66

you [as also do his people] and the love of one saint makes "amends for all the hatred of sinners. But even the wicked "themselves have a good opinion of you when you do not basely comply their consciences cannot but [applaud] you, when their tongues speak against you. But your 66 own consciences are more than a thousand witnesses for 66 you. No man is miserable for any thing in the world that is done to him, or said of him. No, it is a good "conscience that will give the best acquittance. But "that man who hath the godly stand at a distance from hinr, "hath much need to be afraid of himself."

The afternoon sermon is on Exod. iii. 2-5. concerning the bush which burned but was not consumed; which he considers as an emblem of the church in a time of affliction, which instead of destroying, purifies it. But the greater part of the discourse is on the last clause of the text,-the place whereon thou standest is holy ground; from whence he investigates the supposed holiness of places under the gospel, and shews that no human ceremony can give any degree of sanctity to one place above another, but that it is the peculiar presence of a holy God that makes any place holy, which cannot be justly considered as any longer so, when his spiritual presence is withdrawn. Having exposed the folly of giving any degree of sanctity to wood and stone, he concludes with strongly recommending the cultivation of personal holiness, and a due concern to sanctify God's holy day and ordinances, and commandments. "It is not enough "for you," says he, "to have a choice sentence of God's * word written upon the walls of your churches; but let "God's law be written in your hearts and consciences, and "practised in your lives, that all the world may see you "live as men dedicated to the true God."-Having cautioned them against disobeying the truth they had heard, or putting a wrong construction upon any thing now delivered, he closes with these words: "But I have better hopes of you my beloved hearers; and I trust that the Lord will be better unto your souls than his ministers, than his word, or any "thing else can be. God bless you and his ordinances, and "discover his mind at this time to you." q. d. May he guide you in the path of duty, in the present season of trial, when your ministers are driven from you. This discourse was evidently calculated to remove their prejudices in favour of consecrated places, and prepare them to hear the gospel in

any

any place where they could enjoy that liberty, though he does not directly apply the subject to that purpose.

WORKS. An Exposition on the epistle of Jude, delivered in forty lectures; 2 vols. small 4to.-The Busy Bishop, in Answ. to J. Goodwin's Sion Col. visited.-Vindicat. of this ag. his Reply.[A Fun. Serm. for Dr. Gouge, with his Character at large.]—Another for Dr. Seaman, (some Reflections in which occasioned great Heats. [N. B. He had particularly charged some of the conforming clergy with preaching the Sermons of the Puritans, at the same time that they treated them with contempt.]—In defence of what he had said, he wrote Ċeleuma, seu clamor ad Theol. Hierarchie Angl. în ans, to a Vind. of the Conforming Clergy.-This being answered in Latin, by Dr. Grove, he wrote a Reply in the same language He has three Sermons in the Morn. Exercise.

ST. DUNSTAN'S IN THE WEST. [V. 4481. 11s. 54d.]

WILLIAM BATES, D. D. He was born in November, A. D. 1625. His father was an eminent physician, who wrote Elenchus motuum nuperrime. He was educated in the university of Cambridge, where it is said he took the degree of B. A. 1647, and was admitted Doctor in Divinity in the year 1660. It is greatly to be lamented that Mr. Howe, who was intimate with him, should have given the world so few anecdotes concerning so distinguished a character, in the sermon preached on occasion of his death, of which the following is the substance.] In giving some account of him, one cannot omit taking notice of the graceful inien and comeliness of his person, which was adapted to command respect in that public station for which providence designed him. His concern lay not only with mean men, (though he knew how to condescend to the meanest) he was to stand before kings. It is well known in what relation he stood to ONE †, as long as was convenient for certain purposes; and how frequent occasion he had of appearing (never unacceptably) before another . His aspect was decently

§ See British Biography, by the late Dr. Towers, vol. vi. p. 125. No mention is made of Dr. Bates's college, nor does he himself notice it, as is usually done, in the title-page of any of his works.-The author of the Pharmacopeia, was his brother, of whom Dr. Bates, of Holmer's Green, Missenden, is a descendant.

+ Charles II. to whom he was chaplain.

King William. III. § To whom, at his accession to the throne, he presented the congratulatory address of the Dissenting ministers. He also presented their address of condolence on the death of the Queen; which may be seen at the end of his sermon on that occasion, on Psalm cii. 26, 27. dedi. cated to the Duke of Bedford.

