truth, comfort, and pleasure in retiring and turning your heart from the world, to the good Spirit of God, and in reading the bible, than in all the courts and favours of princes.' This I had, as near as I am able to remember, from the ambaffador's own mouth more than once. A very edifying hiftory, when we confider from whom it came; one of the greatest and wifeft men of his age; while his understanding was as found and vigorous, as his experience and knowledge were great.

§. XXIII. Dr. DONNE, a great poet, taking his farewell of his friends, on his dying-bed, left this faying behind him, for them to measure their fancies and their actions by: I repent of all my life, but that part of it I spent in communion with God, and doing good.'

§. XXIV. SELDEN, one of the greatest scholars and antiquaries of his time; one who had taken a diligent furvey of what knowledge was confiderable amongst the Jews, Heathens, and Chriftians; at laft profeffeth this, toward the end of his days, in his conference with bishop Ufher, That notwithstanding he had been fo laborious in his enquiries, and curious in his collections, and had poffeffed himself of a treasure of books and manufcripts upon all ancient fubjects; yet he could reft his foul on none, fave the fcriptures:" And above all, that paffage lay moft remarkable upon his fpirit, Titus ii. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. For the grace of God, that bringeth falvation, hath appeared unto all men; teaching us, that denying ungodliness, and worldly lufts, we should live foberly, righteously, and godly in this prefent world; looking for that blessed hope, and glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jefus Chrift; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works: These things fpeak and exhort, and < rebuke with all authority. And indeed it is one of the most comprehenfive paffages in fcripture; for it comprises the End, Means, and Recompence of Christianity.

§. XXV.

§. XXV. HUGO GROTIUS, than whom thefe latter ages think they have not had a man of more universal knowledge (a light, fay the Statefmen; a light, fay the Churchmen too) witness his " Annals," and his book,

De Jure Belli & Pacis ;" alfo his "Chriftian Religion, and Elaborate Commentaries." He winds up his life and choice in this remarkable faying, which should abate the edge of other men's inordinate defires after what they falfly call learning; namely, I would give all my learning and honour for the plain integrity of JEAN URICK,' who was a religious poor man, that fpent eight of his hours of his time in prayer, eight in labour, and but eight in meals, fleep, and other neceffaries. And to one that admired his great industry, he returned this by way of complaint: Ah! I have ⚫ confumed my, life in laboriously doing nothing. And to another, that enquired of his wifdom and learning what course to take? He folemnly answered, "Be Serious.' Such was the sense he had, how much a ferious life excelled, and was of force, towards a dying hour.

§. XXVI. To whom I join SALMASIUS, that famous French scholar, and the other's contemporary; who, (after his many volumes of learning, by which he had acquired great veneration among men of books) confeffed fo far to have mistaken True Learning, and that in which folid happiness confifts, that he exclaimed thus against himself; Oh! I have loft a world of Time! Time, that most precious thing in the world! Where' of, had I but one year more, it should be spent in David's Pfalms and Paul's Epiftles. Oh, Sirs! (faid he to those about him) Mind the World less, and God more. The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil, that is understanding'.' §. XXVII. FRANCIS JUNIUS, an ingenious perfon, who hath writ his own life; as he was reading "Tully "de Legibus," fell into a persuasion, Nihil curare "Deum, nec fui nec alieni;" till in a tumult in Lyons

Prov. ix. 10, and xvi, 17.

the

the Lord wonderfully delivered him from imminent death; fo that he was forced to acknowledge a Divine Providence therein. And his father hearing the dangerous ways that his fon was mifled into, fent for him home, where he carefully and piously instructed him, and caufed him to read over the New Teftament; of which he himself writeth thus: When I opened the • New Testament,. I first lighted upon John's first chapter, "In the beginning was the Word, &c." I read part of the chapter, and was fuddenly convinced, that the Divinity of the Argument, and the majefty and authority of the writing, did exceedingly excel all the eloquence of Human Writings: My body trembled, my mind was aftonifhed, and was fo affected all that day, that I knew not where and what I was. Thou waft mindful of me, O my God, according to the multitude of thy mercies, and calledft home thy loft fheep into the fold.' And as Juftin Martyr of old, fo he of late profeffed, That the power ⚫ of godliness, in a plain fimple Christian, wrought fo upon him, that he could not but take up a strict and a ferious life.'

