Revelations, you see the greatest geometrician in the world, who understood the nature of demonstration, as well as any man that ever lived, bowing his understanding to the revelation of God, and studying that revelation all his days; we are assured, that his Bible was always lying on his table or desk before him. The character and practice of this great man, is more than fufficient to weigh down to eternity all the Bolingbrokes and Humes, the Rouffeaus and Voltaires, that have ever lived, or ever will live to the end of time. Let the modern free thinkers, or rather half thinkers, or no thinkers, hide their heads in confufion and darkness, instead of standing up with impudence against fo great a master of reason and philosophy." Biographia Britannica.-Biographical Dictionary, JOHN WILMOT, EARL OF ROCHESTER. The life of the earl of Rochefter affords a ftrong proof that licentioufnefs of conduct renders the mind acceffible to the principles of infidelity; and that a total difregard to every moral leads to a refolute denial of every religious obligation. It also exhibits a striking inftance of the power of reclaiming grace, which caufed this nobleman publicly to recant his errours, and enabled him to refign his life, filled with the fublime confolations which the gofpel affords to penitent finners. JOHN WILMOT, afterwards earl of Rochefter, the fon of Henry, earl of Rochefter, was born April 10, 1657, in Oxfordshire. After a grammatical education, at the school of Burford, he entered a nobleman in Wadham College, in 1659, only twelve years old, and in 1661, at fourteen, was made master of arts, with fome other perfons of high rank. He travelled afterwards into France and Italy, and on his return devoted himself to the court. At this period he unhappily addicted himself to diffolute and vicious company, by which his principles were corrupted, and his manners depraved. Loft to all fenfe of religious reftraint, and finding it not convenient to admit the authority of laws, which he was refolved not to obey, he sheltered his wickednefs behind infidelity. Having an active and inquifitive mind, he never, except in his paroxyfms of intemperance, was wholly negligent of study; but read what is confidered as polite learning fo much, that he is mentioned by Wood as the greatest scholar of all the nobility. Sometimes he retired into the country, and amufed himself with writing libels, in which he did not pretend to confine himfelf to truth. As long as his health allowed him to indulge his paffions, his life was one continued fccne of debauchery; he however frequently felt flrong remorse for his impious conduct. On a tour into the Weit of England, sometime before his laft illness, he informed the perfon who attended him, that, "when on his journey, he had been arguing with greater vigour against God and religion, than he had ever done in his life before; but like the great convert Paul, he found it hard to ftrive against fuperiour force, for his heart was at that time ftruck fo powerfully, that he argued as much for God and virtue, as ever he had done against them." One day at an atheistical meeting, at the houfe of a perfon of quality, he undertook to be the principal champion 1 of impiety, and received the applause of the whole company; but here again his confcience reproached him, and he exclaimed to himself, "Good God! that a man who walks upright, who fees the wonderful works of God, and has the use of his fenfes and reafon, fhould use them to the defying of his Creator." Thefe fucceffive convictions however gradually wore off, till they returned with full force upon his mind, in his laft ficknefs. He then ferioufly refolved to turn to God unfeignedly, and to do all that was poffible, in the fhort time allotted him, to obviate the effects of his ill example, and teftify his fincere penitence for his fins, and firm belief of the great truths of chriftianity. * He reproved his old companions in iniquity, with energy and fidelity. He contemned the abfurd philofophy of Hobbes, and acknowledged that it had corrupted his own, and the principles of many others. He ordered his profane and indelicate writings to be burnt. He expreffed an ardent concern for the religious education of his children; † and wished his fon might never be fuch a wit * The reader is referred to an account of the life and death of the earl of Rochester, by Bishop Burnet, which book, fays Dr. Johnson, the critic ought to read for its eloquence, the philofopher for its arguments, and the faint for its piety." † Dr. Watts alludes to this circumstance, in the following lines in his Lyric Poems. Strephon, of noble blood, and mind, As death approach'd his foul refin'd, Burn, burn, (he cried with facred rage) as he had been; or one of those wretched beings, who pride themselves in reviling God and religion. He protefted that he would not wilfully commit a fin to gain a kingdom; and for the admonition of others, fubfcribed the following recantation, which he ordered to be published. "For the benefit of all thofe, whom I may have drawn into fin, by my example and encouragement, I leave to the world, this my laft declaration, which I deliver in the prefence of the great God, who knows the fecrets of all hearts, and before whom I am preparing to be judged; that, from the bottom of my foul, I deteft and abhor the whole course of my former wicked life; that I think, I can never fufficiently admire the goodness of God, who has given me a true sense of my pernicious opinions and vile practices; by which I have hitherto lived without hope, and without God in the world; have been an open enemy to Jefus Chrift, doing the utmost despite to the Holy Spirit of Grace; and that the greatest testimony of my charity to fuch, is to warn them in the name of God, and as they regard the welfare of their immortal fouls, no more to deny his being or providence, or defpife his goodnefs; no more to make a mock of fin, or contemn the pure and excellent religion of our bleffed Redeemer, through whofe merits alone, I one of the greatest of finners, do yet hope for mercy and forgiveness." During his illness he expreffed his unfeigned refignation Hell is the due of every page. Hell be the fate, (but O indulgent Heaven,) to the divine will; and declared that he only defired to live to evince the truth of his repentance, by the entire change in his future conduct. The Scriptures, which had been so often the fubject of his ridicule, now appeared extremely beautiful. The apparent inconfiftencies, which his corrupt mind formerly magnified, vanished; as he found them to be the power of God to his falvation. He frequently requested his attendants to read the fifty third of Isaiah to him; upon which he used to descant in a very affecting paraphrasc. This nobleman, in the midft of his fickness exclaimed, "Shall the unfpeakable joys of Heaven be conferred on me! O mighty finner, never, but through this infinite love and fatisfaction. O never, but by the purchase of thy blood!" 1 fhall now die, (faid he, three or four days before his diffolution,) "But O! what unfpeakable glories. do I fee! What joys beyond thought and expreffion am I fenfible of. I am affured of God's mercy to me, through Jefus Chrift. Q! how I long to die, and be with my Saviour!" He expired without a groan, in 1680, in the thirty third of his age. year Mr. Brown, in his poem called Sunday thoughts, has thus defcribed the death of the earl of Rochester : "Then, with a placid smile, and gushing eyes, The victor fings the Lamb's triumphant feng |