THF

PREFACE.

G

12.

Ather up the Fragments that John 6. remain, that nothing be loft; was the Direction of our Saviour to His Difciples, after He had fed the Multitude. Which may well and ufefully be applied, to the collecting and preferving the Accounts of the Lives of good Men: Men, who in their Day have been eminently useful in thofe Stations of Life wherein God, by His good Providence, hath placed them. And this preferving, by Publication, is the rather to be done, when themfelves do leave behind them, in writing, an Account of their Lives, and of the fignal Mercies of God to them therein : For from fuch Accounts may best

not only from this fhort Account of his Life, which was written by himself, and by the Supplement added hereunto; but more largely from his many useful Labours and Services in the many Books which he writ in the Defence of Truth, and the Friends thereof: For which Service, he was in a particular manner qualified by [piritual Wildom and Chriftian Obedience; to which, in him, was added great Strength and Depth of Judgment, wherein he could difcern the Spirits of others, and was very much the Mafter of his own, as did appear to fuch who knew him, not only by the Soundnefs of his Reasoning, and the Seafonableness of his Words; but alfo by his great and exemplary Modefty, in that he was not hafty to propose, nor rudely tenacious to infift on what he had propofed, if any thing, though not well expreft, yet well intended, was offered by any one A 3 much

much weaker, nay, though but by a Babe in Chrift.

His Countenance was manly and chearful; his Deportment grave, yet affable and courteous, even to the meanest Perfon; his Converfation innocent, pleasant and inftructive, yet fevere against any thing that was beyond the Liberty of Truth. Thefe, with his other Qualifica tions of Body and Mind, did render him both very acceptable and very ufeful, as a Friend, as a Neighbour, and as a Member and Elder in the Church of Chrift; and the more, for that his Time was chiefly imployed in being ferviceable in one or other of thefe Capacities.

I might here particularly mention the feveral Labours of our deceafed Friend, according to their refpective Times, and the Nature of their feveral Subjects; but much of this being already done in the enfuing