The National Register. — London, England, 1811-08-18 00:00:00

_ •' , • • 410000.6 ' PP. P. •.0 .40. -, : .7 . • '.' .tr:rw • c ATE , MR. sr As *vent more seriously stetting the interVits Orthe religions • 41046; and more ufkitittglY ittiertik,t4erdei,rh of thisexvmordinary your. g MA:444r, ba not be 4ti Ftidg . .vathth. the memory of the present generatitin: Ir it Mat' fanny, .of aggravatedzaltretied,,that .those evil° itneli- ithwatitaiStred to pleura his lost. thet minute gs..e.bligi3tentng pro,- spects of Christianity which appeared about to be so essentially virved by his labours, .and looked forward to years 'Of:comfort and instruction frorn'hitii: • The hippy effects of his Ministry bad, in fact, already betT, Olt : the b r illi ant .t a lents whicikshe displayed seemed to throw riew t lustre on the truths of the Gcis fel, and the zeal of devotion gave additional energy and effect to the doctrinei hi laboured to enforce. . lAr!! are, frequently con,strained to admire those it is impossible we should love, but in the case of this singularly gifted young reap, adtidration and affection went hand inpand, and while his talents called forth praise. his deportment uniformly won a per m:Oil feeling of bornething more than esteem.. Nothis tine plus snitch like the angry meteor's vivid train, bursts on the 41/ant:tering world, to fill us with alarm while it fixes .our.itten tion by its magnificence; his wore the benign aspect of a star 4f the first magnitude, shining with resplendent -brightness, but ftee - from the desolating horrors of the falling orb. The *Sun of Vs own circle, it warmed into UM those immediately wit Lin its ophere, while it charmed the distant-spectator. with its tranquil radiance and unobtrusive splendour. It is not for man to call his Maker to an account fOr the mys let:Awls dispensations of his Providence ; 66 Man was not made to question but adore." . . Still, however, without presuming ,to arraign the justice or the wisdom of the Deity, it• is impossible on such occasions, when lone so eminent is Prematurely snatched away, at all times, to suppress a feeling of wonder, little short of a disposition to en quire why these things should be. This is natural, but it is useless. It is an excresence of intellect, which, however far it may be preceded, must in the end be lopped as worthless in jtself, acid of no value to tile tree. It must finally resolve itself into reflections on the weakness and folly of acting as if the Almighty could be arraigned before a human tribunal. How ever great our loss, however deep out affliction, we can at last. dimly exclaim with the Poet-- . 4 4 'The ways of liiimen are dark and intricate, . Posetcd in mazes and perpleed in errors; • • • Our understanding traece them in vain, Lost and, he'velilvred,in the fruitless search ; Not s•.es wiih'lsoW much art the windings run, Nor where• the regular confusions ends." ' , ER:. • • On Thursday last a very affecting - and approprnpriate funeral Ec7.. - nion was ? reached on the oeipsion by Mr. Border. We •• , re ta ret that ins limits will not admit of our giving a sketch of his •di.,:oh.r.se, but fit present we can only offer the. account of Mr. .Spvstcer's ttb, which was read by Mr. Burster in a letter from ope of thc con i lregatiou at Liverpool to a friend in London. This statement was in substanc. follows.—" On the- Sunday. • the VII ink. he preached twice. In the evening he took 'the ' verse of the tOth chapter of St. Luke for his text. " But one thing is itec44l : and Mary loath chosot Lac,: good part, which ghat: +wt ixt kti:est ftort hcr." This was his last text, alai that evening was the last of his life. At about 12 o'clock on Monday Mr. Spencer went down to the river about two miles below the p o und. He saw ahoy bathing there, of whom he enquired if .it was a good shore ? The boy replied in the affirmative. Mr. Spencer appeared very cheerful, and was singing when te Went into the water. He had waded but a short time *en he suddenly disappeared. There was a man at some dis tame who saw him go down, but did not see him rise again. !Was occasioned him to feJ some surktiae, and he immediately -% Jr' • • . .