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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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first saw the 11 e of that truly great a ! 1 < ^ good man Dr . Priestley , and rhrough her means became acquainted with the writings of his u $ > i ig ^ it ft-Ho w-labourer in the gospel , Theophilus L . ind .-ey . Tr' ne benefit which Mrs . F . received
from her visit to Bath was such . as 2 ave us , at least for a short period , some hopes that the imwelcome opinion of medical gentlemen was ill-founded . It was too soon perceived tnut their ju-dg ~ rnent was correct . They had however , as usual , purposely misled their patient respecting the nature and danger of her disorder . After much consideration T thtAurht it my dwtv to uncfeceive her . The onlv effect was an increase of ch ^ r-
fulness . She thanked me for the mformation , an-d said she was at tni-. es fV . irful that her life might be suffered to linger out for years in -a way burdensome to * horn-elf and others , for when she ceased to he of service to hev family hhc ceased to wish for the continuance
of life . From So : ? £ indisposition Mrs . F . was much abstracted from the wo'Zd . With the exception of her children ' s improvement , she felt little interest about it , habitually contemplating moral and religious principles . Her resignation and contentment were stronirlv ma-ked in her coanf . etia . nce nvxi nottcta hv her
acquaintHiic ^ . So powerfully wao her mind I npressed with the idea th . t all events were ordered , by infinite wisdom and kind design , that she often expressed herself willing to live in pain while it pleased the author of her being , vet
fully content to have lifvj terminated , as she expected to receive it again to great advantage . Upon on-j occasion vv ^ r : j > ting she could be of no u e , I icpeatcd . a sentiment of Milton ' s , that — 4 < They al > o serve who only stand and " wait ; *'
she replied , I hope my protracted airiiotion and death vVill be of mure service than rny life . She laboured , indeed , to make them so by her conversation and advice to all who surrounded her , particularly her servants and children . As
she was frequently rn expectation of death , she more than once ^ ook leave of her elder children . On one occa ; ion she said , My child , do not you thinit the pains of a sick bed sufficient without , adding to them the dread of futurity ? Great as ray sufferings arc * they are S'l-I'poruble , ay I have iiq dread of iieuth .
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L-ive to Ood ! live to your ovrn conscience ! and thzn you will have nothing to fear . When favoured by intervals of bodily case , ACrs . F . thought it her duty to ' relieve the gloom of a sick'Apartment h f relating any entertaining anecdote which occurred to her recollection . Ax sucJi
times she was as much disposed to gaiety as during aii } r period of her life . T&ougfa Jong- incapable of active 6 jgagcmems , her njind , ever intent upon doing good , was continually fVjrnim ^ plans for tto bsncGt of her children . Her direction * frequently referred to regiilaticuis after
htjr d cea-e . Of this event she spaloc \ vi , h rtlensure , often saying- that shr eh ^ 'U ^ d g'aiu a sta ^ e o * «< , as sorrre exf her ne ; ir ai \ £ Jmd £ a . r i ' riemU had done of he */ [ iiiMitionrng ' -pLirriciiJarly h ^ r n ^ ece , Mis . rlMarrha F . to wliom she x was much art « ic » cdX Ai't .-addin < r , we shall patiently
await your arrival , meeting to part no more . As \ i *? r si relief fa di-mfnished , she was able <» n ! y io read die scriptures , and now and then a little in her favouriic author , Cappc , but received fncreasin ^ pleasure £ ro \ n the conversation of her
irieuds ; and was much gratified by their land attentions , oft eft inquiring- \ vhen they were gone , if she had acknowledged their Hudness , For t . ho « e of her family xvi \ o so aficctionateiy and unweariedly waited upon lier , she prayed thas : Ood would » ivc them Riends so to
at-U-ml them in their illness . Thus , in all she : suii and did , would she exemplify the great Christian iaw of love . Towards the conclusion of Mts . F . * ^
jilxuss , her sufferings were great indeed , yet i have heard her say , that such had been hvr uniform frond spiiits , the pleasure of pursuing her religious inquiries , and , she hrtped , the ijiiproveiiieiit sJic h : \ d made oi her affliction , that the last
two year . ; she reckoned the most vahiuMe aaid happy of her existence . At LUiotht r time , when she was speaking ia tlic Jan ^ ua ^ re of great contrition , I remarked to her , what , was-, precisely the fact , that whatever had been the defects of her character , they lay upon the
surface , that few through life had manttested such thorough integrity . She replied , aiHictioivs are iilce a furnace , t # which they arc compared . They shew u ^ much alloy where we leac . t expected it . I hope I am thankful that the latter end of inv journey has been thus r « £ - g ed . * ' ,
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Obituary . 111
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AJrs- FvrdbaTX .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Feb. 2, 1809, page 111, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1733/page/55/
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