Section 12
Go forth, therefore, and go on in the strength of Christ, in the work and warfare of your Chiistiaiiity. Be daily improving in knowledge, in wisdom, in every grace, and reckon not yourselves to have apprehended. You have daily lessons to learn, be getting forward in your learning; daily wori to do, be still doing it, and rid gund in your journey heaven-wards. Have you begun well? Let nothing hinder you. Have you gone on well hitherto ? Lose not the things which you have wrought, tiie things which you have gained. We are clogged with so many corruptions, and surrounded with so many temptations, that if we do not get ground, we certainly lose ground; like a boat on the river, if it be not rowed up the stream, it will of itself go down the stream. Non progredi est regredi, —iV## to advmnet is to retreat. Aim high theroforo, and press forward, having such a prize set before you. Ran vrith patience the race set before you. Hold fast Christ as the foundation, which will stand the storm, and then carry your building as high as heaven above the storm. Let your motto be Plus u2tra — Onumrd, \^
3. Be constant and inward with God in prayer. Would yon build yourselves on your most holy faith, pray much, and pray in the Holy Ghost, for except the Lord build the spiritual house, they labour in vain who build it We can do nothing for ourselves of ourselves, but all our sufficiency is of God; to him therefore we must continually apply ourselves; he has promised grace to help in every time of need, but he will for this be inquired of by the house of Israel. Ask, and it shall be given you, not otherwise : ask in faith, ask in earnest, ask and seek by endeavour, ^sk and knock with constancy and importunity, as become Jacob's seed, and Jacob's God will not let it be in vain. By prayer give glory to God, and then you may expect to receive grace from him, and would be every way better did yon pray more, and more to the purpose. Let all your comforts draw you, and all your crosses drive you, to your knees, and especially let your deficiencies in faith engage you to pray for the increase of it, and the fulfilling of the wprk of faith with power
THE REV. MR. FRANCIS TALLENTS.
1043
Yoa woald proGt more by the word of faith, if yon did pray more for a blessing upon it. You will not sit down to meat, why then will yon sit down to a sermon, the food of your souls, without craving a blessing. Praying contributes no less to our edification in faith than hearing does, indeed it does more, for it engages God on our side.
And whenever you pray, see that it be in the Holy Ghost; pray under the Spirit's influence and operation, who makes intercession in us, and helps our praying infirmities. Let your spirits be employed in the duty, and in order thereunto see it necessary to depend upon God's Spirit It is not his inspiration, as a Spirit of prophecy, that we are to expect, but his conduct and streng, his light and heat, as a Spirit of adoption, a Spirit of grace and supplication.
4. Take heed of every thing that tends to quench the fire of boly love, and would cast yon out of God's favour. This is intended in that branch of exhortation, Keep yourselves in the lave of God. We must not only pray, but watch, and make it our constant care and endeavour to preserve both the good work of God in as, and the good will of God toward us.
Let us keep ourselves in love to God, as the most beautiful Being, and the most bountiful Benefactor. Take heed of every thing that would hinder the operations of his love. Let not the pleasures of a prosperous condition draw off your love from God, nor divert it to lying vanities; nor let the sorrows of an afflicted condition cool your love towards God, nor occasion you to entertain any hard thoughts of bim. The love of God is that fire on the altar, with which all our sacrifices must be kindled ; let it not go out for want of being blown, and stirred ^Pt ^y pious and devout meditations on the grace of God, which are the fuel of pious and devout affections.
Let us keep our interest in the love of God, and beware of saying or doing any thing to forfeit it. Has God graciously condescended to take you into covenant and communion with himself, be sure you keep his commandments, that you may abide in his lo?e; and may not lose or lessen your interest in bim. Carefully avoid sin, all appearances of it, and approaches to it, for fear of ofiending God, and incurring his displeasure. Yon are upon your good bebaviour, see that you behave yourselves well, that no man take your crown. If you throw yourselves out of God's love, to whom will you betake yourselves? You have lost your best friend, have made bim your enemy, and who then can befriend you ? Be solicitous therefore to please God, and let it be tbe top of your ambition to be accepted of him. Keep in the way of your duty; keep close to holy ordinances, and live in brotherly love, then you keep yourselves in the love of God.
Keep lavTBi'-one another in the love of God; so
3x2 it may be read ; watch over one another; edify one another; do all you can to prevent others from falling into sin, and to recover them from it; to provoke one another to love and to good works, and not to provoke one another's passions} let hand join in hand to promote every thing that is good, that you may strengthen and encourage one another in all the instances of holy love, and so may keep one another in the love of God. It was Cain who said, Am I my brother's keeper.
5. Lay hold on eternal life ; it is set before you not only as the visible heavens, to be looked upon, but as a prize, to be run for, and fought for: it is offered to you; it may be yours upon very easy terms, it will be yours unless you put it away from you. Many a time you have had the offers of it made you, and now once more: give not sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eye-lids, till you have, through grace, made sure your title to it. Believe the reality of it; prefer it before all the delights of sense and time; consent to the conditions upon which it is offered ; be willing to part with all for it; set your hearts upon it, and keep it always in your eye.
It is life, my brethren, it is the life of your souls, it is eternal life, that you are urged to lay hold on. A life on th other side death, but a life that has no death on the other side it. Your present lives are dying lives, and so are the lives of all your friends; the lives of your ministers, you see, are so: we cannot take any fast hold of this life, or of any of the enjoyments of it; place your happiness therefore in eternal life, seek and secure it there. Your ministers, who preached to you the words of that life, are one after another gone before you to the enjoyment of it: let their death do that which their life has not done, to draw your hearts upward, upward toward God; forward, forward toward heaven.
6. Let Jesus Christ be all in all to you. In every thing wherein you have to do with God, depend upon the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ; and in all things let him have the pre-eminence with you. Remember, you are Christians; but in vain are you called so, if you rest in mere natural religion, and relish not the truth, as it is in Jesus. If Christ be of no account with you, Christ will be of no effect to you; and then you are undone. If you leave Christ out of your religion, who is indeed the Alpha and the Omega of it, what comfort can you find in it ? what benefit can you expect from it here or hereafter ? If yon look for that in yourselves, that righteousness, and that strength, which is to be had in Christ only, you must thank yourselves when the disappointment proves fatal. He who is sinking, if he embrace himself, perishes, but if he lays hold on the hand reached out to him, he may be helped. You are disciples of Christ, devoted to Christ, dependents on Christ; asy therefore, you have received him, so walk in him:
LIFE OF THE REV. MR. FRANCIS TALLENTS.
yoa baye need of him daily, make daily ase of him. He is the true ChristiaD, in whom Christ is formed, and he the growing Christian, who grows up into Christ in all things.
Your ministers were of St. Paul's spirit, to them to live was Christ, to preach Christ; nor did they desire to know any thing among you, but Jesus Christ, and him crucified. Let the same mind, therefore, be in you, and whatc Ycr you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. Live upon the mercy of Christ, see yourselves lost without it, and cast yourselves upon it: let that be your stay, and stay yourselves upon it; let that be your comfort, and comfort yourselves with it. Be ready to own your dependence on Christ, and your obligations to him ; Christ is a Christian's all, and therefore, blessed be God for Jesus Christ. Let that be the burthen of every song.
Lastly, Live in the believing hopes and expectations of eternal life through the mercy of Christ If, by the grace of God, you have taken some care, some pains, to make it sure, (I hope I speak to many who have done it,) take the comfort of it Be still looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life, and with patience wait for it Let actual thoughts and expectations of eternal life be the daily entertainment of your souls. Look upon it as real, as near, as yours; and please yourselves with the prospect of it How often do our foolish, idle fancies build us castles in the air, and please us with the imagination of things uncertain, unlikely, impossible ! When at the same time, if we would set our faith on work, that would entertain us with the delightful contemplation of real bliss, which we shall very shortly be in the possession of; and .which will so far exceed our present conceptions of it, that we need not fear, lest (as it is with the things of this world) the raised expectation of them should be a drawback upon the enjoyment of them, and lessen the pleasure of it But on the contrary, the more we converse with it in faith and hope, the better prepared we shall be for it, and the more will the capacities of the sanctified soul be enlarged to take in those joys. What! sirs, do we hope to be ii heaven quickly, to be there eternally, and yetthint so seldom of it, and please ourselves so little with the foresight of its glories, and the foretaste of its pleasures. Let us raise our expectations, for the thiap are neither doubtful, nor distant, nor despicable, but sure, and great, and very near; and the hope of them, if built on Christ, will not make as ashamed.
Let our hopes and expectations of eternal life wean us from this world, and take our affections off from it. What an inconsiderable point is this earth, to one who has his conversation in heaven ! How trifling are the things that are seen, that are temporal and transitory, to one who keeps his eye and heart on the things that are not seen, that are eternal. Let this hope purify us from all the pollutions of sin, and pacify all the tumults of our spirits, that we may be found of Christ in peace. Let it engage and quicken us to the utmost diligence in the service of God: it is sure worth while, to take pains in that work, which no less than eternal life will be the recompence of. Do we hope for the mercy of Christ ? Let us then put on, as the elect of God, bowels of compassioD, and upon all occasions show mercy, as those who hope to find mercy. And since temporal death most be our passage to this eternal life, let our expectations of it not only take off the terror of death, bat make it welcome to us. Why should we make any difficulty of putting off the earthly bouse of this tabernacle, in order to our removal to the house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens? Rather let us hasten to meet with cheerfulness that messenger which will fetch us to life, though it come under the name of death ; and all the days of our appointed time continue waiting till it come ; with reference to the burthens and troubles of this life, waiting with a holy patience; and yet, with reference to the joy set before us, (if I may so speak,) with a holy impatience : Why are his ckartot-wheeU so long a coming! Let us have our eye to this eternal life when we pray daily. Father in heaven hallowed he lAy name : thy hingdom come.
A CONCISE ACCOUNT
OP THE
LIFE OF THE REV. MR. FRANCIS TALLENTS
If my information be right, his grandfather was a Frenchman, and was brought over into England by Sir Francis Leak, (whose descendants were Lords Beincourt, afterwards Earls of Scarsdale) who did honourably for him, because in France, upon some occasion or other, he had been instrumental to saie his life. Our Mr. Tallents was bom in Nov. 1619, at a little
1045 town called Pebley, not far off Chesterfield, in Derbyshire.
There is this remarkable concemiDg his family; that bis parents, who were religious good people, both died when their children were very young; he, who was the eldest of six, was then but fourteen years of age ; but of all those six children, not one died for above seventy years after: but (be it observed to the glory of God, as the orphans' God, whose providence takes up, when father and mother forsake) they all lived in reputation and comfort, were eminently religious, and considering what was left among them, wonderfully prospered in the world.
His father's eldest brother, whose name he bore, was a clergyman, and was a wise and tender father to these orphans; he was, first, chaplain to my Lord Deincoart, and tutor to his sons, and was afterwards presented by him to a good living: this nephew of his, and another, be bred scholars. The other was Mr. Philip Tallents, a very worthy conformist in Lincolnshire, who died not long since, and an entire and close affection there was between the two brothers, notwithstanding the difference of their sentiments in some things.
His uncle sent him first to the free-school at Mans-ield, afterwards to that of Newark, where he made such great progress in learning, that one of his masters sent his uncle word, " He was not a silver but a golden talenf
He spoke sometimes of a sermon he heard, when he was very young, on these words, (Ps. cxix. 113.) / hate vain thoughit ; which much affected him, and gave him occasion to ask a good grandmother he had, ^ Whether the devil could know our thoughts V And he was much satisfied when she told him, ^' No, God only knoweth our thoughts**
When he was about sixteen years of age, he was sent to Cambridge by his uncle, and was entered first in Peter-House ; but after sometime he was removed thence, whilst he was under-graduate, to Magdalen College, to be sub-tutor to two or three sons of the Earl of Suffolk, who we think were successively Earls of Suffolk, and the third, the present Earl.
Soon after he came to Magdalen College, it pleased God to call him by his grace, and to reveal his Son in bim. I find not any account of the work of God upon his heart, under his own hand, which were to be wished, nor can I recollect the steps of it, as he has sometimes related them to me. He sometimes said pleasantly to his friends, '' When I began to be serious, I soon became a notorious puritan; for which I bless God's holy name."
I have heard him speak of the strong temptations to infidelity with which he was assaulted, and which for some time he grappled with; but by divine grace he got over them. It was an easy thing, he woald say, to believe the being of God, and his providence, and the principles of natural religion; but to believe that Jesus Christ, who was crucified at Jerusalem, is the Son of God, and my Redeemer and Saviour, and to rest upon him alone for righteousness and life, this is a hard thing. But this was it which he was all his days abundantly filled with, and more and more confirmed in, that Christ is all in all. There was nothing which he more frequently, nor more earnestly, pressed in all his preaching, than this, as having himself experienced not only the comfort of it, but the power and efficacy of it to promote sanctification and a holy life. Christ is the life of our souls, and the foundation of all true religion: and yet if we look into the world, and much more into our own hearts, we shall find that we are least acquainted with him, and are easily drawn from him. We are apt to rest upon our own works, to trust in our own strength and righteousness. Nature in some sort teaches us to do many good things ; and when we do amiss, to be sorry for it; and to ask pardon of God, because he is good and merciful; and thus we hope to be accepted of God, though we lay aside Christ, if not in words, yet in the actings of our souls and spirits: whereas we are made accepted only in the Beloved, and no pardon and salvation is to be had, but by Jesus Christ the Son of God. To cleave to Christ alone, and live by him, is both honourable, and pleasing to God, and makes us have high thoughts of forgiveness of sins, and acceptance with God; and without this, we are even fit to turn Quakers. He called it a golden saying of St. Austin, In eausA duorum hominum per quorum unum svb peecato venditi sumuSj per alterum liheramur, tota con-sistit Christiana religio, — The transaction of two men is the sum of the Christian religion by one ofwhnm we are sold under sin, by the other we are redeemed. And quoted Damasus's creed for it. In hujus morte et sanguine eredimus emundatos nos, j-c.— In whose death and blood we believe that we are cleansed.
But to return. About the year 1642, he went to travel in France, and other foreign parts, as tutor to the Earl of Suffolk's sons, and I think was abroad with them above two years; and there he improved himself very much with the conversation of the learned men he met with, and was always very communi-cative of the observations he made. I have often heard him say, that what he saw abroad with his own eyes of the popish religion, and what conferences he had with its advocates, added much to his conviction of the falsehood and wickedness of it, and con-* firmed him in the protestant religion.
Upon his return from his travels, he was made Fellow of Magdalen College, by the interest of the Eari of Suffolk. Dr. Fuller, in his History of the University of Cambridge, says, That the mastership of that College is neither in the gift of the crown, nor the choice of the College, but at the disposal of the Earls of Suffolk, hereditary patrons of that foon
LIFE OF THE REV. MR. FRANCIS TALLENTS.
dation. He afterwards became Senior Fellow, and President, or Vice-Master of the College. Having entered upon bis Fellowship, be became an eminent tutor in the College; among many others, very many, Sir Robert Sawyer, afterwards Attorney-General, was his pupil, and Dr. Burton.
