as I would have it, but within a little, I'll get it

fo.

After he had lien quiet a little, one faid, you have fleep'd none. He answered, no, I had much work, but blessed be God, pleasant work.

Thereafter, when his wife afk'd how he was, he anfwered, my dear, I'm longing for the falvation of my God, and hastning to it. Then feeing her very fad, he faid, my dear, encourage your felf; here is a body going to clay, and a foul going to heaven, where I hope you are to come.

September 19, about 5 in the morning, when he was defired to ly quiet, and try if he could reft, he anfwered, no, no, fhould I lie here altogether ufelefs? should not I spend the last bit of my strength, to fhew forth his glory? he held up his hands, and faid, * lame hands, and lame legs, but fee, a lame

*His hands and legs were greatly fwelled.

man leaping and rejoicing.

Speaking of his children to his wife, he faid, they are all a devoted thing to the Lord; and I can fay, fometimes when they were baptized, that the Lord helped me to devote them to him, and bade me bring the reft, and he would accept of them.

Thereafter, finding some disorder in his body, he faid, this is just one of the forerunners of the change, the great change. One faid, bleft be the Lord, that he's providing you with relief. He reply'd, his word is a good word; and O he has been condefcending, aftonishingly condefcending! And I'm even made to fay,' Why are his chariot wheels fo long a coming?' When shall I be admitted to fee the glory of the higher house and instead of that cloudy light of a created fun, to fee that clear and perfect glory, and the lamb in the midst of the throne?

After a while's filence, in the forenoon, finding himself very low, he took farewel of his wife and children; faluting them all one by one, and fpoke

par

particularly to each of them: Then he faid, a kind and affectionate wife you have been to me; the Lord bless you, and he shall bless you.

To a-minifter that came in, he said, your fervant, brother. I'm upon a piece of trying work; I'm parting with wife and bairns. Refolve on that, I bless his name, tho' I have had one of the best of wives, yet fhe's no more mine, but the Lord's.

Then to his children he faid, now you're father-lefs; your father is to be taken from you: But feek God: And now I got you from the Lord, and I give u to him. Now I leave you upon him; ye're no more mine.

To his fon he faid, God bless the lad, and let my name be named upon him. But O what is my name! Let the name of the Lord be named upon him. I do not fay, keep up my name; but o! that you may be honour'd to tell the generation following, how good God is, and hand down the teftimony. And o that ye may be all the Lord's.

After that he spoke to his fervants, and faid, as for you my fervants, that have been in my family, my dear friends, make religion your main business, and mind that above all things. I charge all my fervants in my houfe, beware of graceless mafters, avoid it, as what may turn to your destruction; feek to be with them that fear the Lord.

Then he faid, I will not bring up an ill report on religion; nay, I cannot but give a teftimony to it; Tribulation works patience; and patience, experience; experience works hope; and hope makes not ashamed.' God has fhed abroad his love in my heart; and I'm waiting for his falvation. Here's a demonstration of the reality of religion, that I a poor weak timerous man, as much once afraid of death as any; I that have been many years under the terrors of death, come now in the mercy of God, and by the power of his grace, compofedly, and with joy to look

death

death in the face; I have feen it in its palenefs, and all the circumftances of horrour attending it; I dare look it in the Face in its moft gaftly fhape, and hope within a little to have the victory. Then he faid, I hope he will deal tenderly; but pray for me that my Faith fail not: I lov'd to live preaching Christ, and love to die preaching Christ.

To fome minifters that were come in he faid, My brethren, I have been taking farewel of wife and bairns, I have been giving them up to God from whom I got them: I'm upon the wing of eternity; but glory to God. I know in whom I have believed.

