neither pay the fine nor petition for a release, a private offer appears to have been made to him through Lord Powis, that the king would grant it as a matter of favour. A man by the name of Williams offered to assist him, in procuring his liberty. Baxter appears to have had some suspicion of him ; and his object at last appeared to be to get money; as he afterwards made a den and of £38, for his trouble. Baxter resisted this de. mand, and sent to Lord Powis, who solemnly declared, that this man had no influence whatever, and deserved no reward. Lord Powis himself appears to have been the man who managed this affair, and obtained Baxter's deliverance from prison, though not his release from the bond by which he was bound over to his good behaviour. On the 24th of November, 1686, Sir Samuel Astrey sent his warrant to the keeper of the King's Bench prison, to discharge him. He gave sureties, however, for his good behaviour. His majesty signified that it should not be interpreted as a breach of good behaviour, to reside in London, though that was inconsistent with the Oxford act. For some time after his release he continued to live within

the rules of the Bench; till, on the 28th of February, 1687, he removed to his house in the Charter-house yard; and again, as far as his health would permit, assisted Mr. Sylvester in his public labours.

CHAPTER XI.

Baxter's review of his religious character.

TOWARDS the close of his course, Baxter took a solemn review of his life, opinions, and writings, and much benefit may be derived from these mature reflections. He does not profess to give an account of God's various dealings towards him as an individual, either in his providence or grace. “For any particular account of heart occurrences and God's operations on me, I think it somewhat unsavoury to recite them : seeing God's dealings are much the same with all his servants in the main; and points wherein he varieth, are usually so small, that I think such not fit to be repeated. Nor have I any thing

extraordinary to glory in, which is not common to the rest of my brethren, who have the same spirit, and are servants of the same Lord. The true reason why I do adventure so far upon the censure of the world, as to tell them wherein the case is altered with me is, that I may take off young inexperienced Christians from over confidence in their first apprehensions, and from overvaluing their first degrees of grace, or too much applauding, or following unfurnished, inexperienced men ; and that they may be directed what mind and course of life to prefer, by the judgment of one that hath tried both before them.

66 The temper of my mind hath somewhat altered with the temper of my body. When I was young, I was more vigorous, affectionate, and fervent in preaching, conference, and prayer, than ordinarily I can be now. My style was more extemporate and loose, but by the advantage of warmth, and a very familiar moving voice and utterance, my preaching then did more affect the auditory, than it did many of the last years before I gave over preaching. But what I delivered then was much more raw, and had more

passages that would not bear the trial of accurate judgment; and my discourses had both less substance and less judgment, than of late.

“ My understanding was then quicker and could more easily manage any thing that was presented to it on a sudden; but it is since better acquainted with the ways of truth and error, and with a multitude of mistakes of the world, which I then did not actually know. I was then like a man of quick understanding, who was to travel where he never went before, or to cast up an account which he had not before examined, or to play on an instrument of music which he never saw before : so that I am very confident that my judgment is much sounder and firmer now than it was then.....

“In my younger years, my trouble for sin was more about my actual failings; but now I am much more troubled for in ward defects, for want of the vital graces of the soul. My daily trouble is for my ignorance of God, weakness of belief, want of greater love to God, strangeness to him, and to the life to come, and for want of a greater willingness to die, and more longing to be with God in heaven... Had I all the riches of the

a

world, how gladly would I give them for a fuller knowledge, belief, and love of God and everlasting glory! These wants

are the greatest burden of my life, and which make my life itself a burden.

“ Heretofore I placed much of my religiou in tenderness of heart, grieving for sin, and penitential tears; and less of it in the love of God, in studying his goodness, and in engaging in his joyful praises, than now I do.

6 My judgment is much more for frequent and serious meditation, on the heavenly blessedness than it was in my younger days. I then thought a sermon on the attributes of God and the joys of heaven not the most excellent. Nothing pleased me so well as the doctrine of regeneration and the marks of sincerity ; because these things were suitable to my own state ; but now I had rather hear, read, and meditate on God and heaven than on any other subject. I perceive it is the object which altereth and elevateth the mind; which will resemble that it most frequently feedeth on.

It is not only useful to our comfort to be much in heaven in believing thoughts, it must animate all our other duties,

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