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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	great_a	read_v	scripture_n	2,824	5	5.6314	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81899	The life and death of that judicious divine, and accomplish'd preacher, Robert Harris, D.D. late president of Trinity Colledge in Oxon. Collected by a joynt-concurrence of some, who knew him well in his strength, visited him often in his sickness, attended him at his death, and still honour his memory. Published at the earnest request of many, for the satisfaction of some, for the silencing of others, and for the imitation of all. / By W.D. his dear friend and kinsman.	Durham, William, 1611-1684.	1660 (1660)	Wing D2831; Thomason E1794_1; ESTC R209698	30,977	127

thus taken down for young Ministers know not the ground they tread upon till God laies them flat This cloud blown over and some other storms from abroad the weather seemed to clear up over him the people began to rellish his Ministry and no small comfort is found in the Proximity of many Divines On the one hand there was Mr. Cleaver a solid Text-man on the other Mr. Lancaster a most humble and self-denying man for whereas hee was by birth a good Gentleman and had been Fellow of Kings Colledge in Cambridge where being called to sundry publick Lectures and Speeches hee delivered himself in as pure Latin to use the words of that Master of Speech Dr. Collins as ever Tully himself uttered having no Notes before him but what hee wrote upon the nails of his fingers yet this man thus accomplished in all Arts contented himself with a living under 40. l. per annum and made no noise of any learning at all But above all the rest the most respected was Mr. Dod touching whom hee was fully of Mr. Cartwrights minde who held him the fittest man in the Land for a Pastoral function A man able to speak to any mans capacity and never out of the Pulpit for all his discourses were Sermons and that with such a mixture of delight as would take with any man The truth is hee was a very eloquent man both in English and Latin so facetious and pithy that Mr. Harris would often say If all his Apophthegmes were collected they would exceed all that Plutarch in Greek or others in Latin since have published For some years Mr. Harris had the happiness to live with and by this Reverend man and that in such a conjunction as greater could not bee Mr. Dod bearing the same respect to the new Preacher as Mr. Goffe had done to his new Pupil they studied together and daily read a Chapter in the Original together and when Mr. Dod beg●n to preach again in another Diecess hee would not expound a Text preach a Sermon answer a Case of Conscience whereof many were daily brought to him without his concurence with him so highly was that Eminent Divine pleased with him yet still would hee blame him for his reservedness and unwillingness to put forth himself The truth is Mr. Dod was abundantly satisfied in his Successor which is rarely seen and was pleased to own and honour him much And on the other side Mr. Harris accounted himself happy in the injoyment of such a Mnason from whom hee learned much But this happiness had its end Mr. Dod was called thence into Northamptonshire and in his absence God made this supply Sundry young Students resorted to Hanwell where his little house was a little Academy Among others hee took much comfort in Mr. Pemble who would do nothing without him especially in Divinity as also in Mr. Capel V. Mr. Valent Marshall in the life of Mr. Capel who in his sore conflicts and temptations made much use of him in private as also in his known Treatise of Temptations But time wears and eats out all these temporary comforts hee lived to see an end of Mr. Pemble Mr. Capel and most of his Sojourners an end of three Patrons in a Succession and their respective Wives and Ladies an end of all the antient Preachers of the Country and of most of his Contemporaries together with the most eminent Professors of those parts as also an end of four of his Sons in their full strength and at length hee lived to see himself and his name buried at Hanwell During his being there hee had sundry calls to London now to the Cross now to the Parliament and sometime to the Country-feasts which gave occasion to many invitations to places there The Auditory that most won upon him was St. Saviours in Southwark and there could hee have spent his life if hee could have reached so great Assemblies From thence hee was invited to lesser Churches but something or other still intercepted Hee had in probability closed with Aldermanbury had not the then Bishop Laud complemented him thence commending his Clerum at Oxon and promising him more preferment than hee thought hee should merit Other offers were made to him then but he ever met with some cross providence about them At length hee came to this conclusion even to end where hee began as to his own particular though hee would not condemn others in their removal At Hanwell hee went over many Scriptures his people found least good from that which cost him most pains and that was the Epistle to the Colossians which hee preached throughout Hee conceived then that hee could not speak too highly to a people so taught but upon further acquaintance hee found that hee could not go too low so that as some of his hearers after told him his pains upon that Epistle was lost upon them His Sermons upon Historical Scriptures took best with the most but with himself and the