God as a thing now grown up in him to a fettled and calm ferenity. He was very anxious to know my opinion of a death-bed repentance. I told him, that, before I gave any refolution in that, it would be convenient that I fhould be acquainted more particularly with the circumftances and progress of his repentance.

Upon this he fatisfied me in many particulars. He faid he was now perfuaded both of the truth of Chriftianity and of the power of inward grace, of which he gave me this ftrange account.-He faid, Mr. Parfons, in order to his conviction, read to him the fifty-third chapter of the prophecy of Ifaiah, and compared that with the hiftory of our Saviour's pasfion, that he might there fee a prophecy concerning it, written many ages before it was done; which the Jews, that blafphemed Jefus Chrift, ftill kept in their hands, as a book divinely infpired. He faid to me, that, as he heard it read, he felt an inward force upon him, which did fo enlighten his mind and convince him, that he could refift it no longer; for the words had an authority which did shoot like rays or beams in his mind; fo that he was not only convinced by the reafonings he had about it which fatisfied his understanding, but by a power which did fo effectually constrain him, that he did ever after as firmly believe in his Saviour as if he had seen him in

the

the clouds. He had made it to be read fo often to him, that he had got it by heart, and went through a great part of it, in difcourfe with me, with a fort of heavenly pleasure, giving me his reflections on it. Some few I remember. Who hath believed our report? (Verse 1.) Here, he faid, was foretold the oppofi tion the Gospel was to meet with from fuch wretches as he was. He hath no form nor comeliness, and when we shall fee him, there is no beauty that we should defire him. (Verse 2.) On this, he faid, the meannefs of his appearance and perfon has made vain and foolish people difparage him, becaufe he came not in fuch a fool's coat as they delight in. What he faid on the other parts I do not well remember; and indeed I was fo affected with what he faid then to me, that the general transport I was under during the whole difcourfe, made me lefs capable to remem ber thefe particulars as I wish I had done.

He told me, that he had thereupon received the facrament with great fatisfaction; and that was increafed by the pleasure he had in his lady's receiving it with him, who had heen for fome years mifled into the communion of the church of Rome, and he himself had been not a little inftrumental in procuring it, as he freely acknowledged: so that it was one of the joyfulleft things that befel him in his fickness, that he had feen that mischief removed

in

in which he had so great a hand: and, during his whole fickness, he expreffed fo much tenderness and true kindness to his lady, that, as it easily defaced the remembrance of every thing wherein he had been in fault formerly, fo it drew from her the most paffionate care and concern for him that was poffible; which indeed deferves a higher character than is decent to give of a perfon yer alive. But I fhall confine my difcourfe to the dead.

He told me, he had overcome all his refentments to all the world, fo that he bore ill-will to no perfon, nor hated any upon perfonal accounts. He had given a true ftate of his debts, and had ordered to pay them all, as far as his eftate, that was not fettled, could go; and was confident that, if all that was owing to him were paid to his executors, his creditors would be all fatisfied. He faid, he found his mind now poffeffed with another fenfe of things than ever he had formerly. He did not repine under all his pain; and, in one of the fharpest fits he was under while he did willingly submit; and, looking up to heaven, faid, "God's holy will be done; I blefs him for all he does to me." He profeffed, he was contented either to die or live, as fhould please God; and, though it was a foolish thing for a man to pretend to choose whether he would die or live, yet he wifhed rather to die. He knew he could never be

I was with him, he faid,

fo

fo well that life fhonld be comfortable to him. He was confident he should be happy if he died; but he feared, if he lived, he might relapse; " and then,

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(faid he to me,) in what a condition fhall I be if "I relapse after all this?" But, he said, he trufted in the grace and goodness of God, and was refolved to avoid all those temptations, that course of life and company, that were likely to enfnare him; and he defired to live on no other account, but that he might, by the change of his manners, fome way take off the high fcandal his former behaviour had given. All these things, at feveral times, I had from him, befides fome meifages, which very well became a dying penitent, to fome of his former friends, and a charge to publish any thing concerning him that might be a mean to reclaim others; praying God, that, as his life had done much hurt, fo his death might do fome good.

Having understood all, these things from him, and being preffed to give him my opinion plainly about his eternal ftate, I told him, that, though the promises of the Gospel did all depend upon a real change of heart and life, as the indifpenfible condition upon which they were made; and that it was fcarce poffible to know certainly whether our hearts are changed, unless it appeared in our lives; and, the repentance of most dying men being like the howlings of condemned prifoners for pardon, which

flowed

flowed from no fenfe of their crimes, but from the horror of approaching death, there was little reason to encourage any to hope much from fuch forrowing; yet, certainly, if the mind of a finner, even on a death-bed, be truly renewed and turned to God, fo great is his mercy, that he will receive him even in that extremity. He faid, he was fure his mind was entirely turned; and, though horror had given him his firft awaking, yet that was now grown up into a fettled faith and converfion.

There is but one prejudice lies against all this, to defeat the good ends of divine providence by it upon others as well as on himself, and that is, that it was a part of his difeafe, and that the lowness of his spirits made fuch an alteration in him, that he was not what he had formerly been; and this fome have carried fo far as to fay that he died mad. These reports are raised by those who are unwilling that the last thoughts or words of a perfon every way fo extraordinary, fhould have any effect either on themfelves or others; and it is to be feared, that fome have fo far feared their confciences, and exceeded the common meatures of fin and infidelity, that neither this teftimony, nor one coming from the dead, would fignify much towards their conviction. That this lord was either mad or ftupid is a thing fo notoriously untrue, that it is the greatest impudence for that were about him to report it, and a very

any