66

Humility is to other graces, as the morning star is to the sun, that goes before it, and follows it in the evening: Humility prepares us for the receiving of grace; GOD gives grace to the humble: And it follows the exercise of grace; not I, says the apostle, but the grace of God in me. In Mr. Baxter there was a rare union of sublime knowledge, and other spiritual excellencies, with the lowest opinion of himself. He wrote to one that sent a letter to him full of expressions of honour and esteem : ❝ You "do admire one you do not know; knowledge will cure "the error. The more we know of Gon, the more reason we see to admire him; but our knowledge of the "creature discovers its imperfections, and lessens our "esteem." To the same person, expressing his veneration of him for his excellent gifts and graces, he replied with heat, "I have the remainders of pride in me; "how dare you blow up the sparks of it ?" He desired some ministers, his chosen friends, to meet at his house, and spend a day in prayer, for his direction in a matter of moment: Before the duty was begun, he said, "I have desired your assistance at this time, because I "believe GOD will sooner hear your prayers than ❝ mine." He imitated St. Austin both in his penitential confessions and retractations. In conjunction with humility he had great candour for others. He could willingly bear with persons of different sentiments: He would not prostitute his own judgment, nor ravish another's. He did not over-esteem himself, nor undervalue others. He would give liberal encomiums of many conforming divines.* He was severe to himself, but candid in excusing the faults of others. Whereas, the busy enquirer, and censurer of the faults of others, is usually the easy neglecter of his own.

Self-denial, and contempt of the world, were shining graces in him. in him. I never knew any person less indulgent to himself, and more indifferent to his temporal interest. The offer of a bishoprie was no temptation to him: For his exalted soul despised the pleasure and profits which others so earnestly desire; he valued not an empty title upon his tomb.

His

As he gave encomiums of others, he had much said to his honour by many. Sir Matthew Hale spake highly of his piety and learning, before all the judges at the table at Serjeant's Inn, at the time when he was in prison upon the Oxford act. And see the testimony of others at the close of the account of his life, prefixed to his practical works in folio.

6

His patience was truly Christian.

GOD does often try his children by afflictions to exercise their graces, to occasion their victory, and to entitle them to a triumphant felicity.

This Saint was tried by many afflictions. We are very tender of our reputation: His name was obscured under a cloud of detraction. Many slanderous darts were thrown at him. He was charged with schism and sedition. He was accused for his paraphrase on the New Testament, as guilty of disloyal aspersions upon the government, and condemned, unheard, to a prison, where he remained for some years. But he was so far from being moved at the unrighteous prosecution, that he joyfully said to a constant friend, "What could I de"sire more of GOD, than after having served him to my power, I should now be called to suffer for him?" One, who had been a fierce dissenter, was afterward rankled with an opposite heat, and very contumeliously in his writings reflected upon Mr. Baxter, who calmly endured his contempt: And when the same person published a learned discourse in defence of Christianity, Mr. Baxter said, "I forgive him all for his writing that book." Indeed he was so much the more truly honourable, as he was thought worthy of the hatred of [some] persons.

66

It is true, the censures and reproaches of others, whom ́ he esteemed and loved, touched him in the tender part. But he, with the great Apostle, counted it a small thing to be judged by man's day. He was entire to his conscience, and independent upon the opinion of others.* But his patience was more eminently tried by his continual pains and languishing. Martyrdom is a more easy way of dying, when the combat and the victory are finished at once, than to die by degrees every day. His complaints were frequent; but who ever heard an unsubmissive word drop from his lips? He was not put out of his patience, nor out of the possession of himself. In his sharp pains he said, "I have a rational patience, and a believing patience, though sense would recoil."

66

His pacific spirit was a clear character of his being a child of GOD. How ardently he endeavoured to cer

ment

The honourable Mr. Boyle declared Mr. Baxter to be the fittest man of the age to be a casuist, because he feared no man's displeasure, nor hoped for any man's preferment.

Bishop Burnet, in his life of Sir Matthew Hale, records it, that 'He held great conversation with Mr. Baxter, who was his neigh*bour at Acton, on whom he looked as a person of great devotion and piety, and of a very subtle and quick apprehension.'-Burnet's Life, &c. p. 75.

66

ment the breaches among us, which others widen and keep open, is publicly known. He said to a friend, “I can as willingly be a martyr for love as for any article "of the creed." It is strange to astonishment, that those who agree in the substantial and great points of the reformed religion, and are of differing sentiments only in things not so clear, nor of that moment as those wherein they consent, should still be opposite parties. Methinks, the remembrance how our divisions lately exposed us to our watchful adversary, and were almost fatal to the interest of religion, should conciliate our affections. common danger and common deliverance, should prepare our spirits for a sincere and firm union: When our sky was so without a glimmering horizon, then by a new dawning of God's wonderful providence, a deliverer appeared, our gracious sovereign, King William the III. who has the honour of establishing our religion at home, and gives us hopes of restoring it abroad, in places from whence it has been so unrighteously and cruelly expelled. May the union of his protestant subjects in religious things, so desired by wise and good men, be accomplished by his princely counsel and authority. Integrity with charity would remove those things that have so long disunited us. I return from this digression.

