things and fure. For this is all my falvation and ail my defire, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5:

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the fhadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, Pfal. xxiii. 4.

:

Into thine hand I commit my Spirit thou haft redeemed me, O Lord God of Truth, Pfal. xxxi. 5. For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even unto death, Pfal. xlviii. 14.

Thou shalt guide me with thy counfel,. and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I defire befides thee. My flesh and my heart faileth; but God is the ftrength of my heart, and my portion for ever, Pfal. lxxii. 24, 25, 26.

The facrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not defpife, Pfal.

li. 17.

O that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away and be at reft. I would haften my escape from the windy ftorms and tempeft, Pfal. Ix. 6, 8.

Though ye have lien among the pots, yet fhall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with filver, and her fea thers with yellow gold, Pfal. lxviii. 13.

The blood of Jefus Chrift his Son cleanseth us from all fin, 1 John i. 7.

Having boldnefs to enter into the Holieft by the blood of Jefus, Heb x. 19.

He hath faid, I will never leave thee nor forfake thee. Jefus Chrift, the fame yesterday, to day, and forever, Heb. xiii. 5, 8.

He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy, Micah vii. 18.

Though he flay me, yet will I truft in him, Job xiii. 15. In his name fhall the Gentiles truft, Mat. xii. 23. Bleffed are all they that put their truft in him, Pfal.

ii. 12.

He knoweth our frame, he remembereth that we are duft, Pfal. ciii. 14.

I lothe it, I would not live alway, Job vii. 16.

We

We know, that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were diffolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. We are willing rather to be abfent from the body and prefent with the Lord, 2 Cor. v. 1, 8.

For me to live is Chrift, and to die is gain. Having a defire to depart and to be with Chrift, which is far better, Phil. i. 21, 23.

And now, Lord, what wait I for?

thee, Pfal. xxxix. 7.

My beloved is mine, and I am his.

My hope is in

His left hand is

under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me. Awake, O north wind, come, thou fouth, blow upon my garden, that the fpices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits. Until the day break and the fhadows fly away, make haste, my beloved, and be thou like a roe, or a young hart on the mountains of fpices, Cant. ii. 6, 16, 17. and iv. 16. and viii. 14.

O death, where is thy fting? O grave, where is thy victory? But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory, thro' our Lord Jefus Chrift, 1 Cor. xv. 55, 57

The time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteoufnefs, which the Lord the righteous Judge fhall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them alfo that love his appearing, 2 Tim. iv. 6, 7, 8.

The day of death is better than the day of one's birth, Eccl. vii. 1.

And God fhall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there fhall be no more death, neither forrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are paffed away, Rev. xxi. 4.

This is a faithful faying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jefus came into the world to fave finners, of whom I am chief, 1 Tim. i. 15.

God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whofoever believeth in him fhould not perifh, but have everlasting life, John iii. 16.

For he hath made him to be fin for us who knew no

fn; that we might be made the righteousness of God, in him, 2 Cor. V. 21.

Thanks be unto God for his unfpeakable gift, 2 Cor. ix. 15.

Bleffed be the Lord God of Ifrael, for he hath vifited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up an horn of falvation for us in the houfe of his fervant David, Luke i: 68, 69.

Them which fleep in Jefus, will God bring with him. Then fhall we be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: And fo fhall we ever be with the Lord, 1 Theff. iv. 14. 17.

Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our fins in his own blood, &c. Worthy is the lamb that was flain to receive power and glory, Rev. i. 5. and v. 12. We know that we have paffed from death unto life, because we love the brethren, 1 John iii. 14.

I am perfuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things prefent, nor things to come, nor heighth, nor depth, nor any other creature, fhould be able to feparate us from the love of God, which is in Chrift Jefus our Lord, Rom. viii. 38, 39:

I know whom I have believed, and am perfuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day, 3 Tim. i. 12.

I count all things but lofs and dung, that I may win Chrift, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, &c. Phil. iii. 8, 9.

Chrift Jefus who is made unto us wisdom, and righteoufnefs, and fanctification, and redemption, 1 Cor.

i. 30.

We rejoice in Chrift Jefus, and have no confidence in the flesh, Phil. iii. 3.

Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the faints in light, Col. i. 12.

Behold he cometh with clouds, and every eye fhall fee him. Amen. Even fo come, Lord Jefus, Rev. i. 7. and xxii. 20.

DUNDEE, 5th June 1741.

VOL. I.

C

SOME

SOME EJACULATIONS & DYING WORDS

OF THE AUTHOR.

MY

My Dear,

TO MY WIFE.

Y diftrefs calls me to think of parting with you: the will of the Lord be done. I thank you for your tender care of me, may the Lord blefs and reward you for it, and fanctify your own tenderness, and fupport you under it. As As you have ftudied to live a life of faith and prayer all your days, fo I hope and believe you will continue to the end. In all your difficulties. and fears, encourage yourself in the Lord your God: Commit your ways to him; truft him that is faithful and true. I refign you, my dear, to the HUSBAND of hufbands, our deareft Lord Jefus Chrift.

TO MY CHILDREN.

DEAR Children, your earthly father must leave you, your heavenly Father is immortal. O cleave faft to him. Trifle not about your fouls concerns in time of health; mind these things as the one thing needful; this you will not repent of when you come within a near view of death and endless eternity. O firs! prefs for clear views of your intereft in Chrift, the only furety and Saviour of finners. Among other evidences of it, live by faith on him, and ftudy holinefs in heart and life. Dear children, think how you will be able to ftand before Christ your judge, at the last day, unless you have Chrift's image on you, and be made new creatures. Lord make you all fuch, and bless you with his best bleffing! My bleffing be upon you all.

-What means God gave me, I have beftowed them on you, or left them to you.-Be kind and careful of your mother while you have her. And let none of you forget, that though I go before you to the dust,

you

all

you must all quickly follow me. O! that we may meet together at the right hand of our bleffed Redeemer, to fee his face, and fing his praife. The time is near, be ye therefore alfo ready.

Now, my dear wife and children, remember what is above, as the words of your affectionate hufband and loving father, who, being dead, yet hereby fpeaketh to you for your eternal good and happiness; may they fink deep into your heart: So prayeth

JOHN WILLISON.

SOME OF HIS DYING EJACULATIONS.

O LET me fleep in Jefus! I would not live always in this evil world, that has little in it tempting, and feems ftill to grow worfe, and where the torrent of fin and backfliding seems to grow stronger.

I would defire to depart and be with Chrift, which is far better than to be here. I am willing rather to be abfent from the body, and prefent with the Lord. Whom have I in heaven but thee; for though my heart, ftrength, and flesh, fail, yet the Lord will be the ftrength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

Now, Lord, what wait I for, my hope is in thee, I have waited for thy falvation, O Lord.

O for Simeon's frame, to be faying, "Lord, lettest thou thy fervant depart in peace, for mine eyes have feen thy falvation."

When Chrift fays, Surely I come quickly; may my foul answer, Even fo, come, Lord Jefus.

I am living on the righteoufnefs of Christ, yea, dying in the Lord. Even fo, come. I am detained here upon the fhore, waiting for a fair wind to carry me over this Jordan. I have waited, and will wait for thy falvation, O Lord. The Lord is a rock, and his work is perfect : Lord, perfect what concerneth me.

O that I could fay with Paul, The time of my departure is at hand. I have kept the faith, I have run my race, I have finished my courfe; henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteoufnefs, which the righteous Lord will give me at his coming.

C 2