Abel being Dead yet speaketh OR THE LIFE DEATH Of that deservedly Famous Man of GOD Mr John Cotton Late TEACHER of the Church of CHRIST at BOSTON in NEW-ENGLAND By JOHN NORTON Teacher of the same Church Heb. 13. 7. Remember them which have the rule over you who have spoken unto you the word of God whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation LONDON Printed by Tho. Newcomb for Lodowick Lloyd and are to be sold at his Shop next the Castle-Tavern in Cornhill 1658. The Life and Death OF Mr JOHN COTTON The late Reverend Teacher of the Church of Christ at Boston in NEVY-ENGLAND IT is the priviledg of the blessed who lived in Heaven whilst they lived on Earth That they may live on Earth whilst they live in Heaven And 't is a part of the Portion of the Saints that together with the benefit of the living they may enjoy both the life and death of those who both lived and dyed in the 1 Cor. 3. 22. Hebr. 11. 4. Faith Life and Death are yours By Faith Abel being dead many thousand years since yet speaketh and will speak whil'st time shall be no more That the living speak is no wonder but that the dead speak is more then miraculous This though it be enough to draw forth attention from the sons of men Who is not affected with miracles yet being influenced with a Divine and special Benediction for the memorial of the Just is blessed To suppress an Instrument of so much good with silence were not only unthankfulness to the dead but an injury to the generation present and to many an one that is to come To preserve the memory of the blessed with the Spices and sweet Odors of their Excellencies and Weldoing recorded to posterity is a super Aegyptian embalming and a service which many reasons perswade unto This we do as men glad to rescue and solicitous to preserve any excellency in the Sons of mortality that may out-live Death desire of continuance in being is in it self inseperable from being Dumb Pictures of deserving men answer not ingenuous minds capable to retain the memorial of vertue the real effigies of their Spirits Besides unhappy Emulation happily expiring with the life of the emulated We greedily own and enjoy such Worthies when they are not whom envy in a great Degree bereaved us of whilst they were This we do as Friends hence the Smyrnean Poet of old 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nam is demum est amicus qui etiam extincti memoriam servat ejusque causâ dolet licet non amplius superstes sit Heb. 11. 36. He is a true friend who continueth the memory of his deceased Friend And this is done not only in love to them but also in love to our selves thereby easing in part our loss and saving so much of our own lives He may the better be heard who reckoned his Friend the one half of himself when Moses intimates a Friend to be as our own Soul whilst Calvin lives Beza's life is sweet when Calvin dyes death is the more acceptable unto Beza This we do as Christians The Deeds of those worthies was the subject matter of the speech of the Saints these all obtained a good Report A considerable part of the Scripture is a divine testimony of what the Faithful have done and suffered recorded unto succeeding Generations not only as a memorial of them but as so many practical demonstrations of the Faithfulness of God as so many full and glorious triumphs over the World Sin and Satan obtained by persons in like temptations and subject to like passions with our selves A quickning motive unto such who have understanding of the times not to pretermit those testimonies the signal presence of God in whom manifests them to have been fore-appointed for the further compleating of that Cloud of Witnesses which elevates the Beholders thereof to lay aside every weight that doth so easily beset us and with the same spirit to run the race that is set before us The Mystery of God concerning all the transactions of his eternal purpose upon the Theatre of this World throughout the whole time of time being fully accomplished and revealed that of Jesus Christ himself excepted in none of all the work which he hath gloriously done will he be admired so much in that day as in what he hath wrought in the lives and deaths of Beleevers as Beleevers The same object is as admirable now as then that it is not so much admired is because it is not seen now so much as it shall be then The greatest Object out of Heaven is the life and death of such upon Earth who are now in Heaven You may beleeve it what God hath done for the Soul of the least Saint of some few years continuance were it digested into Order would make a volume full of temptations signes and wonders A wonderful History because a History of such experiences each one whereof is more then a Wonder No greater acts then their obedience both Active and Passive unto the death The sufferings of the Apostles may well be reckoned amongst the Acts of the Apostles No greater Monuments then their Register To live and die in the Faith of Jesus to do things worthy to be written and to write things worthy to be done both is good and doth good 'T is better with William Hunter then with William the Conqueror 'T is better to have a name in the Book of Martyrs then in the Book of Chronicles Martial Conquerors conquer Bodies by destroying Confessors conquer Souls by saveing They overcame by the blood of the Lamb and the word of his Testimony and loved not their lives unto the death Amongst these as the Age that now is through Grace hath abounded with many worthies so This Eminent Servant of God the subject of our present meditation may without wrong unto any be placed amongst the first Three Had it pleased the only wise God to have put it into his heart to have imitated Junius in leaving behind him the History of his own Life how many would have gladly received it as Elisha did the Mantle which fell from Elijah when he was caught up and carried from him into Heaven But Divine Providence otherwise disposing it remains that they who have known his doctrine manner of Life purpose Faith Long-suffering Love Patience Persecutions and affliction do not suffer such a Light to be hid under a Bushel but put it on a Candlestick that it may give light to them that are in the House His Birth-place Dorby we shall not detain the Reader at His birth though a Scituation in respect of the purity and frequent Agitation of the air attempered in the judgment of the Orator for the breeding of better Wits Creatures are in their kind subservient but t is God not the air who puts Wisdom into the inward parts and giveth understanding to the heart As the wise man and the Fool die so are
