our own Translation which it 's a fault needlesly to recede from The former part viz. Serving his Generation will be so inlarged on as the scope of my discourse that at present I need say no more than to note that the word Serve 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is metaphorical and denotes both the publick influence of David's Labours and his great Subjection it alludes to a Man's Rowing in a Vessel under the conduct of a superior Pilot. The Royal Prophet was but an Under Rower i. e. as much under Divine Authority and as dependant as if the meanest Man He served in the Vessel viz. the Church and State the safe Passage whereof he consulted and subserved as his principal business By the Will of God God did not only serve his purposes by him which the most regardless and obstinate cannot prevent but this Blessed Man did designedly and faithfully serve those purposes God intended in his Age and Place he obeyed God's Will as he had notice of it and what ever labour expence or danger attended it This Will of God he still consulted as to the matter and manner of his performances If you read the History of David's Life and the Book of Psalms you 'll find the laudable Character in my Text evidenc'd in almost an uninterrupted Series of publick and profitable Actions from his very Youth to his Death By him God saved Israel from greatest Dangers he secured their Peace enlarged their Borders he fought their Battels united the Tribes brought the Ark to Zion established the Publick Worship encouraged and propagated real Piety exemplified the Divine Law in the course of his Practice few are the instances wherein he came short of the Common Good as the scope yea his Heart was so enlarged as to resolve greater things than God thought fit to permit his Execution of as building the Temple for which nevertheless he prepared the Materials How solicitous was he that his indispos'd Age it self might not fail to be useful to God's Honour in his own yea future Generations Ps. 71. 17 18. O God thou hast taught me from my youth and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works Now also when I am old and gray headed O God forsake me not until I have shewed thy strength to this generation and thy power to every one that is to come A Life so eminently useful might well warrant his saying I bear up the pillars of the Earth Ps. 73.5 deserve the peoples acknowledgment 2 Sam. 18.3 Thou art worth ten thousands of us and answer the Testimony the Omniscient God gave before-hand concerning him Act. 13.22 I have found David a man after my own heart who will fulfil all my will 2. David's Death He fell asleep after not before he had faithfully served a common good nor later than he was capable to do so Every Man is Immortal be his danger never so great till he hath accomplished the service God designeth by him and there is scarce a good Man that knows himself such but would live till his course in service be finished or would chuse to live longer than he can be serviceable but when we are unfit to be Instruments of good to others and are wrought to a meetness for Glory it 's fit time others have our place whom Providence hath suited to God's further Designs by somewhat peculiarly fitted to the rising Generation The word by which David's Death is expressed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he lay him down to sleep which notes Death to be no terror to him and that Resurrection would certainly ensue The former part of the Text is what I shall principally insist on therein David is commended and they who imitate his life partake of the like Honour Two Observations the words easily afford I Obs. It 's an excellent Character of a deceased Person that by Faithfulness and Diligence in his place he hath been eminently useful in his Generation To render this intelligible and useful I shall 1. Explain this Character 2. Give an account of some things requisite to render a Man eminently useful in his Generation who is capable to be so by his Gifts Estate Office c. 3. Evidence the Excellency of this described Character For the Explication of this Character I shall propose the following Heads which I think will render that Duty plain which I would this Day call you to the performance of 1. God so disposeth of Men in their respective Generations that they are capable of being benefited by each other The parts of a Political Body can no more say to each other I have no need of thee than those of the Natural 1 Cor. 12.21 which disposition of things is the foundation of all Societies Men need each other and are receptive of mutual Advantages Conversation Friendship Families Trades Common Safety and what not are provided for hereby and without it would be defeated and cease but the All-wise God hath placed Men in that posture towards each other that no one is Self-sufficient Some need Health others Knowledge others Defence others Food and Raiment others Counsel others Reproof and Spiritual Instruction others Comfort and the like in each of these respects those words of our Saviour may be applied Ioh. 12.8 The poor you have always with you some that need your help many in a great degree most in one sort or other so that none can pretend want of Objects or Occasions as a Plea why they are not useful they are daily at hand and adapted to the Nature and Proportion of your Talents infinite Wisdom hath contrived the several wants of Mankind to give opportunity for employing that common Stock he hath distributed and as wonderful is it that those very wants be the great Means that the several Possessors of that Common Stock receive benefit by the shares thereof which they respectively do enjoy for it 's visible that whatever