§. XXVIII. A. RIVETUS, a man of learning, and much reverenced in the Dutch nation, after a long life of study, in fearch of divine knowledge, upon his deathbed, being difcourfed by his friend of heavenly things, brake forth in this manner; God has learned me more of himself in ten days Sickness, than I could get by all my Labour and Studies.' So near a way, fo fhort a cut it is, to the knowledge of God, when people come into the Right Way, which is, To turn in their minds and hearts to the voice of God, and learn of him, who is a Spirit, to be taught of him, and led by him: For in righteousness fuch fhall be established, and great <fhall be their peace.'

§. XXIX. A

§. XXIX. A Letter from JAMES earl of MARLBOROUGH, a little before his death, in the battle at fea, on the coaft of Holland, &c.

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Believe the goodness of your nature, and the friend

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fhip you have always borne me, will receive with kindness the laft office of your friend. I am in health enough of body, and (through the mercy of God in Jefus Chrift) well difpofed in mind. This I premife, that you may be fatisfied that what I write proceeds not from any fantastic terror of mind, but from a ⚫ fober resolution of what concerns myself, and earnest defire to do you more good after my death, than mine example (God of his mercy pardon the badness of it) in my life-time may do you harm. I will not fpeak ought of the vanity of this world; your own age and experience will fave that labour: but there is a certain thing that goeth up and down the world, called RELIGION, dreffed and pretended fantastically, and to purposes bad enough; which yet, by fuch evil dealing, lofeth not its being. The Great Good God hath not left it without a Witness, more or lefs, fooner or later, in every man's bofom, to direct us in the purfuit of it; and for the avoiding of thofe inextricable difquifitions and entanglements our own frail reasons would perplex us withal. God in his infinite mercy hath given us his Holy Word; in which, as there are many things hard to be underftood, fo there is enough plain and easy to quiet our minds, and direct us concerning our future being. I ⚫ confefs to God and you, I have been a great neglecter, and (I fear) defpifer of it: (God of his infinite mercy pardon me the dreadful fault). But when I retired myself from the noise and deceitful vanity of the world, I found no true comfort in any other refolution, than what I had from thence. I commend, from the bottom of my heart, the fame to your (I hope) happy use. Dear Hugh, let us be more generous, than to believe we die as the beafts

that

that perish; but with a Chriftian, manly, brave re• folution, look to what is eternal. I will not trouble you farther, The Only Great God and Holy God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, direct you to an happy ⚫ end of your life, and fend us a joyful refurrection! 'So prays your true friend,

< MARLBOROUGH.'

§. XXX. The late Sir HENRY VANE must be too fresh in memory to need a character; but it is certain his parts were of the first rate, and fuperior to the generality of men; yet he would often fay, He owed them

to religion.' In his youth he was much addicted to company, and promised little to bufinefs; but in reading of a book called "The Signs of a Godly Man," and being convicted in himself that they were juft, but that he had no fhare in any one of them; he fell into that extreme Anguish and Horror, that for fome Days and Nights he took little food or reft; which at once diffolved his old friendships, and made those impreffions and refolutions to religion, that neither Univerfity, Courts, Princes, nor Parents, nor any Loffes, or Disappointments, that threatened his New Course of Life, could weaken or alter. And though this laid him under fome difadvantages for a time, his great integrity and abilities quickly broke through that obfcurity; fo that those of very differing fentiments did not only admire, but very often defired him to accept the most eminent negotiations of his country; which he ferved according to his own principles, with great fuccefs, and a remarkable felf-denial. This great man's maxim was, Religion was the Best Master, and the Beft Friend; for it made men wife, and would never leave them that never left it;' which he found true in himself: For as it made him wiser than thofe that had been his teachers, fo it made him firmer than any hero, having fomething more than nature to support him (which was the judgment as well of foreigners as others, that had the curiofity to fee him