in my house, and sending my endeared wife to die in her father's house where she was born. When she first arrived we had some hopes of her recovery. She went to Manchester to consult physicians; but by fatigue or some other cause she was in great danger, and seemed to be breathing her last most of that night: yet it pleased the Lord to restore her for a season and bring her back to Denton, and therein to answer her request. After that, she apparently became weaker and took little medicine, for the doctors durst not prescribe for her: they said it was a consumption on her lungs.

On the Friday before she died, when she had been panting and struggling for breath, seeing the children of the family about her, she said, "Sirs, prepare for this time, for it will come to you that are young, as well as to me. I want breath to speak. O spend your breath well! not in idle and vain conversation, but to God's glory. Remember you must give account of every idle word.' When her father had gone to prayer, being revived, she said, "I bless God I am better. Blessed be God for his covenant which he hath made with me, everlasting, ordered in all things and sure. This is all my salvation, all my desire." Being asked if she found God gracious to her, she answered, "Yes, in supporting and reviving me; but I do not find the Lord speaking so clearly to my soul, that he is mine and I am his, as I desire; but I would cleave to him. It is fit we should wait for him. O come, come, Lord, lift up the light of thy countenance." Addressing herself again to the children, she said, "Beware of pride: pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.' Labour for humility, it is a grace that adorns all other graces. Labour to serve God with a perfect heart and a willing mind; blessed are they that walk in the law of the Lord, blessed are they that fear God: it brings not only a blessing to ourselves, but to our children, sometimes to many generations. Labour to be real Christians; it is not to go to church, and hear, and come away, and no more: but if you would be Christians indeed, you must hide the word in your heart, meditate upon it, and get the sweetness out of it. There are secret duties also be careful of, as meditation, self-examination, and searching the heart. Labour to watch over the heart, pray for grace, and spend time well." Then turning her speech to her father and husband, she said, "You that are older, keep close to God and his truths. Do not forsake him, and he will not forsake you. Do not fear men, but choose the greatest affliction before the least sin if you should be put to the hardest trial, and if they should take away your lives, it will but send you

you must

sooner to your reward, and that will be no injury to you. If God do suffer those lordly-spirited men to afflict his church for a time, I believe it will not be long: the church is dear to the Lord, and he will not suffer it always to be trampled upon. O sirs, let the church of God lie near your hearts, it lies near God's heart: They shall prosper that love Zion: prefer Jerusalem before and above your chief joy."

That night she poured out her soul to God in a serious and fervent prayer for her own soul, that God would shine upon her and give her the sealings of his Spirit. O what heart-melting expressions did she use for that purpose! Then she prayed for me, with reference to the place where God had placed me, and the troubles I had met with, and begged earnestly that God would continue me there. She prayed for her dear father and the ministers of the gospel, for their preservation and success in the Lord's work. Then for the family, that the Lord would reward them for their labour of love, and that he would dwell among them: and then for the church of God, that the Jews might be converted, and that the gospel might be preached to the remainder of the Gentile nations.

On the Saturday, her father asked her, "How she felt her spirit ?" She answered, She answered, "All her fears were removed and her doubts satisfied, so that nothing much troubled her." Though she found not such sensible comforts and transporting joys as many attain, yet I think she felt more than she did or could express; for just as her breath stopped short, she endeavoured to speak something which she could not utter, but was taken up to her long desired rest, to feel what no eye can see nor tongue articulate.

May 26, 1661. Her blessed soul left her tender body about two or three o'clock on Lord's day morning, and went to keep a perpetual sabbath with her best husband. On the ensuing Tuesday, she was decently interred near her beloved mother's grave. Mr. John Harrison of Ashton, who preached our mar riage sermon, preached also her funeral sermon on that text of which she had felt the sweetness and which she desired might be taken, 1 Cor. xv. 57, "Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." Her death was exceedingly lamented by all; and as she was respected in her life, so she was much honoured at her death, by the solemn attendance of very many of the gentry and ministry, and great multitudes of the common people.

A

Brief Memoir

OF

MR. RICHARD HEYWOOD,

THE FATHER OF THE REV. OLIVER AND NATHANIEL HEYWOOD.

MR. RICHARD HEYWOOD was a descendant of Mr. John Heywood, of Heywood Mill, near Bolton, a younger branch of the Heywood family, of Heywood Hall, between Rochdale and Bury. He is supposed to have been born at Bolton, about the year 1596; but the Parish Register at Bolton was lost in the civil war. Under the preaching of a pious minister at Cockey chapel, religious impressions were made on Mr. Heywood's mind when nineteen years of age, from which time he cast in his lot among God's people, and engaged in social exercises of religion with them. "In my childhood," says his son Oliver, “I can remember many days so employed, and, when the apparitor was searching after them, a person was appointed in the entry to deaden the voices of such as were praying in the parlour."

