the care of his Heavenly Father for protection. You see him in the
picture kneeling by his bed side, alone with God. When he was fourteen
years old, he began to think about partaking of the Lord's supper. He
thought this act to be a very solemn and important one, and required a
thorough preparation. On the afternoon previous to the communion, he
would retire to some private place for self examination and prayer. When
he was but sixteen years of age, he obtained such a knowledge of
chronology as to have commenced the annals of the Old and New
Testaments, which were published many years after, and are now a general
standard of reference.

When his father died, he being the eldest son, the paternal estate was
left to him to manage. But as he feared that it would occupy too much of
his time and attention, he gave it entirely to his brother and sisters,
reserving only enough for his books and college expenses. At the age of
twenty he entered the ministry, and seven years after was chosen a
professor in the University of Dublin. In 1640, he visited England at
the time of the commencement of the rebellion; all his goods were seized
by the popish party, except some furniture in his house, and his library
at Drogheda, which was afterwards sent to London. He bore his loss with
submission, but he never returned to Ireland. He had many trials to
endure on account of the troublous times in England, (it being the time
of the civil wars.) In 1646 he received a kind invitation from the
Countess of Peterborough to reside in one of her houses, which proposal
he accepted and lived in one of them till his death, in 1665. By the
direction of Cromwell he was buried in Westminster Abby.