the most merciful hands of GOD, hoping for the pardon of all my many and great sins, and for the inconceivable blessing of eternal life, through the merits of my blessed SAVIOUR and only REDEEMER, JESUS CHRIST, &c. I desire my body may be privately interred in the cemetery of Saint George the Martyr; but if that shall not be consecrated at the time of my death, then my will is that my body may be buried in the churchyard of the parish of Cranford, at the east end of the church, in a most comfortable hope of a happy resurrection, life and immortality being brought to light through the Gospel."

The following extract from Dr. Sherlock's will, is instructive, as showing the character of his piety, after so long a life, spent in the practice of self-denial, and other acts of practical obedience :

"In the Name of the FATHER, and of the SON, and of the HOLY GHOST, Amen. The 14th day of June, 1689, I, Richard Sherlock, Doctor of Divinity, of the Church of England, Priest and Rector of Winwick, being though far in years, yet, God be blessed, of sound mind and perfect memory, and mindful of the great account I must give up before the Just Judge of the world, of all my actions and enjoyments in this present life. In order thereunto, I do make this my last will and testament, &c. First, in all humility and all godly sorrow for my sins, my many, very many sins, both of my youth and riper age, I do bequeath my soul into the merciful hands of my dear REDEEMER, Who offered up His innocent soul a sacrifice for my soul, and for the many sinful pollutions thereof; all which I humbly beg may be washed away, through faith in His blood, which was shed for them."

Bishop Ken thus records his faith in making his will:

"As for my religion, I die in the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Faith professed by the whole Church before the disunion of the East and West; more particularly in the Communion of the Church of England, as it stands distinguished from all Papal and Puritan innovations, and as it adheres to the doctrine of the Cross."

Thomas, Earl of Dorset, thus begins his will1:"The Eternal GOD of heaven and earth, the FATHER, the SON, and the HOLY GHOST, guide and prosper this mine intent and purpose, which in Their Name, I here take in hand and begin, &c."

The learned and pious Henry Hammond thus opens his will:

66

'In the Name of GOD, Amen. I, Henry Hammond, Doctor of Divinity, do make my last will and testament as followeth : First, I resign, with all cheerfulness, my soul into the hands of GOD that gave it, most humbly beseeching Him to accept it as a lamb of His own flock, a sinner of His own redeeming. My body I dispose to the next church or chapel, which will conveniently entertain it."

We learn that John Cosin, Bishop of Durham, in his will made a large and open declaration of his faith. After repeating the substance of the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds, he condemns and rejects whatsoever heresies or schisms the ancient Catholic and Universal Church of CHRIST, with an unanimous consent, had rejected and condemned; together with all the modern fautors of the same heresies, as the Anabaptists, New Independents, and Presbyterians :

"Moreover," he adds, "I do profess with holy asseveration, and from my very heart, that I am now, and ever have been from my youth, altogether free and averse from the corruptions and impertinent newfangled, or papistical superstitions and doctrines, long since introduced, contrary to the Holy Scriptures and the rules and customs of the ancient fathers."

The celebrated Izaak Walton thus expresses his belief in GOD, and his hope of redemption through JESUS CHRIST:

"In the Name of GOD, Amen. I, Izaak Walton the elder, of Winchester, being this present day in the ninetieth year of my age, and in perfect memory, for which praised be GOD; but considering how suddenly I may be deprived of both, do therefore make this my last will and testament as followeth: And, first, I do declare my belief to be, that there is only 1 Visitatio Infirmorum, lxxxiii.

one GOD, Who hath made the whole world, and me and all mankind; to Whom I shall give an account of all my actions, which are not to be justified, but I hope pardoned for the merits of my SAVIOUR JESUS. And because the profession of Christianity does at this time seem to be subdivided into Papist and Protestant, I take it, at least to be convenient, to declare my belief to be, in all points of faith, as the Church of England now professeth."1

Of Anthony à Wood, the great antiquarian of the University of Oxford, it is related, that "during his sickness he was almost constantly attended by Mr. Martin, Mr. Biss, &c., who can certify that he always desired the Church of England prayers, which he had constantly read to him twice a day for the last week of his sickness; that he desired the Sacrament to be given him by Mr. Martin; that he himself particularly ordered that it should be inserted in his will, which was made three or four days before his death, that he died in the Communion of the Church of England as by law established; that there was no Papist, or reputed Papist, that visited him during his last sickness." [He was taken by the vulgar to be a Romanist.]

