gence; reading, agreeable to the years after her marriage, he united statutes, twice or thrice every week himself to the widow of the learned during term-time, unless hindered Dudley Fenner of Cambridge. by some important avocation, which On the removal of Dr. Howland seldom happened. He treated his to the bishopric of Peterborough, he opponents ingenuously and frankly; was called by special mandate from always granting what might deser- the Queen to the Mastership of St. vedly be conceded; never sarcasti. John's College, which he governed cally magnifying, or craftily dis- with mildness and liberality. He sembling their strongest arguments; was remote from every suspicion but faithfully collecting them, he of covetousness, as appears from skilfully unravelled the knot, in the attestation of all who lived which lay the main force of the under his instructions, and the opposite reasoning; and exhibited slender income with which he supthe edifying spectacle of a disputant ported himself and family. His honestly searching after truth, and principal concern was to enlarge not merely contending for victory. the public interest of the academic Nevertheless, during the silence of body to which he belonged, without Bellarmine, Thomas Stapleton, any self-interested views. He did professor of Louvaine, a petulant also much service to the University, old man, attacked the whole dispu- and to the national Church, the tation of Whitaker, relating to the peace and unity of which he ardently third question of the first contro- desired, and employed himself in versy on Scripture, in a voluminous composing some disputes on docpublication, composed in a diffuse trinal points. He set out for Lonstyle; which was answered by don in 1595, with the Dean of Ely, Whitaker with more severity than to treat with Archbishop Whitgift, marked his general writing, feeling and other eminent dignitaries, and as he did that such a production was was the person who on that occasuperflous and invidious. sion drew up “the Lambeth ArtiWhitaker was twice married ; for cles." He paid what proved a which Stapleton upbraids him, farewell visit to the Deanery of St. holding the opinion of councils and Paul's, from whence he sent a letfathers on this head, rather than the ter to Lord Burghley, with a serdictates of Scripture and common mon which he had recently preached sense. Yet, it has been observed, at Cambridge on the controverted the Romanist might have remem- points.* This journey was in the bered, wbat, upon the motion of decline of the year, and seems to Paphnutius, who was a bachelor, have injured his health, for he was the council of Nice decreed con- seized with illness as he was returncerning the marriage of priests; ing to Cambridge; and though nor have forgotten what St. Augus, only forty-seven years of age, being tin taught: • Truly, one who is much worn with study and fatigue, married, that is faithful and obedient during bis exertions in the capital, to God, is preferable to one that is he did not recover. continent, but of less faith and in the whole of his sickness he obedience. His first wife was of discovered a becoming submission honourable descent, pious, modest, to the will of his heavenly Father ; full of good works and almsgiving expressing himself in prayer in the to the poor. She comforted and words of Job: "O Lord my God! encouraged the faithful under the though thou killest me, yet I am cruel persecution of Queen Mary, sure with these eyes I shall see and sent yearly a large sum of thee; for in thee do I hope." To money for the support of the religious exiles. This lady dying two * Strype's Whitgift, p. 460. à friend, who one morning asked amidst all these endowments, and him how he did, he answered; 0 the respects of others, even the happy night! I have not taken so greatest, thereby deservedly prosweet a sleep since my disease fell cured, of a most meek and lowly upon me.' But his friend finding spirit.'* His attention to his pahim in a cold sweat, and telling rents, was another notable trait in him that signs of death appeared his character, whom when they on him, he answered-- Life of fell into distressed circumstances, death is equally welcome to me, through mismanagement of their which God pleaseth ; but death will estate, he helped to the utmost of be my gain, I desire not to live, his ability. And though they were but only so far as I may promote obstinately attached to the old the honour of God, and do his superstitions, in which they had church service.'