some adulterations in your gospel food. Well, lad, if you cannot get it pure, you must sift, and winnow, and cleanse it, and only eat what is good and wholesome. This will be troublesome, I know; but then it is better to take the trouble than to eat the poison, and the exercise will do you good. No doubt some will be glad to eat what you throw away; but while they grow up poor little weaklings, who cannot go forth to have a brush with the enemy, or bear the wind of temptation to blow upon them; you will be strong in the Lord and the power of his might. Do the best Stick to the truth, come what may; nothing else will do when we come to die, and we soon must face that last of foes, death; but if he finds us in Christ, all will be well. Free-will and creature doings will not do then; the real Christian, if he has in life been left to think and

you can.

speak lightly of free grace, will die a high Calvinist, depend upon it.

How are you? And how is your good wife? And how is the good work of the Lord going with you? How is Jacob and his friends? Are they satisfied now the "Pope" is gone? If I mistake not, they have got out of the frying pan into the fire. I hope a little roasting will do them good.

Accept my love, and please give it to your other half, and L, and the brethren associated with you. Through the good hand of our God upon us, we are well as usual in health, and the word of the Lord is with power amongst the people. I still try to set forth in my preaching, salvation by grace,-to uncrown man, and exalt Christ. Let me have a few lines soon, and believe me, as ever, your affectionate brother in the Lord Jesus, JOHN.

MRS. JOHN STEVENS, JUN.,
OF ST. NEOT'S, HUNTS.

"Friend after friend departs-
Who hath not lost a friend?
There is no union here of hearts
That hath not here an end:
Were this frail world our final rest,
Living or dying, none were blest.
"Beyond the flight of time,

Beyond this vale of death,
There surely is some blessed clime
Where life is not a breath,
Nor life's affections transient fire,
Whose sparks fly upward and expire.
"There is a world above,

Where parting is unknown,
A whole eternity of love,

Formed for the saints alone:
And FAITH beholds the dying here
Translated to that happier sphere.
"Thus star by star declines,

Till all are passed away,

As morning high and higher shines
To pure and perfect day;

Nor sink these stars in empty night,-
They hide themselves in Christ's own light."
Montgomery

"The memory of the just is blessed;" "The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance." "Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend from the counsel of the soul" (margin) Prov. xxvii. 9. Such was the testimony of Israel's royal saints concerning "the precious sons and daughters of Zion in the days of David and Solomon; and such are the saints of God now,- beautiful

and fragrant" as the lily among thorns," "the excellent of the earth," and "the glory of Christ.” But to be able to appropriate and enjoy the "communion of saints," "the fellowship of kindred minds," we must be, like them, in possession of a new nature (John i. 12, 13; 2 Peter i. 4), of a new hope (1 Peter i. 3), of new aspirations (Cant. viii. 1), of new attractions (Cant. i. 3, 4), of new perceptions and conceptions (Cant. v. 10-16), of new and nobler pursuits (Heb. xi. 10, 13, 14), of more elevated and divine attainments (Phil. iii. 12, 14; 1 Cor. xiii. 9-12), and with a scriptural prospect of a glorious destiny, to be consummated with ETERNAL GLORY (Phil. iii. 21; 1 John iii. 2; Rev. xxii. 3, 5), and this is a privilege which

"None but Zion's children know."

Various, however, are the degrees of attainment in the household of faith, and diversified are the circumstances as to time, place, and manner, by which the chosen of God are "delivered from the power of darkness, and translated into the kingdom of his dear Son." But everyone that is taught of the Lord, blesses him for the publican's prayer, "God be merciful to me a sinner," and the whole congregation of the faithful say, Amen to the prayer of the apostle, as given in Phil. iii. 7-11; and to none were these words more acceptable, expressive, and appropriate than to the late dear Mrs. John Stevens, Jun.

