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ligence. He laboured even to wearinefs; but frequently would with cheerfulnefs fay, "It is better to wear out than to ruft out." He was truly difinterefted; he preached the gofpel freely, and felt the truth of that declaration, It is more blessed to give than to receive. He was generous and open-hearted like a true bishop, given to hospitality. He was remarkably affectionate to his young friends, and greate ly defirous of their falvation, His worth in his relative capacities, as father, master, neighbour, and friend, the general courfe of his conduct has amply proved; and the circumftances of his death have established it fo, long as his memo ry fhall live.

This venerable man honoured the Lord in his life, and was greatly favoured by him in his death. Then, like the Patri arch Jacob, he collected his family and friends around his bed, and gave to each his bleffing, and his prayers. To a grand-daughter about twenty-three years of age, he faid "You have a praying grandfather, who has put up thousands of petitions for you; but on thefe you muft not depend; you muft pray for yourfelf-read the word of God, attend the means of grace, renounce the world, and take care what company you keep; the Lord blefs you!"

To the reverend Mr. Sleap he faid, "The Lord bless you in your body and foul! The Lord blefs you as a minister, and make you faithful and fuccefsful! The Lord bless your child!"

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To dear Mrs. Blackwell's niece, "The Lord bless you! The Lord bless your husband! The Lord blefs your chil dren! May you live holy and die happy!"

To his houfekeeper, "The Lord blefs you! You have been a kind and faithful friend to me, and the Lord will take care of you. We have often prayed together, you know. -You may ftill retire to your clofet-do not grieve--The Lord bless you!"

To a daughter" I am now going to do as good old Jacob did, to blefs you all, my children, and then draw up my feet and die. I will blefs you all: I have put up thousands of prayers for you. See you do not live without prayer; be fure to read the word of God; neglect not the means of grace; keep the fabbath holy.I have been a living, and now am a dying witnefs to the reality of religion-See now, I am not afraid to die. God bless you!"

To his other daughter-"See, here, a dying father-I never forgot my children, though they were not with me ; it

Since his death, this young person has joined the church av Wooburn, confessing that his dying words had a great effect upon her mind.

is now fifty years fince I began to pray. Hear you the gofpel-pray-read the word-keep the fabbath-but after all, remember, you must believe on the Lord Jefus Chrift-if ever you are faved; and tell your husband what a dying fa ther fays. May the Lord blefs you all!"

To another perfon he faid, "It is an awful thing to be the inftrument of bringing children into the world, and to be careless about their fouls.-Your confcience witneffes to the truth of what I fay. O read, pray, and hear the gospel. Do not spend your time in public houfes and in trifling. The Lord bless you! You have not been careful of those about you, as you should have been.-Go to Jefus to be faved as a finner. Do not be angry with me. You know I must be faithful.-The Lord blefs you !-You fee I am not afraid to die."

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Stretching out his dying hand to receive his grandfon, he bid him not grieve, and faid, "I have preached Chrift, now I am going to enjoy him. I think I fhall be in heaven before morning-My next fabbath will be spent there. am lingering on the brink. I am now going to be taken from you. This has been, for many years, a praying fami ly, I could with it fo to continue when I am gone. You and C -(an old fervant) keep up family prayer. It will be your honour. A few words from the heart-be not difcouraged, Mind not the ridicule of the world-attend all duties-bear your teftimony against fin in the mill-love good men from good principles-ufe them kindly when they call upon you, as I have done. The Lord blefs you, and be with you, through life, death, and to eternity! This is my prayer for you, I can fay no more."*

To a little girl, about twelve years old, he faid, "Come, my little dear, I will give you a double portion-Benjamin's mefs, the Lord blefs you!"

To a grand-daughter, about eleven years old, "Remember your dying grandfather. Be fure you be a good child, and pray and remember you must be faved by Jefus Chrift, if ever you be faved."

When his fervants, who worked in his mill, entered his room, to the first he said, "You are morally fober, honest, and induftrious; but that is not religion. I have prayed for you, but you must pray for yourself-you must go to Jefus Chrift; you must be pardoned through his blood; juftified through his righteousnefs; and fan&ified and made meet for

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This person occupies the same mill-is a member of Church at Woeburn, and appears to be fast following the foot. steps of his grand-father.

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heaven. I truft I have prayed and ferved God for fifty years, and now I am glad to be faved as a poor finner. The Lord bless you!"

To another fervant, whom he addreffed in a fingular way, he faid, "Live in peace with your family-with your wife and children-nor fall out, nor be contentious. The Lord bless you!"

To two grandfons he fpake, "Come, my boys, let me bless you. Be fure you be good boys. Let not the wicked world enfnare you. When you, don't confent to them. Read your Bibles-pray to your wicked companions invite God-believe on the Lord Jefus Chrift. You cannot be faved without Jefus Chrift. The Lord bless you!"*

To another of his fervants-"What do you think about dying? Did you ever think where you were going to? Youknow there are but two places, heaven and hell. When I am gone, be faithful, don't deceive-be honest and upright. The Lord bless you!"

