Yet, tho' thou troubleft me, I must be meek; Well, I will change my fervice, and go feek Some other master out: Ah my dear God! tho' I am clean forgot, G. H. About this time of Mr. Herbert's attendance at Court, all his expectations of preferment were fuddenly defeated by the death of his two moft obliging and powerful friends, the Duke of Richmond and the Marquis of Hamilton; and not long after James himfelf died, and with him all the ambitious hopes of our author, who now betook himfelf to the ftudy of Divinity, preparatory to his taking Holy Orders, to which his mother perfuaded him. Great was the conflict between the pride of life, and the fincere defire he had of devoting himself to the work of the Miniftry; but the latter at laft prevailed. Acquainting a Court friend of his refolution to enter into Orders, he urged him to alter his intentions, alleging the employment was too mean for a person of his birth and abilities, to which he replied, "It hath been formerly judged, that the domeftic fervants of the King of Heaven, fhould be of the nobleft families on earth, and though the iniquity of the late times have made Clergymen meanly valued, and the facred name of Priest contemptible; yet I will labour to make it honorable, by confecrating all my learning, and all my poor abilities, to advance the glory of that God that gave them; knowing, that I can never do too much for him, that hath done fo much for me, as to make me a Chriftian. And I will labour to be like my Saviour, by making humility lovely in the eyes of all men, and by following the merciful and meek example of my dear Jefus." He maintained his refolution, and was accordingly made Deacon; foon after which the Bishop of Lincoln gave him the Prebend of Layton Ecclefia in that diocese.! But the Parish Church being in a ruinous state, he made; fuch exertions by his own bounty, and by his application to his noble relations and other friends, that her foon raised it out of its ruins, and re-edified it in a handfome manner. "By his order (fays Mr. Walton) the Reading-pew and Pulpit were (erected) a little dif tance from each other, and both of an equal height; for he Herbert) would often say, "They should neither have a precedency or priority of the other; but that Prayer and Preaching being equally useful, might agree like Brethren, and have an equal Honor and Esti mation." Whether the refined and metaphyfical Divinity of thofe days juftly exalted the Pulpit above the ReadingDefk, or whether Mr. Herbert was perfectly juftifiable in reducing it to the standard of its neighbour, or whether it ought now to be brought lower than the Desk, we fhall not prefume to determine, but give place to Mr. Walton while he relates a pleafing anecdote connected with this part of our author's history. Before I proceed farther, I must look back to the time of Mr. Herbert's being made Prebend, and tell the, Reader, that not long after, his mother being informed of his intentions to rebuild that Church, and apprehending the great trouble and charge that he was like to draw upon himself, his relations and friends, before it could be finished; fent for him from London to Chelsea, (where the then dwelt), and at his coming faid, "George, I fent for you, to perfuade you to commit Simony, by giving your patron as good a gift as he hath given to you; namely, that you give him back his Prebend; for, George, it is not for your weak body, and empty purfe, to undertake to build Churches." Of which, he defired he might have a day's time to confider, and then make her an answer: and at his return to her at the next day, when he had firft defired her bleffing, and fhe given it him, his next request was, "That she would at the age of thirty-three years allow him to become an undutiful fon; for he had made a vow to God, that if he were able, he would rebuild that Church :" and then fhewed her fuch reafons for his refolution, that the prefently fubfcribed to be one of his benefactors; and undertook to folicit William Earl of Pembroke to become another, who fubfcribed for 5ol and not long after, by a witty, and perfuafive letter from Mr. Herbert, made it 5ol more. Having in the former part of this sketch intimated his regard to his mother, the following letter fent her by him may not be unacceptable: "MADAM, "AT my laft parting from you I was the better content, because I was in hope I fhould myfelf carry all fickness out of your family; but fince I know I did not, and that your share continues, or rather increaseth, I wish earnestly that I were again with you; and would quickly make good my with, but that my employment does fix me here, being now but a month to our Commencement: wherein, my