demning these things than in his last illness, and after he ceased to have any expectations of life: particularly, when he had the greatest and nearest views of approaching eternity ; and several times, when he thought himself actually dying, and expected in a few minutes to be in the eternal world, as he himself told me.*

Since this sermon was preached, I find what follows in his Diary for the last summer.

"Thursday, June 18. I was this day taken exceeding ill, and brought to the gates of death.-In this extremely weak state I continued for several weeks; and was frequently reduced so low as to be utterly speechless, and not able so much as to whisper a word. Even after I had so far revived, as to walk about house, and to step out of doors, I was exercised every day with a faint turn, which continued usually four or five hours. At these times, though I could say yes or no : yet I could not converse at all, nor speak one sentence without making stops for breath. And divers times, in this season, my friends gathered round my bed, to see me breathe my last; which they looked for every moment, as I myself also did.

"How I was the first day or two of my illness, with regard to the exercise of reason, I scarcely know: but I believe I was somewhat shattered, with the violence of the fever, at times. But the third day of my illness, and constantly afterwards, for four or five weeks together, I enjoyed as much serenity of mind, and clearness of thought, as perhaps I ever did in my life. I think that my mind never penetrated with so much ease and freedom into divine things as at this time; and that I never felt so capable of demonstrating the truth of many important doctrines of the Gospel as now.

"As I saw clearly the truth of those great doctrines, which are justly styled the doctrines of grace; so I saw with no less clearness, that the essence of true religion consists in the soul's conformity to God and acting above all selfish views, for his glory, longing to be for him, to live to him, and please and honour him in all things; and that, from a clear view of his infinite excellence and worthiness in himself, to be loved, adored, worshipped, and served, by all intelligent creatures. Thus I saw, that when a soul loves God with a supreme love, he therein acts like the blessed God himself, who most justly loves himself in that manner; so when God's interest and his are become one, and he longs that God should be glorified, and rejoices to think that he is unchangeably possessed of the highest glory and blessedness, herein also he acts in conformity to God. In like manner, when the soul is fully resigned to, and rests satisfied and contented with the divine will, here he is also conformed to God.

“I saw further, that as this divine temper, whereby the soul exalts God, and treads itself in the dust, is wrought in the soul by God's discovering his own glorious perfections, in the face of Jesus Christ, to wit, by the special influences of his Holy Spirit; so he could not but have regard to it as his own work: As it is his image in the soul, he could not but take delight in it. Then I saw again that if God should slight and reject his own moral image, he must needs deny himself; which he cannot do. Thus I saw the stability and infallibility of this religion; and that those who were truly possessed of it, bad the most complete and satisfying evidence of their being interested in all the benefits of Christ's redemption, having their hearts conformed to him; and that these, and these only, were qualified for the employments and entertainments of God's kingdom of glory: as none but these would have any relish for the business of heaven, which is to ascribe glory to God, and not to themselves; and that God,(though I would speak it with great reverence of his name and perfections) could not, without denying himself, finally cast such away. The next thing I had then to do, was to inquire, whether this was my religion. Here God was pleased to help me to the most easy remembrance, and critical review of what had passed in course, of a religious nature, through several of the latter years of my life. Although I could discover much cor

As his inward appearances appear to have been of the right kind, and were very remarkable as to their degree, so were his outward behaviour and practice agreeable. In his whole course, he acted as one who had indeed sold all for Christ, had entirely devoted himself to God, had made his glory his highest end, and was fully determined to spend his whole time and strength in his service. He was animated in religion, in the right way: animated not merely, nor chiefly, with his tongue, in professing and talking; but animated in the work and business of religion. He was not one of those who contrive to shun the cross, and get to heaven in the indulgence of ease and sloth. His life of labour and self-denial, the sacrifices which he made, and the readiness and constancy with which he spent his strength and substance to promote the glory of his Redeemer, are probably without a parallel in this age in these parts of the world. Much of this may be perceived by any one who reads his printed Journal; but much more has been learned by long and in

