the holy ministry. And, having received a well directed education in the country, he was afterward sent to Emanuel college, in the University of Cambridge. Here, he was eminently distinguished by his close application to his studies, and by his sobriety. The grace of God, which sanctifies our natures, and refines our manners, did now shine in him, with peculiar lustre, in his early youth. In this critical season of life, he was taught to despise the allurements, the deceitful, and transitory pleasures of sin; and to devote the first and the best of his days to the service of his Maker and Redeemer. Such deportment is most beautiful and becoming in young persons, and highly worthy of imitation. This justly entitled him to respectful notice among the governors of the College; who, upon examination, elected him scholar of the house.

Afterward, he went to spend some time, for his farther improvement in useful knowledge and true piety, with the eminently pious and learned Mr Cotton, at Boston, in Lincolnshire. Mr Cotton's suitable directions, and his striking and exemplary piety, were highly beneficial to this well-disposed scholar, and had a powerful tendency to improve his mind, and his religious principles, which continued with him through the whole journey of life.

He gained a shining and lasting reputation, in a short time, by his piety and learning: and upon his return to the College, he was soon chosen a Fellow, with general approbation, after an uncommonly strict examination. And now, he became a very careful, diligent, and successful, tutor to young scholars, for some time. He afterward commenced a preacher of the glorious Gospel of the grace of God. His fame soon spread, and he was called to the pastoral charge of Tichmarsh, in Northamptonshire, in England, where he discharged the duties of his ministerial office with much steadiness and fidelity, about eight or nine years. He was chosen into the respectable Assembly of Divines at Westminster, for the county of Northampton. He was very useful in this public and important service. He was often employed by the Parliament to preach before them at their Fasts,

That

and upon other solemn occasions. While he was at London, he preached on the Lord's day at St Martin's in the Fields, a large congregation, where he was highly beneficial to many souls. And he was chosen to be one of the Morning Lecturers at Westminster Abbey. He was afterward elected to be Master of Emanuel. college, in the University of Cambridge; and from thence he was removed to the Mastership of Trinity-college. In these superior stations, this illustrious luminary of the Christian church behaved with great prudence and circumspection. He was principally attentive to promote piety and learning, in these seminaries. He preached very frequently in their chapel, and wrote to their seniors. His views were really noble, and his conduct very suitable to the genius of the religion which he professed. He always seconded his arguments, by the victorious power of an exemplary life. gentleness of manners, which greatly sweetens the intercourse of human society, was very conspicuous in him. In his general behaviour, he was meek and condescending; but he always retained the dignity of his character, and was readily moved with just indignation, at the least appearance of sin and corruption. He was also eminently distinguished by his ardent zeal for the honours, privi leges, and emoluments, of the University. He was two years vice-chancellor. This eminent divine firmly believ ed, constantly preached, and strenuously defended, the all-important doctrines of God's sovereignty in his decrees; of his free love and grace in election;-of justification by the imputed righteousness of Christ; and of the final perseverance of the saints in a state of grace. At his death, he intimated to one of his friends, that he then derived singular comfort from these doctrines, as many other eminent Christians have also done, in this very trying season.

4

In his preaching, he was plain, powerful, spiritual, and frequent. Both our blessed Saviour and his apostles preached the glorious Gospel of the grace of God, in the plainest manner. They wisely adapted their discourses even to the meanest capacities of their hearers, whose knowledge often was as low as their external condition, that all

men might know the Lord from the least to the greatest. This mode of preaching, as one well observes, "hath always an air of candour and sincerity, and thereby the labour of tedious inquiry is prevented."-Some preachers, in order to conceal unpopular opinions, and to put on an air of orthodoxy, use expressions which may be interpreted, with equal ease, to divers, and even contrary, purposes. Remarkable, in this case, is that very striking passage, 1 Cor. xiv. 8, 9. For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue, words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air. "If this be a good argument against preaching in an unknown tongue, it is equally good against every thing else that disguises, instead of unfolding our sentiments of Christianity. The apostles used great plainness of speech; and it is an apostolical injunction, "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God." Let his style be plain and clear, like that of the sacred writings; not dark and ambiguous, like the oracles of the Heathen." a And powerful preaching, calculated to command a reverent attention, to strike the conscience, and to warm and affect the heart, well becomes ministers of the glorious Gospel of the Son of God. They ought to speak with dignity and holy boldness, not fearing the face of man. "Favour should not bribe, nor frowns nor dangers affright us, from delivering our Master's message. "Insipid sermons, in which a pathetic address is wanting, seldom warm the heart, or arouse the hearer. "Soft and drowsy harangues, instead of rousing a secure generation, will rather increase their spiritual lethargy; and a cold preacher will soon have a cold auditory. Jesus has intrusted us with the concerns of his people, a people dearly bought, and greatly beloved; we have to do with souls, that must be happy or miserable for ever; we address them, in the name of God, upon matters of infinite importance; and is it not

