or to write them upon their Houses and Lands which yet Death and Time have wholly obliterated But it is the Honour of many saints to be recorded in sacred Scripture beyond all danger of Oblivion as great examples of Piety and Holiness towards God and of service to the Church of God in their generation And God hath since by his providence in all ages secured to his more eminent saints and servants the like Honour stirring up some survivors to embalm their precious Name and memory by recording and reporting the dead to posterity in more lasting monuments as great Instances of the Grace of God special matter of his praise and approved patterns as well for the encouragement as the imitation of the Living How dispised soever this excellent servant of Jesus Christ the subject we have to write of hath been in the eyes of some of his Generation yet I am persuaded none of the worthies in the Church of God that are gone before him will count it any disparagement to their Honour that he be added to their number whose precious Names survive their death The Records which have been made and published of the Lives of many Excellent and holy persons consist for the most part only of Such passages as have fallen under the observation of those who have more intimately and frequently conversed with them many hands have Contributed to the collecting of some more remarkable words and actions which an Ingenious pen in just honour to the Subject improveth as Indices of those singular accomplishments of mind and heart which are beyond the reach of the most observant Eye And were there nothing else to be recovered Concerning the subject before us but what might be so collected from the hands of those who had the happy advantage to know fully his Doctrine manner of Life Purpose Faith long Suffering Charity patience c. I doubt not but if managed by a skillful pen it would justly amount to such a character of him as might worthily render him a more than Ordinary example of Faith and Holiness of Scripturall knowledge and practice as well to the preachers as professors of the Gospel of Christ to the praise of the Glory of the Grace of God But their is less need of this in reference to our subject Himself having not only in great measure prevented and saved his friends that labour and service but moreover discovered the inmost secrets of his heart towards God beyond all that could be known of him by the Strictest observation of others What hath been the advantagious practice sometimes though very rare of some eminent Servants of God who have made Religion their business viz. to write Curriculum vita the manner and course of their own life appears to have been his He not only kept a strict Eye upon himself and took special notice of his own heart and wayes and the manner of his spiritual living unto God but lest he should forget and render it useless committed the same to paper recording the dealings of God towards him the workings of corruption and grace his Conflicts and Temptations the secret Intercourse and Communion between God and his Soul the approaches and withdrawings of the Holy Spirit his liftings up and castings down the actings of Faith and Love Divine assistance in Duty return of prayers the clearness of his evidences and rejoycings of his hopes c. Wherein the life and power of true Religion doth more consist than in all open and visibel acts Out of this Treasury which is enough to Supply a far larger volume hath been fetched the greatest part of that furniture which filleth these pages and that mostly in his own words You that read may therefore imagine you hear this holy Prophet bespeaking you in the words of another Prophet Come and read all ye that fear God and I will tell you what he hath done for my soul My own experience assureth me that to those who are engaged in the Spiritual War and running the Christian race and have set their faces towards God It will be useful encouraging delightful and satisfactory to read so much of the sense and feeling of their own hearts in the experiences of this Blessed Saint The greatest part of whom yet I believe will find cause to be ashamed before God seeing themselves so far cast behind and may be provoked to mend their pace in pressing forward towards the mark to which he hath attained As for such as rest in their negative goodness and commendable moralls their form of Godliness and bodily exercise in religion without the life and power thereof who knows but they may be convinced of the vanity of their hopes and the sandy foundation whereon they have built them and that yet they lack something while they read the thoughts affections and workings of his holy heart his understanding improvement of the Holy Scriptures and his Spiritual communion with the Holy God to which themselves are altogether strangers But such is the enmity and contradiction of the carnal mind to the spirit and grace of God that I cannot be without jealousie that much of what is true written will be matter of scorn and derision to the profane Generation However as the word of God delivered in the Scriptures and dispensed in the Ministry thereof hath its divers and contrary effects upon diverse contrary subjects whereon yet God knows how to raise his own Glory so shall the same word Exemplified in the life of this now glorified saint have the like effects on them that read it To the humble and teachable it shall be in