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THE

Evangelical Magazine,

FOR JULY, 1796.

BIOGRAPHY.

MEMOIR of the late Mrs. TOZER.

RS. TOZER, late of Bristol, was the daughter of the

MRS.

late Rev. John Edmonds, of Sherford, Devon, and mother of the Rev. Isaac Tozer, of Taunton. She was blessed with a religious education, and her mind was seriously impressed, at the early age of thirteen, by some. particular family trials, from which time, she said, she never sought happiness from the world. She was a dutiful child, an affectionate. spouse, and exemplary Christian; ever paying a conscientious regard to the souls of her children, and very assiduous in studying the things which make for peace, which she frequently inculcated on their tender minds. She bore, with more than common resignation, those bereaving providences with which she was particularly exercised, during the last five years of her life, being called to bury her husband, and three sons who were married.

On Thursday, March 27, 1794, in the 75th year of her age, after only seven days' illness, she terminated a conversation, very much devoted to the service of her divine Master. Having been pious and peaceable in her life, she was calm and happy in her death. Though her natural temper was remarkably timid, and she would sometimes say, when in health, that though she was at seasons afraid to die, yet she hoped she was not afraid of the consequences of death. Notwithstanding her sufferings were extreme, for want of breath, her disorder being a pleurisy, yet the three last days and nights of her life were chiefly spent in prayer and praise. She desired her children not to pray for her life, but that she might have faith and patience to submit to the whole will of God, and not to think that he dealt hardly with her. On the Monday VOL. IV. Pp night

night, while those who were present supposed her to be dye ing, she repeated the following lines--

"Cold death my heart invades, and I must die,
O Christ! my everlasting life, draw nigh;
He triumph'd over Satan, sin, and death,

Therefore, with joy, will I refign my breath."

She then suddenly exclaimed, "O death! where is thy sting? O grave! where is thy victory?" While her daughters, who were seldom absent, were listening, with great attention, to catch the words which she could scarcely articulate, she proceeded,

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She then called her servant, and said, "Be sure you do not go to live where you cannot hear the Gospel---regeneration is an entire change of heart." She then prayed affectionately for her, as she did several times afterwards.

Tuesday morning she repeated many passages of Scripture, but as no one then thought of writing the present account, they were mostly forgotten. She had been sweetly impressed. with good Mr. Berridge's farewel sermon, and after repeating the text, would say, "Pour out your hearts at all times, pour out your hearts; God is a refuge for us. Fear not, I am with thee, be not dismayed, I am your God; I will help thee, &c. I am going to Jesus; I shall see him as he is. O that one so vile, so ungrateful, should have this grace given! O the heights! the depths! But I must say no more"--being overpowered with her own ideas. She was often praying to be` transformed into the blessed image of Jesus, and in this comfortable frame she continued all the day.

On Wednesday morning she said, she thought she could not continue long, and gave intimation that her departure would be rather sudden. When the physician came, and found that the medicines had not the desired effect, he gave her to understand that nothing more could be done. She thanked him for his kind attention, and said, "I will only now take a little nourishment to sustain my fainting nature." She seemed anxious for nothing, but to spend her few remaining moments to the glory of God.

A friend desiring to see her, she said, "Now is the time to speak for God," and addressed herself in a very pertinent

manner

manner to her friend, and to God for her friend, in which she continued near a quarter of an hour, most suitably adapting her expressions to the astonishment of all who were present. Some time after she said, "I do long to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord---built on Christ, the rock of ages, who shed his blood on the accursed tree, tə bring sinners to God; poor, vile sinners. O may my ingratitude be forgiven! O may I be washed in his precious atoning blood, and be made complete in him---have a transforming faith, influencing to every thing that is praise-worthy! It is a transforming faith only that is a right faith; may we all be transformed into the blessed image of God's dear Son, washed in his blood daily and hourly, and join the blessed assembly that are rejoicing before him! I long to be gone. Thou, O God! knowest that I am vile and sinful, but thou hast given me a blessed morning." To her daughters she said, "Christ is meetening us daily for that blessed world where sin and sorrow can never enter.". She desired they would give her kiud love to a religious relation at a distance, and tell her, that es God had enlarged her ability for usefulness, she hoped that she would seek to promote the kingdom of her dear Redeemer more and more; that she hoped her graces and her comforts would greatly increase. She added, I can never do enough for my dear Lord to advance his kingdom; may I speak for him now at the last! I have not stood forth, as I ought to have done, for my dear Redeemer. May my dear children strive to advance thy kingdom more than I have done! May what has been lacking in me be abundantly made up by them." Addressing herself to those about her, she then said, It is but a short time that we have this trust of our Redeemer committed to us, and we have this encouragement, our fidelity shal be abundantly compensated." She then prayed that the souls of her dear children might be drawn up nearer to God, and more drawn from the world, and added, "May I he enabled to give up my soul into the hands of my God and Saviour, whom I have loved and trusted so long, and to praise the Holy Spirit for so great a work!" Then addressing herself to her daughters, and a dear friend who was with her, she said, "O may we have a spirit of true repentance and humility--the spirit of the Gospel is meekness. O may we cul

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tivate meekness and true holiness !---hate sin in all its forms!"

In the afternoon she said, "I now wish to have done with mortality; may I have nothing more to do with time and sense, but be daily and hourly transformed into the image of Christ! O! what can I say? What can I do more for his

glory?"

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