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so many sighs, that all the little assembly about him melted into tears, and looked on this as a presage of his approaching dissolution. And it proved too true, for the day after he sickened; which on the second day after appeared to be an ague, and on the fourth day he apprehending his speedy change, called for his sons, and his sons' wives, and spake to them at several times, as near in these words as their memories could serve them to write them down soon after.

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"I am going the way of all flesh: I am now ready to "be offered up, and the time of my departure is at hand. Knowing, therefore, that shortly I must put off this "tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed "me, I know also, that if this my earthly house of this "tabernacle were dissolved, I have a building of GOD, 66 an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens,

a fair mansion in the New Jerusalem, which cometh "down out of heaven from my GOD. Therefore, to "me to live is Christ, and to die is gain; which in

creaseth my desire, even now to depart and to be "with Christ, which is far better than to continue here "in all the transitory, vain, and false pleasures of this "world, of which I have seen an end. Hearken there"fore unto the last words of your dying father; I am no more in this world, but ye are in the world; I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my GoD and your God, through the all-sufficient merits of Jesus "Christ, my Redeemer; who ever lives to make inter❝cession for me, who is a propitiation for all my sins, " and washed me from them all in his own blood, who "is worthy to receive glory, and honour, and power; "who hath created all things, and for whose pleasure "they are and were created.

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"My witness is in heaven, and my record on high, "that I have endeavoured to glorify GoD on earth, and "in the ministry of the Gospel of his dear Son, which was committed to my trust: I have finished the work "which he gave me to do, as a faithful ambassador of "Christ, and steward of the mysteries of God. "have preached righteousness in the great congrega

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tion: Lo, I have not refrained my lips, O Lord, thou "knowest. I have not hid thy righteousness within "my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness, and thy "salvation; I have not concealed thy loving kindness "and thy truth from the great congregation of mankind. "He is near that justifieth me, that I have not concealed

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"the words of the holy one; but the words that he "to me, I have given to you, and ye have received "them. I had a desire and resolution to walk before "GOD (in every station of my pilgrimage, from my "youth up to this day) in truth, and with an upright heart, and to do that which was upright in his eyes, "to the utmost of my power; and what things were gain to me formerly, these things I count now loss "for Christ; yea doubtless, and I account all things but "loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all "things, and I account them but dung, that I may win "Christ, and be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is "through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is "of GOD by faith; that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his "sufferings, being made conformable unto his death: "I press therefore towards the mark, for the prize of "the high calling of GOD, in Jesus Christ.

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"Let nothing separate you from the love of Christ, "neither tribulation nor distress, nor persecution, nor "famine, nor nakedness, nor peril, nor sword; though (as ye hear and see) for his sake we are killed "all the day long, we are counted as sheep for the slaughter: Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us: For I am persuaded, that neither death nor life, nor angels, "nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any crea"ture, shall be able to separate me from the love of "GOD in Christ Jesus my Lord. Therefore love not the "world, nor the things of the world; but prepare daily "and hourly for death, (that now besieges us on every CC side) and be faithful unto death, that we may meet together joyfully on the right hand of Christ at the last "day, and follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth, with "all those that are clothed with white robes, in sign of innocency, and palms in their hands, in sign of victory; "which came out of great tribulation, and have washed "their robes, and made them white in the blood of the "Lamb. They shall hunger no more, nor thirst, nei"ther shall the sun light on them, or any heat; for "the Lamb, that is in the midst of the throne, shall feed "them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of 66 waters,

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Chuse rather with Moses to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for 86 a season, which will be bitterness in the latter end. "Look therefore for sufferings, and to be daily made. partakers of the sufferings of Christ, to fill up that "which is behind of the affliction of Christ in your flesh "for his body's sake, which is the church. What can

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you look for, but one woe after another, while the "man of sin is thus suffered to rage, and to make havock "of God's people at his pleasure, while men are divided "about trifles, that ought to have been more vigilant over us, and careful of those, whose blood is pre"cious in GoD's sight, though now shed every where "like water? If ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye; be not afraid of their terror, neither be ye "troubled; and be in nothing terrified by your adver

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saries; which is to them an evident token of perdition, "but to you of salvation, and that of GOD. For to "you is given in the behalf, of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake. Rejoice, "therefore, in as much as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings, that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also, with exceeding joy. And if ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye: The spirit of glory, and of Christ, resteth on you. On "their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is "glorified.