In the latter end of the year 1645, he began to preach in Cambridge. His first sermon (as I take it) was on Rom. viii. 31. What shall we then say to these things ? in which be endeavoured to encourage others with the doctrine of Christ's mediation, which had been so great a support and comfort to him; over that sermon, as one who aimed to be an experimental preacher, he wrote those words of the Psalmist, when he had obtained the joy of God's salvation. Then will I teach transgressors thy waysy and sinners shall he converted unto thee. He preached often in the College Chapel, and at St Mary's.
He was solemnly ordained to the ministry at London, Nov. 29, 1648, in the parish church of St. Mary Wolnoth, by the third classical presbytery in Ihe province of London, being called (so the letters of his ordination run) to the work of the ministry in the University of Cambridge, as Fellow of Magdalen College there; he is therefore solemnly set apart to the office of a preaching presbyter, and work of the ministry, with fasting, prayer, and imposition of hands.
The University of Cambridge being authorized by Queen Elizabeth to choose every year twelve Doctors or Graduates, who should have power to preach in all parts of England or Ireland, without licence from the Ordinaries, Mr. Tallents was chosen one of them, and was so empowered by an instrument under the University seal, bearing date Oct. 6,1649;
In the year 1652, he left the University, and came to Shrewsbury to be minister of St Mary's church. Being to come into the country, he refused to take his degree of Bachelor of Divinity, (though I think he performed his exercises for it,) because that might have been an occasion of his being forced to take place of many in the country, who were his seniors in the ministry.
Now he applied himself entirely to the work of the ministry, and laid out himself to do good to the souls of those who were committed to his charge. And though he bad been near twenty years an academic, and intimately conversant with all sorts of learning, yet be preached as one who would seem to know nothing, but Jesus Christ and him crucified, studiously accommodating himself to the capacities of his hearers, and delivering to them the great things of God, not in the enticing words of man's wisdom, but in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit
He was much honoured and respected by all the ministers of those parts, and his judgment and advice sought and valued by many. The character Mr. Baxter gives of him in his memoirs is, ** That he was a good scholar, a godly blameless divine, and that he was most eminent for extraordinary prudence, and moderation and peaceableness toward all;" and we know that this record is true; and that he was that just and righteous man whom Solomon describes, (Prov. x. 31, 32.) Whose ntoutk brinyeth forth wisdom, and whose lips ktuno what is acceptable —what is apposite.
Soon after he came to Shrewsbury, he married the daughter of Clive of Walford, Esq. by whom he had one son, bred a scholar at Cambridge, bnt did not prove a comfort to him. Grace does not always run in the blood. Here there was no reason to fear it did not: but his days were not long in the land.
In the year 1656, there was a public dispute in iht parish church of Ellesmere in Shropshire, between Mr. Porter (that eminent divine) minister of Whitchurch, and one Mr. Haggar, an anabaptist, concerning infant baptism, occasioned by a sermon Mr. Porter had preached on that subject at the lecture of Ellesmere: in which dispute, Mr. Tallents was pitched upon to be moderator. An account of that dispute was then printed, in which it appears, that as Mr. Porter abundantly confirmed the doctrine he had preached to the satisfaction of all indifferent persons, and plainly made out the right which the infant seed of believers have to baptism, and so did his part as a disputant, so Mr. Tallents did his as moderator, beginning and ending with prayer, and directing the progress of the dispute (which continued ^ye hours) with prudence and candour, that is, like himself.
In the year 1658, his dear wife died, after she had lived with him but four or five years; thus is our mountain shaken many times, when we think it stands strong, and shall not be moved. He buried her in the same grave in which he himself was buried fifty years after.
When the king was restored in the year 1660, lie not only showed an entire satisfaction in that resettlement of the government, after its foundations had been long out of course, and a sincere affection to the king, as the presbyterians throughout the kingdom did, but intimated likewise his readiness to conform, as far as he could with a good conscience, to the changes that were then made in the church. He therefore read (as I think I have been told) some parts of the liturgy at that time.
But when the Act of Uniformity took place on Bartholomew day, 1662, his conscience being dissatisfied with the terms of conformity thereby insisted on, he was necessitated to quit his place, which wns his livelihood, and (which was more grievous to him, and many others) his work and usefulness, which were his life. He has sometimes observed, that before the wars the puritans generally made a shift to conform and come into the church, notwithstanding the hard usage they foresaw (by the trouble frequently given to those of that character) they wero
1047 likely to meet with in it. To prevent which, for the futare, two new barriers or fortifications were erected by the Act of Uniformity to keep them out ;one was the declaration, " that it is anlawfal upon any pretence whatsoever, to take op arms against the king:'' and this fort they who erected it, about twenty-six years after, were obliged to quit, as not tenable; for when they had broken through it, by joining with those who took up arms against King James, and setting the Prince of Orange upon the throne, they silently took away that declaration, both out of the Uniformity Act, and that of corporations, by an act in the first of King William and Queen Mary; trusting to the other as sufficient to answer their intention, which was the declaration of an unfeigned assent and consent to all and every thing contained in the book entitled '' The book of Common Prayer," &c. (and the Actof Unifonnity itself is the first article in the contents of the book so entitled, and must therefore be nnfeignedly consented to;) which declaration still remains to many tender consciences such an objection against confonnity as they cannot get over. Mr. Tallents, as long as he lived, generally observed Bartholomew day every year, as a day of humiliation and prayer, either publicly, or in private, especially toward his latter end. *' A day to bring to remembrance,^' so he used to call it On this occasion, he sometimes called people wisely to consider the work of God ; to consider the condition of those ministers who were then silenced, how they were hated, despised, and imprisoned, and what great hardships they and their families were reduced to; how sad it was with the people, who were deprived of those helps for their souls which they had greatly valued, and been edified by, and how they sat down at first as men astonished. " Consider," (said he) " that though men were the instruments of it, it was the work of God. Who gave Jacob to the spoil, and Israel to the robbei's ? Did not the Lord f It it the Lard that hath covered the daughter of Zion witha cloud. It was our Father, it was our dear Lord and Master, who made this breach upon us. He did it righteously for our sins ; the sins of us his ministers. It was not for our sins that men put us out, bat it was for our sins that God put us out: who of US have not acknowledged this ? It was for the sins of the good people who loved us, who did not profit as they might have done. It was for the sins of those who bated us, and were set against us, who desired to be rid of such preaching and praying, and said. Prophesy not; therefore they shall not pro-phesy. Yet we hope many of us got good by our safierings, were purified by them, and our hearts made better by our sadness. God would show us, that he can carry on his work another way, and multiply his people, even when they are in afilictlon; Md make even the sufferings of his ministers to turn U> the furtherance of the gospel of Christ."
He sometimes observed with thankfulness the care God took of his ejected ones, how wonderfully he provided for them, so as to keep them alive; as the disciples, who were sent out without purse or scrip, and yet when they were asked, Lachedyou any thing? answered, Nothing, Lord! Especially, that they obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.
One remark more I shall take notice of which he made upon the silencing of the ministers; " Lord," (said he,) " what poor weak creatures are we; when some applaud this as an excellent deed, and yet others look upon it as a great sin."
But as he was truly conscientious in his nonconformity, and entirely satisfied in the reasons of it, so he was eminently moderate in it, and let his moderation be known unto all men: he loved all good people of every denomination, and took all occasions to witness against bigotry on all sides.
For the most part, he attended the public ministry and the liturgy both morning and afternoon, and preached only in the evening, and on the week days, as he had opportunity, and fell not into any constant stated work for some years (as I think) after he was silenced, waiting to see what God would do with him.
In the year 1670, he went to travel in France a second time, as tutor to two young gentlemen, Mr. Boscawen and Mr. Hambden, with whom he spent about two years and a half in making the complete tour of that kingdom and the parts adjacent. Wo find among his papers a very exact journal of all his motions and observations, from the day he set out from London to the day he returned. There we find him at Diep, Roan, Caen, Alenson, Anglers, Nantes, Saumur, Tours, Orleans, Thoulouse, Mon-pellier, Nismes, Marseilles, Thoulon, Lyons, Geneva, Bern, Basil, Zurich, Strasburg, and at length at Paris. Of these, and abundance of other places, he gives a very particular account, describing the rarities both of nature and art; their civil government, the churches, and religious houses; and especially an account of the protestants and their churches ; the learned men in every place, and his conferences with them, and the informations he received from them; in reco Yding which, there appears a great deal of care. Had he put his last hand to this journal, and published it then, I doubt not but it would have been both an acceptable entertainment to the world, and a considerable reputation to him: but his great modesty concealed it, not only from the world, but from his intimate friends, for I know not of any to whom he communicated it; so far was he from the ostentation of a traveller, so little did he value himself upon these accomplishments, which many would have been proud of, and so much was he taken up with the better country, the heavenly. Yet when there was occasion, he failed not to inform and entertain his friends with his observations he made when he was abroad. Mr. Boscawen, one of
LIFE OF THE REV. MR. FRANCIS TALLENTS.
the ge Dtlemen that he travelled with, died at Stras-burg of the small pox, to his great grief.
While he was at Paris, where h& continned some months, he wrote a pretty large treatise, giving a particular description of the Roman catholic religion, by comparing their books, which he carefully read, and their practice, which he carefully observed, with each other. He gives an account, 1. Of their doctrine and opinions, chiefly from the Council of Trent, which he gives an abstract of; also from the canon law, and the writings of their doctors. 2. Of their worship and ceremonies: which he gives an account of by their books, put out by order of their popes, &c. of which the pontifical, ritual, breviary, and missal are the chief: also by their ordinary practice in public and private; their extraordinary devotions in processions, jubilees, confrai-ries, &c. and by their religious orders of men and women. 3. Of the means they use to support it, to confirm their own, win upon others, and overcome those who will not be won upon by them: and lastly, of the several sorts of religions, or religious orders, among them. Of all which, he says, Vidisse est confut Asse^—The appearance itself is a sufficient confutation. He adds some of his thoughts on that question, Whether those who are devout in the Romish religion may be saved? and concludes their case highly dangerous, because they are idolaters; but expresses himself with great tenderness and compassion, bearing them record that many of them have a zeal for God, though not according to knowledge. He shows in the close the folly and wickedness of those protestants who make light of popery, and think there is no great hurt in it
This treatise is dedicated to the Reverend Mr. Samuel Hildersham, (son of Mr. Arthur Hilders-ham,) to whom he was nephew by marriage.
At his return from his travels in the year 1673, he found the dissenters in England blessed with some breathing time from the extreme persecutions with which for so many years they had been harassed, and their assemblies tolerated. This soon brought him back to Shrewsbury; for no employment, no entertainment, was in his account comparable to that of preaching the gospel, for the honour of Christ, and the salvation of precious souls; when, therefore, a door of opportunity was opened for that, among the people he had formerly stood in the relation of a pastor to, he presently embraced it, though it was no way to his secular advantage, and though it broke him off very much from his conversation with scholars and great men. Herein he was a follower of the faith of Moses, who though he was learned in all the learning of the Egyptians, visited his brethren the children of Israel, and was content to take his lot with them.
Mr. John Bryan (the son of Dr. Bryan of Coventry) was turned out from St. Chad's church, Shrewsbury, and under his ministiy the presbyterian dis-senters there sat down; a pious man, and a good preacher. With him Mr. Tallents joined, and they divided the work between them: the congregation meeting in the house of that eminent Christian, Mrs. Hunt, relict of Col. Hunt, member of parliament. Much good was now done in that place by the oiiiiis-try of these two worthy men.
Mr. Tallents had formerly, for the use of his pupils, drawn up a scheme of general chronology, which be had found of great use to them in reading history. This, having leisure for close study, now he was again settled in Shrewsbury, he set himself to enlarge, which he did to that degree of fulness and exactness, that it very well deserves the title nnder which it is known to the world: A View of Universal History, It cost him abundance of pains, more than can be imagined, to bring it to perfection» and to put it into that curious form in which it noir appears: he was very exact in comparing his authors, and careful to avoid mistakes; every line there was the product of more study than perhaps some pages of another nature would be. He was very intent upon it, and applied himself to it with great industry. If any came to speak with him in his studying hoars, he would desire them to despatch thdr business in as few words as they could, that he might return to his business, which was his great delight, next to the immediate service of God, and the work of his ministry, which he always preferred. I remember with what affection he would bless God with his family, on a Lord's-day morning, that on that daj we were to lay aside our studies and our books, and give ourselves to communion with God in holy joy and praise.
Those chronological tables which give that view of universal history, were finely engraven on sixteen copper plates in his own house, and published about the year 1684, made up either in books or maps. How well they were received, and how much they are and will be valued by the learned world, I need not say. Some of his friends were very urgent with him to publish them in Latin, for the benefit of foreigners, but he said he intended them chiefly for the benefit of the nobility and gentry of our own nation, that they might have things viliich lay dispersed set before them in a clear and short view. It is certain there is nothing in them of partiality, or that looked designed to serve any party, but plain truth as far as it can be discovered.
I find among his papers many chronological disquisitions, and historical remarks; some seem to be drawn up in preparation for those tables, others for the illustration of them, but a vast deal of learning there is in thtm. That which encouraged him to take pains herein was the exceeding great use and benefit of history; that it shows us God's ways and deal-I ings with his church and people, and the nations of
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1049 the world; it helps as to understand the prophecies 9f Scriptare; and it raises ns above that narrowness of spirit which most are subject to, and keeps us from thinking that there is no religion bat in our own way; besides, that it gives great light to all kinds of knowledge and learning. If he would have been prevailed with to publish annotations upon his tables, and such historical dissertations, as I find he had furnished himself with materials for, I doubt not but they would have been both very acceptable and very useful.
About the year 1683, the meetings in Shrewsbury were suppressed, and he was then forced again into obscurity; and durst not be seen there, for fear of the Five-mile Act, which Mr. Bryan was brought into trouble upon. But in the year 1685, his dear wife going to Shrewsbniy on some occasion, and dying suddenly there, he ventured thither to the last office of respect to her, which opportunity his enemies laid hold of, and it being just at the time of the Duke of Monmouth's attempt in the west, under pretence of that he was taken up, and sent prisoner to Chester castle, but upon the defeat of that attempt he was enlarged, and retired to London, where he lived very privately. Solomon speaks of a time when a man is kid, such a man.
But at the coming out of the liberty for dissenters in 1687, be returned to Shrewsbury, and joined with Mr. Bryan in the ministry there : and burning and shining lights they were in that place. And now they confined not themselves to the evening of the sabbath, as formerly; but some time after this revival of their liberty, they began to keep their meetings at the same time with the public worship, both parts of the day.
