he caught hold of, hoping to rescue the almost dying creature from the jaws of death; but the waters fwelling higher with every rolling fea, he loft his hold, and was obliged to relinquish his generous ef forts, and abandon the rest of the drowning fufferers to their dismal fate, in order to provide for his own fafety. Mr. Field, the hip carpenter, was affifting to repair the tiller, but the rudder being carried away during the attempt, and the veffel becoming unmanage able, he immediately anticipated what would happen, and turned his thoughts to his own fafety, and that of his beloved wife, for whom he became all anxiety: he ran to a part of the veffel where he found fome rattling ftuff, out of which he provided two lafhings for himself and her. Expecting to find her in the cabin, he haftened thither, but was disappointed, for fhe had taken refuge on the stack. When in the cabin he found himself nearly up to his breast in water, with the poor creatures ftruggling around him. His own fituation here became critical; for two or three of them clung fo fast to him that he could not extricate himself. They were therefore drawn up together, by, (as he fuppofes) the exertions of the feamen; but owing to the darkness of the night, the dashing of the waters, and his own perturbation, he could not diftinguish who were their deliverers; it is thought that thofe who were drawn up with him were foon washed off the deck. Having found his wife on the ftack, he lafhed her to the boom with one of the cords he had provided; but,' in his trepidation, not being able to find the other, he bound his arm to her with the end of that with which he was faftened; and in this pofition they remained whilft two or three heavy feas came over the veffel, which, by degrees, removed the ftack from under them, and at length carried them both together into the fea. However, Mr. Field, either by laying hold on the fide of the veffel, or fome ropes, got back again, and lodged himself in the throuds, from whence, in the anguish of his fpirit, he could not forbear calling after his dear companion, who was now perifhing, and who just before had embraced him, faying, “O my dear, what will become of our dear children!" expecting that they would be left orphans. According to Mr. Field's report, there were with him and his wife on the ftack only Mr. Thornton, and Mr. George Boue; the former was firft washed away, and then his companion, who was a local preacher among the Methodists, and who endeavoured to calm the fears of the wretched crew by pious exhortations. As for the unfortunate Captain, he was feen hanging by the reef tackle; but he foon loft his hold, fell upon the deck, and was immediately washed overboard. From the general account given by both mariners and passengers who were faved, it is probable that many were washed away at an early period of the diftrefs; as they came up out of the cabin debilitated (efpecially the females) by their exertions to fave themselves, their fears, and the fea ficknefs; and the waves which went over them foon became fo heavy, that a ftrong man, in full poffeffion of his vigour, could not retain his hold, unlefs he were fo fituated as to be beaten again ft fome parts of the tackling of the veffel, or fo high in the shrouds as to be above the heavy preffure of the water. The fingular prefervation of Mr. Jeffe Carroway deferves particular notice, for, being almoft exhaufted with hanging a confiderable time by the boom, he was conveyed on the furface of a violent fea alive to the fhore, whilft the fame fea, as we have reafon to think, hurried fome to a watery death. The prefervation of those who had taken refuge in the fhrouds was equally furprising, when we recollect the ftate of weakness to which they were reduced by long watching and fatigue; which would have proved fatal to them alfo, had they continued in their critical fituation only a few hours longer One of thefe, John Bafbridge, a paffenger, and a youth used to the fea, being fo worn out as to be unable to use his arms any longer, was actually fufpended, for a fhort time, by his feet; from which pofition he was removed, in a state of infenfibility, by the affiftance of his fellow-fufferers. John Wood was fo debilitated, that having a little fiream to pass in his way to Reculver, whither most of them went when they got on fhore, took the precaution of going fideways through it, fearing he fhould be thrown down by this feeble obftruc tion, and apprehending, if he fell, he should rife no more. THE GRACE OF GOD MANIFESTED, B. R. G. IN AN ACCOUNT OF MRS. HITCHINS, OF ST. AGNES, CORNWALL. A MONG the various articles which compofe your Mifcellany, those which you infert in illuftration of The Grace of God, as far as I am capable of judging, are generally peculiarly acceptable and