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two hours: when he awoke, he partook of some refreshment, and went to sleep again.

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Some time after this, his sister (a gracious woman) visited him. He said unto her, God is on my side.' She said, Then you have strength enough." He replied, Yes, that I have,' with great confidence. As she was bathing his head with vinegar, and making some observations on the accident, she said, It is a bad job; is it not.' He immediately replied, No; that it is not; for it is the best thing that ever happened to me, for by this God has brought me to the knowledge of himself: blessed be his holy name!' After he had laid a little while, he pulled the bedcurtain aside, and said, 'I must tell you about it.' His sister said, About what?' He replied, Oh! did you know what distress I was in on Sunday night? how the devils were about me, and wanted to take me away; how Christ appeared unto me, and with him all his holy angels, whose appearance was as pure gold; when Christ bid me come to his market, and buy without money and without price; and this too when I was in distress, and overwhelmed with the power of darkness. At this time he said, his grace was sufficient for me. I saw Christ evidently before my eyes; I felt his power in my soul. I felt after him. and I found him.' His sister said to him Then you are happy.' Ah! that I am,' he replied, She looked earnestly at him, which he perceiving said, I suppose you think I am not sensible? but I am sure I am.' His sister said to his daughter, standing by, How bright are his eyes!' He said immediately, 'I am bright all over; it matters not now whether I live or die; all is well, and will be well with me."

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ther, to rejoice with him." But, poor creatures, they were not in the secret; they knew nothing about the matter: it was a mystery to them. As Solomon saith, "The heart knoweth his own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy," Prov. xiv. 10.

After they were gone, he said to his sister and daughter, · Did you ever know any body to enjoy what I do? I never heard any body say that they did.'

In the evening, his sister said to him, You asked, if we ever knew any body so happy as you are? I myself have felt something of the same; in a small degree, but not equal to what you seem to enjoy. I have read in the preface to Mr. Brook's Letters, (late of Brighton,) that during his last illness a friend called to see him, and asked him how he did? He said to his friend, 'The Lord doth all things well; I desire to bless him for this affliction: he goes to bed with me at night, gets up with me in the morning, and is my portion all the day long. If he sees fit to keep me in this state, and in this room, till I am seventy years of age, I am content. I can trust him with my body; I know he will provide for that.' (Implying all would be well.) Yes, that it will. It will be just right for me,' replied Mr. Jeffery.

Thursday morning, he sent for three of his sisters, and said he wanted to tell them how he was going on from strength to strength; and the promises very precious. Some little time after, his before-mentioned sister, who chiefly attended him, went to his bed-side. He seemed to be dozing; but looked up, and fixing his eyes earnestly upon her, she said,

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You do not know me, do you?' This was about ten o'clock on He replied, It is Rhoda. the same Wednesday morning. After compo- damsel that opened the door to Peter; sing himself a little, he raised himself for I think you are just such an one." up in the bed, and said, he must In the course of the day he said, call his friends and neighbours toge- "He did not come to Christ, but

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Christ came to him, and called him to come to his market; and that salvation was all of grace;" spake of the thirteenth article in the rubric of the established church, of works done before justification; saw the perfect insufficiency of any thing he had done, &c.

In the evening, his sister went to his bed-side, and said to him, Master Jeffrey. you are fond of singing; if you are spared till you are able, I will tell you what you should sing :

"Lo! glad I come! and thou, blest Lamb,
Shall take me to thee as I am!
My sinful self to thee I give !
Nothing but love shall I receive.
Then will I tell to sinners round
What a dear Saviour I have found:
I'll point to thy redeeming blood,
And say

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Behold the way to God!'"'

My willing soul would stay
In such a frame as this,

And sit and sing herself away
To everlasting bliss."

'Oh! that I will!-that I will!-that I will!" he replied, with great energy and ecstacy of soul.

