Page:Records of the Life of the Rev. John Murray.djvu/51

Rh positively attend to our appeals. But however arduous her task, she possessed discretion sufficient to meet it, and to produce an ultimatum completely satisfactory to all parties.

She replied to our remonstrances, by a request to be allowed until the evening, succeeding our complaints, for serious deliberation. The interesting evening came. "Come, my children, all equally dear to my soul: come, the doors are now shut; this is the time of evening service. There is the chair, which your pious, your affectionate father, once filled. Can you not remember the last time he addressed you from that seat. Let me, my dear children, let me repeat, as well as my memory will permit, what he said to us the last time he addressed us from that chair. "Come," said he, "come near me, my children," when, folding his arms around your elder brother, and pressing him to his bosom, while shedding over him abundance of tears, and pouring out his soul in supplication for him, he most affectingly said: "I am, my dear child, hastening to that heaven, for which I have so long waited. For you, ever since you were born, I have wept and prayed; graciously hath my God inclined his ear to the voice of my supplication. He hath blessed me, by giving me to see you, before I die, prepared, by divine favour, to take my place; I leave you my dear son, to act a father's part, when I shall be here no more; let your mother, your brothers, and your sisters, receive from you that attention, and care, they can no more obtain from me; but, although I shall be no more with you, your God, your father's God, will never leave nor forsake you. Nay, my own beatified spirit may obtain increasing felicity, by being sometimes permitted to behold the order, and harmony of my beloved family, while collected before the throne of grace, with the love of God, and love of each other, glowing with divine ecstacy in every bosom." It was then, my precious children, that your devout father clasped you separately to his bosom; you remember how he then spake to you: "I go, my beloved children; you will no more hear my voice from this chair; I shall no more be able to pray with you, to advise, or to direct you. But, my children, I leave with you a brother, who will perform to you the part of a father; I leave him in my place; it is my command, that he tread in my steps, as far as I have proceeded in the path of justice; and, my dear children, I conjure you to attend to his directions. The eldest son was, of old, the priest in the family of his father; and if you love me, if you love your mother, if you would prove your love to God, or even to yourselves, contribute