the influence of him who succors those that are tempted cleanse as well as smart and this cleansing efficacie remains when the smart is over From the experience of this Archer are the choise Shepherds in Israel Good spirits are much better'd by their conflicts with the worst of spirits Spiritual Preachers are often trained up in the school of temptation so true is that theological maxim Meditation Prayer and Tria faciunt Theologum meditatio oratio tentatio Temptation make a Divine This dispensation of the all-wise God he afterwards found not only to be beneficial to him in preparing his heart for his work but also that it became an effectual means of his more peaceable and comfortable settlement in that place where the people were divided amongst themselves by reason of a potent man in the Town who adhered to another Cambridge-man whom he desired to bring in But when they saw Mr Cotton wholly taken up with his own exercises of spirit they were free from all suspition of his being pragmatical or addicted to siding with this or that Party and so began to close more fully with him And secondly Whereas there was an Arminian party in that Town some of whom were witty and troubled others with disputes about those points by Gods blessing upon his labours in holding forth positively such Truths as undermined the foundations of Arminianism those Disputes ceased and in time Arminianism was no more pleaded for So God disposeth of the hearts of hearers as that generally they are all open and loving to their Preachers in their first times Trials are often reserved until afterwards Epiphanius calleth the first year of Christs ministery the acceptable year The Disciples in their first mission want nothing and return all safe but after his death they met with other entertainment and come short home Young Peter girdeth himself and walks whither he will but Old Peter is girded by another and carried whither he would not For three or four years he lived and preached among them without opposition they accounted themselves happy as well they might in the enjoyment of him both the Town and Country thereabout being much bettered and reformed by his labours After not being able to bear the Ceremonies imposed his Non-conformity occasioned his trouble in the Court of Lincoln from whence he was advised to appeal to a higher Court And imploying Mr Leveret who afterwards was one of the Ruling-Elders of the Church of Boston in New-England to deal in that business and he being a plain man as Jacob was yet piously subtile to get such a spiritual blessing so far insinuated himself into one of the Proctors of that high-Court that Mr Cotton was treated by them as if he were a conformable man and so was restored unto Boston Likewise by the same meanes it was that a Gentleman of Boston called Mr Benner used occasionally afterwards to bring him in again After this time he was blessed with a successful Ministry unto the end of twenty years In which space he on the Lords-day in the Afternoons went over the whole body of Divinity in a Cathechistical way thrice and gave the heads of his discourse to those that were young Schollars and others in the Town to answer his questions in publick in that great Congregation and after their answers he opened those heads of Divinity and finally applyed all to the edification of his people and to such strangers as came to hear him In the morning on the Lords day he preached over the first six Chapters of the Gospel of John the whole book of Ecclesiastes the Prophesie of Zechariah and many other Scriptures and when the Lords Supper was administred which was usually every moneth He preached upon 1 Cor. 11. and 2 Chron. 30. per totum and some other Scriptures concerning that Subject On his Lecture days he preached thorough the whole First and Second Epistles of John the whole book of Solomons Song the Parables of our Saviour set forth in Matthews Gospel to the end of Chapter 16. compairing them with Mark and Luke He took much pains in private and read to sundry young Schollars that were in his House and some that come out of Germany and had his house full of Auditors Afterwards seeing some inconvenience in the Peoples flocking to his house besides his ordinary Lecture on the 5 day of the Week he preached thrice more in publick on the Week days On the fourth and fifth days early in the morning and on the last day at three of the clock in the afternoon Only these three last Lectures were performed by him but some few years before he had another famous Colleague He was frequent in duties of Humiliation and Thanksgiving Sometimes five or six hours in Prayer and opening of the Word so undefatigable in the Lords work so willing to spend and to be spent He answered many Letters that were sent far and near wherein were handled many difficult cases of Conscience and many doubts cleered to great satisfaction He was a man exceedingly loved and admired of the best and reverenced of the worst of his hearers He was in great favour with Doctor Williams the then Bishop of Lincoln who much esteemed him for his learning and according to report when he was Lord keeper of the great Seal