Prophesies of Isaiah Jeremiah and the Lamentations and we should have gained more by his later industry if the malicious slanders of the enemies of the truth had not diverted his time and studies to some necessary Apologies Neither did he when he was by the hand of God disabled to preach betray his Flock into the hands of Wolves that would make a prey of precious souls nor desert it For being troubled lest the foundation that he had laid after the example of the wise Master-builder St. Paul should either not be built upon or destroyed he retained the title of Rector with a charge beyond the Revenue as it was sometimes proved till provision might be made of a faithfull and Orthodox Minister to whom he might comfortably devolve both the burden and the benefit To his care of feeding his Flock in publick very agreeable was his diligence in instructing his Family in private for on Friday nights weekly after supper he used to expound that short Catechisme which he had published for the use of his Parishioners in which course he so laid forth the Nature and Attributes of God the state of man both intire and corrupt the means of his Fall and Recovery the nature of Faith and Repentance with the Doctrine of the Sacraments that his Parlour was one of the best Schooles for a young Student to learn Divinity in and indeed his house was a private Seminary for divers young Gentlemen of this Nation and far more Forreigners who did resort to and sojourn with him to receive from him direction and advancement in their studies and many who afterwards were eminent in the Churches both here and abroad were brought up under his eye at least as Paul was at the feet of Gamaliel Persons of note that had been his assistants were Mr. Young Mr. Goodal Mr. Symonds of whom yet in these later times of Division Mr. Gataker hath been heard to say It was pity that our Church had lost him intimating his turning aside to wayes of separation Mr. Grayle and others who are yet living labourers in Gods Vineyard Of Forreigners that sojourned with him and were as ambitious of being entertained by him as if they had been admitted into a University these were some Mr. Thylein who was afterwards a Reverend Pastor of the Dutch Church in London whose son was brought by his mother but a fortnight before Mr. Gatakers decease intreating the same good office in the behalf of him which the Father had with much comfort enjoyed Mr. Peters Mr. And. Demetrius Mr. Hornbeck Mr. Rich Mr. Swerd Mr. Wittefrangel Mr. Severinuâ— Benzon Mr. Georg de Mey Dr. Treschovius c. The strength of Mr. Gatakers memory was extraordinary as may appear by this that though he used no Common-place book yet had he in readiness whatsoever he had read as is manifested by his manifold Quotations in all his works His Gifts for edification may be conjectured by his works which are extant in which he hath shewed himself like the ingenuous and industrious Bee for his rare extraction of all manner of knowledge from almost all Authors and the solid digestion of it first and then storing it up for the publick good His Polite Literature was admired by the great Lights of Learning abroad as the excellent Salmasius and others with whom he held correspondence And the exercise of it with condescention to children hath been enjoyed with wonder and pleasure at his Visitation at Tunbridge School with the Right Worshipful Company of Skinners the worthy Patrons thereof and that which made all his knowledge both usefull and gratefull was that he was neither vain in ostentation nor morose or illiberal in reservation of it But beyond all he sacrificed his Talents to God while he made Hagar serve Sarah and contributed the Egyptian spoyls all his forreign learning towards the building of the Tabernacle For with a strange felicity he made his Humane Literature both his Moral and Critical studies to become subservient to Religion and instrumental to the explication of heavenly Truths His Graces of sanctification were very eminent in every condition to all purposes and towards all his Relations In the private course of his life his Piety Humility and Charity were very remarkable His Piety appeared not only by his diligence in preaching but also by his own frequenting Gods Ordinances dispensed by others in order whereunto he did once a week at least repair to some Lecture in London so long as he had liberty to look beyond the bounds of his own Parish He manifested his Piety also by his strict careful and conscientious observation of the Lords dayes which he wholly consecrated except the seasons of repast unto holy duties and imployments and besides he was free in his Contributions upon divers occasions to the maintaing of the Lords house of Prayer And because there is a connexion between sacred persons and things his love to godly and faithfull Ministers may be looked upon as an act of Piety as well as of Charity Another evident instance of his Zeal for Gods Glory was his constant consideration of the state of Gods Churches abroad with a diligent enquiry how it fared with them and a tender sense of their affliction which begat his meditation on Amos 6. 