To the Editor.

SIR, If the following Letter, lately sent me by one of our members, be thought suitable for the public eye, it is at your service.

I am yours, GAIUS. "Dear Sir,

As you wish for some account of my late dear Mrs. D—, I shall endeavour to recount a few particulars of her life and death; partly from what I have heard her relate, and partly from my own knowledge.

"She was descended from a family of French Protestants, of the name of Hannate. Her grandfather, was brought over in the arms of his parents, on the revocation of the edict of Nantes. He lived somewhere in the Fens of Lincolnshire, or Cam. bridgeshire. Her father settled at Yaxwell, near Oundle, in Northamptonshire. He retained a decent moral character, and was attached to the established church: but all serious religion, whatever it might have been before, appears by this time to have been lost in the family. When she was about fourteen or fifteen years of age, her father took an apprentice. This lad had heard the gospel among the Dissenters he brought several books with him, particularly the writings of Hervey. These lying in her way, she would sometimes read in them; and having done so, would converse with the apprentice on the subjects. By degrees, she was convinced that neither she nor her parents had any true reli. gion; and became very unhappy on this account. Dissatisfied with hearing at the parish church, where she could obtain no instruction how she should be saved, she for some time stopped at home on the Lord's Day, and employed herself in read. ing. Her father at this was greatly displeased; and, in order to induce her to go as usual, told her that if she did not, the clergyman should come to the house and reprove her. bhe said she wished he would, for

she wanted to have some talk with him but he did not come.

:

"Her father perceiving the unhappiness of her mind, was deterred from using force, or pressing the matter of her going to church, by an apprehension of her becoming melancholy; and therefore told her she might go, if she chose it, to Oundle Meeting. But her mind was rather to go to Aldwinkle church. This was more displeasing to her father than if she had gone to Oundle; on which account he refused her a horse. She went, however, for some time on foot, though it was nine or ten miles distant. At length a horse was allowed her; and her brother used to take her there. On their return, they would often converse on what they had been hear. ing. After a while her father went himself, and took her behind him; and so interested was he with the preaching, that after this he would frequently go, and take her mother, and some one of her sisters with him. In short, there was reason to hope, that he and several of the family were brought to the true knowledge of Jesus Christ. God, from the mouth of babes, will perfect praise: the entering of a serious lad into this family, proved the means of its salvation!

"About the year 1776 she came to Kettering, and soon afterwards we were married. Here she had greater opportunity for religious improvement than formerly, it was not, how. ever, as you know, till within a few years of her death that she became a member of the church. By your ministry she was much edified and strengthened in the ways of God.

"After having borne nine children, her constitution was much impaired. A shortness of breath and pain in the stomach frequently attended her. It was said at length to be a dropsy in the chest: a grievous and sore affliction it proved to her but though of a nervous habit, and con sequently rather of a fretful temper, she was enabled to bear it with 3 M

much Christian patience, and humble resignation to the will of her Heavenly Father. I do not recollect, that during the last four months of her life, which were very trying, she ever shewed any signs of impatience; though she once on my going into the room exclaimed, with tears," I am afraid I shall not have patience till death!" I answer. ed, 'I hope the God of patience will give you patience;' after which she was composed in mind.

Her disorder was of such a nature as, in a great degree, to deprive her of the conversation of her friends; which added to her affliction. You yourself, whom she loved as her pastor, was not admitted, as you know, above two or three times during her illness. She could seldom converse, or hear any conversation from her own family. She told me, however, one morning, that she had had such affecting views of God, of Christ, and of the heavenly state, that she longed to have had pen and ink to have written them down. She would often say to me, “Do not pray for my life." One time, when I went into the room, expect ing to find her near her end, she with smiling composure looked at me, and said, “Come, my dear, cheer up: you have a family that requires your attention: I must die, you know, some time."

She was very fond of reading the "Book of Job," and Mrs. Harrison's Songs in the Night."

When unable to read herself, she would get one of the children to read to her. I once offered to read to her the life of Mr. Pearce; but she answered, "It is so affecting, I cannot bear it." I found afterwards, however, that her daughter had been reading it to her.

"The precious promises of God were a great consolation to her: she would often express her assured confidence in the faithfulness of her God and Saviour; nor did she appear to entertain any doubt as to her state, though she would often say, as conscious of her own unworthiness, "Why me, Lord? why me? I have no dependence on any thing I have done, or can do.”

