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121. Lucy Hutchinson, 1620-1659. (Handbook, par. 354.)

Character of Colonel Hutchinson.

To number his virtues is to give the epitome of his life, which was nothing else but a progress from one degree of virtue to another, till in a short time he arrived to that height which many longer lives could never reach; and, had I but the power of rightly disposing and relating them, his single example would be more instructive than all the rules of the best moralists, for his practice was of a more divine extraction, drawn from the word of God, and wrought up by the assistance of his Spirit; therefore, in the head of all his virtues, I shall set that which was the head and spring of them all, his Christianity-for this alone is the true royal blood that runs through the whole body of virtue, and every pretender to that glorious family, who hath no tincture of it, is an impostor and a spurious brat. This is that sacred fountain which baptizeth all the gentle virtues that so immortalize the names of Cicero, Plutarch, Seneca, and all the old philosophers; herein they are regenerated, and take a new name and nature; digged up in the wilderness of nature, and, dipped in this living spring, they are planted, and flourish, in the Paradise of God.

By Christianity I intend that universal habit of grace which is wrought in a soul by the regenerating Spirit of God, whereby the whole creature is resigned up into the divine will and love, and all its actions designed to the obedience and glory of its Maker. As soon as he had improved his natural understanding with the acquisition of learning, the first studies he exercised himself in were principles of religion, and the first knowledge he laboured for was a knowledge of God, which, by a diligent examination of the Scripture and the several doctrines of great meu pretending that ground, he at length obtained. Afterward, when he had laid a sure and orthodox foundation in the doctrine of the free grace of God given us by Jesus Christ, he began to survey the superstructures, and to discover much of the hay and stubble of man's inventions in God's worship which his Spirit burnt up in the day of their trial. His faith being established in the truth, he was full of love to God and all his saints. He hated persecution for religion, and was always a champion for all religious people against all their great oppressors. He detested

all scoff at any practice of worship though such a one as he was not persuaded of. Whatever he practised in religion was neither for faction nor advantage, but contrary to it, and purely for conscience' sake. As he hated outsides in religion, so could he worse endure those apostasies and those denials of the Lord and base compliances with his adversaries, which timorous men practise under the name of prudent and just condescensions to avoid persecution.

Christianity being in him as the fountain of all his virtues, and diffusing itself into every stream, that of his prudence falls into the next mention. He from a child was wise, and sought to by many, that might have been his fathers, for counsel, which he could excellently give to himself and others; and, whatever cross event in any of his affairs may give occasion to fools to overlook the wisdom of the design, yet he had as great a foresight, as strong a judgment, as clear an apprehension of men and things as no man more. He had rather a firm impression than a great memory, yet he was forgetful of nothing but injuries. His own integrity made him credulous of other men's, till reason and experience convinced him, and as unapt to believe cautions which could not be received without entertaining ill opinions of men, yet he had wisdom enough never to commit himself to a traitor, though he was once wickedly betrayed by friends whom necessity and not mistake forced him to trust. He was as ready to hear as to give council, and never pertinacious in his will when his reason was convinced. There was no opinion which he was most settled in, either concerning divine or human things, but he would patiently and impartially have it debated. In matters of faith his reason always submitted to the word of God, and what he could not comprehend he would believe because it was written; but, in all other things, the greatest names in the world could never lead him without reason; he would deliberate when there was time, but never lost an opportunity of anything that was to be done, by tedious dispute. He would hear as well as speak, and yet never spoke impertinently or unseasonably. He very well understood himself, his own advantages, natural parts, gifts, and acquirements, yet so as neither to glory of them to others, nor overvalue himself, for them, for he had an excellent virtuous modesty, which shut out all vanity of mind, and yet admitted that true understanding of himself which was requisite for the

best improvement of all his talents; he no less understood and was more heedful to remark his defects, imperfections, and disadvantages, but that too only to excite his circumspection concerning them, not to damp his spirit in any noble enterprise. He had a noble spirit of government, both in civil, military, and œcumenical administrations, which forced even from unwilling subjects a love and reverence of him, and endeared him to the souls of those rejoiced to be governed by him. He had a native majesty that struck an awe of him into the hearts of men, and a sweet greatness that commanded love. He had a clear discerning of men's spirits, and knew how to give every one their just weight; he contemned none that were not wicked, in whatever low degree of nature or fortune they were otherwise; wherever he saw wisdom, learning, or other virtues in men, he honoured them highly, and admired them to their full rate, but never gave himself blindly up to the conduct of the greatest master. Love itself, which was as powerful in his as in any soul, rather quickened than blinded the eyes of his judgment in discerning the imperfections of those that were most dear to him. His soul ever reigned as king in the internal throne, and never was captive to his sense; religion and reason, its two favoured councillors, took order that all the passions, kept within their own just bounds, there did him good service and furthered the public weal. He found such felicity in that proportion of wisdom that he enjoyed, as he was a great lover of that which advanced it, learning and the arts, which he not only honoured in others, but had by his industry arrived to be a far greater scholar than is absolutely requisite for a gentleman. He had many excellent attainments, but he no less evidenced his wisdom in knowing how to rank and use them, than in gaining them. He was as excellent in justice as in wisdom-the greatest advantage, nor the greatest danger, nor the dearest interest or friend in the world could not prevail on him to prevent justice even to an enemy. He never professed the thing he intended not, nor promised what he believed out of his own power, nor failed the performance of anything that was in his power to fulfil.

