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ligion. 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 descendants 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 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 devested himself of all objections, and in 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 the fifth, 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 [See vol. iv. p. 389.]

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 precincts, 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 ministers 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, repcated 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.

[? 'in procinct,' as in Milton, Par. lost, vi. 19; which passage was probably

He doubted not of the truth

written about the same time with this sermion; and see note to p. 565 above.]

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 portion 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, case of his pain, joy after his sorrow, certainty for his fears, heaven for earth, innocence and impeccability instead of his infirmity.

Ergo Quintilium perpetuus sopor
Urget? Cui pudor et justitiæ soror
Incorrupta fides, nudaque veritas,

Quando ullum inveniet parem d?

Faith and justice, modesty and pure righteousness, made him equal to the worthiest examples; he was xpnoTos avmp, 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

[Hor. od. i. 24. 5—8.]

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 His sake, to whom with Thee, O Father, and the holy Spirit, 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 evermore. Amen.

A

COLLECTION OF OFFICES,

OR

FORMS OF PRAYER

IN CASES ORDINARY AND EXTRAORDINARY;

TAKEN OUT OF

THE SCRIPTURES AND THE ANCIENT LITURGIES OF SEVERAL CHURCHES,

ESPECIALLY THE GREEK.

TOGETHER WITH

A LARGE PREFACE IN VINDICATION OF THE LITURGY OF

THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND,

Πάντες ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ ἅμα συνέρχεσθε· μία δέησις ἔστω [κοινὴ ], εἰς νοῦς. S. Ignatius. [epist. interp. ad Magn., cap. vii.]

[See p. 573 below.]

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