per her difcourfes with Religion, and ftrangely draw concerned parties to fubmiffion and agreement; exercifing not fo much the rigour of her power, as the power of her perfuafion. Her meekness and humility appeared to me extraordinary. She never confidered the quality, but the merit of the people fhe entertained. Did the hear of a retired man, hid from the world, and feeking after the knowledge of a better,' she was sure to fet him down in the catalogue of her charity, if he wanted it: I have casually seen, I believe, Fifty Tokens fealed and fuperfcribed to the feveral poor fubjects of her bounty, whofe diftances would not fuffer them to know one another, though they knew her, whom yet fome of them had never feen. Thus, though fhe kept no fumptuous table in her own Court, the fpread the tables of the Poor in their folitary Cells; breaking bread to virtuous pilgrims, according to their want, and her ability. Abftemious in herself, and in apparel void of all vain ornaments.'

I must needs fay, her mind had a noble profpect : Her eye was to a better and more lafting inheritance than can be found below; which made her often to defpife the Greatness of courts, and learning of the schools, of which she was an extraordinary judge. Being once at Hamburgh, a religious perfon, whom she went to fee for religion's fake, telling her, It was too great. an honour for him, that he should have a vifitant of her quality come under his roof, that was allied to fo many great kings and princes of this world:' She humbly answered, If they were godly, as well as great, it would be an honour indeed; but if you knew what ⚫ that greatness was, as well as I, you would value less that honour.' Being in fome agony of fpirit, after a religious meeting we had in her own chamber, she faid,It is an hard thing to be faithful to what one knows: Oh, the way is ftrait! I am afraid I am not weighty enough in my spirit to walk in it.' After another meeting, fhe uttered these words; I have records in my library, that the Gospel was firft brought out of England hither into Germany by the English,

and

and now it is come again.' She once withdrew, on purpose to give her fervants the liberty of difcourfing us, that they might the more freely put what queftions of confcience they defired to be fatisfied in; for they were religious: Suffering both them, and the poorest of her town, to fit by her, in her own bed-chamber, where we had two meetings. I cannot forget her Last Words, when I took my leave of her: "Let me defire you to remember me, though I live at this diftance, "and that you should never see me more. I thank "" you for this good time; and know and be affured, though my condition fubjects me to divers temptations, yet my foul hath ftrong defires after the best "things." She lived her fingle life till about fixty years of age, and then departed at her own house in Herwerden, which was about two years fince; as much lamented, as fhe had lived beloved of the people: To whofe Real Worth, I do, with Religious Gratitude for her kind reception, dedicate this memorial.

§. XXXV. BULSTRODE WHITLOCK has left his own character in his "Memorials of English affairs;" a book that shows both his employments and greater abilities. He was almost ever a commiffioner and companion with those great men, that the lords and commons of England, at feveral times, appointed to treat with king Charles I. for a peace. He was commiffioner of the great seal, ambaffador to the crown of Swedeland, and fometimes prefident of the council: A fcholar, a lawyer, a ftatefman; in fhort, he was one of the most accomplished men of the age. Being with him fometimes at his own houfe in Berkshire, where he gave me that account I have related of chancellor Oxcistern, amongst many ferious things he spoke, this was very obfervable. I ever have thought,' faid he, there has been One True Religion in the World; and that is, the work of the Spirit of God in the

с

She died in 1680. And this paffage was inferted in a second edition of this treatife, an. 1682. Y 3

hearts

hearts and fouls of men. There have been indeed <divers forms and shapes of things, through the many difpenfations of God to men, anfwerable to his own wife ends, in reference to the low and uncertain state • of man in the world; but the Old World had the Spirit of God, for it ftrove with them; and the New World has had the Spirit of God, both Jew and Gentile; and it ftrives with all; and they that have been led by it, have been the good people in every difpenfation of God to the world. And I myself muft fay, I have felt it from a child to convince me ' of my evil and vanity; and it has often given me a 'true measure of this poor world, and fome taste of divine things; and it is my grief I did not more early apply my foul to it. For I can fay, fince my retirement from the greatness and hurries of the < world, I have felt fomething of the work and com'fort of it, and that it is both ready and able to inftruct, and lead, and preferve thofe that will humbly ' and fincerely hearken to it. So that my religion is the Good Spirit of God in my Heart; I mean, what that has wrought in me and for me.' After a meeting at his house, to which he gave an entire liberty for all that pleased to come, he was fo deeply affected with the testimony of the Light, Spirit, and Grace of Chrift in Man, as the Gospel Difpenfation, that after the meeting closed in prayer, he rose up, and pulled off his hat, and faid, This is the Everlasting Gospel I have heard this day; and I humbly blefs the name of God, that he has let me live to see this day, in which the • Ancient Gospel is again preached to them that dwell ' upon the earth.'