Upon occasion of that indulgence, he wrote for his own satisfaction a pretty large tract, which we fiod among his papers, concerning compelling people to the Christian religion, and punishing those who err in it. All agree, that those may be restrained and punished, who go against the light and law of nature, and disturb the civil government But he nndertakes to prove, that the magistrate is not to force Jews and heathens to embrace Christ's truth ; nor those who err in matters of faith and worship, to own the right; nor to punish or destroy them if they will not: but that the same weapons are now to be used for the preserving and reforming of the church, vhich the apostles used for the planting of it; which were not carnal but spiritual; and yet mighty tliroagh God to pull down strong holds. He largely examines, not only the arguments, but the authorities, on both sides, and concludes, that Christ builds his church by faith and love, not by craft, violence, and persecution.
When King William and Queen Mary were happily settled on the throne, and each side seemed to come to a good temper, to promote it, he published a small tract of two or three sheets, which he called *' Sure and Large Foundations/' The design of which was to promote catholic Christianity and catholic charity, as the only healing methods.
Some overtures being made in that reign towards a comprehension, some worthy gentlemen who greatly valued his judgment, sent for him up to London, to discourse with him concerning it; particularly concerning the re-ordaining of those who were ordained by presbyters. Upon mature deliberation, he declared, he could not for his part submit to it; and drew up his reasons at large, which we find among his papers.
He not only pleaded for, but earnestly pressed, occasional conformity, as a token of the charity we have for those with whom we cannot statedly join, long before such a noise was made about it, with reference to offices; and it was his opinion, that as the dissenters, to show their charity, ought occasionally to hear the church ministers, and join with them in their worship, so the church ministers ought occasionally to hear the dissenters, and join with them in their worship; supposing that if they understood one another better, they would love one another better, and be brought nearer together.
In October, 1690, good Mrs. Hunt died, a great example in her place of serious piety, and all Christian virtues; lively and unwearied in the exercises of devotion, abounding in every thing that was good, free and charitable, and very active to promote religion, and the power of godliness, without any regard to parties. Upon her death, the meeting removed to Mr. Tallents's house about one year, while they were building and fitting up a very decent place for the purpose, which they entered upon, Oct 25,1601, Mr. Tallents preaching the first sermon on Isa. Ivii. 15. / dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit. He caused it to be written upon the walls of the meeting-place, that it was built, ** not for a faction or a party ; but for promoting repentance and faith, in communion with all that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity." Adding that Scripture with which the French churches usually begin their public worship. Our help stands in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He sometimes told his hearers, *' If you come to be a people only differing from others in some opinions, but grow proud and carnal, and worldly and sensual, God will pull your place down; and let him pull it down."
He took all occasions to declare how much he hated from his heart the limiting of Christ's church to a particular opinion or party. We are far from thinking, said he, ourselves the only preachers, and condemning all others; as some do in effect. Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me, to speak unto thee? (1 Kings xxii. 24.) No, we rejoice that Christ is preached by many others: but we cannot think there
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are so many good preachers, as that there is no need of us, or that we should be laid aside or forbidden; and therefore we say, as Elihu, without reflecting on others, We also will speak; we will throw in oar mite; for we are called to the work, and therefore will lay oat what God has given us, since the ministration of the Spirit is given to every one to profit withal. He made it his great business to preach Christ, and faith in Christ, as the great principle of holiness, which he said, he feared many spoke of very dimly and very coldly.
I cannot avoid taking notice here of a most impudent and malicious calumny, which the enemies of this good man cast upoik him, " That he was a popish priest:" but if they called the Master of the house Beelzebub, much more them of his household. When he was at London in the year 1686, it happened that a desk he had left at Shrewsbury was opened by mistake, in which, among other things, was a piece of an old white damask bed scolloped, and a plain pair of slippers, and a book, in which was entered the names of his pupils in Magdalen College ; a malicious fellow that was there reported, that " he saw in a desk of Mr. Tallents's such vestments as priests say mass in, full of crosses and images, and I know not what, and a book in which were the names of such as were admitted into the order of Jesuits." When Mr. Tallents came down, and found this base slander industriously spread to bis prejudice, he had the fellow before the mayor, produced the things that were found in the desk, and so convicted him of falsehood and malice; but because he was a poor man, gave him no other trouble but that of a check from the mayor: yet there were those who would do all they could to support the slander; and one at length who happened to say it in the company of divers, again and again, ** Tallents is a Jesuit, and he has read mass at St. Omer's, and I will prove it.'' There being full evidence of this man's speaking these words, Mr. Tallents was advised to bring an action against him; which he did, and it was tried at Shrewsbury assizes in 1693, and the man was cast; but he being poor, the jury brought in but fifty shillings damages.
In the year 1701, he buried his fourth wife, with whom he had lived about fourteen years in much comfort; upon which he left off house-keeping, and went to be a tabler; but still having care of the poor families of many, when he had none of his own.
In the year 1704 he wrote his excellent History of Schism, for the promoting of Christian moderation, and the commonion of saints. He was in the eighty-fifth year of his age when he wrote that book, and as it is the product of a great deal of learning, so it is the result of a great deal of thought, of a mind deeply tinctured with Christian piety and charity, that found itself much aggrieved to hear many, who may justly be thought to fear God, and work righteousness, anathematized, and condemned to the pit of hell, for some mistakes (to say the worst i concerning church government and ceremonies. All the point that book aimed at the gainings of was, *' It is possible a dissenter may be saved." A veiy modest postulatum, one would think, and easily granted to heathens and papists. But it aeenas, it might not be granted to the dissenters, at least not without reluctance ,* for the book was answered by one S, G, with a great deal of passion and indication, upon Mr. Dodwell's principles. Mr. Tallents, like a Christian, a scholar, and a gentleman, answered it with fair reasoning and abundance of I candour and meekness. 8. G. replied with more falsehood and bitterness than before, with the most base misrepresentations, and most scurrilous reflections that could be. Some of Mr. Tallents's friends offered to expose and banter him, but he would by no means suffer it; and would himself haye been at the pains mildly to show him his mistakes, hot that some of his friends reminded him of the old observation—'^ He that fights with a dunghill, thougrh he be a conqueror, is sure to come off dirtied;*'and one worthy gentleman, who- upon inquiry found out now who this S. G, was, sent Mr. Tallents an account of his character ; adding, that it was one of the greatest honours ever done him, that he had once thought him worthy of his notice, and treated him with so much civility and respect, but that be would by no means have him trouble hiniself with him a second time. Answer not such a writer according to his writing.
Let us now observe something concerning him, and his character and conversation, which may be of use to us.
1. In all his address and conversation, he was a great example of giving honour to whom honour was due, and love to whom love. To persons of rank and figure, he was in the highest degree respectful and complaisant, nor have I ever known any more observant of the rules of decency, nor with a better grace, which was a great ornament to his learning and piety. To his intimate friends he was most affectionate and endearing; with what expressions of love he used to embrace them, and lay them in his bosom, how dear they were to him as his own soul, how he would be pleased and revived vrith the sight of them, and how naturally he cared for their state, must never be forgotten by those who were blessed with his friendship. To his inferiors he was remarkably condescending, would hear their complaints with great patience and tenderness, and with great freedom and familiarity discourse with tliose who desired his advice in their affairs, relating to this world or tlie other.
2. In his old age, he retained the learning both of the school and of the academy to admiration ; and would readily repeat verbatim observable passages
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a great length oat of the ciaasie aathora, as there was occasion, for the entertainment of his friends. Those who woald be thos rich when thej are old, must take pains when they are young. He had something to communicate to those who conversed with him concerning all sorts of learning, but history was his masterpiece, and in that no man more ready. He sometimes advised young students to trace learning to its fountains, and though they read new books, yet to keep the old ones by them, and dwell most upon them.
3. He abounded very much in pious ejaculations, as one who had learned to pray alwaytf to pray with" out ceasing, and to intermix prayer and praise not only with the slumbers of the night, (which I have reason to think he did,) but with the conversation of the day. When he was in serious talk with his friends, how often would he send his heart to heaven, and direct theirs also that way, in such devout and holy breathings as these, " God look on us!'' ** God pity us V When he heard that his friends he inquired after were in health and prosperity, with what seriousness and solemnity would he lift up his eyes and hands, and say, '* God be praised!" If he heard of the afflictions of any of them, " God relieve them, refresh them, comfort them V* If of the falls of any, '* God give them repentance !*' If of the deaths of any, '* God Jit us to die r When he sent his service unto his friends, he would usually add an ejaculatory prayer for them, " God do them good!" " The Lord refresh their souls with his love V adding sometimes, *' and my poor dry soul too!" As the slightly careless use of the expressions of prayer, as by-words, is an evidence of a Tain mind, not possessed with a due reverence of God and his great name, and is really a profaning of the holy things which the children of Israel hallow to the Lord their God; so the serious and devout use of them, with the indications of a due attention and affection, is an evidence of the domi-Dion of grace and holiness in the heart: and it is pity when the former is so much in use among the profane, his enemies, who take his name in vain, the latter should be so little in use among professors, his frieads, who desire to give unto him the glory due onto his name. Of this instance of devotion Mr. Tallents was a great example.
4. He was very happy in counselling and advising bis friends who applied themselves to him, according as their case and condition was, their temper, or their distemper. He knew how to speak a word in season to the weak, to the weary, to the wilful, to comfort with all tenderness, and yet to rebuke with all aathority and faithfulness ; and how to express at the same time a just indication against a sin, and yet a due compassion for sinners.
He sometimes expressed his fear concerning many weak, melancholy Christians, that they had tired themselves In the exercises of devotion; and would advise such to compose and quiet themselves, and keep their minds as calm and sedate as may be, and not aim to put them always upon the stretch. He would sometimes pleasantly say, '* The quietest are the best Christians.'^ And certainly we must take heed of placing religion too much in the passions and pangs even of holy love, for we truly honour and enjoy God not only in the elevations of the soul toward him, but the repose of the soul in him. Return to thy rest, O my eoul, and be at home, be at easef in God.
And as to the external performances of religion, he sometimes said, " Let the work of God be done, and done well, but vrith as little noise as may be :*' The kingdom of God come* not with observation.
5. He was eminent for his charity; was charitable in his judgment and censures of others, and made the best of every body; charitable in forgiving injuries, and passing by affronts; and charitable to the poor, ready, very ready to every good work; not only exciting the charity of others, but exerting his own, to his power, yea, and beyond his power; sparing from himself to supply others: he was as dead to the wealth of this world as most men I ever knew, knowing no good in it, but doing good with it. The little he left behind him (much of which too he left to the poor, having no children) is an evidence for him, (as it was for Calvin at Geneva,) that he had no way of laying up what he had but by laying it out in works of charity, which is the surest way of laying up etfukiov co Xov— a good security, pawn or pledge, (so some pnderstand it, 1 Tim. vi. 19.)/or the time to come, and so lay hold on eternal life. He was particularly kind and charitable to strangers in distress, whom we must not be forgetful to entertain, (yet with prudence and caution,) because though some thereby have entertained devils incarnate, yet others thereby have entertained angels unawares, Heb. xiii. 2.
6. His preaching was very plain and familiar, but very affectionate, and that which manifestly came from the heart, and therefore was most likely to reach to the heart. He studied not words but things, remembering that of Minucius Felix, Quo imperitior sermo, eo Ulustrior ratio est — The discourse would be lucid in proportion to its simplicity ; and that oftentimes there is most power and demonstration of the Spirit there where is least of the enticing words of man*s wisdom. His explications were clear; his reasonings strong and convincing; and his quotations of Scripture very pertinent, and sometimes surprising.
I find a sermon on Jer. iii. 4. Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My Father ? which he begins thus, " My brethren, what shall I speak to you this day from the Lord, for your spiritual encouragement, and strengthening in the ways of the Lord? We
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meet. together for this end, and we have gracioiu promises, that he will be with as to teach and strengthen us: I have it in my heart at this time to tell you, that you are to look upon God as*your Father, and to hold that fast in your hearts.'*
Another thus; " I would fain speak a good word to-day concerning Jesus Christ, for the good of you here present, and of my own soul."
Another thus ; '' What I have now to say, is that which has somewhat affected me in my own private thoughts, and I hope may affect and work upon you for good, through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ"
He would often in his preaching speak with application to himself; ** This word is to me, O that it may reach ray heart" He frequently intermixed pious ejaculations with his preaching, and sometimes recommended it to others, as that which was both proper to affect the hearers, and the way to fetch in divine grace for the making of what he said effectual.
In times of distress, and fear, and expectation, he comforted himself and his friends, not only with the doctrine of God's universal providence, (many of the heathen encouraged themselves with that,) but he fetched his support chieBy from those principles which are purely Christian, as most proper for us, and most powerful, That we see Jesus crowned with glory and honour (Heb. ii. 9.) and that he nourisheth and cherisheth his church; and not only protects, but guards it, Eph. v. 29.
He was very frequent and earnest in pressing the necessity of brotherly love among .Christians in the several instances of it, and reproving what is contrary to and destructive of it; love was the air he breathed in.
I remember once, when I came to visit him not long ago, he told me he had been preaching the day before concerning the Holy Ghost, and had observed, among other things, that he thought it was a defect among us, that we only prayed for the Holy Spirit, (as we are directed, Luke xi. 13.) and did not pray, so much as we should, to the Holy Spirit, for his gifts, and graces, and comforts, which we ought to do; for he is God, and therefore to bo prayed to: and he mentioned the Litany for an example, O God, the Holy Ghost, have mercy upon us.
He earnestly pressed young ministers to preach Christ much, and the mystery of tlie gospel, wherein (says he) if I may judge of others by myself, we are generally so ignorant, and live so little by it; that enlightens, softens, humbles, sweetens the heart, and makes it truly fruitful and thankful.
He was much upon it in several sermons not long before he died, to show, that Christ our Lord merited for us, not only in his death, though chiefly then, but alsotn the obedience of his life: both his life and his death were exemplary to us, and meritorious for us.
7. I must observe, that be was in his jadgmeat much for extolling free grace, and the imputatio* of Christ's righteousness to us for our justification, and the operation of the Spirit in us for oar sancti-fication. A little before his death, he said that Scripture, Isa. Iv. 1. Without money and without price, had often been his comfort and support; *' For" (said he) " I have nothing put a poor naked soul to bring to Christ" He also said sometimes, that we must take heed of resting too much upon our covenanting with God ; for it is by his promises to us that we partake of a divine nature, not by oars to him.
