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taught. Literary and social, he was conversant with the greatest scholars of his time. To poor preachers, he was peculiarly kind in affording assistance, counsel, and direction. He was on the strictest intimacy with Mr. Wesley, whom he ever regarded as his dear friend.

We shall now view him on a sick and dying bed, where we will find him the same Christian as in health, devoted to his God and Redeemer, and full of the hope of a blissful immortality.The relation is written by Mr. Reece, to whom also we are indebted for some other elucidations of his character. We shall give the account in his own words.

"I became acquainted with him in August 1797, when he had the appearance of vigorous health; and frequently from the pulpit heard him announce the word of reconciliation, to perishing sinners, with a warmth of zeal and plainness of language, I had never, till then, heard in the church. But though he had the the flush of health, I soon found that his ardent labours had greatly impaired his constitution; and that after the toils of the sabbath he was frequently unwell for a day or two. Notwithstanding, at those times he had always some publication in hand, calculated to serve mankind. His Sunday exercises were not often interrupted till February 1799, when he was taken ill, and complained of an hectic cough, accompanied with a slow fever. A few days before this, Mrs. Simpson was confined to her room. She had laboured under an indisposition for some months, supposed to proceed from the fatigue of long and unremitting attention to her only daughter, who died the preceding June. Medicine and change of air were tried without effect. She gradually became worse and worse, till she was unable to move out, and then her dissolution was speedy.

"At this time his situation was affecting in the extreme. Poor Mrs. Simpson lay in a hopeless condi

tion in the next room, whilst he was unable to afford her the last consolation of his company and prayers. He had, however, the satisfaction of hearing, that as she approached her last hour, her confidence in God. increased; and finally, that she closed an useful and exemplary life, rejoicing in the God of her salvation. At this painful juncture he felt acutely; but his expressions were such as evinced the most perfect resignation to the will of God. The religion which he had for so many years experienced, and successfully propagated, was his support. He said, "All is well: all shall be well; and it is right and just: I have every reason to praise him."

The first time I saw him after he had taken his bed, I found him calm and happy; though he discovered ́an anxiety for Mrs. Simpson, whom he could not then see. "God," said he, "is going to close up the scene at once, and end our lives and labours together. It is an awful Providence; but it is His will, and I have no desire to return again to health."

On Saturday, the 16th of March, Mr. Lee, who had married his daughter, asked him, How he was? He replied, "Very poorly." On Mr. Lee expressing a hope that he would get better, he said, "No: I shall never get better for this life. I do not wish to live. I have no desire to come back to life. My work is done. I leave the great scene of things now passing in the world to you. Why should I wish to live?" Mr. Lee read to him that hymn which has so often brought comfort to the afflicted:

"Jesu, lover of my soul

Let me to thy bosom fly," &c.

when he appeared much affected with the following

stanza:

"Other refuge have I none,

Hangs my helpless soul on thee;
Leave, ah! leave me not alone,
Still support and comfort me!

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With the shadow of thy wing."

And said, "That is true of me."

Feeling his ex

treme weakness, he said, "What a poor creature I am!" And shortly after repeated, with peculiar emphasis, the following favourite verse:

"Give me a place at thy saints' feet,
Or some fall'n angel's vacant seat;
I'll strive to sing as loud as they,
Who sit above in brighter day."

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His fever now increased, and his recovery became very doubtful. Every one, but himself, was tremely anxious for his life. Prayer meetings were appointed, and numerously attended :-the interposition of heaven was sought;-many strong cries and tears were offered up: the supplication of the flock could not prevail for the recovery of the pastor. But the enemy which every one else dreaded, he welcomed. And while a painful anxiety spread a deep gloom over every countenance, he expressed a desire to depart, and to be with Christ.

One day after a severe fit of coughing, he said to the man who attended him, "The way seems hard, but it is the way the children of God all go; and I do not wish to be exempted from it. I know that my Redeemer liveth; I feel him precious to my soul: He supports me under all. O that I could express all I feel!" The doctor coming in soon after, asked him, How he was? He replied," Partly here, and partly elsewhere."

A night or two before his death he was very restless, and often imagined himself to be preaching to his. old flock. He spoke much of the glories of heaven, and the happiness of separate spirits; of their robes of righteousness, and of their palms of victory. Then breathing his ardent wishes for the happiness of those

present, he added, "Pardon, peace, and everlasting salvation are desirable things."

Sometimes he would address his brethren the clergy, whom he awfully warned to beware, lest they were found unfaithful stewards at the coming of their Great Master. "Men and brethren," he would say, "If you are called of God,-are faithful and honest, he will bless your labours!"-But he could not long proceed in a connected strain.

He had asked Mr. Reece, nine days before, " When is Lady Day?" He told him, Monday, the 25th.Mr. Simpson replied, "I shall be gone before then." Which was accordingly true; for after a day of apparent suffering on Saturday, he fell asleep a little before midnight, March 24th, 1799.

Thus after an active and laborious ministry of twenty-six years in Macclesfield, he finished his course, and went to his reward.

He was interred on Tuesday morning, March 26th, amidst the sighs and groans, and tears, of an immense multitude of people, who attended him to the grave, like children bereft of their earthly support. In the church, which it is supposed contained near three thousand people, expressions of grief were depicted in the countenances of both old and young; even children joined in the general mourning. The scene was very impressive, and there seemed to be but one prevailing sentiment in every breast. Could its accents have been heard, they would have been some: thing like

"He was a man, take him for all in all,
I ne'er shall look upon his like again."

376

THE LIFE OF DAVID SIMPSON.

The following epitaph for Mr. Simpson, was origi nally designed for a pane of glass:

Others employ their sculptured marble,
Or the speaking bronze,

To perpetuate the remembrance of merit;
Whilst I commit to brittle glass,
This Testimony

To worth not often equalled.
In the estimation of thousands,
THE REV. DAVID SIMPSON, A. M.
For extent of erudition,
Indefatigable diligence,

Ardent zeal, and amenity of manners,
Stood unrivalled.
His pastoral labours, for twenty-six years,
Were uncommonly successful,
In the town and neighbourhood
Of MACCLESFIELD.
Many, whom he found brutes,
He left Christians.

His pious care, like that of his
GREAT MASTER,

Extended to the Bodies of the Poor of his Flock;
The abodes of hopeless anguish he sought out,
And to administer medicine
For the relief of affliction,
Was his uniform practice for many years.
After having devoted
Every talent

With which he was entrusted,
To the benefit of mankind,

This bright Star

Was removed from the hemisphere of the church,
To adorn the Firmament above

The 24th of March, 1799,
In the Fifty-fourth year of his age.

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