mighty in the scriptures, and fit to water God's plantation, and a Paul who was caught up to the third heavens, and saw mysteries that his modesty forbad him to utter to others. It now appears what a blessing he was. No sooner was his soul in heaven and his body in the grave, than the scene was changed, and darkness overspread a land of Goshen. O how doth that place sit solitary which was full of people! How do the ways of Zion mourn! O that our eyes may affect our hearts!"

This breach was soon followed by the death of his only surviving brother, the Rev. Nathaniel Heywood, of Ormskirk. Well might Mr. Heywood say: "Job's messengers make haste, treading upon the heels of each other. Scarcely are our tears wiped off for one friend, but tidings of another appal us. God hath broken me with breach upon breach! Righteous art thou, O Lord, when I plead with thee. O my soul, be dumb, open not thy mouth against God. Thou, Lord, hast done it; and though I must not murmur, I may groan; though I must not complain of God, I may of myself; though I must not mourn as one without hope, I cannot lay aside all natural affection. O with what a blow hath God terminated this year! My dear and only brother, ten years a public preacher, and half that period vicar of Ormskirk, but turned out on black Bartholomew's day, 1662, having preached in private since, and prophesied in sackcloth, is now clothed in white robes before the throne in heaven, His torturing pains struck many a blow at that goodly tree which death cut down, Lord's day morning Dec. 16th, 1677. This is a great loss to the church and nation, to his parish, to his family, and to me in particular. O lamentable loss! What shall I say? How are the mighty fallen! How is the beauty of Israel slain upon the high places!

Alas! alas! those pleasant gardens of Eden, which have been watered with the rivers of God, are likely to be as the mountains of Gilboa, upon which no more wholesome doctrine will drop and distil as the dew; but thistles grow instead of wheat, and noisome weeds instead of barley. O my dear and amiable brother! what words shall I take, with which to lament thee? Alas my brother! the honour of our family is gone! He was a Christian, and a minister of great ability, an ornament to his generation, eminent for zeal, piety, humility, and all ministerial endowments. I am distressed for thee my brother, very pleasant hast thou been to me; yea, every way desirable: profitable while living, honoured in death, and loved in all. Why did not that fatal stroke take me away rather than thee? Am not I the older, and should not I have gone before thee? No, no, death was not blind. My brother was ripe and I am not; he had made haste and despatched his work, and is now receiving his abundant reward, whilst I am wearily tossed on this tempestuous ocean. The death of this excellent servant of God hath gone nearer my heart than any loss I have sustained these many years, on several accounts. We were born of the same parents, were pupils under the same tutors, were neighbouring ministers several years, and for some time kept house together. Seldom has natural affection in brothers been raised to that height that ours was. His going to a distant place was painful to us both, and caused many tears at parting; but our absence was as oil to the flame. Now we are removed to a greater distance from each other! It increaseth my affliction that the church should lose so useful a person in such a day as this. He possessed incomparable qualifications; he had such a strong memory, profound judgment, ready elocution, and extensive learning; he

was many degrees beyond my attainments and capacity, and I have often admired his singular dexterity in managing both polemical and practical discourses to much satisfaction and edification. Seldom have I seen so much fitness for the Lord's work in so young a person. He was far more adapted to do God service in his church than I am, or am ever likely to be. It grieves me when I think of his long continued pain during the most part of the last summer, and yet I have not given him a visit in his deep affliction, having been prevented by business, till he was suddenly surprised with that sickness which proved mortal in three days. I am exceedingly troubled on this account, especially since I have heard he expressed a great desire to see me. Lord, forgive me this sin! for I charge myself deeply with it, though I then thought I had sufficient excuse. This breach is also the more aggravated because it follows so near upon others. My father died March 1st; my youngest sister, Alice, May 9th; my father Angier Sept. 1st; and to bring up the rear, my dear brother, Dec. 16th: all these in this memorable year, surely it has been a black and dismal year! I pray that the death of these eminent servants of God this year, may not prove a fearful prognostic to a more fatal year ensuing. God sometimes hides his saints in the grave from approaching storms, puts his children to bed before night comes on, and calls home his ambassadors before open war breaks out. Though the death of God's aged and eminent servants be often a great loss, yet the death of young Timothies, engaged in God's work, is in a sense more ominous: as when a man cuts down not only old trees but young plants, it is a sign he intends to lay all waste; this the Lord hath remarkably done of late. How very few are the trees of God's right-hand planting, that even a child

may count them! How many full grown cedars have fallen of late, and how few slips have been planted in their place! Though many are growing up in the plantations, yet how few give evidence that they are of the right description! We fear they will either be cumberers of the ground, or bring forth sour grapes! Though this man of God was young in years, he was old in gifts, grace, and usefulness. He was but forty four years of age, yet he had attained to the gravity and maturity of eighty. His time was short, but he had lived long, and he has now obtained the prize; the crown is set on his triumphant head, and he is introduced into the joy of his Lord, while we, poor dull things, are lagging behind, lamenting our loss, and fearing the approach of more dreadful storms. Lord, prevent our fears, prepare us for trials, sanctify this mournful breach, and bring us safely home."

These solemn and repeated strokes produced a deep impression on Mr. Heywood's mind, and made him more attentive to the important duty of self-examination, as the best preparation for his own solemn change. The seriousness, earnestness, and carefulness with which he carried on this investigation, will appear from the following extract: "Nov. 1st, 1677, I set myself in the evening to the practice of that much neglected duty, self-examination; and my soul was occupied with such thoughts as these, which I feel disposed to commit to paper :

"My soul, thou and I have been long strangers. I go on in the profession of religion, preaching, studying, and performing religious exercises in public and private; but dost thou not read of searching a man's ways? Doth not God command persons to commune with their own hearts, and make diligent search? Hast thou not in thy public work lately urged this

duty? Are not trying times coming on; and is not self-judging in the petty sessions a good help to prevent loss or prepare for the great assizes? Is not the matter of very great importance? Art thou content to go hoodwinked, and live at confused uncertainties? Will not a thorough self-trial pay for the trouble? Art thou so earnest that others should do it, and wilt

Surely, my soul, it is

thou not engage in it thyself? a profitable duty, and as it is difficult, so it is most likely to prove necessary, because a subtle devil and a wicked heart so much oppose it. And is it indeed so hard a work? Is it a long journey for a man to travel to his own heart? Shall the difficulty discourage thee? Shall it not rather quicken thy endeavours considering its necessity? Art thou not approaching the fiftieth year of thy life, and is it not the afternoon of thy day? Will not death shortly cause thy sun to set, and will it not then be of singular use to have thy evidences fairly written? Who knows what violent assaults Satan may make upon thee, or how thy Lord may withdraw from thee? Then, having thy case well stated, resolved, and confirmed on scripture grounds, it may comfort thee in some trial to which thou mayest be called. Come then, my soul, and let me take thee to task, and ask thee some important questions. But do not thou, as thou art wont, shuffle and trifle, and put me off with good words and hopeful appearances; but go to the bottom, lay the axe to the root of the tree, and be faithful to God and thy own conscience in this great affair. Self-flattery is the high road to inevitable and eternal misery."

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First, My soul, dost thou believe, that when thou art separated from this body in which thou now lodgest, thou shalt die as the beasts, and have no ex