day, in which all the enemies of thy glory and our salvation shall be destroyed, in which Satan, his angels, and wicked agents, and the instruments of his kingdom, shall be bound in chains, and cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, from whence they shall never be released ; in which death shall be no more; all the living shall become immortal, and thy church be crowned, and enter in triumph into that magnificent city, built with gold, pearls, and precious stones, where thy glory shall continue for ever to enlighten it, and accomplish our happiness. O that I may now expect, with comfort and joy, that blessed state where we shall neither hunger nor thirst, but be advanced to the condition and perfection of angels, be clothed with light and glory, and be crowned with an eternal felicity, rejoice with the celestial societies and patriarchs, prophets, apostles, confessors, and martyrs, and with all the princes and monarchs, who have lived, and are departed, in thy fear and favour; and where we shall be admitted to the vision of God, and be changed, and satisfied with his divine likeness. O Lord! grant that I may always have this glorious and happy day in my thoughts, when all thy promises shall be fulfilled, all thy works finished, and our desires and expectations fully accomplished. And because this time and day is unknown to us, give us grace to live always waiting for it, as if we were at the eve of this eternal Sabbath, that our lamps may be trimmed, provided, and burn with the oil of faith, hope, and charity, and we ready and awake at thy glorious appearing, clothed with a wedding-garment, fit to enter with thee into eternal blessedness. Grant us grace to desire and look for this promised redemption, long to hear the sound of the last trumpet, and behold thy coming in the clouds of heaven. O divine Saviour!

that we may ascend to meet thee, and welcome thy glorious appearance. O Lord, forgive our impatient wishes, and hasten that day for the elect's sake. Come with thy powerful angels, and the ministers of thy heavenly court, to execute justice on thine enemies, and deliver thy servants. Come and put an end to this wicked world, infested with sin, and subject to corrup tion and vanity, and purge the heavens and the earth from all pollution. Come and take vengeance for the innocent blood of thy martyrs, shed by Antichrist and his cruel agents; bind the devils in chains of darkness, and shut them up with Death for ever in the bottomless pit. Lord Jesus, have pity on the, cries and sufferings of thy distressed people. Come and deliver them out of this cruel Egypt, out of this abominable Babylon, where they continue in captivity. O merciful Lord! is it not time that thou shouldest bring us to thy celestial Canaan? Give us to taste of the milk and honey of the most refined joys and comfort, and introduce us into thine holy Jerusalem, the city of peace and everlasting rest: come, therefore, and wipe away the tears, and stop the crying of thine afflicted people. Take them out of this infamous prison, open to them the gates of thy magnificent palace, clothe them with light, and perfect thy salvation and their happiness. We have been a long while contending with our spiritual and temporal enemies, in our tedious and troublesome journey through the world, and at a distance from thee; we now long to be nearer to thee, O wonderful Redeemer! who hast accomplished all thy works, and that of our Redeemer by thy blood and sufferings. Perfect also, we beseech thee, that of our glorification; receive us and thy church into that complete felicity prepared for us from the beginning of the world, and purchased with thy precious

blood and sufferings. O merciful God! admit us to that state where we have nothing to fear, nothing to desire, and nothing to wish for, but be always employed in praising thine infinite bounty and mercy: Join our voices with the anthems of the holy angels, that with the blessed saints we may be able to say, Now is come salvation and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ; for death is swallowed up in victory, and the grand accuser of our brethren is shut up in the bottomless pit, which accused them before our God day and night. And they have overcome him by the blood of the Lamb, and have not loved their own lives unto death. Unto him who hath loved and washed us from all our sins in his blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God his Father, to him, I say, as to the Father and the Holy Ghost, be glory, power, and dominion, for ever. Amen.

AN ACCOUNT

OF

SOME REMARKABLE PASSAGES

RELATING TO

MR. DRELINCOURT,

Who departed this Life, at PARIS, the 4th of NOVEMBER, 1669;

Taken out of the French Edition of

HIS BOOK OF DEATH.

To prevent false reports spread abroad concerning the death of our reverend author, I thought it convenient to publish this brief and exact narrative concerning his person, sickness, and death. He was of a very strong and healthy constitution, indefatigable in his ministry, of such a sharp and active spirit, and so pious for the glory of God, that he spared not himself, either night or day, in discharging the duty of his function, and in acts of charity, being naturally of a courteous and obliging temper. He succeeded Mr Du Moulin, who was removed to Sedan; and was a long time the third minister to serve that congregation at Charenton: This continual and restless employment in his ministry, by degrees, mightily impaired his health, especially in the declension of his age.

In the year 1668, the 30th of April, though indisposed, he adventured to accompany one of his granddaughters to her grave, assisted by one of his sons;

but could scarcely return home, being weary and in a fainting sweat, and his countenance changed, which alarmed his family; but, by some present remedy, he then recovered. This accident hindered him not from preaching the next day at Charenton, in his turn, nor from his daily offices, often wishing that he might die with his pen in his hand. When his family intreated him to spare himself, in his old age, in visiting the sick and the poor, unto whom he was very acceptable by reason of his excellent talents in praying, and understanding how to comfort the diseased, he told them, that he had once that resolution; but the importunities of his people, and the desire he had to be serviceable to them, would not suffer him to omit doing it.

In a stormy season, at nine of the clock at night, he adventured to visit a departing soul, and returned not till after midnight, and seemed very glad to be able to perform it; but these continual fatigues made pass this judgement upon himself, that he would not long continue, and therefore was in a constant preparation for his change.

him

This made him frequently peruse his book of Consolations against Death, praising God, who assisted him in publishing such an useful work: he was then writing several other excellent treatises, which he earnestly desired to finish, with submission to the great wisdom of God, as he expresseth himself in a prayer at the end of his book called Charitable Visits. "Lord, (saith he,) "I have lived and preached a long time; I wait for thy salvation and deliverance; I am not weary to serve so good a Master, and so "bountiful a Lord; but, O my God! when it shall please thee to put an end to my labours, I shall depart to a fulness of joy, into thy glorious rest.”