remember the words of this good divine, "God's Providence is the best protection: and there is no such way to engage his good Providence as by trusting Him."

REV. THOMAS COLE.

DIED 1697. AGED 70.

He was a student of Christ Church, Oxford, Principal of St. Mary Hall in the same university, and tutor to the celebrated John Locke. His last observations portray a truly religious frame of mind.

"It would be miserable dying," said he, "if we had nothing to ground our hope of eternal life upon: better never to have been born. I should not dare to look death in the face, if it were not for the comfortable assurance that faith giveth me of eternal life in Christ. I wait for a peaceable dismission. I long to see salvation; ere long, I shall be where I shall be freed from all pain. I would not live always: I long to be with Christ in Paradise. Man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets.' Pray that my eyes may be closed in the shades of death. The Spirit says, Come, and the bride saith, Come. O come, Lord Jesus, come quickly! Father, not my will, but thine be done?' To rise for a little while, is but a sorry rising; but to rise to go to bed no more, is a glorious resurrection: then we shall ever be with the Lord. It is well for us our souls do not stand upon the same terms with God as our bodies do, for they must die; but eternal life

possesseth the soul, and will never leave it. If Christ had not gone into the grave before us, it would have been a dismal place to have stepped into; but He hath walked through that dark valley. No man is against his gain: if we did but believe that to die was gain, persons would not be so afraid of it. It is a pleasant thing to die. I am waiting for thy salvation. A believer cannot but long for that which is pleasant. You are come to hear my last dying groans, but know, when you hear them, it is the sweetest breath that ever I drew. I bless God I am going where I shall want nothing. I have a promise I shall ever be with the Lord. Christ is gone to prepare a place for me, and I am satisfied. I long for death, as a weary traveller doth for his rest: nothing troubles me but life, and nothing will relieve me but death: but let God do with me what He will: all He does is best. I shall quickly sleep, and then wake in an eternal day: ere long, my days and nights will all be one. How soon is nature overset by the God of nature, unless the God of grace stand by to support it a finite creature could not endure, if everlasting arms were not underneath. The apprehensions that faith gives me of a better life is my comfort and as for going, God can make it no loss to you, nor loss to me; and that will be a blessed return of prayer. If we had not the hope of the glory of God, this world would moulder away, as poor and despicable. I long for God to speak the word; it is better to be with God than here. We look here, and we look there; but when all is set before us, then we see that in the mysteries of God, which we never saw before: all is made out. God loveth to be with those that love to be with Him. Pray that God would only glorify Himself, and his own name, in my life or death.

Time

passeth away into eternity, where there is no end. I am coming down to the dust of death; we live but dying lives in the body; they are but short recoveries of any time that we have, till death be swallowed up of life. I long to be immortal; it is a mean thing to live a dying life."

This pious and venerable servant of Christ fell asleep in the Lord, A.D. 1697.

REFLECTION.-True is the remark of this excellent divine, "It would be miserable dying if we had nothing to ground our hope of eternal life upon, better never to have been born. I should not dare to look death in the face, if it were not for the comfortable assurance that faith giveth me of eternal life in Christ."

Miserable, therefore, must be the last hours of unbelievers who have no hope in death; contrast their state with that of all Christians who can say, "Yea, though I walk through the valley and the shadow of death I will fear no evil; thy rod and staff comfort me."

THE RIGHT HON. LADY CUTTS.

DIED 1698. AGED 18.

THIS lady was the wife of the Right Hon. John Lord Cutts, of whose bravery at the siege of Namur, Rapin gives an account'.

The celebrated Dr. Francis Atterbury, then Dean of Carlisle, and chaplain to Queen Anne,

9 Life of the Rev. Thomas Cole.

1 Vol. xiv., 8vo ed., pp. 237, 238, 239.

and afterwards Bishop of Rochester, has supplied the following particulars of the exemplary life and tranquil death of her who is the subject of this memoir. The ministers of the Gospel, who are entrusted with so many methods of promoting piety in the world, are among the rest entrusted with this, of truly representing to the minds of men such shining patterns of virtue, as are most likely to engage their attention and increase their imitation.

At her private devotions she was very punctual and regular; morning and evening came not up more constantly in their course, than her stated hours of private prayer; which she observed not formally as a task, but returned to them always with desire, delight, and eagerness. She would on no occasion dispense with herself from paying this duty, no business, no common accident of life, could divert her from it; she esteemed it her great honour and happiness to attend upon God; and she resolved to find leisure for that, for whatever else she might want it. In her public devotions she was full of humility, devotion, and fervency. Her behaviour during the time of Divine service was very devout and solemn. When the bread of life was distributed she was sure to be a devout and never-failing communicant; and the strictness of her attention, and the reverence of her behaviour were, if it were possible, raised and improved on those occasions. The lively image of a crucified Saviour, then exhibited, could not but make very many impressions on a mind that abounded with so much pious warmth and tenderness.

Of all books the Book of God was that in which she was most delighted and employed; and which was never for any considerable time out of her

hands. No doubt, she knew and felt the great use and sweet influence of it, in calming her mind, and regulating her desires, and lifting up her thoughts towards heaven; in feeding and spreading that holy flame, which the love of God had kindled in her heart, and which she took care by this means, to keep perpetually burning.

And in this Book of God she was more particularly conversant on God's day; a day ever held sacred by her, and which, therefore, always in her family wore a face of devotion suitable to its dignity. It was truly a day of rest to all under her roof. Her servants were then dismissed from a good part of their attendance upon her, that they might be at liberty to wait on their great Lord and Master, whom both she and they were equally bound to obey.

To the poor she always showed herself very compassionate and charitable. Of the other delights, with which a high fortune furnished her, she valued this, that it gave her an opportunity of pursuing the several pleasures of beneficence, and of tasting all the sweets of well doing." She delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon her, and she caused the widow's heart to sing." Retirement and privacy she always loved, and therefore chose it, when after the death of a near relation who had the care of educating her, she was at liberty to have lived otherwise. Such were her religious habits of life, and they are related to show how necessary a holy life is to a happy death. Thus did she prepare and dispose herself for the enjoyment of that perfect rest, the celebration of that endless Sabbath, which she is now entered upon; thus did she practise beforehand upon