goodness, and the fulfilling of his promises, are called witnesses, because they depose a testimony for God, and speak to future generations, to be constant as they were, that they may receive the like reward. We are encompassed, or surrounded by a cloud, a vast number, of such witnesses, in every circumstance of duty, temptation and trial. Let us not be slothful, but followers of them. Let faith set patience to work: hold out a little while, and you shall with them inherit the promises. They shall be made good to a tittle, and you shall find, as these holy men did, not one thing fail, of all that the Lord hath spoken. They were exercised, and tossed to and fro, but it succeeded well with them at last. O then, let us hearken to the deposition of these worthy witnesses recorded in scripture, and with such an invincible resolution as theirs, let us hold on our course towards true happiness. If we do not, they that are now proposed as witnesses to us, will at the day of judgment be produced as witnesses against us. And let us also remember, that we are to continue that testimony to succeeding generations. For not only were the prophets and holy men of God [in times of old] but all God's people are his witnesses also. Isa. xliii. 10. By their faith, patience, diligence, constancy and chearfulness under afflictions, they are to give it under their hand and seal to the world, that God is a true and faithful God."

WORKS. A Practical Exposition on Isaiah liii-On the Epistle of James. On the Epistle of Jude.-Smectymnuus Redivivus; an Answer to an humble Remonstrance:-The Saints Triumph over Death; a Funeral Sermon for Mr. Chr. Love.-Four Sermons in Morning Ex.-Several before Parliament on pub. Occasions.After his death, Twenty Sermons on the Psalms, Acts, &c.-Eigh teen on 2 Thess. ii. on the Growth and Fall of Antichrist.-Practical Expos. on Lord's Prayer, 8vo.-Several Disc. tending to promote Holiness, 8vo.-5 vols. of Serm. in fol. viz. 1st, on the whole cxixth Psalm;-2d. 27 Serm. on Matt. v.-45 on John xvii. -24 on Rom. vi. 45 on Rom. viii. and 40 on 2 Cor. v.-3d, 66 Serm. on Heb. xi.-Treatise on the Life of Faith.-Treatise on Self-denial. Several Serm. on the Lord's Supper.-4th and 5th vols. Select Sermons on several texts.-A piece on Man's Enmity against God.

Mr. PINCHBECK was assistant to Dr. Manton, and was ejected with him. He was a man very zealous against the ceremonies.

ST. PETER'S, CHEAP, [R. S.]

ROGER DRAKE, D. D. Wood says he was a physician; but he was well known in London as a divine. He was concerned with Mr. Love, and submitted to the mercy of parlia ment. He was one of the commissioners at the Savoy. Mr. Baxter says, he was a wonder of sincerity and humility; and Dr. Annesley, "that his writings will be esteemed while there are books in the world, for that stream of piety that runs through them." He always laid by a tenth part of his income for the poor, before he used any of it himself. His last words were "Jesus take me, for I am ready."

WORKS. Sacred Chronology.-Two Serm. in Morn. Ex.A Boundary to the Holy Mount; ag. Mr. Humphrey's Free Admission to the Lord's Supper.-The Bar Fixed; in Answer to Mr. H.'s Rejoinder.-Poems on the Deaths of Mr. Jer. Whitaker.-Mr. Ralph Robinson, and Mr. Richard Vines.

ST. PETER'S, WESTMINSTER ABBEY.

JOHN ROWE, M. A. of New Inn Hall, Oxf. Born at Tiverton. He was son of the excellent Mr. John Rowe of Crediton, whose life is published, and affords remarkable memorandums of christian piety, industry, constancy and courage. He continued at Oxford after the university became a garrison, and then was transplanted to Cambridge, but returned afterwards to Oxford, when things were settled, and was preferred to a fellowship in Corpus Christi Col. His first public employment in the gospel was at Witney in Oxfordshire, where he preached a lecture with good acceptance and great advantage to the souls of his hearers. There fell out a remarkable providence here, which he mightily improved for the conviction of many. Some dissolute persons came to the town to act a play, and had an upper room for the purpose in a private house; where, as they were acting on a market day, the room, being overloaded, fell down, by which several people were killed, and many much hurt. Mr. Rowe, upon this occasion preached and printed three sermons, in order to the improvement of this awful providence; which was the more remarkable, as some of the actors had even dared and defied death, and therein the God of life and death.