ruption attending my best duties, many selfish views and carnal ends, much spiritual pride, and self-exaltation, and innumerable other evils which compassed me about; I say, although I now discerned the sins of my holy things, as well as other actions; yet God was pleased, as I was reviewing, quickly to put this question out of doubt, by showing me that I had, from time to time, acted above the utmost influence of mere self-love; that I had longed to please and glorify him, as my highest happiness, &c. This review, was through grace, attended with a present feeling of the same divine temper of mind. I felt now pleased to think of the glory of God; and longed for heaven, as a state wherein I might glorify God perfectly, rather than a place of happiness for myself. This feeling of the love of God in my heart, which I trust the Spirit of God excited in me afresh, was sufficient to give me full satisfaction, and make me long as I had many times before done, to be with Christ. I did not now want any of the sudden suggestions, with which many are so pleased, ' That Christ and his benefits are MINE,' That God loves ME, in order to give me satisfaction about my state. No my soul abhorred those delusions of Satan; which are thought to be the immediate witness of the Spirit, while there is nothing but an empty suggestion of a certain fact, without any gracious discovery of the divine glory, or of the Spirit's work in their own hearts. I saw the awful delusion of this kind of confidences; as well as of the whole of that religion from which they usually spring, or of which at least they are the attendants; the false religion of the late day, though a day of wondrous grace; the imaginations and impressions made only on the animal affections; together with the sudden suggestions made to the mind by Satan, transformed into an angel of light, of certain facts not revealed in Scripture; These I say, and many like things, I fear have made up the greater part of the religious appearances in many places.

"These things I saw with great clearness, when I was thought to be dying, and God gave me great concern for his church and interest in the world at this time: Not so much because the late remarkable influence upon the minds of the people was abated, and almost wholly gone, as because the false religion, the heats of imagination, and wild and selfish commotions of the animal affections, which attended the work of grace, had prevailed so far. This was that which my mind dwelt upon almost day and night: And this to me was the darkest appearance respecting religion in the land. For it was this chiefly that had prejudiced the world against inward religion. This I saw was the great misery of all, that so few saw any manner of difference between those exercises which are spiritual and holy, and those which have self-love only for their beginning, centre, and end."

timate acquaintance with him, and by looking into his Diary since his death, which he purposely concealed in what he published.

As his desires and labours for the advancement of Christ's kingdom were great, so was his success. God was pleased to make him the instrument of bringing to pass the most remarkable alteration among the poor savages, in enlightening, awakening, reforming and changing their disposition and manners, and wonderfully transforming them, of which perhaps any instance can be produced in these latter ages of the world. An account of this has been given the public in his Journal, drawn up by order of the Honourable Society in Scotland, which employed him. This I would recommend to the perusal of all who take pleasure in the wonderful works of God's grace, and who wish to read that which will peculiarly tend both to entertain and profit a Christian mind.

Not less extraordinary were his constant calmness, peace, assurance and joy in God, during the long time he looked death in the face, without the least hope of recovery; continuing without interruption to the last; while his distemper very sensibly preyed upon his vitals, from day to day, and often brought him to that state in which he looked upon himself, and was thought by others, to be dying. The thoughts of approaching death never seemed in the least to damp him, but rather to encourage him, and exhilarate his mind. The nearer death approached, the more desirous he seemed to be to die. He said, not long before his death, that "the consideration of the day of death and the day of judgment, had a long time been peculiarly sweet to him." At another time he observed, that he could not but think of the propriety there was in throwing such a rotten carcass as his into the grave: It seemed to him to be the right way of disposing of it." He often used the epithet glorious, when speaking of the day of his death, calling it that glorious day. On Sabbath morning, Sep. 27, feeling an unusually violent appetite for food, and looking on it as a sign of approaching death, he said " he should look on it as a favour, if this might be his dying day, and that he longed for the time." He had before expressed himself desirous of seeing his brother again, whose return had been expected from New-Jersey ; but then, [speaking of him] he said, "I am willing to go, and never see him again; I care not what I part with, to be for ever with the Lord." Being asked that morning, how he did? he answered, “ I am almost in eternity; God knows, I long to be there. My work is done: I have done with all my friends: All the world is nothing to me." On the evening of the next day, when he thought himself dying, and was apprehended to be so by others, and he could utter himself only by broken whispers, he often repeated the word Eternity; and said, "I shall soon be with the holy angels.

"Jesus will come, he will not tarry." He told me one night, as he went to bed, that "he expected to die that night;" and added "I am not at all afraid, I am willing to go this night, if it be the will of God. Death is what I long for." Death is what I long for." He sometimes expressed himself as "having nothing to do but to die: and being willing to go that minute, if it was the will of God." He sometimes used that expression, "O why is his chariot so long in coming!"