It was not long before his death that he wrote thus to me: I insert it both as a specimen of his letters to his friends, and an intimation of his sentiments in these things: "I send this by one that is a poor, melancholy, afflicted, grieved, but, I think, a holy woman; I hope I got good by my discourse with her. Alas, wo are generally secure and doll, and any that are awakened indeed, and under temptations, are useful to such. Lately reading Lather's life in MelchiorAdamus, besides other things, I find an excellent passage concerning justification by faith, which sets the matter most lively before us. Nemo pro nostris peccatis mortuus est nisi solus Jerus Christus Filius Dei; iterum iterumque dieo soius et unus Jesus Dei Filius a peccatis nos redemii ; et im-possibile est ut Christum aliter quam sol Afide umpUe-tar, ifc.'-^No one has died for our sins but Jesus Christ the Son of God; I repeat it, only Jesus Christ the Son of God has redeemed us from our sins ; and I caumot receive Christ any other way than by reposing all con-fidence in him. And shall we join our sufferings or obedience to his ? Yet he died to purchase a holy people to himself, requires holiness in his, works it in them by the ways he appoints, and through holiness, which he makes necessary to salvation, will bring them to it. Farewell, dear sir, our God I trust will carry us on through faith to salvation. Let us pray for it in faith. Go on, rejoice in the Lord, abound in his work; and pray for poor old dull me, that I may not be altogether useless, but may finish my course with joy."
Take his sense of this with application to himself, as it is found in a paper written with his own hand. '< I prayed much for the pardon of my sins, so great and many even to this day; for great mercies and forgivenesses, that righteousness may be imputed to me, Rom. iv. 11, 23. That I may be justified as holy Abraham was, by a righteousness imputed ; as holy David was, having my sins covered, that is, by Christ's atonement; as all the saints have been, not by their own works and righteousness, (which is but rags,)but by the righteousness of Christ wrought for us, the righteousness which is of God by faith, and be found in that Let me live by that, and have peace with God by it; if others despise it, let me highly praise it; if others cast it away, let me
1053 live by that; if otliers speak against it, let me make my boa«tof it; let it be my joy, my crown, my life, my peace, my glorying, my all. Let his Spirit be imparted to me, to sanctify, to rule me; his righte-oasness be imputed to me; this is all my hope, that I may be found in the crowd, among the many thousands of God's people, (Numb. x. 36.) whom he cares for and loves, though but among the least of them, a little member of that great body.'' Such as these were the constant breathings of his pious soul.
Let me add one thing upon this, that though he differed much from Mr. Baxter, concerning justification and other things, yet he highly yalued that gn'eat man for his learning and piety, and the service he had done the church by his practical writings, and often spoke of him with great respect and affection.
He took occasion sometimes to speak the hopes he had of the flourishing of the Christian church in the latter days; that the Jews should be converted, the papal antichristian kingdom destroyed, and religion, in the power of it, should prevail. He grounded his hopes on the prophecies of the New Testament; " And," said he, ** when God shall repair the breaches of his church, and build it up greatly, the subtilties of the schools, and many canons of councils, and customs of old, will be laid aside, and a great simplicity in things of faith and worship shall be owned and practised; no more conditions shall be made for communion of churches, than Christ makes for communion with him, and uniformity in smaller matters shall not be made necessary to unity."
We have now nothing to do, but to gve some account of the end of this good man's conversation. It pleased that God, in whose hand our times are, to lengthen or shorten as he pleases, to continue him long a burning and a shining light in his church; purely to his good providence it must be attributed, and not to any thing that appeared extraordinary either in his constitution or management of himself. Moses observed, that in his time, if men lived to be fourscore years, even their strength was then commonly labour and sorrow; but here was one who went almost nine years beyond that, and yet his strength did not seem to be labour and sorrow, but he continued both cheerful and useful to the last, even in those evil days, of which men commonly say they have no pleasure in them; he had the pleasure of looking backward upon the grace of God bestowed upon him, and forward upon the glory of God prepared for him, and little of bodily pain and distemper to be an allay to his pleasure. Thus in Ilia advanced years he continued to walk humbly with God in holy security and serenity of mind, and a believing expectation of the glory to be revealed.
In the year 1099, Mr. Bryan, who had long been his fellow-labourer in Shrewsbury, finished his course with joy: thereupon Mr. James Owen of Oswestry was chosen to join with him in the work of the ministry there ; but it pleased God to put an end to his most useful life and labours in April, 1706. Upon his death they chose Dr. Benion, then minister at Broad Oak, who came and settled among them that year, and was every way agreeable both to Mr. Tallents and to the people, but Te tantutn terru ottendunt Fata nee ultra esse tinunt, he had soon finished his testimony, and was remanded (March 4, 1707-8) when he had been but a year and three quarters at Shrewsbury. He was very dear to Mr. Tallents, and as a son with the father, so did he serve with him in the gospel; and his death did accordingly go very near him, he scarce looked up with any cheerfulness after.
He had had a very little sickness.; but as he grew into years, complained sometimes of faintness, and feebleness, and shortness of breathing, which obliged him to favour himself a little in his work; and if he had spent himself but in discourse with his friends, he found it requisite to retire and repose himself a little.
On Wednesday, March 24, about a fortnight after the doctor was buried, as he was washing him, and for ought appeared as well as he used to be, he fainted away of a sudden, and had fallen to the ground, if those about him had not been immediately aware of it and helped him. In a little time he came to himself, and the next day wrote a letter in his bed, made some alterations in his will, gave directions about his funeral, and then addressed himself to his 'dying work, with the holy cheerfulness that became so good a Christian, as one who had nothing else to do but to die. Sometimes he intimated, that if it were the will of God, he could desire to live a little while to see the congregation well settled under another minister, and there was sometimes hope of his recovery, and that he might yet have been instrumental therein; but the wise God, whose judgments are a great deep, ordered otherwise, that he should leave them just at a time when they most needed him. Many a time after Dr. Benion*s death, he prayed earnestly to God to provide good ministers for that congregation, which lay so near his heart. And since his death, we have seen his prayers answered: but God will show that he can do his own work without the agency even of those instruments that we think necessary, and depend most upon. He uses the service of many, but needs the service of none.
And though to abide in the flesh might well be thought, especially at that juncture, more profitable for them, yet he soon got over that difficulty, and left the care of the sheep to the great Shepherd, who when he has work to do will never want fit instruments to do it with. He therefore prayed, that
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if his work were done, he might be, by the grace of God, not only willing, bat desirous, to depart, and to be with Christ, which he knew to be far better.
He charged all about him, that they should not pray for his life, but that he might be enabled patiently to wait for his change.
When he came to himself, by God's blessing on the use of means,, from that fainting fit, with which his illness began, he said to those about him, ** Why did you not let a poor old man go away quietly?" He often expressed his repentance for sin, and his reliance on Christ alone; and some days before he died, he blessed God that he was more full of inward comfort and joy than he was able to express.
He complained yery little either of pain or sickness, but gradually decayed, and burnt lower and lower, like a candle in the socket. He often prayed to God for a blessing on those about him, and said, " Here I lie waiting, waiting." After some time he began to think it long that he had not his release, and to cry. Come, Lord Jeau, come quickly ; but he knew God's time is the best, and therefore would wait with patience for it; for the vision is for an appointed time, and at the end it shall speak, and not lie.
On Lord's day, April 11, 1706, he said he would have those about him go to worship God in the solemn assembly, and would have only one to stay with him. That day he took more refreshment, and seemed to be more revived, than he had been of some time before. Divers savoury words dropped from him; and he continued very sensible calling upon God, till about nine or ten o'clock that cf es-ing, when he sweetly slept in Jesas, and on tbal dav of rest, entered into his everlasting rest. Praued be that God by whose grace he was ena Jbled to fini well.
On Thursday following, (April 15,) the dear n-mains were solemnly deposited in St Mary's chardi, and a sermon preached at his own meeting-place the same evening on that sad occasion, and maoy, very many, did him honour at his death, as they did to Jehoiada, (who died in a good old age,) becmuse he hud done good in IsraeL
A paper was found after his death, appointin|c what epitaph should be inscribed on his grave-stone, and expressing the year of his life then cuxrent; intimating, that he did not expect to out-live that year.
Reliquim D. Franeisci TttUenU, Olim Coh Magd. Cant, Sen, Socij, Potiea Coneionniaris IuMid in hoe EceUsid ab Ann. 1602. ad Aug, 524, 1GG2. Qm poet varioa Laboree expeetane miserieordiam Domini nostri Jeeu Christi in vitant eetermmm !«■-dem deeetiitf Anno JEtatie eum 99.'Mense
The remaine of D. F. TaUenie.farmerfy Fellaw ef Magdalen College Cambridge ^ afterwards preacher in this church from 1052, to Aug, 24, 1662: whoy after various labouri, expecting the merrg ^ WT Lard Jenu Christ unio etemmi Ufe died t» the S9th gear of his age.
A SERMON
PREACHED AT THE
FUNERAL OF MR. SAMUEL LAWRENCE,
MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL AT NANTWICH IN CHESHIRE,
WITH A CONCISE ACCOUNT OF HIS UFE.
Philippians ii. 27. Lest I should have sorrow vpon sorrow.
O THAT the occasion of oar meeting here to-day had been sacb, that this whole verae had been applicable to it! If when our dear brother (whose remains we have just now laid in the silent grave) was sick, nigh onto death, God had heard oar prayers, had seen oar tears, had ordered the san of life to go back, or rather the shadow of it, (for it is bat a shadow,) and had added to his days, as to Hesekiah's, and we had been met here to retam thanks for his recoveiy, with what pleasare should I have applied this whole Tcrae to sach a joyfal occasion ; For imdeed he was sich, niffh unio death, htU Ood had mercy on him, and spared him, and not an him only, hut on me also, and on yoa likewise, and on many others, lest we should hme sorrow upon sorrow.
Bat alas, this is not oar case; it is not a song of praise that is this day pat into oar moaths, but a song of lamentation; nor is the case any longer within the reach of prayer. While oar friend was yet aliye, we wept and made snpplication, for we said, Who can tell hut God will yet he gracious to lUy and he shall live. We pleaded, Shall Jonathan die, (I Sam. xiv. 46.) who has been instmmental of 80 much good to the seals of many, who is sach a blessing to Israel, and likely to be more so, likely in a course of nature to be long so ? But now he is dead, though we desire patiently to submit to the holy will of God, and to reconcile ourselves to this dark dispensation, acknowledging that God is just in this which he has brought upon us, yet we think we may have liberty to bemoan ourselves under so sore a breach made upon our comforts; nay, we think it is our duty, when we sow sach precious seed, sow it in corruption and dishonour, though we believe it shall be raised again in glory and incor-rnption, yet to bear it forth weeping, and to sow it in tears. If Jonathan be fallen we cannot but say, We are distressed for him, for tery pleasant has he been unio us, and therefore very painful must it needs be to have him thus suddenly rent from us, in the nddst of his great usefulness.
We have occasion then, at present, to make use only of the last words of the verse. Sorrow upon sorrow. That which Paul dreaded, but it was by the mercy of God prevented, in the case of Epaphrodi-tus, we feel we have, I am sure I feel I have, sorrow upon sorrow, a complication, an addition, of sorrows, which ought to be no surprise to us in this vale of tears, this lower region, where the clouds return after the rain, in a world where we are bid to expect tribulation, and to count upon it
Our observation from tiie text, with application to the present sad occasion, though it be only implied, yet rises easily and naturally. If Epaphroditos had died, Paul, who was now already in great distress, by reason of liis removal and distance from his friends at Philippi, would have had sorrow upon sorrow; the sorrow of burying one friend, upon the sorrow of being separated from many more: and therefore when such a one as Epaphroditus was, is removed from us by death, we have sorrow upon sorrow; that is, we have yreat sorrow, many sorrows included in this one. And sometimes Providence so orders the circumstances of this affliction, that it is, to those who are nearly interested in the case, (as Paul was in that of Epaphroditus,) one sorrow added to another, like JoVs messengers; as the waves of the sea, deep 4!alling unto deep. Broken with breach upon breach.
To accommodate this to our present purpose, we
A 8ERMON ON THE DEATH OF mast consider who this Epaphroditos was, whose death would have been so great a grief to St. Paul. He was an evangelist; not only in the larger signification of the word, Vipreaeher of the gospel, a hringer of good tidings, bat in its more pecaliar sense, he was an assistant to the apostles in founding and planting charches. Sach was Timothy, Titus, Silas, and others, who were sometimes the apostles' companions and associates in their itinerant work, sometimes their substitates and agents; whom they sent where they coald not come, or left where they coald not stay, to set in order the things that were wanting; to settle the charches which the apostles had planted under the conduct of their ordinary pastors and teachers, and then to leave them. This Epaphro-ditus is the same with that Epaphras, Col. i. 7. who first preached the gospel at Colosse, and planted a church there; afterwards was for some time at Philippi, and watered the church there; and was now at Rome, sent thither by the Philippians on au errand to St Paul, and sent back by St. Paul to them with this epistle. Now we may look upon this good man, 1. As a dear friend of Paul's, and one whom he had a great love and value for. He calls him here, (v. 26.) his brother and companion in labour, and his fellow-soldier; and, (Col. i. 7.) his dear fellow-servant. St. Paul was the chief of the apostles, excelled them all in gifts, and graces, and usefulness, was a prime minister of state in Christ's kingdom, yet see his humility; he accepts the help of Epa-phroditus, who was every way his inferior, makes use of it, rejoices in it, and is afraid of being deprived of it Much more reason have we to acknowledge the need we have of our brethren's help, and to be thankful for it, to see the advantage we have by it for the strengthening of our hands, and the carrying on of our work, and to see what losers we are by their removal; nay we are ignorant of ourselves, if we esteem not others better than ourselves, and reckon not that we could be better spared.
Paul calls Epaphroditus his brother, for all we are brethren ; all true Christians, all faithful ministers, are so, for they have all one and the same Father, and all belong to one and the same family. He calls him his companion in labour, for he was engaged in the same work; and his fellow-soldier, for he was engaged in the same warifare; and the share he had with him in services and sufferings increased Paul's affection to him. If he be his fellow-servant, and be such a one as he should be, he is a dear fellow-servant, Paul's heart is upon him, and he loves him as his own soul. It becomes the servants of Jesus Christ, not only to love their Master, but to love their fellow-servants, to call them their dear fellow-servants, not jealous of their rivalship, or envious at their success, but taking pleasure in them and tfadr prosperity. Fellow-soldiers who have ventared tbeir lives together, should thereby have their hearts knh together. Epaphroditus was upon this accomit dear to Paul, who, therefore, could scarce bear the thoughts of parting vrith him.
2. As a faithful servant to the charches, whose care was not confined to one church, bat was extended to many. He laid out himself to promote every thing that was good among Christians ; he is yoar messenger, one that you have employed, and put a confidence in, one that you have made yonr npre-sentative, that manages the affairs of your church so wisely, so well. Epaphroditus, as it should seem, was now sent by the Philippians to Rome to attend Paul, to see what he wanted, and to brings him som supplies which they had collected for him.
