knew how to do good, and how to put by an injury; but I have heard it told by them that knew his life, that being, by the unavoidable trouble of a great estate, engaged in great suits at law, he was never plaintiff, but always upon the defensive part; and that he had reason on his side, and justice for him, I need allege no other testimony, but that the sentence of his judges so declared it.

But that in which I propound this good man most imitable, was in his religion; for he was a great lover of the church, a constant attender to the sermons of the church; a diligent hearer of the prayers of the church, and an obedient son to perform the commands of the church. He was diligent in his times and circumstances of devotion; he would often be at church so early, that he was seen to walk long in the church-yard before prayers, being as ready to confess his sins at the beginning, as to receive the blessing at the end of prayers. Indeed he was so great a lover of sermons, that though he knew how to value that which was the best, yet he was patient of that which was not so; and if he could not learn any thing to improve his faith, yet he would find something to exercise his patience, and something for charity ; yet this his great love of sermons could not tempt him to a willingness of neglecting the prayers of the church, of which he was a great lover to his dying day. "Oves meæ exaudiunt vocem meam," says Christ; "my sheep hear my voice;" and so the church says, my sheep hear my voice, they love my words, they pray in my forms, they observe my orders, they delight in my offices, they revere my ministers, and obey my constitutions:' and so did he; loving to have his soul recommended to God, and his needs represented, and his sins confessed, and his pardon implored, in the words of his mother, in the voice and accent of her that nursed him up to a spiritual life, to be a man in Christ Jesus.

He was indeed a great lover, and had a great regard for God's ministers, ever remembering the words of God, 'keep my rest, and reverence my priests;' he honoured the calling in all, but he loved and revered the persons of such who were conscientious keepers of their depositum,'' that trust,' which was committed to them: such which did not for interest quit their conscience, and did not, to preserve some -parts of their revenue, quit some portions of their religion. He knew that what was true in 1639, was also true in 1644,

and so to 57, and shall continue true to eternal ages; and they that change their persuasions by force or interest, did neither believe well nor ill, upon competent and just grounds; they are not just, though they happen on the right side. Hope of gain did by chance teach them well, and fear of loss abuses them directly. He pitied the persecuted, and never would take part with persecutors: he prayed for his prince, and served him in what he could: he loved God, and loved the church; he was a lover of his country's liberties, and yet an observer of the laws of his king.

Thus he behaved himself to all his superior relatives; to his equals and dependants he was also just, and kind, and loving. He was an excellent friend, laying out his own interest to serve theirs; sparing not himself, that he might serve them: as knowing society to be the advantage of man's nature; and friendship the ornament of society, and usefulness the ornament of friendship, and in this he was well known to be very worthy. He was tender and careful of his children, and so provident and so wise, so loving and obliging to his whole family, that he justly had that love and regard, that duty and observance from them, which his kindness and his care had merited. He was a provident and careful conductor of his estate; but far from covetousness, as appeared toward the evening of his life, in which that vice does usually prevail amongst old men, who are more greedy, when they have least need, and load their sumpters so much the more, by how much nearer they are to their journey's end; but he made a demonstration of the contrary; for he washed his hands and heart of the world, gave up his estate long before his death or sickness, to be managed by his only son, whom he left since, but then first made and saw him his heir; he emptied his hands of secular employment; meddled not with money, but for the uses of the poor, for piety, justice, and religion.

And now having divested himself of all objections and his conversation with the world, quitting his affections to it, he wholly gave himself to religion and devotion: he awakened early, and would presently be entertained with reading; when he rose, still he would be read to, and hear some of the Psalms of David: and excepting only what time he took for the necessities of his life and health, all the rest he gave to prayer, reading, and meditation, save only that he did not

neglect, nor rudely entertain the visits and kind offices of his neighbours.

But in this great vacation from the world he espied his advantages, he knew well, according to that saying of the emperor Charles V., "Oportet inter vitæ negotia et diem mortis spatium aliquod intercedere," there ought to be a valley between two such mountains, the businesses of our life, and the troubles of our death; and he stayed not till the noise of the Bridegroom's coming did awaken and affright him; but by daily prayers twice a day, constantly with his family, besides the piety and devotion of his own retirements, by a monthly communion, by weekly sermons, and by the religion of every day, he stood in procincts, ready with oil in his lamp, watching till his Lord should call.

