a* To his Excellency JONATHAN BELCHER Efq Captain-General Governor and Comander in Chief of his Majeftys Province of New-Jerfey grV. May it pleafe Your Excellency. HPHE following Sheets are in a JL humble Manner prefented unto your Excellency, becaufe 'tis hoped, thiat their Contents may not prove difagreable or unufeful toChriftians of every Age, but to fuch efpecially as are daily waitin g for their greateft and happieft Change. YourExcellencys known Regards for every Thing, that has a Tendency to promote inward and real Religion, and the many Marks of Condefcenfion You have been pleated tobeftowupon the Editor, flatter him with the Hope of a Pardon, for expreffing his Efteem and Gratitude in this publick Manner. Mav the eternal Ruler of the whole Earth gracioufly fupport You under the Infirmities of old Age, give You daily and richFore- tafies of theDay of a betterWorld, and when You (hall have finifhed to ferve your GodandGeneration here below, may he turn the Sha- dows of Death into the Light of Morning, caufe Yon to reft at th e Feet of his Throve, and admit You to reign with Him for ever. This is the fincere With of him, who begs Leave to fubfcribe him-- f elf Your Exccllencys molt obljg'd moft obedient humble Servant. y, j. mi h Preface AS 1 /zp^ ft) razi ox^r the Sheets iri this ColleBion, before they are put to the Prefs, I did it from a GonviBion, thai it was eUery one's Duty to caft in their Mite for the Inter eft and Honour of our heavenly Mafter: But as I was further requefted to give my Opinions bf it inpublick, Iwithftood this a long Time, thinking it would appear too, Prefumptius to offer my private Judgment in this Manner. Should any therefore judge it an In- flame of Impertinence and great Conceit in me, to appear thus in Favour of it, all I can fay in Ex- mfe for it is, that t were they as backward in thin- king or fpeaking hard of Others, as I was in writ- ing thefe few Lines, they would never offend a- tainft two great Branches of Charity: On the other Hand Should Any of my own Charge %f Flock he induced hy my Sentiment of this Book to give it dPerufal, IjhaU not only rejoice butwijhy that my Opinion was of JVeighi enough to intro- duce it into every Family among us. Let me add, thatfuch-, who may read it, jhould they find litt Id or nothing to pleafe the Fancy, will however not find a (ingle Word to corrupt the Heart > hywhich J 6 A W iv Preface. Teft were all Books now extant to be try% grea- ter Numbers ought to be. burnt, than ever were ly the Rage of Barbarians complain "d of hereto fore. Thefe pious Memorials are not recommen- ded for an elaborate and 'eloquent Style, but for 'the Contrary, viz : the fimple &f unrefined Language of the Heart: and without Doubt there will be many of the Ifrael of God, who will relijh this Language ' from the dying Lips of holy Men and Women, and will tafte an bidden Manna, which carnal Chri- ftians at this Time like the carnal Jews ofold y mil loath as light Bread, tho' given from Heaven. In a Word, if this Book does not leave my ferious Impreffion on the Minds offuch, as read it, the Defign offending it abroad will be defea- ted; but jhould that holy Spirit, which alone Can turn the Hearts of Men, make it inftrument4 to the awackning of any Carelefs, or the Strenght- ning of any ferious Chriftian in this Place, who t may read it on my Recommendation, I jhall think the Hazard I am expofed to, of incurring many and fevereRefieBions on that Account greatly over- paid* Richard Clarke The The Publiftiers Preface, T Jh greatejl Art 7 We have to ledm in the prefenttranfitory Life, is uw* , doubtedly, that we may he happy* when we come to die; For as tpe are now only in the Infant State dfour Exifietice^ and have Reafon to believe $ thai an unchangeable Eternity is in a little Time awaiting uts % to which Death is the Inlett> and knowing iPithali that it i$ appointed unW all Men once to die and Judgment immediately after y it is certain^ that we can never be too carefull to do well) what ive can do but oncej and the Cdnfequences ofhvhitkf mujl be either JIappinefs or Mifery beyond Exprejjibn* Death is the King bf terrors, of attter* rible Things? as a Phildjbpher calls it the inofi terrible j which nothing tan thaUe to* lerable^ but the ffopeofaffafpy hertafier^ and the well grounded Expe&ation of a di- vine Support equal to this greatejl Bifitefs vi The Publishers and Humiliation of Nature. Whatever Comfort againjl it does not tyring up from this Principle, is but an Anodyne to lullMen a Sleep for a While, only to the enduring of greater Pains when they awake. How melancholy then is the 'thought, that the carelefs Lives ofmojl, who call themfelves Chriftians, leave us no Room even in Cha- rity to hope, that their Cafe will be any better. Madnefs is in their Hearts^while they live, and after that they go to the Dead. But even when the Souls everlafting In- tereji and Happinefs isfafe, Death has ftill many terrifying Concomitants, the dying Chrijlian may pofibly not be fenfible of the 'tears of Friends and Relations, from whom he is then going to be wre/led away, but Nature ftill dreads its ownDiJJUution. The little Acquaintancewe have with theWorld ' of Spirits, which we are entring into, the fiery Darts of the Wicked one never more violent, than when the Enemy kno-ws, he has but little time left, the Confcioujnefi of many Failings, Weakneffes and Fmperfe- Bions and withal the defperate Cafe of Mifiaken Souls that perijb big with Hope, are enough to make even the Soul of a Chri- jlian to recoil and tojhrinck back, when on the Preface. vii the Point of making the moft awful andmofi folemn Experiment. Next to the Deliverance from the heavy Bondage of the Fear of Death, which was One oftheBlefmgs intended andpurchaj d by the Coming of Jefus Chrift, there can- not be a Confederation full of more folid Satisfaction and Comfort, then the Ac- counts we have of Such, as have already paft the gloomy Valley, and p aft it with an hum- ble unftahen Hope of landing on the happy Shores of ever lofting Reft. It cannot but be a great Jupportto fthofe, who follow when they know, that fo many, that went before met with an Affiance, that enabled them to go of the Stage more then Conquerors for his Sake, that loved them. It is the diftingui fling Excellency of the Chriftian Di/penfation to of ord folid Com- fort, where every other Comfort fails. It difarms Death of its Sting and Bitter nefs, byflewing it loft it by a dyingSaviour, and the AfJ'urance that He is our exalted Head and ever living Friend, who has abolijlfd Death and brought Life and Immortality to Light by his Gofpel, whom we flail jee on the glorious throne of his eternal Kingdom, as foon as the Soul flail ha ve put off this A 3 earthly viii The Publisher earthly tabernacle^ releafd from the Pri* fon of the Body > isjufficientto make us even love the krnd Mefengerof our happy Deli- -very, who (tho' under a ghoftly Shape) is Z>ay UVey m t0thC Realms ofwerlafting the frefem ColleBion of the Hopeful andpleafing End of feveral of Gods Chi/r drentspublijtdwiih a View ofencoura- ~j ~ ~ , j by is, j i, jL.^t are, kept in Bondage all their Lives, and'tis p'cjumed, if they prime All and hold fall what they find good, they may derive no J mall jfnritual Conjolations and Strength fram the Favours, which they will find their companionate Redeemer jo often be- flows U p 0 n his Friends* when on the Bor- ders of Time and Eternity, to J often the trymg ConfiiB ' with Death their la/t Enemy And as to A 11 Others: O that they were wile ! that they underftood this, that they would conlider their latter End! Even a Balaam wijheth po die the Death of the f jptcous i but the De/ire of the Slothful *ulcth him, for his Hands, refufe to labour, and how inexfreffibly fearful inujitke Cafe be of Such, as are loft and fcri/b, deceiving thenk Preface, *X themf elves -with the prefumptious Hope of Heaven. I would in the moji ferious Manner rc* mind Every one of my Readers, that am awful Day mujlfurelycome, when except a Man is born of God, {which implies vaJUy more, then the prefent Generation of our dreaming Chrifiians imagine) he can have no Hope ;for unlefs we arefavingly acquain- ted with Jefus the Prince of Life, every Thino will fail us, when we come to die. Ere long Every one that reads this, mujt himfelf experience, either the Happinejs of Believers, orUnhappinefs, of Unbelievers in their departing Moments. therefore Let us not be flotMul, but Followers of Them, who thro' Faith and Patience have inherited the Promilel A4 « _ J0hn Jacob Wick Pro fcffov of Ethics and the Law of Nature and Minifter of the Orphan-Houfe at Zuric in Swifserland. THE Rev. John Jacob Ulrick was born at Zuric, one of the firft Cities of Smjfetlandm the Year 1683? a ^ ga- ve very early Proofs of that Piety Ind Learning, which afterward rendered Him fo confpicuous in the Proteftant Church ; Many remarkable Pafiages occur in the Life of this truly great Man, who executed the Charge of a faithfall Paftor of the Orphan- Houfe, and of a publick Profeffor of Ethics and the Law of Nature in the illuftrious School of the Place of his Nativity ; But we here defign chiefly to confider the End of his courfe, and happy ftiall we be, if we become the Followers of his Faith, and Partakers of the fame glorious Hope- An ill Habit of Body, contrafted by a fe- dentary Life, and the Overtraining of his Voice in preaching difahled him from pu- blick Work for two Years before he died, but during that Interval, He not only publiffr d IBany excellent Books ; but alio prefer d A 5 Him- Himfelf and waited for his great Change with fuch a Degree of Faith, Hope and Re- Agnation as cannot fail, of being exceedingly edifying to all, whofe Hearts are fet towards Heaven, and who have fbme Tafte for the Dy- ing words of the Children of God. The laft Sermon he preach'd was A- pril. 17, 1729 on the Words of Job 19th, 25-27 vs. I know-, that my Redeemer liveth> This he printed at the Defire of feveral Friends and after fignin^ his Name adds : Whofe Motto may be sEp. Corinth, c. 6 and 9, 10 vs. As dying and behold we live^ as chajlized and not kill% as forrowfull yet always rejoicing. And in the Preface to it he faith: He publC Hieth it asiickely to be his laft, partly becaufe he was defir'd Co to do, partly alfo becaufe after his Death, which he prays may be foon and happy. It may ferve as a Kind of Monu- ment of the Faith, Hope and Defoe, where- with he finifh'd his Travels into that Eternity, which He is now looking for with the Humk lity yet chearfull Magnanimity, that becomes a dying Chriftian : The nearer he drew to- ward the long look'd for Moment, the more He increafed in this heavenly Temper. In the Preface to feme of his Sermons, which he dated from his Sick-Bed, a few Months before he died, he declares, that Eter- nity had (wallowed up moft of his Thoughts and Defires; that like unto the Dove ofNo- ah> he could find no Reft in any Thing ere- ated, and that therefore he haftens toward the Ark, wifliing to be diffolved and to be with Chrift; But willing notwithftanding, ifitfo pleafe God, ftill longer to continue in this Valley of Tears, this very Vera Crux of a tirefome World, and fo long to follow the Lamb of God to Golgotha, till he may be admitted into Zion and Jerufelem; my Jeius, faith he, tho 5 he cried but a few Moments ago, My God> my God! why haft thou fov- faken me § Yet triumphs a little after: It is finijh'd; at laft it will be faid of me alfo : This is One? that is come out of great Tribulations Ap. 7. He concludes : Well, Lord Jefus ! If thou wilt not come now, come at laft quickly! O Lord JefiisJ come and let thy Servant depart in Peace. But fo great a Light of the Church could nor be extinguifh'd without a glorious Shine attending his laft Moments; and accordingly but few Days before he died, he left us a Le- gacy that will [imall as it is] make his Name efteem'd, while the Name of true Godlineft is held in Reverence among Mortals. He was defir'd agreable to the annual Cu~ v ftom to invite the learned ofthe Academy to a due folemnizing of the commemoration ofthe firft Pentecoft of the New Teftament, this he did m a beautifulLlatui Oration, inftead of expreffing his Office with the Name, he fly- leshimfelfin the Bill of Invitation : J: J. Ul- f kk a Candidate of the Crown of Righteous- ■*.<-4>*» nets, Life and Glory, which never fadeth a- way; for his Subjeft he chofe Stephen look- ing ftedfaftly to Heaven and feeing Jefus at the Rirfit Hand of God, and created it in fo learned and excellent a Manner, that the whole would very well deferve tranflating* yet we /hall be content for Brevitys false (this Time) with extrafting only a few of its nioft remarkable PafTages, obferving ftrft, that his Diftemper had fo far prevail'oover him, that he was unable to deliver his Difcourfe himfelf, and therefore it was read by his in- timate Friend and Succeffor the Rev, Mr. Zimmerman, S. T. P. He tells his Hearers in the Beginning, that inftead of entertaining them as ufli.il with a learned Oration, he would fmg his laft, and for this Purpofe had chofen a Subject very fit for himfelf, and very needfull for his Hearers. You knowi faith he, for near three Years paft I have been plac'd within the Gates of Death, and on the very Borders of Eternity, what then will become me better, than to contem- plate the glorious and excellent Example of Holy Stephen, who under a Variety of Deaths was, yet affur'd of his glorious Immortality, and there with to feed my Heart arid my Eyes : The Goodnefs of God under fo many Aflaults has given me a good Hope and fill'd me with on everlafting Comfort, he has not only made me willing but very defirous to die, and therefore it is juft that I fliould em- brace brace this publick Opportunity of paying my Vows unto the Lord, who is my Salva- tion, and nothing finely can be more proper, than to (hew you out of the Abundance of my Heart and in the moft lively Manner, what was the fure Author, that kept my fluctu- ating Life hitherto from finking, which is the Rock of my Salvation, where on are built the Hopes of my laft Moments, viz. none but that Jefus, who is fitting at the Right Hand of God, who with one Hand is prefertting unto his heavenly Father the precious Blood of the eternal Redemption and ftretcheth out his Other to free me from this Body of Death, and take me to Heaven unto Himlelf. But unto you alfo this Subject ought to be exceeding profitable, you are indeed full of Life, you are, moft of you, in perfect Health, your Bones are full of Marrow, your Veffels full of Milk, your Cheeks are ruddy, your Eyes lively and your whole Counte- nance brilk and chearfull : But how unwife would you be, were you to build the Hopes of many Years onthefe uncertain Symptoms; or flatter your felves with the exfpe&ation of long Life from Tokens of fo precarious a Nature ' Poor Mortals that we are! We are frill of Fevers and Sickneffes, we carry Gall, Colds, Coughs, Humours, Groans and a thoufand Heralds of an aoproaching Death in our own Bofom, he that Is alive to day, may be done living 4> ( *J * living to morrow, will it not therefore be ufefull for us to learn, how to foar upwards, before the departing Soul returns to God, who gave it. It is cuftomary in foch Speeches to en- gage the Attention and Affeaion of the Hea- rers with fome Compliments, inftead of this Mr. Ulriek addreffeth himfelf in a very pa- thetic Manner to that Jefus, in whofe Name he was to {peak, and earneftly inn-eats fuch a Portion of heavenly Fiame for himfelf and his Hearers, that they might be brouo-ht to fee and love him, and that in their laff Mo- ments Every one might fay: Behold] I fee the Heavens open. After a very lively and engaging Explica- tion of the Paffage Aft. vn, 55. $6. Mftr. Ulrickaflkns: That the Lord Jefus fometimes grants unto Some of his Favourites in their laft Hours a moft lively Senfe and certain Ex- pectation of that Blifs, which at their Death they are going to, and this he proves not. from Doubtful Antiquity, but Authors of undoubted Veracity, and gives us many In- ftances of great Souls, that left their Bodies in Triumph, and in full Afturance of Faith entered into the unfoeakable Glories of a better World. Of foch the firft he quotes, is BuBinger, One of the firft Reformers of the Church from Popery, he tells us, that when this Man of God was now on his Sick-Bed, he thus ad- ( 1 ) drefPd his Friends: Nothing furely more a- greable could happen to me, then to pafe out of this miferable World to Chrifl my Saviour. Socrates rejoic'd to die, that he might fee Homer, Hefiod and other excellent Men. How much greater Reafcn have I to rejoice, becaufe I am affur'd, I (hall get Sight of Jefus my faithful Saviour, the Son of God, as he took upon him the Nature of Man, and moreover fo many holy Patriarchs, that lived from the Beginning of the World, fo many holy Prophets of God, and Apoftlesof the Saviour, whom the World was not wor- thy of, and all the Saints that ever exifted/ and I lhall not < only fee them, but alio be made a Partaker with them of the fame Joy, why ftiould not I willingly depart out of this Life, to this Society of Saints and Joy unspeakable. He was not only not afraid, but wiih'd to die, he often fa' J : I defire to be diffolv'd and to be with Chrift, and de- ckr'd that he had a certain Hope and full Affurance of Gods Receiving, his Soul imme- diately upon its Leaving the Body, and Rai- ling his Body alfo from the Grave, to reunite it with the immortal Mind, and to give unto both the Enjoyment of the highelt and moft heavenly Happinefs. Oecolampadius the firft Minifter of the Church at Bafil after its Reformation from popifh Idolatry, tho 5 he died forty Years be- Pioufly did he live and pioufly did he die* He was indeed agreableto his Name, a fliiti- ing Light in the Houfe of the Lord. Simon Gryneus who with nine other Minifters affi- fted at his dying Bed, afliires us, that Oeco* lampadius, when the Strength of his Diftem- per prevail'd beyond the Hope of his Phy- licians, fent for his fellow Labourers in Word and Do&rine, and they being come, he ad- drefPd himfelf to them in the following Manner: What it is, my Brethren! and for what I fend for you ? You fee, the Lord & at Hand, he is coming to fetch me Home, and therefore I wanted once more to fee you and to fatiate my Soul with you, my beft be- loved in all true Comfort. What is to be done ? O Servants of Jefiis Chrift! Who are connected with me in the ftricted Ties of Lo- ve to the Lord, in the fame Diligence and Do&ririe ? Now I am going from you, what lhall I tell you as my laft but this ? Salvation is obtained, the fure Confidence of the Kiqp- dom of God is purchaf d thro 5 Jefus Chrift, and therefore it becomes us to have done with all Grief, Fear and Terror of Death, all Error and Doublings : We pafs over his warm Exhortations to them to be faithfull in the Mi- niftry, and what this holy Man obferv'd con- cerning the increafe of Godlinefe in general Of Himfelf he faid : I am accufed as tho 3 I falfified trutfi, this I am little concerned for, bleffed be God! I now go with a good Con- fcience &terice to appear before the Judgment-Seat of Jefiis Chrift, and there it will be clear'dup, that I have not feduc^d the Church of God, and of this my laft and firm Declaration I re- quire you, to be Witneffes and confirm it with my laft Breath. One of his Colleagues having left him a little, he alk'd him at his Return: What News my Brother? And this telling him, he had none, fie told him : Then I can tell you fbme News. I fhall fbon be with the Lord ; being afk'd: Whether the Light of the Gandte difturb'd him, he (aid: Away with it, and pointing at his Breaft h£ faid : Here is Light enough. His laft Prayer was the 51 Pfalm, which this Man of God pronounc'd with a low Voice and deep Sighs^ After this he feem'd to return as One that awakes from Sleep, and lifting up his Voice faid : O Jefiis Chrift do thou fave me! And died immediately. This, me thinks, is dying the Death of ho- ly Stephen, this is dying' in Sight of Jefiis fit- ting at the Right Hand of God, and this hath been the Cafe of fb many, that, were we not limited by fhorttlefs of Time, we might eafily give numbers of Inftances. Thus Cafpar Gleviariy who being a Do£tor at Law, on Ac- count of fome very fatal Accident, he was witnefs to, became a Doftor of Divinity, and a Profefibr of it in the Univerfities of Hethom and Heydelhevg. This good Man experienc'd fome Thing fo remarckable the Day before B <$ ( 10 ) fa he died, that it ought by all Means in this Place to be mentioned. I fhall relate it in his own Words, as his Colleague John PifcatoY inferted them in the Hiftory of his life and Death, and which are thefe : Yefterday faith Olevian to Pifcator after the Departure of the two Counts of NaffaU) who had vifited him : I felt for four Hours an unfpeakable Joy, fo that I was greatly aftonilh'd, my Wife and my Father affc'd me fbmetimes, whether I felt any better, and verily, better I could not have felt, for I thought, I was walking in a moft agreable Meadow^ and my Body and Soul feem'd plentifully refrefh'd with the Dew of Heaven. Pifcatov reply d : The great Shep- herd Jesus hath led thee in his Pafture; Yea faith Olevian : He brought me to the Foun- tain of living Water. After reciting feveral comfortable PafTagesof the Bible he often re- peated: I defire my Journey to the Lord may not be delay'd any more . I wilh to be di£ fblv'd and to be withChrift. When he was al- • moft in his laft Agony v Altftedius faid to Him: Without all Doubt* my Brother! you are fure of your Salvation in Chrift ? On Which he pointing at his Heart, Yes faith he moft certainly, and then yielded his Spirit. Thus Quirin Reittev utter'd no more then the- fe Words: I am a Child of eternal Life, which he pronounc'd in Greeck and German and fb expired, Lake Luke Pollio a Divine of the Confeffiori of Augsburg but of a gentle and moderate Difi Jpofition, in the Prime of his Life, when full of Health was often hear'd td fay : I am rea- dy, and defire to be abfent from the Body; but when he beeanie cohfin'd, his Bed wasaS it weire a Theatre of fignal Patience and an Oratory of conftarit Prayer arid Praifes to his God: The Lord; faid he, has chaftned me £brey ; but he has Hot kilPd me, I am perfua- ded, tharall the Sufferings of Time can not be compar'd with the Glory, that ftvall be reveal'd in us hereafter; he defired in his lafl Agony to be put in Mind bf fbiif Things: i. The Gracibus Comforts of the Pardon of Sin 2. The Comforts of Gods Preferice in Affii&ions and in Death itfelf: 3. The Com- fort of Gods final Prefervatidn of his Chil- dren in Spite of the World, Death and Sa- tan. 4. The Words of Chrift: Tbey jhall go into efernul Lifei and when his Defire was (complied With, he would ofteri fay: O this Comforts the Heart, this rejoiceth the Heart* when his Strength and his Speech fo farfail'd* that he cotild hardly exprefs Himfelf, he faid: Would to God! I could fpeak, you Ihould verily hear that the Spirit of God is in me ; a Door beings open'd, he, cried: Lord open tmto me the Door of thy Mercy: A little af- ter raifmg Himfelf, he faid with an uncom^ mon Quiknefs of Voice : Juft now I go td eternal Life, and went thither, while he was fo faying, ' B % And ( w ) * And what fliall I fay of John Arnd 'in Low dutch Eagle, a Man, that has been very diffe- rently judg'd of by different People; but is to be eiteem'd as his Name is, an Eagle among Divines, becaufe his Do&rine was not the Di- vinity of Mofes but of Eagles, as one of the Ancients expreffeth the Criterion of true The- ology: His Soul was dedicated to JefusChrift, He was full of the Love of his Saviour, and not fb famous for his extenfive Learning, as for his venerable Piety. It is this, which adorns a Divine above all other Qualities, It is this, Arnds Writings are fweetly breathing, efpeci- ally that Book of his call'd True Chriftianity^ which will be efteem'd, while Piety has any Votarys. Amd liv'd Apoftolically and Apo- ftolically did he die. The laft Word, which he utter'd a few Minutes, before the heavenly Soul left the Body, was : I have overcome, I have overcome. He was feen to (mile in his Sleep, and when he awack'd, told thofe that were round his dying Bed : We have feen-> yea we have feen the Glory of the only begotten Son of the Father <) full of Grace and of Truth. His Wife afking him, My Dear! When have you feen this Glory/ Hereply'd: Now, juftnow, juft now have I feen it, O what a Glory is this ! which certainly Eye has not feen, Ear has not heard, nor hath it ev^r^nrred into the Heart of any Man. This, this I tell you, I have feen. Does not this Wonderfully refera- ble the Hiftory of holy Stephen 7 who faw Hea- * ( *3 vm* 'Heaven open, and Jefus at the Right HanE of God. I can hardly refrain from adding many more, ■and this One, becaufe it fo excellently fuks our Purpofe I cannot but mention ; Andrew Rivet Profeflbr of Divinity ztLeyden, when he was aflk'd concerning his Hope, among many other excellent Say ings, ( which are printed to- f ether) replied with a particular Steddinefs of is Voice and Countenance: My Confidence is firm; for I have long ago feen the Heavens open'd, and that this was really fo, he con- firm'd when he was already thought dead; for as they were now going to lay him out, One of the Byftanders laid : I believe he now en- joys the Sight of his God. Rivet by a Kind of Miracle reviv'd juft long enough to reply, but fo that he could hardly be heard: Yes, yes, as if he would fay: O yes, you fpeak true, whoever you are that fay fo ; for my Soul is indeed rejoicing in beholding my God and Saviour, in Whom I believe, Whom I have lov'd, and in Whom I have rejoicd, tho' I did not till now fee Him Face to Face, But leaft it Ihould be objefted, that he con- fines the Priviledge of dying well, only to Men of his Order. Mr. Ulrick cites Inftances of va- rious Ranks to prove, that this is the Priviledge of every Chriftian, of whatfoever Age, Con- dition or Station they may be, he therefore next relates the chearfull Death of a Gentlejgag of the long Robe viz. Sehald Mwifiev, **mi . ° B 3 * ells m c m y # tells us, that tho'he died of the Plague, yet he was full of Comfort and very chearfull: A few Hours before his Death he fent for his Friends, and fhewing them the Boils of his Hands and Arms, he faid: How do you like thefe Jewels, wherewith the Lord Jefus is drelling me? And when upon thofe Words they could not forbear their Tears, he added: Do not value them too lightly, for in this wedding- Garment I fhall go to the Lord Jefus, and fit down at his Table, thus /hall I go to the Affembly of xnott excellent Souls; thus fhall I pleafe my God and Saviour; and thus did he chearfolly exchange Life for Death, pr rather Death for Life. JVinshemim concludes the Account of his Death in fhefe Words: '"Our Dr. Sebald' „died fo holily and pioufly, that we may be 5,affured, he enjoys with the Patriarchs and „Chrift himfelf the eternal Glory of God, as » we may before of Things, that we may exa-r 3, mine with our Senfes. „ Mr, Ulrick next introduced! a Pbyfician^ who ^ied in fuch a Mariner, that if many of his Profelhon died thus, it might more truly be; faid: Medic e mprieft eptime mori$ as it is gene- rally laid : Medice vivere eft pefftme yivere. Cu- raeuswas in the Strength of his Days, and not forty one Years old, when he was calPdaway, he would often % : , J am cut off in the midfl 5 , of my Days, my Life is cut off like a Wea- vers Shuttle : Lord! I am opprefPd,butitis » enough, that thy Hand does it. My Body „fuffers ( 15 ) ,,fuffers for Sin, but my Soul is fweetty com- 'forted with the Expeaation of eternal Life, I believe, Lord! help my Unbelief. I have "receiv'd the Sentence of Death, but my Jems! I'll wreftle with Thee till the Day break. I leave thee not, till thou blefs me, till my 'Soul is made whole. Come Lord Jefus! and 'All that love Thee, fay come. Thou, that knoweftthe Hearts, thou knoweft that I love 2 Thee, and thou alfo loveft me, truly thou 'loveft me, Thy Merits and thy Power have „made Thee my Saviour, into thy Hands I 'commend my Spirit, o thou God of Truth! „Wfth the Beginning of the New Year 1 mall 'be with Thee, I mall be fatisfied with thy Likenefs, I lhall drink of the new Wine of „ thine eternal Toys, Quicken me, o Son ot ' God! with thy Spirit and Prefence. I come „unto Theerelyingon thy Promife, whichis ' the only Support of my Soul, o Son of God ! 