so sweet, that I hoped my future life would be wholly' devoted to God. I then set my face towards New England, where I resolved to be the Lord's in all manner of holiness. Afterwards the Lord took my dear wife from me. This made me resolve to delight no more in creatures, but in the Lord alone. When God threatened my child with blindness, his affliction was sweet to me, but much more his commands and promises. Then I could do his will and leave all things to him. But how is my gold become dim! I have no cause to blame the Lord who has persuaded me; but the Lord pardon my sin. To serve Satan without promise, and forsake the Lord against his promise, is grievous indeed! With respect to my people, I have not pitied them, nor prayed for them, nor visited them, nor loved them, so much as I ought to have done. The gospel which I have preached has not been seen in its glory, nor been believed, nor proved effectual. Because I have greatly neglected to seek to Christ for supplies, all hath been dead work, and the fruit of pride. I have now had a long sickness, as if the Lord would use me no more. Oh! my God, who is like unto thee, pardoning and subduing mine iniquities!"* These are some of the severe censures which this eminently holy man pronounced against himself.

Mr. Shepard, when on his death-bed, was visited by many of his friends and brethren in the ministry. Several young ministers having called to see him, he addressed them as follows: "Your work," said he, "is great, and requires 66 great seriousness. For my own part, I never preached a "6 sermon which, in the composing, did not cost me prayers, "with strong cries and tears. I never preached a sermon " from which I had not first got some good to my own soul. "I never went up into the pulpit but as if I were going to "give an account of myself to God."+ Before his departure, addressing his friends, he said," Oh! love the Lord Jesus very dearly. That little part which I have in him is no small comfort to me now.' He died of a quinsey, August 25, 1649, aged forty-three years. He was a person of great learning, a hard student, an admirable preacher, and an excellent writer. His work on the "Parable of the Ten Virgins," observes Dr. Williams, is a rich fund of experimental and practical divinity: the dress is plain, but the strain of thought is extremely animated and searching.+ Fuller has honoured him with a place among the learned + Ibid. p. 238.

Mather's Hist. b. iii. p. 91-93.
Christian Preacher, p. 435.

writers who were fellows of Emanuel college, Cambridge. The two Mr. Thomas Shepards, successively pastors of the church at Charlestown in New England, were his son and grandson.+

His WORKS.-1. The Doctrine of the Sabbath, 1649.-2. Certain Select Cases Resolved, 1650.-3. Subjection to Christ in all his Ordinances and Appointments, the best means to preserve our Liberty, 1652.-4. The Sincere Convert, 1652.-5. A Treatise of Liturgies, 1653.-6. The Parable of the Ten Virgins, 1660.-7. The Sound Believer, 1671.-8. The Churchmembership of Children, and their right to Baptism.-9. New England's Lamentations for Old England's Errors.-10. A Treatise of Hearing the Word.-11. Wine for Gospel Wantons; or, Cautions against Spiritual Drunkenness.

SAMUEL CROOK, B. D.-This excellent divine was born at Great Waldingfield in Essex, January 17, 1574; educated in Pembroke-hall, Cambridge; and afterwards chosen fellow of Emanuel college. His father was the learned and laborious Dr. Crook, preacher to the honourable society of Gray'sinn, and descended from an ancient family. He was highly esteemed in the university, for his pregnant parts, great industry, and answerable proficiency in all the branches of useful and polite literature. He was chosen reader of rhetoric and philosophy in the public schools, which offices he filled with great applause. While at Cambridge he was a constant hearer and a great admirer of the excellent Mr. Perkins. He preached first for a short time at Caxton, near Cambridge; then, in the year 1602, accepted an invitation to the pastoral charge at Wrington in Somersetshire, receiving his presentation to the living from Sir Arthur Capel. In gratitude for the advantages which he had enjoyed at the university, he gave to the library of Pembroke-hall, Basil's Works, Greek and Latin; to Emanuel college, all the Councils, Greek and Latin; and to the university library, the Works of Gregory Nazianzens and Gregory Nissens.

Mr. Crook, upon his settlement at Wrington, took indefatigable pains in his ministry, and his usefulness surpassed all expectation. He constantly preached three times a week, and sometimes oftener, to the end of his days. As he preached so he lived. His life was one continued comment upon his doctrine. He was much admired and esteemed by his people, and their affectionate attachment continued to increase to the last. As, during his preparations for the + Mather's Hist. b. iii. p. 88.

→ Hist. of Cambridge, p. 147.

ministry, he had laid in richly, so now he laid out liberally. His sermons were grave, judicious, and appropriate; and his applications, by a sweet eloquence, fervent zeal, and love to souls, were addressed to the hearts of his hearers. He did not serve God with that which cost him nothing, but laboured much in his preparations for the pulpit. His constant motto was, "I am willing to spend and be spent." In time of sickness, the physician observing that he might live longer if he would preach less, he said, "Alas! if I may not labour I cannot live. What good will life do me, if I be hindered from the end of living?" When labouring under the infirmities of old age, he would not desist from his beloved work, but often preached when with the utmost difficulty he could scarcely walk to the house of God; and even then his sermons were delivered with his usual vivacity. He fed his flock, not with airy notions and vain speculations, but with the substantial provision of the gospel. He provided milk for babes, and strong meat for men. Notwithstanding his excellent endowments, and the high admiration in which he was held by all who knew him, he was not lifted up with pride, but walked in all humility before God and men. He is said to have been the first who brought extemporary prayer into use in that part of the country, in which exercise he greatly excelled.