any one Man enjoys would leave him distressed unless by exchanging that with another he were relieved by what that other Man possesseth and himself wants Nay that no Man may reflect on God as unkind to the World because the Poor are so many it 's worthy our admiration that Poverty it self is very conducive to the Publick Good not only as it prevents much sin but as it 's the greatest Spur to Diligence Callings Inventions and Services which the Common Benefit depends upon yea were none poor every Man would be next to miserable by wanting all those conveniencies which they now obtain by any other persons Want or desire of Wealth Who would be Servants private Soldiers Seamen Handicrafts-men c. if none were poor If some would study Law Physick c. it 's from few of them that their Neighbours could expect the advantage of their Arts. They who would sail to other Countries and bring back any thing of their peculiar growth how few if any besides themselves should be the better for them I wish I might not say we should have fewer Preachers
THE EXCELLENCY OF A Publick Spirit Set forth in a SERMON Preach'd since much enlarged at the FUNERAL Of that late Reverend Divine Dr. SAMVEL ANNESLEY Who departed this Life Dec 31. 1696. In the 77th Year of his Age. With a Brief Account of His LIFE and DEATH By Daniel Williams Minister of the Gospel LONDON Printed for Iohn Dunton at the Raven in Iewen street 1697. To that Flock of Christ over which the Reverend Dr. Annesley was lately Pastor Much honoured and esteemed THis presents you with a Discourse for substance preached and printed at your desire I faintly hope its acceptance with many when Iustice is become a stranger and a meer honest Man a glorius Title Publick Usefulness must scarce escape with the Brand of Folly with those whole Trade is turned into tricking or account publick Employs no more than a decent opportunity to cheat the People But Truth may profit them unless a Zeal for their Disease will not allow their reading what is directed for their recovery To you and some others this Subject must appear too plainly instamp'd with God's Image and Authority and a tendency to Common Weal to admit the Censure of a Narrow Spirit however disguised to be it's Standard Especially when this is what commended your late Pastor to such unusual Affection as you expressed to him living dying yea when dead Yet this might be expected seeing his very Spirit is transfused into his People by whose Bounty in good part he performed such great Things for a common Good Few Ministers had such cause of glorying in so many Publick Spirited Hearers as yours Mr. Denham Mr. Hartley Mr. Cockerill with many now at rest might be named the living I scarce forbear The Sermon is much enlarged and the Method somewhat changed that it may more contribute to common Serviceableness What 's more desirable than to Vseful in making others so Hence the eminent Services of Mr. Brand so revived the Dr. And hereby we most extend and pertuate publick Benefits yea oft above our own Ability and beyond our Life Promote you that Design in this barren Age by putting this Tract into Hands who need it and by your own vigorous Example and Prayer's that it may be seen the Spring of your Charity and Christian Activeness is more lasting than the Exemplary Life or Labours of your deceased Guide May you find in Spirituals and Externals there is that scattereth and yet increaseth The liberal Soul shall be made fat and he that watereth shall be watered also himself And all of us be excited to more holy Fervour by the Death of two such as Dr. Annesley and fervent Mr. Oldfield in one Day and worthy Mr. James soon after I am Your Servant in the Gospel Daniel Williams THE EXCELLENCY OF A Publick Spirit ACTS XIII Ver. 36. For David after he had served his own Generation by the Will of God fell on sleep YOUR Request bringing me hither upon this sad Occasion your Venerable Pastor's Death I have made choice of this Text as proper to inforce an Important Duty which tho' so little regarded by most in our Age yet the deceased was faithful in the practice of yea so Eminent that I hope he will be a moving Example to others in this wherein the signal Excellency of his own Life consisted The words read are part of St. Paul's Sermon to the Iews at Antioch in which after a fit Introduction 1. He proves Jesus to be the Christ from ver 23. to 38. an Article which supposing the knowledge of God hath the greatest influence into all our Religious Hopes and Duties and therefore a firm assent thereto ought to be more endeavoured than I fear is usual with many who boast of a Christian Name This point he argues from these Topicks Jesus was of David's Seed which the Christ was to be 23 24. Jesus was he whom Iohn in such esteem with them did bear Testimony to that he was the Christ 24 25. In the unjust condemnation and barbarous killing of this Jesus the Iews had unwittingly fulfilled in every circumstance all the Prophecies which foretold the unjust and cruel usuages the Christ should meet with 27 28 29. This Jesus God had certainly raised from the Dead according as it was in several places Prophesied of the Christ and promised to him which Resurrection was God's Testimony concerning him that he was his Eternal Son Incarnate But lest any might object that that Text Ps. 16. 10. was fulfilled in David the Apostle obviates this by shewing that David lay in his Grave so long as to putrifie which the Christ was not to do neither did our Jesus and by this occasion the words of my Text are introduced as David's Praise which the Apostle would not omit tho' his Argument lies in that part of the Verse which I have not read viz. He saw Corruption And the following v. 38 39. are both Arguments for Jesus being the Christ in that forgiveness of sin to which the Mosaick Ceremonies and Sacrifices were altogether unavailable but as Types and Shadows respecting what Jesus did and suffered was preached through this Iesus 2. And also a serious offer of forgiveness to all of them made in the Name and Authority of our Saviour Christ. 