sharing in
— i  —  ¦ — . —  ,  _  „  . 
darkness of which your parent complains, is, in itself, an evidence of
grace. It shews-that light was once enjoyed ; and, having been once en
joyed, it will again return, for Goi rests in his love. Here, SuV'-added.
she, " is the grand distinction. Those never mourn in darkness, who
never lasted the Sweet light'of God's reconciled face ; and having had a
glimpse of his glory, they shall (whatever clouds may come between) be.
hold the clear shining of his love, in that blessed world, where their sun
shall no more go down." I suggested here what I have sometimes
thought, that the afflictive darkness of my dear parent was sent by a
righteous God, as a punishment to her children, for not having profited
as they might, by her edifying conversation, and holy example at a for
mer period — " At least," said I, " I am apprehensive, that my sins have
brought upon her this heavy chastisement." " You do not," said Mrs.
Dean, " rightly apprehend nor interpret the matter. I have pondered
much, and mused long on the Dispensation. You are all connected in
the ministry. The lines of Divine wisdom and favour to the church
may be seen to take a gracious course through this dark Providence,
You, young men," alluding to my respected and beloved Brothers,
" require further teaching, in the experience of God's people, and
the lesson is taught you at home. — ^Your pious mother is your passive
teacher, as she has been your active teacher. Look at her, and pre
pare for the days of darkuess — look at her, and learn to pity from the
heart, and particularly to notice in your sermons, those dear sheep of
Christ's fold, whom he has purchased with his most precious blood, and
whom you must seek out and comfort, when they are . scattered in the
cloudy and dark day. I see that your honoured parent is thus exercised
that, by the instrumentality of her sons, the church may be benefited,
and much consolation accrue to the afflicted, doubting members of
Christ's mystical body.'' I confess, the much-lamented trial was thus
presented to me in a new light, and I was instructed in the way of God
more perfectly. I thought it advisable to pen down these fragments of
the conversation at the time, it occurred, the effect of which on my own
mind was memorable, and which may be made a means of consolation
to others— «' The secret ofthe Lord is with them that fear him.''

28
the expression of her good will in this particular
form. Her attendance on the ordinances of
worship was regular, punctual, and early ; she
loved the gates of Zion, and whoever might be
absent, she was always in her place, waiting to
hear what God the Lord should speak. — She
greatly prized public means, and would sacri
fice any thing, rather than forego an ordinance.
While from her own place she was never ab
sent, except, when sickness required, she often
availed herself of other opportunities of hearing
the word of God. Her regard to her own pastor,
though respectful and tender, was not of that
exclusive kind, that she could hear no one else;
for she revered all the ministers of Christ, es
teeming them very highly in love, for their
work's sake. Her domestic management is
particularly worthy of notice. Upon a narrow
and limited income, she lived in great comfort,
performing with her own hands the duties of
her house. In her, industry and care were
united with great cheerfulness and good tem
per; she did not lose the end in the means, by
sacrificing her own comfort, and that of others,
to a teasing exactness, and a fantastic particu
larity. There was a rigorous uprightness of
principle, which ran through all her transac
tions, and which induced her to dread nothing

29
so much as to incur debts which she might not
be able to discharge. — "She would tremble," ac
cording to the advice of Judge Hale to his child
ren, " to borrow two-pence," and was remark
ably punctual in her payments. She was accus
tomed to view the agency of Divine Providence
in all events, which saved her from much fret-
fulness and disquietude. — In two particular in
stances her patience and resignation were sin
gularly tried. — While she and her husband were
worshipping in this place, on the afternoon of
Lord's-day, April 26, 1812, a robbery was com
mitted on them. In their return from the
sanctuary, she was requested by a neighbour
to visit a sick person whose dissolution was
daily expected. She complied with the call,
and while engaged in devotional exercises with
the invalid, her husband proceeded homewards.
On reaching his habitation every thing bore
marks of disorder and depredation, and the
footsteps of plunder were clearly to be traced.
Satisfied that this calamity had actually befallen
them, he went out to meet his yOke-fellOw, and
to apprize her of the state of things, " Jannet,"
said he; "we have been robbed." Well she repli
ed, summoning her courage and composure
whicii were supported by christian principles,
"the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away;

