his fpirit upon others, in a way and manner I never have known." After singing a verse, and going to prayer, in which the prefence of God was manifefted; he called out, "God is love! God is love! God is love!" A day or two after, he was much troubled with a violent hiccup. When one faid, It was a fign of his diffolution; he replied, "God bless you, I believe it is." He then faid, "If I had a thoufand tongues, they should all praife the Lord!" And then, "I am dying, be fure you all meet me at the right-hand of God, on that day, when he maketh up his jewels!"

In the night he faid, "Now I believe, now I receive, now I feel that the blood of Jefus Chrift cleanseth from all fin!" After a little reft, he prayed in the moft earneft manner, for Preachers and people, for his king and country, and then for the whole human race. Next day his pains were great, but he bore all with lamb-like patience. After taking a little wine and water, he would often fay, "Bleffed be God, who gives us all things richly to enjoy ;" and then, "In Christ all fulness dwells, and for me! for me! Yes, for me he lived, for me he died, for me he rofe again, and for me he intercedes at the right-hand of the Majesty on high! and O! I foon shall be with him and fee him as he is.". To one, who faid, "The Lord will make you perfect through fufferings," he replied, "Not fo, by grace we are faved through faith; we are juftified by faith, we are fanctified by faith, we ftand by faith, and we fuffer the will of God by faith." He then added,

66

My Jefus to know, and feel his blood flow,

Is life everlasting, is heaven below!"

A young woman prefent afked him, if he found any thing contrary to perfect love? He answered, No, I have no doubts, no fears, no unbelief, but peace, love, and joy; Chrift keeps me night and day, and waters me every moment!" He then added, "Do you live near to God, and never reft till you experience all the grace his blood has purchased for you; and fo fhall you be rooted and fixed in God.”

To

To a friend who was leaving the room he faid, "Give my love to your wife, and tell her to arife, and thake herself from the duft; bid her call to mind what the Lord did for her foul and body twenty years ago. Let me not be a witness against her in that day; and do you ftand faft, my Brother, and let no man take your crown!" After refting awhile, he repeated the following lines,

"The goodly land from Pifgah's top,

I now exult to fee;

My hope is full, O blessed hope,
Of immortality!"

"He does indeed feed my foul with the manna of his love: and leads me by the fill waters of divine confolation." On Saturday morning, February the 12th, he faid, "I have had a bleffed time this morning! The Lord has fhined upon my foul in a wonderful manner, and fealed that promife on my heart, that he will "guide me by his counfel, and afterwards bring me to glory!" He also gave me power to plead for the happinefs, and profperity of the Society in Snowsfields. Glory be to his name, he keeps me as a fountain fealed to al! but Christ alone! Nothing moveth me; for his will is mine in all things." Indeed this was evident; for in all his ficknefs, not a murmuring word efcaped his lips. He was now fo feeble, that he could only fpeak a word at intervals; but getting a little ftrength, he repeated the following words with extafy,

"There is my lot and portion fair,

My treasure and my heart is there,
And my abiding home;
For me my elder brethren stay,

And angels beckon me away,

And Jefus bids me come!"

About five o'clock in the evening, when he was thought to be dying, he clapped his hands and faid; "God is love! God is love! Chrift. is precious Chrift is precious! God is love

to

to every creature under heaven!" He had at this time eaten nothing for twelve days. All that he took, was a little wine. and water; and only two or three tea-fpoonfuls at a time. It was with the greatest difficulty he could fwallow any thing, and was in danger for feveral weeks of being strangled; but no complaining was heard from him. When his legs grew cold, he praised God for this fymptom of his diffolution, and had fuch unfhaken affurance of the divine goodnefs, and of future glory, that he triumphed with joy unspeakable. On the next morning he faid, "I know not for what end the Lord fpares me; for I thought my foul was near the eternal fhore!" He then spoke to every one present in a very affecting manner, and added, "Now I have done with the world; come, Lord Jefus, and take me to thy felf. I am thine, and thou art mine: I am one with thee, as thou art one with thy Father. Angels are ready waiting, till thou fhalt fpeak the word, "Come up hither:" faith will then be loft in fight, and hope in full enjoyment for ever and ever!" After a little reft, he repeated the following lines,

