ceit of the Principles and Practice of Religion, he tried all things and did hold faft that which was good: What vaft Pains he was at to examine the very fundamental Principles of natural and reveal'd Religion ye may fee from his Memoirs, his Treatife againft Deifm, the Reafon of Faith, &c. All which demonftrate his Faith did not stand in the Wisdom of Men, Cor. 2. 5. but in the Power of God. They are the laft Words of one that spent about Twelve Years in lively preaching of Chrift and him crucified, whereof not a few of the LORD's People retain a favoury Remembrance, of which his excellent Sermons will convince thofe that knew him not, if Encouragement be got to print them. zly, This may enhanfe the Value of this Teftimony, That he was under fo great a Damp, fo dark a Cloud for three or four Days before that abundant Confolation and Joy the LORD fill'd him with, which you will find narrated by himself in his dying Words: How agreeable is this to the Lord's ufual Way of dealing with his Saints, he wounds and then heals, fmites and then binds up, they are prefs'd out of Measure, above Strength, &c. Not only at Converfion, but oft in his Dealings with them through their Life, both as to their outward and inward Condition, and oft fignally at Death. This glorious Method is worthy of God, and nobly advances his bleft Defigns about his own. 3ly, The conftant and unusual Compofure of Spirit he had is remarkable; tho' he was under very tormenting Pain the laft Days of his Sicknefs, yet not one impatient Word dropt from him; tho' he flept little all the five laft Days, and fpoke much, yet not one raving Word ever heard from him, which as ye will find him oft admiting it, fo it was a Wonder 4ly, With what Life all that were present. what a of Spirit, what Fervour did he utter his laft Words? how refreshing,, affecting and aftonishing this was, all prefent well remem ber: and tho' we had all his dying Words, this is ftill wanting, nor can it be described by us: Now fhould nor that endear this Saint's Teftimony to Religion sly, How prudently did he addrefs himself to Perfons, Minifters or private Chriftians that vifited him, according to their various Ranks, Principles, Conditions and Circumftances? he spoke with the niceft Caution to them, even then, which was very surprizing. 6ly, And 6ly, And efpecially that all this was spoke by others him in View of approaching Death, (for neither he nor others conceived the leaft Probability of his Recovery after he took Bed) Death the King of Terrours, the moft terrible of all Terribles to an impenitent Sinner, and that nothing can make eafie and fweeten, but the precious Fruits of our Lord's Death and Sufferings. Yet even then what a Calm on his Soul? What Submiffion to it did he fhew? What Boldness in facing this laft Enemy? With what Concern and Paffion was he panting for Death? How welcome was it to him? His own Words will teftifie this. One of the oppofite Way, and not the meaneft for Senfe, faid, He never faw one fo willing to die. Now whence is all this? How can this be? Pagan Moralifts and Philofophers talked of their Cordials againft Death; but when it came to the Pufh, they found them all infipid and ufelefs. Hardned defperate Atheifts, and befotted ftupid Epicures have fhut their Eyes on Danger. The prefumptuous and deluded Hypocrite may feign Submiffion to Death, pretend a Hope of Heaven, and hold faft his groundless and rotten Hope; yet when they turn their Faces to the Wall, how foure and chagrin does the Sight of pale and grim Death make them? their Hearts fink in them as Stones, or elfe are forced to bewray reftlefs Difquiet and Perplexity. A graceless, bold and furious Souldier may court Death, rufh on it, and pretend to defy it in the Field. Some Prodigies of Wickedness, given up of God, from bafe Cowardice and Impatience, have dared to be their own Executioners, againft the self-evident Principles of the Law of Nature, as well as the exprefs Precepts of the Moral Law: But not a Shadow have any of thefe of the sweet Calm and Compofure, the invincible Patience, the intire Submiffion, the abfolute Refignation to the Divine Will, the Chearfulness, Satisfaction, Joy and Comfort, the lively and affured Chriftian