a The Scotch Preacher, vol. i. ser. v. Dr Erskine. 2d edit, b Dr Erskine, as above.

a

an indignity to Him whose ambassadors we are, to execute our commission coolly, and as if half asleep? Will it not tempt others to slight our message, if, by the manner of delivering it, we appear to slight it ourselves? When our own hearts are most impressed with the inestimable worth of immortal souls; when out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh, when our sentiments, style, voice, and gesture, discover how much we are in earnest; then we are most likely to touch the hearts of our hearers, and make them feel the force of what we say." And, spiritual preaching, suited to the spiritual state of the flock, and to the dispensations of Divine Providence respecting them, is, undoubtedly, highly useful and important. And, the Lord Jesus Christ, and salvation through his name, ought to be frequently preached. The subject of this memoir was a most diligent, faithful, and laborious, preacher of the Gospel of Christ, during the whole of his public ministry, and especially toward the period of his life in this world side his preaching in the University, he set up a lecture every Sabbath-morning, in one church in the town, which was performed only by himself, and cheerfully frequented both by many scholars and inhabitants of the town; and one lecture in another church, every Lord's-day in the afternoon, in which he did bear at least, the fourth part of the burden; and both gratis. He also preached occasionally in several adjacent towns and villages; and was instrumental in setting up lectures in some of them, and often assisted at these lectures. When near the end of his journey to the promised land, he was eminently distinguished by his unwearied zeal, and his unremitting industry, in faithfully discharging the trust which was committed to him. He continued stedfast and immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; and his la bours were attended with much success.

Be

Though naturally modest, yet when the case required, he appeared with boldness and with spirit, in a good cause. Being endowed with a very public spirit, he was deeply in

a Dr Erskine's Ser. as above.

terested in the interests of the Redeemer's kingdom. His other eminent qualities were richly adorned with much humility, very low thoughts of himself, an agreeable, familiar, and instructive, conversation, an affable conde scending manner in society, and with true benevolence, which shed its kindly beams for the relief and comfort of many really indigent persons. Like the good Samaritan, he often poured balm into the wounded mind, delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless, and him who had none to help him.

He was seized with a long continued quartan-ague, which did bear the marks of mortality. In the lucid intervals of his trouble, he improved his time, in making close inquiry respecting his peace with Heaven, and his readiness for his passage into the world unknown.-In his short sickness, he expressed to one of his friends, his great comfort and joy, in God's free discriminating electing love. To Dr Tuckney, about half an hour before his departure, who made inquiry respecting the settlement of his outward estate, and of his inward peace, he readily, and without any hesitation, answered, Through the mercy of God in Christ, his peace was made, and that he quietly rested in it. Then, with tranquillity, he suddenly departed, Dec. 18th 1653, in an advanced age, very much lamented by his acquaintance and brethren.

Having settled his peace with God, through the Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, who has made peace

the blood of his cross, the king of terrors appeared now to be transformed into an angel of peace, to waft his immortal soul into the blissful mansions in a better world, where neither sin nor sorrow can enter. The Redeemer's death is the Christian's strongest consolation, and best antidote to the fears of death. And there is always some peculiarity in the death of the real Christian. "There is a majesty in the death of the Christian: He partakes of the spirit of that world to which he is advancing, and he meets his latter end with a face that looks to the heavens." a

a Logan's Sermons, vol. i. ser. vii. ead.-See Dr Tuckney's Ser. at Dr Hill's 'Fun. Lon. 1654. and Clark's Lives.