of the probability of his being cut off, he fent his laft WILL and wishes to his beloved paftor, which clofed for ever all epiftolatory correfpondence between them.

Here private friendship, having done its office, in com-. municating the foregoing particulars, finifhes with a secret figh relieved alone by humble hope-leaving the fequel to be to told by extracts from the Journal of the Royal Ad

miral.

May 24, 1800. The Surgeon, Mr. Turner, very ill. * 26th.

Dr. Turner is in a very dangerous fever; we are much alarmed at the increase of this epidemical difeafe. To-day there are fifteen convicts in the hofpital taken ill of that fever, which is exactly defcribed by Buchan, in his Domeftic Medicine, p. 196.

30th. One of the births + in our study being given to Dr. Turner at the beginning of his illness, confequently he was continually attended by the brethren; and for fome nights we have fat up with him. Now he grows delirious! but at times he enjoys his fenfes; and laft might at intervals expreft an earneft defire to be clothed with the righteoufnefs of Chrift.

June ift. In the afternoon held a Prayer Meeting in behalf of our brother Turner, he feems to be confiderably worfe fince yesterday forenoon.

Monday 2d. Since laft Saturday morning Dr. Turner spoke but little. To-day he was quite fpeechlefs. Almoft through his illness he had fome expectation of getting better, though for fome time paft we had not the least hopes of his recovery. This day perceiving his diffolution drawing near, fome of the brethren engaged in prayer (as we have done feveral times before) on his behalf. Juft as they concluded, about forty minutes past three in the afternoon, his foul being freed from his earthly tabernacle, departed to be with Chrift (as we have reafon to hope) which is far better. His body was put in a coffin, and at half past fix depofited in the great deep; till the time when "the fea fhall give up its dead." J. Youl read the burial fervice; then the brethren fung four lines which * A letter from one of the Miffionaries fays, Dr. Turner caught the fever from the convicts before he left England.

Mr. Mitchell's.

Mr.

Mr. Turner repeated with peculiar delight fome days before his death.

Jefus fought me when a ftranger,
"Wand'ring from the fold of God;
"He to refcue me from danger,

"Interpos'd his precious blood."

J. Elder read the 14th chapter of Job, and gave an exhortation. Afterwards a fuitable hymn was fung with great animation. We concluded with prayer, and finging part of the 107th pfalm. All that were prefent behaved decently; fome were much affected, efpecially the brethren that had been with him in the Duff. Thus ended the life of our brother Turner, after an illness of fourteen days, which he bore with patience. His death was regretted by all on board, as he was much efteemed both as a Surgeon and as a Chriftian. Though he was mostly delirious the latter part of his illness, yet, at intervals, we had much fatisfaction as to his experience of the power of divine Truth. May 23d, he defired to fee the watch of one of the brethren, and when our brother enquired whether the time appeared long unto him; he faid, "My time will foon be gone, I do not expect to live many days." Next day he afked one of the brethren to read the 53d chapter of Ifaiah: he then feemed to be refreshed, and expreffed his confidence in him whowas made fin for us, and that whereever he began a good work he would carry it on to the day of Chrift. Another time he expreffed his defire of coming out of the furnace of affliction purified and fitted for his ftation among the convicts. One evening, when we were at family worship, he ftrove eagerly to fing with us, but was foon overcome. One day he complained of a wandering heart, and that it was not fo much with God as he withed, repeating thefe words;

O to grace how great a debtor
"Daily I'm constrain'd to be;
May that grace now, like a fetter,
"Bind my wand'ring heart to thee.”

Leaving Turner, let us each regard our own fituation and cafe. Time is fhort! Our fands run faft! The river of death is before us! We ftand even now on its brink! Let us eagerly grafp at the hope fet before us! Then life, then death, then eternity, then the heavenly inheritance is ours! Hallelujah, to God and the Lamb!

W. M.

ON WINTER.

Fond man

Behold thy pictur'd life! pafs fome few years
Thy flowery fpring; thy ardent fummer; thy
Sober autumn fading into age: And

Pale concluding winter comes at last
And fhuts the scene!

O fung one of the fweeteft British bards: and fhall he fing in vain? Ali no; let us, in contemplating the prefent gloomy feafon, lift up our hearts to the God of mercy, and beg his affiftance to keep our fouls from coldnefs and barrennefs. Cheerlefs is the winter, but let not our hearts be cheerlefs; for in winter was the God of our falvation born: perhaps to fhew us when in the depth of affliction, when we blindly think that all things are against us, and when all hope of being faved is loft, that we have an all-wife and an almighty Saviour; but his ways are not our ways, nor his thoughts as our thoughts. The north wind blows bleak; black looks the atmosphere; all Nature feems to low'r, all Nature seems to frown. If winter wears fo unpleafing an afpect to those who are in plenty, what muft it wear to the houfelefs child of want! What must be the feelings of that mother who has neither warmth nor food to impart to her children? What the fenfations of that man who through the hardness of the times cannot procure bread for his family. Ah, my friends, that mother's feelings is as exquifitely formed for maternal fenfifibility as your own: that man's heart is as affectionate as the fondeft father's, the tendereft hufband's: and fhall fuch "Solicit the cold hand of charity ?