'do thou own me, and prefent my Sou unto 'thy heavenly Father, who will willingly re- ceive it from thy Hand. Lord Jefus! I will ' thanck Thee before the Face of thy Father 'for all the Mercy, which thou haft mewn 'unto me, I believe that my Body alfo (hall 'be guarded by thine Angels, It isimpoffible "that the Body, which was once thy Temple, 'mould be annihilated or remain in Corrup- 'tion. Thou o Father of my Life ! wilt re- quire it from the Earth, and make irdune , own eternal Dwelling -Place, there ftiall I B 4 j, follow v follow the Lamb, whither fbever he goeth ,,Gthe meek and Beautifull Lamb of God J 5 , There (hall we fing the new Song, Hallelu- 3) ja. Let us Ihout and make a Joyfull Noife 3) unto the God of our Salvation, Lord JefiisJ 3, Now let thy Servant depart in Peace. Let 35 my Soul be bound up in the Bundle of the 35 Living, grant me a happy Paflage to them, 3, that live an immortal Life.,, Many ftjchEx^ prelfions were utter'dby Curaeus, when he was exhorted to take Heart, for that God could help him, he replied : Yes indeed, the Lord will help me in my laft Deliverance according to his Word : Bleffed are the Dead, that die in the Lord. Now I die in the Lord who is 'my Life, iri the Knowledge and Faith of Jefiis my Mediator, who is my Brother, he has cloathed me with his Righteoufnefs, I (hall be happy, I lhall be righteous. How fweetisthis Righteoufnefs and Salvation! How fweet is this Departing from Sin to Innocence, from Darknefs to Light, from Death unto Life. To conclude, the Inftances of thofe that refem- bled holy Stephen in their laft Moments, we will mention a Lady of an Excellent Spirit, who hefides female Beauty exceeded her Sex in Grearnefs of Mind, which made her defpife he whole World, to embrace a whole Chrift. Her Name was Qlympia Fulvia Morata a native of Ferrara in Italy, who excell'd in Learning & yet much more in Piety jf ihe had been brought up in all the the CSraftdeur of the Court oftheDukeofFer*. far a, but when /he came to the Years of DiC cretion, ftie chofe rather to fiiffer Afflittioa with the People of God, and preferr'd the Reproach of CHRIST to all the Trea* fores of Egypt, this made her enter into a Marriage -State with Dr. Andrew Grundler 3 whom nothing recommended ■ to her but the Love of Religion, for it prov'd the Caufe of jier falling into Di%race, So at once ftie left Jtaly - Idolatry and Superftition, In their low Circumftances ftie often encourag'd 'her Hus- band, -that God would provide a Place for them, either under or in Heaven. Neither *lid her Hope difappoint her, for upon their Arrival at Heidelberg Dr. Grundkr was made Profeffor of Phyfic; but not long after Ihe was fiiatch'd out of the Arms of her Husband into the Embraces of her heavenly Bridegroom. How chearfully ihe behav'd in her laftMoments her Widower relates in a Letter; She died, faith he, with great Chearfullnefs and Delire, for ftie was firmly perfuaded, that out of a miferable Life Ihe was now call'd into eternal Happinefe. When fhe appeared juft a dying, awaking from Sleep Ihe feem'd lovingly to fciile at me. I drew near andaik'd her, what could make her fmile fo ? She faid, in my Sleep I have feen a Place fill'd with the moft glorious Light, when Ihe could fay no more, I told her: Be of good Chear, my deareftSoulj For yQU ihall for ever dwell in the glorious Light, B s you * ( tl ) * you have feen; fhe fmiled and (aid: ( 7fctt laeta fum. ) I am all over in Joy, then fell fweet- ly a Jieep in the Lord Jefiis. For feveral Days. Before her Death Ihe afTur'd us that fhe long'd to be with Chrift, whom, as far as her Sick~ nefs would permit, fhe was continually prai- fing, that He had enligtend Her with his Word, mortified her Mind to carnal Pleafure, and kindled in her Soul a Defire after eternal Life. In all her Difcurfes (he confidently call'd herfelf a Child of God, nothing would grieve Her more, then to be flattered with the Hope of Recovery, fhe faid: God had allotted Her a fhort Life and full of Calamity, and that fhe could take no Pleafiire in Beginning and living it over again. When a Friend afk'd He£ whether any Scruple difturb'd her Soul/ fhe faid: No. The Enemy has been thefe (even Years continually trying to fhake my Faith; but now I perceive nothing of Him, He loft all his Pains, my Heart enjoys the fweeteft Reft and fulleft Peace in Chrift. She died Ofto^ ber 25th. 1555 before fhe was 29 years old, Thefe among fo many more faith Mr. UU rick are plain Evidences, that Chriftians now alfc may fee Heaven open and die under the Smiles of their Redeemer. After a moft lively Exhortation to his Hearers fo to live, that fb they might die, he at laft gives us, ask were his own dying Words, and they diffidently prove that he was one of them, who had Hope in his Death. But whether, faid he; does the Sweet- fweetnefs of thefe Things lead me/ Truly a dying Chriftian as I am, can never hear too much of dying, I who can hardly fetch my Breath and am doubtful, whether I mult re- ckon my felf among the Dead or among the Living. It is this Confideration, that fill'd my Sails and carried me fo far from the Shore, But that I may free you from tedious hearing, "I withdraw and turn my felf laftly in a feeble Voice to Thee: G fweeteft Jefus 1 In thy Name I begun and in thy Name I finifti, all Glory be unto Thee alone! Many Things have I to afk of Thee; but I will do it on my Sick-Bed, & with full Freedom m my Clofet,this only I pray, I may not berefufed, if I can be of any Ufe to thy Church. O reftore me ! if not, o free me from this World, which to me is far better. Thou knoweft I do not Ihun Death, J wifti and wait for it with open Arms. Me thinks I die, becaufe I cannot die of that Death, which will open unto me the Gates of Life. Let Mm be afraid of Death, who is unwilling to gotoChrift, who has no Hope of reigning with Chrift; But my Jefus! This J do not only hppe, but tho' I am over and over Death and Hell deferving, yet Iamfjrm- ly affur'd of it,- why then Ihouid I be afraid of Death? why not rather long font? Cbrifi is my Life, and to die is my exceeding great Gam. Yea Lord! Let me now die, that 1 may fee Thee, How many thoufandWilhesIfendfor thee / Q Jefus I When wilt thou fatisfy my let^y* Soul? but what do I fay? Behold I fee even now Heaven open, and the Son of Man at the Right Hand of God; but I fee it thro' the Lat- tice and only as in a Glafs, I fee it but not near. O that I might foon fee it Face to Face J 0 that I might foon kifs him as prefent, and be fatished, o Jefus ! with the Bleflings of thy Temple thy holy San&uary J O grant, that I may foon come out of the Tribulation, wherein 1 have refilled unto Blood, and appear before Thee in a white Robe with Palms in my Hand, and with the whole innumerable Company of Thine fing eternal Praifes to Thee. Grammy Jefus! That like Thee I may foon get from the Crofs to the Crown, from Thorns to Ro- les, from Danger to Security, from Tribula- tion toRefreihing, from Labour to Reft, from Contempt to Honour, from Fighting to Vi- . ftory, from Striving to Triumphing, from fuf- fenng to Glory, from Hope to the Thing hop'd for, from Believing to Enjoying, from Death to Life; And when 1 get there, I will break out m a Triumph. It is finim'd, I fee what I fought, I have what I long'd for ; my Jefus! Iam fick for Love, my Heart burns after thee; Behold I fee the Heavens open and not only fo, but open to receive me; I fee my Jefus Face to Face, and my Soul is made whole. With many of thofe Sighs Ifinilh, andfince according to God's facred Order and Will I cannot yet fay, I have ended my Life (vixi) I only m - e ** i# I only fay (vixi) I have ended my Speech. A Soul fo ripe for Heaven could not make a-long ftay upon Earth. Accordingly the 25 of May 173 1 a few Days after this Oration was read in his Name, he awoke with a great Palpitation of Heart, and immediately loft Strength and Voice by a great Difcharge of Blood, and having declar'd, that he had laid hold on Jefus, and would not let him go, till he had fatiated him with the Enjoyment of e- ternal Bleffings, in Him he fell a Sleep. John Gottjhall de Shurman. The Account we have of this good Mans comfortable dying Bed, was wrote by his Sifter Mary Anna Shurman-i a Lady of uncommon Parts Lear- ning and Humility, and One that made Reli- gion indeed the chief Bufinefs of her Life. The Character which ftie gives her Brother, is ex- ceeding remarkable and runs thus : MyBrother has left behind him very great Tokens of that Zeal and Love for the Honour of God, that vifi- bly burned inhisBreaft, especially feme Years before his Death. Two Nights before his hap- py Departure from this mortal Life, one of the Phyficians told me his Opinion, that my Bro- ther would not live till next Morning. I thought it my Duty immediately to acquaint him with it. 'I did it accordingly telling him with all, that I did not hefitate to let him know the Phyficians Opinion, as I was perfuaded, die Meffage would not be unwellcome* He was & not not in the leaft furpriz'd and kindly told rhe : Dear Sifter] Why would not you tell me the News? I thank you for it, dear Sifter! I thank you for it: I have liv'd long enough, I am ready to die, if God pleafeth, I am I wil- ling to follow his laft Call. When Mr. Foetius and feme of our Minifters eame to fee him, he fooke to them with fuch a chriftian For- titude, that they were aftoni/h'd at it. One of rhe Minifters abfolutely infifted to ftay With him the two laft Nights of his Life, anddeclar'd that in all his Miniftry he never faw a Perfon fo near Death, fo ftrong in Spirit, and that he never was fo much edified by any dying Per- fon. This, faid he, is not dying but rejoycing in God, and Preparing to the Marriage Sup- per of the Lamb. He exhorted us all to praifeGod. A good many Friends were met to fee the End of his Courfe, and hearing that the Phyficiandid not expeft, he would live till Morning: at Midnight my Brother faid to me : Shall we not fmgthePraifesof God? I afk'd him, what Pialm he defired, we ftiould fing ? He replied : the 103 d. I told him as he was very weak, would it not be better only to read it ? No, faid he, we will fing it, a Chriftian ought to die under the Praifes of his God. We did it, and He fat the Pfalm for us with a Voice quite exprelfive of the inward Senfe of his Soul, which was quite penetrated with the Love of his God, and I confefsl think I ne- ve? Ver heard him fing\ lore {weedy, he eon* tinned finging with us\ M the 2 laft Verfes of the Pfelm; but what is more remarkable a- bout 4 Hours before his Death, when a nifter vifited him, he delired to fing with us again, and when we told him that his Weak- nefs did. not feem to permit it, he repeated what he faid before, and fang the 23 Pfalirt with me. About two Hours after he begg'd us to fing Simeons Song with him, wich ac- cordingly We did. He declared, that it was a Mercy to live in this World, if We live to the Praife of God and in the Service ofChrift Je&s our Lord, and therefore he declar'd, he had had fbme Defire to ferve him in fome public Station, but that his Will was allways better then ours, that God flood in no need of our Service, and if God faith to us : I have no Delight in thee, We ought heartily to reply with David : Behold^ here am I J Lei the Lord do mth y me as feemetb good in bis Eyes. Among many noble Exprellions the folio-* \ving feem to {peak his very Soul : He de- clare? 5 , that from the Time he plainly faw, that the Glory of God was the End of all his Work; he alfo fincerely and heartly endea- voured at it, tho' in a very imperfeft Manner, And indeed he had fuch a lively fenfe of this upon his Mind, that he never (poke of it* * but with a very peculiar AfFeftion: G Good- nefs of God! would he often fay: O un- fpeakable Mercy, that God will be praifed by Men? Men! He pofTeffeth er iefs Glory in himfelf, He has no need of u nor of any Creature, He is felf fofficient, at id yet he will be praifd by us, who are finful and guilty Creatures * He might juftly condemn us all, and thus glorify himfelf in the Manifeftation and Exe^ cution of his Divine Juftice ; but no : He faveth fbme, not only, that he might glorify his Mercy in the Ele&, but alfo that he might give them an Opportunity of exalting the'm- telves in his Praifes, by making Mention of his Goodnefs,aadfpreading abroad his Praife, and that foil Love might engage them to aim only at this Glory: Thus the Praifes they give him, are their Happinefs, and their Blift confifis in that they love Him. A few Hours before his Death, a Minifter whifhed him yet greater Fore-taftes of the Happinefs of Heaven, to whom he ahfwer'd: It is enough for me, that I may ferve the Lord, he is in himfelf worthy of it, to praife him with all We are, is true Happinefs. He faid: That he had heartily loved our Lord Jefiis Chrift,heexprefTed this in an inimitable Manner: It was as if his Heart would leap out of its Place, when he pronounc'd the Word heartily. One of the Minifiers afk'd him the Morning of his Death, whether he chofe that we fhould once more pray together ? H<2 replied yes: With all my Heart, a Chriftian ought to die praying and adoring his God. When his Arms began to grow cold, he fol- 4f I «f > # ded them together, arid faid : I embrace toxf Lord Jefiis Chrift with the Arms of my Faith. He rejoye'd in the Do&rine of Election Unto Life faying i The Foundation of God ftandeth fure> having this Seal: The Lordknoweth His own. His Heart and Bread felt dead, and his Tongue feem'd to live only to utter thefe laft Words of his iGonie, Je/ns / come, Amen. And with thefe Words he gently fell afleep, and in otir common Opinion died the Death of the Righteous in the 59 Year of his Age 1664, Magdalene Henry . She was born at Metz of Roman catholick Parents ; but felt an early Defire in her Heart to know God and to (erve Him in Truths and as ftie had no Means 6f heading the Scriptures, or to be inftru£led in the Place of her Nativity, fhe chofe to her great Lofs iri temporals, to retire among the Proteftants^ and among them to fearch after the Truth, ftie was periuaded in heir own Mind, God woiild let her find, what ftie was looking for 7 viz. a People, that were able to tell her, how to ferve God in an acceptable Manner. She accordingly met with a Lady, whofe Heart God had touclfd and chang'd, arid in whole Houfe he was worftupp'd iri a becoming Manner. The Do&rines of the reform'd Churches, when inftrufted iri them, ftie very inuch reliftfd, but then the Life and the Con- Verfation of many ProfefTors were an Obftacle G in ft ( af1 * m her Way. In this Cafe ftie fought earneftly for Direction and wasfoonconvinc'd, that the Wicked nefs of fome of its Profeflbrs ought not to hinder her from Embracing theProte- ftant Religion. And fo after earneft Prayer, that (he might not join the Protectants for any finiftre Views, ftie made her Profellion to a German Minifter, in whom £he thought fhe difcover'd more Fear of God, then in the French Minifter of the Place. Her great Aim was to live for God; Ifrthe Purfuit of this Defign flie went to Holland, and join'd a Society of pious Chriftians, that retired from the World, andliv'd together at aPIacecall'd Wteward. It was there, that/he was feiz'd by a lingring Fever, which turn'd at laft to a Dropfy .j her meek, quiet and pa- tient Manner of bearing the Crofs in her te- dious and long Sicknefs, was very edifying to thofe, that attended Her. In the Very Beginning of the Diftemper file thought: God call'd her to &fFer, yea to fuffer a great Deal; but fhe fai'd at the fame Time, lhe felt a Willingnefs to fuffer, and that for the Sake of the Lord jefiis her Saviour, file chearfully embrac'd that Portion of the Crofs, which He would be pleafd to fend un- to Her. In her Sicknefs fiie was brought very low, on Account of her former Sins and Corrup- tions, but took her Refuge in the Mercy of God by the Blood of Jefus ? and fo her 'Sins 1 vanifh'd * ; ( vft * Variiifrd away. I think fontetimes, fiid ihe, when I lie here in great Heat and fiiffer vio- lent Thirft, how I ihall drink, when I ihall get home to the Lord. Another Time ftie did : Tho' I ani as a barren Land, and have little Senfe of the divine Love, yet this I perceive, that I fhoitld be forry to remain in this Life. Ihavd always Ion? a after the Comforts of God, -and a fweet Senfe of them; but now I fiibmit entirely to the Lord, I am willing to v die in the State I now am in. The Lord Jefiist has fought me his loft Sleep, and he gives me Room td hope, that He will bring me into his eternal Sheep-Fold. After this (he enjoyc'd £ great Calmnefs in her Soul fb Ihe (aid : I have nothing to ftrive againft, the Lord Jefus has overcoriie all. I could never have believ'd it, that God would give me fo great Grace and fb entirely wean me from every Thing, before my Children were much in my Mind, but now no more, I leave fhem entirely in the Hands of God arid of pioits People. I have no more Concern for thetri, no more then if I had no Children. Wheri we go to God, every Thing muftgive Way. Wemuft think on nothing but God and our Souls. If it would pleafe God to lengh- ten my Life, I might refblve to live longer, but truly riot without Reludtarice. O when will the Lotd come ! When will the Lord draw ' near me and take me to himfelf ! One of thsmprefentfaid toHer^ that going Cz tor C 28 ) ft* to the Lord Ihe might fay with Stephen-. Lord Jefus! Receive my Spirit. She anfwerd very affectionately: O it is a beautiful! amiable Word: Lord Jefus/ Receive my Spirit. And again /he faid : My Heart is at Reft, I can fay nothing but this: I am at Reft in the Lord. I am weak but he is ftrong for me. ( my Strength is in Him.) When One took Leave of Her, andfaid: The Lord ftrenghten you] Shefaid: Woe unto me J What would become of me, if he Ihould not do fb t and being that Day fo weak, that it was thought, it would be her laft, /he cried out feveral Times : my good Jefus, my dear Jefus! Wilt thou come and take me this Day to Thy Ml Then Ihe faid: O how good has God been unto me, that he brought me among his Children: At the fame Time /he humbled herfelf before God and his People, and a Moment after /he faid with great Affeftion : My good Jefus} Wilt thou be fo kind to me, and now rhorougly wa/h me in thy Blood? Owhat great Mercy J How altogether am I unworthy of it? Come my jefiis, come, take and draw me foontoThee! Again /ha faid: Tho' I am Unworthy of it, yet the Lord caufethme to enjoy his /acred Reft, and leads me fweetly to him/elf; and when One faid : Then you go chearfully and enter with full Sails into the Harbour of eternal Bias ? She replied : Yes, Jefiis Chriftmygood Shepherd is lending me his Hand: He will' draw me and help me, that I may fafely arrive * there. there. &c. A little after ftie begun to figh for the Coming of Chrift to her, fhelook'd about and faid: Pray earneftly that my God may come, and that his good Spirit may fiipport me unto the End. Death is a narrow Gate, I wait for the Lord Jefus to carry me through. When ftie had fainted ftie faid : I believe, I ftall go away thus eafily. A Perfon then fpoke with Her of theHappinefsofthofe, that die in Chrift, and the exceeding Greatnefs of his Love to whom fhe anfwer a : I very much in-, treated the Lord Jefiis Chrift to come, and He has anfwer'd me, he was come and is coming, and then ftretching out her Arms Ihe faid: Me thinks I already embrace my Lord Jefus Chrift. She was then imvery great Pain by the Contra&ion of her Nerves, fo one told her, that ftie feem'd to be in a great Deal of Pain, but that was the Way to go to God : She re- plied fmiling: O this is altogether nothing. I am glad of it, every Pain brings me nearer to Jefus, for from the Beginning ofherSickneis ftie had an AfTurance that God would take her away; and therefore ftie added: O it is good for me to fufferj I ftand much in Need of it; but me thinks any other Child of God would bear my Pain much better then I do; yet I muft own, that the Lord Jefus has given me fome of his Patience ; for none but He can give it, of my felf I have nothing but Stubbornefs and Impatience. Several pious People vifited her that Dav, C 3 expect* '4k (9*27$ expecting then (he would go to her heavenly Father The Thought of this fill'd her with Joy and Comfort, fhe would look at her Friends and fay: O noble Company! Which Thou, 0 my God! art favouring me with at this mv Departure. O could I take you all with me ! What agreat Priviledge is it to have been hear- tily in the Service of the Lord J O how Hove thee my good Lord and Saviour! One ofthe Company faid: It feems, you are willing to go to the Lord Jefus, and there is nothing that detains you. She anfwer'd with a clear and diftinft Voice: Not one Thread more keeps me. Toward Evening fhe complaind of her being fofleepy, and when one replied, that fhe rnightgotofleep, becaufe her Work was done, for that : Chnft had done it for her and in her, her Anfwer was if it was not fo, how could 1 be fo eafy? Yet the Lord permitted her for lome Days after to .be forely exercifd, when the Waters rofe above her Stomach : There- fore fhe faid: I can fay with David: The Wa- ters go to my Soid; But as her End drew near, fhe was fo 'fill'd with Joy that fhe broke out «rf a p n iV n S i m Y God is coming. OrnyGod! What mall I render unto thee? I am waiting for jhee. She repeated the 3 rPfa!m with as loud a Voice as fhe could, and added: My Soulvmgmfieth the Lord, and my Spirit remceth tn God my Saviour. When One afkvl her, whether fhe had no Fear at all of Death? She laid : Altogether none, there is not a Shadow of of it remaining with me. It is my God, that has freed me from it, I could not have done it my felf ; but the Lord did it in the T winckiing of anEye. And then Ihe died happy, joyfull and comfortable February i6"8i. in fo eafy a Man- ner, that the Byftandersdid fcaree perceive ir. Conrad Lohethan. Superintendent of the Churches in the Prin- cipality of Anhalt Cathen* THe Account, which we have of the laft Hours of this Faithfull Servant of Jefus Chrift, was tranfmitted in a Letter to one of his Friends by One, that in his Life had been his Fellow Labourer, and affifted him in his laft foments and runs thus. It was the 12 of November 1755 that the dear Man fent for me. I found him in very great Weaknefs, but at the fame Time in a fweet Calm and Reft of Soul I accofted him with a Willi, that the Lord would blefe him with Strength from on high, to which he replied; May the Lord in his Mercy do fol for this I ftandin great Need of, the Lord has drawn meto his Crofs, and there I will remain in Silence & Obedience. lie told me that he had long ago wifh'd to fee me, but that the Calamity of his Soul and Body had hinder'd him. When I replied: That I bleffed God, that he vouchfaf'd me the Priyiledge of feeing and of fpeaking' with him once more j he beckoned with his Hand and faid: O whom think you C 4 to to have before you? An unfaithfull and un- profitable Man, one that is altogether corrup- ted. He then paufd for fome Time, and af- terward he faid: As I have now a little and indeed but very little Strenght left, I will tell you tome Thing, and beg you would relate it again to fuch pious Souls, as may be defirous to know fome Thing of me. I muft acknow- ledge it to the Glory of God, that He merci- fully kept me from grofs Iniquity, and after He had drawn my Soul to himfelf I made it my Study to avoid Sin and to do his Will. I have known the Truth, profened and prea- ched it, and believe I Ihould fooner have loft my Life, then have departed from it; yet this nothwithftanding I had many Things about me, which I did not pray and watch againft with fufficient Earneftnefs, and to I found in my Sicknefs that the Razing of my Corrup- tions to their very Foundation (Pf 137 J was Itill wanting. More efpecialiy I found I did not refift my Anger and other fuch Symptoms of corrupted Nature, as I ought to have done. I have indeed heartily prayed, that God would deliver me and help me to overcome thefe Things. I have alto found Gods gracious Af- hllance; but before I was aware, of it, my Pa(fions would again overtake me : This I have been very uneafyat in my Mind efpecialiy for thefe three Months pair. To get ridofitlhave often in my Study thrown my felf upon my Knees, or even upon my Face before God, <& ( 33 ) and intreared him to bring my Soul unto Refti and to grant me his Peace ; but I could not find it and that by my own Fault, becaufe I did not continue to feek it; but fome Time ago being in my Study and much perplexed in my Mind, I was ftrongly affected with the Thought, that the Lord Jefus is the only one, to whom we are directed for the Reft of our Souls, and I had at the fame Time a particular Senfe of the Words of our Saviour joh. 14,60 I am the Way* the Life and the Truths no Man cometb to the Father hut hy me. So Iproftrated my felf upon my Knees before the Lord Je-* fiis, pour d out my Heart before Him, and begg'd Him to grant me his Peace, In my Prayer I was muchftrenghtened and rofewith a pretty compofd Mina from the Duty and refted all Night. Early in the Morning I felt the former Difquietnefs in my Soul ; yet I could commit my (elf into the Hands of the Lord with fome Degree of Refignation : In the Evening, when my Mind was toward God, fomething happen'd to me, which I never be^. fore experienced fb in my whole Life, viz. 1 unexpectedly and in lefs then half an Hours Time the whole Abyfs of my Corruption and finfull Nature was open'd unto me, I then thought: O my God! I have pray'd for thy Peace, and now thou art calling* me into the Depth: Can this be the Way to obtain Peace? All my Sins, that I committed from my Youth, were put before mine Eyes from the leaft t<% rl r C 5 * e 4! c 34 ) n> the greateft: And fiich among them, as I ne- ver believ'd to be Sin, among others myfoo- Iifli Defire after a Multitude or Books lay very heavy upon my Soul, fb that I refolv'd, if I re- covered, to part with all my Books, except a few which I flood really in Need of, but e- fpecially the Sinfullnefs of Anger feem'd fb great and terrible unto my Soul, that I could nave wifh'd all Creatures might trample with their Feet upon me. I could more ealily have born this, then to fland before God in the Chara&er of an angry and paffionate Sinner. I was nothing but Abomination in mine Ey- es, no Dog appears fbvile in mine Eyes as I did my felf, nay that's too good yet, a veno- mous Serpent or Toad did not feem fb abo- minable, for thefe have no Sin. I could not but call myfelf a very Devil : For his Image and Nature I found in me. Sin and Wrath is the very Image of Satan. I found no good in my whole Life, no ; not in my whole Life. Among other Sins it prefT'd me down, that I had often given Offence to my own Houfe by my Haftinefs and Paffion, I had no Reft in my Mind, till I fent for my Wife aknow- ledg'a the Sin and deprecated the Offence, I exhorted Her at the fame Time, that as fhe now faw the Uneafinefs of my Soul from a Senfe, that by my Negleft or A&ions I had given Her Offence, She might now with her whole Heart turn unto God and feek his Mercy, and that then he would never forfake Her. *e ( 3s ) # Her. After this I had fome Eafe in my Soul, but it did not laft long, a new Load oppreff'd trie, when I confider'd, that my Children alfo had feen me in Fits of Paffion. To get fome Reft, therefore I lent for them, and told them, how griev'd I was, that I had given them Of- fence; and declar'd that Anger is a dreadful! Sin before God and a devilifti Crime, I exhor- ted them at the fame Time, to give their Hearts altogether unto God, and to do it from this very Minute; this gave the Soul fome Peace, but only for a Ihort Time, 'till I remember'd rtiat I dropr fome Times a hafty Word to my Servant, when he did not do Things to plea fe me. I had no Reft rill I afk'd his Pardon, then my Heart was fome Thing eafier again. O how did I lie in the Deep for thefe 2 Days ! I was in fiery Anguifti indeed, in flich Fire and An- guilh, that I could have wifh'd' to be ftruck in- to nothing rather then bear it. Saturday follow- ing my whole Heart begun to melt. Indeed niy whole Heart was melted in Tears, when God gave me to know, that for the Sake of his Son my Saviour jefos Chrift and his bitter Sufferings and DeatHHe granted unto me the Pardon of all my Sins. O! How did it pierce my Soul, that God condefoended to Ihew Mer- cy unto me, that deferv'd to be caft into Hell, all within me was in Motion, and in Regard of my Corruption I thought: Rafe> rafe them to their very Foundation. Pf. 137,7. Every Thing contrary to Chrift I banilh'd out of my Heart Heart and out of a Principle of Love to my Saviour, who had Ihewn Mercy unto me. I often faid: Lord Jefiis! A(k now, what thou wilt of me, nothing, nothing ftiall be in and about me, that I will not freely give. up for Thee. I am now quite and altogether in thine Obedience. And when I thus felt Peace and Submifiive Obedience in my Soul, I thought I heard like a Voice in my Heart : It is not enough that thou doft now feel quiet and eafy in thy Heart, now thou muft with me to the Crofs, to the Crofs thou muft, now go with me ! I replied : Lord Jefiis J I follow Thee and am quite filent, I am altogether in thine Obe- dience! Only diislbeg heartily, let the Nails be well fattened, let the Nails be well fattened that I may not make the lead Refiftance! O yes, let the Nails be well fattened, to hold me faft, that old Adam may be cruci- fied and die. Soon after this paft in my Soul the Suffe- rings of my Body begun, and the Hope I fome Times had of recovering altogether difappear'd with the Increafe of my Sicknefs, and thus I now hang on the Crofs, and remain in Silent Obedience. I did indeed fincerely refolve, if God fhould grant me to recover from this Sick- nefs to walk more Clofely before Him and to learn to know his Truth better and better, but *s poffibly it may pleafe the Lord otherwife, and He may take me afaay: Let his Will be done, I am quite filent. I an- * ( 37 ) # I anfwer'd that the Lord Jefus had told US Toh. 11,40. Did I not tell 7%ee, if thou didft be- lieve, thou Jhouldft fee the Glory of God? That therefore nothwithftandinghis great Weaknefs God might manifeft his Glory for his Reco* very. To this he replied : fhall I believe it that I fhall live here yet longer ? fhall I pray for it ? I don't know, whether I fhall believe it or afk for it, for I am altogether obedient. The Children of God may pray as they think beft* I am filent. But if! now go out of the World and appear before the Lord, I /hall not come before his Face as One that hath the leaft Thing to fay for Himfelf; but as One thatknowetft nothing and will know nothing of what be- longs £0 fairhfiill Servants; neither can I pray my Saviour to give me a Place among his faith- ful! Servants; for I am not worthy fo to be call'd, but this fhall I beg of Him, to give me a Place among penitent Sinners, only a Place among penitent Sinners; and this I certain- ly and folly hope, he will not refufe me nor caft me out, fmce he himfelf has wrought w r hat 1 find in me, and fince he has Eut my Sins before mine Eyes in Time and as aflur 5 d me of his Mercy, he will not put them under mine Eyes once more after my Death, or fiiffer me to feel them again in Eter- nity. O how muft we pafs thro' the refining Pot, before we can obtain Mercy. O how have I been caft down broken and made contrite ! but now I know that he will not leave me not forfeke me. Mr. ■ « ( 33 ) fa j Mr. Lobethan having thus finifti'd what he had to fay to me, and being fb weak, that he was often oblig'd to flop in his Difcurfe, he concluded at laft with thefe Words : Now I will be altogether filent and {peak no more, to be filent and commune with God is now my only Bufinefs. I then took my .Leave of him, till we ftiould with Joy fee one another ag^in before the Throne of the Lamb. Among other Expreffionslalfo wifti'd, that the Blood of Reconciliation might quite penetrate and fit him for his laft Agony. He folded his Arms crofsways on his Breaft, then ftiook Hands with me, recommended himfelf to my Prayers and wifti'd me alfo the Bleffings of Time and Eternity* From this to the Time of his Diffolution he was always filent and defired others to be fb too and to pray more then to (peak. About 3 or 4 Days before his Death he took a molt affe£tionate Leave of his Family and feveral others and heartily exhorted them to get an Intereft in God thro 5 Chrift, and to remain faithfull unto Death. After thisheturnd him- felf in Prayer to God, with a particular Grace and Earneftnefs he continued above anHour in Prayer, among others he alfo faid; O thou fove- reignShepherd JefusChrift ! into thy hands I re- fign the Office, wherein hitherto thou haft bore with me in great and unfpeakable Patience a*id long; Suffering and haft aflifted me. Oforgivc forgive what e verl have negle&ed or damaged. take thy felf Care of thy Flock I feek that which is loft and gone aftray ] and what thou haft already laid hold of carry further, and make it right faithfull unto thee] put another in my Room, that may be much better then I have been. &c, I thank Thee, Lord JefusJ in particular? that thou haft ftied thy Blood for me and gi- ven me thy Peace. O that for thy Love Sake Imightlhed my Blood alfo! with thou&id Joys would I do it; but fince this cannot be, accept at leaft my Willingnefi to fiiffer as a TbanhOffering^ and now foon free me from all Mifery. He moft earneftly pray'd for his Sovereign, and fervently intreated God for his eternal Welfare. After this he faid : Now I am quite ready, Lord Je&s ! I lhall fbon be with Thee in Paradife. A few Minutes before his End he defiredto be raifed higher in his Bed, and when that was done, he cried feveral Times exalted exalted, very highly exalted, and thus ended his Life N0.29. 