LIBERIA
Letter of Rev. J. T. Richardson
Death of Brother Day
Day’s Hope, Monrovia, Feb. 17th, 1859
Rev. Jas. B. Taylor :
Very Dear Brother, — These lines bring the painful, the
sad intelligence of the death of our much esteemed brother, John
Day. He was taken sick in his pulpit Sunday afternoon, January
30, while attempting to preach. He was so prostrated with
palpitation of heart, that he failed to preach, and the brethren
thought it proper under the circumstances to take him up from
church to his residence, --which was immediately done with the
directions of the doctor. Every attention was paid to him, both by
his doctor and the brethren to stop the progress of the complaint;
yet it continued to weaken him down until he was helpless or
nearly so; and after all, he came to the close of life on the 15th inst,
at 4 o’clock P.M. 1 had the extreme pleasure, after watching with
great anxiety, the various movements of the complaint, to hear
from his quivering lips, being asked by him as 1 approached his
bedside, on the morning of the afternoon in which he died, if I was
well, I answered him, “Yes.” Question by me: “How are you?”
His reply: “If I speak with regard to the union subsisting between
me and Christ, I am well, too.” Thus his faith in Christ continued
even down to the Jordan of death, and without a struggle or groan
he fell asleep in the arms of Jesus.
This painful stroke of Divine Providence has frustrated
everything pertaining to the mission operations in general. I had
previously made arrangements to take a visit to the United States
this spring, and the Mary C. Stevens was on one of sailing just at
the time of his death. But there having been an urgent demand
made by brother Yates, acting for the interest of both the mission
and the church at Monrovia, that I defer going in the Stevens, and
remain at Day’s Hope, and take charge of the entire establishment,
and the church, until orders from the Board. Therefore I deferred
my visit, and am at Day’s Hope, having everything going on just as
it was previous to the death of the lamented brother.