6. entituled Sorrow for Sion As also his earnest desire of a Reformation of things amiss amongst our selves was doubtless acceptable unto God though this sinful Nation is yet unworthy to have it accomplshed One special effect and property of his Piety was that holiness of life expressed in a constant tenor of good duties with the abridgement of his liberty in things indifferent especially of Recreations for he understood no Recreations besides study and made the pleasanter part of his study the sawce to the more severe that he might give no scandal to the good nor encouragement to the bad alledging often those two golden Rules of St Paul All things are lawfull but all things are not convenient or expedient and all things are lawfull but all things edifie not 1 Cor. 9. 6. 10. 23. His Humility appeared 1. In that low esteem he had of his own gifts which yet all others that knew him admired He was a true Moses that took not any notice of that shining lustre of his own countenance Like a fair ear of Corn loaden with grain he bended his head downwards For he had nothing of the Pharisaical temper either to advance himself or to vilifie his Brethren of meaner gifts 2. In his freedome from ambition of outward advantages For he declined not only large means in the Country but also both Ecclesiastical Dignities and Courtly preferments For he studiously waved the counsel of some who had given notice of him to that hopeful Prince Henry whom God only shewed to this Land and then snatched him away to himself and had it in their design to make way for his being admitted Chaplain to his
God he afterwards found not only to be beneficiall unto him in preparing his heart for his work but also that it became an effectual means of his more peaceable and comfortable settlement in that place where the people were divided amongst themselves by reason of a potent man in the Town who adhered to another Cambridge man whom he would faign have brought in But when he saw Mr. Cotton wholly taken up with his own exercises of spirit he was free from all suspition of his being Pragmatical or addicted to siding with this or that party and so both he and his party began to close more fully with him Secondly Whereas there was an Arminian party in that Town some of whom were witty and troubled others with Disputes about those points by Gods blessing upon his Labours in holding forth positively such truths as undermined the foundations of Arminianism those Disputes ceased and the Tenets of Arminianism were no more pleaded for Thus God disposeth of the hearts of hearers as that generally they are all open and loving to their Preachers at their first entrance For three or four years he lived and preached amongst them without opposition They accounted themselves happy as well they might in the enjoyment of him both the Town and Country thereabouts being much bettered and reformed by his Labours But after he was not able to bear the Ceremonies imposed his Non-Conformity occasioned his trouble in the Bishops Court at Lincoln from whence he was advised to appeal to an higher Court and imploying Mr. Leveret who afterwards was one of the Ruling Elders of the Church of Boston in New England to deal in that business and he like Jacob being a plain man yet piously subtile to get such a spiritual blessing so far insinuated himself into one of the Proctors of that high-Court that Mr. Cotton was treated by them as if he were a Conformable man and so was restored unto Boston After this time he was blessed with a successfull Ministry unto the end of twenty years In which space he on the Lords Dayes in the afternoons went over the whole Body of Divinity in a Catechistical way thrice and gave the heads of his Discourse to those that were yong Scholars others in the Town to answer his questions in publick in that great congregation and after their Answers he opened those heads of Divinity and finally applied all to the edification of his people and of such strangers as came to hear him In the morning of the Lords Dayes he preached over the first six Chapters of the Gospel of St. John the whole Book of Ecclesiastes the Prophesie of Zachariah and many other Scriptures and when the Lords Supper was administred which was usual every monâ—th he preached upon 1 Corinth 11. 2 Chron. 