the world." In 1626, having taken holy orders, he went to a paftoral charge at Stretton in the fame county, where he continued thirteen years; and from thence, after the confultation and advice of feveral pious divines, he accepted of a call to St. Mary Magdalen's, Bermondsey, in Southwark. He was an univerfal fcholar, was chofen of the affembly of divines at Wefiminfter, and was fo laborious in the work of the gofpel, that his exceffive application was thought to have brought on him the painful diforder under which he labored in his laft ficknefs. Often when he labored under bodily infirmities, which prevented him from public duty, he would commonly fay, "If I could but preach, I fhould be much better." As he was once riding with an intimate friend by Tyburn, which he had never feen, or never diftinguished before, he asked," What that was?" And being told it was Tyburn, where fo many malefactors had been put to death, he stopped his horfe, and faid, with great emotion, "Oh, what a fhame is it, that fo many thousands fhould die for the fatisfaction of their lufts, and fo few be found willing to lay down their lives for Chrift! Why fhould not we, in fo good a caufe, and upon a good call, be ready to be hanged for Jefus Chrift? It would be our everlasting honor. It is a thoufand times better to be hanged or burnt for Chrift, than to die in our beds."

He was remarkable for meeknefs and tenderness of heart; and his patience was fo eminent, that he might be celebrated as a fecond Job; fince many who faw him in the racking pains of his laft fickness, were confident that GOD had put and kept him in that furnace to be a pattern of patience to pofterity. When he was afked, how he did; he frequently antwered in the following manner: The bufh always burning, but not confumed. Though my pains be too great for the ftrength of nature, they are not too great for the fupports of grace."

It may not be unprofitable to give a fpecimen of the effufions of his heart in expoftulation and prayer, in the midst of this affliction.-" O, my GOD, faid he, help. Father of mercies, pity. Do not contend for ever. Confider my frame, that I am but duft. My GOD, that made heaven and earth, help me. Oh, give me patience, and inflict what thou wilt. If my patience was more, my pain would be lefs. Dear Saviour, where are thy bowels? Why doft thou make me an aftonishment to myfelf and others? Why haft thou covered thyfelf with a thick cloud, that our prayers fhould not pass through? Bliffed

Bleffed is the man that endureth temptation. Lord, this is a fad temptation: Stand by me, and fay, It is enough. Am I not thy fervant? Confider, Lord, that I am thy fervant. O, thefe waters of Marah! Lord, drop, fweet comfort into thefe bitter waters! O the blood of fprinkling! Lord, the blood of fprinkling! Lord, that blood which extinguisheth the fire of thine anger! O that it may allay my burning pains! I am in a fiery furnace. Lord, be with me as thou wert with the three chlidren, and bring me out refined from fin! When, while failing through the ocean of thefe pains, I look back; I fee that none of them can be wanting. I flee to thee, O GOD: Hide me under the fhadow of thy wings till thefe terrible ftorms be overpaft."

GOD added humility as a crown to all his other graces. He was indeed cloathed with humility. And hence it was, that he would converfe fo familiarly with the poorest chriftians, and with those of the loweft parts for knowledge, even with babes in Chrift. The ordinary terms in which he addressed the throne of grace for himfelf were," I am a poor worm, a finful wretch. O pardon my tranfgreffions, for they are very great." And in his will he has these words: "I defire that at my funeral there may be no pomp, but that fo poor and worthless a worm may be privately laid in the ground." He was confident that mercies were mingled with the fierceft paroxyfms of his diftemper; and did not doubt but every thing he fuffered would be fanctified to him. "Confider, faid he, and fave me; for I am thine. How long, how long, Lord, fhall I not be remembered? But I am remembered, bleffed be thy name. This is a fiery chariot, but it will carry me to heaven. Bleffed be GOD, who hath fupported me hitherto. And he who hath delivered will yet deliver. Thou, Lord, never forgetteft them who put their trust in thee." When ever the extremity of a paroxyfm was paffed, fmiles returned on his countenance, and he fpake of the mercies of GOD. Though he trembled when his pains began, he said with confidence," Now, in the ftrength of the mighty GOD, I will undergo them. O, my GOD, underneath put everlasting arms, and strengthen me !"

As he drew nearer his diffolution, his pains became more violent; but to the praife of that grace which continually fuccoured him, they never abated either his faith or his patience.-"O my GOD, faid he, break open the prifon doors, and let my poor captive foul go free: But enable me willingly to wait thy time. I defire

to

to be diffolved. Never was any man more defirous of life, than I am of death. When will that time come, when I fhall neither fin nor forrow any more? When shall mortality put on immortality? When fhall this earthly tabernacle be diffolved, that I may be clothed upon with that house which is from heaven? Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, for they reft from their labors; and follow the Lamb whither foever he goeth. Good Lord, keep me from difhonoring thy name by impatience. Oh, who that knows GOD, would not even in the fires have honorable thoughts of him? Who that knows thee, would not fear thee, O Lord; and love and honor thee continually? Lord, thou giveft me no occafion to entertain hard thoughts of thee. Bleffed be GOD, there is nothing of hell in all this. Bleffed be his name for Jefus Chrift, and the revelation of the everlasting gospel. Who knoweth the power of thine anger? If it be fo heavy on thy fervants here, how heavy will thy wrath be on all those who fhall endure it without mixture hereafter? Bleffed be GOD for the peace of my inward man, while my outward man is full of trouble. This is a bitter cup, but it is of my Father's mixing; and fhall I not drink it? Yes, Lord, through thy ftrength I will. This is my burden, and I will bear it. O, what a mercy it is, that there is any mitigation, any intermiffion! Lord, make me thankful!" And in this gracious fpirit he often called to those who were about him, faying," O help me to be thankful! O lift up a prayer for me, that I may be thankful! O, what a mercy is this! How much worfe might this affliction have been! I might have been diftracted, or laid roaring under anguish of fpirit." And he often faid to a bofom friend," Brother, through mercy, I have not one repining thought against God."