30
blessed be the name of the Lord." It was
discovered upon farther examination that a
chest had been broken open, containing forty
pounds, and some other valuables. * This money
had been carefully laid by for the renewal
of some leases, and was to them a very important
sum. She bore this trial with great firmness,
endeavouring to sustain the mind of her compa-r
nion, by observing to him that they had been
sharing in the house of God those invaluable
blessings of the Gospel, which no moth nor rust
could corrupt, nor thieves break through to
steal: thus did she comfort herself as one who
carried her treasure with her, or rather, as one
whose treasure was in heaven, where her heart
was also. It was no small solace to her that she
had been employed the day before in discharg
ing several sums for coals, malt, and other
articles of which she was accustomed to lay in
a little stock, so that thougb they lost all their
immediate supply, they were not plunged into
debt, which she mentioned as a principal miti
gation of the trial. The other instance was in
a severe illness which overtook her and which
threatened to be her last. When I visited her
I inquired how she felt in prospect of a removal
into an eternal world? ,;1 am willing" said she,
"to meet the Lord's pleasure, I hope I have

31
been in the habit for many years past of dip
ping my feet in the brink of Jordan, night and
morning, and I am no stranger to the passage".
She then spoke in an edifying manner of the
eternal love of God, the fulness and stability of
the covenant of grace, the perfect righteousness
of the Redeemer, the truth of the promises,
and the joys of heaven. She had a holy indif
ference to this life, and a calm, intelligent, scrip
tural desire to depart and to be with Christ.
Her Christian charity and benevolence were ex
emplary.:— If she denied herself, she could give
to others, and cheerfully embraced charitable
occasions for the assistance of schools, and of
missionary institutions. She thirsted for the
salvation of the heathen, and was at all times
very particular in interceding for the afflicted,
and for the young. Her manners were courte
ous, decorous, and even polite; and her beha<-
viour betrayed nothing rude or forward, but
combined a guarded gravity with an attractive
cheerfulness. — Thus, she was enabled to pre
serve the even tenor of her way, till the time
of her departure drew on. She was not
without some sort of presentiment that her
pilgrimage was nearly ended. A few we^ks
since, she said to her husband, " If any thing
should happen to me, make yourself perfectly

32
easy about my state. All is well — my salva
tion is, I believe, secure, because in the hands
of a divine Saviour." On Monday-se'nnight,
she paid a visit to a relation, at Edmonton, on
a funeral occasion.— She came home in good
health and cheerful spirits, but in about ten
minutes was seized with the sickness which
brought her to her final home, the house not
made with hands, eternal in the heavens. — A
stupor came on, which precluded the possibi
lity of conversation ; and she died on her
birth-day, aged sixty-four years. Thus, on
her natal day, she was born into the unseen
world. Her end was peaceful, and she was
spared the pangs and bitterness of the last
conflict. — Her sensibilities being benumbed,
she obtained her release, as it is presumed,
without the endurance of great pain. Like
Enoch, she walked with God, and was trans
lated to a better state of being, having obtained
this testimony — that she pleased God.
The inferences I would deduce from these frag
ments of Christian biography are as follow: —
1. The inestimable advantages ofa religious
education, and an affectionate ministry. Right
instruction at an early age implants right prin-

33
ciples, induces right habits, and gives stability
to the character in future years. Great is its
value, if we consider only what it preserves us
from, to say nothing of what it actually imparts
to young people. A sound scriptural educa
tion, and a lively affectionate Ministry, have a
mutual relation to each other, and, by God's
blessing, are observed to co-operate most bene
ficially for the rising generation.
2. The way to true advancement in life.
Most people are anxious to better themselves,
but how different and opposite are the methods
pursued for this purpose ! Some hope tO rise
in life by launching into prodigal expenses —
by assuming imposing appearances— by boast
ing—by finery— by the affectation of superior
company. God will always humble, and,
sooner or later, mortify such persons, aud
frown on such attempts — No, it is not by ap
pearing great, but by being good, that Ave gain
true elevation. Humility, industry, piety, be
nevolence, Bible wisdom, and the fear of the
Lord, are the true steps to social dignity and
importance. " God giveth grace to the humble ;
but them that walk in pride He will utterly
abase." " Do well, trust in God, commit also
your way unto Him, and He will grant thee the
c

34
desires pf thy heart. If thou return unto the
Almighty, thou shalt be built up ; thou shalt
put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.
Then shalt . thou lay up gold as dust, and the
gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.
Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and
thou shalt have plenty of silver. For then shalt
thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and
shall lift up thy face unto God. Thou shalt
make thy prayer unto Him, and he shall hear
thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows. Thou
shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be esta
blished unto thee; and the light shall shine
upon thy ways. When men are cast down,
thou shalt say, there is lifting up, and He shall
save the humble person." — Job, xxii. 23. "Wis
dom is the principal thing, therefore, get wis
dom ; and with all thy getting, get understand
ing. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee ;
she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost
embrace her." — Pro v. iv. 7, 8.
3. Excellence and usefulness are by no means
confined to persons of rank and property.
Here was a child of God eminent for the gifts
and graces of the Spirit, in one of the hum
blest walks of life. She could boast of no
wealth in Stocks, in lands, or in houses, but

