veyed. After singing an hymn, and prayer, they departed, two of them remaining to fit by the corple. By five o'clock on Tuesday afternoon the coffin was brought to the room, when Mr Mand I put the corpse into it, not without shedding a flood of tears. By that time I had got all the letters copied, and wrote the greatest part of the letter I intended to send to his father. Between seven and eight that evening all the gentlemen in deep mourning, affembled in the room; from whence, precisely at eight, we accompanied the corpse of our dear friend to the place where he defired his remains to be depofited, in the most private manner we could, I being the chief mourner. I was alınost ready to faint at laying the body in the grave, through exceffive grief for the lofs of so excellent a companion; and there was not a dry eye among all the company. After paying the last duty to the precious remains of the lovely youth, we returned to his room; and after drinking a couple of glasses of wine, we spent about an hour in praise and prayer. And then all the gentemen went away, after resolving to meet again the next evening. I then finished my letter to Mr T-s the father, which was written on a very large sheet of paper; and having sealed all the deceased's letters with his own seal, and put them within mine, I sealed the letter with my own feal, and fent it to the post-office. My letter was as follows. SIR, 1 Have been an intimate friend and companion of your fon Mr T-s for some years past. He enjoyed a state of very good health till about fix months and a half ago, when he was seized with a fever, which issued in a languishing confump tion. He was attended by two of the best physi cians here; but, finding all remedies to be ineffectual, he discharged them, and resigned himself to Providence. I know he wrote you, acquainting you with his illness, but concealing the worst part of it. He has described, in some of the letters contained in this packet, the dreadful. fituation he was in for the first fix weeks, and his merciful deliverance, so pathetically, that it is quite unneceffary for me to enlage on that subject. At that time I was unhappily obliged to go to the country about business, which absolutely required my attendance; otherwise I would not have left him one day. By that means I lost the benefit of many speeches he made to his companions. As foon as I returned, I feldom left the young gentleman; for many weeks before his death, which happened last Sunday morning, I attended him night and day, at his own defire; and, for eight days preceding that event, was affisted by another worthy young gentleman, Mr M-, he having refufed the attendance of women. 1 I affure you, Sir, your excellent fon's bebaviour, during the whole time of his illness, was very exemplary, Christian, and devout. He delivered many speeches and exhortations to me and his other companions, most of which I took down in short-hand characters, and which have been attended with the most blessed effects; as I have the pleasure to inform you, that all his intimate companions, to the number of nine or ten, have been, by the grace of God, awakened to a ferious concern about their eternal interests. Eight days preceding the dear youth's death, he was seized with a fevere cough, which threw him into a variety of fits. He had then foretold his death would happen as on last Lord's day morning. Early on Saturday morning the cough abated. Y 3 bated. He spoke a good deal that day, and was visited by all his companions, who went away greatly refreshed with what they had heard and felt. In the evening he told us he would awake from fleep precisely at five in the morning, and depart at fix. His prediction was literally fulfilled. I, and other two gentlemen, who were with him all the night, were joyful witnesses of the most blessed and triumphant death the young faint underwent; a description of which, could I now favour you with it, would make you rejoice even in the midst of your heavy grief. He was buried this evening, at eight o'clock, in a private manner, agreeable to his own directions given me in writing; and was accompanied to the grave by all his companions, whom he had been honoured to be the instrument of turning to God. I have inclosed you his will, with five letters, numbered as he wrote them, all fealed with his own feal, according to his own directions; which he defired me to tranfmit to you by the first post after his interment. By the end of this week I will fend you all his cloaths, books, and every thing he had. Though he has left me his books, yet I renounce my right in them in favour of your eldest fon, or any other you please to give them to, resolving only to keep his snuff-box, and a few manuscripts wrote by him. As I promised to your dear fon, to vifit you foon after His decease, and deliver several messages I have in charge from him; I resolve, God willing, to leave this city, the beginning of next week, and to return to my own house at -, in the county of, near-. And it will be particularly obliging, if you, Sir, will be so kind as send your eldest son to meet me there on Thursday afternoon the instant, and I will accompany him to your house in a day or two thereafter; when I I shall give you a particular account of every thing relating to the fickness of your dear son, and my well-beloved friend, now triumphing in glory. I have, by this poft, notified my intended return to my steward, who will receive your fon, if he happen to arrive before me. I am forry that it has fallen to my lot to inform you of the untimely, but happy death of your worthy fon; and I defire from my heart to condole with you on this forrowful event. I beg, Sir, you will moderate your grief on this melancholy occafion, and comfort yourself with the firm perfuafion, that he died in the Lord, in full afsurance of eternal felicity for I am bold to fay, that if ever a fon of Adam died in Chrift, Mr T-s did so. I entreat you will cautioufly and prudently impart the forrowful news to your honoured Lady, and especially to Mifs C-m, who, I am afraid, will be much shocked at it. I wish the gracious Lord may comfort and fupport you and all concerned on this mournful occafion; as I defire your bleffing, and your interest at a throne of grace for one who will never forget the dear deceased young gentleman, whom God honoured to be an instrument, in his bleffed hand, for turning from fin and folly to the living God. I beg, Sir, you will present my most respectful compliments to your worthy lady, Mr and Miss T-s, Miss C-m, and all the young gentlemen and ladies. Expecting soon to have the pleasure of seeing you, I am, SIR, Your affectionate humble fervant, J. N-u. On Wednesday morning I paid all Mr T-s's funeralfuneral-charges, taking receipts. that I might account to his father. In the evening all the gentlemen visited me; and that night and every night till my departure, we spent two hours in praise, prayer, and Christian conference. The last night, after receiving directions how to write them in the country, and giving them my address, I took a folemn and affectionate leave of them, it being a very affecting scene to us all. The gentlemen were to fet out for their respective countries a few days after. I spent some time in picking up the best books I could find, intending some of them as presents to Mr Ts's family. By Friday that week I had got all my own goods, and those of my deceased friend, packed up, and carried to a carrier's quarters. In the beginning of the following week, I set out on my return home, intending to make moderate journeys, as I was very fickly. I reached my own house on Thurfday at four o'clock afternoon; and in an hour after, young Mr T-s arrived. I knew him at first fight, being a youth as amiable and comely as my dear deceased friend, whom he greatly resembled. He brought me a letter from his father, expreffing his grief for the loss of his dear son, whom, he said, he had tenderly loved, and who, he had flattered himself, would have lived to be a real honour to his family; but declaring his fubmiffion to the fovereign will of Providence, which orders all events for the best ends, and his great fatisfaction with the comfortable news of his happy death, through the grace of God, who had made his finful and impure life a stage on which he magnified his astonishing mercy; returning me hearty thanks for all my services to his dear fon, and the other gentlemen who had been his companions, on whose change of life he defired to rejoice, and for which he blefsed the God |