To another fervant-" Look on your dying mafter; if you was where I am, and to die to night, you would furely go to hell; and if I die to night, I fhall furely go to heaven. Your confcience tells you, you do not read the word of God -you break the fabbath-you do not pray in your family." 66 Yes, mafter," said the man, "I do." Every night," faid he. "Ah! when ?" "And what do you fay?""O," faid he, "I do as well as I can" fin." "Yes, mafter, I do." "Then," faid the good old "You live in man, "thy prayers are an abomination to the Lord. You do not believe in the Lord Jefus Chrift-you must be changed. The Lord bless you!"

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He then fpake to four little boys, whom he addressed in a very affectionate manner, according to their ages, and bleffed them.

He addreffed the next, who was an old fervant, in a different manner from all the reft, "You fear God-you read and pray you believe in Chrift-you love, ferve, and honour him-you will foon be with him in glory. I charge you to pray in this family when I am gone. The Lord bless you!"

To his maid fervant-" What have you thought fince I have been ill? Did you ever pray in fincerity-have you any knowledge of Jefus Chrift-of falvation by him? Did you ever fee the danger there is in fin? Pray without ceafing. The Lord bless you, and be with you through life, and death, and bring you to everlasting glory!"

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*Since the above time, one of these has also joined the Church at Wooburn.

"I did not preach laft Lord's day, but the Lord has made it up to-day. Samfon flew more at his death than through his whole life. The Lord grant it may be so today! Sometimes the Lord bleffes the words of dying men." -When he saw thofe about him in tears, he added, "This is the feed-time; those who fow in tears, fhall reap in joy; and, I truft, it is a healing time alfo, yea, it is a glorious time.-Thefe are my laft legacies."

On Mr. E. coming from town to fee him, on Thursday evening, he expreffed his concern at his being returned from the miffionary opportunities, difcovered a fympathy at his fatigue in journeying, and told him he had been preaching to his work people. "About Thursday." he added, "you will bury me; you will then preach at Wycome and at Wooburn on the fabbath; O my Wooburn friends!"-an exclamation of heart-felt efteem for them; for whom he had laboured much and often-He went on-" Let fix minifters hold up my pall-fay nothing about me." Mr. E. faid, "not particularly about you, but what the grace of God hath done for you, in you, and by you." He faw the diftinction, and expreffed his fatisfaction. Speaking of Mrs. Blackwell, he faid, "I fhall foon fee her. What a meeting will it be ! What do you think she will say to me?-but we do not understand the language of heaven now."It was replied the would welcome him there. Mr. E. faid, "Let me have an interest in your kind wishes." He faid, "You fhall have my dying prayer. And, after a folemn paufe, he said, "The Lord blefs you in your miniftry, in your foul, in your body, in your family, in all you have, and in all you are-The Lord blefs you." In a fhort prayer he was then committed to that God who redeemed him from all evil, to whom be glory for ever and ever, amen, and amen. The next morning Mr. E. faw him again; he requested him to pray that he might be difmiffed, and expreffed his affurance that he was on the rock, and wished to be gone. Taking a little nourishment, he faid, "This is better than Christ had; they gave him vinegar and gall-this is better than I deferve." After taking a little wine-" May I want no more, till I drink it anew in my Father's kingdom. !" On mentioning his kind friends, Mr. Wildman's family, he paufed and prayed, that God would give them prudence, patience, and glory. On the Friday he rather revived, but the reftleffnefs of death was on him all through the day; and about twelve at night he was heard to fay, a little before his departure,-Cut it-cut it fhort-cut it in the middle.". The thread of life was foon cut, and he winged his way to

manfions of eternal light and glory; where the sun goes no more down, nor the moon withdraws herself-where the Lord is his everlasting light, and the days of his mourning are ended.

These words were the text which was improved by Mr. E. in a funeral fermon at Wycome, immediately after the interment; and at Wooburn the fabbath following, May 22, 1796, in which are fome other interefting circumstances which could not be comprized in the prefent memoir.

MEMOIR OF CAPTAIN GOTHER.

DOLPHUS GOTHER, the fubject of this article, was loft, with his whole fhip's company, on the coaft of Effex, in the early part of December, 1798. He was a native of Stockholm, in Sweden; his parents were in good circumftances, but had a large family, and he was very early devoted to a fea life. His mother feared God, and took much pains in teaching him the principles of the chriftian religion, and the neceflity of trufting in God, and praying to him as the finner's only friend and benefactor. His being thus early inftructed in the things of God, proved, in after time, of fingular ufe to him; and he has often been heard to acknowledge the goodness of God, and the obligation he was under to his parents, on this account. This fhould ftimulate parents to fow the feed of religious knowledge early, let the foil be ever fo unpromifing, or the profpect of fuccefs ever fo fmall.

He commenced a maritime life, on board a Swedish mer chant fhip, and, after fome few changes, was engaged as a common failor on board an English man of war; but whether as a volunteer, or through being impreffed, is not certain. This proved a trying fituation to him, the ferious impreffions received from early acquaintance with religion, never being totally eradicated from his mind, even in those periods when he was moft thoughtlefs and foolish in his own conduct, and in thofe ftations where there was the least opportunity of attending to religion.

Being of an active and afpiring difpofition, he spent his leifure time on board this fhip, in learning the English language; the French and Italian were already familiar to him. The only books which he had to affift him were, a volume

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