You may yet get better, and go to your own country.' He replied, "I no care for myfelf; if I die I go to Heaven; but my poor father! (meaning his natural father) I go to Heaven, father go to Hell! O how shocking!" and the tears ran down his face-but I go tell father about Jefus Chrift; I go Heaven, father go Heaven. O how happy!" his friend faid; But there are Miffionaries there, and God may make them ufeful to your father :' he faid, "I afraid not; my countrymen will not believe them-that the worfe. I tell father I know Jefus Chrift, he the only true God, Otaheitan Etoa no God-I tell him great many things, make him know-O my poor dear father." He was asked if a perfon, who had been to fee him feveral times, had ever prayed with him: he said, "O no-they fay I go to heaven (meaning themselves)-I fear not-all day no prayer-no talk about Jefus Chrift-no praise him but I do not know; they may pray at night-I fear they not go to Heaven. If I fhould ever go to God's houfe again, the people will think I mad, I fhall cry fo, I know-O I love his house, praise God-shall love it more now-I want to fee father to pray for me; nobody pray for me but father †." Yes,' faid his friend, I pray for you.' "O thank you, thank you." In the evening his pain increased, and he grew worfe, and continued very ill, excepting at short intervals, when he always was engaged in prayer, and prayed much for his country, and particularly for his own father. On Sunday laft his cough left him in the evening, his breathing became difficult, and he never fpoke more, but continued till half-past twelve o'clock on Monday morning, when his foul, without a ftruggle, took its flight to that place where he longed to be, and about which he often spoke fo fweetly. Thus departed this dear youth, whofe talents were as confpicuous as his temper was amiable and engaging. In writing, he made confiderable progrefs; in arithmetic, he got as far as the Rule of Three :-he alfo went through Afh's Grammar. The progrefs he made in religious knowledge, and in christian experience, has been already noticed, and affords great encouragement to Parents, Tutors, and even Miffionaries, to perfevere in the ufe of the means of inftruction. "In the morning fow thy feed, and in the "evening withhold not thy hand, for thou knoweft.not which "fhall profper; whether this or that." Jofeph was buried in Bunhill Fields. Mr. M. Wilks spoke over the grave; and feveral other friends and minif ters attended his funeral. † Meaning Mr. Platt, MEMOIR OF THE LATE MR. ANDREW GIFFORD GWENNAP. THIS HIS amiable youth was the fon of a refpectable merchant at Falmouth; and his pious parents endeavoured to inftil religious principles into his mind, with the first rudiments of his education. At eight years old he was put under the care of Dr. Carden, of Truro, from whence, after three years he was removed to the Rev. Mr. Swaine's, at Kensington Gravel Pits. In his fifteenth year he was placed under the Rev. Mr. Hewlett, of Newington, and within two years after removed to Dr. Addington's in London. In his childhood he had many ferious thoughts of religion; but the first abiding impreffion, was foon after he entered Dr. Addington's Academy; where, obferving the custom of the young Gentlemen, in the conftant use of private prayer, he was led to reflect in this manner: "I cannot pray thus, I have not the fpirit of prayer; I never prayed in my life; what a wretch am I to live without prayer? So many mercies as I enjoy from the hands of a bountiful God, yet I never paid him the tribute due! Lord, teach me to pray This was the first effectual work upon the foul, and it might then be faid of him as it was of Saul, "Behold he prayeth," During his coninuance in that Academy, which was about two years and a half, he improved very much in piety, as well as in his literary ftudies, and fuch was his proficiency, that the Dr. faid to one of his friends, he had more pleasure in Mr. G. than in all the other young Gentlemen who were under his care. And towards the latter part of his time, though then but juft turned of eighteen years of age, he was, with the Doctor's confent, prevailed on to preach in public, in various places, to the great furprife of all who heard him. יי! He faid he could never fufficiently admire the Providence which led him to Dr. Addington's; bleffed God that ever he had the happinefs of being put under the care of fo able and fo pious an inftructor, and declared he thould have reafon to be thankful to all eternity for what he had gained in that Academy. It appears, that during this period, he had thoughts of ordination in the establishment; but fome fcruples arofe in his mind, which determined him to the contrary. In the fummer vacation of 1790, he vifited his friends at Falmouth, and preached twice for the Rev. W. Moore, of that place, to whofe church he was united about a month preceding his decease. On this occafion he expreffed himself in a most affecting manner, refpecting the feeling fenfe he had of his own great unworthinefs, and his humiliating fentiments of himself, as a ruined, depraved, guilty finner: yet of the dependance he had on the mercy of God through Chrift. He faid he had reafon to believe that God had begun a good work upon his foul, and he had a good hope through grace of final falvation; he difclaimed every idea of merit in himfelf, and made his boaft alone of Jefus Chrift and his righteoufnefs. His only defire was to live for the glory of God, and to spend and be spent in the fervice of Jefus Chrift. He had known many temptations, and he faw many yet before him; but he hoped that " he who had begun the good work would perfect it until the day of Jefus