Little did any one think that that Saturday night would be his last night on earth. From what he said, it was evidently, to him, a night of deep exercise of soul before the Lord. On rising and taking his usual Scripture reading alone before breakfast, he turned to Psa. 39, and was so impressed with it, that; instead of reading in the family in the usual course, he read this Psalm again with his dear wife. At the accustomed time, they both went to the Lord's Day morning meeting, in the course of which he said, "Let us give thanks " He thanked the Lord Jesus above all for His death, that marvelous outflow of divine grace, and that we were privileged to be there to remember Him, and announce His death on earth once more. The death of a beloved brother a few days before, was evidently on the minds of several present, and to it he seems to have alluded when he said something like this, "Thou, Lord Jesus, art removing Thy dear saints one by one, but Thou art soon coming to take us all away together to be forever with Thyself."
On returning to his house, he walked a little in the garden, seemed happy and cheerful. At the usual time he sat down to dine, not in his accustomed place, but very near his dear wife, and shortly afterward he rose and went to the door for a moment; but immediately after resuming his seat, he put out his arm upon the table toward Mrs. S., his head sank upon his arm, and when his dear wife reached his side, he had departed to be with Christ.
"His spirit had fled,
Painless and swift as his own desire;
The soul undressed — from her mortal vest,
Stepped into the car of heavenly fire,
And proved how bright were the realms of light
Bursting at once upon the sight."
To us, scarcely anything could be more sudden, or unexpected, for during the last few days he had seemed to be improving in bodily health. Still "he was not, for the Lord took him." One said, "It was almost a translation." Another said, "It reminded him of the. chariot of fire and horses of fire that carried Elijah into heaven." It was, however, so instantaneous, that he seems to have been one moment speaking to his dear wife, and the next moment with the Lord. His last ministry on earth was at the Lord's table, and within two hours he was "with the Lord"—absent from the body, and present with the Lord." This is how Scripture puts it; and most blessed it is to know that the Christian in his new nature, the new creation in Christ Jesus, leaves the earthly tabernacle to be "present with the Lord." Such is death to the child of God. He was spared bodily pain, and a lingering illness on a bed of sickness, which many have; and the Lord's words seemed to be fulfilled in him, "If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death." Happy those who, when consciously departing, are so looking off unto Jesus who saved them by the blood of His cross, that they do not see death. He was absent from the body, and present with his Lord, whom he had so long been constrained by His love to serve. His 69th birthday, as we have remarked, had been some days before.
Soon after his departure, a paper, written on his 47th birthday, came to hand. It had been deposited by him in a secret drawer of his business desk. It was this: "Lord, Thou knowest how long before I shall see Thee as Thou art. I shall be satisfied when I awake in Thy likeness. Let my few remaining moments be spent with Thee and for Thee, my own precious Lord. All is well, Lord, for my times are in Thy hand." It was dated 10th of March, 1868.