I'll pray. The great evil this day that is like to be our bane, nay ruin and undoing, is, that there's a coldness and indifferency that has crept on, an untenderness in the course of our walk, that gives a great advantage to our enemies, we do not maintain the testimony of God in a humble tender way, in fuch a day as this, when many are running from God. It feems to be a principle now with many, how far they may go and not be ruined, that's to go to the brink of deftruction; but the chriftian rule is to ftand at a distance, Now the Lord help you. Pray that I may be helped to honour God in life and death; there's much reason to blefs him. O to bear it out and stand the trial thankfully: O what ground of thankfulness have I!

To his fucceffor in the parish he was transported from, he said, I have this to fay, as to my congregation, that people were my choice; with much peace and pleasure I preached as I could, tho' not as I fhould, the gofpel of Jefus Chrift; though in all things I own myself to have finned exceedingly before the Lord, yet I have peace that I aim'd with concern at leading them to the Lord Jefus ; and another foundation can no man lay: I hope you'll build on that fame foundation, as you will, in that way fave your own foul, fo 'tis the way to fave them that hear you. From experience I can fay, that the purfuing this fincerly, is the way to falvation. Signify to them, that, if it please the Lord to take me away, I die rejoicing in the faith and profeffion of what I oft preached to them under a low state of body; and without this I could have no relief. I would have my folk understand, that that gofpel which I recommend to them, ifit is not receiv'd, it'll be a witness against them. His fucceffor faid, I'm perfuaded you have feals to your ministry in that parish. He answered, we are like our master, fet for the fall and rifing again of many. Though we can reach no more, if we are

faithful, they shall know that a prophet has been among them.

To one that came in to him, he said, learn to die. 'Tis rare to die as a chriftian, the most part think there is no more to do, but to lay down their heads and die This is even as one would cover his face and leap over a rock into the fea,

:

To a gentlewoman he faid, I may cry, fhame on me, and woes me, that began not fooner, and run not fafter; for the Lord's way is as filver tried. We fhould never, in matters of eternal moment, chuse a way that we'll rue of again. I will not detain you, you'll have your uncle, he'll be a good friend to you; follow his advice, and fuch perfons as he, follow their example. In a word, follow the example of Jefus Christ, and be converfant with the word: be careful not only in reading the word, you may foon tire of that; but cry for the fpirit of the Lord, to quicken it, and then ye'll be with it as the child that cannot live without the breafts. Be diligent in attending the or. dinances. The Lord bless you. As for me, for any thing I fee I am dying: But I die, I blefs his name, in the way that I have hitherto chofen deliberately, and I have no ground to complain. Commend me to all friends. Carry this commiffion alongs; what I fay to one, I fay to all, feek the Lord. And all I have to seek, is, that I may stand to it.

To a private chriftian he faid, feek the Lord, and be real in religion, content not yourself with the form of it; a mere profeffion will not do the turn; this will be but the hell without the kernel; but they that are fincere, fhall inherit the crown. Let not the fcorn and contempt that's caft on religion, cause you give up with it. 'Tis not in vain to feek the Lord, you have found it. The fcriptures of truth are a conremned book by men; but they are able to make you wife unto falvation; beware of cafting out with them, and throwing them by as an ufelefs book; but

con,

converfe with them, and ye'll find your account in them: All the books of the world could not have been in that stead, that fince yesterday they have been to me. Chufe good company; beware of ill company, hold at a diftance from it; feek, that God may guide you into religious company, and improve it; folk by whom ye may learn fomething, and that without learning any thing that may be hurtful. Ye have a fad Jet of gentry round about here; take heed ye be not drawn off your feet. This is a friends advice; 'tis meet for me in my circumstances, efpecially to give, and meet for you to receive,

After a little ftop, he faid, I'll only tell you one difference there is this day between my cafe and the cafe of many in the world; the courfe I have followed weakly, has been at least to join with them that are on God's fide: Now 'tis come to a push, and I have peace; I always wifh'd to have God for my God, and the heritage of his chofen, But they that walk contrary to God, and forfake him, I have seen them frequently, when they were come to a pinch, cry then, O fhame upon the way I have been in.'

