you have lived here many years, and by God's help have been of some use, I am glad you are going into so good a family, who are children of the covenant; for the mercy of the Lord is upon thousands of them that fear him;' and though you may meet with afflictions, yet I hope God will do you good, and help you to bear them." This was a true prediction, for God laid a heavy hand of affliction upon her husband, and then took him away by death, under some extraordinary and aggravating circumstances, known to the neighbourhood; yet, God supported her very graciously.

Concerning himself, he said, "God hath made my condition comfortable in the world: I have lived comfortably, and have kept that which my father left me; he left me a good portion, thinking, it may be, that I should never be likely to get much in the world. I have left it, or what is equivalent, to my children, and if they make it away, the will of the Lord be done. This is my comfort, I have left no means unused, that I thought might be for their good; and it may be, God may bring them into straits, when I am gone; and when he hath brought them into the wilderness, speak to their hearts."

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My good child Betty! God took away poor Betty! But why should I call her poor? she is rich, being with her best friend; I have had much grief for the loss of my dear wife, she was dear to me, but her happiness I could never yet envy."

"God hath in some measure given me an humble heart, and hath helped me to conduct myself humbly in my place, to children and to servants; let God have the glory, in whom alone I have

comfort."

One said to him, "Sir, what do you apprehend of yourself?" he said, "I know not, but I have lived almost two years above the age of man; and if God have any further work for me to do, he will recover me; and if not, why should I desire to live? I have taken great pains all my life, and never desired to live an idle life, or a life of pleasure, But for me to be with Christ is far better; henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge will give me."

His next fit was on Saturday, Aug. 25. Being very restless, one asked him, where his pain lay? he said, "no great pain, but heat is pain enough; he asked, what time of the day it was? they said ten o'clock; he said, the day goes slowly on, when one is ill; but when well, we think time goes too fast."

At another time he said, " God hath set back the time, as in Hezekiah's days; but, said he, if I could go to chapel tomorrow, I should think all well; however, I have no hope of that, but if God hath a favour to me, he will bring me back,

and shew me both the ark, and his holy habitation; if not let him do what seemeth him good."

His daughter coming into the room, he said, "Oh that I could see my children walking in God's ways and fear! if I could see my son, his wife and children, minding the best things, and walking with God, I could die with comfort. I very much desire that I could live to see it; I have prayed, and long waited for God's salvation. And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind, for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts; if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever," 1 Chron. xxviii. 9.

Aug. 27. Early in the morning, after a restless night, and many weary tossings, being unable to lie still, he said, " my strength is spent, and added, I may say as Hezekiah, I am oppressed, Lord, undertake for me," Isa. xxxviii. 14.

To his cousin, he said, "we must not decline God's service. for difficulty."

On Tuesday, Mr. Constantine, a worthy minister, coming to visit him, he desired him to pray with him; and being asked, whether it was not fitter for him to pray for him in another room, because the physcians advised him to forbear company; he said, "no, but let him pray with me;" yet to prevent tediousness, he told them this anecdote of Mr. Horrocks, which he had often mentioned in his health. When Mr. Horrocks was sick, Mr. Angier came to visit him just as Mr. Pike, another honest minister, was gone out from him; Mr. Horrocks said, Mr. Angier, you must pray with me; but Mr. Pike has killed me with a long prayer. When Mr. Constantine was gone, Mr. Angier said, in sickness we are willing to send for the physician of the body, and should not we send for the physician of the soul? ministers are the soul's physicians; we need their help. That night he desired that James v. 13, to the end, might be read; and when it was read, said, " Physicians of the body say, let not the minister pray with the sick; but the apostle saith, is any sick among you? let him send for the elders of the church.'

When prayer was done, he said, "What a mercy it is! my understanding is as good as ever in all my life;" one said to him, Sir, I think you understand every thing well, but your own weakness; he answered, "I am sensible of weakness and weariness, and burnings; but what a mercy is it, that though my bones are vexed, my soul is not sore vexed also, as David's was! I bless God, I am not afraid of death, yet what I may be I

know not; Satan may tempt me when his chain is lengthened." One said, no doubt, you will not want peace; he answered, "I know not that; though Satan could find no sin in our Saviour, yet he may find matter enough in me; and added, that he had not in his health been altogether free from Satan's temptations, he had met with his temptations both in a married and single condition.

The same night, while one rubbed his feet, he said, "what a wonderful mercy is it, that the great God should think upon, and bestow his love upon such a poor worm as I am ?" This he spoke weeping; "then," said he, "I die, but God shall be with you, saying, I cannot leave you a greater comfort than the gracious presence of the great God:" he then added, "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection, on such, the second death hath no power." His feet being cold and sweating, one rubbed them; he said, "my body is weak and feeble, an old tree will soon wither, but it must be cherished, and be tenderly cared for, as well as the soul; for it is the temple of the Holy Ghost,' and doth keep in it an immortal soul, for a while."

Although the fetters of death were on him; yet he said, "blessed be the Lord, I feel no pain, but your cold hand; I would wait on God for a little sleep. Lord, I wait on thee, remember thy covenant, and thy word to thy servant, which I have hoped for, and which hath been my support and strength in my affliction; through thy strength I have been doing thy will, and endeavouring to keep thy commandments, although in much weakness; now Lord, remember, thy own servant, do thy own work, make good thy own words; I believe in thee, I hope and wait for thee, hear the prayers of thy servant, come, Lord Jesus." Then, said he, "I love Christ, and he loves me, and there is no love lost between us; I am his, and he is mine, and my desire is towards him."

