OBSERVATIONS

OF SOME SPECIALITIES OF

DIVINE PROVIDENCE

IN THE

LIFE OF JOSEPH HALL,

BISHOP OF NORWICH.

WRITTEN WITH HIS OWN HAND.

Nor out of a vain affectation of my own glory, which I know how little it can avail me, when I am gone hence; but out of a sincere desire to give glory to my God, whose wonderful Providence I have noted in all my ways, have I recorded some remarkable passages of my fore-past life. What I have done is worthy of nothing, but silence and forgetfulness; but what God hath done for me, is worthy of everlasting and thankful memory.

I was born July 1, 1574, at five of the clock in the morning, in Bristow-Park, within the Parish of Ashby de la Zouch, a Town in Leicestershire, of honest and wellallowed parentage.

My Father was an officer under that truly honourable and religious, Henry Earl of Huntingdon, President of the North; and, under him, had the government of that Market-Town, wherein the chief seat of that Earldom is placed.

My Mother Winifride, of the House of the Bambridges, was a woman of that rare sanctity, that, were it

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not for my interest in nature, I durst say, that neither Aleth the mother of that just Honour of Clareval, nor Monica, nor any other of those pious matrons antiently famous for devotion, need to disdain her admittance to comparison. She was continually exercised with the affliction of a weak body, and oft of a wounded spirit: the agonies whereof, as she would oft recount with much passion, professing that the greatest bodily sicknesses were but flea-bites to those scorpions; so, from them all, at last she found a happy and comfortable deliverance. And that, not without a more than ordinary hand of God: for, on a time, being in great distress of conscience, she thought in her dream, there stood by her a grave personage, in the gown and other habits of a physician; who, enquiring of her estate, and receiving a sad and querulous answer from her, took her by the hand, and bade her be of good comfort, for this should be the last fit that ever she should feel of this kind: whereto she seemed to answer, that, upon that condition, she could well be content for the time, with that or any other torment: reply was made to her, as she thought, with a redoubled assurance of that happy issue of this her last trial: whercat she began to conceive an unspeakable joy; which yet, upon her awaking, left her more disconsolate, as then conceiting her happiness imaginary, her misery real: when, the very same day, she was visited by the reverend and (in his time) famous Divine, Mr. Anthony Gilby, under whose ministry she lived; who, upon the relation of this her pleasing vision and the contrary effects it had in her, began to persuade her, that .dream was no other than divine, and that she had good reason to think that gracious premonition was sent her from God himself: who, though ordinarily he keeps the common road of his proceedings; yet, sometimes, in the distresses of his servants, he goes unusual ways to their relief: hereupon she began to take heart; and, by good counsel and her fervent prayers, found that happy prediction verified to her; and, upon all occasions in the remainder of her life, was ready to magnify the mercy of her

God in so sensible a deliverance. What with the trial of both these hands of God, so had she profited in the School of Christ, that it was hard for any friend to come from her discourse no whit holier. How often have I blessed the memory of those divine passages of experimental divinity, which I have heard from her mouth! What day did she pass, without a large task of private devotion? whence she would still come forth, with a countenance of undissembled mortification. Never any lips have read to me such feeling lectures of piety: neither have I known any soul, that more accurately practised them, than her own. Temptations, desertions, and spiritual comforts were her usual theme. Shortly, for I can hardly take off my pen from so exemplary a subject, her life and death were saintlike.

My Parents had, from mine infancy, devoted me to this Sacred Calling, whereto, by the blessing of God, I have seasonably attained. For this cause, I was trained up in the public school of the place.

After I had spent some years, not altogether indiligently, under the ferule of such masters as the place afforded, and had near attained to some competent ripeness for the University, my school-master, being a great admirer of one Mr. Pelset, who was then lately come from Cambridge, to be the public preacher of Leicester; (a man very eminent in those times, for the fame of his learning, but especially for his sacred oratory,) persuaded my father, that if I might have my education under so excellent and complete a Divine, it might be both a nearer and easier way to his purposed end, than by an academical institution. The motion sounded well in my father's ears, and carried fair probabilities: neither was it other than forecompacted betwixt my school-master and Mr. Pelset; so as, on both sides, it was entertained with great forwardness.

The gentleman upon essay taken of my fitness for the use of his studies, undertakes within one seven years to send me forth, no less furnished with Arts, Languages, and grounds of Theorical Divinity, than the carefullest tutor

in the strictest College of either University. Which that he might assuredly perform, to prevent the danger of any mutable thoughts in my parents or myself, he desired mutual bonds to be drawn betwixt us. The great charge of my father, whom it pleased God to bless with twelve children, made him the more apt to yield to so likely a project for a younger son.

There and now, were all the hopes of my future life upon blasting. The indentures were preparing the time was set my suits were addressed for the journey.

What was the issue? O God, thy Providence made and found it. Thou knowest how sincerely and heartily, in those my young years*, I did cast myself upon thy hands: with what faithful resolution I did, in this particular occasion, resign myself over to thy disposition; earnestly `begging of thee in my fervent prayers to order all things to the best, and confidently waiting upon thy will for the event. Certainly, never did I, in all my life, more clearly roll myself upon the Divine Providence, than I did in this business. And it succeeded accordingly.

It fell out at this time, that my elder brother, having some occasions to journey unto Cambridge, was kindly entertained there by Mr. Nath. Gilby, Fellow of Emanuel College: who, for that he was born in the same town with me, and had conceived some good opinion of my aptness to learning, enquired diligently concerning me; and, hearing of the diversion of my father's purposes from the University, importunately dissuaded from that new course, professing to pity the loss of so good hopes. My brother, partly moved with his words, and partly won by his own eyes, to a great love and reverence of an academical life, returning home, fell upon his knees to my father; and, after the report of Mr. Gilby's words and his own admiration of the place, earnestly besought him, that he would be pleased to alter that so prejudicial a resolution, that he would not suffer my hopes to be drowned in a shallow

* Anno Etatis 15.

country-channel; but that he would revive his first purposes for Cambridge; adding, in the zeal of his love, that if the chargeableness of that course were the hinderance, he did there humbly beseech him, rather to sell some part of that land, which himself should in course of nature inherit, than to abridge me of that happy means to perfect my education. No sooner had he spoken those words, than my father no less passionately condescended; not without a vehement protestation, that, whatsoever it might cost him, I should, God willing, be sent to the University. Neither were those words sooner out of his lips, than there was a messenger from Mr. Pelset knocking at the door, to call me to that fairer bondage; signifying, that the next day he expected me, with a full dispatch of all that business to whom my father replied, that he came some minutes too late, that he had now otherwise determined of me; and, with a respective message of thanks to the master, sent the man home empty, leaving me full of the tears of joy for so happy a change.

Indeed I had been but lost, if that project had succeeded; as it well appeared in the experience of him, who succeeded in that room, which was by me thus unexpectedly forsaken.

O God, how was I then taken up, with a thankful acknowledgment and joyful admiration of thy Gracious Providence over me!

And now. I lived in the expectation of Cambridge: whither, ere long, I happily came, under Mr. Gilby's tuition, together with my worthy friend Mr. Hugh Cholmley, who, as we had been partners of one lesson from our cradles, so were we now for many years partners of one bed.

My two first years were necessarily chargeable, above the proportion of my father's power: whose not very large cistern, was to feed many pipes besides mine. His weariness of expence was wrought upon by the counsel of some unwise friends, who persuaded him to fasten me upon that school as master, whereof I was lately a scholar.

Now was I fetched home, with a heavy heart: and now,