"ble addition to your prefent estate, "which I know needs it."

To this, after a fhort paufe, and raising himself upon his bed, he made this reply: My most dear friend, I most humbly "thank you for your many favours, and "this in particular; but in my present "condition I fhall not accept of your "propofal; for doubtlefs there is such a "fin as facrilege; if there were not, it "could not have a name in Scripture: " and the primitive clergy were watchful "against all appearances of that evil; and "indeed then all Chriftians looked upon "it with horror and deteftation, judging "it to be even an open defiance of the pow"er and providence of Almighty God, and

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a fad prefage of a declining religion. But "inftead of fuch Chriftians, who had fe"lected times fet apart to faft and pray "to God, for a pious clergy, which they "then did obey, our times abound with

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men that are bufy and litigious about "trifles and church-ceremonies, and yet "so far from scrupling facrilege, that they make not so much as a query what

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"it is: but I thank God I have; and "dare not now upon my fick bed, when Almighty God hath made me useless "to the fervice of the church, make any "advantages out of it. But if he fhall "again restore me to fuch a degree of "health, as again to serve at his altar, I "shall then gladly take the reward which "the bountiful benefactors of this church "have defigned me; for God knows my "children and relations will need it: in "which number my mother (whose cre"dulity and charity has contracted a very "plentiful to a very narrow estate) must "not be forgotten. But, Dr. King, if I "recover not, that little worldly estate "that I fhall leave behind me (that very "little, when divided into eight parts) "muft, if you deny me not fo charitable "a favour, fall into your hands, as my "most faithful friend and executor; of "whofe care and justice I make no more

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doubt, than of God's bleffing on that "which I have confcientiously collected "for them; but it shall not be augment

F 3

"ed

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❝ed on my fick-bed; and this I declare "to be my unalterable refolution."

The reply to this was only a promise to obferve his request.

Within a few days his diftempers abated; and as his ftrength increased, fo did his thankfulness to Almighty God, tefti3fied in his moft excellent Book of Devo1624. tions, which he published at his recovery; in which the reader may fee the most secret thoughts that then poffeffed his foul paraphrased and made public; a book, that may not unfitly be called a Sacred Picture of Spiritual Ecftafies, occafioned and appliable to the emergencies of that fickness; which book, being a compofition of meditations, difquifitions, and prayers, he writ on his fick-bed; herein imitating the holy Patriarchs, who were wont to build their altars in that place where they had received their bleffings.

This fickness brought him fo near to the gates of death, and he saw the grave fo ready to devour him, that he would often fay, his recovery was fupernatural :

but

but that God that then restored his health continued it to him till the fifty-ninth year of his life; and then, in August 1630, being with his eldest daughter, Mrs. Harvy, at Abury Hatch in Effex, he there fell into a fever, which with the help of his conftant infirmity (vapours from the fpleen) haftened him into so visible a confumption, that his beholders might say, as St. Paul of himself, "He dies daily;" and he might say with Job, "My welfare "paffeth away as a cloud, the days of my "affliction have taken hold of me, and (6 weary nights are appointed for me."

Reader, this fickness continued long, not only weakening, but wearying him fo much, that my defire is, he may now take fome reft; and that before I speak of his death, thou wilt not think it an impertinent digreffion to look back with me upon fome observations of his life, which, whilst a gentle flumber gives reft to his fpirits, may, I hope, not unfitly exercise thy confideration.

His marriage was the remarkable error of his life—an error, which, though he had a wit able and very apt to maintain paradoxes, yet he was very far from justifying it; and though his wife's competent years, and other reasons, might be justly urged to moderate fevere cenfures, yet he would occafionally condemn himfelf for it; and doubtlefs it had been attended with an heavy repentance, if God had not bleffed them with fo mutual and cordial affections, as in the midst of their fufferings made their bread of forrow tafte more pleasantly than the banquets of dull and low-fpirited people.

The recreations of his youth were poetry, in which he was so happy, as if Nature and all her varieties had been made only to exercise his sharp wit and high fancy; and in thofe pieces which were facetiously composed and carelessly scattered (most of them being written before the twentieth year of his age) it may appear by his choice metaphors, that both Nature and all the Arts joined to affist him with their utmost skill.