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exercise of virtue, and subduing vicious affections, without directing men to the Mediator, the fountain of all grace, and without representing his love as the most powerful motive and obligation to obedience, is but pure philosophy, and the highest effect of it is but unregenerate morality. In short, his sermons were clear, and solid, and affectionate. He dipped his words in his soul, in warm affections, and breathed a holy fire into the breasts of his hearers of this many serious and judicious persons can give testimony, who so long attended upon his ministry with delight and profit. His constant diligence in the service of Christ, was becoming his zeal for the glory of his Master, and his love to the souls of men. He preached thrice a week whilst he had opportunity and strength. He esteemed his labour in his sacred office both his highest honour and his pleasure. His life was suitable to his holy profession. His sermons were printed in a fair and lively character in his conversation. He was an example to believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. He was of a staid mind, and temperate passions, and moderate in counsels. In the managing of affairs of concernment, he was not vehement and confident, not imposing and overbearing, but was receptive of advice and yielding to reason. His compassionate charity and beneficence was very conspicuous amongst his other graces. His heart was given to God, and his relieving beneficent hand to the living images of God, whose pressing wants he resented with tender affections, and was very instrumental for their supplies. And as his life so his death adorned the gospel, which was so exemplary to others, and so gracious and comfortable to himself. The words of men leaving the world make usually the deepest impressions, being spoken most feelingly, and with the least affectation. Death reveals the secrets of men's hearts: and the testimony that dying saints give, how gracious a Master they have served, how sweet his service has been to their souls, has a mighty influence upon those about them. Now

SILVER-STREET.—Presbyterian, Extinct.

the deportment and expressions of this servant of Christ in his long languishing condition, were so holy and heavenly, that though his life has been very useful, yet he more glorified God dying than living."

To the foregoing account it may be added, that Dr. Jacomb was a nonconformist upon moderate principles, much rather desiring to have been comprehended in the national church, than to have separated from it. At his death, he left behind him an incomparable library of the most valuable books, in every branch of learning. It was afterwards sold by auction, and produced thirteen hundred pounds. † (B)

JOHN HOWE, M: A.-This truly great man was born on the 17th of May, 1630, at Loughborough, in Leices

• Dr. Bates's Sermon upon the Death of Dr. Jacomb, p. 118-123.
+ Calamy's Account, ubi supra.

(B) WORKS.-1. Enoch's Walk and Change: a Funeral Sermon for Mr. Richard Vines: preached at St. Lawrence Jewry, February 7, 1655. Gen. v. 24.-2. The active and public Spirit; preached at St. Paul's, October 26, 1656. Acts xiii. 26.-3. God's Mercy for Man's Mercy; preached at the Spital, before the Lord Mayor, &c. Matt. v. 7. 1657.-4. Two Farewell Sermons at Bartholomew Tide. John viii. 29. 1662. N. B. His picture is before the title, with those of many other Nonconformists.-5. A Treatise of Holy Dedication, both personal and domestic: Recommended to the Citizens of London, upon their entering into their new Habitations. 1681. N. B. This was written after the grand conflagration.-6. Several Sermons preached on the Whole eighth Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans. 4to. 1672.-7. A short Account of the Life of Mr. William Whitaker, late Minister of St. Mary Magdalen, Bermondsey: prefixed to his Eighteen Sermons. 1674.-8. How Christians may learn in every State to be content: In the Supplement to the Morning Exercise at Cripplegate. Phil. iv. 11. 1674.-9. The Covenant of Redemption: In the Morning Exercise methodized. Isa. liii. 10. 1676.-10. The upright Man's Peace at his End. A Funeral Sermon on the Death of Mr. Matthew Martin, Citizen of London, December 8, 1681.-11. Abraham's Death: A Funeral Sermon for the Rev. Thomas Case, June 14, 1682. Gen. xxv. 8. Wood is mistaken in supposing that he had a hand in the Continuation of Poole's Annotations.

SILVER-STREET.—Presbyterian, Extinct.

tershire, of which town his father was for some time the worthy minister. He had been settled at this place by Archbishop Laud, but afterwards deprived by him on account of his siding with the Puritans, and driven into Ireland, whither he was accompanied by his son, then very young. Being in that country during the rebellion, they were exposed to very threatening danger, the place to which they retired, being for several weeks together assaulted by the rebels, though without success. Driven there by the

war, Mr. Howe returned to his native country, and settled in the county Palatine of Lancaster, where his son received the first rudiments of his education.