He laboured in the ministry, with very little interruption, above forty-seven years. During this period he was the means of bringing many wandering sinners to Christ. Once, indeed, the bishop put a stop to his Tuesday lecture; but it is said, "God was pleased so to order it, that the lecture was soon revived, and the bishop who interrupted it was cast out of his office."+ During a life of nearly seventy-five years, he witnessed many changes in the church of Christ. Nor was he without his sufferings in the civil wars. Rude soldiers tyrannized over him in his own house, not permitting him to be quiet in his study. There they followed him with drawn swords, vowing his instant death, for not joining them in their bloody cause. The Lord, however, was pleased to deliver him from the rage of his enemies.

Mr. Crook, during his last sickness, often protested that the doctrine he had taught was the truth of God, as he should answer at the tribunal of Christ, to which he was hastening. He received the sentence of his approaching death with cheerfulness; and seeing he had no prospect of

* Clark's Lives annexed to his Martyrologie, p. 202–206. + Ibid. p. 206–208.

labouring any more, he desired his friends not to pray for the continuance of his life, but "for faith, for patience, for re pentance, and for joy in the Holy Ghost. Lord," said he, 66 cast me down as low as hell in repentance, and lift me up to heaven by faith and confidence in thy salvation." He was full of grace, full of peace, full of assurance. The Tuesday before he died, he said, "This day sevennight is the day on which we used to remember Christ's nativity, and on this day I have preached Christ. I shall scarcely live to see it. But for me that child was born, and unto me that son was given.' He died December 25, 1649, in the seventy-fifth year of his age. Mr. Clark says, "he was a person of a quick invention, a sound judgment, a strong memory, and great learning and piety. He was grave without austerity, pleasant without levity, courteous without hypocrisy, and charitable almost without an equal." Fuller has placed him on the list of learned writers, being fellows of Emanuel college, Cambridge.+

"

His WORKS.-1. Three Sermons, 1615.-2. Death Subdued, 1619. -3. The Guide to True Blessedness, 1650.-4. Divine Charaeters, 1658.

FRANCIS WOODCOCK, A. B.-This pious divine was born in the city of Chester, in the year 1614, and educated in Brazen-nose college, Oxford, where he took one degree in arts. He entered into holy orders while at the university, and was episcopally ordained, soon after which he removed from that seat of learning, and had a cure of souls bestowed upon him. Wood says," he was always puritanically affected;" therefore, upon the commencement of the differences between the king and parliament, he espoused the cause of the latter, and was afterwards chosen one of the assembly of divines, when he assiduously attended during the whole session. Being brought up to London, he was chosen lecturer of St. Lawrence Jewry, and frequently preached at St. Olave's in Southwark, to which he was afterwards appointed minister by an ordinance of parliament, dated July 10, 1646. He took the covenant with the rest of his brethren, and was chosen proctor to the university of Cambridge. He died in the year 1649, aged thirty-five

* Clark's Lives annexed to his Martyrologie, p. 205–214. + Hist. of Cambridge, p. 147.

Whitlocke's Mem. p. 220.

Neal's Puritans, vol. iii. p. 54.

1

years, and his remains were interred in St. Olave's church.❤ He was esteemed a good scholar and an excellent preacher.

His WORKS.-1. The Two Witnesses, in several Lectures at St. Lawrence Jewry, on Rev. xi., with the great Question discussed, Whether the two Witnesses were slain or no? 1643.-This work was made public by an order from the committee of the house of commons, dated April 27, 1643.-2. Christ's Warning-piece, giving Notice to every one to watch and keep their Garments, delivered in a Sermon at Margaret's, Westminster, before the House of Commons, at their solemn Fast, October 30, 1644-1644.-3. Lex Talionis; or, God paying every Man in his own Coin, a Fast Sermon before the House of Commons, July 30, 1645, on 1 Sam. ii. 30., 1645.—4. Joseph Paralleled by the present Parliament, in his Sufferings and Advancement, a Sermon preached before the House of Commons on their solemn Day of Thanksgiving, Feb. 19, 1645, on Gen. xlix. 23, 24., 1646.

EDWARD SYMMONDS, A. M.-This pious man was born at Cottered in Hertfordshire, and educated at Peter-house, Cambridge. Upon his leaving the university, he entered into the ministerial office, and appears to have preached at Fowey in Cornwall. In the year 1630 he became rector of Little Rayne in Essex, where he continued till the commencement of the civil wars. He omitted the use of the cross in baptism and wearing the surplice, for which he was brought before a justice of peace; but whether the prosecution was dropped, or he was punished for this two-fold marvellous crime, we are not able to learn. "His omission of the cross and surplice, and his friendship with Stephen Marshall, plainly intimate," says Dr. Walker," that he was something inclinable to the puritans ;" and we venture to add, that the former alone sufficiently proves that he was a puritan and a nonconformist. He was nevertheless brought into many troubles during the civil wars, by the committee of scandalous ministers. Appearing before the committee, he was sequestered for preaching and publishing, "That the king, being the supreme magistrate, hath immediate dependence upon God, to whom only he is accountable-that the title of the Lord's anointed is proper and peculiar to the king: that royal birth is equivalent to royal unction: that authority is a sacred thing, and essential to the king's person: that resistance is against the way of God, destructive to the whole law of God, inconsistent with the spirit of the gospel, the perpetual practice of christianity, the calling of ministers, common prudence, the rule of

* Wood's Athena Oxon. vol. ii. p. 82, 83.-Walker's Attempt, part ii. + Walker's Attempt, part ii. p. 361,

p. 6,