Then he faid, dear brethren, will you begin and fpeak a word to one that longs to hear of him: OI love to hear the gofpel, I love to preach it, 'tis a joy. ful found, a fweet found; I love to hear of his name; his name is as ointment poured forth; the efficacy lies here, they are his ordinances, his inftitutions, and he has promifed to blefs them; that makes me defire them. The gofpel as difpenfed is the miniftration of the fpirit. I have need of grace, that I may be helped to ftand to it to the laft, and in the last conflict to honour him. One faid, God has been gracious to you hitherto; and you know, he's always the fame, he's the fame to thefe that belong to him: There's one good word, I'll never leave thee nor forfake thee. He answered, Bleft be his name that he'll ftand by me: O to have him shut my eyes himself, and then to open them, that I may behold him in his own light,

Thereafter he faid, Well firs, what fhall we fay of the Lord Chrift? He's altogether lovely: Religion is a myftery; but I was looking thro' the promises this night, and obferving how to provide against the laft conflict: I was aftonifh'd, and at a stand, when I faw the fweet accomplishment of them: every promife of the word of God is fweet; they are furè promifes. O firs, ftudy the word, obferve the accom

plishment of it; it was the thing I lov'd all my days, and 'tis fweet to the laft. O the accomplishment of the word is worthy to be obferved, and fpecially when I was looking this fame night to what he has already fulfilled to me.

To a minister he faid, now, fir, tho' I will not li mit the Lord as to time; I'm expecting the onfet from the laft enemy; and I know not but I may get many enemies about me ere then.

Then exhorting fome to think on death, he faid, To mind death is a profitable thing: To mind death is not to go to church-yard and vifit tombs ;-but it lies in this, to be habitually under the impreffions of death in its rife and cause, in its prefent state and relation to both covenants, the various iffues and confequences of it, and the way of delivery from it, and all the circumftances attending it.

:

Then as to his fpiritual enemies, he faid, But I think I'm now almost out of their hands. One faid, That's a great victory. He answered, I dare not speak of victory; but he holds me up, tho' I cannot hold pace: I'm fear'd to fpeak, left a curs'd enemy, viz. felf, ly at the door to catch for when I had the greatest advantages, I have felt corruption ftirring and making no small difficulty, inclining me to spoil my Lord of his glory. One faid, We fhall neither under mercies nor afflictions be free of this trial. He faid, O ftrange, that when death has been fo long kept in view, that it fhould be fo! One faid, You have reafon to count that a victory, that the Lord has helped you over your late fears: You know what a damp you was under on Wednesday, and what a fweet outgate you got. He anfwered, I defire to blefs his name for it; but I fhould be yet under as great a damp, if he fhould withdraw: Holy fear, caution and jealoufy is ftill needful,

After that, to the Minifters he faid, Brethrer, you're there: In cafe I fhould be furpriz'd, I take this

op

Part IV. opportunity to acknowlege your tenderness to me, that I'm most unworthy of it in many refpects: I can fay, I defired to live in love with you and I blefs God there was harmony amongst us: The Lord bless you and your labours, the Lord himself multiply fpiritual bleffings on you and your families, fupport you againft difcouragements; and the Lord in mercy look on the rifing generation; the Lord hold his hands about the feminaries in this place, God look with pity on them. Then to one he faid, My dear brother, who has been my comfort in affliction, ftand your ground, quit your felf like a man. be ftrong. Now fir, now my dear friend, I fhall only fay, as I wish you the blessing of God on your family, fo I defire that you'll even fhew kindness to the dead, in fympathy with all kindness to my dear wife and children; I recommend her to your care; fhe has been the friend of my bofom, the wife of my youth,a faithful friend. And turning to all the minifters prefent, O firs check my poor babies, if ye fee any thing in them diforderly: I have lent and devoted them to the Lord. Laft fpring the Lord has taken trial of it, and has taken me at my word. * O firs 'tis an evidence of the decay of religion, that fympathy and love among the faints is decay'd; o if the fpirit were poured out from on high. Then he said, pray firs, pray for grace: I would have the praife of the victory

*By this he

meant the death of his

fonGeorge.

to him.

Afterward, he said, patience must have its perfect work; I'll wait for it: My foul longs more than they that wait for the morning. Sweet Lord Jefus, make hafte, until the day break and the fhadows flie away, Then to a minifter he said, pray a word for patience to me to bide this laft trial.

Thereafter at his defire, a large paper was read over to him, which he had dictated fome days before, containing a teftimony unto religion, and advice to his family,