adjutorium but to the scorners and despisers in Testimonium THE RELATION MR. Owen Stockton was born in the City of Chichester in the County of Sussex the last week of May 1630. was the fourth Son of his Father Mr. Owen Stockton a worthy Prebendary of that Cathedral who was a younger brother of that ancient family of the Stocktons of Kiddington Green in Cheshire About the seventh year of his age his Father dyed and left the care of him and his other Children to their Mother a pious Gentlewoman of the family of the Tilees in Cambridgeshire She being a Widdow and stranger in Chichester soon after the death of her Husband returned to her native Country and setled her self at Ely where was a very good Grammar School under the Government of Mr. William Hitches to whose care she committed this her Son for his education From a Child he was of great hopes while yet a little Grammar Schollar his inclination was such as presaged more than ordinary improvement Looking once accidentally into Mr. Fox his Acts and Monuments Ecclesiastical in one of the parish Churches of that Town and reading some little part thereof he was so affected with the knowledge of that History that he never ceased to supplicate his friends till he had obtained one part of them for his use Wherein declining the puerile recreations to which his
hands of mine Enemies and giving me rest and peace from Psal 30. 1. I will extol ' thee O Lord for thou hast lifted me up and hast not made my foes to rejoyce over me and from Psal 31. 7 8. I saw further that Gods giving me rest from mine Enemies should put me upon doing some special eminent Service for God from 2 Sam. 7. 1 2. 1 King 5. 4 5. 1 Chron. 22. 17 18 19. Thus with unwearied pains and zeal in great peace and security with holy rejoycing and thanksgiving did he fulfil the course of his Ministry Yet he satisfied not himself with his work of Preaching but moreover applied himself to writing for the greater Service of the present and future Generation In the time of the raging Pestilence he wrote a Treatise relating to that sore judgment but the Pestilence ceasing before he had finished it he did not Publish it Upon occasion of the destroying Fire of London he composed and published his Counsel to the Afflicted Soon after he Published his Scriptural Catechism with a Treatise of Family Instruction And hath left behind him several other Manuscripts which he designed for the Press As The Cure of the fear of Death A Treatise of Glorïfying God The Best Interest A Warning to Drunkards Some of which at least 't is hoped may see the light The Holy Ghost by St. Paul to Timothy 1 Eph. 3. 4. among other qualifications of a good Minister requireth that he be one that ruleth well his own house having his Children in subjection with all gravity The due Character of our Subject His Treatise of Family Instruction did not reproach him He was indeed quantus Minister tantus Pater Familias It pleased God in much mercy and faithfulness to him to provide for him a Meet-help a most sutable Yoke-fellow a very Prudent Virtuous and Gracious Gentlewoman of a worthy and Religious Family in Cambridgeshire Mrs. Elianor Rant Daughter of Roger Rant of Swaffham Esq whom he took to Wife within less than a year after his Call to Colchester who was a singular Blessing Comfort and Honour to him all his life Few there be to whom Solomons commendation do more properly belong Prov. 31. 26. c. From thenceforth he had incumbent upon him the charge of a Family God gave him six Children whereof he left one only Daughter surviving Upon the account of his own and his Wifes approved Wisdom Grace Gravity and Government many were desirous to get their Children into his Family even those who were of different persuasions from him both in Conformity and Non-Conformity for their better Education in compliance wherewith he received some Youth of the Female Sex that might more properly belong to the care and inspection of his Wife So as for the most part he had a full Family Wherein according to his place he kept up his Authority over all under his Charge but with so much Meekness Prudence and Gravity that though all stood in awe of him yet he was more loved than feared As to his Wife whom he worthily honoured and entirely loved there never arising any Passion or Dispute between them He frequently conversed with her about the Matters of her Soul Enquiring how the case stood between God and her Soul what burdens lay upon her Spirit what grounded hope she had for eternal life c. helping and encouraging her in the ways of Godliness The 9th day of June being the day of their Marriage He never past it over if at home without spending some time with her in solemn prayer to God and conference about the several passages of his providence towards them since they came into that Relation In the conclusion whereof he was always more affected with and thankful for mercies than dejected or cast down at afflictions though he met with some considerable tryals not only in his Family as the loss of so many hopeful Children c. but also abroad and that from those that knew better It was his manner not only in his more private and secret retirements but also in the performance of his family duty to commend her particularly to God at the throne of grace As to his Children very early before they were past the lap he would himself be instructing of them in Gods word ordering them to get