▁known ▁as ▁" the ▁beauty ▁of ▁hol iness " ▁for ▁his ▁good ▁looks ▁in ▁the ▁pul pit , ▁and ▁was ▁called ▁by ▁John ▁H ough ▁" the ▁ab l est ▁man ▁of ▁his ▁time ". ▁ ▁Life ▁He ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁C ran bor ne , ▁Dor set . ▁He ▁went ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁th ir teen ▁to ▁St ▁John ' s ▁College , ▁Cambridge , ▁where ▁he ▁graduated ▁B . A . ▁in ▁ 1 6 5 2 . ▁He ▁became ▁vic ar ▁of ▁S utton , ▁Bed ford shire ▁in ▁ 1 6 5 7 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 6 6 5 , ▁after ▁he ▁had ▁made ▁his ▁name ▁as ▁a ▁writer , ▁he ▁became ▁vic ar ▁at ▁St ▁Andrew , ▁Hol born . ▁ ▁He ▁pre ached ▁at ▁St ▁Margaret , ▁West min ster ▁on ▁ 1 0 ▁October ▁ 1 6 6 6 , ▁the ▁' day ▁of ▁hum ili ation ▁and ▁fast ing ' ▁after ▁the ▁Great ▁Fire ▁of ▁London , ▁with ▁such ▁an ▁attend ance ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁standing ▁room ▁only . ▁Samuel ▁P ep ys ▁recorded ▁that ▁he ▁could ▁not ▁get ▁in ▁to ▁hear ▁the ▁ser mon , ▁e ating ▁a ▁me al ▁of ▁her r ings ▁in ▁a ▁pub ▁instead . ▁ ▁He ▁then ▁held ▁many ▁prefer ments , ▁including ▁a ▁Royal ▁Chap lain cy , ▁and ▁the ▁Dean ery ▁of ▁St ▁Paul ' s ▁( 1 6 7 8 ), ▁the ▁latter ▁involving ▁him ▁in ▁work ▁connected ▁with ▁the ▁building ▁of ▁the