It was however not till a short time before his complete and eternal deliverance, that his Lord appeared to his help: and by making himself known, as Jesus, his well known Saviour, entirely eased the anguish of his oppressed soul! The beams of his brightness dispersed the clouds: and the smiles of his countenance more than compensated for all his night of sorrow. He spoke and said unto him, The winter is passed; arise my love and come away!
*The manner of his deliverance was as follows. A few friends being at prayer with him, on Sunday evening; as soon as they concluded, he desired to be left alone, in order, as he said, “to meditate a little.” They withdrew; and he remained deeply recollected for some time: just then, God, dropping into his soul, no doubt, some lively foretaste of the joys to come, and spreading the day of eternity thro’ the regions of his inward man; he burst out in transport, and pronounced, in a dying voice indeed, but with the joy of angels!——“He is come!——He is come!——My beloved is mine, and I am his!——His for ever!” And uttering these words, he sweetly breathed out his soul into the arms of his beloved; on the 8th day of April 1759, and in the 28th year of his age.
The CONCLUSION.
WE cannot sufficiently admire and adore, the unsearchable counsels, and impenetrable secrets of God our Saviour, with respect to the management of his kingdom, and the disposal of his servants. Two reflections are natural, on considering the preceding account in general.
*1. To see a man delivered from the blindness of error and superstition, and brought into the light and enjoyment of truth; the knowledge of the true God and of his spiritual worship—to see him brought out from the obscurity of retirement, and that by the remarkable interposition of divine providence, in order to spread the savour of the knowledge of God, among mankind, in the most public manner—to consider him as singularly fitted for this, by knowledge, by the word of truth, dwelling richly in him; by purity, by zeal for God’s glory, by the armour of righteousness, and by the power of God, attending his word—To see such an one cut off from among men, in the prime of life, just fully furnished for promoting the kingdom of the Son of God, to which he was entirely devoted, is a thing which will be acknowledged to confound human understanding.
Without entring deeply into the matter, one may easily learn herefrom, at least a confirmation of that weighty truth, that God is not worshipped, or served by mens hands, as tho’ he needed any person or thing. He leaves no one any room to say or think within themselves, that the cause and glory of God needed them, or at least had some connexion with our standing or being removed. He is at no time at a loss how to serve his own glory, and the necessities of his creatures. Hereby moreover he would stain the pride of human glory; and teach us, what can never be too fully learned, to walk humbly with our God; not to judge according to appearances; and to learn to conceive of things and persons, not according to bare human estimation, but according to the will of God. O that we may learn from every occurrence, to fly to him, in all our affections and desires! Then whenever our change comes, we shall be welcomed by superior beings, and not much missed by men, who delight in novelties.
Whatever secret reasons might be the cause of such a procedure, in the divine disposals; whether ingratitude, or something bordering upon idolatry in the people, or whatever was the cause, certain it is, that we need never fail to reap instruction and advantage, from such awful providences; the decease of our dearest friends, since
“For us they languish, and for us they die!”
2. But what may seem most strange is, that a person so eminent for piety, so laborious for God’s glory; so exemplarily religious, in the whole of his conversation; so useful to others: in a word, so entirely, and unreservedly devoted to Christ, should in the time of his greatest necessity, be so destitute of spiritual comfort. And it must be acknowledged, in great measure, to be a part of those ways, of which God giveth account to none. His [♦]judgments are unsearchable, and his ways past finding out. His way is in the sea, and his paths in the great waters; and his footsteps are not known. And who shall say to God, “What dost thou?” “What I do thou knowest not now,” is indeed applicable to the general course of God’s providences; and to much of the experience of Christians in particular; and perhaps this is the best footing on which to rest the present case, namely the mysterious councils of God, with respect to his dealings with his servants: with him we are considering in particular.