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he would reply, No, Sir, I do not; but I read it to keep me from sin. After he had a house of his own, he read it every morning to his family, before they arose from the breakfasttable; nor did company or occasional visitors hinder this practice. I have heard a gentleman say,' I used to call upon Mr. Post when I went to town; but I left it off, because he always detained me by reading the Bible. Not that I have any thing to say against reading it, God forbid; but I wanted to be in town about my business.' In private, Mr. Post not only read the Bible, but diligently studied it, meditated upon it, and was well acquainted with its sacred contents.

In the preaching of the gospel Mr. Post greatly delighted. He thought those persons blessed indeed, who dwell in the house of God to hear his holy word, and join in prayer and praise; but such opportunities he could not enjoy for more than 20 years. His lot was cast in a land where the water of life did not flow; but to supply this deficiency, he or one of his friends used to read a sermon every Lord's Day; and he frequently retired into the plantain-walks for this purpose. The last three or four years before the gospel was preached on his estate, as soon as breakfast was over, he used to retire to a small house, which he built at the sea-side, to read and pray, that he might be free from visitors who came to his house, and worship his God in spirit and in truth. His strongest objection to Demarara was, his not having an opportunity to hear the gospel, and to converse on spiritual things.

In the month of May 1783, he and Mrs. Post took a voyage to Holland; and I have heard him say, he pitied every person he left behind him in such a heathen country. However, be did not enjoy himself so much, in a religious way, as he expected; people were not so much inclined to speak about spiritual things as he had apprehended. His enjoyments were not so great there as in Demarara, when perusing the word of God in private.

In October 1785, he returned to Demarara; and in 1788 he retired to North America, for the benefit of his health; and came back in the following year. In 1791 he again went to America; and continued there seven years. He had then an opportunity of attending various places of worship in New York, where he resided a considerable time. He spent four years at Nuin Rochell, 21 miles from New York, on a farm called Belle Vue, which he bought and managed himself; and I have often heard him say, he was far better pleased in driving the plough than in managing the negroes,

In 1797, his affairs in Demarara rendered it necessary for him to return. He then found his estate in very bad order, and most of his little Creole-negroes were dead. A little lon ger delay would entirely have ruined him. He intended, however, to remain in the colony only to put his estate in order,

or to dispose of it; and then return to his native country to spend the remainder of his days; but various circumstances occurred which rendered it expedient for him to continue in the colony. His time on the Sabbath was spent as before mentioned, until my arrival. He then diligently attended preaching twice every Lord's Day; and also in the week-days, when busines did not prevent him. He was always extremely attentive during public worship, and frequently shed tears. Singing was a part of the service in which he took peculiar delight. He was strongly attached to Dr. Watts's Psalms and Hyinns. At the administration of baptism he was also much affected, especially when he stood up to present his little Creole slaves; and engaged to bring them up in the fear of the Lord. He considered this undertaking of the greatest importance, and his indispensable duty. On the 26th of December, 1808, when thirteen men and seven women were baptized, he shed tears of joy during the whole service. He was also very anxious that the Lord's Supper should be dispensed among the pious negroes; and to sit down with them at the table of the Lord; but used to say he thought it would be too much for him to bear. This, however, was not accomplished during his life; but he requested, on his death-bed, it might be as soon as possible.

Of divine Providence Mr. Post entertained exalted views. If his undertakings prospered, he ascribed all to the blessing of God upon them, and not to his superior wisdom or strength. If he met with crosses or losses in the world, he looked thro' second causes to the great Disposer of all events. At that season of the year, when he built the chapel, he had a much better crop of cotton in one field than any of his neighbours, in consequence of a different method he had pursued with his trees. At another time he was greatly distressed for want of money, and knew not what course to 'take, when, just at the time, a gentleman came and lent him £ 4000. These, and many events of a like nature, he looked upon as directions of Providence; but did not like to speak of them to the people of the world, lest they should think it enthusiasm. He would often speak of that general care which God takes of the negroes, in permitting so few of them to be hurt by snakes, scorpions, centipedes, &c. notwithstanding they are so constantly walking among the grass, without shoes or stockings, and frequently sleeping on the ground entirely naked; especially 20 or 30 years ago, when the cultivation was so contracted, and these venomous creatures so much infested the ground *.

Scorpions and centipedes are very common in old houses; and the latter frequently get into boots, coats, and trowsers; yet very few people are stung by thein. However, a lady that I know had a centipede in her ear, which was a very melancholy circumstance; but it was taken out, and she soon got better.

As to his conversation, it was always edifying. His twe favourite subjects were Religion and Astronomy. He would have sat up half of the night, in a gallery behind his house, to view and converse about the heavenly bodies; and when speaking of religion, he was never weary. He would often lament much that he found people in Holland and North America so little inclined to speak on religious subjects.

He had not read many books; but was well acquainted with what he had perused, and had obtained a considerable degree of general knowledge. When he lived in North America, he travelled about 2000 miles. During his journies he kept a Journal, which furnished him with much interesting matter for conversation; as did also the many observations he had made in Demarara, the journies he made into the interior, his intercourse with the Indians, and the many experiments he had made. His eldest sister published two octavo volumes, taken from his Letters; which contain an account of his leaving his parents, his arrival in Demarara, the impression made upon him by seeing the naked slaves, and especially the first punishment he saw inflicted; with a variety of circumstances which took place for several years after his arrival in the colony.

The trials and temptations he endured were very great, and of a peculiar nature; and would have sunk many a stout heart to the grave; but I shall pass over them in silence. He is now beyond their reach: they will no more torment his soul.

