His patience was truly Christian.

GOD does often try his children by afflictions to exercise their graces, to occasion their victory, and to entitle them to a triumphant felicity.

This Saint was tried by many afflictions. We are very tender of our reputation: His name was obscured under a cloud of detraction. Many slanderous darts were thrown at him. He was charged with schism and sedition. He was accused for his paraphrase on the New Testament, as guilty of disloyal aspersions upon the government, and condemned, unheard, to a prison, where he remained for some years. But he was so far from being moved at the unrighteous prosecution, that he joyfully said to a constant friend, "What could I de"sire more of GOD, than after having served him to my 66 power, I should now be called to suffer for him ?" One, who had been a fierce dissenter, was afterward rankled with an opposite heat, and very contumeliously in his writings reflected upon Mr. Baxter, who calmly endured his contempt: And when the same person published a learned discourse in defence of Christianity, Mr. Baxter said, "I forgive him all for his writing that book." Indeed he was so much the more truly honourable, as he was thought worthy of the hatred of [some] persons.

It is true, the censures and reproaches of others, whom he esteemed and loved, touched him in the tender part. But he, with the great Apostle, counted it a small thing to be judged by man's day. He was entire to his conscience, and independent upon the opinion of others.* But his patience was more eminently tried by his continual pains and languishing. Martyrdom is a more easy way of dying, when the combat and the victory are finished at once, than to die by degrees every day. His complaints were frequent; but who ever heard an unsubmissive word drop from his lips? He was not put out of his patience, nor out of the possession of himself. In his sharp pains he said, "I have a rational patience, and "a believing patience, though sense would recoil."

His pacific spirit was a clear character of his being a child of God. How ardently he endeavoured to ce

ment

*The honourable Mr. Boyle declared Mr. Baxter to be the fittest man of the age to be a casuist, because he feared no man's displeasure, nor hoped for any man's preferment.

Bishop Burnet, in his life of Sir Matthew Hale, records it, that He held great conversation with Mr. Baxter, who was his neigh⚫bour at Acton, on whom he looked as a person of great devotion and piety, and of a very subtle and quick apprehension.'-Burnet's Life, &c. p. 75.

ment the breaches among us, which others widen and keep open, is publicly known. He said to a friend, "I "can as willingly be a martyr for love as for any article "of the creed." It is strange to astonishment, that those who agree in the substantial and great points of the reformed religion, and are of differing sentiments only in things not so clear, nor of that moment as those wherein. they consent, should still be opposite parties. Methinks, the remembrance how our divisions lately exposed us to our watchful adversary, and were almost fatal to the interest of religion, should conciliate our affections. common danger and common deliverance, should prepare our spirits for a sincere and firm union: When our sky was so without a glimmering horizon, then by a new dawning of God's wonderful providence, a deliverer appeared, our gracious sovereign, King William the III. who has the honour of establishing our religion at home, and gives us hopes of restoring it abroad, in places from whence it has been so unrighteously and cruelly expelled. May the union of his protestant subjects in religious things, so desired by wise and good men, be accomplished by his princely counsel and authority. Integrity with charity would remove those things that have so long disunited I return from this digression.

Love to the souls of men, was the peculiar character of Mr. Baxter's spirit. In this he imitated and honoured our Saviour, who prayed, died, and lives for the salvation of souls. All his natural and supernatural endowments were subservient to this blessed end. It was his meat and drink, the life and joy of his life, to do good to souls. His industry was almost incredible in his studies: He had a sensitive nature desirous of ease as others have, and faint faculties, yet such was the continual application of himself to his great work, as if the labour of one day had supplied strength for another, and the willingness of the spirit had supported the weakness of the flesh. In his usual conversation, his serious, frequent, and delightful discourse was of divine things, to enflame his friends with the love of heaven. He received with tender compassion and condescending kindness, the meanest that came to him for counsel and consolation. He gave, in one year, a hundred pounds to buy bibles for the poor. He has, in his will, disposed of all that remains of his estate, after the legacies to his kindred, for the benefit of the souls and bodies of the poor. He continued to preach so long, notwithstanding his wasted languishing body, that, the last time, he almost died in the pulpit.

It would have been his joy to have been transfigured in

the mount.

Not long after his last sermon, he felt the approaches of death, and was confined to his sick bed. Death reveals the secrets of the heart; then words are spoken with most feeling and least affectation. This excellent Saint was the same in his life and death: His last hours were spent in preparing others and himself to appear before GOD. He said to his friends that visited him, "You "come hither to learn to die: I am not the only person "that must go this way; I can assure you that your whole "life, be it never so long, is little enough to prepare for "death. Have a care of this vain deceitful world, and "the lusts of the flesh: Be sure you choose God for your "portion, heaven for your home, GoD's glory for your "end, his word for your rule, and then you need never "fear but we shall meet with comfort."

