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drove the vessel upon a rock, and so tore it, that the poor people sat presently up to the middle in water, expecting every moment the waves of death to be rolling over them.

The vessel was quickly broken all to pieces, and almost the whole company drowned, by being successively washed off the rock; only Mr. Thacher, having been a considerable while tossed hither and thither by the violent seas, was at last very strangely cast alive upon the shore; where, much wounded, he found his wife a sharer with him in the like deliverance.

While these distressed servants of God were hanging about the rock, and Mr. Thacher had Mr. Avery by the hand, resolving to die together, and expecting by the stroke of the next wave to die, Mr. Avery lift up his eyes to heaven, saying, "We know not what the pleasure of God is; I fear we have been too unmindful of former deliverances: Lord, I cannot challenge a promise of the preservation of my life; but thou hast promised to deliver us from sin and condemnation, and to bring us safe to heaven, through the all-sufficient satisfaction of Jesus Christ; this therefore I do challenge of thee." Which he had no sooner spoken, but he was, by a wave sweeping him off, immediately wafted away to heaven indeed; being well furnished with those unperishable things: whereto refers the advice of the famous Duke of Bavaria, Hujusmodi comparande sunt opes, quæ nobiscum possunt simul evatare in Naufragio.*

The next island was therefore called Thacher's Woe, and that rock Avery's Fall.

Who can, without shedding tears almost enough to make a sensible addition unto the lake Leman, call to mind the fate of the incomparable Hottinger, upon that lake, in the year 1667? That incomparably learned and godly man, being by the States-General of the United Provinces, after much importunity, prevailed withal to come unto Leyden, the boat wherein he was, with his wife and three children, and a kinsman, and another person of quality, unhappily overset, by striking on an unseen rock, a little way off the shoar. He, with the two gentlemen, got safe out of the water; but seeing his wife and three children in extream danger of drowning, they went into the water again to save them, and there he, with one of the gentlemen, (and his three children) were drowned themselves. But eight days before this lamentable accident, he found this verse written on the Doctor's chair at his ascending it for the publick exercises; whereof the writer could never be found:

Carmina jam Moriens, Canit Exequialia Cygnus.†

Reader, from Hottinger, now return to Avery. Compare the manner of their death; and never forget the memorable swan-song which Avery,

• We should amass those treasures which will survive our shipwreck.

The dying swan chants his own requiem.

not eight days, but scarce eight seconds of a minute, before his expiration, sang in the ears of heaven.

What was applied once to Hottinger, shall now be borrowed for Avery,

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NATUS AD EXEMPLAR, THE LIFE OF MR. JONATHAN BURR.

Exemplo monstrante Viam.§

§ 1. WHEN the interests of David were carried into a wilderness, the respects and regards by his Jonathan had thereunto were such, that he at last uttered this exclamation thereupon, "Thy love to me was wonderful!" The interests of our Jesus, the true David, being lodged very much. in an American wilderness, there was a Jonathan, whose love thereunto was indeed so wonderful, that it carried him thro' the many waters of the Atlantick ocean, to be serviceable thereunto; and this was Mr. Jonathan Burr.

2. He was born at Redgrave, in Suffolk, about. the year 1604; descended of godly parents, who gratified the inclinations of this their son with a learned education. But although literature did much adorn his childhood, religion did so much more; for he had "from a child known the holy Scriptures, which made him wise unto salvation." It is noted that the rod of Aaron was made of an almond-tree; of which 'twill be no Plinyism to observe (though Pliny observe it,) that it flowers the first of all trees, even in January, in the more southern countries, and bears in March; which has been sometimes employed as an intimation how quickly those that are designed for the ministry should blossom towards heaven, and be young Jeremiahs, and Johns, and Timothies. Thus did our Jonathan. Even in his very childhood, so studious he was, as to leave his food for his book, but withal so pious, that he could neither morning nor evening dare to go without prayers to God for his blessing. And as it was his endeavour, whilst a school-boy, to be every day in the fear of the Lord, so he would on the Lord's day discover a singular measure of that fear; not only by abstaining from the liberties which others of his age then use to take, to pass the time away, but also by devoting the time to the exercises of devotion. His father, observing this disposition of the child, hoped, as well he might,

He follows Virtue who goes after thee;
Thy Virtue's fame his certain guide shall be.

Born to be an example.

His ship lies anchored in the port at last,
Smiles at the billow and defies the blast.
Example shows the way.

that whatever was expended in fitting him for service, would be well repaid in the service which might be done by him for the church of God; and therefore, after due preparations for it, he sent him unto the university.

§ 3. After he had spent three or four years in academical studies, the death of his father fetched him sooner than he would have gone into the country; where, though he kept a school, yet he pursued the design of accomplishing himself with every part of learning, that when those of his years were to take their degrees of Mastership, he was one of the moder ators, which place he discharged with great acceptation. But he afterwards would say, that the awful and humbling providence of God, in the death of his father, which hindred him from those employments and preferments of the university for which he had a particular fondness, had an effect upon him, for which he had reason to admire the wisdom of Heaven; inasmuch as it reduced him to that modest, gracious, careful frame, which made him the fitter for the work of "turning many to righteousness."

§ 4. Having for a while attended that work at Horninger, near Bury in Suffolk, he afterwards undertook the charge of Reckingshal, in the same county, wherein he did most exemplarily express the spirit of a minister of the New Testament. He would therein be sometimes ready to envy the more easie condition of the husbandmen; but in submission and obedience unto the call of God, he now set his hand unto the plough of the Lord Jesus Christ: and therefore in the form of a solemn covenant, he obliged himself unto the most conscientious discharge of his ministerial duties; in which discharge he would always beg of God that, whatever exhortation he gave unto others, might first be shaped in his own experience: and yet sometimes he would complain unto his friends: "Alas! I preach not what I am, but what I ought to be."

