months together scarcely rise up out of his bed. Often did he groan and sigh in the most piteous manner, which for me to hear and see come from my dear father, pierced my very heart. I then felt the truth of what I had read in Mr. Rogers's book, 'That God is most sweet, when the world is most bitter. In this state my father continued until the month of February 1660, by which time he was so reduced as to have nothing but skin left to cover his bones; yet he would often say, that the very sound of liberty so revived him, that it put strength into his limbs:' but it was not the will of Hiin, to whom we say, 'Thy will be done,' that he should enjoy it. The evening before he died, he called me to his bedside, at which time I had a strong fever on me, and told me, that 'he felt his life departing from him, and that God would deliver him that night out of his troubles; that he never thought death could be so easy and pleasant to any man, as he, through mercy, felt it to be: indeed he wanted words to express the joys he felt. With his last words he charged me to serve God, and then I might expect he would bless and prosper me. Next he charged me about my brother and sister, should I be per. mitted to see them again : and lastly he cautioned me to beware of bad company.

It deeply grieved him, (he said,) 10 see me in captivity in the prime of my life, because i had chosen rather to suffer it with him than disobey his commands; but he bade me not repine, for he doubted not that God would appear for my deliverance;' and blessed be His name, I have been preserved to see his words fulfilled! And, truly, I was so far from repining, that it rather rejoiced me to think, that grace was given me to act in the manner I did. But,' he said,

though it troubled him much to leave me in such a situation, yet it was a great comfort to him to have his own son site ting by him on his death-bed, and to be buried by his hands; whereas, otherwise he could expect no other, than to be eaten by dogs or wild beasts. Then he gave me orders about his burial, that having no winding-sheet, I should pull his shirt over his head, and so wrap him up in the mat he had laid on. He then ceased speaking, and fell into a slumber, and soon after expired.

“With my own hands I wrapped him up ready for the grave; being myself very sick and weak, and, as I thought, ready to follow after him.Having none but a black-boy with me, and not well knowing their language, I bade him ask the people of the town to assist me to carry my father to the grave; but they

brought a rope, with which they used to tie their cattle together, therewith to drag him by the neck into the woods; saying, they would afford no other help, unless I would pay for it.' This grieyed me much, as I could not, with the boy alone, do what was needful, having nothing to dig the grave with, and the ground being very hard and dry ; yet it was some comfort to me that I was able to hire one to help, which at first I would have done, had I known their meaning. By these means, I laid my

father's body in the ground, in a wood, where we had used often to walk. Thus was I left, with no other comfor. ter, than He who looks down from hea. ven to hear the groaning of the prisoners, and to show himself a father to the fa. therless, and a present help to them who have no helper.,

" I still remained where I was, haying only the black-boy to keep me com. pauy. Never did I feel more pleasure ihan at this time, when retiring into the fields, and sitting under a tree, I read, and meditated, and prayed until evening. This daily was my practice, except when the ague was upon me ; for then I could scarcely hold up my head. --At length my ague began to be a little moderate, and by degrees it wore away, after it had held me 16 months.

« Food falling short with me, and money getting low, I sometimes went with an angle to catch fish in the brooks, taking the black-boy with me. It happened, as I was one day thus employed, an old man passed by, and seeing us, asked the boy if I could read a book : he answered, yes.' "The reason I ask,' said the old man, 'is, because I have one I got when the Portuguese lost Columbo, and if your master will buy it, I will sell it to him. When I heard of this, I bid my boy go to his house with him, which was not far off, and bring it to me, supposing it might be some Portuguese book. The boy, having formerly served the English, as soon as he got the book in his hand, knew it, and came running with it, calling out to me,' It is a Bible!' It startled me to hear him mention a Bible ; for I neither had one

nor ever again thought to see one. I threw down my angle and ran to meet him. The sight of this book so rejoiced and affrighted me together, that I cannot say which was greatest, the joy of seeing it, or the fear I had not enough to buy it, having then but one pagoda (8s. Od.) in the world. This I would have willingly given, had not my boy dissuaded me from it, by urging my need for money many @ther ways, and saying he would procure it at a far less price: and I thought I would give my piece of gold at last, if other means should fail.-I left off fishing, God having brought a fish to me that my soul had longed for ; and to get and enjoy the same, employed all the powers of my mind. I gave God hearty thanks