30. the whole Chapter besides some other Scriptures concerning that subject On his Lecture days he preached through the whole first and second Epistles of John the whole Book of Solomons Song the Parables of our Saviour set forth in Matthews Gospel to the end of Chapter the 16th comparing them with Mark and Luke He took much pains in private and read to sundry young Scholars that were in his House and to some that came out of Germany and had his house full of Auditors Afterwards seeing some inconvenience in the Peoples flocking to his House besides his ordinary Lecture on the Thursdays he preached thrice more in publick on the week days viz. on Wednesdays and Thursdays early in the morning and on Saturdays at three a clock in the afternoon Only these three last Lectures were performed by him but some few years before he had another famous Colleague He was frequent in Duties of Humiliation and Thanksgiving Sometimes he continued five or six hours in Prayer and opening the Word So indefatigable was he in the Lords Work so willing to spend and be spent therein Besides he answered many Letters that were sent him far and near wherein were handled many difficult Cases of Conscience and many doubts cleared to great satisfaction He was a man exceedingly beloved and admired of the best and reverenced of the worst of his Hearers He was in great favour with Dr. Williams the then Bishop of Lincoln who much esteemed him for his Learning and when he was Lord Keeper of the Great Seal he went to King James and speaking of Mr. Cottons great Learning and worth the King was willing notwithstanding his Non-conformity to give way that he should have his Liberty in his Ministry without interruption which was the more remarkable considering how that Kings Spirit was carried out against such wayes Also the Earl of Dorchester being at Old Boston and hearing Mr. Cotton preaching about Civil Government he was so affected with the wisdom of his words and spirit that he did ever after highly account of him and put himself forth what he could in the time of Mr. Cottons troubles to deliver him out of them that so his Boston might still enjoy him as formerly but his desires were too strongly opposed to be accomplished About this time he married his second Wife Mistriss Sarah Story then a Widow He was blessed above many in his Marriages both his Wives being pious Matâ—ons grave sober and faithfull By the first he had no children the last God made a fruitfull Vine unto him His first-born was brought forth far off upon the Sea in his passage to New England So that he being childless when he left Europe arrived a joyfull Father in America In memorial whereof he called his name Sea-born to keep alive said he in me and to teach my Son if he live a remembrance of Sea-mercies from the hand of a gracious God He is yet living and entred into the Work of the Ministry A Son of many Prayers and of great expectation The corruption of the times being now such that he could not continue in the exercise of his Ministery without sin and the envy of his maligners having now procured Letters Missive to convent him before the High Commission Court which Letters a debauched Inhabitant of that Town undertook to serve upon him who shortly after died of the Plague Mr. Cotton having intelligence thereof and well-knowing that nothing but scorns and imprisonment were to be expected from them according to the advice of many able heads and upright hearts amongst whom that holy man of God Mr. Dod of blessed memory had a singular influence he kept himself close for a time in and about London as Luther sometime did at Wittenberg and Paraeus since at Anvilla Yet was not that season of his recess unprofitable For addresses during that time were made unto him privately by divers persons of worth and piety who received satisfaction from him in their Cases of Conscience of greatest concernment And when he went into New England it was not a flight from duty but from evident danger and unto duty Not from the
his Family he was very exemplary His house was another Bethel for he did not onely constantly upon conscientious principles use morning and evening Prayer and reading the sacred Scriptures in his Family but also he catechized his children and servants wherein God gave him a singular gift for their edification for in teaching them he used not any set form but so as that he brought them whom he instructed to express the principles taught them in their own words so that his children as Gregory Nazianzen saith of his Father found him as well a spiritual as a natural Father Yea never any servant came to his house but gained a great deal of knowledge therein So likewise did diverse others who at the request of their Parents were instructed by him He was in a special manner a strict and conscionable sanctifier of the Lords day and that not onely in the exercise of publick duties incumbent upon his Office but also in the private sanctification of it in the duties of piety in and with his Family and secret in his Closet and for this end as he did forbear providing of Suppers the Eve before the Sabbath that servants might not be occasioned thereby to sit up late so neither would he suffer any servant to stay at home for dressing any meat upon the Lords day for the entertainment of friends whether they were great or mean few or many On the Sabbaths after his publick labours were ended divers Neighbours wanting helps in their own Families came to his house where he repeated his Sermons after so familiar a manner that many have professed that they were much