SKETCH OF REV. OLIVER HEYWOOD.

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OLIVER HEYWOOD, B. D. was good scribe, armed against tempborn of parents distinguished for tations, and able to convince piety and worth, at Little Leav- gainsayers. Labour to get eveer, in Lancashire, March, 1629. ry day some sanctified thoughts He set a special mark on the day and spiritual meditations, which of his being baptized, and on its will be a heavenly life, and a annual return, renewed his bap walking with God; and write tismal covenant, and dedicated them in a book, and title it himself afresh to God. He The Meditations of my Youth. gave early signs of great tender. Take short notes of every serness of conscience, and delight mon you hear, and write some in divine things, and used osten, fairly over for your loving mothwhen a child, to express a wish, Often remember how short that he might be “a good minis- and precious your time is, and ter.” This encouraged his par- that upon it depends eternity. ents to think of devoting him to As to society, keep a mean ; the sanctuary. He was educat. neither too solitary, lest you be ed at Trinity College, Cam- melancholy ; nor too much in

, ; bridge, whither he went in 1647. company, lest you be drawn While

there, his aside. Above all shun bad comfather gave him these written pany and seek good.” injunctions.

Mr. Heywood was greatly “My son, labour above all benefited by attending the relig. things to make your peace with ious meetings of the serious God, by humbling your soul even- scholars of his college, and often ing and morning, and oftener be blessed God for the profit and fore him, that you may know, pleasure, which he derived from that God has begun a good work the ministry of some celebrated of

grace in your heart. Be very preachers in the university. He frequent in reading the scrip- pursued his studies industrious tures, with knowledge and un- ly ; but he afterward blamed derstanding, that you may be a himself for not applying more

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Vol. III, No. 5.

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to philosophical and human useful station, until he was comlearning, and said, “I prize pelled by necessity. During the learning above all sublunary ex- tumultuous times, in which he cellencies, and I might have been lived, he suffered great vexamore useful had I improved tions. He was often fined, susmy time better.” When he had pended, excommunicated, imtaken his Bachelor's degree, he prisoned, for not conforming to returned to his father's house, the rigorous exactions, which where he lived, about half a were imposed. But still he conyear, in close retirement. At tinued his labours, when he length, by the advice of several could do it with personal safety ; ministers, he began to proach, and he often preached with great was greatly approved, and was peril. Yea, he was sometimes soon invited to Coley, where he obliged to secret bimself to avoid settled in 1652. His annual in- an arrest. His unwearied dilicome was small. After his eject- gence, humility; self-denial, ment by the act of Uniformity, meekness and sweetness of tembe was sometimes in great dis- per, commanded the love of all, tress. But Providence so

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not enemies of al} markably appeared for him, that righteousness. he was enabled, not only to supo It appears from his diary, port the expense of fines, impris- which he kept within five days opment, and other hard usage, of his death, that in one year, which he suffered in those days 1681, besides his stated work on of persecution, but also to main- the Lord's day, he preached 150 tain two sons in academical learn- times, kept 50 days of fasting ing.

and prayer, and 9 of thanksgirHis ministerial labours were ing, and travelled 1400 miles in attended with abundant success, service to Christ and immortal and were the means of convert- souls. This was the greatest ing and edifying multitudes of number of miles travelled in any souls. But with all his success, year ; but several years exceed he considered himself as less in other particulars. His last than the least of all saints. He sermon was on the sabbath but met with some difficulty among one before his death, from 2 bis own people. Some were Timothy, ii. 19. T'he foundation displeased, because he would not of God standeth sure, &c. He admit all persons promiscuously died in great peace and joy, on to the Lord's table ; and others May 4, 1702, aged 73. His pubbecause he would not counte- lications are in high estimation nance the rigidness of the oppo- for sound, lively, practical, heartsite extreme. And there were affecting divinity. some who treated him cruelly, Some anecdotes are related because he would not attach concerning him, which are himself to their political party. worthy of notice and rememBut notwithstanding these mo- brance. lestations, and the offer of a much He was once sent for by the richer living in another place, he parish minister of Honley, a would not quit his humble and profane young inan, then in a fa

tal consumption, who, on Mr. to tears, and told him her erHeywood's arrival, confessed, rand. He was much affected with agonies of conscience, his with the story, and bade her dreadful sin, in taking upon him come to him, if ever the like ne. the ministry, while he knew him- cessity should return. Having self to be unconverted ; and beg- procured the necessary provisged him to pray with him, and ions, she hastened back with earnestly asked him what repen- them, when, upon her entering tance was. Mr. Heywood gave the house, the children eagerly him his best advice, and was de- examined the basket; and the şired to come again. But be- father, hearing Martha's narra. fore he could go, this young tive, smiled and said, “ The clergyman died, without a satis- Lord hath not forgotten to be factory evidence that he had ob- gracious ; his word is true from tained mercy. An awful warn- the beginning; they that seek ing for ungodly ministers ! the Lord shall not want any good