useful. And to all thofe, who fincerely fay, "Thy kingdom come," their being fo common must be matter of great joy. But though I have often read thefe, and fimilar accounts with pleasure, I never faw the grace of God more ftrikingly manifested, thau in the perfon of whom I have ventured to fend you the following imperfect memoir. I fay imperfect; for notwithstanding all that is related concerning her is true, to the beft of my knowledge: yet much more, might have been faid, and faid much better. Your inferting it as foon as convenient, will oblige, MRS. HITCHINS, the fubject of the prefent Memoir, had always a delicate conftitution, and rarely, if ever, knew what it was to enjoy good health. Her father died of a confumption, but happy in God, in the 28th year of his age, when he was little more than two years old. Her mother was afterwards married to Mr. Tyzzer, an upright man, who has long been the tried and the fteady friend VOL. XXXIII. FEBRUARY, 1810. K of of the preachers, and of Methodifm. And as the preachers lodged in his houfe, Mrs. H., from a child, was favoured with religious inftructions, pious examples, family prayer, and an opportunity of knowing the principles and ufages of the Methodists. Her natural difpofition was placid, but rather gay; and her morals were always irreproachable. When there was an almoft general revival of the work of God in this county, the facred power which humbled fo many proud finners to the duft, reached her heart also. She had fome spiritual light, fome convictions of the evil of fin, fome measure of the fear of God, and, perhaps, at times, fome degree of divine comfort. The people of God were her companions, and he frequently met with them to declare what the Lord was doing for her foul. But partly on account of her bodily infirmities, and the dampnefs of the room in which the Clafs ufed to meet; partly, because the feed of divine truth had not taken deep root in her heart, or, as the expreffed it in her last fickness, because the work was only "fuperficial; and partly, it may be prefumed, because she did not watch and pray as he ought to have done, she gave over meeting in Clafs, and loft much (I will not fay the whole) of that degree of piety which the then enjoyed. She always, however, attended preaching on Sunday mornings, when able, and, I believe, would have attended other meetings, had the not been of a confumptive habit, and ordered, if the valued her life, to avoid the night air. When, after her laft lying-in, the progrefs of her complaint rendered it neceffary that the fhould be removed to her mother's houfe that the might breathe in fofter air, the only objection which she had to this removal was on account of the preachers coming there every week not that the difliked the preachers, or their company, but, being conscious of her lofs, he was afraid they would fpeak to her about the fate of her foul. It is now, perhaps, about eight weeks fince the Lord vifited her again in fuch a remarkable manner as muft conftrain every gracious heart to fay," Bleffed be the Lord, the Lord God of Ifrael, who only doeth wonderous things! " Having rifen one day, after profafe fweating, to fee her Apothecary and Phyfician, he was afterwards feized with fuch violent fhiverings, that the hope of life was nearly cut off, and he thought it was full time to feek a preparation for " a better country" with all earnefinefs. Notwithstanding, therefore, the maid was with her in bed, fuch was the depth and ftrength of her concern for falvation, that the rofe above her ufual befetments, fear and fhame, and began to cry aloud for mercy: "O fpare me a little," faid he, "that I may recover my ftrength, before I go hence, and be no more feen. ” And again, "Nothing I ask or want befide, Of all in earth or heaven: And live and die forgiven.'" It might now be faid that he prayed indeed. Yea, fhe wrestled with the Lord" with ftrong crying and tears." Nor did fhe pray in vain for, having forrowed nearly a week, "after a godly fort," the Lord heard and anfwered her from his holy temple. Then the felt the sweet o'erwhelming power of grace divine: " and the following words of the Pfalmift, which the read again and again, with the greateft delight, expreffed the joyful language of her heart: "Blefs the Lord, O my foul: and all that is within me, blefs his holy name. Blefs the Lord, O my foul, and forget not all his be nefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities: who healeth all thy (moral) diseases; who redeemeth thy life from (eternal) destruction :" and, "who crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies." That a great and bleffed change, produced by the power of the Higheft, had now taken place, was evident to every fpirituallyminded perfon who was favoured with an opportunity of feeing and