him. When his mother was informing him of the contents of this friendly note, he exclaimed "Stop!-don't say any more-such kindness quite overpowers me;" and he burst into tears. At all times, indeed, he felt most grateful for any act of kindness which was shown him, and during his illness he was peculiarly susceptible of any thing of this nature.

After his physician had successfully endeavoured to remove his spasms, he experienced considerable abatement of pain, and though his respiration was still difficult and laborious, yet he was not so constantly oppressed with the sensation of dying; and as his composure increased, he expressed himself more fully as to his confidence in the all-atoning sacrifice. On one occasion he said, "the Lord is my shield and righteousness, he will give me grace and glory" -on another, "surely God is not unwilling to receive any that come unto him, since he is represented by our Lord as seeing the prodigal, while yet a great way off, and

running and falling on his neck and kissing him." He spoke this with great emotion, and appeared to derive from it the strongest persuasion of the safety of his state. I think it was but a short time after this, that he said, "I know in whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep what I have committed to him, till that day." I mention these few, out of many other expressions to the same purpose, to show that he enjoyed a settled faith in Christ, and great composure as to the final issue, which now presented itself in full view before him.

He had, during many hours, been bolstered up in his bed, and he found considerable support by throwing his arms over the necks of his father and brother; and smiling as he spoke, he said, "I love to lean upon my dear father, because it reminds me of leaning upon my heavenly father." This led to some remarks on the support and happiness which those enjoy, who are thus privileged to repose upon God; to all of which

he expressed his hearty concurrence, and he received consolation from the reflections they brought along with them.

About this time, he repeated, with strong emotion, the following stanza of a hymn, evidently feeling the force of each word as he uttered it:

"How sweet the name of Jesus sounds

In a believer's ear;

It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
And drives away his fear."

In this state of body and mind he continued till about four in the morning (Sunday), when he turned his head towards me, as I was supporting his left arm and hand, and said, "I am dying." On applying my finger to his pulse, I perceived that nature was indeed giving way, and I hastened to the physician, in an adjoining room, and told him, that unless he came immediately he would not see my son alive. On his approaching the bedside, and feeling his pulse, he intimated that he was dying, and all the symptoms of immediate dissolution were

upon him. He evidently attempted to speak, and I applied my ear to his lips, when I heard him distinctly say, "Christ is all in all”—“ Glory, glory;" and he continued for some time speaking something; but his articulation was gone, and I could collect no more. It was manifest, however, that his whole soul was full of admiration and praise. Something seemed to present itself both to his eyes and to his mind, which called forth his wonder and adoration. In a few minntes, to the astonishment of us all, his pulse returned, the gurgling in his throat ceased, and life, which had just been ebbing apparently for the last time, began again to flow. Soon after this, he said to the doctor, "I thought you had sent, me to heaven, but I am again returned for a short time to earth." I remarked, at the time, that the expression was singular

"I thought you had sent me to heaven;" but afterwards it was explained, for he soon asked me if the doctor had not thrown him into a trance, for he thought he beheld heaven opened, and had seen Jesus Christ,

and his sister and uncle; and this he again repeated shortly afterwards. I pretend not to interpret this fact, but merely to state it; and I may add, when we all thought he was dying, and the physician as much so as any of us, he uttered the words, "Christ is all in all-Glory, glory"—and seemed to be in an ecstasy of holy admiration. What sensations dying persons may have, or what views of the eternal world, it is not permitted us to know; but I see nothing improbable in the supposition, that the spirit, on the point of taking its departure, may have some anticipations of its future destiny, and some foretaste, if belonging to Christ, of the glory to be hereafter revealed; and the fact just stated seems to countenance such an opinion.* It is a rare circumstance for a person to be restored from the act of dying, to record what transpired at that awful moment, and therefore it would be rash to draw any general conclusion from an insulated case: but be this as it may, my dear child was evidently conscious of some

* See Note at the end.