.

§. XXXVI. A fifter of the family of PENN, of Penn, in Buckinghamshire, a young woman delighting in the finery and pleasures of the world, was feized with a violent illness, that proved mortal to her. In the time of her ficknefs fhe fell into great diftrefs of foul, bitterly bewailing the want of that inward peace which makes a death-bed easy to the righteous. After feveral days languishing, a little confolation appeared after

this manner. She was fome hours in a kind of a Trance; she apprehended fhe was brought into a place where Chrift was; to whom could fhe but deliver her petition, the hoped to be relieved. But her endeavours increafed her pain; for as fhe preffed to deliver it, He turned his back upon her,' and would not fo much as look towards her. But that which added to her forrow, was, That the beheld others admitted.' However, fhe gave not over importuning him: And when almost ready to faint, and her hope to fink, he turned one 'fide of his face towards her, and reached forth his hand, and received her requeft: At which her troubled foul found immediate confolation.' Turning to those about her, fhe repeats what had befallen her; adding, Bring me my new clothes; take off the lace and finery.' And charged her relations, Not to deck and adorn themselves after the manner of the world; for that the Lord Jefus, whom he had feen, appeared to her in the likeness of a PLAIN COUNTRY MAN, without any trimming or ornament whatever; and that his fervants ought to be like him.'

§. XXXVII. My own FATHER, after thirty years employment, with good fuccefs, in divers places of eminent trust and honour in his own country; upon a serious reflection not long before his death, fpoke to me in this manner, Son William, I am weary of the world; I would not live over my days again, if I could command them with a wifh; for the fnares of life are greater than the fears of death. This troubles me, that I have offended a gracious God, that has followed me to this day. O have a care of fin! That is the fting both of life and death. Three · things I commend to you:' First, "Let nothing in this "world tempt you to wrong your CONSCIENCE;"'I charge you, do nothing against your confcience; fo will you keep peace at home, which will be a feast you lay of trouble. Secondly, Whatever "lay it juftly, and time it seasonfecurity and dispatch. Laftly, pointments;' 55 ⚫ for if they

defi

may

may be recovered, do it; if they cannot, trouble is vain. If you could not have helped it, be content; there is often peace and profit in fubmitting to Providence: for afflictions make wife. If you could have helped it, let not your trouble exceed inftruc• tion for another time: Thefe rules will carry you ' with firmness and comfort through this inconstant 'world.' At another time he inveighed against the profaneness and impiety of the age; often crying out, with an earnestnefs of fpirit, Wo to thee, O England! • God will judge thee, O England! Plagues are at thy 'door, O England!' He much bewailed, That divers

men in power, and many of the nobility and gentry of the kingdom, were grown fo diffolute and profane; often faying, God has forfaken us; we are infatuated; we will shut our eyes; we will not see our true interefts and happiness; we fhall be deftroyed!' Apprehending the confequences of the growing loofeness of the age to be our ruin; and that the methods moft fit to ferve the kingdom with true credit at home and abroad, were too much neglected; the trouble of which did not a little help to feed his diftemper, which drew him daily nearer to his end: and as he believed it, fo lefs concerned or difordered I never faw him at any time; of which I took good notice. Wearied to live, as well as near to die, he took his leave of us; and of me, with this expreffion, and a most compofed countenance: Son William, if you and your Friends keep to your plain Way of Preaching, and keep to your plain Way of Living, you will make an end of the priests to the end of the world. Bury me by my mother: live all in love: fhun all manner of evil: < And I pray God to bless you all; and he will bless

< you.'

§. XXXVIII. ANTHONY LOWTHER of Mafk; a perfon of good fenfe, of a fweet temper, a juft mind, and of a fober education; when of age to be under his own government, was drawn by the men of pleasure of the town into the ufual freedoms of it, and was as much a judge as any body of the fatisfaction that way of