Several minifters having met in order to spend a day in prayer for him, one of them, his friend Mr. Afhe, defired him to fay what in particular he would have them lay before the throne of grace? To which he replied,"Do not complain, but blefs God for me, and intreat him to open the prifon door." Hereupon (fays Mr. Afhe) laying my hand upon his cold hand, covered with a clammy fweat, I took my laft farewel with an aching heart; and, upon my departure from him, thefe were his latt words unto me: Brother, I thank you; I pray GOD blefs you, and I blefs GOD for you.' That day was fpent in addreffes to GOD for him at St. Peter's, Cornhill, where Mr. Newcomen quickened and guided our prayers

in

in his fermon from John xi. wherein he infifted especially upon these words: Lord, behold, he whom thou loveft is fick ver. 4. And Mr. Jenkyns endeavoured to moderate and regulate our forrows from Luke xxiii. 28. Weep not for me.

Thus his friends having by prayers, with praifes (on his behalf) given him up to GOD, and having prepared their hearts for their lofs of him; the Lord was pleated, that evening, to take him unto himfelf, being the firftday of June, 1654, and in the fifty-fifth year of his age. He was buried in Bermondsey church, June the fixth, with expreffions of much love from a very great multitude of godly perfons, both minifters and others of feveral ranks and conditions, who attended his corpfe to the grave. By reafon of much ftudy, and manifold employments in his calling, he was filled with various bodily diftempers from his youth. In the latter part of his time, he was for fundry years exercifed frequently with the painful difeafes of the gout and the ftone. Notwithstanding the reiteration of these tormenting pains, he attended upon his miniftry both at home and abroad, while he was able to creep into the pulpit, or to crawl unto the congregation. As for his abilities, he was an univerfal fcholar, both in the arts and original languages; by much study he had digefted the whole body of divinity, he was well acquainted both with the fchoolmen and the fathers, a good difputant, judicious in cafes of confcience, and fecond unto none in acquaintance with the holy fcripture.

ment.

He had much intereft in the hearts of perfons of chiefeft places and power in the nation; for the plainness of his fpirit, together with the power of godlinefs (which did thine in his converfation) gained him much authority in the confciences of all forts with whom he converfed, whether in the city or country. And his opportunities of fervice were many, not only in Southwark, but also in London, Westminster, and Stepney, where he had much employWe read when Dorcas was dead, that the widows food weeping, and fhewing the coats which he had made, Acts ix. 39. and that upon Paul's departure the people wept, because they fhould fee his face no more, Atts xx. 38. And is there not reafon that we fhould be in like manner affected, remembering how truth hath been defended, error confuted, holinefs cherished, wickednef's checked, the caufe of the poor pleaded, and the violence of fome paffionate fpirits allayed by Mr. Whitaker 2 But now this able, public-fpirited man muft be ferviceable on earth no more; now we shall not be edified by his ministry

any

any more, nor warmed by his prayers any more, nor cheered by his company and conference any more. But let us moderate our forrow by this following confideration: That our friend Whitaker is not dead, but fleepeth. For this affureth us both of his prefent eafe, and future refurrection. Now being. afleep he is well; he refteth (as in a bed) and we fhall not fee his pale face, his weeping eyes, his trembling hands, any more; we fhall no more hear his deep groans and doleful lamentations. He is fallen afleep in the Lord, and he and we fhall have a better meeting at the general refurrection than ever heretofore, and then shall we ever be with the Lord; therefore let us comfort one another with thefe words, 1 Theff. iv. 15, 18.' Thus far Mr. Ahe, who preached his funeral fermon, and wrote the narrative of his life. It is but juftice to the memory of this excellent Perfon, to add fome teftimonies of him by other excellent men, who

knew him.

Mr. Leigh fays of him, He was my worthy friend, a learned and pious divine of the affembly lately dead, who was a man mighty in the fcriptures, of a humble melting fpirit, laborious in his minifterial function, zealous for GOD's glory, and wonderfully patient in all the time of his heavy affliction. Mr. Gataker, in his letter to Mr. Baxter, fays, My next neighbour, Mr. Whitaker, not coming fhort of that other [Dr. Hill] either for piety or fedulity in the work of the Lord:-A mirror of patience amidft those extremities of pains that the Lord, for a long time, exercifed him with :-A precious man, and the lofs of him much lamented by all the pious in thefe parts. Ah, how many fuch ufeful inftruments, far younger perfons than myfelf, hath the Lord taken away in the midft of their days, in the prime of their strength, when they might further have been very ferviceable to his people, having much need of fuch in these loose unfettled times.' Mr. Samuel Fisher, in his Love-token for Mourners, teaching fpiritual dumbnefs and fubmiffion under GOD's smarting rod, p. 25, 26. It is a glorious fight, and the name of GOD is exalted by it, to fee a child of GOD keep his ground, and ftand unfhaken when the winds are high, and the rough billows beat upon him. I had the happinefs to fee fuch a fight (and I blefs GOD I faw it with wonder and thankfulnefs) in the bleffed and renowned rock and pillar of the church Mr. Whitaker, in whom patience had the conqueft over the most racking torments that I have known lying upon any faint in this VOL. III.

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age.