Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1834-10-02
NEWPORT Il. I. THURSDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 2,


unite in offering prayer for hin,?" lie re-
piled with great vvacity, "Yes," and nodded
his head affirmatvely, three times, in qulcl
succession, thereby signifying the great plea
sure the proposition afforded him.
We all instantly knelt down, as with one
impulse, while the solemn appeal ascended tc
the throne Of grace. Ii was spectacle st
sublime, that Angels might contemplate will
delight and awe. My fathers eyes were
raised to Heaven with prayer. At one time
Mr.. P prayed that if il wis conssten
with the intentions of the Almighty, his sick
and suffering servant might be raised from
that bed Of languishing, to the enjoyment Of
health, to be further blessing to his family
and friends, and an honor To his country, and
to the cause of God on earth"-Immed diatcly
the eye was withdrawn from its imploring
gaze upwards, shudder passed over his
frame, and, Mr. C. insists, audibly said
"No." But when Mr.. p closed with a
prayer, that ''if God should take him now he
| might be received into the mansions of glory;
to dwell forever at the right hand OF his God
and Saviour, and that his family might be
sustained and comforted in his departurc"-
his hand and eyes were raised once more,
and for the last time, to Heaven, and thence
forth motionlcss and at rest. Mr.. P pres
sed his hand in taking leave, saying she
would not fatigue him further then as the re-
suit Of that interview was perfectly satisfac-
tory to him, but would see him again."
i 1t did seem as if God, ut that very moment
Enclosed his eyes once more, to look for the
last time on earth upon his assembled family.
to witness their resignation, and to cheer them
by his own; and that the pressure upon the
brain was, during this blest half hour, reinoV-
ed for the same benevolent purpose. The
express on Of his eye was not dim Il wander
ing, but clear, firm, intelligent beamng hea-
venly. The voice too, distinct and full of
feeling, and the motion of the head and OF the
hand, as it were raised with an effort from the
bed, and then dropped, not litelessly, but re-
verentialy, spoke in manner not to DC mis-
taken by those who witnessed it-"Oh God,
thy holy will be done-Lord Jesus into thy
hands commend my spirit"
| Throughout this lingering and painful sick
ness, uncomfortable as he must have felt from
the pressure of the disease, and the severe
remedies, (for all the blisters drew he never
uttered q rcpining word. Once, when his
feet were immersed in hot poultices, he said,
ais not this enough to drive a man mad; to be
between two fires, one at his head and the
other at his feet?" Yet, when | asked him
not long afterwards, how he felt lie simply
said, "Not WELL"
II Such chid-like submission never witness
sed, and such uDmurmurng patience. On
Monday morning, 18th, DIR. R*"***~", after
some efforts succeeded in making MIN under
stand, that he wished him to take another
dose of medicine. His reply was ~ am
child, do as you please ioith me-" But the last
time they teased him to swallow some nour-
ishment, he gently and almost inaudibly
whispered, "Let me be-" My mother says
she has often heard him express the opinion,
that "dying persons ought not to be dis
turbcd III their last moments, by the importu-
mites Of their friends to call them back to
life; for that most probably the souls Of such
persons were then absorbed in the contem-
plations of eternity, and holding communion
with the inhabitants of heaven" We know
not but his half emancipated soul was at that
moment thus engaged, and it seemed almost
cruel to waken his wrapt soul to conscious
ness.
When with the restlessnes, of pain, he
would throw the cover from his hands, and
make an effort to reach far back with them
perhaps to indicate by his mute gesture the
seat of pain; and dear mother would say, "ior
wife's sake, my beloved, try to keep your
hands warm" he would patiently resign them
to be covered; sometimes saying, swell, ifit
must be so"-but most generally in silence.
After his farewell interview with us, and
Mr.. P*%1*#, which have so minutely descrb-
ed, and which took place on Monday the 18th,
he did not again unclose his eyes or speak
Once, afterwards, that night, as sat by him
holding his hand and moistening his mouth
with wine and water, and watching his very
gradually diminishing breathing, he whisper
ed "7he door is open!" | thought he might
feel oppressed, Though there were not, at the
time, more than two other persons, besides
myself, in the room, which was large, airy,
and cool,) and threw open the door to admit
the air. But think it highly probable that,
ut that moment he had II glimpse of the Heav-
Ell, on which he was about to enter-the
thought struck me at tlTc time, that then he
stood
Where Moses stood,
And view d the landscape Ger;
Not Jordan's stream nor deaths cold Hood,
Could fright him from the shore"
All night we watched, expecting every
breath to be the last: and yet, although his
hands were cold and clammy, and his pulse
almost and sometimes quite imperceptible
vot tho hot hr,ck ka sppmpd keen his teetl