Jewry; where he died, on the twenty-fecond of June 1690, and was buried in the church of St. Mary, Aldermanbury. The fee was kept vacant on account of the unfettled ftate of the kingdom, till the eighth of January following.

He was a Prelate greatly esteemed for his humility, modefty, hofpitality, and charity; as alfo for his great learning and excellent preaching; and was reckoned alfo no inconfiderable poet.

His WORKS Confist of "Two volumes of fermons ; An Expofition of the Ten Commandments, printed in 1692, 4to. And an Expofition of the Lord's Prayer, &c. 1692. 410."

THOMAS JACOMB, D. D.

TH

HOMAS JACOMB was born near Melton Mowbray, in Leicestershire, in the year 1622. After he had been trained up in grammar learning at the country schools, he was fent to Magdalen-Hall, Oxford, of which Dr. Wilkinson, the elder, was then principal. When he had taken the degree of bachelor of arts, he removed to Cambridge, and was of Emanuel-College. He was for fome time fellow of Trinity, and much esteemed in that flourishing fociety: He came to London in 1647, and was soon after minister of Ludgate parish, where his miniftry was both acceptable and ufeful till he was turned out in 1662. He was a nonconformit upon moderate principles; much rather defiring to have been comprehended in the national church, than to have separated from it. He met with fome trouble after his ejectment, but being received into the family of the countess dowager of Exeter, daughter of the earl of Bridgewater, he was covered from his enemies. Her refpect for the doctor was peculiar, and her favors conferred upon him extraordinary; for which he made the best return, by his conftant care to promote religion in her family.

He was a Servant of Chrift in the moft peculiar and facred relation; and was true to his title both in his doctrine and in his life. Effectual grace wrought fo pow

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erfully upon his foul, that he became an excellent preacher of the gofpel, and had a happy art of conveying faving truths into the minds and hearts of men. He did not

entertain his hearers with mere curiofities, but with spiritual food; faithfully difpenfing the bread of life, whofe vital fweetnefs and nourishing virtue is by the Holy Spirit rendered both productive and prefervative of the life of fouls. He preached Christ crucified, our only wifdom and righteoufnefs, fanctification and redemp

tion.

His great defign was to convince finners of their abfolute want of Christ, that with flaming affections they might be led to him by his convincing Spirit, and from his fulness receive divine grace. This is to water the tree at the root, whereby it becomes both flourishing and fruitful; whereas only laying down moral rules for the exercife of virtue, too frequently ends in words only, without any real effect in the life and converfation. In fhort, his fermons were clear, folid, and affectionate. His words came from his foul, and from warm affections, and they entered into the breafts of his hearers: Of this many ferious and judicious perfons were witneffes, who long attended upon his miniftry with profit and delight.

His conftant diligence in the fervice of Chrift, was becoming his zeal for the glory of his mafter, and his love to the fouls of men. He preached thrice a week while he had opportunity and ftrength; efteeming his labor in his facred office both his highest honor and his pleasure. At the first appearance of an ulcer in his mouth, which he was told to be cancerous, he was observed to be not more concerned thereat, than as it was likely to hinder his delightful work of preaching; and when he enjoyed eafe, and after wafting fickness was reftored to fome degrees of ftrength, he joyfully returned to his duty. Nay, when his pains were tolerable, preaching was his best antidote when others failed; and after his preaching, the reflection upon the divine goodness, that had given him ftrength for the discharge of the fervice, was a great relief of his pains.

His fermons, which, we have obferved, were clear, folid and affectionate, were printed in a fair and lively character in his converfation. He was an example to believers, in converfation, in charity, in fpirit, in faith, in purity. He was of a stayed mind, temperate paffions, and moderate in counfels. In managing affairs of moment, he was

not

not vehement and confident, not impofing and overbearing, but receptive of advice, and yielding to reafon." His compaffionate charity and beneficence were very confpicuous amongft his other graces. His heart was given to GOD; and his relieving hand was open to the living images of GOD, whofe preffing wants he felt with tender affections; and he was greatly inftrumental in fupplying them. As his life adorned the gofpel, fo alfo his death was exemplary to others, and gracious and comfortable to himfelf. The words of men leaving the world make ufually the deepest impreffions, being fpoken moft feelingly and truly, and with the leaft affectation. Death reveals the fecrets of men's hearts: And the teftimonies of dying faints, how gracious a Mafter they have ferved, and how sweet his fervice has been to their fouls, have a mighty influence upon those about them.

