Picture As to the World though he was too wise and prudent to be imposed upon in his worldly Affairs yet there was one Snare he frequently run into for many Years namely he was not only charitable himself but he did many times as Moses fetch Water out of a Rock of Flint Deut. 8.15 he got something for charitable Uses where none else could but in one of his methods he was often deceived he would perswade some to promise or subscribe so much by the Year to some good work either the Education of a Youth or the relieving of some Minister or something that might promote the Gospel they would give and pay one or two quarters and then leave the charge wholly upon him He was too apt to think that when he had perswaded them to an act of Charity that that would presently grow up to an habit but he felt the difference to his cost Another mistake that made his Life uneasie was this He had many years ago such sharp pains as he thought proceeded from the Stone in the Bladder he was confirmed in this by being searcht by the most celebrated Lithotomist in this City who said he felt it the return of those pains frighted him into the Expectation of a Necessity of being Cut and this lasted all his days but upon the opening of his Body by his Physicians who desired to see where lay the cause of that Disease which was hid from them they found that he had neither in his Kidneys nor in his Vreters nor in his Bladder any Stone nor so much as any gravel tending to it thus you see much of our real trouble ariseth from those evils which are but imaginary this was an uncomfortable mistake but the last I shall mention was fatal namely his too great carelesness of himself he did too much for others and too little for himself to hold out long though he lived of a slender weak sort of diet yet he often speak grudgingly of the time that was necessarily spent in eating and drinking very much longing for the place where he should need no supports of that nature When he was declining apace towards his end he used to say if he were younger or could bear riding he would fix at no one place but go about the Country where he found most need and there preach the Gospel Catechise the Younger sort distribute good Books erect Places for Divine Worship and fix Ministers at them This would have been his delightful Employment but when that Person to whom he freely communicated his thoughts told him his Work was greatly disproportionable to his strength and requested him to leave off what visibly impaired his health to work less that he might work long He with some quickness answered Nay then 't is no matter if I were dead indeed he thanked God he did not desire Life meerly for its own sake nor for any thing of the Pleasure or Profit of it but only for the Work he was at saying He had rather die that moment than live and not be useful to the World I am just gone but if God give Faith and Patience all will be well and have a glorious Issue He expressed a comfortable assurance and spoke as one that had arrived to the top of it and at parting desired Prayers a little while for said he I shall not need them long To sum up his charitable Expences as computed by an intelligent Person as well able to pry into Concealments as most Men I know who had the fairest Opportunity by living some Years with him under the same Roof who told me that they besides what he could not find out to his Knowledge amounted to above Three Hundred Pound per Annum one Year with another And he himself hath sometimes drop't this Expression He would not Sell his Estate because it was Entail'd but he would Squeeze it as long as he lived which he hath done for I know not how many Years He would often say He would accept of no Man's Estate if he must have his Hands tyed up from his making use of it on Spiritual Accounts and would very much pity the miserable Condition of wicked Rich Men the Truth in short was this His Zeal for doing Good was so transporting that he could as soon cease to live as cease to attempt it A double Instance we have of this there was one place where he was contriving to settle a Minister and another place where he was endeavouring to build a Meeting-Place when he died And now having mentioned his Death I will give you some Account of the Circumstances of it About three Years since his being wet in a Journey about his Masters Work cast him into a violent Fever which may be called his last Sickness for he never well recovered of it but was followed with a Complication of many grievous Diseases sometimes his Legs swelled threatning a Dropsie sometimes great pain in his side as if he had a Pleurisie sometimes all over him as if he had a Rheumatism But especially he was afflicted with an Asthma which made him unable to walk to go up a pair of Stairs was almost death to him These things gave contrary Indications and therefore made his cure the more difficult