IT appears to me, by the clearest demonstra­tion, that I draw near, very near to the period of this mortal life. Divine Providence has been pleased to lay my feeble body on a languishing sick bed. I believe, from various symptoms, that my disease is incurable, and consequently must issue in death; and, to confirm this truth, I am given over by my physicians, and must in all ap­pearance, in a very short time depart into the invi­sible world of spirits, and never ending eternity.

What a great and important change death makes on mankind. The body dies, and in a short time turns to putrefaction in the grave; but the soul will survive through the countless ages of eternity. But, my dear children, this is my consolation, and the foundation of all my hopes, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sin­ners, of whom I am chief, Tim. i. 15; and whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. Therefore, respecting my­self, I am contented and happy. For, through the riches of divine grace, I can, with assurance, say, that when the earthly house of this my tabernacle is dissolved by the pale messenger Death, I have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, 2 Cor. v. 1. Therefore, I shall very shortly in the words, and I humbly [Page 19] hope and pray in the faith, of blessed Stephen, commit my soul into the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is ready to receive it, and bid an eternal farewel to all temporal things. But what troubles and concerns me, is you, my dear chil­dren; after my departure you will be poor help­less orphans, and my dear wife, and your kind indulgent mother, will be a disconsolate widow. I leave you in a troublesome and wicked world, beset with enemies on every side; but my trou­ble is mitigated and my hopes revived, through the gracious and comfortable promises of my covenant God, who commands me to leave my fatherless children "with him and he will pre­serve them above alive, Jerem. xlix. 11. and my dear widow, by believing and trusting in the Lord, shall want nothing that is truly good." They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. Trust in the Lord, my dear children, with all your hearts, and lean not to your own understandings; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths. The Lord tells us by his prophet Jeremiah, that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps, Jer. x. 23. We have nothing to hope in but sovereign grace.

Give me leave, my dear children, to recom­mend to you, in the strongest terms, the read­ing and studying of the sacred and inspired wri­tings, which our gracious heavenly Father hath given us to learn and know his will. Blessed is he that readeth and they who hear the words of this prophecy, Rev. i. 3. and keeps those things [Page 20] which are written in this divine book. Make the Bible your treasure, the promises your inheri­tance, and you will be happy here and for ever.