more benefited by them in that his repetition than they were in the first hearing of them for he did not use word by word to read out of Notes what he had preached but would by Questions and Answers draw from those of his own houshold such points as were delivered and this Exercise being ended his constant course was to visit such of his Parish as were sick or by pain and weakness were dis-inabled to go to the publick Ordinances with each of whom he would discourse of some spiritual and heavenly subject suitable to their condition and after that he prayed with them wherein he had a more than ordinary gift being able in apt words and expressions to commend their several cases unto God and to put up Petitions suitable to their several needs His usual course was to pray eight times in the publick Congregation on the Lords dayes for as he prayed before and after each Sermon so also before and after his reading and expounding the Scriptures which he performed both in the forenoon and afternoon And in his Family his constant course was to pray thrice every Lords day and that in a solemn manner viz. in the morning and evening and after his repetition of the Sermons He was ordained Minister in the two and thirtieth year of his age and about a year after which was in June 1608. he was called to the exercise of his Ministry in the Parish of Black-Friars London where he continued to his dying day which was about five and forty years and six months never accepting of any other Ministerial imployment though he had the proffers of many great places His manner of coming to Black-Friars was thus That Parish being destitute of a preaching Minister Mr. Hildersam a famous pious powerful Preacher being in company with some of the better sort of the Inhabitants of Black-Friars who complained of their want he told them that there was one living in Stratford-Bow who was out of imployment whom he judged very fit for them Hereupon divers of them went thither on the Lords day where he frequently preached gratis to help the Minister that then was there and upon hearing of him they liked him so well that making report thereof to their neighbours he was by an un animous consent nemine contradicente chosen to be their Minister which election being made known to him he accepted of it and ever after shewed a great respect to the Inhabitants of that place Before Mr. Gouge came to them they had not so much as a Church of their own to meet and hear the word of God in nor any place wherein to bury their dead but by such means as he used the Church and Church-porch together with the Ministers house and Church-yard all which they enjoyed before but upon curtesie were bought in so as now they all as their proper Inheritance do belong to the Parish of Black-Friars And five years after his coming thither the old Church being found too little to entertain those multitudes that flocked thither from all parts of the City to hear him he was an instrument of purchasing in certain rooms adjoyning whereby the Church was enlarged almost as big again as it was before The sum of purchasing new building and beautifying of which Church amounted to above one thousand five hundred pounds all which was procured partly by Collections at his Lectures and partly by the voluntaâ—y contributions of his Parishoners without any publick Collections in other places After this there being divers rooms under the said Church belonging to several Land-lords he used such means as to purchase them also for the benefit of the Parish which he did the rather to prevent all dangers that by wicked minded persons might have befaln Gods people in that Church by any contrivance in the rooms under the same Thus they who had nothing of their own at his first coming have now through his procurement the whole Church the Church-porch a Church-yard a Vault to bury their dead in a very fair Vestry with other adjacent rooms besides the house wherein he himself dwelt so long as he lived all which they hold as a perpetual Inheritance They have also a Lease of certain Tenements of a considerable value for three hundred years all which were procured by his Prudence Interest and Industry Such was his love and respect to this Parish as though he was oft proffered places of far greater value yet he refused them all oft saying That the height of his ambition was to go from Black-Friers to Heaven At his first coming to Black-Friers being in the thirty third year of his age he preached constantly besides twice every Lords day a weekly Lecture viz. on the Wednesdayes in the forenoon which for the space of about thirty five years was very much frequented and that not only by his Parishioners but by divers City Ministers and by sundry pious and judicious Gentlemen of the Innes of Court besides many other well-disposed Citizens who in multitudes flocked to hear his heavenly Doctrine yea such was the fame of Dr. Gouge his Ministry that when any Country Ministers and godly Christians came to London about their affairs they thought not their business fully ended unless they had been at Black-Friers Lecture And it pleased God to give such a