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"GOD will surely visit you in due time, and return your captivity as the rivers of the South, and bring you back again into your possession in this land: Though now for a season (if need be) ye are in heavi"ness through manifold temptations; yet ye shall reap "in joy, though now ye sow in tears: All our losses "shall be recompensed with abundant advantages, for my "GOD will supply all your need, according to his riches "in glory, by Jesus Christ, who is able to do exceeding "abundantly for us, above all that we are able to ask or "think."

After that he blessed his children, and those that stood about him, in an audible voice, in these words: "GOD of his infinite mercy bless you all, and present you holy, and unblameable, and unreprovable in his sight, that we may meet together at the right hand of our "blessed

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blessed Saviour Jesus Christ, with joy unspeakable and "full of glory. Amen." To which he added these words: "I have fought a good fight: I have finished the "course of my ministry and life together. Though grievous wolves have entered in among us, not sparing "the flock, yet I trust the Great Shepherd of his flock "will save and deliver them out of all places, where they have been scattered in this cloudy and dark day; "that they shall be no more a prey to the heathen, "neither shall the beasts of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them "afraid. O Lord, I have waited for thy salvation." And, after a little interval, he said, "I have kept the "faith once given to the saints; for the which cause I "have also suffered these things; but I am not ashamed, "for I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded "that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day."

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After this time he spoke little; for as his sickness increased, his speech failed, and he slumbered out most of the time, only between whiles it appeared that he was cheerfully waiting for his change; which at last came about midnight on the seventh of February, that he fell asleep in the Lord, and entered into his rest, and obtained his crown, which in some sort was a crown of martyrdom; for no doubt the sad weight of sorrow that lay upon his mind, and his ill usage in his imprisonment, had much hastened his death: And he suffered more in his mind by what he had lived to hear and see in the last fifteen weeks of his life, than he could have done, if he had fallen by the sword, among the first of those that felt the rage of the Irish. His friends went about his burying; and since that could not be obtained, but by the new intruding bishop's leave, Mr. Clogy and Mr. Shereden went to ask it, and Mr. Dillon was prevailed with by his wife, to go and second their desire. They found the bishop lying in his own vomit, and saw a sad change in that house, which was before a house of prayer, and of good works; but was now a den of thieves, and a nest of uncleanness. The bishop, when he was awakened out of his drunkenness, excepted a little to it, and said, the church-yard was holy ground, and was no more to be defiled with heretics' bodies; yet he consented to it at last. So on the ninth of February he was buried according to the direction himself had given, next his wife's coffin. The Irish did him unusual honours at his burial,

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for the chief of the rebels gathered their forces together, and with them accompanied his body from Mr. Shereden's house to the church-yard of Kilmore, in great solemnity, and they desired Mr. Clogy to bury him according to the office prescribed by the church; but though the gentlemen were so civil as to offer it, yet it was not thought adviseable to provoke the rabble so much, as perhaps that might have done; so it was passed over. But the Irish discharged a volley of shot at his interment, and cried out in Latin, Requiescat in pace ultimus Anglorum, May the last of the English rest in peace: For they had often said, That as they esteemed him the best of the English Bishops, so he should be the last that should be left among them.

Thus lived and died this excellent Bishop; in whom so many of the greatest characters of a primitive and apostolical bishop did shew themselves so eminently, that it seemed fit that he should still speak to the world, though dead, both for convincing the gainsayers of that venerable order, and for the instruction of those that succeeded him in it; since great patterns give the easiest notions of eminent virtues, and teach in a way that has much more authority with it than all speculative discourses can possibly have. And as the lives of the primitive Christians were a speaking apology for their religion, as well as a direction to those that grew up; so it is to be hoped that the solemn, though silent, language of so bright an example will have the desired effect both ways: And then my Author will have a noble reward for his labours. To this we shall add a little of his character.

He was a tall and graceful person; there was something in his looks and carriage that discovered what was within, and created a veneration for him. He had an unaffected gravity in his deportment, and decent simplicity in his dress and apparel. He had a long and broad beard; for as the custom then was, he never saw a razor pass upon his face. His grey hairs were a crown to him, both for beauty and honour. His strength continued firm to the last; so that the week before his last sickness, he walked about as vigorously and nimbly as any of the company, and leaped over a broad ditch; so that his sons. were amazed at it, and could scarce follow him.

His eyes continued so good, that he never used spectacles, nor did he suffer any decay in any of his natural powers, only by a fall in his childhood he had contracted a deafness in his left ear. He had great strength and health

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