"The night before he died, towards the morning I asked him how he did? He answered: 'I feel myself more weak.' 'I trust,' said I, ‹ you are well and thoroughly prepared for death, yf God shall call you.' At this he made a little pause, and then he answered- I have a doubt; pray resolve me in it. I have not slept this night: I have verie earnestlie and humblie besought the Lord to give me some sleep; he hath denied it: this causeth me to doubt that God doth not regard me, nor heare any of my prayers: this doth trouble me.' Answer was made, that for matters touching salvation or pardon of our sins through Christ, he gave an absolute promise; but for things concerning this life God hath promised them but with caution: that which he hath absolutely promised, we may assuredly look to receive, craving in faith that which he hath thus promised. 'I am,' said he, fully satisfied and resolved with this answer. No doubt it is even so: then I will submit myself to his will in these outward things.' He added further; I had this night a trouble in my mynd: for searching myself methought I had not a full and sure hould of Christ. After I had continued in this perplexitie awhyle, how strangelie God did deliver me! for it was a strange deliverance which I had. There came to my remembrance a vanity in which I delighted, whereof I had not rid myself. I rid myself of it; and presently my joie and comfort returned.-Within a few hours after, I told him that I thought his death did approach, which indeed he well perceived, and for which he prepared himself. His fear that death would take away his understanding, did continue. I doe,' said he, with trembling hart most humbly intreat the Lord, that the pangs of death mayn't be so grevious, as to take away my understanding.'

·

"It was proved to him by testimonies, and infallible reasons out of the Scriptures, that, although his understanding and senses should fail, yet that faith which he had now, could not fail, but would hold still the power and victory before God: yea, in that respect all one, as if he had his senses and understanding. At this he did, with a chearful and smiling countenance, put forth his hands, and slappt me softlie on the cheeks. Not long after, he lift up his eyes and hands, uttering these words- I would not chaunge my joye, for the empire of the worlde!' for the nearer he saw death approach, the more his comfort seemed to increase.

"And after this, for the space of three or four hours, he did still call to be spoken unto out of the word of God. As long as it was not grevious to him to speak, he would make answer; and if any testimonie alledged seemed hard, he would ask the meaning, and if there were any interruption of speech, he would, by and by, call and say, 'I praye you speak unto me still,'-in the midst of these speeches, which were for the confirming of faith to gather an assurance of God's law, touching the vanity of this life-the victory of Christ over death-and the glory which the body shall have at the resurrection-and that present felicity which the soul should be admitted to by the holy angels.

"As the light of a lamp is continued by pouring in of oyl, so he sought to have the burning zeal and flame of his prayer, upon which his heart was still bent, cherished by the comforts of the holy word; accounting it a great injury, if we did not seek to give wings to his faith to carry up his prayers speedily, uttering grief when he felt any thought interrupting him.

"And although he had professed the gospel, loved and favoured those which did embrace it, entered deeply into the concerns of the church, taken good order and very good care for his family and soldiers to be instructed, and to be brought to live accordingly, yet entering into deep examination of his life now in the time of his affliction, he felt these inward motions and workings of-(The words following obliterated in the manuscript from which Dr. Zouch copied this account)-sorrow for his former conduct.

"Having made a comparison of God's grace now in him, his former virtues seemed to be nothing: for he wholly condemned his former life. For there being a learned man which could speak no English, he spake to him in Latin. Among other things he uttered this-that godly men in time of extreme afflictions did comfort and support themselves with the remembrance of their former life, in which they had glorified God. It is not,' he said, 'so in me. I have no comfort that waye; all things in my former life have been vaine! vaine! vaine !

"Perceiving that death did approach, he did, with a few short speeches, for it was too grevious for him to speak much, exhort his brethren in a loving manner, giving instruction in some points, and to learn by him, that all things here are vanity.

"His speech failing, he made sign with his hand to be still spoken to, and could less endure that I should make any intermission; even as one that runneth a race, when he approacheth unto the end, doth straine himself most vehemently; he would have the help that might be to carry him forward, now in the very end of his race to the goal.

