ment. A copy of it therefore is inferted in the margin (L).

THE first thing our Author published was a Sermon from Ecclef. vII. 29. upon MAN'S

CREATION IN AN HOLY, BUT MUTABLE

STATE; printed in the morning exercises 1660.

(L) BLESSED be GOD that we can have, and "hear of, each other's occafions of thanksgiving; "that we may join praises as well as prayers, which, "I hope, is done daily for one another. Nearer "approaches, and conftant adherence to GOD, with "the improvement of our intereft in each other's "heart, must compenfate (and I hope will abun"dantly) the unkindness and inftability of a furly "treacherous world; that we fee ftill retains its "wayward temper, and grows more peevifh as it "grows older, and more ingenious in inventing ways "to torment whom it difaffects. It was, it feems, "not enough to kill by one fingle death, but when "that was almost done, to give leave and time to "refpire; to live again, at least in hope, that it "might have the renewed pleasure of putting us to a further pain and torture in dying once more. "Spite is natural to her. All her kindness is artificial

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difguife; a device to promote and ferve the defign "of the former, with the more efficacious and "piercing malignity. But patience will elude the "defign, and blunt its fharpeft edge. It is perfectly "defeated, when nothing is expected from it but "mifchief; for then the worst it can threaten finds "us provided, and the best it can promife, incredu"lous and not apt to be impofed upon. This will "make it at laft defpair, and grow hopeless, when "it finds, that the more it goes about to mock and "vex us, the more it teaches, and inftructs us; "and, that as it is wickeder, we are wiler. If we

cannot, GOD will outwit it; and carry us, I trust, "fafe through to a better world, upon which we may "terminate hopes, that will never make us afhamed. "&c." p. 15. fol. edit. & p. 43, 44. oct.

1660. But in the year 1668, he was prevailed with to print a book, which (as Dr. Calamy obferves) met with wonderful acceptance in the world, and not undeservedly, if either the fubject be confidered, or the happy management of it. The Treatife here alluded to is that famous one, intitled, THE BLESSEDNESS OF THE RIGHTEOUS; which has been well received, and greatly valued, by the most serious and judicious of all perfuafions (M).

SOME

(M) A VERY Worthy Gentleman of the establishment, as the Editor is credibly informed, thought that book fo excellent, and fo well calculated to promote a heavenly temper, and the beft intereft of mankind, that he greatly defired to have it made fitter for common ufe. And, indeed, it must be confeffed, that fome parts of it are too fublime and metaphyfical for the unlearned reader. But it might perhaps be made one of the best practical Treatifes we have in the english tongue, if the fame liberty was taken with it, by a judicious perfon, that Dr. Stanhope has done with Mr. Parfons his Directory, and others. The thoughts might be preferved in all their strength and grandeur; the style meliorated in feveral places; and the language more perfpicuous almoft every where, by only. tranfpofing a member of a fentence fometimes, or throwing a parenthesis to the end of it; and finally, whatever there is of a critical, fcholaftic, or metaphyfical nature, might be abridged, and made more intelligible to common readers.

As for the Author's own account of this excellent book, the reader is referred to the preface it felf, which breathes an admirable spirit; 'or to Dr. Calamy's extract from it in the Author's life. Wherein. he fays, that The defign of it is wholly practical, b 2 "and

P. 15, 16. fol. & p. 46 -50. oct.

SOME time after this, he was earnestly invited by a perfon of confiderable quality into Ireland, and had generous offers made him. He accepted the motion with the greater readincfs, and looked upon it as the more providential, because by this time he was reduced (as we are informed) to ftrait and narrow circumftances; which is not at all to be wondered at, confidering that he had for fome years been out of any fettled imployment, and had but a small income, a

large

"and has little or nothing to do with difputation. "That if there be any, whofe bufinefs it is to pro"mote a private divided intereft, or who place the "fum of their religion in an inconfiderable and "doubtful opinion, it does not unhallow their al

tars, nor offer any affront to their idol, &c. &c.

&c." The Editor once intended to draw up a particular account of this much-admired book, but confcious of his being unequal to fo arduous a task dares not venture to publish it. However he begs leave to communicate to the reader the following general character of it, given him by an ingenious friend. "The Bleffednefs of the Righteous is one "of the fublimeft views of the future glory, ever "given by a human pen; as what none but a foul 66 great by nature, much greater and richer by grace "could have wrote; as the effect of fuch fenfible

anticipations of glory, as were almost, if one may "prefume to fay it, equivalent to Paul's rapture "into the third heavens. One here perceives the "Son of thunder, and of confolation, fo united, "that when one reads the words of either, one "would think he was born to write in that character "alone; nor do I know any writing of a mere "mortal man, which has a greater tendency to raise "the foul from earth, and to fet it on heaven

large family, and a generous fpirit of his own, which inclined him upon all occafions to make the beft figure he was able. He therefore fet fail for Dublin in the beginning of April, 1671 (N); and at length had his whole family with him in Ireland, where

(N) DR. CALAMY tells a remarkable paffage that happened to our Author and others, while he was waiting with his eldeft fon in a town of Wales for a fair wind; of which the following is only an abstract. The wind not ferving to carry them off, they continued there a Lord's-day, and found a large parishchurch in which prayers only were to be read as ufual, and no preaching was expected. Upon this the minister of the place (who did not ufe to preach himself) being afked whether he would lend his pulpit that day to a ftranger? he readily confented. Accordingly Mr. Howe preached twice that day in the Church. In the afternoon the auditory was very large, and feemed to be not a little affected with what was delivered. The wind not ferving all the week following, the country people all around those parts, came flocking the Lord's-day after to the town, expecting he would preach that day also. This put the parfon of the parifh into no fmall confternation, who fent the clerk to Mr. Howe, and begged he would come and preach again; for that otherwife he knew not what to do, the country being come from feveral miles round, in hope of hearing him. Mr. Howe was much indifpofed in bed, when he received the meffage; but confidering with himfelf that here was a plain call of providence, and not knowing but much good might be done in fuch a place, where preaching was fo uncommon a thing, and the people feemed fo defirous of the word of GOD, he fent word he would do it. Upon which he cooled himself, having been in a fweat, with as much speed as he was able to do with fafety; and caft himself upon Gop, and went and preached with great life

where he lived as chaplain to the lord Maffarene in the parish of Antrim, and was received and treated there with all imaginable refpect. His great learning and Christian temper, together with that lord's intereft and influence, procured him also the particular friendship of the bishop of that diocefe; who, together with his metropolitan, without demanding any conformity, gave him free liberty to preach in the public Church in that town, every Lord'sday in the afternoon. And it is faid, that the archbishop, in a pretty full meeting of the clergy, told them frankly that he would have Mr. Howe have every pulpit, where he had any concern, open to him; in which, at any time, he should be free to preach.

WHILE Our Author remained here he manifested a truly peaceable and Christian fpirit, both in his preaching and converfation, and was useful to many. But divine providence did not fuffer him to continue

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'and freedom. He told a friend afterwards that he never in all his life faw people more moved, or receive the word with greater pleasure: and, at the fame time added thefe words; "If my miniftry was "ever of any ufe, I think it must be then." Very foon after, the veffel went off, and he found no ill confequences at all of the pains he had taken in fuch circumstances. p. 17. fol. edit. & p. 51-53. oct.