than play-books. The gentleman read the title, and glancing upon several pages here and there, broke out into these and such other ex- pressions, What a damnable Fanatic was he who made this book ? Mr. Boulter begged of him to buy and read it, and told him he had no cause to censure it so bitterly ; at last he bought it, but told him he would not read it. What will you do with it then, said Mr. Boul- ter ? I will tear and burn it, said he, and send it to the Devil. Mr. Boulter told him, that he should not have it. Upon this the gen- tleman promised to read it ; and Mr. Boulter told him, if he disliked it upon reading, he would return him his money. About a month after, the gentleman came to the shop again in a very modest habit, and with a serious countenance, bespoke Mr. Boulter thus ; Sir, I most heartily thank you for putting this book into my hands ; I bless God that moved you to do it, it hath saved my soul ; blessed be God that ever I came into your shop. And then he bought a hundred more of those books of him, and told him he would give them to the poor who could not buy them, and so left him, praising and admi- ring the goodness of God. Thus it pleased God to bless the sermons, discourses and writings of Mr. Flavel.
He never delighted in controversies, but was obliged, contrary to his inclination, to write against Mr. Cary, the principal Anabaptist in Dartmouth, with whom, however, he maintained a friendly and Christian correspondence. When he wrote his Planelogia, or, Blow at the Root, he declared to his friends, that though those studies were very necessary, he took no pleasure in them, but had rather be em- ployed in practical divinity. When he composed his Reasonableness of Personal Reformation, he told an intimate acquaintance of his, that he seldom had a vain thought to interrupt him, which made him hope it would do the more good in the world. He purposed to have enlarged his book of Sacramental Meditations, and had most judi- ciously stated and handled several cases of conscience on that occasion, which he designed to have inserted in the next edition, but lived not to finish them for the press.
Many times, when he preached abroad, he has had letters sent him from unknown persons, informing him how God had blessed his ministry to their souls, and converted them from being bitter ene- mies to religion. This encouraged him when he rode abroad, not only to accept of invitations to preach, but many times to offer his la- bours unto those that would be pleased to hear him ; though for this he had no occasion where he was known, the people being generally importunate with him. One day after a long and hard journey, an intimate friend of his, out of a tender regard to him, pressed him with cogent arguments to forbear preaching at that season, but could not prevail with him ; his bowels of compassion to needy and perishing souls made him overlook all considerations of himself: he preached
REVEREND MR. JOHN FLAVEL. XV
an excellent sermon, by which there was one converted, as he de- clared himself afterwards upon his admission to the Lord's table.
The last sermon that he preached to his people at Dartmouth, was on a public day of fasting and humiliation ; in the close of which he was enlarged in such an extraordinary manner, when offering up praises to God for mercies received, that he seemed to be in an ec- stasy. This happened about a week before his death, and may justly be accounted a foretaste of those heavenly raptures that he now en- joys amongst the blessed spirits above.
The last sermon he preached was on the 21st of June, 1691, at Ashburton, from 1 Cor. x. 12. Wherefore let him that standeth take heed lest he fall. It was a very pathetical discourse, tending to awaken careless professors, and to stir them up to be solicitous about their souls. After having preached this sermon, he went to Exeter ; and at Topsham, within three miles of that city, he presided as modera- tor in an assembly of the Nonconformist ministers of Devonshire, who unanimously voted him into the chair : the occasion of their meeting was about an union betwixt the presbyterians and Independents, which Mr. Flavel was very zealous to promote, and brought to so great an issue in those parts, that the ministers declared their satisfac- tion with the heads of agreement concluded on by the London mi- nisters of those denominations. Mr. Flavel closed the work of the day with prayer and praises, in which his spirit was carried out with won- derful enlargement and affection,
He wrote a letter to an eminent minister in London, with an ac- count of their proceedings, that same day that he died ; providence ordering it so, that he should finish that good work his heart was so intent upon, before he finished his course.
The manner of his death was sudden and surprising ; his friends thought him as well that day in the evening of which he died, as he had been for many years : towards the end of supper he complained of a deadness in one of his hands, that he could not lift it to his head. This struck his wife and his friends about him with astonish- ment ; they used some means to recover it to its former strength, but instead thereof, to their great grief the distemper seized all upon one side of his body. They put him to bed with all speed, and sent for physicians, but to no purpose ; his distemper prevailed upon him so^ last, that in a short time it made him speechless. He was sensible ot' his approaching death ; and when they carried him up stairs, expres- sed his opinion that it would be the last time; but added, I know that it will be well with me; which were some of his last words. Thus died this holy man of God suddenly, and without pain, not giving so much as one groan. He exchanged this life for a better, on the 26th day of June, 1691, in the 64th year of his age.
His corpse was carried from Exeter to Dartmouth, attended by se- veral ministers, and a great many othei persons of good quality ; abun-
Xvi THE LIFE OF THE LATE, §C.
dance of people rode out from Dartmouth, Totness, Newton, Ashburton, and other places, to meet the corpse ; when it was taken out of the hearse at the water side, his people and other friends could not forbear expressing the sense of their great loss, by floods of tears, and a bitter lamentation. It was interred the same night in Dart- mouth church, and next day Mr. George Trosse, a minister of Exeter, E reached his funeral-sermon from Elisha's lamentation upon the trans- ition of Elijah, 2 Kings ii. 12. My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof