mosphere, though on the Atlantic, and during his residence in Africa, he enjoyed excellent health. During the early part of the voyage, after he left the coast, (and we have reason to acknowledge it with grateful admiration,) he was employed in transcribing his loose papers, and embodying every thing that was of importance to his agency.

On the evening of June the 5th, two weeks after he sailed from Sierra Leone, he took a heavy cold, became ill, and expressed some apprehensions of a fever. The ordinary antidotes were employed with apparent success. He sat up daily, read his letters, manuscripts and books, and occasionally walked on deck. He confined himself to a light, nutritive diet, and sometimes took a little medicine according to his own prescriptions. An irregular fever, however, lodged about him, disturbing his rest, and sometimes attended with severe pains in his head. It was soon evident that he began to decline.

On Saturday, the 13th, he sat up a part of the day, but was in considerable pain, and very restless.

On Lord's day, the 14th, he had little or no fever, and was very composed and much refreshed. It was a day of high spiritual enjoyment. He conversed freely on religious topics, and could not rest without it. His colleague would repeat devotional parts of the Psalms, and to these he himself would add others with sensible emotion, and indeed elevated rapture. Too

sensibly to those around him, this Sabbath was an earnest of an everlasting rest near at hand. In the afternoon and evening he was in some pain, his thoughts were confused, and a distressing hiccup came on, which filled all his fellow-passengers with alarm.

On Monday, the 15th, he had a restless night: the hiccup was painful, and almost incessant. He had still considerable strength, sat up some, and even walked across the cabin.

On Tuesday morning the hiccup abated-he slept, with short intervals of wakefulness-and, though his strength was gradually declining, he knew those who were around him, and gave correct answers to all their inquiries. About noon he spoke with some freedom, and his sentiments were full of piety and trust in God. Death had no terrors. He seemed to be look

ing forward to the immediate presence and enjoyment of God in heaven, and to be in constant expectancy of that inheritance which is incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away. Between 2 and 3, P. M. his hiccup ceased. There was no convulsion-no deep groan.-He gently closed his hands on his breast, as if to engage in some act of devotion; and, while a celestial smile settled upon his countenance, and every feature expressed the serenity and meekness of his soul, he ceased to breathe.— "Mark the righteous man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace."

Thus, on the sixteenth day of June, 1818, in

the thirty sixth year of his age, did this beloved man close his life of distinguished piety and usefulness, and leave Africa and the world to mourn! No monumental marble records his worth-no fragrant dews shall descend upon his tomb. His dust sleeps unseen amid the pearls and coral of the ocean, and long shall his name swell upon the breeze, and be echoed from the wave. As the sun was going down, all on board assembled with great seriousness-a circle of mourners when, with painful solemnity, and tender supplications to the God of heaven, his body was deposited beneath the mighty waters, there to rest till that Great Day when the sea shall give up her dead.

CHAPTER XI.

His General Character.

FROM the preceding pages, it will be seen that the general character of Mr. Mills is one of no ordinary elevation. Its real dignity and glory are not easily described. No tinsel glare, no meretricious ornament confounded the purity of its lustre; but always simple, always uniform, it appeared in growing beauty; and, like the rising light, shone more and more unto the perfect day.

In nothing was he more distinguished from other men, and from his brethren in the ministry, than his DEEP AND UNIFORM PIETY. Few possess more disinterested love to God and man than he; or have given higher demonstrations of its influence in forming the human character. He was one of those rare instances of exalted piety, which owe little to the caresses of others, and which shone, not by the light of surrounding orbs, but by the flame of heavenly love. There was in his heart, and in his life, something more easily explained by reference to the

higher exercises of religion, and the influences of the Spirit of God, than by any knowledge of human nature, or observation of ordinary piety. There was a constancy and uniformity of Christian affection, which, to an unusual degree, adorned his character with the "beauty of holiness."

None that knew him will question that he possessed a MOST HEAVENLY MIND. There appeared to be nothing in his heart, and certainly there was nothing in his life, that evinced an attachment to the wealth, or honors, or enjoyments of earth. That "love of gold," which tarnishes the character of so many who profess to have their treasure in heaven," and which does not leave untarnished the reputation of many an ambassador of the cross, seemed to have no access to his bosom. He lived as though he was a stranger and pilgrim" on the earth, and had nothing to expect, except from above.

66

He was eminently A MAN OF PRAYER. He appeared to take great delight in this exercise. On common occasions he said but little; but he conversed with God. In every recurrence of doubt or difficulty, prayer was his resort and his relief. His freedom in this exercise was equalled only by the fervency and disinterestedness of his petitions. There were some observable peculiarities in his devotions, and that not only in those that were public, but those that were merely social, and of a more private kind. seldom prayed much for himself; but the bur

He