the scriptures, laborious in his ministerial function, zealous for God's glory, and of a humble, melting spirit, and a wonderful instance of patience during the whole of his heavy affliction." Fuller includes him among the learned writers of Sidney college, Cambridge. We have not been able to collect any long list of his writings; only he published certain sermons preached before the parliament, and probably some others. Mr. William Whitaker, ejected in 1662, was his son. Mr. Whitaker, during his heavy affliction, wrote a letter to the Protector Cromwell, the sight of which will be highly gratifying to every inquisitive reader. It is transcribed from the original in Mr. Whitaker's own hand, and though there be no date, it was evidently written in the year 1651. It is addressed "To his Highness the Lord Protector," of which the following is a copy : "May it please your highness to pardon this boldness in presenting this book, composed by some godly men, to appease the heat of the present controversies, wherein is proved-That the office of the ministry is not the intrusion of men, but the institution of Jesus Christ.-That the necessity of this office is perpetual.-That the ministry was so preserved under antichrist, that it is not antichristian.That this office is peculiar to some, and not common to all.— And that they who assume this office must be called lawfully at present, and also hereafter.' Ordination in general is necessary, and how that is to be observed is justifiable. "I cannot come to tender it, being confined to my chamber under extreme tormenting pains of the stone, which forceth me to cry and sorrow night and day. But blessed for ever be the Lord, who hath begotten us to a lively hope and joy by Jesus Christ; that the thoughts of eternity do sweeten the bitter things of time: that, when we are weary of the things of this life, we may greatly rejoice in hope of a better. In this dying condition, give me leave to tender many thanks to your highness for taking away the engagement, whereby you have greatly refreshed the consciences of many. The good Lord recompense this great act of mercy, and enlarge your heart to prevent the like snares in future, at which the worst of men frown, and the best of men mourn. And the same God who hath raised you above other men, still raise you to be higher than yourself, far Leigh's Religion and Learning, p. 364. + History of Cambridge, p. 154. Palmer's Noncon. Mem. vol. i. p. 157. § Sloane's MSS. No. 4159. above all these dominions, and thrones, and powers; that you may account all these things low and little, dregs and dust, dung and dross, in comparison of things eternal. Also, what poor things are Pompey, Cæsar, Nimrod, and Nebuchadnezzar, to the Abels, whose thoughts are fixed on things everlasting! "May it please your highness to consider seriously, how religion is not only weakened by divisions, but almost wasted by the daily growing of alterations. The reins of government a long time have been let loose, and are now lost in the church totally: in families extremely so, that masters know not how to order their servants, nor parents their children. All grow willing to command, but unwilling to be commanded: sabbaths are generally profaned, ordinances despised, the youth playing whilst the minister is preaching, the consciences of many growing wanton, abusing liberty to all licentiousness. And there are none left in places to put offenders to shame for any of these abominations. The good Lord persuade your heart to appoint such justices whose principles and practice lead them to restrain vice; who do account the sabbath their delight, that the inferior officers may be by them encouraged. "I beseech you also, in the bowels of Jesus Christ, to remember the many poor prisoners in the land, who in uprightness of their heart lent the greatest part of their estate upon public faith. The Romans were forced in like straits to borrow of the people; but it is recorded to their glory, that their wars were no sooner ended than these public debts were discharged. Let not paganish Rome rise up in the day of judgment to condemn unfaithful England. The neglect of this will involve the land in national guilt. I am persuaded, if the Lord help you to defray these debts, that you shall win the hearts of very many, and stop the mouths of your greatest adversaries. "And now that I have taken upon me to speak, let not your highness be angry with your poor servant, if he implore your pity and candour, and petition for the safe return of Mr. Cawton, a sincere servant of Christ; who, being involved in the business for which Mr. Love suffered death, half a year since suffered a voluntary banishment in great extremity and hardship. May not the blood of Love suffer for that offence? Have not others in other kinds done as much and more, and yet found favour? I beseech your honour's protection, that the beginning of your government may be with acts of grace; and oh that such a day of release might come that your highness might see it, both for your honour and safety, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them who have been long bound. The God of glory help you to lay such foundations in common equity and righteousness, that you may leave the nation in a better condition when you die than you found it: that you may give up your account with joy; which is the hearty prayer of, "Your highnesses humble servant, His WORKS.-1. Christ the Settlement of Unsettled Times, a Sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons, at their late public Fast, 25 Jan. 1642, printed 1642.-2. The Christian's Hope Triumphing, in a Sermon preached before the Right Honourable the House of Lords, in Abbey-church, Westminster, May 18, being the Day appointed for solemn and public Humiliation, 1645. -3. The Danger of Greatnesse; or, Uzziah, his Exaltation and Destruction, a Sermon before the Lords and Commons in Parliament, and the Assembly of Divines, in the Church of St. Martin's in the Fields, January 14, 1645, being a special Day of Humiliation set apart to seek God's Direction in the settling of Church Government, 1646. WILLIAM STRONG, A. M.