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A25469
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The life and funeral sermon of the Reverend Mr. Thomas Brand Dr. Samuel Annesley.
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Annesley, Samuel, 1620?-1696.
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1692
(1692)
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Wing A3230; ESTC R16341
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41,890
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202
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under rates And he gave not only the Writings of Non-Conformists but of Conformists namely Pink's Tryal of Sincere Love to Christ Caley of Eternity Wade of Redemption of Time Dent's Plain-man's Path-way to Heaven Scudder's Daily-walk Reiner's Precepts c. But he gave Books of greater price As the Books of Martyrs in Three Volumes Charnock's Works in Two Volumes several Annotators on the Bible several Commentators on the Holy Scriptures several necessary Libraries to young Students and Candidates for the Ministry There was no place where he came and he was providentially drawn or driven into many Counties but he stored the Houses of all that would accept of his kindness with Books of Devotion I know not whether ever he gave away any one Book of Controversie unless it were Pool's Nullity of the Roman Faith and his Dialogue between a Popish Priest and an English Protestant He was always for Promoting down right Practical Godliness But above all his Stratagems to disperse goods Books I cannot but prefer his Device for the spreading of the Bible I cannot say how many hundreds if not thousands he gave away But he found this would not reach his end many would rather be without Bibles than put him upon the Charge of giving them Therefore he took this course which succeeded to his heart's desire by himself or Friends he sold Bibles at Eighteen Pence a Bible to all that desired them for themselves or their Children or Servants provided not to sell them again And by this means very many who refus'd them gratis Catcht at them at this under rate whereby they were furnished with Bibles and something returned towards the buying of more and this is the only trade he ever drove with Books He saw comfortable Fruits of his Liberality in giving Books some were converted more were edified by this spiritual Charity though he did not confine these Gifts to the Poor but gave also to the Rich both Bibles and other Books which he had extraordinarily bound that they might be the more generally accepted and he contrived such Books to such Persons that he was seldom disappointed of Success though sometimes he was to give one instance He once gave Wade's Treatise of the Redemption of Time curiously bound to a young Minister who at first received it kindly but when he began to read it he finding Mr. Baxter quoted in it he hastily returned it not enduring to read any thing that Mr. Baxter had written But I 'll close the Narrative of his giving Books with this Story Some Years since when the times were more hazardous to Dissenters A. N. C. Minister of his acquaintance being unavoidably necessitated to undertake a Journey of above Two hundred Miles in length when he could not at any reasonable rates get any Lawyer or other to go with him to advise him in the Difficulties he foresaw he should meet with Mr. Brand surprizingly offered what could not be impudently askt charitably to go with him and give him his best assistance 'T was not then safe to be known to be a Dissenting Minister he therefore concealed himself though his Friend must venture being known in the Place whither he went but carried down a considerable quantity of Catechisms and good Books in the Coach with him And in every Inn where he lodged or but baited at Noon he would not be many Minutes there before 't was so familiar to him to insinuate something for the good of Souls he would be fishing out whether any was and who was capable and pliable to receive Instruction and if he found any he would presently fasten upon their Consciences given them Counsel and Catechisms or other Books according as their case required At one place a Servant was so affected as to go after him the Town being scituate upon an Hill while he walked down hill before he went into the Coach begging to be taken with him to London having never heard so much about Soul-concerns before nor ever expecting the like again unless this request were granted He promised to call there at his return but the Coach-man without his knowledge went back another way At another Inn when he met with a Youth that he found capable he gave him a Catechism and promised if he would learn it by his return which would be about a week he would give him five Shillings which he did and had his reward At another Inn where he met with a School-master he perswaded and encouraged him to season his Scholars with the knowledge of those things whereby they might be saved The Stock of Books he carried down did not hold out all his Journey but he sent down upon his return up at once as many as cost above eight Pounds At one Inn where he gave Books in his going down some of them fell into those hands who way-laid his coming up at the time he said he should return that they might clap him in Prison for spreading of Seditious Books that is the Character they put upon Mr. Baxter's Call to the Vnconverted of which there hath been printed as some guess a Hundred Thousand so generally acceptable and profitable hath it been 't is impossible for me to tell you how many have been Converted by it but here I must not conceal the chief Contrivance was against the Minister he accompanied and their Design against him failing a design more full of base Ingratitude and Treachery than ever any you heard of but that is foreign to this account they contrived this design against Mr. Brand but God disappointed them in this also for the Night before they were to set out to return one of the Coach-Horses fell so lame not known how that in the Morning he could hardly be led to watering and so continued two or three days till they were weary of waiting for his return so that he past the place unmolested Thus Eâ— 8 31. the Hand of God was upon him to deliver him from the hand of his Enemies and of such as laid wait by the way God delivered him without his knowing that he needed any such deliverance I know not whether ever he knew of the main Contrivance for that lay undiscovered several Years till the chief Contriver revealed it under horror of Conscience for that and other unsuspected Abominations only this was at present plainly remarkable that a Horse should be suddainly so lame as scarce to bear being dragg'd to watering and suddainly so well as to go above Two hundred Miles without halting One as soon as he came into his Inn where they intended to have seized upon him askt him Why he came not the day in the former week as he mentioned in his going down and another dropt it afterwards that if he had come then some were ready to apprehend him for the Books he gave away Should I add more instances 't would be more than need I 'll therefore mention some of his Infirmities which may serve as a Shadow to his ill drawn
