Christs Farewell to Jerusalem and Last Prophecy, Title page – Testimony
CHRISTS FAREWELL to Ierusalem, AND last Prophesie.
A SERMON Preached in the Quier of the Cathedrall Church of Canterburie, at the Funerall of that Reuerend and worthy man, Mr. Doctor Colfe, Vice-Deane of the said Church, Octob. 12. 1613.
By THOMAS WILSON, Minister of Gods word.
LONDON: Printed for Francis Burton, and are to bee sould at the signe of the greene Dragon in Paules Church-yard. 1614.
To his fellow-labourers in the Lord, Mr. Abraham Colfe Pastor of Lewsham beside Greenewitch, and Mr. Isaac Colfe Pastor of Hearne beside Canterburie, and to their sixe Brethren with their louing Sister Mis. Mann of London, all happinesse in Christ.
HEaring by iust and certaine report, not of a few, what working and effect my meane labours at the Funerall of your FATHER (that graue and godly Minister of Christ) had, through Gods blessing, in the hearts of sundry, and very many hearers, that houre in great companies assembled: and being once and againe, by writing and word, earnestly solicited to copie out that SERMON which I vttered by helpe of memory, without any benefite of Notes, through straightnes of time, and store of businesse: I condiscended against all thought and purpose on my part (when I first conceiued, and was deliuered of this lesse then nine houres birth) not onelyonly to copie it out and put it in paper, for the priuate vse of some; but to commit it to the Presse, for the more publike good of many, which were not present auditors: EueryEvery good thing being so much the better the more common it is; and writing being ordayned of GOD to be a meane of the teaching of his Church, as well as liuely voyce.
Now, after I entred this resolution, vponupon these grounds, to whom could I more fitly dedicate it then to your selues, his nine CHILDREN, whom towards his last breath hee did as earnestly couet to make you heyres of his graces, as of his goods? Pictures serue to put vsus in minde of our friends departed; so let this Sermon and testimony giuen him at the preaching of it, be to you a Monument of your good Father, who left behinde him much more goodnesse to imitate, then goods to enioy: yet of earthly substance so much as may witnesse how greatly God had blessed him with worldly and spirituall blessings, with the dew of heauen, as well as with grace from heauen.
Walke carefully in his steps: thinke it to be your greatest shame to degenerate, and your chiefest commendation to resemble him. As hee before his death prouided for foure of you Flockes to feede, fields to sowe, houses to build; so like good shepheards attend the flockes whereof the holy Ghost hath made you ouerseers, and which Christ hath purchased with his own bloud. Let not such a rich prize perish through your negligence and sloath, but as scribes, taught to the kingdome of God, store vp old and new things in aboundance, which you may draw out to refresh the tender Lambes and deare sheepe of Christ: Withall, like good Husbandmen prouide pure and good seede, which you may scatter in the morning and in the euening, in season and out of season; for yee know not which will prosper. Finally, as skilfull builders, lay no other foundation then that which is layd already, euen Christ Iesus, the head corner stone, vponupon which see you doe build Gold, Siluer, and pretious stones, that is, pure Doctrine, which will abide the examination of the spirit; that when the LROD of the house commeth you may heare the blessed voyce, Enter into your Maisters ioy yee faithfull seruants. Farewell.
Yours Thomas Wilson.
The Testimonie which was giuen vntounto Mr. Richard Colfe, Doctor of DIVINITIE, and Prebendarie of the Cathedrall Church of Christ in Canterbury, at his Funerall, being kept October 12. 1613.
TOuching this reuerend man (whose last obsequies and Funerall rights wee come now to performe) I am bound to say something, in three respects: First, of God, that he may hauehave the prayse of his owne worke and gifts in him. Secondly, of himselfe, that his due and right may bee rendred vntounto him. Thirdly, of you the Auditors that vntounto you may be ministred, some iust matter of imitation: for the godly liues of the Saints dead are good patternes for the Saints that liue. Heb. Chap. 1, verse. 12.
Now, that which I hauehave to say may be comprehended in few words: hee was, first, bonus vir, secondly, bonus Christianus, thirdly, bonus Theologus, fourthly, bonus Pastor. Light of nature taught naturall men to say, homo homini charus esse debet eo quod homo est. Homo homini deus. 1A good man.His singular humanitie and curtesie sending from his presence none vnsatisfied or discontented (as it is written of an Emperour of Rome,) his sweet nature and amiable behauiour and peaceable disposition towards all men, that had to doe with him; also his humane compassion, pittying and relieueuing (as hee could) the miseries of men: his loathnesse either to speake or to doe hurt vntounto others, or to suffer any euill to be spoken or done by others: All these doe beare witnesset of him, that hee was a good man. Neither indeede could hee be lesse, if the Poet have well described a good man, when hee thus wrote, Vir bonus est quis? qui consulta legum qui patres, iuraques seruat: For hee submitted himselfe vntounto superiour powers, being a diligent observer of good orders, and good lawes, both teaching and practising subiection to lawfull authority.
2A good Christian.But vntounto his morrall goodnes God added much Christian and spirituall goodnesse. For in time of his prosperitie and health, his vnfayned louelove to the Saints, (holding all deare vntounto him which were deare vntounto GOD) communicating vntounto their necessities, euen for Christs sake: more particularly, his contributions towards poore Schollers of the Vniuersity, for their maintenance and increase in learning and piety: also his vnblameable and honest conuersation, led according vntounto the booke which hee studied, professed, and preached, doe speake for his sound Christianity.