converfing with her. When I was firft indulged with an interview with Mrs H., after fhe had experienced "the washing of regenera. tion and renewing of the Holy Ghoft," though the confumption had greatly wafted and enfeebled her body, and it was with difficulty the could fpeak loud enough to be heard, yet, with a countenance ftrikingly expreffive of heaven-born peace, and conftrained by the love of Chrift, fhe exerted all her remaining ftrength to declare the loving-kindness of the Lord. It was then that the related to me, with the deepeft humility, the fincereft gratitude, and tears of holy joy, how she began to feek the Lord, how he manifefted himself unto her, and the unfpeakable happiness which followed the evidence of pardon and the prefence of Chrift in her heart. Then, fo greatly was the charmed with the beauty, and filled with the love of holiness, that he could scarcely think or speak of any thing else. Her confcience alfo was exceedingly tender : "Quick as the apple of an eye, The lighteft touch of fin to feel: " but, it should feem from the following circumftance, that it was rather too fcrupulous. While she was in this happy ftate, a young woman of her acquaintance came to fee her, who, fhe now thought, was a little too much conformed to the world in drefs. She ventured to make fome remarks on this fubject, and, when her friend was gone, the thought that the fhould have prefumed to find fault with any one, fo pained her mind, that by reasoning upon it, together with fatanic influence and great bodily weakness, he was robbed of her comfort and plunged into deep diftrefs again. Being alarmed at her prefent fituation, fhe called for her father-inJaw, and told him of her lofs: he endeavoured to encourage her; but the agitation of her mind brought on a burning fever, which continued till the Lord was pleafed to manifeft himself to her once more, and in fuch a manner, that the former glory was almost eclipfed by the fuperior brightnefs with which the Sun of Righteoufnefs then hone upon her foul. Then, the observed, he was doubly K bleffed : bleffed: for, when the Lord lifted upon her the light of his countenance, not only her distress, but her fever alfo fled; and with it, thofe heavy night fweats with which he had been frequently and painfully afflicted. The latter, however, only left her for awhile. From this time fhe was completely delivered from the fear of death, and gave every poffible evidence that he was a new creature." She could not bear any worldly conversation, or even a trifling word; but was altogether taken up with spiritual and eternal things. Chrift was unspeakably precious to her foul: His name was as ointment poured forth, and, to her He was "the fairest among ten thoufand and altogether lovely." The people of God alfo, especially the Methodifts, were now particularly near and dear to her. "Though I have not a name among you," faid he to me, "I am one with all my heart." And to another the faid, "O the dear Methodists! I live and die a Metho dift." And as for the Scriptures, never had the fo much light into, or value for them as now. The New Teftament and Hymn Books were her daily companions. Her love for fouls was very confiderable: this induced her to exhort all who came to fee her, either directly or indirectly to live to God. Her humility was both genuine and deep: "O, Sir," the would frequently fay in her converfation with me, "I am a worm, a worm." The deep fenfe which she had of her vilenefs and nothingness, not only effectually restrained her from fpeaking evil of any one, but also led her to prefer every other perfon before herfelf: or, to ufe her own words, "She could not bear to speak against any one, because the faw herself to be worfe than the worft." She was much in prayer, and was frequently heard to say, "Lord, increase my faith, confirm my hope, and perfect me in love." After which he would add, in a ftrong tone of affurance, "Thou wilt not take me till I am meet for heaven." In thanksgiving the abounded, being grateful to every perfon who fhewed her the leaft kindness, and for every bleffing, temporal and fpiritual, which he enjoyed. The confideration that she was not cut off in the perilous hour of child. birth, that she had the use of her reason, such an agreeable fitua. tion, a tender and affectionate mother to wait upon her, medical affiftance, all the kinds of food which inclination or appetite called for, and above all, that the Lord had been, and was ftill, fo very gracious to her foul, frequently melted her heart and constrained her to cry, “O why am I thus favoured!" And in the midst of her fevereft fufferings the was perfectly patient and refigned to the divine will, often faying, "What are my fufferings to the fufferings of Chrift?" And again, O what are all my fufferings here, When |