tient; the restlessness of the body, but not of the mind, you can have no conception of. Perfect obedience to our heavenly Father, as made known in the secret of the heart,-this is the faith contended for. Third-day, addressing his wife, he said: "I should like us to lie down together, and be buried in the same grave.—All that ever I have done is but as filthy rags. Oh! let it be known, that I contend to the last with unremitting confidence and assurance for the second coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to the saving of the soul. Oh! what should I have been now, if I had not submitted to his baptism, to the baptism of fire?" To Dr. H. he said, "Am I not weakening fast?" Dr. H. replied, "I fear thou art." He replied, "Oh! do not fear, but rejoice, rejoice, on my account. Oh, pray for me, with me, that my faith fail not. Oh! good Lord Jesus! cast a crumb of help, and deliver me. I earnestly pray thee to come; come quickly, if I dare lay claim to be thy servant.' On inquiring the day of the week, and being told it was Fifthday, half-past ten o'clock, he said, "Friends are at meeting; I hope they will be benefited by being there." About ten at night, he said, "I have been helped through many a trying night." And again, about three in the morning, after having had some sleep, "I have passed a better night than I could have expected, but it has been through my dear Redeemer sustaining me. I hope I am kept from murmuring: I desire cheerful submission, for I cannot help myself, nor can any man help me. Oh! the balm-the oil poured into my wounds for my short-comings.-I desire to submit, and say, 'thy blessed will be done."". On being taken worse, he said, "Oh! surely this is death; I thank thee for it." Seventh-day morning, on inquiring the day of the week, and being told the morrow would be First-day, he said, " The whole day to be devoted to the service of God. I will try to sing for mercy. Mine eyes have seen thy salvation, and thy glory; when shall I feel thy presence?-My friends must not think more highly of me than they ought to think; if I have been any thing, it has been of grace, not of merit." He many times requested that patience might be granted him, and desired a friend who visited him, to be valiant in the earth. On receiving a message of love from a friend, he again said, his "love was to every body, all the world over, even the worst sinner, he loved them, but not their deeds;-that his love was universal, to all the human race; and added, "if it were not so, how miserable indeed should I feel. Oh! holy, blessed Jesus," he exclaimed, "be with me in this awful moment. Come! oh! come, and receive me to thyself; and, of thine own free mercy, in thine own time, admit me into thy heavenly kingdom!" It is believed his supplication, that his faculties might remain clear to the last, was mercifully granted; though he was not able to articulate for the last two hours. About two o'clock on First-day morning, he was moved into a more comfortable position, after which he became faint, and from that time gradually sank away; so that those about him could only discover by close watching, when he ceased to breathe. He died on the 12th day of the 6th mo. 1836, aged about eighty-two years; and his remains were interred in Friends' burying ground at Tottenham on the 17th of the same, after a very solemn meeting. "Blessed are the dead, which die in the Lord;-yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them." THE END. LONDON: PRINTED BY JOSEPH RICKERBY, SHERBOURN LANE. |