"It now seemed as if natural heat and life were almost utterly gone out of him, that his understanding had failed, and that it was to no purpose to speak any more unto him. But it was far otherwise: I spake thus unto him ;- Sir, if you heare what I saye, let us by some means know it, and if you have still your inward joy and consolation in God, hould up your hand.' With that he did lift up his hand, and stretched it forth on high, which we thought he could scarce have moved, which caused the beholders to cry out with joy, that his understanding should be still so perfect, and that the weak body should so readily give a sign of the joy of the soul. After this, requiring of him to lift up his hands to God, seeing he could not speak or open his eyes, that we might see his heart still prayed, he raised both his hands, and sett them together on his breast, and held them together after the manner of those which make humble petitions: and so his hands did remain, and even so stiff, that they would have so continued standing up, being once so sett, but that we took the one from the other.

"Thus his hearing going away, we commended him to God divers times by prayer, and at the last he yielded up his spirit into the hands of God, unto his most happy comfort."

A Sketch of the Life and Character of the Rev. THOMAS ADAM, Rector of Wintringham, Lincolnshire, England.

THE Rev. THOMAS ADAM was born at Leeds, in the West-Riding of Yorkshire, Feb. 25, 1701; his father, Mr. Henry Adam, was of the profession of the Law, and Town-Clerk of that Corporation. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Jasper Blythman, Esq. Recorder there, by whom he had six children, Jasper, Henry, Thomas, Catherine, Elizabeth, and Sibyl.

Ŏur author, Thomas, was first put to the public Grammar-School in that town, under the care of the pious and worthy Mr. Thomas Barnard, then head master of that school, and afterwards to the school at Wakefield; from whence, about the usual time of life, he went to Christ's College, Cambridge. But, after he had resided there about two years, he removed to Hart-Hall, (now Hertford College,) in Oxford, under the care of that famous disciplinarian, Dr. Newton, (head of that seminary, and its founder as Vol. III.-No. IX.

3 Q

a college,) for whose memory in that capacity he ever retained the highest respect.

By the interest of an uncle, a person of some eminence in the profession of the law, and who had been of singular service to the family of the patron, about the year 1724 he was presented to the living of Wintringham, in Lincolnshire, of which he continued rector fifty-eight years; but not being of age to take possession, it was held for him by a friend for about

a year.

Not long after he settled at Wintringham, his uncle, who seemed much set upon the advancement of so promising a nephew, urged him greatly to come up to London, to show himself, as he termed it, concluding this to be the most likely way to recommend him to the favour of those who were most able to advance him in the world: but when Mr. Adam understood that his view was to put him in the way of more preferment, he was so far from embracing this advantageous proposal, that he thought it his duty to decline the invitation in as civil a manner as he could, at the same time returning for answer, that it was incumbent upon him to be with his flock at Wintringham; an answer which gave great offence to his uncle, as it frustrated all his well-meant schemes for his promotion and advancement in the church.

Nor did he ever afterwards depart from the same disinterested determination, to refuse all additional preferment.

When Dr. Thomas was promoted to the Bishopric of Lincoln, our author, whose good behaviour at the university had gained him the esteem of his governors there, was strongly recommended by them to his peculiar notice, as one whom he would find more especially deserving, amongst his clergy, of his attention and regard. And it is very probable that we find him, in consequence of this, appointed to preach

before his lordship at Gainsborough, at his primary visitation there. But how much soever the bishop might be at any time disposed to befriend him, he gave him to understand that he was perfectly satisfied with what he at present had, then not quite 7. 200 per annum, nor ever meant to engage in any second charge.

Not many years after his coming to Wintringham, Mr. Adam thought proper to change his state of life, by marrying Susannah, the eldest daughter of the Rev. Mr. Cooke, vicar of the neighbouring parish of Roxby, by whom he had one only daughter, who died in her infancy; and, after having lived together with much comfort during thirty years, or more, in the year 1760, he was called upon to resign this dearest earthly treasure into his hands from whom he had received her. He was greatly affected by this loss, but bore it with a truly Christian resignation.

There is nothing in his history, after this period, which calls for particular notice. An uninteresting sameness of events must almost necessarily attend a life passed in the obscure shade of country retirement. We shall therefore dwell upon those parts of his character as a minister and a Christian, which may furnish some considerations not unworthy of regard and imitation.

From the account which has been already given of Mr. Adam's faithful attachment to his parish at Wintringham, and his determined refusal of all additional preferment, it is natural for the reader to suppose that he was peculiarly diligent amongst his people, and instant in season and out of season, for the conversion and salvation of their souls. But this does not by any means appear to have been the case at that time: for, though he was very exact and regular, in the discharge of all the public parts of his office, and his sermons had even then a zeal and fervour in them be