During most of this day, he could speak little; only fometimes he would fay, "God is love! Chrift is precious! Come, Lord Jefus, come quickly!" Towards evening he appeared in great pain; but no murmuring word came from his lips. After fome time he faid, "Courage! Courage! A little longer, and all will be over! It is done, it is done, Chrift is precious!" Soon after, a vifible change took place in his breathing; and he fell asleep without a figh or groan, on Tuesday, February 15, 1791, in the 77th year of his age,

A COM

A COMPARISON of Ancient FABLE, with the SACRED
WRITINGS.

[By Mr. William De'Lavaur.]

[Continued from page 472.]·

Of IP HIGENIA.

THE fable of Iphigenia, offered in facrifice by Agamemnon her father, fung by fo many Poets, related after them by fo many Hiftorians, and celebrated on the Greek and French Theatres, has been acknowledged by all those who know the Sacred writings, and who have paid a particular attention to them, as a changed copy of the hiftory of the daughter of Jepthah offered in facrifice by her father. Let us confider the feveral parts particularly, and begin with an expofition of the original taken from the eleventh chapter of the book of Judges.

The facred Hiftorian informs us, that Jepthah, fon of Galaad, was a great and valiant Captain. The Ifraelites against whom God was irritated, being forced to go to war with the Ammonites (nearly about the time of the fiege of Troy) assembled themselves together to oblige Jpthah to come to their fuccour; and chose him for their Captain against the Ammonites. He accepted the command, on condition, that if God should give him the victory, they would acknowledge him for their Prince. This they promifed by oath, and all the people elected him in the city of Mifpeh in the tribe of Judah.

He fift fent Ambaffadors to the king of the Ammonites, to know the reason why he had committed fo many acts of injuftice, and fo many ravages in the coafts of Ifrael. The other made a pretext of fome ancient damages his people had fuftained by the primitive Ifraelites, to countenance the ravages he had committed, and would not accord with the reafonable propofitions made by the Amballadors of Jepthah. Having

now

now fupplicated the Lord, and being filled with his fpirit, he marched against the Ammonites: and being zealously defirous to acquit himfelf nobly, and to enfure the fuccefs of fo important a war, he made a vow to the Lord to offer in facrifice, or as a burnt-offering, the first thing that fhould come out of his house, to meet him at his return from victory.

He then fought with, and entirely discomfited the Ammonites, and returning victorious to his houfe, God fo permitted it, that his only daughter was the first who met him. Jepthak was ftruck with terror at the fight of Her, and tearing his garments he exclaimed, "Alas! Alas! Alas! Alas! my daughter, thou doft exceedingly trouble me, for I have opened my mouth against thee unto the Lord, and I cannot draw back." His daughter full of courage and piety, understanding the purport of his vow, exhorted him to accomplish what he had vowed to the Lord, which to her would be exceeding agreeable, feeing the Lord had avenged him of his and his country's enemies; defiring only liberty to go on the mountains with her companions, and to bewail the dishonour with which fterility was accompanied in Ifrael; becaufe each hoped to fee the Meffiah born of his or her family. Jepthah could not deny her this request. She accordingly went, and at the end of two months returned, and put herself into the hands of her father, who did with her according to his vow.

Several of the Rabbins, and many very learned Chriftian Expofitors, believe that Jepthah's daughter was not really facrificed; but that her virginity was confecrated to God, and the feparated from all connection with the world, which indeed feems to be implied in the Sacred Hiftorian's account. And he knew no man. This was a kind of mifterious death, because it caused her to lose all hope of the glory of a pofterity,

* In this fpeech of Jepthah to his daughter, I have followed the Sep tnagint, as I think neither the French nor English verfions exprefs it with fufficient perfpicuity. (άνοιξα κατα σου τὸ τόμα μου πρὸς Κύριον) Jud. 11. 35. VOL. XIV.

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from