This was he who was sick, nigh unto death, and if he had died it would have been an occasion of great sorrow to Paul, for though Paul was a man who had the command of his passions, yet be was not a stock or a stone, or a stoic, void of passion; our Lord Jesus himself was not; because he loved Lazarus, he wept over his gve, John xi. 35, 36. and has warranted us to do so; and here we have occasion for it. Though we pretend not to compare our friends and fellow-servants with, yet we hope we may compare them to, St. Paul's friends and fellow-servants ; they walk (though not pastilnu eequi — with equal steps) in the same spirit, and in the same steps, and therefore we ought to be in like manner affected with their removal.
DocT. The death of faithful ministers is jast cause for sorrow, and sometimes, especially, it is so circumstanced that it becomes sorrow upon sorrow.
I. The death of faithful ministers is just cause for sorrow; parting with them is a very monrnfal thing, yea, though they have continued long in their usefulness, and some may think it is time they should go off to make room for others, yet in that case their death is to be lamented, as Elisha's was b3' the king of Israel, 2 Kings xiii. 14. though he was then very old, and we had heard nothing of him a great while ; and we must thus show that we have esteemed them highly in love for their work's sake. Tea, though they should die martyrs, and should themselves rejoice to be offered up, yet in that case, as in Stephen's, devout men will mahe great lamentation for them ;* much more is it to be lamented when tiiere is not that gain to the church by their deaths, and might long have been in all probability great gn to the church by their lives. It is justly reckoned an argument of great stupidity, if, when such men aie taken away, we do not consider it, and lay it to heart. Observe,
I. Ministers, faithful ministers, are subject to the a AcUviiLS.
MR. SAMUEL LAWRENCE.
1067 stroke of death as well as others. They know themselves, and we know, that they mast certainly and shortly pot off this their tahernacle ; Our fathers where are they ? and the prophets, do they live for ever ? We see they do not.
They are not exempted from death, for the treasure is put into earthen vessels; they also are formed out of the clay, though they are to us in God's stead, and they must return to their dust. They are indeed called the angels of the churches, such is the dignity of their office, but alas we find them mortal dying men; and when they are subject to like passions as others, it is not strange they are subject to like strokes as others. The law made men priests, and the gospel makes men ministers, who had infirmity, and therefore could not continue, could not continue long, by reason of death, which must be and will be where sin is.
Nay, they are exposed [more than others; death is working in them, when life in you ; their work wastes them, their sorrows wear them, and they gladly spend, and cannot but be spent, for you. A wicked world is ready to say. Away with them, they are not worthy to live ;** a gracious God says. Away with them, the ungrateful world is not worthy of them ;« so that the point seems to be agreed, that good men must not live long in this world.
2. Death is the occasion of grief; ordinarily it is so; when man goes to his long home the mourners go about the streets. The house where death is, is called the house of mourning; it is so unless either those who are removed were, or those who are left behind are, void of natural affection. There was a great cry throughout Egypt, when there was not a house in which there was not one dead.*^ It is death reigning in this world as it does, that makes it a vale of tears; in heaven, and there only, where there is no more death, all tears are wiped away from men's eyes.
3. The death of good ministers ought to be in a special manner mourned for; this is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation, as much as any death. Moses, and Aaron, and Samuel, were men that all Israel went into real mourning for. The death of ministers makes God's house a house of mourning, and sensibly affects those who are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, to whom the reproach of it is a burthen. Then the ways of Zion mourn, when the guides and overseers in those ways are removed; then her elders put on sackcloth, when those who were the ornaments of the elders* seat are removed.
(1.) It is matter of sorrow to the people They were the messengers of the churches, God's messengers to them by the word; messengers of good tidings, whose feet upon that account were beautiful; they b Acts xzii. 22.
e Heb. xi. 38.
were their messengers to God by prayer, who many a time went to the throne of grace on their errands, spread their case before the Lord, and made intercession for them, and were helpers of their joy; they were interpreters. Now the removal of such ought to be sadly lamented, because it breaks in upon the intercourse we have with heaven, the keeping up of which is so much our business and so much our bliss in our present state.
When these messengers are called away by death, you ought to be afflicted, and mourn, and weep.
[1.] Because of the love which we hope you bare to them, that you may testify and express it. They loved you, and travailed in birth again for you, till they saw some good evidence of Christ's being formed in you. You know how they exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his children ; how near their hearts your spiritual welfare lay, what a grief it was to them when any of you walked disorderly, and how much your well-doing was their joy. You have perceived what a tender concern they have had for you. Who is weah, and I am not weak ? what a fear they have been in concerning you, lest you should come short, lest you should seem to come short Many have been the proofs of their love to you, and it may be, your own hearts tell you, that while they were with you, you gave them not the proofs you should have given them of your love to them: you were wanting in your duty; you did not attend on their ministry so constantly, nor attend to it so carefully, as you should have done ; your profiting did not appear, but the contrary, and this grieved the hearts of those who should have had joy of you. Will you testify your love to them now they are gone, by bewailing the removal of them ? Thus at length show the value you had for them, and make up what has been wanting in the instances of your love to them. Let their deaths bo lamented, to show that their lives were desired.
[2.] Because of the loss which you know you have of them, and not you only, but others also; for their usefulness is extensive, and their lives a blessing to many. The loss of a faithful minister is a public loss; we are to reckon those our best friends who are our soul's friends, and therefore the loss of such friends, the greatest loss of that kind.
You here have lost one who long approved himself a skilful faithful friend to your souls ; one who was excellently well qualified for the service of your faith, and the help and furtherance of your holiness and joy. He was one who knew how to divide the word of truth aright, and to give each of you your portion of meat in due season. He was one whoy to my knowledge, in his youth laid in d Exod. xii. 30.
A SERMON ON THE DEATH OF
a good stock of useful learning, and which is more, knew how to make use of it. He was a scribe well instructed unto the kingdom of heaven, and could bring out of his treasury things new and old, for the improvement of the most grown Christians, and yet, both in his preaching and in his conversation, knew how to condescend and accommodate himself to the capacity of the meanest, to feed the babes with milk, and the grown men with strong meat. He preached to you in a method, that you might see the truths you are to believe, and the duties you are to do in their order, and their reference to each other, which will render the one more intelligible and the other more practicable. He preached to you in his conversation, which was of a piece with his doctrine; he was an example to the believers in every thing that is praise-worthy, and was both a burning and a shining light. That which he aimed at was your profit, as one who naturally cared for your state.
O that you would sorrow after a godly sort, would sorrow according to God, and with an eye to him, for the death of one who was so much your helper in the things of God ; that you would sorrow for the loss your poor children sustain by his death, the lambs of your flock, whom he fed with food convenient for them, in his public catechising. I trust there are many of you to whom he was, through grace, a spiritual father, who by his ministry were brought savingly to Christ; such have reason to lament the taking away of one quite out of their reach, with whom they might have consulted concerning their progress in the way to heaven, but whom they can now not only not hear, but not hear from. But especially, O that you would sorrow for your sins, your carelessness and unfmitfnlness under his ministry, which has separated between you and your minister, and has provoked God to deprive you of such a privilege. All our tears should be turned into this channel.
(2.) It is matter of sorrow to us who are ministers; for they were our companions, our fellow-servants, who laboured with us in the same work ; our fellow-s(Miers, who exposed themselves with us in the same warfare. Though St. Paul had as little need of help as any minister ever had, though the Holy Ghost was given by his hands, so that if one was removed, he knew which way to expect the raising up of ttnother, yet the death of a faithful minister was very much his sorrow; and much more reason there is why it should be ours.
[1.] We have cause for it. Our hands are this day weak through our own infirmities, and they are weakened by such providences, so that the vrork is either not done, or not so well done; we are disheartened and discouraged, and drive heavily when thus our chariot-wheels are taken off. We need help, we need such help, and at every turn shall find the want of it, and reflect with sorrow upon tb« withering of such a hand, as was so much oar riht hand.
Much is required to make an able minister of the New Testament, abundance of gifts and graces, study and experience, a good head and a good heart It is long ere a minister grows up to maturity; the choicest fruits ripen slowly. Many hopeful bads and blossoms are blasted, and those that promised fair disappoint us, and never bring forth fruit to perfection. Many are plucked off by death, while they are yet in the blossom, they come forth like a flower, and are cut down in the beginnings of their usefulness, and therefore, to be deprived of such a one as we have now lost, who was beginning, and but beginning, to be an eider in age, as well as an elder in office; who was grown by observation and experience fit to be a father to the sons of the pro> phets, and a very wise and tender one he was, and thereby to strengthen the hands of his brethren; who was a great example of humility, consideration, and conscientiousness; this is a lamentation and shall he for a lamentation especially when (according to the reason there given) among all the branches of our vine there are so few that are strong rods for sceptres to rule.
Let the priests the Lord's ministers mourn between the temple and the altar, for there, in the courts of the Lord's hoose, they will find a loss of him who was so good a helper with them in the service of the tabernacle. We have lost one who laboured in the word and doctrine, and ought therefore to be accounted worthy of double honour; of hononr while he lived, the honour of being beloved; and of honour at his death, the honour of being lamented.
[2.] It will do us good. It will be for onr spiritual benefit, not only to admit but to enforce the impressions of sorrow upon this occasion. By the sadness arising from this stroke of divine providence, our hearts and our lives may be made better, and we may have reason to say, It was good for no to go to such a house of mourning, though it is bad for us that such houses of mourning are made among as. That which makes so much against ns, if we be duly affected with it, may by the grace of God be made to work for us; out of the eater mag eome forth mtat and out of the strong sweetness. We whose business it is to teach others to improve such providences, are ourselves inexcusable, if we do not lay them to heart, as the living are concerned to do.
If we sorrow aright for the death of our brethren. it will help to fix upon our minds that seriousness which is so neeessary to every Christian, and, especially, to a minister, and to mortify that lightness and airiness which very much unfits for the employments and enjojrments of the spiritual and divine life. This sadness will help to compose onr vain minds, and dispose them for serious work, and to
MR SAMUEL LAWRENCE.
1059 preserve that decorum upon our whole behaviour which becomes our profession, and will contribute so much to the great ends of it That really does us good which helps to make us grave and sober-minded, and our spirits are wretchedly dissipated, if this will not do it.
It will stir ns up to double our diligence in our Master's work. Do we grieve for the loss of them who are removed '* Let us endeavour in some measure to make up the loss, by laying out ourselves so much the more in the service of Christ and the souls of men; let us pray better, and preach better, and live better, that we may each of us do something toward filling up the gap. In two scriptures we find the consideration of this, that death is a period to the usefulness of good men in this world, urged as an argument with the survivors to abound so much the more in honouring God: one is Ps. cxv. 17, 18. The dead praise not the Lord, as they did while they were alive ; neither any that go down into silence; praying, praising, preaching lips are closed in the grave; but we will bless the Lord, because they cannot do it, we will do it the more fervently, the more constantly, and vrill endeavour that it may be done by a seed, by a succession of saints, when wo also are gone, from this time forth and for evermore. The other is in Hezekiah's writing, Isa. xxxviii. 18, 19. The grave cannot praise thee, as the pulpit does, death cannot celebrate thee, nor the congregation of the dead, as the assembly of God's Israel does; and therefore the Hvmg, the living they shall praise thee, with so much the more life and liveliness; and that the work may not sink and die in our hands, the fathers to the children shall mahe hnoum thy truth, that they may be praising God on earth, when we are praising him in heayen.
It will put us in mind of our latter end, of the period that will then be put to our work, and the account that must then be given up of it. They arc gone, and we are going, and we know not whose turn it will be to go next; probably ours who were nearest in age, who, therefore, are the more concerned to take the alarm. When our fathers are removed in a full age, we are perhaps tempted to think it will be many years before it comes to our torn to be gathered to them, and so to think of death as a thing at a distance; but when our brethren are removed, those who were brought up with us, and are of the same standing, we are bid to think of dying, not only as certain, but as very near; Behold, the judge standeth before the door. This forbids us to say in our hearts. Our Lord delays his coming, and speaks aloud in our ears. The Lord is at hand. Moses and Aaron are much of an age, there is but three years between them, and therefore when Aaron is dead, God puts Moses in mind of folfowing him quickly: 7%ou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered, Numb.
3 Y 2 xxvii. 13. You commonly say to those who are but a very little younger than you, " When I die for age, yon must quake for fear;" yet if you have made sure your interest in Christ, yon will see cause not to quake for fear, but to sing for joy ; but when those of the same age with us die, though not for age, it is a call to us to think of dying,—of dying shortly. Why may not our strength be weakened in the way, and our days shortened, as theirs were, and the number of our months be cut ofi* in the midst ? O that this consideration might be so impressed upon us who are ministers, that we might by it be quickened and engaged to apply ourselves more closely and vigorously to our great business, that we may finish comfortably and well. Our blessed Lord stirred up himself with this consideration, / must worh the works of him that sent me while it is day, for the night cometh, when no man can woi'k. The nearer our time draws to an end, the more concerned we are to fill it up with duty, and with that which will turn to a good account, that we may give up our account with joy. And if thus we sow in these tears, the harvest hereafter will be pleasant; if the good lessons which these providences teach us be taken out and well learned, we shall have reason to say, that sorrow is better than laughter; and that our loss is not only their gain, but our gain too. Our dear brother being dead, yet speaheth, thus speaketh, ^* Therefore be ye also ready, and in order to that, be ye also busy, be always abounding in the Lord." We e no time to lose who have so much work to go through, and have lost so much time already. Let us not, under colour of prolonging our lives, indulge our ease, lest by so saving our Htcs we lose them; the more uncertain life is, the more need we have to spend it well, for that is the way to end it well; and blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he comes shall find so doing.
II. Sometimes the death of fkithful ministers is so circumstanced, that it is sorrow upon sorrow; that was the thing St. Paul dreaded in the death of Epaphroditus, and it is what we feel at this lime. God renews his witnesses against us, and multiplies our wounds.
1. When many breaches of this kind are made upon us about the same time, then we have sorrow upon sorrow. Death is always reigning in every place, and every week brings in its bills of mortality, but we reckon it a sore and signal judgment, if an epidemical distemper makes the numbers of the dead in a little time more than usual; it is true the prophets do not live for ever, the labourers most be called out of the vineyard, when they shall have accomplished as a hireling their day. But when many are removed in a little time in the same country, and those most of them in the midst of their days and usefulness, we must be very stupid if we hear not the voice of God in it. I can name about lOGO
A SERMON ON THE DEATH OF
dissenting ministers here within our neighboarhood, and acquaintance, who have been removed in little more than seven years; many of them I have done this mournful office for, that I am now doing for this dear brother of mine, and of them all, only two that (as I think) were above d5 years old, and those two were considerably above 80, Mr. Tallents and Mr. Cope ; six or seven I take to have been about 50, and the rest under 40. And is not this sorrow upon sorrow ? Have not the deaths of our brethren in the ministry been brought us by Job*s messengers ? While one it yet speaking,, comes in another.