The subject of the present brief sketch was the youngest daughter of the late Mr. Samuel Fairey, of St. Neot's, who was for so many years publicly and honourably connected with the church of Christ in this place, during the pastorship of the late celebrated Mr. John Stevens, Sen., and of the venerable Mr. George Murrell, who is now in the eighty-sixth year of his age.

Fanny was born May 9th, 1794; and, doubtless, brought with her birth the usual rejoicing, thankfulness, anxiety, and wonderment, to her esteemed parents, such as is common to others at such times. She appears to have passed through the period of infancy and childhood without anything occurring which demands special notice. As far as my own memory will serve me, the dear departed has often told me of her call by grace; and I believe she said that she did not remember the time when she was without impressions and convictions, but that when she had entered upon her teens, she became the subject of very solemn exercises of mind, though not accompanied with the alarming "terrors of the law," as some are made to experience them. Indeed this phase in her experience caused her many "searchings of heart" when she has been listening to remarks from the pulpit, or from private Christians, because she had not had such awful feelings, blasphemies, and temptations as are unduly lifted into prominence by some. Neither would it be rational for others to expect this in her, when we remember the character of her parents, the moral and religious influences by which she was surrounded, together with the amiable dispositions of her mind, and the moral qualities of her character. For, while the seed of every sin lies buried deep in our fallen nature, yet it is chiefly sin committed that we are made to mourn over, and repent of, when first the Holy Ghost enters into judgment with us; and hence the diversified experiences of the Lord's dear children. All Christians should well weigh this.

Some little while before she opened her mind to her dear father, he had anxiously watched her manner under the preached word, and had observed her close attention to spiritual subjects, but had not heard anything from her own lips by which he could judge of her inward conflicts, until one day, Mr. Murrell told him that Fanny had expressed a desire to follow her incarnate Lord in the ordinance of baptism, and to join his people in church fellowship. See Acts ii. 41-47.

This sudden and unexpected revelation of his daughter's religious life, quite provoked Mr. Fairey's parental jealousy, inso

much that he gently rebuked his dear Fanny for having kept the matter so secret, and for manifesting a want of filial freedom with him, his heart being full of tender concern for her eternal blessedness. But this is a very common experience between children and their parents.

Having complied with the usual order of the church, in giving a statement of the reason of the hope that was in her," she was baptized by Mr. Murrell on Lord's-day, October 2nd, 1814, and was received into full communion with the church.

To her, this was a step of solemn and joyful interest; for, in addition to her having found a spiritual home in the church, and being greatly enriched by the sweet and savoury ministry of the much esteemed pastor, and walking before the Lord in "the garments of praise" and holy gladness, she now had better oppor tunities for cultivating the warm sympathies of her heart in the cause of Christ, by a closer and more public association with the saints, her dear father being a deacon of the church.

Some time after this, an unexpected event, in the providence of God, occurred, by which she changed her condition in life, and which proved to be of real importance to hundreds of the Lord's family, among whom she sojourned.

In consequence of ill health, Mr. John Stevens, Jun., set out from London for Boston, in Lincolnshire, where he intended spending some time for the benefit of his health; but on his way thither, he broke his journey, and stayed a day or two at St. Neot's, being kindly invited to take a bed at his father's stanch friend's, where he saw his future wife, as the sequel proved. And thus we see that

"God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.'

In the year 1824, she became the beloved wife of Mr. John Stevens, Jun., and it would not be saying too much to assert that it was a real union in the Lord, such as few have the privilege to experience. If any reason for fault could be found, it was in her loving her worthy husband too much, for she almost idolized him. For a time after their marriage, they resided in London, but owing to certain family arrangements in Mr. Fairey's family, they came to St. Neot's to reside, and which led to Mr. Stevens' first attempt to speak in the name of the Lord, and eventually to his settlement over the Baptist church at Willingham, in Cambridgeshire.

