Edward Gee

Edward Gee, A.M.—This pious man was born at Banbury in Oxfordshire, in the year 1613, and educated first at Newton school, near Manchester, then in Brazen-nose college, Oxford. About the year 1636" he became chaplain to Dr. Parr, bishop of Soder and Man, and minister at some place in Lancashire. Upon the commencement of tie civil war, he espoused the cause of the parliament, took the covenant, and, for his great activity in promoting the holy cause, as Wood in derision calls it, he became rector of the rich living of Eccleston, in the same county 4 He wa* assistant to the commissioners of Lancashire for ejecting ignorant and scandalous ministers and schoolmasters.

This worthy puritan, during his last sickness, laboured under the painful assaults of Satan. After enjoying the sweetest consolations, the enemy was suffered to come against him like an armed man, grievously tempting him to despair of his own salvation. But, by the help of God, he was enabled to resist the enemy, and to say unto him," Away with thee, away with thee, thou accuser of the brethren: God confound thee." On one of these occasions, observes Mr. Gee, " I was in a most woeful condition; and it was much worse with my soul than any pangs of death. I was so full of horror that I was ready to tumble off my bed into the grave, yea, into the pit of hell. And I was the more, full of horror, because I had before spoken so much of my

• Erbery'a Testimony, p. 69. + Netl'a Puritan, Tol. It. p. 108.

J Wooo'i Athene Oxoo. vol. ii. p. 163.

assurance and comforts. I was ready to cry out, 01), damned wretch that I am! But my most merciful Faiher, at length restoring unto me the joys of his salvation, enabled me to say unto the tempter, 'Thou implacable and irreconcileable enemy of my soul, away with thee, away with thee.' "• This holy, tempted servant of Christ, died May 26, 1660, aged forty-seven years; when his mortal part was interred m the church at Eccleston. He pubhshed "A Treatise ot Prayer and Divine Providence," 1653; and "The Divine right and original of the Civil Magistrate," 1658.