Blessedness of the Christian's Death.

presence and ineffable light of the ever-blessed Three, to partake of all the joys of the undivided One. Then I said, Then I said, "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, for they rest from their labours, and their works follow them."

ARGUMENT

TO

PART V.

2

Saints happy under Afflictions-The Triumph of Faith -A Christian on his Death-bed-The Welfare of the Church to be preferred to that of our Families— Reliance on Providence recommended-Christ the Protector of the Father and the Widow—Exhortation of the dying Stabilius-Stabilius defended by the Angel Abdiel-Abdiel's Conflict and VictoryDeath of Stabilius-Joy of the departed Soul on its Entrance into the Presence of God-Reflections.

PART V.

AS I was ruminating on these things, I thought that my guide called me away, saying, we may yet see DEATH attended with very different circumstances: and although I thought myself by the last scene fully repaid for all the terror I had undergone at the beginning of my acquaintance with Veratio; I was inspired with the most eager desire to have farther discoveries of sanctified DEATH. I followed him with the greatest eagerness out of this chamber, wherein I had viewed such an agreeable scene, into another apartment adjacent to it, and there he shewed me a happy disciple, who with great composure of mind was laid on a sick bed, under the pressure of

Saints happy under Afflictions...

midst of tempestuous trouble; in the midst of trying sorrow his patience stood unmoved, even as the stately oak lifts up his lofty head, despising the western tempest; or as the stable rock, amidst the furious surges, endures their wrathful discharge without the least emotion. Rent with racking pain, and opprest with deathly sickness, he patiently, though with a trembling voice, said, “Good is the Lord's will concerning me; the cup that my Heavenly Father hath mingled for me, shall I not patiently drink it;" I thought in my dream that he was thus addressed by one of his friends; "Sir, I would have you repose yourself a little, for your afflictions are very heavy; and notwithstanding your spirit is submissive, your flesh must needs be weak." To which he replied, "My afflictions are all known to the Lord: yea, it is my God who has fixed the degree of them; and seeing the Almighty is pleased to do it, I dare not, I cannot complain, for I am well assured that he can do nothing wrong. Were it not right, he could not do it, omnipotent as he is. My afflictions indeed make this clay tabernacle to