the sufferers. May the Father of mercies preserve us from being "weary of his correction ;" and permit us, at length, though it be through much tribulation, to enter into the kingdom of heaven. *

* The following observations have been recently found, written with a pencil, in his pocket-book, on the birth-day preceding his' death: and they are inserted here, as showing the state of his mind at a period, when he had no expectation of so early a death, but which, in point of fact, was very near the end of his pilgrimage.

"March 18th.—I have been, by the good providence of God, brought to see the conclusion of another year, and been permitted to enter upon a fresh one. Here, then, would I raise mine Ebenezer, and say, 'Hitherto has God helped me.' On a review of the past year, I see much cause of thankfulness for the divine mercy towards me; but much greater reason for sorrow and humiliation on account of my ingratitude and the hardness of my heart. The world, the flesh, and the devil have hitherto had too great a predominance over me; but, O Lord God, do thou enable me to resist these three great enemies, stedfast in the faith. May I look to the cross of Christ alone for all my strength and support: and if thou be with me, O

my God, who can prevail against me? By thine almighty power, I must come off more than conqueror. During the past year I have had a most solemn warning to be prepared for death, in the loss of a beloved and only sister; oh, that I may profit more and more by this most afflicting visitation. My dearest sister, at the age of twenty-three, has been carried away from this world of sin, temptation, and sorrow, and admitted into mansions of eternal bliss. Oh, how loudly does this speak to my heart, Prepare to meet thy God.' O Lord, grant that I may ever keep her beatified state in view, and thus following her footsteps, be restrained from falling into those temptations under which my frail nature would be otherwise too liable to sink; and thereby dying daily to this world-by crucifying the flesh with its affections and lusts; and by looking to Christ as the author and finisher of my faith, when death shall have his summons to call me hence, may I be prepared to obey the call, and meet that dearest object of my attachment in another and better world, where there will be no more separations, no more tears— where sorrow and sighing shall be done away, where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are for ever at rest. That this may be my portion, may God grant of his infinite goodness through Jesus Christ our Lord.

"This birth-day has brought me to a most im

portant period of my life, being on this day twentyone years old. The circumstances of the day have been of a most awful and appalling nature." Here the manuscript abruptly closes, and it may be necessary to observe, that an allusion is made to the death of a fellow-collegian, with whom he had been on terms of intimacy, who was unfortunately drowned, whilst amusing himself in a boat on the river, from which by some accident he fell over board, and before assistance could be procured, life had become extinct.

NOTE. See page 269.

Upon this point I can scarcely forbear adding a few thoughts of a somewhat more speculative nature than may seem exactly suited to this brief statement of the last hours of my son. Bishop Butler, in his admirable treatise on the Analogy of Religion, &c. shows there is presumptive evidence that "the living persons, ourselves," are not affected by the death of our bodies. Nay more, that there is no sufficient reason for supposing that even our present intellectual powers are destroyed, or even suspended by death. He observes, that in certain "diseases, persons, the moment before death, appear to be in the highest vigour of life. They discover apprehension, memory, reason, all entire; with the utmost force of affection, sense of a character of shame or honour, and the highest mental enjoyments and sufferings, even to the last gasp and these surely prove even greater vigour of life than bodily strength does." From which he concludes, that there can be no pretence for supposing, that in any disease which proves mortal, there can be a destruction of the reflecting powers.

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He then proceeds to show, that there is scarcely more reason for supposing that death ever suspends the exercise of these powers, or interrupts our continuing to exist in the like state of reflection which we do now. For suspension of reason, memory, and the affections which they excite, is no part of the idea of death, nor is implied in any notion of it. And our daily experiencing these powers to be exercised, without any assistance, that we know of, from those bodies which will be dissolved by death; and our finding often that the exercise of them is so lively to the last; these things afford a sensible apprehension, that death may not perhaps be so much as a discontinuance of the exercise of these powers, nor of the enjoyments and sufferings which it implies." (Analogy, chap. 1, part 1.) It is in illustration of this hypothesis that I adduce the facts stated in my narrative. The powers of the mind, it is evident, continue in many cases undiminished till the moment of death; why, then, may they not still continue when that moment has passed? The case before us is no inconsiderable presumptive proof that they do so continue, and that without the least aid from the body.. My son was considered, by the experienced physician, who must have witnessed, in his protracted life, as many persons in the article of death as most men, to be actually dying. His eyes, his countenance, his articulation, his pulse-all indicated that