of the Apostle, 1 Cor. xv. 10. "I have laboured; yet not I, but the grace of God which is in me."

Soon after, being laid upon his bed, he said, "There is nothing more just and reasonable, than that the creature should obey his Creator." Then, lifting up his hands above his head, he cried, "Mercy, mercy, mercy;" and said, "He did so in order to shew, that it was the, sole mercy of God he had recourse to. "I call for nothing (said he) but mercy, free mercy. But who is it that shall bring an accusation against the elect of God? It is God that justifieth: so that neither life, nor death, nor things present, nor things to come, shall ever be able to separate him from the love of his Saviour." In the morning of the day he died, he prayed in Latin, say. ing, "Lord, open thou my lips, and I will shew forth thy praise. Lord, inake me to know my sins, to weep for them, to detest them, and to have them in execration." And this prayer he uttered twice. He then said after the Apostle, and with great emphasis, "We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands." In the afternoon he was heard to say to himself, in a broken manner, "I fly, I fly to heaven: the angels carry me into the bosom of my Saviour. I know that my Redeemer liveth, I shall see him with these eyes, these very eyes, hisce oculis ;" and he repeated the Latin words, again and again. And thus, in the lively exercise of faith, this great man rendered up his soul to God, in November, 1623, and in almost the seventy-fourth year of his age.

His great and noble work of "The Truth of the Christian Religion," was translated into English, partly by sir Philip Sidney, and partly by Mr. Arthur Golding. His "Mystery of Iniquity," hath also been translated into our language, and, according to Maunsel, some other of his writings.

MORTIMER, JOHN, was born at Exeter in 1633, and was educated at the university of Oxford. His father was a tradesman at Exeter, and his mother was sister to Dr. Manton*. He was very studious and serious; so conversant with the Bible, and of so retentive a memory, that if any one mentioned a passage, he would readily tell * Whose life see above, vol. III. p. 295.

.

the chapter and verse. He was vicar of Sowton in Devonshire. After being silenced he was reduced to great difficulties, upon which he went to London, to his uncle Dr. Manton, who procured him some employment in private. families, by which he earned a subsistence. In the time of the plague, he often preached in the public churches. In the fire of London, in 1666, he lost his books, together with all the notes of his sermons. On his return into the country, the plague happened to break out there; which was ascribed to his having brought the infection; upon which he and his wife were cruelly sent to the Pest-house, where those that had the distemper were confined: but Providence preserved them both, so that they never caught it. He afterwards removed to Exeter, where he continued many years. But having a large family of children, he found it difficult to provide for them, and was at last reduced so low as to be under the necessity of absconding, through fear of being seized for debt. As he was walking along the road he met a man driving some sheep, whom he endeavoured to avoid. But the man came up to him, and put a paper into his hand, which contained a sum of money. He immediately returned to his wife, who had been greatly dejected, and gave her the paper. On opening it, they found nothing written but these words: "To preach Pro vidence." The whole family, as might easily be supposed, were not a little affected on the receipt of so seasonable a supply, in so remarkable a manner. Mr. Mortimer died at Exeter, 1696, aged sixty-three.

MOUNCHER, JOSEPH. Mr. Mouncher's family originally came from France; and probably were refugees during the fierce persecution which raged against the Protestants in that country, after the revocation of the edict of Nantes. He was born at Portsmouth in 1744. It may be truly said, that he " feared the Lord from his youth *," and that he feared the Lord" greatly t." Religion was the object of his principal concern, and was conspicuous in the general tenor of his discourse and conduct. The Spirit of God began to work upon his heart in early life: the manner was gradual; and the means and instruments of the change were not distinctly perceptible to himself.

At an early age Mr. Joseph Mouncher was admitted a

1. Kings, xviii. 12.

+ Ver. 3.

member

obliged, owing to the customs of the country, hastily to "steal a grave" for the breathless body within a few hours after death; to have it interred deep in a garden without any memorial to mark the spot; nay, to have every vestige of an interment removed, for fear of trouble from superstitious religionists. But his mind was strengthened to bear this weight of sorrow and distress.

It was a very remarkable circumstance, that, as he went to one extremity of France with a sick friend, to leave him in his grave, he should, on his return to the other end of

I take the liberty of inserting here a passage from a letter written by Mr. W. Taylor, from Montpellier, to his sister, Mrs. Mouncher, in the preceding year, 1789, which may be considered as curious, and will be interesting and affecting to the admirers of Dr. Young and his Narcissa.

"I know you, as well as myself, are not a little partial to Dr. Young. Had you been with me in a solitary walk the other day, you would have shed a tear over the remains of his dear Narcissa. I was walking in a place called the King's Garden; and there I saw the spot where she was interred. Mr. J-, Mrs. H-, and myself, had some conversation with the gardener respecting it; who told us, that about forty-five years ago, Dr. Young was here with his daughter for her health; and that he used constantly to be walking backward and forward in this garden (no doubt, as he saw her gradually declining, to find the most solitary spot where he might shew his last token of affection, by leaving her remains as secure as possible from those savages, who would have denied her a Christian burial: for at that time, an Englishman in this country was looked upon as an heretic, infidel, and deyil.. They begin now to verge from their bigotry, and allow them at least to be men, though not Christians, I believe;) and that he bribed the under gardener, belonging to his father, to let him bury his daughter, which be did; pointed out the most solitary place, and dug the grave. The .man, through a private door, admitted the doctor at midnight, bringing his beloved daughter, wrapped up in a sheet, upon his shoulder: be laid her in the hole, sat down, and (as the man expressed it) rained tears!' With pious sacrilege a grave I stole.' The man who was thus bribed is dead, but the master is still living. Before the mau died, they were one day going to dig, and set some flowers, &c. in this spot where she was buried. The man said to his master, Don't dig there; for, so many years ago, I buried an English lady there.' The master was much surprized; and as Dr. Young's book had made much noise in France, it led him to enquire into the matter; and only two years ago it was known for a certainty that that was the place, and in this way there was an English nobleman here, who was acquainted with the governor of this place; and wishing to ascertain the fact, he obtained permission to dig up the ground, where he found some bones, which were examined by a surgeon, and pronounced to be the remains of a human body: this, therefore, puts the authenticity of it beyond a doubt."

