324 LIFE of RICITARD BAXTER. " On Monday, Dec. 7, about five in the evening, death sent his harbinger to summon Lim away. A great trembling and coldness . extorted strong cries from him, for pity and redress from heaven; which pries and agonies continued for some time, till at length he ceased, and lay in an observant; patient expectation of his change. Being once asked byhis faithful friend, and 'constant attendant in his weakness, Mrs: Bushel, his housekeeper, whether he knew her or not, requesting some sign of it if hé did, he softly cried, Death, death!' He now felt the benefit of his former prepara- tions for the trying time. The last wards that he spake to me, on being informed that Iwas come to see him, were, ' Oh, I thank him, I thank him,' and turning his eye to me, he said, `The Lord teach you how to die.' ;' "He expired on Tuesday morning, about four o'clock, Dec. 8, 1691. Though he expected and desired his dissolution to have been on the Lord's-day before, which with joy, to mé,, he called a high day, because of his desired change expected then by him." Sylvester thus describes the personand manners of his venerable friend. "He was, tall and slender, and stooped much. His coun- tenance was composed and grave, somewhat incliningto smile. He had a piercing eye, a very articulate, speech, and his deportment was rather plain than complimentary. $e had a great command over his thoughts, and had that happy faculty, according to the characterwhich was given of him by a learned man dissenting from him, that `he could say what he would, and he could prove what hesaid.' He was pleasinglyconversable, save in his studying hours, wherein he could not bear with trivial.disturbances. He was spar- ingly facetious, but never light or frothy. He was unmovable where apprehensive of his .ds}ty, yet affable and condescending where there was a likelihood of doing good. His 'personal absti- nence, "severities, and labors, were exceeding great. He kept his body under, and always feared pampering his flesh toó much. "' " His prayers," says Bates, " were an effusion ofthe most lively, melting expressions, and his intimate, ardent affections to Clod ; from the `abundance of the heart his lips spake.' His soul took wing for heaven, and wrapt up the souls ofothers with him.. Never did I see or hear.a holyminister address himself to God with more reverence and humility, with respect to his glorious greatness; never with more zeal and fervency correspondent to the infinite moment of his requests; nor with more filial affiance in the divine mercy. " In his sermons there was a rare union of arguments and mo- tives to convince the mind and gain the heart; all the fountains of " The extracts from Sylvester's Funeral Sermon are on the authority of Orme.
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