his victories. He spake to one that watched with him all night, about two o'clock in the morning, that he had been wrestling with Satan all that night; who accused him that he neither preached, nor prayed, nor performed any duty as he should have done, for manner or for end; but he said, "I have answered him from the examples of the prodigal and the publican.'

"He

His faith and patience were increased and perfected by his sufferings. He longed and thirsted to be with "Christ," which words he often uttered; and often said, "I am not afraid to look death in the face: I can say, "Death, where is thy sting? death cannot hurt me." One of his last speeches was this; with his eyes and hands lifted up to heaven, he sighed and said, "I desire to be "dissolved, and to be with Christ." His pains left him not an hour before his death; his speech also then leaving him, he quietly and patiently ended his life, at Fausley in Northamptonshire, being ninety-six years old; and in the year of our Lord, 1645.

His Sayings are well known, and as well deserve remembrance. We cannot learn, that he published any thing himself. "Ten Sermons on the Lord's Supper," were published after his death.

The pious reader may not be displeased with the following anecdotes of this excellent man, as they are given us by Dr. Fuller in his church history.

At a disputation at one commencement, Mr. John Dod was so facetiously solid, (wild, yet sweet fruits which the stock brought forth before grafted with grace) that Oxford men, there present, courted him home with them, and would have planted him in their university, save that he declined it.

He was a passive non-conformist, not loving any one the worse for difference in judgment about ceremonies, but all the better for their unity of affections in grace and goodness. He used to retrench some hot spirits, when inveighing against bishops, telling them how GOD under that government had given a marvellows increase to the gospel, and that godly men might comfortably comport there with; under which learning and religion had so manifest an improvement. He was a good decalogist, and is conceived to his dying day (how roughly soever used by the opposite party) to stick to his own judgment to what he had written on the fifth commandment," Of Obedience to lawful Authority."

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At Hanwel, some riotous gentlemen casually coming into the table of Sir Anthony Cope, were half starved in the midst of a feast, because refraining from swearing (meat and drink to them) in the presence of Mr. Dod. Of these, one after dinner ingenuously professed, that he thought it had been impossible for himself to forbear oaths so long a time. Hereat Mr. Dod, the flame of whose zeal turned all accidents into fuel, fell into a pertinent and seasonable discourse, of what power men have, more than they know of themselves, to refrain from sin; and how active God's restraining grace would be in us to bridle us from wickedness, were we not wanting to ourselves.

Mr. Dod being at Holdenby, and invited by an honourable person to see that stately house, built by Sir Christopher Hatton, (the master-piece of English architecture in that age) he desired to be excused, and to sit still looking on a flower, which he had in his hand. In this flower (said he) I can see more of God, than in all the beautiful buildings in the world. And at this day, as his flower is long since withered, that magnificent pile (that fair flower of art) is altogether blasted and destroyed.

It is reported that he was but roughly used by the cavaliers, who (they say) plundered him of his linen and household stuff, though as some tell me, if so disposed, he might have redeemed all for a very small matter. However the good man still remembered his old maxim, "Sanctified afflictions are good promo"tions." And I have been credibly informed, that when the soldiers brought down his sheets out of the chamber into the room where Mr. Dod sat by the fire-side, he, in their absence to search after more, took one pair, and clapt them under his cushion whereon he sat, much pleasing himself after their departure, that he had (as he said) plundered the plunderers, and by a lawful felony saved so much of his own to himself.

6

Being stricken in years, he used to compare himself to Sampson when his hair was cut off. "I rise (saith ❝he) in a morning as Sampson did, and think I will go "out as at other times, go forth, watch, work, study, "ride, as when a young man: But, alas, he quickly "found an alteration, and so do I, who must stoop to "age, which hath clipt my hair, and taken my strength * away."

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He was an excellent scholar, and was as causelessly accused as another John, (I mean Mr. John Fox) for lacking of Latin. He was also an excellent Hebrician, and with his society and directions, in one vacation, taught that tongue unto Mr. John Gregory, that rare linguist, chaplain of Christ-church, who survived him but one year. And now they both, together praise God in that language which glorified saints and angels use in heaven.'

Mr. W. Lee gives this testimony of Mr. Dod: He lived in the several reigns of three princes, under monarchy, to which he was a friend: And we may well believe, that some part of those blessings we enjoyed in those flourishing times, was procured by exemplary piety and fervent preaching; which last had mighty force in subduing the lips of men, the great enemies of the public peace, and disturbers of society. By his contentedness, he taught men to confine their desires within the limits of what is necessary, and, by his heavenly mind, search for those pleasures which come from above. That he was a friend to the peace of the church, the testimony of Archbishop Usher will put out of doubt; whom I have heard say, Whatsoever some affirm of Mr. Dod's strictness, and scrupling some ceremonies, I desire, when I die, that my soul may rest where his doth.'

HERBERT PALMER, B.D.

THIS pious Divine, the son of Sir Thomas Palmer,

was descended of an ancient family, and born at Wingham in East-Kent, in 1601. The impressions of grace had so early an appearance in him, that he was, not without good ground, esteemed one sanctified from the womb. When but four years old, he would cry to go to his mother, to hear her read or speak something of GOD: And his religious desires grew up with his age. He was early acquainted with the Book of GOD, which he much delighted in, and read with great affection. He had excellent natural parts, which were soon exercised; he learned French when so young, that he has been often heard to say, he could not remember learning it. In 1615, he was admitted fellow-commoner of St. John's college in Cambridge, where he continued his former diligence, in the exercises of religion, and the improvement of himself in learning. In 1622, he took his master of arts degree; and in the year following was constituted fellow of Queen's college, in the same univer sity: And in the year 1624, he entered into holy orders; to which, agreeable to his own inclinations, he had been dcvoted from a child.

In the year 1626, he was chosen lecturer in the city of Canterbury; where, notwithstanding the great oppositions he met with, he laboured, in word and doctrine, with much diligence and success, for several years, till he removed to Ashwel in Hertfordshire, in 1632; where he continued the same zeal, diligence, and care, that he had shewn at Canterbury, in seeking the good of those souls committed to his charge. Besides his constant preaching twice every Lord's day, and on every occasion on the week-day, studying plainness of speech that he might profit all that heard him, he was remarkably careful by catechizing to instruct in the principles of religion not only the children and youth, but even aged people privately,

privately, whom he found ignorant. And in order to render as extensively useful as possible this most important part of pastoral duty, he prevailed upon the greater part of his parish and the most considerable persons in it, to send their children and servants constantly to be catechized before, the afternoon sermon at church; and when they grew so very numerous, that they took up too much time at church, he divided them, and catechized the rest at his own house in the evening. After studying several forms of catechism, and finding, by experience in teaching, they were defective in point of easy and ready instruction, he drew up a very excellent one, entitled, "An Endeavour of making the Principles of "the Christian Religion plain and easy;" which was so well approved of, that several thousands were printed every year.

As he was careful in the instruction of his flock, so was he also vigilant to prevent disorders amongst them in point of practice; in which, not content with his own personal endeavours, he engaged many of his parishioners, who joined heartily with him in putting a stop to the reigning profaneness and immorality of the

times.

In the religious ordering of his own family, he took the greatest care and pains, that, as much as possible, it might be a garden without weeds; and that those under his roof might either not perish, or at least that he might be free from their blood. Throughout the whole economy of his famlly he was a strict observer of the Lord's day; ordering all about him to leave off their ordinary employments sooner on the Saturday evening than on other days, that they might not be indisposed for the duties of the following day: And if he knew of any dish that had detained any of his servants from attending on any of the ordinances of GOD, he would reprove them by not so much as tasting it. Indeed his house was a perfect school of religion; for, besides his care of his family jointly, he gave them continually personal counsel and direction in the ways of GOD; exhorting them to a daily constancy in the performance of private duties between GoD and their own souls: So that scarce any family enjoyed so many helps and encouragements in the ways of faith and holiness, as Mr. Palmer's.

In 1632, he was by the University of Cambridge made one of the university preachers, (having proceeded bachelor in divinity two years before); which, after the nature

of