then, I would have run through
the fire to have gone to Christ."

19. His sickness lasted long: and at least three days before his death
he prophesied his departure, and not only that he must die, but the very
day. "On the Lord's day," said he, "look to me;" neither was this a word
of course, which you may guess by his frequent repetition, every day
asking till the day came indeed, "What, is Sunday come?" At last, the
looked-for day came on; and no sooner had the sun beautified that
morning with its light, but he falls into a trance, his eyes were fixed,
his face cheerful, his lips smiling, his hands and arms clasped in a
bow, as if he would have embraced some blessed angel that was at hand to
receive his soul. But he comes to himself, and tells them how he saw the
sweetest body that ever eyes beheld, who bid him to be of good cheer,
for he must presently go with him.

20. One that stood near him, as now suspecting the time of his
dissolution nigh, bid him say, "Lord, into thy hands I commend my
spirit, which is thy due; for why? thou hast redeemed it, O Lord, my
God, most true!"

21. The last words which he spoke were exactly these: "Pray, pray, pray,
nay, yet pray, and the more prayers the better all prospers; God is the
best physician; into thy hands I commend my spirit. O Lord Jesus receive
my soul: now close mine eyes: forgive me, father, mother, brother,
sister, all the world. Now I am well; my pain is almost gone, my joy is
at hand. Lord, have mercy on me. O Lord, receive my soul unto thee." And
thus he yielded up his spirit unto the Lord when he was about twelve
years old.

A POOR BUT HAPPY BOY.

A VERY poor child, of the parish of Newington-Butts, came to the door of
a friend of mine, in a very lamentable case: it pleased God to raise in
the heart of my friend a great pity and tenderness toward him: so that
he took him out of the streets, who had nothing at all to commend him to
any one's charity but his misery. My friend, seeking the glory of God,
discharged the parish of the child, and took him as his own; yet there
seemed to be little hopes of doing good upon him, for he was a very
monster of wickedness, and a thousand times more miserable and vile by
his sin than by his poverty. He was running to hell as fast as he could
go, and was old in vice when he was but young in years: we scarcely hear
of one so like the devil in his infancy as was this poor child. What sin
was there that his age was capabl