In his laft fickness, which was long and painful, his firft work was, to yield himself with refigned fubmiffion to the will of GOD. When a dear friend of his first vifited him, he faid, "I am in the use of means; but "I think my appointed time is come, that I muft die: "If my life might be ferviceable to convert or build "up one foul, I fhould be content to live; but if "GOD hath no work for me to do, here I am, let "him do with me as he pleaseth: But to be with "Chrift is beft of all." Another time he told the fame perfon, "That now it was vifible it was a determined

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cafe: The Lord would not hear the prayer, to bless "the means used for his recovery," therefore defired. his friend to be willing to refign him to GOD, faying, "It will not be long before we meet in heaven, never to part more, and there we shall be perfectly "happy: There neither your doubts and fears, nor my pains and forrows, fhall follow us, nor our "fins, which is beft of all." After a long continuance in his languishing condition, without any fenfible alteration, being asked how he did, he replied, "I lie here, "but get no ground for heaven or earth:" Upon which one faid, Yes, in your preparations for heaven.' "O yes, faid he, there I fenfibly get ground, I bless "GOD." An humble fubmiffion to the divine pleafure was the habitual frame of his foul. Whether the hope of his recovery were raised or funk, he was content in every difpenfation of providence,

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His patience under sharp and continuing pains was admirable. The most difficult part of a christian's duty, the fublimeft degree of holiness upon earth, is to bear tormenting pains with a meek and quiet fpirit. Then faith is made perfect in works; and this was eminently verified in his long trial. His pains were very fevere, proceeding from a cancerous humor that spread itself in his joints, and preyed upon the tendereft membranes, the most fenfible parts, yet his patience was invincible. How many reftlefs nights did he pafs through without the leaft murmuring or reluctancy of spirit! He patiently fuffered very grievous things through Chrift that ftrengthened him; and in his most afflicted condition was thankful. But neither disease, nor even death itself could disturb the bleffed compofure of his foul, which was kept by the peace of GOD that paffes all understanding. Such was the divine mercy, he had no anxiety about his future ftate, but a comfortable affurance of the Lord's favor, and his title to the eternal inheritance.

He had a fubftantial double joy in the reflection upon his life fpent in the faithful fervice of Chrift, and the profpect of a bleffed eternity ready to receive him. This made him long to be above, He faid with fome regret, "Death flies from me, I make no hafte to my Father's "houfe." But the wife and gracious GOD, who is rich in mercy, having tried his faithful fervant, at length gave him the crown of life, which he hath promised to thofe that love him, and live and die in the Lord. His body, that poor relict of frailty, is committed in trust to the grave. His foul fees the face of GOD in righteousness, and is fatisfied with his likeness.

He died of a cancerous humor, in the countess of Exeter's houfe, on the twenty-feventh of March, 1687, in the fixty-fixth year of his age, leaving behind him an incomparable library of the most valuable books, in all parts of learning; which was afterwards fold by auction. for thirteen hundred pounds. His funeral fermon was preached by Dr. Bates, and dedicated to the above pious Lady Exeter.

His WORKS are, "A Commentary on the first four Verfes of the viiith Chapter of the Epiftle to the Romans, 4to. A Treatife of Holy Dedication, both perfonal and domeftic, written after the fire of London, and recommended to the citizens, after their return to their rebuilt habitations; and other tracts. A Funeral Sermon for Mr. M. Martin.-Another for Mr. Vines, with an account of

his life. Another for Mr. Cafe, with a narrative of his life and death. The life and death of Mr. William Whitaker, fon of the famous Mr. Jer. Whitaker. Two Sermons in the Morning Exercife.' A Sermon at St. Paul's, Oct. 26, 1656. A Sermon before the Lord Mayor, &c. at the Spital."

JOHN

BUNYAN.

COHN BUNYAN, Author of the juftly admired allegory of the "Pilgrim's Progrefs," was born at Elftow, near Bedford, in the year 1628. His parents, though very mean, took care to give him that learning which was fuitable to their condition, bringing him up to read and write; he quickly forgot both, abandoning himfelf to all manner of wickednefs, but not without frequent checks of confcience. He was often affrighted with dreams, and terrified with vifions in the night; and twice narrowly escaped drowning. Being a foldier in the parliament-army, at the fiege of Leicester, in 1645, he was drawn out to ftand centinel; but another foldier of his company defired to take his place, to which he agreed, and thereby probably efcaped being hot through the head by a musket-ball, which took off his comrade. About this time he married, having no other portion with his wife than the two following books, left by her late father, The Plain Man's Pathway to Heaven;' and The Practice of Piety.' Bunyan often reading in these books, and his wife frequently telling him of her father's religious holy life, and how he reproved vice and immorality both in his own house and among his neighbours, begat in him fome defires to reform his vicious courfe of life; and accordingly he went to church twice a day, with a great deal of feeming devotion, but ftill was not able to forfake his fins. One day being at play with his companions, he fays, "A voice fuddenly darted from heaven into my foul, fay"ing, Wilt thou leave thy fins and go to heaven, or have "thy fins and go to hell?" This put him into fuch a confternation, that he immediately left his fport, and looking up to heaven, thought he faw, with the eyes of his underftanding, the Lord Jefus looking down upon him, as

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