who, observing the great hospitality of Mr. Wilson, in conjunction with his meta-grammatising temper, said, "That the anagram of JOHN WILSON was, I PRAY, COME IN: YOU ARE HEARTILY WELCOME."

To make up this want, I might conclude the life of this good man with an anagram which he left on and for himself:

Johannes Wilsonus.

ANAGR.-In uno Jesu, nos Salvi.

VEL

Non in uno Jesu Salus?

An non in Jesu, Credentum, figitur, uno,

Tota Salus? Hic est, hic Sita Tota Salus.*

§ 21. But it is to the last place in our history of this worthy man, that I reserve that part of his character which lay in his disposition to allot unto himself the last place among all worthy men; for his low opinion of himself, was the top of all his other excellencies. His humility not only caused him to prefer the meanest of his brethren above himself, but also to comply with the meanest opportunities of being serviceable. He might justly be reckoned the name's sake of that John, the Bishop of Alexandria, who was called not only Johannes Eleemosynarius,† but also Humilis Johannes. Hence 'twas, that when his voice in his age did so fail him, that his great congregation could be no longer edified by his publick labours, he cheerfully and painfully set himself to do all the good that he could by his private visits; and such also as he could not reach with sermons, he often found with verses: hence 'twas that when that plea was used with the church of Ipswich, to resign Mr. Norton unto the church of Boston, after the death of Mr. Cotton; because it was said, "Let him that hath two coats, give to him that hath none:" and a person of quality replied, "Boston hath one," [meaning Mr. Wilson:] this good man answered, "Who? me! I am nothing!" Yea, hence 'twas, that when malefactors had been openly scourged upon the just sentence of authority, he would presently send for them to his house, and having first expressed his bounty to them, he would then bestow upon them such gracious admonitions and exhortations, as made them to become, instead of desperate, remarkably penitent. Indeed, I know not whether his humility might not have some excess, in some instances, charged upon it; at least once, when he had promised unto a neighbouring minister to preach a sermon for him, and after his promise came in season to that minister, saying, "Sir, I told you that I would preach for you, but it was rashly done of me; I have on my knees begged the pardon of it from the Lord; that I should offer thus to deprive his people of your labours, which are so much better than any of mine can be: wherefore, sir, I now come seasonably to tell you that I shall fail you!" And accordingly, there was no perswading of him to the contrary.

• John Wilson. Anagram: “In Jesus alone are we saved;" or, "Is there not salvation in Jesus alone?” What other name in earth or heaven is known, Whereby we may be saved, save Christ's alone?

+ John the Compassionate.

John the Humble.

But from the like humility it was, that a good kinsman of his, who deserves to live in the same story, as he now lives in the same heaven with him-namely, Mr. Edward Rawson, the honoured secretary of the Massachuset colony-could not by all his entreaties perswade him to let his picture be drawn; but still refusing it, he would reply, "What! such a poor vile creature as I am! shall my picture be drawn? I say, no; it never shall!" And when that gentleman introduced the limner, with all things ready, vehemently importuning him to gratifie so far the desires of his friends, as to sit a while, for the taking of his effigies, no importunity could ever obtain it from him. However, being bound in justice to employ my hand for the memory of that person by whose hand I was myself baptised, I have made an essay to draw his picture, by this account of his life; wherein if I have missed of doing to the life, it might be made up with several expressive passages, which I find in elegies written and printed upon his death: whereof there were many composed, by those whose opinion was well signified by one of them:

Sure verseless he does mean to's grave to go,

And well deserves that now no verse can show.

But waving the rest, let the following poem, never before printed, offer some odours for the reader's further entertainment:

SOME OFFERS TO EMBALM THE MEMORY OF THE TRULY REV'D. AND RENOWNED JOHN WILSON,

THE FIRST PASTOR OF BOSTON, IN NEW-ENGLAND:

Interred (and a great part of his country's glory with him) August 11, 1667, aged 79.

MIGHT Aaron's rod (such funerals mayn't be dry)
But broach the rock, 'twould gush pure elegy,
To round the wilderness with purling lays,
And tell the world the great Saint Wilson's praise.
Here's one-pearls are not in great clusters found-
Here's one, the skill of tongues and arts had crown'd;
Here's one (by frequent martyrdom was try’d)
That could forego skill, pelf, and life beside,

For Christ: both Englands' darling, whom in swarms
They press'd to see, and hear, and felt his charms.
'Tis one (when will it rise to number two?-
The world at once can but one Phoenix show :)
For truth a Paul, Cephas for zeal, for love
A John, inspir'd by the cœlestial dove.
Abram's true son for faith; and in his tent
Angels oft had their table and content.
So humble, that alike on's charity,
Wrought extract gent; with extract rudii
Pardon this fault; his great excess lay there,
He'd trade, for heaven, with all he came a near;
His meat, clothes, cash, he'd still for ventures send
Consign'd, per Brother Lazarus, his friend.