blessing to his Ministry that many of his Auditors though living in other Parishes upon Trial before sundry Elderships have confessed that the first seeds of Grace sown in their hearts were by the blessing upon Dr. Gouges Ministry And indeed herein God wonderfully honoured his labours by making him an aged Father in Christ to beget many Sons and Daughters unto God and to nourish up others in the wayes of righteousnesse thousands having been converted and built up by his Ministry He used also every month to preach a preparation Sermon before the Communion on the Eve before each monthly Sacrament He was eminently laborious and faithful in the work of his Ministry even to his dying day preaching so long as he was able to creep up into the Pulpit As a tree planted in the House of the Lord he was fruitful even in his old age Psal. 92. 13 14. He often used to say in his latter dayes that he could preach with more ease than he could get up into the Pulpit the reason whereof doubtlesse was this because as the encrease of his Asthma dis-inabled him to go so the encrease of his Intellectuals enabled him to preach with more ease than in his younger dayes His preacing was alwaes very distinct First he opened his Text giving the true and proper sense of it then gave he the Logical Analysis of it and then gathered such proper observations as naturally flowed from it and properly and pertinently improved and applied the same by which method his Ministry proved very profitable to his hearers Many have acknowledged that in regard of the Logical resolution of his Text he went beyond all that ever they heard as also in clearing difficult and doubtful places of Scripture as they came in his way And as his method was clear so were his expressions plain alwayes delivering the solid points of Divinity in a familiar stile to the capacity of the meanest As for his life and conversation it was holy and exemplary himself practising what he preached unto others and living over his own Sermons his Doctrine and his practice concurred and went hand in hand together Before these times of Examination of persons before their admission to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper he used to go to the houses of the better sort in his Parish where he appointed a time for them and their whole Families to meet together that he might examine how fit they were to be admitted to that Ordinance yea he appointed sundry small Families to meet together on a certain day that he might make trial of their fitness also and then his manner was not to admit any of the younger sort to the Sacrament till in his judgement he found them fitted for it Though he addicted himself much to his studies and carried himself peaceably yet wanted he not those that did envy and malign him and that took all occasions to do him what mischief they could As in the case of Serjeant Finch his book about the Calling of the Jews which Dr. Gouge only published and the author himself owned it yet for his publication of it he was committed to prison and kept there for the space of nine weeks together King James being informed that the Serjeant had in that Book declared and endeavoured to prove that the Jews should have a visible Kingdome which should be above all other Kingdoms which Doctrin he abhorred he thereupon grew extream impatient Bishop Neal also with others provoked him against the publisher of the Book which so incensed him that he would admit of no Apology Yet after a while Dr. Gouge was moved distinctly to declare his judgement and opinion about that point of the calling and conversion of the Jews which he did in these ensuing Propositions All that I can gather out of the holy Scriptures about this point is 1. That the Calling of the Jews importeth more than a spiritual Calling to beleeve in Jesus Christ and to imbrace the Gospel 2. This their spiritual Calling may be called an outward glorious Calling in regard of the visibility and generallity of it to put a difference betwixt the promised Calling of the Nation and the continual Calling of some few persons For in all ages since the rejection of the Jews some few here and there have been called Thus the Calling of the Gentiles in the Apostles time when Christians had no pompous Civil Government was an outward glorious Calling by reason of the visible famous Church which they had 3. It is probable that at or after their Calling they shall not be scattered as now they are but shall be gathered together into Churches and be freed from the bondage and slavery wherein they have been many years together 4. To give them a Soveraignty over all the whole Church seemeth to me to be derogatory to that absolute Sovereignty which Christ the head of his Church hath in whom the promises of the perpetuity of Davids Scepter of the extent of his Dominion of the subjection of all Nations are accomplished 