some Scriptures by heart which best suited their childhood and capacity four of them died in infancy and Childhood none having reached the full age of 5 years Concerning whom he had much Satisfaction as to their Eternal salvation His first born a daughter attained to the age of 19 years and died who had been so instructed by her Father that before she was 8 years old she under stood the method of a Sermon and if Preached by her Father would give him an account of the most considerable heads and passages therein and before she was full 9 years of age she would pen down a Sermon after him and miss but few or none of the heads with some considerable enlargement also About this time of her age God Suffered her corruption to exert it self in some open Acts to the observation of others which exposed her to the severe rebuke of her Parents which God sanctified to her conviction And as she grew up she quickly gave evidence of the truth of Grace and power of Godliness making progress therein beyond her years having a great and Zealous love to the Ordinances Ministers and Servants of Christ Dissembling the weakness and infirmities of her body that she might have liberty to attend the Ordinances of God for her Soul walking closely with God in daily secret duty strictly keeping the Sabbaths taking speciall notice of the workings of Grace and Sin and Gods providential dealings with her recording them in her diary and under a long and mortal sickness expressing a most christian Patience and Submission to the Will of God As to his Servants so soon as they came into his family he instructed them first in their duty towards God next in the duty of their places giving them the evidence and authority of Scripture for that which he instructed them in and expected from them enjoyning them to get those Scriptures by heart which they were to keep in memory and repeat to him as he called for them As to his family together after his own personal secret retirement and devotion in reading the Holy Scriptures in course and Prayer which was his first and last exercise after his uprising and before his downlying His manner was in the morning seeking God first by a short Prayer for a blessing to read some portion of Scripture which he often also Expounded and then to proceed to Prayer and at night after the like reading of the Scripture he required every Child that was capable and Servant to repeat one verse of that Chapter or some other Scripture which they had a desire might be explained to them and of every such verse so repeated he gave the sense and speak
what great need I have and that it is of singular use to watch over my Soul in all its ways both in reference to sin that I fall not into it and when fallen what the Carriage and Actings of my Soul are at such a time Whether I flee for relief to God in Christ or to my own works And in reference to my duties to take heed lest those means which God hath appointed to be the conveyances of himself his Son and Spirit and all Spiritual blessings should prove to me a mean of Death and Separation from God by my formal use of them and resting in them For as Satan keeps some alienated from God by the gross pollutions of the world So others from Christ by their Establishing a Righteousness of their own O Lord break thou this snare for me and let my Soul escape as a bird from the Net that I may flee to thee and be at rest I have observed in my self that when God at any time is pleased to work any thing in my Soul I soon lose it if he quicken me I soon grow dead hearted again if he enliven my affections they soon grow cold and flat and my old hardness returns upon me Hence I come to see that it is infinite Wisdom and Goodness in God that he hath not put the stock of grace into our own hands but hath treasured it up in Christ that our life is now hid with Christ in God for so it becomes sure Rom. 4. 16. hereby also I come to see that I have need of continual recourse to Jesus Christ for new supplies of grace and strength The Lord God in his wisdom was pleased when he delivered his people out of Egypt before he brought them to Canaan to lead them 40 years in the wilderness when as he could have led them a nearer way to Canaan Exod. 13. 17. He chose rather to lead them through the great and terrible Wilderness Jer. 2. 6. where were fiery Serpents and Scorpions and drought where there was no water where he brought them forth water out of the Rock of Flint and fed them with Manna for this end that he might humble them prove them and do them good in the latter end Deut. 8. 15 16. Doest thou find it so O my Soul in thy travail towards the Heavenly Canaan Doest thou walk through much Spiritual drought a land of deserts and of the shadow of death Dost meet with a flinty heart and fiery temptations Know that the Lord doth this to humble thee which through his grace thou hast sometimes found and to prove thee i. e to discover thee to thy self for he himself knows thy thoughts afar off and this way of God through grace hath been a means of discovering much of thy corrupt heart to thee and that he may doe thee good in the latter end Therefore take heed O my Soul of Israel's sins of murmuring against God under thy wants of unbeleif and tempting God c. Read oft and weight well the 78th Psalm May 6. being Sabbath day The Lord was pleased in the hearing of his word to convince me of my sin and lost condition But Lord How