Yet such pastors may comfort themselves, that great is their reward with God in heaven, who measures it, not by their success, but endeavours. Besides, though they see not, their people may feel, benefit by their ministry. Yea, the preaching of the word in some places is like the planting of woods, where, though no profit is received for twenty years together, it comes afterwards. And grant, that God honours thee not to build his temple in thy parish, yet thou mayest, with David, provide metal and materials for Solomon thy successor to build it with.

XV.

To sick folks he comes sometimes before he is sent for.-As counting his vocation a sufficient calling. None of his flock shall want the extreme unction of prayer and counsel. Against the communion, especially, he endeavours that Janus's temple be shut in the whole parish, and that all be made friends.

XVI.

He is never plaintiff in any suit but to be right's defendant.— If his dues be detained from him, he grieves more for his parishioners' bad conscience than his own damage. He had rather suffer ten times in his profit, than once in his title, where not only his person, but posterity, is wronged; and then he proceeds fairly and speedily to a trial, that he may not vex and weary others, but right himself. During his suit he neither breaks off nor slacks offices of courtesy to his adversary; yea, though he loseth his suit, he will not also lose his charity. Chiefly he is respectful to his patron; that, as he presented him freely to his living, so he constantly presents his patron in his prayers to God.

XVII.

He is moderate in his tenets and opinions.-Not that he gilds. over lukewarmness in matters of moment with the title of "discretion;" but, withal, he is careful not to entitle violence, in indifferent and inconcerning matters, to be zeal. Indeed, men of extraordinary tallness, though otherwise little deserving, are made porters to lords; and those of unusual littleness are made ladies' dwarfs; whilst men of moderate stature may want masters. Thus many, notorious for extremities, may find favourers to prefer them; whilst moderate men in the middle truth may want any to advance them. But what saith the apostle?" If in this life only we had hope, we are of all men the most miserable." (1 Cor. xv. 19.)

XVIII.

He is sociable and willing to do any courtesy for his neigbourministers.—He willingly communicates his knowledge unto them. Surely, the gifts and graces of Christians lay in common, till base envy made the first enclosure. He neither slighteth his inferiors, nor repineth at those who in parts and credit are above him. He loveth the company of his neighbour-ministers. Sure, as ambergris is nothing so sweet in itself, as when it is compounded with other things; so both godly and learned men are gainers by communicating themselves to their neighbours.

XIX.

He is careful in the discreet ordering of his own family.—A good minister, and a good father, may well agree together. When a certain Frenchman came to visit Melancthon,* he found him in his stove, with one hand dandling his child in the swaddlingclouts, and in the other hand holding a book and reading it. Our minister also is as hospitable as his estate will permit, and makes every alms two, by his cheerful giving it. He loveth also to live in a well-repaired house, that he may serve God therein more cheerfully. A clergyman who built his house from the ground wrote in it this counsel to his successor :-—

"If thou dost find

An house built to thy mind

Without thy cost,

Serve thou the more

God and the poor;

My labour is not lost."

XX.

Lying on his death-bed, he bequeaths to each of his parishioners his precepts and example for a legacy.-And they, in requital, erect every one a monument for him in their hearts. He is so far from that base jealousy that his memory should be outshined by a brighter successor, and from that wicked desire that his people may find his worth by the worthlessness of him that succeeds, that he doth heartily pray to God to provide them a better pastor after his decease. As for outward estate, he commonly lives in too bare pasture to die fat. It is well if he hath gathered any flesh, being more in blessing than bulk.

PANTALEON, De Illustr. Germ. in Vitâ Melancth.

CHAPTER X.

THE LIFE OF MR. PERKINS.

WILLIAM PERKINS, born at Marston, nigh Coventry, in Warwickshire, was afterwards brought up in Christ-College in Cambridge, where he so well profited in his studies, that he got the grounds of all liberal arts; and, in the twenty-fourth [year] of Queen Elizabeth, was chosen Fellow of that College, the same year wherein Dr. Andrew Willet, (one of admirable industry,) and Dr. Richard Clark, (whose learned sermons commend him to posterity,) were elected into the same Society.

There goeth an uncontrolled tradition, that Perkins, when a young scholar, was a great studier of magic, occasioned perchance by his skill in the mathematics. For, ignorant people count all circles above their own sphere to be conjuring; and presently cry out, those things are done by black art for which their dim eyes can see no colour in reason. And in such case, when they cannot fly up to heaven to make it a miracle, they fetch it from hell to make it magic, though it may lawfully be done by natural causes. True it is, he was very wild in his youth, till God (the best Chymic, [Chemist] who can fix quicksilver itself) graciously reclaimed him.

After his entrance into the ministry, the first beam he sent forth shined to those "which sat in darkness and the shadow of death;" I mean, the prisoners in the Castle of Cambridge; people (as generally in such places) living in England, out of Christendom, wanting the means of their salvation, bound in their bodies, but too loose in their lives; yea, often branded in their flesh, and seared in their consciences. Perkins prevailed so far with their jailer, that the prisoners were brought (fettered) to the shire-house hard by, where he preached unto them every Lord's-day. Thus was the prison his parish; his own charity, his patron presenting him unto it; and his work was all his wages. Many an Onesimus here he begat, and, as the instrument, freed the prisoners from the captivity of sin. When this began to be known, some of good quality of the neighbouring parishes became his auditors, and counted it their feast to feed out of the prisoners' basket. Hence afterwards he became