In these straits he was often let blood and relieved by it till his Friends were afraid of his proper remedy Tho' he was lingering almost three Years yet he was never observed to have any unquiet Motion of Mind but had always a serene and humble Submission to the sovereign Will of God he did often bewail his own Imperfections and small knowledge of God and Christ and exprest his longing Desires of seeing God face to face A while before his death he did often say What is the World 'T is not worth a straw O my God I would be with thee Oh how I long to be with Christ my dear Redeemer This he spake with great earnestness Oh my God bring me to thy self Whereupon he spake much of the Glory to be revealed and insisted on those words I will be your God What greater Gift could he give He gave himself He gave all Then he was rapt up into a serious Amazement and deep Admiration and cried out Oh my God! my God what is sinful Man Worm-man What manner of Love is this Love indeed Oh I cannot express it He desired one to read to him John 17.22 And the Glory which thou gavest me I have given them c. The very hearing of which put him into an ecstasie of Joy and he desired him to read of Christ's Love 14.15.16.17 of John Some of which he then read to him A while after speaking to one about Family Prayer he said a Camel may as well go through the Eye of a Needle as a Man that prays not in his Family go to Heaven He prayed much for the Enlargement of Christ's Kingdom The Evening before he died this Person was with him from one of the Clock
with a kinder Influence still he view'd Those few who spite o' th' Fashion dared be good Improv'd ev'n old Disciples gain'd the young And dropt Instruction from his silver Tongue These had his Soul and his true Friendship try'd With these he pray'd for these he liv'd and dy'd Lov'd 'em so well that when Heav'n call'd away Almost he 's in a strait to go or stay Till Meditation did the Clouds remove And show'd the Glories of tho Blest above What Mansions in his Fathers-house prepar'd What Joys by Mortals never seen nor heard Then like the Hart whom the hot Chase invades Who plunges in the Brook from his lov'd shades His thirsty Soul breaks out with eager hast And finds those Streams of Bliss he dy'd to taste S. W. Upon the Death of the Reverend Mr. Thomas Brand. I. DEath Commands silence but his Death Forbids He Dead must Speak by his surviving Deeds Whose Life was Action and his Actions Life Purg'd from Dead Works in Vital Issues Rife When once the Quick'ning Spirit from above Breath'd in a Living Faith and Active Love But Slew him first while to his Naked Eye It did present that Dreadful Majesty Which put him to Isaiah's doleful Cry His Lips unclean and Their's amongst whom he dwelt Himself undone till the Live Coal he felt From off God's Altar purging Sin away Isa 6. Then answer'd Here I am send me I pray Our Gospel-Altar gave that Holy Fire Which to a Gospel-Temple did aspire Pag. 7. That of our Law no longer could content Seraphick Love must on God's Work be sent And sent he was much like another Paul Struck down he Heard Reviv'd Rose at Christ's Call Amongst his Brethren Labour'd more than all II. To 's Father's Name or Church was no Disgrace None he would do Had no desire to Rasel Whilst Build he might not in his Father's place Who Dignify'd by her yet far outvy'd That Grace and her more highly Dignify'd By such a Son Whom ah she had not known When in a Croud she did him too disown Had she foreseen sure for his sake alone Black Barth'l'mew had never Outed one But he his Filial Duty ne'er forgot No more her Name than his own Soul would blot Strokes aim'd at her he 'd with his Peril Ward And to her Worthies paid a just Regard Nor Brib'd Whilst he with Generous Content Her Titles mis'st his own fair Income spent Not Held of her yet Turned to her Vse For that 's True Schism and the worst Abuse Which Vogues Our Church not served but undone When Souls to Christ's by all apt means are wone III. This his grand Project this his single Aim Not ty'd to Party Interest or Name The Christian Sum with differing side agreed In God's Ten Words Christ's Pray'r the Apostle's Creed No Fire-brand but a burning shining Light His Love as fervent as his Knowledge bright This Pufft not up his Mind That Edify'd His and who knows how many Souls beside His Tongue Feet Hand and even Purse could Teach His Season'd Speech would daily hourly Preach Yet sweetly flowing Charm'd and Chain'd the Ear Whilst he could speak swift and intent to hear What some would stories call were Parables At once to Please and Profit Sacred Spells Could Heav'n lure down to Earth Earth ralse to Heav'n Such Help to Men Such Grace to him was given Words backs and edg'd by his rare Bounty cou'd From Flint supply the Desart with a Floud His wise Reproofs as Light'ning darted in Could melt hard Hearts and never rase the Skin No Scar