For the last six weeks she was in constant expectation of death. She would sometimes put her hand on her breast, under what she conceived must be dying sensations, and cry, "Welcome death! wel come death!" but feeling them tə subside, would answer herself, "No, not yet." On the Lord's Day she would say to the nurse, "Ó! how I could wish to spend this Sabbath above! to go and join the blessed assembly there!" Her wish in this matter, I trust, was granted her; for on Lord's Day morning, April the 6th, 1800, in the 48th year of her age, she depar ted, seemingly unperceived by her self, or those about her.

Yours, M. D.

Periodical Accounts relating to the Missions of the United Brethren, established among the Heathen. No. xxxvii.

THIS number contains, I. Diary of the Brethren's Missions in the Danish West India islands, of 1801. 11. Life of the negro Cornelius. III. Various accounts.- - From the Diary it appears, that the year 1801 was distinguished by occurrences of a very afflictive nature among the

negro congregations in the island of St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. Jan. In the latter particularly, th Missionaries were obliged, in consequence of the war, to give up their habita. tion for the use of the British troops who were wounded. In this hospital death made great ravages; for in the space of two months, 120 of the soldiers and others died. Nevertheless, during these trou bles, "Our Saviour," says the wri. ter, "caused our negroes to search

their own hearts, and examine how they stood with respect to their love towards him, and those who labour among them in his name; and how they had regarded his word preached unto them and there were various instances of persons, whose faithfulness became more manifest by these trials. One of the negroes at Friedensberg, said, "If we can only get to a place where we may hear the gospel, and live in conformity to it as children of God, we are willing to leave all the rest." Another negro-brother in St. Thomas's said, The enemy may shoot me dead, or do with me what they please, if they only do no harm to our teachers, nor drive them from the island.' In the course of the year, in their six dif. ferent settlements in these islands, 272 negroes belonging to the congregation, departed into eternal rest; and pleasing accounts are given of the happy death of several of them. The congregations of believing negroes in the three islands, consisted at the close of 1801, of 10,276 souls. The life of Cornelius, a negro. assistant in the Mission at St. Tho. mas's, is interesting.-He was called by grace above fifty years ago, and soon began to preach Christ to his Countrymen. He was blessed with considerable talents, and was able to speak and write the Creole. Dutch, Danish, German, and English languages. Till 1767 he was a slave: he first purchased the freedom of his wife, and then laboured hard to gain his own liberty, which at last he effected, after much intreaty and the payment of a considerable sum. By degrees he was also enabled to purchase the emancipation of his six children. He learned the business of a mason so well, that he was appointed master-mason to the royal buildings; and had the honour to lay the foundation - stone of six Christian chapels for the use of the brethren. His gifts for preaching were good, and remarkably acceptable, not only to the negroes, but to many of the whites. He spent even whole nights in visiting the different plantations; yet was by no means puffed up, but ever re

tained the character of a humble servant of Christ. When death approached (which was in Nov. 1801) he sent for his family his children and grandchildren assembled round the bed of the sick pa. rent: he summoned up all his strength, sat up in the bed, uncovered his venerable head, adorn. ed with locks as white as snow, and addressed them thus :

"I rejoice exceedingly, my dearly beloved children, to see you once more together before my departure; for I believe that my Lord and Saviour will soon come, and take your father home to himself. You know, my dear children, what my chief concern has been respecting you, as long as I was with you; how frequently I have exhorted you, with tears, not to neglect the day of grace, but surrender yourselves, with soul and body to your God and Redeemer; to follow him faithfully. Sometimes I have dealt strictly with you, in matters which I believed would bring harm to your souls, and grieve the Spirit of God; and I have exerted my paternal authority to prevent mischief; but it was all done out of love to you; however, may have happened that I have been sometimes too severe : if this has been the case, I beg you, my dear children, to forgive me. O, forgive your poor dying father!"

Here he was obliged to stop, most ́ of the children weeping and sobbing aloud. At last, one of the daughters recovering herself, said, "We, dear father, we alone have cause to ask forgiveness; for we have often made your life heavy, and have been disobedient children." The rest joined in the same confession. The father then continued," Well, my dear children, if you all have forgiven me, then attend to my last wish and dying request. Love one another! do not suffer any quarrels and disputes to arise among you, after my decease. No, my children," raising his voice," Love one another cordally: let each strive to shew proofs of love to his brother or sis, ter, nor suffer yourselves to be tempted by any thing to become