You gave read of that remarkable man, Mr. Usher, who was Archbishop of
Armagh. I will tell you something about his early childhood. He was born
in Dublin, in the year 1580, and when a little boy he was fond of
reading. He lived with his two aunts who were born blind, and who
acquired much knowledge of the Scriptures by hearing others read the
Scriptures and other good books. At seven years of age he was sent to
school in Dublin; at the end of five years he was superior in study to
any of his school fellows, and was thought fully qualified to enter the
college at Dublin.
While he was at college he learned to play at cards, and he was so much
taken up with this amusement that both his learning and piety were much
endangered. He saw the evil tendency of playing at cards, and at once
relinquished the practice entirely. When he was nine years old, he heard
a sermon preached which made a deep impression on his mind. From that
time he was accustomed to habits of devotion. He loved to pray, and he
felt that he could not sleep quietly without first commending himself to
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.