greatly; it was only at intervals he was able to relate it.

'My dear Stafford,' I replied, 'I trust you will yet live to enjoy the comforts of this world. I will endeavour to console you, and be your friend -your brother.'

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My dearest Henry,' said he, 'I feel your kindness; your love warms my almost cold heart, but it cannot be I am about to leave you; arm yourself with fortitude, pray to the Lord, He is merciful, and will hear those that call upon him in truth. My dear, dear Henry, my more than brother, never forsake his laws; though we are now to be separated, I hope we shall meet again, never to part.'

'Stafford,' replied I, my dearest friend, we shall not now be separated; please God, you will soon be well.'

'Not in this world, my Henry; but Neville has frequently read for me of that glorious world where "there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor sighing, for God shall wipe away all tears from every eye." Seek, my dear Ellmer, to realize a fulfilment of this blessed promise, and grieve not for me. Never did I know the mercy and goodness of our great Creator until I read and heard his holy word; study it, my dearest friend. Our holy church cannot condemn you, it is only the bigotry of some individuals that has raised any objection; but at the hour of death, how vain, how futile do all things appear when put in comparison with the book of God, the revelation of his divine will to lost and guilty man.'

Having conversed for a long time, though only at intervals, Stafford was exhausted, and said he would now endeavour to get some rest.

CHAPTER IX.

When thy last breath, ere nature sunk to rest,
Thy meek submission to thy God expressed;
When thy last look, ere thought and feeling fled,

A mingled gleam of hope and triumph shed;
What to thy soul its glad assurance gave,

Its hope in death, its triumph o'er the grave?....Rogers.

'Tis heaven, all heaven descending on the wings

Of the glad legions of the King of kings;

"Tis more-'tis God diffus'd through every part,

'Tis God himself triumphant in his heart.... Cowper.

I RETIRED to another chamber, that I might give unrestrained course to my tears. Stafford's words affected me deeply; they were prophetic of what very soon took place.

He fell into a disturbed slumber, from which in a short time he awoke, much worse, and continued so through the evening. He wished to have the Priest I sent, but he was not at home-they expected him hourly. Neville came to us late, and finding my friend so much worse, determined on remaining with me for the night. Stafford was quite collected, and during the intervals from pain and coughing, tried to converse a little.

'My dear Sir,' said he to Neville, how kind are you thus to devote your time to a poor stranger; but the Lord will reward your goodness.'

'How do you feel at this trying hour?' asked Neville, I hope, my friend, you are not depending on any righteousness of your own for acceptance.'

'I endeavour to look to my Saviour alone,' faintly answered Stafford, ' and hope he will not forsake me, even though I thus late have learned not to lean on my own works.'

'Depend upon it,' replied Neville, 'He has said, that those who come to him in faith, "shall in no wise be cast out."-" Like as a father pitieth his children, so will the Lord have mercy on them that fear him.""

May He have mercy on me, and pardon all my sins, for the sake of His blessed Son,' repeated Stafford. May He give me full remission ere I leave this world, that so I may enter into rest.'

'When the Maker of heaven and earth,' said Neville,caused his goodness to pass before Moses, and proclaimed his name, what was the most prominent character ?—even mercy. "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin." Again he is declared to be "A God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness." Having those and many other consoling promises, why should the penitent fear? Then, my dear Stafford, cast all your care upon Him, for he will never leave nor forsake those that rest upon him. The enemy of souls may, nay, will, endeavour to

shake your confidence, but the Lord will not suffer him to prevail.'

A violent fit of coughing seized Stafford, and for a long time after he was incapable of attending to any thing; he seemed to suffer much internally, his countenance underwent many changes; at length he said,

I

Thank God, I hope the struggle is past, and that all will now be peace. Oh, Neville, my kind friend, you have given me blessed comfort. believe that through the infinite merits of my Saviour's sacrifice I can alone be saved. I plead those merits, and say, have mercy upon me, a miserable sinner.'

a

'And this, my dear Stafford, is the only plea, the hope of a Christian. He alone is "firm rock; all is sea beside, sinks under us, and then devours," the sure foundation is the Lord Jesus; therefore, my friend, fear not.'

'I try to rest my hopes on these promises; but O, Neville, what may not the soul have to endure after its flight from the body, ere it can be with the Lord? I tremble at the thought.'

'Let not such ideas disturb your peace, Stafford; believe me they are erroneous. "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin." There are but two states after this life, mentioned in Scripture, either happiness unspeakable, or misery without end; the soul accepted through the Saviour, on leaving its frail tenement of clay, enters into its rest, and comes unto Mount Sion, to the city of the Living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant." For,

"whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." This was the belief of the ancients in your church, and particularly of your patron, St. Patrick; do not give way to such thoughts, they are suggested by the enemy of your soul, to shake your confidence; only believe, and all will be well.'

Were I to transcribe all the conversation of Neville during the night, I should greatly extend my narrative. Indeed, dear Elizabeth, his words were most consolatory; Stafford seemed to feel them so, and in the intervals from suffering spoke a little to us; the Priest had not yet arrived, which made him somewhat uneasy. After the hour of midnight he became visibly worse, and Neville feared he would not survive the night; the cough was less frequent, but the difficulty of respiration greater. During one of the moments of comparative ease, Stafford took my hand and placed it in Neville's, holding both with his own, and saying,

'My dearest Ellmer, I am just going; may that gracious Lord who has been so kind to me, bless and keep you; may you at this awful hour meet a friend such as you have been to me. Dear Neville, be a friend to my Henry; he cannot have a better in this world; comfort him when I am gone, -- lead him to the only true source of consolation.'

He paused a short time, being exhausted, and then added,

Dear, dear Henry, do not sorrow for me; you know my prospects in life have long been overcast, and that I leave a world of affliction to meet my lamented family in the regions of perfect bliss, never to part. Neville, will you be a friend to