Here his voice failed him, and Mrs. E. added, Be thou my ftrength and righteousness." When he feemed to fummon all his powers, and emphatically added, "My Jefus and my all." To the Rev. Mr. Varder he said, "When I confider almighty power, everlasting love, a complete righteousness, boundlefs merit, and a well-ordered covenant,a finished falvation" Here he ftopped. "You, Sir," faid Mr. Varder," are interested in this falvation." He replied, "I dare not fpeak with confidence, but, bleffed be God, I have fuch a fteady hope, as the enemy of fouls has not been able to move." Thefe appear to have been the laft words he uttered, at leaft, fo as to be underfood, for he never fpoke after five o'clock on Tuesday morning but lay quite compofed, and without any apparent pain of body, until the clock ftruck four in the afternoon, when, without a groan or a struggle, he calmny breathed out his laft, March 25, 1794.* "The chamber, where the good man meets his fate, Is privileg'd beyond the common walk Of virtuous life, quite on the verge of heaven!" Young. The mortal part of this good man was committed to the duft, on the Saturday evening following, in the burying-yard belonging to his own church. Six minifters fupported the pall, and the Rev. James Small, of Axminfter, delivered the funeral oration at the grave. The Vicar of the parish, the Rev. Fulwood Smerdon, Mr. Keftil the apothecary, and Mr. Small, walked before the corpfe; and, as a strong expreffion of the affection and reverence they entertained for the character of the deceafed, proceeded from the house to the grave uncovered. The crowd attending was very great, * How great is the uncertainty of life! Mr. Lacy (brother-in law to Mrs. Buncombe), on the 29th of April, went into a garden at a small distance from his house, about half after six o'clock in the evening, in perfect health: But in less than half an hour he. was found dead. With the strictest propriety it is said, "What is your life? It is even a capour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. Therefore be ye also ready, for in such an hour as you think not, the Son of Man cometh." and yet a folemn filence reigned. Scarce an eye that beheld the mournful proceffion, but paid the friendly tribute of a tear. On the enfuing Lord's-day a fermon was preached upon the folemn providence, by the Rev. Ifaac Tozer, of Charmouth, Devon, on 2 Kings, ii. 11, 12. "And it came to pafs as they ftill went on, and talked, that behold there appeared a chariot of fire, and horfes of fire, and parted them both afunder, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And lo! Elifha faw it, and he cried, my Father, my Father, the chariot of Ifrael and the horfemen thereof." Moft, if not all the principal families in the place, belonging to the established church, attended on this occafion, as a token of the great refpect they entertained for his memory. "Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his !" At the death of this excellent man let us not mourn as for one without hope. Let not the tear of forrow flow for him, but rather let it be referved for ourselves, the church and the world, who by his removal have loft a valuable member of fociety. Weep not, fince his entrance into the celestial abodes becomes the fubject of angelic congratulation, for it affords a fresh trophy to the triumphs of Immanuel's grace. Weep not, fince the manner of his death opens a fource of encouragement to fearful faints; for it depofits an additional teftimony to the realty and divine excellence of the religion of Jefus, and teaches us how to die. "Our dying friends are pioneers, to smooth Our rugged path to death; to break those bars Are angels, fent on errands full of love; Young. His body was committed to the grave, not as to a prison but as to a peaceful repository of the fleeping duft, in fure and certain hope of the refurrection to eternal life. With an unfhaken confidence we look for that period, "when the trumpet fhall found, and the dead fhall be raifed incorruptible, fashioned like unto the glorious body of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. This corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal fhall put on immortality-then fhail be brought to pafs the faying that is written-Death is fwallowed up in victory!" Great Father of mercies, permit us to indulge thefe fympathetic emotions which thou haft rendered, in the order of nature, fo effential to focial existence. We dare pot murmur at thy difpenfations, but we are encouraged to pray. Heal the breach which thy haft made. Send the Comforter to the bereaved family, and let not the widowed church be fcattered "as fheep that have no fhepherd." May the good Shepherd of the flock direct them to "a paftor according to his own heart, who fhall feed them with knowledge and upderstanding," that they may increase exceedingly, and be. for a praife in the earth! The Happy Death of Mr. Daniel Collins, of Woolwich. I In a letter from Mr. H. K. to Mr. S. at Sheerness.] DEAR SIR, Woolwich, 21ft April, 1792. MAKE no doubt of your having already heard of the happy departure of our friend and brother Mr. Daniel Collins, whofe fick chamber I attended, more or less every day, as my ftrength would permit, from the time he was firft taken ill; and, indeed, by his particular defire, I waited on him feveral nights; and had I not been very much indifpofed, I would not have left him at all: For my lofs, in being from him, was great; I never faw a perfon more blessed in his laft illness; and our dear friend and minifter, the Rev. Mr. Percy, faid the fame, in the courfe of his funeral fermon, preached on Sunday evening the 15th inft. to a very crowded