The life and death of Mr. Tho. Wilson, minister of Maidstone, in the county…

Great were his gifts as well as his graces; God was pleased to bestow on him large natural endowments, whereby he became much the more capable of doing good. He had a quick apprehension, a clear understanding, a deep and sound judgement, and a most tenacious memory. He was none of those Preachers, whose tongues and galloping, whilst sober reason and convincing sense standeth still, or at best doth but creep. He discovered strong judgement in a few words. His body was of a strong constitution, and truly so was his soul. He would presently find out the meaning of ha•d Authors, and what he read was his own; I never knew any of the same strength of memory. Though he was careful to write down his Sermons, Heads, Proofs and explications (as he himself told me) yet I never saw him use any Notes. And he made a good use of his memory, it was not as a child's pocket stuffed with trash, but as the Ark wherein the two Tables were laid up. He had scarce his equal for his remembrance of the Scripture; he was (as I have heard) ⟨p. 53⟩tried a long time together. One took a Bible, and read a Verse in one Chapter, another Verse in another, went forward and backward, both as to the Books and Chapters, and Verses of the Scripture, and all along he told the Reader the Verse, Chapter, and Book, without any mistake. And to the best of my remembrance, himself told me that he believed, he could tell the Book, Chapter, and Verse, which any should read to him all the day long. Much appeared in his Prayers. I have heard him of a fast-day pray an hour together, and most of the time in Scripture Phrases. The Word was dear to him, his daily delight and meditation.