condition of a Turkey-merchant, in London: where he lived several years in good fashion and esteem, until a powerful party in the Church of England, then resolving not only to separate from the communion of all the faithful that were averse to certain confessedly unscriptural and uninstituted rites in the worship of God, but also to persecute with destroying severities those that were non-conformists thereunto, compelled a considerable number of good men to seek a shelter among the salvages of America. Among these, and with his excellent father-in-law, Mr. Theophilus Eaton, he came to New-England; where, then removing from the Massachusetbay unto Hartford upon Connecticut River, he became a ruler and pillar of that colony, during the time of his abode in the country.

3. In his government he acquitted himself as the Solomon of his colony, to whom "God gave 'wisdom and knowledge, that he might go out and come in before the people;" and as he was the head, so he was the heart of the people, for the resolution to do well, which he maintained among them. An unjust judge is, as one says, "a cold fire, a dark sun, a dry sea, an ungood God, a contradictio in adjecto."* Far from such was our Hopkins; no, he was, dixanov uxov,† a meer piece of living justice. And as he had no separate interests of his own, so he pursued their interests with such an unspotted and successful fidelity, that they might call him, as the tribe of Benjamin did their leader in the wilderness, Abidan; that is to say, “our father is judge." New-England saw little dawnings, and emblems, and earnests of the day, "that the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given unto the people of the saints of the Most High," when such a saint as our HOPKINS was one of its governours. And the felicity which a great man has prognosticated for Europe, "that God will stir up some happy governour in some country in Christendom, indued with wisdom and consideration, who shall discern the true nature of Godliness and Christianity, and the necessity and excellency of serious religion, and shall place his honour and felicity in pleasing God and doing good, and attaining everlasting happiness, and shall subject all worldly respects unto these high and glorious ends:" this was now exemplified in America. § 4. Most exemplary was his piety and his charity; and while he governed others by the laws of God, he did himself yield a profound subjection unto those laws. He was exemplarily watchful over his own behaviour, and made a continual contemplation of, and preparation for death, to be the character of his life. It was his manner to rise early, even before day, to enjoy the devotions of his closet; after which he spent a considerable time in reading, and opening, and applying the word of God unto his family, and then praying with them: and he had one particular way to cause attention in the people of his family, which was to ask any person that seemed careless in the midst of his discourse, "What was it that I read or spoke last?" whereby he habituated them unto such an attention, that

• A paradox.

+ Justice incarnate.

they were still usually able to give a ready account. But as for his prayers, they were not only frequent, but so fervent also, that he frequently fell a bleeding at the nose through the agony of spirit with which he laboured in them. And especially when imploring such spiritual blessings as, "that God would grant in the end of our lives, the end of our hopes, even the salvation of our souls," he would be so transported, that the observing and judicious hearers would say sometimes upon it, "Surely this man cannot be long out of heaven." Moreover, in his neighbourhood he not only set himself to encourage and countenance real Godliness, but also would himself kindly visit the Meetings that the religious neighbours privately kept for the exercises of it; and where the least occasion for contention was offered, he would, with a prudent and speedy endeavour, extinguish it. But the poor he so considered, that besides the daily reliefs which with his own hands he dispensed unto them, he would put considerable sums of money into the hands of his friends, to be by them employed as they saw "opportunity to do good unto all, especially the household of faith." In this thing he was like that noble and worthy English General, of whom 'tis noted, "he never thought he had any thing but what he gave away;" and yet, after all, with much humility he would profess, as one of the most liberal men that ever was in the world often would, "I have often turned over my books of accounts, but I could never find the great God charged a debtor there."

§ 5. But suffering as well as doing belongs to the compleat character of a Christian; and there were several trials wherein our Lord called this eminently patient servant of his to suffer the will of God. He conflicted with bodily infirmities, but especially with a wasting and a bloody cough, which held him for thirty years together. He had been by persecutions driven to cross an ocean, to which he had in his nature an antipathy; and then a wilderness full of such crosses as attend the beginning of a plantation, exercised him. Nevertheless, there was one affliction which continually dropt upon him above all the rest, and that was this, he mar ried a daughter which the second wife of Mr. Eaton had by a former husband; one that from a child had been observable for desirable qualities. But some time after she was married, she fell into a distempered melancholy, which at last issued in an incurable distraction, with such ill-shaped ideas in her brain, as use to be formed when the animal spirits are fired by irregular particles, fixed with acid, bilious, venemous ferments in the blood. Very grievous was this affliction unto this her worthy consort, who was by temper a very affectionate person; and who now left no part of a tender husband undone, to ease, and, if it were possible, to cure the lamentable desolation thus come upon "the desire of his eyes;" but when the physician gave him to understand that no means would be likely to restore her sense but such as would be also likely to hazard her life, he replied, with tears, "I had rather bear my cross unto the end that the Lord shall give!" VOL. I.-10

but upon this occasion he said unto her sister, who, with all the rest related unto her, were as dear unto him as his own, "I have often thought, what would be the meaning of the Lord, in chastising of me with so sharp a rod, and with so long a stroke," whereto, when she replied, "Sir, nothing singular has, in this case, befallen you; God hath afflicted others in the like way; and we must be content with our portion;" he answered, "Sister, this is among the Lord's rarities. For my part, I cannot tell what sore to lay my hand upon: however, in general, my sovereign Lord is just, and I will justifie him for ever: but in particular, I have thought the matter might lye here: I promised my self too much content in this relation and enjoyment; and the Lord will make me to know that this world shall not afford it me." So he wisely, meekly, fruitfully bore this heavy affliction unto his dying day; having been taught by the affliction to die daily as long as he lived.

