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
Assemblies Catechism though the Lord Primate of Armagh said 't was the best Extant but he gave very many of Doctor Cumber's and the Principles of the Christian Religion cleared and confirmed by the Articles and Homilies of the Church of England by Mr. Thomas Adams In short he did not content himself to receive a Parrot like answer to any form of Words whatsoever but his constant Endeavours were to make them understand the Things Frequently and greatly he bewailed the lamentable Ignorance that overspreads the Nation He did often pathetically cry out you do not believe you can hardly conceive the gross Ignorance of this great City The palpable Darkness of this valley of Vision Many Persons he discovered to be absurdly ignorant under conceited Knowledge I 'll give but one instance When he was inquiring into the Knowledge of a Self-conceited old Woman of a different way she said she knew very well and understood the whole Bible only knew not what to make of the Vision of the white Horse in the Revelation said he you are a happy Woman would I could say so But pray how do you understand that of Canaan being a Land flowing with Milk and Honey What do you think there was such abundance of it that it flowed upon the Land as Water doth Yes sure said she how could it be otherways I see now said he how well you understand the Scriptures and thence he took occasion to convince and instruct her To one whom he urged to Catechise Children who said he saw little fruit of it among young ones He replied never talk so if you cannot make them bear fruit you may make them bear leaves When another said they saw but little remain of it he call'd for a Sieve and some Water at first they thought him not in earnest but when he persisted to call they brought it he bid them pour the Water into the Sieve which when they had done Look here said he most of it is run through but some remains here 's a Dew a Moisture In short I 'll only say I never heard of any that took so much Pains Cost and Care about Catechising as he His Heart was in it living and dying His Charity Next to this take a view of his Charity And here tho' I can give but general Heads far short of its true extent both as to Places and Times Posterity will reap the Fruits of his Charity more than I may mention yea I wish it may not be more than I can perswade any to imitate here let me mention that under several Heads which if you think your Charity can't run in so many Channels yet chuse what likes ye best but imitate some of them He evidenced himself to be the genuine Son of his Heavenly Father by doing good to all to the Bodies and to the Souls of all manner of Persons though with great difference and judgment I 'll begin with the lowest who least tasted of his Charity and indeed they least sought it for I question not if they would not have spill'd the Sauce they might have had the Meat if they would but have accepted the Counsel with which he sauced his Alms for I think I may peremptorily say He never gave any thing without sutable and earnest Instruction those who accepted that might have any thing they desired This premised my first instance shall be this 1. When wicked wretches have come to him to beg or borrow Money after he had taken some pains with them to convince and reform them he hath given or lent to them hoping it might be at least a hiring of them to be less vitious But he had fewest tho' some he had of these Customers Profligate Persons shun'd coming near him their Consciences frighting them with his charming conviction 'T was Christ's Poor towards whom his Charity flowed 2. Necessitous Persons or Families always found his Heart and Hand open for their relief and that not dribbling Alms because they would not be answered without giving them something but the something he gave them was always somewhat answerable to their necessities having an extraordinary value for real Saints though they were never so poor and mean 3. He took poor Children from indigent Parents and wholly maintained them put them to Trades and set them up in the World Or if they were capable of a more liberal Education they had it being a great Encourager of young Men to the Ministry I cannot forbear telling you of one whom God took to glory a little before he took himself who was a Candidate for the Ministry of curious Parts polite Learning serious Godliness an excellent Preacher of most obliging Conversation but we must Psal 39.9 be dumb with silence for God hath done it Several others he hath been a Foster Father to 4. He set up petty Schools in several places to teach Children to read and to learn their Catechism and he contrived it to be double Charity namely to the Teacher and to the Learner And since he came nearer London he hath hired a Writing Master to come into some Families to teach some Servants who had no time to go to School to learn to Write and cast Accompts Any one who applied himself to him by himself or by any one else though a meer Stranger whose face was set Heaven-ward who was poor and willing to learn those were Arguments sufficient to draw out his Heart and Purse for their Instruction in anything they were capable of attaining for further usefulness 'T is next to impossible to name the Instances of his Soul Charity 't was as diffusive yet as secret as 't was possible I 'll mention one instance among many I take said he more delight in thinking this one Man he was speaking of will e're long be serviceable to the World then if any had given my self a hundred Pounds 5. His spreading of the most Awakening Convincing Practical Books to provoke and encourage serious Godliness This is one of the things that 's hardly credible not only Books of small price as Thousands if not Ten thousands of Catechisms many of them with Expositions but bigger Books I cannot say how many thousands of Sheppard's Sincere Convert Mr. Richard Allein's Vindiciae Pietatis Mr. Joseph Allein of Conversion and his Life Several of Mr. Baxter's Treatises his Call to the Vnconverted his Now or Never his Directions to prevent miscarrying in Conversion his Saint's Rest c. with several others One thing I had almost forgot about Mr. Joseph Allein's Treatise of Conversion which several of whom he was the chief agreed for an Impression to be given away they altering the Title into A Guide to Heaven to make it more acceptable He paid down 50 l. at first as an Earnest besides more afterwards for that Impression of Twenty Thousand to be dispersed through the Kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales and I think I may say there hath been Twenty Thousand more printed since to be sold at