abfence by how much it naturally augmenteth fufpicion, by fo much fhall it make my prayers the more conftant and the more earnest for you to the God of all confolation In the mean time 1 befeech you to be cheerful, and comfort yourself in the God of all comfort, who is not willing to behold any forrow but for fin-What hath affliction grievous in it more than for a moment? or why fhould our afflictions here have fo much power or boldnefs as to oppofe the hope of our joys hereafter?Madam! As the earth is but a point in refpect of the heavens, fo are earthly troubles compared to heavenly joys; therefore, if either age or fickness lead you to thofe joys, confider what advantage you have over youth and health, who are now fo near thofe true com forts Your laft letter gave me an earthly prefer ment, and kept heavenly for yourself: But would you divide and chufe too? Our College cuftoms allow not that, and I fhould account myself most happy, if I: might change with you; for I have always obferved the Thread of Life to be like other threads or fkeins of: filk, full of fnarls and incumbrances: happy is he, whole bottom is wound up and laid ready for work in the New Jerufalem For myself, dear Mother, I always feared fickness more than death, becaufe fickness hath made me unable to perform thofe offices for which I came into the world, and muft yet be kept in it; but you are freed from that fear, who have already abundantly discharged that part, having both ordered your family, and fo brought up your children that they have attained to the years of difcretion, and competent maintenance-So that now if they do not well, the fault cannot be charged on you; whofe example and care of them will juftify you both to the world and your own confcience; infomuch, that whether you turn your thoughts on the life paft, or on the joys that are to come, you have ftrong prefervatives against ally difquiet-And for temporal afflictions! I beseech you confider all that can happen to you are either afflictions of eftate, or body, or mind- -For thofe of eftate, of what poor regard ought they to be, fince if we had riches we are commanded to give them away? So that the beft use of them is, having, not to have them But perhaps being above the common people, our credit and eftimation calls on us to live in a more fplendid fashion:-) -But, Oh God! how easily is that anfwered, when we confider, that the bleffings in the Holy Scripture are never given to the rich, but to the poor. I never find bleffed be the rich, or bleffed be the noble; but bleffed be the meek, and blessed be the poor, and bleed be the mourners, for they fhall be comforted— And yet, Oh God! moft carry themselves fo, as if they not only not defired, but even feared to be bleffedAnd for afflictions of the body, dear Madam, remember the holy martyrs of God, how they have been burnt by thousands, and have endured fuch other tortures, as the very mention of them might beget amazement; but their fiery trials have had an end: And yours (which praised be God are lefs) are not like to continue longI beseech you let fuch thoughts as thefe moderate your prefent fear and forrow; and know, that if any of yours fhould prove a Goliah-like trouble, yet you may fay with David, That God who hath delivered me out of the paws of the lion and bear, will alfo deliver me out of the hands of this uncircumcifed Philiftine.-Laftly, for thofe afflictions of the foul, confider that God intends that to be as a facred Temple for himfelf to dwell in, and will not allow any room there for fuch an inmate as grief; or allow that any fadnefs fhall be his competitor. And above all, if any care of future things moleft you, remember those admirable words of the Pfalmift, Pfa. 55. Caft thy care on the Lord and he shall nourish thee. To which join that of St. Peter, 1 Pet. v. 7. Cafting all your care on the Lord, for he careth for you. What an admirable thing is this, that God puts his fhoulder to our burthen, and entertains our care for us, that we may the more quietly intend his fervice.-To conclude, let me commend only one place more to you, (Phil. iv. 4.) St. Paul faith there, Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I fay rejoice. He doubles it to take away the fcruple of thole that might fay, What shall we rejoice in afflictions? Yes, I fay again rejoice; fo that it is not left to us to rejoice or not rejoice; but whatfoever befals us, we must always, at all times rejoice in the Lord, who taketh care for us: and it follows in the next verse; Let your moderation appear to ́all men, the Lord is at hand; be careful for nothing. What can be faid more comtortably? Trouble not yourselves, God is at hand to |