to his books, that in a fhort time he became the bef fcholar in the fchool. In his younger years he was profane fwearer and fabbath breaker; but, in an after period, a moft illuftrious example of the power of divine grace, and at length a faithful follower of Jefus Chrift, and a powerful preacher of the Gofpel.

About the twentieth year of his age, he was entered at Lincoln-college, Oxford, where he made close application to the ftudy of logic and philofophy; and having been well grounded in the rudiments of learning at fchool, he foon out-ftript those of his own time, and obtained the character of an excellent fcholar. While he was thus diligently employed in his ftudies, his father died, with whom he loft the means of his fupport. But this affliction, in Providence, proved very advantageous for his growth in learning; for not being able to buy books, he borrowed, of his tutor and others, the best writers on natural and moral philofophy, and abridged them into his note-books, before he returned them. And fuch was his defire to attain perfection in whatever he ftudied, that though he was a good Greek scholar, yet, that he might be a ftill greater proficient, he copied all Homer, in a fair Greck character; which he wrote much better than the common hand in ufe. This brought him to fuch readiness, that, being a famous difputant, he could difcourfe in the public schools in the Greek, with as much facility, as in the Latin or English; and in them all he wrote and spoke in a fublime ftyle; which was fo familiar to him, that he could not avoid it even in common conversation.

He removed to Brazen-nofe-college, with a view to one of the fellowships, which are chiefly confined to Lancafhire and Chefbire men; but for want of friends he was not chofen fellow, till about the thirtieth year of his age; at which time he took his mafter of arts degree. He performed the exercifes of the college and of the univerfity, being regent mafter, with fuch general fatisfaction, that he was fucceffively chosen to be reader of the lectures of logic, and of moral and natural philofophy. He was fo much admired in the univerfity for his public difputations, that though he was a mafter of arts but of hort ftanding, he was appointed by the vice-chancellor, afterwards archbishop of Canterbury, at K. James's firft vifiting that univerfity, to be one of the difputants before the king.

Befides

Befides his knowledge in logic and philofophy, he was a great student in metaphyfics and mathematics, and in all fchool-divinity; efpecially in Thomas Aquinas, which he had read over once or twice, and written fhort notes upon. But all this while, he was not a fcholar in the fchool of Chrift. He loved ftage-plays, cards, dice, and all the fafhionable amufements of the times; but hated good men and their converfation, whom he would brand with the name of Puritans, believing them void both of learning and fincere religion. This has been the cuftom of later times than that of Mr. Bolton, and more or less of all ages. GOD's people have ever been honored with an opprobrious name, and cried down for madmen and fools, if not downright hypocrites and knaves. See Wisdom v. 4. This temper of mind difcovered itself in Mr. Bolton once in particular at Cambridge; for being there at a commencement, he was induced, by the fame of Mr. Perkins, to go and hear him preach; of whom he said, after hearing him, that he was a "barren, empty fellow, and a paffing mean fcholar :" But when GOD changed his heart, he foon changed his opinion of Mr. Perkins, and "thought him as learned a si divine, for his age, as our church has for many years "enjoyed."

The manner of his converfion was as follows: While at Brazen-nofe, he was intimately acquainted with a Mr. Anderton, his countryman, and for fome time his fchool-fellow, a good fcholar, but a thorough papist. This man having become a popish priest, and knowing Bolton's learning and parts, and that he was likewife ftraitened in his 'circumftances, took the advantage of it; and among other arguments, ufed to induce him to be reconciled to the church of Rome, and to go over with him to the English feminary, he told him he should be furnished with all neceffaries and have plenty of money. Mr. Bolton accepted of the proposal, and the time and place were appointed in Lancashire, where they should meet, and from thence take fhipping: Mr. Bolton met accordingly, but Mr. Anderton never came; fo he efcaped that fnare. Soon after he returned to Brazenmofe-college, and became acquainted with one Mr. Peacock, a pious learned man, by whofe converfation he not only faw, that thofe doctrines of the church of Rome, which his fchoolmafter had very early inculcated upon him, were unferiptural and abfurd; but alfo that a thorough renovation of heart was effentially neceffary to conftitutę

D 2

It pleafed GOD (fays

conftitute him a true believer. Mr. E. Baghawe, his biographer), by his [Mr. Peacock's] acquaintance to frame upon his foul that admirable workmanship of his repentance and converfion to eternal life; but by fuch a way of working, as the Lord feldom ufeth but upon fuch ftrong veffels as, in his fingular wisdom, he intends afterwards for ftrong encounters and rare employments. It was not any foft ftill voice, but in terrible tempefts and thunder the Lord running upon him as a giant, taking him by the neck and fhaking him to pieces, as he did Job; beating him to the very ground as he did Paul, by laying before him the ugly vifage of his fins, which were fo heavy upon him, that he roared for grief of heart, and fo affrighted him, that I have heard him fay, he often rofe out of his bed in the night for very "anguifh of fpirit." And what further increased this fpiritual diftrefs, he was at the fame time exercised with horrible thoughts of GOD, and terrible thoughts of faith,' which Luther called, the buffeting of Satan; and with which Luther himself was fo affaulted at his converfion, that Juftus Jonas, then with him, in a letter to Melanthon writes, 6 ut nec calor, nec fanguis, nec fenfus, nec vox fupereffet: That neither fpeech, fenfe,

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blood, or heat appeared in him: This fharp fit of Luther's lafted but for a fhort time; but Mr. Bolton's continued for many months: Yet GOD gave him at length a bleffed iffue; and these grievous pangs, in which he was born again from above, produced two admirable. effects in him, as well as in Luther and others, defigned for eminence and great usefulness in the church; namely, -An invincible courage for the cause of GOD; and great wifdom, from experience, in comforting afflicted. fpirits.

