Brief memoir of Dr. Thomas Bateman.

  • Religious Tract Society
Date:
[1830?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Brief memoir of Dr. Thomas Bateman. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    of going down stairs as usual, (he had heen carried up and down for several days,) and said “ it could not require more than a very few weeks now to wear him out;’’ not appearing to be at all aware that his end was so very near, till about half an houT before his death. Finding himself extremely languid, h« took a little milk, and. desired that air might be admitted Into the room ; and on being asked if he felt relieved at all, he said, “ Very little ; I can hardly distingpiish, indeed, whether this is languor or drowsiness which has come over me; but it is a very agreeable .feeling.’’ Soon after, he said suddenly, “ I surely must be going now, my strength sinks so fastaiid on my making some observation bn the glorious prospect before him, he added, “ Oh, yeS ! I am glad to go, if it be the Lord’s will.” He shut his eyes and lay quite com¬ posed, and by and by said, “ What glory 1 the angels, are waiting for me!” Then, after another short interval of quiet, he added, “Lord Jesus, receive my soul!” and to those who were about him, “ Farewell!” These were the last words he spoke. He gradually and gently sunk away; and in about ten minutes breathed his last, calmly and without a struggle, at nine in the morning of the 9th of April 1821, the very day on which, twelve months before, his mind had been first awakened to the hopes and joys of the ever blessed gospel. What a contrast did his 'actual departure form to what I had reason to apprehend, when I watched over his couch in London, expecting that every moment would be his last; and when, with a hard indifference and insensi¬ bility, he talked only of- going to his “ last sleep !” And bow can I worthily acknov/ledge the goodness of Almighty God, who effected such a change in his state! It appears that he preceded his revered, though un¬ known instructor, Mr. Scott, exactly one week. He never ceased to remember, with the deepest gratitude, his obli¬ gations to that excellent man. It was only the evening before his death, that he was recommending with great fervency to a young friend, whose mother, under affliction, was first beginning to inquire after religious truth, to engage her to read “ Scott’s Essays,” acknowledging, with 234
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