confider, that the beginning to backflide, is like the breaking forth of waters; which begin by little and little, and by a con tinual running, makes the breach wider and wider, till, at length, there is a rapid torrent, and an extenfive and defolating inundation. If you have fuffered the leaft lofs, immediately fet about recovering it again. Delay not, no not for a moment, left you be hardened thro' the deceitfulness of fin. If you hold fast the bes ginning of your confidence, continue to guard against those things, by which the backflider in heart fell from God. Go on unto perfection, let your eye be fingle, live in the fpirit of watchfulnefs, avoid all unprofitable converfation. "For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you, that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election fure: For if ye do these things, ye fhall never fall; for so an entrance fhall be miniftered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift."

WHITBY, Nov. 28, 1799.

THOMAS WOOD.

An Account of the Experience and Death of Mrs. HANNAH Woon, of Manchester.

HE

ER maiden Name was Hayward. She was born at Taddington, in Derbyshire, in 1749. Her parents were pious, and laboured early to inftil into her mind religious principles. Her mother was a pattern of holiness, and long adorned the profesfion he made. Their houfe was the first that was opened for the reception of the preachers in those parts. Hannah had by grace a very tender confcience, and from her early infancy was followed by divine impreffions. At five years of age, if the had done any thing which the knew to be finful, her mind was fo uneafy, that fleep departed from her, or she was terrified by alarming dreams. Her chearful obedience to the commands of her parents, was remarkable; and even in fmall matters, however dear the object of her defires might be, yet when she saw it was not agreeable to them, the ftrove rather to mortify herself, than to difoblige them. She was gently drawn by love; but was not clearly convinced of fin till her fifteenth year, when at a prayermeeting. From that time, the faw herfelf to be a finner, but did not feel the burden of her fins to be fo heavy as many do. She immediately met in clafs, and in every respect evidenced her defire of falvation. In her 17th year, her mother was taken to her eternal reward. Hannah felt the lofs, and her convictions deepened. About a year after, the removed to Manchester, and met in Mrs. Brierley's clafs, whom, for the fpace of twenty years, fhe proved to be a spiritual mother. She foon found peace with GOD, and was enabled to fhew her faith by her works.

Her

her fteady, uniformn walk, was acknowledged, by all that knew her, to be fuch as became the Gospel of Chrift. When she entered into the marriage state, her zeal was not leffened, nor her fervour abated; the ftill preferved a fingle eye, and a pure intention. She was a pattern of diligence and frugality, of felf-denial and taking up the crofs daily; being diligent in business, and at the fame time fervent in fpirit, ferving the Lord.

Altho', foon after her juftification fhe faw the neceffity of a farther work of grace, yet it was fome years before the was deeply convinced that without holiness no man shall see the Lord. She then fought that bleffing earnestly, and was foon 'enabled to testify that the blood of Jefus cleanseth from all fin.

Being obliged to remove to Stockport on account of business, fhe refided there four years, and met in Mr. Lavender's clafs. The trials fhe met with were neither few nor fmall, but fhe bore them with humble refignation and chriftian fortitude; and evidenced by her life, that the enjoyed the religion of Jefus. On her return to Manchester, her trials feemed to increase, and the waded thro' deep waters, but the endured temptation with exemplary meekness and patience. About fix years after, it pleased the Lord to take her husband to himfelf; he died remarkably happy. In the midst of this fevere affliction fhe was enabled to fay, "Thy Will be done." From the time the became a widow, her way feemed to be more plain, and Providence bleffed all her undertakings with remarkable fuccefs. Her charity, tho' private, was not fmall; for fhe was a faithful steward of what the Lord intrufted to her care. When an opportunity occured of being useful, no trouble or expence was taken into the account. She was not one that loved to be talking of herself; and when it was neceffary to relate her experience, fhe did it in the most humble language; for as fhe increafed in the knowledge of God, the lefs the appeared in her own eyes, and her words were few, but well feafoned with grace. She was also remarkable not only for honefty and uprightness, but for punctuality in all her dealings.

The four laft years of her life were one continual scene of affliction ;-being feldom free from pain for one moment during that time, occafioned by a violent rheumatic complaint, accompanied with a fevere cough: Yet the Grace of God enabled her to bear this affliction without murmuring or repining. In the beginning of laft Auguft, fhe was attacked by a nervous fever, which foon impaired her memory, and brought on fuch a lowness of fpirits, that it was a burden for her to fpeak to any one: Nevertheless she still continued to enjoy the comfortable prefence of God, which fupported her in the midst of all diftreffes and temptations. About three weeks before her departure, the Lord was VOL. XXIV, FEB. 1801.

I

pleased

pleased to give her a clearer and stronger evidence of fanctification than the had ever experienced.

During the whole of her fickness, she continually expreffed a fenfe of her great unworthinefs, and God's aftonishing goodness. When one faid to her, a few days before her death, "You are now about to receive your eternal reward; and the Lord will fay unto you, Well done, good and faithful servant," &c. She interrupted him by faying, "No: Not faithful!-not faithful, in any one thing."-The next day her speech was taken from her by a ftroke of the palfy, fo that he could not speak to be underftood:-Nevertheless, by figns to her friends, the intimated, that the confolations of Chrift abounded, and that the was continually happy in his Love. The day before her death, fhe partook of the Lord's-Supper, and was abundantly refreshed in fpirit; her countenance was changed that it feemed as if glory fhone in her face. She continued in this frame till Sept. 30, when the refigned her happy fpirit into the hands of God.

An Account of Mr. ROBERT ROBINSON, of Coningsby,
near Horncastle, Lincolnshire.

