liberty of confcience to those fort of men who were reftless and implacable enemies to him and his government; and so taking a courteous leave of the lord primate, he left him without doubt that it was in vain to urge his fuit any farther. Not long after this, viz. about the middle of February following, he went from London to Rygate, taking his last leave of his friends and relations, who never had the happiness of feeing him again: and, not long before his death, Dr. Parr preaching a fermon there, where this good bishop was prefent, after church he was pleafed to confer with him in private, and fpake to this effect: "I thank you for your fermon, I am going out of this world, and I now defire, according to your text (Col. iii. 12.) to feek thofe things which are above, where Chrift fitteth on the right hand of God; and to be with him in heaven." So that all his difcourfe was of heavenly things, as if his better part had been there already, freed from the body and all terrene affections; and he feemed as if he were ferioufly confidering his fpiritual ftate, and making ready for his departure, which he now shortly expected; for, on the twentieth of March, the day he fell fick, after he had been most part of it, as long as he had light, at his study, he went from thence to vifit a gentlewoman then fick in the house, giving her most excellent preparatives for death, together with other holy holy advice, for almoft an hour, that night, after fupper, he first complained of his hip, judging it to be a touch of the fciatica, which he had many years before. Next morning early he complained of a great pain in his fide; and, a physician being fent for, he prescribed what he thought convenient in that case ; but it could not thereby be removed, but rather encreased more and more upon him. Upon fome abatement of the torture, he advised thofe about him to provide for death in the time of health, that then they might have nothing else to do but to die. Then taking his leave of the countess of Peterborough, by whom he had been fo long and kindly entertained, and giving her many thanks for all her kindness to him, with excellent fpiritual coun cil, as a return for all her favours. Then he defired to be left to his own private devotions; after which, the last words he was heard to utter, about one o'clock in the afternoon, praying for forgiveness of fins, were thefe: viz. O Lord forgive me, efpecially my fins of omiffion! So prefently after this, in fure hopes of a glorious immortality, he fell afleep, to the great grief and affliction of the faid countefs, who could never fufficiently lament her own and the church's great lofs, by his too fudden departure out of this life. END OF THE SIXTH VOLUME. |