"understand, That that gospel which I re"commended to them, if it is not received, "it will be a witness against them."

His fucceffor faid, "I am perfuaded you "have feals to your miniftry in that parish.' He answered, "We are like our mafter, fet for the fall, and rifing again of many. Though we can reach no more, if we are faithful, they shall know that a prophet has "been among them."

When he was defired to ly quiet, and try. if he could get reft, he answered, "No, no: "fhould I ly here altogether ufelefs? should "not I spend the last bit of my strength to "fhew forth his glory." He held up his hands and faid, "Lame hands and lame legs, "but fee a lame man leaping and rejoicing.??

Finding himfelf very low, he took farewel of his wife and children, faluting them all one by one, and spoke particularly to each of them. Then he faid, "A kind and affectionate wife

"

you have been to me, the Lord bless you, "and he fhall bless you. I am no more thine, "I am the Lord's. I remember on the day I "took you by the hand, I thought on parting with you; but, O! I wift not how to get my heart off you again, but now I

"

"

got it done. Will not you give me to the "Lord, my dear?" Then feeing her very fad, he faid, " My dear, do not weep; you "fhould rather rejoice: Rejoice with me, "and let us exalt his name together. O wait 66 upon

64

upon him for he is a good God to his own; and he never takes any thing from "them but he gives them as good, and bet"ter, back again: you will get himfelf.

"

My dear, we have had many a sweet I day together: we muft part for a while; "but we will meet again, and shall have one "work in the praises of God, in the praifes "of the Lamb. O! how wonderful is it! "and let my foul wonder. O to get a dif "covery of him eye to eye, it is fo much enlivening! It is life eternal to know the living God, and Jefus Chrift whom he hath fent. I will not fay with Job, when it is morning, When will it be evening? No, "I dare not fay it; it will be but a little "" while and I will get reft."

"

Then to his children he faid, "Now you ii are fatherless: your father is to be taken "from you; but feek God: and now I got you from the Lord, and I give you to "him. Now, I leave you upon him " ye are no more mine."

To his fon he faid, "My dear David, I am lying here, man, finding how good God is, and I would fain have you God's, and acquaint with his ways, that when I am "dead, I may live in you, and you may "tell to the generation not born, how good "God is. Oman! if I had you a feeker. " of God, I would think myself happy in it. My dear, feek God, feek him, and feek

early,

"early, and he will be found of you: mind, "David, that I have commended God and "his ways to you.

To his eldest daughter, Margaret, he faid," "I must recommend to you my God and "his ways: be an encouragement to your "mother mind the many exhortations I "have given you, and defpife them not, and fave your own foul; and cry that,

by a day of his power, he may bring your "to found fincerity: you have lost a loving "father; it will be God only that can make him up feek the Lord, and be your "mother's comfort."

Seeing his youngest child, he caused bring her to him, and faid, "Mady, my dear, the "Lord blefs you; and the God of your "father, and my father, blefs you: the God "that fed me all my life, the angel that re"deemed me from all evil, blefs you and the

reft, and be your portion; that is a good"ly heritage, better than if I had crowns "and fceptres to leave you. My child, I got you from the Lord, and I give you

i

to him again. Here is a demonstration of "the reality of religion, that I a poor, weak, "timorous man, as much afraid of death as any, am now enabled, by the power of grace, compofedly, and with joy, to look death in the face, in its moft ghaftly fhape, "and hope, within a little, to have the viEtory. You may believe a man venturing

*

on eternity. I am not acting as a fool, "but I have weighed eternity this laft night; "I have looked on death as ftript of all things pleasant to nature; I have confider"ed the fpade and grave, and every circum"ftance in it that is terrible to nature, and, un"der the view of all thefe, I found that in the way of God, that gave fatisfaction, not only "a rational fatisfaction, but a heart engaging power attending it, that makes me rejoice.

After that he ipoke to his fervants, and faid, "As for you, my fervants, that have "been in my family, my dear friends, make religion your main bufinefs, and mind that " above all things: I charge all my fervants " in my houfe, beware of graceless masters; "avoid it as what my turn to your destruc"tion: feek to be with them that fear God."

He exhorted his brethren to diligence in the ministry. "It was the delight of my "heart, faid he, to preach the gospel: I defired to decrease that the bridegroom might increafe; and to be nothing that he might "be all. I repent I did not more for hiin. "O that I had the tongues of men and angels to praife him!"

When defired to ly quiet and take fleep, he answered, "The folk I am going to fleep "not day nor night, but cry, Holy, holy, holy. They that wait on the Lord fhall "mount up as with eagles wings. Whereon "fhould a man beftow his laft breath, but

"in commending the Lord Jefus Chrift, God "clothed in our nature, dying for our fins?"

He caufed read one of Mr. Rutherford's letters, and thereafter faid, "That is a "book I would commend to you all: there " is more practical religion in that letter, "than in a book of large volumes."

He exhorted fome minifters, that came to fee him, to faithfulnels. "As for the work "of the ministry, faid he, it was my deli"berate choice. Were my days as trouble"fome as they are like to be, I would ra"ther be a contemned minifter of God, than "the greatest prince on earth.-I cannot "but commend the Lord Jefus as far as my "word will go: I muft proclaim it, he is

"the beft mafter that ever I faw.

To his fon that was a child, he said, "If I had as many fons, as there are hairs on your head, I would beflow them all on God. To fome prefent, he faid, "O Sirs! I "dread mightily that a rational fort of religion is coming in among us, I mean by it,

a religion that confifts in a bare attendance "on outward duties and ordinances, with"out the power of godlinefs, and thence

people fhall fall into a way of ferving God, "which is mere Deifm, having no relation "to Chrift Jefus, and the Spirit of God.

He expreffed his fears of a ftorm coming on the church of Scotland; but he faid, the day

Viz. That to Mr. John Mein, Letter 139.