13. With prayer there was continual praise intermixed. Sometimes he was blessing God for what he had done; then praying, “O my God finish thy work and take me into thy kingdom. Is this the day, O my God that I shall kiss my brother in paradise?—O Lord the angels have already praised thee at my conversion. Is this the day that I shall praise thee with them? Yes, O my God, I am now going to join them, to sing praises to thee for ever.”
Then he prayed with great earnestness for Mary [♦]Busvine, and his own sister (both of whom he had in the beginning of the evening desired, to stay with him till he was in eternity) that they might never grow weary or faint in their minds, that God would send down the spirit of sanctification into their hearts, and give them resigned wills to bear whatever his providence should lay upon them: adding, they shall run and not be weary. I know we shall all meet together, and sing praises unto him that sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb, for ever and ever.”
[♦] “Bisvine” replaced with “Busvine” for consistency
He went on, “O how good is God to me, that he hath given me a tongue to praise him! A little while, yet a little while, and I shall praise him in heaven! O the goodness of God, that I a worm of the earth, shall stand there, upon mount Sion, with the hundred and forty and four thousand which have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb! Here is a privilege; here is a wonder: that I am made a son of God and a joint-heir with Christ, and I shall soon be where I shall behold him for ever! I, even I, who have been a backslider from God! But he has healed my backslidings and loved me freely.”
14. Soon after he said, “I love thee, O my God, Thou knowest that I love thee, because thou hast first loved me. O what manner of love is this, that God should stoop to love me! And he is coming to carry me home. O! I see thousands and ten thousands of angels! Do you not see them? O brother Trembath, do you not see what a glorious place I am going to; I am going to join with angels and arch-angels, and with all the company of heaven. I am going to reign with God, among ten thousands of his saints and to bask in the beams of his love for ever.”
Then looking on Mary Busvine, he said, “Can’t you see Jesus Christ coming, with an innumerable company of angels, and the golden banner display’d! They are coming to carry me to the bosom of my God. Open their eyes, O God, that they may see them. O what a good God have I served! I am sanctified, soul, body, and spirit. I am whiter than snow. I am washed in the blood of my Redeemer. Why, I am all God. My heart is full of God! O let them who hear me now, praise thee for ever and ever!”
“And yet I have been unfaithful to my God. For he gave me a gift, but I improved it not. I thought I was not worthy to stand in the highway and call sinners to repentance. But, O God, thou hast forgiven me this also, and I will preach thee now as long as I have breath.”
15. He ceased not thus praying and praising for an hour. His parents then coming in (early on Friday morning) he said, “O my mother, you will not weep to see me going to such a loving God. My father and mother will not be backsliders. No; I know that God loves them, and that we shall all meet together in heaven, to praise him to all eternity.” Then looking on his brother, about twelve years old, he said, “Stand off, for fear you catch the distemper: for I fear you are not prepared to die, you have played away the grace of God. The harvest may come, before you are renewed in the image of God, and then how will you appear? Cry mightily to God. Strive with all your might. Call upon him, and God will hear.”
He then said, “Right my feet, that I may lie strait to resign my breath. When I am dead, do you sing me all the way, sing my body to the grave, lay me by my brother, and at the same time my spirit shall be joined to his, and to ten thousand times ten thousand of angels and spirits, singing praises to God and the Lamb for ever.”
16. Having spoken till he had no breath left, he paused; and in a short time, began again, “Hear now the words of a dying man, a living wonder, a Christian triumphing over death! O what a God do the Christians serve! What a God I have served! Praise him with me for ever. Behold the immense goodness of our God. O that all the world knew our God! He has now made my heart free that I may praise him, and I cannot stop while I have breath. Go, tell all the world of this. O brethren! What a good God do we serve! Be not afraid to tell it abroad! Go, shew it to all people, that they may come and serve him too.”