friends, or estate, nor depressed with troubles and difficulties. His carriage was genteel, in nothing mean: He was generous in his favours. His great worth drew on him the respects of very considerable persons, some of the best quality at home, and of strangers from foreign parts who resorted to him, to whom he always carried himself in so obliging a manner, that he was greatly valued beyond sea; for foreign divines having read his Latin discourses, learned English that they might have the benefit of his other works; and many travelled into England to see him and converse with him; many also were the letters between him and learned persons abroad, and particularly that famous gentlewoman, Anna Maria à Schurman.

It is a loss to the public much to be regretted, that none of these letters can now be found. He was a person of great moderation in his judgment, of a charitable spirit, willing to think the best of all men as far as he could; not censorious; a lover of piety in men of different professions, not confining Christianity within the narrow compass of any one party in the world; a studier of peace, and a promoter of it among professing Christians. As for his learning, he was one of the brightest ornaments of the university, a perfect master of the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew tongues. He was a great philosopher, and also well read in the civil law. A great historian; having a perfect comprehension of church history in particular. He was thoroughly versed in all the Greek and Latin poets; well skilled in the rabbins, and made great use of them as there was occasion. He was an excellent divine, as appears by his writings; unwearied he was in his studies, and his proficiency was answerable; his la bours both in writing and preaching, and other services peculiar to his function as a minister of the Gospel and pastor of a church, were incredible. He was well skilled in polemical divinity: As appears in his learned works against the Papists, Socinians, Arminians, &c He had studied well the discipline and government of the church of Christ according to divine appointment; and though when he was a young man he was of the presbyterian judgment, yet his riper years and closer search determined his sentiments fully for the congregational order, and he has written excellently upon that subject in two volumes in quarto. His piety and devotion was very eminent, his experimental knowledge of spiritual things very great, as his discourses of mortification, temptation, indwelling sin, communion with GOD, his exposition on

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the exxxth Psalm, &c. do sufficiently evidence. In all relations he behaved himself as a great Christian, a faithful and loving husband, a tender father, a good master, and a prudent governor when he was in places of honour and service; and a very dutiful, peaceable subject. He was well acquainted with men and things, and would give a shrewd guess at a man's temper and designs upon the first acquaintance. He was an excellent preacher, having very good elocution, graceful and affectionate. He could on all occasions on a sudden, without any premeditation, express himself well and pertinently on any subject; yet were his sermons mostly well studied and digested, nor did he generally use notes in the pulpit.

He was indeed richly furnished with all the stores of learning, which admirably fitted him for the defence of the truth against the most subtile adversaries; and it plainly appears by his writings, that he was raised up by Divine Providence to be an instrument of diffusing a very clear knowledge of gospel truths, and of preserving them from the designs of corrupt and perverse men: And, with all this treasure of human learning, there was another almost singular qualification in him, that he was able and ready to apply himself to all practical cases of conscience, and had a rare faculty of speaking a word in season to those under temptation, desertion, and affliction. A most happy conjunction indeed of great learning and spiritual experience, which he had the wisdom and faithfulness to apply to the best purposes; and when he handled any polemical subject in divinity, he was always careful, where the case would admit, to consult the benefit and comfort of believers, and the advancement of the power of godliness: Nor can we pass over his admirable Christian temper in managing controversy; for though persons are generally apt to be warm in throwing out reflections and sarcasms against their adversaries, yet so grave and meek a disposition did he preserve throughout his writings, that there has scarce any thing dropped from his pen but what becomes the character of a solid divine, and an excellent Christian. We shall give one instance that may serve for all; which appears in his answer to Mr. J. Goodwin, a zealous Arminian, who had opposed that great doctrine of the saint's perseverance, which the church of GOD has always been tender of, as one chief argument of comfort. In his preface to the heads and governors of the colleges and halls in Oxford, after he had given his adversary a great character for his parts, learning, and eloquence, he

takes

takes notice of his subtile evasions and sharp invectives. "For a man (says the Doctor) to warm himself by casting about his pen, until it be so filled with indignation and scorn as to blur every page, and almost every line, is a course that will never promote the praise, nor adorn the truth of God; for what remains concerning him, Do ille ingenium, Do eloquentiam et industriam; fidem et veritatem utinam coluisset." Such was the character of his 'opponent. Now, see how the Doctor treats him in his answer, take the account in his own words, which immediately follow, viz. "The course and condition of my procedure with him, whether it be such as becomes Christian modesty and sobriety, with an allowance of those ingredients of zeal in contending for the truth, which in such cases the Holy Ghost gives a command for, is referred to the judgment of all who are concerned, and account themselves so in the things of GOD. As to bitterness of expression, personal reflections by application of satirical invectives, I know nothing by myself, yet I dare not account that I am hereby justified." This is the right Christian temper he has kept through all his writings: A very great attainment! And a vast advantage it was to the good design he was carrying on for the glory of God, and for the interest of truth, holiness, and peace.

There is something so pathetic in the Doctor's last composition, that the serious reader will certainly be glad to peruse it.

To CHARLES FLEETWOOD, Esq.

"DEAR SIR,

"ALTHOUGH I am not able to write one word myself, yet I am very desirous to speak one word more to you in this world, and do it by the hand of my wife. The continuance of your entire kindness, knowing what it is accompanied withal, is not only greatly valued by me, but will be a refreshment to me, as it is even in my dying hour. I am going to him whom my soul has loved, or rather who has loved me with an everlasting love, which is the whole ground of all my consolation. The passage is very irksome and wearisome, through strong pains of various sorts, which are all issued in an intermitting fever. All things were provided to carry me to London to-day, according to the advice of my physicians; but we are all disappointed by my utter disability to undertake the journey. I am leaving the ship of the church

in a storm; but whilst the great Pilot is in it, the loss of a poor under-rower will be inconsiderable. Live, and pray, and hope, and wait patiently, and do not despond; the promise stands invincible, that he will never leave us nor forsake us. I am greatly afflicted at the distempers of your dear lady; the good Lord stand by her, and support and deliver her. My affectionate respects to her, and the rest of your relations, who are so dear to me in the Lord. Remember your dying friend with all fervency: I rest upon it that you do so, and am "Your's entirely,

August 22, 1683.

"J. OWEN."

N. B. The Doctor died August 24th, two days afterwards.

His Works. Folio. I." Of the Saint's Perseverance. Oxon, 1654. II. An Exposition on the Epistle to the Hebrews, in four vols. Lond. 1668, &c. III. A Discourse of the Holy Spirit. 1674. IV. A Complete Collection of his Sermons formerly published, with others never before printed: Also several Tracts, now first published from MSS. with others grown very scarce, viz. 1. Several practical Cases of Conscience resolved. 2. Of Marrying after Divorce, in case of Adultery. 3. Of Infant Baptism. 4. A Word of Advice to the Citizens of London. 5. The State of the Kingdom. 6. An Account of the Grounds and Reasons why Protestant Dissenters desire their liberty. 7. The Case of present Distresses on Nonconformity examined. 8. A Letter concerning the Matter of the present Excommunications. 9. An Answer to this Question: May a true Church err or mistake in administering Church-censures? 10. Some short Reflections on a slanderous Libel against the Doctor. 11. Five Latin Orations when Vice-Chancellor of Oxford. To this volume are prefixed some Memoirs of the Doctor's Life, with several of his Letters, and his Funeral Sermon, preached by Mr. Clarkson. London, 1721." Quarto. I. A Display of Arminianism. 1643. II. The Duty of Pastors and People distinguished. 1644. III. Salus Electorum, Sanguis Jesu: Or, The Death of Death, in the Death of Christ. 1648. IV. Of the Death of Christ. V. Vindicie Evangelica: Or, The Mystery of the Gospel vindicated, &c. in answer to J. Biddle. 1655. VI. 'Of Communion

Communion with GoD; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 1657. VII. YOUμLEα: Sive de naturá, ortu, progressu, et studio Vera Theologia, 1661. VIII. An Exposition of the cxxxth Psalm. 1668. IX. The Doctrine of Justification by Faith through the imputed Righteousness of Christ, explained, &c. 1677. X. The Glorious Mystery of the Person of Christ, GoD and Man. 1679. XI. The Grace and Duty of being spiritually minded. 1681. XII. An Enquiry into the Original, Nature, Institution, Power, Order, and Communion of Evangelical Churches. 1681. XIII. The true Nature of a Gospel-Church, and its Government. 1689. XIV. A Review of the Annotations of Grotius. 1656. XV. A Discourse concerning Liturgies, and their Imposition. 1662. XVI. Indulgence and Toleration considered in a Letter. 1667. XVII. A Peace Offering, or Plea for Indulgence. 1667. 1667. XVIII. The Church of Rome no safe Guide. 1679. XIX. Some Considerations about Union among Protestants. 1680. XX. Vindication of the Nonconformists from the Charge of Schism. 1680. XXI. An Account of the Nature of the Protestant Religion. 1682."-Octavo. I. "Two Catechisms. 1645. II. Eshcol: Or rules for Church-Fellowship. 1648. III. Diatriba de justitia divina. 1653. 1653. IV. Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers. 1656. V. A Discovery of the true Nature of Schism. 1657. VI. A Review of the true Nature of Schism, with with a Vindication of Congregational Churches. 1657. VII. Of the Nature and Power of Temptation. 1658. VIII. A Defence of Cotton against Cawdry. 1658. IX. Exercitationes quatuor pro Sacris Scripturis. 1658. X. The Divine Original and Authority of the Scriptures. 1659. XI. A Primer for Children. 1660. XII. Animadversions on Fiat Lux. 1662. XIII. Vindication of those Animadversions. 1664. XIV. A brief Instruction in the Worship of God. 1667. XV. The Nature of indwelling Sin. 1668. XVI. Truth and Innocence vindicated, in a Survey of a Discourse of Ecclesiastical Folity. 1669. XVII. A brief Vindication of the Doctrine of the Trinity. 1669. XVIII. Of the Sabbath, and the Divine Institution of the Lord's Day. 1671. XIX Of Evangelical Love, Church-Peace and Unity. 1673. XX. A Vindication of his Book of Communion with GOD, from the Exceptions of Dr. Sherlock. 1674. XXI. The Nature of Apostacy from the Profession of the Gospel. 1676. XXII. The Reason of Faith in the

Scriptures