3. He inforceth this with an awakening caution viz. That they prevent not their own Salvation yea aggravate not their Misery by rejecting this Jesus the Christ the Lord q. d. the Lord Jesus fulfilling all that 's foretold of his Death and Resurrection his being the Crucified and Risen Saviour yea the offer of that blessed forgiveness he purchased will not suffice to your Salvation unless you also trust and receive him Nay if you receive him not and accept not Salvation in the way he proposeth your punishment will be sorer than if forgiveness had been never offered yea than if there were no Saviour v. 40 41. for the profitable matter not the meer connexion having thus far diverted I assume the Text which gives us account 1. Of David's Publick Usefulness while living he served his own Generation by the Will of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being alike governed by the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 causeth another reading to be as Grammatical viz. After he had served the Will of God in his own Generation that of Erasmus being too remote to deserve much regard viz. That he fell asleep by the Will of God yet the sence of both readings alike secures the great Duty of Publick Usefulness to be David's Praise for if you prefer the latter his Service is determined to the Publick Weal in his own Generation tho' it may more expresly include also his care for his own Soul by his obedience to God's Will as prescribing the Rule by which we must be saved which was the Gospel Law then as truly as it 's now of which a faithful improvement of our Talents is no small part But the order of the words most favours
and tended to make him a successful Blessing or his Heart and Hands had failed He was a Man of great uprightness he squared not his Profession by his Secular Interest tho' he had a large Family yet he quitted a full Maintenance rather than sin against God by Conformity Before then he was turned out of his Lecture and kept out a while because he could not comply with some Extravagancies of the late Times and since hath he suffered because he must witness for the Old Truth against Antinomianism His Integrity made him a Stranger to all Tricks and sometimes his Charity betrayed him to be impos'd on by such as use them His Humility was signal he seemed to have the meanest Opinion of his own Gifts and Labours highly esteeming others and envying none no not the acceptance of our promising young Ministers He might say with David I prayer as if made up of that Every Day he prayed twice in his Family to the last moment that he was capable His usual way was to pray 3 or 4 times a day in his Study Upon every extraordinary Occurrence in his House he kept a Fast. Under every Affliction before he would speak of it or pitch on means to redress it he spread it still before God in Prayer which brought him tho' a most affectionate Husband to bear the News of his Wives death with that composure as calmly to say The Lord gave the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. And after the greatest Losses he was used to speak of them with an unconcernedness as if anothers not his own In Prayer he was mighty and the returns remarkable and frequent He could trust God with all and was still resigned to his Will His solicitous concern was that God might not be dishonoured When he lay Sick this was oft repeated Oh! that I may not dishonour God in my last moments whom in my poor manner I made it the business of my Life to honour Oh! that I may not dishonour my God by my impatience Being one Night under exceeding torture he called his Daughter then present and charged her not to entertain one hard thought of God by any thing he felt but be assured he is infinitely Merciful and none are happy but those that serve him he gives peace of Conscience that 's beyond all the World can give none can die cheerfully but a Christian he shines on my Soul through Christ. God and Heaven were so habituated to him that in some disorder in his Head by his Distemper fixing there he still kept the same Savour breathed the same Spirit and spake of Divine Matters most consistently His Head was not free of those Projects for God which in Health it was ever full of I 'll end this with Mr. Baxter's who knew not how to flatter or fear any Man Account of him Dr. Annesley is a most Sincere Godly Humble Man totally devoted to God Mr. B's Life Having hinted some things that respect the Excellency of this Person some may whisper but what Tokens of God's Favour had this useful Man more than others he had many Troubles and Exercises God testified his Favour to him in Instances which he most esteemed and pursued above all things yea dispised and renounced all compared therewith which is enough to testifie him a happy Man what ever he endured or wanted God kept him faithful in his Work to the last for which he thus thanked God on his Death-Bed Blessed be God I can say I have been faithful in the Work of the Ministry above 55 Years He had great success in his Work many called him Father as the Instrument of their Conversion the worthy Mr. Brand was one many called him Comforter In all his sufferings he found supports which kept him as chearful as his Office and Age allowed under all yea 17 weeks pain without a discontended Word or Thought Signal returns of Prayer he