went to King James and speaking of Mr Cottons great learning and worth the King was willing notwithstanding his non-conformity to give way that he should have his liberty without interruption in his Ministry which was the more notable considering how that Kings spirit was carried out against such men Also the Earl of Dorcester being at Old-Boston and hearing Mr Cotton preaching concerning if memory fail not Civil-Government He was so affected with the Wisdom of his words and Spirit that he did ever after highly account of him and put himself forth what he could in the time of Mr Cottons troubles to deliver him out of them that his Boston might enjoy him as formerly but he found spiritual wickednesses in high places too strongly opposite to his Desires About this time he married his second Wife Mris Sarah Story then a Widow He was blessed above many in his marriages both his Wives being pious Matrons grave sober faithful like Euodias and Syntyche Fellow-Laborers with him in the Gospel by the first he had no Children the last God made a Fruitful Vine unto him His First-born she brought forth far off upon the Sea He that left Europe childless arived a joyfull Father in America God who promiseth to be with his servants when they passe through the Waters having caused him to embrace a Son by the way In memorial whereof he called his name Seaborn to keep alive said he in mee and to teach him if he live a remembrance of Sea-mercies from the hand of a gracious God He is yet living and now entred into the Work of the Ministry A Son of many prayers and of great expectation The time being now come
his time they use this liberty by way of disquisition not of position rather as Indagators of Scripture-light then as Dictators of private Opinions A Prophet may be heard whilst he speaks with a spirit subject to the Prophets These are the times that passed over him We are now approaching to his Novissima verba his last words which the Antients out of an opinion that the Soul became more divine towards its Dissolution looked at as Oraculous The motions of Nature are more intense as they draw neer towards 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Xen. lib. 8. the Center Xenophon personates Cyrus as inspired whilst he bequeaths his Fatherly and Farewell counsels to his people friends and sons Davids last words have their Emphasis because his last Now these are the last words of David Being called to preach at a Neighbor-Church he took The beginning of his sickness wet in his passage over the Ferry and not many hours after he felt the effect being seised upon with an extreme illness in the Sermon This providence when others bewailing the sad event which according to second causes seemed so easily evitable spake variously of he comforted himself from In that he was found so doing Decet imperatorem stantem cadere It is the honor of a Commander to fall standing It was Austins usual wish that Christ when he came might find him aut precantem aut praedicantem either praying or preaching Calvin returns this answer unto his Friends disswading him from his labor of dictating and writing when his sickness Quid ergo inquiebat vultis me otiosum à domino deprehendi In vir Cal. prevailed upon him What saith he would you that the Lord should find me idle After a short time he complained of an inflammation of the lungs and thereupon found himself Asthmatical afterwards Scorbutical which both meeting in a complicated disease ended his days insomuch that he was forced to give over those comforting drinks which his stomack could not want If he stil used them the inflammation grew insufferable and threatned a more sharp and speedy death If he left them his stomack forthwith ceased to perform its office leaving him without hope of life By these Messengers he received the sentence of Death yet in the use of meanes attending the pleasure of him in whose hand our times are His labors continued whilst his strength failed November 18. He took in course for his Text the 4 last verses of the 2 Epistle to Timethy Salute Prisca and Aquila c. Giving the reason of speaking to so many verses together because otherwise he said he should not live to make an end of that Epistle He chiefly insisted upon those Words Grace be with you all so ending that Epistle and his Lectures together For upon the Lords Day following he preached his last Sermon upon John 1. 14. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his Glory as of the only begotten Son of the Father full of grace and Peace Now he gave himself wholly to prepare for his dissolution making his Will and setting his House in order When he could no more be seen abroad all sorts Magistrates Ministers Neighbors and Friends far off and those neer at hand especially his own People resorted unto him daily as to a publique Father When the Neighbor Ministers visited him in which Duty they were frequent he thanked them affectionately for their love exhorting them also as an Elder and a Witness of the sufferings of Christ to feed the flock encouraging them that when the chief Shepherd shal appeare they should receive a Crown of glory that fadeth not away Finding himself to grow weake according to that of James he sent for the Elders of the Church of Boston to pray over him which last solemne duty being performed not without much affection and many tears Then as Policarp a Octoginta sex annos illi servio nec me ulla in re laesit unquam Euseb lib. 4. cap. 15. little before his Death said he had served Christ fourscore and six years neither had he ever offended him in any thing so he told them Through grace he had now served God forty years It being so long since his Conversion throughout which time he had ever found him faithful to him thereupon taking occasion to exhort them unto like effect that Paul sometimes did the Elders of Ephesus a little before they were to