the reader, that he was of a healthful conftitution, cheerful and mild, of an even temper, very moderate in his diet, and had had little ficknefs, till fome few years before his death; but was then every winter punished with a diarrhoea, which left him not till warm weather returned and removed it: And this diftemper did, as he grew older, feize him oftener, and continue longer with him. But though it weakened him, yet it made him rather indifpofed than fick, and did no way difable him from studying (indeed too much). In this decay of his ftrength, but not of his memory or reafon (for this diftemper works not upon the understanding), he made his laft Will, of which I fhall give fome account for confirmation of what has been faid, and what I think convenient to be known, before I declare his death and burial.

He did, in his last Will, give an account of his faith and perfuafion in point of religion and Church-government, in these very words:

I Robert Sanderson, Doctor of Divinity, an unworthy Minister of Jesus Christ, and by the providence of God, Bishop of Lincoln, being by the long continuance of an habitual distemper brought to a great bodily weakness and faintnes of spirits, but (by the great mercy of God) without any bodily pain otherwise, or decay of understanding, do make this my Will and Testament (written all with my own hand) revoking all former Wills by me heretofore made, if any such shall be found. First, I commend my soul into the hands of Almighty God, as of a faithful Creator, which I humbly beseech him mercifully to accept, looking upon it, not as it is in itself (infinitely polluted with sin), but as it is redeemed and purged with the precious blood of his only beloved Son and my most sweet Saviour, Jesus Christ; in confidence of whose merits and mediation alone it is, that I cast myself upon the mercy of God for the pardon of my sins, and the hopes of eternal life. And here I do profess, that as I have lived, so I desire and (by the grace of God) resolve to die in the communion of the Catholic Church of Christ, and a true son of the Church of England; which, as it stands by law established, to be both in doctrine and worship agreeable to the word of God, and in the most, and most material points of both, conformable to the faith and practice of the godly churches of Christ in the primitive and purer times, I do firmly believe: led so to do, not so much from the force of custom and education (to which the greatest part of mankind owe their particular different persuasions in point of religion) as upon the clear evidence of truth and reason, after a serious and unpartial examination of the grounds, as well of Popery as Puritanism, according to that measure of understanding, and those opportunities

"In his apparel none more plain; in his diet none more temperate, "eating, as he would fay, rationally, only for health and life: Oue "meal a day fufficed him, with fome fruit at night: in his fleep none more fparing; eleven or twelve at night being his ufual time of going to reit, "five, or very rarely fix, the hour of his rifing."

(Reason and Judgment, p. 16.)

which God hath afforded me: and herein I am abundantly satisfied, that the schism which the Papists on the one hand, und the superstition which the Puritans on the other hand, lay to our charge, are very justly chargeable upon themselves respectively. Wherefore I humbly beseech Almighty God the Father of Mercies, to preserve the Church by his power and providence, in peace, truth, and godliness, evermore to the world's end: which doubtless he will do, if the wickedness and security of a sinful people (and particularly those sins that are so rife, and secm daily to increase among us, of unthankfulness, riot, and sacrilege) do not tempt his patience to the contrary. And I also further humbly beseech him, that it would please him to give unto our gracious Sovereign, the reverend Bishops, and the Parliament, timely to consider the great danger that visibly threatens this Church in point of religion by the late great increase of Popery, and in point of revenue by sacrilegious inclosures; and to provide such wholesome and effectual remedies as may prevent the same before it be too late.

And for a further manifestation of his humble thoughts and defires, they may appear to the reader, by another part of his Will which follows:

