This Praise-worthy Person, when fit to enter into a particular Calling, was placed in the Family of a Turkey Merchant: there his Behaviour was so religious and serious, that it was said of him by some that observed his Actions, that he would be a Merchant for Heaven. He after some time went to Smyrna, and preserved his Integrity and Purity in the midst of Temptations: where many by vicious Excesses disparage the Sanctity of the Christian Religion professed by them, he adorned it by the Sobriety of his Conversation. He returned to England after some Years spent beyond Sea, ⟨p. 93⟩and persevered in his Christian Course, serious and solemn in his Carriage, and ready to do good to those that wanted supplies from relieving Charity. A few Years after his return, he fell into a dying Consumption that quickly put a Period to his Days. In his languishing Disease he expressed an humble quiet Submission to the Divine Disposal: he was silent from murmuring, but not from Prayer, which he performed with solemn Reverence to the Lord of Life and Death even in his Weakness. When the hour of his Departure was come, he calmly rendered his Soul to his faithful ⟨p. 94⟩Creator. There is just cause of Sorrow that one in the Flower of his Age, of such hopes, should so suddenly wither and return to Dust: if one old in Years and Vices, a Corrupter of others by his contagious Example die, the World is well rid of him: if a good Man comes to the Grave in a full Age, like as a shock of Corn comes in his season, there is cause of Thanksgiving, that he was so long a Blessing to the World: But when a young Saint dies, that might according to expectation have long glorified God upon the Earth, and been a happy Instrument of doing good, we ⟨p. 95⟩should pay our tributary Tears, and have a due and tender sense of the general Loss. Yet those who are most nearly concerned, and mournfully affected should quiet their troubled Thoughts by considering the unaccountable Will of God, nay, comfort their sad and dejected Spirits, by considering, that he has lived long enough in the present World, who by dying arrives to Perfection and Felicity.
This Praise-worthy Person, when fit to enter into a particular Calling, was placed in the Family of a Turky Merchant: there his Behaviour was so religious and serious, that it was said of him by some that observed his Actions, that he would be a Merchant for Heaven. He after some time went to Smyrna, and preserv'd his Integrity and Purity in the midst of Temptations: where many by vicious Excesses disparage the Sanctity of the Christian Religion profess'd by them, he adorn'd it by the Sobriety of his Conversation. He return'd to England after some Years spent beyond Sea, ⟨p. 93⟩and persever'd in his Christian Course, serious and solemn in his Carriage, and ready to do good to those that wanted supplies from relieving Charity. A few Years after his return, he fell into a dying Consumption that quickly put a Period to his Days. In his languishing Disease he exprest an humble quiet Submission to the Divine Disposal: he was silent from murmuring, but not from Prayer, which he performed with solemn Reverence to the Lord of Life and Death even in his Weakness. When the hour of his Departure was come, he calmly render'd his Soul to his faithful ⟨p. 94⟩Creator. There is just cause of Sorrow that one in the Flower of his Age, of such hopes, should so suddenly wither and return to Dust: if one old in Years and Vices, a Corrupter of others by his contagious Example die, the World is well rid of him: if a good Man comes to the Grave in a full Age, like as a shock of Corn comes in his season, there is cause of Thanksgiving, that he was so long a Blessing to the World: But when a young Saint dies, that might according to expectation have long glorified God upon the Earth, and been a happy Instrument of doing good, we ⟨p. 95⟩should pay our tributary Tears, and have a due and tender sense of the general Loss. Yet those who are most nearly concern'd, and mournfully affected should quiet their troubled Thoughts by considering the unaccountable Will of God, nay, comfort their sad and dejected Spirits, by considering, that he has lived long enough in the present World, who by dying arrives to Perfection and Felicity.
