Croud of Thoughts, as through a Wood. And again, with Pleasantnefs, That he threw off, in his Compofitions, as much as would make an Ordinary Philofopher.

One thing I may obferve more; That if he was once Senfible of any Miftake in his Writings, he was impatient, he would fay, till it was fome way rectified.

What he hath intimated in the Preface laft mention'd, and with regard to the Antidote against Atheism, he hath fpoken likewife of his Writings at large; viz. That generally Speaking they were like Marble; and the more any Perfon prefs'd against them, as with a finger, the more they would find the Force of them. And this leads me to remember what in another Senfe, and upon a different Occafion, he noted of himself, That he was like the Ivy and other Greens, which the Priests of Bacchus were wont in their Feafts to carry upon Wood about in their hands; foft to appearance, and to real fenfe ; but if any prefs'd too much upon them, they would find fomewhat harder underneath.

A SENSE of his Deep Wisdom, Learning, and Piety, drew to him the Correfpon- His Efteem, dence of not a few; and thofe fometimes &c. with of very Great Rank and Note in the many. World. The private Letters to him are often fill'd wth the Greatest Expreflions of Affection and Efteem; and this contracted, it may be, from the mere Perufal of his Excellent Writings, and that Peculiar Benefit, and Content of Mind, they have on feveral

accounts

no.

accounts receiv'd from them. Great Wits, and very Learned Perfons, have with much Freedom exprefs'd themselves in this way. Those that did, or do admire him, cannot do it in a Mean degree. It will raise and tranfport them whether they will or His Genius and Attainments, as to either Intellectual or Divine Matters, have a peculiar Force and Vertue in them: And perhaps upon the whole in both these refpects, and for what concerns the Chief matters, he may be justly look'd upon as a fort of Compendium both of antient and modern Wifdom. And we may apply to him, with truth and advantage, what Cato faid generously and magnificently of himself; That he thought himself Born to ferve all the World. And that will belong to him far more than to fome of whom it hath been spoken; Sudet multum, fruftráq; laboret, Aufus idem. He must Sweat much, and perchance, when that is done, labour but in vain, that (take him altogether) fhall attempt to imitate

him.

That Treasure both of Virtue and High Theory which was amongst the Antients feems to have been, as One well exprefs'd it in the Cafe of Praexiftence, but as Gold in Oar: But this Great Artist, this Master-Operator, hath excellently refin'd it; and to all the Heathen whether Wisdom or Piety hath added the more Sacred Acceffions, and even unvaluable Advantages of what is to be found in Holy Scripture.

This is He, of whom a Great Fudge faid, That doubtless he was an Original. And another; That whoever would be Ingenuous, must acknowledge the Strains there are in Dri MORE to be Extraordinary. Let any Man, faid another, take one of his Subjects, and fee if they can mend what he hath written. Mr. Sterry, I think, was not out in that, when he faid by way of Character_ ・Dr. Difc. of the MORE whofe Works, full of Excellent Wit, Freedom of Learning and Piety, I always read with great Will, p. 31. Pleasure and Profit; &c.

"Sir, (faith a Learned Perfon, writing long

fince to him) I prefum'd upon that Can "dour and Nobleness of Difpofition which I "have heretofore apprehended in your "Perfon and Writings; and muft freely "confefs, that I was very willing to be "Confident of receiving a Benefit from "His Inftruction, to whom alone I owe a new "Horizon of Light, extended as far as ' my own mifty and dark Mind could c give way.

Go on, Great Sir (faith a Second to "him, after other Expreffions of a high "nature) to enlighten and adorn the prefent, "and to oblige the future Generations of "Mankind, by your learned Conceptions, "and faithful Inftructions; and to im

pregnate the Minds of us Labourers in "Divinity with Useful and Ufeful and Efficacious "Truths; &c.

A Third tells him, How with all Thankfulnefs he accepted the Noble Prefent of his Works; not only as a Teftimony of his Friend

Friendship, &c. but as an Incitation to the Study of Important Truths (for Such, faith he, are All thofe that you are chiefly concern'd about) which not only affect the Mind with an extraordinary Pleafure and Satisfaction, but, as it feems to me, widen and enlarge her Capacities; &c.

A Fourth profeffeth; That the Pleasure and Contentment with which he read his Writings, was very often Unfpeakable.

And another tells him, That many upon his Account prais'd that Sun whofe Light and Influences they fo fenfibly perceiv'd, as convey'd and reflected from himself:

I will add what fell once from a private hand thus; Some Others methinks seem to, pierce the Skin, but Dr. MORE the very Soul it felf.

A very Excellent Perfon I know lighting many Years fince on the Doctor's Myftery of Godliness in a Bookfeller's Shop, and Reading there fome Paflages in the Preface, thought immediately with himfelf, that he met with fomething, for the Weight and Serioufnefs of it, that was Extraordinary: Upon which he look'd here and there into the Book it felf; and the more he read, the more he was captivated with the Excellency of the Piece; concluding that he had found a real Treafure: And fo immediately buying it, upon and after more thorough Perufal, he was but still more Confirm'd in a most High Opinion of both the Work and the Author. This occafion'd his becoming Acquainted

quainted with his Writings at large; which he ftill Perus'd according to their different Natures and Subjects, with a Peculiar Profit and Satisfaction. And when he afterwards had the Happiness to become Acquainted with the Author himself, he found him truly fuch a Perfon as he conceiv'd him to be; and that he fully anfwer'd that Image of himself, which was contain'd in his Works.

I will fubjoin here, That this Reverend and Pious Perfon thought before, that he had a competent Notion of things; and no Contemptible Knowledge of the Life. and System of the Chriftian Religion: But upon Reading of the Doctor, he found a New Senfe and Scene to Arife in him; and no fmall Acceflions foon made to both his Virtue and Understanding at once.

Perhaps it will not be improper to add now, That fome Sheets of this Treatife above mention'd, being on the Occafion of their being Reprinted lately in the Drs. English Theological Volume, put into the Hands of a Worthy and Ingenious Gentleman; He thought, it feems, at the First Reading, that they were fomething Obfcure (though few Perfons, if any, taking in the Nature of the Subjects treated of, and his Manner of handling them, wrote with more Perfpicuity than the Author) at the Second all things feem'd to him both Clearer and Better; and upon his After Perufals, the Weight of the Matter thus Engaging his Attention,

he

thought.