e let never man distrust God
for assistance that cast themselves on him, and follow his calling. For my
own part, the time that I have had in the exercise of the ministry is but
a moment.' To which sentence another pastor answered, 'But your moment
hath exceeded the gray heads of others! This I may speak without
flattery.' To which he answered disclaiming it with a 'no;' for he desired
still to have Christ exalted, as he said at the same time, and another.
And at other times, when any such things were spoken to him, 'What are all
my righteousnesses but rotten rags? All that I have done cannot abide the
touchstone of his justice. They are all but abominations, and as an
unclean thing, when they are reckoned between my God and me. Christ is all
things, and I am nothing!' The other pastor when the rest were out, asked,
'Whether he was enjoying the comforts of God's presence, or if they were
for a time suspended! He answered, Indeed they were suspended.' Then
within a little while he said, 'Comforts! aye comforts!' meaning, that
they were not easily attained. His wife said, 'What reck'd the comfort if
believing is not suspended!' He said, 'No.' Speaking farther to that his
condition, he said, 'Although that I should never see any more light of
comfort than I do see, yet I shall adhere, and do believe that He is mine,
and I am his!'

"The next morrow being Friday, he not being able to write, did dictate out
the rest of a paper, which he had been before writing himself, and did
subscribe it before two witnesses, who also did subscribe; wherein he gave
faithful and clear testimony to the work and cause of God, and against the
enemies thereof, to stop the mouths of calumniators and to confirm his
children.

"In all his discourses this was mixed as one thing, that he longed for the
time of relief, and rejoiced because it was so near. His breath being very
short, he said, 'Where the hallelujahs are sung to the Lamb, there is no
shortness of breath!' And being in very great pain all the Friday night,
his mother said in the morning, 'In all appearance you will not have
another night.' To which he said, 'Think you that your word will hold
good?' She said, 'I fear it will hold over good.' He said, 'Not over
good.' That day he blessed his children and some others, (Mr Patrick
Simson, the writer of this) and said, 'God bless you: and as you carry the
name of your grandfather, so God grant you his graces.' That afternoon,
being Saturda