Mighty in prayer, his hands uplifted reach'd

Mercy's high throne, and thence strange bounties fetch'd
Once and again, and oft: so felt by all,
Who weep his death, as a departing Paul.
All-yea, baptiz'd with tears, lo! children come
(Their baptism he maintain'd!) unto his tomb.

"Twixt an apostle and evangelist,

Let stand his order in the heavenly list.

Had we the costly alabaster box,

What's left we'd spend on this New-English Knox;
True Knox, fill'd with that great reformer's grace,
In truth's just cause "fearing no mortal's face."
Christ's word, it was his life-Christ's church, his care;
And so great with him his least brethren were,
Not heat nor cold-not rain, or frost, or snow-
Could hinder, but he'd to their sermons go;
Aaron's bells chimed from far, he'd run, and then
His ravish'd soul echo'd Amen, Amen!

He travers'd oft the fierce Atlantick sea,
But, Patmos of confessors, 'twas for thee.
This voyage lands him on the wished shore,
From whence this father will return no more,
To sit the moderator of thy sages.

But tell his zeal for thee to after ages,

His care to guide his flock and feed his lambs,
By words, works, prayers, psalms, alms, and anagrams:
Those anagrams, in which he made to start

Out of meer nothings, by creating art,
Whole words of counsel; did to motes unfold
Names, till they lessons gave richer than gold,
And every angle so exacily fay,

It should out-shine the brightest solar ray.

Sacred his verse, writ with a cherub's quill;
But those wing'd choristers of Zion-hill,
Pleased with the notes, call'd him a part to bear
With them, where he his anagram did hear,
"I pray come in: heartily welcome, sir !"

EPITAPHIUM.

Thinking what epitaph I should offer unto the grave of this worthy man, I called unto mind the fittest in the world, which was directed for him, immediately upon his death by an honourable person, who still continues the same lover, as well as instance, of learning and vertue, that he was when he then advised them to give Mr. Wilson this

EPITAPH.

And now abides faith, hope, and charity,
But charity's the greatest of the three.

To which this might be added, from another hand:

Aurea, quæ (obstupeo referens!) Primava Vetustas

Condidit Arcano, Sæcula Apostolica,

Officiis Donisque itidem Sanctissimus Heros,

WILSONUS tacitis Protulit ex Tenebris.*

CHAPTER IV.

PURITANISMUS NOV-ANGLICANUS; THE LIFE OF MR. JOHN

DAVENPORT.

§ 1. A noted author of more than twice seven treatises, and chaplain to two successive Queens of England, was that Christopher Davenport, whose assumed name was, Franciscus à Sancta Clara. And in Mr. Rushworth's collection of speeches, made in the celebrated parliament, 1640, I find Sir Benjamin Rudyard using these words: "Sancta Clara hath published, that if a Synod were held, Non intermixtis Puritanis-setting Puritans aside'-our articles and their religion would soon be agreed. They have so brought it to pass, that under the name of Puritans, all our religion is branded. Whosoever squares his actions by any rule, either divine or humane, he is a Puritan;-whosoever would be governed by the King's laws, he is a Puritan." Whether this account of matters be allowed or no, there was, though not a brother, (as a certain woodden historian, in his Athena Oxonienses, § has reported,) yet a kinsman of that Sancta Clara, who was among the most eminent Puritans of those days: and this was our holy and famous Mr. John Davenport: one of whom I may, on many accounts, use the eulogy, with which the learned still mention Salmasius, Vir nunquam satis Laudatus, nec Temere sine Laude nominandus.|| § 2. Mr. John Davenport was born at Coventry, in the year 1597, of

The ancient apostolic Age of Gold,

Obscured so sadly in the mists of Time,

+ New-England Puritanism.

Our WILSON, cast in apostolic mould,
Seems to restore in all its pristine prime.
Oxford Athens,

Francis of St. Clair.

| A man never yet praised enough, and never to be named without praise.

VOL. I.-21