see his face no more Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the flock over which the Lord hath made you over seers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood Particularly he lamented the love of many yea and some of their own Congregation growing cold to the Ordinances calling upon them so much the more for their watchfulness in that respect Which done he thanked them for their brotherly and loving assistance to him in their holy fellowship and commended them to the blessing of God It remains that we now behold his pious Consort with those Olive-plants that sate lately about his Table gathered together about the bed of a departing husband and dying Father This was his ultimate solemne transaction with man in this World Silver and Gold though he wanted not he had not much to give them but the benediction of a righteous Parent they are to expect Aeneas words to his Ascanius are fitted to his lips Disce puer virtutem ex me verúmque laborem Aeneid 12. Fortunam ex aliis Sons piety and industry learn of me the way to greatness in this World is to be learned of others Antiquity treasured up the Counsels of dying Parents as so many Oracles Isaac is sollicitous to blesse and his Son desirous to be blessed before his death The Father of the faithful his commanding of his Children after him to keep the way of the Lord is a means whereby God brings upon Abraham that which he had spoken of him Solomon who remembers the Prophesie that his Mother taught him surely hears that charge of his Father still sounding in his ears And thou Solomon my Son c. I know his children whom he instrumentally blessed shall be blessed in their relation in these charges commands counsels blessings whilst they walk in the way of their Father and keep the memory of his example and his endeavors relating to them in the Repository of a pure Conscience Audit Paraeis ergo nil beatius In patre vivit gnatus in gnato pater What Family more happy then his whilst the Father liveth in the children as the children live in their Father That Reverend and Godly man Mr Wilson who excelleth in love as Mr Cotton did in light the faithful Pastor of the Church taking his last leave of him and most ardently praying unto God that he would lift up the light of his Countenance upon him and shed his love into his Soul he presently answered him in these words He hath done it
already Brother His work now finished with all men perceiving his departure to be at hand and having nothing to do only that great work of dying in the Lord he totally composed and set himself for his dissolution desiring that he might be permitted to improve the little remnant of his life without any considerable impediment to his private devotions and divine soliloquies between God and his Soul For that end he caused the Curtains to be drawn and a Gentleman and brother of the Congregation that was much with him and ministred unto him in his sickness to promise him that the Chamber should be kept private But a while after hearing the whispering of some brethren in the room he called for that Gentleman saying Why do you break your word with me An expression so circumstanced as that the impression thereof abideth unto this day in the heart of that godly man whose omission gave him occasion so to speak Not long after mindful no doubt of that great helpfulness which he received from that forementioned brother throughout his visitation he left him with this farewel The God that made you and bought you with a great price redeem your body and soul unto himself These words were his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his last words after which he was not heard to speak but lying some hours speechless quietly breathed out his spirit into His Death the hands of him that gave it December 23. 1652. between eleven and twelve after the bell had called to the Lecture Thus preventing the Assembly in going to see what they were but going to hear being entred into the Sixty and eighth year of his age So ceased this Silver-trumpet waiting for the sound of the last Trump The eyes of his dead body were soon closed but before that the eye of his ever-living soul beholds the face of Jesus Christ Upon the 29. day the Body was interred within a Tomb of Brick a numerous confluence of all Degrees from all parts as the season would permit orderly accompanying the corpse borne upon the shoulders of his Fellow-Ministers unto the chambers of death not only with sighs and tears and Funeral-Poems all in abundance but with the solemnity of sorrow of heart it self alas too manifest in the carriage and countenance of those whose visage was as the visage of them which are bereaved of the breath of their nostrils The Inhabitants of the Land might have said This was a great mourning Such were New-Englands tears for the Man of their desires of whom they and especially his own Congregation cannot speak without lamentation unto this day Fuimus Troes fuit Ilium New-England was and flourished Now our Candlesticks cannot but lament in darkness when their Lights are gone And the Thrones of David mourn that so many of our late Worthies can be seen there no more Our desiderable men that remain remove from us and few they are who return again And as for those that rise up amongst our selves such is the portion of this Jerusalem that though for her time she hath not been an unfruitful mother yet they are but few that will guide her amongst all the sons which she had brought forth yea very few that take her by the hand of all the sons which she hath brought up Thus are our trials increased and our strength decreased that we might learn to trust in God What the counsel of the Lord is concerning the bereaved Churches of New-England is a solemn and awful meditation The non-considering that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come was a symptomatical and