1735 .being his forty feventhBirth-Day. Jacob Faber & 0 mthe V \ ace of hisNa-^ tivity commonly call'd Stapuienfes was a famous Preacher of the GofpelintheDarknefs of the Church of Rome, and one of the firft, thatun* der divine Alliftance begun the Reformation of the Church. But in a Time of Perfeclitiori he left his Flock and retired to the Queen of *Na~ varv the pious Confort of Henry II itidzlj&dy ■ « C 40 ) ft* ©f very extenfive Learning. The Account we have of his remarkable Death was given by her felf to a learned German, who accompa- nied the Eleftor Palatine Fredrick II in his Travels. On a certain Day the Queen invited him and (everal other learned Men to Dinner, during which Faber feem'd much overcome with Sor- row, and was fbme Time feen weeping. The Queen infifting to know the Reafon of it, He at laft told her : How can I, moft gracious Queen \ be chearfull my (elf or make Others fo feeing, I am the moft wicked Man upon Earth. The Queen faid: what great Crime can you be guilty of, my dear Faber I who from your Youth have been remarkable for the Stri&nefs of your Life? To this he replied: I am now an hundred and one Years old and never touch'd a Woman, nor did any Thing that makes me fear to die, but one which I am afraid, will never be expiated. When the Queen infilled upon knowing it, his Tears would hardly allow it, at laft he faid : How ihall I ftand before the Throne of God, who have taught thoufands the Gofpel of his Son, who have not only receiv'd it, but have alfo feaFd it with their Blood : But I like an unfaith- full Teacher did fly, tho'Ihad already attain'd to a great Age, and fhould rather have long'd for fuffering, then been afraid of Death; yet I privily withdrew my felf and fcandaloufly forfook my Poft. After U. _ . After this the Queen £ndeavou?'d to corn- fort him with the Goodnefs and Mercy of God, which had received many in his Cafe When the Company cortfirm'd what fhefaid* he feem'd fb much comfotred arid eneourag'ct that he (aid, if it is fb, then nothing remains for me to do but to make my Will, and front Here to depart unto God, who I feel is calling of me. He then looked very ftedfaftly at the Queen aridfiid; I appoint your Mayeftymy Heir : My Books I leave to your Chaplain, my Cloth and what elfe I have, I leave to the Poor and the Reft I commend unto God. At this the Queen foiled and Grid: What than lhall be mine Inheritance? To which he re- plied: You /hall have the Trouble to divide it to the Poor, which made the Queen fay: I proteft I value this Inheritance more then to be Heirefs to my Brother the King of France. Faber feerft'd very well arid told the Queen* that he flood .in Need of a little Reft. Mean while faid he: Be ye chearfull and farewell. And thus he laid himfelf down and flept, but "When they examined him, it Was the Sleep of £)eath, and without Sicknefs he thus expir'd to the great Aftoniftimerit of all the Company, Cafpar Shade, Minifter at Berlin. ltho' it is certain, that a fnelancholy Temper* • has a great Influence even over fancHfied and renewed Souls, arid makes them not only D feme* A 1 ie c 4* ) ft fometimesgo heavily all the Days of their Pil- grimage ; but alfo fills them with a fpecial Dread Di Death the King of Terrors ; yet an Afluirance of divine Love is fo effe&ual an Antidote againft it; that very often thofe, that feem to die all their Life time for Fear of Death, go off of the Stage with an uncommon Joy, and have done with all their Grief as the Moment draws near, when the Lamb of God wipes away all Tears from their Eyes. The Rev. Mr. Cafpar Shade a faithfull and painfull Minifter of the Go/pel at Berlin, a Man that in his Life Time enjoy'd few chearfull Hours, unlefs it were wlien his Soul fed upon the Love of his Redee- mer, is a remarkable Inflance that Children of God may be greatly prefTed down all their Life and yet triumph in the Hour of Death. He was uncommonly Zealous in the Caufi tef his Mailer, and inceflantly laboured to bring the Souls of his Hearers, especially of the yu fing Generation unto Jelus Chrift. His grea- ter Affliftion and the Burden of his Office was the Want of a proper Difcipline in the Church; in his Zeal for this he dropt fome hard Words againft the Cuftonl of abfolving and admitting People to the Ordinance of the Lord's Supper, nothwithftanding their Con- tinning in a State of notorious Impenitency and Ungodlinefe, againft this Evil he lifted his Voice like a Trumpet and thereby brought (as it ntednotbe doubted) the Hatred of car- nal Preachers and Hearers upon Himfelf, and was was far from being affifted as he ought to have been even by fiich, as were in fome Meafare concern'd for the Affliftidn of Jofepb. It pleaf d God in the Height of his Troubles for the Testimony of a good Confcience to give hint a Quietus, and to deprive his Hea- rers of the awakriirig and fiiccefsfuil Miniftry of a Man, whom Co few of them knew to value as they ought to have done. For fome Time he was very fenfible of his apprpachirig End, and therefore in his twoi laff Sermons riot only made a Recapitulation of all he had been preaching, but alio menti- oned the Nearnefs of his Departure encourag d the. Children of God, and denounced heavy Judgments to all imperiitent Oppbfers of the Truth. He Applied unto himlelf what the. Savioiir faid urito holy Paul : Make llafte and get thee quickly out ofyerufalem: For They will not receive thy Teftimony concerning me. v. ig. and was foori dftef taken with a violent Fever, the Symptoms of which he had felt be- fore the Preaching of his laft Sermon, In his Sickriefs he fpent his Time with ch^af- full Praifes of his God, he often repeated the fweet Name of Jefas, arid this with Co ftrorig a Voice and fo little Interruption, that fome were mov'd to blefs God for it, others faid: That he was def^airing, the Words Lord Je- sus, my Jesus ! Unto Thee I live, thine I am and ferve, tiitto Thee I die. tie repeated many hundred Time's; when he was delited to Cpivc, D £ himfelf C 44 ) himfelf he would fay: I do not grow weary, I cry and preach Repentance while I can, if I had cried more before, I needed not to cry fo much now. When the burning Fever left him, it was fucceeded by a lingering Hectick difbrder. He {aid that if it was the Will of God, he would be glad to live one Year more, not to recant his Do&rine, nor yet becaufe he was afraid or Death, but that he might communicate to Others, what God hath done for him in his Sicknefs. O how would I preach fiiid he on thefe Words: Time is yet Room left. Lord Je- fos ! Thow knoweft that the greateft Parfin this Place have rejefted Thee and defpifed thy Word and thy Truth: And therefore Thou mighteft exclude them from Heaven ; but there is yet Room left. Let everyone that loves his Soul make Hafte and efcape, for his Wrath will fcon be kindled. Tho' he was defirous to be longer ufefull upon Earth, yet his Defire to be with Chrift increafd more and more, the more God fill'd his Heart with the Forerafte of the Bleflingof the World to come. And tho 5 he met with fbme inward Trials, yet they foon went over. A- mong other Expreffions of his Faith and Joy healfofaid: Victory] Victory J I have fought with the Devils and brought them to the Ground. I have conquer'd J fhave conquer'dj Victory! ViftoryJ and eternal Hallelujah. He alfo faid to the Byftanders : O dear Children J Behold, W ( 45 ) Behold, Satan is fifting me, he would fain per- fuade me I have no Faith and no Jefiis , and that becaufe I don't feel Chrift in my Heart, I am none of his, but it feem'd to me as if the Lord Jefus faid to Satan : What has he done> what has he done? That thou art thus accufing of Him? O thou beft beloved, O thou faireft, moft precious, moil fweet, moft kind, moft lovely Jefiis! Eternal Thanks unto Thee, that thou haft trode Satan under my Feet. My poor little Heart in my Body is fo fhrivelled up with the Heat that I can fcarce feel it, fhall I therefore have no Faith? O Lord Jefus! Truly I have Thee, truly I hold Thee,- per- haps my Heart is with Thee already, and thou doft only leave my Body here, till it is alfb quite confumed: Thou halt but lately refrelh'd me with fuch a Senfe of thy Prefence, that I could fcarce bear it, why then fhouldft thou now forfake me? I humble my felf before Thee, my Jefus llama poor little Dog, that feeds upon the Crumbs, that fall from the Ta- ble of thy Grace: I am not worthy of Thee; but Thou knoweft, Lord Jefus! that I have ferv'd Thee faithfully and with all my Might, I faithfully and earneftly preached thy Name; and Thou haft not left it without a Bleffing: I have not fought mine but thine Honour. Lord Jefos J I have liv'd unto Thee and unto Thee will I die. Hereheraif'duphimfelffud- denly and notwithftanding his great Weaknefs he got out of his Bed ana laid ; O I fee it re- D 3 that I was eafy and happy in the Midftofthe Rage of mine Enemies, and when all my Friends forfook me, I muft fay this for Thee, O deareff Jefiis! that thou didft take my Part, and fo didft plead the Caufe ofmy Soul, that t have flili Caufe to praife Thee. &c. He was allways a great Lpver of Mufick and therefore in his Sicknefs he would fome Times order a Hymn to be play'd, and would fing with it, O dpar Children] faid he: If j might ppeji my Moiith wide wide and pro- claim the rraifes of the Lord, I would above all Things heartily exhort you, fhat you ear- nestly endeavour to be clolely united with Je t fas in your Life, that when you come to die. «K ( 47 ) » Jefus may be your Wifh, your Aim, your fconfidence and your Heart be (wallowed up in Jsfus. God is all and in alL O how great, how unfearchable, how incomprehenfible is God! Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hofts! God is all in all unto me alio. This my Heart rejoyces at, Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Once Thofe, that attended him, fell All a deep and he faid: Behold here, they lie and deep! Thus is it among Magiltrates, Minifters and Families ; but I think the Lord will wake them. At another Time he faid, that formerly he had been near as Sick as now at Leipjtck; but then God gave thefe Words in his Heart; Thou (halt not die but live and pubiifti the Work of the Lord; That now he had wanted to lay hold on the fame Words; but that the Lord Je{us had put Others into his Heart, viz. J am the Refuvre&ion and the Life. He would often afkhimfelf: Doft thou believe this ? and anfwer, yea. Amen, my Lord Je(usI Amen. My Lord JeCus! Unto Thee I live, unto Thee I die, Thee I honour, Thee I praife, unto Thee I give Thanks, Lord JeAis, my JeCus! Amen. Lord Je&s ! I know that I love Thee, and I know, that thou loveft me. Thou art mine, I am Thine, and our Love (hall be for ever. O Lord Je(us! Give me myDifcharge, now take me to Heaven, take me foon, foon, foon very foon into thy Glory. It is enough, take my Soul to thy felf and bring it from Glory to Glory. * D 4 A little C 48 ) & A little before his End, whenHewasafk'd whether, he felt any Thing in his Heart againft his Colleagues or any Body elfe, he declar'd that his Heart was full of Love toward every Body, and pray'd earneftly for his Sovereign and Country, his Congregation, his Collea, gues and Succeflbr, that he might abundantly reap what he had been lowing. The nearer his End drew, the more did he long for his Deli- verance, till at laft his Soul laid hold on what it long'd for, for the 25 of July 1^98 in his perfect Senfes and full of Faith his Breath was exringuifli'd like the Light of a Candle in the 33 Year of his Life. William Obuch Miffionary at Tranchbar. T^He Danilh Million at Tranckebar in the Eaft-Indies has hitherto proved a happy Inftrument in the Hand of God for the En- lightening of many, that fat in Darknefs and Shadow of Death, while its painfull Milfiona- ries generally foon wafte away a laborious Life in the Service of the beft of Mafters and in purfuing the Good. of immortal Souls. The Rev. Mr. William 'Obuch fat Sail for the Eaft- Indies. in a VefTel call'd the Notbingham the 10 of March 1737, and landed with his two Col- leagues Rev. Mr. Widcbrock and Mr. Kohlhoff fafely ml Madras the 4 of July of the fame Year, from whence in a few Days hearriv'dat Tran- ckebar. He immediately applv'd himfelf to the # $ 49 1 # SfUdy of the Tamulian Language, and in little more* then a twelve Months he already was able to publiih the glad Tidings of Salvation in this difficult Language. He was a 'Man of unwearied Diligence and very exemplary Converfation. Fie brought a weakly Conftitu- tion with him into the Indies' and continued to be fickly during his Abode there. But in the Year 1745 he was attacked by a Kind of 3 Hef Peath, and was much affaulted with the fie-r :y Darts of the wicked One. A Miffionary •a ( 52 ) $ pray'd with him, and he making Ufe in his Prayer, that Satan fometimes in the laft Hours aflauks the Children of God to mrprize and feize their Souls. The dying Patient replied: He mall never feize mine. A Hymn which he himfelf had tranflated into the Tamulian Lan- uage, was afterward read unto him, and he eard it with great Attention. About 7 in the Morning he was alked, where his Heart was now, he replied: Three Times with Jems Chrift, feme Times after, when the Que'ftion was repeated, he faid: Where elfe would it be? About eight he was in his laft A^ony. One told him, that his Saviour waited for him, and bid him come, to which he replied: And I alfo fay, come. Then he repeated the Words : Father] into thy Hands I commit my Spirit; and fo died Sept. j. 1745. in the 39 Year of his Age. Chrift i an Fredrik PreJJier Miffionary among the Heathen at Tranckehar. O* E was prevail'dupon to accept of a Call, A - 1 that requires fo great a Share of Self-Denial from the Gonfideration of the Words of JeAis Matth. 10, 37. He that loveth his Father or Mo- ther more then me^ is not worthy of me. And Luc. 14, 26. If any Man hate not his own Ltfe> be cannot he my Difciple. Accordingly he fet out from Hall in Saxony 'Dec. 8- 1724. and arrived at Tranckehar in the Eaft-Indies the 19th of June of the Year following. He approved himfelf imfelf a Man of great Piety, of very deep xperience in Religious Matters and uncom- lon Diligence in his Million. The Building p the Increafe of the Church and Shools, he ad continually at Heart, for this Purpofe he 'ould take fpecial Pains with fuch Converts •om Heathenifm, as were employ'd to teach le Truth of God unto their heathenifh Coun- y People, and fometimes write very affefling ,etters to fiich of them, as had embraced the 'hriftian Do&rine, to keep clofe to the Lord. The Heat of the Climate was a heavy Bur- en to his weakly Conftitution and active Tem- per. In the Year 17 30 he kept his Bed for near ix Months in ahectickFever, ofthisSicknefs ie faith in fome of his Papers, that tho 5 it was r ery weak'ning to the outward Man, theMer- y of God made it to be of great Ufe to the nward, and that that Year was a renewing fear to him, like as 1721 had been the Year )f his firft Awaking. In his Letters he took ^eave of his Friends and tells them, that he rould very well fee into theReafcns of Gods aking him away, partly becaufe he was Ho- no iners and very unfit for his Work, partly life becaufe thus he Ihould be delivered from nany fore Temptations, which he had been xoubled with in his Life, and that for this Con- fideration he begg'd three Things of God, t. That he would grant him Patience and Comfort in his Sufferings. 2. That he would :arry on and perfect the Work of Sanctifica- tion *fc ( 54 ) * tion and 3. Kindle in him a Defire after eter- nal Glory. From this Sicknels however he recovered^ and was not vifited Co forely, till the laft Fit of bicknefs, which he declared would be his laft from the Beginning. In the Commencement of the Year 1738 he was laid up and fuffer'd much by the violent Heat of the Diftemper, which made him intreat his Brethren to pray for Him, that God would grant him Patience to hold out. He dictated a Paper, wherein he difpofd of his Affairs and with great Affeaion mention'd the Paffage Song. 2, 14. My Dove l l th '^f^f the Rock, laying: Thislhallbe the laft Hole, wherein I will feek reft. Some Time he would fay: Is my Strength the Strength of Stones ? Or is my FlefhofBrafs? I he Thirft of JeIus and his Receiving Gall and Wormwood for his Drink, was his Com- fort in his Thirft and Weaknefs. Once hefent for One of his Colleagues, and when he en- ter d the Room, he told him: I fent for you, that you mould give me a Word of patient Waiting, and when fome Paflages out of the Pfalms and the Example of our Saviours Pa- tience were mention'd, he replied : Indeed the fame Sufferings go over our Brethren in the World, and o how many People are much worfe of then I am ! When the Remembrance of his Sins difturb'd him, he would comfort himfelf with the Words 1 Joh. 2, 1. If any Mau/m, we have an Advocate pith the Father Jefus j f£/Stf the Righteous. All his Comfort, Hope and Refuge was in the Wounds of |e- us Chrift:. He often mention'd rhe Neceflity 3f fetling the Concerns of our Souls before nq come on a dying Bed. Already in the Year [724 he noted this Remark: It is good asfooit is we are fenilble of any Sin in us, immedia- :ely to repent of it and pray God for the Vi- ctory over it, and thus by Faith in the Blood }f Chrift to keep a clear Account, intreating iim to forgive that Sin and purge it away, that t may not be brought into judgment agairift us* In the Night between the 1 2 and 1 3 th Febr. le call'd out feveral Times: Depart ye Spirits 3f Sorrow, the Spring of my Joy Je(us is com- ng. A little before he had complain'd, that lie could not feel the leaft Drop of Comfort n his Soul, but now his Heart and his Lips Dverflow'd with it, and he heartily in the Pre- tence ofWitneffes blef fed God for his gracious Vilxtation. The laft Day of his Life he would give good Exhortations to all, that came to him to do good, and to deftroy the Works of the Devil. Once he felt as he afterward declar'd the fiery Darts of the Wicked One, and begun to pray: Lord Jefus ] Give me Strength to overcome. A little after he defired a certain Hymn to be read unto Him. When the Heat of the Diftem- per abated, he pray'd very earneftly and when Come Body told him : Perhaps this will be the Day of your final Deliverance, he faid : No, the the Fifteenth. The following Night he broke .out: This is a Man that has great Glory ; and when he was told, that this was his Jefas, who waited for him and faid: Come, come! He replied: Come. And this was his laft Word, and accordingly his Saviour came, and after his faithful] Labour took him to eternal Reft the 15 of February 1738 in the 40 of his Age* jfodocus Lodejlein Profeflbr and Paftor of the Church at Utrecht. OTE was a Man of uncommon Gifts, Dili- T A gence and Faithfiilliiris in his Miniftry, and at the fame Time of Co mean anOpinion of him- felf, that in his Sermons he would often tell his Hearers, that he was confcious, fome of them had a greater Share of Grace then him- felf, and therefore defired them, they would pray for him, that God would fill his Heart and open his Lips. His Kindnefs to the Poor was very conspicuous. He was gentle among his Hearers as a Nurfe to the Children. At the Time of the French Invafion 1672, when Provifions were at a very high Price, he defac'd the Coat of Armesof ail his Silver-Plate, and Co fent it to the Silver-Smith, and for the Mo- ney he bought Provifion, which he diftribu- ted to the Poor,- thus with his Riches he laid a good Foundation for the Time to come. His Sermons were lively and affe&ionate, and Erov'd a Blefling in all the Places, where he ad exercifed his Miniftry. Before he would «fc ( 57 ) fa fpeak to Men from the Pulpit* he would in earrieft Prayers firft fpeak with his God. A great Divine wherihehear'd him preach, {aid 2 There is fome Thing in this Man, I believe* the Apoffles preached after this Mariner ; he ufed much Plainness; his Sermons wais not like the painted Windo ws iri Cathedrals, whofe painted Beauty keeps out the Light, and a$ he preach'd fo he liv'd, arid bore a very Faith- Full Teftimonfy againft thatfcaridalouis Pra&ice of prdmifcuoufty admitting All, that prefenr to the Table of jefus Chrift. He was not a p$rfe£t Man, but he ftrove for Perfe&ion. His Gorfverfation was a Commentary on his preaching; and tho 5 his fpiritual Ways did purchafe him the Contempt of carnal People* yet he will always be efteetn d by the Lovers! Df true Piety and inward Religion., As to hislaft Hours, his Sicknefi would not allow him to fpeak much, but what he faid^ tVheri he faw his Friends weepirig round his* 3ed, he would fay: Why weep ye? I am in i Bed of Rofes, fo fweeti^it to me, toiubmit :o the Will of God. When he was afked, whether he felt any better, he replied : What eternal Wifdom does, is always good, Bleis Him with me for eternal Mercy ; and when lie was alked by Another concerning the State )f his Soul, and whether he had aSenfe of the Grace of God, he anlwefd :': It is enough for fae that I believe, the Fuilnefs and Sufficiency E of 4* ( 58 ) W *)f all Things is in God, I fee nothing and feel nothing; but I know, in the Lord jefus there is Fullnefs of Grace, and I depend upon the eternal Covenant of Salt, Num. 18,19. 2 Giro. 13, 5. At the fame Time he cried: Lord] I wait for thy Salvation. When One of his Col- leagues afked him how he did, his Anfwer was: Before God I am a dead Dog, and yet •I fhall go to Him thro' a new and living Way into the San£luary by the Blood of Jefiis, and reft with him and in him for ever, I leave my felf entirely unto Him, and commend myfelf freely unto him. One of his Friends held him up in his Sick-Bed andhefaid: Now I learn what it is to lean upon the Lord of Ifrael. Je£48,2. It would difpleafe him forely, when any faid, that the Lord vifited him in a painfull Manner : Why, faid he, won't you rather fay, that God (hews me many Mercies ? The Lord is good and all he does with us, isgoodalfo. He never complain'd, only fbmetimes he would (ay: Lord! When wilt thou make an End of my Sorrow ? When they ofFer'd him feme Refrelh- merit, he afked, why will ye prolong my Mi- fery ? And when his Brother gave him the Cordial, he faid: It is a good Thing, that the Heart be eftabliilv d not by Meat but by Grace, and when his Brother told him to take it for Confcience Sake, he faid: Well then and took it. When Any would comfort him in his Suffe- rings by telling him, it was thus the Will of Cod, he would anfwer; I will fufferthis, and more fttore yet. I will have Things to be, aS tkk Lord fhall ordain them to be* The Phyficiaris Were afraid of a Mortification ; but he faid i What need the Phyficrans be uneafy ? It is no Matter Whether I grow better or worfb. It is all one, What the Lord does with me> fb I may but do or ftiffer his Will The thiyd Night before his Death he faid: I aril a poor Soul, I am wretched, blind. Hacked and a fit Qbie£t for the Mertsy of the Lord Jefus Chrift. The Evening before his Death he (aid: The Lord is a going to fay unto his Servant : My Son I Return unto the Duft Whence thou art taken* and my Soul fhall go to God its Original : When I am there, I fhall immediately enjoy him. About 7 he faid : I am like one, that is wean d before God. Iam nothing, I have no Will of my own. Toward nine he faid i Is this dying, then I die eafy indeed. Toward One his Sight begun to fail, he defir'd to be turn'd to the other Side arid faid : O Majefty of God, good and doing good J When he took the Cordial^ he repeated the Words : It is good, that the Heart is ftrengthned ( eftablifh'd ) not by Meats but by Grace. As he was dying, hisl Colleague faid unto him that the Hour w&sl come/ wherein he fhould inherit the Crowd of Glory. The dying Man raif'd hrmfelf asi much as he could and faid : Yes a heavenly, a heavenly (Crown.) His laft Words were: I am full of Thoughts: And thus he yielded his Spirk Augiift the 6. i 677 in the fifty feveritft E a Veatf Year of his Age arid 33d of his Miniftry. Laurence Hornma. HMinifter at Amsterdam. E was a Contemporary of Lodeftein and not only a Minifter of Chrift by Name, but in very Deed and Truth. One that earneft- Jy endeavourd to favebothhimfelf, and them that heart him; andtho ? he found Caufe on his dying-Bed to lament the Decay of the Pow- er of Chriftianity ; yet his own Soul was given him as a Prey, neither is it to be doubted ; but every Servant of Jefus,th£thas been faith- full untoimmorol Souls, will have fome, that will be his Crown of Rejoycing in the Day of the Lordjefus. The Fame of his Piety en- gag'd the Church at Amflndmn to call him \ away from Enkkiyfen 1 661, and he there faith- ' fully waited on his Miniftry till his Death i6%i. His Sicknefs was a Fever that attack'd him Oft. 16. 1680, which lafted 3 Months, and at laft put a Stop to his valuable Life. During his Sicknefs he repeated to himfelf and for the Edification of t hole with him the Marks of a real Chriftian, as he had laid them down in a Sermon he preachd the Day before. Firft faid he, they that know Jefus, are known to him. John, 10, 14. Now I know him, not only with a Ipeculative Knowledge of my Underftanding, but with an inward I Knowledge which warms my Soul. Secondly, f any Man love God, he is hwn ofbim. j Cor. 8; 3- I it c 0* i m 8,3. Now God, faid he,l love Thee ell my Heart/ and I atp fotry, that lean love Thee no more, and have lov'd Thee no fooner. Thirdly, they that hear Chrift's Voice, he will aknowledgeashisown. Joh. 10,27. Now help me, o Lord ! that in Life aftd Death J may follow thy Voice, and renounce my m Fourthly, thofe whom God did foreknow, he alfo predeftinated to be conformed to the Image of his Son. Rom. 8529. Now, faid he, grant me that Mercy, o God} and make me conformable unto thy Son in his Obedience, in his Patience and in his bufferings. Fifthly, thofe that love the Brethren, are known of God. If we, faid he, truly love then? that are born of God, it is a Sign, that we are Jcnownofhim, as. his own. i]oh, 4,7.11.12. 20.21. While he was thus fbeaking concerning his Experience, One pf the Byftanders ob- ferv'd, that he was alfo ip great Concern about the Exercife of his Miniftry ; for he faid com- plaining : O what Hardnefs of Heart and Blinds nefs ofthe Spirit! O my Sins! O finfull Mi* niftry. One is often more afraid of Man than y Heady and his Left might embrace me! Du T ng his long Sicknefs he always remain'deafy id patient. When One told him, that in long ickneffes we are apt to grow peevifh, he ifwer'd : jNTo J Not I : I will not grow impa r ent nor repine, I have feme Things elfe to link on, the Lord keep me from Impatience, et a Child of God may fay : Lord ! How long ? it fubinitt's itfelf to the Will of God. When certain Perfbn fpok^ with him, that he lought he had too great a Regard for him; e faid we muft not depend too much upon le Creature, Keep c}ole to Jefos/who prea- g j cheth cheth to the Souls, and not as we do only to the Ears. I am afraid you make too much of me. While the Bed was making he fainted a- way, when he came tohimfelf, hisfirliWord was : O how good is it, to be for ever with the Lord JefiisChrift! What great Myfteries are contain'd in the firftQueftionoftheCatechifm (o( Heidelberg.) When one (aid, that he had heard him often preach very warmly on that Subject, but that he now was yet more edified by his Example; he replied: This is nothing ftrange, formerly I preach'd to your Ears; but now the Spirit preacheth to my Heart, and this you are fenfible of In the Evening he (aid: If I recover, I will preach Eternity unto Man. O what a Weighty Thing is Eter- nity ! This I have now experienced. When he was told, that Mr. Borftius's Ele- ction mifcarried, he {aid, They '11 have no Preachers, that open and reprove Sin. If I re- cover, my Voice fhall be like Thunder againft Sin. When he confider'd, in what Manner moft Minifters preach, he was griev'd and un- eafy: O how pitifull is the Method, they now ufe in Preaching! When he obferv'd, that fome that loved him, laid too great ftreft upon Aflurances of the Phyfician, he faid : Don't depend upon the Phyfician. I pray neither for Death nor Life, but fiibmit entirely to the Will of the L6rd. I advife you : Wean your Hearts from me, and give me up unto Gods good Pleafure. All what Jehova doethis very * ( hich teftified their Grief and Fears of Lofing fhim. He told them : Keep dofe to that Je« is whom I preached. There is a dark Cloud anging over the Church ; but keep clofe to ifus Chrift, and renounce your own Mind id Appetites ! He knfcws what is beft. He ften takes his Servants away, that theHoufe lay not fall over their Heads. When the Per&n, that conftantfy tended im, (aid to him : I have learned more frdrri our Exemple inyourSicknefs, then from all our Sermons. He replied: Blefs God for it, ndlblefs Him too, that he kept meconftant-? i in A£tton. Thus ought we to firive through- ut the whole Courfe of Life againft Sin, which ) eafily befets us. It is faid : ftrivethat yemay iter. Here is the trying Place even to the eft Children of God, but the Lord Jefus Chrift ; their Captain, he has overcome, keep clofe ) Him, and efteern it your Priviledge to walk efore the Lord in Holinels of Life. Don't a~ iu£e your felves with Hopes and Wifhes for certain •Certain and fpiritual Joy, (which is indeed art excellent Thing, if the Lord ispleafd to give it unco us. ) as tho' the Subftance of Chriftia- nky confifted in it. The Subftance of true Qhriftianity is in Faith and Repentance, holy Converfation and dayly Hope in the Lord : Even tho he fhould flay you. After a fhort fleep he faid : I have always preached Chrift, but not as the Priefts who preach : This you ought to do, and fiich a Thing you may let alone- Nay, I have intreatedhimtogiveme to know, what miaht be moft fuitable for my Congre- gation. What Struggles have I had, when I was by my felf and found my felf at Lofs, to know or to feel the Weight of what I was to teach my Hearers. I endeavour'd not to preach only from Lips to Ears, but from Heart to Heart, and when 1 prepared my felf for my Minifterial Work, It was often more by Pray- ing then by Reading. Two of them that were prefent, afkedhim, whether fb much fpeakingdid not fatigue him ? to whom he anfwered: This is my very Reft; I am now in Getbfemaney and you Two are my Friends, that continue with me in my Temp- ration. Then he refted a little and afterward •ook fame Cordial faying: This is very excel- lent I blefs my God for it, my Saviour had not iing like it in his greateft Agonies. He of- ten repeated the Words of the Hymn of holy Bernhard: Defidevo te willies, mi Jefuf Quando venics? Me latum quando fades, me de Te rogo faties. -.