Humility is to other graces, as the morning ftar is to the fun, 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 exercife of grace; not I, fays the apoftle, but the grace of GOD in me. In Mr. Baxter there was a rare union of fublime knowledge, and other fpiritual excellencies, with the loweft opinion of himfelf. He wrote to one that fent a letter to him full of expreffions of honor and efteem, "You do admire one you do not know; know"ledge will cure the error. The more we know of "GOD, the more reafon we fee to admire him; but "our knowledge of the creature, difcovers its imperfec❝tions, and leffens our esteem." To the fame person, expreffing his veneration of him for his excellent gifts and graces, he replied with heat, "I have the remain"ders of pride in me; how dare you blow up the fparks "of it?" He defired fome minifters, his chofen friends, to meet at his houfe, and fpend a day in prayer, for his direction in a matter of moment: Before the duty was begun, he faid, "I have defired your affiftance at this

time, becaufe I believe GOD will fooner hear your prayers than mine." He imitated St. Auftin both in his penitential confeffions and retractations. In conjunction with humility he had great candor for others. He could willingly bear with perfons of differing fentiments: He would not proftitute his own judgement, nor ravish another's. He did not over-efteem himself, nor undervalue others. He would give liberal encomiums of many conforming divines. He was fevere to himself, but candid in excufing the faults of others. Whereas, the bufy enquirer, and cenfurer of the faults of others, is ufually the eafy neglecter of his own.

Self-denial, and contempt of the world, were fhining graces in him. I never knew any perfon lefs indulgent to himfelf, and more indifferent to his temporal intereft. The offer of a bishopric was no temptation to him: For his exalted foul defpifed the pleasure and profits which others fo earnestly defire; he valued not an empty title upon his tomb.

His

As he gave encomiums of others, he had much faid to his honor by many. Sir Matthew Hale fpake highly of his piety and learning, before all the judges at the table at Serjeant's Inn, at the time when he was in prifon upon the Oxford act. And fee the teftimony of others at the clofe of the account of his life, prefixed to his practical works in folio,

His patience was truly chriftian. GOD does often try his children by afflictions to exercife their graces, to occafion 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 obfcured under a cloud of detraction. Many flanderous darts were thrown at him. He was charged with fchifm and sedition. He was accufed for his paraphrafe on the New Teftament, as guilty of difloyal afperfions upon the government, and condemned, unheard, to a prison, where he remained for fome years. But he was fo far from being moved at the unrighteous profecution, that he joyfully faid to a conftant friend, "What could I de

fire more of GOD, than after having ferved him to my power, I fhould now be called to fuffer for him?" One, who had been a fierce diffenter, was afterward rankled with an oppofite heat, and very contumelioufly in his writings reflected upon Mr. Baxter, who calmly endured his contempt: And when the fame perfon published a learned difcourfe in defence of chriftianity, Mr. Baxter faid, "I forgive him all for his writing that book." Indeed he was fo much the more truly honorable, as he was thought worthy of the hatred of [fome] perfons.

It is true, the cenfures and reproaches of others, whom he efteemed and loved, touched him in the tender part. But he with the great Apoftle, counted it a small thing to be judged by man's day. He was entire to his confcience, 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 finifhed at once, than to die by degrees every day. His complaints were frequent; but who ever heard an unfubmiffive word drop from his lips? He was not put out of his patience, nor out of the poffeffion of himfelf. In his fharp pains he faid, "I have a rational patience, and a believing patience, though fenfe would recoil." His pacific fpirit was a clear character of his being a child of GOD. How ardently he endeavored to ce

ment

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

Bithop Burnet, in his life of Sw Matthew Hale, records it, that

He held great converfation with Mr. Baxter, who was his neigh⚫bour at Acton, on whom he looked as a perion of great devotion and piety, and of a very fubtle and quick apprehension.'---Burnet's Life, Sc. p. 75.

ment the breaches among us, which others widen and keep open, is publicly known. He faid to a friend, "I can as willingly be a martyr for love as for any article "of the creed." It is ftrange to aftonishment, that thofe, who agree in the fubftantial and great points of the reformed religion, and are of differing fentiments only in things not to clear, nor of that moment as thofe wherein they confent, fhould still be oppofite parties. Methinks, the remembrance how our divifions lately expofed us to our watchful adverfary, and were almoft fatal to the intereft of religion, fhould conciliate our affections. Our common danger and common deliverance, fhould prepare our fpirits for a fincere and firm union: When our sky was fo without a glimmering horizon, then by a new dawning of GOD's wonderful providence, a deliverer appeared, our gracious fovereign, K. William the III. who has the honor of establishing our religion at home, and gives us hopes of reftoring it abroad, in places from whence it has been fo unrighteoufly and cruelly expelled. May the union of his proteftant fubjects in religious things, fo defired by wife and good men, be accomplished by his princely counfel and authority. Integrity with charity would remove thofe things that have fo long difunited us. I return from this digreffion.

