We learn incidentally from the subsequent account which Mrs. Dutton gives of the dispensations of Providence towards her, that she entered into the marriage state when she was but two and twenty years of age. No particulars are given, but she appears not to have long survived her marriage. She may probably be ranked with those instances of premature ripeness of character which God seems to honour by an early removal of the individual from a world of temptation and sorrow into the presence of

their Lord.

LADY HUNTINGDON.

SELINA, Countess of Huntingdon, was the daughter of Washington, Earl Ferrers. She was born August 24, 1707, and married June 3, 1728, to Theophilus, Earl of Huntingdon.

When about nine years old, seeing the corpse of a child about her own age carried by to the grave, she was led to attend the funeral; and there the first impressions of deep concern about an eternal world laid hold of her conscience; and with many tears. she cried earnestly on the spot to God, that whenever he should be pleased to call her hence, he would deliver her from all her fears, and give her a happy departure she often afterwards visited the grave, and always preserved a lively sense of the affecting

scene.

Though no clear views of evangelical truth had hitherto been opened to her mind, she frequently retired to her closet, and poured out her heart to God. When she grew up, and was introduced into the world, she constantly prayed that if she married, it might be into a serious family. None kept up more of the ancient dignity of English nobility, or were more amiable in a moral view, than the house of Huntingdon, with the head of which family she became united. Lady Betty and Lady Margaret Hastings, his lordship's sisters, were women of singular excellence.

Her sister-in-law, Lady Margaret, was brought to the saving knowledge of the gospel under the preaching of the zealous methodists of that time. Conversing one day with Lady Margaret on this subject, Lady Huntingdon was very much struck with an expression which she uttered, "That since she had

known and believed in the Lord Jesus Christ for life and salvation, she had been as happy as an angel." To any such sensations of happiness, Lady H. felt that she was as yet a stranger. A dangerous illness having soon after this brought her to the brink of the grave, the fear of death fell terribly upon her, and her conscience was greatly distressed. Under these affecting circumstances, the words of Lady Margaret returned strongly to her recollection, and she felt an earnest desire, renouncing all other hope, to cast herself wholly upon Christ. She lifted up her heart to Jesus the Saviour in prayer, on which her distress and fear were removed, and she was filled with joy and peace in believing. Her disorder soon took a favourable turn, and she was not only restored to perfect health, but, what was infinitely better, to newness of life, and determined thenceforward to present herself to God "as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable," which she was now convinced was her "reasonable service."

The change which Divine grace thus wrought upon her, soon became observable to all around, by the open confession which she made of the faith once delivered to the saints, and by the zealous support which she gave to the cause of God, amidst all the reproach with which it was attended. She had set her face as a flint, and was not ashamed of Christ and his cross. There were not wanting indeed some who, under the guise of friendship, wished Lord Huntingdon to interpose his authority; but, however he differed from her in sentiment, he continued to shew her the same affection and respect, and, on his demise, left her the entire management of her children and of their fortunes.

Some of the dignified clergy were not so candid and liberal, as appears from the following authentic anecdote. Her ladyship, one day, in conversation with Dr. Benson, bishop of Gloucester, (who had been the tutor of Lord H. and had ordained Mr.

Whitefield,) pressed him so hard with the articles and homilies, and so plainly and faithfully urged upon him the awful responsibility of his station, that his temper was ruffled, and he rose in haste to depart, bitterly lamenting that he had ever laid his hands on George Whitefield, to whom he imputed, though without cause, the change wrought in her Ladyship: My lord," said she, calling him back, "mark my words: when you come upon your dying bed, that will be one of the few ordinations you will reflect upon with complacence." It deserves remark, that bishop Benson on his dying bed sent ten guineas to Mr. Whitefield, as a token of his favour, and begged to be remembered by him in his prayers.

During Lord Huntingdon's life, his Countess warmly espoused the cause of God and truth, though her means of usefulness were necessarily circumscribed, and her family engagements occupied much of her time and attention. Become her own mistress, she resolved to devote herself wholly to the service of Christ. Her zealous heart embraced cordially all whom she esteemed real Christians, whatever their denomination or opinions might be; but being herself in sentiment more congenial with Mr. Whitefield, than the Mr. Wesleys, she favoured those especially who were the ministers of the Calvinistic persuasion, according to the literal sense of the Articles of the Church of England. With an intention of giving them a greater scene of usefulness, she opened her house in Park-street for the preaching of the gospel, supposing that, as a peeress of the realm, she had an indisputable right to employ, as her family chaplains, those ministers of the church whom she patronised. On the week days, her kitchen was filled with the poor of the flock, for whom she provided instruction; and on the Lord'sday, the great and noble were invited to spend the evening in her drawing-room, where Mr. Whitefield, Mr. Romaine, Mr. Jones, and other ministers of

Christ, were heard with apparently deep and serious

attention.

The illness of her younger son, which proved fatal, had led her Ladyship to Brighthelmstone, for the sake of sea-bathing. There, the following singular. circumstance occurred, which Lady H. related to Mr. Toplady, and which is published from his own manuscript in his posthumous works. A gentlewoman, who lived in the vicinity of Brighthelmstone, dreamed, that a tall lady, whose dress she particularly noticed, would come to that town, and be an instrument of doing much good. It was about three years after this dream, that Lady H. went down. thither, on the occasion already mentioned. One day, the above gentlewoman met her Ladyship in the street, and, on seeing her, exclaimed, "O, madam, you are come!" Lady H., surprised at the oddity of such an address from an entire stranger, thought at first the woman was out of her senses. "What do you know of me?" said the Countess. "6 Madam," returned the person, "I saw you in a dream three years ago, dressed just as you appear now," and related the whole of the dream to her. In consequence of the acquaintance which was then formed between them, Lady H. was made instrumental in her conversion, and she died about a year after in the triumph of faith.

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In selecting preachers for the supply of her chapels, Lady Huntingdon at first confined herself to the ministers of the Established Church, many of whom accepted her invitation, and laboured in the places which she had opened. But her zeal enlarging with her success, and a great variety of persons throughout the kingdom begging her assistance, in London and many of the most populous cities, she purchased, built, or hired, chapels for the performance of Divine service. As these multiplied through England, Ireland, and Wales, the ministers who had before laboured for her Ladyship, were unequal to the task;