will not say to preserve but to improve their dying Life under unusual and tormenting pains to the Churches benefit whose Bodies were worn out with anguish but their Souls had foretasts of Heaven before they got loose from their clogs viz. Mr. Corbet who besides his Pulpit-Labours wrote a greater number of Healing Treatises than any I ever heard of And Mr. Baxter of whom his Works say so much I need say nothing Some others God did not continue so long indeed 't is impossible they should without miracle their pains being in a sad measure intolerable to those that but sympathized with them viz. Mr. Jeremiah Whitaker who was a mirror of Patience and Mr. Joseph Allein whose Sufferings for Christ little other than hurried him to Heaven in a fiery Chariot if any bodily diseases may be called so for their being terrible to the beholders Some others whose Labours were more than ordinary and success answerable God laid them to sleep without any hint to their admirers to put up so much as one Prayer for their continuance viz. Mr. Gouge whom I think none will grudge the Title of the Evangelist of Wales who did more for the promoting the Gospel there than ever was done before who when he went to Bed well was found dead there in the Morning And Mr. Hardy whose Zeal and Prudence to manage it was such that those who envied him his Station were forc't to get a By-Law on purpose ere they could remove him And when he was a great Blessing to the People whither God sent him God put him to sleep in much like manner with the former Some others God startled the Congregations with their Surprizal in the Pulpit God calling them up thither not only to preach but to die viz. Mr. Oakes who was I think as well in health as any time of his life when he had ended his Afternoon Prayer before his Sermon God call'd him to begin his eternal Sabbath with himself And the next Lord's day but one when Mr. 〈◊〉 Kentish had rouzed the Peoples attention with the mention of Mr. Oake's being so lately struck dead in the Pulpit God made him a like instance Some others who had but just begun to preach but would probably have outstript most others God only shewed them to the World and snatcht them to himself viz. Mr. John Janeway who lived so much in Heaven that God as it were said of him Mich. 7.1 my Soul desireth the first ripe fruit and this good Man soon perisht out of the Earth i. e. ceased to live as I remember he never preacht more then one Sermon and Mr. 〈◊〉 Tyro who was but offering at the Ministry admired by all that heard him but God soon took him to admire himself in Glory Thus died these Worthies Upon whose Provocations not their own besure They kept off Judgments not procured them God said to them as to Ezekiel Ezek. 3.26 Thou shalt not be to them a Reprover These Instances have enlarged the first Proposition I 'll be briefer in the rest II. Prop. II. When God takes away any of his eminent Ministers by death God requires a more than ordinary notice should be taken of it Which may be thus evidenced 1. God sets Ministers for a Sign to the People that the People may receive Instruction as well from the Providences of God towards them as from their Doctrine Isa 20.2,3,4 At the same time spake the Lord by Isaiah the Son of Amoz saying Go and loose the Sack-cloth from off thy loins and put off thy shooe from thy foot And he did so walking naked and barefoot And the Lord said Like as my Servant Isai hath walked naked and barefoot three Years for a Sign and Wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia So shall the King of Assyria lead away the Egyptians Prisoners and the Ethiopians Captives young and old naked and barefoot even with their Buttocks uncovered to the shame of Egypt Here are Symbolical and Significative Ceremonies whereby the Prophet was to represent to them not only in Vision as some suppose but really how they should be carried away captive he must put off his prophetical Mantle such as fell from Elias when he was carried up to Heaven in a Whirlwind so they should go stript not stark naked in sorry and ragged apparel as Prisoners are wont to be led so he was to walk up and down in that manner that they might be convinc'd what should befall them See the whole 4 th Chapter of Ezekiel and Ezek. 12 th Chapter from V. 3 d. to the 10 th and Ch. 24. from v. 16. to the 19 th Son of Man behold I take from thee the Desire of thine Eyes with a stroke yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep neither shall thy tears run down v. 19. Forbear to cry make no mourning for the dead v. 18. So I spake unto the People in the morning and at even my Wife died and I did in the Morning as I was commanded v. 19. And the People said unto me wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us that thou doest so The People enquire as well they might What is it that we are to learn by this These are types what do they mean but I 'll close this with this Scripture-story In 1 Kings 13. A Prophet is sent to tell Jeroboam what should befall his Idolatrous Altar he stretcheth out his hand against the Prophet but must be beholding to the Prophet's Prayer that he may be able to pull it to him again For this kindness he invites the Prophet to Dinner but the Prophettells him v. 8. If thou wilt give me half thine House I will not go in with thee neither will eat bread or drink water in this place v. 9. For so was it charged me by the word of the Lord saying eat no bread nor drink water nor turn again by the same way that thou camest But this young Prophet was seduced by an old one who pretended God by an Angel sent to him to invite him to take some refreshment he having delivered his message and was returning home another way as was commanded him but as he sate at the Table the old Prophet is forced to tell his guest he had seduced him and for his yielding to the pretended Dispensation a Lion should kill him which was executed that very day and the poor Prophet's death must assure both Court and City of the Certainty of the Prediction O what need have Ministers to be cautious lest God by their death confirm their Doctrine v. 32. 2. God requires something more than ordinary Joshua and the People had observed the ordinary time of Mourning Deut. 34.8 And the Children of Israel wept for Moses in the Plains of Moab thirty days So the days of mourning for Moses were ended Numb 20.28 So many days they mourned for Aaron the time of mourning for ordinary Persons was seven days But of Moses when they had mourned