Day of December in the fame Year: And the same Day the Morning and Evening Service was alfo Read by him, and his Unfeigned Affent and Consent to the Common Prayer declared, These are his own Words. THE 63 THE LIFE OF Mr. John Kettlewell, PART II. Of Ministry while Vicar of COLES- M SECT. I. thod he R. KETTLEWELL by the The MeProvidence of God, being thus took in settled in the Church, and put Governing thereby into a Capacity of answe-his Parith. ring the End for which he had been designed from his very Birth, by his -Religious Parents, and for which he had alfo 4 also been all his Life until now prepairing himfelf, with great Sincerity and a true Zeal for God's Honour, could not here but reflect upon all what had hitherto passed with refpect to himself, and herein admire the Secret and Wonderful Steps of Divine Providence : And having a profound Sense hereof upon his Mind, he fet himself in good earnest immediately to confider of the best and propereft Methods, for acquitting this Charge which was committed to him, according as became a Good and Faithful Steward of the Manifold Gift of God. He Preached Twice every Sunday, and Once all Occafional Days that are Enjoyned; as particularly, GoodFriday, the Thirtieth of January, and the Twenty Ninth of May; he began to Catechife in Lent, and continued fo to do for several Sundays after; it was in the Afternoon on Sunday that he performed this Exercise, asking several Questions to try the Understanding of the Catechumen, as alfo (and Chiefly) to Form a Chriftians Heart and Practice; and when afterwards he went up into the Pulpit, he would generally choose a Text that should lead him in again to the same matter; the which Method he found to be both very Grateful and Edyfying to his Auditory. He had indeed an Excellent Talent at the Catechistical Method; and he was not wanting to Improve the fame, both in himself and in Others to whom the Cure of Souls was was entrusted. Which he did by his Recommendation, Advice, and Direction. This, as we may easily believe, gave Birth to his Practical Believer; it confifting of Catechetick Lectures upon the Creed, or Familiar Instructions for a Chriftian Catechumen, upon all the several Articles of the Chriftian Faith, as Reducible to Practice; as it did certainly give Hints to fome Others, who were well acquainted with his Person, and his way, to pursue likewise the fame Method in their Writings. Thus Instant was he in Sowing the Seed of the Divine Word, and in Feeding both the Sheep and the Lambs of Chrift's Flock, according to their several Growths respectively. Neither was he less Diligent and Confcientious in Observing the other Institutions of his Blessed Mafter, and particularly the Laft, which he gave immediately before his own Oblation of himself. once offered, and for ever to be Commemorated until his coming again. He always Administred the Holy Communion on Christmas-Day, Good-Friday, Easter-Day, the Sunday after, and Whit-Sunday; and several Times of the Year befides. But because the greatest part of his Parishioners had been very negligent in the Performance of that Duty, he took a great deal of Pains to make them sensible of their Fault, both from the Pulpit, and in Conversation; and had Success in convincing several. He Administred also the Sacrament of he was able to do for them, than the Men of Letters could pretend to. And as he had no Genius for Poetry, or for the Works of Wit, he was not all Sollicitous for those Decorations, which the Fashionable Writers always affect wherewith to Please, or Amuse. For he distinguished himself in his Writings, as they who were beft acquainted with them must needs own, " rather by the Strength Of the of his Reason, and the Solidity of bis "Judgment, then by the Brightness of his "Fancy." Of each of which there will be Occafion to make some mention, in the Order of Time wherein they were Written and Published; for the better Illustrating fome Scenes of his Life, Sect. 27. Concerning his First Book, which Frift Book he propofed for a Standard to himself, or as Published. Thoughts and Resolutions for forming his which he own Mind, and which he properly Intituled The Measures of Christian Obedience, being a Compleat Summary of Christian Ethicks, there are these Two Things Remarkable, which were communicated by a very Intimate Friend of his in Lincoln-College: Namely, First at what a Slender Age, and Secondly in what a Short Time it was Written. For he was not much above Six and Twenty when he enter'd upon so Great an Undertaking; which did thew the Ripeness of his Judgment: And it was Began and Finished betwixt Christmas and Easter; which did argue |