35
what was of unspeakably better account, she
was rich in faith, rich towards God. She was
useful as well as excellent : a genuine love to
the public inspired her conduct and animated
her zeal, which led her not to confine her god
liness to the closet, or the church; but, while
she went about doing good, she could also stay
at home, to pursue the same great object, un-
applauded and unseen.* — Thus, should we all
* Let the Author be pardoned for observing, that he conceives there
is no subject on which some Christian professors are more ill informed
or more egregiously mistaken, than that of public spirit. It is too often,
alas! confounded with great publicity; and Ae is considered to deserve
much of the community who is constantly from home, whose voice is dai
ly heard in the streets and places of concourse, who is much seen, much
talked of, and his name frequently in print. Whereas, the fact is, that alj
these things may meet in a subject whose heart is a stranger to that sacred
fire of charity which is kindled at the altar of God. The legitimate ex
ercises of a scriptural zeal for the public welfare, will put themselves
forth in secret and in private, as well as in forms that present themselves
to general notice. To preserve the noiseless tenor of a holy life ; to be
blameless and harmless as the sons of God ; to have a mind so well attu
ned, as promptly to respond to the touch of religious and relative claims .
in a word, to aim habitually at the glory of God and the lasting good of
Man, in every purpose, conversation and action, are essentially and clia-
racterestic features of a true public spirit. Such is the Man, " uliose
virtues are more felt than seen."
" Ask him, indeed, what trophies he has rais'd,
Or what achievements of immortal fame
He purposes ?—^nd he shall answer, ' None.'
His warfare is within; there, unfatigued,
His fervent spirit labours— there he fights,
And there obtains fresh triumphs o'er himself,
And never-with'ring wreaths, compar'd with which,
The laurels that a Caesar reaps, are weeds.
c 3

36
aim to be useful too, and take care that, as we
all reap numberless benefits from society, so
ciety may be the better for every one of us.
" It is, says a sensible writer, a false, a faulty,
and an indolent humility, that makes people sit
gtill and do nothing, because they will not be
lieve they are capable of doing much : for every
body can do something. Every body may set
a good example, be it to many or to few. Every
body may in some degree encourage virtue and
religion, and discountenance vice and folly.
Every body has some one or other whom they
may advise or instruct, or in some way help to
guide through life. Those who are too poor to
give alms, can yet give their time, their trouble,
their assistance in preparing and forwarding the
Perhaps, the self-approving haughty world,
That, as she sweeps him with her whistling silks,
Scarce deigns to notice him ; or, if she see,
Deems him a cypher in the works of God ;
Receives advantage from his noiseless hours,
Of which she little dreams. — Perhaps she owes
Her sunshine and her rain, her blooming spring
And plenteous harvest, to the prayer he makes
When, Isaac like, the solitary saint
Walks forth to meditate at eventide,
And thinks on her who thinks not for herself.
Forgive him then, thou bustler in concerns
Of little worth, an idler in the best. —
If author of no mischief, and some good,
He seeks his proper happiness by means
That may advance, but cannot hinder thiue."

37
gifts of others; in considering and representing
distrest cases to those who can relieve them,
in visiting and comforting the sick and afflicted.
Every body may offer up their prayers for those
who need them : which, if they do reverently and
sincerely, they will never be wanting in giving
them every other assistance that it should please
God to put in their 'power. Even those whose
poor and toilsome way of life can admit of their
giving no other help to society, can, by their
frugality and industry at least keep themselves,
in great measure, from being burdensome to the
public — a penny thus saved is a penny given.
Dreadful state of those idle creatures, who
dragging on a wretched profligate life in lazi
ness and rags, draw to themselves those - chari
ties that ought to support the helpless and re
ally disabled poor! Severely, I fear, shall they
be accountable for it at the last day, and every
one in proportion, who lives a useless and bur
densome drone in society. It is our duty to
prevent poverty as well as to relieve it." I
sincerely wish these observations may be un
derstood, and remembered by all, but especi
ally those whom God has placed in the lower
ranks of society. For among these, in many
instances which have come under my own ob
servation, economy is a thing entirely unknown,

38
. .¦• -¦ Ys :''!>«" ' • s- i
and improvidence, and waste, prepare the,way
for penury, and dependance on the precari
ous aid of charity. Dorcas had something
by her when she died, which proved her indus
try and benevolence. So had our departed
Sister, — She wrought with her own hands,
which literally " held the distaff," those neces
sary and substantial articles of clothing and
comfort, which gave her an appearance of cre
dit while she lived, and will remain a monu
ment of her virtuous diligence and care, in
succeeding generations. Would to God that
young females, and those in servitude especi
ally, would copy this feature of moral worth.
What would many of this description of persons
have to show ? or rather, What would they not
beanxious to hide in the chamber of sickness and
of death, their laces and trinkets, their gauzes
and muslins, the sad and comfortless trap
pings of their former indiscreet and silly vanity?
May they accept and improve this well-intend
ed admonition, and labour after that inward
adorning of the mind, which is, in the sight of
God, of great price.
4. No personal qualities— no spiritual privi
lege can exempt us from the stroke of affliction.
*' Man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly up-

