this year on that day +. His judgment, in reference to matters of church order, was for union and communion of all visible Christians, viz. of such as did visibly hold the head,'as to the principal credenda and agenda of Christianity: The great things belonging to the faith and practice of a Christian, so as nothing be made necessary to christian communion but what Christ hath made necessary, or what is indeed necessary to one's being a Christian. What he publicly essayed to this purpose, the world knows; and many more private endeavours and strugglings of his, for such an union, I have not been unacquainted with. The unsuccessfulness of which endeavours, he said, not long before his last confinement, he thought would break his heart. He having openly, among divers persons, and with great earnestness, some time before exprest his consent to some proposals, which, if the parties concerned had agreed in the desire of the thing itself, must unavoidably have inferred such an union, without prejudice to their principles; and on such terms as must have extended it much further; else it had signified little. But this must be effected, as is too apparent, not by mere human endeavour, but by an Almighty Spirit poured forth, which (after we have suffered a while) shall xaτaprioaι, put us into joint, and make every joint know its place in the body, 1 Pet. v. 10. Shall conquer private interests and inclinations, and over-awe mens hearts by the authority of the divine law; which now, how express soever it is, little availeth against such prepossessions. Till then Christianity will be, among us, a languishing withering thing. When the season comes, of such an effusion of the ⚫ spirit from on high,' there will be no parties. And amidst the wilderness-desolation that cannot but be, till that season comes, it matters little, and signifies to me scarce one straw, what party of us is uppermost. The most righteous (as they may be vogu'd) will be but as briars and scratching thorns; and it is better to suffer by such than be of them. In the mean time, it is a mark of God's heavy displeasure when persons of so healing spirits are taken away. And if it awaken any of us, that will tend to prepare us for the effects of it, which preparation seems a thing more to be hoped, than prevention. But this worthy servant of Christ sees not the woeful day, whatever of it he might foresee. His removal makes to many + This annual sermon was continued by Mr. Breauer to the last (as it still is by Mr. Ford) and attended by an amazing concourse of people. indeed indeed a woeful day, and that all about him did long foresee. He was long languishing, and even dying daily. But amidst surrounding death, as a relation told me, there was no appearance of any the least cloud upon his spirit, that obscured the evidences of his title to a blessed eternity. Being asked how he did, he said, "Going home, as every honest man ought, when his work is done." He was much in admiring God's mercies under his afflicting hand, saying, "Every thing on this side hell is mercy; that the mercies he received were greater than his burthens, tho' in themselves grievous; that he rested upon that promise, that his father would lay no more upon him than he would enable him to bear; that he expected to be saved only by the righteousness of Christ imputed to him." Tho' he well understood, as I had sufficient reason to know, that Christ's righteousness is never imputed to any but where, if the subject be capable, there is an inherent righteousness also, that is no cause of our salvation, but the character of the saved. Having before precautioned some about him not to be surprized if he went away suddenly, he repeated the ejaculation, Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly;' and renewing the former caution, by saying, "Remember what I said before;" as he sat in his chair, with all possible composure, he bowed his head, and without sigh or motion expired in a moment. The sighing part he left to others that stay behind." 6 Upon his tomb-stone there is the following inscription: H. S. E. Quicquid Mortale fuit Matthæi Mead, V. D. M. Honesta inter Cattieuclanos familia orti Vitæ tandem & Laudis fatur, Ad Cælitum Domum quam diu optaverat, An Etat. suæ 70: 17 Kal. Novem. CIIƆCXCIX. The chair in which he died was made for the wife of the famous LILLY the astrologer, and was covered with crimson velvet. It was in the posses sion of Mr. James late minister of Hitchin. Et Boni Civis Amantissimi Conjugis Theologi vere Christiani Clarum reliquit Posteris Exemplum. Here lies all that was mortal of the Rev. Mr. Matthew Mead, minister of the gospel. He descended from a respectable family in the county of Bucks, and was eminently distinguished for his piety, learning and eloquence. He spent his life with an invincible fortitude in constant and uncommon labours for his country, religion and liberty: till at length, full of days, and crowned with honour, he most serenely ascended, like a weary and longing pilgrim, to that celestial rest which had long filled his wishes, Oct. 16, 1699; and at the age of 70 years: leaving an illustrious example to posterity, of a good citizen, a most tender husband, a most affectionate father, and a truly christian minister. WORKS. The almost christian tried and cast, in seven sermons.-A Sermon to the united brethren, about Ezekiel's wheels. -Funeral Sermons for Mr. Tho. Rosewell, Mr. Tim. Cruso, &c. -The good of early obedience.-The young man's Remembrancer. A name in heaven the truest ground of joy, on Luke x. 20. -The power of grace in weaning the heart from the world; two discourses on Psal. 131, reprinted in 1772.-Two sticks made one; or the excellency of unity, on Ezek. 37. 19.-Spiritual wisdom improved against temptation.-A Farewell Sermon (the 11th in the London Collection) on 1. Cor. 1.3. Grace be unto you, and peace, &c. A plain popular discourse, which closes with the following directions for maintaining peace of mind. 1. Make religion your main business. 