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LONDON :-Printed by James Nichols, 46, Hoxton-square.

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FOR NOVEMBER, 1840.

BIOGRAPHY.

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THE subject of the following memoir was born in Axminster, a small town in the lovely county of Devon, on the 3d of August, 1762. Her parents, John and Mary Bull, were strict members of the Church of England, punctually observing the form, while, for a long period, it is feared, they were destitute of the power, of godliness. Bridget, the eldest of their nine children, was carefully instructed in the first principles of the Christian faith; and being of ardent temper and reflective mind, soon mastered all the little store of divinity that her parents knew: yet, by its feeble light, she was enabled, when very young, to detect the inconsistency of that religious profession which obtained in her limited circle; to contrast the hallowing of the morning of the Lord's day with the desecration of its evening; to mark a cold acknowledgment of the reality of eternal things, with an energetic and persevering espousal of those which are of the earth. She seemed, on emerging from very infancy, to have embraced the principle, that "religion must be every thing, or it is nothing."

Very early the Holy Spirit brooded over her mind, enlightened her understanding, aroused and alarmed her conscience, and gave her a trembling sense of the corruption of her nature, and her utter unfitness to appear before the tribunal of a just and holy God: hence arose a servile dread of death, and serious reflection on its consequences. Before she was seven years old, a person died of malignant typhus fever in the next house. The room in which the corpse was laid fronted her father's yard; the window was kept open; she used to look at it with dismay, fearing the infection would be communicated; and feeling that she was not fit to die, she would rush into her room, fall on her knees, and entreat the Lord that neither herself nor her parents might be called to meet death till they were prepared. About the same time, if she heard of the decease of any one whom she had known, or if the toll of the passing-bell struck on her ear, she used to hasten to her retirement, shut the door, and sometimes shedding a torrent of tears, reason thus: "Now what has become of that soul? It has left the body, gone to appear before its Maker, to receive a VOL. XIX. Third Series. NOVEMBER, 1840. 3 R

righteous sentence, glory or punishment!" Then her imagination was stretched to picture the result, while conscience forced an application. These gracious feelings, however, were but as the morning cloud. For want of spiritual cultivation, this hopeful vine grew wild; the branches were unpruned, the buds of promise were blighted, and the tendrils firmly grasped the cares and pleasures of the world. The ministry which she attended was a baseless system of morality, promulged without energy, and heard without interest; containing little of evangelical truth, and standing in dark contrast to the rich and fervid piety of the Homilies and Liturgy. The native delicacy of Miss Bull's mind, her nice sense of propriety, her penetration, firmness, and strong judgment, gave to her character a lofty bearing. She was the oracle of the family; and long before her heart was renewed by divine grace, it seemed to be the seat of decorum, and of all the social virtues. In her nineteenth year she was led into many scenes of worldly fascination by spending a winter in the metropolis. The family that she visited was very gay, as were some of her maternal relations, who greatly coveted her society; and being in person rather handsome, in manners agreeable, and in dress tasteful, these attractions, united to a respectable introduction, led her into various company, and to places of public amusement. She became a frequent attendant at the theatre, and a passionate admirer of dramatic representation. In the train of these evils followed disregard of the sanctity of the Sabbath; and, that barrier of devotional feeling being swept away, habitual worldliness deluged her heart and life. For, although prudence, and anxiety for the welfare of a large family, prevented her from cherishing expensive habits at home, frequent visits to London threw the temptation and the means of indulgence in her way. During all this time conscience failed not occasionally to check and admonish, until, often slighted, its efforts became more feeble in attempting to stem the current of levity. Still, great respect was entertained for religion, and for religious persons, wherever she met them; and so amiable was her deportment, that she often received a marked attention from pious people, which excited her wonder. Even her gay friends sometimes rallied her with the prophecy, that she would one day turn Methodist.

More than ten years thus passed away; but the Lord, who is longsuffering, and of tender mercy, devised means by which his banished one might not be expelled. A long and dangerous illness, which befell her dear mother, was the means of leading her and two younger sisters to seek the Lord; to entreat him in earnest prayer to spare their parent; pledging themselves, in return, to give him all their heart. He graciously granted their desire, and from the brink of the grave restored the sufferer. The sisters felt that the vows of God were upon them, and strove, and prayed together, that they might be enabled to keep their plighted faith. The want of a Gospel

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