and he explained it to them. Or else they read, and he examined them in some other useful book, as Mr. Poole's Dialogues against the Papists, the Assembly's Confession of Faith with the Scriptures, or the like.

On Saturday evenings, his children and servants gave him an account what they could remember of the chapters that had been expounded all the week before, in order, each a several part, helping one another's memories for the recollecting of it. This he called, -gathering up the fragments which remained, that nothing might be lost. He would say to them sometimes, as Christ to his disciples, -Have ye understood all these things? If not, he took that occasion to explain them more fully. This exercise, which he constantly kept up all along, was both delightful and profitable, and, being managed by him with so much prudence and sweetness, helped to instil into those about him betimes the knowledge and love of the Holy Scriptures.

When he had sojourners in his family, who were able to bear a part in such a service, he had commonly in the winter time, set weekly conferences, on questions proposed, for their mutual edification and comfort in the fear of God; the substance of what was said, he himself took, and kept an account of, in writing.†

But the Lord's Day he called and counted the queen of days, the pearl of the week, § and observed it accordingly. The Fourth Commandment intimates a special regard to be had to the sabbath in families; Thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, &c it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings. In this, therefore, he was very exact, and abounded in the work of the Lord in his family on

Dr. Collinges was a voluminous writer; see the Noncon. Mem. v. 3, p. 9. No Catechism, however, appears in the list of his Works; and every effort to obtain further information on the subject has been ineffectual. It may be observed, that it is "said to be written by Dr. Collins."

The supposition, as to Dr. Collinges being the author, is the more likely, inasmuch as he was usually styled Collins, or rather Collings. Thus, on his Portrait, by White, 4to. 1678, we read,-Vera Effigies Johannis Collings, S. T. P. Anno Dom. 1678, ætatis 55.

8vo. 1667.

+ Appendix, No. XI.

1669. Sab. Apr. 30th. I have long since been taught the sabbath is a sign; the institution a sign of God's love to us; the sanctification, a sign of our love to him. Mrs. Savage. Diary. Orig. MS.

The opinion of Sir Edward Turner, Speaker of the House of Commons, at the Prorogation, July 27, 1663, is worth preserving:-"He that remembers not to keep the Christian Sabbath, at the beginning of the week, will be in danger to forget, before the end of the week, that he is a Christian." P. Henry. Diary. Orig. MS.

A statement, like the one last mentioned, is the more observable, because early associations were then generally of another cast, and repugnant alike to good taste, and devotional feeling. See Alleine's Vindicia Pietatis, p. 129, duod. 1663.

The Jews were wont to call it the queen of days. One of our's, now translated into his glorious rest, honours it thus, calling it,-The map of heaven, the golden spot of the week, the market-day of the soul, the queen of days, &c. Mr. Geo. Swinnock, in his Good Wish to the Lord's Day. Supplement to the Morning Exercise at Cripplegate, p. 141, ut supra. Serm. 6.

* See Exod. xxxi. 13, 17. Ezek. xx. 12, 20.

that day. Whatever were the circumstances of his publick opportunities, which varied, as we shall find afterwards, his family-religion on that day was the same. Extraordinary sacrifices must never supersede the continual burnt-offering and his meat-offering. Numbers, xxviii. 15. His common salutation of his family or friends, on the Lord's day in the morning, was that of the primitive Christians;-The Lord is risen; he is risen indeed; making it his chief business on that day to celebrate the memory of Christ's resurrection; and he would say, sometimes,-Every Lord's Day is a true Christian's Easter Day. He took care to have his family ready early on that day, and was larger in exposition and prayer on sabbath mornings than on other days. He would often remember, that, under the law, the daily sacrifice was doubled on sabbath days; two lambs in the morning, and two in the evening. He had always a particular subject for his expositions on sabbath mornings; the harmony of the evangelists several times over, the scripture prayers, Old Testament prophecies of Christ;-Christ, the true Treasure, so he entitled that subject, sought and found in the field of the Old Testament. He constantly sung a psalm after dinner, and another after supper, on the Lord's Days. And in the evening of the day his children and servants were catechized and examined in the sense and meaning of the answers in the Catechism; that they might not say it, as he used to tell them, like a parrot,-by rote. Then the day's sermons were repeated, commonly by one of his children, when they were grown up, and while they were with him; and the family gave an account what they could remember of the word of the day, which he endeavoured to fasten upon them, as a nail in a sure place. In his prayers on the evening of the sabbath, he was often more than ordinarily enlarged; as one that found not only God's service perfect freedom, but his work its own wages, and a great reward, not only after keeping, but, as he used to observe, from Psalm xix. 11, in keeping God's commandments. A present reward of obedience in obedience. In that prayer he was usually very particular, in praying for his family, and all that belonged to it. It was a prayer he often put up,-That we might have grace to carry it as a minister, and a minister's wife, and a minister's children, and a minister's servants, should carry it, that the ministry might in nothing be blamed. He would sometimes be a particular intercessor for the towns and parishes adjacent. How have I heard him, when he hath been in the mount with God, in a sabbath evening prayer, wrestle with the Lord for Chester, and Shrewsbury, and Nantwich, and Wrexham, and Whitchurch, &c. those nests of souls, wherein there are so many, that cannot discern between their right hand and their left in spiritual things, &c. He closed his sabbath work in his family with singing Psalm cxxxiv., and, after it, a solemn blessing of his family.

[He frequently observed days of humiliation in his family. Some of those occasions are noted in his Diary. The following are in

stances.

G

1661. July 10. A day of family humiliation. The Lord was sweetly seen in the midst of us, and I trust it was a day of atonement. Sin pardoned, requests made, covenants renewed, in Jesus Christ.

October 10. We kept a day of private prayer, and humiliation, in the family, and the Lord was with us. This confession much affected me, that things are not so among us as they should be among those who are the relations of a minister of Jesus Christ. Lord, pardon, and grant for time to come it may be better! *]

Thus was he prophet and priest in his own house; and he was king there too, ruling in the fear of God, and not suffering sin upon any under his roof.

He had many years ago a man-servant, that was once overtaken in drink abroad; for which, the next morning, at family worship, he solemnly reproved him, admonished him, and prayed for him, with a spirit of meekness, and soon after parted with him. But there were many that were his servants, who, by the blessing of God upon his endeavours, got those good impressions upon their souls which they retained ever after; and blessed God, with all their hearts, that ever they came under his roof. Few went from his service till they were married, and went to families of their own; and some, after they had been married, and had burried their yoke-fellows, returned to his service again, saying,-Master, it is good to be

here.

He brought up his children in the fear of God, with a great deal of care and tenderness, and did, by his practice, as well as upon all occasions in discourses, condemn the indiscretion of those parents who are partial in their affections to their children, making a difference between them, which he observed did often prove of ill consequence in families; and lay a foundation of envy, contempt, and discord, which turns to their shame and ruin. His carriage towards his children was with great mildness and gentleness, as one who desired rather to be loved than feared by them. He was as careful not to provoke them to wrath, nor to discourage them, as he was to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. He ruled indeed, and kept up his authority, but it was with wisdom and love, and not with a high hand. He allowed his children a great degree of freedom with him, which gave him the opportunity of reasoning them, not frightening them, into that which is good. He did much towards the instruction of his children in the way of familiar discourse, according to that excellent directory for religious education, Deuteronomy, vi. 7,-Thou shalt whet these things (so the word is, which, he said, noted frequent repetition of the same things) upon thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, &c. which made them love home, and delight in his company, and greatly endeared religion to them.

* P. Henry. Diary. Orig. MS.

Ann Henry