5. To set down the distinct time place and other like circumstances of their Calling needeth more than an ordinary spirit and implies too much curiosity 6. The point of the Calling of the Jews being no fundamental point of Christian Religion to be over stiff in holding one thing or other therein to the disturbance of the peace of the Church comes near to Schisme Upon which being examined by Archbishop Abbot and his answer approved he was released from his imprisonment Ordinarily in the Summer Vacation he was with his Family in the Country but not so much for his own ease as for the further service of Gods Church for besides his preaching every Lords day in the place where he resided he improved his time for the publication of those his Treatises which are now in Print viz. The whole Armour of God Domestical duties An Explanation of the Lords Prayer Gods three Arrows of the Plaâ—ue Famine Sword upon occasion of those Judgments then raging The Saints Sacrifice of Thanksgiving upon his recovery from a dangerous sickness To which is now added his Commentary upon the whole Epistle to the Hebrews which was the subject of his Wednesdayes Lectures for many years While he was setled at Black-Friers he Commenced Batchelour of Divinity Anno Christi 1611. which was the eighth year after he had taken the Degree of Master of Arts. Anno Christi 1628 he proceeded Dr. of Divinity at which time eight London Ministers proceeded Doctors upon which occasion Dr. Collins the then Regius Professor put up Mr. Gouges Degree and procured it to pass in the Regent-house before he had any notice thereof and without his consent whereby he did in a manner force him to take his Degree yet so as when he heard what was done he readily went to Cambridge and performed all his Acts according to the Statutes of the University as he had done at the taking of
Duties Deaths Advantage The benefit of a good Name and a good end Abrahams Decease Jeroboams Sons Decease Christian Constancy crowned by Christ. All these are Printed in one Volume in Folio The Decease of Lazarus in 4o. St. Stevens last Will and Testament in 4o. A Defence of Mr. Bradshaw against Jo. Cann in 4o. Gods eye on his Israel in 4o. A mistake removed and Free-Grace c. in answer to J. Saltmarsh in 4o. Shadows without Substance a Rejoinder adversus â—undem in 4o. Mysterious Clouds and Mists c. an Answer to J. Simpson in 4o. Mr. Ant. Wottons Defence in 8o. A true Relation of Passages between Mr. Wotton and Mr. Walker in 4o. An Answer to Mr. Geor. Walkers Vindication in 4o. A Vindication of the Annotations on Jer. 10. 2. in 4o. A Discourse Apologetical in 4o. Marcus Antoninus Imp. cum Commentario in 4o. De Novi Instrumenti Stylo Dissertatio adversus Psochenii Diatribam in 4o. Cinn us sive Adversaria Miscellania Lib. 6. in 4o. De Baptismatis Infantilis vi efficatiâ Disceptatio inter D. S. Wardum Tho. Gatakerum in 8o. T. G. Stricturae in D. Davenantii Epistolam in 8o. De Tetragammato in 8o. Ejusdem vindicatio adversus Capellum in 8o. De Bivocalibus Dissertatio Philologica in 8o. Animadversiones in J. Piscatoris L. Lucii scripta adversaria de causa meritoria Justificationis cum responsione ad L. Lucii Vindicias in 12o. Fran. Gomari Disputationes Elencticae de Justificationis materiâ formâ Elenchus in 8o. Stricturae in Barth Wigelini Sangallensis de Obedientia Christi disputationem Theologicam in 8o. The Annotations upon Isaiah Jeremy and the Lamentations which was his work in the great Notes upon the Bible Adversaria Miscellanea in qibus Sacrae Scripturae aliorum Scriptorum lux redditur Edente Carolo Thome Gatakeri filio Fol. The Life and Death of Mr. Jeremy Whitaker who dyed Anno Christi 1654. JEremy Whitaker was born at Wakefield in Yorkshire Anno Christi 1599 In which place also he was trained up in the Grammar School and it seems that the Lord betimes did draw forth his love towards himself for even whilst he was a School boy his affections did flow out towards those who were most religiously disposed in whose company he used frequently to go eight or ten miles to hear a wakening-soul-warming Sermon he used also to joyn with them in Prayers and other holy exercises and duties and being able to take Sermon Notes both understandingly and largely he was very helpful to those private Christians in repeating what they had publickly heard being from his child-hood full of affections in whatsoever business he undertook Thus this Plant of Gods own setting did both blossome and put forth fruit quickly which Providence did afterwards make a very fruitful Tree Whilst he was at the Grammar School though his Father endeavoured often and earnestly to divert his thoughts from the Office of the Ministry yet was he unmoveable in his desires to be a Minister and he never afterwards repented of this his choice but would all his life long upon all occasions magnifie that his Office insomuch as he hath often been heard to utter this speech I had much rather be a preacher of the Gospel than an Emperour and when a