And, indeed, when he was hearing what God did speak to him of duty, he also received his summons to give his account. For he was so pertinacious and attendant to God's holy word, and the services of the church, that though he found himself sick, he would not off, but stay till the solemnity was done; but it pleased God at church to give him his first arrest; and since that time I have often visited him, and found him always doing his work, with the greatest evenness and indifferency of spirit, as to the event of life and death, that I have observed in any. He was not unwilling to live; but if he should, he resolved to spend his life wholly in the service of God: but yet neither was he unwilling to die, because he then knew he should weep no more, and he should sin no more. He was very confident, but yet with great humility and great modesty, of the pardon of his sins; he had indeed lived without scandal, but he knew he had not lived without error; but as God had assisted him to avoid the reproach of great crimes, so he doubted not but he should find pardon for the less; and, indeed, I could not but observe, that he had, in all the time of his sickness, a very quiet conscience; which is to me an excellent demonstration of the state of his life, and the state of his grace and pardon. For though he seemed to have a conscience tender and nice, if any evil thing had touched it; yet I could not but apprehend that his peace was a just peace, the mercy of God, and the price and effect of the blood of Jesus.

He was so joyful, so thankful, so pleased in the ministries

of the church, that it gave in evidence where his soul was most delighted, what it did apprehend the quickest, where it did use to dwell, and what it did most passionately love. He discoursed much of the mercies of God to him, repeated the blessings of his life, the accidents and instruments of his trouble; he loved the cause of his trouble, and pardoned them that neither loved it nor him.

When he had spent great portions of his time of sickness in the service of God, and in expectation of the sentence of his life or death, at last he understood the still voice of God, and that he was to go where his soul loved to be; he still increased his devotion, and being admonished, as his strength failed him, to supply his usual forms, and his want of strength and words, by short exercise of virtues, of faith and patience, and the love of God; he did it so willingly, so well, so readily, making his eyes, his hands, and his tongue, as long as he could, the interpreters of his mind, that as long as he was alive, he would see what his soul was doing. He doubted not of the truth of the promises, nor of the goodness of God, nor the satisfaction of Christ, and the merits of his death, nor the fruit of his resurrection, nor the prevalency of his intercession, nor yet doubted of his own part in them; but expected his portions in the regions of blessedness, with those who loved God, and served him heartily and faithfully in their generations.

He had so great a patience in his sickness, and was so afraid lest he should sin at last; that his piety outdid his nature, and though the body cannot feel but by the soul, yet his soul seemed so little concerned in the passions of the body, that I neither observed, nor heard of him, that he in all his sickness so much as complained with any semblance of impatience.

He so continued to pray, so delighted in hearing psalms sung, which I wish were made as fit to sing by their numbers as they are by their weight, that so very much of his time was spent in them, that it was very likely when his Lord came he would find him so doing; and he did so for in the midst of prayers he went away, and got to heaven as soon as they; and saw them (as we hope) presented to the throne of grace; he went along with them himself, and was his own messenger to heaven; where although he possibly might

prevent his last prayers, yet he would not prevent God's early mercy, which, as we humbly hope, gave him pardon for his sins, ease of his pain, joy after his sorrow, certainty for his fears, heaven for earth, innocence and impeccability, instead of his infirmity.

Ergo Quinctilium perpetuus sopor

Urguet! cui Pudor, et Justitiæ soror
Incorrupta Fides, nudaque Veritas

Quando ullum inveniet parem?

Faith and justice, modesty and pure righteousness, made him equal to the worthiest examples; he was xpnoròs årg, ́ a good man,' loving and humble, meek and patient, he would be sure to be the last in contention, and the first at a peace; he would injure no man, but yet if any man was displeased with him, he would speak first, and offer words of kindness; if any did dispute concerning priority, he knew how to get it, even by yielding and compliance; walking profitably with his neighbours, and humbly with his God; and having lived a life of piety, he died in a full age, an honourable old age, in the midst of his friends, and in the midst of prayer: and although the events of the other world are hidden to us below, that we might live in faith, and walk in hope and die in charity, yet we have great reason to bless God for his mercies to this our brother, and endeavour to comport ourselves with a strict religion, and a severe repentance; with an exemplar patience, and an exemplar piety; with the structures of a holy life, and the solemnities of a religious death, that we also may, as our confident and humble hope is, this our brother doth, by the conduct of angels, pass into the hands and bosom of Jesus, there to expect the most merciful sentence of the right hand, "Come ye blessed children of my Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world." Amen, Lord Jesus, Amen.

Grant this, eternal God, for Jesus Christ's sake; to whom with thee, O Father, and the Holy Spirit, be all glory and honour, service and dominion, love and obedience, be confessed due, and ever paid by all angels, and all men, and all the creatures, this day, henceforth and for everAmen.

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