He married Alice Critchlaw of Longworth, in Bolton parish, in A. D. 1615, he being 19 years of age, and she 21. Mr. Alex. Horrocks preached the nuptial sermon. God intending to build them high, laid their foundation low, by taking from them their first-born son John, when he was about a year old, and afterwards bringing them into difficulties, in consequence of Mr. H. becoming responsible for another man's debt: but God had mercy on them, disposed his father to be kind to them, and raised them up many other friends, beyond expectation." At last," to adopt the words of his son's narrative, "about the year when I was born, the Lord was pleased to extricate them out of troubles, and, my father being careful, began to manufacture on his own account, which was then lucrative." Embarking in commercial speculations, God graciously blessed him in matters of the world, so that he began to rise to opulence, and things succeeded prosperously far beyond expectation. God increased his property while his family was increasing, so that he bought much land, gave portions to his daughters, sunk coal-pits, built houses, and maintained two sons in London and two at the Uuiversity. God gave him property for the education of his children, and especially for training up his sons, Oliver and Nathaniel, for the service of the sanctuary,

and when that object was accomplished, he stript him of property again.

What follows is an abridgement of the manuscript narrative, retaining the language and sentiments of the narrator.

His embarrassments and troubles in the world returned again upon him in his old age. He changed his sphere of business, and instead of dealing as a merchant in fustians, he engaged in the sale of woollen goods, in which he had not been conversant. He often told me he knew how he bought and how he sold, and he was confident there were large profits, and yet he also saw his property went faster than it came; he saw it, but could not tell how to help it. As for himself, he was always exceedingly economical and provident enough for his calling; yet he was unawares plunged into debt, which I confess is the strangest thing imaginable, and hath been the wonder of many.

This good old man had various afflictions and difficulties to encounter, besides what originated in his commercial speculations; one of which was very peculiar, and scarcely admits a parallel. The case was this: 1647, or thereabouts, the Presbyterian government was established in Lancashire, every congregation had its eldership, several congregations had their classis, and these maintained intercourse by a provincial assembly for the whole county, which was usually held at Preston, to which appeals were made, and by which differences were decided. At Bolton, where my father had joined in communion, there were two ministers, Mr. John Harpur, and Mr. Richard Goodwin, with whom were associated twelve elders chosen out of the parish. These sat with the ministers, carried their votes into effect, inquired into the conversation of their neighbours, assembled usually with the ministers when they examined communicants, and though the ministers only examined, yet the elders approved or disapproved. These together made an order, that every communicant as often as he was to partake of the Lord's supper should come to some of the ruling elders on the Friday before, and request and receive a ticket, which he was to deliver in to the elders immediately before his partaking of that ordinance. This ticket was of lead with a stamp upon it, and the design was, that they might know that none intruded themselves without previous admission. The elders went through the congregation and took the tickets from the people, and they had to fetch them again by the next opportunity, which was every month. But this became the occasion of great dissension in the congregation, for several conscientious Christians stumbled at it and refused to come for

tickets, yet ventured to sit down, so that when the elders came they had no tickets to give in; whether these passed unnoticed I am not certain. My father was one of these ticketless persons, and because they judged him to be the ringleader of this faction of schismatics, they singled him out and summoned him to appear before the eldership. They required his reasons for non-compliance, which he gave in against that practice, such as the following: 1. Because there is neither precept nor example in scripture for any such practice, therefore it is not of divine institution but of human invention, and if allowed would militate against nonconformist principles, and re-establish popish and prelatical ceremonies. 2. No other church in Lancashire, London, or England, had invented or used this rite, though they are as careful of order as this church; and innovations are dangerous. 3. Because it was cumbersome to the communicants, for the poor must leave their callings to attend the elders, and perhaps not find them at home. 4. It was an uncertain means to attain the end, as experience testified. 5. The practice might degenerate to worse consequences and greater inconveniences than could be foreseen. 6. It already did, and might hereafter, prove a snare to some persons, as if their getting a ticket was a sufficient qualification. 7. Other and more profitable means might be used to discriminate communicants, and time might be better spent by ministers, elders, and people, in endeavouring to prepare themselves and others for a due participation of that sacred ordinance.

;

These, and such like reasons he exhibited in writing to the presbytery at Bolton; but they did not satisfy them, and what they said did not satisfy him. They sent several times for him he went, many disputes they had on this subject solely, for they had nothing else to lay to his charge. At last they admonished him, and when they saw him still resolved not to revoke his error, they suspended him from the Lord's supper for contempt, as they construed it, because he could not in conscience comply. They said he laughed them to scorn; but he, having naturally a smiling countenance, might possibly smile in his conversation with them. His dear tender-spirited wife would have had him yield to them for peace' sake, but he durst not in point of conscience. Others, though they approved what he did and encouraged him, did not much appear, but held off out of policy or cowardice, so that he was left alone to struggle with his opponents, which he did manfully.

He being in this great strait, shut out from the communion of God's people, knew not what to do. He first applied himself to God, appealing to him for the righteousness of his cause,