motion was once made to him to be the Head of a College in the University he readily returned this answer My heart doth more desire to be a constant Preacher than to be the Master of any College in the world When he was sixteen years old being well grounded at the Grammar School he was sent to the University of Cambridge and admitted a Sizar in Sydney-Sussex College where he soon discovered and was taken notice of and much valued for his pregnant parts and Scholarship At twenty years of age he Commenced Bachelor of Arts and a while after he was sent to Okeham the chiefest Town in Rutlandshire there to teach the Free-School At that time there was one Mr. William Peachy the Minister at Okeham a godly man and a painful Preacher of the Gospel and eminent for his skill in the sacred Languages who dearly loved and highly valued our Mr. Whitaker from his first acquaintance with him which he manifested by proffering to him his Daughter in Marriage as Mr. Whitaker hath since told some of his Friends he was the rather inclined to accept of the motion because she was the Daughter of a pious painful and learned Minister of the Gospel and occasionally hath told his Friends that he was the better pleased with his choice because of that relation About four years after his coming to Okeham he married Chephtzibah the Daughter of the said Mr. Peachy by whom God gave him four Sons and three Daughters All his Sons he designed for the Ministry but it pleased God in his life time to take one of them away whilst he was a Student in Cambridge the other three survived and he lived to see two of them Ordained and set apart for the work of the Ministry the third he appointed to be educated for the same work Having staid about seven years at Okeham he was removed to a Pastoral charge at Stretton in the same County where he continued about the space of thirteen years Whilst he continued School-master at Okeham he undertook and preached a weekly Lecture there besides many Sermons which he preached occasionally in neghbouring Congregations And during his abode at Stretton besides his Pastoral imployment wherein he preached twice every Lords day he also constantly preached his weekly Lecture at Okeham and was a principal prop to hold up some other Lectures in the Neighbourhood His manner also was to set apart every Holy-day if there were but one in the week as a day of seeking God in reference to the necessities of the times and no man was more free and frequent in assisting in dayes of Humiliation in private both in Rutlandshire and in the adjacent Counties whensoever he was called and invited thereunto Such was his love to Christ family- that his publick imployments though many and great did not take him off from attending his Family duties nor from more private exercises of communion with God his ordinary course in his Family was together with Prayers to expound some part of the holy Scriptures and that twice every day besides other parts of Scripture which he daily read in secret so that usually he read all the Epistles in the Greek Testament twice every fortnight yea when by reason of extremity of pain and weakness he could not read himself he herein imployed others for his help Hence it came to pass that he was a man mighty in the Scriptures like unto Apollos Act. 18. 24. as was observed by all that conversed with him or that heard him preach or pray and this course he earnestly commended to the practice of his dearly beloved eldest Son as an excellent
unto me and in particular that he hath kept Satan from me in this my weakness Oh how good is God entertain good thoughts of him How ever it be with us we cannot think too well of him or too bad of our selves And this sense of Gods goodness was very deeply imprinted upon his heart to his very last and therefore in all his Wills this Legacy was alwayes renewed Item I bequeathe to all my children and to their childrens children to each of them a Bible with this Inscription None but Christ. Being upon a time visited by two Reverend Doctors his choice Friends who before they prayed with him desired him to tell them what he chiefly requested He answered I praise God he supports me and keeps off Satan beg that I may hold out I am now in a good way home even quite spent I am now at the shore I leave you tossing on the Sea Oh it is a good time to dye in Yet when his end approached nearer being often asked how he did He answered In no great pain I praise God onely weary of my unuseful life If God hath no more service for me to do here I could be gladly in Heaven where I shall serve him better freed from sin and distractions I pass from one death to another yet I fear none I praise God I can live and I dare dye If God hath more work for me to do here I am willing to do it though my infirm body be very weary Desiring one to pray with him and for him that God would hasten the work it was asked whether pain c. put him upon that desire He answered No but I now do no good and I hinder others which might be