unfaithful was I then and have I been since to the Convictions of thy Spirit How soon have I healed up the wound that was given by the word How soon hath an hard heart a secure careless Spirit taken possession of me Lord If ever thy word be effectual in me thou must not only speak it to my heart but write and engraff it there also Henceforth I desire to wait on thee as for the teachings of thy Spirit so for the writing of thy Law in my heart by thy Spirit I found a lothness in my Spirit to go to here this Sermon whereby I perceive Satan would have hindred me Be encouraged hence O my Soul to break through all difficulties thou meetest with in doing thy duty When thou findest any secret unwillingness to ordinances or duties then stir up thy self to wait upon God expecting that he hath some special mercy for thee which Satan would hinder thee off Jun. 1. This day the Lord did in the hearing of his word revive some convictions which have formerly been upon my Spirit though in a very languid manner I stood convinced before the Lord of unbelief and that I was a lost creature because thereof from the words of our Saviour Joh. 3. 18. He that believeth not is Condemned already Conscience tells me that I am yet in unbelief that I want that faith which is accompanied with the new birth Joh. 1. 12 13. that faith which should purge me from Atheism formality and resting in duties from hypocrisie and deadness from unclean affections and inordinate Love of the world from a vain mind and a light Spirit that faith which should purifie my heart from these and the like evils Act. 15. 9. that faith which should make Christ a greater Reality and more precious to me than any thing in the world 1 Pet. 2. 7. that faith which brings peace with God and joy in the Holy Ghost unspeakable and full of Glory Rom. 5. 1. 1 Pet. 1. 8. I find I have had a dead faith Jam. 2. 17 20. and presumed upon Gods Mercy in Christ although I have been estranged from God in my heart and Nature my Resting in duties and trusting in my own Righteousness as far as I can see hath been the deceit of my heart Lord lay this conviction upon my Conscience for I find my heart would put it off yea it hath already desperately hardned it self against thee I fear I shall out-grow this Conviction of thy word as at other times I feel a careless Spirit that would make light of Eternity and of Jesus Christ Lord break my heart under thy word for my unbelief and neglect of Christ Let me not heal my self but wait till thou shalt heal me Thou didst help the unbelief of thy Servant Thomas Oh that thou wouldest help mine also The Lord hath shewn me that I am dead in sin not only from the testimony of his word Eph. 2. 1. Col. 2. 13. but by inward experience For I feel my self alienated from the life of God cut off from communion with the Lord Jesus separate from God and his blessed Spirit My deceitful heart hath often gone about to repel this conviction and hath caused me sometimes to mistake a life of morality for Spiritual life and at other times a life of formality But now I find the Scripture speaks of dead works and calls for repentance from them Heb. 6. 1. and purging our consciences from them Heb. 9. 14. By dead works I understand not only the gross pollutions of the World but all works whatever that are done by a man void of the quickning Spirit of God Without Union to Christ there is no Spiritual life for as the natural life results from the Union of the Soul with the body and the State of death is nothing but the
word Ps 119. 165. Great peace have they that love thy Law He received the spirit which is of God and knew the things that were freely given to him of God and rejoyced therein 1 Cor. 2. 12. As to his Conversion which to some that have lived long in ignorance security sensuality prophaness and forgetfulness of God is very Sensible He being from tender years restrained and well inclined It was not so remarkable to him The most discernible part thereof was when he was a young Scollar in Cambridge Nor did he then experience very notable workings of the Spirit of bondage Which occasioned some trouble to his mind and he feared his humiliation was not deep enough but he received full satisfaction from a passage in a sermon which he heard preached by that Worthy and Excellent Servant of Jesus Christ Mr. Richard Vines then Master of Pembrooke Hall He hath sometimes said to his Friend that he was not much acquainted with those ravishing joys which some have felt but yet had that comfort and joy in the Holy Ghost which gave him satisfaction His method and manner was to derive his assurance and comfort from the written word Of the truth whereof he would say he had such a full persuasion as being the sure word of God that he did more firmly believe it than if an Angel should speak to him from Heaven according to 2 Pet. 1. 