MR

R. ROBINSON was born at Coningsby, Nov. 23, 1765. When he was about four years old, he was much affected with hearing his mother read the Pilgrim's Progrefs. Soon after, the Lord was pleased to awaken him to a sense of his condition as a finner, and gave him to fee that he must travel thro' this world, as he had heard the Pilgrim did, and then he would find the celestial city. He wept much in fecret, and befought the Lord to forgive his fins, and make him happy in his Love. He often feared to fleep, left he should awake in hell. However, the Lord gave him a degree of comfort, and fuch a hope of Salvation as encouraged him to prefs forward. He often found it profitable to be alone in the evening to view the moon and ftars: He believed the Maker of them all was above, and that hell was beneath, ready to receive all who lived and died ungodly.

When he was about ten years old he dreamed that the day of judgment was come, and that all were to be judged according to their works. There were with him, as he thought, many who had been addicted to fwearing whom the Judge looked upon with great feverity, which made him tremble, both for them and for himself. The Judge pronounced the decifive fentence, and many, in the greateft diftrefs moved off to the left. The Judge, with a fmile, beckoned him to go, and ftand among the redeemed. He rejoiced at this, as he thought, with a joy_unfpeakable, and returned thanks to his gracious Deliverer. This dream had a good effect on his mind; but having no one to. inftruct

inftruct him, he had not clear views of the plan of falvation. However, he saw that his present state was far from being a safe one, which induced him to intreat the Lord to teach him his will, and how to worship him aright. He believed the Lord had a people somewhere, who loved and served him, and were happy in fo doing. With that people he wished to be acquainted, because he thought they would inftruct him, and do him good. The gofpel had been preached some time in Coningsby, and there were a few Methodists in the place, but he had no knowledge of them. He was fteady, and from a principle of honefty, faithfully discharged his duty, doing to others as he would that they should do to him. But he was fenfible, that nothing which he could do, would merit the favour and the love of God. He felt fin to be a burden, and the depravity of his nature appeared in fuch a light, that he faw the neceffity of an entire change of heart, before it was poffible for him to enter into heaven.

In 1781, he removed to another part of the parish of Coningfby, where he first heard of the Methodists. He was told,That the Methodists were a people not fit to live; that they affirmed that the Lord had pardoned their fins;-that he made them happy, and answered their prayers. Mr. Robinson thought these praying perfons were the people of God, and wished to be acquainted with them. He had an uncle who was a member of the Society; he therefore, on a preaching night, waited for his uncle's coming by, hoping to be afked to go to the preaching. His uncle invited him as he expected; and that night he heard the glad tidings of falvation published thro' Chrift. He was fatisfied that the Lord Jefus was the Saviour he wanted, to make him happy and fit him for heaven, He foon became acquainted with a few pious perfons, who encouraged him to go on in the Name of the Lord. He was thankful for their advice, and embraced every opportunity of hearing the word. One evening, being at preaching, the word came with power to his foul, and he thought he could claim all the promises in the Bible for his own. returned home by himself, and was meditating on what he had heard, he was foon led to think of death and judgment, but found himself prepared for neither. Altho' he had been much comforted under preaching, yet he was now ready to perish, and cried out,

"Save, JESUS, or I yield, I fink!

O fave me, or I die!;"

As he

that moment the Lord was pleased to fet his foul at liberty, and fill him with peace and joy in believing. All old things were paffed away, and all things in him were become new. As he had opportunity, he spent his time either in reading the Bible, hearing the gospel, or converfing with his chriftian friends. He faw he had no time to lose, and was convinced that he stood in need

of all the instruction he could obtain both from the word and from the people of God; he therefore joined the Society in the beginning of 1782, and continued a steady member till he was called to join the church triumphant above.

Altho' he was exercised with manifold temptations, yet he' never loft his first love. Feeling the power of religion in his own foul, he earnestly prayed that his parents, brothers, and fifters, might experience the fame bleffing. The Lord heard his cry, and in 1783, his brother Thomas was convinced, and found peace with God. In 1784, their parents began earnestly to seek the Lord, and foon found the pearl of great price, and they bleffed the Lord for his great goodness to them and their children. The young men continued to pray for their fifters, and the Lord heard them, and brought their fifters into his marvellous Light, and then the whole family rejoiced in God, and worshipped him in spirit and in truth.

The two Brothers walked together with pleasure in the way to Heaven; comforting, strengthening, and building up each other in their most holy faith. In 1790, Thomas was appointed an Itinerant Preacher, and faithfully laboured for fome months in the Lord's Vineyard; but in the midst of his usefulness, he fell ill of a confumption, and died happy, in the month of December, 1792.

Mr. Robinson was much affected with the death of his brother, yet he rejoiced in expectation that they should, in a little time, meet again to part no more. A little before his brother died, he had been waiting for a place in the Excise, but being afflicted with a complaint in his breaft, he relinquished that defign, and applied for medical affiftance. But finding no relief, and his dif order growing worse, he then turned his attention to phyfic and furgery. At that time, his defign was only to help himself, in which he happily fucceeded. Soon after, a number of perfons came to him, in different cafes, and the Lord profpered what he took in hand, and crowned his labour with abundant fuccefs. He then made phyfic his chief ftudy; and as he poffeffed a good understanding, by great diligence he acquired confiderable knowledge of phyfic, and the Sciences connected with it.

In 1794, his mother, and one of his fifters, died happy in the Lord. In September 1795, he entered into the marriage state; and from that time was particularly devoted to the Lord. The first year after his marriage, he was bleffed with a tolerable ftate of health. He frequently faid to his wife," We ought to make good use of our time; and as we enjoy health, and all the bleffings of life, we fhould lay up for ourselves a good foundation against the time to come, and be always found watching, and prepared to meet the Lord."