pretender to that glorious family, who hath no tincture of it, is an impostor and a spurious brat. This is that sacred fountain which baptizeth all the gentle, virtues that so immortalize the names of Cicero, Plutarch, Seneca, and all the old philosophers; herein they are regenerated, and take a new name and nature; digged up in the wilderness of nature, and, dipped in this living spring, they are planted, and flourish, in the Paradise of God.

By Christianity I intend that universal habit of grace which is wrought in a soul by the regenerating Spirit of God, whereby the whole creature is resigned up into the divine will and love, and all its actions designed to the obedience and glory of its Maker. As soon as he had improved his natural understanding with the acquisition of learning, the first studies he exercised himself in were principles of religion, and the first knowledge he labored for was a knowledge of God, which, by a diligent examination of the Scripture and the several doctrines of great men pretending that ground, he at length obtained. Afterward, when he had laid a sure and orthodox foundation in the doctrine of the free grace of God given us by Jesus Christ, he began to survey the superstructures, and to discover much of the hay and stubble of man's inventions in God's worship which his Spirit burnt up in the day of their trial. His faith being established in the truth, he was full of love to God and all his saints. He hated persecution for religion, and was always a champion for all religious people against all their great oppressors. He detested all scoffs at any practice of worship though such a one as he was not persuaded of.

Whatever he practiced in religion was neither for faction nor advantage, but contrary to it, and purely for conscience' sake. As he hated outsides in religion, so could he worse endure those apostasies and those denials of the Lord and base compliancies with his adversaries, which timorous men practice under the name of prudent and just condescensions to avoid persecution.

Christianity being in him as the fountain of all his virtues, and diffusing itself into every stream, that of his Prudence falls into the next mention. He from a child was wise, and sought to by many that might have been his fathers for council, which he could excellently give to himself and others, and, whatever cross event in any of his affairs may give occasion to fools to overlook

as no man more.

the wisdom of the design, yet he had as great a foresight, as strong a judgment, as clear an apprehension of men and things. He had rather a firm impression than a great memory, yet he was forgetful of nothing but injuries. His own integrity made him credulous of other men's, till reason and experience convinced him, and as unapt to believe cautions which could not be received without entertaining ill opinions of men, yet he had wisdom enough never to commit himself to a traitor, though he was once wickedly betrayed by friends whom necessity and not mistake forced him to trust. He was as ready to hear as to give counsel, and never pertinacious in his will when his reason was convinced. There was no opinion which he was most settled in either concerning divine or human things but he would patiently and impartially have it debated. In matters of faith his reason always submitted to the word of God, and what he could not comprehend he would believe because it was written; but, in all other things, the greatest names in the world could never lead him without reason: he would deliberate when there was time, but never lost an opportunity of anything that was to be done by a tedious dispute. He would hear as well as speak, and yet never spoke impertinently or unseasonably. He very well under stood himself his own advantages, natural parts, gifts and acquirements, yet so as neither to glory of them to others, nor overvalue himself for them, for he had an excellent virtuous modesty, which shut out all vanity of mind, and yet admitted that true understanding of himself which was requisite for the best improvement of all his talents; he no less understood and was more heedful to remark his defects, imperfections, and disadvantages, but that too only to excite his circumspection concerning them, not to damp his spirit in any noble enterprise. He had a noble spirit of government, both in civil, military, and œcumenical administrations, which forced even from unwilling subjects a love and reverence of him, and endeared him to the souls of those rejoiced to be governed by him. He had a native majesty that struck an awe of him into the hearts of men, and a sweet greatness that commanded love. He had a clear discerning of men's spirits, and knew how to give every one their just weight, he contemned none that were not wicked, in whatever low degree