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On Thursday morning, his brotherin-law, Mr. John Chandler, husband to his sister Rhoda, (a gracious man,) also visited him. Mr J. took hold of his hand, and said, 'My soul is inspired with sacred love.' Mr. Chandler said, 'What a mercy this is!' 'Ah! it is, indeed;' he replied. In the evening, he said to Mrs. Chandler, I want to see Mr. Payton.' She said to him, Mr. Payton has known something of the things you speak of more than thirty years.' Well, then,' said he,' he is a proper person,' (meaning, I suppose, to speak of them). After desiring his daughter to send for Mr. Payton, Mrs. Chandler said to him, I think you are like the apostle Paul, whose heart the Lord charged to love those he aforetime hated.' His reply was, ' Yes, I am : I know very well what the new birth meaneth;' and spake of the thief on Supplement, 1841.]

the cross, his case being similar, having been called at so late an hour.

What an evident mark of a divine change, and manifestive proof of the renewing power and influence of the Holy Ghost, and of the enmity of his heart being slain!

Faithful and experimental preaching will always stir up the natural enmity of the heart, in those that know not the truth as it is in Jesus: and Mr. Jeffery's heart not being right with God, he could not endure sound doctrine. This he manifested by his not attending himself, as well as the influence he exercised over his family; and his confession to his sisters and daughter, whom he had before slighted and set at nought, on account of their strict adherence to the truth. But now, his heart was drawn out in love and affection towards them; while their souls seemed to be knit to him in love. Agreeably to the scriptures, he loved Christ, because Christ first loved him; and he loved them, because they loved Christ, and for Christ's sake. Reciprocal love and affection, with unison of soul and spirit, seemed to be experienced and manifested among them when they met together. The saints of God appeared the excellent of the earth in his esteem, in whom was his delight.

Mrs. Chandler told me, that the love she felt to him at this time was far beyond what she was able to express being confident, from what she heard, saw and felt, that the Lord had in mercy revealed himself unto him, as a God pardoning iniquity, transgression, and sin through the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And to this testimony agreeall that visited him, who knew the Lord to be their God; among whom are his eldest daughter, his sister Maria, a single person, and Mr. Chandler his brother-in-law.

When Mr. Payton came, Mr. Jeffery held out his hand, and said to him. I sent for you to rejoice with me:

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'can you rejoice with me, Mr, Payton?' Mr. Payton said, Yes: I hope I can, Mr. Jeffery.'

Mr. Payton says, when he entered the room, such seemed to be the joy he manifested at his approach, that if he had been called to visit him in the greatest distress or poverty, with a sufficient sum in his hand not only to relieve his present distress, but also to make him independent in future, and he had known such was his intention and express purpose, it would have been impossible for him to have manifested greater love towards him than he did.

Mr. Payton had but a little conversation with him, as others were in the room; and he thought he might have another opportunity. But, in the course of their conversation, Mr. Payton observed, that the nature of divine love was such as to fill every faculty of his soul, so that no room was left for any thing else; compared it to new wine put into new bottles, ready to burst out upon every occasion.

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Chandler, How Christ keeps on talking to me. He sayeth, Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.' Perhaps, it may be asked, wherein was he to be accounted a good and faithful servant? Perhaps, the mystery may be wrapped up in the parable of the unjust steward, Luke xvi, wherein Christ saith, He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least, is unjust in much." If, therefore, ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches.

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Mr. Jeffery was a faithful servant in the things of this world, and served his master in the things wherein he delighteth. But as I am not acting in the province of an expositor, but of an historian, I shall leave that, and proceed with what I am called unto.

Mr. Jeffery seemed to maintain his confidence and rejoicing in the comforts of the Holy Ghost, till about the next Monday: during which time, he often spake of the Lord's goodness towards him, and of his certainty of eternal glory, when he was able to speak, which was only at intervals, through extreme weakness, from continual bleeding by leeches and the lancet: which is the reason we have not been able to obtain a fuller account of the work of grace in his soul, in its first operations; as but few people visited him, considering it improper to converse much with him.

At one time, when the doctor told him he must be quiet, and refrain from talking, he said, If I should hold my peace, the very stones will cry out; for I want to tell all the world what the Lord hath done for me."

About a week before his death, he executed his will in the presence of two witnesses: and when the person who made it (being one of the choir at the church) on leaving him, said,

We shall have you in the gallery again in a month;' (meaning to help them sing,) he said, If I am there, I shall sing to the praise and glory of God.' And, after he was gone, he said to the witnesses, The doctor told me, if I got about again, I should be a pillar of salt; (signifying he would turn back into the world,) but I said, No. 1 shall be a pillar of glory, I think, in the house of God.'

