kneeled down again to prayer, at which time his fervour of spirit was manifest to every one present. But in particular parts of the prayer, his whole soul seemed to be engaged in a manner which evidently shewed how ardently he longed for the full accomplishment of their united desires. And when one of the preachers was praying in a very expressive manner, that if God were about to take away their father to his eternal rest, he would be pleased to continue and increase his blessing upon the doctrine and discipline, which he had long made his servant the mean of propagating and establishing in the world;. such a degree of fervour accompa nied his loud Amen, as was every way expressive of his soul's being engaged in the answer of the petitions. On rising from their knees, he took hold of all their hands, and, with the utmost placidness, saluted them, and said, "Farewell, farewell."

A little after, a person coming in, he strove to speak, but could not. Finding they could not understand him, he paused a little, and, then with all the remaining strength he had, cried out, The best of all is, God is with us; and, soon after lifting up his dying arm in token of victory, and raising his feeble voice with a holy triumph, not to be expressed, he again repeated the heart-reviving words, The best of all is, God is with us. Being told that his brother's widow was come, he said, "He giveth his servants rest." He thanked her, as she pressed his hand, and affectionately endeavoured to kiss her. On wetting his lips, he said, "We thank thee, O Lord, for these and all thy mercies: bless the Church and King; and grant us truth and peace, through Jesus Christ our Lord, for ever and ever!" At another time he said, "He causeth his servants to lie down in peace." Then pausing a little, he cried, "The clouds drop fatness! and soon after, "The Lord is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge!" He then called those present to prayer: and though he was greatly exhausted, he appeared still more fervent in spirit. These exertions were, however, too much for his feeble frame; and most of the night following,

+

though he often attempted to repeat the Psalm before-mentioned, he could only utter,

“I'll praise—I'll praise!"

On Wednesday morning, the closing scene drew near. Mr. Bradford, his faithful friend, prayed with him, and the last words he was heard to articulate were, "Farewell!” A few minutes before ten, while several of his friends were kneeling around his bed, without a lingering groan, this man of God, this beloved pastor of thousands, entered into the joy of his Lord.

He was in the eighty-eighth year of his age, had been sixty-five years in the ministry; and the preceding pages will be a lasting memorial of his uncommon zeal, diligence, and usefulness, in his Master's work, for more than half a century. His death was an admirable close of so laborious and useful a life.

At the desire of many of his friends his corpse was placed in the New-Chapel, and remained there the day before his interment. His face during that time had a heavenly smile upon it, and a beauty which was admired by all that saw it.

March the 9th, was the day appointed for his interment. The preachers then in London requested that Dr. Whitehead should deliver the funeral discourse; and the executers afterwards approved of the appointment. The intention was, to carry the corps into the chapel, and place it in a raised situation before the pulpit during the service. But the crowds which came to see the body while it lay in the coffin, both in the private house, and especially in the chapel the day before his funeral, were so great, that his friends were apprehensive of a tumult, if they should proceed on the plan first intended. It was therefore resolved, the evening before, to bury him between five and six in the morning. Though the time of notice to his friends was short, and the design itself was spoken of with great caution, yet a considerable number of persons attended at that

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early hour. The late Rev. Mr. Richardson, who now lies with him in the same vault, read the funeral service in a manner that made it peculiarly affecting; when he came to that part of it, "Forasmuch as it hath pleased Almighty God to take unto himself the soul of our dear Brother, &c." he substituted, with the most tender emphasis, the epithet Father, instead of Brother, which had so powerful an effect on the congregation, that from silent tears, they seemed universally to burst out into loud weeping.

The discourse, by Dr. Whitehead, was delivered in the chapel at the hour appointed in the forenoon, to an astonishing multitude of people; among whom were many ministers of the Gospel, both of the Establishment and Dissenters. The audience was still and solemn as night; and all seemed to carry away with them, enlarged views of Mr. Wesley's character, and serious impressions of the importance of religion, and the utility of Methodism.

The death of Mr. Wesley, attracted the public notice beyond any former example, perhaps, of a clergyman, however dignified. It being generally known, that he died as he had lived; and evinced in death, the uprightness and integrity of his life, the impression on the public mind in favour of his character and of Methodism, was almost universal; so that some persons said, Mr. Wesley will do more good

* Johu Wesley, Master of Arts, formerly Fellow of Lincoln-College, Oxford, died on the second day of March, 1791, in the eighty-eighth year of his age.

by his death, than he did in his whole life. This, however, is certain, that a door of usefulness was now opened to the Methodist Preachers, unknown at any former period.

THE FOLLOWING IS A COPY OF

MR. WESLEY'S LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT.

"In the name of God, Amen!

"I JOHN WESLEY, Clerk, some time Fellow of LincolnCollege, Oxford, revoking all others, appoint this my Last Will and Testament.

"I give all my books, now on sale, and the copies of them (only subject to a rent charge of £85. a year, to the widow and children of my brother) to my faithful friends, John Horton, Merchant, George Wolff, Merchant, and William Marriott, Stock-Broker, all of London, in trust, for the general Fund of the Methodist Conference, in carry. ing on the work of God, by Itinerant Preachers, on condition that they permit the following Committee, Thomas Coke, James Creighton, Peard Dickenson, Thomas Rankin, George Whitefield, and the London Assistant for the time being, still to superintend the Printing-Press, and to employ Hannah Paramore and George Paramore, as heretofore, unless four of the Committee judge a change to be needful.

"I give the books, furniture, and whatever else belongs to me in the three houses at Kingswood, in trust, to Thomas Coke, Alexander Mather, and Henry Moore, to be still employed in teaching and maintaining the children of poor travelling Preachers.

"I give to Thomas Coke, Doctor John Whitehead, and Henry Moore, all the books which are in my Study and Bed-chamber at London, and in my Studies elewhere, in

trust, for the use of the Preachers who shall labour there from time to time.

"I give the coins, and whatever else is found in the drawer of my bureau at London, to my dear grand daughters, Mary and Jane Smith.

"I give all my manuscripts to Thomas Coke, Doctor Whitehead, and Henry Moore, to be burnt or published as they see good.

"I give whatever money remains in my bureau and pockets to be equally divided between Thomas Briscoe, William Collins, John Easton, and Isaac Brown.

"I desire my gowns, cassocks, sashes, and bands may remain in the chapel for the use of the Clergymen attending there.

"I desire the London Assistant, for the time being, to divide the rest of my wearing apparel among those four of the travelling Preachers that want it most; only my pelisse I give to the Rev. Mr. Creighton; my watch to my friend Joseph Bradford; my gold seal to Elizabeth Ritchie.

"I give my chaise and horses to James Ward and Charles Wheeler, in trust, to be sold, and the money to be divided between Hannah Abbott and the members of the Select Society.

"Out of the first money which arises from the sale of books, I bequeath to my dear sister, Martha Hall (if alive) €40.; to Mr. Creighton aforesaid, 40.; and to the Rev.

Mr. Heath £60.

"And whereas, I am empowered by a late Deed, to name the persons who are to preach in the New Chapel at London, (the Clergymen for a continuance,) and by another Deed to name a Committee for appointing Preachers in the New Chapel at Bath, I do hereby appoint John Richardson, Thomas Coke, James Creighton, Peard Dickenson, Clerks; Alexander Mather, William Thomson, Henry Moore, Andrew Blair, John Valton, Joseph Bradford, James Rogers, and William Myles, to preach in the New Chapel at London, and to be the Committee for appointing Preachers in the New Chapel at Bath.