556 The HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. IV. K. Charles I. eat nor fleep, or enjoy any peace of mind for feveral months; till at length, :6C > by prayer and humiliation, he received comfort. Upon this, he refolved to enter upon the miniftry, in the thirty-fifth year of his age. About two years after, he was prefented to the living of Broughton in Northampton- ¡hire, where he continued till his death, He was a molt awakening and authoritative preacher, having the molt ftrong mafculine and oratorical Rile of any of the age in which he lived. He preached twice every Lord's day, betides catechizing. Upon every holy day, and everyFriday before the facrament, he expounded a chapter : His confiant courfe was to pray fix times a day, twice in fecret, twice with his family, and twice with his wife, befides many days of private humiliation that he obferved for the proteftant churches in Germany. He was of a comely grave pre.. fence, which commanded refpek in all companies ; zealous in the caufe of religion, and yet fo prudent as to efcape being called in queftion all the while he lived in Northampton/hire. At length he was feized with a tertian -ague, which after fifteen weeks, put a period to his valuable and ufeful life, December 17 1631, in the fixtieth year of his age. He made a molt devout and exemplary end, praying heartily for all his friends that came to fee him ; kidding them make lure of heaven, and bear in mind what he had formerly told them in his minifiry, protefting that what he had preached to them for twentyyears, was the truth-of God, as he fhouid anfwer it at the tribunal of Chrift. He then retired within hinifelf, and faid, bold outfaith andpatience, your work will f eedily be at an end, The Oxfòrd hiftorian calls him a molt religious and learned puritan, a pain- ful and confiant preacher, a perfon of great zeal towards God, chari- table and bountiful ; but above all, an excellent cafuiti for ofifed con- fciences : His eloquent and excellent writings will recommend his memory to lateft poflerity. Feoffees cen- About the year 1627. there was a fcheme formed by feveral gentle fured to tbhee r men and miniflers, to promote preaching in the countrY, by letting up lc Lures in the feveral market towns of England; and to defray the ex- propriations pence a fum of money was railed by voluntary contribution, for the pur- conlfáted. chafing fuch impropriations as were in the hands of the laity, the profits ofwhich were to be parcelled out into falaries of forty or fifty pounds per ann. for the fubfiftence of theirleëturers; the money was depofited in the hands of the following minifiers and gentlemen, in truft for the abóvefaid' purpofes, under the name and charaaer of FEOFFEES, viz. Dr. William Gouge, Dr. Sibbs, Dr. Offspring, and Mr. Davenport, of the clergy ; Ralph Eyre and Simon Brown, Efgs; of Lincoln's Inn, ú Shermanof Gray's Inn, and john White of the Middle Temple, Efqrs; lawyers ; Mr. john Gearing, Mr. Richard Davis, Mr. G. Harwood, and Mr. Francis Brid- ges,. citizens of London, There were at this time three-ehoufand eight hundr
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