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July 17th.-At Groombridge, in the Lewes Circuit, Miss Dinah Killick, aged forty-eight years. When she was twenty years of age, her mind became enlightened through the instrumentality of the Wesleyan Ministers; and, in the autumn of 1813 she joined the Methodist society, and soon after found peace with God. For the last eleven years she was confined to her house. She bore her long affliction with truly Christian fortitude and patience, and was specially supported by the grace of the Lord Jesus. She always appeared to be perfectly resigned to the will of God, and in seasons of great pain avowed a strong confidence in him. Towards the close of life, she expressed herself as happy in his love; and her end was peace.

J. S.

July 28th.-At Grange, in the Mountrath Circuit, Mrs. Sidney Maria Mason, the beloved wife of Edward Mason, Esq. She bore a very long and painful illness with great patience, and con

cluded her mortal course in the full triumph of
Christian faith. Nearly her last words were,

"O grave, where is thy victory?
O death, where is thy sting?"

R. B.

Aug. 8th.-At Staineross, in the Barnsley Circuit, after a long an severe affliction, Mrs. M. Shaw, in the eighty fifth year of her age. She had been a member of the Methodist society about sixtythree years, and died in peace. H. C.

Aug. 10th.-At Haughton-Chapel, in the Ashton-under-Line Circuit, Mr. Joseph Blackshaw, aged sixty-six years. He was a pious, upright man, greatly beloved by all his neighbours, and especially by the Wesleyan society of that place. He had been a member of the society thirty-six years, and a Class-Leader twenty-seven. He died in great peace, with heaven in full prospect.

POETRY.

T. H.

LINES ON THE DEATH OF MRS. MARY ANN GAY WILSON:
Sent to her bereaved Husband two days after that solemn Event.

BY BERNARD BARTON.

"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." i. 3, 4.)

How sweet to think, in sorrow's hour,

That HE who reigns above,
Although supreme in sovereign power,
Is as supreme in love!

How sweet to know, when thus the axe
Is to our gourds decreed,

HE will not quench the smoking flax,
Nor break the bruised reed!

But that to those who kiss the rod,
By Him in mercy sent,

The staff of comfort from their God
Shall in His love be lent.

(2 Cor.

Sustain'd by this, with hopes serene,

Though earth's best joys seem gone,
On this, like Jacob, they shall lean,
And worship Him thereon.

For God, who binds the broken heart,
And dries the mourner's tear,
If faith and patience be their part,
Will unto these be near.

Let such but say, "Thy will be done!"
And HE who JESUS raised

Will qualify them through His love,
To add, "Thy name be praised! "
Woodbridge, June 9th, 1835.

THE WATERS OF LIFE.

BY JAMES MONTGOMERY.

Then Israel sang this

"From thence (Arnon, in the wilderness) they went to Beer; that is the well whereof the Lord spake unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water. song, Spring up, O well! Sing ye unto it! The Princes digged the well, the Nobles of the people digged it, by the direction of the Lawgiver, with their staves." (Numbers xxi. 16-18.)

SPRING up, O well! Sweet fountain,

spring,

And fructify the desert sand.
Sing, ye that drink : the waters sing,

They dance along the smiling land,
With flowers adorn, with verdure dress,
The waste and howling wilderness.
Ho! every one that thirsts, draw nigh,
Fainting with sickness, worn with toil;
Let him that hath no money buy,

Buy milk and honey, wine and oil,
-Those four-fold streams of Paradise,
Priceless, because above all price.
Come to the pool, ye lame and blind!
Ye lepers to this Jordan come ;
Sight, strength, and healing each may
find:

Approach the waves,

dumb!

ye deaf and
Their joyful sound ye soon shall hear,
And your own voice salute your ear.
In every form the waters run,

Rill, river, torrent, lake, and sea;
Through every clime beneath the sun,
Free as the air, as daylight free,
Till earth's whole face the floods o'er-
sweep,

As ocean's tides the channell'd deep.
As moved, with mighty wings out-spread,
God's Spirit o'er the formless void,
So be that Spirit's influence shed

To new-create a world destroy'd,
Till all that died through Adam's fall
Revive in Christ, who died for all.
Sheffield, July 23d, 1835.

LONDON-Printed by James Nichols, 46, Hoxton-Square.

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Wesleyan-Methodist Magazine,

FOR OCTOBER, 1835.

BIOGRAPHY.

MEMOIR OF THE REV. JOHN ROSSELL:

BY THE REV. JOIN CHETTLE.