Mr. Heywood, after the loss of thing." his income, was reduced to such Another anecdote is as follows: great straits, that his children be- When the spirit of persecu. came impatient for want of food. tion was so hot against this good He called his servant Martha, man, that he was obliged to leave (who would not desert the fami- his family, he set off on horsely in their distress) and said to back, one winter's morning, be: her, “ Martha, take a basket, fore it was light, like Abraham, and go to Halifax; call upon not knowing whither he went, and Mr. N—, the shopkeeper, and without a farthing in his pocket. desire him to lend me five sbil- Having committed himself to lings. If he is kind enough to the care of Providence, he deterdo it, buy such things as you mined, at length, to leave his know we most want. The Lord horse to go which way he would. give you good speed; and in the Having gone all day without any mean time we will offer up our refreshment, the horse, towards requests to him, who feedeth evening, bent his course to a the young ravens when they farm-house, a little out of the cry." Martha went ; but, when road. Mr. Heywood calling at she came to the house, her heart the door, a decent woman came, failed her, and she passed by the of whom (after a suitable apolodoor again and again, without gy) he requested, that she would going in to tell her errand. Mr. give him and his horse shelter N-, standing at the shop door, for the night, telling her that he called her to him, and asked her, only wished for a little hay for if she was not Mr. Heywood's his beast, and liberty for himself servant ? When she told him, to sit by her fire-side. Upon she was, he said to her, “ I am calling her husband, they both glad to see you, as some friends kindly invited him in. The have given me five guineas for mistress soon prepared someyour master, and I was just thing for him to eat, at which he thinking how 1 could send expressed his concern, as, he them." Upon this she burst in- said, he had no money to inake them a recompense; but he us talk op some other subject.” hoped God would reward them. After keeping the farmer and They assured him, that he was his wife some time in suspense, welcome, and begged him to who were uneasy at what he had make himself easy. After some said, he at length told them, time, the master asked him, " that he was the poor outcast, what country man he was. He after whom they made such answered, that he was born in kind inquiries." All was now Lancashire, but had now a wife surprize, joy and thankfulness, and children near Halifax. “ That that Providence had brought him is a town,” said the farmer, under their roof. The master “ where I have been, and had of the house then said to him, some acquaintance.” After in- * I have a few neighbours who quiring about several of them, love the gospel-; if you will give he asked, “ if he knew any thing us a word of exhortation, I will of one Mr. O. Heywood, who run and acquaint them. This is had been a minister near Hali- an obscure place, and as your fax, but was now, on some ac- coming here is not known, I count, forbidden to preach.” To hope you will have no interrupwhich he replied, “ There is a tion.”, Mr. Heywood consented, great deal of noise about that and a small congregation was man ;

some speak well, and gathered, to whom he preached some very ill of him ; for my with that fervour, affection and own part, I can say very little in enlargement, which the singular his favour.” “ I believe,” said circumstances served to inspire. the farmer," he is of that sect, A small collection «

was then which is every where spoken inade to help the poor trayeller against ; but pray what makes

This interview you form such an indifferent 0. providentially introduced Mr. pinion of him ?” Mr. H. answer. Heywood to a new circle of ac, ed," I know something of him ; quaintance, among whom he af, but, as I do not choose to propa: terward preached with great

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Religious Communications.

ON THE EVIDENCE OF DIVINE GOODNESS.

If there be evidence of the to prove important points of doc. goodness of God, aside from trine ; and if no such argument the positive testimonies, the his. be found, if this mode of reason. tory or doctrines of the holy ing be not used in the scriptures, scriptures; it is probable that to prove the goodness of God, this evidence is exhibited by the even this affords a presumptive scriptures themselves.

argument, that the light of naThe Bible abounds in argu- ture affords no evidence on this ments from the light of nature, point.

The scriptures no where inti- God, the clear evidence of which mate, that the doctrine of the renders the idolatrous world Trinity, or the doctrine of without excuse. But if his arAtonement by the sufferings of gument contained no evidence the Son of God are evident from of divine goodness, how were the light of nature. But the heathen deprived of all exthe Eternal Power and God.

cuse ?

" The invisible things head are said to be clearly seen of him, from the creation of the or inferred from the work of world, are clearly seen, being creation. It is a rule to be ob- understood by the things that served, respecting all the doc- are made, even his eternal pow. trines of divine truth, that if the er and godhead; 80 that they scriptures treat them as evident are without excuse." from the light of nature, they are The same mode of reasoning thus evident, whether sinful, is used by the Psalmist to prove blinded mortals can see the ev- the adorable perfection of God. idence or not. But if the scrip- “The heavens declare the glory tures consider and treat them as of God, and the firmament shew. doctrines of mere revelation, eth his handy work.” It was then they are not evident from doubtless the design of the Holy the light of nature.

Spirit to exhibit evidence of the A question now occurs : Do same divine perfection, from the the scriptures consider the good light of nature, in the beginning ness of God as being evident of this Psalm, as from the law of from the light of nature ? From God, mentioned in the latter part. the light of nature, the apostle If the glory of God was declarappears to reason on this subject, ed, by the works of nature, so as in the 14th chapter of the Acts. to excite the adoration of his To the idolaters of Lycaonia, the creatures; this implies, that his apostles made known the living goodness was declared. WhethGod, who made heaven and er sinful and benighted men, earth, and the sea, and all things whose understandings are darktherein ; who in times past suf- ened by the blindness of their fered all nations to walk in their hearts, can discern the evidence own ways. “Nevertheless, he left of divine goodness from the light Dot himself without witness, in of nature, is not the question. that he did good, and gave us rain If it were, the answer from from heaven and fruitful seasons, scripture and observation would filling our hearts with food and be in the negative. The ques. gladness.” God's doing good is tion is, Whether the scriptures here urged as a witness of his consider the light of nature as goodness.

exhibiting evidence of the goodIn the same manner the apos- ness of God? It appears that dle, in the first chapter to the the Psalmist and the apostles Romans, proves the eternal pow- have reasoned from the light of er and godhead of Jehovah, from nature, to prove this divine perthe creation of the world. He fection. argues from the light of nature, We may notice further, in the to prove those perfections of 34th and subsequent chapters of