~. ; F• t • • ` I • went, to - tjacisytee for the perpoec of, affording. mr. Spencer assistance.... Whan,, however,. he got to it, though he we; a good swimmer,. and though he thought he could ley his . hand .4)11112* a; i► ct siii4,7ollFe;ilLlWllasell 11411-• ; iPener• be felt af • fected in such a very extraordinary.way, that he was wiscllly in.- , eanable of carrying his intention into effect. He, however, took .y 2 Mr. Spencer's clothes, and Went humediate4 to Mr: Smith, at the HercUlanean Pottery: They there observed the letters" T. 5." On the seiffound with the clothes, and, from a letter in one of the pockets . directed to Mr. Spencer, they concluded' that Fee Must be the person who had thus disappeared. TWo boats were immedtately pit' ifiAt, scud by dipping with an oar the body was ilisiovered'and hien up kfteer having been 50 minutes under the 'Coiater:'Medie2.l assistance was immediately *cured and every eferilott was made to restore him 'but all In vain. .His ?ice was cut ; 'Wheiiiek by the ibek Cii bt the oa r it was not easy to say, but •still hi(ibai a fide' loielfev'en in death." The shoie hereil'Ocky and goes giitchialhimltelving into 'the water. Mr. Spentsor could swim a little.• liChad waded up- to his `• shoulders in the Water, when he came to a break about eighteen inches'broad'between two rocks. It wa; supposed he was not aware of his • near ap proach to the chasm ;' and in consequence sunk between the :rocks, and from the surprizeand confusion •of the moment was unable to recover himself. .Such - was the •interest excited at .14.ivorpool by this;melen9troty.ffent„that on the dray of the N. neral the townlrehiWtfr4 ae appearance which-the person who writes the account 'of't caavon.ly compare to the scene witnessed in London at the funeral of,Lord Nelson. •• • Mr. Murder read an interesting account of - Mr. Speneev't life and experience, and the opinions.whicir had been frOm time to time given on his conduct by various Ministers. With the sub stance of.these the public are already . acquainted. He also de scribed the reception he had met. with at Liverpool, and the ce remony ot his ordination.. The charge given by Mr. Hardie on that occasion was singularly affecting, and contained the follow ing remarkable expressions:—" You, .nay dear young friend. must die, and may shortly stand before the bar of God. The ceremony of lour ordination may . prove but the. prelude tP your funeral sermon.'' How mournfully this has been seen, it is needless to observe. When we remember how this amiable young man, and seatous preacher of the Gospel, was loved, and how highly he was valued, we are strongly remanded of di* wolds of Pope -4' How loved, how valued once, avails thee not ; To whom related, or by whom begot A heap ot dust alone remains of thee, 'Tis all thou,art, and all the proud shall be." • - - But we feel soothed by the reflection that his better part still survives. *His weeping friends, while they mourn theit . loss, feel this; and, cheered by the reflection, dry their tegs n -tliiy . " Kiss the rod•, t r And not to earth resign him, but to God." • AFFLICTING OCCURRENCE: -. Osi Thursday se'nnight, in the evening, as the brig William, John Bateman, muster, bound from London to•Sel!)y, with a cargo of groceries, was proceeding up the Hurnher, she was driven by the strength of the tide upon Whitton Sand. The extreme rapidity of the current so instantly made a passage . over the vessel, at the same time forcing her upon her broadside,' that the Captain's wife, two of his children, and a woman passr er, were drowned in the cabin; into which the water . rushed ith such overwhelming fury, as to render unavailing every' effort used by the agonized husband for their preservation. Ca plain Sanderson, of the sloop Messenger, of Lynn, who Wad at anchor neat the sand, and saw the accident happen, immediately proceeded with his boat to afford every assistance in his power, and succeeded in saving the lives of the Captain and his crew, and landed them in safety at Whitton. On the ebbing of the tide, the water left the vessel upright, though deep in the sand, and the bodies of .the unfortunate sufferers were got out of the cabin. lik