EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE AND MISSIONARY CHRONICLE. MAY, 1820. MEMOIR OF THE LATE MRS. DEBORAH BOWDEN. was TH HIS very excellent Christian born at Trowbridge, Wilts, in 1746, of highly respectable parents. Her family name was Shrapnell. At the age of 18 she became decidedly serious, and joined the Independent Church at Trowbridge, then under the pastoral care of the Rev. Mr. Cross, in her 20th year. She was married in 1769 to the Rev. James Bowden at Fareham, Hants, and afterwards of Lower Tooting, Surrey. This valuable and faithful minister had, for more than 35 years, been labouring with diligence and success in the last of these stations. The manner of his death will be recollected by many of our readers. While he was preaching at Hammersmith on James iv. 7. Submit yourselves unto God,' he was suddenly attacked with apoplexy, sunk down in the pulpit, and after languishing until the next morning, entered into rest. His funeral sermon was preached by Dr. Winter, at Tooting, and was published. Of the eminent piety of Mrs. Bowden in early life, some valuable records are preserved in a diary which she kept for very many years. The following extract bears date on the day of her marriage, and appears to have been written prior to the ceremony : What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits? How graciously is he appearing for me in granting that XXVIII. happy composure I so much desired! Blessed be thy name for thy presence and assistance experienced in the hours I have spent more immediately with thee, this morning, in meditation, reaed have been assisted in it. Grant the peing, and repeated prayer. I trust I titions I have asked as far as consistent with thy will, and conducive to thy glory and our souls' good. Thou wast present at the marriage in Cana, thou wilt, we trust, in answer to our prayers, for the glory of thy name, be present now with us: make us careful of doing evidence thy presence by composing any thing that would displease thee; our spirits, causing us to repose in thee, to stay ourselves upon thee, and to rejoice in thee as our never-failing friend; let not the guilt of one sin in our single state be brought unto our new relation. Bless us with needful graces. Make as heirs of the grace of life. Weak us more holy. May we walk together and utterly insufficient am I for the duties before me; but I rejoice that in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.' I lean upon thee. Hitherto, blessed be thy name, I trust thou hast directed, supported, guided us. Then be pleased to go on to bless us. pare us for all thy will in life. Give Pre me that wisdom and discretion I shall need. Give me grace to perform my vows, and let our hearts be united in love to thee and to each other. Let us be instruments of thy glory, live to thy praise, die honourably, and rise gloriously. I bless thee for thy goodness this morning, and depend on thee for support this day, in all the duties of it. We would enter this relation in a dependance on thee as our covenant God and Father, in and through our T. 178 The external history of her life from that day may be comprised in a few words. It was uniformly spent with the beloved partner of her cares and of her pleasures, first at Fareham, and then at Tooting, until his removal by death, a period of 43 years and since that time she has always found a home either in the family or in the neighbourhood of one of her children. Her more usual residence was at Hammersmith, where she died in the house of her son-in-law, the Rev. Daniel Washbourn, on the 27th of January, 1820, in the 74th year of her age. :: By the blessing of God on the religious privileges of her youth, she had been qualified for the station which she was appointed to fill, as the wife of an indefatigable holy minister, and as the mother of a numerous family. In the former relation she was an active helpmeet in the latter an affectionate parent. Very long since she had the happiness, together with her beloved partner, of seeing all her children walking in the ways of truth, and in witnessing many of her grand-children likewise, resolving that the God of their parents and pious ancestors should be their God. Although the life of Mrs. Bowden has not been marked with any unusual changes, she has been exercised with admonitory afflictions, under which she manifested the most exemplary patience and submission. Thrice she was called to mourn the loss of children. made in the family was in the death of her second son, in mature life, in March, 1819. In all these events she sorrowed not as one without hope. With the last she was very greatly affected; and it is supposed to have been the means of hastening her own dissolution. Yet doubtless her heaviest affliction was the loss of her beloved and revered companion through so long a por-, tion of her journey in the wilderness of life. Her mind, however, under this privation, as well as the rest, was supported by the great principles which she had long believed, and which yielded her strong consolation. She had learned from the book which she venerated as divinely true and given by inspiration of God, how a Christian should suffer. 'Out of the immediate circle of her own family she was an active, benevolent, and truly serious friend. Many of her admonitions will long remain on the hearts of those, who, in their youthful days, were consigned to the care of Mr. and Mrs. Bowden. And there are yet alive ministers, no longer young, who remember with thankfulness the prudent counsels which, under the veil of pleasantry, she was accustomed to give them. Her natural constitution was robust, and her health generally unbroken. But at length the evening came. peated premonitions that the time of her dissolution was approaching, which she received as became a Christian, and there is every reason to believe, that she was living in habitual expectation of her great change. She had re It was well known to her family and intimate friends that she had A been all her life, in a great degree, subject to bondage through fear of death. Her feelings lemn subject are daughter died in 1793, aged 17, and a son in 1795, aged 10. On both these occasions the bereaved father preached and published funeral discourses. The last breach on this soexactly described in the following extract from a letter to one of her children, in the year 1814. After mentioning many personal and family mercies, for which her heart overflowed with gratitude, she writes : "I am encouraged to hope, that our God will remember his covenant with our fathers, through successive gene rations. After all