Samuel Bolton

Samuel Bolton, D. D.—This excellent divine was born in the year 1606, and educated in the university of Cambridge. He afterwards became minister of St. Martin's church, Ludgate-street, London; where he continued about three years. Upon his removal from this situation, he was chosen minister at St. Saviour's, Southwark, where he continued seven years, and then removed to St. Andrew's, Holborn. At each of these places his ministry was made a blessing to many souls. He was nominated one of the additional members in the assembly of divines. Upon the death of Dr. Bainbrigge, he was chosen master of Christ's college, Cambridge, which he governed with great wisdom and prudence the rest of his days. Having strong desires to win souls Jto Christ, though he was master of a college, and had no ministerial charge of his own, he preached gratuitously every Lord's day for many years. In the year 1648, a minister of his name, and probably the same person, attended the Earl of Holland upon the scaffold when he was beheaded in the palace-yard, Westminster.*

During his last sickness, which was long and painful, he exercised great patience, and often said, though the providence of God was dark towards him, he had light and comfort within. A little before he died, he said to a person moving him in bed," Let me alone; let me lie quietly. I have as much comfort as my heart can hold." The last time Mr. Calamy visited him he was anxious to be with Christ, saying, " Oh this vile body of mine! when will it give way, that my soul may get out and go to my God? When will it be consumed, that I may mount up to heaven i" When he perceived any symptoms of his approaching dissolution, he rejoiced exceedingly, calling them, "the little crevices through which his soul peeped." He died greatly lamented, October 15, 1654, aged forty-eight years, and was buried in St. Martin's church, mentioned above. He gave orders, in his last will and testament, to be interred as a private christian, and not with the outward pomp of a doctor; " because," as he observed, "he hoped to rise in the day of judgment, and appear before God, not as a doctor, but as an humble christian." Numerous elegies were published on his death.

Dr. Bolton was a person of good parts and considerable learning, a burning and shining light in his day, and a man of great piety and excellent ministerial abilities. He was ortho

,• WhiUacke'iMem. p. 387. Edit. 1738. •

dox in his judgment, philanthropic in his spirit, and a celebrated interpreter of scripture. He studied, not only to preach the word, but to live as he preached. His life was an excellent comment on his doctrine. He was the voice of God crying aloud to those around him, by his exemplary life as well as his holy doctrine. He was a man of much prayer, reading, meditation, and temptation, the four things which, in the opinion of Luther, make a preacher. He was .assaulted with manifold temptations, and very probably with more than many hundreds ofhis brethren. He laboured under the buffetings of Satan, that, being himself tempted, he might be better able to comfort those who were tempted. The words from which Mr. Calamy preached his funeral sermon had often been a source of great joy to his soul: "Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the mighty working whereby he is able even to subdue all things to himself."*

His Works.—1. A Vindication of the Rights of Law aud the Liberties of Grace, 1645.—2. The Arraignment of Error, 1646.— 3. The Sinfulness of Sin, held forth in a Sermon preached to the Honourable House of Commons, upon the late Solemn Day of Humiliation, March 26, 1646—1646.—4. A Guard of the Tree of Life, 1647.—5. The Dead Saint speaking to Saints and Sinners, 1667. —6. A Word in Season to a Sinking Kingdom.—7. The Wedding Garment.