would make will out yet wrought the Cure within IV. His Sermon not a Chance starcht Common place But drawn to suit the Peoples studied Case From a Try'd Word by Pray'r and searching Thought With one days Waiting Weekly to be Taught Himself of God to Teach Men as he ought His Text he 'd follow home and Hearers too What Preaching could not Conference might do On all and each he 'd spread the Gospel-Net Not only sow at large but singly set He 'd plow or even dig the fallow Soil Plant and then water with incessant Toil Would do the Work of an Evangelist Humbly Conceal'd under the Catechist V. A Catechist accomplisht every way Truth to Commend as well as to display A Master-builder who could surely lay The right Foundation ' gainst a Trying day Loose Truths he knew less understood soon lost And Pulpit-Summaries too big for most An oft Rehearsed Scheme they must retain Well might conceive what their own Words made plain Hardly could doubt what they were brought to prove Pag. 48. Or from their undertaken Duty move And least of all when wrought into their Love Persons he 'd singly Truths conjunctly Teach Hearers should speak them and the People Preach Call'd and Conducted to a sound Reply By Questions fitting each Capacity And well he knew under such gentle Rain The leaking Sieve must yet a Dew retain And Fruitless Trees a Leafie Verdure gain He taught not Parrots nor would whisper in Such sounds as empty Heads should give agen Would sence by Words conveigh with holy slight Apt Words suggest by sence conveigh'd aright Mind Conscience Will he 'd throughly Catechize Yet not Confess the Man Each power surprize By Christian Wiles for Christ with Holy Paul Would to save some become all things to all VI. He far above the World could yet descry Wisdom's hid Paths below But drew the Eye Still to attend th' unerring Pole above By which himself did safely calmly move His Morning Evening-Dews the Word Praise Pray'r And even these a Heavenly Manna were The Happy Horse should with his Closet share This knew him early oft long on his Knees Constant at study and to him who sees In secret often Fasting to prepare The Food of Souls with utmost Pains and Care There a John Baptist Coming thence he 'd be Sweet like his Lord and innocently free Wise to win Souls by Christian Curtesie Thrice Happy Orb where e're this Sun did shine Whose Heav'nly Course shed Influence divine Meted the Hours and number'd out each Day For all that would observe his constant way His daily Weekly Motion yea his Rest So Measur'd they were Measures for the Best Standing one day or going back had been A Miracle in him was never seen Heaven's Kindness in him shone to Good and Bad Those his Light blest and these his Warmth made Glad Forth from his Native East this kinder Sun Rejoyc'd a large repeated Course to run To barren Climates he would gladly bring Thrô smartest Winter-storms a Gospel-spring But ah more swift than strong ran out of Breath Sunk in a Sea of Tears that wail his Death Yet from his Highest South did not decline Set upon Heaven's Prime Meridian Line There does thô Hid from us more brightly shine VII But O the Light disperst throughout this Land Yea Life convey'd by his Instructive Hand Which rightly found what here he had to do Writings too many were Readers too few There he 'd
in the Afternoon till Six during which time he was possest with such foretastes of heavenly Joys that made him earnestly cry out O let me be with thee With thee Oh my God! Oh I long for Heaven Oh welcome Death Oh happy Death that will put an end to all my Troubles and Conflicts one moment in Abraham's Bosom will make amends for all turn Sorrow to Joy What a dreadful appearance will there be at the Great Day What a sad thing will it be to be disappointed at last and come short of Heaven O my Redeemer liveth I have served a good Master I would not desire Life for a moment unless it was to promote the Interest of Christ If God would give me my choice what I would ask I would not ask Life Nay I have prayed to God that I might die Why so said a By-stander That I may said he be with God Upon which he cried out O my God I would come to thee Let me live with thee Here he added something with a peculiar Fervour which bearing hard on some he thought too remiss in their spiritual Warfare I forbear to mention but if this hint twitch any Man's Conscience let him not slight it His last words to this relater were Pray much What follows is from another intelligent credible Person about Nine of the Clock sitting in a musing Posture he started up of a suddain prayed with such ardency of affection with such Power and Joy that amazed all the Family Wherein he admired God's Goodness and distinguishing Love and begged to be made more fit for the Inheritance of the Saints in Light When he had done being ask'd the reason of such a suddain Motion He answered 'T was to rouse up his