Mr. Rowe was for some time a preacher at Tiverton, where he was not without honour, though in his own country. From thence, on the death of Mr. Strong, 1654, he became preacher in the Abbey at Westminster, and pastor of the

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congregation which Mr. Strong had gathered there, of whom many were members of parliament, and persons of quality, residing in Westminster. He was a good scholar, well read in the Fathers, and had such a knowledge of Greek, that he began very young to keep a Diary in that language; which he continued till his death; but he burnt most of it in his last illness. He was a man of great gravity in conversation, of strict piety, of diligent researches into the mysteries of religion, not contenting himself with superficial notions, but chiefly commending such as tended to practice. After the return of the ejected choristers to the abbey, and organs, there was no farther place for him there. Yet after that and the Uniformity-act, he continued faithful to his church, preaching to them often in Bartholomew-Close, or wherever else the rigour of the times would allow them to meet with any safety. The expressions with which he closed the last sermon he ever preached are remarkable. "We should not, said he, desire to continue longer in this world than to glorify God, and finish our work; and should be ready to say, Farewell time; welcome blessed eternity. Even so come Lord Jesus." He died Oct. 12, 1677. He had a son, Mr. Thomas Rowe, a minister in London. Both are buried under the same stone at Bunhill.

WORKS. Man's Duty of magnifying God's Works.-Fast Serm. bef. the Parl.-The Saint's Triumph.-The Saint's Tempta tions and Fence.-Immanuel; or Christ's Love explained and applied, &c.-Heavenly-mindedness and Earthly-mindedness.-The Life and Death of his Father.-The Love of Christ in his Intercession.-A Disc. on the Office of the Holy Spirit.-A Disc. of the Trinity.-Sermons on Part of the 1st and 15th Chap. of St. John's Gospel. After his death, thirty Sermons on the Love of Christ in his Incarnation, &c. published by his successor Mr. Lee, who prefixed to them some account of the author,

ST. PETER'S, CORNHILL, [R. S. 2821. 10s.]

Mr. WILLIAM BLACKMORE, M. A. of Lincoln Col. Oxf. Ordained Deacon by Prideaux Bp. of Worcester; but he afterwards received classical ordination. He was imprisoned in the Tower with Mr. Love and others, but had his parole by means of his elder brother Sir John Blackmore, who had sided with Oliver, and was his bail; by which means he was very helpful to Mr. Love in his trial. At the desire and appointment of the Provincial Assembly of London, (to which he was secretary) he drew up that part in the book intitled, Jus

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Jus Div. Regim. Eccl. which treats of "ordination by imposition of hands." After Bartholomew-day 1662, he lived privately at Harestreet, near Rumford in Essex, to a good old age; preaching once a day gratis in his own hired house. He was particularly useful in catechizing youth. He was a considerable man; a person of moderation and prudence; and distinguished as a peace-maker. A son of his was for many years pastor of a congregation of Dissenters at Worcester.

ST. SAVIOUR's, SOUTHWARK. [C. 100l.]

Mr. JOHN CRODACOT and Mr. STEPHEN WATKINS. They were joint [chaplains*] here, and spread the gospel very amicably and successfully. Mr. Crodacott was also lecturer at St. Sepulchre's on Lord's-day afternoon, and on Tuesdays many years, and was much honoured for his works sake. He published nothing but a sermon before the Lord Mayor at the Spittle, on the preferableness of heavenly treasures.—Mr. Watkins has a sermon in the Morning Exercises.