this grace, is there any thing we can fear to entrust him with? Yes, blush and be ashamed, my soul, thou art afraid to be disembodied!' My flesh and soul to thee I've given In their united state; And is it more to trust my Lord But With each, when separate?' And yet my flesh trembles at the idea of dissolution, and I am afraid of launching into an untried scene. I have said, and I do say, This is my infirmity; and I humbly trust that I shall have strength proportioned to this day also, and that notwithstanding all my infirmities, and all my present fears, it is, or would be, the language of my faith, Fix then the time-the time is fix'd And I will answer thee.' After perusing this valuable extract it will not surprise my serious reader to find, that as her last hour approached, she was entirely delivered from that distressing anxiety, so that she could welcome the king of terrors;' and even long for the time of her departure. The following are some of her expressions of faith and hope in these trying circumstances :— O how good is God to me under this affliction! Blessed be his name, he is unchangeable.' I love his name, I love his word; I love all that he does.' O Lord, thy will be done. Let me either live or die as thou pleasest. Make me truly willing to die, and to bear all thy will.' At another time when her mind had been rather clouded, she said, O! he is coming! he is coming!' I see his beamings from afar, I know the bright, the morning star.' He is coming in mercy and in truth, to fulfil his precious promises, I do rejoice in his salvation.' As my dear William said on his death-bed, I should be glad to get to the bottom of the hill, and then slip into life.' blessed be God, I have enjoyed as much 'I have had a sleepless night, but of heaven as I can well bear.' 'Jesus my God! I know his name, His name is all my trust.' me. own. I could say so fifty years ago, and I say so now. There is nothing good in O my Lord, the work is all thine Come and take me to thyself. Lord reveal thyself to me, as thou art in Christ. O heaven! what is heaven? from this bed; and I hope you will all Who can tell? God will soon take me be prepared for it. My dear children, I tisfied in doing it. I hope you will all desire you will give me up and be sawelcome the summons that calls me home.' 6 When it was said to her, 'You seem as happy as God can make you,' she quickly replied, No: not quite. He could, if he pleased, open the door, and receive me into his presence.' At another time, when asked if she was quite happy, she replied, O yes, I am very happy, because I am very near the fountain of happiness. O! it is a great thing to stand and not be ashamed before him at his coming. I am very happy, only waiting for leave to die.' She had probably heard that this is the spirit of the expression borrowed from the song of Simeon, which she was often using, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace.' 'I have living comforts in dying moments. That is an infallible staff.' complete in him.' She was heard to whisper, 'Let me have a little more communion with thee, if thou pleasest, O my Lord.' When she knew that her end was very near, it was said to her, Lo! this is our God, we have waited for him.' She quickly replied-And he will save us.' She was asked, 'Do you long to arrive at your Father's house? 6 'Ye are 178 The external history of her life from that day may be comprised in a few words. It was uniformly spent with the beloved partner of her cares and of her pleasures, first at Fareham, and then at Tooting, until his removal by death, a period of 43 years and since that time she has always found a home either in the family or in the neighbourhood of one of her children. Her more usual residence was at Hammersmith, where she died in the house of her son-in-law, the Rev. Daniel Washbourn, on the 27th of January, 1820, in the 74th year of her age. By the blessing of God on the religious privileges of her youth, she had been qualified for the station which she was appointed to fill, as the wife of an indefatigable holy minister, and as the mother of a numerous family. In the former relation she was an active helpmeet in the latter an affectionate parent. Very long since she had the happiness, together with her beloved partner, of seeing all her children walking in the ways of truth, and in witnessing many of her grand-children likewise, resolving that the God of their parents and pious ancestors should be their God. Although the life of Mrs. Bowden has not been marked with any unusual changes, she has been exercised with admonitory afflictions, under which she manifested the most exemplary patience and submission. Thrice she was called to mourn the loss of children. A daughter died in 1793, aged 17, and a son in 1795, aged 10. On both these occasions the bereaved father preached and published funeral discourses. The last breach made in the family was in the death of her second son, in mature life, in March, 1819. In all these events she sorrowed not as one without hope. With the last she was very greatly affected; and it is supposed to have been the means of hastening her own dissolution. Yet doubtless her heaviest affliction was the loss of her beloved and revered companion through so long a por-, tion of her journey in the wilderness of life. Her mind, however, under this privation, as well as the rest, was supported by the great principles which she had long believed, and which yielded her strong consolation. She had learned from the book which she venerated as divinely true and given by inspiration of God, how a Christian should suffer. 'Out of the immediate circle of her own family she was an active, benevolent, and truly serious friend. Many of her admonitions will long remain on the hearts of those, who, in their youthful days, were consigned to the care of Mr. and Mrs. Bowden. And there are yet alive ministers, no longer young, who remember with thankfulness the prudent counsels which, under the veil of pleasantry, she was accustomed to give them. Her natural constitution was robust, and her health generally unbroken. But at length She had rethe evening came. peated premonitions that the time of her dissolution was approaching, which she received as became a Christian, and there is every reason to believe, that she was living in habitual expectation of her great change. It was well known to her family and intimate friends that she had been all her life, in a great degree, subject to bondage through fear of death. Her feelings on this solemn subject are exactly described in the following extract from a letter to one of her children, in the |