would I give that I could
say to my blessed Saviour, 'Thou knowest that I love Thee!'"

Next evening he held a meeting in St. Peter's, with the view of
organizing his people for collecting in behalf of the Free Protesting
Church,--the disruption of the Establishment being now inevitable. He
spoke very fervently; and after the meeting felt chilled and unwell.
Next morning he felt that he was ill; but went out in the afternoon to
the marriage of two of his flock. He seemed, however, to anticipate a
serious attack, for, on his way home, he made some arrangements
connected with his ministerial work, and left a message at Dr.
Gibson's house, asking him to come and see him. He believed that he
had taken the fever, and it was so. That night he lay down upon the
bed from which he was never to rise. He spoke little, but intimated
that he apprehended danger.

On Wednesday, he said he thought that he would never have seen the
morning, he felt so sore broken, and had got no sleep; but afterwards
added, "Shall we receive good at the hand of the Lord, and shall we
not receive evil also?" He seemed clouded in spirit, often repeating
such passages as--"My moisture is turned into the drought of
summer;"--"My bones wax old, through my roaring all day long." It was
with difficulty that he was able to speak a few words with his
assistant, Mr. Gatherer. In the forenoon, Mr. Miller of Wallacetown
found him oppressed with extreme pain in his head. Amongst other
things they conversed upon Ps. 126. On coming to the 6th verse, Mr.
M'Cheyne said he would give him a division of it. 1. _What is
sowed_--"Precious seed." 2. _The manner of sowing it_--"Goeth forth
and weepeth." He dwelt upon "_weepeth_" and then said, "Ministers
should go forth at all times." 3. _The fruit_--"Shall doubtless come
again with rejoicing." Mr. Miller pointed to the _certainty_ of it;
Mr. M'Cheyne assented, "Yes--_doubtless_." After praying with him, Mr.
Miller repeated Matt. 11:28, upon which Mr. M'Cheyne clasped his hands
with great earnestness. As he became worse, his medical attendants
forbade him to be visited. Once or twice he asked for me, and was
heard to speak of "_Smyrna_" as if the associations of his illness
there were recalled by his burning fever now. I was not at that time
aware of his danger, even the rumor of it had not reached us.

Next day, he continued sunk in body and mind, till about the time when
his people met for their usual evening prayer-meeti