I cannot say whether he were more truly magnanimous or less proud; he never disclaimed the meanest person nor flattered the reatest; he had a loving and sweet courtesy to the poorest, and ould often employ many spare hours with the commonest

soldiers and poorest labourers, but still so ordering his familiarity as it never raised them to a contempt, but entertained still at the same time a reverence with love of him; he ever preserved himself in his own rank, neither being proud of it so as to despise any inferior, nor letting fall that just decorum which his honour obliged him to keep up. He was as far from envy of superiors as from contemning them that were under him: he was above the ambition of vain titles, and so well contented with the even ground of a gentleman, that no invitation could have prevailed upon him to advance one step that way; he loved substantial not airy honour: as he was above seeking or delighting in empty titles for himself, so he neither denied nor envied any man's due precedency, but pitied those that took a glory in that which had no foundation of virtue. He was as free from avarice as from ambition and pride. Never had any man a more contented and thankful heart for the estate that God had given, but it was a very narrow compass for the exercise of his great heart. He .oved hospitality as much as he hated riot: he could contentedly be without things beyond his reach, though he took very much leasure in all those noble delights that exceeded not his faculties. in those things that were of mere pleasure, he loved not to aim at that he could not attain: he would rather wear clothes absolutely plain, than pretending to gallantry, and would rather choose to have none than mean jewels or pictures, and such other things as were not of absolute necessity: he would rather give nothing than a base reward or present; and, upon that score, lived very much retired, though his nature was very sociable, and delighted in going into and receiving company, because his fortune would not allow him to do it in such a noble manner as suited with his mind. He was so truly magnanimous, that prosperity could never lift him up in the least, nor give him any tincture of pride or vain glory, nor diminish a general affability, courtesy, and civility, that he had always to all persons. When he was most exalted, he was most merciful and compassionate to those that were humbled. At the same time that he vanquished any enemy, he cast away all his ill will to him, and entertained thoughts of love and kindness as soon as he ceased to be in a posture of opposition. He was as far from meanness as from pride, as truly generous as humble, and showed his noble spirit more in adversity than in his prosperous condition: he vanquished

all the spite of his enemies by his manly suffering, and all the contempts they could cast upon him were their, not his, shame. Address to her Children, Life, p. 6. Lond., 1806.

122. John Flavel, 1627-1691. (Handbook, par. 383.)

A man whose memory is still cherished at Dartmouth, where he laboured; and whose Mystery of Providence, Fountain of Life, and Husbandry Spiritualized, hold their place among popular religious treatises, rich in ingenious thought and in apt illustrations from nature and daily life.

Signs of the Maturity of Grace.

1. When the corn is near ripe, it bows the head and stoops lower than when it was green. When the people of God are near ripe for heaven, they grow more humble and self-denying than in the days of their first profession. The longer a saint grows in this world, the better he is still acquainted with his own heart and his obligations to God; both which are very humbling things. Paul had one foot in heaven when he called himself the chiefest of sinners and least of saints. A Christian in the progress of his knowledge and grace is like a vessel cast into the sea; the more it fills the deeper it sinks. Those that went to study at Athens (saith Plutarch) at first coming seemed to themselves to be wise men; afterwards, only lovers of wisdom; and after that only rhetoricians, such as could speak of wisdom, but knew little of it; and last of all, idiots (i. e. uninitiated) in their own apprehensions; still with the increase of learning laying aside their pride and arrogancy.

2. When harvest is nigh, the grain is more solid and pithy than ever it was before; green corn is soft and spongy, but ripe corn is substantial and weighty: so it is with Christians; the affections of a young Christian, perhaps, are more fervent and sprightly, but those of a grown Christian are more judicious and solid; their love to Christ abounds more and more in all judgement (Phil. i. 9). The limbs of a child are more active and pliable; but as he grows up to a perfect state, the parts are more consolidated and firmly knit. The fingers of the old musician are not so nimble, but he hath a more judicious ear in music than his youth.

3. When corn is dead ripe, it's apt to fall of its own accord to the ground and there shed; whereby it doth, as it were, antici

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