into the people, that they prefently, in a wild diforder, ran out of the church; their eagerness to hafte away, put all into a tumult: Mr. Baxter, without vifible difturbance, fat down in the pulpit: After the hurry was over, he refumed his difcourfe, and faid to compofe their minds, "We are in the fervice of GOD to prepare our"felves, that we may be fearless at the great noife of "the diffolving world, when the heavens fhall pass away, "and the elements melt with fervent heat; the earth allo, "and the works that are therein, jhall be burnt up;" 2 Pet.

jii. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.

After St. Dunstan's church was pulled down in order to its rebuilding, he removed to Black-Friars, and contiMued his preaching there to a vaft concourfe of hearers, till the memorable Bartholomew.

In the year 1661, a parliament was called, wherein was paft the act of uniformity, that expelled from their public places about two thousand minifters. I will only take notice concerning the causes of that proceeding, that the old clergy from wrath and revenge, and the young gentry from their fervile compliance with the court, and their diftafte of ferious religion, were very active to carry on and complete that act. That this is no rash imputation upon the ruling clergy then is evident, not only from their concurrence in paffing that law, for actions have a language as convincing as that of words, but from Dr. Sheldon then bifhop of London, their great leader; who when the lord chamberlain Manchefter told the king, while the act of uniformity was under debate, That he was afraid the terms of it were fo rigid, that many of the minifters would not comply with it; he replied, I am afraid they will.' This act was paffed, after the king had engaged his faith and honor, in his declaration from Breda, to preferve the liberty of confcience inviolate, which promife opened the way for his reftoration; and after the royalifts here had given public affurance, that all former animofities fhould be buried, as rubbish under the foundation of an univerfal concord. Mr. Baxter, who was involved with fo many minifters in this calamity, and was their brightest ornament, and the best defence of their righteous, though oppreffed cause; made two obfervations upon that act and our ejection:

The one was, that the minifters were turned and kept out from the public exercife of their office in that time of their lives that was moft fit to be dedicated and ém

ployed

ployed for the service and glory of GOD, that is between thirty and fixty years, when their intellectual and inftrumental faculties were in their vigor. The other was, in a letter to me after the death of feveral bifhops, who were concurrent in paffing that act, and expreffed no forrow for it: His words were, "For ought I fee, the "bifhops will own the turning of us out, at the tribunal "of Chrift, and thither we appeal."

After the act of uniformity had taken its effect, in the ejection of fo many minifters, there was fometimes a connivance at the private exercife of their ministry, fometimes public indulgence granted, and often a fevere profecution of them, as the popifh and politic intereft of the court varied. When there was liberty, Mr. Baxter applied himself to his delightful work, to the great advantage of those who enjoyed his miniftry. But the church party oppofed vehemently the liberty that was granted. Indeed fuch was their fiercenefs, that if the diffenting minifters had been as wife as ferpents, and as innocent as doves, they could not escape their cenfures. The pulpit reprefented them as feditiously difaffected to the ftate, as obftinate fchifmatics; and often the name of GOD was not only taken in vain, but in violence, to authorize their hard fpeeches, and harder actions, against them. Some drops of that ftorm fell upon Mr. Baxter, who calmly fubmitted to their injurious dealings. I fhall fpeak of that afterward.

In the interval, between his deprivation and his death, he wrote and published most of his books, of which I will give fome account.

His books, for their number and variety of matter in them, make a library. They contain a treasure of controverfial, cafuiftical, pofitive and practical divinity. Of them I fhall relate the words of one, whofe exact judgement, joined with his moderation, will give a great value to his teftimony; they are of the very reverend Dr. Wilkins, afterward bifhop of Chefter: He faid, That Mr. Baxter had cultivated every fubject he handled; and if he had lived in the primitive times he had been one of the fathers of the church.' I fhall add what he faid with admiration of him at another time, That it was ' enough for one age to produce fuch a perfon as Mr. 'Baxter. Indeed he had fuch an amplitude in his thoughts, fuch vivacity of imagination, and folidity and depth of judgement, as rarely meet together. enquiring mind was freed from the fervile dejection and

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bondage of an implicit faith. He adhered to the fcriptures, as the perfect rule of faith, and fearched whether the doctrines, received and taught, were confonant to it. This is the duty of every chriftian, according to his capacity, especially minifters, and the neceffary means to open the mind for divine knowledge, and for the advancement of the truth. He publifhed feveral books against the papifts, with that clearnefs and ftrength, as will confound, if not convince them. He faid, "He "only defired armies and antiquity against the papists:" Armies, because of their bloody religion fo often exemplified in England, Ireland, France, and other countries. However they may appear on the ftage, they are always the fame perfons in the tyring-room: Their religion binds them to extirpate heretics, and often over-rules the milder inclinations of their nature: Antiquity, because they are inveigled with a fond pretence to it, as if it were favorable to their caufe. But it has been demonftrated by many learned proteftants, that the argument of antiquity is directly against the principal doctrines of popery, as that of the fupremacy, of tranfubftantiation, of image-worship, and others.