Love to the souls of men, was the peculiar character of Mr. Baxter's spirit. In this he imitated and honoured our Saviour, who prayed, died, and lives for the salvation of souls. All his natural and supernatural endowments were subservient to this blessed end. It was his meat and drink, the life and joy of his life, to do good to souls. His industry was almost incredible in his studies: He had a sensitive nature desirous of ease as others have, and faint faculties, yet such was the continual application of himself to his great work, as if the labour of one day had supplied strength for another, and the willingness of the spirit had supported the weakness of the flesh. In his usual conversation, his serious, frequent, and delightful discourse was of divine things, to enflame his friends with the love of heaven. He received with tender compassion and condescending kindness, the meanest that came to him for counsel and consolation. He gave,

in one year, a hundred pounds to buy bibles for the poor. He has, in his will, disposed of all that remains of his estate, after the legacies to his kindred, for the benefit of the souls and bodies of the poor. He continued to preach so long, notwithstanding his wasted languishing hody, that, the last time, he almost died in the pulpit.

It would have been his joy to have been transfigured in

the mount.

Not long after his last sermon, he felt the approaches of death, and was confined to his sick bed. Death reveals the secrets of the heart; then words are spoken with most feeling and least affectation. This excellent Saint was the same in his life and death: His last hours were spent in preparing others and himself to appear before GOD. He said to his friends that visited him, "You "come hither to learn to die: I am not the only person that must go this way; I can assure you that your whole "life, be it never so long, is little enough to prepare for "death Have a care of this vain deceitful world, and "the lusts of the flesh: Be sure you choose God for "portion, heaven for your home, GoD's glory for your "end, his word for your rule, and then you need never "fear but we shall meet with comfort."

your

Never was penitent sinner more humble and debasing himself, never was a sincere believer more calm and comfortable. He acknowledged himself to be the vilest dunghill worm (it was his usual expression) that ever went to heaven. He admired the divine condescension to us, often saying, "Lord, what is man? What am "I, vile worm, to the great GOD?" Many times he prayed, God be merciful to me a sinner! and blessed GOD, that that was left upon record in the gospel, as an effectual prayer. He said, " GOD may justly condemn "me for the best duty I ever did: And all my hopes are "from the free mercy of GoD in Christ, which he often "prayed for."

After a slumber he waked and said, "I shall rest from "my labour." A minister then present said, And your ' works follow you: To whom he replied, "No works, "I will leave out works, if God will grant me the other." When a friend was comforting him with the remembrance of the good, which many had received by his preaching and writings, he said, "I was but a pen in God's hand; "and what praise is due to a pen ?"

His resigned submission to the will of God in his sharp sickness, was eminent. When extremity of pain constrained him earnestly to pray to God for his release by death, he would check himself;" It is not fit "for me to prescribe;" and said, "When thou wilt, what thou wilt, how thou wilt."

Being in great anguish, he said, "O how unsearchable "are his ways, and his paths past finding out! the reaches

"of

"of his providence we cannot fathom :" And to his friends: Do not think the worse of religion for what

66 you see me suffer."

66

66

Being often asked by his friends, how it was with his inward man? he replied, "I bless GoD I have a wellgrounded assurance of my eternal happiness, and great peace and comfort within;" but it was his trouble he could not triumphantly express it, by reason of his extreme pains. He said, "Flesh must perish, and we must "feel the perishing of it: And that though his judgment "submitted, yet sense would still make him groan."

6

Being asked by a person of quality, Whether he had not great joy from his believing apprehensions of the 'invisible state?" He replied, "What else think you "Christianity serves for?" He said, "The consideration "of the Deity in his glory and greatness was too high for "our thoughts; but the consideration of the Son of GoD "in our nature, and of the saints in heaven whom he "knew and loved, did much sweeten and familiarize hea"ven to him." The description of heaven in the xiith chapter to the Hebrews and the 22d verse, was most comfortable to him: That he was going to the innumerable company of angels, and to the general assembly and church of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven; and to Gon the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect; and to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than the blood of Abel. "That Scripture, he said, deserved a thou“ sand thousand thoughts," He said, "O how comfort"able is that promise, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, “neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive the things God has laid up for those who love him."

At another time he said, "That he found great comfort "and sweetness in repeating the words of the Lord's "Prayer, and was sorry that some good people were "prejudiced against the use of it; for there were all ne

cessary petitions for soul and body contained in it."

At other times he gave excellent counsel to young ministers that visited him, and earnestly prayed to Gon to bless their labours, and make them very successful in converting many souls to Christ. And he expressed great joy in the hopes that God would do a great deal of good by them, and that they were of moderate peaceful spirits.

He did often pray that God would be merciful to this miserable distracted world: And that he would preserve. his church and interest in it.

He