he had confidered long, and had many ftrifes within himself concerning the strictnefs of life and competency of learning required in fuch as enter into facred orders; and doubtlefs, confidering his own demerits, did humbly ask God with St. Paul, “Lord, who is fufficient for these "things?" and with meek Mofes, "Lord, "who am I?" And fure if he had confulted with flesh and blood, he had not for thefe reafons put his hand to that holy plough. But God, who is able to prevail, wrestled with him, as the Angel did with Jacob, and marked him; marked him for his own; marked him with a bleffing, a bleffing of obedience to the motions of his bleffed Spirit. And then, as he had formerly asked God with Mofes, "Who "am I?" fo now, being inspired with an apprehenfion of God's particular mercy to him, in the King's and others folicitations of him, he came to ask King David's thankful question, "Lord, who am I, that "thou art fo mindful of me?" fo mindful of me, as to lead me for more than forty years through this wilderness of the many tempta

temptations and various turnings of a dangerous life; fo merciful to me, as to move the learnedeft of kings to defcend to move me to ferve at the altar; fo merciful to me, as at laft to move my heart to embrace this holy motion. Thy motions I will and do embrace and I now

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say with the bleffed Virgin, "Be it with thy fervant as feemeth best in thy fight:" and fo, bleffed Jefus, I do take the cup of falvation, and will call upon thy name, and will preach thy Gospel.

Such ftrifes as thefe St. Austin had, when St. Ambrofe endeavoured his converfion to Chriftianity; with which he confeffeth he acquainted his friend Alipius. Our learned author (a man fit to write after no mean copy) did the like. And declaring his intentions to his dear friend Dr. King, then Bishop of London, a man famous in his generation, and no ftranger to Mr. Donne's abilities, (for he had been chaplain to the Lord Chancellor, at the time of Mr. Donne's being his Lordship's fecretary;) that reverend man did receive the news with much gladness;

VOL. I.

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gladness; and after fome expreffions of joy, and a perfuafion to be conftant in his pious purpose, he proceeded with all convenient speed to ordain him first deacon, and then priest not long after.

Now the English Church had gained a fecond St. Auftin, for I think none was fo like him before his converfion; none fo like St. Ambrofe after it: and if his youth had the infirmities of the one, his age had the excellencies of the other; the learning and holinefs of both.

And now all his ftudies, which had been occafionally diffufed, were all concentred in Divinity. Now he had a new calling, new thoughts, and a new employment for his wit and eloquence. Now all his earthly affections were changed into divine love; and all the faculties of his own foul were engaged in the converfion of others; in preaching the glad tidings of remiffion to repenting finners, and peace to each troubled foul. To these he applied himself with all care and diligence and now fuch a change was wrought in him, that he could say with

David, "O how amiable are thy taber"nacles, O Lord God of Hofts!" Now he declared openly, that "when he required "a temporal, God gave him a spiritual 66 bleffing." And that " he was now "gladder to be a door-keeper in the house "of God, than he could be to enjoy the "nobleft of all temporal employments."

Presently after he entered into his holy profeffion, the King fent for him, and made him his chaplain in ordinary, and promised to take a particular care for his preferment.

And though his long familiarity with scholars and persons of greatest quality was fuch, as might have given fome men boldness enough to have preached to any eminent auditory; yet his modesty in this employment was fuch, that he could not be perfuaded to it, but went ufually accompanied with fome one friend to preach privately in fome village, not far from London; his firft fermon being preached at Paddington. This he did, till his Majesty sent and appointed him a day to preach to him at Whitehall; and though much

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much was expected from him, both by his Majefty and others, yet he was fo happy (which few are) as to fatisfy and exceed their expectations; preaching the word fo, as fhewed his own heart was poffeffed with those very thoughts and joys that he laboured to diftil into others: a preacher in earneft; weeping fometimes for his auditory, fometimes with them; always preaching to himself, like an angel from a cloud, but in none; carrying fome, as St. Paul was, to heaven in holy raptures, and enticing others by a facred art and courtship to amend their lives: here picturing a vice so as to make it ugly to those that practifed it, and a virtue fo as to make it beloved even by those that loved it not; and all this with a moft particular grace and an inexpreffible addition of comeliness.

There may be fome that may incline to think (such indeed as have not heard him) that my affection to my friend hath tranfported me to an immoderate commendation of his preaching. If this meets with any fuch, let me entreat, though I