Let us now attend him in the chamber of sickness, and view him in the concluding hours of life. He was greatly afflicted with the gout and asthma during two or three of his last years, He scarcely had a day of health; which made him look for death long before it came. Just before my arrival, he had been extremely ill; and told me he did not expect I should have seen him alive. On February 16, 1808, he was taken very ill; we did not think he could recover. He sent for me to sit by him; and I remained in his room most of the day. In a short time, however, it pleased the Lord to raise him up; but he had several attacks of the same nature before his last sickness; at which times I always visited him, and spent much time in his room. On January 3, 1809, he was atticked in a very severe manner, and continued extremely ill for several days. On the 5th, we had but little expectation of his recovery; but his mind was fixed on Christ. He derived much comfort from John iii. 16. He said all his hope was in Jesus: he shed many tears, when I repeated the words of Paul, I have fought a good fight,' &c. earnestly wishing that he could adopt such language in sincerity. In a few days after, the Lord restored him; and he was able, for a short time, to attend his business. In this interval he was much employed about the school and the house in which I now dwell, the frame of

which was just raised before his last sickness. On the last day of February he went to the back of the estate with Mrs. Post; and the next morning he was confined to his room, which he never left again. On the 8th of April he lost the use of his hands and feet. Through the whole of his sickness he endured very severe pain, both night and day; which sometimes rendered him impatient and fretful. About a month before his death he sent for his head-carpenter, and with the greatest composure gave him orders to make his coffin. He gave also particular directions concerning his funeral. Twice or thrice he sent for the children brought up in his house, for his manager, and for some of his domestics, and took his leave of them in a very affectionate manner. At those times he was generally composed, and enjoyed comfortable prospects of eternity. At one of these seasons he recommended the children very affectionately to me; and requested that I would catechize them, and attend to their spiritual welfare. To one of his oldest negroes, a driver, of the name of Mars, who came to see him, he said, ' Mars, how are you?' The old man thinking that he asked what the people had been doing, said," Picking cotton, Massa." Mr. Post replied,' I do not ask you what you have been doing. Picking cotton is nothing to me now: I have done with it.' He then calied the old negro to his bedside, took hold of his hand, and bid him farewell, exhorting him to attend the preaching, to come to Jesus, to pray to him, and charged him to meet him at the right hand of God, telling him he must shortly die; and that though he had been his master, and had sometimes been angry with him, there would soon be no difference between them. They both wept abundantly. This was a very affecting scene!

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Mr. Post frequently spake to the negroes who came to see him, in a very kind manner; exhorting them to seek Christ with their whole hearts. However, he did not experience that joy in God with which some are favoured; his soul was frequently cast down on account of a sin to which he had been prone in his youth. On Easter Sunday morning he was much perplexed about his eternal state. When several encouraging passages of Scripture were pointed out to him, one of which was Rom. viii. 32, He that spared not his own Son, &c. he then said, Delivered him up for us ali! Then is he a free gift to all who will receive him,-is he not? To which he was answered Yes. I have read,' he said, this passage many times; but I never saw it in the light I now do.' He appeared to obtain much comfort by viewing Christ as the free gift of the Father. He did not derive much comfort from those passages of Scripture which are peculiar to the people of God; for when they were pointed out to him, he would doubt. of his being of that number; but those which give encouragement to the chief of sinners were greatly blessed to him. He

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was sensible that he was a sinner, a great sinner; and that he had nothing to plead, but the sufferings and death of Christ. This was all his hope and all his desire, day and night; and, blessed be God, though he was often perplexed! with doubts and fears, he was, at other times, strong in faith, giving glory to God. One day he sent for me from the dinner-table, and said, I have sent for you to tell you, that I shall just enter in through Christ:' and at another time he said, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadowof Death, God will be with me.' He frequently repeated the name of Jesus in a very affecting way: Blessed Jesus!and would often say,' Come, and receive me to thyself! Once he told me he was very comfortable; and requested me to pray, especially for the spread of the gospel; and said, ' All will be well.' At another time, he said, with great earnestness, Tell the people at my funeral, That I am a sinner; but have obtained mercy through Jesus Christ.' Once, when I was speaking to him, he looked stedfastly at me, and said, in a very affecting manner, 'You have come so far to teach ine how to

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I know you love me; and I will love you in Heaven! When his spirits were good, and he was tolerably free from pain, he would converse cheerfully about preaching, religion, and what he had passed through in life. He would frequently request me to read to him; and when I asked him what he wished to have read, he would say, 'Something suitable: Some of the sayings of Jesus or Paul.' On the two or three last days of his life, I had not an opportunity to converse much with him, for he was extremely weak; but he was enabled to build on the rock Christ Jesus. The day before his death, I had some conversation with him on temporal subjects, especially about the chapel; which he told me he had secured to the Missionary Society, with £100 annually.

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On April the 29th, about half after eight o'clock in the evening, he fell asleep in Jesus. The poor negroes spent most of the night in weeping for him; exclaiming, O my massa, iny massa! A more affecting scene was, perhaps, never presented. I suppose there were more than 500 negroes of his own, and from other estates, lamenting their loss. Mr. Purkis and the manager went among the negro-houses, to request them to be still; but in vain. They continued to weep aloud, exclaiming, My massa, my massa!iny tatta, my tatta! I was much affected with the language of one poor woman. She said she had been 20 years on the estate, not able to do any work; but her massa had given her every thing to make her comfortable.

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In the death of Mr. Fost, the negroes have lost one of the kindest masters; his bereaved widow a most affectionate husband her child, one of the best of parents; the fatherless and the widow a kind protector; the colony of Demarara a respect

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