" continue.

But God steps in and helps. I have con"sidered those words: Endure hardness, as the good soldier of Jesus Christ."

These labours of love were not in vain, but crowned with abundant success. The natives, who felt the impression of the word of God on their hearts, were soon distinguished by the name of Praying Indians. Those who had wandered continually from place to place soon became inclined to a fixed life. Instead of living like wild beasts in a wilderness, they formed small settlements and built themselves little towns. They also formed for themselves a civil government, in which Mr. Elliot assisted them, taking the word of God for his model. Of these little settlements Natick was the principal. So early as the year 1648, this laborious servant of Christ could see the happy fruit of his ministry; and, said he, "I could find at least twenty men and women with whom I durst freely join in church fellowship." In the year 1651 the first Indian church was formed. The natives, having abandoned polygamy, fornication, drunkenness, and sabbath-breaking, confessed their sins with tears, and professed their faith in Jesus Christ. And giving satisfactory evidence of their conversion to God, they and their children were baptized. They were then solemnly united into a church covenant, and Mr. Elliot administered to them the Lord's supper. For many years he had the unspeakable felicity of seeing the abundant fruit of his holy and arduous labours. He was so much engaged in the work of converting these wild pagans, that he was usually styled, the APOSTLE OF THE INDIANS.S

As this eminent man of God approached towards his end, his conversation became still more holy, savoury, and divine, He was desirous of doing something for the Lord to the very last. When he looked upon his talents as too far gone for any further usefulness to the English, he desired to be employed in catechizing the negroes. At the very close of life he undertook to teach a poor blind boy the knowledge of the scriptures. He discovered much concern for the poor Indians to the very last. "There is a cloud," said he, "a dark cloud upon the work of the gospel among the poor Indians. The Lord revive and prosper that work, and grant it may live when I am dead. It is a work about which I have been

* Mather's New England, b. iii. p. 196.

+ Thorow good's Jews in America, p. 121. Edit. 1650.

Mather's New England, b. iii. p. 197.

For a full account of Mr. Elliot's zeal, labours, and success, together with others who were inspired by his example to prosecute the same work, see Mather's Hist. of New England, b. iii. p. 190--206,

doing much and long. What was the word I spoke last? I recall that word, my doings. Alas! they have been poor and small, and lean doings; and I will be the man who will cast the first stone at them."

Mr. Elliot often told his friends that he should shortly go to heaven, and that he would carry much good news with him. He said, he would carry tidings to the old founders of New England, who were gone to glory, that church-work was still carried on in the country: that the number of churches was continually increasing: and that the churches were still as large as ever by the daily addition of those who should be saved. As the hour of his departure approached, the coming of the Lord Jesus was the principal subject of his serious contemplation. While he was thus retreating from the world, he used to say, "Come, Lord, I have been a great while ready for thy coming." He said to his friends, "Pray, pray, pray;" and, before his departure, he said to Mr. Walter, his successor, "Brother, thou art welcome to my very soul. Retire to thy study to pray for me, and give me leave to be gone." He then exclaimed, welcome joy, and so departed, in the year 1690, and in the eighty-sixth of his age. He had six children, all apparently converted to God, four of whom were preachers of the gospel.

Mr. Elliot was remarkable for resignation in all circumstances to the will of God. Having been one day out to sea in a boat, the boat was overset by a larger vessel, when he immediately sunk, without the most distant expectation of rising any more. In this situation he was perfectly collective and resigned to his heavenly Father's will. He could say within himself, "The will of the Lord be done." His life, however, was spared. But the following circumstance, as closely connected with it, was rather remarkable. Many profane persons were exceedingly enraged against him for labouring among the Indians; and one of this description hearing of his narrow escape, anxiously and profanely wished he had been drowned. But within a few days that very man was drowned in the very place where Mr. Elliot found deliverance.

He possessed the happy talent of raising profitable observations from common occurrences, with such a mixture of pleasantry and gravity, as rendered his company exceedingly desirable. Being once on a visit at the house of a merchant, and finding only books of business on the table, and all his books of devotion on the shelf, he thus addressed him: "Sir," said he, "here is earth on the table, and heaven on the shelf;

pray do not sit so much at the table as to forget the shelf. Let not earth by any means thrust heaven out of your

mind."

Mr. Elliot was an avowed enemy to all contention, and a great composer of differences. His advice was often sought in difficult cases; and when any minister complained of such cases among his people, he used to say, "Brother, compass them. Brother, learn the meaning of those three little words: bear; forbear; forgive."*

He was a man of great piety, uncommon zeal in the cause of Christ, and almost unbounded charity. When he was quite sunk with age and hard labour, being asked how he did, he replied, "Alas! I have lost almost every thing; my understanding leaves me, my memory fails me, my utterance fails me; but, I thank God, my charity holds out still: I find that rather grows than fails."

say,

He lived till he was quite worn out, and used pleasantly to My old acquaintance are gone to heaven so long before me, that I am afraid they will think I am gone the wrong way, because I stay so long behind.”+ In addition to the articles already mentioned, he was author of "The Harmony of the Gospels, in the Holy History of Jesus Christ;" and "The Divine Management of Gospel Churches."

