drunk; and as they came, they ranted and roared, saying, where art thou, Heywood? Come, and pay thy £40. By the time they had got to the end of the barn, and not above two or three roods from the house, I met them; one had fallen, and the other was lifting him up. My horse was frightened and would not go past; at length having got him up, the man came towards me, and said, 'he would see who I was?' but the other held him off, and said, let him alone, come by, friend;' so I went by. But what would they have done had they known who it was? God held me from them, for I had not my own horse, and had on a grey coat, and did not speak, for they would have known my voice. Blessed be the keeper of Israel, who hath preserved my going out, and my coming in to this day." He might at this time with propriety have adopted most of the expressions of the Apostle Paul, when describing his labours and sufferings in the cause of Christ. He was "in labours more abundant," and though mercifully preserved from the horrors of a prison, yet he was "in deaths oft, in journeyings often, in perils of robbers, in perils by his own countrymen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness."

His diary shows how ready he was to expose himself to danger for the good of souls: "June 16th,” he says, "upon earnest solicitation, I went to Bramley, in the night, about seven miles: God graciously preserved me. I preached three times on the Lord's day, and was much refreshed; the hearts of the people were evidently affected, and I hope some good was done. I visited friends by the way, and returned home on Monday night in safety. The night after, I went into Lau

cashire, and kept the sabbath with a considerable number in the house wherein I was born.

On Monday, I again travelled with my honoured father into Cheshire. At night we lodged at Dunham, with my lord Delamere, where we were nobly treated; yet I thought home and heaven were better than all this. I had affecting considerations of the excellency of grace beyond all this worldly pomp and splendour. Returned to Yorkshire, July 17th; and afterwards went into Lancashire, and preached again in the house wherein I was born; a great number flocked thither, so that there was not sufficient room for the people within doors. God made that (July 29th,) a blessed day to me. On the Monday night, at Bolton, Tuesday morning, near Bolton, in the evening, at Little Lever, and on Wednesday, at Breightmit, I had opportunities of preaching to considerable numbers. Aug. 6th, in the night came to my house once more. The two Lord's days I was at home, I spent with much enlargement, and had above forty persons each day, when God so concealed us that we were scarcely suspected, nor did my enemies know I was at home."

Being in constant danger, by residing near his late charge, he had serious thoughts of removing. "I had nearly determined to remove into Lancashire," he observes, "that I might be quietly at home, and have the benefit of a good schoolmaster for my sons; but my kind neighbours and hearers will not suffer it, they have prevailed on me to stay, and prevented my removal, which may be for my comfort in the issue. I preach in my own house three times every week, besides some work abroad. We have had more solemn and numerous meetings than formerly, almost 100 persons at once. We have a more private place than before,

where I can sing and speak as loud as I please, without fear of being overheard. I remained at home two Lord's days, with much enjoyment and safety: blessed be my God. I went according to appointment to Penistone, Nov. 3rd, 1666. After this journey I stayed at home two Lord's days, very comfortably and quietly, the Lord watching over me; I had considerable numbers both on the Lord's days and week days, and preached to those who came openly in the day time. I hear it was rumoured abroad that there are great meetings at Coley-hall, and a person told our neighbours they were resolved to catch me; yet hitherto God hath preserved and prevented me." He afterwards went abroad, and returned home, Dec. 19th. "Then," he says, "I stayed at home three Lord's days, followed my studies, preached thrice a week, had a large auditory, kept a fast, and God was very gracious to me all the time I was at home. Having gone again into Lancashire, I found that there are four persons under convictions through my ministry, of whom I never had heard before. When I came home, I found my son John very ill of the small pox. He speaks far beyond his age, and though in pain, he saith, his heavenly Father takes care of him. I continued at home two Lord's days, and was helpful to my family and many others, who flocked to my house, as doves to their windows, to the number of a hundred at a time, at least; God preserving us, who in his own due time did also graciously restore my son John, so that I kept a day of thanksgiving, and had several friends. It was a good day."

Scarcely had the dreadful effects of the plague terminated in London, and the persons who had fled, returned to their habitations, when the city was visited

by another awful scourge-the fire of London. This terrible conflagration began about midnight, Sept. 2nd, not far from the tower of London. Three or four days it continued its ravages, which no power of man could check, and at last it suddenly ceased, as if by a command from heaven. It consumed eighty nine churches, most of the city gates, the Guildhall, many public structures, hopitals, schools, libraries, a vast number. of stately edifices, thirteen thousand two hundred dwelling houses, and four hundred streets. The ruins of the city extended over four hundred and thirty six acres. "It was a sight," says Mr. Baxter, "that might have given any man a lively sense of the vanity of this world, and all the wealth and glory of it, and of the future conflagration of the world; to see the flames mount up towards heaven, and proceed so furiously without restraint; to see the streets filled with people astonished, who had scarce sense left them to lament their own calamity; to see the fields filled with heaps of goods; to see sumptuous buildings, curious rooms, costly furniture, and household stuff, yea, warehouses, and furnished shops, and libraries, &c. all on a flame, and none durst come near to take any thing; to see the king and nobles ride about the streets, beholding all these desolations, and none able to afford the least relief; to see the air, as far as could be beheld, so filled with the smoke, that the sun shone through it with a colour like blood, yea, even when he was setting, it so appeared to them that dwelt in the west side of the city. But the most doleful sight was afterwards, to see what a ruinous confused place the city was, by chimneys and steeples only standing in the midst of cellars and heaps of rubbish, so that it was hard to know where the streets had been, and it was

dangerous for a long time to pass through the ruins, because of vaults with fire in them. No man that seeth not such a thing, can have a right apprehension of the dreadfulness of it."*

Most of the former part of the year 1667, Mr. H. spent in occasional journeys to preach the gospel of the grace of God to perishing sinners, in various parts of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire.

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May 23rd," he says, "I took a journey with my family, that is, my children and servant-maid, into Lancashire. The Wednesday after, I united with my father, Angier, at Denton, on a public day of thanksgiving, being the anniversary of the king's return; and it was a delightful day. June 10th, I came home again with my family to Coley-hall. June 19th, upon a special call, I travelled to Sheffield, to keep a fast at Mr. Burbeck's house. I preached and went to prayer, but found not my wonted enlargement and assistance; as to personal matters, I was in some measure helped, but as it respected public concernments, I was much straitened. It was a solemn day, and there were ten ministers present; good old Mr. Wales† concluded.

Narrative of Mr. Baxter's Life and Times, by Sylvester, Part III. page 17.

+ Mr. Wales was a native of Idle, in Yorkshire, and when he had finished his studies, settled at Pudsey, a small chapelry in the same parish. His labours at this place were very great, and though his ministry was not blessed to his own people as he desired and others expected, yet he was made exceedingly useful to strangers who came to hear him, and in neighbouring places where he frequently preached. He had many lucrative offers from other places, but nothing could prevail with, him to leave his people, for whose spiritual welfare he was extremely solicitous, till he was driven from them by the Bartholomew Act, after having faithfully served them fifty-five years. He died at Leeds, May 11, 1669, above eighty years of age. His motto was, "Less than the least of all saints."