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Part IV. ever they turned impatient, they run away to kill themfelves, and make an End of themselves, they

* i. e. They could not bear

it.

dought not bide it. Is it not more Courage, and a nobler Spirit, that the LORD allows, even the Weak, the Timorous, the Faintih, a Power, whereby they can ly under Sickness and Pain, and brave the ftouteft Enemy, by a Patience of Spirit?

After a Paufe, he faid, I think we shall lofe the very Shew of Religion: Our Gentry and Nobility, I think, if the LORD do not reclaim them, they are like all to turn Heathens, Drunkards, Swearers, &c. Among other Things, I rejoice in it, That the LORD is taking me away in my younger Years, that I'll be free of the Tranfgreffion of the Wicked; and it has many a Year grieved my Soul to fee it.

After a little, he faid, There's a fweet Composure on my Spirit. The Beams of the House are, as it were, cracking. I'm laying down my Tabernacle to be built again. O to get Grace to be faithful to the Death: For after we have gone thro' many Things, yet we have Need ftill to wait on God till the laft: For it's he that endures to the End, that fhall be faved. Am not I a man wonderfully upheld by God under Affliction and Death? the Death of the Saints is made a Derifion in our Day; but if they laugh at me, I can laugh at them; and I think I have better Reason; let them come to my Pafs, and they dare not; and I'll rejoice in my God, and joy in the God of my Salvation, tho' the Fig-tree fhould not bloffom, and there fhould be not Fruit in the Vine, and the Labour of the Olive should fail But, faid he, Bleft be God, I am provided; God is a good Portion. I want Death to compleat my Happiness.

After a little Stop, he faid, I was fear'd this Day in the Morning, That Want of Reft might have difcompofed me. I would fain have Reft for Fear of my Head. The LORD has been very kind to me, in giving me Compofure and Exercise of my Judgment, after I had a gay diftract ing Trouble in the Beginning of this Death-bed-fick nefs. Then he faid, But being laid here, I muft fpeak; it's the laft Service the LORD JESUS calls for at my Hand And I ow him fo much, that I cannot but com

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mend him. As far as my Word will go, I muft proclaim it, he's the beft Mafter that ever I saw.

Then to the Phyfician he faid, I fancy my Feet are growing cold, Doctor; yea, yea, all the Parts of this Body are going to Ruin. You may, faid he, believe a Man venturing on Eternity. I am not acting as a Fool, but I have weigh'd Eternity this laft Night. I have look'd on Death as ftript of all Things pleasant to Nature: I have confider'd the Spade and Grave, and every Circumftance in it that is terrible to Nature; and under the View of all thefe, I found, That in the Way of God that gave Satisfaction, not only a rational Satisfaction, but a Heart-engaging Power attending it that makes me rejoice. The Doctor faid, You fpeak beyond your Strength; it's a Wonder to fee you hold out fo. He anfwered, I cannot beftow my Strength better, Doctor; and I ow him much more. I have narrow Thoughts; I'm like to be overwhelm'd, and I know not where I am, when I think on what I am to be, and what I am to fee, I have long defir'd and pray'd for it; bleffed be God, I am richly furnished, I had as much the Day after my Sifter died.

To his Son he said, O Man, if I had as many Sons as there are Hairs in your Head, I would beftow them all on God. David, thefe are honeft Folk, [meaning the Minifters] mind their Advice; the Curfe of God will overtake you, if you follow it not. Beware of ill Company, read the Bible. I pray you may be an Encouragement to your Mother.

He was much concern'd about his two Nephews Abroad, on which he dictated a Letter for them, which is as follows,

Dear Nephew,

He Words of your dying Uncle, the laft Letter from him Thould have fome Weight; and my earnest Defire that

it may have Weight in Order to your eternal Salvation, is the Reafon of my imploying fome of my laft Minutes, by a borrow'd Hand, to commend unto you to make Earnest of Religion, and not to reft content with a dead, dry, barren Profefon. I can tell you, Since I came to this Bed of Languishing, I have found a full Proof, That Religion is a real, ufeful, noble, and prof

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table Thing. I have been helped, through the Mercy of God, during my lying here, to rejoice in the Goodness of God, and and ly compos'dly and pleasantly; nothing but Religion, nothing but the Power of the Grace of God can have that Efficacy, to enable me to do fo: And having found it fo fteadable a Friend, I could not but commend it to you. It's a Day of Power that only will engage you effectually, and will prevail with you to engage in Earnest. A Providence like this may roufe fome prefent Affections, that will go off in an empty Flash again; but it must be a renewing Work of Grace, that will fix an abiding Anchor: The LORD in Mercy engage your Heart to him, that you may find how good he is to the Soul that feeks him, as I do this Day to my Foy, and hope to do more fully in a little. I could not but commend the LORD to you, having found fo much of his Goodness; I never found fo much when I was in Health and fon Profperity, as I find now in Sickness and Languishing; I find he makes all Things to be his People's for Good, Sickness or Health, or Difeafes, or whatever they be, all is good; and Ifind all for Good. I am longing to be away, and I must break off If God be pleas'd to blefs this Advice from a dying Friend, we will meet, and meet comfortably in the higher Houfe; I mean. If ye comply with the Defign of the Advice. I fear, the Influence of the Place you live in, Want of lively Ordinances, and the Converfe of lively Chriftians may endanger you. Converfe much with the Word of God, be much in fecret Prayer. God can give a good Appetite, and a strong Stomach, that, out of a very fapless Piece of Nourishment, can fetch fomething that will give Strength, and make coarfer Food fubfift and nourish. too, However, affoon as you can, Jeek after lively Ordinances; endeavour by all Means to draw up Acquaintance with the Saints, the excellent ones in the Earth that fear God.