39
ward ;" and it is the unchanging appointment
of God, that " through much tribulation we
must enter the kingdom." Here was one who
lived near to God, enjoyed his favour, and , at
tained to remarkable eminence both of gifts
and graces, bereaved in early life, kept in a
sphere which required labour and privation,
and was at last taken off by a disease, which
denied to the mind an opportunity of express
ing its hopes, its triumphs, and its joys in the
awfully interesting scene of its departure from
the body. This then must be " the right way
to the city of habitation." The way which all
have gone who have arrived at the state of rest.
There they are reaping an ample recompense,
a far more exceeding and eternal weight of
glory. — " These are they whicii have come out of
great tribulation, and have washed their robes,
and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
Finally— We may learn how highly it be
comes us to prize and how determinately we
ought to maintain those grand christian princi
ples, whence arises all that is excellent in
character, comfortable in experience, and tri
umphant in death. Let us, my Brethren, never
separate what is true in doctrine from what is
sound in morals and holy in practice — points as

40
really and as inseparably connected as the
foundation and the superstructure, the root and
the fruit, the cause and the effect. In the case
before us, the union was happily preserved and
exemplified. It were unfair and illogical to
ascribe the virtues of this admirable woman to
any other source than to the grace of God
through the influence of those sentiments which
she embraced and professed. To them she
herself attributed all she was, all she had, all
she hoped for. And these sentiments were
precisely those which alas! it is become too
fashionable td'villify and denounce, as counte
nancing immorality and giving a sanction to
vice. It is a fact not to be controverted that
though she believed in the total depravity
of human nature, the sovereignty of electing
love, the necessity, value, and perfection of our
Lord's atonement, his righteousness freely
imputed to the penitent and believing sinner,
regeneration by the Holy Ghost, and the
perseverance of the saints to everlasting glory — ¦
I say, though she had imbibed all these truths
most cordially, and loved them entirely, yet few
have ever surpassed her in moral attainments,
and in arational and scriptural devotion. Where
then was the demoralizing effect of these tenets >
I am prepared to go farther, and to say that

41
because these were her sentiments therefore was
she such an example of what was amiable in
private, and useful in public life. Her character
took its shape and mould from that form of
sound doctrine into which she had been
delivered, and, which teaches all, to whom it
effectually appears, " to deny ungodliness and
worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously,
and godlily, in the present world; looking for
that blessed hope even the glorious appearing
of the great God, our Saviour Jesus Christ."
Let this conviction then be firmly planted in all
your minds, and especially in yours my dear
young friends — -that -the faith once delivered to
the saints is of supreme importance, and of
inappretiable worth. Take fast hold of "the
truth as it is in Jesus," and give full scope to
its -sanctifying influences upon the heart, the
temper, and the life. Cease from that instruc-
tion'which causeth to err, distrust that latitudi-
narian spirit which has gone forth into the
world, baptizing every creed, and canonizing
every system of religion. Shun with scrupulous
caution the abusers of orthodoxy, and suspect
the arguments by which many are labouring to
bring evangelical sentiments into discredit and
contempt, by outrageous attacks upon Calvin
and Calvinism, when they have never looked

42
either at the man or his writings, but through
the medium of false representation, prejudice,
or palpable mistake. " Prove all things and hold
fast that which is good" — "try the spirits whether
they be of God" — "to the law and the testimony,
if they speak not according to this word, there
is no light in them." Far be it from me to
enlist you under the banners of a mere human
teacher, one is our Master even Christ. Take
the infallible standard of truth in your hand,
depend on the irradiating influences of the
Holy Spirit, cherish a temper of humility and
self distrust, and you will not wander essential
ly from the way everlasting. May you in these
days of lamented instability, when the righte
ous nation which keepeth the truth, are more
especially called upon to be valiant for the
precious deposit, be stedfast and immoveable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord !
And may we all aim to be followers of them,
who through faith and patience are inheriting
the promises, that having been faithful unto
Death, we may ourselves receive the crown of
everlasting life!
Amen, even so come, Lord Jesus.
finis.

KUNTED BT B. TEAPE, TOWER-BILL, LONDON.

YALE
UNIVERSITY UBRARY