:

THE

New-York Missionary Magazine,

AND

Repository of Religious Intelligence.

A short Account of the Life, Experience, &c. of the Rev.
Mr. Francis Sherriff.

(Continued from vol. i. page 418.)

HE effect of

THE

Mr. Sherriff's converfion very foon

1

He no

appeared in his life and conversation. longer wafted precious time, in the amusements and unprofitable studies to which he had formerly been addicted, but applied himself, with diligence, to search the scriptures, and prepare discourses for his flock, which might, by the bleffing of God, bring them to the faving knowledge of those truths, from which he had experienced so much comfort. He composed a course of fermons upon the most essential doctrines of chriftianity, which he delivered with great plainness and fimplicity of style, speaking from the fulness of his heart, the things which he knew and felt, and often exhorting his people with tears to come to that gracious Saviour, who had shewn mercy to him, the chief of sinners, that they alfo might be faved. He fet up a weekly meeting in the regiment, for private exhortation and prayer, which was of much use to many who attended it. It pleased God remarkably to bless his labours; several of the officers and private men were brought under serious impreffions, as well as some others who occafionally heard him.*

* Among his occasional hearers was a gay young lady of quality, who understood English, and with whom Mr. Sherriff had been intimately acquainted before his conversion.--Upon hearing of the change Vol. II. No. 1.

A

About this time, Mr. Sherriff wrote to a pious relation of his in Scotland, informing him of the change that had been wrought upon his heart by divine grace, and defiring him to acquaint his first companions at the college of it, who had but too much reason to confider him as an apoftate from the truth. They received, with great joy, the glad tidings that this their long loft brother was found, and he whom they had accounted spiritually dead, was now made alive. They foon renewed their correspondence with him, and earnestly entreated him to revisit his native country, in order to preach the gospel in that place, where he had so lately poured contempt upon it, and its professors.

By Lady Glenorchy's defire, they invited him to supply the chapel in Edinburgh for some months, in the view of being fettled there, if he proved acceptable to the congregation. This he at first declined, having a very great attachment to the people among whom his labours had been blessed, and it grieved him to think of leaving them as a flock without a shepherd. But, upon his health beginning to decline, and the doctor of the regiment advising him to try his native air for a few months, he consented to come to Edinburgh; and accordingly arrived there the latter end of September, 1777, and took up his residence in Lady Glenorchy's house, where he continued till the 12th of June following, when it pleased God to remove him to a house not made with hands-eternal in the heavens.

His

Soon after his arrival, he was feized with a cough, and other symptoms of an approaching consumption. Notwithstanding which, he continued for some time performing ministerial duties, both in public and private, with much fervour and zeal to promote the glory of God, and the welfare of the fouls under his care, very exemplary life in private, gave much weight to what he delivered from the pulpit; every one being perfuaded that he advanced nothing there that he did not feel the power of himself. It might be faid of him, that his daily walk and conversation was a living comment upon the Apostle's exhortation in Rom. xii. 1, 2. for he was transformed by the renewing of his mind, and he fought continually to prove what was the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. He was no longer conformed to the world, in their vain amusements, or idle conversation, but retaining a deep sense of the mercies of God, he offered up foul and body a living sacrifice to him, and accounted this a reasonable service. Thus convincing all who knew him, that God had wrought a thorough and an abiding change in his sentiments, temper and conduct, and from thence they concluded, that he was intended by the head of the church for an instrument of extensive usefulness in the congregation to which he was now, by divine providence, called. But God's thoughts are not as our thoughts,

The few fermons he preached at Edinburgh were attended with remarkable success; and his private exhortations to those who came for examination to his apartment (after he was confined from public labours) were bleffed by God to many. He was very defirous of feeing his congregation brought into church order, and the ordinances regularly dispensed to them. To effectuate this, he devoted several weeks together to the examination of his flock-and often faid, "If I can but have the fatisfaction of feeing the ordinance of the Lord's fupper administered to a body of serious Christians in the cha

pel, I shall willingly take to my bed next day, and never rise more." This indeed proved in the event to be nearly the will of God concerning him; for, upon the 15th of March he was enabled to go to church, and dispense the ordinance to 400 of his flock, to whom he gave a very animated exhortation; and a day or two after he was seized with a complaint in his bowels, which, though it did not immediately confine him to his bed, yet very foon appeared to be the last stage of the disorder, which, about twelve weeks after, put a period to his life.

During the first part of his illness, he enjoyed much fpiritual comfort in his foul, particularly in the night season, when his cough did not permit him to sleep. He was then favoured with such manifestations of the love of God, and had fuch joy and peace in believing, that he used to call them good nights. At those seafons he rejoiced in the view of death, and longed much to depart, that he might be with Christ. But when he was first seized with the complaint in his bowels, those fpiritual joys greatly abated; from the nature of the difcafe his animal spirits funk, his strength began to decay, and, for fome weeks, it was painful for him to receive vifits, or to speak to any body; but though he spoke little, yet it was easy to perceive that his mind was continually employed on spiritual things; and that he had no doubts concerning his interest in Christ, and the promises of the gospel. He knew in whom he had believed; and having committed his foul, and all his concerns, to his Lord and Saviour, he poffefsed that peace which paffeth all understanding. It was not till the 23d of April that he apprehended himself to be in a dying way. A variety of remedies had been presented to him, from which he was made to expect benefit.The fummer season coming on, he was told would remove some of his complaints; and the disease itself being of a flattering nature, he remained in ignorance of his real situation till that day when he was seized with fome symptoms of immediate death. He then said to a friend, "I am now evidently dying; I do not think I