One being present with him from Manchester, he asked about all his friends and acquaintance there, and desired to be remembered to them, charging them to live in love and peace; he said, "entreat them to pray to God for me, and that will do me more good than their presents ;" and being told that many of the people of God were praying for him, he said, "who am I, a poor creature, that God's people should be so concerned for me! I fear, lest they should offend in being too earnest with God for my life, for who knows but the Lord may hear prayers, and may bring me back from the grave, as he is wont to do?" Afterward, he perceiving that others did suppose death near, he desired the forty-eighth chapter of Genesis to be read, "where,”

he said, "old Jacob blessed his sons, and the forty-ninth, where, after he had spoken to them by a spirit of prophecy, and commanded them, he gathered up his feet, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people." And when they had done reading, he spake to them one by one, and prayed for a blessing for them; kissing the children, he took leave of them, and desired a psalm to be sung, and he said, sing it cheerfully, Psalm xlv. It contains Christ's love to the church, and the church's love to Christ.

Then he appointed his grandson to read a chapter, Jer. xxiii. "It concerns," saith he, "slothful shepherds: God's soul abhorred them, and he will curse their labours; they shall not profit the people; they are fit for no use;" adding, "God will make a besom, and sweep all such out of his house; no man," said he, "will keep a tenant who will not till his land, but let his house and ground go to ruin: God will take special care of his house."

Then he said, "John, take counsel at your best friends, they will give you good advice, and set you a good example; meddle not with wicked, light, vain persons; remember the words of your dying grandfather;" next he desired the 14th of John to be read, concerning sending the Spirit.

Then he prayed earnestly for the church, that God would hear the prayers of his people, and return to these nations, and set at liberty his ministers and people. "Oh," said he, "that God would magnify the riches of his grace, for his poor church, for the sake of Christ; we are indeed an unworthy people; but thy Son died to purchase the pardon of sin and reconciliation, and is seated at thy right hand, pleading our cause: Father, hear him for us, and be at peace with us. Remember what hath been done and suffered for reformation, and the precious blood of thy saints which hath been shed-this is the seed of the church: remember the prayers of such as are now with thee, and of such as are yet alive, in behalf of their seed and the seed of thy church, and fetch in such as are going astray from thee, and put a stop to them in their course of sin; rebuke that profane spirit which is gone out into the nation; revive the work of reformation, of tenderness of conscience, and brokenness of heart, that sometimes thy people have had; remove hardness of heart, and that lukewarm spirit which hath seized upon us: Return, O Lord, to the many thousands of those that are seeking thee in these nations: how long, Lord, wilt thou be angry with thy people in these nations, and deny an answer to their prayers? O Lord, thy poor people have many years been pleading with thee for the king's majesty; make him indeed a Josiah, a nursing

father to thy church; make him a terror to evil doers, and an encouragement to them that do well. Father, thy people are waiting on thee, when wilt thou return to thy poor, broken, scattered flock? Lord, humble them for sin which hath provoked thee to this great heat of thy wrath; thou hast mercy in store, and waitest to be gracious, but we are not prepared for mercy but, Lord, make thy people fit; thou hast bid us ask what we will in thy Son's name, and thou wilt give it.' Lord, increase our faith, and work for thy great name and thy own glory; advance thy Son's kingdom and bring down the kingdom of Satan; purify the church, but destroy it not. Thou hast appeared for thy church many times when it hath been very low, and thy people have sinned grievously against thee, as we have done, and thereby brought themselves into straits, yet thou hast heard their cries, and wrought for thy name, that it should not be polluted. Zion lies in the dust, thy church is sore broken; many of thy servants are gathered to thyself, they are not to be seen or heard any more in this world; their prayers are ceased that stood in the gap to turn away thy wrath from us. Lord, revive conversion-work; let not the womb of thy church be barren and unfruitful; is thy work quite done? O Lord, art thou resolved to leave this nation? hast thou not many souls yet to be brought in? Dear Father, hear thou the prayers of parents for their poor children; do not cast off the seed of thy church; let them not be as unfruitful branches that are fit for no use, but to burn. Lord, prevent popery and idolatry; let us not leave our children worse than our parents left us; let there be pure doctrine, worship, and discipline in thy house according to thy mind; continue the privileges purchased with the blood of thy Son, for the use of thy church, of which thy people stand in so much need, that we and our posterity may praise thee, and future generations may place their hope in God, and declare what thou hast done."

And for the congregation he said, "Thine they were, and thou hast committed them to me, thy poor servant; for these forty-six years I have been labouring among them; according to the poor ability thou hast bestowed on me, I have endeavoured to bring them over to thee; now I am no more to be with them; Father, I commit them to thee again, as I have done many a time; take thou the charge of them, see to them, provide for them; double thy Spirit on thy servant; bless his labours among them; let many souls be brought into thy kingdom of grace and made fit for the kingdom of glory; let thy word abide with, them; Lord, tarry with thy people here, send down thy Spirit so freely, so plainly, so fully:" these last words he often repeated.