audience, from thefe words, "Loofe him, and let him go." On the 17th of March, 1792, he was vifited with a violent return of his diforder, which, you know, was of the pulmonary kind; and which brought him very low. On Sunday the 18th, he fent for me in the morning, to defire that I would remember him in prayer, and alfo mention. him to the Rev. Mr. Percy, before fervice at chapel began. In the afternoon, he called again for me. "Do," faid he, my dear friend, come and pray by me as often as you can; for I find the enemy very bufy with me; he pours in upon me like a flood:" We went to prayer; the family and friends who were in the room joined with us, by his 46 particular defire. I asked him, if any part of God's word feemed to open on his mind? "O yes," faid he, "the words, Loose him, and let him go." John, xi. 44. He appeared much comforted, yet the enemy harraffed him very forely. In the evening I found him very defirous of prayer, and rather more comfortable. March 19, Mr. Percy vi fited him,, which he kindly continued to do once or twice a day, as opportunity ferved, till within a day or two of his death; when he was fo exhaufted as not to bear any one even to whisper. Mr. Percy found the clouds of rifing fear very diftreffing to Mr. Collins, on account of the attacks of Satan; but they were foon removed; and as he grew weaker in body, he grew ftronger in the Lord. In all his vifits, Mr. Percy found him in a sweet spirit; and fuch was his confolation, that when he faw him entering his chamber, his foul feemed fo invigorated, as if it would ftart from his body. March 20. The vomiting returned with greater violence than ever, about fix o'clock in the morning, when he threw up, at leaft, fixteen ounces of folid blood, without a drop of ferum. "Oh," faid he, "I fhed my blood on account of my fins, but Jefus fhed his blood to wash my fins away." Then he repeated part of an hymn: "Love I much, I've much forgiven."" The gates of heaven," continued he, "were opened to me yesterday. Heaven opens, my dear King. Methinks I fee my God, and my dear Jefus pleading for me. Loose him, and let him go." Thefe words he repeated several times, and by them he feemed to compare his foul, united to his weak body, to the body of Lazarus confined in the tomb, and to exprefs his defire to be called from the state of mortality to join the company of the glorified in heaven. Afterwards fome doubts broke in upon him: At length he started up, and faid, with great energy, My grace is fufficient for thee." He then entered on a prayer to God for his companion and dear little babes, which was very affecting and fweet to hear. He most affectionately committed them to the care of the Lord, and this was done also in a very serious and folemn manner. March 21. He continued very stedfaft. "Come," faid he, "let us reafon together, Mr. K-, my friend in the best relation. Satan has been very bufy with me." I replied, "It is a bleffed confolation, when a believer can look to the Rock that is higher than he."-Oh, I can, I can," said he in triumph. March 22 and 23, he continued much the fame in body, but wonderfully blessed in his views of happiness. He regretted very much, that he had not been able to attend the preaching of the word more closely, "which,” he said, "nothing but my poor weak ftate has He was much enprevented, and that my God knows." gaged in prayer and reading the Scriptures. March 24. He fent for me at two o'clock in the morning, "Oh," faid he, "my lungs are mortifying, but I am goi to glory." So full was he of the Spirit, that when defired not to talk fo much, "I muft," faid he; "I fhall not be able to talk much longer." When a beloved friend attempted to affift him to hold the Bible (which he, or fome one for him, was conftantly reading), "Don't," faid he; "let me hold it as long as I can." And when he met with a promife, he would cry out with joy, "Oh that is for me; why do thy chariot wheels fo long tarry, O Lord? Come, Lord Jefus, come quickly, For I know that my Redeemer liveth, &c." After I had left him for a little while, on return, he faid, "What have you to fay, my dear friend, about Jefus?" About nine o'clock at night, he faid, “One half hour more, and I fhall be in glory." At ten o'clock he threw up much blood. "Oh," faid he, "what an effort of nature! I thought I was just going, but I find I must bear a little more pain. O what has my poor afflicted body fuffered! And what difappointments I have met with! together with many frowns from the world! But it has been all right, it was all to bring me to glory. Now is Chrift rifen from the dead, and become the firft fruits of them that flept: For fince by man came death, by man came also the refurrection from the dead: For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ fhall all be made alive; that is, all who believe in him. O what a dangerous thing it is to trifle with the word of God! O death where is thy fling? Glory be to God, my Jesus hath taken it away from me." March 25. A young friend came to fee him, and faid, "Daniel, you are better, you eat your toast, and drank your tea heartily: You despair, Sir !" Mr. Collins replied, "Do not fay fo, dear Sir; no, no, I do not despair." March 26, he faid, "I have had three most beautiful views of Chrift. Come tell me about him in the garden of Gethfemane. I am very low, and I fhall foon be in glory; but the believer mult wait, and he shall not be ashamed." Thus he went on almost to his latest breath, admonishing us, and, it may be truly faid, preaching to every one that viited him, and expreffing more brilliant views of heaven. He also prayed for all his friends by name; and if poffible, with greater |