The one released him from all mifery, the other introduced him to all happinefs. But how fad is the cafe when these things are feparated? What a wretch is one, fubject to mortality, and not at the fame time an object of the mercy of the Lord?

Mr. Romaine, from the moment that he was feized with his illness, confidered it as his laft; and though at intervals he had faint fymptoms of a probable recovery, yet he never attempted to refume his ministerial functions. He spoke of himself as a dying man, but always in the language of one who was living and believing in JESUS.. On the morning of his feizure he came down to breakfast at fix o'clock as ufual, prefided in family devotion, and prayed most earnestly to God, that "He would fit them for, and support them in, their trials that day, which might be many." Such they were to his friends, if not to himself; for he received his fummons to depart, and to be with Chrift. He returned the fame day to London, and converfed most profitably and comfortably in the way, on the approach of death, and near profpect of eternity. "O! how animating is the view which I now have of death, and the hope laid up for me in heaven full of glory and immortality!"

fabbath, and he was ex

The feelings of his con

The next day was the pected to preach as ufual. gregation, when he did not appear among them, and the painful office, to which his fellow-fervant in the ministry was called, when he stood up in his place and affigned the cause of his absence, are more

eafily conceived than defcribed. Lamentations more fincere never were excited, and prayers more fervent never afcended from earth to heaven.

He continued three weeks in London under medical advice, and made use of the means which his phyfician thought fit to prescribe to him. "You are taking," said he, " much pains to prop up this feeble body; I thank you for it; it will not do now." His Hebrew Pfalter lay close by him, and out of it he frequently read a verfe or two, not being able to attend to more. The nature of his disorder was fuch that he could speak but little; and being once asked if he would fee fome of his friends, he replied, "he needed no better company than he enjoyed." The Lord his God was with him, and fo bleffed him with faith and patience, that not one fretful or murmuring word ever escaped his lips.

Soon after he was feized, a friend called upon bufinefs, and took the opportunity of faying, he hoped he was better, and happy in his views. "Yes," replied he, "upon that point I have no doubt, for I have much of the presence of Jefus with me." He fent a meffage by this perfon to his curate, being unable to converse with him, to defire his prayers; and that his friends and all the congregation would remember him at the throne of grace. This he frequently afterwards repeated to his curate. other times he faid, " he had been in the deep waters, but had enjoyed much support; that he waited to enter into the courts of the Lord; that his foul was athirst for God, yea even the living God."

At

On

On the twenty-fixth day of June he left town, and went to a friend's boufe at Tottenham, for a fortnight, where he was fo much better, as to be able to walk about the garden. Upon his return to town, he was again vifited by his curate, and thought to be a little revived. He said, that he had long lain at first in the aims of death, and, if recovering, it was very flowly. "But this," fays he, " is but a poor dying life at beft; however I am in his hands who will do the best for me," and added with a peculiar energy, "I am fure of that." "I have lived to experience all I have spoken, and all I have written, and I bless God for it." After much the fame expres fions he added to another friend, "I have the peace of God in my confcience, and the love of God in my heart; and that you know is found experience.”And again" I knew before the doctrines I preached to be truths, but now I experience them to be bleffings." Thanking another friend for a vifit, he faid, that he had come to fee a faved finner. This, he had often affirmed, fhould be his dying boast, and that he defired to die with the language of the publican in his mouth, "God be merciful to me a finner *."

In this frame of mind he continued a few days in London, and returned on the thirteenth day of July to his friend's at Balaam-hill, where he had been originally feized. His, ftrength from that time rapidly decayed. He had frequent fpafms at his heart, and fhortness of breath, attended with degrees of

* See Mr. Goode's Funeral Sermon.

pain and convulfion; but his faith and patience never failed him. He was frequently faying, "O how good is God!" "What entertainments and

comforts does he give me! What a profpect do I fee before me of glory and immortality! He is my God in life, in death, and throughout eternity." On the twenty-third day of July, as he fat at breakfast, he said, "It is now near fixty years fince God opened my mouth to publifh the everlafting fufficiency and eternal glory of the falvation of Chrift Jefus; and it has now pleafed him to fhut my mouth, that my heart might feel and experience what my mouth hath fo often spoken." On the twenty-fourth day of July, after he had been helped down ftairs, he faid, "O! how good is God! with what a night has he favoured me!" requesting, as he had often done, that prayers without ceafing might be made for him, that his faith and patience might not fail. He expreffed exceeding great kindness and affection for his partner Mrs. Romaine, and thanking her for all her care of him, he faid, "Come, my love, that I may blefs you; the Lord be with you a covenant God for ever to fave and bless you.' He addreffed himself with the fame tenderness and affection to his fon; of whom alfo he spoke much and oft during his illness, expreffing his hope of him as a fon in the faith as well as the flesh. The lady, who was cherishing in her house such a dying guest, upon feeing and hearing him blefs his wife, faid, "Have you not a bleffing for me, Sir?" "Yes," he faid, "I have; I pray God to blefs you;" and fo

he

he said to every one that came to him. On Saturday the twenty-fifth day of July, he was not down ftairs at all, but lay upon the couch all day, in great weakness of body, but ftrong in faith, giving glory to God. The power of Chrift was refting upon him, and keeping him in the continual exercife of prayer and praise. This was the last day he spent upon earth, and in the close of it he was thought to have faid, "Yea, though I walk through the valley and fhadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me." About an hour before he died, his friend and hoft went up to him, and said, "I hope, my dear Sir, you now find the falvation of Jefus Chrift precious dear and valuable to you." His answer was, "He is a precious Saviour to me now." These were the laft words which he uttered to man. To the Lord he said, " Holy, Holy, Holy! Holy bleffed Jefus, to thee be endless praife!" And in the first hour of the next day, which was the fabbathday, he refigned his fpirit to God who gave it.

So lived and fo died the Rev. William Romaine. It was the defign of his furviving relations to reftore his duft to the earth with a plain and private burial; but every intention of this fort was prevented by the affection of his numerous friends, who were all importunate to fhew the last respect to his perfon, by attending his remains to the grave. On Monday the third day of August, 1795, the corpse was removed from Mr. Whitridge's houfe at Balaam-hill, in order to be interred in the rectoryvault of Blackfriars church. The funeral proceeded

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