«**(■ 71 >* \ thoufand Times I wifti my fweeteft Jefus | uome and fill me wirh Joy andBlifs, and take ne to Thee home. Jan. 4th 1 68 1 was his dying Day. He call'd out to fbme with him : Be Witneffes for me, that I die in Chrift. I have lothing in me, but in Him I amperfe£t. No :hing but Chrift, None but Chrift 1 faid aMar- :yr in England. Then did he repeat P£65,4. according to the low-dutch Tranflation My Sins and my Offences, Too heavy were for me-> Thy Love exceeds all Senfes, U Lord! and made me free. He added: My Heart and my Flefti failethj but the Lord is my Rock and my Portion : Now, faith he, I know what it is, when Flelh md Heart faileth, and when One faid: I hope you now alfb know and Experience, that tne Lord is your Rock and the Portion of your Heart; He faid: Yes, but in a lefter Degree, but when I fhall be freed from the Flefti, I (hall know it better. Again when One faid, rhat there was now but a fhortStep to his Fa- thers Houfe, his Anfwer was : Yes, but the Chort Way is full of Anguilh. When he ob- ferved, that his Friends were call'd for, he laid: If they come, tell them not to difturb me nor to keep me from Chrift, but rather affift me with their Prayers. The Way 1$ ftraight and plain. When Satan had but little Time left, he was in great Wrath, and there- fore yet aflaulred him for his Sins, but he cried aloud: * ( 72 ) ft* aloud: Away behind me o Satan! Jefiis is my Security: Jefus receive my Spirit! Then he was a little filent, arid when he obferved, that they did not look at him he faid : Take No- tice of me and fo loft his Voice, his Eyes were iet and his Soul went to his Saviour. The young Lady, whofe laft. Moments I intend to give the Reader an Account of, was born of a very noble Family in France, but very early chofe rather to fuffer Afflictions with the People of God, then to enjoy Pleafure and Profperity at the Expence of her Confcience. May 4. 1690 an Indifpofirion, which /he had had for feme Days, violently increafed upon Her and made Her apprehenfive, that ihe was drawing near her laft. She accordingly fent for her Mother, to receive her Comforts and Bleffings, and when /he came, (he in a very humble Manner reached out her Hand to Her and faid : Well, my dear Mother J The Time is come, my* God is calling me away unto himfelf, Let us prepare to meet him. Alas, how unworthy am I to be prefented before him ! How very weak is my Faith, how final! my Repentance? Pray to God for me, that he may pardon my Sins, pray thathemayfpeak ipi my Heart. Alas, wretched that l am ] He is not fpeaking in my Heart. Pray to God to (hew me Mercy ; tho' her Mother was much affe&ed • by m ( 73 ) this Difcourfe, yer /he contained heffelfand replied: My Daughter J it is true, before God 10 living Flefti (hall be juftified PC 14$. wi- hout the Alfiftance of his Mercy. But did not he Saviour of the World make Atonement or the greateft Sinners ? Has He not pardon'd he Sins of a David, Manajfe, Peter, the Thief on he Crofs and Others without Number. You mow, faid fhe, very well, my Daughter j Je~ us Chrift is come to call Sinners unto Repen- ance and not the Righteous. 'Tis true, faid he Patient, but I do not find that Repentance n my Heart, which God requires of them, vrhom he call's tohimfelf. Alas he is notfpeak- ng in my Heart. Her Mother replied : My [ear Child! Becaufe thefe is filch Sorrow in rour Heart for your Sins, it is a Sign your ^onfcience isnotafleep* There is fbme Thing vithin you a ftriving, and what can that be, >ut the Spirit of God? Hope in the Good- tefs of God and the Merits of your Saviour, ■ie has faid: Him, that ■ comet h to me, I mil m 0 U?ife caji out. The fkk Perfon hearing rhefe Vords lifted her Eyes up to Heaven and faid: Ir amine after Thee, and I will run. Song. 1,4. ihe then exprefied a Defire to fee her Mini- ter and feveral other Friends, when they came, he faid to them all : My dear friends J Pray Sod that he may have* Mercy on me, and tien very earneftly defired the Minifter ro pray 3r Her and to comfort Her : She always fpoke f she Greatnefs of her Sins, and when fhe F was ^ ( 74 ) was told that God is pleafed, when we acknow- ledge our felves, quickly foe replied : He that confejfeth his Sins andforfaketh them, frail find Mercy. Prov. 28> 14. And thus She kept on complaining all Day of the WeaknefsofherPietv, lam like a Sheep gone aftray: Seek thine Hand- Maid, for I have not forget Thy Commandments. Pfiis*. Puree me with HyJJop, and I frail he clean. PC 5 1. If Thonwilt mark Iniquity, no living Man frail ftand juftified in thy Sight, hut with Thee is Par- don, that thou may eft be feared. PC 130. 0 JVreU ched that I am, who will deliver me from this B$dy of Death? Then ftopt a little and after- ward iaiflrDraw nigh unco me, o my God! and I will draw nigh unto Thee. Cleanfemy Heart, that I may draw near unto Thee. Hear me with Speed, , my Spirit fails, hide not tkjf Face, leaft I be like to them, that fink into the Pit. Lord! have Mercy on me according to thy lovwg Kindnefs. Let thy free Spirit fupport me, Pf. 5 1. It cannot be expreffed, what a Concern She was under for her Sins and the NegJea of her Duty, in this Cafe She ufed to cry in a moving melancholy Manner: Lord! God of Health the Hope and Stay! Thou art alone to me. I evil and cry thro' out the Day, And all the Night to Thee. O let my Prayer with Speed afccrJ Unto thy Sight on high, Incline thine Ear, 0 Lord Attend! And hearken to my Cry, Lord \ - ^ C H ) * Lord! (aid. (he: tho our Iniquities teftify againft is, yet pardon us and bear me for thy Namei pfe> on which I call: For thine Anger is hut or a Moment and there is Life in thy Favour^ 4s the Hart panteth after the Water - Brook* k cries my Stiul unto Thee 0 God! My Soul birftethfor God, the living God, 0 when Jhall r come and appear before Thee? As jfhe knew noft of the Pfalms by Heart, ihe would con- inually repeat the moft moving Paffages of hem. She {pent whole Days iii Crying and ghing and W&iild oftefr fay % My God J how reak am I, ahd how unworthy to behold thy ace] Lord! if Thou wilt mark Iniquity>n6n£ an ftand before Thee. OGod {peak unto my leart, lince my Sins abound^ let thy Grace luch more abound. 0 Lord of Hofts to me give Ear? As Thou art good and kind, And as tJjy Mercy is moft dear? Lord have me in thy Mind, And do wot from thy Servant hide? Nor turn thy Face away. 1 am opprejfed on every Side? In Hafte give -Ear? I pray, fter Ihe fpent feveral Days in continual Di- reft and Sorrow under the Senfe of her Sins 3 id Fear of the Judgment of God. Thisceafed 1 a Lords Day Evening} and her Heart wa$ il'd with the unfpeakable J6y$ and Comforts : the Holy Ghoft, by whom the Love of bd was abundantly fhed abroad in her Hearts F * After ^ C 76 ) fa After this when ever any Refrefhmenr was offer'd her, flie would fay, it is all to no Pur- pofe what you do, my God has given me the Phyfic, which my Soul long'd for. In my Di- ftrefs I call'd upon the Lord, and he hear'd me and comforted me. The Lord is withme 0 there- fore ft) all I not be afraid. PC 1 18. For when the Snares of cruel Dfath About befet me round, When Pains of Hell me caught and when 1 JVo and Sorrow found. Upon the Name of God the Lord Then did I call and fay: Deliver Thou my SouU 0 Lord! I do Thee humbly pray-, The Lord in Safety does preferve Allthofe-) that jimple be. I was in wofuil Mifery-, And He delivered me. And now my Soul / fince Thou art fafe, Return unto thy Reft, For largely unto Thee the Lord His Bounty has exprejj'd. She then took feme Things that had been pre- paid for her; and when One perfuaded her to try and take fome Reft, jfhe faid: that the Reft of her Soul was her only Joy; and whs flie was encourag'd to hope, God would re- ftore her to the fervent Prayers of her Friends, fhe faid : O don't tell me any Thing about Re- turning to this Earth, my Thoughts are Hea- venward, Death does not terrify me any more, ( 77 ) W rho' I know it to be the Wages of Sin, yetal- fo I know that eternal Life is the Gift or God thro' Jefus Chrift, only pray that I may be more and more ftreghtned aginft the Terrors >f my Sins, that I may fight the good Fight md obtain the Crown of Life. When One re- plied that fhe need not have fo much Fear of sift as others, becaufe flhe had always liv'd re- igioufly and without Conforming to the World. She replied : How do you know, whe- her I fhould not have lov'd the World, If I lad been brought up as it is cuftomary for people of my Condition. I am the more hap- :>y, that my Saviour weand me from it: Pray ivith me, that he may prepare my Heart, that [ may meet Him with full Confidence in his Mercy. Now is a Time of Need, my God I Help me! O make Hafte to fave me! § Another Perfon faid to Her: But if God hould reftore you again unto our Prayers? * 3ut fhe would not give Her Time to fay more, )ut anfwer'd : Lord J Not as I will but as Thou tfilt; yet it is better for me to be difTol v d and o be with Chrift. Thy Will, o my God! be lone on Earth, as it is in Heaven, then fhe •epeated the Lords Prayer and the Apoftolica! >eed; after that ftie viewd her Hand and aid: This miferable Body muft be return'd nto Duft; but I know that my Redeemer livethy md that be jhall ftand at the latter Day upon the Earth, and thd after my Skin Worms deftroy bh Body, yet in my Flejh Jhall I fee God. Job. F 3 m *e ( 78 ) & 1-9, 25. 26. This Corruptible muft put on facor- vuption-, and this mortal muft put on Immortality. Then Shall Death be {wallowed up in Vttlory. 6 Death/ Where is thy Sting? Where is thine Ar- row, wherewith thou intended to pierce me ? my Saviour has broken the Arrow. Thenlhe continued for fome Time as in a Sleep, but fuddenly turn'd herfeif to her Mother, and laid with a chearrull Countenance, my dear Mother.' Refign me up again to the Lord, that lent me to you,- Her Mother anfwer'd with a Sigh and liftingup her Eyes and Hands lnelaid: Heavenly Father] I refiem my felf into thine Hands, myfelfand this ^hild which thou haft given unto me. Make us Partakers of thy Holinefs and Salvation J The Patient replied: I know in whom I believe, and that he is able to keep that which I have committed to his Care. 2Tim.i. She then foiled at her Mother and alluding to a Dream Ihe had related before, me faid: Dear Mother.' let me once more dnnck of your Comforts. And when her Mother replied : My dear Child! The Lord will (iifficiently give you to drinck of his Com- forts; ihe faid : And you alfo have often com- forted me. Her Mother faid to Her: With Joy Jhall you draw Water out of the Wells of Salvation, to which the Sick replied: Yes I " drinck already of the Streams, that run into eternal Life, my Cup overflowed!. Lord .' break this earthen Veffel, that it may no lon- ger detain the Threafure, which thou haft put into into it. Receive this living Breath, which Thou haft breath'd into this wretched Boay. The Night after She dream'd that /he faw two Lamps fix'd in the Heavens, that affor- ded a very agreable Brightnefs, and that One of the Lamps was at leau cover'd by the Hea- vens and became invilible. She related this Dream to her Mother who replied : Go, my dear Child! Thou Virgin of Ifrael! Go meet thy Bridegroom with a Lamp full of Oyl, which thy Saviour has given unto Thee. The Patient then cried out: Father! Into Thy Hands I commit my Spirit. I am going to the Mariage Supper of the Lamb according to his great Mercy. I lhall foon fit down with Abraham-, Jfaac and Jacobin the King- dom of God. Her Minifter that was prefenr, offer'd to conclude; Well done thou good and faithfull Servant ! Enter into the Joy of thy Lord. But Ihe replied : This Joy of the Lord is my Joy; ftie added that Mercy for her Sake was glorified againft Judgment. She was overheard to pray with a (iirprizing De- votion, and at laft her Soul feem'd fo taken up in Speaking with and Rejoicing in God, that it is impoffible to defcribe it. She would Often cry out : O how happy am I ! What great Joy is in my Soul J I cannot exprefs it. Can any Joy be like unto my Joy ? What Thanks fhalll return unto God, that hehear'd me? O my Friend! Help me to praife Him, When her Mother faw her in foch a Joy- F 4 fall #? C 80 ) ^ foil Trance, ftie invired all to come into the Room ; that they might be Witnefles of her Toys and Comforts, as well as formerly of her Diftrefs and Sorrow, She hadrais'd her- felf in the Bed, join'd her Hands, her Eyes look'd heavenward and difcover'd a wonder^ full Firmnefs and modeft chearfullnefs of her Mind. She fpoke for fix Hours together, all m ihort and affefting Sentences. Some Time Ihe would fpeak of her Happinefs and fome Time of her Joy, ihe made Ufe of fo many PafFages of the Old and New Teftament, that it was impoifible to retain them; iheexpreff'd her own Thoughts in Scripture Language, fome Times ihe exalted her Saviour for he? Salvation, fome Times ihe humbled herfelf in his Prefence and fome Times ihe return'd Thancks for the Mercy and Benefits, which ihe had receiv'd at his Hand. She would very properly apply unto herfelf the Contents of feveral Chapters of the Bible. E. G. John 17. Rom. 5. and 8 ihe could % : My God J there is no Condemnation to them that are in Chrifi Jefus. And if fo! there is Nothing I can be afraid of, for I heartily Jay hold on the Merits of the Saviour of the World; I am made free from the Law of Sin, it gives me no more Fear. I perceive that my Saviour has given me the Spirit of eternal Life: Yea I know> O my God: that I am thy Child by the power- full Comforts of thy Spirit. O how happy am 1 1 J have not receiv'd a Spirit of Bondage unto Fear, but a Spirit of Adoption that en~ ibles me to call the great God and Lord of the tfhole Earth my Father. Holy Spirit] thon halt bear Wirnefs unto my Spirit, that I am a Child of God and a joint-Heir of Chrift. 0 the Depth of the Riches both of thewifdomand of the knowledge of God. Unfearchable are his Judg- nents and his Ways are paft finding out; for of Him and tbvtf Him and to Him are all Things y 'o Him he Glory for ever->Amen y Lord! con,, inued fhe : Thou haft (aid in thy Prayer for hine Apoftles : I do not pray for them only y nit for them alfo<> that Jhall believe in me by their Words Joh. 17. I have believ'd in Thee by , heir Word, and therefore Thou haft pray'd Jfo for ms, thy wretched Hand-maid, Lord ! Fhouhaftfaid: Father! I mill that where I am y hofe whom Thou haft given me y may be alfo^ 3xant that where Thou art, I may be with Fhee, that I may behold thy Glory : When he hear'd feme Body fay, thatlhe fpoke very veil, flae anftver'd : Not I but the Spirit of Sod in me, he has given me the Tongue of he Learned J^C fo> 4. Hear me and let all he World know> what God has done for ne, blefe God with me for his unfpeakable Sift. She often clapt her Hands and (aid: I) how happy am I J How fliall I exprefs my foyj Indeed he is come, he has overcome he holy Comforter, who is fent to me, to make lis Abode in me. With Him is the Fountain f Light) and in his Light Jhall m fee Light. P£ F 5 36. O 36. O what Mercies have I receiv'd from my God: lam too little for them, too unworthy of them. Gen. 32, 10. I am made rich with the unfpeakable Riches of Grace. O my God ! Thou haft wiped away all Tears from mine Eyes. Thou haft given me a good Teftimony and a new Name, which noneknoweth but he that 'receiveth it. Apoc. 2, 17. Thou art feeding me with the good Things of thy Houfe, and my Soul isfatisfied with Streams of Pleafure. The Lord is my Shepherd^ Ifhall not want. He makes me to lie down in green Paftures: He leadeth im be- fide the ftill Waters: He reftoreth my Soul, He leadeth me in the Paths of * Right eoufnefs for his Names Sake: Tea tho' I walk" d thro the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no Evil {for Thou art with me, thy Rod and thy Stajfcwn- fort me. Pfalm. 23. Who am I ? My Saviour! That Thou haft made my Heart the Temple, wherein Thou dwelleft, I adore Thee J Hove Thee! I blefs thy Name, O my God! My Soul magnifieth the Lord and my Spirit rejoiceth Hn God my Saviour, for he pitied the low Eftate of fos Hand-Maid. O how good is my God \ How unfpeakably good is He, that has had Compaflian on me ! Behold! How Kind is Jefos my Saviour! How loving is He! He did unfpeakably love me, when I was yet his Enemy ! He knock'd at the Door of my Heart: He enter'd when the Doors were ftiut and faid: Yes my divine Saviour! I fee the Prints of thy Hand, of 4* ( 83 ) If &y Feet, of thy Side, I fee the Streams of thy Blood gijQiing opt from them Streams of Mercy for me, which have made me whi- ter then Snow : I adore Thee, I embrace Thee, O my Saviour » O my God ! Give a clear Shine into my Soul, fill it with thy Fear, enlighten it with thy Knowledge, fhed abroad thy Love into it, make it to partake of thy Holinefe and Happinefs: and when it fhall leave irs frail Body, let it reign with Thee for ever and ever. A Gentleman of the Neighbourhood taking Notice:, that in this Extafy of hers her Eyes were immoveably fix'd heavenward, {aid to her Mother that he believ'd, Her Daughter might now (ay with holy Stephen : Behold, I fee the Heavens open, and Refits fitting at the right Hand of God; which the Pariept hearing re- plied : Yes, like Paul I fee Things, which I cannot pollibly exprefs* My dear Friends! Why is it, yovi dp not fee what I do ? But God does not (hew Himfelf unto Every One. Then jfhe encouragd Herfelf and faid : Blefs the Lord: 0 my Soul / And all that is within me, blefs his holy Nctme. Blefs the Lord, OmySoul! and forget wt all his Benefits. I will fief s the Lord at all Times : His Praife fhall be continu- ally in my Mouth Come and let tts magnify his Name together. 0 how do I love the Lord, that He inclined his Bar toward therefore will I call upon Him while I live. Glory to God in Highefi } Peace on Faxth and good Will toward Men* W ( 84 ) * Jffor. Zow// Afo#> to ^Aiw Hand-Maid depart in Peace ; For mine Eyes have feen thy Salva^ Hon. Luc. 2, 14. 29. After this (he quoted many Paffages of Scrip- ture. She faid in the mod amiable Manner to All, that were in the Room : Hearken unto me and I mill teach you the Fear of the Lord. I will tell you what the Lord has done for my Soul If I had regarded Iniquity in my Heart, the Lord would not have hear'd. me, but verily he has hear'd me and inclin'd his Ear to the Voice of my Supplication. After this She pray 'd for the King and faid: Give the King thy Judg- ment ', 0 God I And Right eoufnefs to the Kings Son> that He may judge thy People with Righteoufnefs and thy Poor with Equity. Blefs with Bleffings from above and from beneath the whole Ro- yal Houfe, o God J In whofe Hands are the Hearts of Kings. Infpire the Heart of thine Anointed with Sentiments of Weeknefe, Mercy and Compaffion toward thy poor perfecuted People, which are his faithfull Subjects. O fave and help us, Lord and King J when we to Thee do cry. She repeated feveral Paffages to this Pur- pofe out of the 44. 74 and 102 Pfalms, and at the fame Time pray'd for the Profperity of the Church in general and faid among other Things : O Mercy full God J Look on thy poor Zion in Mercy in its Affli£tion and Opprelfion. It is Time to have Mercy on its Sores, and to renew its Age like die Eagles. O God J grant Pro- ire u rm Profperity unto thy Children. O poor Church! There is no Reft for Thee on Earth, now is thy Time to wear a Crown of Thorns like thy Mafter and Lord; but it is only for a little While. Thy Saviour will in due Time give Thee eternal Joys. Of thefe He has already given me a Foretafte, and in thy Communion I (hall enjoy it for ever. She pray'd in par- ticular alfb for the Congregation at w „ „ that God would grant it Peace and Union, and always be with it. Then fhe repeated the 133 Pfalm, and a Moment after turn'd to her Mother and faid : Praife God all your Lifelong, that He has ho- nour'd you to bring A Daughter into the World, which he has made a Temple of the Holy Ghoft, tho' (he is nothing but a poor Worm of Duft. May the great God bleis you, blefs your Pofterity with his facred Bleffings! O that God would honour them to be in his Covenant from Generation to Ge- neration, fromAgetoAge> tiii Sun and Moon fhall be no more. She then bleffed her Brethren and Sifters and all her Relations prefent moft tenderly and {poke fo fuitably to Each of them, that every one flood aftonifti'd at it. She exhorted: Ceafe from finning, my dear Friends] You have feen the Uneafmefs my Sins have given unto me, let us endeavour Each in bis Calling to edify the Church ; Above all Things let us give a good Example unto Others. Lgtus live righteoufly, foberly and godly in this preferit World. JVhatfoever Things are true, whatfo- ever Things arejuft, whatsoever Things are honefl, whatsoever Things are pure, whatfoever Things are lovely, whatfoever Things arevf good Report .think on thefe Things, and the God of Peace jhall be with you. O how much do I love you all my dear FrieiidsJ I love you all alike. I don't love my Mother, my Brethren, my Sifters any more then the Reft of my Ac- quaintance: I love all the World, and if I had any Enemies, I would love them alfo. That Moment She heart! feme Body wee- ping by her Bed-fide, which made Her fay : Weep not for me, weep for your Sins; but immediately recolle&ed, let us weep over our Sins, and to prove that the Tears for Her did afFe& Her, She declar'd, that ihe knew no Bo- dy more after the Fle/h. Having thus for fome Time fpoken to her Friends, /he return'd with an ardent Devo- tion to {peak to her God : The Lord the God of Jfrael Be praifed evermore / Ev'n Jo be it, Lord! I will fay, Praife ye the Lord therefore. This Conclufion of the 41 Pfalmfhe repeated feveral Times and faid to her Aunt, from whom She had learn'dit* ho w do I love you my dear Aunt! that you fo well taught me to'praife my God. While I live I wilfpraife my Gods My God I will love Thee without Ceafing. Thou m C 87 ) Phou haft {aid unto me: He jhall call upon ne and I will bear Him : I am with Him in Trouble. I will deliver Him-, With long Life vill Ifatisfy Him and jhew Him my Salvation. r ord J Indeed Thou haft heard me and com- brred my Hearten a wonderfull Manner haft rhou comforted me by thy Word and Spirit. Phou haft deliver 'd me from all Fear, bring ne to perfect Glory in Heaven, grant an im* nortal Life unto my Soul and Body; but I jave already receive! it, Lord] I have already een thy Salvation. She feem'd to take great Delight in repeat- ng Paflages of Scripture, and One would have hought She had received a particular Call to mt Every One in Mind of his Duty. It can't >e faid, how often ftie repeated the following ines : I will give Laud and Honour loth Unto the Lord allways-. My Mouth alfofor evermore Shall [peak unto his Praife. J do delight to laud the Lord • In Soul) in Heart and Voice j That humble Men may hear thereof. And heartily rejoice. I will blefs God without Ceafing for all the 5ood, which he has done unto me : I wifti be whole Congregation might fee me • nay iliould be glad that thofe alfo of an errone- ous Religion might fee me, that they may mow this Goodnefs fince I am indebted for * C It ) If for this, that I may now die in fo happy a Manner. If any Man do not lobe the Lord Jefus Chrift, let him be Anathema, i Cor. 1 6, 21. O how happy am I ! How great Gifts have I received ] How is my Heart fill'd with Joy! Blefled be my Saviour for the. Mercy, which He has ftiewn unto me. It was now after Midnight, and her Friends obferving, that She had been (peaking for fix Hours upon a Stretch at the fame Time, that She had a violent Palpitation of the Heart begg'd Her to fpare herfelf a little, but She anfwer'd with fome Difpleafure : My Heart is inditing a good Matter, my Heart is fix'd, I will ling and give Praife, awake again, how painfull is my, Silence J So She did not ceafe to fpeak with God, till her Mother laid her- felf down with Her, and both enjoy'd a fweet Reft. Thuefday in the Morning early She firft converfed a little with her Mother, then reach'd out her Hands to a Nighbouring Gen- tleman, that came to vifit her, and when /he Saw Him weep, Ihe (aid to Him : Why do you weep, Sir ! Is it becaufe God loveth me and is drawing me to Himfelf ? She moreover alfb put Him in Mind of Jofias y whom God rook away becaufe He loved Him, and that He might not fee the Calamity, that was to befall Jerusalem and the Jewilli Nation, and , when her Mother came again to her Bed, fhe ftid to Her: My dear Mother J I am quite m c 89 ) & afy! Blefled be God! To day I do not feel tie leaft Pain. I feel very well, my Savioiir as delivered rrle from all my Diftreftes, I will ternally praifeHim fork, and then begun to epeat feveral Pfalnis, infifting only on fuch r erfes 3 as beft fuited her Circumftances. Her /[other (aid to Her: My dear Daughter! In little Time you will join with Angels and eraphims, and with Them fing the Song of leLamb : Yes, replied ihe: I will offer Him ne facred Hallelujah after another, and when le perceived that her Mother took fpecial No- se of her Words. She continued, my dear Mother! We ought always tt> endeavour to omfort our Brethren with that Comfort* therewith we want to be comforted ourfelves. Vheii a young Lady afb'di Her, whether ftie fould not take fbme food? She replied: I efire nothing at all, but bring me what you leafe, and do with me what you pleafe, I ball not recover: and fo turning to another oung Lady that profeffed herfelf much edit- ed by her Iaft Nights - Difcourfes, to Her fhe lid: My dear Friend! Are you not fiirprizd 3 hear me {peak fo freely and fluently, who Iways ufed to be very tiinorous and of few Vords ? Thefe are Gifts of God, which ought ot to be forgotten, feeing her Mother weep he (aid : You have no Reafbrito Hied Tears, iich a- Lady whom fhe tnention'd, whofe )aughter embrac'd Popery, has Caufe to do i but your Daughter is going unto Him, G who who beftows true Glory and not empty Va-, nities upon his Followers. A rev Hours after her Mother and Sifters fet themfelves upon her Bed, and her Mother faid: Heboid, Lord/ Here lam and the Chil- dren, which Thou haft given me. The lick Daughter immediately replied: Let us All praife God; and Omy Mother! What (hall I render unto the Lord for all his Mercies, which He Ihews unto me ? Help me to praife God, my dear Mother and my dear Sifters J I am too happy that you /hould weep for me, my God is calling me away, how miferable would it be to me to continue in the World, where there is nothing but Vexation and Vani- ty. Her Mother faid: You have not been ad- difted unto Vanity. O my dear Mother! faid ftie: You have never yet fathom'd my Heart, I have certainly been vain, I wanted to make lome Figure in the World, and perhaps if I had continued in it, the World might have led me aftray: May the Lord keep our Bre- thren, who are yet in the Temptation. She mentioned feme bv their Names and faid: Let him that ftandetb, take Heed left he fall i Cor. 10, 12. The World paffetb away with its Luft, hut be that does the mil of God, ahidetb for ever, i job. 2, 17. She then addreffed her (elf to her Sifters and faid to them: My dear Sifters! Keep clofe to the Word of God, and efteem it your heft Treafure. Lord! Tbou haft magnified thy Word dove all thy Name. PC 138. P^i^g. She recommended them td "get* the Pfalms as they were turn'd into Metre by Mr. Conrad arid Mr. Hilbert by Heart/ and 0 ehoofe filch, as were moft comfortable from he i to the :25 th, and the iz laftftieknew by -leart, before Ihe was 1 3 Years old, and learned he whole Book of the 15 0 Pfalms, as they re fung according to Marot and Beza Trarifla* ion by Heart, alfo many Chapters and moft >f the remarkable Paffages of the Bible, yet he would always complain, that ihe was Co lull to learn and of the Weakness of her Me- mory. She alfo exhorted heir Sifter, to get a ertain Prayer by Heart our of the Book calFd : The Confoldtions dgdinft the Fear of Death, which » to afk of God the proper Di&ofitions to ie well. She alfo figriified, that her Prayers iat Way were hear'd. She would every Mor-* ing pray over the 90 Mlm: Lord! Thou haji ten our DmeUing-Place in all Generations, %fc. A noble Lady in the Neighbourhood bfdughe er two Daughters to fee Her, as /he had ex- reffed fome'Defire to fee theiii; the Night efore fhe faid to them: My dear Friends! ,et the Fear of God be before yoiir Eyes I )orft fiiffer yourfelves to be led away froim ie Truth : Obey your Parents arid Stiperi- rs, arid riever love the World not the Thingi ?the World, for if any Man lotieththe World* )e Love of the Father is liotinHim. 1 Joh.2,1 f * The? (he was a Perfon of very few Words 1 her Health* yet fhd feem'd quite eager to G % ipeak* f|)eak, now fhe was fick, and did it very flu- ently, and never iiegle£ted to fpeak to the Edi- fication of the Byftanders. After ilie had refted for about an Hour, flie awoke again infiichperfeaCalmofherMind, that her Fhyfician was quite aflonifh'd at it* tho' he begun to defpair of her Recovery on Account of the great Palpitation of her Heart and the Weaknefs of her Stomach; (he took every Thing as fhe was order'd and would often (ay: Sir J I will obey all your Orders, as you are required toaffift me, it is my Duty to fubmit to your Directions. Her Mother who was mon griev'd, then can be expreffed, and had no Comfort; but that of feeing her Daughter in fb good and pi- ous a Difoofition, faid to her : My dear Daugh- ter! You much edified me yefterday and to day by yourDif courfes : Verily faid theDaugh- ter, I enjoy'd fiich a wonderful! Strength of Mind, as 1 never experienc'd before, Italk'd with great Freedom and Eloquence of the Things of God, I fpoke what I never knew before, I apprehended the Myfteries of Sal- vation, which are above our Reach here be- low, they are Things which cannot be uttered, and thro' Divine Mercy I find myfelf in the fame Difpofition ffill. This Day rfie fpent in Silence and fcarce felt any Uneafmefs, but what was occafion'd by the Taking of the Re- medies, every now and then /he flumber'd, aod when ihe awoke again, Ihe would rejoice with C n ) ■ » with her Minifter over the good Gifts, which fhe had receiv'd at the Hand of God for forne Days paft. The facred Scriptures were the whole Tenour of all her Difcurfes, It was thence, that ftie deriv'd all her Comfort, more particularly ftie comforted herfelf with forne Paflages from the firft Chapter of the Epiftle to the Romans, Where Sin abounded, (aid (he, tky Grace-) 0 Lord! has much more abounded. Rom. 5> to. Lord/ Thou haft been favourable unto thy People. PC 8 j, i. When Thou faidft : Seek ye my Face! My Heart faid: Thy Face, Lord ! will I feek, andfoon Lord J wilt Thou ftiew it to me in thy Paradife. Then turning to her Mother ftie faid : O my dear Mother : The Peace of God, which paffeth all Under- ftanding, has entirely fill'd my Soul, the Lord fought me and found me : How mercifull is Jefus Chrift, that He gave himfelf the Jufttor the Unjuft ! and when ftie rememberd the for- mer Uneafinefs of her Soul, ftie faid : Thus did I fay both Day and Nighty When J was fore opprejfdy Lo J I am clean caft out of Sights Tet heardft Thou my Requeft. And after this ftie repeated the whole tfth Pfalm, adding: Lord! Thou haft dealt kindly with thy Handmaid according to thy Word. Thy Word maketh wife the Simple. Thy Word, O my God ! ftiall never be forgotten by me: After quoting many Paflages out of the Pfalmsj ftie feem'd to be m % Meditation G 3 and ( 94 ) f|» and then broke our again: Henceforth I fear nothing : JVho will lay any Thing to the Charge of the Eleft of God? It is God that juftifiethi Who will condemn? It is Chnft that died, yea, Tphafsmore, tkafsrifenagain y ^fc. The Minifter faicl to Her : You have copied 2fter the prudent Merchant in the Gqfpel, you have fought the precious Pearl and you have found it. She replied: My Saviour made me 3 Prefentofit. Is it not fo, dear Sir! that no Man can call Jefus Loyd, but by the Holy Ghofi, that no Man can Jove Him without his bleffed Spirit, it is He himfelf, that has put the Words into my Mouth ... What an Advantage is it to me, that my Mother has taught me the Word of God ? Turning herfelf to her Mother, flie faid : It i? you, my dear Mother! by whom , we have been fo well inftructed, you have Ihewn us a good Example, I wilhlhad made better Improvement of it, you have brought the Bleffing of God upon our Houfe, and { pray God from the inmoft of my Soul, that He may blefs you more and more, and caufe all your Work to profper. Her Mother inter- rupted Her and faid : Your Difcourfe, my <3ear Daughter ! owes me Room to reproach myfelf, that I did not flifficiently acquit my- felt of my Duty. May God enable me to do it better for Time to come, ancj fmce he that planteth is nothing, nor he thaf watereth, I pray God to give Increafe. That Day and Part of the Night wag ipent in fuch Difcpur. ( 95 ) W> fes : After a little Reft ftie enquir'd, what It was o 5 Clock: and when fhe was told, it was three of the Morning, (he (aid: O my God! ftvall thy Sun this Day alfo fee my Mifery? O that Thou wouldft caufe the Day of my Redemption to dawn and the Day ofmyRelt, then would I fay with facred Joy: Tins is the acceptable Day! Behold the Day of Salvation! 