Never was penitent sinner more humble and debasing himself, never was a sincere believer more calm and comfortable. He acknowledged himself to be the vilest dunghill worm (it was his usual expression) that ever went to heaven. He admired the divine condescension to us, often saying, "Lord, what is man? What am "I, vile worm, to the great GOD?" Many times he prayed, GoD be merciful to me a sinner! and blessed GOD, that that was left upon record in the gospel, as an effectual prayer. He said, "GOD may justly condemn "me for the best duty I ever did: And all my hopes are "from the free mercy of GoD in Christ, which he often "prayed for."

After a slumber he waked and said, "I shall rest from "my labour." A minister then present said, And your works follow you:' To whom he replied, "No works, "I will leave out works, if God will grant me the other." When a friend was comforting him with the remembrance of the good, which many had received by his preaching and writings, he said, "I was but a pen in GoD's hand; and what praise is due to a pen ?"

His resigned submission to the will of God in his sharp sickness, was eminent. When extremity of pain constrained him earnestly to pray to God for his release by death, he would check himself; " It is not fit for me to prescribe;" and said, "When thou wilt, "what thou wilt, how thou wilt."

Being in great anguish, he said, "O how unsearchable are his ways, and his paths past finding out! the reaches

"of

"of his providence we cannot fathom :" And to his friends: "Do not think the worse of religion for what "you see me suffer."

Being often asked by his friends, how it was with his inward man? he replied, "I bless GOD I have a well"grounded assurance of my eternal happiness, and great "peace and comfort within;" but it was his trouble he "could not triumphantly express it, by reason of his extreme pains. He said, "Flesh must perish, and we must "feel the perishing of it: And that though his judgment "submitted, yet sense would still make him groan.

Being asked by a person of quality, Whether he had not great joy from his believing apprehensions of the invisible state?' He replied, What else think you "Christianity serves for?" He said, "The consideration "of the Deity in his glory and greatness was too high for "our thoughts; but the consideration of the Son of GoD "in our nature, and of the saints in heaven whom he "knew and loved, did much sweeten and familiarize hea"ven to him." The description of heaven in the xiith chapter to the Hebrews and the 22d verse, was most comfortable to him: That he was going to the innumerable company of angels, and to the general assembly and church of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven; and lo Gop the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect; and to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than the blood of Abel."That Scripture, he said, deserved a thou"sand thousand thoughts." He said, "O how comfort"able is that promise, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, "neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive the "things GoD has laid up for those who love him."

At another time he said, "That he found great comfort "and sweetness in repeating the words of the Lord's "Prayer, and was sorry that some good people were prejudiced against the use of it; for there were all ne"cessary petitions for soul and body contained in it."

At other times he gave excellent counsel to young ministers that visited him, and earnestly prayed to God to bless their labours, and make them very successful in converting many souls to Christ. And he expressed great joy in the hopes that God would do a great deal of good by them, and that they were of moderate peaceful spirits.

He did often pray that God would be merciful to this miserable distracted world: And that he would preserve his church and interest in it.

He

He advised his friends to beware of self-conceitedness, as a sin that was likely to ruin this nation: And said, "I have written a book against it, which I am afraid "has done little good."

Being asked whether he had altered his mind in controversial points, he said, "Those that please, may know my mind in my writings: And what he had done was "not for his own reputation, but the glory of GoD."

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I went to him with a very worthy friend, Mr. Mather of New England, the day before he died; and speaking some comforting words to him, he replied, "I have pain, there is no arguing against sense, but I have I told him, You are now ap"peace, I have peace.' proaching to your long-desired home.' He answered, "I believe, I believe." He said to Mr. Mather," I "bless GoD that you have accomplished your business; "the Lord prolong your life."

He expressed a great willingness to die; and during his sickness, when the question was asked, how he did, his answer was, "Almost well." His joy was remarkable, when in his own apprehensions death was nearest: And his spiritual joy at length was consummated in eternal joy.

Thus lived and died that blessed saint. I have, without any artificial fiction of words, given a sincere short account of him. All our tears are below the just grief for such an invaluable loss. It is the comfort of his friends, that he enjoys a blessed reward in heaven, and has left a precious remembrance on the earth.'

Thus far Dr. Bates. To this may be added from Mr. Sylvester a short account of his person. He was tall and slender, and stooped much: His countenance composed and grave, somewhat inclining to smile. He had a piercing eye, a very articulate speech, and his deportment rather plain than complimental. He had a great command over his thoughts. He had that happy faculty, so as to answer the character that was given of him by a learned man, dissenting from him, after a discourse with him; which was, That he could say what he would, and he could prove what he said.'

It is impossible to read the account he gives of himself in his Reliquia without emotion. The sickness and lauguors he underwent almost from his childhood, and which he has so pathetically described, render it matter of admiration, that such a frame should hold out for seventy-six years, when, before twenty, he complained of a pramatura senectus, and all the symptoms of fourscore.

The