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Dear Nephew,

Remember kindly your Wife, and Fadvise you in that Place, where you can scarce have Access to any Ordinances, and cannot but be expofed unto many Difadvantages and Dangers in Point of Religion; I advije you to take the firft Opportunity of coming out of Babylon, and fettling your Business, where

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ye may be under lively Means of Grace. I know you are a Child of many Prayers, and you were pray'd back from the Gates of Death; and now I wife that you may give Evidence, That you have been prayed back indeed for Mercy to your felf. I shall be glad that this Advice from a dying Man come to be any Ways useful to you. The LORD be with your Spirit. You cannot expect from one of my Condition a digefted, polif'd Letter; but I speak the Words of Soberness, and full Compofure of Mind, bleffed be God. Let your Kindness to the Dead appear in your Kindness to my dear Widow, whom I leave behind, and my fix Children; fhew your Concern with both.

THQ. HALYBURTON.

To fome prefent he faid, O Sirs, I dread mightily, that a rational Sort of Religion is coming in among us; I mean by it, A Religion that confifts in a bare Attendance on outward Duties and Ordinances, without the Power of Godliness; and thence People fhall fall into a Way of ferving God, which is meer Deifm, having no Relation to Chrift Jefus, and the Spirit of God. To his Collegue he faid, Dear Brother, let not Modefty hinder you from laying out your Talent that Way; God has given you Abilities. Well brother, to encourage you, I muft tell you, I muft fay it, your Converfation has been a Bleffing to me; our mutual Communication about the Concerns of the LORD was reviving. It was after a fweet Night's Communication of this Sort, that God took the Burden of my Son George off me, and brought me to fweet Submission in the Profpect of his approaching Death. O if we could be concern'd about God's Intereft, he would look well to

ours.

Then he faid, If I had all our Brethren prefent now, I would tell them how much it's upon my Heart, that they may maintain brotherly Love, and beware of Divifion. One fard, I have obferv'd, That that has been many Times the greateft Trial of the Church of Scotland. Alas! the fatal Lengths that Divifion came in Time of Perfecution, and not without the Influence of fome by their Preaching, has brought us to that Pafs, that we are not like to recover.

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He faid, O what a Care has God of me, that's hiding me from the Evil to come! I was willing to ftand my Poft with you, to ftand and fall with the Church of Scotland; but m my Mafter is calling me off. O, I pity, I pity you that ftay be hind. I am no Propher, I do not pretend to Prophecy; but I'm perfwaded a Storm is coming on this Church. One faid, I hope, Brother, the LORD will not quit his Room in Scotland. He answered, Indeed I hope no; but I much doubt if this Generation will be honour'd to do God great Service, and fee good Days. I do not much wonder that he has laid nie by: But however, they that keep the Faith, and fight the good Fight, fhall have abundant Peace. Well, well, Sirs, the Day muft break, I hope, l'hope the LORD will arife, and the Church will be made a Wonder, he'll fay, Lo! this People have I form'd for my felf, he can make Nation to be born at once.

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he faid, This Day, O how compos'd am 1! what a Wonder to be fo, while I fee the evident Symptoms of

mylution! and cried often, as in the Song, when shall

Diff the Day break, and the Shadows flie dway? turn my Beloved, and be thou like a Roe or a young Hart upon the Mountains of Bether. I'm longing to be diffolved and to be with Chrift that's far better.

This he faid becaufe

that young Man recommend

was

When a Minifter's Son came in, he faid, John, you're going to get another Leffon from a dying Man; you got one from a dying Father, and now another. from a fecond Father. Then telling how kind the LORD was to that Minifter when dying, he faid, I have found much of God's Goodnefs too: 1 did not think to come near to, but 1 was defiring and panting after a Share of ed to his his Happinefs; and now God has given it me. Care. And now, John, I charge you, trace your Father's Steps, as ye'll be anfwerable at the great Day. O ferve the LORD, and for your Encouragement 1 tell you, Man, he's the beft of Mafters; be encouraged to feek God, beware of the Vanities of Youth; and take heed to your Ways, according to the Word of God. The LORD blefs you, and bless your Sifters, and make them in their younger Years to feek God, and it'll be well with you. The reverend old Man your Grand father,your Father look'd on him as an Orphan; be you as a Father to him,

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