threatening incogitancie in Isaiah's days Sure we are that Iosiah was gathered unto his Fathers that he might not see the evil that was to come upon Jerusalem Augustine is taken out of the world before Hippo is taken by the Vandals Paraeus is gotten to his better Country before Heidelbergh and the Palatinate are delivered into the power of the Enemies Whatsoever it be we may not here silence that monitory Apparition in the Heavens that appeared about fourteen O quantum dilecte Deo cui militat Aether days before and according to the report of some observers thereof was not seen here after this man of God was taken from amongst us It was a profane jest of Vespatian who seeing a bearded Comet said This Prodigie belongs to the King of Parthia that wears long hair meaning it did not belong unto himself who wore short hair But soon after followed the death not of the King of Parthia but of Vespasian It was a Christian and imitable speech of Lodowick the First who unto his Astronomer seeing him observing the Comet and to prevent an ominous and afflicting construction in the Emperors heart alleadging those words in the Prophet Be not dismayed at the signs of heaven thus replied Timeamus Conditorem hujus Cometae Let us fear the Creator of this Comet not the Comet it self and let us praise his clemencie who vouchsafeth to admonish our sluggishness with such signs Many instances we have in History of Dissention in Religion and Heresies following upon these Meteors A Comet preceded the Furies of the Enthusiasts in Germany 1533. the genuine offspring of whom is that generation commonly known by the name of Quakers Comets are signal though not causal They are signal as to changes of Divine providence which befall men though they have no causal influence upon the minds of men And be it so that in themselves simply considered future Events whether good or evil are illegible yet when they are placed in Conjunction with Scripture-predictions concerning the iniquities of men ripening for the execution of Divine vengeance being interpreted according to the word of their Creator they are not without instruction Mr. Cotton upon his enquiry after the motion of this Comet being asked what he himself conceived of it answered That he thought it portended great Changes in the Churches But that which further calleth upon us not to be unmindful of sadder Vicissitudes probably impending is the formidable Apostacie both from the Order and Faith of the Gospel appearing and threatening us in this Age. Christ mentions prodigious Tenets of false Prophets and false Marth 24. Christs arising as sometimes at the least signal of Publick calamities As the concurrence of multitude of Heresies and mutability in Religion which gave occasion to that opprobrious Fides menstrua and horrid Proverb The Christians Faith is menstruous was a means to bring in Antichrist so the present vexation of Consciences and of the Civil Estates with uncertainty and manifold Heresie in matter of Faith hath no small tendencie to bring back the Infallible Chair People will accept of a quiet Harbor though upon hard conditions rather then be afflicted with continual tossings in stormy Seas 'T is natural to man to covet any quiet Land rather then to dwell with the terror of a continual Earthquake Heu Pietas heu prisca Fides It was no despicable stratagem of the
old Serpent knowing the time of the passion of Christ and of the baptism of the Apostles with the baptism wherewith he was to be baptized then approaching to indispose the minds of the Disciples thereunto by possessing them with a pleasing but false expectation of a glorious and temporal Kingdom of Christ in this world to be at hand Persecution doubtless had been a more suitable meditation for Iames then to seek great things for himself who notwithstanding his dream of a Kingdom was not long after killed by the sword of Herod Time will shew whether we have more cause to fear the death of the Witnesses yet to come or to conclude the time of their sackcloth to be over His advertisement seemeth weighty that telleth us A credulous security of their death as past if yet Plus siquident ad pietatem valet calamitatis futurae expectatio quà m credula nimis de ea quasi jam transacta securitas Mead Com. Apoc. cap. 11. to come is a more perillous error then the expectation of it as to come though already past An awful waiting for a calamity conduceth more to piety then a secure putting from us the thoughts of the evil day The Disciples not minding the prediction of Christs sufferings but over-minding an external state of glory meeting with the Cross were so offended as that they were not free from sad misgivings of heart concerning their Saviour But we trusted that it had been be that should have redeemed Israel Whereas on the other hand the poor Albigenses fighting the battels of Christ Jesus in defence of the Gospel against Simon Montfort though overcome by him with a great slaughter and upon that advantage of providence taken sollicited by the Bishop of Tholouse then interceding for them that now God having by the event of war determined for the Romanists against them they would return from their Heresie unto the Catholick faith They at such a time having seasonably in their hearts that Prophecie And it was given unto them to make Revel 13. 