In the night time, to fome prefent he said, do ye obferve this growing weakness of my eyes? Anfwer, No. He reply'd, yea, but I know it is fo; now that's a prognostick of a change. If he fhut eyes, he'll open eyes, eyes no more to behold vanity: But I fhall behold him in righteoufnefs, and when I awake, I fhall be fatisfied with his likeness.

Thereafter he faid, if this be the day of the ending of my conflict, I would defire, even humbly to seek of the Lord, that he would of his great mercy condefcend to be tender to one that loves his appearance; that as he has dealt wonderfully and condefcendingly with me, fo he may even deal tenderly to the end, in loofing the pins of my tabernacle, and that I may be helped to honour God by a compos'd refignation into his hand. O religion, and the glory

of

of it, in this degenerate age, has been much on my heart; and he has faid, them that honour me, I will honour, I was willing through his grace to have born reproach; if my adverfary had written a book, I would have taken and bound it as a glory.

Finding fome fweat on his face, he said, I fancy that's an indication of a greater change. I can.compose my self, I bless his name. I wot not how it comes to pafs, that a body, that has met with fo much of God, fhould be fo unthankful as in the leaft to doubt him about the reft. O what an evil heart of unbelief, curfed unbelief, and curfed felf have I. O how has God honoured me! O that I fhould yet have fuch an enemy in my bofom, as an evil heart.

He caufed read i Thef. i. 4. and v. chap, And when one faid, fir, I think you need to take the night's reft; He answered I have no need of any reft, were it not to put me in cafe to finish my courfe with joy. Lo what the power of Chrift's death, and the efficacy of his refurection are! And now I find the advantage of one at the right hand of God who is able to fave to the uttermoft; and that's the fight I long for; he will but shut the eyes, and open them in glory! O 'tis a great matter, firs to believe; yet we have strong grounds to believe, only we have evil hearts of unbeleif. This I dare fay, to have my foul intirely submiffive to God, and all things, even every high imagination and thought made fubject, is my fincere defire; but I'll get that done fhortly; then never will there be a reluctant thought, never an eftranged thought more from God: 'Now it does not appear what we shall be; we shall be like him when he ap pears; for we fhall fee him as he is.

To one that alleged he was faint, he faid, I'm not faintish, I'm compos'd, and I'm refresh'd, I'm not drunk with wine, and yet I'm refresh'd with wine, with the fpiced wine; O there's a fweet calm in my foul! And my defires are towards him, and the re

mem

membrance of his name. Remember him! why should I not remember him, that remembred me in my low condition? He paffed by, and faid, live; and when he fays, he commands, he gives reft.

After reading of the forefaid fcripture, he caus'd read 2 Cor. i. chap. 1.1. v. and after the 9, and 10, v. were read, he faid, now there 'tis all ; God has delivered and filled me with peace, when I was under that heavy damp; and I hope that he will deliver, even from that which I fear'd in death, and and let me find that I have got the victory,and that the God of peace will bruise fatan fhortly under my feet, and he will get up no more; and I'll get victory over the cunning world, the deceitful heart. O many a weary day I have had with my unbelief. If I had had faith to believe things not feen, if I had had faith answerable to the convictions I had on my foul, that my happiness lay not in things feen and temporal, but eternal; if I had had faith's abiding impreffions realizing these things, I would not have known

how to abide out of heaven a moment.

A little thereafter he faid, as I preach'd the gospel in my life, fo I defire to die preaching it; and tho' I live not till a fuffering time, I may get in among the witneffes. Sirs, I'll be a witness against St. Andrews, I'll be a witness against the profeffors that are come about me, if they follow not the Lord.

When defir'd to ly quiet, and take fleep, he anfwered the folk I am going to, fleep not day nor night, but cry, holy, holy, holy. They that wait on the Lord fhall mount up as with eagles wings.' Then he faid, find ye any alteration as to my coldnefs the only reafon why I afk, is, I would not lofe my time.

Ah, poor blacked I, that think shame to come in among that fair company. One faid, you'll be as bra' as the reft. He faid, bleffings to his name, for compofure. I cannot get my heart in a right tune,

as