We know, that if our earthly houfe of this taberna cle were diffolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. We are willing rather to be abfent from the body and prefent with the Lord, 2 Cor. v. 1, 8.

For me to live is Chrift, and to die is gain. Having a defire to depart and to be with Chrift, which is far better, Phil. i. 21, 23.

And now, Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee, Pfal. xxxix. 7.

My beloved is mine, and I am his. His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me. Awake, O north wind, come, thou fouth, blow upon my garden, that the fpices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits. Until the day break and the fhadows fly away, make hafte, my beloved, and be thou like a roe, or a young hart on the mountains of fpices, Cant. ii. 6, 16, 17. and iv. 16. and viii. 14.

O death, where is thy fting? O grave, where is thy victory? But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory, thro' our Lord Jefus Chrift, 1 Cor. xv. 55, 57.

The time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my courfe, I have kept the faith. Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righ teoufnefs, which the Lord the righteous Judge fhall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them alfo that love his appearing, 2 Tim. iv. 6, 7, 8.

The day of death is better than the day of one's birth, Eccl. vii. 1.

And God fhall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither forrow nor crying, neither fhall there be any more pain; for the former things are paffed away, Rev. xxi. 4.

This is a faithful faying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Chrift Jefus came into the world to fave finners, of whom I am chief, 1 Tim. i. 15.

God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begot

ten Son, that whofoever believeth in him fhould not perish, but have everlafting life, John iii. 16.

For he hath made him to be fin for us who knew no

fn; that we might be made the righteousness of God, in him, 2 Cor. v. 21.

Thanks be unto God for his unfpeakable gift, 2 Cor. ix. 15.

Bleffed be the Lord God of Ifrael, for he hath vifited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up an horn of falvation for us in the houfe of his fervant David, Luke i. 68, 69.

Them which fleep in Jefus, will God bring with him. Then fhall we be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: And fo fhall we ever be with the Lord, 1 Theff. iv. 14. 17.

Unto him that loved us, and wafhed us from our fins in his own blood, &c. Worthy is the lamb that was flain to receive power and glory, Rev. i. 5. and v. 12. We know that we have paffed from death unto life, because we love the brethren, 1 John iii. 14.

I am perfuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things pre-fent, nor things to come, nor heighth, nor depth, nor any other creature, fhould be able to feparate us from the love of God, which is in Chrift Jefus our Lord, Rom. viii. 38, 39.

I know whom I have believed, and am perfuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day, 3 Tim. i. 12.

I count all things but lofs and dung, that I may win Chrift, and be found in him, not having mine own righteoufnefs, &c. Phils iii. 8, 9.

Chrift Jefus who is made unto us wisdom, and righteoufnefs, and fanétification, and redemption, 1 Cor.

i. 30.

We rejoice in Chrift Jefus, and have no confidence in the fleth, Phil. iii. 3.

Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the faints in light, Col. i. 12.

Behold he cometh with clouds, and every eye fhall fee him. Amen. Even fo come, Lord Jefus, Rev. i. 7. and xxii. 20.

DUNDEE, 5th June 1741.

VOL. I.

C

SOME

SOME EJACULATIONS & DYING WORDS

OF THE AUTHOR.

My Dear,

MY

To MY WIFE.

Y diftrefs calls me to think of parting with you: the will of the Lord be done. I thank you for your tender care of me, may the Lord blefs and reward you for it, and fanctify your own tenderness, and fup. port you under it. As you have ftudied to live a life of faith and prayer all your days, fo I hope and believe you will continue to the end. In all your difficulties and fears, encourage yourfelf in the Lord your God: Commit your ways to him; truft him that is faithful and true. I refign you, my dear, to the HUSBAND of husbands, our dearest Lord Jesus Christ.

TO MY CHILdren.

