is weakness and infirmity, &c.

Some time before his death, he fell into several fainting fits, and
about ten or twelve days before his dissolution, he fell into one, and
was speechless near an hour, so that none present had any hopes that he
would again recover; but in the mean time, he was wrapt up in divine
contemplation. At last he began to recover, and his heart being
enlarged, he opened his mouth with such lively exhortations as affected
all present, and directing his speech to his father, he said, "Be glad,
Sir, to see your son, yea, I say, your second son, made a crowned king."
And to his mother he said, "Be of good courage, and mourn not for want
of me, for ye will find me in the all-sufficiency of God." Then he said,
"O death, I give thee a defiance through Jesus Christ," and then again
he said to on-lookers, "Sirs, this will be a blythe and joyful
goodnight." In the mean time Mr. Bell came in, to whom he said, "Sir,
you are welcome to be witness to see me fight out my last fight." After
which he fell quiet, and got some rest. Within two days, Mr. Bell being
come to visit him, he said, "O Sir, but I was glad the last night when
you was here, when I thought to be dissolved, that I might have met with
my Master, and have enjoyed his presence for ever, but I was much
grieved when I perceived a little reverting, and that I was likely to
live longer, &c."

To Mr. Gabriel Cunningham, when conferring about death and the manner of
dissolution, he said, "O! how sweet a thing it were, for a man to sleep
till death in the arms of Christ."----He had many other lively and
comfortable speeches which were not remembered, the day never passing,
in the time of his sickness, but the onwaiters were refreshed by him.

The night before his departure, he was sensible of great pain, whereupon
he said, "I see it is true, that we must enter into heaven through
trouble, but the Lord will help us through it."--Then he said, "I have
great pain, but mixed with great mercy and strong confidence." He called
to mind that saying of Mr. John Knox on his death-bed, "I do not esteem
that pain, which will be to me an end of all trouble, and the beginning
of eternal felicity."

His last words were these, "Lord, open the gates that I may enter in,"
and a little after his father asked, What he was doing? Whereupon he
lifted up his hands, and caused all his fingers shiver and twinkle, and
in presence of many honest neighbours he yielded up his spi