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"had a plentiful eftate, fo he was of a very chari"table difpofition: which yet was not fo well "known to many, because in the disposal of his "charity, he very much affected fecrecy. He fre«quently beftowed his alms on poor housekeepers, "difabled by age or ficknefs to fupport themselves, "thinking those to be the most proper objects of it.

He was rather frugal in expence upon himself, "that fo he might have wherewithal to relieve the "neceffities of others. And not only charitable in "his life, but in a very beautiful manner at his "death, bequeathing in pious and charitable lega"cies to the value of a thousand pounds to the "library of the university of Cambridge fifty pounds, "and of King's college, one hundred pounds, and of "Emanuel College, twenty pounds, to which college " he had been a confiderable benefactor before, hav"ing founded three several scholarships there to the "value of a thousand pounds, out of a charity with "the difpofal whereof he was entrusted, and which "not without great difficulty and pains he at last "received. To the poor of the feveral places where "his eftate lay, and where he had been minifter, " he gave above one hundred pounds. Among those "who had been his fervants, or who were fo at his "death, he disposed in annuities and legacies in mo66 ney, to the value of above three hundred pounds. "To other charitable uses, and among his poor "relations, above three hundred pounds. To eve

ry one of his tennants, he left a legacy according "to the proportion of the estate they held, by way "of remembrance of him; and to one of them, "who was gone much behind, he remitted in his "will feventy pounds. And as became his great "goodness he was ever a remarkably kind landlord, "forgiving his tennants, and always making abate❝ments to them for hard years, or any other acci

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dental loffes that happened to them.

He made likewife a wife provifion in his will to prevent law"fuits among legatees, by appointing two or three perfons of the greatest prudence and authority a"mong his relations, final arbitrators of all diffe66 rences that fhould arise.”

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His felect fermons were printed at London, 1698, in 8vo, with a preface by the late Earl of Shaftsbury, author of the CHARACTERISTICKS, which collection was fince republished at Edinburgh, in the year 1742 in 12mo, with an excellent recommendatory epiftle, by the revd. and learned Dr. William Wishart principal of the college of Edinburgh. Four other volumes of his difcourfes were published by Dr. John Jeffery, Archdeacon of Norwich, at London, 1702, in 8vo.

We fhall conclude this fhort account of our author with the character which bishop Burnet, that excellent prelate, gives of him. Speaking of thofe divines who were generally called Latitudinarians, he fays, "Dr. Whichcote was a man of a rare tem"per, very mild and obliging. He had great credit "with fome that had been eminent in the late times "but made all the ufe he could of it, to protect good men of all perfuafions. He was much for liberty of confcience. And being difgufted with the dry fyftematical way of those times, he ftudied toraife those who converfed with him, to a noble "fet of thoughts, and to confider religion as a feed

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of a DEIFORM nature: (to use one of his own " phrases) in order to this, he fet young ftudents, "much on reading the ancient philofophers, chiefly

Plato, Tully and Plotin; and on confidering the "chriftian religion, as a doctrine fent from God, "both to elevate and fweeten human nature, in "which he was a great example, as well as a wife "and kind inftructor."

CON

(1)

DISCOURSE I.

The SHORTNESS of HUMAN CHARITY,

JONAH iv. 1, 2.

But it difpleafed Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my faying, when I was yet in my country? therefore, I fled before unto Tarfhifh; for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, flow to anger, and of great kindnefs, and repentest thee of the evil.

BUT

UT it difpleafed Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. And what is the matter, that a good man, an extraordinary perfon, a prophet, yea, of all the prophets, a type of Chrift, in whom our Savicur doth inftance: that he is so much offended, and that he is fo very angry? We may imagine, doubtlefs, fome very great cause, fomething mightily amifs, and out of order: no lefs certainly, than one of thefe three things.

1. Certainly, here is fome great dishonour to God. Here is fome, fure, that declare for atheism, profaneness and irreligion, that hath fo provoked the spirit of the good man. As we find good Hezekiah, - he rent his clothes, and fell into a grievous paffion upon Rabfbakeh's blafphemy, and reviling the God Vol. I

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