§ 5. This gracious man, was indeed a very humble man, and his humility carried him even into a dejection of spirit; especially when by importunities he had been prevailed upon to preach abroad. Once particularly, there was a person of quality, for whose conversion many prayers had been put up to God, by those who hoped that God might have much hour from a man of honour brought unto himself. Mr. Burr, preaching at a place far from his own congregation, had a most happy success in the conversion of this gentleman, who not only acknowledged this change with much thankfulness, both to God and the instrument, but also approved himself a changed man in the whole frame of his after-conversation. And yet, coming home from the preaching of that sermon, Mr. Burr had a particu lar measure of his lowly and modest reflections thereupon; adding, "I shall conclude, it is of God, if any good be done by any thing preached. by such an unworthy instrument."

§ 6. Hence, on the Lord's day, after he came home from his publick work, it was his manner presently to retire, and spend some time in praying to God for the pardon of the sins which accompanied him in his work, VOL. I.-24

and in praising of God for enabling him to go, in any measure, through it; with petitions for the good success of his labours.

He then would come down to his family-worship, wherein he spent some hours instructing of the family, and performing of other duties; and when his wife desired him to abate of his excessive pains, his answer would be, "Tis better to be worn out with work, than to be eaten out with rust.” It was indeed his joy to be spending his life unto the uttermost for God and for his people; yea, he would say, though he should have no temporal rewards. Accordingly, when any that had been benefited by his ministry sent him any tokens of their gratitude, he would (like Luther) beg of God "That he might not have his portion in such things:" and he desired of his grateful friends, "that if they had gotten any good of him, they would give unto God alone the glory of it." Moreover, if he had understood that any had gained in the concern of their souls by his labours, he would mention it, in some of his private devotions, with this expression, "Lord, of thine own have I given, take then the glory unto thy self: as for me, let my portion be in thy self, and not in the things of this world." But when he was debarred of his liberty to preach, he was even "like a fish out of the water;" and his very body languished through a sympathy, with the resentments of his mind; saying, "That his preaching was his life; and if he were laid aside from that, he should quickly be dead.” § 7. It was not on the Lord's day only, but every day, that this good 'man was usually, "in the fear of the Lord all the day long." He might say with the Psalmist, "When I awake, I am still with God:" for at his first awaking, he would bless God for the mercies of the night, and then pray, "that he might so number his days, as to apply his heart to wisdom:" and if he awaked in the night, it would commonly be with some thanksgivings unto Heaven. Rising in the morning, he would repair to his beloved study, where he began the day with secret prayer before the Lord: after this, he would read a chapter in the Old Testament, spending some time in serious, and solemn, and heart searching meditations thereupon: he would then come down into his family, where, with his prayers, he would then read and expound, and apply the same chapter unto his own folks, and such of the neighbours as would come in to enjoy his meditations at the usual season of them. Retiring then to his study again, he would continue there, till called unto his dinner; and if none came to speak with him after dinner, he would, after some diversion for a while with his children, return to his study, where he would then have a time. to pray with his wife; but if at any time he were invited unto a dinner abroad, he would have a time for that service in the forenoon, before his going out.

As the evening drew on, after the like manner, he would read a chapter in the New Testament, making his family partakers of his reflections, with his prayer upon it. And before his going to bed, he usually walked

up and down the room, for half an hour or more, pondering upon something, which his wife, desiring to know, "what it was?" he replied, "Seeing thou art so near me, if it may do thee good, I'll tell thee: First," he said, he called himself unto an account, "how he had spent the day?" and what sinful commissions or omissions he had been overtaken with; for which he then begged pardon of God. Secondly, he reckoned up the particular mercies he had received in the day, rendring of praises to Heaven for those mercies. Lastly, he made his petitions to God, that he might be prepared for sudden death: unto which third article in his thoughts, that which gave more special occasion was the sudden death of his brother, an eminent and excellent Christian, whom, he said, he could never forget.

§ 8. When he travelled abroad, he thought long to be at home again, through his dissatisfaction at his not having elsewhere so convenient seasons for his communion with God. And when he took any journeys with his friends, it was his manner to enquire, "What good had been done, or gained therein?" and "what good examples had been seen?" and "what good instructions had been heard?" and that there might be no loss of time in the journeys, he would be full of profitable discourse, especially by way of occasional reflection upon things that then occurred unto observation. What he was in a journey, the same he was at the table; even like the fire, (what was once writ of Athenodorus) 'EZαT¬WV παντα τα παρακειμένα.* So that they who would bear no part in a gracious communication, would be dumb where-ever he came; and some of the roughest and rudest hearers would have tears fetched from their eyes at the soul-melting expressions that passed from his mouth. Moreover, at a feast he would eat more sparingly than at another time, giving us his reason for his temperance, the advice of the wise man: "Put a knife to thy throat;" and he would say, "Where there are many varieties, there are many temptations."

§ 9. It was his wont, before the Lord's Supper, to keep a day of solemn fasting and prayer alone, with his wife, as well to prepare themselves for that sacred ordinance, as to obtain the manifold blessings of Heaven upon his family and neighbourhood. Such was his piety. And as for his charity, he seldom visited the poor, but with spirituals he communicated also temporals unto them: for which, when some of his friends intimated that he might err, in reserving no more for himself, he would answer, "I often think of those words, he that soweth sparingly, shall reap sparingly." It was also remarkable to see how much his own personal joys and griefs were swallowed up in the sympathy which he had with the condition of the whole church abroad: when he heard it was well with the church, he would say, "Blessed be God, that it goes well with them, whatever becomes of me!" But if ill, none of his own private prosperity kept him from feeling it, as a true member of that mystical body. Finally, all

• Which touches every thing near it.

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