be drawn from his own writings, of which he left behind him a very large number. Many indeed have cenfured them, though it is certain, that fome of his books met with as general a reception as any that ever were printed; and the judicious Dr. Barrow, whofe opinion all competent judges will admit, gave this judgement upon them, his practical writings were never mended, his controverfial feldom confuted.'

Thus far we are indebted to the authors of the Biographia Britannica, for what they have laboriously digefted both from his own life written by Mr. Baxter himfelf, and from the abridgement of it, or additions to it, compofed by others. His own life, publifhed from his manufcripts by Mr. Matthew Sylvefter, is not only a very necessary book to those who would know Mr. Baxter, but to all who would ftudy and underftand the hiftory of the times. in which Mr. Baxter lived. It feems the most abftracted from party-heat of any book of the kind, that ever was written; which feems the more extraordinary, as few men have fuffered greater inconveniences by party.

It

He was likewife honored with the correfpondence of many foreign divines, fuch as Mr. Brunfenius, chaplain to the elector of Brandenbourg; Dr. Spencer, chaplain to the elector of Saxony; the celebrated Monfieur Amyrald, and many others: Among whom we ought not to forget Dr. John Tillotson, then dean of St. Paul's, and afterwards archbishop of Canterbury.

Dr. Bates tells us, that his books, which for number and variety of matter were fufficient to make a library, contain a treasure of controverfial, cafuiftical, positive, and practical divinity. Bishop Wilkins affirms, that he has cultivated every fubject he has handled. Dr. Simon Patrick, bishop of Ely, commends him as a useful and pious writer. But the rev. Mr. Long of Exeter, whom we have quoted more than once, fays, that it would be well for the world if they were all burned. According to his computation, they were in number fourfcore: Dr. Calamy fays he wrote above one hundred and twenty. Neither of these computations are exact. The author of this note hath feen a hundred and forty-five diftinct treatifes of Mr. Baxter's, whereof four were folio's, feventy-three quarto's, forty-nine octavo's, and nineteen in twelves and twenty-four's, befides fingle fheets, separate sermons, and at least five and twenty prefaces before other men's writings. The first book he published was his Aphorifins of Juftification, and the Covenants, printed in 1649, and the last in his life-time, The Certainty of the World of Spirits, printed in 1691, fo that he was an Author two and fifty years. Amongst his moft famous pieces were his Saints Everlafting Reft; his Call to the Unconverted, of which twenty thousand were fold in one year; it was tranflated into all the European languages, and into the Indian tongue: His Reformed Liturgy, his Catholic Theology, his Poor Man's Family Book, his Dying Thoughts, and his Paraphrafe on the New Teftament. His practical works have been printed altogether, in four volumes in folio.

It would, however, not be doing juftice to the memory of Mr. Baxter, were we to pafs over the account, which his excellent friend Dr. Bates has given us of him. Nor would it be juftice to our pious Readers; for there is a vein of grace, running through the detail of the eloquent author, which tends not only to inform the mind, but to warm and animate the heart by Mr. Baxter's example.

Speaking of his refidence at Kidderminster, Dr. Bates proceeds to fay, that there Mr. Baxter's ministry, by the divine influence, was of admirable efficacy. The harveft answered the feed that was fowed. Before his coming, the place was like a piece of dry and barren earth, only ignorance and profanenefs, as natives of the foil, were rife among them; but by the bleffing of heaven upon his labor and cultivating, the face of paradife appeared there in all the fruits of righteoufnefs. Many were tranflated from the ftate of polluted nature, to the ftate of grace; and many were advanced to higher degrees of holinefs. The bad were changed to good, and the good to better. Conversion is the excellent work of divine grace. The efficacy of the means is from the fupreme mover. But GOD ufually makes thofe minifters fuccefsful in that bleffed work, whofe principal defign and delight is, to glorify him in the faving of fouls. This was the reigning affection of his heart, and he was extraordinarily qualified to obtain his end.

His prayers were an effufion of the most melting expreffions, and his intimate ardent affections to GOD: From the abundance of the heart his lips (pake. His foul took wing for heaven, and wrapped up the fouls of others with him. Never did I fee or hear a holy minifter addrefs himself to GOD with more reverence and humility; with more refpect to his glorious greatnefs; never with more zeal and fervency, correfpondent to the infinite moment of his requests; nor with more filial affiance in the divine mercy.

In his fermons there was a rare union of arguments and motives to convince the mind, and gain the heart: All the fountains of reafon and perfuafion were open to his difcerning eye. There was no refifting the force of his difcourfes, without denying reafon and divine revelation. He had a marvellous felicity and copioufness in fpeaking. There was a noble negligence in his ftyle: For his great mind could not stoop to the affected eloquence of words. He defpifed flashy oratory: But his expreffions were clear and powerful, fo convincing the understand

ing, fo entering into the foul, fo engaging the affections, that those were as deaf as adders, who were not charmed by fo wife a Charmer. He was animated with the Holy Spirit, and breathed celeftial fire, to infpire heart and life. into dead finners, and to melt the obdurate in their frozen tombs. Methinks I ftill hear him fpeak thofe powerful words: "A wretch that is condemned to die to-morrow, "cannot forget it: And yet, poor finners, that continu"ally are uncertain to live an hour, and certain fpeedily "to fee the majesty of the Lord, to their unconceivable "joy or terror, as fure as they now live upon earth; can forget these things for which they have their memory; "and which, one would think, fhould drown the matters of this world, as the report of a cannon does a "whisper, or as the fun obfcures the pooreft glow-worm. "O wonderful ftupidity of an unregenerate foul! O won"derful folly and diftractedness of the ungodly! That "ever men can forget, I fay again, that they can forget, "eternal joy, eternal woe, and the eternal GOD, and the "place of their eternal unchangeable abode, when they "stand even at the door, and there is but the thin veil "of flesh between them and that amazing fight, that "eternal gulph, and they are daily dying and stepping in." Serm. before the H. Commons, 1660, V. iv. p. 729.