* About eight been educated, and closely adhered o'clock on Thursday morning, to the traditions of men, and the December 4. he quietly resigned vain conversation received from his breath, and entered into rest. their fathers, yet he practised a Of his character little remains to dutiful regard to them, complying be added. Without encomiastic with them in all things which were record, he may be described as a not absolutely inconsistent with his man of holy life, patient of injuries, duty to God, and true religion. abounding in loving-kindness, cha. He had eight children by his ritable, liberal, humble, and self- two wives. The lady who surdenying. A pleasing cheerfulness vived him was near her confinement gave a charm to his conversation. at the time of his decease, and Of the dignity of his person, and caused her child to be baptized on eloquence of speech, Bishop Hall the eleventh of December, the day writing to their mutual friend, after her husband's funeral, by the Mr. Bedell, then at Venice, asks, name of Jabez, “because, she said, • Who ever saw him without rever I bare him with sorrow." In beence? or heard him without won half of the afflicted widow and der ?'t family, Dean Nowell wrote to Lord • He was a man (says Gataker) Burghley, to whom Whitaker had very personable, of a goodly pre- been chaplain, a most impressive sence, a body well compact, tall letter, whose insertion may not be of stature, upright, proportionably unacceptable to the reader. limbed, black haired, of a grave •My humble duty to your right aspect, a ruddy conplexion, a honourable Lordship remembered : strong constitution; of a settled may it please the same to be adcarriage, a solid judgment, a liberal vertised, that whereas the death mind, an affable disposition; a mild of Dr. Whitaker in the assured yet no remiss governor; a free dis- faith and hope of God's mercies poser of places; a constant fre- by Christ, was to him I doubt not quenter of the public service; a most blessed; yet was it to the general scholar; a great student to great public lack of Christ's chnrch, the last ; a lover of learning and and that University, and specially the learned ; a contemner of of the college of St. John's in money; of a moderate diet ; a Cambridge, and particularly to my fainiliar demeanour ; a life gene. great grief, he being my near rally unblameable; and (that which kinsman, and dear friend while he added a lustre to all the rest) lived. But his death was above all, to the extreme sorrow, loss, * Morton's Monument of Fathers and a and lack of his poor wife, lying in Reformers, p. 52. + Hall's Epistles, Dec. 1. Ep.7. • Abel redivivus, 406 travail of child when her husband his pitiful compassion towards his died, and thereby, and with inward poor widow and children, in their sorrow of heart, not unlike to die most humble and pitiful suit to herself, and now is very hardly your good Lordship; that it might recovered to a weak health, and to please you to procure some such many great difficulties, by the utter relief, as may be beneficial to them, destitution and desolation of herself, and least chargeable to her gracious and of a great multitude of their Majesty; as some little lease, or young and helpless children. For otherwise, as your wisdom may he being wholly given unto his seem most convenient. Whereby study, and to continual reading of the sorrowful and desolate widow, her Majesty's divinity lecture, and and poor children, shall be most to incessant writing against the bound continually and most heartily adversaries of true religion, had to pray to your good Lordship, and never any leisure or care for the all your's, unto Almighty God, who providing of more than was neceg. have the same always in his most sary for very mean and scholar-like blessed keeping and protection ! diet and clothing; as being in the "Your honourable Lordship's shadow of the University, and far humble at commandment, from the light, and friendly aspect • Alexander Nowell:' of the Court. Whereby he hath 12th January, 1596. left to his poor wife and children for their maintenance, being many Strype says the Queen intended to and very young, the only riches of purchase the late Professor's library, his books, most dearly bought by in consequence perhaps of this him, and little worth to be sold letter.One of the orphans, proagain, for the buying of necessaries bably of the first marriage, named to the maintenance of life. Of the after the Dean of St. Paul's, and which desolation and destitution of educated in Trinity College, Camthe sorrowful widow, and great bridge, had competent provision as multitude of the young, poor, and a clergyman in the north of Enghelpless children, her Majesty land; but quitted his preferment having intelligence, being of her and native country to assist as a own gracious goodness mercifully preacher of the gospel in Virginia; inclined to relieve their misery, and from his labours in that infant hath also been effectually moved to province, obtained the title of the the same by the right honourable ** Apostle of Virginia.” Another, the Earl of Essex; who, hearing named Richard, became an eminent Dr. Whitaker's good and godly bookseller and printer in London, instruction in Cambridge in the and dedicated a Greek Testament time of his youth, was his bonour in classical Latin to Charles the able and very good Lord all his first, and also a Harmar's Scapula life-time, and doth still continue to Archbishop Laud. A FATHER'S MEDITATION ON THE THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF A BELOVED CHILD. Long before the light of the sun