§ 6. About Governour Eaton, his father-in-law, he saw cause to say unto a sister-in-law, whom he much valued, "I have often wondred at my father and your father; I have heard him say, That he never had a repenting, or a repining thought, about his coming to New-England: surely, in this matter he hath a grace far out-shining mine. But he is our father! I cannot say, as he can, I have had hard work with my own heart about it." But upon the death of his elder brother, who was warden of the fleet, it was necessary for him to return into England, that he might look after the estate which then fell unto him; and accordingly, after a tempestuous and a terrible voyage, wherein they were eminently endangered by fire, accidentally enkindled on the ship, as well as by water, which tore it so to pieces, that it was towed in by another ship, he at length,

Per Varios Casus; per tot Discrimina Rerum,*

By

arrived there. There a great notice was quickly taken of him: he was made warden of the fleet, commissioner of the admiralty, and the navy office, a parliament-man; and he was placed in some other considerable. stations: in all which he more than answered the expectations of those who took him to be a person eminently qualified for public service. these employments, his design of returning to New-England, with which he left it, was diverted so far, that he sent for his family; and about the time that he looked for them, he being advantaged by his great places to employ certain frigots for their safety on the coast, by that means had them safely brought unto him. When they were with him in London, one of them told him how much his friends in New-England wished and prayed for his return: and how that passage had been used in our publick supplications for that mercy, "Lord, if we may win him in heaven, we shall yet have him on earth:" but he replyed, "I have had many thoughts about my return, and my affections have been bent very strongly that

* Through peril, toil, and rough adventure passer.

way; and though I have now, blessed be God, received my family here, yet that shall be no hindrance to my return. I will tell you, though I am little worth, yet I have that love which will dispose me to serve the Lord and that people of his. But as to that matter, I incline to think they will not win it in heaven; and I know not whether the terrors of my dreadful voyage hither might not be ordered by the Divine Providence to stake me in this land, being in my spirit sufficiently loth to run the hazard of such another. I must also say to you, I mourn exceedingly, and I fear, I fear, the sins of New-England will ere long be read in its punishments. The Lord has planted that land with a noble vine; and blessed hast thou been, O land, in thy rulers! But, alas! for the generality they have not consid ered how they were to honour the rules of God, in honouring of those whom God made rulers over them; and I fear they will come to smart by having them set over them, that it will be an hard work to honour, and that will hardly be capable to manage their affairs."

§ 7. Accordingly he continued in England the rest of his days, in several places of great honour and burden faithfully serving the nation; but in the midst of his publick employments most exactly maintaining the zeal and watch of his own private walk with God. His mind kept continually mellowing and ripening for heaven; and one expression of his heavenly mind, among many others, a little before his end, was, “How often have I pleased my self with thoughts of a joyful meeting with my father Eaton! I remember with what pleasure he would come down the street, that he might meet me when I came from Hartford unto NewHaven: but with how much greater pleasure shall we shortly meet one another in heaven!" But as an heavenly mind is oftentimes a presaging mind, so he would sometimes utter this presage unto some that were near and dear unto him: "God will shortly take the Protector away, and soon after that you will see great changes overturning the present constitution, and sore troubles come upon those that now promise better things unto themselves." However, he did not live to see the fulfilment of this prediction.

§ 8. For the time now drew near that this Israelite was to die! He had been in his life troubled with many fears of death; and after he fell sick, even when he drew very near his death, he said, with tears, "Oh! pray for me, for I am in extream darkness!" But at length, on a Lord's day, about the very time when Mr. Caryl was publickly praying for him, his darkness all vanished, and he broke forth into these expressions: "Oh! Lord, thou hast kept the best wine until the last! Oh! friends, could you believe this? I shall be blessed for ever; I shall quickly be in eternal glory. Now let the whole world count me vile, and call me an hypocrite, or what they will, I matter it not; I shall be blessed; there is reserved for me a crown of glory. Oh! blessed be God for Jesus Christ! I have heretofore thought it an hard thing to die, but now I find that it is not

so. If I might have my choice, I would now chuse to die. Oh! my Lord, I pray thee send me not back again into this evil world, I have enough of it; no, Lord, now take me to glory, and the kingdom that is prepared for me!" Yea, the standers by thought it not possible for them to utter, exactly after him, the heavenly words which now proceeded from him; and when one of them said, "Sir, the Lord hath enlarged your faith;" he replied, "Friend, this is sense; the Lord hath even satisfied my sense; I am sensibly satisfied of everlasting glory!" Two or three days he now spent in prayers and praises, and in inexpressible joys; in which time, when some eminent persons of a very publick station and imployment came to visit him, unto them he said, "Sirs, take heed of your hearts while you are in your work for God, that there be no root of bitterness within you. It may be pretended your desires are to serve God, but if there are in you secret aims at advancing of your selves, and your own estates and interests, the Lord will not accept your services as pure before him.”

But at length, in the month of March, 1657, at London he expired; when being opened, it was found that his heart had been unaccountably, as it were, boiled and wasted in water, until it was become a little brittle skin, which, being touched, presently dropped in pieces. He had often wished, upon some great accounts, that he might live till the beginning of this year; and now when he lay a dying, he said, "Lord! thou hast fulfilled my desires according to thy word, that thou wilt fulfil the desires of them that fear thee."

Now, from the tombstone of another eminent person, we will fetch what shall here be a proper

§ 1. ALTERNATELY, for the most part every other year, Mr. Haines, whom we have already mentioned elsewhere, took a turn with Mr. Hopkins in the chief place of government. And besides these, (reader, the oracle that once predicted government unto a e, would now and here predict it unto a W,) there were Mr. Willis, Mr. Wells, and Mr. Webster, all of whom also had opportunity to express their liberal and generous dispositions, and the governing virtues of wisdom, justice and courage, by the election of the freemen in the colony before its being united with New-Haven. Had the