Here the Lord abundantly blessed the

labours of his servant, and in her husband's prosperity, Mrs. Stevens greatly rejoiced, and anticipated a lasting pleasure in association with the subjects of Immanuel's kingdom who were favoured to receive the message of mercy from her husband's lips. This was her Elim of "wells" and "palm trees," but her "encampment" here was but for a few short years; for the Lord had dispatched the messenger of consump tion to warn his servant that his labours would speedily be terminated, and that "the recompence of reward was at hand. So suddenly did this fell disease do its work, that a few short weeks sufficed to number him with the dead, and leave his three dear children fatherless, and his tender faithful wife a widow. Poor thing! her spirit was crushed, and her heart overwhelmed within her, and her reason tottered under the weight of this solemn, heavy blow. Ah, well do I remember her looks and feelings as she has recounted to me this part of her pilgrimage. This was a furnace indeed, and long did it please her heavenly Lover to keep her there; but one day he brought her forth again into the bright smiles of his countenance by the powerful application of his own word, and which in great measure reconciled her to the severe dispensation. However, other trials awaited her, by which death again bereaved her. leaving her an only daughter, by whom she is survived.

After various and repeated trials and changes, she returned to her native town, where she continued to reside until the winter of 1868, when she took what proved to be her farewell, for this life, of her St. Neot's friends, to go and spend a few weeks with her daughter, Mrs. Basden, of New Cross. She had been flagging for some time prior to her leaving St. Neot's; but, shortly after her arrival at New Cross, she had a severe attack of bronchitis, together with an affection of the heart. All that skill and constant affection could do in seeking to strengthen the frail tenement, was done; but the Lord's time had come to remove this modest, lovely and fragrant lily from the thorn-strewed valley, for the Eden of immortal felicity. Day after day, and week after week, were our hearts kept in sad, but hopeful suspense, until I received the following from Mrs. Basden, the publication of which, I trust she will kindly excuse, for the sake of the many friends who will read it with a sorrowful pleasure. The note is dated March 22nd, 1869, and is as follows:

66

Your truly kind letter has been read to my precious mother; she wishes me to express her love to you, and thanks for

It

your kind prayers and sympathy. cheers her to know that she has the prayers of loved friends, and she wishes she had power to tell of the Lord's goodness to her. Those truths which have been her comfort during a long life, cheer and support her now; but she is too weak to say much,-her breathing being very distressing. She sends her love to Mr. Murrell, and hopes shortly to see him in her Father's kingdom above; also love to all her friends, whom she has loved for many years for Christ's sake."

These extracts will suffice to show that all hope of her recovery was now gone; for within a few days from that date her soul had got the victory over death, even though death triumphed over the poor body.

The following are a few particulars relative to her state of mind, at the closing scene of her mortal career, as kindly furnished me by Mr. Basden. He says, "I beg to enclose you a few lines describing the last hours of our beloved relative, Mrs. Stevens; they are brief, but they give the actual state of her mind, which was one of perfect trust and confidence in her heavenly Father; while her soul continually fed upon the heavenly manna: the word of God was abiding in her to a remarkable degree. It was the cherished desire of Mrs. Stevens, that whenever she was removed by death, in any discourse that might be made to improve the event, as little reference as possible should be made to herself, but that attention should be directed to HIM in whom she had so firmly trusted for so many years. With this view she had selected the words of Isaiah xii. 4 : 'Declare His doings among the people, make mention that His name is exalted.' Her faith was steadfast to the end, although at last her sufferings were severe; her only fear was lest she should be permitted to murmur at trials so much less than were His sufferings endured on her account. Her last ejaculations were, 'I can trust Him who has been my Friend from the beginning.' Within a few hours of her departure, when all hope of again hearing her voice had ceased, these words rang forth as clear as a bell, AND I HEARD A vOICE FROM HEAVEN SAYING UNTO ME, WRITE, BLESSED!' And then she stopped, and requested that the verse might be completed, which was done by one who stood by: Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth; yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them' (Rev. xiv. 13)."

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And thus passed away a sister greatly