28 MEMOIR OP 



field, I feel my body decay daily, my spirits and 

 strength continually decrease, and something within 

 me tells me that dissolution dreadful dissolution, is 

 not far distant. No heart can conceive the terrors 

 of those who tremble under the apprehension of 

 death. This increases their love of life, and every 

 new advance of the King of Terrors overwhelms 

 them with despair. How hard how difficult how 

 happy to prepare for eternity ! and yet, how dread- 

 ful to live or to die unprepared ! Oh ! that I were 

 enabled to make it my study to interest myself in 

 His favour, who has the keys of hell and of death. 

 Then all the vanities of life would appear what they 

 really are, and the shades of death would brighten 

 up a glorious path to everlasting mansions of feli- 

 city ! These are the sincere effusions of my soul, 

 and I hope that, through the Divine aid, they shall 

 be my future delight, whether health shall again 

 return, or death has left the commissoned dart." 



Other causes besides the illness and poverty un- 

 der which he laboured at this time, tended to dis- 

 tract him ; for although his biographers do not 

 admit his having been a devotee to the tender pas- 

 sion, yet we have reason to know that the charms 

 of Martha Maclean, the sister of his friend Mrs. 

 Witherspoon, had materially interfered with his 

 mind's ease. In the New World, after a lapse of 

 time, new attachments were formed; and had he 

 lived, he was to have been married to Miss Miller, 

 daughter of a proprietor in the vicinity of Winter- 

 ton, and this lady he appointed his executrix. 