2 Cor, 6, i. Her Mother added: At his Flea- fure Every One of us (hall fee that Day, when our Sun mall no more go down, when the Lord ftiall be our everlaiting Light, and when the Days of our Mourning (hall be ended. Yes, my dear Mother! replied Ihe: Fet a little While-> He that is to come, will come and not tarry. Hebr. io, 34. I will foon fay : This is the Joyfull Day indeed. Which God for us has wrought. Let us be glad and joy therein. In Heart, in Mind, in Thought. Set open unto me the Gates Of Truth and Righteoufnefs y That I may enter into them. His Praifefor to exprefs, O Death! Thou art a good Meflenger, thou art wellcome unto me, come and bring me into the Embraces of my mod faithful! Friend, who has loved me before the Foundation of the World was laid. When ftie was vifited by one of her Friends, who expveffed her Concern for her Illnefs ; ffae gently fqueez'd her Hands and faidwith G 4 $ 4? ( 2* ) & ^chearfull Look: If y bu knew, my dear Friend ! What Mercy God has /hewn unto me and how happy I am, you would judg^ me unhappy, if God had not thus vifited me Afterward /he refted for about one Hour! and when (he awoke again fiid: What is our Ll 5- Surely 11 1S nothing but a Vapour that riteth up a little and thenduappearsj fo reach us to number our Bays, that we may apply our Hearts v.nto Wifdorn. Pf 9 o. 0 God' What is Maii, that Thou art mindfull of Him, or the i>on of Man, that Thou vifiteft Him f PI 8 We know that if our earthly Hcife of this Taher- fiaae were dfolv'd, we have a Buikh^made of trod, a Houfe not made by Hands, which is eter- nal in Heaven. 2 Cor. 5, 1. And the Glory of this latter Houfe is greater then the former Hag. 2,4. The Things that are feen are for a little Time, but the Things, that are not feen, are eternal 2 Cor. 4,18. She continued : Call my Mimfter that he may comfort me. O the Comforts of the holy Ghoft are the Food of my Soul. Thy Word, oLord: is fweerer to my Heart then Honey to my Tafte. When Ihe &w the Minifter coming, Ihe laid to him • bir! Let us draw near to the Throne cf Grace tmt we may obtain Mercy and Grace to help in lime oj Need. Her Minifter laid : Why do You not rather fay? Let us alk Mercy. Why are \ou 10 confident, that we may receive Mercy? Shefcid: My Reafon is, becaufe at the lai-one of Grace I find 3 Saviour, who has Hs rmrchafed it and' promifed to hear me. Him that comet k I will in no Wife caft out % Joh. 6, 37. is his Promife, and He is faithful! and juft to fullfiji it. The Minifter replied: Yes indeed, Madam! He has made this Pro- mife unro your Repentance and true Faith, She fpoke many more excellent Things an4 with to much Freedom and Power, as tW her Soul had already been free from the Bonds of the'Body. She was entirely wean'd from the World. Nothing was able to hold Her. He£ Thoughts were all in Heaven and in Ex(pec~ tarion of being perfectly united with God for ever. Toward Evening fhe iuffer'd very great Thirft, but her Stomach would not admit any Drink without giving Her a rnoft violent Cough and Oppreffion. Some Thing wasap* plied to mitigate the Violence of the Palpita-* tion of her Heart; but (he was little concern'cj for the Care of her Body, but cryed (udden- ly : O Lord Jems ! My heavenly Phyfician ! Heal me by the Merits of thy Blood, and un- doubtedly my Soul lhall be made whole. She had rnoft violent Pains, but never look'd for any Comfort but in God and in his Word- She would often fay : Speaks Lord! Far thy Servant beareth. Speak, O God ] in my Heart. A Gentleman, that was prefent opening the Window, fhe enquir'd the Hour of the Night of him, and he telling Her that Day begun to clawn, and aflring Her : Whether Ihe would not like David rife in the Morning to praife Q s God? * ( 98 > ft> God? She replied: I cannot arife, but I will continually praife Him on my Bed of Sicknefs : OGod) my God! Iearlyfeek To come to Thee in Hafte, a For why my Soul and Body both Do ihirft of Thee to tafte. and fo (he repeated the whole 63 d Pfalm. About 4 her Sicknefs and Pains vifibly in- • creafed. She had moft violent Convulfions ; but her Soul remain'd firm and immoveable. Once fhe laid in her great Pain : My God J Jiave Mercy on me, let this Cup pafs, that I may not drink it, but not mine, thy Will be done; Matth. 25, 39. and when another Time heir Convulfions were fo exceffive, that it was fear'd, they would throw Her out her Bed. She cried : Thunder, lighten, break; fplit, this - tniferable Body ; yet will I always love Thee, yet, my God ! I will praife Thee^ Thou haft loved me, Thou haft fatisfied my Soul, that Thou art reconcile! with me. Another Time fhe (aid in her Pains : Thine Arrows have piere'd me, but though Thou * ftiouldft always increafe my Pains, I will aU ways increafe my Love toward thee,o my God] 0 Lord of Hofts ! to me give Ear, As Thou art good and kind] And as thy Mercy is moft dear-, Lord! Have me in thy Mind; And do not from thy Servant hide, Nor turn thy Face away: J am oppreffd on every Side y In Hajte give Ear> I pray. Q m c 99 ) w 0 Lord J Unto my Soul draw nigh, the fame with Aid repofe, make Hafte to help me, Lord J Thou art my Salvation : Come quickly, that 1 may praift thy Name. My Soul from Pri* (on, Lord I bring out, I humbly befeech Thee, leflen my Pains, and take me foon to Thee, but not as I, but as Thou wilt. She then look'di at her Mother and faid to Her : My dear Mo- ther I am in violent Agonies of Death, pray for me, my Friends! Help me, I drink ths Cup of AnguiOi to the very Dreg : The Mi* nifter faid to Her: Your heavenly Father deals with you as he did with his Son, whom he never lov'd better, but when he fent the greateft Sufferings upon Him. O replied Ihe: I will all that God willeth, in my Weaknefs I foall be ftrong, lean do all Things thro Him that flrengthneth mc-) even Chrift. O what Pains do I (ufter? Bur, Lord! It is thus thy good Pleaftire and it is alfo mine : Let us fuffer, let us firffer with Patience. Keep my Lips, o Lord ! from Murmuring againft Thee. O God ] I will always praife Thee, I will always praifeThee, A Moment after Ihe faid to the Byftanders: May God foften the Pains of your Jaft Agony. The Snares of Death are come upon me : I am in Bfftrefs and Trouble, hide not thy Face? in the Day of my Anguifh, haften, anfwer and hear me, oGodj I fpread my Complaints before Thee, have Mercy on thy poor Hand* Maid, my Soul faints within me. Then ihe raifed .herfelf again, and /poks as «s tho* it had been a different Perfbn : Bur why ert thou caft do wn, O my Soul I And why art Thou dif quieted within me? Hope Thou in God, for I jhall yet praife ffim, who is the Health of my Countenance and my God. Her Mother faid to Her: As a Father pitieth His Children* fo the Lord pitieth them, that fear Him. She replied: Yes> my dear dear Mother! Your Love won't bear Mentioning in Comparifon of that Love, which my Saviour has born to- ward me. My God loveth me, He fpeaks kindly unto His Handmaid, He has fill'd me with great Gifts, and put this Thorn in my Fle/h, leftllhould be exalted above Meafure. Affoon as the Pains remitted a little, fhe would always praife God for any Degree of Eafe: I will always praife Thee, o my God I I will always love Thee : And when her Pains return'd, ilie would put her Hands unto her- Sides, and would fay: Be of good Chear, O my Soul J Be always praifing thy God, be al- ways loving thy God. The Sufferings of Time are not worthy to he compafd with the Glory, thatfyall he revealed hereafter. Once Ihe (aid: Spare me that I may recover Strength before I go hence and be no more. Thou chaftneft me forely, O my God J But yet I kifs the Rod that is chaftizing me. The Minifter faid to Her : If Te be without Chaftifements, whereof they are All Partakers, then are Te Baftards and not Sons. Whom the Lord loveth, He chaflneth, Hefcourgeth every Son, ( ioi ) fa Son, whom He receiver k She anfwer'ch It i» true, I am quite convinc'd of it, .my Saviour 1 has fiiiFer 'd much more to redeem me, if I fiiffer with Him, I fhall alfo reign with Him* He drunk Gall and Vinegar, and was ftabb'd to his very Heart all for my Sake. Lord! Co* Ver me with thy Merits, and grant that re* membring thy Sufferings on the Crofs I may forget mine own ; A little after /he drunk a Glafs of Wine and faid: I fhall fbon drink if new in my. Fathers Kingdom. At the Return of her Pain ftie cried : All thy Waterfpouts md all thy Billows are gone over me. Yes, faid the Minifter, but you ought alfo to men- tion the Floods and the Waters of his Grace, which have filFd your Soul. She replied : If is true. The Gifts I have received, far exceed the Pairls I fuffer. When fhe complain'd, as tho' (he was quite overcome ] the Minifter {aid Father is angry with You, and that He wilt forfake You in this Temptation? No, faid fhe* no, I know, I fhall more then conquer for his Sake that loved me : If I fuffer great Pain* I alfo enjoy great Comfort. Zion faith: Comi and fee All Te that pafs y is any Sorrow like unto my Sorrow? But I will fay: All Ye that pafS by, come and fee if there be any joy like tin-* to my Joy. Here Pains and Comforts meet. My Saviour! For my Sake haft Thou faid: Tour Grief fhall he turn d into Joy. Job. 16,20. The Miufter faid unto her : You experi* to her : Can you believe that heavenly ence ence what the Apoftle faith : Tb& the outmarj Man decayeth, yet the inward Man is renewed Day by Day. So lhe continued : Come, let us fing to the Lord> let us make a Joy f ull Noife un- to the fockof our Salvation. Let us come before Himrpith Thanks Giving, for the Lord is a great King and a great God above all Gods. She alfo Repeated almoft the whole 62 d Pfalm 1 My Soul/' Wait thou only upon God, for my Ex- pectation is from Him. gjV. Where can th-^re be any Contentment, if it is not in Him that giyeth it. His Sole Prefence fatiates with Joy. They that look at Him, are lighten' d, and' 'their Faces Jhall not be ajhamed. She repeated feve- ral other Pfalms, and thus fought the Pity of the Lord. Every Word of the divine Pfalms was a Balm to her Wounds. It was very re- markable, that the Violence of the Pain made , no Alteration upon her Countenance. She feem'd to look uncommonly beautifull : Her Eyes were fparkling, her Lips failing and her Voice very ftfong. She did not think herfelf to look fo well, for when flie took Notice,, that Others pitied her by their Looks, ftefaid: I believe, I make You uneafy and fo delired to fee herfelf in a Looking-Glafs, which after foedidfoefaid: Well, bleffed be God J Hook yet frelh enough, but return'd the Glafs with Contempt. Her Mother who always endeavour'd to give her Proofs of her Affection to Ihew, that lhe was nottheleaft afraid, offer'd tokifiher, but 4e but fhe withdrew and feem'd as mucB offen* ded> as if her Mother had been guilty of Ido- latry. O Mother! faidlhe, what are You do- ing? Doubtleft you do not confider it: And fo turning to the other Side of the Bed ihe faid to the Minifter : Is not this cruel ? I am wean'd from the World, and my Mother wants to infpire me wkh fome Love for it again. A little after She took Notice, that One of her Sifters look'd very affectionately at her: At this She did not feem forpriz'd, only fliefaid: Go away, my dear Sifter! You are now in mine Eyes no more then any other Perfbn. In the Evening about 7 the Windows of the Room being yet open* She faid to One of her Relations, pointing at the Burying-Place: Be- hold Sir! There is the Place, where my Body is fbon to be laid, and where it will wait for a glorious Refurrettion. Her Friend took an Opportunity toafkher, whether She had any Orders to leave him? She replied: No, Sir! I think no more on Things here beneath, my Soul is already in Heaven, and tho' it yet animates the Body, it is only inceffantly to praife God: She would turn every Difcourfe into a religious Chanel. I have entirely overcome, faid She, the Fear of my Sins; I fliall alfo overcome all my Pains, how great foever they may be. I /hall more then conquer thro 5 Chrift, who has ftrengthned me. The Joy which I experience is worthy the Danger, whkhlamexpofed to. I /hall 4fe ( *H ) w 1 (hall be fecure from the Wrath of God ; tnf <3od j I will always love Thee, I will always praife Thee. Come even come, Lord Tefiis ! She would never utter an impatient Word,, Once when (he was told of the Temptations of Satan in the laft Hour, (he faid: O J Th s I have no Fear of : There are more with us> then with Them. 2 Reg. 6, 1 G. The King of did World has nothing in me, the Prince of Dar k* nefs has nothing in me. Now JVe are juftlfrd hy Fait by IVe have Peace with God thro' o r Lord Jefus Chrift. There is no Condemnation to Them that are in Chnft Jefus. Rom. 8? 1. Toward Midnight fhefellafleep; thofethat had always tended Her, alfo took fome Reft Her Mother ob(erv'd that on Friday Morning before Day (he would often (ay Mercifull Lord Jefus ! Come, and that her Cry feenvd no more to proceed from Pain but from Joy, She therefore told Her: The Lord will fbon put an End to your Mifery ; wait only pari- ently for your God. The Patient raifed her- felfandfeid: My dear Mother 1 I (hall not die, my Death is only a Tranfit to a happy Life. My Sicknefi is not unto Death, but to the Glory of God. Come rejoice with me, the Lord Jefus has found me, I was the loft Sheep, and once (he faid very lotid as coming from a very deep Meditation: If This is done in the green Three ^ what will become of the dry ? After this (he (poke very little more, only fometimes (he would fay: What Pains and Joys ( ioj ) |oys do I feel at the fame Time* and Co kept in a Slumber. A little after ftie was feiz'd with the Agonies of Death. Her Body was con- vulfea, a large fweat dropt from ir> and he& Eyes feem'd to be turn'd. A Friend of her$ that felt Her Pulfe, thought ihe would imme- diately exfpire, biit ihe recover'd, grew eafi- tr, her Eyes look'd bright again and ihe feem'd to rubb their Dullnefs out with her Hands; Her Countenance appear'd ehearfull and fli^ fung melodiouily : Horv pleafent is thy Drveljirig^Plaie^ 0 Lord of Hop to me! The Tabernacles of thy Grace Horn pleafanty Lord! they be? My Soid doth long full fore to go Into Thy Courts abroad: My Heart and Flefh frryoui alfb For Thee the living God, h great many People that were in the jjdoffij were much aftofiifh'd at This; but This was not all. After ihe feteh'd a little Breath ihea- Wak'd from her Slumbers again, and begun i It is a Tlnng both good and meet j To praife the higheft Lord) And to Thy Name y 0 Thou niofl high! To Jing with one Accord. She fiing thefe four Lines in. the moft fwees md harnidnious Manner, and then fell iritd ler Slumbers again, after which ihe fiing PCgo* Thou Shepherd! that doft Ifrael keep) Qive Ear md take good Htidi H Mi ( 106 ) fl? WIjo leadeft Jofeph like a Sheep And doft Him watch and feed, f)ireB our Hearts by Thy good Grate, Convert us unto Thee-, Shew us the Brightness of Thy Face y And then full fafe are We. The fourth Time flie for feveral Hours coiv tmued in the Agonies of Death, and when ftie came again to Herfelf, (he fung: Into Thy Hands*, Lord! I commit My Soul, which is Thy Due, Becaufe Thou haft redeemed it y 0 Lord, my God J moft true. When her Mother hear'd Her thus fing aloud, fhe faid to Her: My Child J fince God has honoured me to put the firft Words on thy Lips to praife Him, I will alfo put there the laft, which I (hall hear of Thee in this World and mention'd Pfalm 146. My Soul! Praife Thou the Lord always, My God! I will confefs-> While Breath and Life prolong my Days, . My Tongue no Time Jhall ceafe. Which her lick Daughter fung with great Firmnefs of Mind, with open Eyes and toil- ing Lips. When her Agony was renew'd, her Mother took courageoufly her Leave of Her and faid : God be with Thee, my dear Child! I lhall come to Thee, but Thou wilt fee me no more, we lhall fee One Another on the Day of the glorious Refiirreftion, and thus ihe retired. "Above 3 Hours after her Minilter ( io 7 ) fc. JMinifter wanted to know, whether ihe wa§ yet (enable, ihook her Arm and defired Her to fqueeze his Hands if She hear'd Him, but there was not the leaft Sign of Life; but as He was going out of the Room, the Soul return'4 as it were to the Body* She raifed Herfelf fad* deftly in her Bed, and fang the fecond Time % Into Thy Hands, Lord! I commit My Soul, which is Thy Due, Becaufe Thou haft redeemed it, 0 Lord! My God! moft true. He then put his Ear to her Mouth and' hear'd Her fay: Lord! Norn let Tlj ServanP- depart in Peace, for mine Eyes have feen Thy- Salvation. A Moment after She feteh'd three Sighs without any Motion, and (b yielded her Spirit. The Chearfullnefs of her' Looks and Eyes, which remain'd half open, conti- nued after her Death, and were a Proof, that her Soul tafted the Joys of Heaven, before it was quite loofen*dfrom the Ties of the Body* Anton William Boehnt. Chaplain to Prince George of Denmark* THe glorious Promife, that he that belief eth in Chrift, Jhall not tafte Death, has been very vifibly fulfill 'd in the Revd< Mr. JVilliam Anton Boehm Chaplain to his Royal Highnefs Prince George of Denmark & Prea- cher of the German Chappel at London.' I re-* member to have feen the Tide of a French Book ? which gives an Account of thofe great H a Menu f£ ( m ) -ft Men, as they are there call'd, that Went out of the World ( en plais autant ) tinging and trifling, & I think tlie laft Words o£ One are therein highly applauded, who faid to his Friends: Let down the Curtains, the Scene is over ; but I fear the People that fung thus in Death, a few Minutes after found their mad Laughter turn'd into Lading & pungent Sor- row. Mr. Boehm died finging too, but in fiich a Manner as left it beyond Doubt, that he went to continue finging in Heaven. He ceafed to die May 26. 1722. for he had been dying all his Life. His Diftemper was fbme very vio- lent Fits of the Stone, which for Years feve- rely tormented him, yet he feldom complain'd. The 21 ft he vifited his pious Friend* Do£i Shleyr, in whofe Houfe he took his firft abode when he arrived in England one & twenty Years before. Tuefday he took a Walk wirh the Doft. & his Sifter in Greenwicb-Vzvk-) & declar'd that he eat with better Appetite, and found much Benefit by the Change of Air. Tuefflay he repeated the fame Exercife, but toward Fvening his Countenance begun to alter. He intended to return to London; but the Do£t. perfiiaded him to ftay, & promifed to accompany him the Day after, & fo bled . him & gave him feme Phyfick. Fryday Noon he was pretty well, tho' ne complain'd of an Oppreffion of the Stomach, yet he wanted to accompany the Doct. to London. The Do£l. told him, the Country Air would be better for ( 10 9 ) fa fiim, and exhorted him toftay where he was, for that he was not able to go further, but Mr. Boebm replying that he muft preach next Lords Day, the Dr. told him that as he knew he was not afraid of Death, he would tell him that before Sunday he ihould be in Heaven, and therefore would not have him think of preaching; but to make his laft Will to pre- vent all Uneafin^fs after his Death. Mx. Boebm return'd that he felt very well and nothing ail'd him, and with Difficulty was prevailed to write it. He continued ftill to keep about Houfe, therefore the Dr. w£nt to London and tarried all Night. Saturday Mr. Boebm ftill din'd below Stairs ; but had aViolent Hiccough* which continued till towards Evening, when the Do&. return'd from London^ who gave him fomething for it and it ceafed; Mx. Boebm faid : He felt very well but only (lumber 'd, and contrary to his Cuftom he took Phyfick very willingly. Lords-Day Morning at 5 a Clock the Dr. a&ed him how he did, he faid: Quite well and wanted to rife and to go to London. The Dr. told him: You have not Time for your Dying; to which Mr, Boebm reply'd: Let it be fo then, if I am but ready : And fo kept a little longer in Bed. The Dr. told his Sifter that Mr. Boebm was near his End, on which (he went to him and begg'd him to fpeak to her once more, if it would not incommode him. ( for Ihe was very deaf) Mr. Boebm told her, he had often fpoken to Hj herj her; but was no more able, and that God -would find a Way to fpeak himfelf into her Heart. The Dr. order'd his Servant to go for One of Mr. Boehm Friends, whom he was de- firous to fee, and Mr. Boehm himfelf gave the Direction about fix. He rofe as ufiial, and begun to fing his Morning Hymn in German. He took his Night-Gown round him, and talked finging over the Room toward an ea- fy Chair; but as he walked, he begun to faint ^and to fink : The Servant raifed him again and placed him in the Chair, when he was ftill fin- ging, but as One that is only beginning and tries to pitch his Tune. Thus did he yield his Spirit finoing, for the Lips wereftill moving, >vhen he fetched his laft Breath, when neither Tune nor Life could be obferved, and the Spi- rit doubtlefs begun to fing the Song above. Some Time before, when he was told of the JNfearneft of his End, he faid in a great Sur- prize : Should God dimifs me already, will He already give me my Reward, before I havQ begun to labour in his Vineyard ? The Sab- bath before his Death he din'd with One of his Friends, and fpeaking of the Death of O- thers, he faid; Lord] Make me to know mine End and the Meafure of my Days what it is, that I may know how frail I am. He died it feems on his Birth-Day, and was buried wu thout any Shew at Greenwich by Order of the Po£t. who faid, that as he always avoided Pomp while he-Jiv'dj he might alfo do without it in ( t i t ) & tiis Death. The Epitaph upon his Tomb gives him his true Character : Swift was his Flight and jhort his Road f He clofed bis Eyes and faw his God. The remarkable End of John Schwerdfeger Related by the Revd. Mr. Kern Minifter of the deceafed. THe Beginning of his Sicknefs feem'd to be a Kind ot a Fever and Ague with an Oppreffion of his Stomach and great Pain in his Back and Belly, that increafed from Day to Day. When he fent for me the firft Time r I aiked him how Matters flood between him and his God, whether he expefted to be hap- *r>y after his Death, and whether he had not a hearty Defire to receive the Sacrament? ttf which he chearfully anfwered in the Affirma- tive, neither would he be eafy till he received it : The Day after I went to fee him, when he fold trie, that he was very glad he had received the Sacrament, and reconcil'd himfelf with God j he then faid: I will make my Will and after- ward no more trouble my felf about any earthly Thing, but commend my Soul to God. A lit- tle after he fainted away, but when he came to himfelf faid nothing remarkable. A fecond fainting Fit of his continued fomething longer. So foonashe open'd his Eyes, he begun to tell that he got into a narrow Road* he -did not: H 4. & m ( III ) ?* tnow how he got into it, but that it was all full of Thorns and Briars, itcofthim incredi- ble Pains to get along, that he often defpair'd of it, but that he remembefd that the Word of God gave fiich an Account of the Way to Heaven, and that therefore he ftruggled to his utmoft, till he thought he came before the Gates of Heaven, where he thought he heard a ftrong Voice, telling him that he was not come to that yet, that more was requir'd to get into Heaven then was generally imagin'd, that he muft needs return and examine his life, and that then he ihould be called to ap* ear again at the Barr of Judgment and accor- ingly his firft Words when he came to his Senfes were: I muft go again but that will be a fevcre Tryal and I will return again but not fo foon as at this Time. Three Days after he had a remarkable fainting Fit, which lafted foui? Hours, fb that his Wite and all that were pre- fent judg'd him to be really dead, and accor- dingly were ging to lay him out and put him into a winding Sheet: While thev were bufy about it he opens his Eyes and faith : Send for the Minifter, I will acquaint him firft of any with what I have feen. This was about eleven at Night, when I entred the Room he raifed himfeTfofhisown Accord, astho' nothing ail'd him, embrac'd me clofe and {poke as hearty 2S a Man in his full Strength ; he lifted his Eyes and Hands Heavenward and faid : c O what >an Agony have I been in » I have really had ? myTryal, I have experienced what I could , never have believ'd : When I was firft put at ,the Barr, a black Catalogue was open'd and ? my Sins were read unto me, and among them 3 fome which I would never have remember^ ? and yet they feem'd to meas tho 5 I had but ,juft committed them: Satan in a Form fb , hideous that all my Hairs flood an End, ac~ 7 cufd me and I was condemn'd. I was in fiich ^a Terror, Agony and Anxiety that my Heart , fhook for Fear, becaufe I already felt the Ter- rors of Hell i this made me look out for Chrift 5 and I cried in a woefull Manner: Alas where 5 is Chrift the Saviour of all Men J Will he now be filent and fiifFer me to fall a Prey of the , Power of Satan? Now it is high Time to vin- , dicate the Power of his Blood and Mediation, rand to fpeak a Word of Interceffion for me a Ipoor condemned Creature ; but it was all to |no Purpofe, I could get no Sight of Him: ? I obferv'd indeed, when I was accufed, a Man , ftanding on my Side at the Tablet where the 5 black Book lay j but I could not know him; ,fome Thing feemd to overjfhadow him, thus j the Sentence remain'd firm and condemned y me, fb I look'd once more about me and figh'd ; yO where is Chrift the Saviour the Mediator 5 between God and Men] And that Moment 5 1 (aw him, run at him and embraced him with , Tears in my Eyes, he looked moft kindly 3 at me and feem'd to me all Sun and Splendor ; g he Ihut the Book andit difappeard, he feem'd H 5 3 to ( H 4 ) ?fr 5 to me to be the fame Man that flood on my 5 Side before; but whom a Shadow kept from 5 my Sight: He then publifh'd to me the Par- , don o? my Sins, abfolv'd me from the Sen- tence of Condemnation, and receiv'd me as 5 a heavenly Member in the Number of the E- ?lect. He took me by my Hand, led me away ? from the Barr and placed me on his Right, ? where was an innumerable Company of holy 5 Angels, that inclofed me into their Circle, ?that Moment a joyfull Shout founded thro* y all Heaven, it feem'd to me like the Sound j>of many Trumpets, attended with fiich a me- lodious Mufick as I never heard before: At ,the fame Time Heaven open'd, that I could 5 fee into it, whofe Glory and Splendor fb daz- 5 led my Eyes, that I ftood quite aftonifh'd, 3 and then thought on the Words o( Paul i M y Cor. 2,9. Eye bath not feen £fr. and confeflec^ , it would be impollible to me to give an Ac- , count, tho ? I had the Tongue ot an Angel, ,he fo rejoiced while he related this, that the , Tears plentifully ftreamd down his Cheeks. , How, laid he, out of this Glory am I brought 3 back again into this Valley of Tears, where 3 every Thing is naufeous to me, fincel tafted 3 fome Thing better ! Nay if the King of Pruf* jfia would give me the whole Principality of y Halberftad> I would chearfully refufe it, it is , Iike Duft and Dirt in mine Eyes, neither will 5 I mix my heavenly Tafte any more with .earthly Food or Drink j but wait till I get >UlXO 4*( nj ) ft> ? into my Reft. It is remarkable that after this his Sicknefs entirely left him, tho 2 before he could not move without great Pain, he was now entirely free from it. His Eyes which before lay hollow in his Head, where now as bright and clear, as tho' they had beenwafti'd withfrefti Water, and his whole Countenance like an agreable voung Man in his Prime, now faid he, I fHall five two Days more, $nd I wilh every Body would come and hear me and turn unto God. If Any vifited him while I was there, he would reach out his Hand to them and raife their Hands upward and fay: Away from the Earth upward to God J here is nothing to be done, which he would always accompany with Tears,* when his Wife complain'd, how flie and her Chil- dren fliould rare after his Death, he (aid to her : for Shame, that ye have no more Con- fidence in God, He that takes Care of the whole World, will take Care of You too; it is your Unbelief and Miftmft that makes you fb uneafy, he bid her and the Children to come before his Bed, and exhorted them very movingly to put their Truft in God alone, and never to doubt hisPromifes, which were all Tea and Amen, This I muft confefs that his Intelleftuals were uncommonly increafed fince his laft fainting Fit, he did not Ipeak in a common Way as before; but his Words were very affecting and folid as tho 5 he had k^ned Eloquence in that ftiorc Time, before I was his Teacher and Comforter; but now the Leaf was turnd and I was like a Child to him, and aftonifhed to hear him thus (peak, I ought not to forget that in his laft fainting Fit. While as he (aid he flood at the Bar. His Face was red like Fire, tho 5 he had before a dying Colour and the Sweat run from him, as tho' hot Water had been pourd upon him, when the 2 Days he {poke of were finifhing, he faith: Now put me on (lraw y J will die-, the Time is come. Asfbon as they laid hold on him, he fhut his Eyes and falls afleep; butbecaufe his Wife made a great Noife, cried into his Ears and would not put him down, but con- tinued to fhake him: He awakes again and faith : O Ye foolifh People ! Why will you not give me the Reft, which God gives me, now I muftbehere one whole Day longer, which accordingly happend \ yet he was always in a Slumber, only when he was alked, whether he ihould die in the Day or in the Night, he faid : In the Night, and fb he did toward Mor- ning in the 38 th Year of his Life, The Rev, John Reinhard Hedinger D. D. and Chaplain to the Duke of JVirtem^ ^rgwasadivineofdefervedly great Efteem in his Life andfavour'd with a peculiar Joy and Compofure in his Death. By fbme private Occurrences that happen'd to him, hewasperfuadedthathisftay here would ( "7 ) ft ^ r Otild