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die, sooner or later, death being the reward of sin, his grace asked, if it should so fall out, whether or no he was well pleased to submit himself to the will of God? To which the prince answered, "with all his heart." The archbishop then proceeded to questions concerning his faith, first of the religion and Church wherein he lived, which his highness acknowledged to be the only true Church; then of his faith in Christ only, by whom, and in whom, without any merit of his, he could be assured of the remission of all his sins. This the prince professed to be his sincere belief. Lastly, of the resurrection of the body, everlasting life, and the happiness of heaven; all which the prince confessed, hoping to enjoy it with all the saints. After this conference, with much more to the same purpose, the archbishop, fearing too much to disquiet the prince, took his leave of him with many pious exhortations.

On Friday morning, after some medicine, he had a little rest; but this was of short continuance, for he soon relapsed; his sight and senses failed; his hearing became difficult; and all the signs of approaching death appeared. In this exigence the Archbishop of Canterbury being present, saw that it was now the critical moment of administering some consolation to the prince, if he yet had any remains of consciousness; and coming to him, put him in mind of all those things which he had said to him the day before, calling on him aloud, in his ear, to remember Jesus Christ; to believe, hope, and trust in Him, with assured hope of mercy; to lift up his heart, and prepare himself to meet the Lord Jesus, with many other such exhortations. He then spoke more loud than ever in his ear: "Sir, hear you me? hear you me? hear you me? If you hear

me, in certain sign of your faith, and hope in the blessed resurrection, give us for our comfort a sign, by lifting up of your hands." This the prince did, lifting up both his hands together. The archbishop then desired him to give still another sign, by lifting up his eyes, which the prince having done, they let him alone. The archbishop likewise, with a flood of tears, poured out by his highness' bed-side a most pathetic prayer. During the whole time, from three in the morning till night, there was continual prayer in the house, and in every place where the prince's danger was known. His highness at last, a few minutes before eight at night, on Friday, the 6th of November, 1612, at the age of eighteen years, eight months, and seventeen days, expired; having supported his long illness with a calmness and composure seldom seen 3.

REFLECTION.-Some die in infancy, some in youth, these in manhood and those in the ripeness of old age; but blessed is he whom, when his Master cometh, He shall find watching.

3 Life of Henry, Prince of Wales, eldest son of King James the First. By Thos. Birch, D.D.

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DR. ROBERT ABBOT filled the see of Salisbury only two years and three months. When preaching on St. John xiv. 16, "I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever," many of his hearers presaged his departure from them. This indeed proved his last and farewell sermon, for soon after he came out of the pulpit, he was seized with most dreadful fits, from a disorder which was brought on by a sedentary life and close application to study. But in all these bodily tortures his soul was at ease; for the assurance of heavenly things caused him most cheerfully to part with earthly; and the quick sense he had of the "powers of the life to come," deadened the sense of his bodily pains. There were many came to visit him on his death-bed, and among others the judges, being then at Sarum in their circuit. To them he spared not his Christian admonitions; and when he discoursed before them, he insisted very much upon the benefit of a good conscience, rendering many thanks to his Creator for the great comforts he felt

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thereby now in his extremity. He also admonished all who heard him, so to carry themselves in their most private and secret actions, as well as in their public, in order to obtain that at the last, which would stand them in more stead, than what all the world could afford them besides.

Having, when death approached, summoned his domestics, and with broken speeches in the language of a dying man, beginning to make a profession of his faith, his friends persuaded him to refrain, as his principles were manifest in his writings. He yielded to their advice, and signed all his works with these words: "That faith which I have defended in my writings is the truth of God, and in the avouching thereof I leave the world." Thus with exhortations, benedictions, and the pains of his disease, he became quite worn out, and lay, as it were, slumbering, with now and then a short ejaculation. At length, with eyes and hands uplifted for the space of two or three hours, he departed this life. His last words were, "Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly; finish in me the work that Thou hast begun: into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit; for Thou hast redeemed me. O God of truth, save me, thy servant, who hopes and confides in Thee alone. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be shown unto me: in Thee have I trusted. O Lord, let me not be confounded for ever 4"

AN ARGUMENT FOR PATIENCE.-Lord Clarendon in his "Tracts" thus reasons. " If we could give no other argument for Christian patience, it should be enough that never any man found ease, benefit, or relief by impatience, but increases

4 Fuller's "Abel Redivivus;" Life and Death of Robert Abbot, 1651.

and extends, and multiplies the agony, and pain, and misery of whatever calamity he undergoes by it. Whereas patience lessens and softens the burthen, and by degrees raises the constitution and strength to that pitch, that it is hardly sensible of it."

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SIR WALTER RALEIGH was a celebrated writer on subjects of history, politics, geography, and philosophy, but, above all, he was a pious Christian.

Few have acted so difficult a part in the last scene of life, with the spirit and firmness which Raleigh displayed in it. Just before his death he is supposed to have written a little poem or ode, of which the following is an extract, being the first and last verses of it.

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