-THE

PREFACE.

1

'THE celebrating the praises of the dead, is an argument so worn out by long and frequent ' use, and now become so nauseous, by the flattery 'that usually attends it, that it is no wonder if 'funeral orations, or panegyricks, are more con'sidered for the elegancy of style, and fineness of 6 wit, than for the authority they carry with them as to the truth of matters of fact. And yet I am 'not hereby deterred from meddling with this kind ' of argument, nor from handling it with all the plainness I can; delivering only what I myself 'heard and saw, without any borrowed ornament. 'I do easily foresee how many will be engaged for 'the support of their impious maxims and immo'ral practices, to disparage what I am to write. • Others will censure it, because it comes from one ' of my profession: too many supposing us to be 'induced to frame such discourses for carrying on 'what they are pleased to call our trade. Some ‹ will think I dress it up too artificially; and

others, that I present it too plain and naked. 'But being resolved to govern myself by the exact rules of truth, I shall be less concerned in

⚫ the censures I may fall under. It may seem liable

to great exception, that I should disclose so many

things, that were discovered to me, if not under 'the seal of confession, yet under the confidence of 'friendship. But this noble lord himself not only ' released me from all obligation of this kind, ' when I waited on him in his last sickness, a few days before he died; but gave it me in charge not to spare him in any thing which I thought might 'be of use to the living; and was not ill pleased 'to be laid open, as well in the worst, as in the ⚫ best and last part of his life; being so sincere . in his repentance, that he was not unwilling to ⚫ take shame to himself, by suffering his faults to 'be exposed for the benefit of others.

I write with one great disadvantage, that I 'cannot reach his chief design without mentioning some of his faults: but I have touched them as tenderly as occasion would bear; and I am sure with much more softness than he desired, or would 'have consented unto, had I told him how I intended ⚫ to manage this part. I have related nothing with personal reflections on any others concerned with him, wishing rather that they themselves, reflec'ting on the sense he had of his former disorders may be thereby led to forsake theirown, than that

they should be any ways reproached by what I 'write: and therefore, though he used very few reserves with me as to his course of life, yet since ⚫ others had a share in most parts of it, I shall relate nothing but what more immediately concerned

'himself; and I shall say no more of his faults, than is necessary to illustrate his repentance.

The occasion that led me into so particular a 'knowledge of him, was an intimation given me by a gentleman of his acquaintance, of his desire to see me. This was some time in October,

1679, when he was slowly recovering out of a great disease. He had understood that I often attended on one well known to him, that died the 'summer before; he was also then entertaining 'himself in that state of his health, with the first

part of the History of the Reformation, then newly come out, with which he seemed not ill pleased: and we had accidentally met in two or 'three places some time before. These were the 'motives that led him to call for my company.

After I had waited on him once or twice, he grew ' into that freedom with me, as to open to me all

his thoughts, both of religion and morality; and

'to give me a full view of his past life; and

seemed not uneasy at my frequent visits. So, till ⚫ he went from London, which was in the beginning ' of April, I waited on him often. As soon as I heard how ill he was, and how much he was ' touched with a sense of his former life, I writ 'to him, and received from him an answer, that,

without my knowledge, was printed since his death

'from a copy which one of his servants conveyed to the press. In it there is so undeserved a value 'put on me, that it had been very indecent for me 'to have published it: yet that must be attributed

'to his civility and way of breeding; and indeed ' he was particularly known to so few of the clergy, 'that the good opinion he had of me is to be im'puted only to his unacquaintance with others.

6

cesses

My end in writing is so to discharge the last <commands this lord left on me, as that it may be • effectual to awaken those who run on to all the exof riot; and that in the midst of those heats ' which their lusts and passions raise in them, they 6 may be a little wrought on by so great an instance < of one who had run round the whole circle of 6 luxury; and, as Solomon says of himself, Whatsoever his eyes desired, he kept it not from 'them; and withheld his heart from no joy. 'But when he looked back on all that on which he ' had wasted his time and strength, he esteemed it

vanity and vexation of spirit: though he had ⚫ both as much natural wit, and as much acquired 'by learning, and both as much improved with 'thinking and study, as perhaps any libertine of 'the age; yet when he reflected on all his former courses, even before his mind was illuminated with 'better thoughts, he counted them-madness and folly. But when the powers of religion came to operate on him, then he added a detestation to the 'contempt he formerly had of them, suitable to ‹ what became a sincere penitent, and expressed ⚫ himself in so clear and so calm a manner, so sen'sible of his failings towards his Maker and his 'Redeemer, that as it wrought not a little on those • that were about him; so, I hope, the making it

'public may have a more general influence, chiefly on those on whom his former conversation might have had ill effects.

6

́ I have endeavoured to give his character as fully as I could take it: for I who saw him only in one light, in a sedate and quiet temper, when ' he was under a great decay of strength and loss of spirits, cannot give his picture with that life ' and advantage that others may, who knew him when his parts were more bright and lively: yet the composure he was then in, may perhaps be supposed to balance any abatement of his usual vigour, which the declination of his health brought 6 him under. I have written this discourse with as much care, and have considered it as narrowly as 'I could. I am sure I have said nothing but truth; 'I have done it slowly, and often used my second thoughts in it, not being so much concerned in the ⚫ censures which might fall on himself, as cautious 'that nothing should pass that might obstruct my ' only design of writing, which is the doing what I can towards the reforming a loose and lewd age 'And if such a signal instance, concurring with all ⚫ the evidence that we have for our most holy faith, ' has no effect on those who are running the same

course, it is much to be feared they are given up 'to a reprobate sense.