7. war with the Saints and to overcome them answered That they were the people of God appointed to be overcome Thus they strengthened their faith by being overthrown they overcame the temptation by being overcome and so not accepting of deliverance were all slain to a man Poor Albigenses looking seasonably at calamities to come overcome the Disciples looking unseasonably at a Kingdom to come are overcome Times are in the hands of God and to discern the times is the gift of God Being designed to suffer is not so great an evil as grace to suffer for the Designers sake is good The condition of the Witnesses is higher in the Promises of the great God then it is low in the Street of the great City Their Ascension into Heaven after three days and a half is legible long before their death Athanasius Nubecula est citò praeteribit seeth through the storm and comforteth his Fellow-sufferers that Julian's Persecution is but a little Cloud and will quickly be over That Motto somewhat Post tenebras lux altered by them of Geneva is in this sense as true and as truly alterable concerning every Confessor After darkness we look for light Whether it be an astonishment of heart or the dictate of the Spirit Luther leaveth the cause of Religion howsoever unto Christ I faith he am not much troubled Stupor ne sit an Spiritus viderit christus non valdè turbatus sum c. Mel. Adam in vita Lutheri yea I hope as concerning the Event above what I hoped God is able to raise up the dead God is able to preserve his cause though falling to raise it up again though falne to promote when standing if we be not worthy let it be done by others Jacob foretelling the predetermined and afflicting vicissitudes concerning the tribes of Israel comforts himfelf in a safe issue of all as to Religion and the sincere professors thereof thus I have waited for thy salvation O God! Salvation is a full remedy And then is opportunity for the salvation of God when the Churches tribulation is such as that out of it none but God can save The fixing of a Beleevers eye aright hath a vivifical and marvellous influence upon his heart Christ beholding the joy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the shame A Christian runneth cheerfully and undefiledly over the foulest part of the race set before him looking unto Jesus The Council looking on Stephen saw his face as it had been the face of an Angel The reason is Stephen looked stedfastly into Heaven and seeth the Son of man standing at the right hand of God The best of the servants of God have lived in the worst times Noah was not so unhappy that he lived in an unrighteous Generation as he was happy in being righteous in that generation Though the captivity took up so much of Daniels life yet when he shall stand in his lot at the end of days it shall be no griefe of heart unto him that he was both to spend and end his days in Babylon It will be as well with those at that day who fulfilled their course upon earth prophesying in sackcloth as with those who are reserved to live in the glorious times of the Gospel It is not material in what Age we live but that we live as we ought in that Age wherein we live Moriar ego morte justorum sit finis meus sicut illius Collected out of the writings and information Of The Reverend Mr. John Davenport Pastor of the Church at New-Haven The Reverend Mr. Samuel Whiting Pastor of the Church at Linne The Pious Widow of the Deceased and others And compiled by his unworthy Successor Qui A longè sequitur vestigia semper adorans Boston Novemb. 6. 1657. FINIS A Catalogue of some Books printed for Lodo. Lloyd and are to be sold at his Shop next to the Castle-Tavern in Cornhill Books in Folio BUrton's Anatomy of Melancholy Mr. John Goodwin's Redemption Redeemed An Historical Description of the East-Indies Jacob Behmen's Mysterium Magnum being an Exposition upon Genesis Life and Death by Durand Hotham Esq Books in Quarto Mr. John Norton's Orthodox Evangelist Life and Death of that deservedly famous Mr. John Cotton of Boston in New-England Mr. Caryls Exposition of the three first Chapters of Job Continuation of his Exposition on the 4 5 6 7 Chapters of Job On the 8 9 10 Chapters of Job Mr. John Goodwin's Divine Authority of Scriptures Answer to Mr. Edwards Theomachia Or The danger of fighting against God Hagiomastix or A Scourge for the Saints Vindication of the Sentence past upon the late King A Reply to A. S. in vindication of the Congregational Way Fresh Discovery of the high Presbyterian spirit Queries concerning Government Vindication of the Change of Government called Peace Protected Disputations concerning the Extent of the Death of Christ with Mr. Powel and Mr. Simpson
Church of Ephesus is commended because she cannot suffer those that do evil Melancthon's milde nature when spiritualized and quickned by grace drew forth the commendation of an Enemy but being left unto it self gave occasion to his friend to complain And here saith Mr. Brightman Quinetiam tuam fidem diligentiam sancte Philippe desidero Brightman in Apoc. cap. 3. relating to the springing and spreading gangrene of Consubstantiation I find thee wanting O holy Philip Luther at times is too angry Melancthon sometimes is too remiss The anger of the Old-man is a sin the anger of the New-man is a duty Jacob curseth the anger of the Patriarchs God blesseth the zeal of Phineas The Sanctuary cannot want the fire which is from heaven neither may it be touched with the fire which is from hell Gentleness of disposition when actuated by Christ makes us so much the more acceptable and profitable unto man But if the Spirit withdraweth his assistance we fall short of reaching Gods ends and the seasonable suppression of exorbitancie In which respect if this good man had always had that voice sounding in his heart which one wished that mild Lantgrave of Hessen might have heard from the Smiths forge Duresce duresce utinam Lantgravius durescat haply there are that think some disorders disturbances and irregularities might have been prevented by Gods blessing But ordinarily and in matters of greatest weight the Lord was with him Though his forbearance was both observable and very imitable in the things that concerned himself yet he could not forbear them whom he knew to be evil An experience whereof we saw concerning some Heterodox spirits who by their specious discourses of Free-grace and subdolous concealings of their principles so far deceived him