Mr. Bolton, from this time, purpofing to enter into the ministry, was ordained in the thirty-fifth year of his age; and, two years after, was prefented by Mr. Nicolls, ferjeant at law, to the living of Broughton in Northamptonshire: At which time he published his first book, entitled, "A Difcourfe upon true Happiness," and dedicated it to Mr. Nicolls, his patron. This first fruit of Mr. Bolton's genius and ftudy, we are affured, was made the mean of converfion to feveral, who read it merely for the fake of his diction and style.

Being fettled in the parfonage of Broughton, in the fortieth year of his age, he married Ann Boyce, of an

antient

antient family in Kent, to whofe care he committed the whole management of his domeftic concerns; while he himself attended only to the weightier matters of his calling. For twenty years fucceffively, he preached twice every Lord's-day, and catechized in the afternoon; and every day before the Lord's-fupper he expounded a chapter, by which means he went through most of the hiftorical part of the O. and N. Teftament. All which was fo well ftudied and prepared, that it might have served a very learned auditory. In all his minifterial labors, he had in view the glory of GOD and the converfion of finners, which GOD made abundantly fuccefsful to the bringing many unto the righteousness of faith.

He had great knowledge, from experience and practice, in relieving and comforting afflicted confciences; fo that people applied to him far and near: And feveral from beyond fea defired his advice and direction in different cafes of confcience. This determined him in publishing his laft excellent treatife, entitled, "Inftructions for a " right comforting afflicted Confciences." Though in his preaching he was a "fon of thunder," yet to those that mourned in fpirit he was "a fon of confolation" indeed, and, with a tender compaffionate heart, poured the oil of mercy into their wounds. He had great kill in discovering Satan's devices, and in battering down his kingdom. In all his fermons he ufed to difcover the filthiness of fin, and to prefs very powerfully upon the confcience the duties of fanctification; which he did, with fuch courage and holy boldness, that the truths he delivered pierced the very joints and marrow; with fo much impartiality too, that he fpared none in their fins, great or fmall, knowing that he was to deliver his Mafter's will, with whom was no refpect of perfons; and alfo with fo much wifdom, that, in reproving fin, he never perfonated any man to put him to fhame; nor ever preffed upon the confcience the guilt of fin, but with the authority of fcripture: And when he had fearched the confcience to the quick, he always took care to fet forth Chrift in all his grace and compaffion, as the almighty and allfufficient Saviour. He would often proteft, that it was a trouble to him to preach against their fins; that he delighted not to vex their confciences; that he fhould be glad the cafe was fo with them, that he might only preach the riches of GOD's mercies in Chrift all his days; but that he knew no other

way

way to pull them out of the fnare of Satan, than the way he was led to take.

Indeed he was a burning and fhining light; and what moft of all added luftre to his learning and parts, and extenfive usefulness, was his holy exemplary life and conversation. His piety was remarkable; as is evident from his fecond book entitled, "Directions for walking "with GOD," which were framed out of the meditations of his own heart, as a guide for himself, for ordering his fteps in the ways of righteoufnefs; and which, through grace, he ftrictly obferved throughout the course of his life. He ufually prayed fix times a day; twice by himself, twice with his family, and twice with his wife. Befides, he often fet apart days for private humiliation and prayer; always before the receiving of the communion, and fometimes on account of the afflictions of the church at home and abroad; which he was obferved to perform with fo much fervency and zeal, though, like Luther, he used fuch humility, as in the prefence of almighty GOD; but fuch fervency and faith, as if he had been talking with his friend. He was very zealous for GOD; to whofe glory he facrificed himfelf and all his ftudies: This I can the more fafely affirm, (fays Mr. Baghawe) because I know he frequently refufed preferment from fome of the nobility and bishops; and for no other reason, but that he might not be divorced from that country where his miniftry was fo well received and fo very successful.' He was univerfally bountiful; but he exceeded in those public diftreffes of Germany, France, Bohemia, &c. He always fpent his income, yearly, in the maintenance of his family, and in acts of hofpitality and charity.

In September 1631, he was feized with a quartan ague; the disease of which Calvin died; and perceiving, after two or three fits, that he grew very weak, he finished fome particulars refpecting his will; and then wholly retired from the world, comforting his foul with meditations of the joys of heaven; the fubject he had prepared to preach upon the Sunday following. His last much admired work, entitled his "Four laft Things; Death,

Judgement, Hell, and Heaven," he had juft finished; and having difcourfed on the three former, he told them he fhould next Sunday treat of "Heaven," the laft part of it: But he was prevented by ficknefs, and never preached after. And thofe inexplicable joys of heaven, which he had provided for matter of fweet contemplation