grave and amiable, such as might command both reverence and love. To use his own words, concering alderman Ashurst, A constant serenity reigned in his countenance; the visible sign of the divine calm in his breast. His natural endowments were much beyond the common rate. His ap prehension was quick and clear: his reasoning faculty acute and ready, so as to manage an argument to great advantage, His judgment was penetrating and solid: his wit never light or vain, though facetious and pleasant, by the help of a vigorous and lively imagination; always obedient to reason. His memory was admirable, and was never observed to fail; nor was it impaired to the last. He could repeat, verbatim, speeches which he had made on particular occasions, though he had not penned a word of them; and he constantly delivered his sermons from his memory, which, he sometimes said, with an amiable freedom, he continued to do when he grew in years, partly to teach some who were younger, to preach without notes. He was generally reputed one of the best orators of the age. His voice was charming: his language always elegant; but unaffected, free and plain. His method in all his discourses might be exposed to the severest critics. His style was inimitably polite, yet easy, and to himself the most natural. His frequent and apt similitudes and allusions (the produce of a vivid fancy, regulated by judgment and sanctified by grace) greatly served his pious purpose, to illustrate the truth he designed to recommend, and give it the greatest advantage for entering the mind with light and pleasure, so as at once to instruct and delight the hearer. His elegant manner of expressing himself, which. some were diposed to censure, was become habitual to him, and it pleased others much more than himself; for he commended Mr. Baxter "for the noble negligence of his style," and says that "his great mind could not stoop to the affected "eloquence of words.”

His learning was a vast treasure, and his knowledge of books was so extensive, that one who was as great a pillar and as bright an ornament of the church of England as ever it had, was known to say, "That were he to collect a li"brary, he would as soon consult Dr. Bates as any one he "knew." He was well versed in the politer parts of learning; which rendered his conversation highly entertaining to the more intelligent part of mankind, and his company was much coveted by persons of quality, even when others of his character were prosecuted with the utmost rigour.

He

He was honoured with the friendship of the Lord-keeper Bridgman. The Lord chancellor Finch, and his son the earl of Nottingham, had a particular respect for him. Archbishop Tillotson held him in very high esteem, and even after his highest advancement in the church, maintained an intimacy with him, which continued to the end of that amiable prelate's life. The late Queen (Mary) often entertained herself in her closet with his writings. If interest would have induced him to conformity, he could not have wanted a temptation. He might have been a dean at King Charles II's. return, and afterwards might have had any bishopric in the kingdom, if he would have deserted his cause and his principles. His integrity, and at the same time his modesty and peaceable temper, sufficiently appear in the close of his farewell sermon, August 17, 1662. "know you expect I should say something as to my Non"conformity. I shall only say thus much: It is neither

fancy, faction, nor humour that makes me not comply; "but merely the fear of offending God. And if, after the "best means used for my illumination; as prayer to God, "discourse, and study, I am not able to be satisfied con

cerning the lawfulness of what is required, it be my un"happiness to be in error, surely men will have no reason' "to be angry with me in this world, and I hope God will “ pardon me in the next." This sermon is on that text, Heb. xiii. 20, 21. The God of peace, &c. A very good discourse, but it has nothing more than the passage now quoted, peculiar to the occasion.

Though he refused to conform, he was not engaged in the interest of any party as such: for he had a catholic spirit, and wished the union of all parties of christians, upon moderate principles and practices. He was for having the church free as Christ hath left it; and yet for peace and union's sake he would have yielded to any thing but sin. He vigorously pursued the design of a comprehension, as long as there was any hope: but he at last saw there was none, till God should give a more suitable spirit to all concerned. His moderation however was great to the last; being exceedingly cherished by a firm apprehension that the things wherein only it was possible for good men to differ, must be trifles, in comparison with the much greater things, wherein it was impossible for them not to agree.

His piety was very conspicuous, and his private conversation so instructive and quickening, in reference to religion

I 3

and

and godliness, that no man of ordinary capacity could hear his usual and most familiar discourses, without great advantage, or great negligence. Some persons of high rank who visited him, when going abroad upon hazardous employments, acknowledged that they received from him such wise and pious counsels as stuck closely by them, and that they were much the better for them.-He was indeed far from excluding common affairs from his conversation; nor did he banish from it that pleasantry which well becomes it; for which his acquaintance with a most delightful variety of story, both ancient and modern, gave him an advantage beyond most. To place religion in a morose sourness, was far from his practice, his judgment, and his temper. But he shewed a mind most intent upon divine things: and his discourse on other subjects was interwoven with religion, and centered in it; especially what is most vital and essential to it; of which he used to speak with that savour and relish which plainly shewed he was not acting a part, but spoke from the settled temper and habit of his soul. "I never "knew any one (says Mr. Howe) more frequent or affec

tionate in the admiration of divine grace, upon all occa❝sions, than he was, as none had a deeper sense of the impotence and depravity of human nature. Into what trans"ports of admiration of the love of God have I seen him "break forth, when some things not immediately relating to 66 practical godliness had taken up great part of our time! "How easy a step did he make it from earth to heaven! "With what high flights of thought and affection was he "wont to speak of the heavenly state! Even like a man "much more akin to the other world than this. Let those "who often visited him say, whether he did not usually "send them away with somewhat that tended to better their "spirits, and quicken them in their way heavenwards."

He did not look with a careless eye upon public affairs, but considered and spoke of them as a man of large prospect, and deep reflection; with great prudence and temper, both as lying under the conduct of divine providence, and as relating to the interest of religion.-He was for many years one of the Tuesday lecturers at Salters-hall, where he preached to a thronged assembly. In the latter part of his life his residence was at Hackney, where he exercised his ministry with great success, [in a society of Protestant Dissenters, who used to assemble in a large and ancient, but irregular edifice, situated in Mare-street, which was stand