Befides, his wonderful diligence, in catechizing the particular families under his charge, was exceeding ufeful to plant religion in them. Perfonal inftruction and application of divine truths, have an excellent advantage and efficacy to infinuate, and infufe religion into the minds and hearts of men, and, by the converfion of parents and mafters, to reform whole families that are under their immediate direction and government. While he was at Kidderminster, he wrote and published that accomplished model of an evangelical minifter, ftyled "Gildas Salvianus, or the Reformed Paftor:" In that book, he clears beyond all cavil, that the duty of ministers is not confined to their study and the pulpit, but that they should make ufe of opportunities to inftruct families within their care, as it is faid by the apostle, that he had kept back nothing from his hearers that was profitable, but had taught them publicly, and from house to house. Acts xx. 20, 21. The idea of a faithful minifter, delineated in that book, was a copy taken from the life, from his own zealous example. His unwearied induftry to do good to his flock, was anfwered by correfpondent love and thankfulness. He was an angel in their efteem. He would often speak with great complacence of their dear affections:

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fections: And a little before his death, faid, "He believed "they were more expreffive of kindness to him, than the "chriftian converts were to the apostle Paul, by what "appears in his writings."

While he remained at Kidderminster, his illuftrious worth was not fhaded in a corner, but difperfed its beams and influence round the country. By his counfel and excitation, the minifters in Worceflerfbire, epifcopal, prefbyterian, and congregational, were united, that, by their ftudies, labors, and advice, the doctrine and practice of religion, the truth and holiness of the gofpel, might be preserved in all the churches committed to their charge. This affociation was of excellent use, the ends of church government were obtained by it, and it was a leading example to the minifters of other counties. Mr. Baxter was not above his brethren-minifters, by a fuperior title, or any fecular advantage, but by his divine endowments and feparate excellencies, his extraordinary wifdom, zeal and fidelity: He was the foul of that happy fociety.

He continued among his beloved people, till the year 1660, when he came to London. A while after the king's restoration, there were many endeavors ufed in order to an agreement between the epifcopal and prefbyterian minifters. For this end feveral of the bifhops elect, and of the minifters, were called to attend the king at Worcefter-Houfe: There was read to them a declaration drawn. up with great wifdom and moderation, by the lord chancellor the earl of Clarendon. I fhall only obferve, that in reading the feveral parts of the declaration, Dr. Morley was the principal manager of the conference among the bishops, and Mr. Baxter among the minifters: And one particular I cannot forget; it was defired by the minifters, that the bifhops fhould exercifé their church. power with the counfel and confent of prefbyters. This limiting of authority was fo difpleafing, that Dr. Cofins, then elect of Durham, faid, If your majefty grant this you will unbifhop your bifhops. Dr. Reynolds upon this produced the book entitled, The Portraiture of his fa

cred Majefty in his Solitude and Sufferings,' and read the following paffage: Not that I am against the managing of this prefidency and authority of one man by the joint counfel and confent of many prefbyters: I have offered to restore that, as a fit means to avoid thofe errors, corruptions and partialities, which are incident to any one man : Alfo to avoid tyranny, which becomes no chriftians, leaft of all church men. • Befides,

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< Befides, it will be a means to take away that burden and odium of affairs, which may lie too heavy on one man's 'fhoulders, as indeed I think it did formerly on the 'bishops here.' The good doctor thought, that the judgement of the king's afflicted and enquiring father, would have been of great moment to incline him to that temperament: But the king presently replied, All that is in that book is not gofpel.' My lord chancellor prudently moderated in that matter, that the bifhops, in weighty caufes, fhould have the affiftance of the prefbyters.

Mr. Baxter confidering the ftate of our affairs in that time, was well pleafed with that declaration. He was of Calvin's mind, who judicioufly obferves, upon our Saviour's words, That the Son of man fhall fend forth his angels, and they fhall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend: Qui ad extirpandum quicquid difplicet præpofterè feftinant, antevertant Chrifti judicium, et ereptum angelis officium fibi temerè ufurpant*. Befides, that declaration granted fuch a freedom to confcientious minifters, that were unfatisfied as to the old conformity, that if it had been obferved, it had prevented the doleful divifion that fucceeded afterward. But when there was a motion made in the house of commons, that the declaration might pafs into an act, it was oppofed by one of the fecretaries of state, which was a fufficient indication of the king's averseness to it.

After the declaration, there were many conferences at the Savoy between the bifhops and fome doctors of their party, with Mr. Baxter and fome other minifters for an agreement, wherein his zeal for peace was most conspicuous; but all was in vain. Of the particulars that were debated, he has given an account in print.

Mr. Baxter after his coming to London, during the time of liberty, did not neglect that which was the principal exercise of his life, the preaching the gofpel, being always fenfible of his duty of faving fouls. He preached at St. Dunstan's on the Lord's days in the afternoon. I remember one inftance of his firm faith in the divine providence, and his fortitude when he was engaged in his miniftry there. The church was old, and the people were apprehenfive of fome danger in meeting in it: And while Mr. Baxter was preaching, fomething in the fteeple fell down, and the noife ftruck fuch a terror

They that make too much hate to redrefs at once all things that are amifs, anticipate the judgement of Chrift, and rahly ufurp the office of the angels.