And what shall we say to these things ? What is this that God has done unto us ? What is it that God would have us to do ? What is it that he says to us by these repeated strokes of the same rod ? what is the meaning of it? and what the mind of him who has appointed it ?
(I.) God does hereby plainly reprove for our former stupidity and senselessness, under the breaches of this kind that were made upon us; good men, good ministers, have been taken from us, and we have not considered it, and laid it to heart as we ought to have done; and therefore God has proceeded in this controversy with us, for when he judges he will overcome, will humble the unhumbled. If the work be not done and the point gained by one affliction, another may reasonably be expected. Lord, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see, but they shall see. When one good minister has been taken away, perhaps we have been tempted to think, the matter is not great, there is more than enough; but God will make us know that we have none to spare, and that if we depend upon our numbers he can soon lessen them.
We have not been duly affected with the losses of this kind which other congregations have sustained, as if wc were not concerned in them, nor were in danger of the like; as if our mountain stood so strong that it could not be moved, and we have thereby provoked God to come nearer us, and to make us feel the smart of that rod upon our own back, which we have not heard the voice of upon the back of others. It is a method God takes in other afflictions, those must be made to suffer who will not be made to sympathize; for sooner or later, one way or other, God will be heard, he will be heeded.
(2.) God does hereby plainly warn us of judgments coming. We are to look upon it as a sad token of his displeasure against us; nay, if we make not a right improvement of it, it is well if it prove not a bad omen of his departure from us. The removal of so many candles out of their places, is a step towards, and a threatening of, the removal of the
Mr. Cope of Haslingtoo, in 1704. Mr. Chorlton of Manchester, 170A. Mr. Latham of Wem, and Mr. Owen of Salop, Mr. Holland of Lostock, Mr. Long of Wrexaro, in I70A Mr. Tal. lents and Dr. Benion, both of Salop, and Mr. Jonathan Harvey of candlestick itself out of its place; which we have deserved, because we have left our first lott, and have not repented and done our first works. God designs by these providences to awaken as out of our security, that we may not flatter ourselves vnth a conceit, that to-morrow will be as this day; and to stir us up to our duty, which is to prepare to meet our God; to stand in the gap which is hereby made, and make good the breach against the judgments which threaten by it to pour in upon os.
Hear ye the Lord's controversy, which he has with his people, and which he will plead; Hear ye the Lord's voice, crying to the city, to the country, and see his name in it. Why ? How does it appear that God is contending with us ? The prophet ^ves you an instance of it soon after. The good man is perished out of the earth, and 1 am as when they kmoe gathered the summer fruits-^stnpt of my glory. What is to be said at such a time ? We must not onlj say, as the prophet there, Woe is me, but as the Psabnist on the like occasion. Help, Lord, for the godly num ceas-eth, the faithful fail. When we are bemoaning our losses, we must apply ourselves to him, who is alone able to make them up; when godly, faithful people cease and fail, it is high time to cry. Help, Lord.
Let the good impressions of such providences as these abide with us, and let them not wear off; we are apt to be affected with them for the present, but we soon forget them, and settle upon our lees again, as those, who having been at ease from oar youth, are desirous still to be so; which makes it necessary, that God in his providence should be still emptying us from vessel to vessel, shifting hands with us, for otherwise our taste remainetk in us, and our scent is not changed, Jer. xlviii. 11. Let us take heed lest, by returning to our former secarity, we provoke God to proceed in his controversy; but by daily prayers to God, let us endeavour to turn away his wrath, and by a continual good improvement of the many breaches of this kind that have been made upon us, let us stand between the living ministers and the dead, that this plague may be staid. O lift up a prayer for the remnant that is left, an earnest prayer that God would not make a full end, but would spare his people, and spare his ministers to them, according to the multitude of his mercies.
2. When we have this sorrow mingled with other sorrows; when grief for the death of our ministers is added to other grievances, so that there is a complication of griefs, then we have sorrow upon sorrow. This would have been Paul's case if Epaphroditus had died; he vras now in sorrow, not so much for his own sufferings, he knew how to glory and rejoice in them, but because he was absent from the Philip-
Chester, 1706. Mr. Low of Knuttford, and Mr. Evans of Oswestry. in 1709. Mr. Nailor of St. Ellens, 1710. Mr. Peyton of StaflbrH, Mr. Brian of Newcastle, Mr. Jenkin Thomas of Wrexam, and Mr. Eaton of Manchester, in 17I1. And now Mr. Lawrence, in 1718.
MR. SAMUEL LAWRENCE.
lOGl pians, and others of his friends who were dear to him, and wanted to know their state; and especially because he saw a general decay of serioas godliness among ministers and Christians; Some preach Christ of envy and strife and all seek their own, not the things that are Jesus Christ's: this was Paal's sorrow, and if now he had lost Epaphroditas, one who preached Christ out of love to him, and who naturally cared for the state of souls, it would have been sorrow upon sorrow; and this also is our case.
How far my own present grief, which lies heavy upon me beyond what I could have thought, directed my thoughts upon this sad occasion to this melancholy theme of sorrow upon sorrow, I shall not say, the heart best knows its own bitterness, and feels most from its own burthen; but upon many accounts of common concern, we may truly call this sorrow upon sorrow.
(1.) The abounding of atheism and infidelity, vice and profaneness, in our land is our sorrow; we behold the transgressors and are grieved; I am sure we ought to be so, to see them so numerous, so impudent ; and rivers of tears should run down our eyes, because there are so few that keep God's law, and so many who break it. The general corruption of men's principles and manners, the abounding of impiety and immorality, and the inefficacy of the endeavours used for reformation, are matter of sorrow to all good people; righteous souls are vexed from day to day, as Lot's was, with the filthy conversation of the unrighteous; and we hope there is a remnant who mourn in secret, and cover their faces, for that wickedness which is committed openly, and goes barefaced, that sigh and cry for the abominations of the land, that blush before God for that wickedness for which they that are guilty of it will not blush before men. It is sad to see and to hear how God's name is profaned, his law broken, his word vilified, his sabbath polluted, his creatures abused, how men wrong and abuse, how they bite and devour one another.
And if this be a sorrow, as certainly it is, the taking away of those from the midst of us, who were, in their places, God's witnesses against the wickedness of the wicked, who helped to put vice out of countenance, and to make iniquity stop her mouth; who, by the Spirit of the Lord, lifted up a standard against this enemy who comes in like a flood; the silencing of the faithful watchmen, who warned the wicked in God's name to turn from his wicked way, must needs be sorrow upon sorrow. Men of probity and sincerity could never be worse spared than now, when men speak vanity every one to his neighbour, and there are so few who can be confided in.
(2.) The decay of serious piety, among those who make a profession of it, is our sorrow. It may justly grieve us to see not only how iniquity abounds, but how the love of many waxes cold; love to their
God, to their Bibles, to their brethren; devout affections ebb and abate; the kindness of our youth is forgotten, and that of our espousals. It is our sorrow, to see so little of the power of godliness among those who retain the form of it; to see family worship neglected, sabbath time trifled away, Bibles and good books seldom looked into, religious conference forgotten and quite laid aside, solemn assemblies indifferently attended, and the word preached carelessly heard. It is sad to see how little there is among us of the pious zeal and strictness of the good old puritans; how the things that remain are ready to die, and our works are not found filled up before God; but what a wofol deficiency there is of what should be, and a woful degeneracy from what has been, among professors.
And if this be a sorrow, surely it may well be reckoned sorrow upon sorrow, when those are taken away by death, in whom so much of serious piety was kept up, and by whose means we might hope to see it, through the grace.of God, in some measure revived. It adds to our grief, to see a family beheaded, and by that means broken up and scattered, in which God's name was so constantly called upon, his word read and opened, and his praises sung, now, when in so many houses the altar of the Lord is broken dovm, or gone to decay. When we have been bewailing the defection and backsliding of many who began in the Spirit, then to follow those to their graves, who not only still held fast their integrity themselves, but we hoped might have been instrumental to reduce and recover those that were gone astray; this may well be called, sorrow upon sorrow.
(3.) The contempt cast upon the religious assemblies which we adhere to, and in which we think we have met with God, is our sorrow. It is made the character of those whom God has distinguishing favours in reserve for, that they are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, to whom the reproach of it is a burthen ; and a great many solemn assemblies there are among us, on which we have reason to say, God has put honour, that yet are loaded with reproach, and exceedingly filled with the scorning of those who are at ease. The assemblies of those who we know to be united by holy faith and love to Christ, and through him to his church, are reproached as by schism cut off from the church, and therefore from Christ and the covenant, and the hope of salvation, for no other reason but because their ministers were ordained as Timothy was, by the laying on of the hands of the presbytery, and not by a diocesan bishop. The assemblies of those who we know to be peaceable and quiet in the land, are reproached without any colour of reason, like the assemblies of the primitive Christians, as factious, and seditious, and hurtful to kings and provinces. The masters of those assemblies, though we know them to be ready and mighty in the Scriptures, skilful in the word of
A SERMON ON THE DEATH OF
nghteonsnew, yet are reproached bj many as nii-learoed and ignorant men. Many sach as these are the reproaches of the solemn assemblies, which are oar sorrow, because when thos, like Nasarethy they are put into an ill name, unthinking people are prejudiced against them, and are easily persuaded that no good thing can come out of them. There is a late reproach put upon our assemblies by the law, ^hlch makes it highly penal for one in any place of trust or power to be seen in them: and this reproach adds to our brethren; Hear, O our God, for we are suspected, we are despised, and both without cause; and this is our sorrow; we quarrel not with those who give us this hard treatment, we pray God to forgive them, but as a sward in ovr hones are these reproaches.
And now to have those taken away who were so much the glory of our assemblies, and helped to answer them who reproached us, and to put to silence their ignorance; to be stript of our ornaments now* of those whose good report of all men made them a credit to us, even our enemies themselves being judges, this is sorrow upon sorrow: for we know not what to say when we are asked, What will ye do now? where is your glory? but that, our God is still our glory, our everlasting glory.
(4.) The judgments of God that threaten our land, and the difficult trembling posture of the affairs of the protectant churches abroad, are our sorrow; it grieves us to see the desolations of the sanctuary, to bear the groans of God's Israel in Egypt; by whom shall Jacob arise, for he is small, and his interests neglected ? The enemies of the reformed churches are many and mighty, and violent against them; their friends few and feeble, and cool toward them. It is our sorrow that there are such heats and ferments among ourselves. We have reason to fear the desolations which a kifigdom divided against itself is threatened with: we are biting and devouring one another, widening matters in difference, and exasperating one another's spirits; firebrands, arrows, and death are thrown about, and discord, among other tares, sown in God's field ; all who wish well to the honour of Christ, and the interests of his kingdom among men, grieve to see it.
And is it not then sorrow upon sorrow, at this time to have one removed from us who was and would have been a peace-maker with God by his prayers, who stood in the gap as an intercessor, to turn away his wrath, who had an interest in heaven, and improved It for a sinful people, who was and would have been a peace-maker with men too, by his Christian temper and moderation, who studied the things which make for peace, who placed his religion in the essentials of it, and there spent his zeal ? Now the dividing spirit so mooh prevails, it is sad to lose one who was of such a healing spirit. Now so many are ^ing oil to our flames, which is our sorrow, it is upon sorrow to see the hand withered that was bringing water to theoi, and the earthen Teasel broken that held thai water. It is ill with the patient, if, when his diaeaae Is at the height, those physicians are removed who best imdentood his case, and the method of his care.
Let us now make some applicatioii of this:
1. See what this world is; it is a vmU oftemrs, it Is a Boekimy a place of weepers and we moat expect no other but a sorrowful passage through it. It is well if in Christ we have peace and jc»y; in the worid we must havetnmble and grief. In the upper world there is a perfect and perpetoal serenity, it is all clear and calm there; hot in these lower rqpoas the clouds are still returning after the rain, and we must expect sorrow upon sorrow. Ijook which way we will, and we see the tears of the oppressed, aome upon one account, and some upon another, and many times they have no comforter. We see families io tears, congregations in tears, charohes, nations in tears. How melancholy is the state of hunum life I What a constant series of griefs are we attended with through this wilderness! The end of one trouble is commonly the beginning of another. Deep calls unto deep. Nay, troubles often come in company, and the beginning of one is the prefhce to another ; and we aro not to think it strange, it is what others have had experience of, and we have had notice of.
The larger our acquaintance is, and the more friends we have, the more happy we think oarselves, and we have cause to do so; what greater pleasure or comfort is there on earth, than an agreeable friendship ? And yet the more we have of this comfort, the more sorrow we are exposed to; the more dear friends we have, the more we have to sympathise with, and the more we have to part with; if it adds something to our pleasure that we rejoice with those we love when they rejoice, it adds more to our pain, that by the same rule we weep with them when they weep; but considering how many more men's griefs are than their joys in this world, and that in both we must be partakers with our friends, we must conclude that by the increase of our friendships, oor joys rise not in proportion to our griefs, unless that we conceive a secret pleasure in contributing something toward the comfort of our afflicted friends and their families, by our sincere and affectionate S3fm-pathy with them.
And is this world so full of sorrows, sorrows upon sorrows ? We see it is. What is there in it then that should court cither our love to it or our stay in it? Why should our affections be set upon good things beneath, when we see them liable to so many sorrowful changes ? Why should they not be set upon good things above, which though they may perhaps admit of an endless increase, yet know no change, nor are in any danger of being lost? Why should we be fond of a continuance here, where the longer we stay the more sorrows we shall have to share in, and not
MR. SAMUEL LAWRBNCE.
loaa rather covet to remove to that world, whence sorrow is for ever banished, where all tears shall be wiped away from our eyes, and joy upon joy shall draw oat the bliss parallel to the line of eternity itself.
2. Let one sorrow help to make another sorrow that comes witli it the more tolerable, and to prepare and fit us for another that may come after it As the more we do for God, the more we may do, one daty will fit as for another; so the more we bear from God, the more we may bear, and the better we may bear It, for trilndatian works patience. Those who have not known sorrow, find it hard to be reconciled to it, and are apt to fret at it, and to doable it by struggling with it; but those who have experienced sorrow upon sorrow, like their Master, who was a man of sorrows, and acquainted ^ith grief, can converse familiarly with their afflictions, whereby not only the terror of them is taken off, but abundance of advantage is gained by them.
