1854- DEATH OF EDWARD FORBES. 263 



to his brother : " I have very sad news to communicate. 

 Edward Forbes died last Saturday, after a short and painful 

 illness, and I can convey to you no adequate idea of the 

 sadness and dismay with which his unlooked-for death has 

 filled us. ... He was a man of genius, and united to it so 

 much good sense, prudence, discretion, kindliness, gentle- 

 ness, and geniality, that he was very largely and widely 

 honoured and loved. I loved him far better than I ever 

 told him ; but he credited me, I believe, with great affec- 

 tion. To myself the loss is irreparable. Short-sighted 

 mortals that we are, he and I had been arranging all sorts 

 of conjoint labours, and this is the end of it ! With nearly 

 every one there is the feeling that he was taken away, not 

 from the evil to come, but from the good that he would 

 have done." That Edward Forbes reciprocated this admi- 

 ration may be gathered from his saying of George Wilson, 

 " How sad to see so splendid a jewel in such a shattered 

 casket ! " To Dr. Cairns, George speaks of the loss as a 

 great personal grief. " His death takes another idol away." 

 While to another he writes, " I feel as if all the brave and 

 young and fair were dying, and a mere wreck like me 

 allowed to float on. Let us not, however, my dear friend, 

 think of satisfying God by our works. I try to live as a 

 dying man (which I am), with faith in a living Saviour, 

 whose finished work leaves me nothing to do in the way 

 of meritorious labour, though it lays on me the greatest 

 obligation to work for Him and do His will. It is a blessed 

 thing to know Christ, as one not ashamed to count the 

 meanest of us His brethren, who has promised to exalt us 

 to a share in His glory, and invites us all to come unto 

 Him and find rest. He is a far more gracious Master to us 

 than any of us are to ourselves, and His service is perfect 

 freedom." 