Some just and favourable idea of Mr. Crodacott as a preacher, may be formed from his Farewell-sermon, of which, as it is appropriate to the occasion, we shall give a pretty full abstract. Phil. iv. 9. Those things which ye have heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace shall be with you. "From this verse we may observe, I. That the people's eyes must be taught by the minister's holiness of life, as well as their ears by his soundness of doctrine. Paul did not preach one thing, and practise another; he practised as he preached. II. That a minister's soundness in doctrine, and holiness of life, lay a great obligation on a people to every commanded duty. Various appellations given to ministers: [among others here mentioned] they are called the lights of

* Dr. Calamy very improperly speaks of them as joint PASTORS -The fact is, this was anciently a priory of Nuns: afterwards of Canons Regular; founded and refounded by a Virgin, Norman Knights, and antichristian Prelates. The Chapel of the monastery was in course of time appointed for the use of the neighbouring inhabitants, and at length became their parish church. Afterwards, another parish being united, both the parishes purchased the Conventual Church, and by act of parliament were incorporated under the present name. The church-wardens were constituted a body politic and corporate. In process of time K. James granted the Rectory, &c. in free soccage to the church-wardens and parishioners for a valuable consideration, upon sundry conditions, one of which was that they should provide two able chaplains to preach in the church, whose original stipend was settled at 30 1. per annum to each; but afterwards increased as it now stands to 100% so that the officiating ministers have ever since been stiled Chaplains. Such doubtless were the two persons here mentioned: and this accounts for there being two in exactly the same predicament. There is no instance of any such thing as two Rectors of one parish. Dr. Calamy seems not to have attended to this, which led him to make the mistake of calling them "Joint Pastors."

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the world. Without a godly and faithful ministry, the world' lieth in darkness, error, sin and misery. We may hence infer, (1.) That to be offended at the light of such a ministry argues a sinful and wretched frame of heart; but to put out the light is worse. It is now thought fit to deny liberty, and thus take from the people the knowledge of salvation: and can there be a more hellish plot than this? Like the church' of Rome they have church-extinguishers to put out the light. The reason is, they hate the light because their deeds are evil.-(2.) If good ministers be the lights of the world, it nearly concerns the people to believe in the light, to walk in the light, and to walk while the light lasts. Use 1. Of Examination. Are your hearts fully possessed with the power of those divine and heavenly truths which you have heard. again and again inculcated upon you? Do you make conscience of family duty? Are your houses Bethels? houses of God, houses of prayer, habitations of holiness? Do you make conscience of relative as well as of personal duties? When the great God shall arraign thee at the great and fearful day, will thou be able to say, Lord I lived under a soulbetraying, non-resident minister? one that made it his business to fleece, not to feed the flock; or a blind leader of the blind; or one who by his conversation gave his doctrine the lie? We are able with humble boldness to appeal to the Lord, and to yourselves. Blessed be the God of grace, we can take you to record, that we are pure from your blood. We have not ceased to declare all that the Father hath shewn to us; we have not been affrighted by any man's frowns, nor debauched to conceal any part of it by any man's siniles.— Use 2. Of Direction; to which I beseech you to hearken, as these may be last words to you my in this place. An interruption, a suspension of my weak labours among you there will be from this day. But observe, it is no resignation from me or my rev. brother. Then hearken to my words as the words of a dying man; yet not dead, and perhaps I shall not die, but live and declare the word of the Lord to you many a time in this place. My first counsel is, that when the Lord taketh away your ministers, you would be deeply sensible (1.) of the inflicting cause, i. e. the Lord himself. This judgment, threatened Amos viii. 11. he inflicts sometimes by death-sometimes by removal-sometimes by deprivation. A time there was when the good priests and Levites were forced to flee their own places and possessions. 2 Chron. xi. 13, 14. Sometimes by suspension. A time there was when the people would not en