XXI. 1798. sing some of Dr. Watts's hymns. During his CHAP. Far from my thoughts, vain world, be gone, Fain would mine eyes my Saviour see, I wait a visit, Lord, from thee!' He called it his beloved song, and desired the children to sing it frequently to him. "He earnestly exhorted and entreated the heathen, who visited him in his illness, to forsake their idolatry, and to consider betimes the things which belonged to their peace. When one of them began relating that wonderful things occurred in the town, our venerable father answered, 'The most wonderful thing is, that after hearing so often the doctrines of Christianity, and being convinced of the truth of it, you are, notwithstanding, backward to embrace and obey it.' In conversing with another heathen of consequence, he expressed his great regret at leaving him in his idolatry, when he was entering into eternity; and added the following words. 'I have often exhorted and warned you, but you have hitherto disregarded it. You esteem and honour the creature more than the Creator.' "On the 23d of November, he was visited by Serfojee, the present rajah, then presumptive XXI. 1798. CHAP. heir of the kingdom of Tanjore, and to whom Mr. Swartz was appointed guardian by the late Tulja Maha Rajah. On being informed that Serfojce Rajah wished to see him, he let him know that he should come immediately, as he doubted whether he should survive till the next day. On his arrival, he received him very affectionately, and then delivered to him his dying charge, by which, though pronounced in broken language, the rajah seemed to be deeply affected. The tenor of his speech was as follows:-- "After God has called me hence, I request you will be careful not to indulge a fondness for pomp and grandeur. You are convinced that my endeavours to serve you have been disinterested; what I now request of you is, that you would be kind to the Christians. If they behave ill, let them be punished; but if they do well, show yourself to them as their father and protector. "As the administration of justice is indispen sably necessary to the prosperity and happiness of every state, I request you will establish regular courts, and be careful that impartial justice be administered. I heartily wish you would renounce your idolatry, and serve and honour the only true God. May He be merciful, and enable you to do it!' "Our venerable father then inquired whether he sometimes perused the Bible; and concluded XXI. with very affecting exhortations to be mindful of CHAP. the concerns of his immortal soul. "The resident, Mr. Macleod, who had been on a visit to Trichinopoly for some weeks, hearingon his arrival the ill state of Mr. Swartz's health, had the kindness to send for Dr. Stuart from Trichinopoly. The doctor arrived here on the first of December, and after consulting with his other medical attendant, he recommended the tincture of steel to be taken with an infusion of bark, which, by the blessing of God, put a stop to the sickness, with which he had been afflicted since the 17th of October. "On the 3d of December, the first Sunday in Advent, very early in the morning, he sent for the Rev. Mr. Joenicke and myself, and desired the Lord's Supper to be administered to him, which was accordingly done by Mr. Joenicke.: Before he received it, he put up a long and affect- ing prayer. To hear this eminent servant of Christ, who had faithfully served his Redeemer very near half a century, disclaiming all merit of his own, humbling himself before the footstool of the divine Majesty as the chief of sinners, and grounding all his hopes of mercy and salvation on the unmerited grace of God, and the meritorious sacrifice of his beloved Saviour, was a great lesson of humility to us. Our joy was great on his temporary recovery; VOL. II. BB 1798. XXI. 1798. CHAP. but, alas! it was soon changed into sorrow, when we observed that the severe attacks of his illness had, in a great degree, affected the powers of his mind. It was, however, surprising to us that, though his thoughts seemed to be incoherent when he spoke of worldly subjects, they were quite connected when he prayed or discoursed about divine things. "After his recovery he frequently wished, according to his old custom, that the school children, and Christians, should assemble in his parlour for evening prayer, with which we complied, in order to please him, though we were concerned to observe that these exertions were too much for his feeble frame. "The happy talent which he possessed of making almost every conversation instructive and edifying, did not forsake him, even under his weak and depressed state. One morning when his friend Dr. Kennedy visited him (after his return) the conversation turning upon Dr. Young's Night Thoughts, which was one of Mr. Swartz's favourite books, he observed to the Doctor, that those weighty truths contained in it were not intended to imply that we should abandon society, renounce our business, and retire into a corner, but to convince us of the emptiness of the honours, the riches, and pleasures of this world, and to engage us to fix our hearts where true XXI. 1798. treasures are to be found. He then spoke with CHAP. peculiar warmth on the folly of minding the things of this world as our chief good, and the wisdom and happiness of thinking on our eternal concerns. 1 "It was highly pleasing to hear the part which 'he took in his conversations with the Rev. Mr. Pohlé, who visited him a little after his recovery, and which generally turned on the many benefits and consolations purchased to believers through Christ. He was transported with joy when he spoke on those subjects; and I hope I may with 'truth call it a foretaste of that joy which he is now experiencing in the presence of his Redeemer, and in the society of the blessed. "On the 2nd of February, last year, our venerable father had the satisfaction of seeing the Rev. Mr. Gerické, Mr. Holtzberg, and his family. Little did we think that the performance of the last offices for him would prove a part of the duty of our worthy senior, the Rev. Mr. Gerické : and I bless and praise God for leading his faithful servant to us at that very time, when we were most in need of his assistance and comfort. "On the second or third day after Mr. Gerické's arrival, Mr. Swartz complained of a little pain in his right foot, occasioned by an inflammation, to remove which repeated fomentations were applied; but a few days after we observed, to our |