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He seemed to have remarkable exercises of resignation to the will of God. He once told me that " he had longed for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit of God, and the glorious times of the church, and hoped they were coming: and should have been willing to have lived to promote religion at that time, if that had been the will of God." "But," said he, "I am willing it should be as it is: I would not have the choice to make for myself for ten thousand worlds."*

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He several times spoke of the different kinds of willingness to die and mentioned it as an ignoble, mean kind of willingness to die, to be willing only to get rid of pain; or to go to heaven only to get honour and advancement there. His own longings for death seemed to be quite of a different kind, and for nobler ends. When he was first taken with one of the last and most fatal symptoms in a consumption, he said, "O now the glorious time is coming! I have longed to serve God perfectly; and God will gratify these desires." At one time and another, in the latter part of his illness, he uttered these expressions. "My heaven is, to please God, to glorify him, to give all to him, and to be wholly devoted to his glory: That is the heaven I long for; that is my religion; that is my happiness; and always was, ever since I supposed I had any true religion. All those who are of that religion, shall meet me in heaven."—" I do not go to heaven to be advanced; but to give honour to God. It is no matter where I shall be stationed in heaven; whether I have a high or low seat there; but I go to love, and please, and glorify God. If I had a thousand souls, if they were worth any thing, I would give them all to God: But I have nothing to give, when all is done. It is impossible for any rational creature to be happy without acting all for God; God himself could not make me happy in any other way."-"I long to be in heaven, praising and glorifying God with the holy angels; all my desire is to glorify God.""My heart goes out to the burying place, it seems to me a desirable place: But O to glorify God!

*He writes thus in his Diary: Aug. 23. 1747. "In the week past, I had divers turns of inward refreshing. Though my body was inexpressibly weak, followed continually with agues and fevers, sometimes my soul centred in God as my only portion; and I felt that I should be for ever unhappy if he did not reign. I saw the sweetness and happiness of being his subject at his disposal. This made all my difficulties quickly vanish."

That is it! That is above all!" It is a great comfort to me to think that I have done a little for God in the world: It is but a very small matter; yet I have done a little; and I lament it that I have not done more for him."-"There is nothing in the world worth living for, but doing good, and finishing God's work; doing the work that Christ did. I see nothing else in the world that can yield any satisfaction. beside living to God, pleasing him, and doing his whole will. My greatest joy and comfort has been to do something for promoting the interest of religion, and the souls of particular persons."*

After he came to be in so low a state that he ceased to have. the least expectation of recovery, his mind was peculiarly carried forth with earnest concern for the prosperity of the church of God on earth: this seemed very manifestly to arise from a pure disinterested love to Christ, and a desire of his glory. The prosperity of Zion was a theme on which he dwelt much, and of which he spake much; and more and more, the nearer death approached. He told me when near his end, that he never, in all his life, had his mind so led forth in desires and earnest prayers for the flourishing of Christ's kingdom on the earth, as since he was brought so exceedingly low at Boston." He seemed much to wonder, that there appeared no more of a disposition in ministers and people, to pray for the flourishing of religion through the world. Particularly, he

* In his Diary he writes thus; "Sept. 7. 1747 When I was in great distress of body, my soul desired that God should be glorified. I saw there was no heaven but this. I could not but speak to the by-standers then of the only happiness, viz, pleasing God. O that I could for ever live to God! The day I trust is at hand, the perfect day! O, the day of deliverance from all sin!

"Sept. 19. Near night, while I attempted to walk a little, my thoughts turned thus: How infinitely sweet it is to love God, and be all for him! Upon which it was suggested to me, You are not an angel, nor lively and active. To which my whole soul immediately replied, I as sincerely desire to love and glorify God, as any angel in heaven.' Upon which it was suggested again, but you are filthy, not fit for heaven.' Hereupon instantly appeared the blessed robes of Christ's righteousness, in which I could not but exult and triumph. I viewed the infinite excellency of God; and my soul even broke with longings, that God should be glorified. I thought of dignity in heaven: but instantly the thought returned, I do not go to heaven to get honour, but to give all possible glory and praise. O, how I longed that God should be glorified on earth also! O, I was made for eternity, if God might be glorified! For bodily pains I cared not; though I was then in extremity, I never felt easier; I felt willing to glorify God in that state of bodily distress, as long as he pleased I should continue so. The grave appeared really sweet, and I longed to lodge my weary bones in it: But, O, that God might be glorified! This was the burden of all my cry. O,I knew I should be active as an angel in heaven, and that I should be stripped of my filthy garments! So that there was no objection. But O, to love and praise God more, to please him for ever! This my soul panted after, and even now pants for, while I write. O, that God may be glorified in the whole earth! Lord, let thy kingdom come. I longed for a spirit of preaching to descend and rest on ministers, that they might address the consciences of men with closeness and power. I saw God had the residue of the Spirit; and my soul longed it should be poured out from on high. I could not but plead with God for my dear congregation, that he would preserve it, and not suffer his great name to lose its glory in that work: my soul still longing that God might be glorified."