-This excellent minister received his education in Katherine-hall, Cambridge, of which he was chosen fellow. The master of the college was the celebrated Dr. Sibbs. Upon leaving the university, he was presented to the living of Long Crichill in Dorsetshire, where he continued till he was forced to flee from the cavaliers. He then fled to London, where he often preached before the parliament, was chosen one of the additional divines to the assembly, and minister of St. Dunstan's in the West. After some time he gathered a congregation upon the plan of the independents, which assembled in Westminster abbey, and was composed of many parliament men and persons of quality residing in Westminster. He was chosen to the office of pastor in this society, December 9, 1650, upon which occasion he delivered a sermon on the order of a gospel church, which may be seen among his select sermons published after his death. He was afterwards nominated one of the triers for the approbation of preachers.+ • Wood's Athenæ Oxon, vol. ii. p. 139. +Calamy's Account, vol. ii. p. 41. Bishop Kennet pours great calumny upon those learned divines who were appointed triers. 66 By the questions they were wont to ask,” says Mr. Strong died in the vigour of life, and was buried in the Abbey church, July 4, 1654; but his remains were dug up at the restoration and thrown into a pit dug on purpose in St. Margaret's church-yard; but of this brutal transaction a more particular account is given in another place.* Mr. Obadiah Sedgwick, who preached his funeral sermon, says, "that he was so plain in heart, so deep in judgment, so painful in study, so frequent, exact, and laborious in preaching, and, in a word, so eminently qualified for all the duties of the ministerial office, that he did not know his equal."+ Mr. Strong published several sermons and theological treatises in his life-time; and others were published after his death. Among these we find, in quarto, "Thirty-one select Sermons, preached on special Occasions. By William Strong, that godly, able, and faithful Minister of Christ, lately of the Abbey at Westminster, 1656." To this volume there is a preface by Dr. Thomas Manton, Mr. John Rowe, and Mr. George Griffith. There is another preface by Dr. Henry Wilkinson, dan of Christ's Church, who gives the following account of Mr. Strong's character: "There is an excellent vein in his sermons, as one saith in the like case, the farther you search the richer treasure you are likely to find. That which made his sermons pass with so great approbation of the most judicious hearers, when he was alive, and will be a passport to his writings though posthumous, was, that he followed the advice of the Apostle to Timothy, studying to shew himself approved to God, a workman that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. He made preaching his work. He was so much taken up in this work, that to my knowledge he was often in watchings a great part of the night, besides his pains in his day studies. But, besides that very great diligence and travail of head and heart, and that unseasonable and hard study, that he laid out in his sermons, he had a special faculty of keeping close to his text and business in hand; which, as it is very requisite in a preacher, so it is very advantageous to commend a discourse to the most judicious ear. That which further contributed to his excellency in preaching, was his skill and deep insight into the mystery of godliness, and the doctrine of the free grace of God. And as to the mystery of iniquity within us, he was well studied in the soul's anatomy, and could dexterously be," a man could not tell what they aimed at, except it was to advance Quakerism, or make way for Mahometism."-Neal's Puritans, vol. iv. p. 103. Kennet's Chronicle, p. 714. * See Art. Dr. William Twisse. + Strong's Funeral Sermon. dissect the old man. He understood well the mystery of iniquity without us, of Satan and antichrist; and, by his knowledge of these mysteries, he was able to advance the kingdom and honour of our Lord Christ in the hearts and lives of his hearers; to discover Satan's depths, and to disappoint his plots and devices. There was one thing more which added very much unto him and to his labours in preaching, and made him successful in clearing dark places, and searching further into the deep mines of the word, and that was his constant recourse to the originals, in which he had good skill. By these means he went beyond most of his brethren in the work of the ministry; so that his sermons had always something above the ordinary reach, and a certain strain answering the advantage and happiness of the age in which he lived. There was so great a weight, both of words and sense, in this our author's sermons, and so much of worth, that they appeared as good upon a narrow disquisition' as they seemed to be when they were delivered. The ignorance or want of a clear knowledge of the doctrine of the covenant of grace, God's rich and free grace in the business of our salvation, was formerly, and is still, the cause of many errors in the church. The author of these sermons had arrived to an excellency and height in this doctrine, beyond the most that I ever read or knew. Had he lived to have perfected his labours about the covenant of grace, I presume I may say they had surpassed all that went before. Though his adversaries did very much endeavour to asperse him, yet he proved them to be unjust and false. He was as happy in the purity and innocency of his life as he was for the fervour which, through grace, he erected in his preaching." Mr. George Griffith, in his preface to Mr. Strong's sermons, entitled, "The Heavenly Treasure," 1656, gives the following account of the author: " It is abundantly manifest to most of the godly through the nation, but more especially in the city of London, with what singular ability, strong affection, and good success, Mr. Strong employed and spent himself in the service of the gospel. He did the work of him who sent him while it was day; because, as he often said, the night was coming when no man can work. While he had the opportunity, neither the flatteries nor the frowns of men could hinder him from his beloved exercise. He preached the word with much freedom and boldness, and * Wilkinson's Preface to Mr. Strong's Thirty-one Sermons. |