Love to the fouls of men, was the peculiar character of Mr. Baxter's fpirit. In this he imitated and honored our Saviour, who prayed, died, and lives for the falvation of fouls. All his natural and fupernatural endowments were fubfervient to this bleffed end. It was his meat and drink, the life and joy of his life, to do good to fouls. His industry was almost incredible in his ftudies: He had a sensitive nature defirous of eafe as others have, and faint faculties, yet fuch was the continual application of himself to his great work, as if the labor of one day had fupplied ftrength for another, and the willingness of the fpirit had fupported the weakness of the flefh. In his ufual converfation, his ferious, frequent and delightful difcourfe was of divine things, to enflame his friends with the love of heaven. He received with tender compaffion and condefcending kindnefs, the meaneft that came to him for counfel and confolation. He gav. in one year a hundred pounds to buy bibles for the poore He has in his will difpofed of all that remains of his eftate, after the legacies to his kindred, for the benefit of the fouls and bodies of the poor. He continued to preach fo long, notwithstanding his wafted languishing body, that, the last time, he alinoft died in the pulpit.

It would have been his joy to have been transfigured in

the mount.

Not long after his laft fermon, he felt the approaches of death, and was confined to his fick bed. Death reveals the fecrets of the heart; then words are spoken with moft feeling and leaft affectation. This excellent Saint was the fame in his life and death: His laft hours were fpent in preparing others and himself to appear before GOD. He faid to his friends that vifited him, "You "come hither to learn to die, I am not the only perfon that must go this way; I can affure you that your whole life, be it never fo long, is little enough to prepare for death. Have a care of this vain deceitful world, and the lufts of the flefh: Be fure you choofe GOD for your portion, heaven for your home, GOD's glory for your end, his word for your rule, and then you need never fear but we fhall meet with comfort.""

Never was penitent finner more humble and debafing himself, never was a fincere believer more calm and comfortable. He acknowledged himfelf to be the vileft dunghill worm (it was his ufual expreffion) that ever went to heaven. He admired the divine condefcenfion to us, often faying, "Lord, what is man? What am "I vile worm to the great GOD?" Many times he prayed, GOD be merciful to me a finner! and bleffed GOD, that that was left upon record in the gospel, as an effectual prayer. He faid, "GOD may justly condemn

me for the best duty I ever did: And all my hopes are "from the free mercy of GOD in Chrijt, which he often "praved for."

After a lumber he waked and faid, "I fhall reft from my labor:" A minifter then prefent faid, 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 faid, "I was but a pen in GOD's hand; and what praife is due to a pen ?"

His refigned fubmiffion to the will of GOD in his fharp fickness, was eminent. When extremity of pain conftrained him earneftly to pray to GOD for his releafe by death, he would check himfelf; "It is not fit

for me to prefcribe," and faid, "When thou wilt, what thou wilt, how thou wilt."

Being in great anguifh, he faid, "Ohow unfearchable "are his ways, and his paths paft finding out! the reaches

"" of

"of his providence we cannot fathom": And to his friends, "Do not think the worfe of religion for what you fee "me fuffer."

Being often afked by his friends, how it was with his inward man, he replied, "I blefs GOD I have a well"grounded affurance of my eternal happiness, and great "peace and comfort within;" but it was his trouble he could not triumphantly exprefs it, by reafon of his extreme pains. He faid, " Flesh muft perish, and we must "feel the perifhing of it: And that though his judgement fubmitted, yet fenfe would ftill make him groan."

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Being asked by a perfon of quality, Whether he had not great joy from his believing apprehenfions of the invifible ftate?' He replied, "What elfe think you "chriftianity ferves for?" He faid, "The confideration "of the Deity in his glory and greatnefs, was too high for "our thoughts; but the confideration of the Son of GOD "in our nature, and of the faints in heaven whom he "knew and loved, did much fweeten and familiarize hea

ven to him." The defcription of heaven in the xiith chapter to the Hebrews and the 22d verfe, was most comfortable to him: That he was going to the innumerable company of angels, and to the general affembly and church of the firfl-born, whose names are written in heaven; and to GOD the judge of all, and to the fpirits of juft men made perfect; and to Jefus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of Sprinkling, that speaketh better things than the blood of Abel. That feripture, he faid, deferved a thou"fand thousand thoughts:" He faid, "O how comfort"able is that promife, Eye hath not feen, nor ear heard, neither bath it entered into the heart of man to conceive the "things GOD has laid up for those who love him."

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At another time he faid,That he found great comfort and fweetnefs in repeating the words of the Lord's "Prayer, and was forry that fome good people were "prejudiced against the use of it; for there were all ne"ceffary petitions for foul and body contained in it."

At other times he gave excellent counlel to young minifters that vifited him, and earnestly prayed to GOD to bless their labors, and make them very fuccefsful in converting many fouls to Chrift. And he expreffed great joy in the hopes that GOD would do a great deal of good by them; and that they were of moderate peaceful fpirits.

He did often pray that GOD would be merciful to this miferable diftracted world: And that he would preferve his church and interest in it.

He