more spiritual sort the Book of the Canticles prevailed most the Notes whereof hee was often pressed to publish but refused upon a double reason 1 A great part of his Notes were lost and died with Dr. Preston whom hee would call a needless ingrosser of others Notes And 2 Hee less satisfied himself in his elder years in divers passages of that mysterious Book Although there are who upon less experience and far less learning dare vent their conceits upon such difficult Scriptures so confidently as if themselves had been Pen-men rather than Commentators Were the world at leisure to hear old men speak it might bee Tanti to collect those dispersed papers and it is yet hoped that some neer relations who best understand his Character and Method in penning may take some pains therein for the publick good Mean while wee go on where wee left Mr. Harris preaching at Hanwell There hee continued about forty years A constant and painful Preacher both upon the Lords daies and upon other occasions which were many for hee found there an accustomed course of Preaching upon such Festival daies then so called which might not enterfeire with the Lecture or Market adjacent which hee maintained especially on the Easter and White-mondaies at which times troops of Christians from all quarters many miles distant flocked to him as innocent Doves to the windows without any Superstition Thence on the morrow were they entertained at Banbury by Mr. Whately what a fair of souls was then held at Hanwell and Banbury by these two Brothers How did Religion flourish How did Professors thrive In truth the Preachers carved out sound wholesome food and their hearers came with good appetites expecting what they found both milk and meat and did grow thereby In those daies the Preachers laid aside all aiery notions and curious speculations They sought meet words and matter in a plain method and Doctrine Reason and Use accommodating themselves to every capacity and God gave them a plentiful harvest in that Country These

hellish temptations as smote a grief and terrour into all spectators Then as hee would often say God made it appear to all Beholders that the best man is no more than God makes him hourly the receiving of grace the keeping of it the use of it the comfort the enjoyment of it is all from him Nor is this true onely in supernatural graces but in the gifts of nature too our wits senses phantasies are all in his hand nor are the wisest men any thing any longer than hee continues them so This good woman was a sad instance of all this whose temptations were so fierce so horrid and withall so subtle that they put the ablest men to their wits to answer and her poor self beyond her self sundry experienced Preachers and Professors visited her and her Husband who had satisfied many others could give her no peace One day when shee was complaining that shee wanted comfort O saith hee what an Idol do some make of comfort as if their comfort were their Christ Amidst all these trials these comforts hee took notice of 1 That shee was kept from blaspheming the Highest as she still stiled God and from hurting her self or others 2 That this affliction awakened him and his children for they all accounted her the most consciencious and innocent among them 3 It put him upon more work than his age would bear that so hee might call out his thoughts upon business and not eat up his own heart And Lastly It wrought in him an holy despair of all creature-comforts for now hee enjoyed neither childe nor friend nor meat nor sleep having her continually in his eye ear and heart and all friends fearing to come in sight lest they should wound themselves or trouble her Onely instant prayers were continued for her upon all occasions and I doubt not still are in that City and Country which gives hope that the Lord may yet please to make the end comfortable and the conquest glorious However as her Husband would say The difference is not great whether comfort come in death or an hour after since comfort assuredly would come And thus for the present wee leave her tossing upon the waves and billows of Temptation yet under a general expectation of a blessed Issue in the best time and return once and but once more to her Husband now entring into the Haven of rest After a long and laborious life tedious perhaps to him who reads it but more grievous to him who underwent it wee come at length to his long and painful sickness sickness I say That usual Harbinger of death In the Summer hee began to droop Dr. Bathurst Dr. Willis and finding a decay sent for two Physicians well known to him and his by former experiences and eminently known in the University to whom hee would profess That hee used means meerly in obedience but for his own part hee could live and durst dye His Physicians as himself professed had proceeded so far as Art and Learning could carry them but herein they would lose of their worth that they had to deal with complicated diseases which were seldome removed but most of all with old age a disease which was never cured His first encounter was with a vehement Pleuritical pain in his left side to which was adjoyned a Feaver as also a great defluxion of Rheume and oppression of his lungs with flegm and now when after divers weeks all these Assaylants seemed well nigh-vanquished through the tender care of his skilful Physicians yet still haeret lateri That enemy which had so long lodged in his bosome brake forth into an Empyema which hee expectorated daily in so great