At an early age, Mr. Howe was sent to Christ's College, in Cambridge, where he contracted an acquaintance with those celebrated persons, Dr. Ralph Cudworth, and Dr. Henry More, from whom he received that Platonic tincture which runs through his writings. After taking his degree of B. A. he removed to Brazen-Noze College, Oxford, and took the same degree there, also, January 18, 1649. His diligence in study, and great attainments in learning, joined with his exemplary piety, recommended him so highly, that he was elected Fellow of Magdalen College, having previously been made demy by the parliament visitors. The President of the College, at this time, was the celebrated Dr. Thomas Goodwin, who had gathered a church among the scholars of the house, and of which Mr. Howe now became a member. On the 9th of July, 1652, he proceeded M. A. and shortly after commenced preacher, being ordained by Mr. Charles Herle, at Winwick, in Lancashire. Mr. Herle he always looked upon as a primitive bishop; and as he was assisted, upon this occasion, by the ministers of the different chapels in his parish, Mr. Howe thought that few in modern times had so truly primitive an ordination.

Sometime afterwards, by an unexpected event in providence, Mr. Howe was called to the stated exercise of his

T

SILVER-STREET.-Presbyterian, Extinct.

ministry at Great Torrington, in Devonshire, a sort of donative, or curacy, belonging to Christ-church, Oxford. There he succeeded the famous Independent Divine, Mr. Lewis Stukely. Though but young at his first settlement in this town, yet he abundantly fulfilled his ministry, which was attended with great success. He had a numerous auditory, and a flourishing church, which was augmented by the accession of several persons from Mr. Bartlet's congregational church at Bideford, who, on account of the distance, now desired to sit down with Mr. Howe. The manner in which he conducted the service upon public fasts, which were frequent in those times, was very extraordinary. He began at nine o'clock with a prayer of a quarter of an hour; read and expounded scripture for about three quarters of an hour; prayed an hour; preached another hour; then prayed half an hour. The people then sung for about a quarter of an hour, during which he retired and took a little refreshment. He then went into the pulpit again, prayed an hour more; preached another hour; and then with a prayer of half an hour concluded the service.

Mr. Howe kept up a good correspondence with the neighbouring ministers, and cultivated a particular intimacy with Mr. George Hughes, of Plymouth, who had a great influence in this part of the country, and whose daughter he married, March 1, 1654. These two Divines maintained a weekly correspondence in Latin; which the rather deserves mentioning on account of the following memorable circumstance. Mr. Howe happened to have a fire in his house at Torrington, which might have been ruinous to his family, had not a violent shower, which descended just at that time, contributed greatly to extinguish it. On that very day it so fell out, that he received a letter from his father-in-law Hughes, which concluded with this prayer: Sit Ros Cali super Habitaculum vestrum: "Let the dew of heaven be upon your dwelling." The seasonableness of this prayer could not fail very forcibly to strike him.

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Sometime afterwards, Mr. Howe having occasion to take a journey to London, was detained there longer than he intended. On the last Lord's-day of his designed continuance in town, he went as an auditor to the chapel at Whitehall. Cromwell, who generally had his eyes every where, soon discovered Mr. Howe, and knew by his garb that he was a country minister. Thinking that he discovered something more than ordinary in his countenance, he sent a messenger, desiring to speak with him when the service was over. When Mr. Howe came, the Protector desired him to preach on the following Lord's-day, and would take no denial. Mr. Howe pleading, that he could not be absent from his people any longer without inconvenience, Cromwell promised to remedy it by sending down another minister, which he did. The first sermon of our Divine, gave so much satisfaction, that he was pressed for a second, and a third; and at length, after a great deal of free conversation, nothing would serve the Protector, but that Mr. Howe must remove to London, to be his household chaplain. It was with great reluctance that Mr. Howe left Torrington, but Cromwell would take no denial, he brought his family to Whitehall, where several of his children were born. He was now preferred to the lectureship of St. Margaret's, Westminster, and became a celebrated preacher. In his difficult situation he endeavoured to be faithful, and to preserve a good consci

ence.

And it may here be observed, that scarcely any public man in these critical times, who was admitted to the knowledge of so many secrets, preserved himself so free from censure in the times that succeeded. A plain argument of uncommon prudence and caution!

Though Mr. Howe had obtained great influence at court, yet he never abused it to the injury of others, or the enriching of himself. He embraced every opportunity of serving` the interests of religion and learning, even among persons of very different sentiments, of which we have the following instance. Dr. Seth Ward, Professor of Astronomy in the

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