gave her, as I also prayed, that the Lord would gracioufly forgive all her fins, and the guilty hand she had in procuring her own death; telling her, that though our days were determined, and a period fixed to the life of every creature, in the eternal decrees of God, yet people might be verily guilty in shortening their days, and had need to apply to the blood of Jesus for forgiveness of that fin. She then faid, "O gracious and merciful God, for the sake of the Son of thy love, who shed his precious blood for guilty sinners, forgive all my trespasses, and my great fin and folly in mourning immoderately for the dead, and thereby impairing my health, and abridging my days, which should have been employed in an active glorifying of thy name, and shewing forth thy praise." I did every thing to comfort her, prayed and conversed much with her. She was unhappy when I was not with her, She grew daily worse and worse, but was refreshed with the manifestations of the love of God to her foul. She told me, that she had early tasted that the Lord was gracious; that he had blessed her uncle and aunt's instructions to her, thanking him for fo excellent and godly guardians, who had loved her as tenderly as if she had been their own child; and had made the preaching of the glorious gospel of Chrift very useful to her, and had often shined upon her heart at the holy communion; that she had seen the vanity of the world, and the folly of indulging a vain paffion, and abandoning herself to extravagant grief for her fatal disappointment, wishing nobody might follow her foolish example; that the loathed herself and her own righteousness, and depended entirely upon the righteousness and merits of Christ for pardon and acceptance with God, and her whole hope was built on the covenant of grace made with the the exalted Surety. She continued quite sensible to the end; and having called all her cousins to her bedfide, she gave them her blessing, with many good advices; and having taken an affectionate leave of me, and of the whole family, I holding her by the right hand, the expired in a very pleafant manner, saying, " O Lord, I come, I come. Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Thus did this lovely lady resign her foul into the hands of her dear Lord Jesus, in the faith of being with him for ever. The whole family were overwhelmed with grief, and I could not but mourn for the amiable girl many days. She had made her will about three months before, in which she left her estate, divided into three different parts, one to Miss Jeffy T-s, the second to Mr T-s's second son, and the third to his third fon; and all her money in the funds and in her uncle's hands, to the younger children equally betwixt them. She left her own gold watch to Mifs T-s, now married, and her mother's to Mifs Jessy, and her father's to me, which I accepted of, together with a rich diamond ring that her father had wore. I attended the corpse to the grave, which was conducted in folemn procession, amídst a great company of weeping spectators. Having staid some time in this family after this melancholy occafion, Mr T-s propofed a marriage between me and his daughter Jeffy, earneftly preffing me to make my addresses to her, affuring me I would fucceed, and representing his earnest defire to have me related to his family. I thanked him for all his kindnesses, and the great affection shewn me by him and all his worthy family; I told him I was duly sensible of the merit of the young lady, and of the great honour intended me; but that as I was troubled with a weakness in the lungs, was of a delicate conftitu..... tion, A a tion, and threatened with a consumption, I was resolved to live and die a bachelor, being now mortified to all carnal pleasures. He was mightily chagrined with my refusal; telling me, that one to whom his family was under so many obligations, and whom they loved as a brother, had formerly refused to receive a trifling legacy left by his dear fon, and now declined an affinity with him. I told him I could not help it; that I loved him and his family, and some time ago would have reckoned such a proposal a real honour done me, which I would have accepted with delight; but that the infuccess of my affair with Miss C-m, the only lady I ever did or could love, had rendered me dead to all the sex; that I had laid afide all thoughts of altering my condition, and was refolved to devote the rest of my days to religious retirement; would stay at home in winter, and travel in the summer for my health. I assured him I would ever regard him and his family, and frequently visit them. This declaration was very acceptable to him; and I from that time continued to vifit this worthy family three or four times in a year, and always met with a most gracious re ception. I have now finished the first part of these Memoirs, which I wish may afford as great pleasure to the reader on a serious perusal, as they did to me in the writing of them. I know, that every friend of Christ will rejoice and be edified at fuch astonishing instances of the sovereignty and efficacy of divine grace, displayed in the converfion of so many finners, and in such ravishing manifestations of the love of God to those who had fwum in vice and sensuality, and rebelled against heaven. The profane will meet with awful warnings, the secure and thoughtless will fee a bundance of motives to rouse them, the ignorant will find means of instruction, every finner will fee where his heip lies, the mourner will be comforted, and every good Christian animated to a life of faith and hope. I trust God will be glorified, and the interests of religion promoted, by a narrative, which, however meanly executed, is honestly intended for the honour of the exalted Redeemer, and for magnifying his grace and righteousness; to whom, with the Father, and blessed Spirit, be glory ascribed for ever. Amen! The author visits the most noted towns, and collects Striking anecdotes. The history of the adventures of a lady who pursued learned studies in a male habit, and of those of a handsome maid-fervant. A Fter Mifs C-m's untimely death, having refolved to visit the chief places in the kingdom for the benefit of my health; the next spring after, I set out on my travels, and had the pleafure of seeing all the worthy gentlemen who had assisted me in paying the last duty to our dear deceased friend. I had for fome time carried on an epistolary correspondence with them all, and found, to my great joy, that they persevered in an attachment to the cause of religion, amidst all the reproaches thrown on it by wicked and profane men. But Mr M, now a celebrated physician, was my favourite friend and diftinguished companion. I was in use to visit him four times, and some times oftener, in a year, and to refide many days at his house, we being happy in one another's company and conversation. Though I vifited Aa2 visited the metropolis, and all the noted towns in the kingdom; yet it is not my intention to give a description of any of them, or of their antiquities, churches, town-houses, government, c. as these particulars ingroffed little of my attention. In every place I endeavoured to cultivate the acquaintance of the evangelical clergy, and of the friends to the religion of Jesus Chrift, for my improvement in Christian faith and love. In these excursions I collected many remarkable histories and affecting anecdotes, which would furnish materials for many volumes, and afford no small entertainment to all who fear the Lord, and regard the falvation of their fouls. As I have nothing remarkable of my own to communicate to the world, I shall present the reader with a few of the most distinguished anecdotes I met with, as a proper conclufion of the above memoirs; referving the rest for the fubject of other two volumes, if the Lord spare my life to finish what I intend. I have already in chap. IX. given an account of Mr T-s's fufpicions of a certain young gentleman with whom he was acquainted, being, from certain circumstances therein related, a lady in disguife. I shall therefore give an account of that lady, and the several triking anecdotes she furnished me with. - Several years after Mr T-s's death, travelling homeward after an excursion of several months, I overtook on the public road, after breakfast, a very well-dressed comely gentleman, attended by a fervant in very neat livery, both on horseback. We entered into an agreeable conversation; and, after travelling some hours, we arrived within fight of a fine country-feat; which the gentleman told me was his house, and very politely invited me to dine with him; affuring me, |