the

the same country, be called to the same mournful office for another, whom he was bringing back in his late brother-inlaw's carriage. The case was thus: An amiable young clergyman, of the Established Church, had been in the south of France for the recovery of his health; but being given over by his physicians, and wishing to come home to see and die among his friends, Mr. Mouncher offered him the accommodation of the chaise, and with amiable self-denial attended on the sick gentleman, who was now far gone in a consumption. He bore the journey through nearly the whole length of France; but nature, at length worn out, sunk under the pressure of disease, and the benevolent traveller left the remains of his new friend interred at Dieppe. But what renders this anecdote peculiarly pleasing is, that, during their long journey together, Mr. Mouncher took every opportunity to converse with the young minister on the most important subjects, which were suitable to a dying He quickly perceived that his companion had, not been familiarly acquainted with himself, or with the Gospel, But as he listened to the things which were spoken, there was every reason, which the time and circumstances allowed, to believe that the Lord had opened his heart; and Mr. Mouncher has been often heard to express his pleasing hope, that what he had dropped in conversation. was the honoured mean of bringing that gentleman to the saving knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus.

On Mr. Mouncher's return to England, he began occasionally to exercise the talent, which God had given him, for instructing poor sininers in the knowledge of Christ. From his younger years he had been an attentive student in the Scriptures, in which he was a scribe well instructed. He had a clear, consistent view of the Gospel; and was well read in practical commentaries on the Bible, and in the best authors. He had an easy, pleasant way of communicating his ideas, though not energetic or pathetic in his address; and a copious and edifying gift in prayer. He was a sincere lover of precious souls; and, as before related, a zealous promoter of every thing that could advance the prosperity of the house of the Lord. Encouraged by the reverend Mr. Bogue, he frequently preached at Elson, a village near Gosport; and at length he preached almost every Lord's day, when at home, at a chapel which Mr. Taylor had erected adjoining to his house, at Portswood -VOL. III. No. 68.

3 G

Green.

obliged, owing to the customs of the country, hastily to "steal a grave" for the breathless body within a few hours after death; to have it interred deep in a garden without any memorial to mark the spot; nay, to have every vestige of an interment removed, for fear of trouble from superstitious religionists. But his mind was strengthened to bear this weight of sorrow and distress.

It was a very remarkable circumstance, that, as he went to one extremity of France with a sick friend, to leave him in his grave, he should, on his return to the other end of

I take the liberty of inserting here a passage from a letter written by Mr. W. Taylor, from Montpellier, to his sister, Mrs. Mouncher, in the preceding year, 1789, which may be considered as curious, and will be interesting and affecting to the admirers of Dr. Young and his Narcissa.

"I know you, as well as myself, are not a little partial to Dr. Young. Had you been with me in a solitary walk the other day, you would have shed a tear over the remains of his dear Narcissa. I was walking in 3 place called the King's Garden; and there I saw the spot where she was interred. Mr. J, Mrs. H--, and myself, had some conversation with the gardener respecting it; who told us, that about forty-five 1 years ago, Dr. Young was here with his daughter for her health; and that he used constantly to be walking backward and forward in this garden (no doubt, as he saw her gradually declining, to find the most solitary spot where he might shew his last token of affection, by leaving her remains as secure as possible from those savages, who would have denied her a Christian burial: for at that time, an Englishman in this country was looked upon as an Ireretic, infidel, and devil. They begin now to verge from their bigotry, and allow thein at least to be men, though not Christians, I believe) and that he bribed the under gardener, belonging to his father, to let him bury his daughter, which be did; pointed out the most solitary place, and dug the grave. The man, through a private door, admitted the doctor at midnight, bringing his beloved daughter, wrapped up in a sheet, upon his shoulder: he laid her in the hole, sat down, and (as the man expressed it) rained tears!' With pious sacrilege a grave I stole. The man who was thus bribed is dead, but the master is still living. Before the man died, they were one day going to dig, and set some flowers, &c. in this spot where she was buried. The man said to his master, Don't dig there; for, so many years ago, I buried an English lady there.' The master was much surprized; and as Dr. Young's book had made much noise in France, it led him to enquire into the matter; and only two years ago it was known for a certainty that that was the place, and in this way there was an English nobleman here, who was acquainted with the governor of this place; and wishing to ascertain the fact, he obtained permission to dig up the ground, where he found some bones, which were examined by a surgeon, and pronounced to be the remains of a human body; this, therefore, puts the authenticity of it beyond a doubt."

the