46 Days Appointed j Is Birth as appeareth by that Sermonof his Preached tohis Fellow Natives, j and thatother upon theburning of ir, was in London; where his pious and careful Parents gave him all the Advantages of Education. A quick Apprehenfion and flrong Memory helped him to his Learning with fo much (peed and cafe, that he commenced Matter of Arts in the Univerfity ofOxford, younger than manyare admitted. So wellfttrnifhed he then was with all thofe Abilities which might ren- der him ferviceable in the Church, that time was difpencedwith, and headmitted into HolyOrders, feveral Years before the Cannon Standard : And fooner than the Laws would have put the difpenfing anEflate into his Hands; Such a one was He, that it was thought fit to put the difpenfingthe Myfteries of God there. That extraordinary whichTullymentioneth of Hortenjutu, that he pleaded in the Foram with great Applaufe, when he was but Nineteen Years Old ; in him was more than parralleled, who when very little over, was a Preacher of Wean, in,and about our Mptropolre. Such was his Pregnancy ; but in Read of admiring this, I cannot but (rather) condoleit as his Infelicity : For fo it proved. The Subtle Fa6tion chat had great Oc- cation for fuch parts as his were, in the Game they were then in playing, by their wonted arts of infirmation fee themfelves to compafshim t And the Bird was then foyoung, that with their Chaff they caught him. Butit wereboth Llnchriflian and difingenuous for any to reproachhis Memorywith this, when every one knoweth he made fuch earlyand fiucere amends for it : Norcan I fuppofe that any will up- braid it that he was fo once, but only chofe thatare angry hewas not fo always. He was noneof thofe, the opening of whole Eyes is jut} of the fame Age with his Majeltics Glorious Reftoration ; No, when Rebellion was Rampant, and Schifm Triumphant; when Loyalty was condemned for Trafon, and all Order in the Church bawled down for Antichriflian ; Then, then he left the Tents of thofe too profperous men, and returned to his Duty, when there was nothing but Confcience ro encourage him. Beingat ixbridge when the Treatywas there, he had theHappinefs to bebrought into the Company of that Hammer of allInnovation both Ecclefiaflícal and Civil, he never to be mentioned without Veneration, Do6tor Hammond; and to his Solid Arguments, andAwful Advices, I have heard our deceafed Brother fay, he owed his firft awakenings and reducing. He Chewed that he was converted,himfelf, after a while i by improving all Op- portunities for the flrengthning of his Brethren: not only in Privare but in Pub- lick, with Courage and Faithfulnefs, reproving the Ufurpation, Oppreffion, Per- jury, Sacrilcdge, Hypocrifie, andthe ref} of chc reigningSins of thole Times ofVio- lence andMadnefs: 1 need not infifl upon theft Things, theywerenot done in a Cor uer,but in the heart ofEngland' chiefefl City:And when the generality of thePulpits there, powred out little butNoyfe or angry Nonfenfe, War or Enthuaflick Hu- mour, His svasa well of Water, where many anhonefl f acob drank, himfelf, and hisChildren andhis Servants,and wererefrefhed ; Some beingundeceived,and many confirmed by him. But that Magnanimous Zeal which he (hewed againf the Marcher of our Lace Sovereign of Glorious Memory, ought not to be Buried in Oblivion : He not only gave warning againfl ir, openly, andearneflly, while that daringWickednefs was, but an Embryo: But every Year after on that Sunday which fell nearefl the Black Day it was committedon; He failed not inhis Prayers to deprecate, and in his Sermon compofed for the Occafion to demonftrate, and bewailthe Guilt ofir. Thus he continued while the Happy 166o. When he reaped the temporal Re wards of his confcìentious Loyalty. In all which he a&ed Worthily : He had a Public Spirit, and bath left the Prints of it upon his feveral Preferments: Invenit Lateritiv, reliquie Marmorea : They are all the betterfor him. In this Place he found aHoule, (carte one in theftParts fo Ruinous, which, all; by his means, much,at his Charge,- is re-edified, and fo improved, thatnowchere is Icarce one lo fairand goodly. At/
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=