stition. He was a judicious, faithful, laborious, and constant preacher, and deeply versed in a knowledge of the scriptures, and furnished with an excellent gift in prayer. His public ministry was accompanied with the rich blessing of God, and made abundantly useful in the conversion of souls. His holy life was an excellent practical comment upon his holy doctrine. While he urged the necessity of holiness upon others, he practised holiness himself. He was a burning and shining light. In a word, he spent his strength, his life, his all, for the honour of God and the good of souls.* He died in a good old age, in the year 1654.

His WORKS.-1. Sweet and Soul-persuading Inducements leading unto Christ, 1632.-2. The Happiness of enjoying and making a true and speedy use of Christ, 1640.-3. Several Sermons, 1640.4. The Mystery of Self-denial; or, the Cessation of Man's living to Himself, 1642.-5. Man's Misery without Christ, 1642.-6. The Way to a Blessed Life, 1643.-This is sometimes entitled, The Fiery Pillar.”—7. Buddings and Blossomings of Old Truths, 1656.—8. The Anatomy of the Heart.-9, Of Sacred Things.

JOHN GRAILE, A. M.-This worthy minister was born in Gloucestershire, in the year 1614, and educated in Magdalen college, Oxford. Upon his leaving the university, he became a famous puritanical preacher; and, about the year 1645, succeeded Mr. George Holmes as master of the free-school at Guildford in Surrey. Towards the close of this year, he married the daughter of Mr. Henry Scudder; and, the year following, he lived at Collingborn-Dukes in Wiltshire, where he was most probably exercised in the ministerial function. Afterwards he became rector of Tidworth in Hampshire, where he was much followed by the precise and godly party, as they are contemptuously called. Wood says " he was a presbyterian, but tinged with arminianism."+ Whether he was or was not tinged with arminianism, we shall not undertake to determine; but in his work entitled "A modest Vindication of the Doctrine of Conditions in the Covenant of Grace, and the Defenders thereof, from the Aspersions of Arminianism and Popery," 1655, he certainly labours much to repel the charge. He was a man of great learning, humility, integrity, and christian circumspection; and a pious, faithful, and laborious minister of Christ, being ever opposed to the use of superstitious ceremonies. He lived much

* Gross's Blossomings of Old Truths, Pref. + Wood's Athena Oxon. vol. ii. p. 105.

respected, and died greatly lamented. During his last sick ness, when afflicted with extreme pain, he discovered becoming submission to the will of God. He said, "I could be contented, if the Lord see it good, to abide a while in this condition, amongst these poor people. It may be, I shall do more good amongst them, in my sickness, than they have received from all my labours during the time of my health."+ He died in the year 1654, and the fortieth of his age. His remains were interred in Tidworth church, when Dr. Chambers preached his funeral sermon to a very numerous congregation. This sermon was afterwards published, from which part of the above account is collected.

RICHARD VINES, A. M.-This learned and excellent divine was born at Blason in Leicestershire, about the year 1600, and educated in Magdalen college, Cambridge. From the university he was chosen schoolmaster at Hinckley in his native county; and afterwards, on the death of Mr. James Cranford, he obtained a presentation to the rectory of Weddington in Warwickshire. Here he was a zealous and faithful labourer in the vineyard of Christ. His ministry was very much followed; and his endeavours were made a great blessing to the people. He also preached at Caldecot, a place near Weddington, and, at the death of the incumbent, was presented to the living. With great care and diligence he served both parishes, the profits of which amounted only to eighty pounds a year. He also delivered a lecture at Nuneaton in the same county, to which multitudes resorted. Mr. Evans, afterwards ejected in 1662, succeeded him in his two livings, who, it is said, found that side of the country well stocked with religious knowledge and solid christians, produced by the preaching of many excellent men, but especially his worthy predecessor.‡

On the breaking out of the civil war, Mr. Vines was driven from his flock, and forced to take shelter in Coventry. Indeed, there were about thirty worthy ministers in that city, who, driven from their flocks, fled thither for safety from the plunder of soldiers and popular fury, though they never meddled in the wars. The heavy judgments of God being now inflicted upon the nation, these divines set up a morning lecture in

Chambers's Funeral Sermon for Mr. Graile.

+ Graile's Doct. of Conditions, Pref. Calamy's Account, vol. ii. p. 744, 745. Sylvester's Life of Baxter, part-i. p. 44.

that city, in which Mr. Vines was frequently engaged, as well
as on the Lord's day.

In the year 1643, he was chosen one of the assembly of
divines, and he constantly attended during the session. Here
his excellent abilities and great moderation were called forth
into daily exercise; and how much good he did, in the matter.
of church government, says our author, may be safely con-
cealed, but can scarcely be expressed without giving offence
to some. In 1644, he was appointed by the parliament one
of the assistant divines at the treaty of Uxbridge. The
Oxford historian, speaking of Dr. Hammond, one of the
king's party, on this occasion, thus triumphantly observes :
"It being his lot to dispute with Richard Vines, a presby
terian minister, who attended the commissioners appointed by
parliament, he did, with ease and perfect clearness, disperse
all the sophisms that he brought against him."t How far
this statement is correct, we are unable to say. Whitlocke, a
writer far more correct and impartial, however, speaking of
this treaty, says, "That while Dr. Steward and Dr. Shelden
argued very positively, that the government by bishops was
Jure Divino; Mr. Vines and Mr. Henderson argued as
positively, but more moderately, to the contrary, and that
the government of the church by presbyteries was Jure
Divino."t

