Some select cases resolved. Specially, tending to the right ordering of the heart, that…

Dr. Cotton Mather tells us, He was born at Towcester near Northampton in England, Nov. 5. 1605; went to the University of Cambridge when he was 15 Years of Age; was there converted to God in 1624, and took his Degree of Master of Arts; afterwards engaged in the Ministry; set Sail from Harwich in England for New-England in the latter End of 1634, but by a great Storm was driven and forced to land at Yarmouth in Norfolk, and lived the Winter at Bastwick in that County; in the Spring of 1635 went up to London; in July sailed from Gravesend; Oct. 3, arrived at Boston; whence in a Day or two his Friends at Cambridge, who had come before, gladly fetched him, and he became their Pastor till he died.

Dr. Cotton Mather tells us, He was born at Towcester near Northampton in England, Nov. 5. 1605; went to the University of Cambridge when he was 15 Years of Age; was there converted to God in 1624, and took his Degree of Master of Arts; afterwards engaged in the Ministry; set Sail from Harwich in England for New-England in the latter End of 1634, but by a great Storm was driven and forc'd to land at Yarmouth in Norfolk, and liv'd the Winter at Bastwick in that County; in the Spring of 1635 went up to London; in July sailed from Gravesend; Oct. 3, arrived at Boston; whence in a Day or two his Friends at Cambridge, who had come before, gladly fetched him, and he became their Pastor till he died.

But at present, waving his Life and Character by that learned Writer; I shall now rather give the Reader a shorter History drawn by those Rev. and famous Men, Mr. William Greenhill of London and Mr. Samuel Mather of Dublin; (the latter at our Cambridge having lived divers Years under his Ministry) in their Preface to Mr. Shepard's Sermons of Ineffectual hearing the Word, and Subjection to Christ in all his Ordinances, published at London in 1657, as follows—

Concerning the Author; it were worth the while to write the Story of his Life. It is needless to speak in his Commendation: His Works praise him in the Gates. They that knew him, knew he had as real Apprehensions of the Things of God, and lived as much with God and with his own Heart, and more, than the most of Christians do. He had his Education at Emmanuel College in Cambridge [in England.] The Conversion and Change of his Heart was wrought betimes when he lived in the University, and enjoyed Dr. Preston's Ministry: Whereby God had the very best and Strength of his Parts and Years for himself. When he was first awakened to look after Religion, having before swam quietly in the Stream of the Times, he was utterly at a Loss which Way to take; being much molested with Suggestions of Atheism (in the Depths whereof Junius was quite lost for a Time) and moved and tempted to the Ways of Familism also. He read the Books of H N among the rest; where meeting with this Passage, That a Christian is so swallowed up in the Spirit, that what Action soever the Spirit moves Him to, suppose Whoredom, he may do it, and it is no Sin to him;— This was enough: For being against the Light of natural Conscience, it bred in him an utter Abhorrency of those loose and vile Ways and Principles ever after. This Advantage he also had, that Doctor Tuckney was then his Tutor; whom he acquainted with his Condition, and had his Direction and Help in those miserable Fluctuations and Straits of his Soul. Happy is the Man whose Doubtings end in Establishments: (Nil tam certum quam quod de Dubio certum) But when Men arrive in Scepticism as the last Issue of all their Debates and Thoughts of Heart about Religion, it had been good for such if they had never been born.