As for my corruptible body, I bequeath it to the earth whence it was taken, to be decently buried in the parish-church of Bugden, towards the upper end of the chancel, upon the second, or, at the farthest, the third day after my decease; and that with as little noise, pomp, and charge as may be, without the invitation of any person, how near soever related to me, other than the inhabitants of Bugden; without the unnecessary expense of escutcheons, gloves, ribbons, &c. and without any blacks to be hung any where in or about the house or church, other than a pulpit-cloth, a hearse-cloth, and a mourning-gown for the Preacher; whereof the former, after my body shall be interred, to be given to the Preacher of the funeral sermon, and the latter to the Curate of the parish, for the time being. And my will further is, that the funeral sermon be preached by my own household Chaplain, containing some wholesome discourse concerning mortality, the resurrection of the dead, and the last judg ment; and that he shall have for his pains five pounds, upon condition that he speak nothing at all concerning my person either good or ill, other than I myself shall direct; only signifying to the auditory that it was my express will to have it so. And it is my will that no costly monument be erected for my memory, but only a fair flat marble stone be laid over me, with this inscription, in legible Roman characters:-DEPOSITUM ROBERTI SANDERSON, NUPER LINCOLNIENSIS EPISCOPI, QUI OBIIT ANNO DOMINI MDCLXII. ET ÆTATIS SUE SEPTUAGESIMO SEXTO. HIC REQUIESCIT IN SPE BEATE RESURRECTIONISt.

-This manner of burial, although

t Prefixed to the infcription on his monument are his arms: and there is also an addition denoting the day on which he died, viz. January 29, 1662. Mr. James Heath (of whom fee" Wood's Ath. Ox." Vol. II. col. 337.) wrote an elegy with an epitaph on the much lamented death of Dr. Sanderfon.

"It was the request of Rainbow Bishop of Carlisle, that no pomp or state fhould

I cannot but foresee it will prove unsatisfactory to sundry my nearest Friends and relations, and be apt to be censured by others, as an evidence of my too much parsimony and narrowness of mind, as being altogether unusual, and not according to the mode of these times; yet it is agreeable to the sense of my heart, and I do very much desire my Will may be carefully observed herein, hoping it may become exemplary to some or other: at least howsoever testifying at my death, what I have so often and earnestly professed in my life time, my utter dislike of the flatteries commonly used in funeral sermons, and of the vast expenses otherwise laid out in funeral solemnities and entertainments, with very little benefit to any, which, if bestowed in pious and charitable works, might redound to the public or private benefit of many persons.— -This is a part of his Will.

I am next to tell, that he died the 29th of January, 1662, and that his body was buried in Bugden, the third day after his death; and for the manner, that it was as far from oftentation, as he defired it; and all the rest of his Will was as punctually performed. And when I have, to his juft praife, told this truth, that he died far from being rich, I fhall return back to vifit, and give a further account of him on his last sick-bed.

His laft Will, of which I have mentioned a part, was made about three weeks before his death, about which time, finding his strength to decay, by reafon of his conftant infirmity, and a confumptive cough added to it, he retired to his chamber, exprefsing a defire to enjoy his last thoughts to himself in private, without difturbance or care, especially of what might concern this world. Thus, as his natural life decayed, his fpiritual life seemed to be more ftrong, and his faith inore confirmed: ftill labouring to attain that holinefs and purity, without which none fhall fee God. And that not any of his Clergy (which are more numerous than any other Bishop's of this nation) might fuffer by his retirement, he did, by commission, empower his Chaplain, Mr. Pullin", with epifcopal power, to give inftitutions to all Livings or Church-preferments, during this

"fhould be used at his funeral, no more than any eulogium fhould be made "of him (fuch was his rare modefty and humility); to did he defire to be "buried in Dalfton Churchyard, and to have a plain stone laid over his 66 grave, with no other infcription but that such a day and year died Ed"ward, Bishop of Carlisle." (Life of Bishop Rainbow, p. 81.)

Mr. JOHN PULLIN, B. D. and formerly Fellow of Magdalen College, Cambridge. We find his name fubfcribed to a copy of commendatory Latin verfes prefixed to "Duport's Greek Verfion of Job." He was a Prebendary of Lincoln, and also Chancellor of Lincoln.

E e

his difability to do it himself. In this time of his retirement, which was wholly spent in devotion, he longed for his difsolution; and when fome that loved him prayed for his recovery, if he at any time found any amendment, he feemed to be difpleafed, by faying, "His friends faid their prayers backward

for him; and that it was not his defire to live an useless life, "and, by filling up a place, keep another out of it that might "do God and his Church more fervice." He would often with much joy and thankfulness mention, "that during his "being a housekeeper, which was more than forty years, there "had not been one buried out of his family, and that he was "now like to be the first." He would also mention with thankfulness," that, till he was threefcore years of age, he "had never spent five fhillings in law, nor, upon himself, fo much in wine: and rejoiced much that he had fo lived, as never to cause an hour's forrow to his good father; and that "he hoped that he fhould die without an enemy."