In time of many and very great affliction (wherof some were both exceeding sharpe,Patience. by anguish, and long for the continuance) his wonderfull patience in bearing euils, almost intollerable, without signification of the least grudge or discontentment in minde, when the beholders were forced through compassion to turne away their eyes from looking vponupon his extremities; yet did hee still indure, not onelyonly with patience, but with cheerfulnesse, the heauy hand of God, kissing (as it were) the rod that smote him, being euen another Iob for patience , as hee was another Moses for meekenes.Meeknesse. My selfe inwardly and long acquainted with him, yet neuer, or very seldome did I see him moued vntounto anger for any priuate or worldly matter; but as that seruant Moises, which was meeke and gentle in his owne causes, shewed himselfe seuere and stout, hot and earnest in Gods quarrell, Exod. 32. 19. so this our brother, otherwise not to bee stirred, yet (cum questio fuit de veritate) he did declare himselfe very angry against gainsayers, taking more to hart, and being more displeased with the hurt done vntounto the truth, than vntounto himselfe.
Trust.Moreouer, his constant faith, continuing to trust in God, euen then when he did more then kill him (for death was more to be chused then his tedious calamitie:) his fixed hope,Hope. and feruent calling vponupon that God which so frowned vponupon him, and strooke him so rigorously;Prayers. his plentifull prayers for his Wife and Children, that they might be kept vpright and vnspotted in this peruerse and slippery age:Godly counsels. His godly comforts and counsell to his Wife, to depend vponupon Gods prouidence, to bring vp his Children well in the knowledge of Christ; also to his children, that they would truely and greatly feare God, least together with an earthly parent they lost their heauenly father, and so have no father at all:Care of children. His religious education of his children, out of a great desire that they might serue God either in Church or Common-wealth as God should dispose them. These his graces doe strongly and sufficiently testifie what a good Christian he was. Which yet was further manifested by his singular humility,Humilitie. behauing himself lowly in an high estate; so farre from being high-minded, or wise in his own eyes, as he did euer thinke meanely of his owne gifts, which were rich and many, when he was very ready both to speake and iudge reuerently of other mens gifts, being sometime both poore and few.
3A good Diuine.Now, what a good Deuine hee was I referre you to these proofes following. First, to his learned, iudicious expositions and Meditations, vttered in this Church (in a frequent and learned assembly) vponupon sundry Texts of holy Scripture,1Iudicious Lectures. as namely, vponupon the whole 8. Psalme, and 127. Psal. and Math. 7. verse 24. to the end of the Chapter, and 1 Cor. 14. and on the Epistle of Christ, sent to the Church of Laodicea, Reu. 3. but especially on 2. Thes. Chapter 2. from verse 6. to the end, wherein, he demonstratiuely and substantially proued the Papacy to be Antichristianity, there so liuely and fully described by Paul.
2Euangelicall Teacher.Further, whereas the Apostle saith that to eueryevery man is giuen his proper gift of God, to some after this manner, to another after that, Gods seruants and children, amongst many graces hauehave some one gift which doth chiefly grace them whereby they excell both others and themselues:) I may truly say, and let it be said without offence, that foreign, of this our Brother was a speciall sleight and faculty, in reuealing and preaching Christ, which hee did with that dextoritie as sundry, both godly and learned persons hauehave heard him not onelyonly with affection but with admiration also. Thirdly,3Degree of Doctor. the Vniuersitie, his mother, conferred vponupon him the greatest dignitie which she had to giuegive vntounto her children, and that not without due desert on his part, as some of the Heads of houses, who heard his Diuinitie Acts, or exercises, hauehave reported, and affirmed them to hauehave beene performed with generall approbation, and great credit. Whereof I doe not meruaile, for certainly hee was a very great student, and of long continuance; hee was well seene and expert in the three languages, namely, in the holy tongue, the language of Canaan, by the benefit whereof, as also by much reading of our moderne writers, together with most learned interpreters, both euangelicall and pontificiall (namely, Vatablus, Arias Montanus, Tremelius, Beza, and others) hee became an excellent Textman, and so an excellent Diuine. Bonus enim Textuarius est bonus Theologus.) Hee was conuersant, with good fruit, in the ancient Fathers, & acquainted himselfe with the Scholemen also. Not aboue sixe dayes before his death hee shewed himselfe in conference as ready in Schole-distinctions, as if he had but newly come out of the Schooles.
4A good Pastor.Hee gaue a taste how good a Pastor he was, both by personall paines in preaching the Word vntounto his flocke plainely, without ostentation of wit, or learning: Also, by his prouision of a well qualified man to be his assistant in that waighty charge.
And as a good Scribe, taught to the kingdome of GOD, hee would hauehave drawne things, both old and new, more plentifully out of his store, if he had recouered his health againe, for he often wished that hee might liue to preach Christ; lamenting it that hee was not able. But he hath serued his time, and finished his course; and his flocke hath lost a skilfull Shepheard; his Wife a louing Husband; his Children a kind Father; his Seruants a milde and iust Master; his acquaintance a fast friend; his reuerend Brethren a faithfull fellow and companion.
This is all that I hauehave to say of him; such as louelove him will thinke it too little, and such as did not, will iudge it too much; but lesse I could not say, and more I neede not say. The summe of all is, Qualis vita, finis ita; hee liued well, and dyed well; full of dayes, in a good age, in the fauour both of God and good men. God be praised, that hath happily ended his painfull pilgrimage: and the same God giuegive you all grace to come after him in the same steps of faith and patience, wherein he went before.
Amen.