hen the time was come for them to depart,
they went down together to the brink of the river. The last words of Mr.
Despondency were, "Farewell night and welcome day." His daughter went
through the river singing, but none could understand what it was she
said. Fore-fancy that, all you godly old men, with a daughter who has
made a husband and children to herself of her old father.

7. As I hear Old Honest shouting "Grace reigns!" I always remember what
a lady told me about a saying of her poor Irish scullery-girl. The
mistress and the servant were reading George Eliot's Life together in the
kitchen, and when they came to her deathbed, on the pillow of which
Thomas A'Kempis lay open, "Mem," said the girl, "I used to read that old
book in the convent; but it is a better book to live upon than to die
upon." Now, that was exactly Old Honest's mind. He lived upon one book,
and then he died upon another. He lived according to the commandments of
God, but he died according to the comforts of the Gospel. Now, we read
in his history how that the river at that time overflowed its banks in
some places. But Mr. Honest had in his lifetime spoken to one
Good-conscience to meet him at the river, the which he also did, and lent
him his hand, and so helped him over. All the same, the last words of
Mr. Honest still were, "Grace reigns!" And so he left the world. Fore-
fancy whether or no you are making, as one has said, "an assignation with
terror" at that same river-side.

8. Standfast was the last of the pilgrims to go over the river.
Standfast was left longest on this side the river because his Master
could best trust him here. His Master had to take away many of His other
servants from the evil to come, but He could trust Standfast. You can
safely trust a man who takes to his knees in every hour of temptation, as
Standfast was wont to do. "This river," he said, "has been a terror to
many. Yea, the thoughts of it have often frighted me also. The waters,
indeed, are to the palate bitter, and to the stomach cold; yet the
thoughts of what I am going to, and of the conduct that awaits me on the
other side, doth lie as a glowing coal at my heart. I see myself now at
the end of my journey, and my toilsome days are all ended. I am going
now to see that head that was crowned with thorns, and that face that was
spit upon for me. His name has been to me as a civet-box, yea, sweeter
than all perfumes. His word I did use to g