for the great Epiphany, 289 not agree. OnThurfday laft they met,and eachof thetas pleaded their caufe. And let . me fay thus, that if this brother of ours had been judod to do any wrong in that caufe ; ifhe had uttered one wordof fallhood to help his caufe,if hehad ufed one wordof imprecation,wifhinganycurie to hitnfelf; then it had been peradventure,a jut} thingwith God,to have taken him at his word. If he had fworn oneoath,ifhe haduttered but one uncharitable word again(} his neighbour ; if he had (hewed but any malice or fplcen againft him ; if he had been buttranfported with paffion, as a manmayeafily be in hisown caufe, we arebut men., .I fay, ifhe hadbeen but tran- fported withpaffion ; then.peradventyre Tome men might havethought it had been the ltroke ofdivine juf}ice upon him ; but let metell you, I have the witnefsofho- 'heft Gentlemen that were the arbitrators, and willjabfie. Firf}, that his caufe was good, and that there was not one word fpoken,but was confirmed by hone(} witneffes prefent. Then, he ufed no kindofimprecation inthe world ; no, not as I remember, fo much as a proteftation, or any atleveration ;, there was not one oath fworn, either by him, or by others that were prefent. Therewas not one uncharitable word fpoken by him : there was not any malice, or ranehour,or hatred appearcd,either on the one fidc,or the other between them; he was no way tranfported with pafGon. He did plead his caufe, but with that meeknefsof fpirít,with that quietnefs,with that Tweet temper, and that Chrillian moderation, as more could not be required in anySaint of God. Therefore brethren, let me only tell you thus much, while this was in agitation, I could not perceive that he was moved at any thing ;. he was not f}irred, he was not earneft in his caufe, till it pleafed God to touch him, and he had fore fence and feeling t of : riling from his flool, he fate rubbing of his cheek, or his neck withhis handkerchief. He fell upon the neck ofa Gentleman that fatedole to him, whoperceiving that he was not well, asked him howhedid? he was fcarfely able to give us an anfwer ; I perceived that hewas flricken with the dead pallie. Brethren, confrderingthelethings that I have told you before ; I be- feech you judgenot, that yoube not judged ; condemn not, that you be not con- demned. You owe a duty to the truth, every one ofyou ; and by that duty that you owe to the truth, I was about to fay, I charge you as before God ; but I be- fetch you as before God, flop the mouths ofall them"that !hall either be forgers, or fpreaders of fuch notorious lies : though it pleafed'God it were by a fudden ftroakof his hand ; and how often hath be done it, when men have been worfe buffed ? hewas butfeeking to work peace. Though it pleafed God fuddenly to take his fpeechfrom him, yetI befetch you know this withal, he was pleafednot to take his life prefently away ; nor his un- derflanding from him : from Thurfday about four of the clock that he was firfl ffricken, he lived till Saturday night, or Sundaymorning, I knownot whether : but in this time on Friday night I was with him, and I perceived by the lifting up of his hand that he knewme; I puthim in mindof fomegracious promifes that God hath made to us in Chrift. I asked him whether he believed thofe'promifes of God, and whether he found any comfort in thofe promifes, and then he lift up his hand. I asked him, and defired him, ifhe found any affurance ofGods favour in Chrifl, to make the fame fign ; he lift up his hand again. I asked him if I ;houldpray with him ; hedefired it, and at the period ofevery Petition, his hand went up to God. And one thing I obferved more, that in one petition ofmine, in that prayer for him, that it would pleafe God to deliver him from the malice of Satan, that would bemoll bufiewhen weare weakefl; he held up his handhigher than before, andcontinued holding it longer. And bletfed be our goodGod, that We can holdand keep an intelligence with him, not only by fpeech, but withour very hands : that liftingup of the hand, and tholegroans ofhis fpirit, I make no doubt, but they prevailedat the handsofGod. And foas he lived, I make no queftion but he died, a holy fervant ofGod : and I hope his foul is now in heaven, and we are come tolay up hisbody in the earth, in thehopeof abletled, and joyfulR.efurreetion. Pp THE
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