A treatise of divine providence I. In general, II. In particular, as relating to…

Thou art here presented with a little piece, of a Great Man; Great indeed, if great Piety, great Parts, great Learning, and great Wisdom, may be admitted to claim that Title: And we verily believe that none well acquainted with him, will deny him his right; however malevolent Persons may grudge him the honour. It hath been expected, ⟨image 3⟩and desired by many, that some account of his Life might be given to the World; But we are not willing to offer violence to his ashes, by making him so public now he is Dead, who so much affected privacy while he lived. Thou art therefore desired to rest satisfied with this brief account of him, That being very young he went to Cambridge, where in Immanuel College, he was brought up under the Tuition of the present Arch-B. of Canterbury: What Gracious workings and Evidences of the New-Birth appeared in him while there, hath already been spoken of by^† one, who was at that time his Fellow Collegiate and Intimate. Sometime he afterward spent in a private Family, ⟨image 3⟩and a little more in the exercise of his Ministry in Southwark, then removed to New-College in Oxon, where he was Fellow, and spent several years; being then taken notice of for his singular Gifts, and had in Reputation by the most Learned and Godly in that University, and upon that account the more frequently put upon Public work. Being thence (the year after he had been Proctor) called over into Ireland to a constant public Employment, he exercised his Ministry for about four or five years, not with the approbation only, but to the admiration of the most Wise and Judicious Christians, and with the concurrent applause of such as were of very different sentiments from him in the things of Religion; ⟨image 4⟩Nay, even those that never loved his Piety, yet would commend his Learning and Gifts, as being beyond exception, if not above compare. About the year 1660. Being discharged from the public exercise of his Ministry, he returned back into England, and in and about London spent the greatest part of fifteen years, without any call to his old work in a settled way; but for about these five years last past hath been more known by his constant Preaching, of which we need not speak, but let them that heard him, speak for him; or, if they should be silent, his works will do it.