oman acknowledged, more than
mortal strength which enabled her to contemplate without a murmur the
separation that was so soon to take place, and which raised her mind
above the distressing scene before her, to find utterance in prayer
for herself and for the departing spirit of her husband. She was not
sensible that she was heard, till, a few moments after she had
concluded, he distinctly said, in the metrical version of the 122nd
psalm, "It was a joyful sound to hear." It is uncertain whether this
alluded to the words of the prayer just uttered, or whether the
Almighty was already pleased to vouchsafe to him, as there is reason
to believe he does to his faithful servants when approaching the great
conflict, some assurance of his salvation, by admitting him to a
distant sound of the Hallelujahs of those blessed spirits which
surround the throne. From whatever source sprung this sentence, dear
and precious must it ever be to those who loved him; for these were
the last words he distinctly pronounced,--the last sound of his voice
in this world!

The next day (Sunday) was the 9th of October, a day which had been one
of peculiar interest to him, being the birth-day of his eldest son,
who was unfortunately prevented by a weak state of health, attended
with bodily infirmity, which would not admit of his crossing the water
in the stormy weather then prevailing, from being present at the dying
bed of his beloved parent.

His breathing now became very laborious, but his lordship was
apparently at ease and free from pain. Sometimes it was thought a
degree of consciousness existed; for when at noon his second son, who
had just arrived from England, appeared in the apartment and spoke, a
slight movement of the body was perceptible. Towards night the pulse
rapidly declined, the breathing, which had been much relieved during
the day, became gradually fainter, every limb was at rest, the whole
body in repose, as if indicating the happy state of that spirit which
was about to be resigned into the hands of Him that gave it.

A few minutes before midnight, the wise Disposer of all things was
pleased to close the mortal scene; the cessation of the act of
breathing was the only sign of dissolution; and even at that moment
his countenance bore an expression no language can portray; unimpaired
by illness, or the course of nearly fourscore years, time seemed to
have restored to his features and complexion the freshness and bloom
of the p