2. Live daily by faith in Christ. 3. Maintain constant communion with God. 4. Be good at all times, but of all best in bad times. 5. In all conditions chuse suffering rather than sin. But see that your cause be good: it is not the blood, but the cause that makes the martyr. Let your call be clear: some may suffer for the cause of God, and yet sin in suffering for want of a call. Let your Spirit be meek, as Christ's was. And see that your end be right: if it be self, or singularity, or schism [you can have no true peace.]-6. Be much in studying the scriptures. • Great peace have they that love thy law.' 7. Take heed of apostasy either in doctrine or principles. 8. Make the word of God your rule in all things, and keep close to it in matters of God's worship. There are endless discourses about the mode. I have no disputing time. It is good in difficult cases always to take the surest side. If I follow the traditions of men I may sin: if I keep close to the directions of God in scripture, I am sure I cannot. 9. Keep 9. Keep up the power of godliness, and do not let religion down into a lifeless formality. It is the duty of them that have grace to improve it. If you sit under the daily means and do not grow, do you think this will be peace in the latter end? surely not. 10. Observe that excellent rule of the apostle Phil. iv. 8.-And now my brethren I commend you to God, with this benediction, which I shall make my Valediction. Grace be unto you and peace from God our father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ. SHEPERTON (R. 2001.] Mr. JOHN DODDRIDGE. Of Oxf. university. He was an ingenious man and a scholar; an acceptable preacher, and a very peaceable divine. [He was grandfather to the celebrated Dr. Doddridge, who says of him in a letter to a friend, "He had a family of ten children unprovided for; but he quitted his living, which was worth to him about 200l. per annum, rather than he would violate his conscience, &c." His funeral sermon was preachep by one Mr. Marriot, Sept. 8, 1689; from whence it appears that he had preached to a congregation at or near Brentford; that he died suddenly, and was much respected and beloved by his people. Mr. Orton says, "that some of his sermons, which he had seen, shew him to have been a judicious and serious preacher." Orton's Life of Dr. Doddridge, 2d edit. p. 3.] STAINES [V. S.] Mr. GABRIEL PRICE. An honest plain preacher, of blameless life and conversation. WORKS. Thoughts improved; or a Christian directed in the Duty of Meditation. STANMORE Magna [R. 150l.] SAMUEL STANCLIFF, M. A. Of St. John's Col. Cam. He is mentioned in Newcourt's Rep. After his ejectment he was pastor of a congregation at Rotherhithe, which he was obliged to leave thro' bodily weakness and indisposition. He died at Hoxton, Dec. 12, 1705. He was a man of no party, an eminent divine, and had an admirable gift in prayer. He was a native of Halifax, Yorkshire, and was educated at the freeschool there; to improve and adorn which, he gave an hun. dred pounds, which act of generosity is recorded on a column erected in the school-house, with this inscription: "In memory of the reverend Mr. Samuel Stancliff; descended from the ancient family of Stancliff, in the parish of Halifax, in the West-riding of this county of York. Sometime of St. John's College in Cambridge, and minister of Stanmore magna, in the county of Middlesex ; who departed Hh 2 this this life the 12 day of December Anno Dom. 1705, aged 75 years. STEPNEY [R.] Mr. WILLIAM GREENHILL. Magd. Col. Oxf. He was born in Oxfordshire. Where he was first settled as a minister doth not appear. In 1644, he established a society of Dissenters in Stepney; was made one of the Triers in 1655; and appointed to the living of this parish the year following. Jeremiah Burroughs used to preach at Stepney church in the morning, at seven o'clock, and Mr. Greenhill in the afternoon at three; which occasioned Hugh Peters, in a sermon preached there, to call one "The Morning-star of Stepney," and the other, "The Evening-star."-He was one of the Dissenting brethren in the Assembly of divines; and he was the person pitched upon to be chaplain to the king's children, the dukes of York and Gloucester, and the lady Henrietta Maria. He was a worthy man, and much valued for his great learning and unwearied labours. [Mr. Howe, in his funeral sermon for Mr. Mead, speaking of his connection with Mr. Greenhill, stiles him, "That eminent servant of God Mr. Greenhill, whose "praise is still in the churches."] His Library was sold in 1677; so that in all probability he died about that time. The following particulars are added from Wood's Athen, Oxon. V. ii. p. 605. William Greenhill, born of plebeian parents in Oxfordshire, entered a student of Magd. Coll. in the condition of a Clerk or Servitor, Ann. 1604, aged 13, and took the degrees in Arts, that of Master being compleated An. 1612, at which time, as the custom and statute is, he swore allegiance and fidelity to the King, his Heirs and lawful successors: which Oath is taken by all who take but one degree; so that if they swerve from their lawful prince, as Presbyterians, Independents, &c. have done, and adhere to another authority, they are perjured. This IV. Greenhill, I take to be the same who had some small cure afterwards bestowed upon him, and as I have heard, the same who gave money towards the reparation of St. Paul's Cathedral in London, and who upon the turn of the times, occasioned by the Puritans, did express those things inore openly which he before had concealed, viz. inany vile matters against the bishops, orthodox clergy, the king, his cause and followers, and was never wanting in his discourses, prayers, and preachings, to advance the blessed Cause then most violently carried on by the said Puritans, |