Mr. Vines was chosen a member of the committee of accommodation, and was chairman at their meetings. On the subject of a general accommodation of all parties, he wrote an excellent letter to Mr. Baxter, discovering his mild and accommodating spirit. He was, at the same time, appointed master of Pembroke-hall, Cambridge, by the Earl of Manchester, and, it is said, few persons were better qualified for the situation. Here he promoted true religion and and restored the sound literature to the utmost of his college to a very flourishing state, till, in the year 1649, he was turned out for refusing the engagement. In the year 1645, he was one of the committee of learned divines appointed by the assembly to prepare the Confession of Faith. In 1648 he was appointed, by order of the parliament, one of the assistant divines at the treaty of the Isle of Wight; on which

* Clark's Lives, last vol. part i. p. 48.
+ Wood's Athenæ Oxon. vol. ii. p. 159.
Whitlocke's Mem. p. 119, 123, 126.
Sylvester's Baxter, part ii. p. 147.
**Neal's Puritans, vol, iii. p. 350.

power,

Papers of Accom. p. 2.
Ibid. part i. p. 64.

A

occasion he was much applauded by his own party, particularly for proving the sufficiency of presbyterian ordination. Ministers, he observed, who had been ordained by the presbyterian churches in France and the Low Countries, were formerly owned and acknowledged, to all intents and purposes, by our bishops, as lawfully ordained, both to preach and administer the sacraments. During the treaty, he had much converse and some disputation with the king.t His majesty highly valued him for his ingenuity, and seldom spoke to him without touching his hat, which Mr. Vines returned with most respectful language and gestures.

Dr. Grey, in his answer to Mr. Neal, relates, that when Mr. Vines returned from this treaty, he addressed one Mr. Walden, saying, " Brother, how hath this nation been fooled! We have been told that our king is a child and a fool; but if I understand any thing by my converse with him, which I have had with great liberty, he is as much of a christian prince as ever I read or heard of, since our Saviour's time. He is a very precious prince, and is able of himself to argue with the ablest divines we have. And, among all the king's of Israel and Judah, there was none like him.' This account is said to have been given about the year 1675, by one Nathaniel Gilbert of Coventry, in an information subscribed by his own hand, having himself heard Mr. Vines. Dr. Grey transcribed it from an attested copy of the original, which original was in possession of his father, to whose grandmother the above Gilbert was half brother!

When sentence of death was pronounced upon the king, Mr. Vines, and several of his brethren, presented their duty to his majesty, with their humble desires to pray with him, and perform other serviceable offices, if he would be pleased to accept them. The king returned them thanks for their kind offers, but declined their services. About the year 1653, Mr. Vines was appointed, by order of the parliament, one of the divines to draw up the Fundamentals, to be presented to

the house.I

When Mr. Vines first went up to London, he was chosen minister of St. Clement's Danes, where many persons of quality were his constant hearers. After some time, by the solicitation of the Earl of Essex, he resigned the place and

* Fuller's Church Hist. b. xi. p. 215.
+ Whitlocke's Mem. p. 336, 339.

Grey's Examination, vol. i. p. 414.
Wood's Athenæ Oxon. vol. ii. p. 522.
Sylvester's Baxter, part ii. p. 197.

Fuller's Worthies, pt, ii. p. 134.

removed to Walton in Hertfordshire. He afterwards accepted an invitation to St. Lawrence Jewry, London; where his excellent talents were still employed in promoting the Redeemer's glory, and the salvation of his people. Many flocked to his ministry, and his labours were made a blessing to their souls. While pastor of St. Lawrence, he was chosen one of the weekly lecturers at St. Michael's, Cornhill, and was often called to preach before the parliament. It is but just, however, to observe, that our divine, with several of his brethren, preached too warmly against the baptists.* On the death of the Earl of Essex, the parliament appointed a public funeral for him, which was performed with great solemnity in St. Peter's church, Westminster, when Mr. Vines preached his funeral sermon to a very great audience, composed of persons of very high distinction.t

After a laborious and useful life, Mr. Vines, at length, became the subject of painful bodily affliction. Though afflicted with racking pain in his head, which nearly took away his sight, yet he would not desist from his public labours. He was resolved to spend and be spent in the work of the Lord. The day before he died, he preached and administered the Lord's supper; and about ten o'clock the same evening he was taken with bleeding at the nose, and died betwixt two and three next morning, aged fifty-five years. His remains were interred, with great lamentation, in the church of St. Lawrence Jewry, February 7, 1655; when Dr. Thomas Jacombe preached his funeral sermon, giving the following high commendations of his character:-He was a burning and shining light in his day, and possessed very excellent parts, even taller by the head than most of his

* Neal's Puritans, vol. iii. p. 150.

+ Robert, Earl of Essex, was only son of the unfortunate favourite of Queen Elizabeth, and inherited much of his father's popularity. He was a nobleman of very upright intentions. Owing to the compassion of his nature, and the sincerity of his zeal for the essentials of religion, he shewed great kindness to the persecuted puritans. He was one of those few noblemen in parliament who dared to attack the “great monster the prerogative." But he never appeared to so great an advantage as at the head of an army. He acquired a great reputation as a soldier; a kind of merit that was despised by James I. and overlooked by Charles. His courage was great, and his honour was inflexible; but be rather waited than sought for opportunities for fighting; and knew better how to gain than improve a victory. When he took the command of the parliament's army, he was better qualified than any man in the kingdom for the post; but he is said to have been soon eclipsed by a new race of soldiers, who, if not his superiors in the art of war, went far beyond him in spirit and enterprise. He died September 14, 1646; and his death laid a foundation for the advancement of Cromwell.-Biog. Britan. vol. v. p. 161, 168. Edit. 1778.-Granger's Biog. Hist. vol. i. p. 332. ii. 249.