attains at Death, which our dying Friend in fo great a Measure enjoyed, of which his own Words will give you the beft Account. Now then is there not here fomething truly fupernatural and divine, that humane Nature could never be capable of, if it were not renewed by the exceeding Greatness of that Power that raised CHRIST from the Dead, and alfo a fingular fingular Meafure of the faving Influences of the Spirit o Adoption given to it? May not all then fee, that will no thut their Eyes, That the greateft Hero among Men cannot be equall'ed to, or vie with a Souldier of CHRIST; yea that thefe puny Heroes are but faint Shadows of the real Chriftian. Ranfack the wide World, confider all the diftinguishing Excellencies of Mortals, view all that have affum'd the Name of Wife, Great, or Good, or that Men Canonize for fuch, and ye will fee beyond all Debate, that a Saint infinitely outvies them all in his Life, efpecially in his laft Conflict with Death, the Close of the dark Scene: Here fhines brightly his true Greatness of Spirit, and incomparable Bravery indeed. Now on the whole, what a clear convincing Evidence have ye here of the Immortality of the Soul, that when his Body was loweft, yet his Intellectuals were fo found, and the Actings of his Spirit about the great Things of Eternity, were fo vigorous and lively; he himself thew'd a peculiar Turn of Wit in improving this. O the great Truth and Reality there is in Religion! Were it a Dream,a meer melancholly,hypochondriack Fancy, an Impofture, or Cheat, as Atheifts talk, or no more in't but meer Morality that has no Relation to CHRIST JESUS, a dead lifeless Form, or fome external bodily Exercise, as the blind fenfual World, not having the Spirit, judges, could it have produc'd fuch real, fuch fenfible, and furprizing fweet Effects, that fwallowed up all Trouble and Pain, and ravifh'd with Joy, as he found? Is it poffible any that have the Ufe of their Reason, can once imagine a Saint can perfonate this at Death, when under no Temptation to diffemble,when Intereft or worldlyConfiderations can have no Place or Influence, and when they are under the moft awful Impreffions of Eternity, Judgment, and of God the Judge of the Quick and Dead, which fo effectually tend to prevent it! May we not hence alfo fee the wonderful Virtue of Chrift's Blood, the Efficacy of his Death and Crofs? Through Death he has destroyed Death, and him that had the Power of it. On the Crofs of CHRIST the Saints raise their Triumph. How warm was the Heart of this Saint when he spoke of it! How oft did he glory in the Crofs of Chrift! On this intirely he laid the Strefs of his Salvation. O how Ohow fure then is God's Word! how fafe á Bottom to venture our Souls on, even at Death! Is he not the faithful God that keeps Covenant? Did he not remember the Words which he promised to his Servant, on which he caused him to hope? Did he not find it with a Witnefs, efpecially in his greatest Extremity at Death, when he needed it moft? How much did he himself notice this? May we not appeal to dying Saints, in the Words of Joshua to Ifrael, if any one Thing hath failed of all the good Things the LORD had promised to them? As for God, bis Way is perfect, the Word of the LORD is tried; he is a Buckler to all thofe that trust in him. And to conclude, may we not fay, There is a Reward for the Righteous; verily there is a God that judgeth in the Earth? How can we doubt of this, fince the Saints fee the Salvation of God, they feel and tafte this in their Life, and at Death have a very Heaven antidated in their Souls? What Clufters of the Fruits of the promised Land from Efocol, what fweet Earnefts and Pledges, what infallible Fore-runners of Heaven have they, both as to their Exercife and Enjoyment Day and Night, for fome Time in their Life, and especially in their laft Trial, when near to Eternity? of which our dear Friend, as you will fee from his dying Words, had fo fweet Experience. INDEX A N Account of the Birth, Parentage, and 8 A Narrative of the State of Matters with him His firft Concern about Religion. 17 The Revival of Convictions, their Effects, 22 The Increase of his Convictions, and the vain 33 46 A further Account of the Progrefs of his Con- SI His |