HANSERD KNOLLYS.-This pious and venerable divine was born at Cawkwell in Lincolnshire, in the year 1598, and educated in the university of Cambridge. He had the privilege of pious parents, who were careful to have him instructed betimes in the principles of religion and good literature. His behaviour at the university, where he became a graduate, was particularly exemplary. He divided his time between study, conversation, and religious duties; and though he had been long noticed for his pious disposition, he attributed his conversion to the sermons which he there heard. It was at Cambridge, most probably, that he received his first tincture of puritanism; as he conversed chiefly with persons of that persuasion. Having finished his studies at the university, he was chosen master of the free-school at Gainsborough in his native county.

June 29, 1629, Mr. Knollys was ordained deacon, and the day following presbyter, by the Bishop of Peterborough; soon

* Mather's Hist. of New England, b. iii. p. 190-206.

+ Neal's Hist. of New England, vol. ii. p. 471.

after which the Bishop of Lincoln presented him to the vicarage of Humberstone in his own county. He was indefatigably laborious, and preached mostly three times on the Lord's day, and not unfrequently four times; but he did not hold his living above two or three years. For, scrupling the lawfulness of using the surplice, the cross in baptism, and the admission of persons of profane character to the Lord's supper, he resigned it into the hands of the bishop; but, through his lordship's connivance, he continued to preach for two or three years longer in different churches. When he resigned the benefice of Humberstone, the bishop offered him a better living; but he resisted the temptation, and modestly refused to accept it. About the year 1636 he left the church entirely, renounced his episcopal ordination, and joined himself to the puritans. This exposed him to numerous difficulties and hardships. He was driven out of Lincolnshire, and, at length, out of the kingdom, for his nonconformity. Upon his going to Boston, probably with the view of being sheltered from the storm, he was apprehended by virtue of a warrant from the high commission, and, for some time, put under confinement. But, by his serious discourse, he so terrified the conscience of his keeper, that he set open the prison doors, and suffered him to depart. Having thus escaped the snare of his persecutors, he removed with his family to London; but, being still harassed by the high commission, he resolved to escape the violence of his enemies, and to depart into a foreign land. After suffering numerous hardships, being persecuted from one place to another, he took shipping in the river Thames, and, after many difficulties during the voyage, at length safely arrived at Boston in New England. When he went abroad he had only six farthings of his money left, only his wife had saved five pounds unknown to him, which she then gave him.

Mr. Knollys continued in America about five years, at the expiration of which period he returned to England upon the invitation of his aged father, and arrived in London, December 24, 1641. The dreadful massacre which during that year deluged Ireland with blood, was succeeded the following year by the civil wars which burst forth between the king and the parliament. Mr. Knollys, not long after his arrival, was again reduced to great poverty, and, after paying for his lodgings, had only six-pence left; but having many friends, he met with unexpected kindness and relief. For his better support, he took under his care a few scholars, whom he continued to instruct in his own house upon Great Tower-hill,

London, till he was chosen master of the free-school in St. Mary-Axe. There, in the space of one year, he had no less than one hundred and fifty-six scholars. But he quitted the benefits arising from this employment to go into the parliament's army; where he preached freely to the soldiers, till he perceived that the commanders sought their own glory and advantage, more than the cause of God and his people, breaking their vows and solemn engagements. Upon this he left the army and returned to London.

After the abolition of episcopacy, Mr. Knollys preached for some time in the parish churches with great approbation. But the presbyterians obtaining the ascendancy, and abusing their power, too much in imitation of their predecessors, proscribed all who did not fall in with their peculiar sentiments. Mr. Knollys, who had some years before embraced the leading opinions of the baptists, then a rising sect in England, propagated them with great zeal, freedom, and success. He engaged, about this time, in a public disputation with Mr. Kiffin and the learned Mr. Henry Jessey, on the subject of baptism, which continued several weeks. One of the most considerable of his converts was Mr. Jessey, to whom he administered the ordinance of baptism by immersion.+ But the publicity with which he declared his sentiments, at length awakened the jealousy and incurred the displeasure of those in power.

Mr. Knollys, having been earnestly and repeatedly requested to preach one Lord's day at Bow-church, Cheapside, took occasion in his sermon to speak against the practice of infant baptism. This giving offence to some of the auditory, a complaint was immediately lodged against him to the parliament; and, by a warrant from the committee of plundered ministers, he was apprehended by the keeper of Elyhouse, who refused bail, and kept him several days in prison. He was afterwards brought before the committee, in the presence of about thirty divines, and examined by Mr. White the chairman; to whom he gave such satisfactory answers, that he was discharged without blame, or paying fees; when the jailer was sharply reproved for refusing him bail, and threatened to be turned out of his place.

Not long after this, Mr. Knollys went into Suffolk, and preached at several places as opportunity offered,, at the request of his friends. But, being accounted an "antinomian"

Crosby's Baptists, vol. iii. p. 311.

+ Mr. Jessey was afterwards silenced and imprisoned for nonconformity at the restoration.-Palmer's Noncon. Mem, vol. i. p. 129–134.