soul, but very liable to be run aground upon the sand-banks of this world, to be dashed against the rocks of pride, or even swallowed up in the whirlpools of pleasure. Let us spread the sails of our affections to catch the gales of those heavenly influences that arise to waft us to the promised land. And let us set faith at the helm, and charge it to eye the compass of the divine word, graciously given to be our directory during our voyage through the trackless ocean. And when the wind of temptation blows hard against us, and the waves of our corrupt inclinations and passions, rising, would bear us back, let us cast the anchor of our hope within the vail, and wait the moment of a favourable change. That moment will soon arrive. The wind will be fair, and the tide rise. The heavenly country will appear in sight. We shall descry its towers at a distance. The glittering spires of the New Jerusalem will attract our attention. The peaceful haven will open before us, and we shall enter, full sail, the long expected and much desired port of eternal rest.

"There all the ship's company meet,

Who sail'd with their Saviour beneath;
With shoutings each other they greet,
And triumph o'er trouble and death:
The voyage of life's at an end;

The mortal affliction is past!
The age, that in heaven they spend,
For ever and ever shall last."

7. But while I thus encourage your hopes, with respect to yourselves and your departed friends, and exhort you to go forward with alacrity and joy to meet your final foe, and join again the dear companions of your life, in company with whom you endured so many hardships, and weathered out so many storms; let me not neglect to give you one caution. Let me not forget to remind you that your success in the arduous contest depends on your being in Christ, on your living and dying in him. Thus only can you hope to meet death with comfort. "There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus :" whereas, with regard to those that are not in him, they are not only in the way to meet with condemnation after death, and at the final judgment, but they are condemned already, and the wrath of God abideth on them." See therefore, that in the first place you ensure this point; that by repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, you obtain that interest in, and union with,

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the Lord Jesus, which only can disarm death of his sting, and devest him of his terrors; and, therefore, which only can free you from the fear of that formidable foe, and give you confidence and courage at the appointed hour of combat.

"Still frowns grim death? Guilt points the tyrant's spear.
Who can appease its anguish? how it burns!

What hand the barb'd, envenom'd dart can draw?
What healing hand can pour the balm of peace?
And turn my sight undaunted on the tomb?
With joy, with grief, that healing hand I see!
The skies it form'd and yet it bleeds for me!
But bleeds the balm I want? Yet, still it bleeds!"

This balm must be applied: the hand that yields it, must apply it, and, by applying it, heal the wounded mind, and give peace to the labouring conscience. This the great and good Physician of souls is as willing as he is able to do. For "inasmuch as we are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, and deliver those, who through fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage." "Come then unto him, ye that are weary and heavy laden, and he will give you rest and be assured, "Whosoever cometh, he will in nowise cast out."

8. And that there may be no delay in beginning, nor indolence in prosecuting this important business, let me observe further, that if those who are "in Christ new creatures," have nothing to fear, but every thing to hope, from the approaching hour of their dissolution; those who are not in him, have every thing to fear, and nothing to hope. They have to fear that their souls shall not die, but be immortal in misery; that their bodies shall be raised again, to share in the torment ;-that they shall meet their companions in sin; a dreadful meeting that indeed!—that they shall appear and be condemned at the judgment-seat of Christ; that they shall be for ever with-whom shall I say! Jesus and his angels? no, but with Satan and his angels! And have they not sometimes an anticipation as well as foresight of this? I rather think they have and that if

"The chamber where the good man meets his fate,

Is privileg'd beyond the common walk

Of virtuous life, quite in the verge of heaven,"

:

the dying apartment of the ungodly is often in the very suburbs of hell, I fear the following lines of that fine though mournful poem,

styled, The Grave, are but too descriptive of what is frequently felt on thèse occasions :→→→

"At that dread moment, how the frantic soul
Raves round the walls of her clay tenement!
Runs to each avenue, and shrieks for help;
But shrieks in vain!..

A little longer! ah! a little longer,
Might she but stay to wash away her crimes,
And fit her for her passage! Moving sight!
Her very eyes weep blood, and every sigh
She heaves, is big with horror! but the foe,
Like a stanch murderer, steady to his purpose,
Pursues her close through every lane of life,
Nor misses once the track, but presses on
Till forc'd at last to the tremendous verge,
At once she sinks!"

That this may not be your case, my brethren, do not trifle with an affair of such consequence. See that you make it, what it really is, your chief concern, your principal business to be the Lord's, and to live to him! And take heed that you do not delay one day, one hour. Oh! remember you know not what a day, or hour may bring forth. "To-day, therefore, while it is called to-day, if ye will hear his voice," if ye ever intend to hear it, "harden not your hearts" but " Acquaint yourselves with him, and be at peace: Thereby good will come unto you ;" and how great a good eternity only can disclose !

That our sister, whose unexpected death has given occasion to this discourse, already enjoys a portion of that good, we have great reason to believe. As you will naturally expect me to give you some account of her before I conclude, I submit the following brief Narrative to your consideration, which I have drawn up from the best information I could obtain.

Mrs. Foster was the daughter of the late Mr. John Booth, of Manchester, by his first wife, who died a few months after she was born. Her father being a dissenter, brought her up in the Calvinist profession, and gave her a genteel education at a boarding-school, in Chester. After she left school, she was introduced into gay company, and indulged in all the vanities of high life; till her father, who was a merchant, experiencing some considerable losses in his business, became insolvent. She then went to live with a distant relation near Leeds, and soon after put herself apprentice to a milliner in that town. Here she had cause to bless

God for bringing her acquainted with some of the people called Methodists, whose example, conversation, and prayers, were made of great use to her soul. One that was then very intimate with her, Miss Cl-, observes,

2. "I had the pleasure of being acquainted with Mrs. Foster from her first coming to Leeds, which was about the middle of April, 1782. Though she was then a stranger to the real power of religion, she differed much from the generality of young persons. Being brought up a dissenter, she diligently attended their meetings, and I believe, made conscience of using private prayer, twice a day at least. In the beginning of June, she went one Sunday evening to hear Mr. Mather, at the Methodist preachinghouse, and was much struck with his sermon. Afterwards she went along with me to a prayer-meeting, which Mrs. Cr—— and my mother attended at a friend's house, where she was very deeply affected indeed. I remember her saying to me as we came out, Oh! my friend, I would give all the world, if I had it, to possess what your mother possesses,' and added, ' I have always thought myself a Christian till now, and have imagined that I had a good heart, but am now convinced I have been deceived.' When she came home she retired, and taking up the Bible, opened it at the following words, Of a truth I perceive God is no respecter of persons. This text was a great support to her all the time she was seeking the divine favour, which was about three months. During this period she suffered much, both from within and from without. Sometimes indeed her mind was sweetly drawn after God, and much encouraged, but in general her distress was very great. Tuesday the 16th of August, Mrs. Cr me to a meeting, where a few select friends fortnight to spend an hour or two in prayer. her soul quite overpowered her bodily strength. prayed for her, and at length she was a little comforted. She was prevailed upon to go with me to a friend's house, where we spent the greatest part of the night in prayer and praise. She felt a real change take place in her soul, but wanted the witness of the Spirit that she was a child of God. And, blessed be the Lord, she did not wait long for it. The next evening, as Mr. Hopper was preaching from, My son, give me thy heart,' she was enabled to make the surrender, and those words, I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine,' where strongly applied to her mind. She could now with confidence cry, Abba, Father! My

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took her and assembled once a Here the agony of Several persons

Lord, and my God! And the Sunday following, at a meeting at Seacroft, she declared openly what God had done for her soul.

"Her outward situation exposed her to many painful exercises, but they had the blessed tendency of driving her nearer to the Lord. And he was so peculiarly gracious to her, that in the midst of many and great hindrances, she was enabled to press forward, and, I believe, desired nothing in comparison of being devoted to God. This appears from a letter she wrote me December 3, 1783, part of which is as follows. After all the Lord has done for me, I still feel an evil heart of unbelief. I have been much tempted this week to fear that I have deceived myself, but have been relieved by conversing freely with Mrs. Cr; she put Mr. Wesley's Treatise on Christian Perfection into my hand; and the more I read it, the more I am convinced that the will of God is my sanctification; and by his grace I am determined never to rest till all that is within me is holiness to the Lord."

3. To this account given by her friend, I would add, that about this time, as I am informed by another who knew her well, she not only generally walked in the light of God's countenance, but was frequently so happy in the love of her adorable Saviour, as not to be able to sleep at night for the consolation she felt in her soul. She was a pattern of diligence; in using all the means of grace, both private and public, frequently attending the preaching of the word, even at five o'clock in the morning, delicate, and often unwell as she was; and making it her daily care to read the Scriptures, and call upon the name of the Lord in secret.

4. About a quarter of a year after her marriage with Mr. Foster, (which was in the year 1784,) she had a miscarriage, and was so ill that her life was despaired of. During these weeks of confinement, when she had no prospect before her but of immediate death, she was not only perfectly resigned to the divine will, but could frequently rejoice in hope of his glory, persuaded if the Lord should take her it would be to himself. All her concern was, that her husband might be enabled to receive the severe stroke without murmuring, and to support the trial with faith and patience worthy of a Christian. In order to this, she desired a serious friend who visited her, to apprize him of the dangerous situation she was in, and to endeavour to prepare him for the approaching shock. However, it pleased God, at that time, to disappoint their fears, and spare her life.

5. During her pregnancy of her first child, she was very apprehensive she should die in child-bearing, and under that impression,