He has wrote feveral excellent books against the impu dent atheism of this loofe age. In them he establishes the fundamental principle, upon which the whole fabric of chriftianity is built; that after this fhort uncertain. life, there is a future ftate of happinefs or mifery equally eternal, and that death is the laft irrevocable ftep into that unchangeable ftate. From hence it follows, by infallible confequence, that the reafonable creature fhould prefer the intereft of the foul before that of the body, and fecure eternal life. This being laid, he proved the chriftian religion to be the only way of fallen man's being reftored to the favor of GOD, and obtaining a bleffed immortality. This great argument he manages with that clearness and ftrength, that none can refufe affent unto it, without denying the infallible principles of faith, and the evident principles of nature.

He alfo publifhed fome warm difcourfes, to apologize for the preaching of diffenting minifters, and to excite them to do their duty. He did not think that the act of uniformity could difoblige them from the exercife of their office. It is true, magiftrates are titular gods, by their deputation and vicegerency, but fubordinate and accountable to GOD above. Their laws have no binding force upon the confcience, but from his command; and if contrary to his laws, are to be difobeyed. The minifters.

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confecrated to the fervice of GOD, are under a moral perpetual obligation of preaching the faving truths of the gofpel, as they have opportunity. There needs no miraculous teftimony of their commiffion from heaven, to authorize the doing their ordinary duty.

In fome points of modern controverfy, he judiciously chofe the middle way, and advifed young divines to follow it. His reverence of the divine purity, made him very fhy and jealous of any doctrine that feemed to reflect a blemish and ftain upon it. He was a clear afferter of the fovereign freenefs, and infallible efficacy of divine grace, in the converfion of fouls. In a fermon reciting the words of the covenant of grace, I will put my fear into their hearts, and they shall not depart from me; Jer. xxxii. 40. he obferves the tenor of it was, "I will, and "you fhall." Divine grace makes the rebellious will obedient, but does not make the will to be no will*. By the illumination of the mind, the will is inclined to obedience, according to the words of our Saviour, All that have heard, and learned of the Father, come unto me. He preached, that the death of Chrift was certainly effectual for all the elect, to make them partakers of grace and glory; and that it was fo far beneficial to all men, that they are not left in the fame defperate ftate with the fallen angels, but are made capable of falvation by the grace of the gofpel: Not capable as efficients to convert themselves, but as fubjects to receive faving grace. He did fo honor

the fincerity of GOD, as entirely to believe his will declared in his word: He would not interpret the promifes of the gospel in a lefs gracious fenfe, than GOD intended them: Therefore if men finally perifh, it is not for want of mercy in GOD, nor merits in Christ, but for wilful refufing falvation.

His books of practical divinity have been effectual for more numerous converfions of finners to GOD, than any printed in our time: And while the church remains

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If a meaner pen may be allowed to attempt an eclairciffement; this profound fubject may be ftated thus.-Divine grace gives freedom to the will, by taking off the weighty prejudices and oppreffions of fin, which bore it down or carried it away from its own original liberty and happiness. When thefe fetters were removed, the illumination of grace prefented to the will all the beauty of holiness, which could not but close with it both in admiration and defire. Thus finners are faved freely by grace, and yet in their own free-will; not that which is corrupted and enslaved, but that which is liberated and renewed. Every Reader will remember, how analogous this is to the reprefentation of the fcriptures, which defcribes natural men in a state of bondage under fin and Satan.

on earth, will be of continual efficacy to recover loft fouls. There is a vigorous pulfe in them that keeps the Reader awake and attentive. His book of "The Saints

Everlafting Reft," was written by him when languifhing in the fufpence of life and death, but has the fignatures of his holy and vigorous mind. To allure our defires, he unveils the fanctuary above, and difcovers the glory and joys of the bleffed in the divine prefence, by a light fo ftrong and lively, that all the glittering vanities of this world vanish in that comparison, and a fincere believer will defpise them, as one of mature age does the toys and baubles of children. To excite our fear, he removes the fcreen, and makes the everlafting fire of hell fo vifible, and represents the tormenting paffions of the damned in thofe dreadful colours, that, if duly confidered, would check and controul the unbridled licentious appetites of the most fenfual wretches.

His Call to the Unconverted*;" how finall in bulk, but how powerful in virtue! Truth fpeaks in it with that authority and efficacy, that it makes the Reader lay his hand upon his heart, and find he has a foul and a confcience, though he lived before as if he had none. He told fome friends, that fix brothers were converted by reading that Call; and that every week he received letters of fome converted by his books. This he spake with most humble thankfulness, that GOD was pleafed to ufe him as an inftrument for the falvation of fouls.

He that was fo folicitous for the falvation of others, was not negligent of his own; but as regular love requires, his first care was to prepare himfelf for heaven. In him the virtues of the contemplative and active life were eminently united. His time was fpent in communion with GOD, and in charity to men. He lived above the fenfible world, and in folitude and filence converfed with GOD. The frequent and serious meditation of eternal things, was the powerful means to make his heart holy and heavenly, and from thence his converfation. His life was a practical fermon, a drawing example. There was an air of humility and fanctity in his mortified countenance; and his deportment was becoming a ftranger upon earth, and a citizen of heaven.

Though all divine graces, the fruit of the Spirit, were vifible in his converfation, yet fome were more eminent. Humi

The eminent Mr. Eliot of New-England, translated this tract into the Indian tongue: A young Indian prince was to taken with it, that he icad it with tears, and died with it in his hand,