me, when he bore my sins in his own body on the tree?" His dependence on Christ for all things became more exclusive, and he experienced the force of the prophet's declaration, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." The union of Christ as the Head of the church, with all its members, was to him now a subject of great interest; and generally speaking during the whole of the summer, which was to be his last, he appeared in a truly spiritual, heavenly frame of mind: prayer and praise were become the very life of his soul; and he had begun "to desire to depart, and to be with Christ." His strength, and all attempts to restore it, continually failing, he perceived that his end could not be far distant; and with no small delight did he anticipate his dismissal. The author of this memoir frequently left him in the evening hoping for, and ardently desirous to enter into the rest that remaineth for the people of God. The enjoyment granted them as they conversed together on divine things, and on the glories of the eternal world, where they hoped again to meet in the presence of the Saviour, was such that he trusts the remembrance of it will never be effaced from his mind; there seemed in it more of heaven than of earth. On Sunday, the 14th of August, he was so ill that he expected very soon to finish his mortal journey. In the evening his medical friend called, when a very interesting conversation ensued, in which the joy and peace of his soul were affectingly depicted; and which resembled the calmness and serenity of the day about to close. After expressing his sense of the goodness of God in leading him by a right way through the wilderness of this present evil world, he said that death, the king of terrors, was near at hand, but that he would not on that account exchange his state and prospects for all that the world could give. He exclaimed, "Were all the riches, honours, distinctions, and wealth that could be given or enjoyed in this life, combined with health, offered to me, I should prefer my present dying state, and the prospect before me of joys at God's right hand, and the glory soon, I trust, to be revealed." He had been for some time laid upon a mattress that was so constructed as to be moveable to different parts of the room: this evening he requested it might be placed near the window, that he might once more behold the glorious setting sun, and take, as he thought, probably a last farewell of that wonderful work of God, which had always excited in him feelings of awe and admiration. He saw it indeed, but with feelings far different from those with which he had been wont to behold it. He could now look on that glorious orb, and say, "The God who made it is my Father and Friend, my Saviour and Redeemer soon shall I behold his glory in his eternal kingdom, in a world of light and love!" As he conjectured, this was his last look on the setting sun, which exhibited a striking emblem of his state; but he was not insensible to its beauty and majesty: "No pencil," he exclaimed, "can ever portray such richness, such splendour, such glory." His love of the works of God in creation seemed to revive with sudden force, and to give a wonderful animation to the expression of his countenance, and to the few sentences which at different intervals he uttered. : From the window near which he was placed to behold the setting sun he saw also a small portion—a corner of the church-yard: after regarding it with a calm but deep emotion for some time, he said to those standing near him, "I must soon die: when I am dead, let me be buried in that peaceful spot." It need not be added that his request, at the proper time, was complied with; and that there his mortal remains rest till the morning of the resurrection, when that which was sown in corruption shall be raised in incorruption. The writer of this memoir happened to call soon after the departure of his medical friend, and found him in a delightfully calm and heavenly frame of mind. He mentioned his persuasion that he must soon die, and after some interesting conversation, requested he would offer up a prayer for him at the throne of grace; "and," said he, "pray that God, if it be his will, would grant me an easy death, and that my intellectual faculties may be spared me to the last." CHAPTER X. HIS DEATH. WE left Mr. Buchanan, in our last chapter, in anticipation of a speedy removal from time to eternity; but it pleased the Almighty Disposer of events to order it otherwise, and to prolong his pilgrimage six weeks, during which period he was in constant expectation of the summons to depart. : Some persons may perhaps imagine that this season was necessarily one of dreariness and gloom for what can be more dismal than to live in the hourly apprehension of death? This however was by no means the case. Since his conversion-from the time he became a new creature in Christ Jesus, death ceased to be the king of terrors; death was now "no more the limit, but the gate of life." He regarded the hour of his departure hence as that when sorrow H |