valued it not, fo that he was doing good, and were honouring God. He gives this Account of it, We met about 20 of us at our Minifter's House, the laft Lord's Day in the < Month, after Evening Prayer, to confult about carrying on the good Work of the Reformation of Man< ners in the Parish; and we had < pretty good Succefs, many were reftrained from open Profaneness, and the Poor relieved; but we met with < Difcouragement from fome, who we hoped, would have encouraged us.

Once coming into a publick House, and hearing a Gentleman moft profanely fwearing, tho a Stranger to him, he defired him to forbear; faid he, Thou art fome Prefbyterian I warrant thee; faid the Lieutenant, pray Sir, what Church are you of? Of

the Church of England, faid he; then faid the Lieutenant, I am forry you are of the fame Church that I am of; for you are a Difgrace to it.

I once (faith he) heard a Friend

of mine talk Atheist-like, very profanely; I reproved him faying, Sir, Why do you talk fo wickedly? Do you think there is neither God nor

Devil,

.

Devil, Heaven nor Hell?

He anfwered, it may be there is tuch things, but I know not where they are. I answered, Sir, in Time you may know, to your own Sorrow and Amazement. By this Time he doth, for he died lately.

XII. His Charity, especially for the
Teaching of poor Children.

He was very liberal to the Poor, according to his Ability. A worthy Knight giving many of Mr. Gouge's Surest and Safest Way of Thriving: Öne of them came into his Hand; after he had read it, he wrote down his Refolution, which was from that Time forward to double his Charity. He loved to employ poor Workmen, and was kind to them, faying they worked hard for a little Money.

He wrote down fuch Paffages as thefe, to ftir up himself to Charity; It is not he that poffeffeth Wealth, and keeps it by him, that is rich; but he that diftributes it in Charity, which will make Men rich for ever. When thou giveft to the Poor, thou fecureft to thy felf, and 'what thou with-holdeft another fhall * poffefs

poffefs. Give to the Poor, and it fhall be given thee; It is lent to the Lord; and God twice repays it; in this World, by a Bleffing on thy Wealth, and in Heaven he repays it over again. Thou fhalt have in Grace, what thou parteft with in Money.

He contributed very cheerfully to the teaching of poor Children, and bought divers of that little Book, call'd, The Guide to Heaven, to give away, and had a great Efteem for that Book, and generally carried one about him to read at his Leifure. He much rejoiced in the Increase of the CharitySchools, and was pleafed to fee the Children, taught at thofe Schools, carry themselves reverently at Church, and hear them fay their Catechifm. When he dy'd, out of his little, he left Ten Pounds to the Charity-School in Wibunbury Parish.

XIII. His Respect to good Minifters,
and his Grief concerning thofe that were
otherwife, and his lamenting our un-
happy Divifions.

As he had a Reverence and Love
Tod, fo he had for all his; his
Day,

Day, his People, his Ordinances, his Minifters: He was, in Judgment and Practice, for the Church of England, as by Law established, for (faith he) it is my Belief that a Man may, by 'the Grace of God, live as holy a Life in this Church as in any. He doth in his Books blefs God, for the learned and pious Clergy of the Church of England; it rejoiced him to hear (a few Days before he dy'd) the prefent Lord Bishop of Chefter preach fo excellent a Sermon at Nantwich, that had the Marrow and Subftance of the Gospel in it, on 1 Tim. I. 15. and to hear of that excellent Charge he gave his Clergy, to teach. their People, the Neceffity of divine Revelation, the divine Authority of the Scripture, the Divinity of our Saviour, and to prefs Holiness of Life; and that they fhould fet a good Example, and deny themselves in lawful Things for the good of their People; and refrain publick Houses: And as to those Proteftant Diffenters, that carried it humbly, and as they ought, they fhould not be behind hand with them in Love and Kindness. He rejoiced

joiced that the Church had many fuch.

He had a great Value for Mr. Jenks, who was Minifter of Wibunbury, and died July 19. 1700. I got much Benefit to my Soul (faith he) by his good Preaching and exemplary Living. He was a Man (faith he) of a good natural Temper, an ingenious Preacher, fober and temperate, and very charitable, of a publick Spirit; he ufed his beft Endeavours to promote 'Religion in the Parish. I have heard him reprove Sin and idle Talk very C boldly; he was diligent in the Duties of a Minifter; he was a con'ftant Reader of the Prayers, and frequently adminiftred the Lord'sC Supper; carefully catechiz'd the Chil'dren and Servants in the SummerC time; vifited the Sick in all Quarters of his Parish, both Poor and Rich; would go to any Part of the Parish to baptize Children that were fick, and not fit to be brought to Church; took a deal of Pains to get Subfcriptions for the maintaining of petty Schools, to teach Children to read; he did his utmoft towards the Suppreffion of Vice; particularIly the punishing of the filthy Sin

of