Chrift. All his deportment during the too short time he spent at Falmouth, demonftrated that there is a real fweetness and excellency in the religion of Jefus Chrift. "I was honoured, fays Mr. M. "with much, yet far too little, of his company, and in all his converfation I found a happy, invariable confiftency he was the fame perfon on all occafions; and completed the uniform character of a Chriftian. His heart was fufceptible of the tendereft feelings; he was of a focial and communicative turn of mind, and would exprefs his fentiments freely, yet without partiality, or bigotry to any party. He was indeed, the agreeable companion, and the chriftian friend." His behaviour while in his father's houfe will never be forgotten. His fweetnefs of temper, his engaging manners, his pious difcourfes to his parents and filters; his wholefome counfel, and warm exhortations; but, above all, his prayers in and for the family, were in fuch language, and with fuch fervour of foul, that they appeared to have been the immediate work of the Spirit of God, and enough to have melted a heart of stone. What happened in his laft fickness is particularly worthy of remark. On Tuesday the 17th of Auguft, he was feized with a complaint in his head and stomach, which proved to be a fever of the putrid kind. He had an impreffion on his mind that his time would be very short, "but God does all things well:" complained that his mind was rather dark, but said, "if I perish, it shall be at the feet of Jefus." Medical advice was procured, but towards night he grew worfe. Next morning, his diforder was ftill increafed; but he feemed at times very happy in his mind, and rejoiced in the unchangeable love of God to his children. On Thursday morning Dr. W.- was called in, who was indefatigable in his attention to him, both day and night, and every poffible affistance was rendered to preferve his valuable life; but the Lord had determined otherwife. This day he spoke much of the importance of time. A friend faid, "I hope God is preparing you for greater ufefulnefs by this affliction." He faid, "God grant it; the Lord's will be done!" His fever was now very high, his friend therefore defired him to be as compofed as poflible, and after prayer took leave of him. He frequently repeated these words. "O glorious hour! Obleft abode ! I fhall be near and like my God." Friday he expreffed great happiness in the thought of going foon to glory. I have no cloud within, all is fafe; I caft myfelf on Jefus, the Rock of Ages. A few days fince I was happy in the thought of returning to my fellow ftudents, in London; but oh! I am going to join the heavenly hofts above, and fhout the praifes of the Lamb forever." Saturday he feemed fweetly compofed in his mind, faying, "God's will be done, to live or die, all is well. when I enter heaven's doors, it fhall be as the chief of finners. I have fuch a view of the precious promifes of the gospel that I hardly know which to lay hold of first." On Sunday he faid to his fifter, " Flee vain company, and Lord I am thine, but thou wilt prove, He expreffed his forrow that he had not preached more, faying, "Now my work is over, I fear I have been a lukewarm profeffor, and have not that humbling fenfe of it which I ought to have. My righteoufnefs is as filthy rags, 1 but my wedding garment is the righteousness of Christ. I truft I am not deceived. I am loved with an everlasting love. "He hath lov'd, he hath lov'd me I cannot tell why." I fhall be faved in the Lord, with an everlasting falvation. I fhall not be afhamed nor confounded world without end.". Very early on Monday morning, he faid, a meffenger was come for him." The meffenger," faid he, " is in my flesh. Gwennap is called, and I am among the number of those who are appointed to go to-morrow. To-morrow, the great, the awful change will take place, but great ftrength will be given. I fhall foon know whether it will be Chrift to live, or gain to die. Great Captain, Saviour, prepare me for the field, then all will be well." He repeated feveral verfes of that hymn, "Come thou font of every bleffing," and frequently this verse, "Oh to grace how great a debtor," &c. He fpoke to many prefent, of the neceffity of an interest in Chrift, faying, "Nothing but an experimental knowledge of Chrift in the heart, the hope of glory, will give courage in a dying hour. He is my hope, my foundation, my all." He faid to Mifs R-, "Give my love to your fifter, I fhall fee her no more in this life, but we fhall meet around the throne, and praise the Lamb for ever. I fee this affliction is in love, how precious is Jefus, in fuch a feafon as this! He can and will deliver. Let my funeral fermon be from thefe words, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted." His fever now ran very high, and he was at times deli rious, the three laft days of his illnefs; yet all the while, not a fretful word, not an improper or unbecoming expreffion was heard to drop from his lips; but he was conti nually either breathing his foul to God in prayer, giving thanks for his mercies, or exhorting those who were about him. He was thankful to every body, who rendered him the most trivial fervices, particularly for medical affistance; but repeatedly faid, "We must not truft to means, 'tis God "only can give the blefling." Whenever the ufual queftions were asked him refpecting his health, his conftant answer was, "Through mercy, much better than I deferve." In a paroxyfm of the delirium, he asked Dr. W- if he knew what christianity meant, and, without waiting for an anfwer, immediately replied, "I'll tell you what it is to be a christian. To have a steady dependance on the great first VOL. II. E |