CHAPTER XII.

A VIEW OF THE CHARACTER OF

BISHOP HALL,

AND OF HIS WRITINGS.

THE character and mind of Bishop Hall are prominently delineated and pourtrayed in his admirable and numerous writings. Every attentive reader of his works will easily discover the humility of the christian, united with great talents, and extensive literary attainments. "He is universally allowed to have been a person of incomparable piety, meekness and modesty, a thorough knowledge of the world, and of great wit and learning." Richardson, in his edition of Godwin's De Presulibus, p. 444, gives the following character of Bishop Hall:-" Vir rerum usu peritus, ingenio subtili et exercitato, eruditione multiplici instructus, nec interim minor erat modestiæ et indolis mansuetissimæ laus.”

He was from his birth, in a peculiar manner, a child of providence; and he tells us in the beginning of his "Account of Himself," that he

noted the wonderful providence of God in all his ways:-"What I have done is worthy of nothing but silence and forgetfulness; but what God hath done for me, is worthy of everlasting aud thankful memory."

For his preferments and promotions in the church he was indebted to no patronage whatever, but such as his own abilities, and eminent qualities, under Providence, procured him by these he was introduced to the notice and protection of Prince Henry; and, after the lamented death of that excellent prince, of his brother Charles I. In the several dedications prefixed to detached portions of his works, according to the custom of that age, he dwells with sincere and unaffected gratitude on the favors he received from his royal patrons, and he always mentions most gratefully the kindnesses of his other friends and patrons towards him.

He was pious from his youth; and being devoted by his parents to serve God in the sacred ministry, he particularly directed his studies to that end. He was so great a lover of study, that he earnestly wished his health would have allowed him a more unceasing application. The following extracts from a letter to his patron Lord Denny, exhibit to us his usual manner of study and of spending each day.

66

Every day is a little life; and our whole life

is but a day repeated: whence it is, that old Jacob numbers his life by days; and Moses desires to be taught this point of holy arithmetic, to number not his years but his days. Those therefore that dare lose a day, are dangerously prodigal; those that dare mispend it, desperate. We can teach others by ourselves: let me tell your Lordship how I would pass my days, whether common or sacred; and that you, or whosoever others over-hearing me, may either approve my thriftiness, or correct my errors.When sleep is rather driven away than leaves me, I would ever awake with God. My first thoughts are for him: if my heart be early seasoned with his presence, it will savour of him all day after. While my body is dressing, not with an effeminate curiosity, nor yet with rude neglect; my mind addresses itself to her ensuing task, bethinking what is to be done, and in what order, and marshalling, as it may, my hours with my work.

That done, after some meditation, I walk up to my masters and companions-my books; and sitting down amongst them, with the best contentment, I dare not reach forth my hand to salute any of them, till I have first looked up to heaven, and craved favor of him, to whom all my studies are duly referred: without whom, I can neither profit nor labor. After this, out of no over great variety, I call

forth those, which may best fit my occasions; wherein I am not too scrupulous of age: sometimes I put myself to school to one of those ancients, whom the church hath honoured with the name of Fathers; whose volumes, I confess not to open, without a secret reverence of their holiness and gravity: sometimes, to those latter doctors, which want nothing but age to make them classical:---ALWAYS TO GOD'S BOOK. That day is lost, whereof some hours are not improved in those divine monuments: others I turn over, out of choice; these out of duty. Ere I can have sat unto weariness, my family, having now overcome all household distractions, invites me to our common devotions; not without some short preparation. These heartily performed, send me up with a more strong and cheerful appetite to my former work, which I find made easy to me by intermission and variety. One while mine eyes are busied ; another while my hand; and sometimes my mind takes the burden from them both. One hour is spent in textual divinity; another in controversy: histories relieve them both. When the mind is weary of other labours, it begins to undertake her own; sometimes it meditates and winds up for future use: sometimes it lays forth her conceits into present discourse; sometimes for itself, often for others. Neither know I whether it works or plays in these thoughts. I am sure

no sport hath more pleasure; no work inore use: only the decay of a weak body, makes me think these delights insensibly laborious. Before my meals and after, I let myself loose from all thoughts, and would forget that I ever studied. Company, discourse, recreations, are now seasonable and welcome. I rise not immediately from my trencher to my book, but after some intermission. After my latter meal, my thoughts are slight; only my memory may be charged with the task of recalling what was committed to her custody in the day; and my heart is busy in examining my hands and mouth, and all other senses, of that day's behaviour. The evening is come: no tradesman doth more carefully take in his wares, clear his shopboard, and shut his windows, than I would shut up my thoughts and clear my mind. That student shall live miserably, which, like a camel, lies down under his burden. All this done, calling together my family, we end the day with God. Such are my common days."

This may be considered as a specimen of the habitual mode of Bishop Hall's employing his time. He proceeds to describe his way of spending the sabbath day. "But God's day calls for another respect. The same sua arises on this day, and enlightens it: yet, because that Sun of Righteousness arose upon it, and gave a new life unto the world in it, and drew the strength of God's