Sir John Hawkins relates the following interesting particulars concerning the drawing up of Dr. Johnson's will:

"After I had dictated a few lines, I told him that the ancient form of wills contained a profession of the faith of the testator; and that he being a man of eminence for learning and parts, it would afford an illustrious example, and well become him, to make such an explicit declaration of his belief as might obviate all suspicions that he was any other than a Christian. He thanked me for the hint, and calling for paper, wrote on a slip that I had in my hand and gave him, the following words: 'I humbly commit to the infinite and eternal goodness of ALMIGHTY GOD my soul, polluted with many sins; but, as I hope, purified by repentance, and redeemed, as I trust, by the death of JESUS CHRIST.'"

It would appear from the instances thus adduced, 1 Holy Dying, c. 4.

that a correct and full preface of the character you are here recommended to adopt in drawing up your will, would include the following particulars: 1st. The will undertaken in the Name of GOD. 2ndly. An acknowledgment of God's mercies. 3rdly. A declaration of faith, repentance, and grounds for hope of salvation. 4thly. The declaration of the Communion in which the sick man dies. 5thly. The commendation of the soul. 6thly. A careful disposal of the body, as expressive of a belief in its resurrection.

By the same rubric which has been now under consideration, the sick man is enjoined

"To declare his debts, what he oweth, and what is owing unto him."

On this point Archbishop Secker observes:-"When sickness gives us a prospect of never being just to our creditors, unless we are so immediately, we have then every possible motive for labouring most earnestly to indemnify them: and we ought to prefer the demands which they have upon us before all mere proprieties, however reasonable; contrive good security for them out of whatever we fairly can; and if, after all, we cannot do it effectually, recommend them, as far as ever there is any plea for it, to the compassion of our surviving representatives and relations. But as we cannot be certain that they will, and in several cases there may be no reason why they should, do what we desire, the only sure way is, to provide, before it is too late, for doing it ourselves. If our circumstances are upon the whole sufficient to answer all claims, barely making known the debts due from us, and owing to us, or at most stating them with the parties concerned, may be enough; and, where it is wanted, employing some thought and pains on such matters, as we are able, will be doing very good service, both to our creditors and our heirs."

Sir Henry Wotton appears to have been remarkably impressed with his obligations to his creditors. Walton thus speaks of him, "And yet his mirth was sometimes damped by the remembrance of divers old debts, partly contracted in his foreign employments,

for which his just arrears, due from the king would have made satisfaction; but being still delayed with court promises, and finding some decays of health, he did about two years before his death, out of a Christian desire that none should be a loser by him, make his last will; concerning which a doubt still remains, namely, whether it discovered more holy wit, or conscionable policy. But there is no doubt, but that his chief design was a Christian endeavour that his debts might be satisfied."1

After the usual "account of his faith, and the surrender of his soul to that GOD that inspired it, and the direction for the disposal of his body," succeed the following among other remarkable passages. "And I do pray the aforesaid Dr. Bargrave and Mr. Nicholas Pey, to be solicitors for such arrearages as shall appear due unto me from his majesty's exchequer at the time of my death; and to assist my forenamed executors in some reasonable and conscientious satisfaction of my creditors, and discharge of my legacies now specified." Then follow the bequests of several valuable pictures and papers to his "most dear Sovereign and Master of incomparable goodness," and to the "gracious and virtuous Queen Mary," and to the "most hopeful Prince" other bequests. Then follows as a pledge of his humble reverence to his great wisdom," the bequest of a picture to my "Lord's grace of Canterbury." And "to the most worthy Bishop of London, in true admiration of his Christian simplicity and contempt of earthly pomp," he leaves a picture of Heraclitus bewailing, and Diogenes laughing at the world; most humbly beseeching the said Lord Archbishop his grace, and the Lord Bishop of London, to intercede with our Most Gracious Sovereign after my death, in the bowels of JESUS CHRIST, that out of compassionate memory of my long services, some order may be taken out of my arrears due in the exchequer, for such satisfaction of my creditors, as those whom I have ordained supervisors of this my last will and testament shall present unto their Lordships, without their further trouble; hoping likewise in his

1 Walton's Lives.