He in this retirement had the Church prayers read in his chamber twice every day; and at nine at night fome prayers read to him and a part of his family, out of "The Whole Duty of Man." As he was remarkably punctual and regular in all his studies and actions, fo he used himself to be for his meals and his dinner being appointed to be conftantly ready at the ending of prayers, and he, expecting and calling for it, was anfwered, "It would be ready in a quarter of an hour." To which his reply was, with fome earneftnefs, "A quarter of an "hour! Is a quarter of an hour nothing to a man that probably

has not many hours to live?" And though he did live many hours after this, yet he lived not many days; for the day after (which was three days before his death) he was become fo weak and weary either of motion or fitting, that he was content, or forced, to keep his bed. In which I defire he may reft, till I have given fome fhort account of his behaviour there, and immediately before it.

The day before he took his bed (which was three days before his death) he, that he might receive a new afsurance for the pardon of his fins paft, and be ftrengthened in his way to the New Jerufalem, took the blessed facrament of the body and blood of his and our blefsed Jefus, from the hands of his Chaplain Mr. Pullin, accompanied with his wife, children, and a friend, in as awful, humble, and ardent a manner, as outward reverence could exprefs *. After the praise and thankf

This narrative entirely confutes the rumour that was induftriously propagated concerning this good man, that, before his death, he repented of what he had written against the Prefbyterians, and that on his "death-bed, he would fuffer no hierarchical Minilter to come to pray with "him, but defired, and had only Prefbyterians about him :" And further to contradict this report, Mr. Pullin, his household Chaplain, publifhed

a fermon,

giving for this blefsing was ended, he fpake to this purpose: "I have now to the great joy of my foul tafted of the all"faving facrifice of my Saviour's death and passion; and with "it received a fpiritual afsurance that my fins paft are par"doned, and my God at peace with me: and that I fhall never "have a will or power to do any thing that may feparate my "foul from the love of my dear Saviour. Lord confirm this "belief in me; and make me ftill to remember that it was "thou, O God, that tookeft me out of my mother's womb, and haft been the powerful Protector of me to this prefent "moment of my life: thou haft neither forsaken me now I am "become grey-headed, nor fuffered me to forfake thee in the "late days of temptation, and facrifice my confcience for the "prefervation of my liberty or eftate. It was not of myself but "by grace that I have ftood, when others have fallen under σε my trials; and these mercies I now remember with joy and "thankfulness; and my hope and defire is, that I may die re"membering this, and prailing thee, my merciful God.". The frequent repetition of the Psalms of David hath been noted to be a great part of the devotion of the primitive Christians: The Psalms having in them, not only prayers and holy instructions, but such commemorations of God's mercies, as may preserve, comfort, and confirm our dependence on the power, and providence, and mercy of our Creator. And this is mentioned in order to telling, that as the holy Pfalmift faid, that "his eyes fhould prevent both the dawning "of the day and the night-watches, by meditating on God's "word;"-fo it was Dr. Sanderfon's conftant practice every morning to entertain his first waking thoughts with a repetition of thofe very pfalms that the Church had appointed to be conftantly read in the daily morning-fervice; and having at night laid him in his bed, he as conftantly clofed his eyes with a repetition of those appointed for the service of the evening; remembering and repeating the very pfalms appointed for every day; and as the month had formerly ended and began again, fo did this exercise of his devotion. And if the first-fruits of his waking thoughts were of the world, or what concerned it; he would arraign and condemn himself for it. Thus he began that work on earth which is now the employment of Dr. Hammond and him in heaven.

After his taking his bed, and about a day before his death, he defired his Chaplain, Mr. Pullin, to give him abfolution: and at his performing that office, he pulled off his cap, that Mr. Pullin night lay his hand upon his bare head. After this defire of his was fatisfied, his body seemed to be at more ease,

a fermen, preached at a Vifitation holden at Grantham, Oct. 8, 1641, the lalt fermon that Dr. Sanderfon wrote with his own hand. This fermon was printed in 1681, with all his other fermons, in one volume folio.