himself to the service of their souls. He continued industrious and diligent in his work till the fatal Bartholomew. Tho' tempted with the offers of preferment at the restoration, he accepted none, desiring no higher honour than to serve his Saviour in the ministry, in that place where he had been so useful, with a safe conscience.

When the Uniformity-act took place, he desisted from the public exercise of his ministry, but his constant labour in reading and writing was the same as formerly. His carriage was highly civil, tho' grave. His discourse was facetious, especially in suitable company; but in the pulpit none had a more reverend aspect, or discovered a greater degree of seriousness. Nothing dropped from him that had the least shew of levity. He had many afflictions; among the rest, he lost two hopeful sons, when arrived at manhood, which somewhat clouded his spirit, tho' it never created any moroseness or pevishness. He was of an even temper, rarely ruffled with passion, and seldom warm, unless the cause of God and goodness required it. He greatly contemned the world, and never sought after more than a competency, to enable him to be serviceable in his work. He was well skilled in sacred critics, and spent much time in studying the holy scriptures. If he handled any difficult. text, he made it as clear as the nature of the subject would permit. In a word, he lived exemplarily, and by the assistance of the Almighty, bore up against all the opposition he met with in the way of his duty; and at last with great calmness resigned his soul to God, Jan. 22, 1665, aged 65.

WORKS. The healing of Israel's Breaches, 1642.—ChurchReformation, 1643.The sovereign Church Remedy; or the primitive Way of composing ecclesiastical Differences. [Aywvolpoxia; or the running the Christian Race with patience.] A Looking-glass for good women. - Podo-Baptism asserted and vindicated. The Arraignment of the present Schism, or new Separation in Old-England, 1646.- A Bridle for the Times, 1647.-Christ's Mediatorship.-The Mystical Brazen Serpent.The Saints Communion with Christ, sacramental, spiritual, and celestial.-Groans for Israel; or the Church's Salvation-Three sacred Emblems, and Tears for Jerusalem.-The Mystery of Redemption, &c.

Mr. JOHN ALLEN. He was several years teacher of the large church of which Mr. Brinsley was pastor, and he bore a good character. After being silenced, he took a house at Goulstone, a place out of the jurisdiction of the bishop,

and

and often preached there. He died of the plague when it was at Yarmouth, in 1665, aged upwards of 50.

WILLIAM BRIDGE, M. A. He was a student in Cambridge about 13 years, and for several years Fellow of Eman. College. After being a minister in Essex for five years, he was called to Norwich, where he settled in the parish of St. George's Tombland, and held on his ministry for several years; but was at last silenced by Bp. Wren, in 1637, as not being a thorough Conformist. He continued in the city some time after his suspension, till he was excommunicated, and the writ de capiendo came forth against him; upon which he withdrew into Holland, and settled at Rotterdam, where he was chosen pastor to a congregational church of which Mr. Jer. Burroughs was teacher. He returned into England in 1642, in the time of the Long Parliament, before whom he frequently preached. He was one of the dissenting brethren in the Assembly of Divines. He at length fixed at Yarmouth, where he continued his labours till the Bartholomew-act took place. The author of the Friendly Debate was very severe upon him; but a retaliation had been easy, if it could have been thought likely to do any service to religion. One to whom he was well known gives the following account of him; He was no mean scholar, had a library well furnished with fathers, schoolmen, critics, and most authors of worth. He was a very hard student; rose at four o'clock winter and summer, and continued in his study till eleven. Many souls heartily blessed God for his labours. Though he was strictly congregational, he heartily respected his brethren of other sentiments: witness his carriage to his fellow minister Mr. Brinsley, for whom he used all his interest to have him continued in his place, when the government was in the hands of the Independents, among whom he had many enemies, who were strenuous to get him removed, as being averse to their principles. They lived and conversed together comfortably many years. He died March 12, 1670, aged 70.

WORKS. Twenty-one of his Treatises were collected into 2 volumes, in 4to, 1657. Besides which, and several Sermons before the Parliament, he hath sundry Tracts extant.-Ten Sermons of God's Return to the Soul.-Ten on Christ and the Covenant. Eight on good and bad Company.-Seasonable Truths in evil Times.---The Freeness of the Grace and Love of God to BeC 2 lievers.

lievers.---The Sinfulness of Sin and Fulness of Christ.---A word to the Aged.His Remains.

Mr. JOB TOOKIE. Of Eman. Col. Camb. He was the son of Mr. Job Tookie, minister of St. Ives in Huntingdonshire, who was turned out of that living for not reading the Book of Sports. He also was the son of a minister; and there had been some ministers in the family for several generations. This Mr. Tookie, was born at St. Ives, Dec. 11, 1616; and at about 14 was sent to Cambridge, where he was remarkable for his serious piety, and diligent application to his studies. From his first entering the college he seemed to consecrate himself to the immediate service of God, by frequent and fervent prayer, and a diligent care to improve his time. Then, and for many years after, he allotted to his retirement and studies ten hours in a day, and sometimes twelve. He had eminent ministerial gifts, which were well approved; and he was greatly beloved in the several places in which Divine Providence was pleased to place him. He was chaplain to Lady Westmoreland, and tutor to her sons, Lord Townshend and Sir Horatio Townshend. The former highly respected him to his dying day, and frequently advised with him in affairs of moment; the latter used often to say, He loved Mr. Tookie because he was true to his principles.