not be much longer, and therefore im^ f)rov 5 d every Kind of Providence, to prepare or his latter End. He made the beft Difpo- fitions concerning his Eftateand Funeral and order'd the Preacher to declare in his Funeral- Sermon, that he had liv'd only ten Years of his Life for God. He mention'd that his early Death would perhaps be look'd upon as *a Judgment; but that he was little concern'd about Peoples Opinions ; fbmetime he would Ipeak of the Treafiire of a good Confidence^ and {ay what ah unhappy Man fhould I be, had I not been converted before now, and then he would take an Opportunity to tell his Relations, that they mult deny themfelves more, and become better Chfiftians, that their prefent State would not do. He feem'd to be Uneafy that in his Behaviour at Court-he had indulg'd a falfe Prudence, and in the Beginning had too much flatter 'd or {pared them, in not telling them naked Truth, he exhorted his Brother very heartily to beware of falfe Pru- dence, and not for the Sake of it negle£t any Thing in his Office, which conference obliged him to do ; he declar'd that nothing' . gave him more Satisfaction on his dying Bed, then what he did in a" Zeal for God againft the Advice and Opinions of all Men/ and that fiich of his Aftions, as had been molt cenfiir'd for their Rafhnefs and Foolifhnefs now af- forded the moft Comfort unto his Soul, and that if he fhould ever be able to preach again, jhe would do it in fb warm and plain a Manner, that he (hould be difcharg'd after the very firft Sermon. Once when he was in a great Agony, he look'd affectionately at his Friends, and de- fired them that they would help him to ftrive in Prayers Rom. 15, 30. and when they were going away tie call'd upon them : Militemus Fratres. Let us ftrive my Brethren ! Let us ftrive j After this Agony he enjoy'd for moll half a Day an uninterrupted fenfe of the Love of God and this made him fay in Latin : 0 miam bonus Dominus O how good is the Lord! He is the very beft: How fweet is his Love J O what an unfpeakable Sweetnefs is in the Enjoyment of thy Grace ! Ceafe, O Lord J I am too unworthy, yea I am too un- worthy. When* one of his Friends came and afked him, how he did, he replied : Anima mea languet prae Amove Dei. My Soul is fick for Love and Defire to my God. He delired his Friends to read him none but encouraging Hymns and Scriptures; for he had no Doubts of the Love of his God. When the rev. Mr, Wf email encouraged him to be of good cheer: He anfwer'd with great Emphafis, I know that I am a chofen Veffel of God and that my Name is written in the Book of Life. When he fpoke of Death, he would {ay with great Joy, Lndibvium y LudiWmm, it is become 3 Contempt, he fent for his Friends to ling with him and play on the Harp, while they were were finding, Di% Hochftaeter paid him a Vi- fir, to wnome he faid: tynter Jubilos Moriar 0 I'll yield my Spirit in very Joy and Shouting. And when fbme of the Byftanders faid, they hop'd there was no Danger, fince he could fo chearfully fing and fmile with them, he anfwer'd: Hedingerus ridet, et tamen moritur et fepelitur. Hedinger fmiles ; but he will die notwitftanding and foon be buried. He afk'd his Phylicians, why they would give him any more Phyfick, feeing he was fure to die, and that he was full of Blood, and that fb much Phyfic would make him a naufeous Corpfe ; when they told him they had good Hopes of his Recovery, and beggfd him to follow their Directions, he indeed contented ; but faid withal : Hedinger us Medicorum Volunta- tern implevit) omnia Medicamenta accepit, Sudo- res opulentos peregit, et tamen moritur et fepeli- tur. Hedinger has comply'd with the Orders of his Phyficiants has took Sweats and Mede- cines and yet will foon die and be buried. He never difcover'd the leaft Fear or Terror, but rather a Contempt of Death, when he 'tended him, would cover him clofe, while he was in Converfation, he would fay, if you co- ver and guard me fb well, Death will not be able to come in to me. O faid he once, I (hall be a|ham ? d to come among fo many thoufand glorious Souldiers of Jesus Christ and Con- querors, in Companion with whom I have fufFer'd altogether nothing for the Name of Jesws ^ ( 120 ) ^ Jesus Christ, I get to Heaven as one bom out of due Time: He then alk'd a Friend, what do People fay of my Death, who re- plied, that they rather entertaind good Hopes of his Recovery; at this he Ihook his Head and faid : It is no more then Hope. Once! he begun to (peak fb powerfully and with Co ftrong a Voice, that his Hearers could not re- frain from weeping, It cannot be otherwife, {aid he, if One will be a Chriftian, he muft deny himfelf, there is no other Way to be a Chriftian. Chriftianity is not a dead Thing, but lively and active in good Works. It will not do to frame your Life by the Exam- ples of Others ; but only by the Commands of God, neither will it bear to pretend Impo£ Ability, for Faith conquers the World ; leaft of all will it do to make as it were a Bargain with God to ferve him, as far as it pleafeth us, for God requireth an ablblute Obedience without Exception: After thishemoft affe&i- onately prayd^ and fpoke very beautifully of the great Love of God and his Willingnefs to receive penitent Sinners. It is remarkable that during his laft Speech he orderd hisServant Maid to go and fetch fome Straw to lay him out on it, and a Sheet to wrap him in it, and accordingly in about an Hour, and half after he expired ; for when he finilhd his laft comprehenfive Prayer, he fell a fleep and wi- thout any Motion under the Prayers of his Friends quietly breathed his Laft the 28 of <2g ( 121 ) Decemb. 1704 in the fortieth Year of his Age. The Rev. Mr. Alckoeffer \/f Inifter of the Gofpel at Ratifbon after a Sicknefs of two Years and fix Months feemd at laft to expire and to be dead in the Eyes of All that wereprefent, wherefore they were going to wafh and lay him out; but his Wife perceiving fbme Heat left would not tuffer it, tho' Ihe was told as his Pulfe had ceafed beating he muft certainly be dead. He continued 3 Days in this Condition, when all on a fudden while the Superintendent of the Place was prefent, he raifed himfelf of his own Accord, which he had been too weak to do for feveral Weeks before, his firfl: Words were : O where have I been! What have I feen J An unfpeakable Glory indeed ! When he was afked where he had been and what he had feen, he replied : That he had been in a green Meadow, which was fiirrounded with a large Stream, that he had feen his Saviour Handing on the other Side and cried to go and meet him; but could not effeft it: Then the Lord Jesus told him, that it would beimpot fible to come over the Stream to Him without undergoing a great Agony. At this he grew very anxious and afked the Lord Jesus again, whether it could not be done without an Ago- ny? And was anfwerd, No> that it could not be ihea thought himfolffiiirounded with I a Cloud* 4& .( mo * a Cloud of Drones, two of which efpecially lo tormented him, that he could not hear his Saviour fpeak: At laft the Drones all departed and his Saviour flood by him and told him, that now he would wipe away all Tears from his Eyes. To this he added: O what Toy is it to be with Jesus! O few, few, few arecho- ienj Many, many, many are condemned! I have feen fome of the Numbers, that are yet alive. O what a Pit is that] It is not fuch a Fire as you think. O dear Children repent, ftnve in an Agony Day and Night: I befeech you by the Blood of Jesus Chrift, repent! re- pent! At fix a Clock I /hall die and go ro my Saviour: I am now fiire of my Salvation, for I have feen God Face to Face; and when the Clock (truck fix, the dear Man fell afleep in his ImmanueL *JTIe dying Bed of the Rev. N. N. 38 Years fiiccefiively Minifter at N. N. was atten- ded with very remarkable iCircumftances, Tome of which were afterward printed by one, that had been a Witnefs of his laft Agonies, (and who thought fit to .conceal his Name as well asthatofthePeribn he was writing about) in Hopes of their proving edifying unto others. His Sicknefs was a Shortness of Breath, which gradually increafed and calPd on him to employ all his remaining Strength and Time in an impartial Examination of his paft Life and the Difcharge of his minifterial Office. He ■ Hte much lamented the Wickeclnefs andgrear )eceitfullnefs of the World. He feeaid dayly o obtain a deeper Senfe of his Sins an;l Cor- ruptions, and prayd that God would not-en- er with him into Judgment. He declard that ^ery often he had not done as much as he night, to have done in his Miniftry, that tho' le faw the Corruption of all Conditions of Vlen yet as he could not prevent it, wasper- iiaded God would not require of him, what vas not in his Power to effeft, that he had at eaft endeavourd to be faithfull, and had bore Jie Gainfayers with great Patience. He would leclare his Concern for the miferable Condi- ion of fome of his Hearers, and mentiond bme Names with Tears and Concern, that he rould not prevail upon them to change their Jives. O! faid he, I thought (uch a one fhould >e won to God; but I could not effeft it and mil leave them unto Him. Tho' he had a hort Refpite, wherein he feemd to grow fome- hing better, yet his Age andDiftempergaind h fall upon him, that his Breathing became nore and more difficult and his Body wafted iway apace. The State of his Soul was now ull Employ for his Thoughts, he would re- reive every Exhortation to ,confider the End )f the faithfull Servants of Chrift with great rhankfuilnefs, would deli-re to be prayd for md would often fay never was a Prayer loft. Eight Days before his Departure God gave hum a perfe£t Fore-Tafte of his eternal Reft. I z He . ^ ( "4 ) & He had flept for three Hours and on his awak- ing he faid with great Emotion: O how hap- py, how happy was my Soul! Am I here yet? I thought I was na more in Time, but entred into my Reft: O why did you wake me? He contented himfelf with the thought, however that the Converfation of Believers is in Heaven already, but that we muft wait for the Redemption of the Body and the Com- ing of the Lord. &c In the laft Day of his Sicknefs he became as patient as a Lamb and feldom complaind, only he would often pour out his Soul before God and cryearneftly unto the Lord. Othou Spirit of the Lord, thou Teacher, thou Prea- cher, thou Comforter J faid he once with a loud Voice with many Things more, that could not be underftood : Th®' he was very weak and had feveral fainting Fits, yet he would often fay : I fliall not yet die; for he was fen- fible it leerns that an Hour of particular Try- als was yet awaiting him: And accordingly the 14 1)ay of June 1723 was unto him a Day of greatTryal and alfo of great Affiftance. In the Morning between 7 and 8 he was vifited by his Son. He recoverd from a fainting Fit with thefe Words in his Mouth : It is all nothing - r to which his Son replied: Yea, indeed all is nothing, except ]esus and his Strength. Jefus, Jefus is alone our Strength; our Life and our Light; he would often fay with great Empha- fts : jefus isjny Salvation, my Light, my Shep- herdj •££ (12$ ) ft> erd, my Lord and my God, my All and in U, nothing, nothing, nothing mall feparate le from Him. Thus he fed himfelf and re- )iced fo greatly in his Saviour, that not- rithftanding the extreeme Heat of his Body * e would fay, he felt very well that he wan- id nothing fince God was his Portion ; when is Son afked him whether he was not at all fraid of Death? he turnd quick about and lid: Did you ever hear that I was afraid of )eath? I rejoice at it. His Son replied: I know :; but Faith is fbmetimes weak and we dont now the Bitternefs of Death, till we tafte it, 7he Patient replied: My Heart feels conifer- ibly, I only defire foon to be diflblved, lean io all Things thro' Himthatftrenghtnethme efus Chrift. I know that this my Redeemer Lveth and that he will keep that, which I have ommitted to his Care untill the Day of his Appearance: After this Difcurfe his fainting ut coming oftener and he being delirous of Vir, he was perfuaded and confented atlaftto >e put upon another Bed in the fame Room, nd this became the Place of his laft Agony, vhere he ftruggled not only with Death but rlfo with the Righteoufnefs of God; but found t blefled Deliverance in and thro' the Blood )f Jefus. In his Place he preached with his ixample more powerfully then ever he had lone in his whole Life and prayd with ltrong drying to him, that was able to help him out. \bout 2 in the Afternoon heforthefirft Time I 3 &k tnd while it ftruck three, he inclind his Head ind died away like a Candle. Having a lit- le before &id to a Minifter, that affifted lim : God make us free ! And when the )ther was a going to take Notice of the things, 3od frees us from, he faid In one Word ill Evil and thus he gave up his Spirit into he Hands of his heavenly Father, to whom le had fb Often and fb filially commended it* 'John Mijhke. Infpe&or at Halle in Saxony. "TPHo 5 it very often happens that Childern A of God are kept in Bondage all their Life by the Fear of the awfull Hour of Death; ^et real Chriftians have not only noCaufe to )e afraid of this conquerd Enemy, but alfb nany Reafons that may engage them to wilh br die laft Meffenger as a Hireling for the Shadow and as a Bride for the Coming of her bridegroom. The Rev. Mr. Mijhke^ who af- er having fervd God in feveraJ Places in the I 5 Gofpd ( 130 ) Gofpel of his Son died at laft Infpe&tor of the School of that noble Charity the Orphan- Houfe at Glauha by Hall in Saxony-, is an Inftance of fiich Chriftians, who not only were part the Fear of Death, before it made its laft Approaches, but alfo met it with a humble Joy and Defire, when it came to exe- cute its Co'mmiffion. In the very Beginning of his Sicknefs his whole Conduct declard, that he deflred nothing more then to be de- fblvd and to be with Chrifh He would of- ten fpeak of his going home as near at Hand, and one Lordsday Morning after he had been for twoHours pleading with God he entred the Room of fome of his Friends with an un- common fmiling Countenance and told them: Now it is quite determind, that I fhall go home, the Lord Jesus has given me a firm Promis of it. Thofe that were very conver- fant with him obfervd, that inftead of faying: Lord Jesus, have Mercy on me ! As he was continually wont to do, he would of late con- ftantly ufe this Expreffion: My Saviour] O were I with Thee ! His late Expofition in the Orphan-Houfe was on thefe Words: Bleffed are the dead that die in the Lord; for they reft of their Labours und their Worcks&all follow after them, and in this he (poke with extraordinary Fervour of the Defire after a better World. In his Prayer he was exceeding fervent, he recommended unto God the State of his Church Church and of the whole World* tfpecially Df this Univerfity and Orphan-Houfe in the moft moving Manner, and once in particular fo wreftled with God for half an Hour to- gether for our gracious Sovereign ; that it was impoflible to hear it without tender Emotions. What concernd himfelf he was quite fwallowd up in that one Article of the Sinners Juftification before God, he would have nothing at all to fay for himfelf and pleaded altogether nothing but meer free Grace. O! Would he fay, by Grace are we [av'd. O ! It is good that nothing will do 3Ut free Grace, otherweife I would never land, at the fame Time his Heart was full 3f AfTurance of Faith, the Grace of God in thrift was fiirer to him then Heaven and Earth, and his Lips conftantly overflow^ in :he Application of the Promifes of his Re- leemer. He was entirely refignd to the Will of God :o die or to live longer. Sometimes he would 3ray : My Dear Abba J Behold here I am, [ defire nothing but that thy Will fhould 3e done. If it is thy Will that I fhould con- inue here longer, I only pray that I may be nore Diligent and faithfull in thy Work, then [ have been hitherto; but if it is thine un- changeable Will to take me away, well here [ am, do with me according to thy good Pleafure, fetch me foon home, let nothing linder Thee, not even the Prayers of thy Children, ( 132 ) Children: When he heard that Profeflbr Franck earneftly exhorted the Childern to pfay that the Lord would fpare him yet long- er, he faid very gravely, It is determind al- ready, nothing will avail againft it, he him- felf will do it. A Friend of his that vifited him, alkd him whether he had no Mind to ftay here any longer, feeing fo many Chil- dren of God to earneftly prayd for his Life, he anfwerd : My Mind is this : If my Saviour takes me to himfelf, I will for ever thank him for if it is fo as the Brethern fay, that I might yet be good for fome Ufe, I am willing ac- cording to the Will of my Saviour to tarry here longer, on condition of his making me more faithfull and capable. Once he pray'd : Dear Saviour! The Brethern think it is better that I ftiould abide longer in the Fle/h and Work : Well, Lord Jesus] If it be thy Will, it is mine alfo. And at another Time, Lord Jesus ! Do with me in this Sicknefi as it is beft for me and for thy Church Is it to thy Honour and my Salvation, come and get thy Bride home, when thou haft well prepard and wafhd her pure in thy Blood, for my Soul is thy Bride; make me full ofDefire after Thee. Yea, come Lord Jesus! It feem'd as tho' his Sicknefs had quite al- terdhis Carriage, he did not feem to take any more Notice of the Things of his Life, he would indeed (peak kindly to every One, that came to fee him; yet it was very vifible, that MR ( 133 ) ^ that his Heart was engagd with higher Things then thofe prefent. He would hardly fay any Thing to them that came to fee him \ but well, will you not tell me fome Thing of Jefiis Chrift? He feemd once fb aftonifhd and over- come in his Meditation, that at feft he faid : O that is too much J It is too much J It is too much ! And when he was afked what he meant, he faid : that God did not fpare Ms only Son, but gave him fax us. He had no Inclination to take much Phyfick; but highly valued theRe- freftiment and Help of that Phyfkian, who is Life itfelf ; Jefus Chrift was his Phyfician^Phy- Gck and All in All. This only Thing Was he concernd for, that his Faith might not fail in his laft Moments; and therefore he would fometimes fay : O dear Children ! Pray that my Faith may not ceafe, that when any Body alks: Well, how does Mifke do/ You may truly fay: He refts in his Jefiis, he refts fweetly in the Love of his Jefus. He laid fb much Strefs upon this, that he would beg his Friends, not to let any watch with him at Night, but fiich as were in jefus Chrift. The great Importance of being faithfull in the laft Agony fenfibly affected him. A little before his Death he laid : Yea, Lord jEfiis ! Now Thou muft exert thy whole Power to preferve me, that Mijhke may not be flung away as it were with a Sling,* but when Pro- feffor Franck put him in Mind, that he had no Reafoa to fear this : that the Souls of the Wicke4 & ( *34 ) ?^ • Wicked would indeed be flung away as with a Sling; but that his Soul fliould be bound up in the Bundle of the living with the Lord his God, who had cloathed him with Garments of Salvation, and that the Lord Je{us promifd that he and all his Sheep fhould remain in his Hands, and none be able to pluck them out; the Patient- was very much encouragd and te- ftified by his pleaftng Looks that Satisfa&ion and Approbation of his Heart. If at any Time he complaind, he would at other Times be the more abundant in Rejoicing. Once indeed he (aid : O my Saviour J It is all good and right as Thou haft dealt with me ; but grant now an End of thefe heavy Temptations, but this is a Proof that the Work was really of God and his next Breath would already overflow again in Gratitude and Praifes, when his Speech already began to faulter he faid : O it requires great Faithfullnefs to keep the Peace of a Child of God in the Soul. There muft be a fare Foun- dation, a Aire Foundation inChrift JeAis: Je~ fusChrift is the Foundation, yes, yes, I know in whom I believe. With a very deep Sigh he faid : O wretched Philofophy ! How much would thy Comforts fail in the Circumftance, I now am in; but Jefiis, Thou art ftill my Jefus! The 28 of Oftober in the Morning he thus prayd : O deareft molt pre^ous Jefiis ! Behold now that I am left of all, arid have Mer- cy on me in this my Diftrefi, I.^puld quite be fwallowecLup in Thee: O let me be faved ( 135 ) by Grace, faved by Grace I This he would often repeat, and the nearer he drew toward his End, the more would he long and prefs for Chrift and his Grace; and thus did he fill- fill the Anfwer, which he ufed to give in his full Health, what he would do, if the long loo- ked for Chariot come to fetch him to his Bri- degroom; viz. then I wafh my felf once more quite clean in the Blood of Jefiis, put on my white Garments, the Righteoufnefs of Jefiis Chrift, and fo I feat my felf in the Chariot and get home. In his Prayer he refignd him felf entirely into the Hands of his heavenly Father, whether he would keep him any longer alive or take him unto him felf: He added, howe- ver, poor Mifloke / perhaps this is thy laft Hour well then come, Lord Jefus I Even come quick- ly. Then he repeated the Lords Prayer, but fo that he added feme Thing to every Peti- tion, e. g. When he praydrThy Will be done on Earth as in Heaven, he would fay : O ye dear Angels 1 Ye muft help me to praife my God; do you hear it? His Will be done] I defire nothing but the Will of the heavenly Father &c. The fixth Petition he would often repeat and fometimes fay: My Warfare is not with Flefh and Blood, forgive us our Sins and Guilt, but who will condemn? Where is Con- demnation? There is none at all, come othou Condemner J Wilt thou condemn me ? Chrift ls here who died and is rifen again. A little af- :er he was very anxious and afked for fome 7 com- ^ ( 13* ) comfortable Text of Scripture, and when he was told : / am the Lord that healetb thee-> he (aid: O yes, if thy JVord had not hen my Com- fort •> I had penftjd in my Mifery ! O Children! Lay up WordsV Comfort in your Souls, get Strength, get Comfort all in Chrift! Well fince it is fweet refting in the Wounds of Chrift, let me go unto my Reft ; and fo he flumberd till about 7 a Clock, when he fuddenly awake and cried out with a very feeble Voice beyond his Power and with great Joy: Overcome, o- vercome, overcome by the Blood of the Lamb, by the Blood of the Lamb, by the Blood of the Lamb, &c. and the Word of their Tefti- mony, Hallelujah, Hallelujah! Amen! Amen I which Words he repeated above 20 Times and then fell a fleep again, and after a little While fling again, overcome, overcome, and added: I livt and you ft) all live alfo. Thou John Miftke (hall live alfo, do thou hear it? And when his Sifter thought that he wanted fome Thing, he faid: O dear Sifter! Here is no Death, here is no Death, here is all Life. : From this Time his Speech began pretty much to fail, and as he drew neater and nearer the (hining Gates of the heavenly Jerufalem; he (pake more by his Looks and Geftures then with his Lips. In the Afternoon when he raifd himfelf to take fome Thing warm, he faid : Seven Tears ago*, tfc. Some of them that flood by, eafily knew what he meant; for at the Death of Mrs. Francke Widdow of the Pro- feffor, feflbr, whom he always highly efteemd, he alked how many Years Ihe had lived after the Death of her Hulband? And when he was cold that it wasnowfeven Years; he foretold :hat his Diflblution was near at Hand, becaufe his Wife alfo died feven Years ago. A little after he ealldher Nam« Carolina and laid himfetf iown again with thefe Words: You already enow what a Glory it is, I will foon come af- er, and then mall we better then ever live and beak together. After a little Slumber, when he Paffages Job. 19, v. %$ . Ijmon? that my Re~ leaner hvetb ; and John ii,2j. 1 amtbe Refur- •e&ion and the Life, were mentioned to him* le aflented with Chearfull Geftures and faid o himfelf: Doft thou believe this? In this •leafing Countenance he made as tho' he ta- led fbme Thing, and towards 4 in the After- noon he faid feveral Times: I am a Thirft t rhe Byftanders told him, he mould have 3me Thing to drink; but he kept on crying thirft, as tho' he did not mind what they laid, e did indeed drink a little of what was offerd : ut when he continued to (ay Co andwasprek :d to drink a little more, he faid: Dont in- :rrupt me any more, I thirft J I thirft! And daft he faid : It is finimd : Which laft Vords of his dying Saviour were alfo his laft nd the Foundation of his Hope. After this e lay with his Eyes mutandhadfofewCon- ulfions, that even in this Senfe he rather fell fleep then died O&ob. $3. 173 f. K During ^ (138 )fc During the Wars which for 30 Years fuccef lively ravaoxl the greateftPart of Germany, in tlie Beginning of the laft Century there livd at a Place in Silefia The Rev. Mr. Sweetbrdok A Man famous for his extenfive Charity in his Life, whom we mention in this Place as a very remarkable Inftance of Comfort and Toy in his Death. It feems his Wife was wil- ling alfo to be charitable too; but in filch ^ Manner, that they might alfo leave fome Thing unto their Children, but this worthy Man, who was convinced that the Bleffing of God is the beft Inheritance, confiderd the great Diftrefsof fo many of his Fellow-Creatures and defird liberal Things. The Promifeofthe Apoflle: Godlinefs is profitable unto all Thugs and has Promife of this Life and of that which is to come, was his whole and a very fofficient Eftate; for as he would never dimifs the poor empty, fo his God alfo never left nor forfook him. In a Time of Dearth his Wife advifed to fett their Spare Provifion to the heft Advan- tage, he promifd faithfully to do it and firft fold it reafonably to them that were in Want, and afterward gave away all his Money tofiich asfeemd in Danger of Starving. At his Return he afford his Wife that he had been as good as his Word but upon her fufoecling the Cafe and afldng for the Money he told her to be eafy that the Neceflity of Others were toa great to withhold his Charity, and that, he would have her befatisfied, that Godlinefswas profitable to all Things and had the Promife of this Life j and 2Mb of that which is to come. This uncommon Liberality met with uncommon Reward, and this charitable Man faw the Pro- mife of Pfalm 4 1, 1-3. in a veiy remarkable Manner fulfilld in himfelf, for the Lord did indeed refrefh him on his dying Bed. On his .lying Day he waited in the Morning on his Dublick Miniftry, and expounded the fecond Pfalm of his moft adorable Saviour and King, \t the Conclufion he told his Hearers, thac he Time of his Departure was come, and thae le fhould die before that very Evening and b gave them many Exhortations, and his Ble£ ing wilhing that he might fee them again ii* Joyful! Eternity. This Caufed an univerfal ^onfternation among all his Hearers, thofee- pecially that had tafted the Fruits ofhisCha- ity. They fiirrounded him with a thoufand fears and accompanied him in fo great Sor~ ow to his Houfe, that he had enough to o to beg them not to break his Heart witfr leir Sorrow, now he was juft launching inta happy Eternity. Hefbon felt avifibteDecay f his Strength, orderd his dying Bed to be lade, and faid that he would* lie down and e ready againft the Coming of the Bride- room. The Magiftrates Minifters and many )thers came to fee hixn, to whom be repea- ls % tei ted his morning Difcourfe, and being afked about hisSicknefs told them that nothing aild him, that he enjoyd his Shepherd Jefiis and felt very well. A little after a moft melodious Harmony was heard over all the Houfe, and he afked his Wife, whether fhe heard that beautifull Concert, wherewith the Angels were fetching him away into Abrahams Bofom? And wnen fhe faid yes, he told her, that if (he continued in Faith and Godlinefs Ihe Ihould alfo be happy in Death, and before he turnd himfelf to the Wall and fweetly fell afleep, he faid: Now you fee, my dear Eve! (this was her Name ) that Godlinefs is profitable unto all Things and has the Promife of this Life and of that to come. THe Faithfull Labourers in the Million, which King Fredrick 4 of Denmark efta- blifhd at Tranquebar in the Eaft-Indies 1705 have not only by their unwearied Labours un- der the divine Bletfing brought fome thou- fends of Souls from the Uarknels of Heathenifm to the Light of the glorious Gofpel, but Provi- dence has alfo fo gracioufly (mild upon their Endeavours,that fome of the Natives have been ordaind to preach the glad Tidings of Salvation unto their Country-Men. An Undertaking fo worthy of Imitation ought to be univerfally known, and in this View I intend here to in- lert the whole Life as well as Chriftian Death •f the firft Preacher out of that People, and ( 141 ) fa in this I ftiall follow the Account given by th« Millionaires themfelves, who greatly valued his painfull Miniftry and much lamented his early Death. Their Account of him as it was by them tranfmitted to the late King of Den* mark runs thus: The Rev. Mr. Aaron Hitherto our Fellow-Labourer and Brother in the Lord by the Account, which he fave of himfelf, was born at Cudular> a Place elonging to the Englifh Eaft-India Company, about 1698 in the Darknefs of Paganifin. His Fathers Name was Soy Canada Pullei of the Tribe of JV«Uarken^ which is one of the more honou- rable in that Country, he made Profeffion of Merchandize, and tno' he had often been in- vited to the Kingdom of Qod he remaind a Heathen and died as fiich at Porreiar 1732. His Mother and One of his Sifters followed the Steps of their Son and Brother; the firft was baptizd April 9 th 1734 m & receivd the Name o(NaUatas> which fignifies a good Mo- ther and died 1738* His younger Years he (pent in Ignorance and Darknefs. It was * Mercy to nim that his Father fern him to Shool, where helearnd to read and write, but in his Blindnete and Madneis he not only hint felf changed the Glory of the unchangeable God into an Image or corruptible Men, four- footed and creeping Beafts snidBirds* but alii Kg cs< Jtncouragd this Son of his in fiich abominable Works of Darknefs, and endeavourd by many Promifes after his Gonverfion to engage him to return to the. fame. Mr. Aaron often men- tioned his Diligence in fervifig their Idols, and that he had often tailed of their Drink-Offe- rings in their Temples; but always praifed the Lord that he deliverd him fromfo great Pow- er, Tyranny and Slavery of Satan, andtranfla- ted him into the Kingdom of his dear Son. In the Year 1 7 1 7 Governor Collet eftablifhd a Tamulian Charity Shool, which was kept \ right over againft the Houfe where Aaron then livd, and of which two Shoolmafters fent from hence and the Catechift Sbawri Mutta had the Government. Aaron was then about 20 Years old and took Delight daily in reading the facred Books the Children were inftru&ed in^ and thus it pleafed God to begin his Work in his Heart, to make him feel the Power of his Word, and to caufe his Mind thereby to be afFe£ted; but as on the one Hand he was deftitute of a proper Knowledge of and In- ftruftion in the Ways of God, and many Temptations prefented on the other, thele young Seeds were very near being ftif led, had not God inhisFaithfullnefsmadeUfe of other Means to bring him to himfelf. His Parents had fome Uneafinefs with the Company, and lb retired from Cudular this Side of CoUaram j River, by which they were fo reduced, that Iris Father could n6t maintain him any more, I but bid him go and reap other Peoples Field* to get his Living. At this Time he rememberd what he heard in Cudular, and fo wifhdhim- felf to be in Tranckebar, but as he did not know the Way thither, his Intention faild ; feme Days after he crofld the River, and hearing of this Million by a Traveller he accordingly joynd him and in his Company arrived at this Place. He acknowledgeth in the Account of him felf, that God made Ufe of this outward Affliction to humble him, and to draw him like a prodigal Son Luc. 15. On his Arrival here he went to the Catechifts who knew him very well, and brought him to Mr. Ziegenbalg the firft Miffionary tnat was fent hither* This worthy Man endeavourd inceflantly to make him acquainted with the Truth oftheGofoel, and it pleafd God, as he him felf declara it afterward, to give him more and more a Senfe of the Sinfullnefs of his Soul and of his loft Condition, that his Soul was made to feek for Life and Salvation in the Blood and Death of Jefus Chrift. He was baptizd Auguft 5 171 8 and upon Mr. Ziegenbalgs difcoverihg his Ability and Sincerity, they made him Matter of the free Shool to teach Children to read, write and cypher. A little after his Father came and endeavoured to perfuade him away from this Place and his Religion, but he approved himfelf faithfull in his Profeffion and Office. In the Year 17 19 he was made an Under- Catechift ta the Congregation of dxis Town, , K 4 n «fc ( *44 ) ?