of nature or fortune they were otherwise: wherever he saw wisdom, learning, or other virtues in men, he honored them highly, and admired them to their full rate, but never gave himself blindly up to the conduct of the greatest master. Love itself, which was as powerful in his as in any soul, rather quickened than blinded the eyes of his judgment in discerning the imperfections of those that were most dear to him. His soul ever reigned as king in the internal throne, and never was captive to his sense; religion and reason, its two favored councillors, took order that all the passions, kept within their own just bounds, there did him good serviee and furthered the public weal. He found such felicity in that proportion of wisdom that he enjoyed, as he was a great lover of that which advanced it, learning and the arts, which he not only honored in others, but had by his industry arrived to be a far greater scholar than is absolutely requisite for a gentleman. He had many excellent attainments, but he no less evidenced his wisdom in knowing how to rank and use them, than in gaining them. He had wit enough to have been both subtil and cunning, but he so abhorred dissimulation that I cannot say he was either. Greatness of courage would not suffer him to put on a vizard, to secure him from any; to retire into the shadow of privacy and silence was all his prudence could effect in him. It will be as hard to say which was the predominant virtue in him, as which is so in its own nature. He was as excellent in justice as in wisdom-the greatest advantage, nor the greatest danger, nor the dearest interest or friend in the world could not prevail on him to prevent justice even to an enemy. He never professed the thing he intended not, nor promised what he believed out of his own power, nor failed the performance of anything that was in his power to fulfil. Never fearing anything he could suffer for the truth, he never at any time would refrain a true or give a false witness; he loved truth so much that he hated even sportive lies and gulleries. He was so just to his own honor that he many times forebore things lawful and delightful to him, rather than he would give any one occasion of scandal. Of all lies he most hated hypocrisy in religion, either to comply with changing governments or persons, without a real persuasion of conscience, or to practise holy things to get

the applause of men or any advantage. As in religion, so in friendship, he never professed love when he had it not, nor disguised hate or aversion which indeed he never had to any party or person, but to their sins and loved even his bitterest enemies so well, that I am witness how his soul mourned for them, and . how heartily he desired their conversion. If he were defective in any part of justice, it was when it was in his power to punish those who had injured him, when I have so often known him to recompense with favors instead of revenge, that his friends used to tell him, if they had any occasion to make him favorably partial to them, they would provoke him by an injury. He was as faithful and constant to his friends as merciful to his enemies: nothing grieved him more than to be obliged when he could not hope to return it. He that was a rock to all assaults of might and violence, was the greatest easy soul to kindness, that the least warm spark of that melted him into anything that was not sinful.

Nor was his soul less shining in honor than in love. Piety being still the bond of all his other virtues, there was nothing he durst not do or suffer, but sin against God, and therefore, as he never regarded his life in any noble or just enterprise, so he never staked it in any rash or unwarrantable hazard. He was never surprized, amazed, or confounded with great difficulties and dangers, which rather served to animate than distract his spirits: he had made up his accounts with life and death, and fixed his purpose to entertain both honorably, so that no accident ever dismayed him, but he rather rejoiced in such troublesome conflicts as might signalize his generosity. A truer or more lively valor there never was in any man, but, in all his actions, it ever marched in the same file with wisdom. He understood well, and as well performed when he undertook it, the military art in all parts of it he naturally loved the employment, as it suited with his active temper, more than any, conceiving a mutual delight in leading those men that loved his conduct; and, when he commanded soldiers, never was man more loved and reverenced by all who were under him; for he would never condescend to them in anything they mutinously sought, nor suffer them to seek what

it was fit for him to provide, but prevented them by his loving care; and while he exercised his authority no way but in keeping them to their just duty, they joyed as much in his commands as he in their obedience: he was very liberal to them, but ever chose just times and occasions to exercise it. I cannot say whether he were more truly magnanimous or less proud : he never disclaimed the meanest person nor flattered the greatest: he had a loving and sweet courtesy to the poorest, and would often employ many spare hours with the commonest soldiers and poorest laborers, but still so ordering his familiarity as it never raised them to a contempt, but entertained still at the same time a reverence with love of him; he ever preserved himself in his own rank, neither being proud of it so as to despise any inferior, nor letting fall that 'just decorum which his honor obliged him to keep up. He was as far from envy of superiors as from contemning them that were under him he was above the ambition of vain titles, and so well contented with the even ground of a gentleman, that no invitation could have prevailed upon him to advance one step that way; he loved substantial not airy honor: as he was above seeking or delighting in empty titles for himself, so he neither denied nor envied any man's due precedency, but pitied those that took a glory in that which had no foundation of virtue. As little did he seek after popular applause or pride himself in it, if at any time it cried up his just deserts; he more delighted to do well than to be praised, and never set vulgar commendations at such a rate as to act contrary to his own conscience or reason for the obtaining them, nor would forbear a good action which he was bound to, though all the world disliked it, for he ever looked on things as they were in themselves, not through the dim spectacles of vulgar estimation. As he was far from a vain affectation of popularity, so he never neglected that just care that an honest man ought to have of his reputation, and was as careful to avoid the appearances of evil, as evil itself; but, if he were evil spoken of for truth or righteousness' sake, he rejoiced in taking up the reproach; which all good men that dare bear their testimony against an evil generation must suffer. Though his zeal for truth and virtue caused the wicked, with the sharp edges of their malicious tongues, to attempt to shave off the glories from his head, yet his