better imployed if I were not Why should any desire to live but to do God service Now I cease from that I do not live By this time the violence of his distempers disabled him and the advice of his Physitians was that he should forbear speech yet he called upon those which attended him to read some part of the Scriptures to him constantly especially he put one of his Sons that was with him to pray frequently and whilst his life and speech lasted he used to conclude all the Prayers with a loud Amen The nearer he approached to his end the more he slumbered Once when he awoke he found himself very ill whereupon calling for his Son he took him by the hand and said Pray with me it is the last time in likelihood that I shall ever joyn with you and complaining to him of his wearisomeness his Son answered There remains a rest To whom he replied My Sabbath is not far off and yours is at hand ere that I shall be rid of all my trouble and you will be eased of some At length his ruinous house which onely inobedience to the will of God had held out beyond his own desires and all mens expectations from the heighth of Summer till the depth of Winter comes to be dissolved About Saturday in the even he began to set himself to dye forbidding all cordials to be administred upon what extremity soever and gave his dying blessing to his Son who onely of all his children was present with him and upon his request enjoyned him to signifie when he had opportunity to that Country where he had lived longest that he lived and dyed in that Faith which he had preached and printed the comfort whereof he now found Something else he began to speak but his distempers interrupted his purpose and from that time he never entertained any discourse with man onely he commanded the eight Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans to be read to him And herein God was exceeding good to him in the return of those Petitions which had been put up for him that afternoon by those two eminent Divines and his dearest Brethren before mentioned For whereas his great distempers gave occasion to fear his death would be exceeding painful yet did it prove so easie that his Son and other attendants could but guess at the particular time of his departure His breathings were easie and even his eyes open and full of water till at the last having lifted them up towards Heaven they closed of themselves and his soul without the least motion of resistance of the body entred into everlasting rest whilst those whom he left behinde were entring upon the day of their rest For then began he a perpetual Sabbath in Heaven when they began theirs on earth betwixt twelve and one on Saturday night December 11. Anno Christi 1658. He dyed in a good old age and full of dayes having overlived fourscore years His loss was much bewayled by the College by the City and whole University of Oxford He was as all that knew him confessed a man of admirable prudence profound judgement eminent gifts and graces and furnished with all qualifications that might render him a compleat man a wise Governour a profitable Preacher and a good Christian. First look upon him as a Christian for that was his and is every mans greatest Ornament He was a man that had much acquaintance with God much communion with him in private meditation and prayer accounting those his best dayes wherein he enjoyed most converse with him In the time of his sickness one asking him how he did oh saith he this hath been a sweet day I have had sweet communion with God in Jesus Christ. He was not like them who are all for promises and priviledges though in the mean time they neglect duties He made them his exercise but not his Christ He was much in those severe parts of Religion as private Humiliation Mortification and Self-denial whereby he gained the conquest over himself The truth is he was as far as is consistent with humane frailty Master of his corruptions passions reason appetite language and all The Lord was pleased to work upon him in the Primrose of his life though he certainly knew not either the Preacher or Sermon whereby he was converted His course was in the dayes of his strictest examination to set down in writing his evidences for Heaven sometimes in Propositions from Scripture other sometimes in Sylogismes and these he often subscribed to in a Book that he kept for that very purpose But these evidences were best read by others in the course of his life by his exact walking with God in piety charity humility patience and dependance upon him He was far unlike to those who sit in Moses Chair and teach what themselves practise not He had well digested that Fathers precept to Preachers Either preach not at all or live as you preach His life was a Commentary upon his Doctrine and his practice the Counterpane of his Sermons What was said of that precious Bishop Jewel was true of him That he adorned a heavenly Doctrine with a heavenly life In a word he did vertere verba in opera he lived Religion whilst many onely make