THE late Mr. Rossell was born at Loughborough, in July, 1777. He was not favoured with a religious education; and until the year 1794, he appears to have lived a stranger to God and spiritual things. In that year, he united himself to the Wesleyan society at Hathem, the place where he served his apprenticeship. This step was not taken without consideration. One blessing attending this act of decision was, a freedom from his ungodly companions, and from the evils into which Happy he would probably have fallen, had he remained undecided. would it be, were all young persons under religious concern, without conferring with flesh and blood, at once to draw this line of separation between themselves and the vain world. Many, through the neglect of this duty, stifle convictions, lose their good desires, and gradually fall To the adoption of this meainto their former state of indifference.

In

sure, Mr. Rossell was often heard to advert with gratitude to God. the means of grace peculiar to the community into which he had entered, his views of divine things became more vivid and affecting; and after seeking for some time, he was made a joyful partaker of salvaHis soul now magnified the tion from the guilt and power of sin. Lord, and his spirit rejoiced in God his Saviour. Having tasted of the goodness of God, he became anxiously concerned that others might enjoy the same blessing; and in a short time he began to call sinners to repentance, and direct the penitent to the only Saviour of guilty man. After the expiration of his apprenticeship, he removed to Leicester, and exercised his talents as a Local Preacher in that Circuit. In 1799 the Rev. Jonathan Edmondson, under whose superintendence he had been for two years, recommended him as a suitable person to be employed in the itinerant labours of a Methodist Minister. passed with credit the four years of his probation, he was, in 1803, received into full ministerial connexion with his brethren. From the commencement to the close of his public life, he maintained an unblemished reputation, was generally acceptable and useful, esteemed and beloved His preaching was plain, by the people amongst whom he laboured.

Having

animated, and useful. His opportunities of improvement in early life.
were very limited, but he became diligent in reading and study, and
successfully cultivated his mind. He seems never to have lost sight of
the great end of the Gospel ministry, the conversion of sinners, and
3 C
the building up of the body of Christ. His ministry was sometimes
VOL. XIV. Third Series. OCTOBER, 1835.

attended with an uncommon power, and his hearers were much impressed with the weighty truths he delivered.

His temper was amiable, his manners were courteous, and he was a pleasant and instructive companion. As a husband, he was affectionate and kind; as a master, mild and gentle, and greatly beloved by his domestics. As a father, and head of a family, like Abraham, he taught his children and his household the fear of the Lord, and to walk in the statutes of his God. His attention to their spiritual interests has been crowned by the blessing of Heaven; and the pleasing probability is, that he and his pious relict will have the happiness of saying at last, "Here are we, and the children Thou hast given us."

As a Pastor, he was diligently attentive to his flock, visiting, advising, relieving, and comforting the members of the society, as their states and circumstances required. As a Superintendent, he was judicious and mild; yet firm in exercising and enforcing the discipline of the body. Many of the Circuits in which he laboured were by his prudent plans relieved from pecuniary embarrassment, and blessed with spiritual prosperity. His head and heart, his time and talents, were devoted to their proper work. So sensible were the people of his value, that in several of his stations he was gladly retained as long as our rules would permit. His last illness was short. On Sunday, November 13th, 1831, he went into the country in his usual state of health; but after preaching in the morning, and taking a slight dinner, he was attacked by a disease which soon terminated his life. He, however, preached in the afternoon and evening, when he felt himself considerably worse, and hastened home. On the following day medical aid was called in. Recourse was had to the lancet, leeches, and blisters, which for a time seemed to check the progress of the disease, and hopes were entertained of his recovery. But these hopes were fallacious. On the 28th his strength suddenly sank to the lowest prostration, his speech was scarcely audible; and his case appeared hopeless. His mind was kept in sweet peace, and his will acquiesced in the will of his heavenly Father. He seemed absorbed in spiritual contemplations, with his eye fixed on the recompence of reward. The little he was able to say was perfectly satisfactory to his distressed family and Christian friends. His work was done, and he was prepared for the coming of his Lord. A short time before he expired, he said, " 'My sufferings are almost more than I can bear; but Jesus is precious; yes, he is precious." On the Tuesday morning, December 6th, his sanctified spirit fled from its prison, and entered into rest. The respect shown by the society and congregation in Gainsborough, for their departed Minister, gave ample proof that he was much esteemed, and his loss deeply lamented.

Mr. Rossell was not one of those Ministers who astonish the world by the brilliancy of their talents, and the extent of their acquirements; but he was a man of God, and preached the truth with fidelity and success.

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