a measure for the space of two months or more that hereby together with some fits of his old disease the stone and strangury hee was not able to speak much to those that visited him And herein hee made good what hee had often said in his best strength viz. that little must bee expected from him on his death-bed which prophetically occasioned his pen to report fearing his tongue might not then utter his advice and counsel to his family many years before his death Indeed hee rather forbore to speak because hee perceived a design to make his words publick which hee was utterly unwilling to neither would hee consent that any thing of his life or death should bee penned nay hee could never bee perswaded at any time to sit that his shadow might remain so desirous was hee that all of him might be buried with him And albeit hee spit up those lungs which hee had wasted in the Pulpit yet could not that light of grace bee so smothered under his bushel but oftentimes the beams thereof would shine forth and himself would breathe out himself in pithy speeches and savoury discourses At his first sickness being desired to admit of company hee answered I am alone in company it is all one to mee to bee left alone or to have friends with mee my work is now to arm my self for death which assaults mee and I apply my self as I am able for that great encounter Accordingly hee spent his whole time in meditation prayer and in reading Gods book especially the Book of the Psalms the Prophecie of Isaiah and St. Johns Gospel where hee took exceeding delight in the 10th 14th 15th 16th 17th Chapters of that Evangelist After when his long nights and short sleep were tedious when hee could not now rise or sit upright to read hee would command others to read unto him and then would collect the chief useful things contained in the Chapter expounding any thing hard in it and sweetly feeding on the rest Still would hee exhort hi● visitants and attendants to get Faith above all It is your victory your life would hee say your peace your crown and your chief peece of spiritual armour howbeit get on all go forth in the Lords might and stand to the fight and then the issue shall bee glorious onely forget not to call in the help of your General do all from him and under him On the Lords day hee would not hinder any from the publick for any thing to bee done for him till Sermons were ended then would hee say Come what have you for mee meaning something of repetition to which hee would attend so diligently as that hee would summe up the heads of every Sermon and say O what excellent truths are these Lay them up charily you will have need of them When friends came to visit him hee would say I cannot speak but I can hear yet being asked where his comfort lay hee answered In Christ and in the free Grace of God To one that told him Sir you may take much comfort in your labours you have done much good c. Hee answered All was nothing without a Saviour My best works said hee would condemn mee Oh I am ashamed of them being mixed with so much sin Oh I am an unprofitable servant I have not done

upon it either to quit Oxen or Petersfield the one hee durst not decline the other hee did to his exceeding grief because hee could not seal up such respect and thanks to that County which was due from him No less trouble had hee at Buttolphs Bishopsgate it being no easie matter to content Citizens much ado there was before that place could bee supplied to all their mindes In the mean amongst many Libels cast out at Oxon against other Preachers one especially took a survey of Mr. Harris his Livings and Revenewes hee reckons up all hee could hear of past present and to come and had hee heard of the rest which at several times were offered him haply they had all been put into the Inventory Upon notice given of such a Pamphlet Mr. Harris wrote to some friends which letters are already extant for his own vindication in the main howbeit he professed to his friends that it would and should bee matter of humbling to him whilst hee lived that hee had given the least advantage to an adversary for however hee stood clear in his own and others consciences who best knew him that hee was far from the allowance of non-residency and pluralities yet to men who knew not all passages there was some appearance of evil which hee took to heart the more because hee found Gods afflicting hand upon him and his thence forward To return to Oxon there things stand but untowardly whilst the Preachers sent are libelled by their own Mothers children on the one hand and withall challenged into a disputation by one Mr Erbery and his followers on the other Such a motion or challenge it seems was made which Mr. Harris utterly disliked observing that disputes in that nature send away each party more strengthened in their opinion than they found them notwithstanding his Brethren did not think it fit for them to decline it onely they desired his concurrence so far at least that hee would begin the work with prayer Accordingly they met and the issue was that all were censured some for speaking others for their silence in this latter rank hee was willingly placed About this time comes the Chancellour the Earl of Pembroke to visit the University who pro more bestowed degrees upon Scholars there amongst whom Mr. Harris who never thought himself the better Scholar or Preacher thereby was admitted Doctor of Divinity which had it not been the favour of his betters hee had refused But hee had learned That an