*■ ,in this Office he acquitted himfelf with oreat Diligence and Fidelity, he frequently vSited the Chnftians in and about Tranckebar> and obferved their Convention and alfo went of- ten among the Heathen to declare unto them the Way of Salvation. At the fame Time he was intrufted with the Care of theShool at Poreiav. By Degrees he greatly improvdhim. lelf, fo that the Millenaries made Ufe of him in the Charafter of aftatedCatechift, in which Station he remaind, till the Year 1733, when he wasordaind aMinifteramongthe Heathen. In theNeighbouringVillages he very fuccefs- folly taught the Word of God, he has brought many to the Knowledge and Profeffion of the Gofpel, and thereby largely increafd the Con- gregation. He took fpecial Care of the Souls committed to his Charge and encouraged them to be diligent in attending on the Preachin a of the Word of God. When the Work of °the Lord fpread into the Country he was chiefly employd in it becaufe of his remarkable Gift of dealing with the lower Sort of People. His firft Journey was 1727. The Conversation of this good Man giving Room to hope that he was in a State of Grace, and he rendring him- felf daily more beloved by his faithfull Servi- ces in the Caufe of Chrift. The Miffionaries thought good to appoint and ordain him a pilblick Preacher to his Country People, which ms the more needfull as all Europeans are de- Wed Accefi into the inland Parts of the Coaft ■ * ( *45 ) $ of CoYomanM. The Congregation in the Di- ftrift of Majaburam confifted of about 300 Souls, and therefore flood in great Need of having a faithful! Teacher eftablifhed among them: After long and frequent Confutations the MUfionari.es agreed to ordain One of their Catechifts and accordingly propofed to the Congregation to give in their refpe&ive Votes, when it to happend that Aaron and Diogo ( fmce alfo publickly ordaind ) had an equal Number, and among the Millenaries three voted for Diogo and three for Aaron* but as Aaron was the older of the two, had fervd more Years and was beft acquainted with the Country and Manners of the People and alfo had the grea- teft Number from the Congregation in the Country, he was at laft unanimoufly chofen. The moft remarkable Characters in the Votes Df the Chriftians for him were thefe : 1 ft. He leads a good Conversion, it is the Will of Sod. 2 dly. He gives us good Exhortations, Jireftts us a goodWay. jdly. He gives us good ■nftruftions, takes Care of the Sick, vifits rfiem n the Middle of the Night, he often exhorts isnottoquarell. 4thly. Me thinks Gods Spi- lt dire&s me to give nim my Vote, he con- lefcends to the Loweft. 5 ly. He is well known n the Country, he can ipeak to Superiors* las Experience of many Things, and knows 0 give every one good Advice. 6ly. He fiiits he Country. 7. He is patient, humble and /alks according to Gods Commandments : I K ; tWnfe think he afts from a Principle of the Fear of 1 God. 8- His Exhortations reach our Hearts. 9. He knows how to (peak and is a good Tea- cher of the Faith. 10. He is a Man of good Senfe and humble. A Shepherd that takes Care of the Flock and leads them into good Paftu- res, is a good Shepherd. If any of us are lick , he takes Care of them. How he is inwardly, the holy Ghoft knows; but I have obferved, that he is carefull of People and as a Shepherd gives them Pafture and Drink. 12. Nothing can be faid againft him ; he teacheth us power- fully and takes Care of the Poor. He fears the t Lord Jefus and is humble and kind in his Con- vention. 14. Under divine Affiftance I judge him fit for the Office, he walks in the Fear of God and isaaive. 15. He has no Fear of Men, he walks all Day among Heathen and among Chriftians. 16. He has a fpecial Gift to travel ■' about and teach, he is very fit and courageous to teach in publick AfTemblies. 17. He fuits the Country -People, is a fenfible Man apt to teach and to exhort. 18. He is very fit, knows how to deal with Gainfayers. 19. He is not paffionate; if he was ftruck he would bear it. 20. He is born in the Country and has fome Influence, ( he can turn himfelf to any Thing. ) 21. Can fpeak even in the Kings Refidence, gives a good Example. Z2. He takes diligent i Care of us and prays for us. 23. He is ufed to travel and has already won many, he deals deceitfully with no Man. 24. We can beft open >( our I & ( 547 ) our Wants to him. 25. I can fay nothing a* gainft him, he is fit to teach the Word of Righ- teouftieft. 26. He is folid, boldi does not give up the good Caufe, refills all Diforders. 27. He is long exercifed in the Bufinefs. Thefe Votes or rather Teftimonies of the Mans Cha- ra£ter are here inferted to ihew, what Credit he had among the new Converts and what Love they bore towards him. When the MiC- fionaries publilhd their Intention to ordain One oftheCatechifts, the Catechifts gave their Anfwer in writing the oldeft Catechift Sbawri Muttu thus : Becaufe the Thing which you agreed upon thro 5 the Goodnefs of the great Shepherd Jesus Christ, is very needfull, it gives me a great Deal of Joy, I wilh the ap- pointed Perfon may have the Call of the Fa- ther, the Application ofChrift and the Sealing with the holy Ghoft. The Second, Aaron wrote: Blefled be God who put this Intention into the Heart of the Millionaries, it will be of great Ufe and is very needfull. The Lord bring it to pafs: Theyoungeft Z)zogo anfwerd, may our great Shepherd Jesus Christ choofehim whom he pleafeth for this Miniftry, and him felf begin carry on and compleat the whole Work ! His holy Name be praifed J' The two Candidates had Each a Text prefcribd them, that the Millionaries and Congregation might have a Tryal of their Gift in Preaching : Aaron preached firft, and afterwards delivered the jtollowing Extract of his Difcourfe: Beloved Beloved Friends ! our prefent Text contains (bme of the moft principal Points of Chnftia- nity and we may learn From it a true Type of a Chriftian Life. I defire therefore you would attentively hear, examine your felves by thefe Words of God, and every one endeavour to become a tr^e Chriftian. Romans VHI> 14-16- For as many as are led by the Spirit of God-, gre Sons of God; for ye have notreceivd the Spi- rit of Bondage again unto Fear; but ye have re- ceive! the Spirit of Adoption, whereby roe cry Ab- ba Father! The Spirit itfelf bearew Witnef sun- to our Spirit, that we are the Children of God. From thefe Words we will confider: Firft. What Spirit the Children of God are led by. Secondly. In what Manner God gives unto his Children the Spirit of Adoption. Firft. The holy Apoftle Paul does not (peak here of natural or fiich Men as are not born again, but of Chriftians. To the natural Man this Do&rineisFooliftinefs. 1 Cor. 2, 14. Eve- ry Man is led by fbme Spirit; either a good one, i. e. the Spirit of God or an evil one, i. e. the Devil. The Children of this World, who by the Redemption of Jefiis Chrift are not made free from the Tyranny of Satan are led. by the Spirit of the World unto many Sins, Vices and worldly Lufts ; for Satan is yet t>ow- erfull in them, but the Children of God are led by the holy Spirit unto all Manner of good Works, to a holy and blamelefs Converfation, ^ ( *49 ) to Love and every other Virtue Gal. 5,2 2. Thefe Fruits and good Works the holy Spirit Renovation he changd in rheir Hearts and Mind and wrought a good Purpefe and divine Mind in them, for they flee carnal Lufts and the Corruptions which reign in the World, Pfalms. 1, 2—. Thus they prove that they are no more Children of old Adam, that they are no more in their former Slavery, that they are made Children of God in Regeneration, and that they are purified and waflid by the Blood of Chrift 1 Cor. 6, 1 1 . This is the good Work which God works in the Believer by the Spl* rit of Chrift. Believers who by the Enlighr- ning of the holy Spirit are made Partakers of the Love of God and the perfect RighseouC- nefs of Chrift, dont fiiffer the Flefh to ruleo- ver them, but crucify it with its Lufts and De- fires; for the Works of the Flefh are Enmity a- gainfl God: They that do them are Children, of the World and of Darknefs, Such the Apo- ftle calls flefhly. Flefti is not in this Place the material Body,, but that Satan works bad Thoughts in fuch a Man, perfiiads him to folio whim and commit all Manner of Unclean- nefs, Error and Wickednefs. Thefe Vices we readofGal.5, 19.21. Now tho' thefe are guilty of fuch Works of Darknefs, yet they dont know their Mifery andUnhappinefs, becaufc they are deftitute of the Light and Guidance efthe holy Spirit. Ifanyfuchlhouldbe among works in them, whom - & ( *SO ) ?^ us, they have need to get their Hearts con- verted by Faith and Repentance and fo to turn unto Jefiis Chrift. There remains a great Dif- ference between the Children of God and the Children of the Devil. While a Man has not the Spirit of Chrift and lives without being born again, he is a Slave of his corrupted Flefh and knowingly and willingly does that which is evil. This needs no Proof, fiich a one's Con- version does it felf prove it; but who are they that are led by the Spirit of God? Our Text faith : As many as are led by the Spirit of God: Let them be who they will; Everyone that has an earneft Defire after this Redemp- tion of Jefiis Chrift, muft alfo fuffer himfelf to be led by his Spirit. In whofe Name are ye baptizd? In the Name of the Trinity. Therefore you ought not as before to do the Works of the Flefh and of Death; we alfo that are baptizd into the Death of Chrift, ought to walk in Newnefs of Life. In the new Life, which we have obtaind by Baptifm, we ought 'aifo to walk. The Gift which God gives us is eternal Life thro" Jefus Chrift our Lord. Rom. 6,23. Secondly. In the 1 5 and 1 6 Verfes we find two Things, which are fbme thing difficult to be underftood, viz. of the Spirit, of Bondage and of the Spirit of Adoption. What is that Adoption? It is in fhort the Glory and Inhe- ritance of the Children of God. The Spirit of God manifefts unto Men the exceeding great Ilovo Love of God in Chrift, arid thus he works in :he Heart a Confidence and Rejoycing in God md his Peace, this is Adoption. Examine your Hves whether you have this Teftimony, this is a great Satisfa&ion; as an obedient Child ieed not fear nor doubt the Love of his Father, [b the Children of God enjoy his Love in an undoubted Manner as a Proof of their Confi- dence. They fay unto him : Abba, my dear Father! Thou haft loved me and the World n Chrift fo greatly, that thou haft given thy 5on for me a Sinner ; that for my Sake, who im aloft Sinner, thou haft not {pared thy Son, md for his Sake thou haft given all that I ftand nNeed of. Merciful! Father J Who haft Ihewn me fo great Kindnefs, I firmly and fincerily :mft that thou wilt do yet more for me. This :s Adoption; thus is the Love of God Jhed abroad into the Hearts of Believers and powerfull in :hem Rom. 5 ,5. TrueChriftians are freed from Fear 1 Toh.4, 18. In the Difpenfation of the Did Teftament the Love of God in Chrift was lot fo clearly and fully reveald. Believers in :ho(e Days were under the Bondage of a Va- riety of Cerimonies. This is calld the Spirit Bondage, they were not in the Bondage )f Sin, only they did not enjoy fo great a De- cree of filial Confidence; but now God flied£ ibroad his holy Spirit with heavenly Bleffinss into Believers Hearts, this Spirit cries ; Abv& Father ! thus do they Ipeak in their joyful! Confidence Rom. % 31. 34. Thus does the Spi- ( t$2 ) fa rit powerfully bear Wirnefs in Believers Souls, v. 16, that they confidering their heavenly In- heritance do not feek the Things upon Earth, they know that they are Gods ( Children ) and rejoice in it 1 John. 5, 19, 20. The Day of his Ordination was fixed upon Dec 28. 1733- r here were eleven proteftant Minifters prefent. A Sermon was firft prea- ched in German for the Europeans that were prefent,on Jfaiah 66 j 21. And I alfo will take of them for Priefts and Levins, faith the Lord: which Words were fitly applied to the Solem- nity of that Day, all the Reft was tranfa&ed in the Malabarian or Tamulian Language, a lhort Difcourfe was deliverd before tfie Ordi- nation on John 10,12. lam a good Shepherd •> and then lie was ordaind by Prayer and Im- pofition of Hands, after which the new ordaind Minifter preachd a Sermon on Galatians 4,4. When the Fullnefs of Time was come %fc. and receivd the Sacrament with the Catechift and Congregation, Being thus inftru&ed in the Vineyard of the Lord he gave himfelf entirely over to his Work and approvd himfelf very faithfull and labo- rious in his Miniftry. His ftated Work was firft, to attend divine Service every Lords Day in feveral different Places, preaching one Sab- bath at one -the next at another Place, andfo taking his Rounds. 2. TooMervethe Celebra- tion ofChriftmafs, Eafter, Withfuntidean the Diftrift otMajaluram. 3. To travel fometimc 4? 053 )^ in the North and fometime in the Weftem Parts of this Diftrict. qly. To undertake a Jour- ney every Year into the remoteft Parts of the Kingdom of Tanjour to vifit the Churches* 5 ly. To travel every Year once as far South as Ramanadaburam to take Care of the Chri- ftians living in thofe Parts. 6ly. His principal Bufinefe in his Travels was to preach the Word of God to Chriftians and Heathens in private and publick, to adminifter the Ordi- nance and to endeavour to prepare Others (ot it, to mary, to confiilt with the Helpers and Catechifts concerning the Propagation of Chrifls Kingdom, as alfo to give them fuitable Admonitions to do their Duty, and laftly he was to mind the Education of Children and re- lieve the Sick and Poor in their temporal and fpiritual Diftrefles. 7 ly. When he returnd from his Journey to Tranckebar he did not fpend his Time idly but had alfo his Share of the Work. He affifted at our weekly Le&ures and Exercifes on the Bible, to get more Infight into the facred Oracles, fometime he himfelfread i Lecture to the Catechift andShooimaftersat Porreiar he alfo affifted in preparing the Cate- :htimenis for Baptifm; vifited the Adjacent tillages, fought Acquaintance with Chriftians md Heathens, preached the Kingdom of God md endeavourd the Increafe of his Church < fometime he alfo preachd at Tranckebar > and bad the Infpe£tion over the Shools, at anda- Dout Porreiar atidSandirapadihQaKoQxammd h the ( 154 ) fa the monthly Accounts of the Afliftants and converfd with them concerning their Office, and brought all Matters of Confequence before us in our Conference, which we held every Fryday, all thefe Things are Proofs of his Di- ligence and Fidelity; once giving an Account of thefe Things to the Colledge of the Million at Coppenhagen^ he concludes : Many Failing attend thefe my Labours^ feeing lam in m) f elf 5 unfit for any good Undertaking; yet the Strength of the Lord and the Inter ceflion of the Faithpdl will infpire me with new Life, this I certainly be- lieve. We may with great Iuftice bear him Te ftimony, that according to his Knowledge and the Gifts and Graces, which God bellowed upon him, he labourd faithfully, and that his Miniftry has been veryufefull to the Congre- gation in Town and Country, and if we con- sider the Work in the Country, where Labou- rers are but few, and whether we cannot go ourfelves. His Lofs is greater then if One of us had been taken away, his Behaviour was fiich, that all Sorts of People Chriftians as well as Heathens had not only an Eiteem for, but alfo great Confidence in and Love toward him. In many Cafes he was able to give very good Advice, he had a peculiar Skill to find out how God had worked upon the Souls ofthemea- neft of the People, he could give a good Ac- count of the State of Congregation and knew the Condition of each Member, and how they ought to be dealt with, he had a good Gift to n cate- Catechize, and knew in his Sermons how to condefcend to the meaneft and dulleft Capa- city, he had a pathetick Way to reprove thofe that walk'd difbrderly and knew how to deal very gently with thefick and diftrefs'd. The Sufferings he met with, he endured with un- common Firmnefs and Conftancy, beyond all Doubt this faithfull Servant now enjoys the Fruits of his Labours, Concerning the Sicknefs and happy End Dtthis Teacher of the Gentiles, he was all- ways of a weakly Conftitution, a Horfe was purchafd him to travel with more Eafe, yet ie perform'd raoft of his Journies in great Weaknefs of Body, fometimes he would :ome home to poorly that his Recovery was kfpair'd of; his laft Travels efpecially thofe n the Year 1745 were very painful to him, fet he would make little or no Complaint, n the Month of May when he returned from Wajahram, he faid, that this little Journey iad been more painfull than that longer one o Ramanadaburaniy where he had been in darch before, and the fudden Death of a Ta- milian Soedti or Merchant being related to dm, he faid, if this young and hearty Man lied, how much moreReafon have I to think •fit? He accordingly always took his Leave >t us in fuch a Manner, as tho' he expefted iot to fee us any more. His laft Journey ras June the 4th 1745. when he celebrated 'enticoft with the Chriftians in the Diftriaof L a Maja« 4>( 156 Majaburan : He then feem'd Pretty well; but in his Journey he got a fmal Impofthume and Fever, which hindred him from travelling about as he had purpofd, yet he got the fcatterd Chriftians and Alliftants to meet at 7attenur y and according to the Teftimony of them that were prefent, under his great Pains he preach'd very powerfully, he warn'd the Affifl :ants of the Tempers of Hirelings, and exhorted them to be faithfull. Among other Things he told the Chriftians, that this would be the laft So- lemnity he fhould celebrate with them, and that therefore they fhould endeavour it might prove a Blefting unto them and not a Curfe. One that had been guilty of a great Scandal but was again reconcile! with the Church, he mo- vingly intreated to be right fenfible of his Sins, and to endeavour to overcome them by the Grace of God. As he was unable to ride or walk, he was carried home in a Palankin, and arrivd the 1 1 th of June in a very miferable Con- dition. The Diftemper that he was frequently fiibje£l to a Pneumatocele or kind of windy Rupture alfo feiz'd him. This valuable Man foon perceiv'd that this would be his laft Sick- tiefs. When one of us came to fee him at Por- veiaty he faid : My Travels in the Country are over. He feem'd to mend a little and the 23d of June, he came to Tranckebar to the Wedding of his Daughter with our Shoolmafter the Son j of his Colleague Diogo. We were in Hopes then to enjoy his Help and Affiftance yst Ion- 1 g er > I it* ger; but o what Terror and Grief was it to us to fee him on his fick-and dying Bed the Day after, and the following, i. e. 25 June to fee him a Corpfe and in his Grave. He intended June 24, being St. John the Baptifts Day, to go to Town to Church and ac- cordingly was ready dreffd, whenonafiidden fbme yiolent Symptoms of his Diftemper appeard; as fbon,as this happend he begun to doubt of his Recovery and therefore fent a MefTenger to us into the Church, begging that One of us would come and (peak a fuita- ble Word of Preparation for Death to him ; One of us went and found him in moft exqui- [ite Pain he was leaning upon his Colleague Diogo, who exhorted him to cleave clofe to Jefus Chrift. The Miffionary continued and put him in Mind of the tender Mercy of our God; whereby the Day-fpring from on high hath vifited us-> to give Light to them that jit in Dark- tefsy and in the Shadow of Death. The Great- iefs of his Pain would hardly allow him to peak or to keep his Thoughts together ; yet le would conftantly figh, O Jefus, o Jefus J VlyLord, my Lord! My Saviour, my Sa- Hour J Thou that haft fiifFerd for me, have VIercy upon me J Thou that haft been cruci- ied and didft die for me, have Mercy on me [ rle thenfaid: My Saviour! muft I be calld tway under fiich terrible Pains ? Alas they are ntolerable, yet thy Will be done, the Cries nd Tears of Jefus in his Agony in Gethfemane L 3 were * ( 158 ) 'ft Were mentiond to him, and he exhorted to endure with Patience ; this he attentively heard and then cried feveral Times loudly : Call me, my Lord! Call me foon, I befeech Thee! Do£l. Cnoll and fome Malabarian Phyficians were employdand feveral Remedies applied; but to no Purpofe, this made him fay ; Why will you weary me with much Phyfick ? I fliall live no longer, my Time is come to depart, he orderd his two Sons in Law to fit by him, whom he embraced and gave them fome need- full Exhortations, efpecially to be obedient to their Teachers; he orderd his youngeft Child to be brought, kiffd and dimiffedit. He faid: Lord ! Thou knoweft that I have fervd Thee in Sincerity, Thou art Witnefs of my ranging Fields and Woods in this Caufe. Hisincreat ing Pains hindred Him from (peaking, only he would cry: My Jefus, my Lord! Take me away, take me away! As the Miffionary had been about two Hours with Him, he told Him twice that he fatigued Himfelf too much, and would have Him go home again. He recom- mended to us his prefent Widow and ChiU dren, and we commended him Soul and Body into the Arms of his heavenly Father ; at Par- ting He feveral Times put the Milfionary's Hand to his Fore-Head, and fo took Leave pf Him. In the Afternoon Another of the Milliona- ries vifited Him, as foon as he faw Him, he bowed his Head, took his Hand and faid : My Pains Pains will not give me one Quarter of an Hours Intermiffion to fpeak with you. He was told of the great Pains of his Saviour and thegrear Glory, which was awaiting Him; buttheMiC- fionary Himfelf was fb affe&ed that he could not fay much to Him, and he grew wea- ker and weaker. When the black Phyfici- ans intended to give Him another Medicine, hefaid: It is to no Purpofe, I ftiall depart, the Grace of God is fiifficient for me and for us all. He then defued, Another of the Mi£ fionaries fhould come and give Him the Sa- crament, who accordingly came, but found Him in fiich a Situation that he could not fpeak much with Him, he could not remain long in the famePofture. UncJer thefe violent Motions of his Body he would often cry : O Lord, o Jefiis! Deliver me! Sometime after he was afked whether he was now willing to partake of the Ordinance? He (aid: Yes, I defird it long ago ; he feemd in a very penitent humble and believing DifpofitionofMind and accord- ingly receivd it in Prefence of his Colleague Diogo and feveral others, who wifhd that it might not only beaStrenghtning to his Soul, but alfoaBlefling to give Him fbme Eafe in the violent Pains of his Body. At the Milfio- nary's Departure he commended him to the Lord of Life and Death, at which he bo wd his Head and took his Leave ,• the Malah avian Phy- ficians, that felt his Pulfe, gave up all Hope* We ftill had fome glimmering Hope, but afr L 4 t» ( ito ) ter he paft the Night in unfpeakable Pains and Crying, his Soul was at laft deliverd from its frail Body, and introduced into the Reft of the Lord. He left his Wife big with Child and was the Father of nine Children ; may he have a much larger Number of fpiritual Children to prefent unto the Lord on the Day of his Appearance J He died much lamented both by Heathens and Chriftians. The fame Day he was buried the Danijb Miflionaries attended his funeral Sermon on the Words to the Angel at Smyrna : Be thou Faitbfull unto Deaths and I will give thee the Crown of Life. In^he Sermon the Prea- cher took Notice i. oftfie Exhortation given: Be thou Faitbfull z. Tlie Promife thereunto annexd: I will give thee the Crown of Life. He obfervd that thofe, to whom the Dire&ion is given, muft firft have become Faithfull unto tefiis, either firft in Baptifm, or if they have broken their baptifinal Vow, in* their Repen- tance ; he fhewd that this Faithfullnefs confL fted in this: That the Heart fincerily cleaves to Jesus, and that our Eye is toward Him to pleafe Him in all Things, that wedonotfeek our own, nor the Eafe of the Flefh, the Ap-r plaufe of the World, nor an Affluence of the Things of this Life, but only thofe Things, which are Chrift's, his Glory, the Praife of his Name, tho' it fhould be with the Lofs of our SubftarMX, our Liberty, our good Name or even of our Lives ? which is here chiefly inten-. intended) be Faithfull nor only unto Reproa- ches and Sufferings, Bonds and Imprifbnment but unto Death of Martyrdom, great Strength is required to be thus Faithfull ; but Chrift, who commards it, alfo gives it, and in the firft Heathenifh Perfecution Many did tHus abide Faithfull. Under the fecondHeaditwasobfervd, that it is the fame Thing, when Jesus fays in ano- ther Place : He that endureth to the End, jhall he faved. This Salvation deferves the^Name of * Life, as it is a Deliverance from every Evil, and an Enjoyment of every Happinefs. It is :alld a Crown of Life to teach us the Excellency 3f it, and that it is given only unto Conque- rors. No Man is crowned, unlefs he ftrive lazps / r ully : It is therefore fbmetime promifd to him :hat overcometh. But after all it is a meer free 3ift out of the Hands of a kind Saviour, which hefe crowned Heads are wellfenfibleof, and herefore lay their Crowns at his Feet, finging tn eternal Hallelujahs In the Application Notice was taken, that >ur deceafed Fellow-Labourer in the Prime )f his Years forfbok Heathenifm, and his ufts and bowd his Neck under the Yoke of he Lord Jesus Christ, chat for 27 Years he lad fb faithfully fervd him, that we certainly >elieve, Jesus had given him the promifa >own of Life, which was a very comfortable ^onfideration to his Friends and Family. At kft all were exhorted to Confider Chrifts L 5 Exhqr- & ( Ifi* ) ft Exhortation, as made unto themih particular; Ye Miffionaries! You the Preacher in the Country! Ye Catechifts! Ye Shoolmafters I Ye Converts and Children ! Be ye faithfull, if any have been otherwife, let them become fb now, if any have been or are faithfull, now let them continue fb till Time and Strength is confirmed in the Service of Jefus. It is uncertain when he /hall come; but it is very certain, he will greatly reward us, if he finds faithfull at his coming. Lords day after another Miffionary explain'd Heaven-, write from henceforth, blejfed are the Dead, that die in the Lord, fpr the Spirit faith, that they reft of their Labour and their JVorh jollom after them. The Miffionaries conclude praying that God would raife and fend faithfull Labourers into his Vineyard in thefe heathenifh Countries. We are, (ay they, ftill obligd to complain, the Harveft truly it great, but where are the La- bourers ? And it is to be wifhed that God may prepare Inftruments for his Service to propagate his Kingdom, and add, that it may at laft be heartily attempted in these Parts of the Weft as it hath been fb happily effe&ed in the Eaft, that the Heathen may walk in the Light of the Gofpel,and while we are become the Pofleflbrs of their Country and live by their Sweat, they may be made Fellow-Citi- zens of the Saints and of the Houfehold of God. Sophia Apoc. 14, 1 3. And I heard Voice from Sophia Hunter ( Jdegerin ) Was a Daughter of te Rev. Mr. Wolfgang Hunter D. D. S. T. P. and Chancellor ot the Univerfity of Tubingen ; her Heart was early filld with the Knowledge and Love of divine Things and in her very Infancy Ihe made Conference of Secret Prayer and difcoverd as great an Averfion to the Vanities of the Age and an earnelt defire to live only for God in the World. About a twelve Month before her Death ftie was feizd with a violent Palpi- tation of the Heart and very great Weaknefs, and tho' by the ufe of Proper Remedies ftie feemd in a hopefiill Way of Recovery* yet not long after a terrible Cough very near finiftid her Life. She Shewd wonderfull Pa- tience and asfconas it gave her Leave to fpeak ftie declard, that ftie wanted to be diflolvd and to be with Chrifl. It pleafd God fo to blefs the Ufe of means, that her friends con- ceivd good Hopes of her getting over; but ftie told that ftie did not defire this, that her Death would be the moft wellcome to her, the nearer it was at hand, that Ihe would rather choofe to be with God, then to dwell longer in a wicked World. Four days before ftie died ftie felt fb well, that ftie begun to figh : I am afraid, I ftiall recover, now I am difpofd to die and would die chearfully, this is a feducing World. O that it was the Will of God to take me out Qf of it. That fame Night She was vifited with fiich a Palpitation and Uneafinefs of Heart, Sighing and Groaning after God, her Friends endeavourd in the beft Manner, they were able to comfort her, fhe liftend to them, with the greateft Attention imaginable, till at laft fhe cried out in the moft moving Manner : Alas I can pray no more ! O Jesus have Mercy on me, I can pray no more. Her Father who fat upon her Bet (aid to her: My dear Child J It you cannot pray, you have an Advocate that prays for you, Jesus your Saviour, lay hold on him by Faith. She replied: O the Diftrefs of my Heart is enlarged, yet if I could but pray, alas I can- not pray, her Father returnd: My deareft Heart, this earneft Defire of yours to pray, God will receive as tho you had OfFerd a verbal Prayer and Paul aflureth you, that the holy Spirit makethlnterceffion for you with Signs and Groans, which cannot be utterd. She continued notwithftanding: O if I could but pray, my Heart is in great Diftrefs! I cannot hold out fb no longer, fhe chatterd like a Crane or Swallow and mournd as a Dove Jer. 38) 14. Her affli&ed Father faid to her: My dear