Men, is often to be regarded as an happy Circumftance.

His Father was full of Zeal for God, very affiduous in the Exercises of Piety and Devotion, in his Closet and Family, as well as in attending on public Worship, and his whole Converfation was uniform and exemplary. His Circumftances in the World were fuch for several Years, that, though not opulent, he lived in very good Credit, and was very active in doing Good, according to his Ability. At length, by feveral Disappointments in his Affairs, and efpecially through his being involved by becoming Security for fome Friends, he was brought under fuch Difficulties, that he gave all his Effects into the Hands of his Creditors, and came over into Ireland, being obliged to leave his Wife and Chil dren in her Father's Houfe at Wiggan, where fhe continued two Years till his Death. And then her Hufband having got into a Profpect of being fettled in Bufinefs, the came to Dublin with three Sons, of whom our Author was the fecond. It is natural to fuppofe, that in his Circumftances he must have fuffered much Diftrefs with a Wife, and three Children very young, in a ftrange Land, and known to very few. But he bore all with great Chearfulness, and, diligent in his Bufinefs, had a steady Dependence on Divine Providence. It was

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ufual with him to rife up early to his Employment but he never did, under Pretence of Business, neglect his Devotions to God in his Clofet, or in his Family. He delighted to speak of religious Subjects, and he did it with fuch Warmth and Affection, as fhewed how nearly they touched his Heart and what recommended his Difcourfe was, that his whole Conduct was agreeable to it. His Life was a constant Course of honeft Industry, great Temperance, Patience, Meeknefs, Delight in God, and cheerful Refignation to his Will. And his End was suitable to fuch a Life, without any Cloud or uncomfortable Doubts and Fears. He triumphed over Death, without vain-glorious Boasting, but with a calm, fteady, well-grounded Hope of Glory, that raised him above the Fears of Death, and gave him fome Foretaftes of Glory, before he entered into it.

Our Author's Mother was alfo one of great Piety as well as Knowledge, and of good natural Parts, excellent in the Oeconomy of her Children and Family, and very diligent and careful in all the Duties of a faithful Wife and affectionate Mother. She died fome Years before her Husband, and her End was alfo very comfortable and edifying.

When he reflected on the Character and Conduct of his beloved Parents," How

"thankful," faid he, "fhould I be to God, " for the Benefit of their early good In"ftructions, and useful Examples, and fer"vent Prayers, in which respect I have had a mighty Advantage above many "thoufands, whofe outward Circumstances "were much more fplendid!"

In the fixth Year of his Age, he was feized with the Small-pox, which proved of fo malignant a kind, that his Life was defpaired of. And when, contrary to all Expectation, he recovered from that Diforder, he was found deprived of his Underftanding and Memory, the Ufe of which, it was much feared, would never have been reftored. This State of Stupidity continued for near twelve Months. His former Ideas feemed all quite expunged. And though before the Diftemper he had been taught to read, all was intirely forgotten, and he was obliged to begin with the Letters, as if he had never known them before. though he could never recover the Remembrance of what had happened to him before he was feized with that Diftemper, he difcovered now a quick Apprehenfion, and strong Memory: and the Progrefs he made was taken fo much Notice of, that his Parents, by the Advice of Friends, refolved to breed him to a learned Profeffion. Accordingly he applied himself to School Learning with remarkable Affiduity, in which

But

he made a quick Progrefs; as also in a Courfe of Philofophy, under a celebrated Teacher at that Time. His unwearied Diligence, and great Proficiency in Learning, were much taken Notice of, and admired by all who knew him. After this he applied himself to the Study of Hebrew and Divinity, under the Direction of fome learn-. ed and worthy Ministers, who greatly affisted him in his Studies: and, in due Time, being thoroughly fatisfied how well furnished and prepared he was, encouraged him to enter into the Miniftry. And he fully answered the high Expectations which were formed of him. For he had not long appeared in that Character, till he came to be much efteemed, even by the most difcerning Judges and was invited to preach statedly to the Congregation of Proteftant Diffenters, then meeting in New-Row, with a View to a further Settlement. His Sermons were fo acceptable, and his Behaviour was fo becoming, that in a fhort Time. he received from them a most affectionate and unanimous Call to be Joint-paftor with the Rev. Mr. Nathaniel Weld, and was folemnly ordained the 13th of December 1716.

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Before he took this Character upon him, he applied himself in the most serious and deliberate Manner to confider the Nature and Duties of that facred Office; even that of a Minifter and Paftor in the Church of

Christ, a Presbyter, or a Bishop; for it appeared to him, upon the most accurate Examination, that in the Times of the Apoftles, these Names were used indifferently to fignify the fame Order of Church-Officers; though he was fenfible, that foon after there began to be a Distinction made between them.

And he looked on the facred Ministry as a Station, not only of Honour, but of Labour; that it is not an idle Life, to be spent in Ease and Indolence, but in active useful Service. That, as it is evident from many Paffages of the New Testament, it is the Will of God and of our Lord Jefus Chrift, the great King and Head of his Church, that Chriftians fhould be formed into worshipping Societies, for the Purposes of his Religion, fo he hath appointed that there fhould be Perfons peculiarly fet apart to the Work of the Miniftry among them, whofe proper Office it fhould be to prefide in thofe facred Societies, to teach and inftruct, to exhort and admonifh the Chriftian People, to lead them in divine Worship, to adminifter facred Ordinances among them, and exercise a pastoral Care over them. That the great End of their Miniftry is, in general, this, to promote the Glory of God in the Salvation of Souls, and thereby advance the Interests of Christ's Kingdom ; that to that End they are to labour in the

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