Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A25473
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A sermon preached at the funeral of reverend Mr. Will. Whitaker, late minister of Magdalen Bermondsey, Southwark by Samuel Annesley.
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Annesley, Samuel, 1620?-1696.
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1673
(1673)
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Wing A3237; ESTC R29041
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19,740
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37
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poor soul unto eternity To all this and a thousand times more that extream anguish will force from you you can expect but such a kind of answer I grant your case is dreadful and I cannot blame you to be earnest to alter it but it is now too late the time of life is the only time of grace and mercy the experience your soul hath had during its separation from the body attests this I know misery cannot but cry out though to no purpose and 't is inhumanity on earth to insult over those that are miserable but I must tell you those that are most compassionate cannot now pity you Those that with tears and importunities beg'd mercy for you as for themselves now praise God for his most terrible vengeance and God himself will laugh at your destruction your day is past the gulf is fixt Luke 16.20 and there 's no remedy Be intreated therefore forthwith to consider of these things I must tell you that though I have supposed this transient Dialogue yet unless while you live you make sure work for Heaven you will not afterwards have so long a respite for so short a Discourse Behold NOW is the accepted time behold NOW is the day of salvation 4. And now my Dear Brethren of the Ministry know you not that there is a Seer and a great man faln this day in Israel and we are weak though under some enlargement of liberty The Protestant interest needs such Champions 'T was a William Whitaker that gave the Beast a deadly wound in the Chair and this William Whitaker whose work lay most in the Pulpit was well able to stop the mouths of gainsayers Practical godliness wants such a Barnabas Acts 11.24 Who was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost and Faith and much people was added unto the Lord. And alas my Brethren we want such a Gospel-Bishop Titus 1.7 8 9. Who was blameless as the Steward of God not self-willed not soon angry not given to wine no striker not given to filthy lucre but a lover of hospitality a lover of good men sober just holy temperate holding fast the faithful word c. I do not remember that ever he came among us but we were all ready to rise up and call him blessed his presence was so refreshing Should I trace him from his Cradle to his Grave you will find nothing but what was lovely Gal. 1.15 16. It pleased God to separate him from his Mothers womb and to call him to his grace there 's none can name the time of his unregeneracy and to reveal Christ to him that he might preach Christ both in City and Countrey and he consulted not with flesh and blood In the fifteenth year of his age he was admitted in Emanuel Colledge whose first Tutor gave him this direction which he constantly observed viz. To note every day what and how much he studied that in after times reflecting on his life past he might repent of the time he had lost While himself was a Pupill he was as it were a Tutor to many Tutors of the Colledge diverse of the Fellows desiring and receiving direction from him in the Oriental Tongues Dr. Holsworth then Master of the Colledge took such notice of him while a Freshman that he gave him the Keyes of the Colledge-Library and appointed him Tasks in translating Eustatius upon Homer wherein he did so much as is scarce to be imitated But why should I be so particular in the former part of his life Let it suffice to say in short His Piety Learning sweetness of Disposition Candour and Ingenuity were so eminent that he was loved and honoured of all that knew him and was for his time one of the greatest Ornaments and Tutors of the University I may say something of him like to what was said of Moses Acts 7.22 he was learned in all necessary learning and was in all he undertook a workman that needed not to be ashamed In the twenty fourth year of his age he entred into the Ministry and how he hath fulfilled it you all know He took the counsel the Apostle gave to Timothy 1 Tim. 4.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Give thy self wholly to them A Ministers whole being should be in his Ministry his soul his body his times all his graces all his learning all his studies all his interests all laid out in the work of THE Ministry in the work of HIS Ministry in the work of HIS OTHER MENS Ministry His deserved fame for this is not confined within the narrow Seas I think I may say you cannot shew me throughout England such a Schola illustris for forreign Divines his house was for many years full seldome at any time empty of Candidates in Divinity who returned so accomplisht for their work that I fear not to say They and the Congregations where they exercise their Ministry will bless God to eternity for his non-such help I could name other things that would be excellencies in others that were so natural to him that should I mention them I must present you with a Journal of his life I will therefore single out but one particular he was such a Peace-Preacher and Peace-Maker where ever he came that at Horn-Church where he was Minister he ended a Controversie of many years standing about which they had expended above a thousand pound What 's therefore to be done by us now in our circumstances upon the consideration of such a pattern My dear Brethren I would be truly sensible of my unfitness to advise but seeing this service is unexpectedly cast upon me I would be your remembrancer in these things 1. Let it be your great care jointly and severally that the Church of Christ may be as little a loser as it is possible by his removal Oh that the Spirit of Elijah may be doubled upon our Elisha's that as the fewer hands the more work so we may find the more work the more grace the more skill the more strength that we may experience God can save souls by few as well as by many by the Minor as well as by the Major Prophets Let me a little more then allude to 2 Cor. 3.11 that as his Ministry who is gone away from us was glorious much more may yours that remaineth be glorious 2. Le ts make it our business to be as much Ministers out of the Pulpit as in it The well discharge of the Ministry is an intolerable drudgery to a carnal heart to have not only our Sermons but our occasional discourses to have not only our words but our silence speak us Ministers of Christ to be alwayes upon our watch if I may so speak sleeping and waking that is to sleep no more than is necessary to our watchfulness who that is not gracious I had almost said eminently gracious can endure it At all times in all places to imitate our great Shepheard who was anointed with the Holy Ghost and with Power who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the Devil for God was with him Acts 10.38 Brethren to have all our Sermons smell of the Lamp and that Lamp supplyed from the Spirit of Grace certainly 't was not without great cause that