Soul to Heavenly Meditation As he was going to bed he did with concernedness of Mind say There will be a Cry at Midnight prepare prepare which accordingly fell out for when he went to bed though he was no otherways affected then formerly he was immediately taken with a Vomiting of Blood whereof he died in a few hours And now I 'll say no more lest I lose my end of saying so much I must draw a Vail over the face of this our Moses lest it cast such a Lustre as ill Eyes can't behold it In short all that I have said tends but to this next praises to God for casting him in our Age to be a Provocation to take Christ's Counsel to the Lawyer Luk. 10.37 Go and do thou likewise The End THE Reverend Mr. BRAND's Funeral Sermon Josh 1.2 Moses my Servant is dead now therefore arise c. THE Occasion of this Assembly is more than ordinarily doleful Oh that God would direct and bless what I have to say that the Consequence may be proportionably profitable How God spake these words to Joshua is doubtful It was not immediately by himself God spake to none as he spake to Moses face to face That was Moses his peculiar Priviledge Exod. 33.11 And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face as a Man speaketh unto his Friend But it was either by an Angel or by a Vision when he was awake or by a Dream when asleep Moses my Servant is dead God honours him by owning him as his faithful Servant in performing all the Duties required of him in his Place Though he so sinned at the Water of Meribah for which he should never go into Canaan yet he died in the State of Service and God as it were saith whatever he was whatever he wrought it was all mine Moses my Servant The Title of God's Servant is more than the meer Title of Apostle Jude he calls himself Jude 1. the Servant conceals himself to be the Apostle of Jesus Christ Peter he postponeth Apostle to Servant 2 Peter 1.1 Peter the Servant and Apostle of Jesus Christ Is dead and now no longer able to execute his Office This is spoken after his extraordinary interment whether immediately by God or by a good Angel or good Angels It is questionable whether any one of the Evil Angels were permitted to attend his Funeral lest they should tempt the Israelites to idolize him And after the Israelites solemn Mournings God tells him Moses my Servant is dead now therefore arise As if he should say be not as one astonished and dispirited but rouse up thy self to know and do thy Duty do not sit musing but presently and vigorously set upon thy Duty The Words I think need no farther Explication You shall have what I have to say under this Doctrine Doct. When God takes away an Eminent Minister by death God requires our sutable Notice and Improvement of it Moses my Servant is dead and that makes way for more and greater duty both for Joshua and all the People than ever before was incumbent upon them That now becomes their Duty which was never so before Josh 3.5,6,7 And Joshua said unto the People Sanctifie your selves for to morrow the Lord will do wonders among you And Joshua spake unto the Priests saying Take up the Ark of the Covenant and pass over c. And the Lord said unto Joshua This day will I begin to magnifie thee in the sight of all Israel that they may know that as I was with Moses so will I be with thee Here you have Joshua's charge to the People and Priests and God's encouraging of Joshua for they are all put upon such kind of Duty that cannot be done by a lazy careless performance of it such a Duty that if it be not performed in the season God vouchsafes they can never expect the like season again For the opening the Doctrine take it in these Five Propositions I. Prop. I. The greatest Service God imploys any in upon Earth doth not exempt them from death God's choicest Ministers are not immortal Those that can most effectually direct others to eternal Life cannot secure themselves to live one day in this World Zach. 1.5,6 Do the Prophets live for ever c. John 8.52 Abraham is dead and the Prophets are dead This Proposition will be evident if you consider 1. Ministers are subject to the same Diseases and Casualties with other Men. I know not any disease but the Leprosie that the Priests were priviledged from under the Law and I dare not be peremptory in asserting that Ministers have this priviledge continued under the Gospel 2. Ministers are subject not only to more Distresses and Sufferings but also to more Diseases and more bodily Infirmities than others They are to be the Lights of the World and they are as a Candle set upon a Hill which flares out before others 3. Ministers Lives may be shortned as well for other Mens Sins as for their own We may with trembling consider what manner of Ministers God hath in our day taken or snatcht from us by different diseases I 'll confine my self to two instances under each Head Some indeed God continued long in the World struggling I