into a better opinion of them then there was cause as that notwithstanding they fathered their Errors upon him in general and abused his Doctrine to the countenancing of their denial of Inherent grace in particular yet he was slow to believe these things of them and slower to bear witness against them But so soon as the truth herein appeared to him hear his own words taken out of his Letter written to Mr. Davenport The truth is saith he the body of the Island is bent to backsliding into error and delusions The Lord pity and pardon them and me also who have been so slow to see their windings and subtile contrivances and insinuations in all their transactions whilst they propagated their Opinions under my Expressions diverted to their constructions Yea such was his ingenuity and piety as that his soul was not satisfied without often breaking forth into affectionate bewailing of his infirmity herein in the publick Assembly sometimes in his Prayer sometimes in his Sermon and that with tears He was a man of an ingenuous and pious candor rejoicing His Candor as opportunity served to take notice of and testifie unto the gifts of God in his brethen thereby drawing the hearts of them to him and of others to them both to their encouragement and the edification of many He did not think himself a loser by putting honor upon his Fellow-Elders but was willing they should communicate with him in the esteem and love of the people He was not only a son of peace enjoying the continual feast of a good conscience with serenity and tranquillity of affections at home but also a Peace-maker qualified by the graces forementioned to be a choice Instrument in the hand of the Prince of Peace amongst the Churches Where if any differences arose he was ready being called thereunto to afford his help for the composing of them and had a singular faculty and ability therein by that excellent wisdom and moderation of spirit which God in Christ had given him whose blessing also did ordinarily crown his endeavours with good success He was one the reality of whose profession gave cause His Hospitality unto many to blesse the Author of Christian Religion for the kindness of the Lord shewed unto all sorts by him His Portion in the things of this Life exempted him from being an object of Envy in that behalf But yet behold quantum ex quantillo so much communicated out of so little we may not here be altogether silent concerning the Grace of God bestowed upon him whereby to his power yea above his power he was beneficient unto others but especially to those of the houshold of Faith The Gospel opened his heart his lips and the doors of his House A Bishop then must be given to Hospitality apt to teach as we have seen him Didactical so you shall find him Hospital He well remembred that there is that scattereth and yet increaseth and there is that withholdeth more then is meet but it tendeth to poverty The liberal Soul shall be made fat Among others his Fellow-laborers in the Ministry were entertained with peculiar contentment To reminde all instances would take up time by some of many take his spirit in the rest So it was A Minister to spare his name which had gotten into the fellowship of that eminent man Mr. Arthur Hildersham and many other godly Preachers being acquainted with their secrets betrayed him into the Prelates hands who coming to Boston and meeting with Mr. Cotton this Gaius had not the heart to speak to him nor to invite him unto his house which he said he never did to his knowledg unto any stranger before much less to any of his own order It was the modesty of others not from any deficiencie in him why the Proverb occasioned by that Corinthian was not applicable also unto his dwelling There is always some body at Cydon's heuse Vir 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Semper aliquis in Cydonis dome Some years since there was brought unto Boston a report of the Necessity of the poor Saints at Sigataea a little Church whereof the Reverend Mr. White then was and yet is their faithful Pastor which suffered much extremity by reason of the persecution of their then-prevailing adversaries forcing them from Barmudas into the Desart-continent The sound of whose distress was no sooner heard of but you might have heard the sounding of his bowels with many others applying themselves unto a speedy Collection and transporting it to them on purpose for their seasonable relief when after the example of the Churches in Galatia Macedonia Corinth and Rome sending their liberalities unto Jerusalem in the days of the famine foretold by Agabus the same grace abounding in the Churches of these parts they supplied them to the value of about Seven hundred pounds Two hundred pounds whereof were gathered in the Church of Boston no man in the Contribution exceeding and but one equalling the bounty of their then-Teacher It is here remarkable that this Collection arrived there the very day or thereabouts after those poor people were brought to a personal division of that little meal then remaining in the barrel and not seeing according to man but that after the