The morning after the Lord first appeared unto him, his sister, Maria, visited him. He said I am glad to see you I have been to heaven; come and rejoice with me.' And at different times, when she visited him, he spake of the same things in substance as before recited. But the most of this short narrative has been collected from his sister Chandler, because she was chiefly with him by day, and till late in the evening.

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At one time, Mrs. C., whilst wiping the sweat from his face, said to him. How you sweat?' He said, Ah! but I do not sweat drops of blood, as my dear Saviour did for me. My pain I feel is very great; but the joy I feel overtops it all. I see my Saviour in the garden,' signifying the agony he sustained there for poor sinners. He called his children together, and said, I shall surely die; and hope you will be as I was, when your mother died: for I could not shed a tear for her, because I believed she was a Christian. Remember the exhortation of Christ, "Weep not for me, but for yourselves, and for your children." His sister Chandler said, she could not weep for him, except it was for joy.' He replied, This you are welcome to do.'

At another time, when another doctor who was called in to his assistance visited him, he renewed the conversation obout Christ suffering in the garden, and said he should surely die, and that soon. He interrogated him upon leaving his family, having so many children: and

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At one time he said, What must it be to be in heaven with Christ and his holy angels, if I feel so much now? I can truly say with David, It is good for me to be afflicted."

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At another time, he said, If I am 'spared till next Sabbath-day, I shall be fifty-six years of age and in the fifty-sixth year was to be the time when my second birth was to take place.

On Mr. Chandler's mentioning that a minister from Loudon related a circumstance of a sailor coming into a place of worship: taking for his text Colossians iii. 11; and when he said," But Christ is all, and in all;" the poor sailor said, and I am nothing at all' the relation of which so overcame him with joy, he could hardly refrain himse:f, but laughed

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heartily and said, What must that poor man's feelings be?' having a real sense of the same in his own soul the same time.

For about five days before his death, through extreme weaknes, he could say but little; but, at times, complained of darkness, unbelief, and the buffeting of the enemy: he gradually sunk in his strength; but on Saturday evening he again tried to whistle the 17th Psalm, but was too weak to proceed. He retained his senses till the last; and on Monday morning, October 20th, 1817, about seven o'clock, he fell asleep in the arms of his merciful and loving Saviour, without a sigh or a groan.

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"Come to Jesus Christ and buy." I long to be with Him, I feel such a love to him ; but how wonderful that Jesus should ever love such a vile wretch as I am and is it not said in the Bible, that the Lord loved Jacob and hated Esau? Oh! what a mercy to feel that the Lord loves me. Oh! how good the Lord is! I desire to praise him, I wish I could do it more, but I am so ignorant, and do not

know the meaning of grace and truth, to speak of as some do; but, in my poor, simple way, I feel that I love Jesus Christ with my whole heart, for having had mercy on such a wretched sinner. I long to fall into his arms, and to be with him for ever, and to sing his praises. Bless the Lord, O my soul! Oh, my dear mother, I do think I am dying; but happy, happy, all is well.'

Sept. 14. He was greatly distressed; the enemy evidently tried to harass him by causing him to call in question all that had passed the preceding day; he cried out in an agony, Was I deceived? do hypocrites ever have such feelings? I know not what to think about it: I feel such a dread lest all should not be right at last. Yesterday I was so happy; how I longed to die; I felt as though I could fly into the arms of Jesus, and that he stood ready to receive me. I cannot tell you, my dearest mother, what were my feelings at that time. I had no fear of death; how gladly would I then have left this vale of tears!' The answer was, that what the Lord does once is done for ever, being faithful and unchangeable. He replied, What a mercy! He afterwards remarked, My time here will be short; I should like to take leave of my brother and sisters, but I must wait the Lord's time, and perhaps I may never see

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them more on earth.' He then cried out, O Lord, have mercy on me, I can do nothing without thee. Make haste, my God, make haste. O thou Heavenly Father, do have compassion upon me, and forsake me not; surely thou wilt not leave me at last, after all thy great kindness towards me, in plucking me as a brand from the burning, and not cutting me off in my sins. and leaving me to perish. I never can praise and love thee enough; what a merciful affliction; I am surrounded with friends and every comfort; if any one has cause for thankfulness, I am sure I have,

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