THE LATE REV. ARTHUR TRIGGS. - The Gospel Magazine

The Gospel Magazine. 349
SOME OF THE LAST DAYS OF THE REV. J. N. DAVIDSON,
l\LA.
THE following pages contain an account of the closing days of the abovenamed
singularly faithful minister of Christ, and it is hoped that its
perusal will tend to the edification of souls.
" The memory 0/ the just is blessed.-PROv. x. 'I.
ON the 10th of May, 18'71, Mr. and Mrs. Davidson left their home for
Ryde, intending to stay there while their house was being painted and
cleaned; they stopped at Odiham on their way, wishing to take their
friend, Miss H., with them, as she was greatly needing change of air
and rest. They remained in Odiham two nights and days, in order to
visit some of the saints of God in that place; having accomplished
their purpose, they proceeded to Ryde on the 12th. For several months
previous to their leaving London, Mr. Dayidson's strength had been
failing, and he often suffered from great oppression and difficulty in
breathing, but their short stay in the quiet country town of Odiham
revived him, and he seemed to enjoy it much. On their arrival at Ryde,
he was greatly fatigued and exhausted, and from that time never regained
any strength, but gradually seemed to fade away, but as the
outward man perished, the inward man was evidently renewed, day by
day. During the first week of their stay in Ryde, he wrote a few of his
instructive and precious letters to his friends and others. Though they
remained there for nearly three weeks, he only went out on two occasions,
once for a short walk, and the other time in a carriage to call on a
Christian lady, who, they found, had unhappily left the island a short
time previously. Throughout these weeks, he suffered very severely
both by day and by night, from great oppression and shortness of breath,
and was seldom able to speak above a whisper; he continued to conduct
the family worship, and manifested a deep interest in the servant girl of
the house, setting before her the true nature of the gospel of the grace
of God. The first two sabbaths they were at Ryde, he was able to spend
some time in the afternoon in reading and conversing on the Scriptures,
with Mrs. D., and Miss H., but the last sabbath he was too weak and
breathless for anything of the kind. The east winds were very prevalent
during their sojourn on the island. Mrs. D. therefore clung to the
hope that, when able to return to their house in London, he might (God
permitting) recover his strength in a measure.
On May 31st, they left Ryde, and as it was his particular desire to see
the Lord's people that were at Odiham again, they stayed there for two
nights on their way home, but he evidently became much worse, and had
such severe attacks of asthma both nights that he really thought the
time of his departure had come. It was with great thankfulness that
they reached their home in safety, on the evening of June 2nd. He
wa.lked upstairs with difficulty, and only came down again twice,
namely, on the two following evenings to tea. On the day after they
returned home, Mrs. C. (Mrs. D's sister) came to see him, and after