eating thereof they must die a lingring death for want of food And the same day that their Pastor preached to them it being the Lords-day out of Psal 23. 1. The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want At such a time the good hand of the Lord brought this succor to them from afar To give quickly doubleth but to give to the Saints in a time of need trebleth the gift Whilst he was in England his eminent piety success of his His sufferings from men labors interest in the hearts of both superiors inferiors and equals drew much envy upon him and his Non-conformity added thereunto delivered him in a great degree unto the will of his Adversaries whose hour and the power of darkness being come spared not to shoot at him and grieve him not giving over until they had bereaved him of much of his livelihood his liberty Country and therewith of the sweet society of lovers friends and many ways endeared Acquaintance much more precious to him then life it self Yet the measure of the afflictions of Christ in this kind appointed to be suffered by him in the flesh was not fulfilled But lo in the time of his Exile some Brethren we do not say they were not of us being willing to hope better things provoked by the Censure of Authority though justly and not without tears inflicted upon them single out him as a chief object of their displeasure who though above other men declining irregular and unnecessary interesting of himself in the actions of the Magistrate and while opportunity lasted endeavouring their healing yet must now be requited evil for good and that by some of them who were formerly companions with him in the tribulations of this Patmos Respecters of him had taken sweet counsel together and walked in the house of God as friends Hence is he with pen and tongue blasphemed by them for whom he formerly intreated and for whom he both then and afterwards wept and put on sackcloth Such buffetings of Satan though sharp are medicinal at times to the excellent upon earth who by reason of the body of death indwelling must be kept weak that they may be made strong Since this time also some reverend learned and godly men haply in zeal against the Congregational-way sharpened their style against him Which if it be the truth as we believe it is their speaking so much ad hominem especially to such a man whose love to any good man much exceeded their displeasure to him argueth too much of man Howsoever he was then a sufferer for the Truth In which respect the pious and ingenuous spirit of learned Mr. Rutherford though in pursuance of the Truth he disputes ad idem and with strength which is his praise and acceptable yet he professedly carrieth it as to a Brother not to an Adversary There is an excess in too much salt and not a little to be complained of in personal and causeless aspersions from good men That smarts these defile That makes less comfortable these tend us to make us unprofitable Roses are not without their pricks The Archers have sorely grieved him and shot at him and were displeased with him but his Bowe abode in strength the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob From thence is the Shepherd and the Stone of Israel An honest-minded man Plutarch de capienda ex hostibus utilitate libellus saith Xenophon gets by enmity And Plutarch writes a Treatise concerning benefiting by our Enemies adorning his discourse with that of Jason of Thessaly whose Enemy stabbing him and intending his death only opened an ulcer otherwise incurable and so saved his life If men without God in the world having only star-light and scarce so much as seeing men walk like trees only feeling after the Lord have thus spoken we see the greater encouragement why Christians who are made light by the Father of Light and know Him that is Love may through grace not only speak better but also practise accordingly Job can turn the book written against him by his adversaries into a crown Joseph feeling the benefit of the Patriarchs unkindness is the more readily disposed to forgive that wrong whereby he finds himself made a great gainer He was a good Accomptant who esteemed the reproaches of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt Paul takes pleasure in reproaches for Christs sake The best and most peaceable spirits cannot hope to fulfill their course in a Pacifique sea The way of the most excellent lieth through evil report and good report through honor and dishonor To avoid the fouler part of the passage is not in the power of man To walk clean through it To do well and approve himself as a Minister of Christ in suffering ill is all that can be expected from a man of God Erasmus acknowledging some men to do well in In hoc uno 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut aiunt conjunctum fuit eximium fuit quicquid in aliis per partes miramur Erasm epistnuncupat praefixa tom 3. epist. Hieron some things will have Hierom to excell in all It was a great Encomium which the German Phenix sometimes gave to Luther I saith he speaking of himself am a Logician Pomeranus is a Grammarian Justus Jonas is an Orator but Luther is all Let it suffice to be said of Mr. Cotton that he was a famous Light in his generation a glory to both Englands and such an one in whom was so much of what is desireable in Man as is rarely to be seem in one Person As concerning any Tenet wherein he may seem singular Remember he was a man and therefore to be heard and read with judgment and haply sometimes with favour Scio me aliter habere apostolos aliter reliquos tractatores c. Hier. ep to 2. ep tua Hierom makes a difference between reading the writings of the Apostles and the Tractates of other Authors They saith he always spake the truth These as men in some things erre Let him but receive with some proportion to the measure that he gave and he will be found no debtor upon that account No man did more placidly bear a Dissentient The Jews unto their own question Why Asa and Iehoshaphat removing the Idols in high places took not also away the Brazen-serpent give this answer The father 's left a place for Hezekiah to exercise his zeal That great Conqueror vainly feared that his Father Philip's victories would deprive the Son of an opportunity to improve his magnanimity Much of the wisdom of God both in the Scripture and Creature is still unseen and it hath been judged but meet that each Age should contribute somewhat toward the fuller discovery of Truth But this cannot be except men of a larger Acumen and greater industry may be permitted to communicate their notions especially whilst as Austin in Non tanquam affirmator sed tanquam scratator Aug. Psal 85.