He was a Person of excellent Parts, strong Reason, great Judgment, and (which do not often go together) curious Fancy, of high Improvements, ⟨image 4⟩and general Learning, as having been all his days a most diligent and methodical Student, & a great Redeemer of time, rescuing not only his restless hours in the Night, but his very walking time in the Streets from those impertinences and fruitless vanities, which do so customarily fill up mens minds, and steal away their hearts from those better and more Noble objects, which do so justly challenge their greatest regards: This he did by not only carefully watching (as every good Christian should do,) but constantly writing down his Thoughts, whereby he both governed them better, and furnished himself with many materials for his most elaborate discourses. His chief Talent was his Preaching Gift, in which, to speak ⟨image 5⟩modestly, he had few equals. To this therefore, as that for which his Lord and Master had best fitted him (neglecting the practice of Physic, in which he had arrived at a considerable measure of knowledge) he did especially addict himself, and direct his Studies, and even when Providence denied him opportunities, yet he was still laying in more Stock, and preparing for work against he might be called to it. When he was in Employment, none that heard him, could justly blame his retiredness, he being even when most private, continually at work for the Public; and had he been less in his Study, he would have been less liked in the Pulpit. His Library, furnished (though not with a numerous, yet) a curious collection of Books ⟨image 5⟩was his workhouse, in which he laboured hard all the week, and on the Lords day made it appear, he had not been idle, and that though he consulted his privacy, yet he did not indulge his Sloth. He was somewhat reserved where he was not well acquainted, otherwise very free, affable and communicative, where he understood and liked his Company. He affected not much acquaintance, because he would escape visitants, well knowing how much the ordinary sort of Friends were apt to take up of his time, which he could ill spare from his beloved Studies, meeting with few that could give him better entertainment with their company, than he could give himself alone: They had need be very good, and very ⟨image 6⟩learned by whose converse he could gain more then by his own Thoughts and Books.
He was a Person of excellent Parts, strong Reason, great Judgment, and (which do not often go together) curious Phansie, of high Improvements, ⟨image 4⟩and general Learning, as having been all his days a most diligent and methodical Student, & a great Redeemer of time, rescuing not only his restless hours in the Night, but his very walking time in the Streets from those impertinencies and fruitlels vanities, which do so customarily fill up mens minds, and steal away their hearts from those better and more Noble objects, which do so justly challenge their greatest regards: This he did by not only carefully watching (as every good Christian should do,) but constantly writing down his Thoughts, whereby he both govern'd them better, and furnished himself with many materials for his most elaborate discourses. His chief Talent was his Preaching Gift, in which, to speak ⟨image 5⟩modestly, he had few equals. To this therefore, as that for which his Lord and Master had best fitted him (neglecting the practice of Physick, in which he had arrived at a considerable measure of knowledge) he did especially addict himself, and direct his Studies, and even when Providence denyed him opportunities, yet he was still laying in more Stock, and preparing for work against he might be called to it. When he was in Employment, none that heard him, could justly blame his retiredness, he being even when most private, continually at work for the Publick; and had he been less in his Study, he would have been less liked in the Pulpit. His Library, furnished (though not with a numerous, yet) a curious collection of Books ⟨image 5⟩was his workhouse, in which he laboured hard all the week, and on the Lords day made it appear, he had not been idle, and that though he consulted his privacy, yet he did not endulge his Sloth. He was somewhat reserved where he was not well acquainted, otherwise very free, affable and communicative, where he understood and liked his Company. He affected not much acquaintance, because he would escape visitants, well knowing how much the ordinary sort of Friends were apt to take up of his time, which he could ill spare from his beloved Studies, meeting with few that could give him better entertainment with their company, than he could give himself alone: They had need be very good, and very ⟨image 6⟩learned by whose converse he could gain more then by his own Thoughts and Books.