THE LIFE AND FUNERAL SERMON Of the Reverend Mr. Thomas Brand. BY Dr. SAMVEL ANNESLEY Phil. ii 20. I have no Man like minded who will naturally care for your State LONDON Printed for Iohn Dunton at the Raven in the Poultrey 1692. To the Honourable the Lady Bridget Roberts Grace be with you Mercy and Peace srom God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the Father in Truth and Love 2 John 3. MADAM THIS Eminent Saint now in Glory having been sixteen Years your Soul guide to the eternal Advantage of your self and dearest Relations and your House being as it were the Sanctuary for Divine Worship for the spreading of Religion through the Country This cannot but render his Memory to you precious and you may expect that as they had the Benefit of his Ministry from your House they should receive the Memoirs of it from your Hands I make no Apology at all for what 's In the Narrative but only for what 's left out I am perhaps so needlesly scrupulous of offending any that perhaps I may eventually please none Be it so 'T is Spiritual Profit I aim at if I can but hereby provoke and encourage to what is deservedly imitable I gain my point I shall say nothing particularly to your self should I speak any good of you though never so true 't would look like Flattery which I abhor and to speak ill of you with Truth is beyond the Power of your most captious Enemies if you have any such Go on therefore as you have begun practically to remember the sound Doctrine and Non-such Example set before you which is beyond any thing that can be said or done by me I shall always add my poor Prayers that in so doing you and yours may be blessed in both Worlds Though this may by some be accounted the least Yet this is really the most that can be done by Madam Your Ladiship 's most hearty tho' most worthless Servant Samuel Annesley To my deservedly honoured Friend Mr. John Brand the only Brother of Reverend Mr. Tho. Brand now sleeping in Jesus Grace Mercy and Peace be multiplied SIR MY delay of this ill drawn Portraiture is utterly inexcusable I 'll lie down therefore under the Censure of it to be so long in tacking together so short a Story which though it be true and that is all the good that can be said of it yet 't is pity such Truths should be exposed so despicably naked as to have no fashionable Ornament to render it acceptable some being first taken with the Dress and that insinuates the Matter To this I 'll say not a word for my self and but a few to the Subject I am more than a Witness how sollicitous you were in fitting your Brother for the Ministry he came first into the World but I think you were first in Christ Pardon me for giving a hint of your Soul travel for his New birth I cannot forget how restless you were till you had brought his troubled Soul to a well grounded Peace Jer. 2.2 I remember and Christ much more the Kindness of your Youth with what zeal you set out your Race Go on dear Sir go on with a growing Vigor It is not long since you thought to have been in Heaven before your Brother but he hath got the start of you and hath left you such an Example which is more to you than to any one else in the World follow him close thô I hope you will come late to Heaven in his Piety Charity and Usefulness all manner of ways That none may complain his Ministerial Labours only excepted that Mr. Thomas Brand is dead while Mr. John Brand lives And O that he may live in your Posterity that you and yours may be the Blessed of the Lord from one Generation to another So prays Dear Sir Your Soul-servant Samuel Annesley The LIFE Of the Reverend Mr. THOMAS BRAND WOuld to God you could bear with me a little in my folly and indeed bear with me 2 Cor. 11.1 for I have undertaken what I can no way perform so much as to my own much less to others satisfaction when the collecting of some Memorables of Mr. Brand's Life was desired of me I too suddainly consented not sufficiently considering what Difficulties beset me Namely some things of greatest moment must not be mention'd at all either some Persons or Times will not bear it in other things Places and Persons upon the same Reasons must not be named and of those things which may be spoken where they can't be mention'd without commending of him others of name will count themselves reproach'd and what scapes these difficulties is attended by another which tho' it be really better 't is in some respects worse 't is that which Christ charged the Jews with Joh. 8.45 because I tell you the truth you believe me not So when I shall mention somewhat done by him which perhaps was never done by any before those that have Faith enough to save their Souls may want Faith to credit such a Relation tho' attested by such evidence which is in its kind infallible What shall I do must I shall I yes I will venture out a crippled Discourse which will present you with somewhat worthy your acceptation and let that procure your pardon for the mangling the rest His Birth Mr. Thomas Brand was born at Leaden Roothing in the County of Essex in the Year 1635. his Father was Mr. Thomas Brand a Dignitary of the Church of England the mentioning of this unavoidably leads me to obviate the only plausible Objection against his being so zealous a Dissenter to which I need say but this His chief Zeal was neither for nor against any Party whatsoever but for the vigorous promoting of the sound Knowledge of those Doctrines wherein we are all agreed and of that Holiness which we all commend tho' too few practice And this right Christian Temper he exercised towards the Conforming Clergy He spake honourably of the Piety and Learning of some and never let fly indecent Reflections or bitter Invectives against any but maintained and encreased this commendable Moderation all his Life Those who were intimately acquainted with him could not perceive his leaning to any Party whatsoever but when any Discourse tended to partiality he did industriously divert it to downright Godliness or to somewhat useful to promote it He was never without some Project for doing good and could as soon cease to live as cease to be attempting the doing good to Souls More particularly His School He was sent to School to Bishop Starford where how soon I can't say he attain'd to such an accuracy of Grammar-Learning that he made good use of it to the great Benefit of others whom he would critically examin upon all occasions throughout the Course of his Life scarce any young Scholar whom he occasionally met with but hath felt it He well apprehending as other learn'd Men