his trust in God's watchful care over him, he said, 'The angels of the Lord encamp round those that fear him ;'*for he shall give his angels charge concerning them.'t I said, Jesus is the friend of sinners,' he eagerly took up the words, and said, 'the friend of sinners, able to save to the uttermost, and casteth out none who come unto God by him, he says, 'Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden; take my yoke upon you, and you shall find rest for your souls.'* He also quoted that sublime passage, 'I know that my Redeemer liveth, &c.'§ and particularly dwelt on the 27th verse, ' whom I shall see FOR MYSELF, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another.' He added, I can say, with St. Paul, I know in whom I have believed, and that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him. All power is given unto him both in heaven and earth; therefore the believer can always triumph in Christ Jesus, who is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever.' I remarked that we had not an High Priest who could not be touched with a sense of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without, sin he heard me with pleasure. I then obsérved that we were not sufficient of ourselves;' * Psalm xxxiv. 7. ↑ Matthew, xi. Hebrews, iv. 15. + Psalm xci. 11. nurse. he exclaimed, Oh! no; none but Christ! none but Christ!' These I believe were nearly his last words. Just then a thought struck me, that as he had held out so long, there was still ground for hope. I left my place on the bed, and going into the next room, communicated my thoughts to the She was of the same opinion, and mentioned an instance of one who had been rescued from death by the aid of restoratives: though I knew the cases were widely different, I could not part with the flattering suggestion of my mind. I returned and offered my dear husband a cordial; he with difficulty swallowed a spoonful, but declined the next. I took his hands into mine; the pulse had been scarcely perceptible for the last hour: the nurse came in, and said the physician was below; after hesitating for a moment to admit him, I said, let him come in :' just as he entered the room, at that instant, the dearest, best of men, turned his head to one side, and after two or three breathings, without the least struggle, resigned his pious, precious soul, into the bosom of his adored Redeemer! Solemn, solemn scene! may it never be effaced from my heart. "It was the whole desire of my beloved husband, alas! now no more, to lie passive in the hands of the Lord: for himself he had no wish to live; but he felt for his dear family, most of whom were of a helpless age, and would be left without a competent provision by his death. He however rested them upon the sacred word of promise, Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in me.'* The 46th and 56th Psalms with the 12th chapter to the Hebrews, were peculiarly sweet to him in his illness. "Under this heavy affliction I experienced the most soothing attentions, and seasonable acts of kindness from our numerous friends at Falmouth. Many of them entreated me to leave the castle and remain with them during the mournful residue of my stay but no, I had previously determined that nothing but the grave should separate me from the dear remains. I fixed my abode in the drawing-room, one door of which opened into the bed-room where the body lay, and at night I lay down in the smaller bed-chamber, which likewise opens into the bed-room. Our faithful nurse, who had promised the dear deceased, that she would not leave him, remained every night with her husband, in the drawing-room. Thus for eight days, we watched over the dead; gloomy as the occasion was the weather, the wind being generally high, and at times tempestuous; yet to leave one window open, where the body lay, was indispensible, All who know Pendennis, may conceive how much the noise of the wind and rain must have * Jeremiah, xlix. 11. been increased from this circumstance: but the effect upon my mind recurring every moment to the cause of this increased agitation, no one can describe. Small indeed was my portion of sleep, and much disturbed with distracting dreams: my feelings, when I awoke and found the worst of them realized, admit not of recital. A day or two after the awful change, on visiting the room I was surprised, and indeed alarmed at seeing a person near the corpse, whom I did not immediately recognize. It was Lavery who had formerly served him for many years with great fidelity. He had stolen in, and was weeping over the body of his beloved master: on seeing me, he exclaimed 'I have lost my best, my only friend.' * "Often did I go to gaze on that dear countenance which retained all its serenity, shaded with a solemnity inexpressible; the more I saw him, the more my mind was composed: I was assured that the peace in his countenance was expressive of the peace and happiness of his soul, and I felt a sweet assurance that HIS God would be OUR God; and that the same divine power, which had united us in the bonds of closest affection here would re-unite us for ever in that better state, * Of this faithful servant it may be said, as of several others, who served in the family of this devout man, that under him, he was brought to the knowledge of the true God. where no such anguish of separation should again occur. "The arrangements for the funeral I left to three friends, who kindly undertook the charge, and who, I knew, would be solicitous that the circumstances attending it should mark the respect due to the character of the deceased, both as soldier and a christian, and yet, in compliance with his particular desire, would refrain from unnecessary show or expense. His mortal remains were deposited in a vault in Falmouth church, near the vault of the Killigrew family, and close to the pew which is appropriated to the use of the Lieutenant Governor of Pendennis; the remains of his dear son Peter lie near him. His funeral was attended by the soldiers of the garrison, the local militia of Pendennis, and other military corps in that part of the county; by a large portion of the inhabitants of Falmouth and its neighbourhood, and especially by the poorer class, and the children of the schools he patronized, who bewailed their loss of a friend, a benefactor, and a spiritual father. * A small tablet, with the following inscription, has been put up in the church at Falmouth, near the place where the body is interred, by one of his most particular and valued friends. A sweet token, in remembrance of that friendship which had subsisted between them for many years, and which had for its foundation the strictest union in religious principles. |