To fhock us more-folicit it in vain !"

I know the hand of the Christian is open: the heart of the philanthropist expands at human mifery. But O, ye fons of feftive mirth; ye daughters of thoughtless gaiety, can you exclude all feelings from your hearts as eafily as you do the cold from your habitations! When you fit in plenty furrounded by every elegance, even to luxuriance, can you with to think of the poor?

You feel not the northern blast, you feel not the chill of poverty; but hundreds of the children of God feel it: and this commandment have we from him, "that he who loves God, love his brothers alfo." John iv. 7.

* But

"But little think the gay licentious throng
"Whom pleasure, pomps, and affluence furround:
"Ah, little think they, as they dance along,
"How many feel this very moment death,
"And all the fad variety of woe."

THOMSON.

But though they feel not the inclemency of winter skies, they will one day feel the chill hand of death. It will be vain then to wifh they had their time again. With what horror will they then recollect those words --For "with the fame measures that ye mete withal, it shall be measured to you again!"

Then while life is lent, be emulous of the god-like virtue of diffufing to others the bleffings and comforts you enjoy.

This gloomy feafon is a proper emblem of our natural ftate by fin-as the fucceeding fpring is of our converfion and renovation by grace divine. Then may we fay with the Church, "The winter is paft-the rain is over, and gone." To thofe who have experienced this happy change, all the fucceffive feafons are full of mercy; and they can fee the bounteous hand of their God in all the varieties of the revolving year. The grace of Chrift in the heart, and the blood of atonement fprinkled on the confcience, will give joy in the midft of Nature's gloom, and peace amidst all her tempefts.

Though the prefent season is gloomy and freezing, and Nature feems inanimate let not the freezing influence extend to our hearts. But O, that zeal and love may enkindle in our bofoms; and difplay itfelf in love to God and man remembering thofe words of our Lord, "For as much as ye did it unto the leaft of thefe my brethren, ye did it unto me."

VILLAGE DIALOGUES.

DIALOGUE II. Thomas is engaged in clearing ground.

W

Farmer.

ELL, Thomas, you are going on with the job

apace.

T. See, mafter, what a deal of weeds, and rubbish, we

have

have got together within these few days. All this puts me in mind of the natural heart of man, that there can be nothing done it, till the weeds and filth of fin are got out of it; and fin has taken deeper root in our hearts, than thefe briars and weeds have in this ground; and when we have got them all together, we fhall burn them out of the way. May the Lord do the fame in all our hearts!

F. Why, Thomas, I think Mr. Lovegood will make a parfon of you.

T. Thank the Lord for his mercy! I hope he has made a Christian of me; and that is all I want. But, master, I hope all is well at home, as you was not here yesterday, according as you faid.

:

F. O yes, but I could not get away from the parishmeeting time enough and there came in Dick Heedlefs for relief, becaufe his wife was brought to-bed, and though he had but two children before, he declared they were all ftarving. So I thought I would go and fee; and to be fure fuch ragged children, fuch a dirty houfe, and bed: fuch broken windows. and heaps of filth in every corner, I never faw before, in all my born days: so I told the veftry, that he had better wages than you, as I always gave him task work, otherwife he would not work at all; and he is a ftrong hearty fellow, and can do a deal of work if he likes it and when I told him to come to your house, and you would put him in a better way of living; he fwore a great oath, and said, he never would be of your religion, for he was not bred up to your way of thinking.

T. Ah! when poor labouring men muft run away to every wake, horfe-race, boxing match, and cock-fight, no wonder, that there is nothing left for the family. I am glad 'Squire Worthy is determined to put them all down in our parish, for our minifter, preached a trimming fermon against them all; and the 'fquire thanked him for it in the church yard, and before all the people; and promifed him, there fhould be no fuch doings in that parish; I promise you, mafter, we never were fo well off before; what between the minifter and the 'fquire, there is not half the wickedness in our parish, that there was a few years ago.

F. There are not many fuch 'fquires as 'Squire Worthy in our parts.

T. The Lord send more of them, master! for it is wonderful the good our 'fquire does in fetting fuch a good example. Hail, rain, or fhing, let who will be away from

chuch