Let the frequent returns of our sorrows keep us from security, and keep up in us a lively expectation of trouble, that, let it come ever so suddenly, it may be no surprise to us. We must never say, surely this trouble will excuse us from another, or that now we have had our share; no, it is still less than what we deserve, and perhaps less than what we need. We should rather argue. Have I had this sorrow ? what good use shall I make of it, that by it I may be the better prepared for the next? If our sorrows wean as from the world, and loosen our hearts from it; if they make us serious and thoughtful of another world ; if they endear Christ to us, and make him more precious, by giving us an experimental acquaintance with the powers and pleasures of his grace; then when sorrow comes upon sorrow we may bear them cheerfully. Patience works experience, and experience a hope that makes not ashamed.
And if we thus improve our sorrows, though as to the troubles themselves of this present time, we must remember that we are but girding on the harness, and must not boast as though the warfare were accomplished, and we had put it off; yet as to any real hurt or injury that the troubles can do us, we may boast as though we had put off the harness, for in all these things, not only we shall be, but we are already, more than conquerors through him who loved UB and died for us.
3. When God pursues one sorrow with another, let us follow the sorrow for affliction with a godly sorrow for sin, and that is a sorrow upon sorrow which will be an evidence for us that the affliction comes from love, is designed for our good, and does US the good that is designed us; and will prepare us for such a deliverance out of our affliction, as will be a mercy indeed to us.
When we sorrow for the death of our friends, par-ticolarly of our ministers, we should at the same time sorrow for our sins, by which we have provoked God thus to contend with us. We are therefore deprived of the comfort of our relations, because we have not done the duty of them; when, therefore, we lament the effect, we should lament the cause.
4. When we have sorrow upon sorrow upon the account of affliction, let us not by our own folly add any more sorrow to it; nor by the productions of the root of bitterness in our hearts, make the bitter cup to be more bitter to us than really it is. .If, in any distress, we trespass yet more against the Lord, as that king Ahaz did, 2 Chron. xxviii. 22. we make the distress more than double. Sin upon sorrow will be worse than sorrow upon sorrow, and will be wormwood and gall in the affliction and misery.
Now you here have sorrow for the death of your minister. If you should grow cool to holy ordinances, as if your religion were buried with your minister, or as if no other minister could teach you, and show you the way to Christ and heaven now he is gone: if this should be made use of as a pretence for your carelessness and lukewarmness in the service of God, that you have not the minister you have been used to, and so your hearts be hardened by the providence that should soften them, then it will indeed be sorrow upon sorrow. But I hope better things of you, my brethren, and that we shall yet have joy concerning you; that as those who have been so well taught, and so long under the inspection of such an overseer, you will continue your zeal in religion, and your love and unity among yourselves, and we may hear of your affairs, that your conversation is as becomes the gospel, and that ye standfast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for tlie faith of the gospel.
6. Let us study to answer God's end in visiting us thus with sorrow upon sorrow, and accommodate ourselves to the intentions of these providences. By the sadness of our countenances on such occasions as these let our hearts be made better, every way better-Every rod has a voice, which we are concerned to hear, and understand the meaning of; every affliction is sent upon an errand, and he who sends the errand expects to have an answer. What answer will you return this day to this messenger? or rather, to God's call by it.
This sorrow is appointed us, this sorrow upon sorrow, to pot us upon considering the uncertainty of the continuance of our opportunities; Yet a little while is the light with you; places have their time for enjoying the gospel, which will come to an end, and then other places have their turn. Ministers arc burning and shining lights, but it is only for a season that we rejoice in their light; which is a good reason why we should walk and work while we have the light, while it is yet called to-day, because the night comes, and before the night comes, wherein no man can work.
A SERMON ON THE DEATH, &c.
It in designed to bring ns off from looking at men, and instruments, as thongb by their own power they could do us service, or had done it; no, they are only the earthen vessels in which the treasure was deposited, and they are broke and thrown aside, to give us a sensible conviction, that the excellency of the power is of God, and not of them. We are thus taught to cease from man, from wise and good and useful men, whose breath at their best state is in their nostrils, and will not be there long. Let our dependence therefore be not on them, but on Christ, who makes them that to us that they are ; let us sit down with delight under the shadow, not of these gourds, that come up in a night, and perish in a night, but of that Rock of Ages that abides for ever. Let us not bind up our religion, and the comfort of it, in our ministers; for God therefore shows us the end of their conversation among us, that we may cleave so much the closer to Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever, and will be the same to the successors in the ministry, that he was to their predecessors, and make them the same to us, if it be not our own fault.
6. Let us be earnest with God in prayer that he would not proceed in his controversy with us, and that we may not have any more sorrow upon sorrow of this kind. Go forth to meet the Lord in the way of his judgments, and humble yourselves under his mighty hand, and pray and seek his face. He expects his praying people should now appear in the breach, to turn away his wrath, and justly wonders if at such a time there be no intercessor; and shall not each of us then be intercessors, as the prophet Ezekiel was when he fell upon his face, and cried with a loud voice, as one in earnest. Ah, Lord God, wilt thou mahe a full end of the remnant of Israel ? And as the prophet Amos was, when he prayed, O Lord God, cease, I beseech thee; by whom shall Jacob arise, fw he is small.
O that by this providence we might be stirred up to pray more, and pray better, to pray more earnestly, as Christ himself did when he was in his agony. When we have lost a praying friend, we are concerned the more to pray for ourselves. Pray that the light of God's countenance may shine upon us through these dark dispensations, and that whatever friends and helpers he takes away from us, he would not himself turn away from us, nor take away his mercy and his truth.
7. Even when we have sorrow upon sorrow, yet let us not sorrow as those who have no hope; but take hold of the comforts and encouragements which God hath provided for his own people, in their multiplied and most aggravated sorrows, that they may not be unmixed sorrows and unallayed. As the righteous have hope in their death, so have their friends also who are left behind in tears.
(1.) We have hope concerning him whom we have lost, that be is removed unspeakably to his own advantage, for to those to whom to live is Christ, to die is not only no loss, but great gain. This country has a mighty loss of him, but he has no loss of it, who is gone to the better country, that is, the heavenly, to better work, and better pleasures, and better friends. Those are safely and honourably lodged who are received into the mansions in oor Father's house, those everlasting habitations; those have a good repose, and sleep sweetly, who sleep in Jesus. What honours here are comparable to theirs, to whom our Lord Jesus says. Well done good and faithful servant; or what pleasure comparable to theirs who enter into the joy of their Lord. Let this yield us pleasing thoughts when we are afflicting ourselves for the loss of one we loved. We sorrow for the body, that that is lodged in a land of darkness and silence; but the soul is the man, and that is gone thither where its eyes are opened to an everlasting light, and its lips opened in songs of everlasting praise; and therefore if we loved him we would rejoice. He who so often complained of knowing but in part, and prophesying but in part, is now made perfect, and sees face to face.
(2.) We have hopes that God will do our sou Is good by this providence, that he will sanctify it to us, and make it a means of our sanctification; and that the impressions of it will not be soon lost, will never be quite lost You of this place and neighbourhood will, I hope, be quickened hereby to consider your latter end, and with the utmost diligence to prepare for it Yon see, that in the midst of life we are in death, and that we are often obliged tore-move hence upon very short warning. When you saw your minister last in the pulpit, and heard him discourse so excellently of the intercession of Chrbt, you little thought it was the last sermon you should hear him preach, and that within a few days you should see him laid in the dust; but so it proves ; and God by it calls aloud to you. Therefore be ye also ready, be ye always ready, for you see that at such an hour as you thinh not, the Son of man comes.
And as this providence will I hope, through grace, do you good, by quickening you to prepare for death, so I hope it may be of use to you, to help you above the fear of death: those who are ready to die should be willing to die, and they have the more reason to be so, when they see their friends go cheerfully before them down into the darksome valley of the shadow of death, and even then fear no evil. Your ministers who, while they lived, showed you the way to heaven through the paths of life, when they die show you the way thither through the regions of death, and go before you through that Jordan, as the priests did before Israel bearing the ark of the covenant Be ye, therefore, followers of them, who are now throughfaith and patience inheriting the promises.
1065
(3w) We have hope, that God will take care of the beheaded family, that is most sensibly touched by this breach. He was one who blessed his hoasehold, that was eveiy way a blessing to it, and therefore his death is killing to it, we sorrow with them, and ^eve for their loss; bnt we depend upon the word of God, that he will be a Husband to the widow, and a Father to the fatherless children; Jehovak-jireh^^ The JLord will provide ; and tn the mount of the Lord it shall he eeeuj Gen. xxii. 14.; the orphans who are left with him, shall not be left by him, nor left comfortless, but he will come unto them, and take care of them; and let the widow trust in him, and she shall not be made ashamed of her hope. To the aged mother likewise, who has lived to see sorrow npoD sorrow, God will be better than ten sons, than ten such sons.
(4.) We have hope, that God will provide well for the congpregation, and that that shall not be destitute and dispersed, as sheep having no shepherd, but they and theirs shall still be led into the green pastures, and fed beside the still waters. You have been loving and respectful to your minister, and many of yoa have been his comfort and hope, and I trust will be his crown of rejoicing in the day of the Lord; and yoa have reason to expect that God will send you another faithful guide in the good ways of the Lord. I have reason to think he has a blessing in reserve for you, by which he will carry on his good work among you. St. Paul, when he was in prison, comforted himself with this, that though he was bound, the word of the Lord was not bound, and when faithful ministers are laid in their graves, this may be our comfort, though they are buried the word of the Lord is not buried. When you change your minister, you do not change your Master; you shall have another preacher, but thanks be to God, not another Bible, or another gospel.
(5.) We have hope, that though we have parted with a dear friend in sorrow, with many such in sorrow upon sorrow, yet the day is coming when we shall meet again, shall meet with them all again in joy, in everlasting joy. The hope of this gives the strongest allay to our griefs. If in this life only we hmd hope in Christy and were to fetch our reliefs in such cases as these, from within the confines of time, we were of all men the most miserable; but we have hope in Christ, that those who now sleep in him, he will shortly bring with him; and will bring us to meet them; we who remain and are left behind for a while, shall be brought to be companions with them in the kingdom, as we have been in the patience and tribulation, of Jesus Christ We loohfor the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come, and in the believing expectation thereof we comfort ourselves and one another.
Now God calls to weeping and mourning, it is a comfort to us to see so many sad countenances and wet eyes in this solemn assembly, for thus we answer God's calls; but when God calls us to joy, into his joy, what a pleasant sight will it be to see the general assembly and church of the first-bom and ourselves in it, and not one weeping eye, or dejected countenance, or sorrowful spirit, among all the holy myriads. There shall be no sorrow, nor any occasion for it; nay, there shall be everlasting joy, and everlasting cause for it; the streams ever running, because their springs ever full and overflowing.
Our assembly is now breaking up and scattering, and it is not likely that we should ever be all together again in this world; but this is our comfort, if we be found the faithful followers of the Lord Jesus, we shall shortly be gathered together unto him, with all the saints, and none but saints, and saints made perfect: and that assembly shall never be broken up or scattered; we shall meet and part no more. The best we can here hope for is, to go in and out with the sheep of Christ, and to find pasture; but if we can but get to heaven, we shall be pillars in the temple of our God, and shall go no more out. The Lord bring us all safe thither in due time; and in the mean time the Lord watch over us. The Lord watch between us, when we are absent the one from the other. Gen. xxxi. 42.*
A CONCISE ACCOUNT
OF THE
LIFE OF MR. SAMUEL LAWRENCE
He was bom in Wem, a little market-town in Shropshire, and, as appears by the register, was baptized Nov. 5? 1661. He was the only son of Mr. William Lawrence, and Sarah his wife. His good mother is still living. His father was a very eminent Christian, and much respected and valued by all good people who knew him. My father preached his funeral sermon at Wem, Feb. 26, 1694-5, on Luke xxiii.28.
UFE OF MR. SAMUEL LAWRENCE.
Weep notfw me, hut weep far fomrselvee, and for your children. Whence he showed, that when a good man dies, there is no reason we should weep for him, but there is reason we should weep for oarse Wes. Certainly (said he) this was a good man, and is manifest in the consciences of yon all, and of all who knew him, that he was so; Weep not for him therefore, for his death is an ontlet to all the evils of this world, and an inlet to all the happiness of the other world.
Looking o?er my father's notes of that sermon upon this occasion, it has so affected me, that I mast beg the reader's pardon, if I insert the heads of it, the subject being so near a-kin (though I little thought of it) to mine at the son's funeral.
It is said of Abel, that being dead he yet epeaheth. If our deceased friend and brother who is dead could be heard speaking, this is what he would say. My dear wife and children, my dear brothers and sisters, and other relations, my dear neighbours and Mends, weep not for me, for you have something else to do with your tears, bestow them where they will turn to a better account, weep for yourselves. But why not for thee, dear husband, father, brother, friend ? why not for thee ? Did we not love thee ? Yon did, and for that very reason, weep not for me.
I. For, consider the evils I am freed from. I had a sickly crazy body, especially toward my latter end, wearisome days and nights were appointed to me; what would I have given many a time for an hour's rest; but now all this is at an end; I shall be no more sick, no more pained, my head shall now ache no more. And are you sorry for this ?
I had my share also of losses and crosses in my worldly affairs; I had one house burned over my head, and almost all that was in it, in a few minutes, and have had the care and trouble of building and furnishing another; but now farewell all such cares. And are you sorry for this ?
'' You know, that as long as I was able, I was laborious in my particular calling, I never ate the bread of idleness, but of honest diligence; but now all that toil is over, I am got to bed, where I rest from my labours, from all my labours of that kind, never to return to them again. And will you grieve for this ?
" A great deal of pains I have taken in travelling and attending upon holy ordinances, on sabbath days, on week days, sometimes above and beyond strength; but I am now where I have communion with God at the spring-head, without the conduit-pipes of ordinances. And will you grieve for this ? *' Yon, all of you have, and I doubt not but some of you feel, a body of death; I am sure I did, and many a time it made me cry out, O wretched man that I am! You know what I mean, the corrupt nature, the carnal mind, the sin that dwells in us, a proneness to evil, a backwardness to good; but death has eased me of that burthen, when the breatk went out of the body, that indwelling sin went oot of the soul; when the house was pulled down, then was an end of the leprosy that was in the walls: what all the praying and hearing, the sabbaths and sacraments, the care and watchfulness, of forty years would not do, death has done at one blow. Weep not for me then.
I had daily grief in my heart for my own sins, for the sins of others, and for the afflictions of mj friends, and for the troubles of the chnrch of G«i. but now all tears, even those of godly sorrow, ire wiped away from mine eyes; therefore let none be in yours upon my account.
And lastly, the bitterness of death is past with me; I have shot the gulf, that last enemy, that aoo of Anak, is vanquished, and I am triumphing. 0 Death, where is thy sting I And therefore, woeep mt for me.
'' II. But this is not all; if you consider the happiness I am entered into, that fair palace in whidi death was but a dark entry, you would not weep for me, but rejoice rather.