DEAR Children, your earthly father must leave you, your heavenly Father is immortal. O! cleave faft to him. Trifle not about your fouls concerns in time of health; mind these things as the one thing needful; this you will not repent of when you come within a near view of death and endless eternity. O firs! prefs for clear views of your intereft in Christ, the only furety and Saviour of finners. Among other evidences of it, live by faith on him, and study holinefs in heart and life. Dear children, think how you will be able to stand before Christ your judge, at the last day, unless you have Chrift's image on you, and be made new creatures. Lord make you all fuch, and bless you with his best bleffing! My bleffing be upon you all. -What means God gave me, I have bestowed them on you, or left them to you. Be kind and careful of your mother while you have her. And let none of you forget, that though I go before you to the duft,

you

you must all quickly follow me. O that we may all meet together at the right hand of our bleffed Redeemer, to fee his face, and Ging his praise. The time is near, be ye therefore alfo ready.

Now, my dear wife and children, remember what is above, as the words of your affectionate husband and loving father, who, being dead, yet hereby fpeaketh to you for your eternal good and happiness; may they fink deep into your heart: So prayeth

JOHN WILLISON.

SOME OF HIS DYING EJACULATIONS.

O LET me fleep in Jefus! I would not live always in this evil world, that has little in it tempting, and feems ftill to grow worfe, and where the torrent of fin and backfliding feems to grow ftronger.

I would defire to depart and be with Chrift, which is far better than to be here. I am willing rather to be abfent from the body, and prefent with the Lord. Whom have I in heaven but thee; for though my heart, ftrength, and flesh, fail, yet the Lord will be the ftrength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

Now, Lord, what wait I for, my hope is in thee, I have waited for thy falvation, O Lord.

O for Simeon's frame, to be faying, "Lord, letteft. thou thy fervant depart in peace, for mine eyes have feen thy falvation."

When Chrift fays, Surely I come quickly; may my foul answer, Even fo, come, Lord Jefus.

I am living on the righteousness of Chrift, yea, dying in the Lord. Even fo, come. I am detained here upon the fhore, waiting for a fair wind to carry me over this Jordan. I have waited, and will wait for thy falvation, O Lord. The Lord is a rock, and his work is perfect : Lord, perfect what concerneth me.

O that I could fay with Paul, The time of my departure is at hand. I have kept the faith, I have run my race, I have finished my courfe; henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the righteous Lord will give me at his coming.

C 2

I

I am vile and polluted, O how fhall I be cleanfed : But that is a comfortable promife, "The blood of Jefus Chrift his Son, cleanfeth us from all fin." And fo is that, "Though ye have lien among the pots, ye fhall be as doves, whofe wings are covered with filver, and their feathers with yellow gold."

I refolve to obey, to fubmit to the Lord's will, to die like Mofes and Aaron, the one at the mount Hor, the other at mount Abarim. They went up and died there at the command of the Lord.

O that when my ftrength and flesh fail, God may be the ftrength of my heart, and my portion for ever. When now the keepers of the house do tremble, O that God may be the keeper: when the grinders cease, because they are few, O that God would feed my foul with manna, that will need none of thefe implements; when the daughters of mufic are brought low, O to be fitted for the heavenly mufic above: When the lookers out at the windows are darkened, O that my foul may be enlightened to fee Jefus my Redeemer.

Lord, help the unbelief and infidelity of my heart, and help to more of the faith of a rifen Jefus, an afcended Redeemer. Olet me believe and feel the sweetnefs of that word of Chrift, "I afcend to my Father, and to your Father, and to your God and my God."

O how fhall fuch an unholy creature as I prefume to enter into fuch a pure and holy place! But the apoftle has taught us, we may have boldness to enter into the holieft of all by the blood of Jefus.

O that when the time of my last combat comes with my laft enemy death, I may be helped above all to take the fhield of faith, whereby I may be relieved from the fting of death, and may quench the fiery darts of the wicked one.

O that I may be helped to adore the fovereignty of God, kifs his rod, and humbly submit to it. Save me from both extremities; let me never despise the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when I am rebuked of him.

Now the prince of darknefs will study to raise tempefts of temptations to fhipwreck the poor weatherbeaten veffel of my foul, when it would enter into the

harbour