also explained to him passages in the Scriptures, and seemed to have pleasure in talking upon religious subjects.

The following particulars are selected to show what was the state of his mind for some days previous to his decease. The information is supplied by a number of friends who visited Dr. Johnson at various times during his severe and protracted illness of dropsy.

Sir John Hawkins states, that upon his sitting down at the Rev. Mr. Strahan's, at Islington, on the 27th of November, 1784, Dr. Johnson said, "that the prospect of the change he was about to undergo, and the thought of meeting his Saviour, troubled him, but that he had hope that He would not reject him." Sir John proceeds, "After I had dictated a few lines (of a proposed will), I told him that the ancient form of wills contained a profession of the faith of the testator. He thanked me for the hint, and calling for paper, wrote the following words:-'I humbly commit to the infinite and eternal goodness of Almighty God my soul, polluted with many sins; but, as I hope, purified by repentance, and redeemed, as I trust, by the death of Jesus Christ.""

Sir John Hawkins, who kept a diary of his visits to Dr. Johnson during the last fortnight of his friend's illness, thus continues his narrative :

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Sunday, Nov. 28th, 1784. Johnson said, 'I have at times entertained a loathing of sin and of myself, particularly at the beginning of this year, when I had the prospect of death before me; and this has not abated when my fears of death have been less; and, at these times, I have had such rays of hope shot into my soul, as have almost persuaded me that I am in a state of reconciliation with God.'

"Dec. 5th, 1784, being Sunday, I communicated with him and Mr. Langton, and other of his friends, as many as nearly filled the room. Mr. Strahan, who was constant in his attendance on him throughout his illness, performed the office. Previous to reading the exhortation, Johnson knelt, and with a degree of fervour that I had never been witness to before, uttered the following most eloquent and energetic prayer:

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Almighty and most merciful Father, I am now, as to human eyes it seems, about to commemorate, for the last time, the death of thy Son Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Redeemer. Grant, O Lord, that my whole hope and confidence may be in his merits and in thy mercy. Forgive and accept my late conversion; enforce and accept my imperfect repentance; make this commemoration of Him available to the confirmation of my faith, the establishment of my hope, and the enlargement of my charity; and make the death of thy Son Jesus Christ effectual to my redemption. Have mercy upon me, and pardon the multitude of my offences. Bless my friends: have mercy upon all men. Support me by the grace of thy Holy Spirit in the days of weakness, and at the hour of death; and receive me at my death to everlasting happiness, for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen.'

Mr. Windham also kept a private journal of the visits which he paid to Dr. Johnson at this time. "Tuesday, Dec. 7th, 1784. Dr. Johnson observed, that I was entering upon a life which would lead me deeply into all the business of the world; that he did not condemn civil employment, but that it was a state of great danger, and that he had, therefore, one piece of advice earnestly to impress upon me, that I would set apart every seventh

day for the care of my soul. That one day, the seventh, should be employed in repenting of what was amiss in the six preceding, and fortifying my virtue for the six to come. That such a portion of time was surely little enough for the meditation of eternity.

"Dec. 12th. Dr. Johnson said, with great fervour, in words which I shall, I hope, never forget, God bless you, my dear Windham, through Jesus Christ; concluding with a wish, 'that we might share in some humble portion of that happiness which God might finally vouchsafe to repentant sinners.""

Dr. Brocklesby gives us this brief account. "For some time before his death, all Dr. Johnson's fears were calmed and absorbed by the prevalence of his faith, and his trust in the merits and propitiation of Jesus Christ. He talked often to me about the necessity of faith in the sacrifice of Jesus as necessary beyond all good works whatever for the salvation of mankind."

J. Hoole, Esq., visited him frequently, and kept a diary of Dr. Johnson's last illness, in which I find the following interesting statement:

"Saturday, Nov. 20th, 1784. This evening, about eight o'clock, I paid a visit to my dear friend, Dr. Johnson, whom I found very ill. We had a most affecting conversation on the subject of religion, in which he exhorted me, with the greatest warmth of kindness, to attend closely to every religious duty, and particularly enforced the obligation of private prayer, and receiving the Sacrament. He desired me to stay that night, and join in prayer with him, adding, that he always went to prayer every night with his man Francis. He conjured me to read and meditate upon the Bible, and not to throw it aside for a play or a novel. He said

he himself had lived in great negligence of religion and worship for forty years; that he had neglected to read his Bible, and had often reflected what he could hereafter say, when he should be asked why he had not read it. He begged me repeatedly to let his present situation have due effect upon me, and advised me, when I got home, to note down in writing what had passed between us, adding, that what a man writes in that manner, dwells upon his mind.' Between nine and ten o'clock, his servant Francis came up stairs; he then said, we would all go to prayers, and desiring me to kneel down by his bed-side, he repeated several prayers with great devotion. I then took my leave. He then pressed me to think of all he had said, and commit it to writing. I assured him I would. He seized my hand with much warmth, and repeated, Promise me you will do it,' on which we parted "."

About two days after his death, a letter, from which the following extracts are made, was communicated to Mr. Malone, in a letter by the Hon. J. Byng:

"Dear Sir,-Since I saw you, I have had a long conversation with Causton who sat up with Dr. Johnson, and from what I can gather from him, it should seem, that Dr. Johnson was perfectly composed, steady in hope, and resigned to death. At the interval of each hour, they assisted him to sit up in his bed, when he regularly addressed himself to fervent prayer; and though sometimes his voice failed him, his sense never did during that time. He said his mind was prepared, and the time to his dissolution seemed long. At six in the morning, he inquired the

9 Sir John Hawkins, &c., Boswell's Life of Dr. Johnson. [685]

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hour, and on being informed, said, that all went on regularly, and he felt that he had but a few hours to live. Causton says that no man could appear more collected, more devout, or less terrified at the thoughts of the approaching minute. This account has given us the satisfaction of thinking that this great man died as he lived, full of resignation, strengthened in faith, and joyful in hope."

A PRECEPT delivered by Dr. Johnson in his last illness." Let me exhort you always to think of my situation, which must one day be yours. Always remember that life is short and eternity is long."

CONCLUDING REMARKS.

REASONABLE it is to believe that there are none who would desire to pass out of this world in a disquieted and miserable state of mind, under the accusations of a guilty conscience, without hope of pardon, and with a fearful looking for of judgment to come. The greater their sufferings during this present mortal state, the more anxiously do men commonly desire to end their days in charity with all men, and not without having made their peace with God; so that at last, they may resign their souls most calmly into the hands of that God, before whom they are about to appear. Of all who entertain this reasonable desire, few can have read the memorials of those who have died in the Lord, without having more earnestly than