of which she shall never be deenabled me this morning to behold prived. Blessed be the name any earthly object, my thoughts of the great Jehovah, who bestows were wholly occupied about the upon his poor and afflicted people everlasting kingdom of my God precious faith, by which they can unand Saviour, in which my beloved ravel the mysteries of his providence child dwells, and of the glories --be assured of the accomplishment of all the purposes of his love-be should I complain? Why harbour sustained under the pressure of the a thought contrary to the will of heaviest calamities and be en- Him who perfects his praise out abled to deny themselves, to take of the mouths of babes and suckup their cross, and like Abraham, lings? Thou art safe, thou art to resign without a murmur, though happy, thou art glorified, and why not without a pang, the dearest should not thy parents be satisfied ? object of their affection. Only for Thou art not again to visit us, but this precious faith, thy removal, we look forward to a meeting with my beloved child, would have called thee: yea, more than a meeting; forth all the evils which abound in we hope to dwell with thee for a heart by nature at enmity with ever; we hope to rise up after the God, the divine appointment would likeness of our adorable Saviour, have been arraigned as cruel op and to be fully satisfied; we hope unjust, and melancholy discontent to unite our voices with thine in would have brooded upon my mind giving unceasing praise to Him, But praise be to Him who has who, I trust, has loved us, and bestowed upon a lost world the washed us from our sins in his own unspeakable gift of his son Jesus blood, and will make us kings and Christ, it is now far otherwise : and priests for evermore. Thy memory with the sure word of promise in is deservedly dear to us on every my hand I can say, yea, and do say, account: it was thy study to do all is well. Yea, all is well, for every thing that could gratify us : thou, my beloved child, art freed it was thy delight to relieve the from sin and all its accompani. poor and to compassionate those ments, and all its consequences who were perishing for lack of thy purified spirit no longer breathes knowledge: it was thy recreation the air of a polluted world—thy to peruse the sacred word of God, tender mind is no longer grieved and from it thon didst draw forth by the folly of vain and thoughtless the nourishment that sustained thee mortals, nor oppressed by the under all thy sufferings, and they sorrows of those who were dear to were neither few, nor short, por thee; thou art safe landed upon trivial. While reason continues in that peaceful shore where no rude exercise, we cannot forget thee, blast is ever heard-where no and though we can never cease lowering cloud is ever seen—where to feel thy loss, yet there is no shipwreck can ever exhibit its something truly consoling in the horrors. O my child, before I reflection that thou hast obtained could wish thee back again, selfish. the end of thy faith, even the ness and unbelief must again exer- eternal salvation of thy soul—that cise their tyrant sway over my thou hast fallen asleep in Jesus, mind; but God forbid that this and that he will be thy portion for should ever be; that I should ever ever. While we cherish the fond be so deserted by the grace which remembrance of thee, and would alone can enable me to persevere indulge the hope of joining thee unto the end. Thy happiness was before the throne; may the Spirit one of the great objects of my life. of our God subdue us more and and now that it is obtained-now more unto himself, and enable us, that the spirits of the just made as thou didst, to walk with God, perfect are thy companions—now and to maintain unceasing fellowthat the song of Moses and of the ship with bim, and with his beloved Lamb is unceasingly issuing from Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. thy lips—now that glory unutterable and eternal is thy portion, why BY WILLIAM HOWITT-FROM THE AMULET. What spell has o'er the populous city past ? The wonted current of its life is staid ; As though their vileness were at once displayed ; Far spreads the charm ;--- from every hamlet spire A note of rest and heavenward thought is pealed; The toil-worn steed basks in the briery field. Down from their mountain dwellings, whilst the dew Shines on the heath bells, and the fern is bending Childhood, and age, and buoyant youth descending ; A stately ship speeds o'er the mighty main Oh! many a league from our own happy land: For there a little isolated band, O’er palmy woods where summer radiance falls, In the glad islands of the Indian main, To raise to heaven the Christian's glorious strain! In the fierce deserts of a distant zone, 'Mid savage nations terrible and stern, The traveller wends, death or renown to earn. O’er the wide world, blest day, thine influence flics , Rest o'er the sufferer spreads her balmy wings ; The expanding heart from earth's enchantment springs : Unbars its gates, and dwells once more with man. JAN. 1829. |