empty hand from a Prince and a naked title from his Chancellour must be counted an honour By this time many Headships before voided were now to bee supplied Dr. Harris professed that forasmuch as it was noised That these reforming Preachers came thither to play their own game namely to thrust out others and to usurp their places therefore hee would keep him to his old course viz. to stand silent without opening his mouth for any Headship at all Well the best places are soon disposed of neither any news of any for him till a Noble man of the other University mentioned him whereupon hee was assigned to Trinity Colledge This some of his friends stranged at considering that hee was though the meanest in his own eyes yet the eldest man and one who had suffered more by the times than any if not all the rest For his own part hee said little but inquired for the Head deprived and into the nature of the place As touching the Head of that house hee was not willing to meddle with his place if hee could finde favour to hold it and to that purpose forbore as long as could bee permitted And as touching the place the smalness of the Colledge and the Scituation thereof did abundantly satisfie him who never desired any more than what would keep him from distractions in his studies The onely thing stuck at was a Parsonage annexed to the Colledge But understanding the distance to bee small and the conditions easie viz. eight Sermons per annum hee the more inclined to it though after upon further inquiry hee could not satisfie himself under two Sermons weekly However there hee sate-down and took a great deal of contentment in the Fellows of that Colledge betwixt whom and him there was ever a fair correspondency But at the Parsonage hee found the greater part notwithstanding they had been long taught very ignorant and wedded to their old customes and which hee looked upon as a sad Omen to the place no sooner did any there set his face towards Heaven in any special manner but the Lord took him out of the world some few very few excepted Some motion was now made by the Committee at Oxon for his removal to New Colledge upon the avoidance of it but the motion began without him and was stifled by him when exception above was taken by some against his uncapableness being no Winchester-man In truth as hee professed to his friends hee desired a little Colledge rather than a great hee being a man very much addicted to privacy and his book which made him often to say That were Trinity-Colledge a competency without the Parsonage hee would not leave it for any place unless it were for some Hospital so much had hee seen into the vanity and cumber of the world In his l●tter daies hee began to grow weary of journies whereupon some well-affected Citizens in Oxon moved thereto in a Sermon preached to them by Dr. Cheynell made some overtures to him to read a Catechism-Lecture or some Brinciples of Religion as hee thought fittest in one of their Churches in lieu whereof they would allow him at their charges an Assistant at his Parsonage The motion was good the exercise needful only it was questionable how such a work would take in such a place amongst wits and Scholars yet because hee had bemoaned himself to God in private That his comfort was little in the place where hee preached and had made it his humble sute That the Lord would not lay him aside but some way employ him whilst any ability was left him because I say hee had thus prayed and this motion immediately succeeded hee durst not sleight it but set upon the work with much acceptance and assistance the Lord giving strength beyond his years and thus hee continued preaching once a Sabbath at his Parsonage once weekly in the City and constantly in his turn at the University and that not onely in English but in Latin also Yet wee are not at the end of his travels when he had now freed himself of secular affairs placed all his children left himself nothing else to do but to prepare himself and wife for their graves having lived about fifty years together it pleased the Lord to exercise him strangely His wife most religiously bred born of Parents eminently pious a most constant worshipper of God all her time who seldome rose from her knees with dry eyes was delivered up to Satans buffetings to such horrours of minde and

in a book kept for that very purpose But these evidences were best read in the course of his life which was an exact walking with God in Piety Charity Humility Patience and Dependence on him Hee was none of those who sate in Moses Chair but did not the things which themselves taught Hee had well digested that Fathers Precept to Preachers Either preach not at all or live as you preach His life was the Commentary upon his Doctrine his practice the counterpart of his Sermons what was said of that precious Jewel In the life of B. Jewell was true of him That hee adorned an heavenly Doctrine with an heavenly Life In a word hee did vertere verba in opera hee lived Religion whilst many discourse onely Hee was much more than hee seemed to bee hee loved not to make a noise in the world accounting it much better to do than to speak His Charity to the poor was no less discreet than private When hee met with just objects of Charity his hand was more ready to give than his mouth to proclaim it Justice they say should bee blinde and know no difference of persons but Charity should have her eyes in her head and one eye especially on the houshold of Faith It is true hee was no friend to idle