frequently had and very close Communion with God in Christ. His Charity and Care wanted not comfortable Effects How many whom he contributed to the Education of are useful Ministers In how many Places doth Religion flourish by his means God gave him a great Interest in the Hearts of most Ministers and serious People How oft and long did they pray for his Life as a publick Blessing And how generally is his Death lamented He thankfully owned God in all He signally witnessed for him in his Judgments on several of his Persecutors One died signing a Warrant to apprehend him Many might be instanced but it 's fit we cover such in acknowledgment of present Quiet He had uninterrupted peace and assurance of God's Covenant-Love for above 30 years last past It 's true he walked in Darkness for several years before that which is common to those who are converted in Childhood their change not being remarkable and so apter to be questioned and they oft make up in a long time by frequent returns the sad hours that others have pressing in at once But God had a further design viz. The fitting and enclining him to relieve wounded Consciences by his Ministry and Discourse wherein he was so Eminent that most troubled Souls resorted to him He used to say that this made him unable to preach a Sermon without some Word to them This Assurance had not one Cloud in all his Disease He oft said I 've no doubt nor shadow of doubt all 's clear between God and my Soul he Chains up Satan he cannot trouble me To conclude all He had an abundant entrance into God's Kingdom He was reconciled to Death yea so desirous of it as hardly induced him to have his Life prayed for But hearing some Ministers had been servently praying for his Life he replied I 'm then more reconciled to Life than ever for I 'm confident God will not give a Life so eminently in answer of Prayer as mine must be if he would not use it to greater purposes than ever before Yet some little time before his change his desires of Death appear'd strong and his Soul filled with the foretasts of Glory oft saying Come my dearest Jesus the nearer the more precious the more welcome Another time his joy was so great that in an extasie he cried out I cannot contain it what manner of Love is this to a poor Worm I can't express the thousandth part of what praise is due to thee we know not what we do when we offer at praising God for his Mercies it 's but little I can give but Lord help me to give thee my All. I 'll die praising thee and rejoice that there 's others can praise thee better I shall be satisfied with thy likeness satisfied satisfied Oh my dearest Jesus I come Now do not you think Christ is worth the faithfullest Service which ends in this manner To you of this Congregation for whose Salvation he was so concerned shall I say bewail the loss of him when you are so sensible Yet that 's but Just. Bless God for your enjoying his faithful Labours so long see that none of you perish after such pains to save you be established in the Truths you have heard which you see governed his Life to such great purposes and helped him to die with sure Triumph Shew your regard to his Memory by kindness to his Family and by not breaking off from this Church that he may not be reflected on by your giddiness as if he Taught you no better or Established you no more than to be deluded to serve a Carnal Turn in pretence of greater Purity You his Children live your Fathers Advice and Example or what a Witness will he be against you Let us all go hence with a due sence of it The World hath lost a Blessing the Church hath lost a Pillar the Nation hath lost a Wrestler with God the Poor have lost a Benefactor You his People have lost a Faithful Pastor his Children a Tender Father we in the Ministry an Exemplary Fellow Labourer FINIS There is now in the Press A COMPLEAT HISTORY of the most Remarkable Providences both of Iudgment and Mercy which have happened in this present Age Extracted from the best Writers the Authors own Observations and the numerous Relations sent him from divers Parts of the Three Kingdoms To which is added whatever is Curious in the Works of Nature and Art The whole digested into one Volume under proper Heads being a Work set on foot 30 Years ago by the Reverend Mr. Pool Author of the Synopsis Criticorum and since undertaken and finished by William Turner M. A. Vicar of Walberton in Sussex Recommended as Useful to Ministers in furnishing Topicks of Reproof and Exhortation and to private Christians for their Closets and Families Proposals and Specimens giving a fuller Account of it are to be had of I. Dunton at the Raven in Iewen-street and of Edward Richardson near the Poultry Church There is newly Published ⸫ The Character of Dr. Sam. Annesley by way of Elegy with a Preface written by one of his Hearers Price 6 d. Sold by E. Whitlock near Stationers-Hall ⸪ The whole Parable of Dives and Lazarus Explain'd and Apply'd in several Sermons preached in Cripplegate and Lothbury Churches by Ioseph Stevens Lecturer at both Published at the Request of the Hearers and recommended as proper to be given at Funerals Price bound 2 s. Printed for I. Dunton ⸪ The Secret History of White-Hall from the Restoration of Charles II. down to the Abdication of the late King James Writ at the Request of a Noble Lord and conveyed to him in Letters by late Secretary-Interpreter to the Marquis of Louvois who by that means had the perusal of all the private Minutes between England and France for many years The whole consisting of Secret Memoirs c. Published from the Original Papers by D. Iones Gent. Sold by R. Baldwin in Warwick Lane ⸪ The Dying Pastor's last Farewell By Mr. Allyn Printed for I. Dunton Price 1 s.