They afterwards accompanied him, at his own earnest request, in a devout prayer dictated by himself and uttered with much energy and affection, the free and fervent effusion of a heart deeply penetrated with a true sense of sin. "His sins," he said, 66 were best known to himself, and out of that true sense he was more perfectly instructed to apply the eternal sacrifice of our Saviour's passion and merits to himself."

In the course of his illness he introduced a topic of conversation, the most serious and sublime that can engage the attention of man, the Immortality of the Soul. The day on which he died, he called for music to compose his disordered frame. His mind was soothed and tranquillized, anticipating, as it were, those delightful strains of celestial melody, with which the angelic choir encompass the throne of God. With a patient submission to the Divine will, he bade adieu to his most afflicted brother, in words which deserve to be engraven in letters of gold. "Love my memory; cherish my friends; their faithfulness to me may insure you that they are honest. But above all, govern your will and affection by the will and word of your Creator, in me beholding the end of this world with all its vanities." He died in the arms of his dear friend, Mr. William Temple.

REFLECTION.-If we thought seriously and practically on the immortality of the soul, our vain desires, worldly pleasures, and sinful courses would be checked, and our attention directed to that fixed state of being, in which an eternity of pain or happiness must be our portion for

ever.

8 Zouch's Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Sir Philip Sidney.

He was secretary of state in the reign of King Edward VI., and lord high treasurer of England in the reign of Queen Elizabeth.

His resignation in his last illness was remarkable, in which, while he testified a most cheerful sense of the signal blessings he enjoyed in his life, he showed not only a satisfaction, but an earnest desire of dying. He comforted and instructed his children with much tenderness, but without betraying any weakness; he prayed fervently, and never showed any discomposure at the approach of death, but as he lived with the charity, so he died with the constancy of a Christian.

The following particulars are recorded by a faithful domestic:

He had the favour of his prince, the love of his people, great offices, honours, livings, good children, and all blessings the world could afford him; yet, he contemned the world, and desired nothing but death, either because he had [685]

D

lived long enough, and desired to be in heaven, or else because he could not live to do that good for his country he desired, or rather as it is most likely both: for he had seen and tasted so much of the sweet and the sour of the world, as made him weary to live, and knew so much of the joys of his salvation, wherein was his only comfort, as gave him cause to desire death, when it was God's good pleasure, as he often said, but how or whatsoever it was, the sign was infallibly good. He contemned this life, and expected the next; for there was no earthly thing wherein he took comfort, but in contemplation, reading, or hearing the Scriptures, Psalms, and Prayers.

About ten or twelve days before he died, he grew weak, and kept his bed, complaining only of a pain in his breast, which continued at intervals till within one night before his death. At six of the clock at night, the physicians finding no distemper in his pulse or body, but assuring his life, affirming it was impossible he should be heartsick, that had so good temper, and such perfect pulse and senses; yet at seven of the clock following, he fell into a convulsion like to the shaking of an ague. Now, quoth he, the Lord be praised, the time is come; and calling his children, blessed them, and took his leave, commanding them to love and fear God, and love one another; he also prayed for the Queen, that she might live long, and die in peace. His last recorded words were, that he was assured God had forgiven his sins, and would save his soul."

The last will and testament of this great and good man is worthy of all observation: the following is a transcript of the preamble:

"Considering by the goodness of Almighty

God, I have been created a reasonable creature, and thereby ordained to serve Him; and born of Christian parents, and christened in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; and consequently, brought up and instructed, in my younger years, in the knowledge of the Gospel of our Saviour Jesus Christ, which was more clearly revealed in the times of my young years, than it had been many years before; being thereby taught that there was no other means for the salvation of the soul but by the death and resurrection of Christ the Son of God, wherein I do put my whole confidence and trust, and do desire the assistance of his Holy Spirit to have grace to be thankful for the same, and to have a desire to obey his will and commandments, as far forth as the infirmity of my flesh will suffer, in living religiously and virtuously; whereunto, adding the inevitable certainty of the death of my body, though I am uncertain of the time; and yet by the increase of time, and infirmities of my body necessarily induced to look shortly, by order of nature, for my worldly end; and that whatsoever worldly goods God hath given, or rather lent unto me, I do certainly know that, by death, I must leave them all to the world; and that whatsoever godly and spiritual graces and gifts have been, by God's special grace, bestowed on me, I hope, certainly, by God's goodness and mercy, though my body shall be committed to earth, yet to enjoy the fruits thereof in heaven, after this mortal life, if I shall use and dispose them in this life to God's glory, acknowledging them to have proceeded of his mere goodness, and that more plenteously than to many others. Upon all these and many like considerations, I being at this present time occupied with the cogitations of my

mortality, and yet of whole mind and memory (for which I humbly thank God), do determine" &c. &c.

A promise from holy Scripture. "He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces: and it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us

10 99

He was a Clergyman eminent for humility, piety, and learning, and the celebrated author of the work called "Ecclesiastical Polity," wherein he judiciously set forth and defended the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England. About the year 1600 he fell into a long and sharp sickness, occasioned by a cold taken in his passage by water betwixt London and Gravesend, from the

9 Memoirs of the Life and Administration of William Cecil, Lord Burghley, by the Rev. Edward Nares, D.D., pp. 483. 489. 492. 10 Isaiah xxv. 8, 9.