As his medical attendant, I regret to say, that his frequent plunges into the water, at all seasons of the year, and long exposure in wet clothes, have seriously injured his health and constitution.
After the 'Hero's' death the same gentleman wrote:—'Mr. Ellerthorpe had generously attempted to save the lives of others at the expense of abridging his own life.'
Mr. Ellerthorpe knew the great source of religious strength and salvation, and trusting entirely in the merits of Jesus Christ, he found a satisfying sense of God's saving presence and power to the very last. He would often say, 'my feet are on the Rock of Ages. I cannot sink under such a prop, as bears the world and all things up.' His affliction, water on the chest, and an enlargement of the heart brought on by his frequent plunges into the water, and exposure to wet and cold, was protracted and very severe. He found great difficulty in breathing and had comparatively little rest, day or night, for five months. Dr. Gibson said to him on one occasion, 'Mr. Ellerthorpe, you cannot live long unless I could take out your present heart and give you a new one.' 'Ah,' said he, with the utmost composure, 'that you cannot do.' Often after a night of restlessness and suffering he would say to his dear wife:—'Well, I have lived another night,' to which she would reply, 'O yes, and I hope you will live many more yet.' 'No,' he would say, 'I shall not live many more; I feel I am going, but it is all right.'
HIS TRIUMPHANT DEATH.
During his last illness he had, as was to be expected, many visitors, but he loved those best who talked most about Jesus. He seemed pained and disappointed when the conversation was about the things of earth, but he was delighted and carried away when it was about the things of heaven. When his medical adviser gave strict orders that visitors should not be allowed to see him, his pale face and lack-lustre eyes grew bright, and he imploringly said, 'Do let those come who can pray and talk about Jesus and heaven.'
The ministers of his own denomination, the Revs. G. Lamb, T. Ratcliffe, T. Newsome, J. Hodgson, F. Rudd and others often visited him, and would have done so much more frequently, but for the nature of his complaint and the orders of his medical attendant. Mr. John Sissons, his first class leader, Mr. Harrison, his devoted companion and fellow labourer in the work of God, and others of his lay brethren, frequently visited him, and all testify to the happy state of soul in which they found him. The Rev. J. Hodgson, in one of his visits, found him in great pain, but breathing out his soul to God in short ejaculatory prayers. His old passion for the conversion of souls was strong in death. Mr. Hodgson told him of some good missionary meetings they had just been holding. 'And how many souls had you saved?' was the ready inquiry. 'You will soon be at home,' said Mr. Harrison, during his last visit, to which he replied, 'Yes, I shall, my lad.' During the Rev. T. Newsome's visit Mr. Ellerthorpe expressed himself as wonderfully happy and anxiously waiting the coming of his Lord. Toplady's well known verse was repeated by the preacher:—
'And when I'm to die,
To Jesus I'll cry;
For Jesus hath loved me,
I cannot tell why;
But this I can find,
We two are so joined,
He'll not reign in glory
And leave me behind.'
'Ah,' said the dying man, now rich in holiness and ready for the skies, 'that is it.' He soon afterwards expired in the full triumph of faith, on July 15th, 1868.