Oh, for grace our hearts to soften!
Teach us Lord, at length to love;
We, alas! forget too often,

What a Friend we have above.'

He afterwards, in conversation with his mother, when they were alone, desired that this hymn might be sung at his funeral.

Oct. 22. Found Nathan very feeble, though relieved, in a great measure, of his cough. I asked him how he was. He replied with a smile, 'I am more comfortable to-day.'

He gave me the Sabbath School Prayer Book for Children, which a lady had carried in to him. He opened it, and turning over the leaves to the following hymn, looked up to me, expressing, by his countenance, a wish to have it read. While hearing it, he closed his eyes, and at the end of almost every verse, whispered in a low voice,

'Yes, sir,' as though he understood and felt the sentiment.

"When languor and disease invade
This trembling house of clay :
"T is sweet to look beyond my pains,
And long to fly away.

Sweet, to look inward, and attend
The whispers of his love;
Sweet to look upward to the place
Where Jesus pleads above.

Sweet, to reflect, how grace divine,
My sins on Jesus laid;

Sweet to remember that his blood
My debt of suff'ring paid.

Sweet, on his faithfulness to rest,
Whose love can never end;
Sweet on his covenant of grace
For all things to depend. 1

Sweet, in the confidence of faith,
To trust his firm decrees;
Sweet to lie passive in his hand,
And know no will but his.

If such the sweetness of the streams,
What must the fountain be

Where saints and angels draw their bliss,
Immediately from Thee!

He seemed to enjoy peculiarly the fifth verse. I read to him also, the hymn on the 108th page of the Prayer Book.

In vain my fancy strives to paint,
The moment after death;
The glories that surround the saint,
When yielding up his breath.

One gentle sigh his fetters break,
We scarce can say, "He's gone!"
Before the willing spirit takes

Its mansion near the throne.

Faith strives, but all its efforts fail,
To trace the Spirit's flight;
No eye can pierce within the veil,
Which hides the world of light.

Thus much (and this is all) we know,
Saints are completely blest;

Have done with sin and care and wo,
And with the Saviour rest.

On harps of gold they praise his name,
His face they always view;

Then let us followers be of them,
That we may praise him too.'

I often explained verses of scripture and hymns to him, when reading, and they often gave rise to very interesting inquiries and remarks from him. As I made some remarks on the third verse, he was exceedingly interested in the thought, that although we cannot look up to Heaven, and see God, and angels, and happy spirits there, yet God, and perhaps angels and spirits, can at all times look down and see us.

CHAPTER III.

Account of his ADMISSION TO THE CHURCH, which he calls' the Meeting. Hymns. He is wearied with company. His sickness and suffering increase. He is very patient. Various anecdotes. His desire to give the Author a keepsake. Conversation. He gives the Author several little books and tracts.

Oct. 22. Thursday. For several days past Nathan has been inviting many of his friends, as they called, to come in, this evening, when he expected the church would meet, and hoped to be received as a member. To-day I told him that we were afraid he would not be able to bear a great deal of company; and that all his friends were desirous that he should not be fatigued and confused by the number of visiters. And that all, however much they would wish to be present, would be very sorry to come, if it should prove

an injury to him; that we were all very desirous that he should have strength to enjoy the occasion.

He looked up with an expression of countenance that cannot be described, and said, 'But God will give me strength and joy.'

He seemed to wish as many of his friends as possible to come and enjoy, with him, the scene which he anticipated with so much pleasure.

He requested me to invite several ladies, who had been very kind to him during his sickness; and he mentioned particularly his Sabbath school teacher and the superintendent; but seemed especially desirous to have me call and invite Mr. P, the gentleman, who he said, a few days before, was the first man who asked his mamma to send him to the Sabbath School. And of this gentleman he spoke very many times, with much affection.

Before leaving him this morning, I said, Well, Nathan, I would keep as still and quiet as I could, and not talk much, so that you may have fresh strength to enjoy the meeting this evening. He looked up earnestly and said,

'I have prayed to God for strength.' The same remark he had also made to his pastor when the subject had been mentioned with some anxiety on his account.*

· The Examining Committee of the Church visited him,. to see if he gave sufficient evidence of piety, to be received as a church member. One of the number asked him some hard questions, designed to bring clearly to view his real feelings. Mr. asked, Well, Nathan, is it because you

Thursday Evening. Went in about six o'clock and found from twenty to thirty persons in little Nathan's chamber. He was bolstered up in the bed, so as to have a full view all over the room. Although his head ached severely, and was tied around with a white handkerchief, he seemed as pleasant and happy as he could be. His eye rested upon the visiters, one after another, as they entered the room, with an expression of countenance that no words can describe.

Just as all were seated and the room had become perfectly still, the minister came in.

A few moments then passed, in a kind of pleasing solemn silence, which those only can truly realize, who have witnessed some such scene as this.

After some appropriate remarks addressed to little Nathan, and to the listening audience before him, the following verses were read from the hymn, which Nathan had the day before requested to be sung on the occasion,

'See Israel's gentle Shepherd stands,
With all engaging charms;

Hark, how he calls the tender lambs,

And folds them in his arms.'

read in the Bible, and pray to God, and love the Savior, that you hope to go to heaven?

'No sir,' he replied, 'it's because Christ died.'

Mr.

asked him also, Well, Nathan, on the whole, don't you think you should like to get well again? Nathan turned his face away with an expression of disappointment that such a question should be asked, and answered, 'I don't think any thing about it, sir.'