lazy persons who live on the sweat of others brows like Pharaohs lean kine devouring the fat yet no whit the fatter These hee looked upon as the Pests of the Common-wealth nor could hee think it Charity to relieve such to the prejudice of the publick and to their own destruction But Gods poor were his and lay neer his heart Hee that shall survey his large bills of weekly and quarterly allowances besides round summs to poor Ministers especially their Widows and Orphans who never knew the Donor and shall examine his Legacies in his Will to charitable uses cannot but acknowledge his charity whatever others think of him did exceed the proportion of his revenewes Though naturally hee were of a stout and masculine temper yet through grace hee had attained a very humble spirit Hee was low and mean in his own eyes and had more undervaluing thoughts of himself than all the world besides had of him very sensible hee was of that enemy which hee much complained of viz. Discouragement which hee called the childe of Pride and Unbeleef It must needs bee a great measure of humility that could keep a man low under such abilities attainments and such general applause Hee was wont to say That hee valued no man for his gifts but for his humility under them neither would hee expect much from any man were his parts never so great till broken with affliction and temptation It was his observation That the humblest Preachers converted most souls not the choicest Scholars whilst unbroken Sometime hee would use this speech which though it seemed to speak a contradiction yet hath it much truth in it It is better to bee an humble Devil than a proud Angel Hee never affected Popularity Pulpits Printing c. As one conscious to himself of I know not what unworthiness Neither ever came hee thus abroad in publick but when haled by importunity Secondly Consider him as a Man in his Morals first whether in the Government of his particular self or family or his greater trusts you shall alwaies finde him like himself excellent and almost without an equal Hee was exactly temperate confining himself to hours for diet sleep c. Hee would often say That hee had rather pour liquor into his boots than into his mouth between meals V. Serm. called Drunkards Cup. A strict observer of those Laws of sobriery which St. Paul had prest upon Ministers and which hee himself had publickly printed for others hee eat sparingly and seasonably which doubtless was one great means of preserving such a vigour of spirit to so great an age his onely play-time was Saturday in the afternoon then hee would unbend and disburden himself by some harmless recreation ad Ruborem onely Hee was a man of an excellent carriage and sweet behaviour whereby hee wonn much upon all grave without affectation pleasant without levity Indeed hee did never love to hear himself talk and was therefore by some thought too reserved but when hee knew with whom hee had to do hee was communicative enough No man more candid nor fuller of civility none more open and free to entertain or return discourses Hee was very cautious ere hee struck a league of intimate friendship with any man but when hee had once done it hee was cordial firm and constant his head his hand tongue pen feet purse all were now no longer his own but his feiends It is said of the French that whatever cloaths they wear whatsoever garb they accost you in becomes them so well as if nothing else did And our Doctor had this advantage as a great Critick in men Mr. R. M. as well as books observed of him That whatsoever hee did or spoke became him It was a very rare thing to see him angry If at any time others folly had discomposed him or their sin the greatest folly had provoked him yet could hee quickly command himself and convert his passion into wholesome instruction Though hee had great parts and acquirements yet hee would never sleight or undervalue much less contemn or discourage any whom he found right in the main In his censures hee was very sparing gentle to others severe onely to himself Hee had a special gift of forgetting injuries but would offer none his memory never served him better than for any civilities received to which hee would industriously make what proportionable returns hee could Hee was very fearful lest hee should give any occasion of suspition that hee forgot or neglected any because hee could not readily recollect mens names insomuch that hee would say If hee lived long bee should forget his own name with him in Valerius At meals hee was usually comical and facetious yet still would hee enquire of the publick or of particular Towns or Families whence hee would alwaies extract something for prayers or praises in his returns after meat In his Family hee had amongst the rest that comprehensive qualification of a good Bishop that hee ruled well his own house His method in the education of his children was this In general his care was to maintain his authority over them which is much pressed by a Reverend Divine yet even that authority was equally tempered with lenity and gravity Mr. Hilders on Psal 51. Lect. Hee could love them without fondness and rule them without rigour In particular as soon as his children could use their tongue they were taught to repeat the history of Scripture so soon as they could well feel their feet they were set to school when they could recollect any portion of a Chapter read or bring home any passage of a Sermon hee would instruct them in the fundamentals of Religion When childhood