17 18 19 20 21. He could not satisfie himself with the expectation or apprehension of the immediate sole testimony of the Spirit without the word But would compare himself with the word frequently practising the duty of self examination Searching for those graces dispositions and operations in his heart which are promised in the word and to which the promises are made Which the Spirit of God enlightned him to discern and enabled him in a way of argumentation to infer thence his interest in Christ and the Covenant of God for his satisfaction and Spiritual Consolation And the Assurance which he attained in this method and by these means he thus Recordeth His Evidences 1. Evidences of true and Saving Faith After my recovery from a Sickness I set my self to examin and prove my faith to see if it were true and saving Because pardon of sin freedom from Condemnation eternal life with other great blessings are promised to Beleevers And much of our comfort in Sickness and health in life and death dependeth on the knowledge and proof of our faith and that I did believe in Christ with a true and Saving faith I was satisfied thus 1. From those expressions of Scripture wherein the nature and essential acts of faith are set forth as 1. Coming to Christ Joh. 6. 35. He that cometh he that believeth on me Coming is believing My Conscience bears me Witness that I am coming to Christ for Christ himself and all his benefits I sind my Soul drawn to Christ and upon all occasions looking and going to him 2. Receiving Joh. 1. 12. As many as received him even as many as believed on his Name Receiving is believing Now through grace I find my heart willingly receiving and thankfully accepting Jesus Christ as God offers him in the Gospel even an whole Christ Christ in all his offices to be to me Prophet Priest and King 3 Trusting Eph. 1. 13. In whom ye trusted ye beleived Trusting is believing This also I find that God hath given me an heart to rely on Christ for Righteousness grace and life 2 From the ground of my faith which is the word of God It is through my knowledge and acquaintance with the word that I have been brought to believe in Christ and through Christ in the Father that sent him And I read such as believe through the word are true believers for whom Christ maketh intercession Joh. 17. 20. and who have everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation Joh. 5. 24. 3 From this property and effect of faith viz. Prizing Christ 1 Pet. 2. 7. Unto you that believe Christ 't is precious The Apostle speaks of the faith of Gods elect ch 1. 2. and of saving faith ch 1. 9. Now I find Christ is precious to me so precious to my Soul that I value and prefer him above the whole world I account his blood precious which cleanseth me from all sin The promises exceeding great and precious which in him are yea and Amen Christ is so precious to me that I am willing to suffer for him Phil. 1. 29. yea I choose a suffering condition for Christ before the honours Riches and pleasures of the world when they cannot be enjoyed without sinning against Him Heb. 11. 24 25 26. I am willing to take up the Cross and forsake all things for him Evidences that I was one of Gods Servants Sept. 30. 1666. I considered with my self what evidence I had that I was one of Gods Servants and was satisfied from these Scriptures Rom. 6. 16. Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves Servants to obey his Servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto Righteousness I find God hath given me an heart to yield my self to Him Nehem. 1. 11. O Lord I beseech thee Let now thine ears be attentive to the prayer of thy Servant and to the prayer of thy Servants that desire to fear thy Name Here I saw that such as desire to fear God are accounted Gods servants Which through grace I do Some doubtings arose in my heart whether I was one of Gods Servants because it is said Joh. 8. 34. Verily Verily I say unto you that whosoever Committeth sin is the Servant of sin For removing this doubt I considered 1. That the meaning of this Scripture is not that no man that hath sin in his heart or doth sin in his life can be Gods Servant but is a Servant of sin for then God should have no Servants upon the face of the Earth Eccl. 7. 20. There is not a just man upon Earth that doth good and sinneth not Joh. 1. 8. If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us 2. It is said that the Servants of Sin are free from righteousness Rom. 6. 20. Now through mercy I follow after righteousness and find something of it whence I concluded I was not the servant of Sin 3. I saw that David held this conclusion that he was one of Gods Servants though he was compassed about with infirmities yea even at such time as he was under a sense of his sinful infirmities Ps 116. 11 16. O Lord truly I am thy Servant I am thy Servant yet he had said in his haste unbelievingly All men are liars David after he had committed the great sin of Numbering the people against the Counsel and Advice of his friends Confessed that he had sinned greatly and done very foolishly yet calleth himself a Servant of the Lord 2 Sam. 24. 10. 4. As I was Considering
relieth on God for Salvation notwithstanding his miscarriages by vertue of the Covenant Although my house be not so with God he includeth himself as the chief part of his house although he had not so walked in his house with God as God required yet this is my Salvation God hath made with me an everlasting Covenant 3 ly Though he did not see the growth or accomplishment of several promises in the Covenant yet he is not dismayed or beaten off from hoping for Salvation but saith this is all my Salvation although he make it not to grow Enquiring with my self what ground I had to hope that this Covenant was made with me I was satisfied from Isa 55. 3. Where I find those that come unto Christ are taken into Covenant and enjoy the same promises and mercies that God gave to David 3. Joh. 17. 2. Thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal Life to as many as thou hast given him Enquiring what ground I had to believe that I was given to Christ I was satisfied from Joh. 6. 37. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me Our coming to Christ is an Argument that we are given to Christ by the Father because all such and none but such come to Christ v. 37. 44. 65. I was further Confirmed from Joh. 17. 9 10. Where Christ gives this Character of such as are given to him that he is glorified in them and I find through mercy that the Lord hath inclined my heart to glorifie him 4. Joh. 10. 27 28 29. My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give to them eternal Life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand My Father which gave them me is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand Here I observed 1 st That the Lord Jesus hath promised to give unto his sheep Eternal life 2 ly He undertaketh for them for the time to come that they shall never perish They shall not perish by their own sins as unbelievers and unregenerate men do Joh. 8. 24. 2 Pet. 2. 12. neither shall any person or temptation from without draw them off from Christ 3 ly The Lord Jesus gives his sheep a two-fold Argument to assure them that they shall not perish either by their own corruption or by any force or allurement from without 1 st He holds them in his hand i. e he keeps and preserves them by his power 2 ly His Father who is greater than all keeps them by his power also The Comfort of this depending on the qualification of the persons to whom this promise is made namely the sheep of Christ I considered what evidence I had that I was one of Christs sheep And I saw 1 st That Christs sheep are such as hear his voice and follow him Now I found that my heart had Answered the Call of Christ in the Gospel when he hath called Look unto me and be ye Saved Come unto me all ye that labour are heavy laden and moreover that I do endeavour to follow his example and to walk as he walked when he was in this world 2 ly I saw that by his sheep he meaneth such as do believe on him because he proveth the Jews were not his sheep because they did not believe on him ver 26. 3 ly I found those evidences of the Lords being my Shepherd which David mentioneth Ps 23. viz. his often restoring my Soul when I have fallen His leading me in paths of Righteousness for his Names sake If the Lord be my sheepherd then I am one of his sheep 4 ly my returning to Christ through grace is an argument that he is the sheepherd of my Soul 1 Pet. 2. 25. 5 ly Visiting the sick and feeding the hungry are the marks of Christs sheep Math. 25. 33 35 36. 5. Ps 84. 11. God promiseth glory to them that walk uprightly and I find God hath given me an heart to walk uprightly In a sickness not knowing but death might be approaching I considered what promises I could rest on for salvation and among others God enabled me to stay on Isa 57. 2. He shall enter into Peace they shall rest in their beds Each one walking in his uprightness These are my Evidences of etarnal life God having given me good hope through grace of eternal life I set my self to consider what duties this called for and God put into my mind which I resolve by the help of his grace to practise 1. To bless and praise God for this mercy 1 Pet. 1. 3 4. Col. 1. 12 13. 2. To mortifie daily uncleanness inordinate affections evil Concupisence Covetousness and all other sins Col. 3. 4 5. 3. To carry my self towards all men especially towards my near relations as an Heir of eternal life and glory 1 Pet. 3. 7. 4. To walk worthy of the Lord. 1 Thes 2. 12. How that is to be done is expressed Eph. 4. 1 2 3. Col. 1. 10. 5. To purifie my self as God is pure 1 Joh. 3. 3. which implies purity of heart Math. 5. 8. purity of words in discourse for every word of God is pure Prov. 30. 5. and so must ours be also Eph. 4. 29. Zeph. 3. 9. purity of life 1 Pet. 2. 22. 6. To Serve God and to serve him in a gracious and Godly manner Heb. 12. 28. 7. Not to fear them that can kill the body Luk. 12. 4 32. Nor fear the want of outward things ver 31 32. 8. To rejoyce in hope of this Glory in the midst of worldly troubles Rom. 5. 2 3. 1 Pet. 1. 3 6. 9. To keep the full assurance of hope to the end of my days by Continuing diligent in Ministring to the Saints Heb. 6. 10. 11. Thus have we given the Reader some account of this Eminent Saint and Servant of Jesus Christ such was his holy and heavenly life Thus walked he both in the fear of God and in the Comfort of the Holy Ghost Thus laboured he to approve himself to God to others and to his own Conscience Thus answered he his profession ran his race and pressed forward to the mark Upon the equal and impartial view whereof though the design of these pages be only Ostendere and not Ostentare virum yet I can scarce forbear to say He hath left such a Name and character behind him as may worthily commend him both as a Christian and a Minister to the observation Honour and Imitation of most if not All that read him What remains is only to apply him to the following funeral Text as a more than ordinary Instance of the truth thereof And whoso considers the manner of his life may with little doubt conclude his Victory over death It was before mentioned that he hath left behind him some Manuscripts worthy of the press some of which he entitles The best Interest A Treatise of Glorifying God The