20 History of Hingham. 



sors of religion, it was yet more distasteful to him, who in his own beha- 

 viour was a great example of temperance. 



Pride, expressed in a gaiety and bravery of apparel, would also cause 

 him with much compassion to address the young persons with whom he 

 saw it budding, and advise them to correct it, with more care to adorn 

 their souls with such things as were of great price before God : and here 

 likewise his own example joined handsomeness with gravity, and a moder- 

 ation that could not endure a show. But there was no sort of men from 

 whom he more turned away than those who, under a pretence of zeal for 

 church discipline, were very pragmatical in controversies, and furiously set 

 upon having all things carried their way, which they would call " the rule," 

 but at the same time were most insipid creatures, destitute of the " life and 

 power of godliness," and perhaps unmoral in their conversations. To 

 these he would apply a saying of Mr. Cotton's, " that some men are all 

 church and no Christ." 



He was a person that met with many temptations and afflictions, which 

 are better forgotten than remembered, but he was internally and is now 

 eternally a gainer by them. It is remarked of the Patriarch Jacob that 

 when he was a very old man, and much older than the most that lived after 

 him, he complained, ' l Few and evil have been the days of the years of 

 myJlife," in which complaint the few is explained by the evil. His days 

 were winter-days, and spent in the darkness of sore calamity. Winter- 

 days are twenty-four hours long as well as other days, yea, longer, if the 

 equation of time should be mathematically considered, yet we count them 

 the shorter days. Thus, although our Hobart lived unto old age, he might 

 call his days few, because they had been evil. But " mark this perfect 

 man, and behold this upright one ; for the end of this man was peace." 

 In the spring of the year 1G70, he was visited with a sickness that 

 seemed the " messenger of death ; " but it was his humble desire that, by 

 having his life prolonged a little further, he might see the education of 

 his own younger children perfected, and bestow more labour also upon the 

 conversion of the young people in his congregation. " I have travelled 

 in the ministry in this place thirty-five years, and might it please God so 

 far to lengthen out my days, as to make it up forty, I should not, I 

 think desire any more." Now, the Lord heard this desire of his praying 

 servant, and added no less than eight years more unto his days. The 

 most part of which time, except the last three-quarters of a year, he was 

 employed in the publick services of his ministry. 



Being recovered from his illness, he proved that he did not flatter with 

 his lips in the vows that he had made for his recovery, for he now set 

 himself with great fervor to gather the children of his church under the 

 saving wings of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in order thereunto he preached 

 many pungent sermons on Eccl. xi. 9, 10, and Eccl. xii. 1, and used 

 many other successful endeavours. 



Though his labours were not without success, yet the success was not so 

 general and notable but that he would complain, " Alas, for the barren- 

 ness of my ministry ! " And when he found his lungs decay by old age 

 and fever, he would clap his hands on his breast, and say, " The bellows are 

 burnt, the founder has melted in vain ! " At length, infirmities grew so 

 fast upon this painful servant of our Lord, that in the summer of the year 

 1678 he seemed apace drawing on to his end, but after some revivals he 

 again got abroad ; however, he seldom, if ever, preached after it, but only 

 administered the sacraments. In this time his humility, and consequently 