I also beg and request, I pray and beseech you, my dear children, with all the sympathizing bowels of compassion, and endearing entreaties of a loving and tender parent, that you will grant me this one request, namely, to read my dying words through at least once a month; it is my last will and testament, and I desire it as much as I do that you should enjoy my estate and tem­poral goods which I have given and bequeath­ed to you. I have been instrumental, through God's blessing, of your birth into this world; your spiritual nativity is out of my power, no­thing short of the omnipotent power of divine grace, can possibly effect it: And this divine change must pass, on your souls, my dear chil­dren, otherwise there can be no salvation for you in the world to come, John iii. 5. Therefore, my earnest cries, prayers, and petitions are fre­quently offered up to the God of heaven; and you, my dear children, must not be wanting to address the throne of grace yourselves, that God would pour his grace and spirit upon your souls, and make you new creatures in Christ Jesus. "Yea, like as a father pitieth his own children, even so is the Lord merciful unto them that fear him.—The merciful goodness of the Lord endu­reth for ever and ever upon them that fear him, and his righteousness upon children's children.—The Lord hath engraven his people on the palms of his hands, he keeps them as the apple of his eye, Deut. xxxii. 10. and waters them with his [Page 21] grace every moment—For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kind­ness shall not depart from thee; neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, faith the Lord that hath mercy on thee, Isaiah lxiv. 10." I am commanded in the sacred oracles of truth, to teach and instruct my children in the good old way, that the holy fathers, prophets, and apostles have trod; and thro' grace, I have endeavoured, according to the ability given me of God, to dis­charge this weighty and important duty. I will further, my dear children, address you in the words of the pious Psalmist, to his beloved son Solomon: And thou, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart, and with a wil­ling mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts. If thou seek him he will be found of thee, but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever, 1 Chron. xxviii. 9. Hear, ye children, the in­struction of a father, and attend to know under­standing, for I give ye good doctrine, forsake ye not my law, Prov. iv. 1, 2. Call on the Lord and he will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not, Jer. xxxiii. 3. For the Lord hath promised in his in­fallible word, that he will be found of you, when you search for him with your whole heart and soul, Jerem. xxix. 13. The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him, 2 Chron. xvi. 9. For the Lord God is a sun and shield, the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he [Page 22] withhold from them that walk uprightly, Psal. lxxxiv. 11." The omnipotent Jehovah is a wall of fire about his chosen people, and a munition of rocks to defend them from every enemy and every evil. Secure his favour by an evangelical faith in Christ, and you may bid defiance to every evil; you may laugh at all the wicked powers of earth and hell. The omnipotent Jehovah fills heaven and earth with his presence, and always surrounds us with his immensity, as the light and darkness doth our bodies, day and night, Jerem. xxxiii. 23. For in GOD we live, and move, and have our being, Acts xvii. 28. Therefore, my dear children, do you not behave in any manner, re­specting YOURSELVES, or others, which you would be ashamed of before the meanest of your fellow creatures. There is no creature that is not ma­nifest in the sight of God, Heb. iv. 13. Light and darkness are both alike to him, Psal. cxxxix. 12. His all-seeing eye beholds every creature with one comprehensive glance, and no created sub­stance can screen his all penetrating eye from be­holding it.—Be ye, therefore, strong in the faith which is in Christ Jesus; because abundance of grace, the special gift of faith, will enable you to stand complete and perfect in the whole will of God, John vi. 29. The glory of God and the salvation of your souls, ought always to have the pre-eminence, because it is the one thing need­ful. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding; for the mer­chandize of it is better than the merchandize of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold: She is more precious than rubies, and all the things [Page 23] thou canst desire are not to be compared with her; length of days are in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and honour: Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace: She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her, and happy is every one that retaineth her, Prov. chap. iii. You are very near my heart, my dear children, and I do most earnestly de­sire your eternal felicity; but you must remem­ber what the word of God says on this head, that without holiness of heart and life, you can never see the face of God with comfort. Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation; catch the present moments as they fly: Arise, therefore, and be doing, and the Lord shall be with you.

But I am become exceeding faint and weak with speaking, and in a very short time my soul will take its everlasting flight into the invisible world of spirits; therefore, as Moses the great pro­phet of the Lord, breathed out his soul in prayer to God, for his people, so my soul cries to the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, for you, my dear children. Oh! that you were wise, Oh! that you understood this, that you would consider your latter end; how shortly will this great change pass on your souls, and pale death bring your bodies to the dust. Probably not one of the human race in fifty thousand lives to my age, which is about seventy; and you, my dear children, though in the bloom of youth, and perfect health of body, may instantly cut down like a flower in its prime, as thousands and tens of thousands of mankind are; its is thought [Page 24] that three parts of mankind are called off by death before they arrive at the age of thirty years. It is the opinion of the wise and learned, that there is not a moment passes (all mankind consi­dered throughout the world), without an immor­tal soul departing into the invisible world—Be­hold the Judge standeth before the door. Eter­nity is at hand, be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. Now, my dear wife and children, I must leave you, therefore, I commit you to God and the word of his grace, who is able to build you up in the most holy faith, and give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified.—Farewel my dear wife and children, farewel.

LORD JESUS receive my Spirit.

N. B. My dear friend, at your request I have drawn out these papers, and I pray God that they may have the desired effect on yours and others children's souls. You will please to observe, my friend, that if a man dies not having a wife, or, a woman not having a husband, the diminishing and adding a few words with the pen, will make these papers, I hope, in some measure suit their purposes, respecting the age of the man, also the giving and bequeathing his estate, &c.

And if a copy of this little [...] (which is what you intend, Sir), be written with the honoured parent's own hand, probably it will have a great­er tendency to incline the minds of the children to read it, and strike their minds with awe and reverence, remind them of their duty to God, and the care of their own souls.

🝆 What you farther propose, Sir, seems very consistent, namely, to sew these papers in at the end of your Bible, because it will be a means to keep them clean, and preserve them from being lost.