Child! Since your Diftrefs is fb very great, make complaint of it to your Saviour; Tell Him and put Him in Mind, how often he promifd in his Word not to forlake the Soul thatcrfes after Him, tell Him feveral Hours together in it it is high Time to help and aflift you in your Calamity, plead with Him to (hew you his Mercy and Faithfullnefs and make it Manifeft that he is your Father and Redeemer, put Him in Mind of the Word of his Grace. After this fl?e lovingly look'd at her Father and faid : Now I can again, blefled be God J Now I can pray again and then pourd forth a Prayer of Faith, the Words flowd like a Stream and her Parents much Lamented that they did not put her Prayer down in Writing. She (aid among other Things: O what a land Father art thou! O what a comforting Father! O how doft thou refrefli me ! how doft thou relieve my troubled Soul J O loving Saviour J O fweeteft Brother] How powerfully do I perceive that thou art my Saviour and Redee- mer ! O facred Trinity how heartily will I Eraife thee in Eternity 1 Now are my Praifes ut Weaknefs and Irnperfe£tion, but in Eter- nity where I foon fhall arrive ; there will I my dear Jesus with all Angels and Chofen ones fing an eternal Hallelujah unto thee! O Tweet- eft Jesus J How will I rejoice in thee J My dear Father! My dear Mother! dont weep for me, my Cafe is very good, I never was in fo happy a Condition all my Life before now. Her Father who could hardly fpeak for his Tears, replied: My dear Soul] Thefe are not Tears of Sorrow but of Joy, continue thus to be Faithfull unto your Saviour in conftant Pa- tience and Faith, yet a little ftruggle more and you & C 1S6 ) & you /hall obtain the Crown of a glorious Eter- nity. How happy are you! Would to God J I might thus go to Heaven with You J She re- plied : I readily believe it and beggd her Mo- ther not to indulge her felf fo much in Grief. After this ftie faid: The Kindnefs of a Father is great) the Kindnefs of a Mother is great; but the Kindnefs of my God in Heaven is much greater. She had faid fome Days before, that fhe was aflitrd of Gods Love to her and alfb of her hearty Love to Him. This lively fpiriaial Joy in God and Freedom from Pain lafted about an Hour, and then a ftormy Dark- nefs fiicceeded, which fhe perceiving cried out with a deep Sigh : Alas here is my Anxiety returning! O that I may not grow impatient and offend againftmy God! O Anima mea! 0 my Soul! faid fhe: How art thou dif quieted within me! When the 42 Pfalm was mentiond to her: As the Hart panteth after the Water^ Brooks, %fc. fhe very devoutly repeated it; . but when fhe came to the Words : My Tears are my Food Night and Day, fhe faid : No, this 1 cannot fay of my felf, fiich a Calamity, I have not yet experienced to fhed Tears Night and Day. O Mercyfull Father! Thou halt been more Mercyfull to me than this. It pleafd God to try her yet more and to refine her like Gold She fighd, groand and prayd continually* that God would not forfake her, and beggd One of her Relations to pray for Her, that fhe might in the refining Pot of ( 1*7 > light not defpair under this heavy Vifitation. he then mentiond a very comfortable Paflage ut of a Hymn, and embraced her Mother and ifling her faying: It is thee, o dear Mother] whom fhe never ufd fbtofpeak to) that haft tught me this comfortable Hymn. Her Fa- ler was in very heavy Affli&ion, and (aid to le Phyfician, that tended her all Night, my ear Brother ! God is fhewing me unfpeakable lercy thus to comfort my Child in her great "emptations ; but now I wifti nothing more ut that God would grant her afpeedy Deliv- erance, and accordingly retired to his Room ) pray for the fame. About an Hour after he iturnd and hardly opend the Door, when is Brother in Law the Phyfician told him, ow has Godfulfilld your Defire, and is this loment taking away your dear Child ; the ather then run to tne Child, which feemd a erfeft Corpfe and cried into her Ears : Fa- ierf Into thy Hands I commit my Spirit. At lis fhe unexpectedly raifed herfelf, folded her lands and very intelligibly repeated: Father! nto thy Hands I commit my Spirit took hold f her Father and added to his Words: Thou aftredeemd me, o thou God of Truth J An- ther Friend of hers perceiving that fhe could ot fpeak but with Difficulty, mentiond the pirits Praying in our Hearts, when our Lips :e paft fpeaking; to thisflie again clearly re- lied : Abba, my Father ! After this fhe drew earer and nearer to her End. She faid her- felf: (elf, It will foon be over, then turnd herfelf and (aid : Confummatum eft, It is finiftid, fo took her Leave of her Parents, whom flie thankd for all their Kindnefs, and beggd them at her Funeral to remember the Poor. They wanted at her Delire to take her out of Bed ; but while they were bufy about it, Ihe fell gently afleep in the Arms of her Saviour. Thus did her Soul enter into the Reft of the Children of God in the fifteenth Year of her Age, and this Account of her laft Hours loudly calls upon all young People to follow after Her, as fhe followed after Jefiis. The following Account Tranflated from the German and publiflied originally in that Language. The worthy Perfbn, who is the fubjeft of this Account was a Baronet in the Kingdom o(Pruffiay a Gentleman of a moderate For- tune, his real Eftate, confifting in two Vil- lages; in one of which he departed this Life in the Year 1749. The Account of his pious Behaviour on his Death-Bed, was given by one of his intimate Friends, and the Remarks theron by Another pious and worthy Gentleman : AsthePublifljer thought proper to conceal thofe Gentlemen's Names (they both being well knorvn in the Neighbour* hood of the Deceafed } ) we will follow his Ex- ample. My My Dear Friend. LTOU defire a true Relation of what occu- A red worthy of Notice in the laft Hours )f our worthy Friend C. L. P. deceafed ; vhom Providence hath transferred from ■Vorks to Rewards, a) Let us confider, that vc are now acting our Part of the lalt Scene >n the Stage of this World, being arrived to hat JErZy which declares our Deflation ta »e nigh. And as the fincere Piety and real aith of our beloved Friend Ihone bright as le Light of a Taper on the Candleftick, and s a City on a Hill, and you ardently defire 3 know, what was the End of his Faith, how : demonftrated its Operating and effectual mfluences, and how flrongly fortifying his oul at the approach of the King of Terrors; am willing my dear Friend to fatisfy your lequeft as much as polfible, as I not only lw him expire, but never left him for above i Hour during the whole Courfe of his llneft. M Tha a) To receive creditable News, that a Perfon is promot* I to Honour, or efcaped the Danger of Rum, is Caufe of >y to all his fincere Friends, who being united by an indif* lvable Bond cannot but participate of his Happinefs and [ifery, especially thofe who awfully confider the Difference itween Time and Eternity, and the great Importance of a vourable Paffage over the Borders of Death ; and that one their molt intimate Friends received the folemn Summons a delightful Meflagc, and the Ring of Terrors as a pleafanc >nvoy, to conduft his Soul out of innumerable Per4s untp. iaitc E*ppin$& ( 170 ) fa The Night before his Entrance into a ble£ fed Eternity* he intreated me to leave him alone, being weary and requiring fome Sleep, as I alfo had'Need of Reft, and when he waked, he would let me know it, to which I was ob- liged to confent, for he refufed to grant tlie Requeft I made to fit up with Him. I therefore went into the next Chamber, and threw myfelf on the Bed of one of his Ser- vants, who continued fitting at the Outfide of the Door. I could not neep for a long While, for my Soul was difturbed ; at laft thro 5 Fatigue I fell into a Slumber, and per- haps had continued therein an Hour longer, had I not been awakend by the ftrong Motions of the Difquietude of my Soul. When awoke I found myfelf Reftlefs and thinking, I heard him fpeak.* I haftened to enter his Chamber, when one .of his Servants informed me, that his Matter fpoke aloud for fome Time, and thought he was praying. I intended not to difturb him in that fo- lemn Exercife, and therefore flood at his Chamber-Door and heard him diftinftly utter thefe Words, b) The great Riches of thy Mer- cy Here is 9 extraordinary exciting Circumftances worthy of Obfervatioru Firft, That Prayer Is the moft bleffed Pre- paration of the Soul for a Paflage into the Land ofPromife, whofe Feet was then actually ftepping into Jordan, i. ) The fincere filial and plcnifidential Sighs, which the Spirit of Sup- plication and Adoption produced from the inmoft of the Soul. 3.) That the Truth, (if we afk according to his Will tie bears us.) recorded in 1 John 5, 14. was here demonftrated by a&ual Experience. ( 17*) # y &nd Grace, O my Redeemer j wor— hy ro be worftiipped, 1 know that thou fa- vourably accepteft my mean Oblation, until \ am made perfectly conformable unto thy ikenefs in 'Glory which will foon be ; then hall I be enabled to offer Thee a better* Vly whole Heart fwims in Delight - - - - Yes* Eternal Praifes and Thanks giving will Iren- ler to thee for thy Redemption, Unfpeakable /V'ifdom and Bounty in thy paternal Con- lu£t May I befeecli! — - To Day let me >e with Thee approach thy Throne ? > -> What Splendor ! - - - - Is it poffible ! I am lot worthy - - Ah what comfortable In- luences excite my Soul to Adoration : Here le was Silent. I then relented that I had not pent that Time of my Slumbers in Watching t my Friend's Door, whereby I might have leard more of edifying Petitions made, by >ne thus ftanding on the Brink of Death. I ftept foftly into his Chamber, and few my mcovered and lome what declining; c) His £yes clofed with reverential Tears rolling lown his Venerable Cheeks, as an effect of he paflionate Embraces of his chafte Soul in he Arms of its divine Bridegroom : Never M 2 did 0 A blefled Offering mixt with Tears of joy and Comfort s a fweet Fruit of the fimilar Quality, our beloved Saviour hed from his fatred Heart* mentioned Hebr. 5, 7. Such ars ecorded in Heaven, as one of its Favourites was aflured of# vhen he addrefled the Throne, and declares it to us in hi& 6 Pklm his Bed, with his Head * Cm) ?*> did I view his hoary Head crown d wjfh that Dignity as it then appeared to wear, in this his iaft and fblemn Hour of Departure. The whole Frame of his Countenance de- clared that his Spirit lay proftrate in Adora- tion before God. And here in Him I firft faw in what facred Pomp a fincere Soul Ap- pears who truly honours the divine Majefty when he prays to his Father in Secret, and feels with Energy, that his Petition is graci- oufly heard and has Audience before the Throne of Grace, Here might be feen por- tray d to the Life a flameing and exalting Seraph crying, Holy! Holy] Holy! is the Lord God of Sabaoth, all the Earth is full of his Glory. This made fuch an ImprelKon on my Heart, as powerfully attracted my Soul to unite with Him in the like folemn Wor- fliip : And then I thought my Spirit lay proftrate with His before the Throne of Grace, oblating thefe our fenfible Devotions. I thought : d) O J That a Libertine could fee this bleffed d) Thefe are Thoughts confident with the Frame of a no- ble Chriftian Spirit, fimilar to theDifpofition of divine Good- nefs, who willeth not the Deftru&ion of any, but rather that All repent and be faved thro' the Knewlcdge of the Truth: But in the mean While it may be feared, that the Cafe of mo- dern Libertines is agreable with thofc, our Saviour mentio- ned Luke 19,5. For are they ignorant of the many Footftcps of divine Mercy and Love manifefted in Jefus (Thrift, which in plain pathetick Terms is declared to Mankind in facred Writ, and at certain Hours wound their Confciences like a two edged Sword? And altho* their ftubborn Hearts defpifc, , exclude and obftinately determine to oppofe it untill the v be- tame blind and obdurate, might not the happy Exit of this / ( 173 ) lefled Scene, for here the divine Power of •ue Religion would convince him of his )rrors better than all the Arguments that can e devifed by the Wit of man. For here fas felt the happy State of a Soul, that fince- ely feared and truly believed in God. Some time after I had view'd my Friend n this his profound and holy Frame ; his Spl- it returned to the Motion and Ufe of his >xternal Senfes; and opening his Eyes he lerceived me ftanding at his Bediide, with i calm Countenance he ftretch'd forth his Hand towards me: And faid: Mv Friend, my worthy and faithful Friend ! The Time will come, when you will join me to praile God in endlefs Happinefs above. O how dorius and inexpremble is the Love ol God to the Children of Men, which he has de- clared to us in that Redemption wrought by his Son, and prepared for us in the heavenly Manfions ; let us adore his Wifdom and Grace, and in Everlafting Friendftup pa« ake of each others portions of Glory and Wor- ftiip,till we can Contemplate on his Glo^s Attributes in the innumerable Caelettiai Spheres above. In the Interval accept ot thefe my final and hearty Thanks, for tn Lord caufedaW S eep to wm, » good Mem to relrefh and augment them, for the Per, formance ( 175 ) ?*» cleman his Son entered into the Room; and weeping approached the Bed of his dying t a- ther The pious Parent raifed his Body and fetup in hisBed,then with a fedateCountenance that difcoverd a true paternal Heart, earneitly viewing his mourning Son for fome Minuts in folemn Silence he after broke forth inthefe Words : f) , My Son ! God calls me near to him ,felf, and I feel perceptibly that a few MmuB only prevent my Exit; It was my laft With to fee you my only Child beforeldie; my Defire is fulfilled: And therefore I take my Leave of this World with greater Content- ment e) Mv temporal Eftate which by your ! Affiftance is in good Order, will very fhortly be your Poffeffion, It is free ofDebt orany ' y M 4 ,Incom- D A „ -vrord mif comfortable pattern, wncicuy ^ u ^TllT PrWi led *es between thofe that feek the Fa- 4T< *7« )# ,heumbrances. I bequeath it to you as a free ,GiftofProvidence. There isno Imprecation , upon it, nor a angle Penny-worth gaind by >Injuftice, orpincnd by ImmoderaFion, or ,abbrigd from any by Inhumanity. Both the 3 MannorsIpurchafed with that Money, your , Mother inheritedfrom her pious Father 40 , Years ago. I never gaind a Foots Breadth of K S" 1 th £ Rlch b y GuiIe ' orfromthePoor , by Oppreffion, now if you preferve this your , Inheritance free from Avarice and Iniuftice, ,Idlenefs and Prodigality, as pure as it is left ,to you; then with the like good Confcience , you can leave it to your Heirs. /;) InmyAc- ,compts you will find an Article of jooDol- ,iars, which I have annually tranfmitted for ,20 Years £aft on the 4 th Day ofFebr. to N. ,N. Merchant of the City of N. N. which *has been always Faithfully delivered into the , Hands of the decay 'd Lord of and af- *™ uP eC ?i to his im Poverimd Children. , My beloved Son J This Lord of N. N. would ,fain have wedded your virtuous Mother, but , being difappointed ; two Days after I was mar- ried nf*?n ^"° ble r Mi ! ld ! nd «« d » t0 ^ concerned for the Relief ^"^ 0^ ,^^^ hisl J tmoft Endeavours to dl fhn£ Ti- d s , L, £ J - and not on 'y to fupply his Need, but ( 177 ) ^ ,riedtoher, hedifchargedaPiftol at me, and . miffing his Aim he poifoned me, but thro' ,the infinite Mercy of God by the Hand of ( (pedal Providence I efcaped its mortal Effe£L . Several Years afterwards this unfortunate Man , by his Prodigality was^ reduced to the uttmoft' , Poverty, and being then in a married State, ,it made his Condition more miferable. I re- turned hearty Thanks to God, that his wife .Providence had given me an Opportunity to .relieve my Enemy in hisDiftreft, and chofe ,to do it on the fame Day of the Year that the .Lord had deliverd me from this my Adver- , far y. And now, my Son ! This is the Reafon, r .that ever fince annually on the 4 th Day of ,Febr.Iremaind longer in my Bed-Chamber ,than ufual, and chearfully difpatchd our , Huntsman with a Packet to me faia Merchant. , And know further that three Years ago I ap- pointed a fpecial Thanksgiving at our cufto- ,mary Time of Evening- Wormip : It was be- ,caufe I was creditably informed, that the (aid , Baronet had truly repented and redeemed ,his Soul from Death by the Mercy of God, ,who deliverd my Life out of his Hand. This , Penfion, my Son J continue to fend to the Care > of the faid Merchant N. N., on whofe Silence ,and Faithfullnefs you may depend, and do >fo as long as this poor Family has Need of ,it. I know your H@art, and therefore can j expeft you ' do it, or eife I would intreat you ? as a Friend, and command you asaFatner; M 5 but 4* ^78 ) but take fpecial Care ? that this Secret be buried y with you in Silence. 5 And above all Things, my Son ! Seek after , a chearfull Heart and lading Comfort by a 5 difcreet Liberality to the Poor. I hope that : thofe your indigent Brethren will find in you >that companionate Relief, which they can 5 no more expeft from me; and that your no- 5 ble Mind will conceal the Fountain, from 3 whence thofe Streams of Benefaction flow. 5 Confcience is the moft proper Scene ofVir- 3tue, and our beft Anions obtain no Applaufe 3 from God, as long as we are Oftentatious 3 and delight in the vain Praifes of Men. 3 You know that my Domefticks are grown 3 old and gray in my Service, and are no more >able to perform their Duty infuch Manner, 3 as your Youth and Vivacity may require; 3 therefore difcharge them, but let them have , a fiifficient Maintenance and the Ufe of the ,Dwelling-Houfe I have provided for them , during their Lives, that they may live and P die in Peace. i) ) Give the old Gardener a double Salary, 3 and Q A worthy Obfervation how the Providence of God re- wards Faithful Service. He who refufed to ferve Sin, is now doubly recompenced for the Service of Virtue. O that Ser- vants and Adminiftrators of all Degrees would wifely learn the Leflbn of the Gardner, wherein true Fidelity confilts; but the moft of Servants are of that mean grovelling Spirit, to do a Thing if requefted and bribbed by their Matters, the Conferences of which is the Ruin of both Souls and Bodies, according to the truft repofed in a Servant, the Equaliity of Fi- delity is to be fhewn to the Matter, and what is more noble and ,and one of the Kitchin-Gardens for his own ,Ufe, becaufe he prevented me in my Youth ,from being guilty of an immoral A&ion, and ,refufed a Handful! of Ducats, which I offered ,for his Afliftance in the wicked Defigh: But , threw the Money down on the Table with , Indignation, faying: I will rather quit your ,Houfe and Service, thanbeacceiTary to your , Crime. And therefore in the Choice of your , new Servants chufe Such, who have theCha- raaer of Sobriety and godly Fear. Suffer , none that are Drunkards or Prophane to con- , tinue with you, tho' they be able and fkillfull ; ,for believe this, my Son! that from a long , Series I have experienced, that none will ferve ,Man Faithfully who difregard God. Be a , grave, jutt, orderly, meek and kind Matter, 5 and confider that your Servants are Men like , your felf, and for one Man to defpife Another ,becaufe he. pays him Wages for his Service, , declares his Mind to be ignoble, his Senti- ,ments unreafonable and his Behaviour a Re- proach to his Family, and Abomination in ,the Sio-ht of that awfull omnifcient Being, ,who in Wifdom has difoofed human Crea- .tures in the Condition ofdiftinguifhable Cha- ,raaers for his own Glory. Endeavour to be , a Pattern of good Example to your Family, ,and confider that a Matter demeans himfelf ,fhame- and ineftimable, than the Difcharge of a good Confcience in both' Certainly none. Therefore the more they ad according %0 the ftridt Rules of Virtue, the greater is their Merit. ( i8o ) fa ,mamefully in the Eyes of his Domefticksby , vicious and leud Praftices, and is void of that , Quality, by which he mould rule in the , Hearts of his Servants. Be induftrious and , orderly, but not covetous; Be not afhamed V S 1 r done ' but continue the daily , Worihip of God in yourHoufe, that it may ,abide an Houfe of Prater, and in the Com- munion of your whole Family offer up your > who is the grand , Matter of All; for if your Servants fear God j and walk before Him in the Paths of Virtue, ,Vou will be free from many Perplexities, that ,lome Matters are tortured with by wicked j Servants, and it will contribute much to make ,your Life eafy. Therefore remember theE- ,xamples of ancient Times, when found Rea- son was more efteemd than affe<3ed Witt, , Virtue honoured butlnfolence defpifed, ,And this my worthy Friend here prefent , I recommend to your peculiar Notice, regard ,him with Reverence, honour his Merits and ,etteem his Love: You will find m him the j^are and indulgent Heart of a tender Parent, a which I can no longer demonftrate to you. ,Obey every particular of his Faithfull and ,well experienced Counfel, butefpecially imi- tate his Exemplary Life. , As to you, my dear Friend ! I have no Need ,to intreatyou to continue your Love to me in , my only Son, for I know you, and in that , Knowledge I am perfectly eafy. k),My 4t( "m ) & k) , My Son ! Do not forget to exhort Mr. N. >N. the Minifter, (which for fome Months , part I called into one of the Villages) not to , indulge any avaricious Defire, nor to covet , Gifts and Prefents, but to remember the Ad- vice he heard from me, when I was lately , with him. And if ydur Admonition becomes ,Fruitlefs, then endeavour ifpoflible to get ,rid of this unworthy Preacher; but the other , Clergy-Man who lives here, efteem and let , him partake of your Bounty, for he is an ,honeftMan, hefpeaksashethinks, and lives ,up to the Doctrine that he preaches; and con- sider that there is no Authority of more , Weight than that o£JusPatronatusf and there- fore if the Patron be negleafull in the due , Execution of that Power, he certainly will ,incenfe the divine Juftice to execute on him ,a Judgment proportionable to the Merit of ,his Crime in the dreadfull Day of his Ac. , count; for if you thruft into the Church a , mercenary Clergy-Man, or One whofePra- ,aice is infamous, then will the Blood of thole ,abufed Souls be required at your Hands; and your Portion will exceed that, which the , felf interefted Hireling mall partake with you. , In lO When Teachers are burning and lhining Lights, they are worthy of double Honour, and carnal unconverted Mi- nifters, tho' they may live honeftly and preach expertly, are not fit to be the Guides of Souls : Therefore Patron Ihouli take Care, that the Churches be not burdened with !>ucn. * Jus Patronntm, a Right in Gtrm»ny to place or dtfpfo^ a Clergyman, refiding in the Lord of tke U^oi.. , In the Choice of a Wife efteem found Rea- son and Underftanding, rather than a volatile 5 Witt; and a good Education, rather than a > great Fortune, and prefer good Order and , Decency, before Pomp and gaudy Attire. y Let it be your chief Care to feek one that ) truly fears God; but be cautious of being 5 impofed upon by a Perfon, that is intoxicated , with Party-Zeal, enflaved to Bigottry, or a y deluded Votary to falfe Devotion; for if you y marry a whimfycal Enthufiaft, or one who ,hath quenched the Motions of internal Reli- y gion, you will meet with a croud of Vexations, y and pafs your Time unhappy. Ol may y Providence fend you foch a one as your pi- lous Mother, in whofe virtuous fellow/hip ,1 enjoyed the abounding Comforts of aNa- , tural Life. , Here my Friend ftopt for fomc Minuits: After with his Eyes elevated and a chearful Countenance, he fpake as follows: ,1 /hall come to thee, I /hall know thee, ,thou glorifyed Soul] And thank thee for thy 5 pure Love and Faithfiillnefs. , Then after fbme paufe he continued his Discourfe to his Son, faying : ,If God gives you Children, , remember that he is the Donor, and that it , is your indifpenfible duty to educate them for , his Service and the publick good : Therefore •,feek for a good experienced Man to inftru£t ,and keep them under wholefome Difcipline, , and take heed that you do not weaken his Authority over his Pupils, by an unmanly ( 183 )» Fondnefe in indulging the Faults of Youth, or by a Difallowance of neceflaryCorre&ion, but rather encourage, a difcreet and honeft Tutor, to difcharge his Duty faithfully, by commending his Fidelity in ufing the Rod with Gravity and Difcretion, for remember that the Rod, and Reproof give JVifdom Prov, 29,15. But that Youth left to themfelves, bring their Parents to Shame. Chap. 13, 24. And (pare no coft to obtain and detain in your Service fiich a neceffary Perfon, to AC- fift you in the Performance of this great Du~ ty, and treat him not as a Servant, but regard him as your Friend, and take Care that your Children render to their worthy Tutor the Re(pe£t and Reverence due to him; which will be for your Honour: But the moft con- siderable Weight for their Education will >be your good Example. My Son ! You • have not yet fully dfcovered the Vanity and > Emptinefs of allfublunary Things, and can- ) not yet relilh the fweets of a retired Life> >therfore you may with Difcretion profer to > ferve the publick; but do not forcibly in- trude into any Office, efpecially Purchafe >none by Bribes, remember that publick Ad- > miniftrations is often attended with very >burdenfcme Circumftances, wicfif make the > Lives of the Great Miferable, e{pecially fiich > whofe Confcience is not pure, which they >will not have, if they enter into Offices from rfelitfh Views j for they are void of the pro- >P«£ ( 184 ) ?* ,per and happy Aim, [to wit] the Glory of , God ; and Benefit of Man : And remember ,\vhen you are in the Service of the publick, , not to eat their Bread in Idlenefs, but ferve ,them induftrioufly. Keep your Hand and , Conference clean from Gifts and Bribes, for , they blind the Wife, and pervert Iudgment. ,Be juftin all Things, and live above the Fear , and Flattery of Men. , And tho 5 here below you are malicioufly 5 Afperfed, you will at the Judgment of the , Almighty receive the Reward of Virtue, with y a Confcience full of Confolation ; but with 5 all your fincere and honeft Endeavours pre- , pare for Ad verflty and Calamity, and in all 5 Confli£ts, let Peace and Patience Tceep Pof- , feffion of your Soul. Do not be deje&ed^ ,or repine under Affli&ions, but fiibmit to the v 3 wife Difpofal of Providence, that by a total , Refignation to the divine Will you may be , qualifyed to glorify God in all Tribulations. y And finally, my Son ! Fear God-> and honour ythe King. Be a good Chriftian and a good , Subject. You muft conclude to be both or , you can be neither of them. Let your Pi- 5 erybefree ofHypocrify, /) and take heed of , bowing I) Here we muft make a Diftinftion between Diflimulatioi* and Sincerity, the firft is unhappy, mentioned Jef. $8> 5; The fecond is an Humiliation wrought by divine Convi&ion, as in the Cafe of the Publican* who would not lift up his Eyes, Luc. 18, I?, and that of David: I go bowed all the Day long ;&c. Pf. 38, 6. This Jatter Kind of Penfivenefs our Friend doth not reprove, but the firft hypocritical Form; for truly 4* c m ) ?t bowing down your Head like a Bullrufh or {peaking of Religion like a Mountebank, for Religion muft be the Law of your Incli- nations, and your confident Pra&ice the He- rald to proclaim it, and not vain Oftentation and Boafting; and alfo take Care of the other Extream, do not war againft Truth and Vir- :ue> let not the Mode of the World nor their prophane Conversion entice you to a Com- Dliance with their Sins, and fo cowardly to iefert the Caufe of God to the Reproach of your Chara&er and Contempt of thofe Go- [pel-Truths, of which you are convinced, lake Care that your Dependance for future 31ory doth not reft in an empty barren Faith, void of good and necefTary Fruits ofRighte- Dufiieft ; for true and faving Faith hath this nfallible Token, that it is the Concomi- ant of Love and univerfal Benevolence. Be nagnanimous to defpife that vain Sophiftry, hat is levelled to deftroy the Credit of the loly Bible, and make that facred Book your iaily Study and moft delightfull Reading ; for n it you may learn thatWifdom, which the fain World is ignorant of for it will give /on good Counfel and Comfort. Do not for- get to addrefi the Throne of God; for that vill draw and retain his fenfible Prefence in rour Heart. Remember your Vocation to N 5 ever- hold with Joy the flaming Eyes of the Son of God, before > Heart and Head be bowed downijifcrue Repentance ? un-» r a Senfe of the Burden of Sin. 4* * > # >everlafting Life, which you may arrive to , only by walking in the Paths of Virtue ; and ,tho' your Adverfary (hould gain Advantage ? by your Youth and the Frailty of Nature, ,and perfuade you to walk in the Way of Sin, > O my Son J Take Courage upon the firft Con- dition, and haften to difentangle your felf , from his Snares, left you provoke God to P puni(h you with Obduration; and do not 5 think that Converfion is an impra&icable Tafk , or the Conqueft of Sin an infurmountable , Difficulty, and believe that divine Mercy is , always willing and ready to forgive and re- , ceive the penitent Sinner, and you in retur- ning to your Creator will find more Joy and , Content, than the World and Sin can afford, ,tho' you might enjoy the Sweets of both even , to Death with a quiet Confcience, which is pimpollible. ,And now, my Son! I have told you all , that was in my Heart, and for this Caufe I ,long'd to fee you before my Departure. Give ,me^ T our Hand and promife carefully to ob- serve, and keep this my laft Will and Coun- P fel, that you maybe worthy of your Fathers ,Bleffmg. , After that his affi&ed Son with Reverence and filial Refpeft had promifed Faithfully to obey the Precepts and Commands of this ten- der Parent, my dying Friend impofed his Hands on his Head, and with an elevated Voice faid: ,May Mercy and Grace from the , Creator * ( 187 ) » Creator and Benefa&or of my Life reft upon ^ou, my Son J from hence forth and for ever I D Lord! I recommend him unto the Care of :hy paternalProte&ion andGuidance, may thy Spirit lead him in the upright Way unto e- ;ernal Life. OGod! My God J Preferve him in the Faith of thy Son Christ Jesus, and fiiffer not his Soul to depart from this Foundation of Hope, that I may above in the Dleffed Manfions Here ftopt the Voice of my Friend, the Mo- on of his Pulfeceafed, atotalFaintnefs over- Dread his animal Spirits, and fignified that [iey were performing their laft Act of Service, ie ftink back gradually on his Pillow, and i few Minuits heclofedhisEyes, and his im- nortal Soul calmly retired from the Habita- Lon of his Body, and refigned itfelf into the lands of his heavenly Father, leaving on the 'ace of his venerable Corps the Print of a good ^onfcience and a lively Hope. Thus died ny Friend, whofe pious Conftancy tohislaft vlinuits ftrengthned my Refolution to conti- me ftedfaft in the Faith of our Lord and Sa- iour Jefus Chrift even to the End. And let ne fay with Jofua: Tbd none of you will ferve he Lordj yet IwiU ferve htm for his Mercj and ^aithfuUnefsy endureth for ever ^ I remain your fierlin l an. ift Faithfull&c. 1750. N. N. FINIS. z fer