and having discoursed on the three former, he told them he should next Sunday treat of " Heaven," the last part of it: But he was prevented by sickness, and never preached after. And those inexplicable joys of heaven, which he had provided for matter of sweet contemplation with his people the following Sabbath, upon earth, the Lord prepared him for, and took him to the fruition of, in the eternal Sabbath of rest and glory, in heaven. His sickness, which was long and sharp, he bore with the greatest patience, for he saw HIM that is invisible. It was his whole delight to enjoy sweet communion and fellowship with his GoD and Saviour; and in intervals of ease, he would utter such expressions as these: "O! "when will this good hour come? When shall I be "dissolved? When shall I be with Christ?" Being told, that it was indeed better for him to be dissolved, but that the church would be sensible of their great loss in him, and the benefit of his ministry, he answered, "If I "shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring "me again, and shew me both it and his habitation; "but if otherwise, lo! here I am, let him do what seem"eth good in his eyes." Another person asked him, Whether he could not be content to live, if GOD would grant him life? To whom he answered, "I grant that "life is a great blessing of GOD; neither will I neglect any means that may preserve it, and do heartily desire "to submit to God's will; but of the two, I infinitely "desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ."

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In the time of his sickness, there came many to visit him, but he admitted none but his intimate friends; using an expression of St. Augustine, who desired, ten days before he died, that none might come to him, that he in that time might the better be fitted for Gov. But to those that came, he gave very wise exhortations; for, notwithstanding his body was wasted, yet his understanding and memory were as active and quick, as in the time of his health. He encouraged the ministers that visited him, to be diligent and courageous in the work of the Lord, and not to faint under their afflictions. He exhorted all that came to see him, to make sure of Christ before they came to die. He thanked GOD for his wonderful mercy, in pulling him out of hell, and in sealing his ministry with the conversion of many souls, which he wholly ascribed to his grace and glory.

About a week before he died, when his silver cord began to loosen, and his golden bowl to break, he called for his

wife, and desired her to bear his dissolution with a Christian fortitude; bidding her make no doubt but she should meet him again in heaven. And turning towards his children, (one son and four daughters) he told them, that they should not expect he could now say any thing to them, neither would his ability of body give him leave; he had told them enough in the time of his sickness and before, and begged they would remember it; hoping, that none of them would meet him, at that great tribunal, in an unregenerate state. Two days after, several of his parishioners visiting him, one moved, that as he had discovered to them by his doctrine the exceeding comforts that were in Christ, he would now tell them what he felt in his soul. "Alas! (said he) do you "look for that now from me, that want breath and power to speak? I have told you enough in my ministry; yet to satisfy you, I am, by the wonderful mer"cies of GOD, as full of comfort as my heart can hold, "and feel nothing in my soul but Christ, with whom I "heartily desire to be." Then seeing some weeping, he said, "O what a deal ado there is before one can die!"

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The night before he died, when the doors without began to be shut, the daughters of music to be brought low, and he lay very faint, expecting every moment when the wheel should be broken at the cistern, he was told, that some of his dear friends were then about him, to take their last farewell: He desired to be raised up in bed; when, after gasping a while for breath, he said to them," I am now "drawing on apace to my dissolution. Hold out, faith "and patience; your work will speedily be at an end." And then shaking them by the hand, prayed heartily and particularly for them, and "desired them to make sure "of heaven, and to bear in mind what he had formerly "taught them in his ministry; protesting, that the "doctrine which he had preached to them for the space "of twenty years, was the truth of God, as he should

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answer at the tribunal of Christ, before which he "should shortly appear." This he spake in the very pangs of death: Upon which a dear friend, taking him by the hand, asked him, If he did not feel great pain?

Truly no, (said he) the greatest I feel is your cold "hand." And then desiring to be laid down again, he spake no more till the next morning, when he took his last leave of his wife and children, prayed for them, and blessed them all; and a few hours after, being Saturday, the 17th of December 1631, and in the sixtieth year of

his age, he yielded up his spirit to GOD; and, according to his own expression," celebrated the ensuing Sabbath "in the kingdom of heaven."

READER, pray that thou mayest thus follow them who, through faith and patience, inherit the Promises!

ARTHUR

HILDERSHAM.

ARTHUR HILDERSHAM was born at Stechworth, near Newmarket, in Cambridgeshire, October the sixth 1563. He was the son of Thomas Hildersham of the said town, (a gentleman of an ancient family) and Ann Poole, his second wife, daughter to Sir Jeffery Poole, fourth son to Sir Richard Poole (who was cousin-german to King Henry VII) and Margaret, Countess of Salisbury, who was daughter to George, Duke of Clarence, (the second brother to King Edward IV.) and Isabel, the eldest daughter and co-heir of Richard, the great Earl of Warwick and Salisbury. Thus much for his birth. His education was as follows: In his childhood he was brought up in the popish religion, taught to say his prayers in Latin; both his parents and their kindred, especially his mother, being zealous papists. When he was to be sent abroad to school, his father's aim was only to send him to a good school, where many gentlemen's sons were taught; but GoD so ordered it, (by his good providence) that his father placed him at Saffron-Walden school in Essex, with one Mr. Desborough, a godly man and a religious protestant, who, taking great affection to him for his wit and disposition, was very careful of him, and taught him not only such human learning as was fitting for his years, but the grounds of the protestant religion. This school-master was the first blessed instrument Gon was pleased to make use of, to work in him a liking and relish of the reformed religion. He continued with him till he was fit for the university, which was not long. When he was about thirteen, he was placed by his father with a very religious tutor in Christ college, Cambridge, where he continued till after he was master of arts, and gained much love and esteem for his piety, learning, ingenuity, affability, and inoffensive witty con

versation.

When

When he had been in Cambridge about two years, his father sent him up to London, intending to send him to Rome, being confident he should neither want respect, encouragement, nor preferment, for his great uncle's (cardinal Poole's) sake, brother to his mother's father; but he refusing to go, his father kept him long at London, taking him from one popish ordinary to another, hoping that such company would at length have prevailed with him to have gone, according to his desire. But he continuing firm in his resolution not to go to Rome, his father resolved to cast him off, which soon after he did. Thus he, whom God had appointed to suffer much for him, began to bear the yoke in his youth; and in his tender years became a confessor, in forsaking father, friends, all present maintenance, and probable hopes of great future preferment, for Christ's sake.

Being in this apparently forlorn condition, GoD, who comforteth those that are cast down, comforted him by meeting with Mr. John Ireton (then fellow of Christ college, afterwards rector of Kegworth in Leicestershire, a man famous for piety and learning) in London, who at their meeting said unto him, Arthur, why art thou so long from thy book, and losest so much time?" "Alas, "Sir, (said he) I shall go no more to Cambridge;" and related to him his condition, and the occasion of it.

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Be

not discouraged, said Mr. Ireton, thou hast a noble kinsman, whom I will acquaint with thy case; and I • doubt not but he will provide for thee.' Accordingly, Mr. Ireton soon after went to the Earl of Huntingdon, Lord President of the North, (whose mother and Mr. Hildersham's mother were brother's children) and represented to him the sad condition of his poor kinsman: The noble Earl gladly embraced this opportunity of doing good; and sent for him, encouraged him, promised him maintenance, and gave order to Mr. Ireton to send him back to Cambridge, and to place him with a good tutor; for, said he, I suppose his father placed him ' with a papist.' But when Mr. Ireton assured him the contrary, he gave orders for him to return to his former tutor, of whose love to him and care of him Mr. Hildersham often used to speak.

He was of such good repute for his piety and learning, that by the major part of the fellows he was chosen fellow of that college; but Dr. Barwell, the master, making use of his negative voice, stopped him; and the inatter came to the visitors, two of whom, namely, Dr.

Perne,

Perne, and Dr. Goad, favouring his competitor, Mr. Willet, (who was afterwards Dr. Willet) made him fellow. Not long after, he was chosen Divine of Trinity Hall, in the said University, where he continued till September the 14th, 1587, at which time, by the aforesaid noble Earl, he was placed preacher at Ashby-de-laZouch, in Leicestershire: the impropriate tithes of the same parish being settled upon him for his life by the said Earl, and continued to him by the favour of the two succeeding Earls, until his death. He hath given public notice to the world of his duty and thankfulness to that noble house, in his dedicatory epistle to his lectures on the fourth chapter of St. John.

January 5, 1590, he married Mrs. Ann Barfoot, (daughter of Mr. Barfoot, of Lamborn-hall, in Essex) who was a very valuable wife to him, and a good mother to his children; she survived him about eight years. He was silenced in June 1590, and restored again in January 1591. He was instituted and inducted into the vicarage of Ashby, October the 4th, 1593.

In the year 1598, there was an attachment sent out of the high commission for his apprehension. In the beginning of King James's reign, when many petitioned for Reformation, (which petitions were subscribed by above seven hundred and fifty godly able preachers, in twenty-five counties, and directed to the Parliament, to his Majesty, the Lords of the Council, and to the Bishops,) he, with some few others of his brethren, were chosen and chiefly intrusted to manage that important business, to prosecute the petitions, to solicit the cause, and, if required, to dispute it. And whereas there were some appointed to deal (for those that desired Reformation) in the conference at Hampton court, he, with Mr. Stephen Egerton of London, and Mr. Edward Fleetwood of Lancashire, delivered to them ten demands and requests, made by thirty ministers, in the name of themselves and many others, which they entreated them to solicit his majesty for, in the behalf of the church.

He was deprived and silenced by the bishop of Lincoln, April 24, 1605, for refusal of subscription and conformity; yet, after some time, by the connivance and favour of the bishop of Litchfield and Coventry, he preached sometimes in that diocese, especially at those two famous exercises at Burton upon Trent, in Staffordshire, and Repton, in Derbyshire, which were the means of great good to the souls of many, both ministers and private Christians,