436 LIVES OF VIE PURITANS. certain premises within the borough of Plymouth, near Frankford-gate, about the year 1651, and after making suitable alterations for their own convenience, theyused the same for a place of public worship. Here they continued to assemble in peace and comfort till the fatal year 1662; when Mr. Cheare was apprehended, and cast into prison, for holding an unlawful conventicle. The church now became as sheep without ashepherd, surrounded with cruel and hungry wolves. The worthy,pastorendured five years' confinement in six different prisons, and was at last banished, for a testimony of his love to Christ, to the island of St. Nicholas, near Plymouth; where he died a most happy death, March 5, 1668. The church, at the time of his death, consisted of one hundred and fifty members.. Crosby, by mistake, says he was ejected fromPlymouth, and was afterwards minister to a numerous congregation at Looe in Cornwall. He was a very pious, laborious, and useful preacher ; he took great pains in his ministry, and ivrote many seasonable lessons to youth while be was in bonds for Christ. In the year 1665 he was imprisoned in the Guildhall, Plymouth ; from whence,after a month's detention, he was sent to the above island. Previous to this removal he affixed the following lines to the wall of the prison is Nigh four years since, sent out from hence To Exon goal was I; But special grace , in three months' space, Wrought out liberty. 'Till Bartholomew, in sixty-two, That freedom did remain: When, withoutbail, to Exon goal I hurried was again. Where having lain, as do all the slain, 'Mong dead men, wholly free; Full three yearstspace, my native place By leave I come to see. And thought not then, I here again Amonth's restraint should find: Since to my den, cast out frommen, I'm during life design'd. But since my lines, the Lord assigns In such a lot to be ; I kiss the rod, confess my God Deals faithfully with me. My charged crime, in his due time He fully will decide ; And until then, forgiving men, In peace with him I 'bide. Meen's MS. Collec. p. 494,495. 1. Crosby's Baptists, vol. iii. p. 12,
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