He was at first, minister of St. Martin's Vintry in London, where he made no long stay, being dissatisfied with their general way of administering the sacrament. He went from thence to St. Alban's in Herefordshire, where he was preacher at the Abbey, and gathered a congregational church. But the wideness of the place drowned his voice. After continuing there two or three years he removed to Yarmouth, where Mr. Bridge and he were pastor and teacher in the congregational way, as Mr. Brinsley and Mr. Allen were ministers of a Presbyterian congregation in the same place. There was a sweet accord among them all, which continued till the fatal Bartholomew dismissed them from public service. Mr. Tookie continued at Yarmouth some time after his ejection, and preached as he had opportunity. He was once imprisoned, but bailed out the next day. Át length he was excommunicated for absenting from the established church, and a writ de excom. cap. being taken out against him, he came to London in 1665, and lived in Bunhillfields, where great numbers about him died of the

plague,

plague, but he and his were preserved. He took all oppor tunities that offered to preach, till his strength failed him. He was eminent for his gift in prayer, in which he was so happy in his expressions, and so pathetic in his supplications, as warmed the hearts of his hearers, and stirred up such attention to his sermons, as contributed not a little to the usefulness of his labours in the whole of his ministry. When he found enlargement of spirit, or met with applause in his service, he was ever jealous of his own heart, and fearful of its being lifted up. Having heard that some of his performances were much applauded, and that by some who had before discovered no great respect for him, his desire was, that God would pardon the weakness of his servant, and keep him from spiritual pride; and that the more he was pleased to honour him, he might be so much the more humble, and watchful over his own heart, that God alone might be glorified. He was much afflicted when any opposed or slighted that gracious assistance of the blessed Spirit in prayer, which he himself so often had experienced. One instance of this is recorded by himself as follows:

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July 3, 1642, being the Lord's-day, I was much troubled at a sermon preached by one Mr. Reynolds, who bitterly inveighed against extempore prayer; which (to see the disposition of such men against the ways of grace) much perplexed me, lest in the delivery of the word this day I might any way miscarry, whereby to maintain that prejudice still in carnal hearts; for which I sought the Lord, and he was found giving of me that enlargement of spirit I desired: which I begged not for my own vainglory, but to protect the word from scandal and reproach. I also covenanted this day between God and my own heart, to labour after some preparations better than formerly, before I entered upon the duty of prayer. Oh learn to live by faith upon God, and be daily begging the spirit of prayer, or thy heart will fall back into its wonted straitness."

He would not willingly spend an hour unprofitably; and such he counted (bare necessities excepted) what was not spent in his studies, or in some of the labours for his calling, in Christian conference, or visiting the afflicted; in which duty he diligently applied himself to suit his advice to the condition of the patient, whether needing instruction, comfort,

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comfort, or humbling; lest the promises should be cast away upon hard hearts, or broken spirits not bound up. "In visiting others (says he) I find it hard to walk profitably toward company, to make my conversation savoury, seasoned with salt,' towards those among whom I converse. Labour therefore after heavenly-mindedness, that it may bring on those that are weak, and convince those that are strangers

to the ways of grace; and that I may always aim either at

doing or receiving good."

He was a man of compassion, and deeply concerned for the calamities of the church, a sad lamenter of her afflictions, and a constant orator for her at the throne of grace, both in public and private. He used to say, " Prayer is the arrow; love the bow that sends it forth; and faith the hand that draws that bow; but when the bow is not strong, or the hand feeble that draws it, the arrow must needs fall short of the mark." To encourage himself in this duty, he diligently observed and took care to record instances of remarkable answers to prayer. He was of a very meek and healing spirit, yet, in what he apprehended to be the cause of God, he was bold and courageous, which sometimes exposed him to the rage of the enemies of truth and goodness. August 31, 1642, being a public fast, he was told, that one had threatened to shoot him, and was inclined to do it in the church that day, while he was in the pulpit. His only answer was this: "The Lord keep me in his way and fear, and that will be my protection." He was very composed and easy under persecutions and sufferings, to which he was exposed. After he had borne the brunt for a considerable while, he was at last obliged to retire, in the year 1665 to London, where he continued some time exercising his ministry, as opportunity offered, with good acceptance, It pleased God to give him rest from his labours, on Nov. 20, 1670, aged 54.

It was observed of him, that as his outward man decayed, his inward man was renewed day by day.' Tho' his pain was extreme, he took his last leave of his friends with great meekness and composure of mind, in the words of St. Paul, Rom. xiii. 11. Farewell, be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, and the God of Love and Peace shall be with you.'-A son of his was useful in the ministry among the Dissenters in Yarmouth, but died there in 1724, much lamented.

He