Would you know where I am ? I am at home in my Father's house, in the mansion prepared for me there. I am where I would be, where I hare long and often desired to be; no longer on a stonny sea, but in a safe and quiet harbour. My workii time is done, and I am resting; my sowing time is done, and I am reaping; my joy is as the joy of ksr-vest
" Would you know how it is with me ? I am made perfect in holiness; grace is swallowed np in fory; the top-stone of the building is brought forth.
Would you know what I am doing! I see God, I see him as he is, not as through a glass darkly, bat face to face ; and the sight is transforming, it makes me like him. I am in the sweet enjoyment of m; blessed Redeemer, my Head and Husband, whom my soul loved, and for whose sake I was willing to part with all; I am here bathing myself at the springhead of heavenly pleasures and joys nnutterable, and*therefore weep not for me. I am here keeping a perpetual sabbath; what that is, judge by yoor short sabbaths; I am here singing Hallelujahs incessantly to him who sits upon the throne, and rest not day or night from praising him.
Would you know what company I have ? Blessed company, better than the best on earth ; here are holy angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect ; I am set down with Abraham, and Isaac,*and Jacob in the kingdom of God, with blessed Paol, and Peter, and James, and John, and all the saints; and here I meet with many of my old acquaintance, that I fasted and prayed with, who (pt before me hither.
And, lastly, will you consider how long this is to continue; it is a garland that never withers; a
1067 rown of gloiy that fades not away; after millions f millions of ages, it will be as fresh as it is now; nd therefore weep not for me.
It is true, the body mast tarn to rottenness and atrefactioD, the worms mast feed sweetly npon it; tut that also sleeps in Jesas, it still remains united 0 him, and shall shortly be raised again incornipt ble, like the glorious body of Jesos Christ, more jorions than the noon-day san.
Bat though yoo have no reason to weep for him vho is gone, you hae abundant reason to weep for ^oarselves and for your children.
Weep for your sins, the oaase of this and all your >ther griefs; that is the right channel for your tears
0 run in. O that I knew what to say, to make sin litter to you this day ! Shall I tell you it kills your friends ; it killed your Saviour; it threatens to kill yoar soals.
'' Weep foryourloss, the lossof agodly neighbour; k good member of your society, a praying member, and a profitable one; eveiy way useful among yon.
1 cannot say, he loved your nation, and built you a synagogue; but he found you one when you needed one; his house was your synagogue, his doors, his heart, were open to yon.
Weep for your children who are coming into a tempting troublesome world, and going abroad into it; weep for yourselves, who are yet in the midst of it, cambered, tempted, absent from the Lord.
" Weep for the evil to come upon yourselves and your children, which the taking away of such men is a threatening omen of.
But is there not something else to be done besides weeping ? There is: we must acknowledge the hand of God in the removal of such men; must be thankful to God that we had them so long; mast aearch, and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord; weep and pray for ourselves and our children; weep and prepare to follow; weep and hope; and if thus we sow in tears, we shall shortly reap in joy, everlasting joy."
These were the heads of what my father enlarged Qpon in that sermon; and the reading of it affected me the more, because it was but the year after; that it became applicable to himself; and Mr. Tallents, when he preached my father's funeral sermon, made mention of Mr. William Lawrence's death, and spoke very respectfully of him.
Bat to retam to our subject, from which we too B<Mn digressed; his father's elder brother was Mr. £dward Lawrence, an eminent minister in Shropshire first, and afterwards in London. A man of peat integrity, and a substantial judicious preacher; who, to keep the peace of his conscience, left a good liviog;, and threw himself, and his numerous family, npon divine Providence.
His book called Christ*s power over hodiltf dit-'A'ei, has been and will be of great asc to many for their comfort in sickness, and their improvement of it This nephew of his in many things resembled him much, and the comfort he had in him was the more valued by him, because of the great grief he had in some of his own children, which he let the world know something of in a book he published, called Parent Chroans over Wicked CkUdren, He died in November, 1605.
Having given this account of his family and relations, we come next to give some account of his childhood and youth, as we have it from those who then knew him. He was betimes inclined to learning, and was very mindless of the sports and toys that children usually are addicted ta When he was very little, his parents sent him to school, more to be out of the way of danger, than in expectation he would learn any thing; but before they were aware he had learned his letters, and by the year's end could read very well in his Bible. So intent was he upon his book, that his parents would hire him to play for a while, but he would presently return to his book.
Much sooner than most children do, he entered upon his learning of the Latin tongue, at the Free School in Wem, under Mr. Roderick and his two ushers, at a time when that school flourished much. There he made such proficiency when he was very young, and advanced so fast, that his masters loved him, and others admired him. The time that most of his school-fellows spent in play, he spent in reading ; and was so earnest in pursuing learning, and so careful to perform the exercises of the school, that he would scarce allow time to dress himself.
His master, Mr. Roderick, removing, and another coming in his place, who did not take so much pains, our young scholar complained to his parents, that he was not forwarded in learning as he had been, and therefore desired he might be removed to Newport, where there was at that time a flourishing school under Mr. Edwards; and he was so, and there improved very much in his learning.
His inclinations to piety were as early as his inclinations to learning; and he was not only free from the common follies and vanities of childhood and youth, but was forward to the exercises of devotion. He began betimes to pray in secret, and would be up early to redeem time for it So much seriousness and conscientiousness appeared in him in his childhood, that some who knew him then would say, they thought he was sanctified from the womb.
After he had got what learning was to be got at Newport school, he spent some time under the inspection of my father at Broad Oak, and some with Mr. Tallents at Shrewsbury; and a considerable time he spent with some other hopeful young men under Mr. Maiden at Alkinton near Whitchurch, where he improved himself very much in Greek and
LIFE OF MR. SAMUEL LAWRENCE.
Hebrew. He continued there till Mr. Maiden's death, in Jane, 1681.
Soon after that he was sent ap to London, where, after some little time spent with his uncle, he was put under the tuition of that famous instructor of youth, Mr. Charles Moreton, whose private academy at Newington Green flourished very much at that time, and was a nursery of many who have since done worthily, and been famous in their generation. There he went through a course of university learning, and carried himself so as to gain the respects of all who observed him.
There he staid till the iniquity of the times forced Mr. Moreton to break up his academy, and to remove himself for safety and liberty to New England, as many such men were necessitated to do in the last age.
When he left Mr. Moreton, he was recommended to Mr. Singleton, to be assistant to him in teaching a grammar school in Clerkenwell Close, and was very acceptable both to him, and to the relations of the young gentlemen who were his scholars.
After he had spent two or three years there, he was recommended to the Lady Irby, relict of Sir Anthony Irby, who lived in Dean's Yard in Westminster, to be her domestic chaplain. When she first saw him, he was so young, and looked so much younger than he was, that she asked, " What! have they sent me a child for my chaplain V But upon trial she soon found he was no child in understanding. A great deal of love and respect he gained by his prudent and pious carriage in that family. Upon his first coming thither, when some of his friends spoke with concern for him, how he would have courage, being young and modest, to go through his work, and were afraid he would be dashed, when, as often, there were persons of quality present at their family worship; he said it did not fit all affect him, for '* I have a greater presence to mind than theirs.''
While he was at my Lady Irb/s, the liberty for dissenters commenced in 1687, and a door of oppor* tunity was opened to them just twenty-five years after it was shut by the Act of Uniformity; and soon after the opening of it was legally confirmed upon the revolution. And it has been kept open twenty-five years, and blessed be God, no man has been able to shut it. Upon the setting up of the meetings publicly then, Mr. Lawrence began to preach, and frequently assisted Mr. Alsop, on sacrament days, and upon other occasions, his meeting lying very near to my Lady's; and his first performances in that work were very acceptable.
One thing I must here take notice of to his honour; (and it is the more so, that notwithstanding my great intimacy with him at London at that time, I do not remember ever to have known it till now, that I am acquainted with it by his surviving relations;) his father had his house and goods burnt in that dreadful fire which consumed the whole town of Wem, ia March 1676-7. The rebuilding and refurnishing cf it was a great expense to him; notwithstandio; which he brought up his son to learning, which tlu son had such a grateful sense of, that as soon a< ever he came into a capacity of maintaining himself, and with a frugal management of sparing something, all he could spare before he married, be sent to his father, amounting at times to a Tery considerable sum. He was one who had learned, according to the apostle's rule, io show pUty at home, and to requite his parents. Those who knew him well, have said they wanted words to express his respect to his parents and love to his relations.
In the year 1688 he came down into the countiy to see his relations, and a society of dissenters in and about Nantwich in Cheshire being then in quest of a minister, after several motions made to them bad miscarried, desired Mr. Lawrence to come and spend a Lord's day with them, which he did to their, great and universal satisfaction; so that they unanimoash chose him to be their minister; and after some time taken to consider of it, and consult his friends, he accepted it; but went first to London to take leave of his friends there. The Lady Irby was extremely loth to part with her chaplain, and was very angry ' with Mr. Baxter and my father for persuading him to go to Nantwich. But thither he came in September that year. In the beginning of November following he was publicly ordained to the ministry by a class of Lancashire ministers at Warrington ; six more were ordained at the same time* Mr. Cromp-ton preached, and Mr. Risely gave the exhortatioo. I remember the time by a good token, for when we were at Warrington, we received the news of the Prince of Orange's landing.
He is now settled at Nantwich, and some ther will remember what manner of entering in he had among them; with what wisdom, industry, and zeal, he applied himself to his work, and how many precious souls he was instrumental of good to; vha( a free course the word of the Lord had there, and how it was glorified. His greatest encouragement there was at first; but he continued there to his death. Though if he had had bodily strength, and a voice proportionable to his other ministerial abilities, his friends would have removed him into a larger sphere of usefulness.
He preached constantiy twice every Lord's day, winter and summer, and read and expounded tiie Scriptures in order both parts of the day, the Old Testament in the morning, and the New in the afternoon ; and catechised the children every Lord's day, winter and summer, except sacrament days.
He constantly administered the Lord's supper once a month with great solemnity and serioas-ness. The young people who were admitted to
10G9 hat ordinance, did, before the congregation, renew beir baptismal covenant in that form which my ather drew ap, which is in his Life,'' I take God the father to be my chief good and highest end ; I ake God the Son to be my Prince and Saviour; Sod the Holy Ghost to be jtny sanctifier, teacher, ;Qide, and comforter. I take the word of God to be ay rule in all my actions ; and the people of God 0 be my people in all conditions. I do also give, [evote, and dedicate my whole to God, all I am, all have, and all I can do. And this I do deliberately, incercly, freely, and for ever." And some he after-rards advised to write it over, and snbscribe their lames to it; which he said he would keep as a witless against them if they proved false to it. He ived to admit many to the Lord's Supper, whom he lad himself baptized in their infancy.
He preached every Saturday about noon; it is be market-day; and so he gave an opportunity to he country people of spending an hour for their k>ols in the midst of their worldly business.
In baptizing children, he generally received the ;hild from the parent's own hand, and returned it to bim again, with a solemn charge to bring it up in the fear of God, and the faith of Christ; and frequently took occasion to declare, that he did not baptize into a party, but into the church of Christ. He spent some time with the communicants on the Friday before every sacrament, to assist them in their preparation for that solemn ordinance; and was very ready to visit the sick and afflicted, and to assist the families of his friends in accommodating themselves to the providences of God that were con-ceroing them.
He was a very solid, serious, judicious preacher; his discourses were generally short, but pithy and substantial, and well studied. His doctrine dropped as the dew, and distilled as the small rain ; and he preached as one who truly aimed at the edification of those who heard him, and was in care to make them wiser and better.
When he began his ministry at Nantwich, that he might preach the more profitably, he resolved to preach in a method, that his hearers might see divine truths in their order and connexion with each other; he therefore entered upon a body of divinity, and preached it over largely, which took him up many years ; when he had finished that, he preached over most, if not all, of our Saviour's parables; itfter that, went over many practical subjects, as the mortification of sin, living by faith, &c. And toward the latter end of his time, when most of those were dead who were his hearers when he first came, and many young ones were grown up, he begaa to preach over a body of divinity a second time; but studied every sermon anew; nay, not so much as looking on his old notes, saying, he would not have his Master find him idle. He was in great care not to flag and grow remiss in his public performances ; and would desire some of his hearers who were judicious, to tell him if they observed any alteration for the worse in them.
He was one who loved his work, and his heart was in it. He was forward to embrace all opportunity of doing good. He frequently preached lectures on week days in the country about; and funeral sermons many times gratis. Ho often preached when he laboured under bodily indispositions, which made the work very difficult, but would have served jnany a one for an excuse from it. When some advised him to consider his strength, and forbear preaching, he said, " I will use what strength I have in my Master's work, and do not desire to live a day longer than I may do him some service." It is not remembered that of all the time of his being at Nantwich, which was near twenty-four years, he was ever taken oflT from his work till the last sabbath of his life, by the sickness of which he died; and then, when he was so weak that he could scarce be helped out of his bed, he said he hoped, through the goodness of God, he should be able to do bis work the next sabbath, for, said he,'' it is my delight ;" but before that sabbath came, he was removed to better work.
Though he was thus diligent in all the parts of his work, yet he was so far from glorying in it, that he sometimes expressed himself thus: <* O what reason have I to be humbled, that so much of my time runs waste, which I can give but little account of; and that I do no more in the service of God ; but it is a comfort to me, that I do any thing."
Once being much fatigued with his work upon a Lord's day, he lamentably said to those about him, ** O how poorly do we serve and praise God, but it is a pleasure to think that we shall shortly do it better in heaven."
He was much concerned for the success of his ministry ; and sometimes was dejected and cast down, because he saw not people so much affected with it, and wrought upon by it, as he thought they had been formerly, though it was observed, that toward the latter end of his ministry he grew rather more lively and affectionate in his performances.
The irregular walking of any of his hearers was a great grief to him, and went near his heart, and he would often sadly lament it in public, that the lives of many who are called Christians, are such a reproach to that worthy name by which they are called, and that the professors of this day came so far short of the strictness and seriousness of those he had formerly known.
He was faithful to those under his charge in giving private admonitions as there was occasion. He had an excellent faculty of giving reproof with authority and gravity, and yet with meekness and humility. He flattered none in any thing that was amiss, but where he thought it proper, freely told people of their faults.
LIFE OF MR. SAMUEL LAWRENCE.
bat therein gOYerned himself according to the rale of that scripture, which I remember he preached an excellent sermon upon above twenty years ago, at a meeting of the Cheshire ministers, (2 Tim. ii. 24.) The servanU of the Lord must not strive.
The tendency of his preaching was to bring people to Christ and heaven; to heaven as their end, and to Christ as their way. He said to one of the lambs of his flock, *< Well, I hope yon learn Christ; I preach Christ as plainly and well as I can.'' He used this argument to persuade people to lay up their treasure in heaven, " If our treasure be on earth we are going from it, if it be in heaven we are going to it."